virtualization.info

Microsoft recently launched a new, free TechNet Virtual Lab where customers can install and try Citrix XenDesktop 4.0 with Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 R2.

Users will work through the steps to simulate deploying multiple virtual desktops, and will first capture a reference image using the Citrix Provisioning Server for Desktops. Next, the user will verify that the computer can be booted from a diskless client computer. The user will create multiple virtual machines using the reference computer as a template. Finally, the user will use the Citrix Desktop Delivery Controller and System Center Virtual Machine Manager to create a group of virtual desktops and deploy them to end devices. At the end of this lab, the user will have worked through all the steps required to implement Citrix XenDesktop using Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager and Microsoft Hyper-V Server.

Set up an enterprise lab just to try XenDesktop may be expensive and certainly time consuming. So this is highly recommended to anyone interested in the Citrix VDI platform.

Labels: Citrix, Microsoft, Training

Xen.org recently published a revamped edition of its official training slide deck titled Introduction to the Open Source Xen Hypervisor, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.

Unfortunately the 154 slides don’t have footnotes and there’s no audio, but it’s still a welcome effort to simplify the evangelization of the hypervisor that powers half the virtualization platforms available on the market (Citrix XenServer and Oracle VM Server/Virtual Iron).

Labels: Training, Xen

Citrix is working to raise the interest around its commercial offer called Essentials now that XenServer is free of charge.

As part of the effort the company is releasing a free 6-hours training online course (CEX-100-1W).

The course includes the following topics:

• Introduction to Citrix Essentials for XenServer 5.5
  XenServer and Essentials overview
  XenServer and Essentials benefits
• Citrix XenServer 5.5 Features
  Active Directory Integration
  Enhanced Backup Enablement
  Fast Cloning
  XenCenter Search
  Historical Performance Monitoring
• StorageLink
  Overview
  Installing StorageLink
  Configuring StorageLink
• Workload Balancing
  Overview
  Deploying Workload Balancing
  Installing Workload Balancing
  Configuring Workload Balancing
  Workload Balancing Administration
• Lifecycle Management
  Lab Manager Overview
  Installing Lab Manager
  Configuring Lab Manager
  Maintaining Lab Manager
• Assessment

Citrix informs that this course will stay free only for a limited amount of time, but they should seriously consider to keep it free forever, as this seems the best way for a customer to truly understand what he’s missing not adoption Essentials.

Labels: Citrix, Training

Trying to compensate the lack of virtualization training in the last years, Microsoft continues to work to release courses and exams about the new Hyper-V and the System Center Virtual Machine Monitor (SCVMM) as soon as possible.

After announcing the exam 70-652 – Technical Specialist (TS)- Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring about Hyper-V, Microsoft now opens the beta of a new test for the upcoming SCVMM 2008: 70-403: TS: Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, Configuring.

The exam will test the candidate skills on the following topics:

• Install SCVMM server components
  May include but is not limited to: Server prerequisites, database, Windows versions, enabling SAN migration, User Access Control (UAC) issues.
• Install administrator console
  May include but is not limited to: Administrator console prerequisites, platform support, firewall settings, Workgroup requirements vs. Domain requirements, custom ports, managed hosts from admin console, enable reporting for admin console.
• Install self-service portal
  May include but is not limited to: self-service portal prerequisites, IIS components, compatibility, custom ports, host headers.
• Install PRO tips
  May include but is not limited to: Ops manager, management packs, Admin consoles, security.
• Configure user roles
  May include but is not limited to: delegate admin, setting permissions for specific host or host groups, using self-service portal to create test environment, add delegated administrator.
• Setup self service
  May include but is not limited to: enabling user or group for self service, setting custom ports for self service, establishing quota, Self-provisioning (templates).
• Maintain VMM library
  May include but is not limited to: adding a library, adding additional library shares or servers, moving files to library share, mapping ISOs, types of library files.
• Configure hosts
  May include but is not limited to: adding hosts, installing a local agent, adding VMware VC server, configuring a virtual network, creating filters in the console.
• Monitor jobs
  May include but is not limited to: verifying specific jobs, recovering from job failure, change tracking, job filtering.
• Configure VM hardware
  May include but is not limited to: NIC configuration, configuring VM drive, configuring memory, configuring CPU.
• Manage virtual instance checkpoints and patches
  May include but is not limited to: Checkpoints, creating a checkpoint of a VM, deploying patches.
• Monitoring and reporting VMs
  May include but is not limited to: integrating Ops Manager, selecting potential virtualization targets, monitoring utilization.
• Convert from physical or virtual platforms
  May include but is not limited to: P2V, V2V.
• Move VMs between hosts
  May include but is not limited to: migrating a SAN, migration options, intelligent placement.
• Deploy VMs
  May include but is not limited to: deploy VM from VHD, deploy VM from template, create template from existing VM, provisioning new machines and applications, intelligent placement.
• Deploy a High Availability VM
  May include but is not limited to: configuring host clustering, configuring guest clustering, configuring a VM for high availability, configuring library shares for high availability.

As every beta exam, Microsoft offers it free of charge (even if the seat availability is not granted).
To register use the code VMM08.
The beta ends Oct. 24.

Labels: Microsoft, Training

VMware just launched its nth online portal to spread the knowledge about virtualization before its competitor can do.
The target this time is the academic world.

Called GoVirtual.org, the site is a phenomenal source of information, collecting several technical papers (no marketing brochures as far as we can see), listing academic conferences, hosting blogs and discussions but, most of all, offering free of charge courseware.

At the launch time there are 25 free courses available, going from the basic virtualization syllabus to the I/O architectures for virtual machines.

It seems that VMware plans to keep updated all these resources as each download sports a version counter. Also, it seems that any member of the site can upload new contents.

With this brilliant move VMware keeps engaged the academic world, scouting for the best new ideas (and persons) coming from the universities before any venture capitalist can lock them into a million dollar deal.

Definitively a great resource for all.

Labels: Papers, Training, VMware