Archive for April, 2009

When to use XP Mode (XPM) or MED-V

Standalone versus Enterprise.

XP Mode (XPM) is based on a preconfigured XP SP3 VPC and has fewer options than MED-V when looking at management, monitoring and deployment. MED-V uses a client on the desktop which gives the IT staff far more manageability options then when using XPM. XPM is NOT designed for Enterprise environments. Imagine when supporting 5000 standalone Virtual PCs on top of Windows 7. Also with MED-V Windows 2000 SP4 is supported as guest OS and I can’t find anywhere if this is supported within XPM. My guess is that it’s not.

So when you want to go forward in the Microsoft Core IO model, and not backwards you should use MED-V and not XPM.

Components XPM (all client components):

• A VHD package based on Windows XP SP3.
• Virtual PC 7 with USB and multi-monitor support.

Components MED-V (client and server components):

• Administrator-defined “master” virtual machine – encapsulates a full desktop environment: an OS, applications and optional management and security tools.
• Image Repository – stores all virtual images on a standard IIS server and enables virtual images version management, client-authenticated image retrieval, and efficient download (of a new image or an updates) via Trim Transfer technology.
• Management Server – associates virtual images from the image repository along with administrator usage policies to Microsoft Active Directory users or groups. The Management Server also aggregates clients’ events, and stores them in an external database (MS SQL) for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• A unified Management Console – enables administrators to control the Management Server and the Image Repository.
• End-user Client for supporting:
  • Virtual image life-cycle – Authentication, image retrieval, enforcement of usage policies.
  • Virtual machine session management – Background start, stop, suspend of the virtual machine.
  • Single desktop experience – Seamlessly make the applications installed in the virtual machine available through the standard desktop Start menu, and integrate the applications with other applications on the user desktop.

So where is it designed for.

Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small-business users to run their Windows XP applications on their Windows 7 desktop.

• Windows XP Mode is available for Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise customers.
• Windows XP Mode combines Windows Virtual PC and a pre-installed virtual Windows XP environment to allow users run many older applications.
• Windows Virtual PC will enable users to launch virtual applications seamlessly from the Windows 7 Start menu.
• Windows Virtual PC includes support for USB devices and is based on a new core that includes multi-threading support.

Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) is designed for large IT environments and should be implemented by IT professionals.

• MED-V enables Virtual PC deployment in larger organizations.
• MED-V provides centralized management, policy-based provisioning and virtual image delivery to reduce the cost of Virtual PC deployment.
• MED-V v1 builds on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to help enterprises with their upgrade to Windows Vista when applications are not yet compatible.
• MED-V v2 will add support for Windows 7 (both 32 bit and 64bit) and Windows Virtual PC.
• MED-V v2 beta will be available within 90 days of Windows 7 GA.

How MED-V adds management to Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC?

To provide a managed, scalable solution for running virtual Windows XP applications, MED-V addresses many of the IT challenges around deployment and management including:

Deployment – deliver virtual Windows images and customize per user and device settings

• Automate first-time virtual PC setup based on an IT customized script – including assignment of a unique computer name, joining to AD domain
  (for instance: assign the virtual PC a name that is derived from the physical device name or the username to simplify identification and management)
• Adjust virtual PC memory allocation based on available RAM on host, so that the virtual PC does not take significant resources from the user

Provisioning - define which applications and websites are available to different users

• Assign virtual PC images according to users and groups
• Define which Windows XP applications will be available to the user through the start menu
• Define which websites (e.g. internal sites that requires a previous version of Internet Explorer) are redirected automatically to Windows XP

 Control – assign and expire usage permissions and Virtual PC settings

• Control the network settings of the Virtual PC (e.g. whether it connects through NAT or DHCP, whether its DNS is synchronized with host)
• Authenticate user before granting access to the Virtual PC
• Set expiration date, after which the Virtual PC is not accessible to the end user

Maintenance and Support – update images, monitor users and remotely troubleshoot

• Update images using TrimTransfer network image delivery – update a master Virtual PC image, and MED-V will automatically distribute and apply the changes to all endpoints
• Centralized database aggregates events from all users, and provides troubleshooting information on malfunctioning virtual PCs
• Administrator diagnostics mode allows faster resolution of Virtual PC issues

Run on multiple platforms – MED-V will work on both Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

Which customers should use Windows XP Mode standalone?

Windows XP Mode standalone is suitable for small and medium business users, who are able to set their XP applications themselves and may or may not have IT Professional staff. Each PC has its own virtual Windows XP environment that is controlled and managed by the end user. Windows XP Mode standalone is not designed for large, centrally managed deployments that have widely deployed business applications that require Windows XP. So in summary MED-V builds on top of Windows Virtual PC and adds important management capabilities.

So what does MED-V brings more than XPM.

MED-V adds four additional layers on top of Microsoft Virtual PC to enable enterprise deployment of desktop virtualization:

Virtual images repository and delivery ─ MED-V provides mechanisms for simplifying the process of creating, testing, delivering and maintaining virtual images from a central location:

• Administrator console for virtual image creation and testing.
• Centralized virtual images repository for image storage, versioning and delivery, based on Microsoft IIS web servers.
• A client component (standard MSI installation) that automatically retrieves virtual images from the centralized repository.
• Auto-install package for self deployment of the client component and the virtual images via removable media (e.g., DVD) or from a website.
• An efficient, bandwidth-conserving TrimTransfer mechanism for delivering and updating virtual images over the network..
• Support for image delivery through standard enterprise content distribution systems (e.g., Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager).

Centralized management and monitoring ─ MED-V helps administrators manage the entire life-cycle of virtual machines deployed to desktops throughout the enterprise. The centralized management and monitoring capabilities provided by MED-V include:

• A central management server that controls all deployed virtual machines.
• Integration with Microsoft Active Directory® Domain Services to enable provisioning of virtual images based on group membership or user identity.
• User authentication prior to accessing the virtual image (whether the host is online or offline).
• A mechanism for automating the first-time setup of virtual machines at the endpoint, including assignment of a unique computer name, performing initial network setup, joining the virtual machine to a corporate domain.
• Support for deployment throughout a heterogeneous environment, adjusting memory allocation for the virtual PC according to the available RAM of the endpoint, and changing network settings according to the local network.
• A central database of client activity and events, facilitating monitoring and remote troubleshooting.

Usage policy and data transfer control ─ MED-V client enforces user/group usage policies, access permissions to virtual images and data transfer permissions:

• Virtual image protection that prevents unauthorized execution.
• A configurable expiration for the virtual image or a time limit for offline use (so that the user is forced to re-authorize before continuing to work offline).
• The ability to allow or block data transfer between the virtual machine and the endpoint, via copy/paste, file transfer, or printing.
• Web browser redirection of admin-predefined domains (such as the corporate intranet or sites that require an older version of the browser) from the endpoint browser to a browser within the virtual machine.  

Seamless end-user experience – MED-V can be configured to provide a seamless experience, making users unaware of the virtual machines running in the background. It reduces the training required for deploying virtualization to non-technical users:

• “Invisible virtual machine” – Simplified work process for operating virtual machines through a user-friendly tray menu. The user is not required to learn the principles of virtualization, or view an additional desktop as is usually required when running a virtual PC.
• Published applications: Applications that are installed in the virtual machine become available through the standard desktop Start Menu. Those applications then run in Virtual PC, but are seamlessly integrated into the user desktop and appear side-by-side with native applications.
• Power user mode: Technical users and administrators are able to view the virtual machine loading processes and desktop if required.  

More information on MED-V’s architecture can be found here: Download MED-V Architecture White Paper 

Check the Desktop Virtualization Blog here: http://blogs.technet.com/medv/default.aspx 

This is just a small comparison between the 2 technologies. There is more to come on these products from an architectural point of view.

Stay Tuned.

R2: Clustering Resources for Windows Server 2008 R2

• Blog Guide: Deploying Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV)
• Blog Guide: Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV): Disk Ownership
• Blog Guide: PowerShell for Network Load Balancing (NLB) in Windows Server 2008 R2
• Blog Guide: PowerShell for Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2008 R2
• Blog Guide: Live Migration Traffic
• Blog Guide: How to manually defrag or ChkDisk a CSV disk
• TechNet Guide: Using Live Migration in Windows Server 2008 R2
• TechNet Guide: What’s new in R2 Clustering
• Webcast: Innovating High Availability with Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV)
• Webcast: Failover Clustering Feature Roadmap in WS08 R2
• Webcast: Windows Server 2008 R2 Live Migration
• Webcast: Clustering in a Virtual World
• Website: Clustering Forum (2008 R2)
• Whitepaper: Windows Server 2008 R2 & Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 – Hyper-V Live Migration Overview & Architecture

 Pingback from: http://blogs.msdn.com/clustering/archive/2009/04/20/9557017.aspx

Microsoft App-V

This online course provides IT Professionals the knowledge to implement and manage Microsoft Application Virtualization. Topics covered in the clinic include:

• Features and functionalities of Application Virtualization
• Deployment and maintenance of Application Virtualization
• Management of Application Virtualization by using the Application Virtualization Management console

 
Exploring Microsoft Application Virtualization

SCVMM 2008

This online course provides IT Professionals the knowledge to implement and manage Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008. Topics covered in the clinic include:

• Features and functionalities of VMM
• Implementation and management of VMM
• Management of VMM library
• Management of hosts by using VMM
• Implementation of virtual machine Self-Services

Exploring Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008
 
Terminal Services in Server 2008

This online course provides IT Professionals the knowledge to implement and manage Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the clinic include:

• Implementation of Terminal Services
• Working with Terminal Services RemoteApp, Terminal Services Web Access, Terminal Services Gateway, Terminal Services Session Broker, and Terminal Services Licensing

 
Exploring Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008

Microsoft Hyper-V

This 2-hour online course provides IT Professionals the knowledge to implement and manage Hyper-V in an IT environment. Topics covered in the course include:

• Features of Hyper-V
• Features of server consolidation
• Hyper-V implementation
• Creation of virtual machines
• Dynamic datacenters
• Clustering in virtual environments

 
Introducing Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008

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TOGAF 9 certification now available: http://www.opengroup.org/togaf/cert/ . You can register this exam at Prometric. The exam number is OG0-091 and the name is TOGAF 9 Part 1. I wonder where Part 1 stands for.

More information at this site: http://www.opengroup.org/togaf/

If you want a quick overview, Mike Walker has a nice post: http://blogs.msdn.com/mikewalker/archive/2009/02/02/togaf-9-release-and-impressions.aspx

If you want to now the architectural differences between Hyper-V and ESX then the following article is a must read. Greg Shields made good overview of both products from an architectural point of view.

Check out the article: http://www.realtime-windowsserver.com/virtualization/2009/04/how_to_correctly_explain_the_a_1.htm

I came across a blog where Peter Laird is doing some nice acronyms on “aaS”.

“Ever wonder what all the “aaS” acronyms mean? Do you want to understand how they relate to each other? This blog entry will help. I have created a map of many of the “as a Service” terms you will see in IT and have grouped them according to category. I have also provided an explanation and links for further reading for each so you can quickly come up to speed on all” 

Full story here: http://peterlaird.blogspot.com/2008/05/saas-soup-navigating-a-service-acronyms.html

I’m currently designing a SQL Cluster at a customer site. With Microsoft SQL Server 2008 some new features and requirements comes in place. Below some useful SQL Server 2008 links that gave me a good overview,

Failover Cluster Step-by-Step Guide: Configuring the Quorum in a Failover Cluster: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770620.aspx

A failover cluster is a group of independent computers that work together to increase the availability of applications and services. The clustered servers (called nodes) are connected by physical cables and by software. If one of the cluster nodes fails, another node begins to provide service (a process known as failover). Users experience a minimum of disruptions in service.

Getting Started with SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189134.aspx

SQL Server failover clustering provides high-availability support for an entire SQL Server instance. SQL Server failover clusters are built on top of Windows Server failover clusters. To create a SQL Server failover cluster, you need to first create the underlying Windows Server failover cluster.

IPD Guide: Microsoft SQL Server 2008: http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/B/C/5BC966BC-47D8-41DF-95F2-FA9A2D816258/SQL%20Server%202008.zip

This guide, when used in conjunction with product documentation, will help companies confidently plan the implementation of a SQL Server 2008 infrastructure. It addresses fundamental tasks to help the reader identify which SQL Server roles will be needed as well as to determine the infrastructure’s components, server placement, and the fault-tolerance configuration to meet necessary requirements.

Microsoft SQL Server Best Practices: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc966412.aspx

Running Microsoft SQL Server 2008 in Hyper-V: Running SQL Server 2008 in a Hyper-V Environment – Best Practices and Performance Recommendations.

Six Failover Clustering Benefits Realized from Migrating to SQL Server 2008:

• Author: Joseph Sack
• Technical Reviewer: Burzin Patel, Juergen Thomas, Lindsey Allen, Justin Erickson

SQL Server 2008 failover clustering introduces several supportability, reliability, and availability improvements. The following list details the more significant and immediate benefits of making the move to SQL Server 2008 Failover Clustering.

Full story here: http://sqlcat.com/top10lists/archive/2008/11/20/six-failover-clustering-benefits-realized-from-migrating-to-sql-server-2008.aspx

Microsoft Corp. released a public beta of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, part of Microsoft’s unified communications family (http://www.microsoft.com/uc).

Exchange 2010 is part of the next wave of Microsoft Office-related products and is the first server in a new generation of Microsoft server technology built from the ground up to work on-premises and as an online service. This release of Exchange 2010 introduces a new integrated e-mail archive and features to help reduce costs and improve the user experience. A public beta of the server is available for download starting today at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010 

Exchange Server 2010 will become available in the second half of 2009. Microsoft Office 2010 and related products will enter technical preview in the third quarter of 2009 and become available in the first half of 2010.

Exchange 2010 ushers in the next generation of Microsoft unified communications software as the first server designed from inception to work both on-premises and as an online service,” said Rajesh Jha, corporate vice president of Exchange at Microsoft. “This release raises the bar with new archiving and end-user innovations that will help companies save money and employees save time.”

Exchange 2010 will help organizations reduce costs, protect communications and delight e-mail users with capabilities to do the following:

Lower costs with more flexible deployment and management options. Exchange 2010 provides organizations with the same enterprise-grade capabilities whether deployed on-premises or as a service from Microsoft or partners – or as a mix of both. Further, for customers deploying the server, the new release simplifies the way organizations provide always-on communications and disaster recovery, meaning administrators spend less time managing their e-mail system. Exchange 2010 further improves performance running on lower-cost direct-attached storage, enabling organizations to dramatically reduce storage costs by up to 85 percent without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Protect information and meet compliance requirements with the new e-mail archive. As e-mail volume grows, companies must address increasing compliance, legal and e-discovery concerns, but today, according to Osterman Research, only 28 percent of organizations currently archive their e-mail content (Osterman Research, 2008). Exchange 2010 introduces an integrated e-mail archive. The new solution makes it easier to store and query e-mail across the organization using the Exchange software that organizations already know and use.

Improve user productivity with the ultimate inbox experience. Basex Inc. recently estimated that the average number of corporate e-mail messages received per person per day is expected to reach more than 93 by 2010. In addition, businesses lose $650 billion annually in productivity due to unnecessary interruptions including those from e-mail (Basex, 2008). Exchange 2010, together with Microsoft Outlook 2010, will give people more control over their communications with features such as these:

• MailTips. Warn users before they commit an e-mail faux pas such as sending mail to large distribution groups, to recipients who are out of the office or to recipients outside the organization, helping protect against information leaks and reduce unnecessary e-mail messages.
•  Voice Mail Preview. See text previews of voice mail directly in Outlook.
•  Ignore Conversation. This e-mail “mute button” allows people to remove themselves from an irrelevant e-mail string, reducing unwanted e-mail and runaway reply-all threads.
•  Conversation View. Combine related e-mail messages in a single conversation to reduce inbox clutter.
•  Call Answering Rules. Create customized “Press 1 for …” call-routing menus with Exchange voice mail.
•  Consistent Experience. Use Outlook on the PC, a mobile phone or a browser for the same experience with enhancements in Outlook Mobile and Outlook Web Access.

 First in a Wave

 Exchange 2010 is the first product to be introduced as part of the next wave of Microsoft Office-related products. The next wave, which includes Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Microsoft Visio 2010 and Microsoft Project 2010, is designed to give people a consistent experience across devices, making it easier to create and edit documents and collaborate from any location. In addition, to help businesses reduce costs, the next wave will introduce new delivery and licensing models, improve deployment and management options for IT professionals, and provide developers with an expanded platform on which to create applications.

The line between home and work has blurred, and people want more choice and flexibility in how, where and when they work,” said Chris Capossela, senior vice president of the Information Worker Product Management Group at Microsoft. “With the next wave of Microsoft Office-related products, people will be more productive across the PC, phone and browser, IT professionals can choose to deploy and manage servers on-premises or from the cloud, and developers get more opportunities to build innovative solutions and grow their business.”

 Availability

 Exchange Server 2010 will become available in the second half of 2009. Additional Office products including Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Microsoft Visio 2010 and Microsoft Project 2010 are scheduled to enter technical preview in the third quarter of 2009 and release to manufacturing in the first half of 2010.

 The Beta has been released so start training today with content on the Microsoft E-learning website.

 1. Collection 6899: Exploring Features of Exchange Server 2010 https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/offerDetail.aspx?offerPriceId=249671

 Overview

 This two-hour collection provides you with an overview of the new features in Exchange Server 2010. It also describes the enhancements made over Exchange Server 2007.

 The clinics within this collection cover:

• New features in Exchange Server 2010
• Technology enhancements
• Management tools used in Exchange Server 2010
• Managing a Mailbox server
• Unified Messaging in Exchange Server 2010
• High availability features in Exchange Server 2010

 Users completing this collection should have three or more years of experience working with previous versions of Exchange Server, including the implementation of Exchange Server 2007. They should be familiar with Active Directory, Exchange messaging, and SharePoint and fundamentals of Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. It is beneficial if they have experience with a Windows or command-line scripting.

 2. Clinic 6900: Introduction to Exchange Server 2010: https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=117247&tab=overview

 This one-hour clinic describes Exchange Server 2010 features, deployment scenarios, and development platform options. It also contains descriptions of tools used for managing Exchange Server 2010.

 This clinic covers the following topics:

• Exchange Server 2010 features
• Deployment scenarios
• Business-to-business support
• Storage, compliance, and development platform enhancements
• How RBAC works
• Management tools such as EMC, PowerShell, and ECP

Users completing this collection should have three or more years of experience working with previous versions of Exchange Server, including the implementation of Exchange Server 2007. They should be familiar with Active Directory, Exchange messaging, and SharePoint and fundamentals of Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. It is beneficial if they have experience with a Windows or command-line scripting language.

Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the operational flexibility features of Exchange Server 2010.
• Describe the technology enhancements in Exchange Server 2010.
• Explain features used for managing Exchange Server 2010.

 3. Clinic 6901 : Exchange Server 2010 in an Enterprise: https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/offerDetail.aspx?offerPriceId=249676

 This one-hour clinic describes Exchange Server 2010 features that are useful in an enterprise. It covers features such mailbox server configurations, unified messaging, and high availability.

 This clinic covers the following topics:

• Features of a Mailbox server
• How Unified Messaging works in 2010
• Mailbox Availability in Exchange Server 2010
• Data Protection in Exchange Server 2010

 Users completing this collection should have three or more years of experience working with previous versions of Exchange Server, including the implementation of Exchange Server 2007. They should be familiar with Active Directory, Exchange messaging, and SharePoint and fundamentals of Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. It is beneficial if they have experience with a Windows or command-line scripting language.