124  Advanced Server Virtualization Disk Disk space and performance are as critical as processor and memory in its direct impact on guest virtual machine performance.  e Microsoft recommendation of 2GB of available hard disk space does not take into account the disk space requirements of the virtual machines. As discussed in chapter 7, the proper way to size and evaluate hard disk subsystems is to provide adequate performance under varying loads. Bear in mind that when virtual machines are launched, they will consume additional physical hard disk space beyond just that of their virtual hard disk fi le. With the release of Vir- tual Server 2005 R2, a blank saved state fi le (.VSV) is created when the virtual machine is launched.  is fi le is the size of the memory being used by the running virtual machine. So, if you have a virtual ma- chine that has 512MB of memory reserved for it, an extra 512MB fi le will be created on the host’s physical disk.  is will consume disk space that may not have been accounted for in your initial planning. Prior to the release of R2, this fi le would only be created when someone attempted to save state the virtual machine. With a pre-created saved state fi le in place during the launch of a virtual machine, Microsoft could better guarantee that the user would be able to save the state of a virtual machine rather than fi nd out when it is too late that the host server does not have enough disk space to accommodate the action. Network Microsoft host operating systems do not require permanent network connectiv- ity, however to perform any useful functions there should be one or more net- work cards present to deliver proper server class functionality.  e specifi c details and options of the recommended confi gurations are provided in chapter 7. Display  e minimum required graphics display card must provide at least 800×600 resolution and 256 colors. Although this is not recommended, as it will be near- ly impossible to administer the physical host server at such a low resolution and color depth. For the best performance, a graphics display card providing at least 1024×768 resolution and 16.7 million colors should be used.  is will also allow for easy administration of virtual machines from their physical host if necessary. Marshall_AU3931_C008.indd 124Marshall_AU3931_C008.indd 124 4/13/2006 11:31:12 AM4/13/2006 11:31:12 AM The Microsoft Virtual Server Platform  125 Software Requirements Host Operating System Virtual Server 2005 supports Windows Server 2003 Standard, Enterprise, and Data Center Editions.  e diff erences and reasons as to why one would be cho- sen over the other are fairly straightforward. Windows Server 2003 Standard off ers support for up to four physical processors and 4GB of memory, Win- dows Server 2003 Enterprise supports up to eight physical processors and 32GB of memory, and Windows Server 2003 Data Center supports up to thirty-two physical processors and 64GB of memory.  ere are only a few instances when it would make sense to run Virtual Server on anything beyond Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition due to the high cost of hardware and software for a Data Center Edition class of machine. Virtual Server Administration Interface Virtual Server’s administration is done through a Web-based interface that re- quires Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) version 6.0. Only Microsoft Internet Explorer is supported as a browsing interface into the administration site and for full functionality, ActiveX Controls must be enabled. Virtual Server Scripting Microsoft has included a COM API scripting interface for automating the con- trol and management of virtual machines.  e COM API will be fully explored in chapter 25. Summary Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 is a new platform that is maturing rapidly.  ere are several capabilities that are lacking when compared to some of the more mature virtualization platforms, however the licensing costs easily make up for this short coming. Because Virtual Server leverages the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family of operating systems as its platform, it gains the ability to support the broadest number of hardware platforms of any virtualization plat- form (matching that of VMware’s GSX server for Windows, which leverages the Windows operating systems as well). Support for guest operating systems is currently limited to Microsoft only-based platforms, but with the introduction of Virtual Server 2005 R2 the support will ultimately expand to include Linux and other non-Microsoft-based operating systems. Licensing is simply based on the number of processors that are going to be used, either a maximum of four or Marshall_AU3931_C008.indd 125Marshall_AU3931_C008.indd 125 4/13/2006 11:31:12 AM4/13/2006 11:31:12 AM 126  Advanced Server Virtualization thirty-two. Hardware and software requirements are simply any server that runs and can support Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition or greater. It is recommended that the server being used be upgraded if it was not originally ordered with specifi cations for the specifi c purpose of providing virtualization services. Marshall_AU3931_C008.indd 126Marshall_AU3931_C008.indd 126 4/13/2006 11:31:12 AM4/13/2006 11:31:12 AM 127 Chapter 9 Installing Microsoft Virtual Server Although Microsoft provides a straight-forward installation Wizard for Micro- soft Virtual Server 2005 R2, this chapter covers the entire installation process, including system requirements and host server preparation.  e Microsoft Vir- tual Server 2005 R2 installer is less complex than other common Microsoft application installers, such as Microsoft Offi ce 2003 or Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and provides a consistent, Wizard-based approach that will be comfort- able to those whom have already worked with other Microsoft products on a Microsoft Windows operating system. All options and aspects of the installation are covered in this chapter, allowing the reader to understand each option along with the ramifi cations of that option before doing an actual install.  e instal- lation of the Standard Edition is identical to the installation of the Enterprise Edition.  is chapter may also be used as a reference during the planning of the installation to ensure a repeatable and stable platform where the desired capabili- ties are consistently delivered. Virtual Server 2005 R2 Requirements Before installing Microsoft Virtual Server R2, it is important to make sure that your server and operating system meet all of the requirements. If a previous version (such as a beta or evaluation copy) is installed, it should be completely removed before installing a newer version. Before uninstalling a previous version of Microsoft Virtual Server, the Virtual Server service should fi rst be stopped and then the Add/Remove Program Files under Control Panel can be used to select the previous version of Microsoft Virtual Server and uninstalled by click- ing the Remove button.  is will uninstall the previous version of Microsoft Virtual Server. Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 127Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 127 3/31/2006 11:17:26 AM3/31/2006 11:17:26 AM 128  Advanced Server Virtualization When installing Virtual Server, the local administrator or a local user’s ac- count with administrative privileges must be used. Virtual Server should only be installed for production use on a Windows Server 2003-based operating system, however it will install on a Windows XP Professional with SP2 host operating system for non-production use. Preparing the Host Server Preparing the server is the fi rst in a critical series of steps ensuring that the system will be stable and provide adequate performance.  Ensure the server is properly cabled with the necessary power cables. Dual power supplies connected to separate power leads is preferred.  Connect any KVM type solution to the host server for remote manage- ment.  Connect all Ethernet ports that will be used (unused ports can also be con- nected if desired).  Upgrade to Gigabit Ethernet, if possible.  Team multiple network adapters for best performance.  Download and install the latest BIOS and then confi gure its settings ap- propriately.  Download and upgrade any fi rmware that needs to be updated.  Confi gure the RAID controller. 1. Confi gure the RAID controller for optimized write operations. 2. A multi-channel controller card should be confi gured with one channel confi gured as a mirrored pair for the operating system and the other channel confi gured as RAID 5 with four or more drives in the RAID set if possible for the virtual machines. 3.  e default stripe size is acceptable. 4. Assign physical hard drives. 5. Create logical volumes.  Delete all existing partitions including any server manufacturer's support partition.  Format using a high-performance fi le system such as NTFS.  Install and confi gure the host operating system. Preparing the Host Operating System  e host operating system is the next critical step in building the proper plat- form for Virtual Server.  e detailed steps involved in installing the host op- erating system will not be covered in this book. It is assumed that a basic level of understanding and experience with installing a Windows operating system Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 128Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 128 3/31/2006 11:17:32 AM3/31/2006 11:17:32 AM The Microsoft Virtual Server Platform  129 already exists.  e proper confi guration is covered below, including all required options and steps.  Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 5.1 or 6 World Wide Web Services must be installed and the services must be started and operating without errors.  Ensure that the Physical Address Edition (/PAE) option is set in the boot. ini fi le if greater than 4GB of memory is being used.  Confi rm the correct amount of memory is being reported by the host op- erating system.  Ensure that the paging fi le is of adequate size.  Stop any unnecessary services.  Install only the necessary packages and applications rather than loading down the host operating system. It should only serve as the virtualization platform.  Disable all protocols and services on any network adapters that will be used exclusively by virtual machines, including TCP/IP. After the instal- lation, ensure that Virtual Machine Network Services is enabled on these network adapters.  Defragment the host operating system's hard disk.  Clear all event logs in Event Viewer.  Set the system's advanced performance settings for the processor to be optimized for background services.  Set any antivirus software to skip scanning of virtualization confi guration fi les, virtual hard disk image fi les, fl oppy image fi les, and CD/DVD-ROM ISO image fi les. Additionally, real-time scanning should be disabled en- tirely and scanning should be scheduled for nightly scans instead. Installing Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 uses a Microsoft Windows Installer-based installation Wizard much like other current Microsoft applications.  e instal- lation Wizard is straight-forward and is very consistent with other Microsoft application installation Wizards.  is section provides step-by-step installation instructions together with screenshots that clearly show each available option. In this example, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition will be in- stalled on a host server running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition.  e installation media for Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is a single ex- ecutable setup fi le.  is setup fi le should be copied onto the host server and then executed. Once the setup fi le has been started, the installation process will begin. Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 129Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 129 3/31/2006 11:17:32 AM3/31/2006 11:17:32 AM 130  Advanced Server Virtualization No other applications should be running when installing Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2.  e installer will load and present the initial setup Wizard screen as shown in Figure 9.1.  ere are three options available: Install Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, View Release Notes, and Exit. To continue the installation, the button labeled Install Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 must be clicked. Figure 9.1 Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Setup Menu. Figure 9.2 License Agree- ment.  e license agreement is displayed on the next screen (see Figure 9.2) of the Wizard. It must be read and accepted before the installation process can con- tinue.  e option labeled, “I accept the terms in the license agreement,” must be Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 130Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 130 3/31/2006 11:17:32 AM3/31/2006 11:17:32 AM The Microsoft Virtual Server Platform  131 selected before the Next button is enabled. Once the license agreement has been accepted, the Next button is clicked.  e Customer Information screen has three input fi elds that must be fi lled out as shown in Figure 9.3.  e User Name fi eld requires the name of the licensed owner of the software and the Organization fi eld is used to optionally input an organization name of the user.  e Product Key fi eld requires the entry of a valid Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 serial number. Once these fi elds are fi lled out properly, the Next button must be clicked to continue the installation.  e Setup Type screen is displayed next and it provides a decision point for the installation. Either the Complete or the Custom option must be selected.  e Complete option installs all options and reduces the number of installation Wizard screens presented (see Figure 9.4). It is also the default option.  e Cus- tom setup type allows exact features to be installed as required (see Figure 9.5). If the Custom option is selected, extra Wizard screens will be presented in order for the Custom installation features to be selected or deselected as required. Af- ter a setup type is selected, the Next button is clicked to proceed. Figure 9.3 Customer Information. Figure 9.4 Setup Type, Complete Installation. Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 131Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 131 3/31/2006 11:17:34 AM3/31/2006 11:17:34 AM 132  Advanced Server Virtualization If the Custom setup type was selected the Custom Setup screen is displayed as shown in Figure 9.6.  e Custom Setup screen displays the four available features that may be installed:  Virtual Server Service  Documentation and Developer Resources  Virtual Machine Remote Control Client  Virtual Server Web Application By default, all four options are selected for installation, which is equivalent to the Complete setup type. Additionally, below the select box the Install to fi eld displays the installation location for the feature currently selected.  is location can be changed by clicking the Change button, which opens the Select Destina- tion Folder screen (see Figure 9.7). When installing Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 on a production server, it is recommended to deselect the Documen- Figure 9.5 Setup Type, Custom Installation. Figure 9.6 Custom Setup, Default Options. Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 132Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 132 3/31/2006 11:17:35 AM3/31/2006 11:17:35 AM The Microsoft Virtual Server Platform  133 tation and Developer Resources feature as shown in Figure 9.8.  is follows a general best practice of not installing documentation, code samples, and SDK information onto production servers.  ese features should only be installed onto non-production developer and test servers. After all Custom installation options have been selected, the Next button on the Custom Setup screen is clicked to continue the installation.  e next set of installer screens are displayed for if either the Complete or Custom setup type was used.  ere are two screens named Confi gure Compo- nents.  e fi rst Confi gure Components screen allows the confi guration of the TCP port that will be confi gured for the Virtual Server Administration Website as shown in Figure 9.9. By default, the value is port 1024. In this example, the default value is used. Additionally, this screen also has an option to select the user account context under which the Administration Website will reside.  e default option (used in this example) is to run the Administration Website as the authenticated user.  e other available option is to run the Administration Figure 9.7 Select Destina- tion Folder. Figure 9.8 Custom Setup, Recommended Production Options. Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 133Marshall_AU3931_C009.indd 133 3/31/2006 11:17:36 AM3/31/2006 11:17:36 AM [...]... as the Administration Website The Administration Website is the only user accessible interface into Virtual Server The only 139 Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 139 4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :35 AM 140 Advanced Server Virtualization other way to interact with Virtual Server is to use the COM API driven scripting interface, which is covered in chapter 25 To begin the configuration of Virtual Server, the Administration... Marshall_AU3 931 _C009.indd 136 3/ 31/2006 11:17 :39 AM The Microsoft Virtual Server Platform Figure 9.15 plete 137 Setup Com- Figure 9.16 Installation Summary Web Page Figure 9.17 Microsoft Virtual Server Program Group Marshall_AU3 931 _C009.indd 137 3/ 31/2006 11:17:40 AM 138 Advanced Server Virtualization Getting Started Guide Installation Summary Release Notes Virtual Machine Remote Control Client Virtual Server. .. drivers—Lists the two drivers installed on the host operating system by Virtual Server that provide essential support functions They provide the virtualization and coordination of the primary components of the host server and supply the interfaces for the virtual machines The support drivers mentioned above consist of the Virtual Machine Monitor and the Virtual Machine Network Services Driver The Virtual Machine... that there is in fact a performance issue with running Windows Server 20 03 Service Pack 1 in a virtual machine prior to the release of the new virtual machine additions that are supplied with Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 148 4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :41 AM Configuring Microsoft Virtual Server 149 Virtual Machine Remote Control Server The Virtual Machine Remote Control (VMRC) Server. .. minute release note documentation The Getting Started Guide is a Word or Wordpad document that has useful information used to get Microsoft Virtual Server up and running quickly The Virtual Server Administrator’s Guide is the official Microsoft online documentation (in Microsoft HTML Help format) for installing and managing Microsoft Virtual Server and all of its various features The Virtual Server Programmer’s... its heading This chapter focuses on the subsection located at the bottom of the column with the heading titled Virtual Server (see Figure 10.1) The Virtual Server group provides the interface into the configuration settings and behavior of the core virtualization platform as well as the behavior of the Administration Website Server Properties The first option under the Virtual Server heading is Server. .. virtual machines Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 141 4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :38 AM 142 Advanced Server Virtualization Figure 10 .3 Virtual Server Security Properties The submenu under Server Properties titled Virtual Server security is explored next Virtual Server Security Properties The Virtual Server Security Properties page (see Figure 10 .3) supplies a basic interface into the security settings of Virtual Server Security... selecting Server Properties, the following page of information is presented (see Figure 10.2) Figure 10.1 Administration Website Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 140 4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :37 AM Configuring Microsoft Virtual Server Figure 10.2 erties 141 Server Prop- The Server Properties page supplies information regarding the Virtual Server virtualization platform itself Information on this page includes: Virtual Server. .. 11:17 :38 AM 136 Advanced Server Virtualization Figure 9. 13 Installing, Generating Script has been generated, it will be executed and the installer will begin to modify the host server, installing the proper bits where necessary During the installation process, the status bar is used to monitor the status of the installation (see Figure 9.14) This installation generally only takes a few minutes After the. .. machine is turned off (saved) Command-line action when any virtual machine is turned off (not saved) Command-line action when any virtual machine is turned off within the guest environment Command-line action when any virtual machine is reset Command-line action when no heartbeat is detected for any virtual machine Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 152 4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :42 AM Configuring Microsoft Virtual Server 153 . Options. Marshall_AU3 931 _C009.indd 132 Marshall_AU3 931 _C009.indd 132 3/ 31/2006 11:17 :35 AM3 /31 /2006 11:17 :35 AM The Microsoft Virtual Server Platform  133 tation and Developer Resources feature as shown in Figure. practices and information regarding the proper securing of Virtual Server and IIS. Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 143Marshall_AU3 931 _C010.indd 1 43 4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :38 AM4/ 13/ 2006 11 :31 :38 AM . Setup Type, Complete Installation. Marshall_AU3 931 _C009.indd 131 Marshall_AU3 931 _C009.indd 131 3/ 31/2006 11:17 :34 AM3 /31 /2006 11:17 :34 AM 132  Advanced Server Virtualization If the Custom setup type