Note: This article applies equally to the server-side and client-side hypervisor.  Although some scenarios may not apply to older versions, the technical steps apply to all versions of Hyper-V released to date. A virtual machine in Hyper-V consists of a few files that account for its virtual hardware configuration and the virtual storage (VHD and VHDX files).  By default the virtual machine...

So Windows Server 2012 has launched, and you are all running out this month to upgrade all of your production servers immediately to that platform.  Hoorray! Ok, so maybe some of you are going to migrate over time, as compatibility tests are completed, as compliance mandates are written, as time permits, and even as your older servers warranties/leases/lifecycles expire.  That’s fine. ...

In response to Ruth’s recent article on the Windows Server 2012 Canadian Launch Tour and IT Camp Events, Brian asked ‘So for us small town folks is there going to be a self paced Camp?’  This is a very common question, and we decided it deserved more than a quick response. Let me start by saying that Ruth and I would love to come out to see every one of you.  However we have to balance that...

This is a really exciting season for IT Pros across Canada.  Last week Microsoft released Windows Server 2012 to the public, and on October 26th they will release Windows 8.  As an IT Pro you are going to want to test these out, whether that be in your own environment at home or at the office, or at an IT Camp or install fest like the ones we are holding in cities across the country. Although...

Many of you have been with us since TechDays kicked off in Canada in the fall of 2008. We’ve been fortunate to have you as a guest or a presenter in the past - many of you several times over. For those of you that haven’t been a part of TechDays, it was Microsoft Canada’s fall technical readiness conference providing technical professionals (developers and IT professionals) in various...

Jeff Woolsey, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft for Windows Server answers the question: Can USB devices (like smart cards and storage devices) be accessed within a Hyper-V virtual machine? The answer is “Yes” and here are two possible scenarios: Scenario #1 (Primary): Centralized Desktop (VDI) Deployment In this scenario, an end user logs into virtual machine which is running in a locked datacenter...

While there are many Microsoft product launches happening this year, this one is near and dear to my heart. I first started working with Windows servers back in the days of the Windows New Technology server, or NT, as I’m sure some of you reading did as well. We’ve come a long way, baby! This latest version of Windows Server is impressive in it’s scalability. Throughout the development cycle, boundaries...

My colleague Damir has written about this topic before on this blog, but I thought it warranted another post so here it is. You see, with past iterations of the Microsoft Windows Server operating system, there were always a number of things to contemplate before selecting which version to purchase – workload, growth potential, features needed, etc. However, with Windows Server 2012 your selection...

Looking for IT Camp registration links? We've created an updated post you should visit: IT Camps... come pitch your tent with Windows Server 2012! With Windows Server 2012 becoming generally available September 4, we want to make sure you get some hands on experience with this latest server offering. With new advances in virtualization, networking, storage and automation among other things, there...

Today the new logo for our company was unveiled and I must say that I like what I see. Clean lines, more modern but friendly. Nice! Old logo: New logo: What do you think?

Another great email came across my desk from Jeff Woolsey, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft for Windows Server, along with Yoganand Rajasekaran, one of our development team members and Ben Armstrong, the Virtual PC guy . This time the discussion is regarding access to other customer’s data across a multitenant system by an attacker. Here’s what they had to say… ------------------------------...

I saw this in my inbox from Jeff Woolsey and thought I’d share. Jeff is a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft for Windows Server and Cloud and the leading expert on Virtualization and Private Cloud within the company. We get questions all the time about the security of Hyper-V and Windows products in general and I love Jeff’s answer. -------------------------------------------...

During the summer months, I always try to catch up on my must read list. These are books that are perfect to read at the cottage on long weekends, when I’m off on vacation, or even when I’m travelling for work. For the work you do, it’s a little different; you’re probably not itching to bring that new SharePoint eBook with you on vacation (or maybe you are), but it is something...

It's a pretty exciting time at Microsoft. We have a lot of new products that have just been released and others that are coming out soon. Based on what I've seen and gotten my hands on so far, I think those of you that work with Infrastructure (whether you're planning to virtualize or extend your virtualization into a private cloud) will find a lot of this interesting, if not, dare I say..... cool...

  Recently I sent out a call to MVPs across the country to share some of the interesting things they are doing with the broader IT Pro community across the country.  One of the folks that responded is Sean Wallbridge , a Microsoft SharePoint MVP from Victoria, BC.  In this post Sean shares with you the process of creating a blog in SharePoint as well as how his organization uses it as...

Summer is a great time of year. The weather is nice, the sun shines, there’s no snow to shovel or try to drive through. It’s also a time of year when the traffic on the roads gets a little lighter and the office is a less busy. You might even get the chance to leave a few hours early on a Friday and beat traffic getting to the cottage. During this time, if you’re still trekking...

It’s never easy keeping up with all the latest technologies but at least the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) helps. If you haven’t checked it out already, it’s a free training portal which allows you to get up to speed on the latest Microsoft technologies all at your own pace. And great news…here are 7 new courses to help you get up to speed on the Microsoft Private Cloud: 1. Introduction to the Microsoft...

Today, we announced which Windows Server 2012 editions will be available and the pricing for each – at least US pricing at for now.  I was going to do a big blog post on it, but someone else already put together a great one , so why re-invent the wheel.  In short, there are 4 editions on Windows Server 2012 (Foundation, Essentials, Standard & Datacenter) as show in this diagram: One really...

One of the exciting developments at the re-introduction of the MCSE designation was the announcement of an MCSE: Private Cloud certification.  Holders of this certification have proven that they have the skills to deploy and manage a Private Cloud infrastructure based on Microsoft platform technologies.  In the delivery of the Private Cloud IT Camps and Windows Server 2012 Install Camps ...

Mitch Garvis is always good for sharing his experiences when making the leap into new technologies.  As I blogged about a couple of months ago, some IT Pros that I spoke to experiences a bit of a learning curve with the new Windows 8 Metro user interface.  My experience after moving my primary computer to Windows 8 was the topic of the blog post referenced earlier .  Here is Mitch’s...

When delivering IT Camps over the last several months, both Ruth and I have always said that one of the best next steps in your journey of professional growth is to get or update your certification on Microsoft-based technologies.  With the recent re-introduction of the MCSE designation, a number of you have asked for some more information on the new certifications (MCSA, MCSE, & MCSM), differences...

We’ve been operating this blog for several years now and something has become clear to us. This platform is great at having a one way conversation. We have some interesting, cool or compelling information we’d like to share with you, so we do. We get a few comments, but usually they’re directed to us and we respond to them, not something that really brings the rest of you into the...

Many individuals who attended the IT Virtualization Boot Camp or Private Cloud Boot Camp in the last few months have asked how we set up the systems and how we are able to reset computers back to a pre-Camp state to take to the next event.  The actual reset process is a simple XCOPY of the pre-Camp VMs and boot files over the ones that IT Pros worked with during the camps.  A key piece of...

April 8, 2014 . No it’s not the predicted end of the world, thought it may seem that way for some. It’s the end of support for Windows XP SP3. Windows XP has been a great Operating System and feedback I get is that it’s stable and who doesn’t like stable. In fact, I remember my first Windows XP PC. I was just heading back for another year of University and I couldn’t...

Yesterday, Microsoft announced previews of new Windows Azure services that help developers build applications that connect data to users across public and private clouds, take advantage of VHDs and deploy scalable websites quickly and cheaply.  With this release, I am confident that many IT Professionals will want to take a look at the new functionality and think about how to integrate them into...