A Technical Overview of Microsoft Virtual Server 2005: Web Cast (3-17-2006)

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Good afternoon everyone!  Thank you for attending the web cast on Virtual Server.  You kept Chris Avis and Keith Comb’s very busy with the questions.  As you begin to work with Virtual Server and Virtual PC you will find that these tools are very powerful.  Here are 3 articles; I posted on improving performance with Virtual Server and Virtual PC:  

I mentioned a great web site where you can down load the slides and individual demos for this web cast take a look at the session home page: https://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/events/vpc/tnt1-154.mspx

You can also watch a stream of the web cast here: Virtual Server Technical Overview

Please comment if you need more information. Enjoy!

Question: When can we expect Virtual Server 64?
Answer: There is no announced timeframe for that yet

Question: I have a single VHD file, I want to use the same file as a Domain controller and member server for testing, can I do? (I mean storing the same file in two different locations)
Answer: No. you have to treat virtual the same as physical, both virtual machines would have the same SID and domain joins would not work. SYSPREP a base image then use that as a starting point for both.

Question: If the processor is multi-threaded, so hyper-threading will be utilized?
Answer: Yes.

Question: Can you have multiple processors per image?
Answer: You assign resources and it will distribute - • Increased performance and reliability on multi-core processor and multi-processor servers. Virtual Server technology can continuously shift the execution of an OS environment to the optimal core or processor in the server. When a particular OS environment is configured to use only a subset of the server’s overall processing resources, Virtulization technology can provide these resources from cores on separate physical processors, if necessary.

Question: Can you make a back up and switch it to a real box?
Answer: Virtual to Real is still a goal for a tool or set of features to be part of the product.  I have heard some customers using ghost to capture the virtual server and deploying it to physical machines with success.

Question: Will Linux and other Open Source solutions run in Virtual Server?
Answer: Yes, however those solutions are not currently supported.

Question: Since EMC is giving away GXS VM Ware, does Microsoft plan to follow?
Answer: You know we are the Techies, that is a Marketing / upper level question. However with that said - Virtualization will be key components in VISTA

Question: Can you assign multiple processors to an image?
Answer: You can't assign a specific proc to a virtual server

Question: Currently what are the applications I can run on VS in production environment
Answer: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/897613/en-us  

Question: Is Small Business Server supported as a guest OS?
Answer: Yes, I have used it fine with SBS, here is the official link: https://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/virtualserver/2005/proddocs/vs_deploy_reqs.mspx?mfr=true  Since SBS is based on Server 2003 I do believe that it is supported by PSS.

Question: How does VS 2005 handle multiple processors?
Answer: You cannot reserve one or more CPUs for one or more Virtual Servers. You can reserve a percentage of CPU utilities, or specify a MAX threshold, but those percentages are across all processors. Maybe we'll see some great changes in the Longhorn Server wave of technologies.

Question: Would using a Virtual Server for a Domain Controller go against best business practices or would it be best suited for a test environment?
Answer: Yes you can use it for an additional DC, I recommend that you do not use "Undo Disks" Remember your Tombstone is 60 days.

Question: What is the expected number of virtual machines you can expect to get per physical processor?
Answer: Depends on what the virtual machines are running and how much memory you have in the host. Check this article: https://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2006/03/DoMore/default.aspx

Question: Will Citrix secure remote access  with Virtual Server?
Answer: Check this whitepaper from Citrix... https://www.citrix.com/site/resources/dynamic/partnerDocs/ms_citrix.pdf

Question: Can you set these resource allocations if you are using Virtual PC or are they for Virtual Server only?
Answer: They are for Virtual Server only. Virtual PC does not take advantage of Multi-Processors

Question: Can you have multiple processors allocated inside an image?
Answer: Each virtual machine can only see one CPU regardless of how many CPUs the host has.

Question: What is server sprawl?
Answer: Server Sprawl is when you have one server for one app, which constitutes a lot of servers.  Or it could also be when a server is wrestling another server and it throws it’s legs out behind it.

Question: When is virtual server "next" planned for release?
Answer:   There is no announced plans yet, as soon as I know I will post.