TechNet Event Questions and Answers from Detroit, MI (2/11/2010)

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IMG_6663 Thank you for everyone coming to the Detroit event on the 11th, we had over 200 folks in the room very cool.  Next time lets shoot for 300, tell your friends, family and children all are welcome.  :-)  Also I want to thank all the support for my book and I greatly appreciate it not being the last raffle item off the table. :-) While I cannot promise to change my attire , Go Buckeyes, I look forward to working closely with the IT Pro community in Detroit, remember your just an email away from getting support for your community.

Again thanks for coming to the event!

Q: Can you move a local database to Azure?
A: Yes you can, one of my teammates in DPE, George Huey, created a tool for SQL to Azure migration, you can learn more about the tool here: SQL Azure Migration Wizard. You can also look at the tool here (both binaries and source): https://sqlazuremw.codeplex.com/

Q: Are there any cases studies for Health Care on the Azure platform?
A: While I cannot find any healthcare specific case studies, you can see the growing list here: Windows Azure Case Studies. You can also view case studies broken down in the key components of Azure: Windows Azure Platform, Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the AppFabric.

Q: How can I do bit-locker in Virtualization?
A: You want to look at the guide located here: Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and BitLocker Drive Encryption

Q: Is there a VHD “explorer” for virtual hard drive files?
A: Yes, in a sense, there the ability to mount your VHD files into your parent partition, Take a look at the VB and PowerShell script located here: Mounting a Virtual Hard Disk with Hyper-V BTW (this looks like a good screencast in the future)

Q: What are some differences in Hyper V Windows Server 2008 R2?
A: There are some great improvements in Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2including:

  • Live migration
  • Dynamic virtual machine storage
  • Enhanced processor support
  • Enhanced networking support

Take a look at a great document here: What's New in Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2

Q: Where can I learn more about Hyper-V server and the pricing?
A: Hyper-V server is a stand-alone product that will be available via the Microsoft Download Center free of charge.. You can learn more about Hyper-V server here: https://www.microsoft.com/hyper-v-server/en/us/default.aspx . You should also take a look at the how to get Hyper-V server page here: Download Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Today!

Q: Can you run a 64-bit guest on a 32-bit host?
A: Unfortunately no, from the FAQ:

Q:What are the system requirements for Hyper-V?

A. In addition to the systems requirement for Windows Server 2008, the two key requirements for the Hyper-V platform are the need to ensure that the server is a 64-bit environment and supports hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT or AMD-V) technology.

You can read the full FAQ here: Virtualization with Hyper-V: FAQ