1

ManagementPain points now• Existing tools:

• Do not map to virtual environments

• Provisioning

• Backup

• Health monitoring

• Performance monitoring / management

• Do not consider physical - virtual relationship

• Ownership

• Patching and servicing

2

Virtual Server Backup and Recovery

• Do you need to backup VMs?

• Because a VM is a single file (*.vhd), it is very easy to use backup methods that you cannot safely restore

• Issues are:

• Running state of vhd-file

• Restore unusable "snapshot" of a database

• Best example: Active Directory database

3

Backup of VM

• Three methods: - Inside VM, run backup application

• Treat VM as a normal physical machine

- Stop VM (save state)- On host, backup vhd/vsv files- Start up VM

• Only short VM downtime

Not supported for DCs in VM !

- Needs: Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1- On host, run backup application- Copy 'open' vhd files - uses VSS and VS Writer

• VS Writer ensures vhd-file is in consistent state

Do NOT use without Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1

4

Backup of VMsVSS explained

• Roles

• VSS Requestor = backup application

• Initiates backup action

• VSS Writer = Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1

• Ensures data consistency

In guest (VM1)

Virtual Server

On host

VSSService

BackupApplication

VSSService

"Backup VM1"

1

VS Writer

SQL ServerWriter

ExchangeWriter

Snap2

3 "Backup files"

Snap4

SnapID

5

Freeze

"Unfreeze"

6

BackupApplication

Copy filesbased on SnapID

7VSS

Service

5

Scripting Virtual Server

• Virtual Server

• COM - Set virtualServer = CreateObject("VirtualServer.Application")

• WMI - Set vsWMIObj = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\vm\virtualserver")

• Virtual Machine Manager

• PowerShell (Monad)

• Windows Virtualization

• WMI - Set WMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\virtualization")

6

Virtual Machine ManagerManagement Tool

• System Center Virtual Machine Manager

• Code name: "Carmine" (= color: rgb 150-0-24 )

• Incorrect name: Virtual Server Manager

• Shown at WinHEC 2006 (23-May-2006)• See mms://wm.microsoft.com/ms/windowsserversystem/

systemcenter/WinHEC_Content_For_TechEd_MBR.wmv

• Available

• Beta: Sep 2006

• RTM: ~Oct 2007

• For Virtual Server and for Windows Virtualization

• Is MMC console

VMVMVM

VMVMVM

VMVMVMVM

VM VMVMVM

VMVMVMVMVM

VM VMVMVM

VM

7

Virtual Machine ManagerFeatures

• Resource optimization

• Identify consolidation candidates

• Fast P2V

• Optimum workload placement on host computers

• Rapid provisioning

• Central library of virtualization components

• Running VMs, offline VMs, vhd-files, vnc-files

• Self-service provisioning

• Templates: create standardize VMs

• Automatic placement on suitable host computer

• Distributed storage infrastructure - uses DFS

• Host provisioning

• Uses PowerShell ("Monad") for scripting

8

Virtual Machine ManagerPhysical to Virtual (P2V)

• Identify consolidation candidates

• Looks at peak and average performance

• Configurable selection parameters

• Physical to virtual migration

• Uses fast VSS, not based on existing VSMT

• Support Win2000 Server and Win2003 Server

• Uses BITS for network transport speed

• Wizard based, or scripted through PowerShell

9

Virtual Machine ManagerVM placement

• Capacity planning everywhere

• Used for

• P2V, migration, template deployment, self-service

• Rating scheme

• Hard requirement

• Minimum CPU, RAM needed, disk space needed, network usage

• Soft requirements

• Historic VM performance

• Current host performance

10

Virtual Machine ManagerOffline library• Contents

• Templates

• Sysprepped VHDs

• Standardizes deployments of VMs

• Virtual machines

• Store non-running VMs

• Disks

• ISO

• Scripts

• Architecture

• Distributed

• Multiple library servers

• Access through DFS Namespaces

• Replicated

• Uses DFS-R and RDC

11

Virtual Machine ManagerSelf-service portal

• Web based interface

• Controls management deployment

• End users interact with their own VMs

• Deployment based on templates

• Resource quotas set per user

• VMs may retire after "lease" expires

12

Centralized Management: Views

By Resource By Resource PoolPool

By VM StateBy VM State

By OwnerBy Owner

By Creation By Creation DateDate

By Operating By Operating SystemSystem

13

Centralized Management: Reports

Full set of reports, Full set of reports, integration with integration with MOM databaseMOM database

Actions one click Actions one click away in context away in context

sensitive Actions sensitive Actions PanePane

14

Centralized Management: LibraryTemplates contain Templates contain both “Gold” image both “Gold” image of software as well of software as well

as hardware as hardware settingssettings

Offline Virtual Offline Virtual DisksDisks

Offline Virtual Offline Virtual MachinesMachines

Scripts for post Scripts for post deployment deployment

configuration and configuration and customizationcustomization

15

New Virtual Machines

Choose Choose whether to whether to

place new VM place new VM into library or into library or

place on place on physical hostphysical host

16

Hardware Configuration

Configuration Configuration of target virtual of target virtual

machine machine resouces with resouces with default values default values from physical from physical

source source machinemachine

17

Virtual Machine Placement

Subset Subset physical hosts physical hosts to appropriate to appropriate

resource resource pool(s)pool(s)

Rank-ordered Rank-ordered recommendations recommendations of physical hosts of physical hosts for placement of for placement of virtual machine. virtual machine.

Capacity Planning Capacity Planning models, historical models, historical performance data, performance data, hard requirements, hard requirements,

… incorporated … incorporated into algorithm.into algorithm.

18

Self-Service PortalCustomized Per User

Ability to Ability to control owned control owned

virtual virtual machinesmachines

Thumbnails of Thumbnails of all owned all owned

virtual virtual machinesmachines

19

Self-Service PortalControlled by Administrator

Quotas used to Quotas used to manage resource manage resource allocation across allocation across

usersusers

20

Self-Service PortalProvisioning

User selects from list User selects from list of templates of templates

Administrator has Administrator has associated with that associated with that

useruser

21

Self-Service PortalProvisioning

New virtual machine New virtual machine ready for use, ready for use,

Terminal Services Terminal Services connection connection information information

automatically emailed automatically emailed to user.to user.