Virtual Server

How to enable Windows Server Backup support for the Hyper-V VSS Writer

To be able use VSS based backups of Hyper-V VMs using Windows Server Backup, we need to add the following registry keys to register the Hyper-V VSS Writer with Windows Server Backup. WindowsServerBackup key is not created when we install the Windows Server Backup feature. We have to create this key manually.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT
\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support\{66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE}

When the keys listed above created, we also need to create a String Value with the following parameters / settings:

Name: Application Identifier
Type: REG_SZ
Value: Hyper-V

When backing up virtual machines, we must select all volumes where VM related files is present, because Windows Server Backup only supports volume based backups.

For more information about Hyper-V virtual machine backups, take a look on the KB958662.

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Hyper-V Remote Management Configuration Utility

HVRemote reduces the manual configuration steps needed for Hyper-V Remote Management down to one or two commands.

It can configure Full installations and Server Core Installations of Windows Server 2008 with the Hyper-V role enabled, plus configure Microsoft Hyper-V Server. It runs across all locales and it doesn’t matter if the server is domain or workgroup joined.

It can configure Vista SP1 and Server 2008 configured with the Hyper-V Remote Management tools. Again, doesn’t matter if the client is domain or workgroup joined.

Basic commands (see documentation for more information)

To grant or remove a user access permissions:

• hvremote /add:domain\user or
• hvremote /remove:domain\user

To display current settings: hvremote /show
Get some help: hvremote /?
Add firewall exception for MMC: hvremote /mmc:enable (Client Option)
Allow anonymous access to Distributed COM: hvremote /AnonDCOM:grant (Client Option)

Download HVRemote @ Source

Hyper-V 2.0 Feature

Windows Server 2008 R2 will include Hyper-V 2.0, it promises to deliver the final pieces for enterprise level OS virtualization and to really compete with VMware at that level.

The most anticipated is of course Live Migration: moving running VM’s from one host to another without interruption of services running inside the VM’s. To accomplish this technique a new Shared Filesytem is needed and so will also be introduced in Hyper-V 2.0: Clustered Shared Volumes.

The Live migration works best together with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, it can provide additional Live Migration management and orchestration scenarios such as Live Migration via policy.

Cool thing is you only need to update to Hyper-V 2.0, none of the rest of the infrastructure needs updating.

Logical Processor Support

• Support for 32 logical processors on host computer
• Twice the initial supported number of logical processors of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

Hot add remove Storage

• Add and remove VHD and pass-through disks to a running VM without requiring a reboot.
• Hot-add/remove disk only applies to VHDs and pass-through disks attached to the SCSI controller (not the IDE controller)
• Hot-add remove of storage controllers is not supported

Benefits

• Enables storage growth in VMs without downtime
• Enables additional datacenter backup scenarios

SLAT
Second Level Translation (SLAT)

Overview

• Leverage new processor features to improve performance and reduce load on Windows Hypervisor
• AMD: Enhanced Page Tables
• Intel: Nested Page Tables
• Benefits
• Improved memory management performance
• Memory usage of Windows Hypervisor will decrease from approximately 5% to 1% of total physical memory.
• More memory will be available for child partitions enabling higher consolidation ratios

Dynamic Memory
Overview

• Pool of memory is dynamically distributed across VMs
• Memory is dynamically allocated/removed based VM usage with no service interruption

Benefits

• Enables much higher consolidation ratios per host by addressing the greatest limiting factor to consolidation: Memory

How

• VM memory configuration includes:
• Initial (what VM will boot with)
• Minimum (what VM is guaranteed)
• Maximum (what VM can grow to)
• Memory is added via Hot-Add MEM functionality
• Memory is removed via Balloon driver (supported OSs)

Boot from VHD

Allows any VHD to work on physical hardware, this is very interesting! Boot an OS VHD on your physical hardware.

You can find more information at the WinHEC session descriptions: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winhec/2008/sessions.aspx

Hyper-V Failover-Cluster Hotfix now public

Increased functionality and virtual machine control in the Windows Server 2008 Failover Cluster Management console for the Hyper-V role….

KB951308

VMC to Hyper-V Import Tool

Matthijs ten Seldam has produced a very cool tool that allows import existing virtual machines from Virtual PC and Virtual Server in Hyper-V.

VMC to Hyper-V Import Tool  (VMC2HV), imports the configuration from a Virtual Machine Configuration (VMC) file. Both Virtual PC and Virtual Server use VMC files to store the hardware and other properties of a VM. It reads the VMC file and maps all relevant properties to those for a Hyper-V VM.

Continue at source: Matthijs’ blog