Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• Virtualization skills admins must have in 2020

  Industry experts Sander van Vugt, Brian Kirsch and Stuart Burns weigh in on what skills virtualization admins must have in 2020 to better meet growing industry demands.  Continue Reading

• Full virtualization vs. paravirtualization: What are the key differences?

  Full virtualization and paravirtualization both enable hardware resource abstraction, but the two technologies differ when it comes to isolation levels.  Continue Reading

• What are some examples of embedded hypervisors?

  A virtualization layer in an embedded system provides better efficiency for tasks such as network virtualization. Some examples of embedded hypervisors include the Xvisor and ACRN.  Continue Reading

• Embedded hypervisor use cases and benefits explained

  An embedded hypervisor offers several benefits, such as VM security, system reliability and improved hardware use, and is ideal for admins looking to simplify their environments.  Continue Reading

• Considerations for embedded hypervisor implementation

  Before incorporating an embedded hypervisor, admins must consider storage, memory, system performance and scheduling to help prevent latency issues.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V vs. VMware comparison: What are the differences?

  Hyper-V and VMware are in a perpetual battle for supremacy in the virtualization market. Although the two hypervisors have similar features, capabilities are somewhat different.  Continue Reading

• What is an embedded hypervisor and what value does it provide?

  Embedded systems and hypervisors go hand in hand. By understanding both, admins can maximize system benefits such as multiple OS support and legacy code compatibility.  Continue Reading

• Are there tools or platforms that support AWS Firecracker?

  Although there are a handful of tools to help run Firecracker more easily, admins might find issues with the lack of major tool integration for the software.  Continue Reading

• How do I obtain, deploy and update AWS Firecracker?

  Firecracker can assist admins with creating and operating micro VMs, but improper installation and updates can cause potential issues.  Continue Reading

• What are micro VMs and how do they benefit data centers?

  When used together, VMs and containers can provide key benefits to an admin's workload, such as isolation and security, without having to deal with typical disadvantages.  Continue Reading

• When to use a micro VM, container or full VM

  Choosing among VMs, containers or micro VMs depends on workload isolation and security needs, and admins should understand the different use cases before making a decision.  Continue Reading

• Containers vs. VMs: What's the difference?

  Containers have rapidly come into focus as a popular option for deploying applications, but they have limitations and are fundamentally different than VMs.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate these hyper-converged infrastructure features

  There are six things you should consider when reviewing HCI platform features and functionality: optimizations, storage, hypervisors, management, expandability and integrations.  Continue Reading

• An HCI deployment can go one of two ways

  Hyper-converged infrastructures pose different challenges depending on the deployment method. Software might not offer as much support, while choosing hardware risks vendor lock in.  Continue Reading

• How hyper-converged infrastructure benefits virtual workloads

  Realize the many advantages that HCI offers, such as streamlined virtual resource management and enhanced security and compliance practices.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged infrastructure explained

  HCI breaks down traditional IT silos by bundling compute, storage, networking and virtualization, which helps to streamline resource provisioning and management.  Continue Reading

• Manage SCVMM logical networks with PowerShell

  Use System Center Virtual Machine Manager and PowerShell to make logical network management easy. Execute a script to display network virtualization information in a simple chart.  Continue Reading

• How does VMware Admission Control work?

  Get to know VMware vSphere's Admission Control tool and use it to reserve the resources necessary for VM failover with cluster resource calculations and slot policy.  Continue Reading

• How does vSphere HA application monitoring work?

  Use heartbeats, VM monitoring and application monitoring to fully examine the causes of VM unresponsiveness. Adjust sensitivity levels to focus on the level of detail you need.  Continue Reading

• Ensure VM high availability with vSphere DRS and HA

  Combine Distributed Resource Scheduler and vSphere High Availability to design balanced failover clusters. Pay attention to affinity rules, which can further support availability.  Continue Reading

• How does vSphere high availability affect VM restart order?

  If you encounter a VM failure, you can use vSphere HA to automatically detect and restart VMs. Before you restart the VMs, you'll also need to meet resource and host criteria.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V 2016 security comes down to VM considerations

  Secure guest VMs and OSes to ensure Hyper-V security  Continue Reading

• What's the best way to achieve Hyper-V security for hosts?

  Hyper-V security is complicated, but you can set the foundation of your security strategies by following a few best practices, such as simplification and encryption.  Continue Reading

• Use shielded VMs, guarded fabric to enable Hyper-V encryption

  Enable Hyper-V encryption using guarded fabric, the Host Guardian Service and shielded VM technologies. Host systems must be proven trustworthy before operating protected VMs.  Continue Reading

• How does Linux Secure Boot affect Hyper-V 2016 VMs?

  Linux Secure Boot can help ensure you're booting trusted OSes, but navigating different distributions and digital signatures can be challenging without these considerations.  Continue Reading

• Setting up Hyper-V replication requires preplanning

  Hyper-V replication is easy to use, but there are a number of steps you should take during Hyper-V replication setup to ensure you stay abreast of potential failures and data loss.  Continue Reading

• How do you find Hyper-V nodes with PowerShell?

  Manage Hyper-V clusters more easily with PowerShell cmdlets and scripts that automate the retrieval and display of node information, including node statuses.  Continue Reading

• What VM automation tools are available?

  There are many different VM automation tools available -- some of them part of much wider product and feature suites. Determine which features you need and find the tool that works.  Continue Reading

• What are the most common virtualization automation mistakes?

  Avoid automation issues by coordinating with the wider organization to ensure employees know how to provision resources and remain aware of evolving business needs and policies.  Continue Reading

• What organizations are best-suited for VM automation?

  Automating VMs isn't universally beneficial. Determine whether your organization needs mass production of VMs before deploying automation tools or platforms.  Continue Reading

• What are the primary use cases for VM deployment automation?

  Automate the deployment of VMs to meet the demand for resources while ensuring each VM remains properly configured and follows lifecycle and governance policies.  Continue Reading

• How do you optimize a virtual database server?

  Avoid virtual database performance hiccups by incorporating monitoring and alerting tools. Stay abreast of any issues and head them off before users encounter them.  Continue Reading

• How do you virtualize database servers?

  Virtualizing database servers has consolidation and efficiency benefits, but you must carefully choose which databases to virtualize and which tools to virtualize with.  Continue Reading

• Docker for Windows shows permission errors on shared volumes

  Understand and work around one of the more common Docker for Windows errors -- permissions for shared volumes -- to read, write and execute to the shared volume.  Continue Reading

• Use nested virtualization to run a container in a VM

  IT administrators should familiarize themselves with the benefits and limitations of using nested virtualization to run containers in VMs before implementation.  Continue Reading

• Is your VM frozen? Isolate the cause and problem solve

  Many issues cause VMs to become unresponsive, including invoking particular tasks, such as snapshots or migrations, resource configuration and infrastructure unavailability.  Continue Reading

• Common VM network latency causes explained

  There are many potential causes of network performance problems when it comes to VMs. Familiarize yourself with the most common causes to aid in troubleshooting.  Continue Reading

• Open source hypervisor technical support, update considerations

  Even though open source software itself is completely free to obtain and use, effective hypervisor technical support options for production environments might cost money.  Continue Reading

• Is the XenServer hypervisor worth the cost?

  There is a free, easy-to-obtain version of Citrix XenServer, but additional features and commercial support from Citrix -- which some shops might need -- require a license.  Continue Reading

• Evaluate Oracle VM Server as a potential hypervisor

  Oracle VM provides useful features such as high availability and live migration, but it's important for admins to size the server for the workloads it's intended to host.  Continue Reading

• Red Hat Virtualization hypervisor adoption considerations

  IT admins considering Red Hat Virtualization might inadvertently overlook certain system requirements or forget to consider whether they need support.  Continue Reading

• How do you decide to scale up or scale out a workload?

  Scaling up or scaling out is not a decision to be made lightly. Use monitoring data to determine the strategy that fits your use case and to inform future decisions.  Continue Reading

• Do hypervisors limit vertical scalability?

  Navigate the different scalability limitations hypervisors create and determine when you should scale up to those limits and when you should scale out.  Continue Reading

• How do you analyze the costs of virtualization scalability?

  It's easy to allocate more resources to a VM, but scaling decisions require careful deliberation. Without retrospective analysis, scaling can quickly become costly.  Continue Reading

• How do you improve storage scalability?

  Storage can limit virtualization scalability if IT administrators don't plan properly. Examine how storage scalability problems can arise and strategies for addressing it.  Continue Reading

• Can virtual SAN performance create VM performance issues?

  Monitor the performance of your VSAN and VMs to ensure one isn't affecting the other. Performance metrics and alerts can make it easy to spot VSAN issues before they affect VMs.  Continue Reading

• How can VSAN network requirements affect performance?

  Virtual SAN network configuration problems can detract from performance and availability. Update your drivers and check that no security products are blocking connections.  Continue Reading

• How do VSAN compatibility issues affect performance?

  Effective VSAN performance requires compatible hardware and software. Review compatibility guides and use diagnostic tools to keep your system updated.  Continue Reading

• How many Hyper-V virtual processors should I configure per VM?

  There isn't a set number of virtual processors you should configure for a Hyper-V VM, but there are steps you can take to ensure your workloads receive enough processor resources.  Continue Reading

• What is the Hyper-V VHD Set format and how is it optimized?

  VHD File Set -- a file format new to Windows Server 2016 -- is helpful for IT administrators using guest clusters. Get up to speed on the basics and learn how to optimize it.  Continue Reading

• What cloud compatibility issues can arise with VM migration?

  Many compatibility issues can arise when moving VMs to the public cloud. Watch out for compatibility problems with partitions, OSes and image formats to ensure a smooth migration.  Continue Reading

• How do you use forklift migration to move VMs to the cloud?

  To migrate a VM and its dependencies from a local data center to a public cloud, use the forklift method to prepare the VM for migration, deploy the right tools and import.  Continue Reading

• Which VM migration techniques prepare VMs for the cloud?

  Prepare your VMs with cloud migration best practices that examine how suitable a VM is for migration, what groundwork needs to be prepared for it and the costs of migration.  Continue Reading

• How do you prepare for a VM migration in cloud computing?

  Prepare for a VM migration by examining the requirements of your VMs and your cloud provider. Configure the VM for migration and match the settings to the cloud provider.  Continue Reading

• How do I convert VMDK to VHDX using PowerShell commands?

  Download and install Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter to gain access to several PowerShell commands that enable VMware VMDK to Hyper-V VHDX conversions.  Continue Reading

• How do you reconnect a Hyper-V virtual switch to your VMs?

  Save time by using PowerShell commands to reconnect your VMs to a new Hyper-V virtual switch. Different commands can access single VMs or many VMs whether they are local or remote.  Continue Reading

• How do you extract an ISO file before booting a VM?

  Take advantage of PowerShell commands to clear ISO files from your VMs before booting and ensure their configuration is set to boot from the virtual hard drive, not the ISO.  Continue Reading

• What types of VHD files does Hyper-V support?

  Fixed VHD files, dynamic VHD files, and differential or differencing VHD files are all supported by Hyper-V. Learn more about these file types and the best use cases for each.  Continue Reading

• 512e disks attempt to bridge the gap between 512n and 4Kn

  It's important to ensure that your OS and hypervisor support 512e and 4Kn disks, but there are always alternatives to work around any incompatibilities.  Continue Reading

• What are the best log consolidation and storage methods?

  Storing log data is an important part of the log management process. Maintain performance, security and backup policies with careful log consolidation.  Continue Reading

• What logging best practices can help with log management?

  Logs can produce immense amounts of data, but logging standards, such as standardized formats and security procedures, can help IT professionals minimize information overload.  Continue Reading

• How do you analyze log data for relevant information?

  Log files can contain enormous amounts of potentially useful information, but without log data analysis and log filtering, it can be difficult to sort, prioritize and read.  Continue Reading

• How does an effective logging strategy improve data analysis?

  Logs and log analytics can produce vast amounts of information. Save time and use resources efficiently with an effective logging strategy that prioritizes relevant data.  Continue Reading

• How to list the Hyper-V virtual processors configured for VMs

  To see virtual processors configured for VMs on the local host, execute a simple PowerShell command. For vCPUs configured for VMs on remote servers, a script is needed.  Continue Reading

• Understand how Hyper-V Storage Spaces Direct benefits VMs

  Enhance the performance of your Hyper-V VMs by taking advantage of the Storage Spaces direct feature in Windows Server 2016 to pool storage for caching or tiered storage.  Continue Reading

• Use the Hyper-V QoS feature to manage storage IOPS

  Quality of service addresses storage IOPS limitations by enabling administrators to stipulate a minimum and maximum IOPS value for a virtual hard disk.  Continue Reading

• Enable and disable vTPM on Hyper-V VMs with PowerShell cmdlets

  If you don't have Guarded Fabric or Shielded VMs, which have the Trusted Platform Module feature built-in, you need to manually enable virtual TPM for your Hyper-V VMs using PowerShell.  Continue Reading

• Manually initiate the Hyper-V replication failover process

  Hyper-V replication failover only requires two steps. But before you initiate failover, perform some tests to ensure the recovery point has consistent data.  Continue Reading

• Navigate vROps dashboard options in the Service Discovery MP

  Admins can view infrastructure information in the services relationship, VM relationships, service distribution and service visibility dashboards of the vROps Service Discovery MP.  Continue Reading

• VMware management pack version 2.0 features and requirements

  Version 2.0 of the vRealize Operations Service Discovery Management Pack has been updated with user-defined service discovery, but consider the prerequisites before upgrading.  Continue Reading

• What does vRealize Operations Service Discovery MP do?

  The vRealize Operations Service Discovery MP automatically discovers services running on VMs, as well as the relationships and interdependencies between VMs based on network traffic patterns.  Continue Reading

• Retrieve a Hyper-V event log with the Get-EventLog cmdlet

  Use the Get-EventLog PowerShell cmdlet with the desired parameters to retrieve a Hyper-V event log. This command gets errors and warnings and exports them as a CSV file.  Continue Reading

• Live-migrate Hyper-V VMs in and outside a failover cluster

  PowerShell commands save time and enable admins to migrate multiple VMs outside a Hyper-V failover cluster from one host to another, as well as VMs inside the cluster between nodes.  Continue Reading

• Follow these VM network configuration best practices

  Set up and operate a VM network using proven strategies to ensure security and performance. With a little planning, virtualization admins can avoid potential issues down the road.  Continue Reading

• Network security features available in a virtual switch

  Virtual switch security is achieved through a number of features. Virtualization admins can create and enforce policies, lock down MAC addresses and block forged traffic from VMs.  Continue Reading

• NIC teaming software enables load balancing and failover

  Load balancing and failover capabilities help optimize performance and achieve resiliency in your virtual infrastructure. Learn how NIC teaming provides both functionalities.  Continue Reading

• Navigate different network ports, from physical to virtual

  Physical network ports, virtual network ports, uplink ports and group ports all have different functions in virtual infrastructures. Learn more with this in-depth breakdown.  Continue Reading

• VM networking: Physical and virtual switches explained

  In order for VMs to communicate, they must utilize VM networking technologies that enable them to emulate and access the existing physical network and provide additional features.  Continue Reading

• Transition to a hybrid cloud platform from a private cloud

  Consider factors like security, platform compatibility, data usage requirements and management when transitioning from a private cloud to a hybrid cloud.  Continue Reading

• Creating a private cloud with minimal issues

  If you consider security, performance, scalability, expertise, network visibility and service management when creating a private cloud, you avoid problems down the road.  Continue Reading

• Explore private cloud platform options: Paid and open source

  There are many different factors to consider when choosing a private cloud platform. Evaluate the different paid and open source options to figure out which one is best for you.  Continue Reading

• The case for private cloud vs. public cloud implementation

  Take security, compliance, cost and scalability into account when deciding between a private and public cloud. Also, think about the future potential of hybrid cloud adoption.  Continue Reading

• Call PowerShell scripts from System Center Orchestrator

  System Center Orchestrator provides Run .Net Script activity, which can be used to call PowerShell scripts, but there are limitations you should know.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshoot System Center Orchestrator RunBook issues

  By referencing various log files, like the Real-Time Log and the Historic Log, and checking the Orchestrator Runbook Audit History page, you can more easily locate the point of failure.  Continue Reading

• Will OpenStack Icehouse or Queens deprecate any hypervisors?

  OpenStack scheduled numerous hypervisors for deprecation in 2014's OpenStack Icehouse, but no others are scheduled for future releases, up to and including OpenStack Queens.  Continue Reading

• Why are some features for OpenStack hypervisors mandatory?

  There are many differences between OpenStack-supported hypervisors, but only some features are mandatory. Adopters need to review feature sets as part of their testing.  Continue Reading

• What are the options for OpenStack-supported hypervisors?

  OpenStack supports many hypervisors -- Microsoft and VMware being the most popular -- but organizations should do compatibility tests to ensure their needs are fully met.  Continue Reading

• Why is OpenStack hypervisor support important?

  It's critical to evaluate OpenStack hypervisor support to ensure private cloud integration. You should consider factors like maturity, security features and management options.  Continue Reading

• Use the Azure Custom Script Extension for your Azure VMs

  To execute custom scripts for Azure Windows and Linux VMs to support post-deployment configurations, you'll have to download the Azure Custom Script Extension plug-in.  Continue Reading

• Back up vRealize Automation with these best practices in mind

  Improve the integrity of vRealize Automation backups by minimizing active transactions, backing up appliances and databases simultaneously and testing restoration processes.  Continue Reading

• Back up IaaS components for vRealize Automation

  During a vRealize Automation backup, you can use snapshots for IaaS components, but you have to create additional notes and copy configuration files to ensure a complete backup.  Continue Reading

• Strategies for protecting the vRealize Automation appliance

  To adequately protect the vRealize Automation appliance, you should employ a variety of strategies and tools, including clones, configuration file copies and vSphere Replication.  Continue Reading

• Use vRealize Automation backup and restoration capabilities

  There are many components involved when backing up and restoring vRealize Automation. Choose your method based on business goals and the degree of protection desired.  Continue Reading

• Download Azure VM disks using PowerShell

  Use a simple series of PowerShell commands to download an Azure VM's Windows OS disk for backup and restore. You only need to change a variable or two to download another disk.  Continue Reading

• Which OSes include paravirtualization support?

  Certain versions of the Linux kernel offer more complete and uniform support for paravirtualization than others due to the open source nature of Linux.  Continue Reading

• Paravirtualization interface features and functions

  Some of the functions supported by paravirtualization include emulated motherboards, storage I/O and network communication, privileged instructions and page tables.  Continue Reading

• Paravirtualization advantages, disadvantages and use cases

  Despite a promising start, paravirtualization comes with significant disadvantages that limit the number of use cases that make sense for enterprise IT, but it still has its place.  Continue Reading

• Create a Port ACL rule in Hyper-V with PowerShell

  Not only can you create Port ACL rules in Hyper-V using PowerShell commands, you can also remove rules associated with a VM and query rules configured to a VM.  Continue Reading

• Configure Hyper-V virtual switches and assign VLAN IDs to VMs

  Prepare Hyper-V to use the VLAN domain concept by configuring Hyper-V virtual switches and assigning VLAN IDs to VMs using either PowerShell cmdlets or Hyper-V Manager.  Continue Reading

• Use a performance counter to detect Hyper-V bottlenecks

  Performance counters ship with Windows OS and are used to check Hyper-V hosts and VMs for performance problems with network, storage, CPU and memory resources.  Continue Reading