Tutorials

Tutorials

• 2 ways to craft a server consolidation project plan

  Server consolidation enables admins to boost server utilization and decrease power consumption, which can also reduce costs and improve performance.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for Hyper-V template creation

  Admins can streamline template creation through Hyper-V SCVMM with a few best practices, such as evaluating whether a VM is the right fit for template creation.  Continue Reading

• Create and configure a shielded VM in Hyper-V

  In just a few easy steps, including installing a Host Guardian Service server and creating certificates, you can shield a Hyper-V VM to protect it against access or tampering.  Continue Reading

• Create a shielded VM template in SCVMM in four easy steps

  SCVMM templates simplify the process of deploying shielded VMs. Prepare the disk to use shielded VM technology before creating the template.  Continue Reading

• Set up BSD jails as a form of virtualization

  Using the ezjail tool, you can easily create and install a BSD jail. Execute these simple commands to get started and take advantage of key ezjail features.  Continue Reading

• Get started with this Nutanix Community Edition installation guide

  Install Nutanix Community Edition to test its features in your infrastructure for free. Learn about the download, installation, configuration and VM creation processes.  Continue Reading

• Learn how to configure Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode

  Windows Server 2012 R2's Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode sets itself apart from standard sessions by offering users a richer overall experience.  Continue Reading

• Questions to ask before choosing an open source hypervisor

  The vSphere vs. Hyper-V debate overshadows Xen vs. KVM, but open source hypervisor comparison requires the same deliberation.  Continue Reading

• How to achieve optimal resource allocation and why that matters

  Optimal resource allocation is a tricky tightrope act for even experienced IT pros, but you can ease the process by asking yourself a few questions.  Continue Reading

• High-availability guide: Using high-availability servers and systems

  Deploying high-availability server and systems requires proper planning and the right software choices. This guide covers all that and more.  Continue Reading

• Virtualizing applications and virtual server migration best practices

  Virtualizing applications is great for ROI. With virtual server migrations and virtual appliances, you can recoup your investment even faster.  Continue Reading

• Hosted virtualization hypervisors and use cases: The complete guide

  Bare-metal virtualization isn’t the only thing out there. There’s also hosted virtualization, which is great for small infrastructures or testing environments.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 at a glance

  Due later this year, Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 offers a self-service portal and granular admin roles for cloud management.  Continue Reading

• FAQ: Virtual server clustering and the benefits of an HA cluster

  If you want to ease VM management and server failover, create a virtual server cluster. Server clustering allows VMs to migrate to other hosts.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization automation with Hyper-V: Windows PowerShell scripting

  With Microsoft Hyper-V, your greatest virtualization automation weapon is Windows PowerShell scripting. You can use cmdlets and task scheduling to improve task automation.  Continue Reading

• IT process automation and automated performance monitoring

  IT process automation is the foundation of an automated virtual infrastructure. You can improve server automation by linking simple tasks such as VM provisioning and configuration.  Continue Reading

• FAQ: Virtual testing and development environments

  A virtual testing and development environment lets you test OSes and applications before deployment. You can even build a virtual test lab at home.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization hardware: The complete guide

  Virtualization hardware can make or break an infrastructure. The right hardware decreases costs, and improves resource allocation and server consolidation ratios.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server backup tutorial

  Virtual server backup tools are crucial. But if you don’t properly implement a VM backup strategy, as described in this backup tutorial, performance may suffer.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server backup and recovery FAQ

  Restoring VM data quickly requires a solid virtual server backup method. Snapshots, deduplication and third-party tools can help you achieve VM backup success.  Continue Reading

• Quiz: Private cloud characteristics and strategies

  Before you take the private cloud quiz, review this study guide and the lessons in our Virtualization School on private cloud computing.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization performance and server resource management guide

  Virtualization performance is dependent on meticulous server resource management. So protect your investment, and find out how to optimize server resource pools.  Continue Reading

• Managing Hyper-V from the command line prompt

  Administering a Hyper-V environment through the command line prompt saves time and reduces mistakes. These resources demonstrate how to run commands and cmdlets in Hyper-V.  Continue Reading

• A command line tutorial for server virtualization management

  Do yourself a favor, and learn how to execute commands from a prompt. This command line tutorial will help you simplify and speed up certain aspect of your job.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server deployment: A step-by-step guide

  Virtual server deployment can seem like a daunting task, but this four-part guide will help you navigate the virtualization deployment waters like a pro.  Continue Reading

• Server virtualization security best practices guide

  This virtual machine security guide outlines server virtualization security best practices and weighs the pros and cons of different virtual server security methods.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server migration guide

  Server virtualization brings a variety of benefits to a data center, but perhaps the most significant is the ability to move virtual machines and their workloads across hosts in an infrastructure. This guide on virtual server migration covers the ...  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V cluster guide: How to fix common problems

  This Hyper-V cluster guide provides solutions to common virtual machine cluster problems that plague complex virtual infrastructures.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Systems XenServer 5.5

  This section outlines Citrix's reasons for publishing the XenServer source code, how open-sourcing affects the virtualization landscape and the advantages of XenServer.  Continue Reading

• Virtual networking design, configuration and management guide

  This guide on virtual networking architecture and management explores how to design physical and virtual networks to reduce latency and manage virtual networks efficiently.  Continue Reading

• Back ends for desktop virtualization: A guide

  This guide on desktop virtualization and back-end virtualization engines covers how hypervisors from VMware, Microsoft and Citrix Systems enable desktop virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Virtual machine monitoring and security guide

  This virtual machine (VM) monitoring and security guide offers technical articles and how-to advice on critical issues in virtual machine monitoring, performance and security.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization capacity planning strategy guide

  If a lack of strategic capacity planning or an ever-expanding virtualization environment has taken a toll on virtual server performance, it's time for a capacity planning strategy. This guide covers tools, tasks and best practices for virtual server...  Continue Reading

• Scenarios for implementing virtualization

  Several implementation scenarios demonstrate best practices for virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Virtual environments are different from physical environments

  The greater automation provided by virtualization has to be set against additional challenges like density and complexity. Learn how to contend with these hurdles in this sample chapter from "The Shortcut Guide to Selecting the Right Virtualization ...  Continue Reading