Virtualization

Remotely manage another Hyper-V System

If you want to install the Hyper-V MMC on Windows Server 2008 to remotely manage another Hyper-V System, here are the steps:

1. Launch Server Manage from the Start Menu

2. Click Add Features

3. Under Remote Server Administration Tools  - Role Administration Tools

a. Enable Hyper-V Tools and click Next.

4. Click Install.

5. After the reboot, go to Administrative Tools in the Start Menu and you will see the Hyper-V Manager.

Hyper-V WMI API’s

Hyper-V WMI APIs. Hyper-V uses WMI APIs (similar to the Virtual Server COM API) to create, manage, monitor and configure virtual resources.

The Hyper-V WMI APIs are publicly available here:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc136992(VS.85).aspx

Important: This documentation is preliminary and is subject to change.

Virtual PC needs to be run as Administrator ?

Virtual PC is able to run when you are using a non-administrative user account and most part will work. However - a couple of things that will not work correctly unless Virtual PC is run under an Administrative account:

• Using ping (or other ICMP based tools) over shared networking.
• Using or converting linked virtual hard disks.
• Accessing copy protected CDs.
• Configuring the Virtual PC security options.

Under Windows Vista Virtual PC will be running as a non-administrative process even if you are using an administrative account. To work under Vista you need to right click on the Virtual PC icon in the start menu and select ‘Run as administrator’.

SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 Hotfix Rollup Package 1

This cumulative update for SoftGrid v4.1 SP1 provides the latest updates to SoftGrid v4.1 SP1. In addition to stability improvements, this update contains the following changes:

• Improvements to package upgrade when importing upgraded sequencings into the SoftGrid Server Management Console Snap-in.
• Improvements to package downgrade operation.
• Improvements to nonpaged pool usage when sequencing large applications.
• Improvements to sequencing of applications that use both Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 and Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.
• Improvements to command-line parameter handling of virtualized child processes.

New capabilities
SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 Hotfix Rollup Package 1 also provides the following new capabilities:

• Microsoft SoftGrid now provides support for the MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization.
• Microsoft SoftGrid now supports SoftGrid Server components running under WOW64 on 64-bit Windows.

Download locations
SoftGrid for Windows Desktops (4.1.2.21)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/6/d/d6dd54bd-2c9f-41ba-8fd7-4b8b03d5c12f/SoftGrid_wd_setup_4.1.2.21.exe

SoftGrid for Terminal Services (4.1.2.21)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/3/d/f3deb4c3-f484-4bf7-ae49-c9f8a010b594/SoftGrid_ts_setup_4.1.2.21.exe

SoftGrid Server (4.1.2.20)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/9/4/994b08d3-7f01-4696-994d-a67f2e0bdf33/SoftGrid_server_setup_4.1.2.20.exe

SoftGrid Sequencer (4.1.2.20)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/8/0/e80de2bf-bebd-480e-a1ee-f9febb996b8b/SoftGrid_sequencer_setup_4.1.2.20.exe

Updated Documentation for Hyper-V Beta

Release Notes:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/4/8/e48d5cff-53d2-4eed-85bf-4af50e25b78c/relnotes.htm

Step-by-step guide:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/6/1b687175-0b30-4f56-bb58-2349b2ee1c98/Step-by-Step_Guide_to_Getting_Started_with_Hyper-V.doc

Windows Server 2008 RC1 with Hyper-V Beta

Few days ago Microsoft announced the PUBLIC RELEASE Windows Server 2008 RC1 with Hyper-V Beta!  In addition to the Hyper-V Beta release, Microsoft also released Beta integration components for Linux, specifically SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 through connect.microsoft.com!

Windows Server 2008 RC1 with Hyper-V Beta is publicly available here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8F22F69E-D1AF-49F0-8236-2B742B354919&displaylang=en

How to choose the right VMware Infrastructure ESX Edition

Many of my clients asking me, what the right VMware Infrastructure ESX Edition for them. I’d like to recommend to read a very interesting post about this on Petri. co.il.

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 Scripting Guide

Microsoft, exactly for me created a good white paper that I’d like to read:

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 Scripting Guide

A very nice guide of useful script samples for SCVMM - which highlights common tasks:

Adding new Virtual Server hosts.
Configuring new Virtual Server hosts.
Deploying and configuration new virtual machines from the library.
Moving virtual machines between different hosts.

If you are working with Virtual Machine Manager, Must read!

Microsoft Application Virtualization Version 4.5 Beta Now Available

Microsoft Application Virtualization, formerly known as SoftGrid Application Virtualization, is the first Microsoft-branded release of this product. Microsoft Application Virtualization is now available in a public beta on Microsoft Connect and will become generally available through the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack and Terminal Services in the third quarter of calendar year 2008.

Windows Server 2008 pricing

Earlier this week at TechEd IT Forum in Barcelona, Microsoft announced pricing, packaging and licensing options for Windows Server 2008, which includes Microsoft’s server virtualization technology Hyper-V, previously code-named “Viridian.” The new packaging outlined in the announcement includes eight new versions, three of which include Hyper-V. For a rundown of the pricing, see the press release. In addition, Microsoft announced Hyper-V Server, a standalone hypervisor-based server virtualization product that complements the Hyper-V technology within Windows Server 2008, allowing customers to consolidate workloads onto a single physical server.