Installing Hyper-V RC0
So things are starting to get more than a little exciting. RC0 is finally here, and pretty much bang on schedule!
Not so long ago I posted about installing Windows Server Virtualization on Windows Server 2008 RC0, now I'm posting about installing Hyper-V RC0 on Windows Server 2008 RTM. That's a lot of progress in a short time. It really looks like Hyper-V is going to ship on time!
Before we start it is important to bear a few things in mind:
- All virtual machines/child partitions created in the beta need to be recreated.
- VHD's can be migrated but not those that include the beta integration components for Windows Server 2003.
- Hyper-V RC0 will only install on Windows Server 2008 RTM, not on pre-release versions of the operating system
- There are new integration components to be installed from VMGuest.ISO for supported systems prior to Windows Server 2008. This includes Windows Vista SP1.
- There is a QFE to install in child partitions using Windows Server 2008.
- There will be an upgrade path for Hyper-V RC to RTM. Let's hope this is the last time we will be asked to recreate child partitions.
- Upgrading of saved states and online snapshots will not be supported. You will need to delete saved states and merge snapshots before performing upgrades.
So on to the installation...
It is important to bear in mind the following regarding the hardware you wish to use for Hyper-V:
- It only works on an x64 based system with Intel VT or AMD-V extensions. That means you need to be able to configure hardware assisted virtualization in the BIOS! If you don't have the option and you know from the processor vendor's web site that your processor can do it, start hunting for a BIOS upgrade.
On my Dell D630 laptop the option in the BIOS is located at POST Behavior/Virtualization - Enabled
It is also important to note that on some systems you may need to completely disconnect the power from your system after you've saved the BIOS settings. So if you're experiencing problems with the setup steps below, it may be worth a try. Some BIOS/CPU combinations do not reset correctly. Remember to remove the battery too if it's a notebook system.
- You have to enable Data Execution Prevention on the BIOS. On AMD systems it's usually called No Execute (NX) bit and on Intel systems it usually known as Execute Disable (XD)
On my Dell D630 laptop the option in the BIOS is located at Security/CPU XD Support - Enabled.
So finally after all that, I got around to installing Windows Server 2008 x64.
Windows Server 2008 actually has a pre-release of Hyper-V built into it. This is not RC0. Although Hyper-V RC0 will be available on Windows Update pretty soon, you can visit http://www.microsoft.com/hyper-v and download the bits right now!
The next steps were simple. I opened Server Manager, went to the Roles Summary, and selected Add Roles.
Hyper-V was in the list! I simply selected it, and it began it's configuration.
Next, it prompted me for the appropriate network interface card(s) to use for my virtual machines
And then finally after a reboot, it proceeded to complete the installation and presented me with a results screen. Because my system was not connected to any network (it's a test system so why bother!) It warned me that Windows automatic updating was not enabled. It also gave me two informational messages stating that, "This is a pre-release version of Hyper-V", and also told me that Hyper-V was installed.
To configure the environment and create a virtual machine all that was necessary was to access the management console via the server manager or the Start Menu.
After loading the Hyper-V Manager, I had to select my system name and then on the right hand-side choose New/Virtual Machine. After a brief moment the New Virtual Machine Wizard appeared. It follows the same process as all wizards we're used to.
In the first dialogue you get some "Before You Begin" information to read, which you can also disable for future running of the wizard.
Thereafter you are asked for the name of the virtual machine. You can also use the default folder for the virtual machine or create your own.
The third dialogue simply asks how much memory you would like to allocate to the virtual machine.
The fourth dialogue asks if you want the virtual machine to be connected to the network, and if so, which network card to send the traffic through.
Then the fun starts. The fifth dialogue asks for the name of the virtual machine file, the location (again) and also the size. You can also use an existing hard disk, or attach a virtual disk later. Obviously using an existing hard disk has performance benefits.
You're then prompted for operating system details. This dialogue is interesting as it is different than Virtual Server 2005 R2 or Virtual PC. It doesn't ask you which operating system! It just gives you the following options:
- Install an operating system at a later time
- Install an operating system from a bootable CD/DVD-ROM (you can also point to an image file)
- Install an operating system from bootable floppy disk (this is handy, but requires the floppy disk either be a real device or a virtual floppy disc, .vfd).
- Install an operating system from a network-based installation server
In my case I chose to install from a bootable DVD-ROM. I also tested the .vfd format. Unfortunately most disc images I have are in .img format. After a bit of looking around I cam across some software called WinImage that can load .img and save them as .vfd files. The software is available at http://www.winimage.com. It is shareware, but well worth the money.
The last screen in the wizard is a summary screen. It also provides a check box to allow you to start the virtual machine once the wizard is finished.
And that's it!
I was returned to the Hyper-V Manager and right-clicked my virtual machine and chose start. Then nothing happened!
I had to right click the machine name again, and this time chose Connect... That opened a terminal server type session to the virtual machine and I was able to work within it.
Just for fun I thought I'd try a somewhat "unelightened" operating system. The result is below.
As a final note, the default key combination to release the mouse cursor from being trapped in the virtual machine is CTRL+ALT+LEFT ARROW. On my Dell D630 with an Intel 965 chipset and video adaptor this just happens to be the key combination that rotates the entire screen. I had to disable the video adaptor hot-keys functionality or change the key combination for Hyper-V to get my system working as I would have expected.
This post is governed under the site terms of use and by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license. Original work of Natasha Anne Mocke.You may republish this work as long as explicit credit is given to the author.