Hyper-V -- Book suggestions

Just getting in to Hyper-V and wanted to know what book recommendations are out there?

Might take a look at the MS Press book for the 70-652 but wondered if there is anything better for learning and working with Hyper-V.

Thanks.

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earweed

The Hyper-V Resource kit is also good. If you would like I got some good notes From vanderburg and could share them if you pm me your email.

CChilderhose

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out the Resource Kit and the 70-652 study book.

PM'ed you for those notes too.

bertieb

The "Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed" book is good for an introduction and overall picture plus it's easy reading - I enjoyed it more than I thought. However the 70-652 MS book as already recommended should do the job plus it's a better bet if you want to do the exam further down the line

MentholMoose

The problem with the 652 exam and resources is that it covers Hyper-V on Server 2008, so by studying it or using the 652 study resources, you are missing out on the massive improvements made in the R2 release. At this point, nobody is implementing Hyper-V on 2008 if they can use R2. Additionally, the 652 exam is not enterprise-focused, and the resources aren't, either, so basically you won't learn what you would need to know to use Hyper-V in the enterprise.

I recommend Mastering Microsoft Virtualization. Not only does it cover Hyper-V in 2008 R2 in depth, it covers other virtualization-related subjects, such as App-V, MED-V, RDS, and VDI. From reading Mastering Microsoft Virtualization and doing all the labs, you should be able to pass 659 (Hyper-V on 2008 R2, and enterprise-focused), 669 (Desktop Virtualization on 2008 R2), and 693 (Virtualization Administrator). You can also likely pass the 403 exam (SCVMM 2008 ), and if you want you can even do 652.

I enjoyed reading the book, and five exams from one book is not a bad deal.

earweed

MentholMoose wrote: »

The problem with the 652 exam and resources is that it covers Hyper-V on Server 2008, so by studying it or using the 652 study resources, you are missing out on the massive improvements made in the R2 release. At this point, nobody is implementing Hyper-V on 2008 if they can use R2. Additionally, the 652 exam is not enterprise-focused, and the resources aren't, either, so basically you won't learn what you would need to know to use Hyper-V in the enterprise.

I recommend Mastering Microsoft Virtualization. Not only does it cover Hyper-V in 2008 R2 in depth, it covers other virtualization-related subjects, such as App-V, MED-V, RDS, and VDI. From reading Mastering Microsoft Virtualization and doing all the labs, you should be able to pass 659 (Hyper-V on 2008 R2, and enterprise-focused), 669 (Desktop Virtualization on 2008 R2), and 693 (Virtualization Administrator). You can also likely pass the 403 exam (SCVMM 2008 ), and if you want you can even do 652. I enjoyed reading the book, and five exams from one book is not a bad deal.

Good book from what I can see of it. It will get you the MCITP from one book.
Amazon.com: Mastering Microsoft Virtualization (9780470449585): Tim Cerling, Jeffrey Buller: Books

MentholMoose

earweed wrote: »

Good book from what I can see of it. It will get you the MCITP from one book.
Amazon.com: Mastering Microsoft Virtualization (9780470449585): Tim Cerling, Jeffrey Buller: Books

Yup!! I passed the 669 and 693 betas after reading this book (and the 403), and I'm sure I would have passed the 659 (I took the beta before reading this book, and failed). I passed the 652 as part of the MCITP: VA, so I'm still waiting for it to show up on my transcript (supposedly this month, and I've been waiting since March!!).

Hyper-Me

This reminds me i need to finish that MCITP exam for the VA.

MCITP: Veteran Affairs lol

[Deleted User]

Conceptually, does some of the Microsoft stuff bleed over into VMWare?

MentholMoose

xmalachi wrote: »

Conceptually, does some of the Microsoft stuff bleed over into VMWare?

The fundamentals are similar, though they are diverging in certain areas. For example, MS is an OS vendor and unsurprisingly has a lot of focus on the host OS. VMware is de-emphasizing the host OS (or console OS). From what I've read vSphere 4.1 is the last version that will even have a COS (so ESXi is the future). In other areas they are converging, though, since Microsoft needs to add features. For example, R2 introduced live migration and a clustered FS to compete with vMotion and VMFS, respectively. R2 SP1 will add some memory management features since pre-SP1 is rather limited in this area.

Anyway I just got this email:

Congratulations on earning your Virtualization Administrator 2008 certification! We hope you enjoy the benefits of your certification and of membership in the Microsoft Certified Professional community.

My transcript shows I achieved the MCITP: Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2 on 2010 March 20!!

Sig updated.

Bl8ckr0uter

MentholMoose wrote: »

Anyway I just got this email:
My transcript shows I achieved the MCITP: Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2 on 2010 March 20!! Sig updated.

Congrats!!!!

Do you think there is significant market for that certification?

earweed

Congrats on the new MCITP!

MentholMoose

Thanks. I'm glad it finally showed up and MS didn't change their mind about accepting 652 for it.

knwminus wrote: »

Do you think there is significant market for that certification?

I think it's not particularly significant, at least not now. The product that is most emphasized in this cert is Hyper-V which has low market share. If you are applying at a company that happens to be using or considering Hyper-V, it should come in handy, otherwise I don't think it will help much. Companies not using Hyper-V but wanting at least a general understanding of virtualization might also care, though.

The rest of the products covered on the cert are not widely used except maybe RDS, but that is also covered on other certs; after doing the SA and EA I didn't even have to study RDS for the 669 and 693. That's not to say that these products aren't useful or lack merit. I've used App-V quite a bit and it's great, and can imagine MED-V and MS VDI would be useful in certain cases.

erpadmin

MentholMoose wrote: »

Thanks. I'm glad it finally showed up and MS didn't change their mind about accepting 652 for it.

I think it's not particularly significant, at least not now. The product that is most emphasized in this cert is Hyper-V which has low market share. If you are applying at a company that happens to be using or considering Hyper-V, it should come in handy, otherwise I don't think it will help much. Companies not using Hyper-V but wanting at least a general understanding of virtualization might also care, though.

Considering the fact that VMware licensing is expensive (https://www.vmware.com/support/licensing/per-vm/) compared to the licensing of Hyper-V VMs, I think that cert makes sense if folks ever want to go the Virtualization route, even if they are looking for work in shops that use VMWare in their enterprise. I'm not sure if the current model Hyper-V has changed from 2007, but from a discussion I had with a fellow sys admin at work, it would be more financially feasible to go the Microsoft route for virtualization...the only regret he had with that option is that other hardware in the enterprise cannot be virtualized; only servers.

I would imagine if you did obtain the MS Virtualization cert, then it would show competence that you can learn VMWare on the job and that there would be some knowledge overlap from Hyper-V and VMWare. It is for that reason, that I will be dealing with Hyper-V for my own home-lab. I can always learn VMWare if I need to though. But for those wanting to learn the Hyper-V way of Virtualization and want to obtain that cert, I don't think it'd be a waste of time at all.

MentholMoose

erpadmin wrote: »

But for those wanting to learn the Hyper-V way of Virtualization and want to obtain that cert, I don't think it'd be a waste of time at all.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely don't think it's a waste of time. I'm glad I did it, as a learning experience. Learning App-V was especially useful. Overall however, I just don't expect there to be a significant demand for this cert in the near future.

erpadmin

MentholMoose wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I definitely don't think it's a waste of time. I'm glad I did it, as a learning experience. Learning App-V was especially useful. Overall however, I just don't expect there to be a significant demand for this cert in the near future.

I think this cert is the type where you want to test competence in the knowledge of a particular technology and show proof of that competence, as opposed to obtaining it for the popularity of it, such as a MCSE, MCITP: EA (or SA) CCNA, CCNP, etc., etc. That type of cert by itself is useless without something like a MCITP: EA to back up that you are familiar with all of the 2008 technologies, like the EA or SA would do.

Many shops, mine included have either started to virtualize, or have already virtualized production environments. Right now, we're starting with an upgraded development environment. By the next application upgrade, we will most likely have one beefed up host or hosts and several VMs for our main application (PeopleSoft). The fact that we can potentially spend about a quarter to maybe half of what was typically spent on physical servers definitely makes management happy. That's why virtualization is so hot right now. Unless VMWare does something with it's licensing model, many shops who don't have a lot of money in their IT budget will just go the Hyper-V route. (They already bought Server 2008...might as well....lol). So in that respect, that's certainly one way to sell that certification.

Plus, knowing MS, it won't surprise me that in the next iteration, and as Hyper-V becomes even more stable, that you'll be able to virtualize the other hardware in the enterprise, much like you can do with VMWare.

MentholMoose

VMware pricing is not as high as it's made out to be. The pricing numbers in your link are not for vSphere, they are for add-ons to vSphere, and they are list price. Some of those add-ons don't even have counterparts in Hyper-V, so you will have to go with a third-party if you need them (if they exist at all). VMware has the most extensive and established support from third parties, so even if you use vSphere you won't necessarily even have to buy the VMware add-ons.

Yeah a few years ago it was "expensive", but there were zero viable competitors at the enterprise level which was VMware's focus. Things have changed in the last few years, however people's perceptions often haven't. For example, I was working on a VDI project last year, and wanted pricing for the VMware and Citrix solutions (there was no Microsoft option). The rep at our software reseller, Dell, basically said, "don't bother with VMware, their pricing is outrageous". I insisted and got the quotes anyway. VMware came out slightly cheaper, and even if it wasn't it would still have been compelling because feature-wise it included more.

Anyway, sorry for the OT. I don't want to discount the usefulness of studying for and obtaining the MCITP: VA cert; it was worth it to me literally just for the App-V knowledge I gained. However, knwminus asked about the market for the cert, and I don't really think it is significant. I am considering it as a standalone cert, so maybe it will be more useful when combined with other certs. Also it may be more useful in certain markets, such as the SMB space. And if your boss wants you to learn Hyper-V, then by all means go for it.

erpadmin

Just saying that just because there is the appearance of a non-market, doesn't make the cert unsellable, when combined with other W2K8 knowledge. Hyper-V may just be good enough for some shops that just want to virtualize and consolidate servers. Which in and of itself is definitely an in-demand skillset.

Bl8ckr0uter

MentholMoose wrote: »

However, knwminus asked about the market for the cert, and I don't really think it is significant. I am considering it as a standalone cert, so maybe it will be more useful when combined with other certs. Also it may be more useful in certain markets, such as the SMB space. And if your boss wants you to learn Hyper-V, then by all means go for it.

I was wondering because I know you deal with Virtualization. As you have Citrix, MS, and Vmware certifications, I was wondering which do you get called about the most.

Hyper-Me

Obviously the Hyper-V stuff isnt going to stand out like a VCP does. However, I try to use my certs and previous experience with the product to leverage myself in an interview.

If they ask about a VCP I respond "I do not currently have a VCP, but I have used vmware products in an production and lab environment. I have a very strong knowledge of the foundations of OS virtualization and hold several Microsoft virtualization certifications. At one of my previous jobs, I shaved off just under 40,000$ a year in energy costs by migrating all of the physical NT4 servers to Hyper-V virtual machines"