Infrastructure Provisioning with System Center Virtual Machine Manager

Describe the key components and features in Virtual Machine Manager.

In most enterprise virtualized environments high availability is a key function that is implemented for business-critical workloads. This ensures workloads remain available at all times and also provides load-balancing capabilities. For this reason it is important that you understand how high availability can be configured for the Hyper-V Hosts, Virtual Machine Manager Management Server and the Virtual Machine Manager database. In this module you will learn about the clustering requirements for Virtual Machine Manager. You will also learn how to configure SQL AlwaysOn for the Virtual Machine Manager database. Finally, you will learn how to configure clustering for Hyper-V.

Clustering requirements for Virtual Machine Manager

Configuring SQL AlwaysOn for the Virtual Machine Manager Database

Hyper-V Host Clustering

Reviewing Distributed Key Management

Configuring the SQL AlwaysOn Availability Group for the VMM Database

Clustering the Hyper-V Hosts

Making the Management VMs highly available

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the clustering requirements Virtual Machine Manager.

Configure SQL AlwaysOn for the Virtual Machine Manager database.

Configure Hyper-V clustering.

Keeping the IT environment up to date in an enterprise is paramount from both a security and a performance perspective. Proper update management also helps ensure that systems remain available by applying patches that improve the applications running on them. In the virtualized environment update management is just as important, especially when there are multiple System Center components deployed. In this module you will learn how Virtual Machine Manager integrates with Windows Server Update Services to manage the updates on Virtual Machine Manager Fabric infrastructure servers such as the Virtual Machine Manager Management Server and Library Server. You will also learn the considerations that should be taken into account and service order that should be applied when updating Virtual Machine Manager when you have other System Center components deployed.

Understanding the Servicing Order for System Center

Performing the manual update process in Virtual Machine Manager

Patching the Virtual Machine Manager Fabric with Windows Server Update Services

Updating Virtual Machine Manager

Patching the Virtual Machine Manager Fabric Servers

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the servicing order when updating System Center components.

Update Virtual Machine Manager.

Update the Virtual Machine Manager Fabric.

Networking in Virtual Machine Manager has been extended extensively within the last two iterations of System Center. For example, in System Center 2012 SP1 Virtual Machine Manager, the ability to deploy third-party switch extensions such as Cisco was added. In System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager, Top-of-rack (TOR) switch integration was added. It is important that you not only understand the basic concepts of networking in Virtual Machine Manager but that you also know how to configure some of the advanced network settings. This knowledge will prove invaluable when configuring Virtual Machine Manager in an enterprise environment, especially where networking spans multiples sites and/or locations. In this module you will learn some of the key networking fundamentals in Virtual Machine Manager before moving onto advanced networking features such as Port Profiles, Top-of-rack switches and Windows Server Gateways.

Overview of Networking in Virtual Machine Manager

Logical Networks

Uplink and Virtual Port Profiles

Logical Switches

Virtual Machine Networks

Software Defined Networking (optional)

Creating Logical Networks

Updating Uplink Port Profiles and Creating Virtual Port Profiles

Creating VM Networks

Updating Logical Switches

Creating a Hyper-V Network Virtualization Provider Network and Tenant VM Network (optional)

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the core networking features in Virtual Machine Manager.

Create logical networks, network sites and IP pools.

Configure Uplink Port Profiles and Virtual Port Profiles.

Configure Logical Switches.

Configure VM Networks.

Understand Software Defined Networking in Virtual Machine Manager (optional).

Virtual Machine Manager provides support for both Block Storage and File Storage. Block Storage can include Fibre Channel, iSCSI and Serial Attached SCSI (SAS). File storage includes network file shares that can be located on a Windows File Server or on third party Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices provided by vendors such as NetApp or EMC. When configuring storage in Virtual Machine Manager you need to understand how it is discovered, classified, provisioned, allocated and decommissioned. In this module you will learn about the various storage options that are available in Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Manager. You will also learn how storage is discovered and classified. Finally, you will learn how to configure and manage storage in Virtual Machine Manager.

Storage options available in Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Manager

Understanding Storage in Virtual Machine Manager

What Storage will be managed?

Configuring and Managing Storage in Virtual Machine Manager

Creating the iSCSI Target LUN

Discovering Storage in Virtual Machine Manager

Allocating Storage in Virtual Machine Manager

Classifying Storage in Virtual Machine Manager

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the storage options available in Virtual Machine Manager.

Understand storage in Virtual Machine Manager.

Understand what storage will be managed in Virtual Machine Manager.

Configure and manage storage in Virtual Machine Manager.

One of Virtual Machine Managers most powerful features is its ability to create and manage Private Clouds including the resources made available to them and controlling access to Virtual Machines and Services deployed within them. Before provisioning a Private Cloud in Virtual Machine Manager it is important that you understand the key concepts around Cloud Computing such the difference between Private, Public and Hybrid Clouds. When provisioning a Private Cloud it is also important that you configure the resources available to the cloud appropriately. This includes the Library resources, Virtual Machines and Services that are deployed to the cloud. In this module you will learn some of the key concepts in Cloud computing. You will also learn how to create and manage a Private Cloud in Virtual Machine Manager including how resources, capacity and capability are configured for the cloud. Finally, you will learn how access to the Private Cloud and its associated resources is configured.

Introduction to Clouds

Creating and Managing a Private Cloud in Virtual Machine Manager

Working with User Roles in Virtual Machine Manager

Creating Private Clouds using the Virtual Machine Manager Console

Creating Private Clouds using PowerShell

Creating User Roles

Assigning Permissions to Users

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the key concepts in Cloud Computing.

Create and manage Clouds in Virtual Machine Manager.

Create and configure User Roles in Virtual Machine Manager.

The Virtual Machine Manager Library provides access to file-based resources such as sysprep images, virtual hard disks and ISO files. This makes provisioning Virtual Machines and Services much quicker and easier as the Library acts as a catalog of resources that are available at all times. It is important that you understand how to configure and manage the Virtual Machine Manager Library especially when you have multiple Library servers in your environment. In this module you will learn about the Virtual Machine Manager Library structure and how Libraries are synchronized. You will also learn about equivalence objects with the Library and how library objects can be tagged and versioned.

Overview of the Virtual Machine Manager Library

Managing Libraries

Adding Library Shares to VMM and enabling Data Deduplication

Adding an additional Library Server to VMM and configuring synchronization

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the Virtual Machine Manager Library.

Configure and manager the Virtual Machine Manager Library.

There are a number of methods that can be used to prepare an Operating System for deployment in Virtual Machine Manager. For example, you can use Sysprep to prepare an Operating System which then generalizes the image so that it can be re-used indefinitely. You can also use a Windows Imaging Format (WIM) file to create a .VHD. It is important that you understand the various methods in which an Operating System can be prepared for deployment so that you can use the best method for your environment. In this module you will learn how to use Sysprep and WIM to prepare Operating System images for deployment with Virtual Machine Manager. You will also learn the architecture of virtual machines in relation to physical computers including how application settings are affected in a virtualized environment. Finally, you will learn about the preparations that must be performed when deploying bare-metal Hyper-V Hosts and Scale-out File Servers.

Preparing a Windows Operating System

Virtual Machine Architecture

Preparations required for Bare Metal deployments of Hyper-V and Scale-out File Servers

Using Sysprep

Using WIM

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Prepare a Windows Operating System for deployment in Virtual Machine Manager.

Understand Virtual Machine Architecture.

Prepare for a bare-metal deployment of Hyper-V and Sale-out File Server.

Templates in Virtual Machine Manager provide a method of standardizing the deployment of Virtual Machines and Services thereby saving time and ensuring that when deploying them, they are configured appropriately. When creating a Virtual Machine or Service Template there are many properties that can be configured such as the hardware, Operating System and applications that will be deployed, so it is important that you understand how these properties are configured. In addition, when creating Virtual Machine Templates you can also apply Hardware, Guest OS and Application Profiles which can be used to apply standard settings for Virtual Machines and Services deployed with Virtual Machine Manager. In this module you will learn how to configure Virtual Machine and Service Templates. You will also learn how to create hardware and Guest OS Profiles to help standardize the deployment of Virtual Machines and Services. You will also learn how to configure, deploy and update Service Templates including how Service Templates are used in the real world.

Overview of Virtual Machine Templates

Overview of Service Template Templates

Creating Profiles

Creating a Virtual Machine Template

Creating a Service Template

Importing, configuring and deploying a Service Template

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Configure Virtual Machine Templates.

Configure Service Templates.

Virtual Machine Manager, as with other System Center components can be integrated with other components to provide additional features and manageability. For example when Virtual Machine Manager is integrated with Operations Manager you can monitor the Virtual Machine Manager environment and be alerted when Operations Manager detects problems such as a pending hard disk failure in the Virtual Machine Manager fabric. By integrating Virtual Machine Manager with Orchestrator you can also automate tasks in Virtual Machine Manager such as deploying a Virtual Machine or a Service. In this module you will learn how integration between Virtual Machine Manager and Operations Manager is configured and what benefits this brings. You will also learn how integration between Virtual Machine Manager and Orchestrator is configured including the benefits this brings.

Monitoring the Virtual Machine Manager environment with Operations Manager

Automation with Orchestrator

Using Operations Manager to detect memory utilization issues

Changing the Alert Resolution State in Operations Manager and confirming that Orchestrator has increased available memory on the Virtual Machine

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Monitor the Virtual Machine Manager environment with Operations Manager.

Automate the Virtual Machine Manager environment with Orchestrator.

Windows Azure Pack is a no-cost Azure solution for the datacenter. By using Windows Azure Pack and Virtual Machine Manager you can offer cloud-based services such as Virtual Machine Clouds, Web Site Clouds and SQL Server databases from a secure Self-Service environment hosted in your datacenter. In this module you will learn about the key features of Windows Azure Pack including its architecture and the Tenant and Administrator Portals that provide access to the Windows Azure Pack features. You will also learn about the various deployment methods for Windows Azure Pack including how to perform an express deployment. Finally, you will learn how to configure VM Clouds, User Accounts and Plans in Windows Azure Pack so that you can offer Self-Service Virtual Machine provisioning.

Overview of Windows Azure Pack

Deploying Windows Azure Pack

Configuring Windows Azure Pack

Windows Azure Pack Tenant Experience

Initial WAP Configuration

Configuring Windows Azure Pack

Configuring a Virtual Machine Cloud

Configuring User Accounts

Configuring Plans and Resources

Deploying a Virtual Machine

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe Windows Azure Pack.

Perform an Express deployment of Windows Azure Pack.

Configure Windows Azure Pack.

As with most business critical applications and services, a disaster recovery solution is key to ensure applications and services are available at all times. This is also the case in a virtualized environment. Microsoft Azure Site Recovery provides a service that can be used to orchestrate the replication, failover and recovery of an on-premise Virtual Machine Manager environment to another on-premise Virtual Machine Manager environment such as a disaster recovery site. In addition Azure Site Recovery can be used to replicate the Virtual Machine Manager environment to Azure. In this module you will learn how to configure Azure Site Recovery to provide protection for the Virtual Machine Manager environment including how it can be integrated with Windows Azure Pack to provide disaster recovery for IaaS workloads.

Overview of Azure Site Recovery

Configuring and using Azure Site Recovery

Preparing for Azure Site Recovery (video)

Protecting Virtual Machines with Azure Site Recovery (video)

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Understand Azure Site Recovery.

Configure Azure Site Recovery.