Hyper-V

[T_Minus]

Where's a good starting point to learn about hyperV?

W/out having to test all these platforms it may be a cool article to see a brief overview of features and limitations

 

[T_Minus]

Can you run container-ed apps inside the guest os with hyperV too?

IE: Hyper-V, Windows Guest OS & Windows Containers? (or Docker when WIN supports that)

 

[T_Minus]

IMHO nothing makes you learn as much experiencing. That's why most of us have home labs to learn for ourself.

Exactly - That's why I was asking where to "start" I have no idea what guides or tutorials I could use or are out there.

Suggestions ?

 

[T_Minus]

Maybe I wasn't clear.

I have NO CLUE where to start with Hyper-V. Let alone building VMs of each OS as the "start".

I don't know the licensing, how to acquire it, if there are "demo" usage or "Free" home usage, how to install of the hypervisor, the guest os, and more..

I'm looking for the "starting point" for people like me, 10000% new to Hyper-V

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated but I think they are the "step 2" of Hyper-V for me, I need to get a grasp on the basics before even moving on to install, testing, configuring

Maybe a STH article covers this, checking!!

 

[Marsh]

I have not watch these videos, give a try,
The first few minutes of the video talks about installing Windows 2012 r2 on Vmware workstation,
just skip it and install Windows 2012 R2 on bare metal instead.

Learning 2012 R2 Hyper V Server Initial Setup Labs 1,2 and 3

 

[T_Minus]

I have not watch these videos, give a try,
The first few minutes of the video talks about installing Windows 2012 r2 on Vmware workstation,
just skip it and install Windows 2012 R2 on bare metal instead.

Learning 2012 R2 Hyper V Server Initial Setup Labs 1,2 and 3

Thanks!

 

[Chuntzu]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-8-1-enterprise

Use windows evaluation center to download legit trial isos. Install server 2012r2 or sever 2016 tech preview 2. Then install in a VM on your preferred hypervisor or if you have the gear install it bare metal. Next search for features for server 2012r2 or whichever version you are using and there will be plenty of links for "what's new" in that version. Another way is to just look at what roles you can deploy from server manager. Finally YouTube will be your best friend.

 

[cthulolz]

First thing you'll want to do is decide which way you want to run Hyper-V. The more expensive (unless you trial it) way is to take a base install of Windows Server 2012 R2 and install the Hyper V role. The base install of Windows server will, more or less, turn it into a privileged VM sitting on top of the hypervisor. This is the easiest way to manage Hyper-V for most people because of the GUI. From a best practice and licensing standpoint, no other roles should be used on the Hyper-V server. The other, free-er way, is to install Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 - this is a completely free (for the hypervisor) stripped down, non-gui version of Windows server 2012 R2. It can only be managed remotely, or via powershell. You'll have to jump through some hoops to manage it remotely, if the Hyper-V server is not joined to a domain. This link will give you a good overview of the licensing and product differences. I'm far from an expert on the subject, but those links were enough to get my Hyper-V server spun up and running. Once you have GUI management of some sort setup, it's pretty easy and straight forward.

 

[Marsh]

I do not join hyper-v hosts to domain.

Run these two batches to config the Window 8.1 client to remote manage Windows 2012R2 hyper-v hosts without domain
reboot both client and server machines after running the batch file

REM Enable_ClientRemote.bat
REM Allow Anonymous Logon remote DCOM access
cscript C:\UTILS\Bld_w12_System\HyperVInstall\hvremote.wsf /anondcom:grant

REM Client Logon with matching local account
REM Client If passwords do not match
rem cmdkey /add:servername /user:servername\account /pass

rem hvremote /show /targetthercomputername

pause

----------------

REM Enable_ServerRemote.bat

rem hvremote /add:accountname
cscript C:\UTILS\Bld_w12_System\HyperVInstall\hvremote.wsf /add:Username

rem cscript C:\UTILS\Bld_w12_System\HyperVInstall\hvremote.wsf /show /targetthercomputername

pause

Google hvremote.wsf and download hvremote.wsf from Microsoft site. The magic is in hvremote.wsf

 

[T_Minus]

Well my apologies, I figured with your more-than-ordinary amount of hardware, you'd be more familiar within.

Anyhow, what others said is pretty much correct, but if you want longer or better, if you have .edu email sign up at Microsoft DreamSpark to get free legit Server 2012R2 download+key.

Thanks! I'll check that out.

I deal in software and data most of the time, occasional client may need some basic tech assistance... I'm getting into the virtualization stuff to stay up to date, and I personally have a background in software-Dev so it interests me I don't have any plans to offer virtualization support/consulting/etc... just something for me to play around with, use at home, and ultimately understand the tech side enough that I could if needed explain things to execs.

 

[Marsh]

Few years ago, I remember Microsoft was providing Windows and SQL server + other licenses free to small startup ( 5 or less employes ).
It just need a non yahoo.com or gmail.com address + a working "Business" web front.

I signed up and received free license

Microsoft DreamSpark - what is BizSpark?

 

[T_Minus]

Zankza - AWESOME information. I have 1 2012 R2 DC license! When you say "unlimited" does that mean you can spawn unlimited 2012 VMs within DC Edition or other Windows VM that require additional licenses per-VM? (New this whole windows thing too as we deal in Linux 99% of time.)

Right now it's on ESXI host, I guess I could just play around within there instead of on another bare metal. Any limitations I'll run into or known issues doing this to just learn?

 

[Marsh]

Before burning a license for the lab , only use the license is for business production use.

Use Eval version, 180 days + rearm for another 180 days = 360 days.
You will plenty of time for the lab. Even the license expired, nothing bad is going to happen after license expired.
Just the Microsoft lawyer come knocking on your door in the middle of the night.

If you setup a WDS auto deployment server, it would takes longer to make a pot of coffee than make a new custom installation of Windows.

To activate Window STD and DC VM on top of WS12R2 DC
rem For Win 2012r2 Standard: AVMA
cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ipk DBGBW-NPF86-BJVTX-K3WKJ-MTB6V
cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ato
C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -dlv

rem For Win 2012r2 DataCenter: AVMA
cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ipk Y4TGP-NPTV9-HTC2H-7MGQ3-DV4TW
cscript C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ato
C:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -dlv

 

[T_Minus]

Marsh - Much appreciated!!! Looking forward to diving into something new, that I'm not trying to "fix" before I can use it...

good point on license -- I won't re-install that!!

 

[T_Minus]

Great info! Thank you.

I will try that!

 

[smithse79]

Check this out for installing linux on Hyper-V

Linux and FreeBSD Virtual Machines on Hyper-V

 

[HotFix]

As for resources, here is a MVP's blog on Windows and Hyper-V that I use a lot (and I have his 2012 Hyper-V book which is pretty good):
Aidan Finn, IT Pro

Here is a Hyper-V best practices check list maintained by a friend of mine:
Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Best Practices (In Easy Checklist Form) - Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

Those should hopefully help.

 

[katit]

I just went through exercise myself. I was picking between ESXi and Hyper-V. I was looking for free versions of both. ESXi didn't work for me after I learned what's involved in making it work with backups. Basically, there is no clean way to back up. And what killed mi - their management utility didn't work correctly with large fonts in windows making it unusable for me. Hyper-V free install (command line) was PITA without domain. I never got Remote Desktop working and my on-board network card wasn't supported by Hyper-V (had to play with driver config files, but worked in ESXi, who gives...). Anyway. I ended up purchasing 2012 R2 standard license. And it allows you 2 instances on same hardware. So, I run one with Hyper-V role on bare metal. No more services running except for backup. And I run another 2012 R2 inside VM (ok by license). I also run 4 Linux VMs. If you familiar with VMWare workstation or VirtualBox - all concepts very similar. Not much to it.

I use Linux VMs as "appliances", One runs Asterisk, one runs JIRA, one runs SVN. Each is 2-3Gb compressed when backed up. And I backup to cloud, local and remote locations.

 

[markarr]

I just went through exercise myself. I was picking between ESXi and Hyper-V. I was looking for free versions of both. ESXi didn't work for me after I learned what's involved in making it work with backups. Basically, there is no clean way to back up. And what killed mi - their management utility didn't work correctly with large fonts in windows making it unusable for me. Hyper-V free install (command line) was PITA without domain. I never got Remote Desktop working and my on-board network card wasn't supported by Hyper-V (had to play with driver config files, but worked in ESXi, who gives...). Anyway. I ended up purchasing 2012 R2 standard license. And it allows you 2 instances on same hardware. So, I run one with Hyper-V role on bare metal. No more services running except for backup. And I run another 2012 R2 inside VM (ok by license). I also run 4 Linux VMs. If you familiar with VMWare workstation or VirtualBox - all concepts very similar. Not much to it.

I use Linux VMs as "appliances", One runs Asterisk, one runs JIRA, one runs SVN. Each is 2-3Gb compressed when backed up. And I backup to cloud, local and remote locations.

You can run two instances of windows with that licence. Even with the server having 2012 installed on it, if it only has Hyper-V and no other windows services then you can have two windows vm's running and still be valid on the licence.

 

[katit]

Well, we can guess on this one. From what I gathered - I have to give 1 license for privilege of using GUI. I guess we need official Microsoft word on this one. Otherwise why can't we just have free 2012 server with GUI that runs Hyper-V only?