VMM is a series of components that include Windows Server, SQL Server, a local agent, an Administrative console, and a self-service console. The components that make up VMM include

• A Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later server on which the VMM service (server component) is installed.

• A Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database. This database contains all VMM objects.

• Servers on which the VMM local agent is installed. These servers act as hosts on which to deploy VMs using VMM. A host computer runs Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1), or Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V.

• Servers on which the VMM local agent is installed that act as library servers. Library servers store resources for the VMM environment.

• Computers on which the VMM Administrative console is installed. These computers or servers provide the administrative GUI and command shell to manage the physical and virtual infrastructure.

• Web servers that act as self-service portals. Self-service portals allow designated users to create/manage their own VMs.

Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed 08

• 0 comments »

Despite Microsoft having a major release of both Windows server virtualization and Virtual Machine Management in 2008, their history in virtualization is less than six years old, with virtualization management being less than year or two.

Microsoft History of Virtualization
Microsoft obtained its role in virtualization by acquiring the technology and then developing it over time. They first purchased virtualization technology and then developed the technology into both a server and client product.

Microsoft’s Introduction to Virtualization by Acquisition
Microsoft first entered the operating system virtualization market when it purchased Connectix in 2003. Microsoft’s first VM product was Microsoft Virtual PC, which they released as a free product in 2004. Virtual PC was meant to allow administrators to create VMs on a desktop-class computer for testing purposes.

Microsoft’s First Release of Server Virtualization
About the same time, they released Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, which was designed to run on server-class equipment and offered more robust features. In Q2 2006, Microsoft made Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition a free download to better compete with the free virtualization offerings from VMware and Xen. Virtual machines are created and
managed through a Windows client application tool called VMRCplus or through an Internet Information Services (IIS) web-based interface. Virtual Server 2005 provides more features than Virtual PC and is designed to run in the data center.

Microsoft’s Client Virtualization
In Q1 2007, Microsoft released Virtual PC 2007. The main advantages over Virtual PC 2004 were support for hardware virtualization, viewing virtual machines on multiple monitors, and support for Windows Vista as both host and guest. The following year
Virtual PC 2007 SP1 was released.

Microsoft’s History on Virtualization Management
While virtual servers and clients have helped organizations minimize the number of physical systems they have, the challenge has been to manage these virtual systems. It wasn’t until 2007 that Microsoft finally had a product dedicated to VM management, which has then led to the current release covered in this book, Virtual Machine Manager 2008.

Early Virtualization Management Techniques
Up to this point, VM management was performed by the system administrator using the standard Windows monitoring and management techniques: viewing event logs, performance counters, and system properties of both the VM and the host that runs it. With the proliferation of VMs in the data center, there grew a need to centralize VM management and to manage the placement and provide disaster-recovery options for these guests.

Release of Virtualization Machine Manager 2007
Microsoft’s answer to this need was Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 (VMM 2007). VMM 2007 was available in three versions: System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007, System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 Workgroup Edition (VMM WGE 2007), and System Center Essentials 2007 (Essentials 2007). VMM 2007 provides comprehensive support for consolidating 32-bit physical servers onto virtual infrastructures and rapid provisioning and deployment of new 32-bit virtual machines. To help IT administrators keep organized, VMM features a library to centrally manage the building blocks of the virtual data center, including virtual hard drives, VMM templates, and P2V conversions.

Release of Virtualization Machine Manager 2008
Microsoft System Center VMM 2008 is the latest version of the VMM product line. It replaces System Center VMM 2007 and adds many new features, including full Hyper-V support, 64-bit VM support, the ability to manage both Microsoft and VMware virtual infrastructures, and more.


Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed 08

• 0 comments »

Up to now, we have discussed what Hyper-V provides to the data center and how to deploy and configure single virtual machines. Once the organization understands and adopts the value of system virtualization, IT administrators look for improved ways to deploy, control, and administer the virtual infrastructure. Enter Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008. Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (VMM 2008) provides a System Center common management interface for the virtualized data center that allows increased server utilization and dynamic resource allocation. It also works across multiple virtualization platforms, including those from Microsoft and VMware. Third-party add ons for XenSource, XenWorks, and others will be available in the near future. VMM 2008 takes a holistic approach to managing the virtual infrastructure by examining and rating the virtualization hosts. It compares these hosts against a set of criteria and rates the suitability of the virtual machine (VM) to be deployed on the hosts where it can be deployed. This is important because a single physical host server can host tens of virtual machines.

Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed 08

• 0 comments »