Windows Server 2016 With Hyper-v Yellow exclamation on Microsoft Virtual Machine Bus #winserv #HyperV #Windows

Don’t you love it when you are running Hyper-v and you can adjust the VM en reboot your cluster and everything is redundant.

Well except the VM after a reboot of the VM it has a Yellow exclamation on Microsoft Virtual Machine

 

So it seems the VM integration services is not there at all.  and the Update-VMVersion VMNAME –Force is not helping

 

So this seems like an old issue but it isn’t tried to delete the network keys in the register and no results.  BUT DON’T DO that !!

All my VM’s are running the latest patches could this be the issue ? recently there is KB3216755 which has some issues with DeDupe https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4011347/windows-10-update-kb3216755

Placed a snapshot back from before the updates and guess what Same issue eh.. so it is not the VM ? can it be the Hyper-v Server it self ? Patched this server before the VM’s a few days ago.  

Ok my hyper-v server is not sleeping

But checking the problem VM’s I see something unusual why is the VM sitting on his default memory. I use Dynamic memory and the startup memory is 512 MB yes it is low but still ?

Odd why <> well there is no network so basically the VM does nothing

changed it and this was working on 1 VM so still no solution.

the one that worked is delete the Network Adapter in the VM settings, Boot the VM <>shutdown.

Add the Nic’s and boot the VM and you are ready to go. 

Well you need to reconfig the network adapter again. but that are just a few Powershell Lines.

Hope this helps you solving your issue

 

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Windows Server 2016 with Hyper-v Integrations tools & configuration versions

Hyper-v vm’s are depending on the integration tools. And often the tools are not updated or in line with the Hyper-v Server. Or there are unsupported versions of VM’s So even if you think you are mastering Hyper-v with just tagging the checkbox or running a Powershell command.

Install-WindowsFeature –Name Hyper-V -ComputerName <computer_name> -IncludeManagementTools –Restart

Well let me tell you that is where the Fun starts.

Take a look at the integration Versions you can easily see this in VMM but you can also see this quickly in PowerShell. and I’m not talking about the VMM Agent.

So is this windows only ? no as Microsoft is loving Linux there is also a Pack for Linux. With his own guidance 

Hyper-V Linux Integration Services (LIS)

Hyper-V Linux Integration Services, sometimes referred to simply as Hyper-V LIS, provides two types of components: drivers and services. The drivers play an important role in enhancing the performance of Linux virtual machines, and services are designed to perform a specific job.

Linux Integration Services Version 4.0 for Hyper-V

Current version: 4.0.11 Please refer to the Linux Virtual Machines on Hyper-V topics for up to date information on the LIS feature set, all supported Linux distributions, availability and download locations.

Download the ISO

Back to the Windows Versions as the Integration services differ there is also an option on  virtual machine configuration versions that are supported on a host. is this different than the IS yes as you can migrate a VM to and from a Hyper-v 2012R2 to a Hyper-v 2016 and back so the VM needs to know that.

Let us check the Integration Services Version (IS)

Get-VM | ft Name, IntegrationServicesVersion  – On a Hyper-v 2012R2

Get-VM | ft Name, IntegrationServicesVersion  – On a Hyper-v 2016

VMM output

As you can see there is clearly a difference between Windows Server 2012R2 and 2016.

PowerShell Hyper-V Supported Version

But what about the Tag in the Hyper-v Console there is also a Version.

This is a Windows Server 2016 and as you can see two different versions is this Wrong ? No it isn’t.

Get-VMHostSupportedVersion will list the output below ( works only in Windows Server 2016 )

So there are Currently six different versions. With all the options why should I care setting this.

Well there are a couple of reasons why you should set this option. Make the latest Hyper-V features available on your virtual machines by upgrading the configuration version. Don’t do this until:

• You upgrade your Hyper-V hosts to the latest version of Windows or Windows Server.
• You upgrade the cluster functional level.
• You’re sure that you won’t need to move the virtual machine back to a Hyper-V host that runs a previous version of Windows or Windows Server.

And you you replicate from a Hyper-v 2016 Server to a Hyper-v 2012 Server for DR then make sure you don’t run in a higher version than 5.0

When you move or import a virtual machine to a computer that runs Hyper-V on Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10, the virtual machine’s configuration isn’t automatically updated. This means that you can move the virtual machine back to a Hyper-V host that runs a previous version of Windows or Windows Server. But, this also means that you can’t use some of the new virtual machine features until you manually update the configuration version. You can’t downgrade the virtual machine configuration version after you’ve upgraded it.

The virtual machine configuration version represents the compatibility of the virtual machine’s configuration, saved state, and snapshot files with the version of Hyper-V. When you update the configuration version, you change the file structure that is used to store the virtual machines configuration and the checkpoint files. You also update the configuration version to the latest version supported by that Hyper-V host. Upgraded virtual machines use a new configuration file format, which is designed to increase the efficiency of reading and writing virtual machine configuration data. The upgrade also reduces the potential for data corruption in the event of a storage failure

So Creating a VM in Hyper-v 2016 Server it will always have version 7.1 when you create this in the GUI

But When using Powershell you can set the Version tag only then is the VM compatible with Hyper-v Server 2012

New-VM -Name “DemoVM17” -Version 5.0

When listing the VM Configurations you can see the difference. and easily see the 5.0 Version VM’s  config.XML

Virtual machine configuration information that is stored in binary file format. File name extension: .vmcx

But what if I want to upgrade the VM’s ? yes you can but only to the default level and PowerShell Only

Update-VMVersion “VM Name”

as you can see the DemoVm06 is already at the max level but when updating the DemoVM01 which has Version 5.0 it will be upgraded to Version 7.1 and the Config file will be transferred this can’t be undone!

Virtual machine configuration information that is stored in binary file format. File name extension: .vmcx

More about this https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt695898.aspx

HAppY Vm

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Microsoft video monitor catastrophic failure or Failed to restore with Error ‘Catastrophic failure’ (0x8000FFFF)

Somehow the Hyper-v server Stopped Microsoft video monitor catastrophic failure or Failed to restore with Error ‘Catastrophic failure’ (0x8000FFFF)

A hyper-v server reboot did not solve the problem. the servers are hung on saved state. This hyper-v server is far from best practice and the cause of this is unknown shutdown during patching or installing some software updates. In my case I was upgrading the Windows server 2016 TP3 to windows server 2016 TP4 and I may rebooted the hyper-v server just to see if it is stable and to see what is happening. Well It broke my VM’s eh bring it in save state.

But can we fix this ? yes we can.

the servers are all in a saved state. When starting the servers we get this error : Microsoft video monitor catastrophic failure or Failed to restore with Error ‘Catastrophic failure’ (0x8000FFFF)

First an easy fix reboot the hyper- server. but this did not solve the issue.

An extra stop start of the vmms services

net stop vmms

net start vmms

no result.

there is a KB https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2960802

To work around this issue, follow these steps:

1. Start Command Prompt with elevated permissions, and then run the following command:

   Net stop vmms

   If it prompts, input yes to stop the Remote Desktop Virtualization Host Agent service.

2. Open the configuration XML of the VM. Generally, the file is under the Virtual Machines folder of the VM.
3. Find the VDEVVersion tag which has a value of 512. Reduce this value to 256, and then save the XML file.
4. Start Command Prompt with elevated permissions, and then run the following command:

   Net start vmhostagent

5. Try to start the VM again.

 

So basically the fix is easy edit the config files and save it an start the vm.

  <VDEVVersion type="integer">512</VDEVVersion>

</_58f75a6d-d949-4320-99e1-a2a2576d581c_>

<_5ced1297-4598-4915-a5fc-ad21bb4d02a4_>

  <VDEVVersion type="integer">256</VDEVVersion>

</_5ced1297-4598-4915-a5fc-ad21bb4d02a4_>

<_655bc5c5-a784-46b7-81bc-e26328f7eb0e_>

  <VDEVVersion type="integer">512</VDEVVersion>

</_655bc5c5-a784-46b7-81bc-e26328f7eb0e_>

<_6c09bb55-d683-4da0-8931-c9bf705f6480_>

  <Enabled type="bool">False</Enabled>

this fixed the issue but if you can loose the saved state and just start the VM again if may also help your issue.

So if you upgrade your VM’s don’t do a live migration or a Hyper-v server shutdown let the upgrade finish first and logon to the servers and see if all is working.

 

Happy clustering

Robert Smit

@clusterMVP

https://robertsmit.wordpress.com

Technorati Tags: Windows,Server,Storage,Spaces,Direct,SOFS,setup

PowerShell Virtual Machine Replication Using Hyper-V Replica #cloud #scvmm #Microsoft

As we Created a VM in SCVMM and this VM is placed on a cluster I want to Replicate this to an other Hyper-v Cluster just for DR.

The Script can be found here Enable Replication VM for Hyper-v Cluster

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Enable-Replication-VM-for-b58bd250

First we set the Variables

# Variable
$SourceHV= "MVPTENANT001"
$ReplHV= "MVPTENANT011"
$DRVM= "MVPLOADTEST01"

The fist stepes are just checking if you already have a VM that is replicated and if there are any errors.

# Replica info
Get-Command –Module Hyper-V *repl*

# get current status
Get-VMReplication

#get repl server status settings
Get-VMReplication –ReplicaServerName $ReplHV

#get ReplicationHealth status
Get-VMReplication –ReplicationHealth Normal
Get-VMReplication –ReplicationHealth Warning

#get repl server
Get-VMReplicationServer $ReplHV
Get-VMReplication -ComputerName $SourceHV | Format-List *

(1..2) | % {get-VMReplicationServer –ComputerName MVPTENANT01$_} | Format-Table repenabled, authtype, intauth, certauth, anyserver, moninterval, monstarttime, computername

 

 

Now that we have checked that the Replication is Configured we can start creating the Replication

#Set-VMReplicationServer
enable-VMReplication –VMname $DRVM –ReplicaServerName $ReplHV –ReplicaServerPort 80 -AuthenticationType Kerberos

when Checking the Replication Settings in the cluster we can see the replication is enabled. Now we can start the replication

#start init Replication
Start-VMInitialReplication –VMName $DRVM

to see if the replication is started we do some checking

#show status
Measure-VMReplication
Get-VMReplication | Format-List *

After the initial replication it will follow the default replication schedule.

 

As these are just simple steps you can expand this to a bigger volume.

Happy clustering

Robert Smit

@clusterMVP

https://robertsmit.wordpress.com

Hyper-V Replica Essentials Book Review | Packt Publishing

I have recently read a new eBook on Hyper-V Replica named “Hyper-V Replica Essentials”, written by Vangel Krstevski. Vangel Krstevski is an IT prodigy, excelling in virtualization and network design. He is an expert in virtualization deployment and management.

So the book is a small edition about 100 Pages, on how to create the replication between Hyper-v Servers. But there is also some cluster explanation,  on file sharing and SMB. for starting with Hyper-v replica this is a great book to start with.

It is an easy to read book with all step by step instructions on how to install the base components for a Hyper-V Replica environment.

The covered Chapters are :

• Introducing Hyper-V Replica.
• Installing Failover Clustering with Server 2012 shared storage functionality  ( File Storage / SMB )
• Configuring Hyper-V Replica.
• Authentication Hyper-V Replica. ( nice SSL samples )
• Administering Hyper-V Replica.

What I liked the most of this book is that not only the basics are covered but also the Hyper-v Replica Certificated based. Most books are skipping this, but here it shown in a nice step by step detail.

For those of you who would like to get started with Hyper-V 2012 Replica, I recommend reading this book. You can get your hands on a copy of the eBook (PDF, Kindle etc.) by going to Packt Publishing website: Hyper-V Replica Essentials

 

Some Copy from the Packt Website :

 

In Detail

Enterprises need to make sure that their systems are always up and running no matter what happens. Hyper-V Replica is a free disaster recovery tool in Hyper-V 3.0 that creates and maintains copies of virtual machines (VMs). In the event of a catastrophic loss, an administrator can failover to the replica VMs and provide business continuity.

Hyper-V Replica Essentials is a step by step guide to configuring Hyper-V Replica in various deployment scenarios. This book will give you an overview of Hyper-V Replica before taking you through the prerequisites required to properly configure Hyper-V Replica. Then, through a series of practical steps, this book will enable you to take advantage of this highly beneficial disaster recovery tool.

Hyper-V Replica Essentials starts by introducing you to Hyper-V Replica and will help you understand what it does and where you can apply it. We will then move onto learning how to configure a server environment with failover capabilities based on Microsoft Hyper-V and also how to use features including Live Storage Migration. Finally, you learn how to configure Hyper-V Replica authentication, and to troubleshoot problems with Hyper-V Replica as well as solving different types of problems.

Approach

A fast-paced, step-by-step guide to configuring Hyper-V Replica in various deployment scenarios.

Who this book is for

Hyper-V Replica Essentials is for Windows Server administrators who want to improve their system availability and speed up disaster recovery. You will need experience in Hyper-V deployment because Hyper-V Replica is built in the Hyper-V platform.

Typical Hyper-v Cluster Configuration #TEE13 #ws2012R2

With Windows 2012 the clustering changed. the basic config san connected to the cluster is no longer the best option. using the Scale out file server you get better performance and better redundancy. but more important the cost are less. below are some screen shots from the TEE13 sessions more about this is coming this week.

The session links are also there. Check it out.  Windows 2012 R2 is changing your IT designs.

My Birthday gift would be http://www.violin-memory.com/products/velocity-pcie-cards/ 

 

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/Europe/2013/MDC-B333#fbid=wfTYzMflrSw

 

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/MDC-B333#fbid=I9ghm1Pa9Ih?ocid=aff-n-we-loc–ITPRO40922&WT.mc_id=aff-n-we-loc–ITPRO40922

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/MDC-B305#fbid=I9ghm1Pa9Ih?ocid=aff-n-we-loc–ITPRO40922&WT.mc_id=aff-n-we-loc—ITPRO40922

 

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/MDC-B333#fbid=I9ghm1Pa9Ih?ocid=aff-n-we-loc–ITPRO40922&WT.mc_id=aff-n-we-loc—ITPRO40922

 

This is the way to bypass your san and get an optimized Windows 2012 environment to boost your performance

Hyper-v Replica Certificate Based with your own Root Authority #WS2012 #hyperv #HRM #DRAAS #TEE13 @MSTeched

With the new products that are available end of 2013 ( Windows 2012R2 and the system center R2 ) releases Replication will be important all the way and will be easier to create but also the environment will be more complex.  Replication on kerberos is easy to uses even shared nothing is quick and fast but what about certificate based ?

Easy to use click a certificate and use it. It is that easy or not ? well it is almost.

In this case I have My DC that hold a Enterprise Root CA and two clusters and 4 VMM servers,

Well You will only need the Root CA and Two Hyper-v server Clustered in different clusters.

yes we will do Clustered Based Certificate Based Replication ( CBCBR )

 

Open Certification Authority (certsrv.msc) from Administrative Tools

Right click on Certificate Template and click on Manage then we duplicate the Workstation Authentication template

 

 

 

Give the Certificate a nice name like  Hyper-v Replica Authentication

That you know where the certificate is for.

There are a few things we need to change or can change

I choose for 2012 usage only in the compatible settings Certificate recipient and authority can be set to Windows Server 2012

The Security settings Ensure that Authenticated Users are allowed to Read and Enroll.

 

Edit Application Policies and add Server Authentication

Subject Name Change the option to Supply in the Request

 

Now that the Certificate template is ready we are going to import this certificate

Open Certification Authority on the server and click on Certificate Templates

Select Action and choose the New option followed by Certificate Template to Issue.

Choose the certificate template name from the pop-up box

Now that the basic is ready on our DC we can deploy the Certificate to the clusters / hyper-v server

If you try to add a cert now in the Hyper-v broker. You will see a nice error wrong or no certificate.

A cool thing in 2012 is that you can do PowerShell in the certificate store.

go to c:\windows\system32

cd cert:

use the :

then

cd .\\localmachine\root  then a Dir and you will see all the certificates

How cool is that !

  Open an MMC and open the localmachine store.Requesting Hyper-V Replica Certificates from an Enterprise CA based on our current template.

 

Next and see here is our new certificate template

Now check the certificate and click on the blue line more information is required.

Use the CN = Common name  / friendly name to identify the certificate. and use the computer names to connect to the certificate but you can also use the *.domain.local for a wildcard certificate

hit apply and the next on enroll

and in the certificate store the certificate should been listed

 

And that’s the process for customizing and requesting certificates. Your final step in configuring Hyper-V Replica happens back in Cluster Failover Manager.

now check the broker Role in the cluster and do right click

Launch replication Settings and click the Select Certificate button in Replication Configuration. If you’ve done everything correctly, you’ll see your recently installed and customized certificate

 

and I n my case I have two clusters and won’t to replicate from and to the both clusters.

there for I used the same certificate import and export with private key and put it on all the nodes remember the node name should be in the certificate FQDN !

 

  In the VM you can enable replication and choose the certificate. But you can also mix one VM with Kerberos and the other with a certificate

 

Once It is done it is keep working unless the certificate is expired !

 

Next stop will be Hyper-v Replication Manager.

Hyper-v Replica Certificate Based with your own Root Authority #WS2012 #hyperv #HRM #DRAAS

With the new products that are available end of 2013 ( Windows 2012R2 and the system center R2 ) releases Replication will be important all the way and will be easier to create but also the environment will be more complex.  Replication on Kerberos is easy to uses even shared nothing is quick and fast but what about certificate based ?

Easy to use click a certificate and use it. It is that easy or not ? well it is almost.

In this case I have My DC that hold a Enterprise Root CA and two clusters and 4 VMM servers,

Well You will only need the Root CA and Two Hyper-v server Clustered in different clusters.

yes we will do Clustered Based Certificate Based Replication ( CBCBR )

 

Open Certification Authority (certsrv.msc) from Administrative Tools

Right click on Certificate Template and click on Manage then we duplicate the Workstation Authentication template

 

 

 

Give the Certificate a nice name like  Hyper-v Replica Authentication

That you know where the certificate is for.

There are a few things we need to change or can change

I choose for 2012 usage only in the compatible settings Certificate recipient and authority can be set to Windows Server 2012

The Security settings Ensure that Authenticated Users are allowed to Read and Enroll.

 

Edit Application Policies and add Server Authentication

Subject Name Change the option to Supply in the Request

 

Now that the Certificate template is ready we are going to import this certificate

Open Certification Authority on the server and click on Certificate Templates

Select Action and choose the New option followed by Certificate Template to Issue.

Choose the certificate template name from the pop-up box

Now that the basic is ready on our DC we can deploy the Certificate to the clusters / hyper-v server

If you try to add a cert now in the Hyper-v broker. You will see a nice error wrong or no certificate.

A cool thing in 2012 is that you can do PowerShell in the certificate store.

go to c:\windows\system32

cd cert:

use the :

then

cd .\\localmachine\root  then a Dir and you will see all the certificates

How cool is that !

  Open an MMC and open the localmachine store.Requesting Hyper-V Replica Certificates from an Enterprise CA based on our current template.

 

Next and see here is our new certificate template

Now check the certificate and click on the blue line more information is required.

Use the CN = Common name  / friendly name to identify the certificate. and use the computer names to connect to the certificate but you can also use the *.domain.local for a wildcard certificate

hit apply and the next on enroll

and in the certificate store the certificate should been listed

 

And that’s the process for customizing and requesting certificates. Your final step in configuring Hyper-V Replica happens back in Cluster Failover Manager.

now check the broker Role in the cluster and do right click

Launch replication Settings and click the Select Certificate button in Replication Configuration. If you’ve done everything correctly, you’ll see your recently installed and customized certificate

 

and I n my case I have two clusters and won’t to replicate from and to the both clusters.

there for I used the same certificate import and export with private key and put it on all the nodes remember the node name should be in the certificate FQDN !

 

  In the VM you can enable replication and choose the certificate. But you can also mix one VM with Kerberos and the other with a certificate

 

Once It is done it is keep working unless the certificate is expired !

 

Next stop will be Hyper-v Recovery Manager.

Windows Server 2012 Configure / Deploy Hyper-v Replica Broker How To #TEE13 #MSteched

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Role introduces a new capability, Hyper-V Replica, as a built-in replication mechanism at a virtual machine (VM) level. Hyper-V Replica can asynchronously replicate a selected VM running at a primary site to a designated replica site across LAN/WAN

there is a great guide for you LAB on this site http://blogs.technet.com/b/yungchou/archive/2013/03/24/hyper-v-replica-broker-explained.aspx

Hyper-V Replica Cluster

To Deploy a Hyper-v failover cluster as a replica site, must use Failover Cluster Manager to perform all Hyper-V Replica configurations and management. And first create a Hyper-V Replica Broker role.

In this case I have two clusters left and right. first go to the FCM and add a role

 

A Hyper-V Replica Broker is the focal point in this case. It queries the associated cluster database to realize which node is the correct one to redirect VM specific events such as Live Migration requests in a replica cluster.

Windows Active Directory domain is not a requirement for Hyper-V Replica which can also be implemented between workgroups and untrusted domains with a certificate-based authentication. Active Directory is however a requirement if involving a Hyper-v host which is part of a failover cluster, and in such case all Hyper-V hosts of a failover cluster must be in the same Active Directory domain with security enforced at the cluster level. I see sometimes that the broker creations is failing. The resource will not come online.

So During the creation of the cluster resource you will need a Name ( netbios ) and a IP. that is all.  But remember as all cluster resources the cluster will create the items and not you Mister Admin. Just make sure Your DNS and cluster resource can create Items.

If you are not sure about this check my old blog post https://robertsmit.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/cluster-network-name-resource-failed-to-create-its-associated-computer-object-in-domain/

Now that my Resource is created and it is in my cluster In both Cluster I want to do Cross Replication

If you know Hyper-v then you would do the settings in the hyper-v settings but as you can see all the options are grayed out.

  

Go to the Cluster manager and right click on the broker select replication settings.

Same menu and configurable.

First enable the replica server in the first case I use Kerberos ( the easy one )

So don’t check the certificate based box.

 

here you can do give any server access to this replica easy to do and quick just fill in the path where the VM files need to be stored.

the other option is give only server that I want access. Well in my case I also used a * not that smart well now Only server in my domain can replicate and not every server. If you want to do a point to point connection just fill in the FQDN of the server.

once you have filled in the entry you can’t change the name only the storage path. Well that is fine for now.

 

Again we add the Resource this time a Virtual machine. Just make sure there is a VM in the Hyper-v

What we do here is make the VM high available and yes you could also replicate the VM right from the Hyper-v console.

but that does not make the VM High Available.

 

Selecting the VM Now we can start the machine and the VM is HA

We have the broker in place and a VM it is time to replicate.

Don’t use the broker on the current cluster you can’t replicate to your own cluster

All you have to know is the name of your cluster where the VM is placed

So I use the name of the cluster and see if it works, The wizard does see that there is a other broker in the left01 cluster and ask me to change that YES click on update

again Here can I choose Kerberos or certificate Rememeber I checked both boxes on the broker cluster resource If I made a choice there I could no choose here.

I go for……Kerberos

Check what VM disk are needed to replicate If you have a disk that holds stuff that si not needed for replications then unselect the disk here.

  

You can create multiple recovery points or just one and change the time currently you can set this from 1 hour to 12 hours.  It is a wish to get this sooner.

and how to copy the stuff , over the network or with media. and the time to start.

I take the right now option

 

 

and If you want to change the settings just go to the settings of the VM and change it

 

In the Cluster or in the Hyper-v console you can see the status easy quick and fast replication.

In my next blog post I will do the same with a Certificate and you need extra steps for this.

#WS2012 #Hyperv Deploying Hyper-V Enterprise Server Virtualization Platform @packtpub #msteched #tee13

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V: Deploying Hyper-V Enterprise Server Virtualization Platform" by Zahir Hussain Shah

Packt Publishing | 2013 | ISBN: 1849688346 9781849688345 | 410 pages | PDF | 9 MB

"Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V: Deploying Hyper-V Enterprise Server Virtualization Platform" is a comprehensive guide, which starts itself from basic virtualization and server consolidation concepts, and then goes deeper for discussing advanced topics, such as a Hyper-V scalability, failover, and virtual machine migration. This book is an ideal choice for those who are stepping into Hyper-V world, and also for those who are experts in Hyper-V and want to advance their skills with the new Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V.

What is in the Book.

It is a great way to start with Hyper-v and I must say there are a couple of really good books on hyper-v. Just to be clear there is no book that covers the full thing windows 2012 / hyper-v / System Center VMM . You will need this book also  http://www.packtpub.com/microsoft-system-center-virtual-machine-manager-2012-cookbook/book

 

Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Microsoft Hyper-V
Chapter 2 : Planning, Designing, and Implementing Microsoft Hyper-V
Chapter 3 : Setting Up Hyper-V Replication
Chapter 4 : Understanding Hyper-V Networking
Chapter 5 : A New World of Hyper-V Automation with PowerShell
Chapter 6 : Insight into Hyper-V Storage
Chapter 7 : Managing Hyper-V with System Center Virtual Machine Manager
Chapter 8 : Building Hyper-V High Availability and Virtual Machine Mobility
Chapter 9 : Hyper-V Security Hardening – Best Practices
Chapter 10 : Performing Hyper-V Backup and Recovery
Appendix A: SCVMM 2012 New Features and Enhancements
Appendix B: SCVMM Management Console Configuration Settings

After reading this book you know how to setup and manage the hyper-v server. And the most important parts like networking and replications are covered. And when you move on and develop bigger Hyper-v sites and do more management there is also a nice PowerShell in Chapter 5.

There is a lot of nice stuff in the book that is detailed and step by step. With a real detail description of what is new in hyper-v and what options you can use.

If you already using hyper-v based on 2008 even then the book is the right thing for you, all the new stuff is there to use, sample on how to use the options.

How to start ?

Buy the book here: http://www.packtpub.com/windows-server-2012-hyper-v/book

Download Hyper-v :http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/hyper-v-server/default.aspx

buy some hardware

[Building a Hyper-V Cluster for Under $2000]
http://www.altaro.com/hyper-v/building-a-hyper-v-cluster-for-under-2000/

Great Big Hyper-V Survey of 2012 is Open!

After the first survey in 2011, the three MVPs, Aidan Finn, Hans Vredevoort and Damian Flynn just released the next big Hyper-V Survey 2012.

About the Survey

The aim of The Great Big Hyper-V Survey is to understand how Hyper-V is being deployed, used, and managed.  This means that we ask questions about lots of subjects including the deployment project, the design of Hyper-V, the implementation of Hyper-V, how you manage it, and the private cloud.  This information is gathered and shared, free of cost, so we can all get a better understanding of how we all are implementing Microsoft virtualization technology.

Just take some time to answer the 72 questions

You can participate in the survey HERE.

 

 

With Windows Server 2012, Microsoft delivers a server platform built on our experience of building and operating many of the world’s largest cloud-based services and datacenter. Whether you are setting-up a single server for your small business or architecting a major new datacenter environment, Windows Server 2012 will help you cloud-optimize your IT so you can fully meet your organization’s unique needs.

Discover Windows Server 2012

• Beyond Virtualization

  Offers a dynamic, multitenant infrastructure to help you scale and secure workloads and build a private cloud…

  Offers a dynamic, multitenant infrastructure to help you scale and secure workloads and build a private cloud. Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:

  Complete Virtualization Platform

  A fully-isolated, multitenant environment with tools that can help guarantee service level agreements, enable usage-based chargeback, and support self-service delivery.

  Improved Scalability and Performance

  A high-density, scalable environment that you can modify to perform at an optimum level based on your needs.

  Connecting to Cloud Services

  A common identity and management framework to enable highly secure and reliable cross-premises connectivity.

• The Power of Many Servers, the Simplicity of One

  Delivers a highly available and easy to manage cloud-optimized platform…

  Delivers a highly available and easy to manage cloud-optimized platform. Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:

  Flexible Storage

  Diverse storage choices that can help you achieve high performance, availability, and storage resource efficiency through virtualization and storage conservation.

  Continuous Availability

  New and improved features that provide cost-effective, highly available services with protection against a wide range of failure scenarios.

  Management Efficiency

  Automation of a broad set of management tasks and simplified deployment of workloads as you move toward full, lights-out automation.

• Every App, Any Cloud

  Offers a cloud-optimized server platform that gives you the flexibility to…

  Offers a cloud-optimized server platform that gives you the flexibility to build and deploy applications and websites on-premises, in the cloud, or across both. Windows Server 2012 can help you deliver:

  Flexibility to Build On-Premises and in the Cloud

  A consistent set of tools and frameworks that enables developers to build symmetrical or hybrid applications across the datacenter and the cloud.

  A Scalable and Elastic Infrastructure

  New features to help you increase website density and efficiency, plus frameworks, services, and tools to increase the scalability and elasticity of modern applications.

  An Open Web and App Development Environment

  An open platform that enables mission-critical applications and provides enhanced support for open standards, open-source applications, and various development languages.

• Modern Workstyle, Enabled

  Provides users with flexible access to data and applications while simplifying management and maintaining security, control, and compliance…

  Provides users with flexible access to data and applications while simplifying management and maintaining security, control, and compliance. Windows Server 2012 can help you offer:

  Access to Applications and Data from Virtually Anywhere, Any Device

  Seamless, on-demand access to virtualized work environments from virtually anywhere.

  A Full Windows Experience Anywhere

  A personalized and rich user experience from virtually any device that adapts to different network conditions quickly and responsively.

  Enhanced Data Security and Compliance

  Granular access to data and corporate resources based on strong identity, data classification, and centralized policy administration and auditing.

Windows Server 8 Beta Hyper-V Component Architecture Poster

The link for this poster is: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=29189

 

Provides a visual reference for understanding key Hyper-V technologies in Windows Server 8  Beta and focuses on Hyper-V Replica, networking, virtual machine mobility (live migration), storage, failover clustering, and scalability.

Here are links to previous posters:

1. Windows Server 2008 Hyper-v Component Architecture with Service Pack 1
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=2688

2. Hyper-v Component Architecture
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=3501

3. Windows Server 2008 R2 component posters
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7002

4. Windows Server 2008 Component Posters
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=17881

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Create Hyper-V VHD in Seconds With WAIK WIM2VHD.WSF

There are several ways to install a VM simple create and install OS. Or with SCVMM 2012  

But If you want to do it fast and you don’t like the Image thing witch I don’t like. then there is a solution. In under the 3 minutes I create a Fresh installed Windows 2008R2 SP1 Server for Hyper-V.

How ? with an unattend install Create an XML put in your stuff and you are ready to go.

But there is more, Choose the right tools there are multiple ways to do this. I show you how to use the WAIK tools. in the WAIK tools there is this little script WIM2VHD.WSF this can do magic for you.

First Install the WAIK 3.1 Version this is the latest version till now. Download the 3.0 WAIK and update it with the waik_supplement_en-us this will make the version 3.0 <> 3.1

The ISO can be downloaded from the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=0aee2b4b-494b-4adc-b174-33bc62f02c5d

Installation Instructions

The ISO does not contain instructions for installation.  More information on the update can be found at the following location:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd349350(WS.10).aspx.

To install the updated WINPE you copy the contents of the ISO over top of the following directory:

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools

You should choose to overwrite the files.  It basically replaces all the WINPE specific files and Optional Components (OC’S). 

ConfigMgr and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Information

 

 

C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\

Now we start up the WIM2VHD.WSF

And using the Parameters :

where is your WIM file on the Source :

/WIM:Z:\en_windows_server_2008_r2_with_sp1

Source Files

\sources\install.wim

What is your version

/SKU:SERVERENTERPRISE

The VHD Name

/VHD:D:\foo.vhd

And the unattend file used for installation

/UNATTEND:C:\zero.xml

 

So with this I have a complete unatted install in just under de 2 min. Yes then the image is ready to use but the OS needs to setup.

With a little Powershell Script I create a auto VM create and startup. You can adjust this anyway you like. Just for testing.

 

Type the Virtual Machine’s name: TEST01
How much memory to assign? In MB: 4096
How many CPUs to assign? Integer Number: 4

Virtual Machine TEST01 has been successfully created
Start and Connect to  Type [Y]ES or [N]O: So with this I have a complete unatted install in just under de 2 min. Yes then the image is ready to use but the OS needs to setup.

This takes also about 5 Min depends on the unattend.xml if you do a lot of after config then it needs more time

Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals – Free Online Classes – March 29 – 31

Just one week after Microsoft Management Summit 2011 (MMS), Microsoft Learning will be hosting an exclusive three-day Jump Start class specially tailored for VMware and Microsoft virtualization technology pros.  Registration for “Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals” is open now and will be delivered as a FREE online class on March 29-31, 2010 from 10:00am-4:00pm PDT.

What’s the high-level overview?

· This cutting edge course will feature expert instruction and real-world demonstrations of Hyper-V and brand new releases from System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta (many of which will be announced just one week earlier at MMS).  Register Now!

· Day 1 will focus on “Platform” (Hyper-V, virtualization architecture, high availability & clustering)

o 10:00am – 10:30pm PDT:  Virtualization 360 Overview

o 10:30am – 12:00pm:  Microsoft Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture

o 1:00pm –   2:00pm:  Differentiating Microsoft and VMware (terminology, etc.)

o 2:00pm –   4:00pm:  High Availability & Clustering

· Day 2 will focus on “Management” (System Center Suite, SCVMM 2012 Beta, Opalis, Private Cloud solutions)

o 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT:  System Center Suite Overview w/ focus on DPM

o 11:00am – 12:00pm:  Virtual Machine Manager 2012 | Part 1

o 1:00pm –   1:30pm:  Virtual Machine Manager 2012 | Part 2

o 1:30pm –   2:30pm:  Automation with System Center Opalis & PowerShell

o 2:30pm –   4:00pm:  Private Cloud Solutions, Architecture & VMM SSP 2.0

· Day 3 will focus on “VDI” (VDI Infrastructure/architecture, v-Alliance, application delivery via VDI)

o 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT:  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 1

o 11:00am – 12:00pm:  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 2

o 1:00pm –   2:30pm:  v-Alliance Solution Overview

o 2:30pm –   4:00pm:  Application Delivery for VDI

· Every section will be team-taught by two of the most respected authorities on virtualization technologies: Microsoft Technical Evangelist Symon Perriman and leading Hyper-V, VMware, and XEN infrastructure consultant, Corey Hynes

Who is the target audience for this training?

Suggested prerequisite skills include real-world experience with Windows Server 2008 R2, virtualization and datacenter management. The course is tailored to these types of roles:

· IT Professional

· IT Decision Maker

· Network Administrators & Architects

· Storage/Infrastructure Administrators & Architects

How do I to register and learn more about this great training opportunity?

· Register: Visit the Registration Page and sign up for all three sessions

· Blog: Learn more from the Microsoft Learning Blog

· Twitter: Here are a few posts you can retweet:

o Mar. 29-31 "Microsoft #Virtualization for VMware Pros" @SymonPerriman Corey Hynes http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V @MSLearning #Hyper-V

o @SysCtrOpalis Mar. 29-31 "Microsoft #Virtualization for VMware Pros" @SymonPerriman Corey Hynes http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V #Hyper-V

o Learn all the cool new features in Hyper-V & System Center 2012! SCVMM, Self-Service Portal 2.0, http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V #Hyper-V #Opalis

What is a “Jump Start” course?
A “Jump Start” course is “team-taught” by two expert instructors in an engaging radio talk show style format.  The idea is to deliver readiness training on strategic and emerging technologies that drive awareness at scale before Microsoft Learning develops mainstream Microsoft Official Courses (MOC) that map to certifications.  All sessions are professionally recorded and distributed through MS Showcase, Channel 9, Zune Marketplace and iTunes for broader reach.

Please join us for this fantastic event!

Virtual Machine Density Flexibility in Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover Clustering

Recently Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover Clustering has changed the support statement for the maximum number of Virtual Machines (VMs) that can be hosted on a failover cluster from 64 VMs per node to 1,000 VMs per cluster.  This article reflects the new policy in Hyper-V: Using Hyper-V and Failover Clustering.

Supporting 1000 VMs will enable increased flexibility to utilize hardware that has the capacity to host more VMs per physical server while maintaining the high availability and management components that Failover Clustering provides. 

Number of Nodes in Cluster	Max Number of VMs per Node	Average Number of VMs per active Node	Max # VMs in Cluster
2 Nodes (1 active + 1 failover)	384	384	384
3 Nodes (2 active + 1 failover)	384	384	768
4 Nodes (3 active + 1 failover)	384	333	1000
5 Nodes (4 active + 1 failover)	384	250	1000
6 Nodes (5 active + 1 failover)	384	200	1000
7 Nodes (6 active + 1 failover)	384	166	1000
8 Nodes (7 active + 1 failover)	384	142	1000
9 Nodes (8 active + 1 failover)	384	125	1000
10 Nodes (9 active + 1 failover)	384	111	1000
11 Nodes (10 active + 1 failover)	384	100	1000
12 Nodes (11 active + 1 failover)	384	90	1000
13 Nodes (12 active + 1 failover)	384	83	1000
14 Nodes (13 active + 1 failover)	384	76	1000
15 Nodes (14 active + 1 failover)	384	71	1000
16 Nodes (15 active + 1 failover)	384	66	1000

 

Note: There is no requirement to have a node without any VMs allocated as a “passive node”.  All nodes can host VMs and have the equivalent to 1 node of capacity unallocated (total, across all the nodes) to allow for placement of VMs if a node fails or is taken out of active cluster membership for activities like patching or performing maintenance. 

It is important to perform proper capacity planning that takes into consideration the capabilities of the hardware and storage to host VMs, and the total resources that the individual VMs require, while still having enough reserve capacity to host VMs in the event of a node failure to prevent memory over commitment.  The same base guidance of Hyper-V configuration and limits of a maximum number of VMs supported per physical server still apply.  This currently states that no node can host more than 384 running VMs at any given time, and that the hardware scalability should not exceed 4 virtual processors per VM and no more than 8 virtual processors per logical processor.  Review this Technet article on VM limits and requirements: Requirements and Limits for Virtual Machines in Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is there a hotfix or service pack required to have this new limit? 

a. No, this support policy change based on extra testing we have performed to verify that the cluster retains its ability to health detect and failover VMs with these densities.  There are no changes or updates required.

2. 64 VMs per node on a 16 node cluster equals 1024 VMs, so aren’t you actually decreasing the density for a 16 node cluster? 

a. No, the previous policy was to have 64 VMs per node in addition to one nodes equivalent of reserve capacity, which is 15 nodes x 64 VMs which equals 960 with the spare capacity of a passive node.  This policy slightly increases the density for a 16 node cluster an
d the density for an 8 node cluster is more than twice and a 4 node cluster more than 4-times as high as before.

3. Does this include Windows Server 2008 clusters?

a.  This change is only for Windows Server 2008 R2 clusters.

4. Why did you make this change?

a. We are responding to our customers’ requests to have flexibility in the number of nodes and the number of VMs that can be hosted.  For VMs running workloads that have relatively small demand of VM and storage resources, customers would like to place more VMs on each server to maximize their investiments and lower the management costs.  Other customers want the flexibility of having more nodes and fewer VMs. 

5. Does this mean I can go and put 250 VMs on my old hardware?

a. Understanding the resources that your hardware can provide and the requirements of your VMs is still the most important thing in identifying the capacity of your cluster or the specific Hyper-V servers.    Available RAM and CPU resources are relatively easy to calculate, but another important part of the equation is capacity of the SAN/Storage.  Not just how many GB or TB of data it can store, but can it handle the I/O demands with reasonable performance?  1000 VMs can potentially produce a significant amount of I/O demand, and the exact amount will depend on what is running inside the VMs.  Monitoring the storage performance is important to understand the capacity of the solution.

Source :http://blogs.msdn.com/b/clustering/archive/2010/06/28/10031803.aspx