Jonathan's Virtual Blog : Hyper-V

Recommended hotfixes for System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008

Jonathan — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:59:00 GMT

Here it is. We have a new KB that details updates and hotfixes required for SCVMM, Hyper-V and Clustering. Read the article here.

I've commented on the hotfixes inline below, providing a Support Engineer's perspective.

________________________________________________

Required hotfixes for Hyper-V servers

Install these. No question.

956589 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956589/ ) Description of the Hyper-V update for issues that may occur when you manage the Hyper-V role on the 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2008 by using SCVMM
956774 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956774/ ) A Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) client cannot handle files that have paths that contain the volume GUID in Windows Server 2008 or in Windows Vista
950050 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;950050/ ) Description of the update for the release version of the Hyper-V technology for Windows Server 2008

Note If these hotfixes are missing from a Hyper-V server, the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Admin Console lists the server status as Needs Attention. Hotfix 956774 should be installed on the Hyper-V servers and on System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Server.

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Recommended hotfixes for System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Server

I would change this from 'Recommended' to 'Required' based on experience.

958124 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958124/ ) A wmiprvse.exe process may leak memory when a WMI notification query is used heavily on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista-based computer
954563 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954563/ ) Memory corruption may occur with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1
955805 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955805/ ) Certain applications become very slow on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista S955805-based computer when a certificate with SIA extension is installed
959596 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/959596/ ) Description of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 update to address physical to virtual (P2V) issues

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Recommended hotfixes for the Hyper-V servers

Install ALL hotfixes on ALL Hyper-V servers, whether SCVMM is involved or not. This is more than a recommendation based on cases I have worked.

957967 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957967/ ) Stop error message on a Windows Server 2008-based computer that has the Hyper-V role installed: "STOP 0x0000001A"
958124 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958124/ ) A wmiprvse.exe process may leak memory when a WMI notification query is used heavily on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista-based computer
954563 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954563/ ) Memory corruption may occur with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1
955805 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955805/ ) Certain applications become very slow on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista S955805-based computer when a certificate with SIA extension is installed

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Recommended hotfixes for Hyper-V failover clusters

957311 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957311/ ) Recommended hotfixes for Windows Server 2008-based server clusters

How to Troubleshoot Host Status - Quick Table

Jonathan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:18:00 GMT

From the Microsoft TechNet SCVMM TechCenter

Article URL: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb740860.aspx

(Don't forget the VMMCA tool. This should always be top in your troubleshooting list. More info here.)

The table below works as a quick reference for why you may be experiencing connectivity issues. This will at least get you off and running in the right troubleshooting direction!

You can use Host Properties dialog box to check the overall status of a host, the status of the agent that is installed on the host, and the status of the virtualization software that is installed on the host. These are important indicators of the operational state of a host. Should a host status indicate a need for attention, see the Troubleshooting Guide for System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83589 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83589 ] ).

Note

The host status values do not change in the VMM Administrator Console until the VMM server performs a refresh.

The following table describes the host status types and values.

Status Type

Status Value and Definition

Overall host status

· OK—no issues exist with any host status.

· Needs Attention—a problem exists with one or more host statuses.

Agent connection status

· Responding—the VMM server is able to communicate with the agent.

· Not Responding—the VMM server is unable to communicate with the agent.

· Access Denied—the agent is no longer associated with the VMM server.

Agent version status

· Current—the version of the agent is up to date.

· Needs update—the version of the agent must be upgraded to match the version of VMM server.

· Unsupported—the version of the agent is not supported for any VMM functions.

Virtual Server service status

· Running—the Virtual Server service is started.

· Stopped—the Virtual Server service is stopped.

Virtual Server version status

· Current—the version of Virtual Server is up to date.

· Needs update—the version of Virtual Server needs to be upgraded.

· Unsupported—the version of Virtual Server is not supported for any VMM functions.

To view the status values of a host

1. In Hosts view, navigate to the host group that contains the host, and then, in the results pane, double-click the host.

2. In the Host Properties dialog box, click the Status tab.

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Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions - eBook download (did I mention FREE?)

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:54:00 GMT

I found this link on ‘Keith Combs' Blahg.’ Written by Mitch Tulloch with the Microsoft Virtualization team, this is THE reference for all things virtual: Hyper-V, SCVMM, App-V, Med-V, and USMT. Download and read today!

http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2008/12/19/thanks-for-attending-the-usa-virtualization-tour-ebook-download.aspx

Direct download link:

https://www.getvirtualnow.com/usevents/education/download/693371eBook.pdf

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Contributing Engineer: SCVMM 2008 Installation. Step-by-Step

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:47:00 GMT

Mike Briggs put this article together for one of his customers who was having a bit of difficulty installing SCVMM correctly. The SCVMM install process is well designed and easy to follow, but it helps if you read the directions... Needless to say, some people have a hard time putting on the brakes and reading the few pre-requisites required. I suggest you use this document as a reference point and mark it up for your own internal use. The professional formatting of this document took a bit of a beating when converted to HTML below, so download the attachment for use.

Download: Installing SCVMM 2008: Step-by-Step

Send all appreciation to Mike.

mbriggs@microsoft.com

___________________________________________

Installation Prerequisites

The following section discusses the hardware, Operating System, Software and Infrastructure Prerequisites to be considered before installing System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

Prerequisites are also provided for the individually installable SCVMM Components, VMM Server, Administrator Console, Self-Service Portal.

Hardware Requirements

Hardware Prerequisites are classified by the number of hosts and the associated virtual machines that will be managed by the SCVMM server.

The following table contains recommended and minimum requirements for managing up to 150 hosts.

Hardware Component	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	Pentium 4, 2 GHz (x64)	Dual-Processor, Dual-Core, 3.2 GHz (x64) or greater
RAM	2 GB	4 GB
Hard disk space (remote DB)	10 GB	40 GB
Hard disk space (local DB)	4 GB	SQL Server 2005 Express DB limit is 4 GB
Hard disk space (Library Server)	120 GB	120 GB

Operating System Prerequisites

SCVMM 2008 will install only on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (x64) edition.

Additional Software Prerequisites

Software Requirement	Notes
Windows Remote Management (WinRM)	Included with Windows Server 2008 and service is set to start automatically.
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0	Included with Windows Server 2008 as a server feature. If not installed, it is installed as part of the setup process.
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0	Required for Administrator Console and Self-Service Portal functionality on supported operating systems *other than Windows Server 2008.*
Windows PowerShell 1.0	Included with Windows Server 2008 as a server feature. PowerShell is required for the Administrator console and Self-Service Portal. If not installed, it is installed as part of the setup process.
Windows Server Internet Information Services (IIS)	Required for Self-Service portal. Must install the Web Server Role in Windows Server 2008 including IIS 6 Management Compatibility.
Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) 1.1	If not installed, it is installed as part of the setup process.

If you are using the same server for both the VMM server and the database server, you must install a supported version of Microsoft SQL Server 2005.

Note: For better performance, when managing a large number of hosts (> 150), it is recommended a separate machine be used to host the VMM database.

Note: If the default port (80) for the VMM Self-Service Portal is used by another Web site, you must either use a different dedicated port or specify a host header for the portal.

SCVMM 2008 Pre-Installation

Pre-Installation

The installation process for SCVMM begins with the following interface:

In addition to reviewing information about the product and connecting to the SCVMM website, we can run the VMM Configuration Analyzer prior to actually beginning the setup process. The configuration analyzer examines the server that will be hosting the Virtual Machine Manager function. The VMM configuration Analyzer is not included with the product and must be downloaded from the Microsoft public download site.

The Virtual Machine Manager Configuration Analyzer has a pre-requisite that must be installed first - the Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer. This is mentioned on the download page for the Analyzer package, and a link is provided for the download.

Once the analyzer is installed, it can be used to scan computers to verify if they are suitable to function as a VMM Server, run the VMM Administrator console, function as a Self-Service Portal or be a Managed Host.

Note: Be sure to run the analyzer in the context of an account that has administrative permissions to all machines that are being scanned.

After the scan completes, a report is opened in Internet Explorer documenting the results of the scan.

The Configuration Analyzer can be downloaded from here.

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Configuration Analyzer

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=02d83950-c03d-454e-803b-96d1c1d5be24&DisplayLang=en

Installing Virtual Machine Manager Server

Installation Steps:

1. Select VMM Server under SETUP on the main screen.

Note: When you install the VMM server, only the domain account that you are logged on with is automatically added to the VMM Administrator user role.

2. Accept the license.

3. Join the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).

4. Enter Product Registration information.

5. Execute the Prerequisites Check and make sure it completes successfully. If not, correct the problems and re-run the check.

6. Select an Installation location on the local machine.

7. Configure SQL Server settings.

8. Create a new library share on the VMM server or select a pre-configured share. As a 'best practice', you may want to consider using another volume on the VMM Server for better performance and storage capacity.

9. After setup is complete, you cannot remove or relocate the default library share, so give careful consideration to its location before installing the VMM server. You can specify an existing share on the VMM Server in place of the default location; however it must reside on the VMM Server. Additional Library Shares and Servers can be added in the future.

10. Specify ports to support SCVMM communications and designate a domain account to use for the VMM Service Account (Default is to use local system). If the Self- Service portal is being hosted on the VMM server, Port 80 will already be taken by the Default Website. You will either need to change the port in IIS Services Manager or set a different one for VMM communications.

11. Specify Local system or a domain account to use for the VMM Service Account (Default is to use local system).

12. Verify all the selections before selecting Install

13. Provided no issues are encountered, the install will complete and you will be able to check for Virtual Machine updates on the Microsoft website.

Note: When you install the VMM server, all accounts in the local Administrators security group are automatically added to the VMM Administrator user role.

VMM Administration Console

For ease of administration it is recommended that you install a Virtual Machine Manager Administrator Console on the same computer as the SCVMM server. You can install additional VMM Administrator Consoles on other computers to remotely access and manage the SCVMM server. When you install the VMM Administrator Console, the Setup Wizard also installs Windows PowerShell — Virtual Machine Manager Command shell. Additionally, if installing the VMM Administrator Console on another supported platform the .NET Framework version 2.0 is required.

If you plan to use the reporting feature of VMM, you must install a VMM Administrator Console on the same computer as the VMM server. The reporting feature of VMM relies upon System Center Operations Manager 2007 (OpsMgr), and for OpsMgr administrators to perform tasks on hosts and virtual machines from within the Server Virtualization Management Pack requires that the Windows PowerShell — Virtual Machine Manager command shell be installed on the VMM server.

Installation Steps:

1. In the setup menu select Administrator Console

2. Accept the License Terms

3. Review customer Experience Improvement program (CEIP) information

4. Execute the Prerequisites Check and make sure it completes successfully. If not, correct the problems and re-run the check.

5. Select an Installation location on the local machine.

6. Verify the Port Assignment.

The default port is 8100.

7. Verify all the selections before selecting Install.

Provided no issues are encountered, the install will complete and you will be able to check for Virtual Machine updates on the Microsoft website.

9. By default, a shortcut to the VMM Administrator Console will be placed on the desktop. Double-click on the shortcut and verify the Administrator console does open.

10. The first time you open the VMM Administrator Console, the Connect to Server dialog box opens. In the Connect to Server dialog box, do one of the following:

· If you installed the VMM Administrator Console on the same computer as the VMM server, click Connect to connect to the local VMM server (localhost) using the port that you assigned during the installation of the VMM server.

· If you want to use the VMM Administrator Console to connect to the VMM server on the different computer, in the Server name box, type the name of the computer where the VMM server is installed, followed by a colon and the port that you assigned during the installation of the VMM server.

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Updates! Updates! SCVMM, Hyper-V, Cluster

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:23:00 GMT

There are many updates for SCVMM and Hyper-V. Some are required just following product install, others are provided to offer greater functionality. Some updates/hotfixes address issues that may constitute a headache for you down the road. I'll list everything I know and provide recommendations. This post will change over time as new updates and issues arise. If you find a hotfix or update that you think should be posted here, please let me know. Include the environment conditions (Windows version, etc) and what the update addresses. Here's to being proactive!

Article Ratings

A – Required by product to operate correctly

B – Resolves known issues

C – Adds Functionality

JJ – Get it. This is on my short list when working with customers.

A – SCVMM – Hyper-V

956589 Description of the Hyper-V update for issues that may occur when you manage the Hyper-V role on the 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2008 by using SCVMM

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;956589

A – SCVMM | BITS

956774 A Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) client cannot handle files that have paths that contain the volume GUID in Windows Server 2008 or in Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;956774

B – JJ – SCVMM | WMI

958124 A wmiprvse.exe process may leak memory when a WMI notification query is used heavily on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista-based computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;958124

B – JJ – SCVMM | WMI

954563 Memory corruption may occur with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;954563

B – JJ – SCVMM - WMI

955805 Certain applications become very slow on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista SP1-based computer when a certificate with SIA extension is installed

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;955805

B – JJ – SCVMM | P2V

959596 Description of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 update to address physical to virtual (P2V) issues

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;959596

B – JJ – Hyper-V | VSS

956697 Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V VSS writer is not used during a backup job because of corrupted or invalid virtual machine configuration files

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;956697

B – Hyper-V | VSS

959978 Error message when you back up a Windows Server 2003-based virtual machine on a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V-based computer: "GetWriterStatus FAILED for Selected writer [Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer], writer is in state [9] [VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_FREEZE]"

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;959978

B – Hyper-V |SCVMM

957967 Stop error message on a Windows Server 2008-based computer that has the Hyper-V role installed: "STOP 0x0000001A"

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;957967

B – Cluster | Hyper-V

957311 Recommended hotfixes for Windows Server 2008-based server clusters

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;957311

B – JJ - Hyper-V | Drive Letters

958184 Virtual machine backup operations fail in Windows Server 2008 when Hyper-V virtual machine files are saved on a volume that is mounted on a failover cluster by using a volume GUID

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;958184

B – Hyper-V | Cluster

958065 You cannot configure a Hyper-V virtual machine by using Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering when the virtual machine uses a storage device that is managed by a third-party clustered file system or a third-party replication solution

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;958065

C – Hyper-V | Cluster

951308 Increased functionality and virtual machine control in the Windows Server 2008 Failover Cluster Management console for the Hyper-V role

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;951308

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WMI Errors and SCVMM – If It’s Not Broken, Update It!

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:02:00 GMT

There are many errors that may appear, based on events in SCVMM, to be WMI related. An understandable response would be to troubleshoot WMI. On the other hand, many ‘Access Denied’ errors, while pointing to WMI in no way, are actually the result of WMI issues. Below are a number of error examples that in one way or another are related to WMI. The best way to deal with these errors is divide and conquer. First, determine if WMI itself is responding correctly. By this I mean that we test WMI functionality alone, not in combination with SCVMM which has its own detached namespace. Second, with no fundamental problems found with WMI due to NIC teaming or otherwise, there are three updates that may very well resolve your issue. These should be installed on all Windows 2008 servers that hold SCVMM components. The updates are at the bottom of this post. Good luck!

_____ERRORS_____

SCVMM Admin Console typical errors for Hosts
'Connection Status: Not responding'
'Virtualization service status: unknown"

WMI typical errors
Example #1
Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-WMI
Event ID: 10
Task Category: none
Description:
Event filter with query "select * from __instancemodificationevent within 30 where
targetinstance isa 'Win32_PerfFormattedData_PerfOS_Processor' and
targetinstance.PercentProcessorTime > 99 and targetinstance.Name != '_Total'" could
not be reactivated in namespace "//./root/CIMV2" because of error 0x80041010.
Events cannot be delivered through this filter until the problem is corrected.

Example #2
Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Description:
Faulting application wmiprvse.exe, version 6.0.6001.18000, time stamp 0x4791950f,
faulting module ntdll.dll, version 6.0.6001.18000, time stamp 0x4791adec, exception
code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x000000000003e39c, process id 0x944, application
start time 0x01c95ba1faa603ce.

Jobs list errors in SCVMM Admin Console
Example #1

Error (2911)
Insufficient resources are available to complete this operation on the
server.contoso.com server.
(Not enough storage is available to complete this operation (0x8007000E))
Recommended Action
Ensure that the virtual machine host has sufficient memory and disk space to
perform this action. Try the operation again.

Example #2

Warning (10803)
Unable to refresh \\server.contoso.com\ISOS$\WinPE_X86_with_HyperV_ICs.iso because
the file is in use by another process.
Recommended Action
Wait for the next automatic library refresh, or manually refresh the library share
after the process completes.

Example #3
Error (2912)
An internal error has occurred trying to contact an agent on the server.contoso.com
server.
(No more threads can be created in the system (0x800700A4))
Recommended Action
Ensure the agent is installed and running. Ensure the WS-Management service is
installed and running, then restart the agent.

Example #4
Error (2912)
An internal error has occurred trying to contact an agent on the
ephypv01.constrution.enet server. (The paging file is too small for this operation
to complete (0x800705AF)

_____TEST_____
Verify that various WMI namespaces can be connected to, then update WMI on all involved Windows 2008 machines

Using wbemtest
- Click the 'Start' button
- Start> Run> wbemtest
     - Click 'Connect' and enter 'root\cimv2' then click 'Connect' again. This should not prompt with an error
     - Click 'Connect' and enter 'root\default' then click 'Connect' again. This should not prompt with an error
On a Hyper-V server, this should also work
     - Click 'Connect' and enter 'root\virtualization' then click 'Connect' again. This should not prompt with an error.

On an SCVMM Server (Host) this should also work
- Click 'Connect' and enter 'root\scvmm' then click 'Connect' again. This should not prompt with an error
- Close 'wbemtest'

Using command line
- From an elevated command prompt type 'wmic nic' and press Enter
- This should return information, not an error. If there is an error, and all other tests work, this is likely due to NIC TEAMING. Uninstall all NIC Teaming software, reboot and try again
- From an elevated command prompt type 'wmic diskdrive list brief' and press Enter
- This should return information, not an error

_____UPDATE_____

Install WMI Updates and Hotfixes
Each requires a reboot

954563 Memory corruption may occur with the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;954563

958124 A wmiprvse.exe process may leak memory when a WMI notification query is used heavily on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;958124

955805 Certain applications become very slow on a Windows Server 2008-based or Windows Vista SP1-based computer when a certificate with SIA extension is installed

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955805

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