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How to analyze the new functions of Windows Server 2012? in view of this problem, this article introduces the corresponding analysis and answer in detail, hoping to help more partners who want to solve this problem to find a more simple and feasible method.

So far, we have discussed the benefits of virtualization and the stages you need to go through to deploy virtual machines. We will have an in-depth discussion of several excellent features that have been added and improved in Windows Server 2012.

Real-time migration function

It is important to understand that once the business process is migrated from a single host server to a virtual server, the importance of this feature is immediately highlighted. In fact, this feature first appeared on Windows Server 2008 R2; of course, the new version used by Windows Server 2012 has been greatly improved. For example, we can now migrate running virtual machines even if there is no shared storage part between the servers.

When it comes to the configuration of real-time migration, it is also very easy to operate. We just need to set all the servers as members of the same domain, and all that remains is to configure basic settings such as the running authentication protocol for each system. Now, as long as we start the live migration feature, we can copy the configuration information to the target server. This means that the data in the virtual hard disk (except for those using shared storage) and in the memory of the virtual machine can be copied, and all modifications will be made synchronously.

Once the synchronization between the source and destination is basically complete, the virtual machine will pause for a fraction of a second. All remaining adjustments will be fully synchronized, and the virtual machine will stop running on the source server and start working on the target server. If the network is fast enough, the final conversion process will be so fast that even the users themselves will not be aware of the great changes that have just taken place.

Another function is to migrate the storage. If you are using a virtual cluster running on a HYPER-V server with an internal hard disk, and you want to add a SAN to the network, this approach will be a viable option. Now, all we have to do is start the live migration function, but the migration part only needs to select the storage device. In this way, the virtual machine can continue to run on the existing server, and the files will all be migrated to SAN; and there will not be any significant downtime throughout the adjustment process.

Packet, cluster and server message block protocol functions

As we have discussed in this series of articles, the ability of fault-tolerant components to support deletion processing in the event of an end device failure is a very important function. For Windows Server 2012, simple network adapter grouping and cluster deployment capabilities can be of great help in this regard.

Now, as long as we set up the two adapters into a network cluster, we can ensure that the network connection used by the server will not be interrupted if one of them fails. In addition, we can also use the grouping function to increase the bandwidth capacity used. Because Windows Server 2012 can automatically configure the grouping function, it means that we do not need to use the same adapter; however, it would be great if the chosen adapter could support running at the same network speed.

We can get the professional functions of those expensive SAN only at a very low cost.

Of course, we can choose to keep all adapters running, or we can choose to set one of them as standby mode, which will be put into use only if the other fails. Here, the simplest packet mode is "independent of the switch"; as the name implies, this means that it can support all switches. However, it is important to note that if we encounter situations such as high input and output traffic, we may need to choose a different packet mode and adjust the switch configuration to meet the actual requirements.

In Windows Server 2012, the Server message Block Protocol (SMB) has been upgraded to the third edition. Although at first glance, this may not be the most watched update, it still brings a lot of benefits. Hyper- V now allows virtual machines to run shared files directly on Windows Server 2012 file servers, achieving the goal of providing more virtualized infrastructure solutions.

For example, we can share directly connected storage between two file servers, create shared files that use that storage, and store all virtual machines in the shared area. With the support of the improved clustering feature in Windows Server 2012, we can cluster two file servers to ensure that the system continues to run in the event of a failure. All of this, coupled with storage space capabilities, gives more flexibility to existing disk space; this means that we can get the professional features that would normally be found in expensive SAN at a very low cost.

Replication server function

Of course, grouping, clustering, and fault-tolerant components don't help much if all the devices in the server room crash completely. The reason why this is the moment when the replication server function comes into play is that they can save the data running in the virtual machine in a remote location. The specific location can not only choose the branch of the company, but also can use the third-party services provided by the hosting service provider.

Now, what we need to do is to enable replication on the target server, select the source server that we want to replicate, and decide whether or not to adopt encryption mode in the process. In fact, the replication feature can be used between virtual machines. Therefore, if we have a small virtual cluster and the network connection between the source and target servers is very fast, it is the simplest and most effective way to use the network for full replication. Of course, we can also set the time to start replication to ensure that the peak period is not affected. In addition, we can choose an alternate mode in which the initial copy is copied to an external drive and transferred to the target server.

Since only the difference between the two needs to be replicated after the initial replica is established, unless there is a significant change, or the bandwidth is very limited, the replica will be close to real-time. In addition, we can also set up the replication server to set up fifteen recovery points at intervals in chronological order. Even if the failure is migrated to the replication server, we can eliminate it with only a few mouse clicks, and to ensure that there are no problems in all settings, we can also enable the failover testing feature in Hyper-V. If we use other IP addresses in the remote network that are different from the local network, we can also choose to add the failover address to the virtual machine cluster.

The choice of license use and installation

In terms of version, Windows Server 2012 has been simplified to provide only two major versions: standard and data center. And, unlike previous versions, the features included in both versions are exactly the same; to sum up, the only difference between them is in terms of virtualization permissions.

Specific to the standard version, Microsoft provides users with the right to run two virtual instances. Of course, you can also choose to purchase multiple standard licenses to achieve the goal of running more instances; for example, two licenses can get the right to run four virtual instances. However, if users want to run a large number of virtual servers, the choice of * is the data center version because there is no limit on the number of virtual instances.

Since both versions support a dual-processor server by default, additional licenses need to be purchased if the user's system has more processors. In fact, in order to ensure that the license program purchased is cost-effective, the approach that users should adopt is to have an in-depth discussion with Microsoft licensing experts on these projects.

When deploying these two versions to the server, we can choose between the core or the complete installation. Because the Windows interface is included in the full installation, it is very easy to manage. As for the core installation, although it also needs to be managed with PowerShell or remote management tools, it consumes less resources; in addition, it is considered more secure because of the smaller number of processes running. Of course, Windows Server 2012 also allows users to switch between the two modes, and provides a minimum mode that supports graphical tools such as server manager but is similar to core installation.

Of course, another option is to use Hyper-V Server 2012. Although it does not include any license as a free stand-alone software compared to Windows Server 2012, it does have the same functionality in Hyper-V. For users who want to provide virtualization support for Linux servers or Windows servers that already have authorization, this means that it is a very good choice. In addition, if you want to build a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), it also makes it an ideal way to save money on purchasing Windows Server licenses. Compared to Windows Server, Hyper-V Server 2012 operates very similar to the core installation, and also provides some menu setting options that can be of great help for specific operations such as network address configuration, computer name setting, and domain joining.

As for Weirui, it shows a big difference in the way the product is licensed. Although the vSphere hypervisor itself is free, it contains only basic functions that users cannot use to centrally manage the server or implement real-time migration operations. In fact, vSphere achieves its goal of continuously providing more functionality through the gradual increase in processor licensing and price in standard, enterprise, and enterprise enhanced versions. In addition, Weirui has developed a range of other products to achieve the goal of collaborating with vSphere and extending various functions.

Other functions

Microsoft has also made improvements in many other areas in the Hyper-V release. Because the snapshot function has been enhanced, the current snapshot files can also be merged into the master virtual hard disk file while the virtual machine is still running. Previously, although the domain controller (DC) could run as a virtual machine, it could lead to significant data inconsistencies between domain controllers if snapshots were used to roll back to the previous state. Now, Windows Server 2012 has improved this feature to ensure that recovered domain controllers are monitored and that they achieve the goal of correctly synchronizing with other domain controllers.

In the past, unless the current HYPER-V server's virtual machine has been exported, there may be problems with the time it takes to import this virtual machine into another server. Now that the improved import wizard can detect the problem and resolve it, this situation is no longer the type to worry about.

"in addition to a large number of PowerShell-based command-line tools, because Microsoft also provides very comprehensive tools within Hyper-V, many companies no longer need to make additional investment in software."

Because Windows Server 2012 enhances the virtualized infrastructure directly or indirectly in many areas, we can see it as a leap forward. Although Hyper-V didn't appear until the time of Windows Server 2008 R2, and there are many areas in urgent need of improvement, Microsoft has never stopped catching up with Weirui. Now that HYPER-V has an impressive feature set, the gap between the two major features is very small. As both Hyper-V and Weirui vSphere have their own unique advantages, this means that we need to make choices according to our actual needs. For example, vSphere still has some advantages when it comes to adjusting the hardware of running virtual machines.

In addition to a large number of PowerShell-based command-line applications, because Microsoft also provides very comprehensive tools within Hyper-V, many companies no longer need to make additional investment in software. For large networks, the newly added system-centric virtual machine manager (SCVMM) can effectively reduce the overhead of management. It automates the process, uses the network for bare metal installation, and provides flexible allocation of resources needed to create a private cloud. In addition, because it can also manage the virtualization solutions of Weirui and Citrix, users with hybrid environments have new options.

In addition, SCVMM provides excellent physical-to-virtual (P2V) capabilities to ensure that users can migrate virtual images stored on existing physical servers. Of course, other applications with this feature include Disk2VHD, which is very easy to use in Sysinternals's free tools.

This is the answer to the question on how to analyze the new features of Windows Server 2012. I hope the above content can be of some help to you. If you still have a lot of doubts to be solved, you can follow the industry information channel to learn more about it.

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