A First Look at Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

Hyper-V’s Management Console
After the virtualization role is installed, you’re ready to fire-up some new VMs. Unlike Virtual Server 2005 R2, which you manage through a Web-based console, Hyper-V is managed through a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0-based Windows GUI. You start Hyper-V’s Virtualization Management Console by clicking Start, Administrative Tools, and then selecting Windows Virtualization Management. Figure 3 shows the Hyper-V management console.

You can manage multiple Hyper-V server instances in the management console’s left pane. Selecting a server instance displays that server’s VMs in the center Virtual Machines pane. You can manage the VMs by rightclicking them and selecting from among the following commands on the context menu:

• Connect–Allows you to connect to a running VM, which starts the Virtual Machine Connection window
• Settings–Enables you to edit the VM properties
• Turn Off–Powers down the VM
• Revert–Applies a saved snapshot to the VM returning it to prior saved state
• Shut Down–Shuts down the VM’s guest OS
• Save State–Saves the current state as a running VM
• Pause–Halts the execution of a VM
• Snapshot–Saves a snapshot of the current VM state

Use the Actions pane on the right side of the Virtualization Management Console to perform common actions such creating new VMs, editing VM properties, editing virtual hard disk configurations, starting and stopping the virtualization service, and removing servers from the console.

Use the Wizard to Create and Migrate VMs
Creating VMs is easy using Hyper-V’s New Virtual Machine Wizard. To start the wizard, click New in the Virtualization Management Console Action pane.

As Figure 4 shows, the first screen prompts you for the VM name and the location where the VM will be created. By default, Hyper-V creates new VMs in the C:\ProgramData Microsoft\Windows\Virtualization directory. To change the default location, you can use Virtualization Settings in the Virtualization Management Console. Next the wizard prompts you for the amount of memory allocated to the VM. The default value is 256MB, but you can allocate from 8MB to 32MB of RAM per VM (limited by your system’s physical RAM).

Next, the wizard asks you about networking the VM. You can choose no network or select a virtual network. The wizard created virtual networks when you first added the virtualization role. To create virtual networks, you can also use Virtual Network Switch Management in the Virtualization Management Console. You can configure the virtual network switch to allow internal networking so that VMs can connect with other VMs or to the Windows Server host. You also can create a virtual network that connects to one or more of the host’s physical network adapters for external network connectivity.

The New Virtual Machine Wizard gives you the option of creating a VHD, connecting to an existing VHD, or attaching to a VHD later. By default, VHDs are created in the C:\Users Public\Documents\Virtual Hard Disks directory. To change this default directory, you can use Virtualization Setting in the Virtualization Management Console. Hyper-V uses the same on-disk VHD format as Virtual Server 2005 R2. This common format makes it easy to migrate existing Virtual Server 2005 R2 and Virtual PC VMs to Server 2008 Hyper-V: Select the option to use an existing VHD and then provide the wizard with the path to the VHD file. This attaches the existing VHD to the new Hyper-V VM. If you chose to use a new VHD, then the next screen offers OS installation options. You can install the OS later or install the OS from either the host’s CD/DVD drive or from an ISO image file. The last screen presented by the wizard prompts you to confirm your VM configuration settings. Finishing the wizard creates the new VM automatically. You have the option to start it right away or you can manually start it later.

After a VM is created you have the option to install the new Integration Services on the guest. (Before you install Integration Services it’s a good idea to uninstall the Virtual Server R2 Tools; Integration Services replaces the older Virtual Machine Additions.) Integration Services provides improved mouse support and host time synchronization. You can install Integration Services on the guest OS by starting a Virtual Machine Connection from the Virtualization Management Console. From the Virtual Machine Connection Action menu, choose Insert Integration Services Disk. In using the new Hyper-V VM, I definitely noted the brisk performance for the running VMs.

What’s Next for Hyper-V?
Microsoft shipped a beta version of Hyper-V in December. A prerelease version of Hyper-V will ship with the initial release of Server 2008. Microsoft has stated that the final Hyper-V code will ship within 180 days of the Windows Server 2008 release to manufacturing (RTM). The final Hyper-V code will be released via Windows Update, so you won’t need to go through additional downloads or installation processes to get the RTM Hyper-V code.

Microsoft’s Hyper-V is an evolutionary technology that can complement or go beyond the virtualization approach of Virtual Server 2005 R2. Hyper-V’s new microkernel, hypervisor-based solution delivers better performance, more features and functionality, and improved scalability over Virtual Server 2005 R2. These advances level the playing field with VMware’s market leader, ESX Server. The fact that Server 2008 introduces Windowsnative virtualization in the form of Hyper-V is sure to drive the adoption of virtualization in organizations of all sizes. And Hyper-V will help drive the adoption of Server 2008. The price and easy accessibility make moving to Hyper-V virtualization especially attractive for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Plus ESX Server’s more difficult Linux-style administration and higher price deters many SMBs. For more information about Windows Server Hyper-V, see the Learning Path that accompanies this article.