Upcoming webcasts for Virtualization

Now that Windows Server 2008 RC0 with the preview release of Windows Server virtualization is available, a timely list of upcoming webcasts relating to virtualization.

Virtualization and Windows Server 2008
https://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032351359&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
26th Sept 2007 11:30-13:00 PST

The new Windows Server virtualization infrastructure is a core feature in the Windows Server 2008 operating system. In this webcast, we provide an overview of the virtualization role, the scenarios, and the features that make server virtualization an important pillar of Windows Server 2008. We also cover the longer-term strategy and road map for Microsoft virtualization technologies. Virtualization is becoming a key tool for improving overall manageability for the IT environment—join this webcast to learn how Windows Server virtualization can help you build a strong, flexible platform and improve overall manageability.

Examining Virtualization with Windows Server 2008
https://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032351233&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
27th Sept 2007 08:00 (AM) PST

Virtualization is a high-priority topic for many enterprise IT organizations. Virtualization technology helps to improve hardware utilization, lower power consumption, and decrease physical space requirements. Most importantly, virtualization delivers increased quality of service for key applications within organizations. In this session, we examine the Microsoft virtualization ecosystem and how to implement it with Windows Server 2008. Taking an overall view of virtualization, we cover topics including: presentation, application, and server virtualization scenarios and technologies.

AMD-V and Microsoft Virtual Server
https://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352128&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
27th Sept 2007 13:00 PST

Server virtualization solutions are increasingly being deployed to significantly reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and take better advantage of the high-processing power of current processors. IT departments are facing increasing challenges in maintaining a computing infrastructure that stays within power, cooling, and space constraints. Other challenges include providing well-managed and secure server operations. Server processor utilization rates of less than five percent are not uncommon. In this webcast, we discuss how AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) and Microsoft Virtual Server work together to enable servers to reach higher levels of efficiency and utilization. We also discuss how you can increase security and hide the complexity of hardware infrastructures to help simplify management.

A 360 View Inside the Virtual World
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352793&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
15th Oct 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In this session, we lay the foundation of the Microsoft virtualization strategy and solutions. We start with a look at what virtualization is and provide you an insight into the overall Microsoft virtualization strategy, ranging from the desktop to the data center. We clear up misconceptions about virtualization and describe what products provide virtualization solutions. Next, we move on and look at the Microsoft road map for virtualization, before examining what workloads make good candidates for virtualization and explaining why you would consider moving these workloads into a virtual world

Windows Server Virtualization Under the Hood
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352797&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
17th Oct 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In this session, we concentrate on the new Windows Server virtualization feature in Windows Server 2008. We start with a quick recap of Microsoft Virtual Server before covering the new hypervisor-based architecture. We look at the integrated management for virtual and physical resources, including the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) consoles, the new virtual machine creation wizard, the conversion tools, and the performance enhancements that have been made, in addition to integration into Group Policy.

Virtualization of Test and Development Environments, and Their Impact on Existing Applications
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352800&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
22nd Oct 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In this session, we look at virtualization solutions starting with moving existing applications and infrastructure servers into a virtualized environment. We follow two fictitious companies, Contoso and Fabrikam, through their virtualization path. Contoso has a number of application servers that they wish to consolidate, while also providing new services to clients without having to grow their data center. Some of these servers run previous applications that Fabrikam operates in a distributed world, with a number of infrastructure workloads at different offices that they wish to consolidate. First, we look at Contoso as it starts to move previous servers into the virtual world, and discuss the requirements and steps to install and move an existing image. We also look at the impact of virtualizing test and development environments, and some of the tools available that make this process easily manageable. You also get a glimpse of Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager, a tool that both companies have decided to use to assist in their deployments.

Virtualization of Production Workloads Including Active Directory, SQL Server, and Others
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352802&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
24th Oct 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In other webcasts, we explained how Contoso started the process of virtualization for some of its earlier servers. Contoso is also considering consolidating its servers running Microsoft SQL Server. In this session, we look at the Contoso path to SQL Server consolidation and describe the possible solutions that can be deployed. We concentrate on the single server virtualization approach in this presentation; we explore the high-availability approaches in related webcasts. In this session, we also cover some of the best practices and tips for virtualization of infrastructure workloads, such as the Active Directory directory service, file and print, and Web servers, and the benefits of mixed workload virtualization.

Optimized and Dynamic Branch Offices with Virtualized Branch Office Servers
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352804&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
29th Oct 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In this session, we meet up again with Fabrikam as the company begins to deploy a virtual infrastructure. Both Fabrikam and Contoso have expanded over the years, adding new servers to offer services. Unlike Contoso, which is centrally based and so easier to manage, Fabrikam's infrastructure has grown in its branch offices. This poses a major challenge to both management and security. Join this webcast as we look at how Fabrikam reclaimed control of their remote offices, reducing the number of servers, and decreasing management costs and security risks while maintaining a high level of service. Learn about what you should consider before, during, and after a server consolidation in a branch office, and the role virtualization can play in this scenario. We provide a comprehensive view of how and where virtualization fits in a branch office, and how it helps simplify administration and helps you create a dynamic, self-managing branch infrastructure.

Managing a Virtual Solution with System Center
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352809&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
31st Oct 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In past presentations, we have concentrated on the deployment of Fabrikam and Contoso solutions. Now the time has come to implement a management strategy for their new environments. They need to be able to back up and restore services as quickly as possible, and to manage and update not only the virtual servers, but also guest images. In this session, we look at how both companies implemented Microsoft System Center to achieve this goal. We cover Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager for backup and restore, and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager and Virtual Machine Manager for management and performance tuning.

Creating Business Continuity Solutions Using Windows Virtualization
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352811&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
5th Nov 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

In this session, we look at how two fictional companies, Contoso and Fabrikam, used Windows Server virtualization and clustering to create business continuity solutions for their Microsoft SQL Server and infrastructure workloads. We see how they utilized the new features in Windows Server virtualization, such as live backup, health monitoring, quick migration, and guest clustering.

Introducing SoftGrid to the World
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032352815&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
7th Nov 2007 09:30 (AM) PST

Which to use, Microsoft SoftGrid or Terminal Services? Both of the fictional companies in our webcast, Contoso and Fabrikam, are considering application virtualization, and they have heard of both Terminal Services and SoftGrid. But which do they choose? In this session, we look at these solutions, provide details on how they differ, and explain when to use them. We also cover how to install, configure, and use SoftGrid.

Cheers,
John.