Free Ebook: Microsoft System Center Deploying Hyper-V with Software-Defined Storage & Networking

Microsoft has released a great free Ebook of how to Deploy Hyper-V with Software-Defined Storage & Networking (SDN). In this Ebook you’ll learn all the basics of Software Defined Datacenter and how to use it in real life!

You can download this Ebook here: Microsoft System Center Deploying Hyper-V with Software-Defined Storage & Networking

deploy-hyperv-with-sdn-ebook (2)

 

Enabling Data Deduplication in Windows 8.1

When you do a lot of deployments whitin your Windows 8.1 Client Hyper-V machine, the disk space is getting more and more. Because I’ve only one SSD drive of 250 GB, the free space becomes critical. I’ve got to find a way to reduce it. I read a few blogs and found a solution which is the dedup. But data deduplication is not available whitin Windows 8.1.

This method is not officially supported by Microsoft ,however found a way to save my disk space.

This method requires the CAB files from the Windows Server 2012 R2.  Either you can get those files from a Windows Server 2012 R2 or you can download the files from my OneDrive here.
The files are as follow :
• Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384.cab
• Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384.cab
• Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384.cab
• Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384.cab
• Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384.cab
• Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384.cab

I downloaded the files to a folder as below and installed all the CAB files:

DataDedup_02    DataDedup_01

Next step is to install the CAD files on your Windows 8.1 machine. I’ve used DISM to install these files.

DataDedup_03    DataDedup_04

After you’ve succesfully installed the CAB files, you’re able to install the “Data Deduplication” role. I’ve also used DISM (see screenshot below).

DataDedup_05    DataDedup_06    DataDedup_07

The next step is to enable Data Deduplication on the volume or volumes. First I’ve readthe current free space on my E: drive. After enabling Data Deduplication on this volume, I’ve manually started the Data Dedup task.

DataDedup_08    DataDedup_09    DataDedup_10

DataDedup_11    DataDedup_12    DataDedup_13

DataDedup_14

But after enabling Data Depuplication and running the Dedup Job, there’s nothing happening!! Why?? Because the minimumFileAgeDays is 3 and my files on the hard drives are 2 days old 🙂 So I’ve added the MinimumFileAgeDays to 0 (zero days). After running the Dedup Job again, let’s have a look on the current free space!! Dedup is doing his job!!! 🙂 Cool!

DataDedup_15    DataDedup_16    DataDedup_17

DataDedup_18    DataDedup_19    DataDedup_20

DataDedup_21    DataDedup_22

The final screenshot are the commands I’ve used to configure this in my lab environment. Once again, this method is not officially supported by Microsoft.It’s a great way to save some disk space on your expensive SSD hard drive! Now you can deploy more virtual machines on the same hard drive, so happy automation and deployment!! 🙂

Update Rollup 3 available for System Center 2012 R2

This week Microsoft has released Update Rollup 3 for System Center 2012 R2. This Update Rollup pack contains a lot of fixes for all the different products in the System Center 2012 R2 Suite! For alle the specific products, view the URL’s below.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2965090

Don’t forget to run the SQL script for System Center Virtual Machine Manager when you install Update Rollup 3.

 

How to: Find MAC addresses using PowerShell

Today I had to install a new System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 environment. One of the features this customer is going to use is OS Deployment. In this environment we are using the Build & Capture task sequence voor deploying a Master Image of Windows 8.1. The Master Images will be deployed in Hyper-V. One of the important steps is to import the “Master VM” into the ConfigMgr database. Two things you’ve to know are….PC name and the MAC address. With this PowerShell command you can find all the MAC addresses very easy!

1.) Open Microsoft PowerShell on your Hyper-V server
2.) First list all the VM’s
Get-VM
3.) List the name of the VM, MAC address, Virtual Switch name and IP address

get-vm -Name SC2012R2-PC0002 | select -ExpandProperty networkadapters | select vmname, macaddress, switchname, ipaddresses

4.) Import the VM into ConfigMgr

 

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How to: Install Update 1 for System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2

A couple of weeks ago Microsoft has released Update 1 for System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2. This update requires a extra step to succesfully upgrade your SCVMM invironment. You have to install the MSI and you have to run a SQL script.

1.) First download the files and the SQL script.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2904712
2.) Check the version of your VMM environment
3.) Install the update on your VMM server
4.) Open the SQL Management Studio
5.) Select the database of VMM and open a new query
6.) Copy and paste the SQL script in the query
7.) Select “Execute
8.) Check the new version of your VMM invironment.
9.) Now your VMM 2012 R2 environment is succesfully upgraded with Update 1

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