Project Virtual Reality Check
Do you wonder about virtualization? Are you seeking for the best virtualization platform for your specific environment? Project VRC shows you the way!
Project Virtual Reality Check (VRC) is a joint venture of Log•in Consultants and PQR, who have researched the optimal configuration for the different available hypervisors (hardware virtualization layers). The project arises from the growing demand for a founded advice on how to virtualise Terminal Server and Virtual Desktop (VDI) workloads. Through a number of researches, Log•in Consultants and PQR show you the scaling possibilities for Terminal Server environments as well as Virtual Desktops.
See www.virtualrealitycheck.net for more details!
Installing Hyper-V part 3
Hyper-V servers: Workgroup or Domain?
A common misconception while implementing server virtualization is to isolate the hypervisors from directory services. The reason for that is because we have accepted the fact that VMware ESX hosts do not run Windows and therefore cannot be part of let's say Active Directory. Even this is not totally true, VMware is very capable of authenticating users by utilizing Active Directory, see this article
Back to my specialism, Hyper-V... As a general statement it is safe to say that Hyper-V hosts should be members of the Active Directory. Why? well why did we have Active Directory in the first place? It was to increase business efficiency and IT operations throughout the enterprise. Since Hyper-V servers benefit from GPO's, secure single sign on and security policies it sounds logical to make them domain members.
There are however a few side notes:
- At least 1 domain controller should be a physical host, or at least 1 domain controller should not be part of your Hyper-V infrastructure
- If Hyper-V is implemented within the DMZ, domain membership is not desired
By implementing only virtual Hyper-V based domain controllers we would actually implement a mutual dependency, or as we say in Holland: 'a chicken and an egg situation' thus not a good idea. So at least 1 domain controller needs to be isolated from your Hyper-V environment.
But... doesn't that result in decreased efficiency within the environment? Well, one must keep in mind that virtualizing your server infrastructure isn't the ultimate goal, reducing costs and gaining flexibility however is. The business case for implementing server virtualization should be based on the servers hosting your business applications, not on the infrastructure servers. By virtualizing infrastructure related servers you reduce operational costs of the IT department but it will not enhance your business processes. Virtualization of the mission critical servers on the contrary will instantly open a window of opportunity concerning matters as flexibility, high availability and business continuity.
What to do with servers within DMZ Cache?
A couple of years ago the DMZ consisted of very few servers. With the increasing adoption of telecommuting and online services the DMZ started to grow to levels that match or even extend the corporate servers workgroup based or actually withdrawing them from the DMZ so that they can be added to the Active Directory.
As for DMZ based servers I strongly encourage customers to implement Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (ADLDS, formerly ADAM). ADLDS makes it possible to centrally manage your DMZ whilst maintaining a secure environment, a typical compromise between security and functionality.
Beta: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010
Deploy Windows 7 beta with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010. Join the beat and download MDT 2010 now at http://connect.microsoft.com.
MDT 2010 is the next version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, a solution accelerator for operating system and application deployment. New features like flexible driver management, optimized transaction processing, and access to distribution shares from any location simplify deployment and make your job easier. Deploy faster and easier with MDT 2010. Join the beta now.
Tell us what you think! Join the beta and send us your honest feedback. We appreciate your input.
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is the fourth generation deployment accelerator from Microsoft. It is the recommended process and toolset to automate desktop and server deployment. MDT benefits you by providing:
• Detailed guidance and job aids for every organized role involved with large-scale deployment projects.
• Unified tools and processes required for desktop and server deployment in a common deployment console and collection of guidance.
• Reduced deployment time, standardized desktop and server images, along with improved security and ongoing configuration management.
Tell your peers about MDT 2010! Please forward this mail to anyone who wants to learn more about Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.
Login VSI
It is official
Login VSI 1.0 is released. Now everybody can start benchmarking.
The Login Virtual Session Indexer (Login VSI) is a free and platform independant benchmark for Virtual Desktop Infrastructures and Terminal Services. This 1.0 release has been fully tested, the workload has been carefully tuned, and now publication of your own results is allowed. As usual, login VSI is a free download from loginconsultants.com.
Changes for Login VSI 1.0:
• Publication of Login VSI results is now allowed when the Login VSI publication guidelines are used;
• The workload is now tuned and can be categorized to be medium/heavy load of a typical knowledge worker (this is in comparison to average Terminal Server deployments);
• The CPU workload may be categorized as medium/heavy (above average);
• The Memory workload is now medium (slightly above average);
• Many typical beta bug fixes, Login VSI is now battle proven in the benchmarking project: “Virtual Reality Check” by PQR and Login Consultants;
• Improved schema to calculate the optimal performance index;
Workload sample Video: checkout http://www.vimeo.com/2749006 to review the workload at 200% speed.
Identifying which MS Virtualization Platform your guest is running on
Today I was messing around with MDT (duh) and came to realize that when deploying to a MS virtualization platform I was gonna be in trouble when using the default make and model method that is build in MDT. (It all echoes Microsoft Corporation and Virtual Machine... so which VM Additions should I install?)
I found out that the BIOS date of the guests that are running on HyperV is different from guests that run on VPC or VS. But how to differentiate between Virtual Server and Virtual PC?! Hmm that was a though one.... After a evening of tweaking and messing around I found out that on a VPC guest there's a PnPEntity called "Sound Blaster 16", where a VS guest does not have this entity. There we go!
Therefore i wrote the following script, which will set the sPlatform variable to the according virtualization platform (VPC/VS/HyperV) and echo it back to the user. This of course is only to show it works. From a deployment point of view I would use this to install the right VM Additions on the guest.
[/vb]
'#***********************************************************************
'#* File: Detect MS Virtual Platform.vbs
'#* Creation Date: 01*04*2009
'#* Author: Henk Hofs (Login Consultants)
'#* Purpose: Detect on what Virtualization product guest is running.
'#* Usage: This script will set the variable: sPlatform to HyperV, VPC or VS.
'#* It will also print the value of sPlatform to the console.
'#*
'#* Revisions: 0.1 HHO Initial Version
'#***********************************************************************
Dim sPlatform
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\CIMV2")
Set colItemsMSVI = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_Bios")
For Each objItem In colItemsMSVI
Select Case objItem.Name
Case "BIOS Date: 05/05/08 20:35:56 Ver: 08.00.02"
sPlatform = "HyperV"
Case "BIOS Date: 02/22/06 20:54:49 Ver: 08.00.02"
LDT_VPC()
If sPlatform = "" then
sPlatform = "VS"
End If
Case Else
MsgBox "Not VPC, VS or HyperV"
End Select
Next
Wscript.Echo sPlatform
Function LDT_VPC
Set colItemsVPC = objWMIService.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_PnPEntity WHERE name=""Sound Blaster 16""")
For Each objItem In colItemsVPC
If objItem.Name <> "" then
sPlatform = "VPC"
End If
Next
End Function
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