Doing IT Virtual

In order to delegate management to a subset of the virtual machines running on a Hyper-V server, you must create a new Authorization Manager scope and apply it to the target set of virtual machines before creating a new role, task, and role assignment. You can create the new scope using the Authorization Manager Console. Then, to apply the new scope, you must set the ScopeOfResidence property to the new scope name for each target virtual machine. Because you cannot perform this step using the Authorization Manager Console, you have to use a script to modify each virtual machine ScopeOfResidence property. Following is a sample VBScript that allows you to assign a new scope to a virtual machine.

Option Explicit

Dim WMIService
Dim VMDim VMManagementService
Dim VMSystemGlobalSettingData
Dim VMName
Dim VMScope
Dim Result

'Enter the VM name and the name of the scope to assign it to
VMName = InputBox("Specify the virtual machine to change scope on:")
VMScope = InputBox("Specify the new scope to be used:")

'Get an instance of the WMI Service in the virtualization namespace
Set WMIService=GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\virtualization")

'Get a VMManagementService object
Set VMManagementService = WMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Msvm_VirtualSystemManagementService").ItemIndex(0)

'Get the VM object that we want to modify
Set VM=(WMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Msvm_ComputerSystem WHERE ElementName='" & VMName & "'")).ItemIndex(0)

'Get the VirtualSystemGlobalSettingsData of the VM to be modified
Set VMSystemGlobalSettingData = (VM.Associators_("MSVM_ElementSettingData", "Msvm_VirtualSystemGlobalSettingData")).ItemIndex(0)

'Change the ScopeOfResidence property
VMSystemGlobalSettingData.ScopeOfResidence = VMScope

'Update the VM with ModifyVirtualSystem
Result = VMManagementService.ModifyVirtualSystem(VM.Path_.Path,
VMSystemGlobalSettingData.GetText_(1))

If you have not seen a Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V Live Migration demo using AMD Barcelona-based platforms, you can watch one that was posted on YouTube.

What is interesting in this video is that you can see that although the Live Migration feature does not instantaneously move a virtual machine from one failover cluster node to another, it does show that the virtual machine maintains a performance level during the Live Migration process that does not cause any service interruption of the application running in it.

I’m interested in how your IT department plans to deploy and use Live Migration. If you care to share, drop me a line at askme@doingitvirtual.com.

The Microsoft Press Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Resource Kit will be released on June 10! But you can download the final Table of Contents, Chapter 2 (Hyper-V Overview), Chapter 8 (Moving from Virtual Server 2005 R2 to Hyper-V), and Index, if you want to get an idea of the type of content that is included in the book.

Then, visit your favorite online retailer to pre-order the book (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other)!

Questions or comments? Send them to askme@doingitvirtual.com.

Many of you have asked for yet another update on the release of the Microsoft Press Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Resource Kit that I’ve been working on along with my co-author, Robert Larson, an Architect in the Microsoft Consulting Services. I am very happy to let all of you know that Microsoft Press is putting the final touches on the book and is on track for a June 10 release! And it looks like our page count may be close to 800 pages! We were very focused (as was the case with the Virtual Server 2005 R2 Resource Kit) on making sure you got great value when you spent your hard-earned dollars buying this book, so we included a balanced mix of technical details with step-by-step procedures on how to use Hyper-V features. We also covered integration with other Microsoft applications like System Center Data Protection Manager SP1 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager. We hope we hit the target and look forward to your comments. A companion CD is included with the book and it will contain an electronic version of the book along with bonus material that includes scripts discussed in various chapters.

While you still have to wait a few more weeks before you can get your hands on an actual hardcopy of the book, Microsoft Press provided me with a near-final draft of the table of contents (no page numbers, but it is complete in terms of content), and a final draft of Chapter 2 titled “Hyper-V Overview”. I wanted to share these with you right away, so I’ve posted both files (in PDF format) on the Doing IT Virtual website. You can download them now!

In a few weeks, I will post another sample chapter, Chapter 8 titled “Moving from Virtual Server 2005 R2 to Hyper-V”, and that should tide you over until you can get your hardcopy! So make sure to check back to get your copy of the chapter. However, don’t worry, I know you are busy, so I will also post an update on this blog as soon as Chapter 8 is available for download.

If you want to be one of the first to get a hardcopy, visit your favorite online retailer to pre-order the book. Of course, both Amazon and Barnes and Noble (those I frequent the most) can take your pre-order!

If you have any questions or comments, send them to askme@doingitvirtual.com.

Another quick update on the book! All the chapters are in and we are in final edits for the last 5 or 6 chapters which will wrap up within the next week or so. The release date is slated for June, but with any luck it will be out before then. Here is the link to the book on the Microsoft Press site http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/11842.aspx. The book is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online outlets.

It looks like the book will be around 630 pages, and we had so much content that the chapter lengths all came in above our predictions. The outline for the table of contents is similar to the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 Resource Kit, so take a look at it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble to get an idea of how the content is structured.

If you have any questions on the Hyper-V Resource Kit, send me an email at askme@doingitvirtual.com.

If you are interested in a quick tutorial on setting up DPM 2007 SP1 to perform Hyper-V server-level backups, also referred to as host-level backups, then check out my short video posted today on the VirtualizationAdmin.com site at http://www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tutorials/videos/microsoft-hyper-v-articles/installation-and-deployment/backing-up-hyper-v-host-using-dpm-2007.html.

Backup a Virtual Machine Using Windows Server Backup

1. Open the Windows Server Backup console from the Administrative Tools

2. In the Actions pane, select Backup Schedule.

3. On the Getting Started page of the Backup Schedule Wizard, click Next.

4. On the Select Backup Configuration page, select Custom and then click Next.

5. On the Select Backup Items page, select the volumes that contain the virtual machine files. By default, system volumes are selected.

6. After you complete your selections, click Next.

7. On the Specify Backup Time page, select Once A Day and specify the time to start the backup, or select More Than Once A Day and specify multiple times to perform backups.

8. After you complete your selections, click Next.

9. On the Select Destination Disk page, click Show All Available Disks, and then select a disk(s) to store your backups. The disk(s) will be dedicated to WSB.

10. After you complete your selections, click Next.

11. You may be presented with a warning that the selected disk(s) will be reformatted and any existing volumes and data on it will be deleted. Click Yes to confirm your disk selections.

12. On the Label Destination Disk page, click Next.

13. On the Confirmation page, review your selections, and click Finish.

14. In the Summary page, click Close.

Restore a Virtual Machine Using Windows Server Backup

1. Open the Windows Server Backup console.

2. In the Actions pane, select Recover.

3. On the Getting Started page of the Recovery Wizard, select This Server, and then click Next.

4. On the Select Backup Date page, select from the available backups, and then click Next.

5. On the Select Recovery Type page, select Applications, and then click Next.

6. After you complete your selections, click Next.

7. On the Select Application page, select Hyper-V.

8. Click View Details for a list of the virtual machines and Hyper-V configuration information that is captured in the backup.

9. Click OK, and then click Next.

10. On the Specify Recovery Options page, select Recover To Original Location if you want to use the source location or select Recover To Another Location if you do not want to use the source location.

11. After you complete your selection, click Next.

12. On the Confirmation page, review your selections, and then click Recover.

13. After you complete your selections, click Next.

14. Windows Server Backup begins the recovery process, and lists a status for each resource that it is recovering.

(This article is adapted from content included in the Microsoft Press Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Resource Kit)

Windows Server Backup (WSB) uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to provide backup and restore support for W2K8 volumes, folders, and files. In addition, WSB supports backup and restore operations for roles and applications that provide a VSS-compatible writer, including the Hyper-V role.

Installing Windows Server Backup

WSB is a Windows Server 2008 feature that is not installed by default. Install and configure WSB as follows to support Hyper-V backups:

1. Open the Server Manager, and select Features.

2. In the Features Summary, click Add Features.

3. In the Add Features Wizard, expand Windows Server Backup in the Features tree.

4. Select Windows Server Backup. You can optionally also select Command-Line Tools.

5. After you make your selections, click Next.

6. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, review your selections, and then click Install.

Windows Server 2008 installs the Windows Server Backup MMC, the Wbadmin backup command-line tool, and associated services. If you selected to also install the Command-Line Tools for Windows Server Backup, you can create and manage scheduled backups using Windows PowerShell scripts.

Configuring Windows Server Backup for Hyper-V Support

Before WSB can support Hyper-V, you must register the Hyper-V VSS Writer GUID in the registry.

Follow these steps to register the Hyper-V VSS Writer GUID in the registry using REGEDIT:

1. Open a command prompt using the Run As Administrator option.

2. At the command prompt, enter Regedit.

3. In the Registry Editor, locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup

4. If the key does not exist, right-click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion key, and select New, then select Key.

5. Enter WindowsServerBackup as the name of the key, and press Enter.

6. Right-click the WindowsServerBackup key, select New, and then select Key.

7. Enter Application Support as the name of the key, and press Enter.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support

8. Right-click the Application Support key, select New, and then select Key.

9. Enter {66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE} as the name of the key, and press Enter.

You should now see HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support\{66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE}

10. Right-click the {66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE} key, select new, then select String Value to create a REG_SZ string. Enter Application Identifier as the value name, and set the value to Hyper-V VSS Writer.

Use caution when you modify the registry. Corrupting the registry can cause system instability, as well as cause the operating system to be unable to boot.

(This article is adapted from content included in the Microsoft Press Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Resource Kit)

Take a look at the Hyper-V Update List that is posted on the Technet site. It contains a running tab of the software updates and hotfixes available for Hyper-V, the date of release, requirement for installation, availability (Windows Update, hotfix, and so on), and the link to each knowledge base article.

Great resource to check into if you hit a snag on Hyper-V!

VirtualizationAdmin.com has posted Part II of my three part article that covers performing a server virtualization assessment with MAP 3.1. This part of the article contains an overview of MAP 3.1 features that facilitate conducting a server virtualization assessment. If you are interested in assessing your traditional infrastructure with the goal of developing a basic server virtualization plan, this article will assist you in your endeavors. In Part III, to be posted in the near future, you will learn how to actually use MAP 3.1 (available for download from the Microsoft site) to conduct a server virtualization assessment.

The hotfix that allows you to backup online virtual machines using DPM 2007 SP1 was recently released. You can find it at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;959962.

A team of Microsoft IT Pro Evangelists are starting a 20-part series on Microsoft Virtualization Solutions beginning on January 14, 2009. The objectives of this series as stated on Yung Chou’s Yung Chou's Blog are:

“…not only to help you develop technical depth on various virtualization solutions with level 300 sessions, but to appreciate the essentials of a typical virtualization project in a real world implementation.”

Here is the session list:

1. 01/14/2009, TechNet Webcast: Virtualization in a Nutshell
2. 01/16/2009, TechNet Webcast: Selecting the Right Candidates for Virtualization
3. 01/21/2009, TechNet Webcast: Virtualizing Test and Development Environments for a Quick Return on Investment
4. 01/23/2009, TechNet Webcast: Managing the Virtualized Test and Development Environment
5. 01/28/2009, TechNet Webcast: If I Virtualize It, How Do I Manage It?
6. 01/29/2009, TechNet Webcast: Consolidation and Rapid Provisioning
7. 02/04/2009, TechNet Webcast: Building on Your Existing Virtual Environment
8. 02/06/2009, TechNet Webcast: Virtualization Solutions for High Availability
9. 02/11/2009, TechNet Webcast: Client-Side Virtualization
10. 02/13/2009, TechNet Webcast: Using Presentation Virtualization
11. 02/18/2009, TechNet Webcast: Scaling Terminal Services Out (1/2)
12. 02/20/2009, TechNet Webcast: Scaling Terminal Services Out (2/2)
13. 02/25/2009, TechNet Webcast: Running Legacy Applications with Virtualization (1/2)
14. 02/27/2009, TechNet Webcast: Running Legacy Applications with Virtualization (2/2)
15. 03/04/2009, TechNet Webcast: Creating a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
16. 03/06/2009, TechNet Webcast: Securing the Virtual Environments
17. 03/11/2009, TechNet Webcast: Virtualization with Centralized, Policy-Based Management
18. 03/13/2009, TechNet Webcast: Virtualization Solutions in Branch Offices
19. 03/20/2009, TechNet Webcast: Road Map for the Future of Virtualization
20. 03/24/2009, TechNet Webcast: Managing Virtual Solutions

Enjoy!

While loading a new Dell Precision M6400 with Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V, you wll probably run into an issue getting Bluetooth to install on your system. However, there is a great blog post that explains how to workaround the problem and even provides the modified files that you need. Take a look at http://www.windows-now.com/blogs/robert/enabling-bluetooth-on-windows-server-2008.aspx.

I’ve been waiting for a nice high-end quad-core laptop that can be used as a serious test machine for my Hyper-V work. Well, Dell came through with such a sweet discount that I did not have to wait any longer to order one of their new Precision M6400 with the Intel QX9300 2.53 GHz, 1067 MHz, with 12 MB of L2 cache. I should receive it by mid-December, and will be waiting anxiously for it. I chose it above the M4400 for it’s ability to expand to 16 GB of RAM, which I plan to configure as soon as the 4 GB chips become available within a reasonable price range.

If anyone has already started to work with one of these, I’d love to hear your experiences. When I have it up and running and beefed up with an extra disk and additional memory, I’ll post about it and how it performs running Hyper-V.

If you are interested in Hyper-V snapshots, check out the short video that I created for VirtualizationAdmin.com. In it I quickly run through how to create a snapshot, review the directory structure and files that are created, and show how to use the revert feature.

Check it out at http://virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tutorials/videos/microsoft-hyper-v-articles/general/using-hyper-v-snapshots.html.