News

Microsoft Issues Hyper-V Tools

• By Kurt Mackie
• 05/07/2010

Microsoft late last month released a few tools for IT shops that use Hyper-V virtualization.

The Hyper-V Best Practice Analyzer tool is designed to help IT pros check their virtualization setup. The tool runs from the Server Manager console in Windows Server 2008 R2, or through PowerShell scripts, to check configuration settings that may not be optimal. It scans hardware, virtual machines, storage and port settings. The analyzer can check if the latest integration components are installed on a virtual machine, according to this blog post.

Another tool, the Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 3.0, currently in beta (English language only), provides a means to update offline virtual machines, virtual hard disks and templates. The tool uses Hyper-V's live migration capability to automate "the servicing of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V host clusters," according to a Microsoft blog.

Microsoft also issued the release candidate version of its Linux Integration Services 2.1 solution for Hyper-V. It updates the March beta, adding a "heartbeat" feature (to detect if the guest is still running) and a "pluggable time source" feature (ensures accurate time for the guest). The solution works with "Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2/5.3/5.4/5.5."

Finally, for those IT shops running virtualized Office 2010 using Microsoft's App-V, there's a new tool that helps with sequencing and deployment. The Microsoft Office 2010 Deployment Kit for App-V connects various system components to virtualized instances of Office 2010. It only works with App-V 4.6, an application virtualization tool in the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.