Jonathan's Virtual Blog : Setup

SCVMM 2008 R2 Communication Issues

Jonathan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:54:00 GMT

I’ve seen a number of customers run into networking and general communication issues following a move to Windows 2008 R2. And to manage Windows 2008 R2 you must be running SCVMM 2008 R2. Both require checking for updates.

Windows 2008 R2 – Make sure the network card drivers are up to date… all of them. If the server vendor does not have drivers updated for Windows 2008 (or R2), check the site of the actual NIC manufacturer as most built-in NICs are simply rebranded. This will solve a majority of your networking issues off the bat. Make sure you update the drivers on the VMM Server as well as the Hosts.

SCVMM 2008 R2 – Did you upgrade from SCVMM 2008 to SCVMM 2008 R2? If so, you should check each Host in the SCVMM Admin Console to determine if the agents have been updated. If not, update them now by right clicking on them and selecting ‘Update Agent.’

If you have performed the actions detailed above and are still experiencing communication issues with Hosts you can uninstall the ‘Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Agent’ manually on the Hosts from ‘Control Panel> Programs and Features.’ After this, go back to the SCVMM Admin Console, remove the Host by right clicking on it and selecting ‘Remove Host.’ Once removed, add it back with the Admin Console by selecting ‘Add Host’ under Actions on the right side of the console. This will clear up any agent update issues.

This covers two of the most common issues seen lately. If still experiencing issues check some of the other posts on this site that address other possible reasons. Good luck, and enjoy the new product!

Free Evaluation Download!

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 – Evaluation http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=292de23c-845c-4d08-8d65-b4b8cbc8397b&displaylang=en

…

Why SCVMM 2008? Resources for compelling business decisions

Jonathan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:21:00 GMT

A few quick resources you will want to download and keep for reference, and share with your business.

IT Pros, read both articles. The ‘Data Sheet’ is a slick (two page brochure with eye candy), the ‘Reviewer’s Guide’ is a relatively in depth guide to SCVMM 2008 features and capabilities. It does not explain HOW to perform operations in SCVMM, instead it covers WHY you should get involved with this product in the first place.

Management, read the ‘Data Sheet’ to gain a basic understanding of this product. This will facilitate conversations with your IT team. If you will also be involved in the planning or testing phase of this product, read the ‘Reviewer’s Guide’. The guide does not go into the gritty details of implementation, instead it covers each feature of SCVMM thoroughly and how it can be applied to your environment.

Need more incentive? Here is a short list of features to get you started.

· P2V – Physical to Virtual conversion

· V2V – Virtual to Virtual conversion

· PRO – Performance and Resource Optimization

· Intelligent Placement Ratings

· Self-Service Portal – Delegated Web Site

· Centralized Library

· SAN Transfers for VM migration in seconds

· Remote Management

· Windows 2008 Failover Cluster Integration

· Full control of Hyper-V and SCVMM via PowerShell

After reading the information, if you find that you still have questions feel free to contact by email.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Reviewer’s Guide

SCVMM 2008 Data Sheet

Further reading on PowerShell integration:

Managing Virtualization with SCVMM and Powershell

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v review,virtual,virtualization,windows

Contributing Engineer: VMSetupConfigurationError (257)

Jonathan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:11:00 GMT

Here's another find by Mike Briggs. Thanks for the contribution Mike! mbriggs@microsoft.com

Issue

The following error message may be displayed during installation of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008.

Error Messages

*** Carmine error was: VMSetupConfigurationError (257); WindowsAPI

ID: 257. Details: No mapping between account names and security IDs was done

>>> Excerpt from ServerSetup.log <<<

The ServerSetup.log can be obtained from the following directory:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMMLogs

[12/9/2008 11:27:42 AM] * Exception : => An error has occurred while trying to configure Virtual Machine Manager.Uninstall Virtual Machine Manager from Add or Remove Programs and then run Setup again.Microsoft.VirtualManager.Setup.Exceptions.BackEndErrorException: An error has occurred while trying to configure Virtual Machine Manager.

Uninstall Virtual Machine Manager from Add or Remove Programs and then run Setup again.

*** Carmine error was: VMSetupConfigurationError (257); WindowsAPI

ID: 257. Details: No mapping between account names and security IDs was done

Resolution

Test the installation after each step.

Re-register the SQL SPN (setspn -r %computername%)

Uninstall SQL instance and VMM

Remove from domain and rejoin.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v,virtual,virtualization,windows

Contributing Engineer: Installation Error - ComputerNameInvalid (403)

Jonathan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mike has been knocking issues out of the park. Here's a tip that might help during SCVMM install. He's seen this a few times... Thanks Mike!

Issue

Unable to complete VMM2008 installation

Error message

“Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 has stopped working"

Things to check

1. Is the account used to install VMM2008 a member of local admins group? http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc764327.aspx

2. Is the server in a disjointed name space? http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc764231.aspx

3. Is the functional level of the domain is either W2K3 or W2K8? This is a hard requirement. http://blogs.technet.com/chengw/archive/2008/06/04/managing-hosts-in-windows-2000-ad-forest-by-using-vmm-2008.aspx

>>> ServerSetup.log <<<

[12/8/2008 10:07:26 AM] * Exception : => ‘my-computer-name’ is not a valid network computer name.Only fully qualified domain names and NETBIOS computer names are valid. An IP address is valid only for hosts on a perimeter network, ESX hosts, and hosts joined to the domain by using an IPv6 address. Check the computer name, and try the operation again. Microsoft.VirtualManager.Utils.CarmineException: ‘my-computer-name’ is not a valid network computer name.

Only fully qualified domain names and NETBIOS computer names are valid. An IP address is valid only for hosts on a perimeter network, ESX hosts, and hosts joined to the domain by using an IPv6 address. Check the computer name, and try the operation again.

*** Carmine error was: ComputerNameInvalid (403)

Resolution

The computer name of the server intended to become the VMM2008 server was "MY-COMPUTER-NAME”. We renamed to "MYCOMPUTERNAME" and also removed the corresponding entry in the local HOSTS file. This allowed the installation to complete as expected.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v,virtual,virtualization,windows

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

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v review,virtual,virtualization,windows,app-v,med-v

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.

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v,virtual,virtualization

Ultimate Interactive How To for SCVMM

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:44:00 GMT

Need to add a Host? Click 'To add hosts'. Want to configure a SAN environment for VMM? There's a button for that too. This screen capture shows a few of the options available in the decision flow designed to take you to the right content for the job at hand.

Here's the link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scvmm/cc835256.aspx

Content below is the table version of the interactive decision flow located here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scvmm/cc835256.aspx

Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Decision Flow

Updated: October 21, 2008

To use this high-level decision flow to help you implement System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008, follow the path from top to bottom. After each decision point, click the link to review content about that feature. To view a flowchart version of this table, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=126290 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=126290 ] .

SCVMM Decision Flow Table

Step	Statement	Decision
1	Do you have VMM 2007 or VMM 2008 Beta installed?	If Yes, go to step 2. If No, go to step 3.
2	To Migrate to VMM 2008	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125913 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125913 ] Go to step 4.
3	To install VMM 2008 components	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125914 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125914 ] . Go to step 4.
4	Do you want to add hosts?	If Yes, go to step 5. If No, go to step 6.
5	To add hosts	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125921 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125921 ] . Go to step 6.
6	Do you want to add a VMware Infrastructure 3 Environment?	If Yes, go to step 7. If No, go to step 8.
7	To add a VMware VirtualCenter Server	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=128560 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=128560 ] . Go to step 8.
8	Do you want to configure a VMM library server?	If Yes, go to step 9. If No, go to step 10.
9	To configure a VMM library server	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125945 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125945 ] . Go to step 10.
10	Do you want to integrate Operations Manager 2007 with VMM?	If Yes, go to step 11. If No, go to step 12.
11	To integrate Operations Manager 2007 with VMM	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125948 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125948 ] . Go to step 12.
12	Do you want to configure delegated administration	If Yes, go to step 13. If No, go to step 14.
13	To configure delegated administration	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125951 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125951 ] . Go to step 14.
14	Do you want to configure a SAN environment for use with VMM?	If Yes, go to step 15. If No, go to step 16.
15	To configure a SAN environment for VMM	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125953 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125953 ] . Go to step 16.
16	Do you want to review optional post-installation tasks?	If Yes, go to step 17. If No, go to step 18.
17	To review optional post-installation tasks	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125954 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125954 ] .
18	To review VMM Operations content	See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125955 [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125955 ] .

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v,virtual,virtualization,windows

Flattening the SCVMM Learning curve

Jonathan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:51:00 GMT

Below is an excerpt from Justin Zarb’s article on his ‘Virtual World’ site.

Quick Start from Nothing to SCVMM

http://blogs.technet.com/virtualworld/archive/2007/10/18/quick-start-from-nothing-to-scvmm.aspx

So I have been chatting to more and more people around System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) and this product is great! Compared to other virtualization management tools that I have used in the past (prior to myself joining MS) this product really stands up and stands proud! If you have not played with SCVMM it is soooo simple and sooooooo easy to get up and running and communicating to your virtualized estate. I strongly recommend you all to give it a try.

Anyway so whilst reading some of the techcenter articles I came across these for SCVMM. There is a range of how to video's that are here to set you on your way and get you going! Click on one of the links below and start getting SCVMM underway.......

Getting Started

Title	Length	Presenter
Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Getting Started	(5:17)	Rakesh Malhotra
Tour of VMM Technical Overview	(16:25)	Keith Combs
VMM Introduction 1 Layout and Use	(3:28)	Edwin Yuen
VMM Introduction 2 How to Deploy a New Virtual Machine	(3:00)	Edwin Yuen
VMM Introduction 3 Physical to Virtual Machine Migration	(3:48)	Edwin Yuen
VMM Introduction 4 Virtual Machine to Virtual Machine Migration	(3:26)	Edwin Yuen

Setup

Title

Length

Presenter

VMM Setup

The Three Steps to Install VMM

(9:51)

Kerim Hanif

Technorati Tags: microsoft,scvmm,hyper-v,virtual,virtualization,windows,P2V,V2V