Dugie’s Pensieve

After Ben’s post Virtual Server 2005 on Windows Server 2008 core, Jeff Woolsey has come to the party with a “How to” post.  Sweet.  Just a heads up, the post is how to install Virtual Server on regular Windows Server 2008 - not Server Core.

You can read more in Jeff’s post “Installing Virtual Server R2 SP1 on Windows Server 2008 Beta 3“, and a snippet is below:

If you’re trying to run Virtual Server R2 SP1 on Window Server 2008 Beta 3, it does work. However, there are three steps for success. You need to:

1. Add the IIS role with the correct settings for Virtual Server.
2. Install Virtual Server R2 SP1.
3. Run IE elevated as an Administrator to access the Virtual Server Administration Page. To run IE elevated, right click on IE and select Run as Administrator. (BTW: If you don’t do this, IE will quit with an error. This is a known issue and a fix is being investigated.)

Since the first step, adding the IIS role, requires specific settings to be enabled, I thought I’d cover this first step in detail.

My buddy Long Zheng has uncovered another little gem.  In Steve Ballmer’s presentation at the Financial Analyst Meeting (See Long’s post) there is a reference to Windows Server 2008 Update Release

So we already know that Viridian (Windows Server Virtualization) will ship within 180 days of Server 2008 RTM, but before 2008 SP1.  So when I saw the roadmap slide, I had to re-read it at least a couple of times:

• There is no “Windows Server Virtualization” or indeed any reference to Virtualization
• Ok, so maybe they left it off?  They left Home Server off.
• Anyway the presentation is all about about financial growth, innovation and embracing disruption.  There’s no way I want to hear Virtualization and disruption in the same sentence :)
• Hang on, there is no way something “Gartner primetime” as virtualization would be omitted from the Analyst Meeting
• Hmmm, there is no mention of Virtualization in Steve’s Keynote.  Lots on hardware, and hardware design
• But, System Centre Virtual Machine Manager is listed under IT Operations

So maybe:

• Viridian < (2008 RTM + 180 Days)
• 2008 SP1 > (2008 RTM + 180 Days)
• Viridian =  2008 RTM + 2008 Update Release

…or is it simply a case of Viridian will ship outside these releases?  I don’t know, just one of those “Hmmm, that’s funny” moments.

Microsoft has released a 26 minute webcast about its virtualization licensing.  Thanks to Alessandro Perilli over at virtualization.info for the heads up.

The video is presented by Eric Jewett Lead Product Manager for Windows Server Marketing.  Jump to 18:24 to see an interesting analogy using coffee cups and moving VM instances between hosts, aka VMware VMotion or Microsoft Quick Migration:

Obviously, Data Centre is encouraged as the best licensing option.

Microsoft have just released the Visual Studio 2008 VPC for download.  The official website says “Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 is the next-generation development tool for Windows Vista, the 2007 Office System, and the Web“.

….but I know all you guys are interested in is the Username: Administrator and Password: P2ssw0rd  - Yup, just to confuse things, that is a zero not the letter ‘O’

Anyway, the download is split into 7 parts and a total of 4.6 Gb is size.  I’m downoading it now and will post back later.

So if the new Visual Studio beta is your thing, grab the Visual Studio Team System 2008 Beta 2 Team Suite (VPC) from Microsoft Downloads.

I should have blogged this before now, but the 8.01.8014 beta version of WinImage can now open some VMWare VMDK files.  …and of course still reads Microsoft VHD files.

The author, Gilles Vollant is looking for feedback, More information is on the WinImage beta page.

Download:  [32 bit]winima8004_beta_vmdk.zip    [64 bit]wima648004_beta_vmdk.zip

SCVMM (Carmine) currently only manages hosts with Virtual Server R2 installed — Carmine currently cannot manage Windows Server Virtualization/Hypervisor hosts (Viridian).

However the upcoming “SCVMM R2″, this will manage Hypervisor/Viridian Hosts.

Anyway, Brad has announced that a SCVMM R2 will be available ~H1 of 2008.  You can read more in his post “MSD evolution and leadership“, and a snippet is below:

For Windows Server 2008, new management packs/agents for MOM 2005 and SC Operations Manager 2007 will be available in H1. Along those lines, we’ll also have a release of System Center Configuration Manager (formerly SMS) and a second release of Virtual Machine Manager to manage virtualized workloads enabled with Windows Server Virtualization.

With the release of VMM, System Center can manage the physical and virtual assets. We developed this technology as, increasingly, customers told us they want a single, unified solution for managing both….

Let’s introduce Albus, a Divisional Finance Cost Controller.  Purely fictional and any resemblance to actual persons living then dead is purely coincidental, blah, blah.

Albus is very good at his job, and is very good at ignoring FUD, inflated TCO/ROI, and other stuff. 

Anyway, Albus has ‘put a hold‘ on purchasing a new host, VI3 license and extra SAN storage for our project.  He wanted to “crunch the numbers” and see if he could make white boxes more “economically viable” than our purchase requisition for a new host.

….Oh crap, this is going to be a loooong and nasty day.

Albus gets his barebone whiteboxes delivered for the special rate of $688 (Pre assembled with single SATA drive and CDROM).  He’s also divisional cost controller and doesn’t give a damn about:

• Windows or Operating Systems, that comes from Corp and their EA
• Racks, you can recycle the old comms shelves
• Power, not his cost centre, recycle the existing power rails
• Switches, since they are low end roles, recycle your low end switches and cables
• Operational Costs, Comes out of the project opex
• Our labour, we come out of Corp

So given we are getting ~22 VMs to a host @ a raw cost of about $1190, Albus reckons he can get ’computers‘ with KVMs @ a raw cost of ~$688.  …because he’s such a nice guy, he’ll throw in a junior contractor to install the baseline OS image — because our team is very busy.

So we gently ‘reminded‘ Albus, his expensive project team will be delayed over the upcoming month whilst his junior installs and configures 20 servers.  We’d love to help, but we’re very busy.  Predictably, Albus does care about deadlines, and making his division look good.  He said leave it with him to crunch the numbers.

Good news, the host was approved about an hour ago.  What a day! 

Anyway, this is a biased and unfair rant from my soapbox.  It shouldn’t be like this, but it is.  I should have built a bridge and move on, but I haven’t just yet.  I’ve won this battle, but have we won the war?  I’ve no idea, I’m not even going to think about it just yet.  For anyone else who has been through a similar exercise, I feel your pain!

But after today, I’m going to unwind, and take the bike home via Mt Cootha this afternoon. 

Expect sporadic updates over the next 3 or 4 weeks with TechED and other travels.  I’ll make sure I ‘turn-the-engine-over‘ every now and then to make sure it still runs <vbg>

So if you have the burning need to do so you can keep up with me on Twitter and Flickr  — both end in the letter ‘R’

TechED in Australia is only a couple of weeks away (maybe even less).  Since TechED is literally ”just up the road at the Gold Coast” I’ll be taking the bike.

I’ll be taking the extended detour though, and using the opportunity to go via Mt Tamborine, over the NSW border through  Murwillumbah, back via the old Coast road to the Gold Coast — turning what is a 80km trip into about 400 km;

….and the perfect chance to enjoy some beautiful scenery, twisty roads, and stop at one of my favourite little coffee houses, just outside a town called “MooBall”.

If you do own a bike (or you are dreaming of owning a bike), check out Roudy Bob’s posts.  Bob took the time out and rode to TechED USA — about 1900 km (about a scenic trip from Melbourne to Brissie):

• Roadtrip 2007 - June 1, 2007
• Roadtrip 2007 - June 2, 2007
• Roadtrip 2007 - June 3, 2007
• Biking to TechEd 2007 - Update
• Roadtrip 2007 - June 8, 2007
• Roadtrip 2007 - June 9, 2007
• …tbc?

One of the parts I enjoy most about riding a motorcycle is what I call the “zone”. Especially when navigating a road like this one where it is a seemingly endless series of curves and switchbacks, you get to a point where you are almost completely focused on the motorcycle and what is going on in front of you. You’re mental focus shrinks to what could and will happen in the next 30 seconds rather than what might happen later in the day, next week or next month. The brain and the body have to let go of all of those other thoughts because it takes every bit of their power to process the information the brain is getting and to make decisions about what the body needs to do to avoid becoming a pile of broken bones in the ditch. Checking speed. Making a decision about the gear you should be in. Calculating the appropriate amount of braking. Positioning the motorcycle in the right place to enter and exit the turn. Applying enough throttle to accelerate out of the turn. Watching for oncoming cars.

It’s not uncommon to forget entirely that you’re even on a motorcycle. Man and machine become one for a split second in time and you can physically feel the pull of the road and the momentum created as you navigate through the turn. You don’t have time to think about e-mail or voicemail or to-do lists. You can only exist both physically and mentally in that one moment in time. It’s a lesson I should learn to try to apply to the parts of my life when I’m not on a motorcycle. Be right here. Right now. Because that’s the only thing that actually exists. The rest of it is farther down the road and there’s no guarantee it’ll even happen….

Nailed it nicely Bob!  Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Microsoft just released the 2x two “Lonhorn Component Posters” from the July TechNet Magazine (thanks to Keith Combs for the heads up).

Anyway, you can download both the Windows Server 2008 Component Posters from Microsoft Downloads, but you will find Virtualization in the bottom left hand corner of the “Feature Components” poster.

They are both in PDF format, so I have screen-scrapped a snippet for you.  You’ll need to click on it to enlarge the view. 

(Check out the cool looking Server Core icon — I do hope WSV gets a cool logo like Exchange does)