UPDATE: At the end of this step-by-step article, I've also included a downloadable lab guide and a 130-line PowerShell script for initial provisioning. The PowerShell script helps to reduce the initial configuration time by automating the provisioning of a new Windows Azure Storage account, Virtual Network...

Mitch Garvis , a veteran trainer, consultant, Microsoft MVP and VMware VCP, has published a thorough independent analysis of his thoughts concerning Hyper-V 3.0 in Windows Server 2012 vs VMware ESXi 5.1. If you are currently evaluating Datacenter Virtualization and Private Cloud solutions for your IT...

Backup strategy options: quick backups, easy restores or lotsa $$$ - choose only ONE. That's the rules we've lived by all these years as IT Pros. We can either choose a path using incremental backup that gives us quick backup times, or a path using full backups that gives us easy restores. We can never...

After-hours computer patch and software update management can be tricky , particularly if you have users in your environment who never logoff from their PCs! Below, I've included a PowerShell script that I've used in the past to forcibly logoff and restart PC's when outside of the allowed logon hours...

Lot's of interest at our IT Camp Events on using Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 with Hyper-V Server Virtualization. Here's the key take-aways: The Hyper-V server virtualization role is not available on Small Business Server 2011 Essentials or Standard Editions The Small Business Server...

You've built your Hyper-V lab environment at our IT Camp events … now it's time to put that lab environment to good use so that you can take advantage of those cool Server 2008 R2 features like Managed Service Accounts , Active Directory Recycle Bin , Offline Domain Join and Hyper-V Live Migration...