Hyper-V: The Lessons Learned Aidan Finn Systems and Infrastructure Manager MCSE, MVP (SCCM 2007) C Infinity

Introduction. Why we adopted Hyper-V. Clearing up the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Things I learned along the journey. Lot’s and lots of little nuggets of information. Agenda

Introduction.

Why we adopted Hyper-V.

Clearing up the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

Things I learned along the journey.

Lot’s and lots of little nuggets of information.

Aidan Finn MCSE, MVP (SCCM 2007) Systems and Infrastructure Manager C Infinity Managed Hosting Services Secure Online Backup Introduction

Aidan Finn

MCSE, MVP (SCCM 2007)

Systems and Infrastructure Manager

C Infinity

Managed Hosting Services

Secure Online Backup

Enable our clients to get a professional online presence. Provide an optimised infrastructure. Allow the client to focus on what they do best. Reduce Operating Costs. Managed Hosting Services

Enable our clients to get a professional online presence.

Provide an optimised infrastructure.

Allow the client to focus on what they do best.

Reduce Operating Costs.

Rack space Electricity Air Conditioning Licensing Carbon Footprint It sounds like Server Virtualisation is needed! It’s All About Operating Costs

Rack space

Electricity

Air Conditioning

Licensing

Carbon Footprint

It sounds like Server Virtualisation is needed!

You probably already know this: Run many virtual machines on fewer hosts . Products from Microsoft (Hyper-V), VMware (ESX), Citrix (Xen) and many others. We’re going to focus on Hyper-V. We’ll skip the basics – you’ve probably heard them already. Server Virtualisation

You probably already know this:

Run many virtual machines on fewer hosts .

Products from Microsoft (Hyper-V), VMware (ESX), Citrix (Xen) and many others.

We’re going to focus on Hyper-V.

We’ll skip the basics – you’ve probably heard them already.

Everyone is an “expert” on the Internet: Blogs Forums YouTube VMware! Beware the F.U.D! Beware What You Read or Watch

Everyone is an “expert” on the Internet:

Blogs

Forums

YouTube

VMware!

Beware the F.U.D!

I need to preface the next section by saying ... I do like VMware Virtual Infrastructure. I was a happy VMware customer. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Before We Go Any Further

I need to preface the next section by saying ...

I do like VMware Virtual Infrastructure.

I was a happy VMware customer.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

“ Hyper-V is just Virtual Server” False It’s a true hypervisor that runs at ring -1 “ Hyper-V is not an enterprise level product” False It competes directly against ESX Enterprise and features high levels of performance, reliability and clustering. FUD

“ Hyper-V is just Virtual Server”

False

It’s a true hypervisor that runs at ring -1

“ Hyper-V is not an enterprise level product”

False

It competes directly against ESX Enterprise and features high levels of performance, reliability and clustering.

“ Hyper-V can only have Windows guests” False SUSE has MS supported integration services. Other Xen Linux platforms can run on it. We can expect further official support soon. “ You cannot have SCSI disks in Hyper-V” False It features a non-emulates SCSI driver that runs on the VM Bus. Episode II – The FUD Strikes Back

“ Hyper-V can only have Windows guests”

False

SUSE has MS supported integration services. Other Xen Linux platforms can run on it. We can expect further official support soon.

“ You cannot have SCSI disks in Hyper-V”

False

It features a non-emulates SCSI driver that runs on the VM Bus.

“ ESXi is just like Hyper-V” False ESXi is incapable of on-server management because it has no parent/host OS. “ ESX features more management” FALSE ESX features the same level of management as Hyper-V. VMware Virtual Centre requires additional licensing, just like SC VMM 2008. Episode III – Return of the FUD

“ ESXi is just like Hyper-V”

False

ESXi is incapable of on-server management because it has no parent/host OS.

“ ESX features more management”

FALSE

ESX features the same level of management as Hyper-V. VMware Virtual Centre requires additional licensing, just like SC VMM 2008.

“ The free version of ESXi is VMware’s answer to Hyper-V”. False. The free ESXi product doesn’t offer clustering. It can only be compared to Hyper-V on W2008 Standard. “ There’s no VMotion so it’s not enterprise ready”. Ugh! Just how long has ESX had VMotion? Hyper-V does feature Quick Migration. See R2 for Live Migration. Episode IV – Adrian’s Revenge!

“ The free version of ESXi is VMware’s answer to Hyper-V”.

False.

The free ESXi product doesn’t offer clustering. It can only be compared to Hyper-V on W2008 Standard.

“ There’s no VMotion so it’s not enterprise ready”.

Ugh!

Just how long has ESX had VMotion? Hyper-V does feature Quick Migration. See R2 for Live Migration.

“ Quick Migration means that the VM is offline for ages” False That famous video featured an incorrectly configured VM. 1GB RAM: 9 seconds. 29GB RAM: 70 seconds. There’s More FUD?!?!?

“ Quick Migration means that the VM is offline for ages”

False

That famous video featured an incorrectly configured VM. 1GB RAM: 9 seconds. 29GB RAM: 70 seconds.

Windows Server 2008 x64 only. Standard, Enterprise or Datacenter Edition? Core or Full Installation? Q)Is there a “Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Edition”? A) There will be. It will a free download: “Hyper-V Server”. Choosing Your Host OS

Windows Server 2008 x64 only.

Standard, Enterprise or Datacenter Edition?

Core or Full Installation?

Q)Is there a “Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Edition”?

A) There will be. It will a free download: “Hyper-V Server”.

Is it on the W2008 HCL? X64 processors with DEP and virtualisation assistance. Make sure the BIOS allows you to enable those features. Check with the hardware manufacturer. Hyper-V can run on desktops and laptops. Wifi not supported - http://tinyurl.com/5p9yq8 Choosing Your Server Hardware

Is it on the W2008 HCL?

X64 processors with DEP and virtualisation assistance.

Make sure the BIOS allows you to enable those features.

Check with the hardware manufacturer.

Hyper-V can run on desktops and laptops.

Wifi not supported - http://tinyurl.com/5p9yq8

Worst case scenario! The Parent Partition: Reserve 2GB for the OS. Allow RAM for parent OS drivers. Allow 300MB for Hyper-V. Each VM: 32MB for the first 1GB RAM. 8MB for each additional GB RAM. How Much RAM?

Worst case scenario!

The Parent Partition:

Reserve 2GB for the OS.

Allow RAM for parent OS drivers.

Allow 300MB for Hyper-V.

Each VM:

32MB for the first 1GB RAM.

8MB for each additional GB RAM.

Preferably a Fibre Channel SAN iSCSI shared storage DAS – now we lose Quick Migration Internal Storage File Share – leverage the “next generation TCP stack”, SMBv2 and TOE. Usual rules apply on RAID1 and RAID5. Choosing Your Storage

Preferably a Fibre Channel SAN

iSCSI shared storage

DAS – now we lose Quick Migration

Internal Storage

File Share – leverage the “next generation TCP stack”, SMBv2 and TOE.

Usual rules apply on RAID1 and RAID5.

Quick Formula Per VM: Virtual Disk Size, e.g. 50GB RAM Amount, e.g. 2GB Free Space, e.g. 10% = (50+2)*1.1 = 57.2 or 58GB. Allow more if you need snapshots or use dedicated storage. How Much Storage

Quick Formula Per VM:

Virtual Disk Size, e.g. 50GB

RAM Amount, e.g. 2GB

Free Space, e.g. 10%

= (50+2)*1.1 = 57.2 or 58GB.

Allow more if you need snapshots or use dedicated storage.

Build clusters of hosts using W2008 clustering. Build a cluster in 20 minutes. Cluster the VM VS cluster the host. http://tinyurl.com/6cul23 Use GUID/”Letterless” drives. Naming standards for LUN, volume name, VM, and cluster group/resources. VM Fault Tolerance

Build clusters of hosts using W2008 clustering.

Build a cluster in 20 minutes.

Cluster the VM VS cluster the host. http://tinyurl.com/6cul23

Use GUID/”Letterless” drives.

Naming standards for LUN, volume name, VM, and cluster group/resources.

VM’s connect to the network via a Virtual Switch. A Virtual switch is mapped to a host machine NIC. You should have at least 2 NIC’s in the host. Might be best with 4 or more: Parent (1), clustering (1), Virtual Network(2). 3 types of virtual network: External, Internal and Private. Be careful: Internal and Private do not span hosts. No native NIC teaming in the virtual switch. As before, we rely on the OEM teaming driver. No support yet from the OEM’s. Networking

VM’s connect to the network via a Virtual Switch.

A Virtual switch is mapped to a host machine NIC.

You should have at least 2 NIC’s in the host.

Might be best with 4 or more: Parent (1), clustering (1), Virtual Network(2).

3 types of virtual network: External, Internal and Private. Be careful: Internal and Private do not span hosts.

No native NIC teaming in the virtual switch. As before, we rely on the OEM teaming driver. No support yet from the OEM’s.

VLAN tagging on the virtual network or on the VM. Buggy drivers: Broadcom/HP NC 373i – set the NIC to a non zero VLAN ID. HP NC326m – don’t tag it using HP NCU! Intel - HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass{GUID}XXXXVlanFiltering = 0 Multiple VLAN’s

VLAN tagging on the virtual network or on the VM.

Buggy drivers:

Broadcom/HP NC 373i – set the NIC to a non zero VLAN ID.

HP NC326m – don’t tag it using HP NCU!

Intel - HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass{GUID}XXXXVlanFiltering = 0

Hyper-V RTM is a free download. DO NOT USE THE BINARIES ON THE W2008 MEDIA! Install KB951308 after installing Hyper-V on hosts and management. Deploy by hand: For a few hosts. Deploying using unattended: Slipstream Hyper-V using WAIK and deploy using WDS. SYSPREP: Requires some post install work - http://tinyurl.com/6xjq65. Deploying Hosts

Hyper-V RTM is a free download. DO NOT USE THE BINARIES ON THE W2008 MEDIA!

Install KB951308 after installing Hyper-V on hosts and management.

Deploy by hand: For a few hosts.

Deploying using unattended: Slipstream Hyper-V using WAIK and deploy using WDS.

SYSPREP: Requires some post install work - http://tinyurl.com/6xjq65.

IDE or SCSI? Dynamically Expanding, Fixed Size, Differencing or Pass-Through*? Virtual Disk: Snapshots, differencing, dynamically expanding. 2TB limit per disk. 4 IDE or 256 SCSI per VM. Pass-Through: Up to 256TB. No virtual disk features. 4 IDE or 256 SCSI per VM. VM Disks

IDE or SCSI?

Dynamically Expanding, Fixed Size, Differencing or Pass-Through*?

Virtual Disk: Snapshots, differencing, dynamically expanding. 2TB limit per disk. 4 IDE or 256 SCSI per VM.

Pass-Through: Up to 256TB. No virtual disk features. 4 IDE or 256 SCSI per VM.

Integration Services allow advanced VM management. One feature is Data Exchange: Allows very limited registry access between host and guest. Can be disabled by clearing the Data Exchange tick box in the VM. PSS say that disabling this has no negative effect on SCVMM 2008. Integration Services – Data Exchange

Integration Services allow advanced VM management.

One feature is Data Exchange: Allows very limited registry access between host and guest.

Can be disabled by clearing the Data Exchange tick box in the VM.

PSS say that disabling this has no negative effect on SCVMM 2008.

SYSPREP as usual Export, copy folder and Import VM’s. PXE Boot via Legacy Network connection only. Watch out – you can only import a VM that has been explicitly exported. There is no “File Open”  Deploying VM’s

SYSPREP as usual

Export, copy folder and Import VM’s.

PXE Boot via Legacy Network connection only.

Watch out – you can only import a VM that has been explicitly exported. There is no “File Open” 

Be careful if you install AV on the parent partition. Do not scan the VM files: Hyper-V cannot load VM’s if the files are being used by another process. This means do not scan the XML or the VHD files ... I wouldn’t even install agents on the parent partition OS. Anti-Virus

Be careful if you install AV on the parent partition.

Do not scan the VM files: Hyper-V cannot load VM’s if the files are being used by another process.

This means do not scan the XML or the VHD files ... I wouldn’t even install agents on the parent partition OS.

PowerShell. You’ll want to learn it. Get to where all VM creation is scripted. Store those scripts for DR. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008. System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1. Integration via Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO). Advanced Management

PowerShell. You’ll want to learn it. Get to where all VM creation is scripted. Store those scripts for DR.

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008.

System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1.

Integration via Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO).

Easier VM deployment on a cluster. Easier delegation VS Authorisation Manager Manage VMware Virtual Center! VMM 2008

Easier VM deployment on a cluster.

Easier delegation VS Authorisation Manager

Manage VMware Virtual Center!

Evaluate your infrastructure to see if virtualisation will reduce cost of ownership, increase flexibility and simplify administration. Compare not just the virtualisation products, but also their management and how it integrates. Don’t trust others, try the products out in a lab. Document what you learn for your production deployment. Wrapping Up

Evaluate your infrastructure to see if virtualisation will reduce cost of ownership, increase flexibility and simplify administration.

Compare not just the virtualisation products, but also their management and how it integrates.

Don’t trust others, try the products out in a lab.

Document what you learn for your production deployment.

Aidan Finn [email_address] http://www.cinfinity.ie Windows Server 2008 User Group Ireland http://ws-ugi.spaces.live.com Happy to answer further questions later! The End

Aidan Finn

[email_address]

http://www.cinfinity.ie

Windows Server 2008 User Group Ireland

http://ws-ugi.spaces.live.com

Happy to answer further questions later!