Mike's Tech Head Blog

What’s a Tech-Head? Well, hard to explain, but they do use technology where ever it is possible, even if it is not very smart or even needed…

January 2008 - Posts

Using BitLocker in Virtual PC and Virtual Server

Ben Armstrong som arbetar med virtualisering hos Microsoft hade förut en BLOG artikel kring hur man använder BitLocker tillsammans med virtualisering, men den var han tvungen att ta bort då det stred mot EULA:n.

Det har nu ändrats och därför finns den nu uppe igen och är reviderad.

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2008/01/23/using-bitlocker-under-virtual-pc-virtual-server.aspx

 

Hyper-V : The Differences between a the “Network adapter “and the “Legacy Network adapter”

In Hyper-V there are TWO kinds of network adapters inside the virtual machines, first there is the "Network Adapter" and then there are the "Legacy Network Adapter". The difference between those are very simple. The Legacy Network Adapter is needed when you need PXE boot OR your OS needs access to the network before you can install "Integrated Components". That happens when you try to run "Some new package solutions from Microsoft" on Hyper-V. The "Network Adapter" requires that you install "Integrated Components" (yes the contain the synthetic driver that is required for the Network Adapter" to work. So if you want to be 100% sure that the network is going to be there during the installation phase, use the "Legacy Network Adapter".

When the OS is installed, add the integrated components. If you install "The new server solution" you will have to wait until the setup is complete or you can use the "Shift-F10" function. Pressing Shift-F10 when the OS is installed but you don't have explorer up yet, brings up a command prompt, then use the Hyper-V tools to insert the Integrated Components ISO image and install the IC from the CMD prompt (32 bit is in the x86 folder and the 64bits are in the amd64 folder), and then restart. The simplest way is to use the "Legacy Network Adapter" all the way trough the install phase, then add the Integrated Components, shut down, edit the settings and remove the "Legacy Network Adapter" and replace that with an "Network Adapter", you also may want to be sure that the boot order is correct since that could have been changed.

So to simply this:

  • Create the Virtual Machine in Hyper-V, select to "install the operating system from the network". Dont start the machine
  • Edit the machine so that you have 2 or four CPUs (This only works with some OS, among thooese are W2K8 64 bit)
  • Change the boot order so that this fits your purpose (Boot on ISO is preffered)
  • Start the machine, run trough the installation, finnish and install the "Integrated Components"
  • Shut down the virtual machine, edit the settings and replace the "Legacy Network Adapter" by removing it and then you add a "Network Adapter"

One question you might ask is "why?", simple answer, The Legacy Network Adaapter is a bit slower as it runs in the workprocess in ring 3 in the parent partition, the "Network Adapter" uses the new highspeed vmbus instead.

note: "The new server solutions" are not supported on Hyper-V (This could however be changed in the future)

note 2: One thing to keep in mind here is that if you select to install from network (when crating the machine), Hyper-V is going to select a "Legacy Network Adapter", otherwise it picks the "Network Adapter"

Mikael Nystrom
MCP, MCDST, MCT, MVP Windows Server - Setup/Deployment

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Essential Business Server 2008 and Hardware

In English 

Mmm, nu är det dags att börja lätta på locket kring EBS igen, BETA 2 är ute och det är nu 3 företag som kör den skarpt, TrueSec kommer att bli företag nummer fyra, vår installation drar igång i nästa vecka. Det ska bli lite spännande faktiskt, men skit i det nu. Essential Business Server består av 3 eller 4 servrar, en Management Server, en Security Server och en Messaging Server. Alla tre kräver x64 arkitekturen och det behövs ganska mycket hårdvara.
Här är vad du behöver:

 
  Minimum Recommended
The Management Server Single core CPU x64 with 2.5Ghz or Multi core/Multi CPU x64 with 1.5Ghz
2 GB RAM
OS part 100Gb + Data part 100Gb
Bootable DVD ROM
1 NIC
Multi core/Multi CPU x64 with 2 GHz
4 GB RAM
OS part 100Gb + Data part 100Gb
Bootable DVD ROM
1 NIC
The Security Server Single core CPU x64 with 2.5Ghz or Multi core/Multi CPU x64 with 1.5Ghz
2 GB RAM
OS part 100Gb + Data part 100Gb
Bootable DVD ROM
2 NIC
Multi core/Multi CPU x64 with 2 GHz
2 GB RAM
OS part 100Gb + Data part 100Gb
Bootable DVD ROM
2 NIC
The Messaging Server Single core CPU x64 with 2.5Ghz or Multi core/Multi CPU x64 with 1.5Ghz
2 GB RAM
OS part 100Gb + Data part 100Gb
Bootable DVD ROM
1 NIC
Multi core/Multi CPU x64 with 2 GHz
4 GB RAM
OS part 100Gb + Data part 100Gb
Bootable DVD ROM
1 NIC

Nu finns det ju lite saker att tänka på här, ska du eller ska du inte använda SAN och isåfall vilket SAN, vilken typ av SAN? En väldigt bra fråga att ställa sig, själv skulle jag välja SAN så fort ekonomin tilläter det hela och i en sådan här liten miljö kommer ett ISCSISAN att fungera utmärkt faktiskt. Det finns två aktörer på marknaden tycker jag, dels Microsoft som har sin "Windows Unified Data Storage Server" och dels "StarWind" från RocketDivision, Med StarWind gör du enkelt om en vanlig Windows Server till en ISCSI server. Använder man INTE SAN, tja då har vi en disk konfiguration som ser ut ungefär så här:

The management server, 1 RAID1 for OS and 1 RAID5 for DATA,
The Security Server, 1 RAID1 for OS
The Messaging Server, 1 RAID1 for OS and 1 RAID5 for DATA

Som vanligt så är detta inte helt klara siffror, se det mer som om det är det här dom gäller just nu men det kan säkert ändras av politiska skäl...

Mikael Nyström
MCP, MCDST, MCT, MVP Windows Server - Setup/Deployment

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