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In this post I’ll talk you through how I have created a Hyper-V Failover Cluster on my single laptop. To build a Failover Cluster you need a SAN.  I use the Microsoft iSCSI target software that ships with Windows Storage Server.  Being a Microsoft employee I have access to the bits, so I have...

There’s been a “small” issue with licensing around Hyper-V for a while and because of all the complaints we’ve received we have actually changed our licensing. The issue was this: I’m a Windows Server 2003 shop and want to virtualise onto Hyper-V.  Because Hyper-V is a role of Windows Server 2008...

It turns out that how I built my demo laptop is generating a bit of interest.  These posts have become the “how to” pointers for creating a Proof of Concept for Microsoft Virtualisation and Management solutions. So to start.  My laptop is a dual core, 64-bit device with 8GB of memory. ...

This post describes the best/easiest method to configure and manage Server Core. There are numerous posts and articles explaining how to enable a particular feature on Server Core and there are even more on how to configure Server Core so that it can be managed remotely.  Well, this is the best...

I've been talking to a few people recently who are using Windows Server 2008 as a workstation. Some of their comments are along the lines of: "Server 2008 has the same code base as Vista SP1, how come it feels quicker?". Interestingly there doesn't seem to be a good answer (yet). I've been shown a...

Thanks to all those who attended Tuesday night's user group meeting . Apologies for going on a bit (I was only supposed to take half an hour or so - not the whole hour)! Aidan has posted the slides we used here . Some of my demos are here . Well - just the clustering Hyper-V ones. The hotfix...

The Windows Server 2008 User Group - Ireland will be running an event on Microsoft Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 on the 2nd of September at 7pm in the evening (beer might follow).  The location is Buswells hotel in the city centre.  The event is free to all User Group Members. You...

There's been a lot of talk recently about our new "Windows Server 2008 Workstation" (Windows Server 2008 with the Desktop Experience features switched on - plus a bunch of hacks). There's been suggestions that it out-performs Vista - I'm not going to enter that can of worms, but I can see a need to run...

Larry Doyle from Netforce in Dublin has been deploying Hyper-V. This is worth sharing: "Windows Server 2008 is an awesome product and I am super excited about it! I have been testing Windows Server 2008 since beta release and implemented the eagerly anticipated Hyper-V on our test network as...

Anytime I do a demo that requires a SAN, I use the Microsoft iSCSI Target software.  I'm lucky, I get to install it onto my demo machines.  If you want it, you need to ask your OEM (the one that sold you your Windows Storage Server) - it's just an add-on. I'm frequently asked how I use it and...

Eduardo Shanahan from Customer Minds Ltd has deployed his new application on Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V. "Our application was developed from the start with Visual Studio 2008, and the sole existence of LINQ saved me months of work. Now that the first version is ready, we went in production...

I know Carmel Gunn from Prodata pretty well by now, I was asking her how she's been getting on with Windows Server 2008 - she had this to say: “We saw the demonstrations of Windows Server 2008 and clustering at the community previews and at the launch. It was hard to believe, so we put it into...

I've been working with Willie O’ Connor (Computer Science Dept, Trinity College Dublin) for ages now.  I was asking him about his plans to deploy Windows Server 2008 - he had this to say: "Windows Server 2008 is a great product. We’ve been testing Server 2008 since Beta 1 and we...

I just had to share this quote with you. I've been working with Edouard MELLY from Hewlett Packard for a good long while now, and in my quest to find great local references I came across this from Edouard: "I've been in charge of 2008 training for HP, and I've tested a lot the new virtualization...

I've been working with Gavin Fitzpatrick from Meath County Council for over a year now (he is one of the few people who attended every single one of my Longhorn Academy sessions).  As you might be able to tell, I'm on a mission to get local people to talk about their personal experiences with Windows...

I've been working with Michael Maher (a Principal Infrastructure Specialist working for O 2 Ireland) for over a year now.  I figured he must be getting close to deploying Windows Server 2008 by now, so I asked him how he was getting on.  He had this to say: "There are many powerful new...

I've been working with  Barry O'Sullivan on and off since last May (wow it's been that long).  I was asking him the other day how he was getting on with Windows Server 2008 (had he been putting everything I taught him to good use)?  He had this to say: "Over the past 9 months I've...

I've been doing quite a few talks on Hyper-V recently - which if you know me, means a couple of PowerPoint slides and a load of demos. I've finally gotten around to encoding my demos - so here they are: First (just so you know there's no smoke and mirrors), I build the cluster: Click to start, double...

I've been working with Ian Brennan, a Web Solutions Architect working for ammado.com since last May.  I was asking him how he's getting on with Windows Server 2008 the other day.  He had this to say: "At ammado.com, we’ve been learning about Windows Server 2008 for the last year...

We've just released updates to both Virtual Server and Virtual PC to give better support for Windows Server 2008 (and Vista SP1 and XP SP3). If you're running either solution, I'd recommend you upgrade to the latest.   Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 with KB948515.msp New Host Support Windows 2008 (Core...

I've been working with Shane McDonald, from Irish Cement Ltd on and off for nearly a year. I was asking him how he's been getting along with Windows Server 2008 the other day. He had this to say: “I had high hopes for Windows Server 2008, and after three months running the OS in a test environment...

I've been working with Mark Miley (Senior EMEA EEC Vitality Technical Trainer) from Dell for the last while, and was asking him how he's been getting on with Windows Server 2008.  He had this to say: “In my 6 months experience of training and deploying Windows 2008 across a number of Enterprises...

  I've been working with Ian Smith (IT Infrastructure) from O2 in Ireland for a year now - he attended all eight of my Longhorn Academy sessions (which were deep-dive technical sessions going into the workings of Windows Server 2008).  Ian is evaluating Windows Server 2008 for use inside O2...

I was catching up with Phil Rickard, the Network Administrator for Moy Park the other day - he attended some Windows Server 2008 training I ran last year. Basically, I was seeing how he was getting on with the new OS. He had this to say: "After attending the Longhorn Academy in Dublin, I came away...

I was chatting to Rob Davies, the Technical Director of CDSoft Limited the other day - he attended some Windows Server 2008 training I ran last year.  Basically, I was seeing how he was getting on with the new OS.  He had this to say: "CDsoft have been using Server 2008 for the last 7...