MVUG Blog

Updated Hyper-V Best Practice Analyzer now available

The Hyper-V BPA can scan a server that is running the Hyper-V role, and help identify configurations that do not comply with the best practices of Microsoft. To download the update, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=89d80c15-0082-4fef-a4fc-fefa463bed08

Patrick Lownds

FREE Microsoft Azure Self-paced Interactive Learning Course

Starting May 10th, over a six week period,  you can learn about the Microsoft Azure Platform

The course outline is:

Week 1 - Windows Azure Platform
Week 2 - Windows Azure Storage
Week 3 - Windows Azure Deep Dive and Codename "Dallas"
Week 4 - SQL Azure
Week 5 - Windows Azure Platform AppFabric Access Control
Week 6 - Windows Azure Platform AppFabric Service Bus

To register go to:

https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/Register.aspx?culture=en-GB&EventID=1032449971&CountryCode=GB&IsRedirect=false

Patrick Lownds

HP Virtual Connect for Dummies

HP Virtual Connect for Dummies introduces the main concepts and technologies. Like other Dummies books it is a easy reference tool that you can refer back to whenever you need to learn more about what HP Virtual Connect

So what does HP Virtual Connect do? Well it simplifies the setup of server connections to both LANs and SANs, thus allowing IT Professionals to quickly add or replace servers and move workloads without needing to involve network and storage teams.

To download the FREE book go to http://up2v.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/hp-virtual-connect-for-dummies.pdf

Patrick Lownds

HDX Monitor for XenDesktop

The HDX Monitor is a tool to validate the operation of XenDesktop's HDX stack including the latest HDX MediaStream for Flash and HDX RealTime features. Install this tool on your virtual desktop to obtain helpful technical details about your HDX experience. The tool is organized into sections that cover the various HDX technologies. Use it to view bandwidth usage, session settings and performance metrics.
 
This tool can also help you diagnose HDX issues. It detects when multimedia redirection is in use and if your endpoint device supports it. And it can tell you what audio codec you are using and its bitrate.
The HDX Monitor for XenDesktop is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Citrix makes no commitment to provide support for this tool.

To download the tool go to http://hdx.citrix.com/hdx-monitor

Patrick Lownds

Microsoft Accelerates Desktop Virtualization

Microsoft announced new investments around desktop virtualization technologies and solutions, including virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), to help organizations of all sizes increase flexibility, employee productivity and IT cost savings. During a recent webcast (http://www.desktopvirtualizationhour.com/), Microsoft details new technologies, simplified licensing models and an alliance with Citrix Systems, furthering its virtualization strategy from the desktop to the datacenter.

More information on the announcement and Microsoft’s virtualization strategy is available at http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/business/archive/2010/03/18/microsoft-s-approach-to-virtualization-amp-it-s-role-in-your-desktop-management-strategy.aspx.

Patrick Lownds

Try out Citrix XenApp 6.0

Citrix XenApp, is an on-demand application delivery solution that enables any Windows based application to be virtualized, centralized and managed from within the datacenter and instantly delivered as a service to users anywhere on any device. To try out XenApp 6.0 you can either:

• Download a virtual appliance (Hyper-V VHD)
• Download the media and license

http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products/subfeature.asp?contentID=1680656 (MyCitrix ID required)

Patrick Lownds

Update - Linux Integration Services for Hyper-V

Microsoft has announced the availability of the beta release of the Linux Integration Services v2.1. This new version includes new functionality, including timesync, integrated shutdown, and SMP support.

When installed on a virtual machine that is running a supported Linux operating system, the Linux Integration Services for Hyper-V provide the following functionality:

• Driver support for synthetic devices: The Linux Integration Services support the synthetic network controller and the synthetic storage controller that were developed specifically for Hyper-V.
• Fastpath Boot Support for Hyper-V: Boot devices now take advantage of the block Virtualization Service Client (VSC) to provide enhanced performance.
• NEW: Timesync: The clock inside the virtual machine will now remain synchronized with the clock on the host.
• NEW: Integrated Shutdown: Virtual machines running Linux can now be shut down from either the Hyper-V Manager or the VMConnect application using the “Shut Down” command.
• NEW: Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) Support: Supported Linux distributions can now properly use up to 4 virtual processors (VP) per virtual machine.

 To download the beta release go to https://connect.microsoft.com/site495 (Connect ID required)

Patrick Lownds

Citrix XenApp 6 Migration Tool Beta has been released

The tools can be downloaded from https://www.citrix.com/lang/English/publicindex.asp?destURL=%2FEnglish%2Fss%2Fdownloads%2Fdetails%2Easp%3FdownloadId%3D1864561%26productId%3D186 (MyCitrix login required). 

The beta release of the XenApp 6 Migration Tool is comprised of PowerShell commands packaged as a PowerShell 2.0 module.  Citrix Administrators can leverage the use of these PowerShell  commands to export all server and farm settings/policies, applications, folders, load evaluators and administrators to quickly setup a new XenApp 6 environment that inherits these settings.

Patrick Lownds

HP BladeSystem Matrix application template for Microsoft Hyper-V R2 test and development environments

This whitepaper describes an HP Insight Dynamics Infrastructure Orchestration (IO) template for provisioning the infrastructure resources needed to support test/development environments using Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V in a cluster configuration and using both Live Migration and Cluster Shared Volumes. This template is specifically designed to provision the server, storage, and network infrastructure resources necessary to support small test and development environments for Hyper-V R2 Virtual Machines.

The whitepaper can be downloaded from http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA1-0857ENW.pdf

Patrick Lownds 

XenDesktop Design Guide for Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Hyper-V

The above guide provides guidance around designing a virtual desktop deployment that leverages Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix XenDesktop 4 for the infrastructure. This document is not to be considered a replacement for other XenDesktop design guidance, but rather as an addendum that will assist in design decisions specifically related to using Microsoft Hyper-V as the hypervisor. The guide can be downloaded from http://support.citrix.com/servlet/KbServlet/download/23253-102-642604/XenDesktop%20Hyper-V%20Design%20Guide_v1.0.pdf 

Patrick Lownds