Search results for 'app:weblogs' matching tags 'Windows Server 2008 R2' and 'Hyper-V R2'

Hyper-V Rollup fixes Clock_WatchDog_Timeout and MEMORY_MANAGEMENT stop errors with newer Intel CPUs

jeffl — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Some more recent Hyper-V processor performance updates released by Intel were not anticipated by Windows Server 2008 R2 and require the following updates. People who were experiencing this problem may have used workarounds to disable ACPI functionality thereby reducing the performance advantages of these newer processors. I am writing this post to raise awareness that the workarounds can be undone after the update is installed restoring the performance of more recent Intel processors.

The issues described in KB2264080 are resolved by the rollup package which is automatically available through Windows update

More information:

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

975530 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975530/ ) Stop error message on an Intel Xeon 5500 series processor-based computer that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 and that has the Hyper-V role installed: "0x00000101 - CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT"

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

974909 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/974909/ ) The network connection of a running Hyper-V virtual machine is lost under heavy outgoing network traffic on a Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

981791 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981791/LN/ ) "STOP: 0x0000001a" error message on a computer that has an Intel Westmere processor together with the Hyper-V role installed on Windows Server 2008 or on Windows Server 2008 R2

For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824684/ ) Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

The Intel Westmere processor has a microarchitecture that is a 32-nanometer (nm) variant of the Nehalem microarchitecture. The models of the Intel Westmere processor that are affected by this issue include the Xeon Processor 5600 series.
For more information about the Xeon Processor 5600 series, visit the following website:

General information about the Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series (http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/products/server/processor/xeon5000)

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology

Hyper-V: Upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 from Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V

jeffl — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT

In the following post I will describe three methods for upgrading from Windows Server R2 from Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V. The methods described here are covered in MS Support KB 957256. After listing the methods I will describe why I prefer one of the methods.

Before you upgrade.

The upgrade process is not complex however you need to be careful. An important first step is to bring all of your virtual machines into a single state. You should review each virtual machine and establish a clean VM to be migrated. This VM must be in a shut down state. Your snapshots leading up to the current state must be merged since snapshots are not fully compatible.

Method 1

Perform an in-place upgrade of the parent partition from Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note During the upgrade, the compatibility report will inform you that you must remove the Hyper-V role by using Server Manager before you continue with the upgrade. This is not necessary. However, before you continue with the upgrade, note the following:

All virtual machines must be shut down before the upgrade. The Saved States feature is incompatible between Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2. If the parent partition is upgraded with any virtual machines in a saved state, you must right-click the virtual machine, and then click Discard saved state to turn on the virtual machine.
Because the Snapshot functionality uses the Saved States feature, Snapshots are not fully compatible between Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Virtual machines will start successfully to the snapshot that was applied when the virtual machine was shut down before the upgrade. This is denoted in Hyper-V Manager by the green arrow under the snapshot that points to Now.

To turn on the virtual machine with any other snapshot, follow these steps:

Note The following steps assume that you have to continue using all snapshots configured for the virtual machine. If you no longer require snapshots, you can delete your snapshots by using Hyper-V Manager, and then shut down the virtual machine for the data to merge with the parent virtual hard disk.
1. Using Hyper- V Manager, right-click the snapshot that you want to apply, and then click Take Snapshot and Apply. This action will take a new snapshot from the currently applied snapshot. This new snapshot will now be compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2. If you select this option, any changes that you may have made to the state of the virtual machine since the last start will be saved.
2. After the new snapshot is taken, the virtual machine will go into a saved state. Right-click the virtual machine, and then click Delete saved state.
3. Turn on the virtual machine.
4. When the virtual machine has started, repeat these steps until there is a single snapshot remaining.
5. When you have reached the last snapshot, take a new snapshot to capture the current state of the virtual machine to have a Windows Server 2008 R2-compatible snapshot.
After the upgrade, update the Integration Services. To do this, open the Virtual Machine Connection window, and then click Insert Integration Services Setup Disk on the Action menu.

Note On a Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer, the Integration Services for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will be listed in Programs and Features as "KB955484".

Method 2

Migrate to another server: Export a virtual machine from a Windows Server 2008 server that has Hyper-V enabled, and then import it to a server that has Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V enabled.

Note The virtual machine must be shut down before you export it. If you exported the virtual machine with a saved state, you cannot restore the virtual machine on Windows Server 2008 R2. To start the virtual machine after you import it to Windows Server 2008 R2, you must discard the saved state before you can turn on the virtual machine.

If the virtual machine has snapshots, these snapshots must be merged before the export or you must use the steps from Method 1 to recover and re-create the snapshots.

After you import the virtual machine, update the Integration Services. To do this, open the Virtual Machine Connection window, and then click Insert Integration Services Setup Disk on the Action menu.

Note On a Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer, the Integration Services for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will be listed in Programs and Features as "KB955484".

Method 3

Backup and Restore to new server: To use backup software that uses the Hyper-V VSS Writer, back up a virtual machine that is running on Windows Server 2008, and then restore it to Windows Server 2008 R2.

After you restore the virtual machine, update the Integration Services. To do this, open the Virtual Machine Connection window, and then click Insert Integration Services Setup Disk on the Action menu.

Note On a Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer, the Integration Services for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will be listed in Programs and Features as "KB955484".

My Preference

Although Method 3 might take the longest it provides a number of safe guards.

It ensures you have a proper backup strategy.
It tests your backup strategy with little or no consequense.
You have a fall back position to the original server which is not altered during the process.
It simplifies the process of cleaning up the snapshots since the backup sees only one consistent state of the VM.
In any other of the three methods you should have a complete back up.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology

Best Kept Secret - VHD Native Support in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7

jeffl — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Have you seen this? WOW.

Native support for VHD disks offers huge potential. Think about creating Dual and Tripple boot systems with everything containted in one file per OS. Think about Back up to VHD... think about mounting VHDs for native read write in an OS and then sharing them with a Virtualized OS. This about syspreping an imaged OS for use across your network!

Think about it and tell me you are not trying to reattach your jaw,,,

Big Secret... now you know.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology