Server 2012R2 Hyper-V

it_consultantit_consultant Senior MemberMember Posts: 1,903
in Virtualization
Having just deployed 2 server 2012 clusters in my environment, I was surprised to find an email from MS in my inbox this morning about Server 2012R2. On the virtualization side they have a couple of key improvements:

VHD/VHDX Deduplication
Live Migration Compression
Live Migrations with remote direct memory access
Improved support for Linux guests

Not necessarily related to virtualization but still cool, the 'storage spaces' feature released in 2012 will include support for 'storage tiering', which traditionally has only been available on enterprise class SANs.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/windows-server/windows-server-2012-r2.aspx?WT.mc_id=Newsletter_TechnetFlash_TechEd_General_EN_US&loc=zTS3z&prod=zWSz&tech=zOttechz&prog=zOTprogz&type=znewsz&media=zOTmediaz&country=zUSz
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Senior Member Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Im hoping the better Linux support means the ability to use mice! This is due out by the end of year if I am not mistaken.
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  • SaundieSaundie Member Member Posts: 69 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I just wish they'd add support for some widescreen resolutions in guests :)
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  • BloogenBloogen Senior Member Member Posts: 180 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Use RDP, the console is pretty bad I have to say.
    NeilBryan.ca
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  • sratakhinsratakhin Senior Member Member Posts: 818
    It's way better than the console in vSphere Client :)
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  • it_consultantit_consultant Senior Member Member Posts: 1,903
    MrAgent wrote: »
    Im hoping the better Linux support means the ability to use mice! This is due out by the end of year if I am not mistaken.

    Linux has support for mice?
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Senior Member Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    What I mean is, the ability to use mice in a Linux VM. Ive never been able to use a mouse in the console of a Linux guest in hyper-V. Ive not tried doing this with 2012 though. Ill actually try it now and see what happens.
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Senior Member Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Looks like its been improved. I am able to use a mouse during install of a CentOS6.4 VM. Wonder if Kali Linux works as well.
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  • it_consultantit_consultant Senior Member Member Posts: 1,903
    I was kidding, I actually tried to get the linux drivers loaded based off of Hyper-V 2008R2 but every time I loaded the drivers the kernel panicked.
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Senior Member Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Yeah looks like Kali-Linux locked up for some reason while trying to install.
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  • netsysllcnetsysllc Senior Member Member Posts: 479 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Hyper-V Overview



    CentOS 5.7 and 5.8

    64

    Download and install Linux Integration Services Version 3.4 for Hyper-V.



    CentOS 6.0 – 6.3

    64

    Download and install Linux Integration Services Version 3.4 for Hyper-V.



    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.7 and 5.8

    64

    Download and install Linux Integration Services Version 3.4 for Hyper-V.



    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9

    64

    Integration services do not require a separate installation because they are built-in.
    Red Hat certified. https://hardware.redhat.com/show.cgi?id=894519



    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0 – 6.3

    64

    Download and install Linux Integration Services Version 3.4 for Hyper-V.



    SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2

    64

    Integration services do not require a separate installation because they are built-in.



    Open SUSE 12.1

    64

    Integration services are built-in and do not require a separate download and installation.



    Ubuntu 12.04

    64

    Integration services are built-in and do not require a separate download and installation.


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  • netsysllcnetsysllc Senior Member Member Posts: 479 ■■■■□□□□□□
    has built in drivers
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  • MentholMooseMentholMoose Senior Member Member Posts: 1,525 ■■■■■■■■□□
    MrAgent wrote: »
    Yeah looks like Kali-Linux locked up for some reason while trying to install.
    What failed, installing Kali Linux, or installing the integration services? Kali Linux is based on Debian 7.0 (Wheezy) which includes Hyper-V drivers out of the box, so you shouldn't need to install the integration services. If Kali Linux itself is failing to install, the installer is probably missing the drivers, so you may need to wait for an updated installer that includes the drivers, or try to build one yourself. Another option would be to install Kali Linux in a VM on another hypervisor (say, VirtualBox, since it supports VHD), update the initrd to include the Hyper-V disk driver, and import the VHD to your Hyper-V server.
    MentholMoose
    MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
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  • blargoeblargoe Self-Described Huguenot NC, USAMember Posts: 4,174 ■■■■■■■■■□
    Impressive list of features.

    I'm going to seriously pursue a Hyper-V course of study I think, once I'm done with MCSA 2008/2012 and possibly VCAP-DCD. I think I could make a lot of coin as a VMware expert migrating customers entrenched in VMware infrastructure to Hyper-V... and I think the time is quickly approaching where enterprise customers may being strongly considering a move like that.
    IT guy since 12/00

    Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
    Working on: RHCE/Ansible
    Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
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  • it_consultantit_consultant Senior Member Member Posts: 1,903
    Blargoe, this is happening right now. HP is hiring a lot of Wintel admins as consultants for upcoming moves to Hyper-V, either from people who used a crappy virtualization product (my current company was on Parralells Virtuozzo) or people who are tired of paying the exorbitant VMWARE licensing/support fees.

    Between the regular 2012 to 2012R2, the thing that stuck out to me is the remote RDMA access for live migrations. I have VM guest on Hyper-V 2012 which has a 3TB LUN + 120GB of RAM, even over a 20GB bonded ethernet link, live migrations still take more time than I would like. If they get even close to the throughput they advertise, we are in another world of speed.
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Senior Member Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    MentholMoose wrote: »
    What failed, installing Kali Linux, or installing the integration services? Kali Linux is based on Debian 7.0 (Wheezy) which includes Hyper-V drivers out of the box, so you shouldn't need to install the integration services. If Kali Linux itself is failing to install, the installer is probably missing the drivers, so you may need to wait for an updated installer that includes the drivers, or try to build one yourself. Another option would be to install Kali Linux in a VM on another hypervisor (say, VirtualBox, since it supports VHD), update the initrd to include the Hyper-V disk driver, and import the VHD to your Hyper-V server.

    I actually looked it up. You can use the live version of Kali but you cant install it for some reason. I can download their VM image and convert it if I want it virtualized and installed apparently.
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  • MentholMooseMentholMoose Senior Member Member Posts: 1,525 ■■■■■■■■□□
    MrAgent wrote: »
    I actually looked it up. You can use the live version of Kali but you cant install it for some reason. I can download their VM image and convert it if I want it virtualized and installed apparently.
    The installer ISO must be missing the Hyper-V drivers. Older Debian 7 ISOs had the same problem but apparently it was fixed. The "hyperv-modules" package needs to be added to the installer for it to work.
    MentholMoose
    MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
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  • MentholMooseMentholMoose Senior Member Member Posts: 1,525 ■■■■■■■■□□
    blargoe wrote: »
    and I think the time is quickly approaching where enterprise customers may being strongly considering a move like that.
    I've been hearing the same thing for about 5 years now, on this forum and elsewhere. That, and "just wait for the R2 release, it will be a game-changer!" Maybe this time it will really happen but I doubt it.
    MentholMoose
    MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
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  • blargoeblargoe Self-Described Huguenot NC, USAMember Posts: 4,174 ■■■■■■■■■□
    MentholMoose wrote: »
    I've been hearing the same thing for about 5 years now, on this forum and elsewhere. That, and "just wait for the R2 release, it will be a game-changer!" Maybe this time it will really happen but I doubt it.

    I think the only people really saying that 4-5 years ago were the hard-core Microsoft fanboys. Fast forward to today, and you have a more mature suite ideal for Microsoft-focused environments with a competitive feature set, vastly improved performance, and lower TCO.

    No, it's not as good as VMware. But it's been "good enough" for smaller shops since 2008 R2 (IMO), and is being considered "good enough" for a increasingly larger set of customers as it continues to mature.
    IT guy since 12/00

    Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
    Working on: RHCE/Ansible
    Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
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  • blargoeblargoe Self-Described Huguenot NC, USAMember Posts: 4,174 ■■■■■■■■■□
    You know, I don't think a widespread exodus from vSphere is imminent, either... but another vendor taking even a 5-10% slice of the virtualization pie from VMware would be very significant.
    IT guy since 12/00

    Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
    Working on: RHCE/Ansible
    Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
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  • it_consultantit_consultant Senior Member Member Posts: 1,903
    My impression is that people itching to get away from VMWARE will take the Red Hat virtualization route, honestly though, I see more and more people putting some or all of their virtualization into Hyper-V. If you are already a Windows centric shop then it makes sense. Is it enough to slay VMWARE, probably not, as it has been pointed out though, even a small movement away from VMWARE is a big deal.

    Some of the improvements from 2008R2 to 2012 (and now 2012R2) should put people on notice. Plus, it appears that MS is doing a much quicker release of new versions with actual functionality improvements, which they need to do in order to compete with VMWARE who can spin out a .1/.2/.3 release in record time.
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  • BloogenBloogen Senior Member Member Posts: 180 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Bloogen wrote: »
    Use RDP, the console is pretty bad I have to say.

    I am so happy that this should now be a thing of the past in 2012 R2!
    Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V – Enhanced (Remote Desktop) VM Interaction (Connect)

    Hyper-V will connect using RDP protocol over the VMBus (Integration Tools Required on the VM). This means the RDP connection will work regardless of the VM's network configuration. He also mentions the ability to copy and paste files. Awesome.
    NeilBryan.ca
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  • jibbajabbajibbajabba Google Ninja Member Posts: 4,317 ■■■■■■■■□□
    it_consultant wrote: »
    Linux has support for mice?

    Yea - it gives a white square on the text console which you can wiggle about :p
    My own knowledge base made public: http://open902.com :p
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  • SaundieSaundie Member Member Posts: 69 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Bloogen wrote: »
    I am so happy that this should now be a thing of the past in 2012 R2!
    Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V – Enhanced (Remote Desktop) VM Interaction (Connect)

    Hyper-V will connect using RDP protocol over the VMBus (Integration Tools Required on the VM). This means the RDP connection will work regardless of the VM's network configuration. He also mentions the ability to copy and paste files. Awesome.
    If you can figure out how to enable it;
    Enhanced virtual machine control is enabled/disabled in in Hyper-V settings at the host level. It is enabled by default in Windows 8.1 Client Hyper-V and disabled by default in Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V.

    I had a look at the Hyper-V settings and there's no mention of it, and I have no idea where else to look. If it's true, then it would remove the final hurdle for me to switching over to Hyper-V exclusively.
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  • mrahmrah Junior Member Member Posts: 3 ■□□□□□□□□□
    It's a new feature in Windows Server 2012 R2, which is not yet available icon_smile.gif
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  • SaundieSaundie Member Member Posts: 69 ■■□□□□□□□□
    mrah wrote: »
    It's a new feature in Windows Server 2012 R2, which is not yet available icon_smile.gif

    Well spotted. I was just making sure everybody else was paying attention, honestly ;)
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  • SaundieSaundie Member Member Posts: 69 ■■□□□□□□□□
    The preview is now available. I'm looking forward to trying out the new features, especially the improved VMConnect experience :)

    Edit: Finally we have widescreen resolutions in guests! Happy days :D
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  • it_consultantit_consultant Senior Member Member Posts: 1,903
    Resurrecting thread; finally installed a linux guest in Hyper-V 2012 and installed the guest drivers, works perfectly.
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  • Priti111Priti111 Junior Member Registered Users Posts: 2 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I am finding a option for Hyper - V packaging which can be similar to OVF in VmWare. I tried with OVF import/export tool, SCVMM etc.

    Please let me the details steps also.
    Thanks in advance.
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