System Center Virtual Machine Manager–SP1–Why and the POWER Behind IT (Isvet Laclaustra)

SCVMM SP1 – INSTALL IT!

The latest version of System Center Virtual Machine Manager incorporates all the functionality of its predecessor and brings exciting new capabilities to the management of virtual machines.

1.    Support for Dynamic Memory Within Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
With this release, VMM supports Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Hyper-V and Dynamic Memory. Dynamic Memory enables customers to better utilize the memory resources of Hyper-V hosts by balancing how memory is distributed between running virtual machines. Using Dynamic Memory for supported VMs allows for more efficient utilization of memory, with consistent performance, and higher consolidation ratios.
2.    Enable a rich, local-like desktop environment over the network with RemoteFX
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 introduces a new set of end user experience enhancements with Microsoft RemoteFX. This release of VMM allows for creation and deployment of Virtual Machines on Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Hyper-V hosts that have RemoteFX support enabled giving users a rich, local-like desktop environment over the network. With RemoteFX, end users can also use a broad range of USB peripherals in combination with a virtual desktop.
3.    Designed for virtual machines running on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Hyper-V Server
Hyper-V is the next-generation hypervisor-based virtualization platform from Microsoft, which is designed to offer high performance, enhanced security, high availability, scalability, and many other improvements. VMM is designed to take full advantage of these foundational benefits through a powerful yet easy-to-use console that streamlines many of the tasks necessary to manage virtualized infrastructure. Even better, administrators can manage their traditional physical servers right alongside their virtual resources through one unified console.
4.    Live Migration allows your datacenter to be dynamic
Live Migration enables you to move virtual machines between Hyper-V hosts with no downtime and reduces the planned downtime associated with routine system maintenance. When Live Migration is coupled with VMM’s Performance Resource Optimization (PRO) feature, you can create a dynamic IT environment, automatically reallocating virtual machine workloads based on resource utilization and available capacity. In addition, VMM 2008 R2 supports queuing live migrations; this improvement allows you to now define multiple live migrations and run them one after another in sequence without waiting for the current live migration to complete.
5.    Hot-add and removal of storage
Hot-add and removal of storage reduces planned downtime associated with adding disk storage to your virtual infrastructure to accommodate increased storage requirements. The new Hot-Add and Removal of Storage feature in VMM 2008 R2 allows an administrator to dynamically add and remove VHDs from a running virtual machine with no interruption of service.
6.    Support for Clustered Shared Volumes and third-party CFS
Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) is a new feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 that provides support for live migration. CSV enhances the virtual infrastructure by allowing multiple Hyper-V hosts to access multiple VMs on a single LUN simultaneously. CSV support also enhances Live Migration by allowing individual virtual machines to be moved to different hosts without affecting the other VMs running on that host. With CSV, there is no need to move the virtual machine’s virtual hard disk files to another LUN. In addition, unlike the earlier storage model that required one VM per LUN, the new CSV storage permits multiple virtual machine files to be stored on the same LUN, making storage management much easier. VMM 2008 R2 can also detect and support third-party Clustered File Systems such as Sanbolic.
7.    Machine conversions are a snap!
Converting a physical machine to a virtual one can be a daunting undertaking—slow, problematic, and typically requiring you to halt the physical server. But thanks to the enhanced P2V conversion in VMM, P2V conversions will become routine. Similarly, VMM also provides a straightforward wizard that can convert VMware virtual machines to VHDs through an easy and speedy Virtual-to-Virtual (V2V) transfer process.
8.    Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO)
Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) enables the dynamic management of virtual resources though Management Packs that are PRO enabled. Utilizing the deep monitoring capabilities of System Center Operations Manager 2007, PRO enables administrators to establish remedial actions for VMM to execute if poor performance or pending hardware failures are identified in hardware, operating systems, or applications. As an open and extensible platform, PRO encourages partners to design custom management packs that promote compatibility of their products and solutions with PRO’s powerful management capabilities.
9.    Quick storage migration
Quick storage migration enables an administrator to move a virtual machine’s storage to a different LUN or even to a different host while the VM is running, both with a minimum of downtime. Typically, the amount of downtime required for quick storage migration is less than 2 minutes, though the actual amount of downtime depends on the virtual machine’s activity level during the move. In addition, VMM 2008 R2 can now take advantage of VMware’s Storage VMotionTM feature for moving VMware virtual machines to different storage locations with no downtime. Quick storage migration is especially useful for customers taking advantage of the new CSV feature in Windows Server 2008 R2.
10.    Windows PowerShell provides rich management and scripting environment
The entire VMM application is built on the command line and scripting environment, Windows PowerShell. This version of VMM adds additional PowerShell commandlets and “view script” controls, which allow administrators to exploit customizing or automating operations at an unprecedented level.

On IT…

Isvet – Laclaustra

Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0.– IS OUT! (Isvet Laclaustra)

The latest MOF IT Pro Quick Start Kit includes new materials and updated references to the most recent MOF supplemental materials, all designed to help you get up and running with MOF 4.0. Get MOF. Get to work.

Download it at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=457ed61d-27b8-49d1-baca-b175e8f54c0c