Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

David — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:28:02 GMT

To upload the files, double click or browse your data store and use the upload button for files or folders and select the files to upload.....pretty easy.

The deployment of images (without virtual centre) is pretty easy as well. No less difficult that using the net new commands I would guess..

Cheers

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

Mike DiPetrillo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:42:05 GMT

Thanks for reading, stufox. Hadn't heard from you in a while. Yes, some of these commands have been around for a while but how often do real admins use them? I guess that's something that neither of us can answer since neither of us are "real admins" in corporate datacenters. I do setup and use a lot (over 10) different VMs on a weekly basis during my testing of various products and troubleshooting stuff and I can count on one hand how much I've used netsh in the past year (all of those instances were with Server Core). Same thing with iscsicli (an ugly command). Most of the time I chose the GUI to set all of that stuff up. I also use Sysprep and unattanded installs a lot - neither of which use these commands. Without Google or a book nearby I wouldn't have a clue how to use some of these. I haven't taken the MCSE tests in a while (since I got 2003 cert) but pretty sure these commands aren't even on there. I think Jame's O'Neil even agrees on this one in his blog: http://blogs.technet.com/jamesone/archive/2008/09/28/server-core-too-dry-and-crunchy.aspx.

So here's the question to all the other readers that are admins in real datacenters (large or small) - how much do you use these commands in your work or do you even know them at all?

Setting the Record Straight One Post at a Time

The things that are better left unspoken — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:53:58 GMT

Setting the Record Straight One Post at a Time ... That's the tagline of the Virtual Reality VMWare blog,

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

David — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:50:46 GMT

I never use these commands, I am only using most of them now because I am setting up a 2008 Core Server and attempting to implement Hyper-V etc.

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

stufox — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:25:58 GMT

David

These commands are all exceptionally useful ones to know regardless of whether you're configuring server core or not - especially netsh & netdom. I've always been a command line guy though and I've always liked the power the command line brings. I think it's a shame that not many people invested the time into learning how to operate Windows NT based operating systems from the command line, there have always been some great unknown tools in there. Anything that makes you more flexible as an admin is great with me!

Cheers

Stu

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

Ian — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:47:30 GMT

Those command lines are effectively new to many of us Stu. Since we don't deal with them on a daily basis since Windows is effectively GUI based. Its nice that Server Core is bringing them to the surface.

One counter point about "How do I copy the ISOs over?"

With ESXi since I'm running a real enterprise shop and all, I keep all of my ISOs in a central location and run them from there. So from VMware I just mount the location as a datastore (NFS likely in this case). I'd expect I'd do the same for Hyper-V / Server Core / Server 2008 (SMB likely here then). Its silly to copy ISOs around since then I have to manage them and clean them up and update them and do all that fun stuff. That just doesn't make sense.

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

stufox — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:52:05 GMT

Ian

They may be effectively new to you, but there are a lot of experienced Windows admins out there who have been using them for a long time (or a short time in the case of some of them). Like I said, I've always been a command line guy so I've always made a point of learning the new command line stuff that comes in (with one exception: I haven't learnt powershell yet). Even though I've always been a Windows guy I've always seen the power of the command line.

Yeah, agreed on ISO's, probably a poor example, but sysprepped gold images need to get copied around. If I'm not a *nix guy it's less than easy - if you're a Windows guy running Hyper-V, it's just Windows file copy.

Thanks for reading - always enjoy comments, and I enjoy your blog as well.

Cheers

Stu

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

Jason Boche — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:12:45 GMT

If I'm going to memorize a lot of CLI and get certified, you can bet it will be for the CCIE and not the MCSE (this cert has been retired/replaced BTW by the MCITP). Still contemplating whether or not I will certify on 2008. When I was MCSE'ing on 2003 I promised myself it would be the last round.

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

Duncan — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:49:00 GMT

So, maybe you've heard of NFS or VMFS. Mounting one of those shared filesystems is as easy as 1 2 3. Copying to VMFS -> WinSCP of FastSCP

Prepped GoldImages? Copy Sysprep to VirtualCenter(WINDOWS) and create a template, easy as 1 2 3 again.

Sorry, but I hardly see the point you are trying to bring across.

Duncan - Yellow-Bricks.com

re: Hyper-V with Server Core - too hard for VMware to use?

stufox — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:21:31 GMT

Duncan

Maybe it's changed, but when I worked with VMware, the only way to get files on was using SCP, rather than a native Windows copy. That was the point I was trying to get across - I don't have to get an extra tool to get my images onto Hyper-V, it's just native Windows file copies.

Cheers

Stu