ENIAC KB: August 2009

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 RTM Available for Download

The free virtualization platform Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 is now available to download.
MS stand-alone free product has nice improvements regarding to V1 of the same product. Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 allows Live Migration, Hot add/remove virtual storage, support for 64 logical processors, support for running up to 384 virtual machines with up to 512 virtual processors, live migration across different processor SKU’s from the same vendor, Networking enhancements, Boot from flash, etc...

Try it at:
Microsoft® Hyper-V™ Server 2008 R2
Comparing Hyper-V Server V1 vs. V2

Monday, August 24, 2009

Useful Virtualization Documentation for MS R2 Products

Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 is RTM!

Great news,
40 days after Hyper-V R2 Microsoft released the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 RTM. A 180-day evaluation version is now available at Microsoft Download site. You can access it here. Volume licensing is set for October 1.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V Host Management
- VMM 2008 R2 creates and manages virtual machines running on Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V hosts. When you add a host that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 that does not have Hyper-V enabled, VMM 2008 R2 automatically enables the Hyper-V role on the host.

- VMM 2008 R2 supports the following new features of Windows Server 2008 R2:

Live migration between Windows Server 2008 R2 clustered hosts.
Network optimization detection during virtual machine placement. VMM 2008 R2 supports both Virtual Machine Queue (VMQ) and TCP Chimney, which are Windows Server 2008 R2 features that improve network performance for virtual machines.
Network adapters that support the VMQ feature are able to create a unique network queue for each virtual network adapter and then connect that queue directly to the virtual machine’s memory. This connection routes packets directly from the hypervisor to the virtual machine, bypassing much of the processing in the virtualization stack.
Network adapters that support the TCP Chimney feature are able to offload the processing of network traffic from the networking stack. Both of these features increase network performance and reduce CPU utilization.
Hot addition and removal of virtual hard disks (VHDs). In Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V allows users to add and remove VHDs from a virtual machine while it is running.

Feature Bullet Summary:

Live migration
Clustered Shared Volume (CSV) support that enables multiple Highly Available Virtual Machines (HAVM) per LUN.
Hot add of storage
Support for VMware vSphere 4 (VMware VI3 feature parity only)
SAN Migration into and out of clustered hosts
Processor flexibility
Network optimization
Quick storage migration
Maintenance mode for hosts
Support for third party cluster file system, Sanbolic Melio FS
Support for third party storage class resource, Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows
Expanded support for iSCSI SANs
Support for VMware port groups for virtual switches
Support for Virtual Machine permissions assigned in Hyper-V
Dynamic policy based load balancing

SCVMM R2 RC Features in detail here.
TechNet Library on VMM2008 R2
What's New in Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2

To learn more on the new features and capabilities of VMM2008 R2, please try to attend MS upcoming TechNet session "Technical Overview of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2". Presented by Ms Technical Product Manager Kenon Owens, it will be chocked full of new and cool VMM 2008 R2 items. Go here to register for this Wednesday, September 09, 2009 (10:00 AM Pacific) event.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate

Evaluate Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate today
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 RC helps you achieve new levels of reliability and performance by delivering features that simplify your administration, protect your communications, and delight your users by meeting their demands for greater business mobility. And when you download the latest software, you're automatically registered to access valuable product resources assembled in one convenient location.
Please review the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 system requirements before you proceed. Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate

Overview
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate helps IT Professionals achieve new levels of reliability with greater flexibility, enhanced user experiences, and increased protection for business communications.

Flexible and reliable - Exchange Server 2010 gives you the flexibility to tailor your deployment based on your company's unique needs and a simplified way to keep e-mail continuously available for your users.

Anywhere access - Exchange Server 2010 helps your users get more done by giving them the freedom to securely access all their communications - e-mail, voice mail, instant messaging, and more - from virtually any platform, Web browser, or device.

Protection and compliance - Exchange Server 2010 delivers integrated information loss prevention, and compliance tools aimed at helping you simplify the process of protecting your company's communications and meeting regulatory requirements.

Windowsn 2008 R2 Certificate Cervices

Here it's some new Whitepapers from Microsoft regarding to Windows 2008 R2 Certificate Services.

SCEP - Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol
Microsoft® Active Directory® Certificate Services in Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 R2 includes the Network Device Enrollment Service role service. This role service implements the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol. This white paper provides an overview of this role service in the Windows Server 2008 R2.

Microsoft SCEP implementation

Computer and User Certificates
The Windows Server® 2008 R2 Core Network Guide provides instructions on how to plan and deploy the components required for a fully functioning network and a new Active Directory® domain in a new forest. This companion guide to the Core Network Guide provides instructions on how to deploy client computer and user certificates with Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) and Group Policy. You can use client computer and user certificates to allow Network Policy Server (NPS) and Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) to authenticate users and computers when you deploy the following authentication methods for network access authentication: • Extensible Authentication Protocol with Transport Layer Security (EAP-TLS) • Protected EAP with TLS (PEAP-TLS).

Deploying Computer and User Certificates

Additional information from Active Directory Services Team:
Designing and Implementing a PKI

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Virtualization WAR Update1...

What!!! Just about one hour after I posting “Virtualization WAR…” I received some feedback about the fact that the Virtualization Team removed the post!!! and that post no longer existed… WHAT!!! After testing it my-self I found out that in fact the post was removed from Virtualization Team Blog.

What a heck!!! I waited, waited, and here it’s the Post again BUT with a new SOFT version of the facts…

What happened??!!! Perhaps too many strong words…

Nah.... One of the things that change was due the fact that Jeff forgot about Windows SP2... But even after that the results are:

-VMware ESXi 3.5 patch footprint alone (3.7 GB) is still 7% greater than Hyper-V Server 2008 RTM (using the 2.6 GB number VMware quoted), all its patches and Service Pack 2 COMBINED.

But Wait!!! There's more... Read the new version of Virtualization WAR UPDATE 1 (Hopefully we’ll not need to wait until SP1, eheheh…)

UPDATE!!!
PART 2
Hypervisor Footprint Debate Part 2: Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V & VMware ESX 3.5

UPDATE!!!
PART 3
Hypervisor Footprint Debate Part 3: Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V & VMware ESXi 3.5

Operations Manager 2007 R2 - Sizing Helper

The OpsMgr 2007 R2 Sizing Helper is an interactive document designed to assist you with planning & sizing deployments of Operations Manager 2007 R2. It helps you plan the correct amount of infrastructure needed for a new OpsMgr R2 deployment, removing the uncertainties in making IT hardware purchases and optimizes cost. A typical recommendation will include minimum hardware specification for each server role, topology diagram and storage requirement.

Read More about it

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Automate Metadata Cleanup

Cool... Now in Windows 2008 and 2008 R2 you can Automate Metadata Cleanup, this is a cool feature that you can take advantage without the need of using the NTDSUTIL. Of course you can still use NTDSUTIL if you want or if you've 2003 systems.

Metadata cleanup is a required procedure after a forced removal of Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). You perform metadata cleanup on a domain controller in the domain of the domain controller that you forcibly removed. Metadata cleanup removes data from AD DS that identifies a domain controller to the replication system. Metadata cleanup also removes File Replication Service (FRS) and Distributed File System (DFS) Replication connections and attempts to transfer or seize any operations master (also known as flexible single master operations or FSMO) roles that the retired domain controller holds. These additional processes are performed automatically. You can use this procedure to clean up server metadata for a domain controller from which you have forcibly removed AD DS.

On domain controllers that are running Windows Server 2008, you can use Active Directory Users and Computers to clean up server metadata. In this procedure, deleting the computer object in the Domain Controllers organizational unit (OU) initiates the cleanup process, which proceeds automatically.

Read More here

Virtualization WAR...

AGAIN!!!!
Yep, in this post Jeff Woolsey from Microsoft explains the ESX(i) Footprint argument and other "Myths" as well

Interesting Statements from his post

- I'd like to point out that VMware touts ESXi as a 32 MB hypervisor, yet the download is over 200 MB. So, are we too assume that the other 170+ MB doesn't count?

-If you really want to focus on the disk footprint that matters, the amount of software that could be directly exposed to VM attack, the Hyper-V hypervisor and virtualization stack combined is about 20 MB, ~19.4 MB for the virtualization stack and ~600k for the hypervisor.

In short, VMware has focused on our entire footprint which is made up mostly of stuff that isn't exposed to VM traffic at all or only exposed indirectly, while ignoring the part that matters most and for which VMware doesn't have a strong track record.

- VMware ESXi 3.5 patch footprint alone (3.7 GB) is 42% greater than Hyper-V Server 2008 RTM (using the 2.6 GB number VMware quoted above) and all its patches COMBINED

-Not only did VMware ESXi have a 45x greater patch footprint, but they also had the most serious virtualization security flaws.

-So much for the disk footprint argument. How can the ESXi patch footprint be so huge?
Because VMware releases a whole new ESXi image every time they release a patch. Furthermore, because VMware releases a whole new ESXi image every time they release a patch it also means that every ESXi patch requires a reboot.

AUTCH!!!!

Windows 7 Remote Server Administration Tools

Microsoft released Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 7.
Download RSAT additionally check the installation/activation process.

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 enables IT administrators to manage roles and features that are installed on remote computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 (and, for some roles and features, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003) from a remote computer that is running Windows 7. It includes support for remote management of computers that are running either the Server Core or full installation options of Windows Server 2008 R2, and for some roles and features, Windows Server 2008. Some roles and features on Windows Server 2003 can be managed remotely by using Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7, although the Server Core installation option is not available with the Windows Server 2003 operating system.

RSAT features:

Server Administration Tools:
-Server Manager

Role Administration Tools:
-Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) Tools
-Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Tools
-Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) Tools
-DHCP Server Tools
-DNS Server Tools
-File Services Tools
-Hyper-V Tools
-Terminal Services Tools

Feature Administration Tools:
-BitLocker Password Recovery Viewer
-Failover Clustering Tools
-Group Policy Management Tools
-Network Load Balancing Tools
-SMTP Server Tools
-Storage Explorer Tools
-Storage Manager for SANs Tools
-Windows System Resource Manager Tools

Supported Operating Systems:
Windows 7; Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2008; Windows Server 2008 R2
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 can be installed on computers that are running the Enterprise, Professional, or Ultimate editions of Windows 7.

For detailed information about the tools available in Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7, and the supported operating systems at which they can be targeted, see Knowledge Base article 958830.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Windows Virtual PC RC and Windows XP Mode RC

Microsoft has released Windows Virtual PC RC and Windows XP Mode RC. Windows Virtual PC provides the capability to run multiple Windows environments such as Windows XP Mode from your Windows 7 desktop.

To download Windows Virtual PC and the Windows XP Mode environment
Windows Virtual PC RC and Windows XP Mode RC

Windows Virtual PC: Documentation

ENIAC KB