Month: March 2011

You might want to hold off on the SP1 upgrade for your cluster

davebermLeave a comment

There are some reports on the newsgroups of storage validation failures after upgrading 3+ node clusters to Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. It seems Microsoft is aware of the issue and they are investigating. I have been following this thread to keep up to date on the issue

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverClustering/thread/e67026af-7f9b-4698-9ca7-11853431ed86

You might want to wait for some sort of resolution before you apply SP1 to your clusters.

 

 

You might want to hold off on the SP1 upgrade for your cluster

Configuring the Microsoft iSCSI target software for use in a cluster

daveberm4 Comments

Now that Starwind has stopped offering a free, limited version of their iSCSI target software you might be looking for an alternative for your labs. Microsoft has recently made their iSCSI target software available as part of the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 download on Tech-Net and MSDN. It is not for use in production and has some of its own licensing restrictions, but it works fine and it is free for Tech-Net and MSDN subscribers.

I recorded some really quick and dirty videos that aim to show you how to configure the iSCSI target and iSCSI initiator software in under 7 minutes. At the end, you will have a shared disk array ready to start your shared storage cluster. Hopefully when I get some more time I’ll actually write these steps out, but in a pinch this will give you the general idea of what needs to be done. There are plenty of other features, but for a lab environment this will do the trick.

http://screencast.com/t/2qUUDvZo6Zka – configuring the iSCSI target software and iSCSI initiator on the client

http://screencast.com/t/7m9ElSIdAbP – configuring the iSCSI initiator….continued

Configuring the Microsoft iSCSI target software for use in a cluster

Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals – Free Online Classes – March 29 – 31

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Just one week after Microsoft Management Summit 2011 (MMS), Microsoft Learning will be hosting an exclusive three-day Jump Start class specially tailored for VMware and Microsoft virtualization technology pros.  Registration for “Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals” is open now and will be delivered as a FREE online class on March 29-31, 2010 from 10:00am-4:00pm PDT.

 

What’s the high-level overview?

  • This cutting edge course will feature expert instruction and real-world demonstrations of Hyper-V and brand new releases from System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta (many of which will be announced just one week earlier at MMS).  Register Now!
  • Day 1 will focus on “Platform” (Hyper-V, virtualization architecture, high availability & clustering)
    • 10:00am – 10:30pm PDT:  Virtualization 360 Overview
    • 10:30am – 12:00pm:  Microsoft Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture
    • 1:00pm –   2:00pm:  Differentiating Microsoft and VMware (terminology, etc.)
    • 2:00pm –   4:00pm:  High Availability & Clustering
  • Day 2 will focus on “Management” (System Center Suite, SCVMM 2012 Beta, Opalis, Private Cloud solutions)
    • 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT:  System Center Suite Overview w/ focus on DPM
    • 11:00am – 12:00pm:  Virtual Machine Manager 2012 | Part 1
    • 1:00pm –   1:30pm:  Virtual Machine Manager 2012 | Part 2
    • 1:30pm –   2:30pm:  Automation with System Center Opalis & PowerShell
    • 2:30pm –   4:00pm:  Private Cloud Solutions, Architecture & VMM SSP 2.0
  • Day 3 will focus on “VDI” (VDI Infrastructure/architecture, v-Alliance, application delivery via VDI)
    • 10:00am – 11:00pm PDT:  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 1
    • 11:00am – 12:00pm:  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 2
    • 1:00pm –   2:30pm:  v-Alliance Solution Overview
    • 2:30pm –   4:00pm:  Application Delivery for VDI

  • Every section will be team-taught by two of the most respected authorities on virtualization technologies: Microsoft Technical Evangelist Symon Perriman and leading Hyper-V, VMware, and XEN infrastructure consultant, Corey Hynes

Who is the target audience for this training?

Suggested prerequisite skills include real-world experience with Windows Server 2008 R2, virtualization and datacenter management. The course is tailored to these types of roles:

  • IT Professional
  • IT Decision Maker
  • Network Administrators & Architects
  • Storage/Infrastructure Administrators & Architects

 

How do I to register and learn more about this great training opportunity?

  • Register: Visit the Registration Page and sign up for all three sessions
  • Blog: Learn more from the Microsoft Learning Blog
  • Twitter: Here are a few posts you can retweet:
    • Mar. 29-31 “Microsoft #Virtualization for VMware Pros” @SymonPerriman Corey Hynes http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V
      @MSLearning #Hyper-V
    • @SysCtrOpalis Mar. 29-31 “Microsoft #Virtualization for VMware Pros” @SymonPerriman Corey Hynes http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V
      #Hyper-V
    • Learn all the cool new features in Hyper-V & System Center 2012! SCVMM, Self-Service Portal 2.0, http://bit.ly/JS-Hyper-V
      #Hyper-V #Opalis

What is a “Jump Start” course?

A “Jump Start” course is “team-taught” by two expert instructors in an engaging radio talk show style format.  The idea is to deliver readiness training on strategic and emerging technologies that drive awareness at scale before Microsoft Learning develops mainstream Microsoft Official Courses (MOC) that map to certifications.  All sessions are professionally recorded and distributed through MS Showcase, Channel 9, Zune Marketplace and iTunes for broader reach.

Please join us for this fantastic event!

Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals – Free Online Classes – March 29 – 31