Wednesday 28 October 2015

Creating virtual Switches in the hypervisor

Prerequisites
Before you attempt to install Hyper-V, make sure that you have the following:
  • A user account with administrator permissions for the computer. 
  • Enough memory to run all the virtual machines that you plan to run at the same time.
  • Software for the virtual machine. For example, to test a particular workload, you will need installation media for the operating system and the workload. If you want to test certain features of Windows Server 2012, you can use the same installation media in the virtual machine that you used to install Windows Server 2012 on the physical computer.
Step 1: Install Hyper-V
Install Hyper-V so you can create and run virtual machines on this computer. Select one of the installation methods:
To add the Hyper-V role in Windows Server
  1. In Server Manager, on the Manage menu, click Add Roles and Features.
  2. On the Before you begin page, verify that your destination server and network environment are prepared for the role and feature you want to install. Click Next.
  3. On the Select installation type page, select Role-based or feature-based installation and then click Next.
  4. On the Select destination server page, select a server from the server pool and then click Next.
  5. On the Select server roles page, select Hyper-V.
  6. To add the tools that you use to create and manage virtual machines, click Add Features. On the Features page, click Next.
  7. On the Create Virtual Switches page, Virtual Machine Migration page, and Default Stores page, select the appropriate options.
  8. On the Confirm installation selections page, select Restart the destination server automatically if required, and then click Install.
  9. When installation is finished, verify the installation by opening the All Servers page in Server Manager, selecting a server on which you installed Hyper-V, and viewing the Roles and Features tile on the page for the selected server.
To enable Client Hyper-V
WarningWarning
Because Hyper-V is an optional feature, the files required for installation may or may not be present on your computer, depending on your organization’s IT policy. If you are connected to the Internet, enabling the feature will automatically download the required files. If you are not connected to the Internet, you can download the required files and manually copy them to your computer, or otherwise provide the installation media.
When the Hyper-V role is enabled on a computer running Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 that uses the Always On/Always Connected (AOAC) power model, the Connected Standby power state is not available. For additional information see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2973536.
  1. In the Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and Features.
  2. Click Turn Windows features on or off.
  3. Click Hyper-V, click OK, and then click Close.
To install the Hyper-V role using the Install-WindowsFeature cmdlet on Windows Server
WarningWarning
In Windows PowerShell, unlike in the Add Roles and Features Wizard, management tools and snap-ins for a role are not included by default. To include management tools as part of a role installation, add the -IncludeManagementTools parameter to the cmdlet. If you are installing roles and features on a server that is running the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2012, and you add a role’s management tools to an installation, you are prompted to change the installation option to a minimal-shell option that allows the management tools to run. Otherwise, management tools and snap-ins cannot be installed on servers that are running the Server Core installation option of Windows Server.
For more information, see Install-WindowsFeature.
  1. Do one of the following to open a Windows PowerShell session with elevated user rights.
    • On the Windows desktop, right-click Windows PowerShell on the taskbar, and then click Run as Administrator.
    • On the Windows Start page, type any part of the name Windows PowerShell. Right-click the shortcut for Windows PowerShell when it is displayed on theStart page in the Apps results, click Advanced, and then click Run as Administrator. To pin the Windows PowerShell shortcut to the Start page, right-click the shortcut, and then click Pin to Start.
  2. Type the following, and then press Enter, where computer_name represents a remote computer on which you want to install Hyper-V. To install Hyper-V directly from a console session, do not include -ComputerName <computer_name> in the command.
3.  Install-WindowsFeature –Name Hyper-V -ComputerName <computer_name> -IncludeManagementTools -Restart
  1. To view a list of available and installed roles and features on the local server, type Get-WindowsFeature and then press Enter. The results of the cmdlet contain the command names of roles and features that have been added to this computer.
noteNote
In Windows PowerShell 3.0, there is no need to import the Server Manager cmdlet module into the Windows PowerShell session before running cmdlets that are part of the module. A module is automatically imported the first time you run a cmdlet that is part of the module. Also, Windows PowerShell cmdlets are not case-sensitive.
  1. When the installation is finished, verify installation by running the Get-WindowsFeature. If you installed Hyper-V remotely, include the ComputerName parameter (Get-WindowsFeature -ComputerName <computer_name>) to view a list of roles and features that are installed on the server.
To install Client Hyper-V using the Get-WindowsOptionalFeature cmdlet
  1. Do one of the following to open a Windows PowerShell session with elevated user rights.
    • On the Windows desktop, right-click Windows PowerShell on the taskbar, and then click Run as Administrator.
    • On the Windows Start page, type any part of the name Windows PowerShell. Right-click the shortcut for Windows PowerShell when it is displayed on theStart page in the Apps results, click Advanced, and then click Run as Administrator. To pin the Windows PowerShell shortcut to the Start page, right-click the shortcut, and then click Pin to Start.
  2. Type the following, and then press Enter.
3.  enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All 
  1. When the installation is finished, reboot the computer.
Step 2: Create a virtual machine
Before beginning, review the following considerations. These are not required, but can help you make the most appropriate choices. Consider:
  • What to name the virtual machine. The name provides you with a way to identify the virtual machine. For example, you might use a name that identifies the type of server you want to configure on this virtual machine, such as a web server. Or, you might use a name that identifies the guest operating system.
  • What kind of network connections with the virtual machine need? Will the virtual machine need access to the internet? For more information, see Create a virtual switch.
  • How you will install the operating system. You can install from a physical media or an image (.iso) file. You also can use a virtual hard disk on which an operating system has already been installed. 
To create a virtual machine
  1. Open Hyper-V Manager.
  2. From the navigation pane of Hyper-V Manager, select the computer running Hyper-V.
  3. From the Actions pane, click New and then click Virtual Machine.
  4. The New Virtual Machine wizard opens. Click Next.
  5. On the Specify Name and Location page, type an appropriate name.
  6. On the Assign Memory page, specify enough memory to start the guest operating system.
  7. On the Configure Networking page, connect the virtual machine to the switch you created when you installed Hyper-V.
  8. On the Connect Virtual Hard Disk and Installation Options pages, choose the option that is appropriate for how you plan to install the guest operating system:
    • If you will install the guest operating system from a DVD or an image file (an .ISO file), choose Create a virtual hard disk. Click Next, and then click the option that describes the type of media you will use. For example, to use an .iso file, click Install an operating system from a boot CD/DVD and then specify the path to the .iso file.
    • If the guest operating system is already installed in a virtual hard disk, choose Use an existing virtual hard disk and click Next. Then, choose Install an operating system later. 
    • PowerShell Logo Windows PowerShell equivalent commands
The following Windows PowerShell cmdlet or cmdlets perform the same function as the preceding procedure. Enter each cmdlet on a single line, even though they may appear word-wrapped across several lines here because of formatting constraints.
Step 3: Install the guest operating system
This step assumes that you configured the boot media for the virtual machine when you created the virtual machine.
noteNote
This step must be completed through the GUI. It cannot be automated or performed within a Windows PowerShell session.
To install the guest operating system
  1. From Hyper-V Manager, in the Virtual Machines section of the results pane, right-click the name of the virtual machine and click Connect.
  2. The Virtual Machine Connection tool opens.
  3. From the Action menu in the Virtual Machine Connection window, click Start.
  4. The virtual machine starts, searches the startup devices, and loads the installation package.
  5. Proceed through the installation.
Step 4: Install or upgrade integration services
Hyper-V includes a software package for supported guest operating systems that improves integration between the physical computer and the virtual machine. This package is referred to as integration services. For more information, see Integration Services.
noteNote
This step must be completed through the GUI. It cannot be automated or performed within a Windows PowerShell session.
To install or upgrade integration services

  1. Open Hyper-V Manager. From the Server Manager Tools menu, click Hyper-V Manager.
  2. Connect to the virtual machine. From the Virtual Machines section of the results pane, using one of the following methods:
    • Right-click the name of the virtual machine and click Connect.
    • Select the name of the virtual machine. In the Action pane, click Connect.
  3. The Virtual Machine Connection tool opens. From the Action menu of Virtual Machine Connection, click Insert Integration Services Setup Disk. This action loads the setup disk in the virtual DVD drive.
  4. Depending on the operating system being installed, you may need to start the installation manually. Click anywhere in the guest operating system window and navigate to the CD drive. Use the method that is appropriate for the guest operating system to start the installation package from the CD drive.
  5. After the installation finishes, all integration services are available for use.

Friday 11 September 2015

Hindi apps will be promoted by Google, Microsoft and Apple


The ongoing three-day World Hindi Conference here is popping intent on be a advanced affair with massive world brands showcasing electronic gadgets having intrinsical Hindi software system and apps that may be downloaded promptly.

Representatives of Microsoft, Google, Apple and different huge firms were seen shove and competitive with one another to draw in individuals at the conference in demonstrating however their apps might be downloaded quickly in Hindi from playstore of their widget.

Microsoft India Marketing Director Alok Lall told PTI that they are promoting Hindi by their appliances.

Apple, Google and CDAC stalls too were seeing a huge stream of visitors.
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Source:- Indiatimes Technology
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Thursday 3 September 2015

Running Multiple Concurrent operating systems using a bare Metal Hypervisor

Introduction to Hypervisors                                                                          Download PDF

A hypervisor can be defined as a piece of software, firmware or hardware that can run Virtual Machines. There are two types of hypervisors Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 Hypervisors(Fig. 1): These types of hypervisors run just above the hardware layer and has direct access to the hardware and are also called Bare-Metal Hypervisors. Thus the guest OS runs on a level above the hypervisor. The examples of these types of hypervisors are Xen, Citrix XenServer(commercial alternative to Xen), Microsoft Hyper-V, etc.

Type 2 Hypervisors(Fig. 2): These type of hypervisors run within a conventional Operating System environment and are also called Hosted hypervisors. The examples of these types of hypervisors are VMWare Workstation, VirtualBox, etc.

These hypervisors provide a layer of hardware virtualization through which multiple OS can simultaneously. In this article I will explain on Type 1 or Bare-Metal hypervisors.

Type 1 Hypervisors
These hypervisors run just above the hardware and try to implement the basic layer of hardware virtualization. A number of guest OS can be made to run simultaneously on these type of hypervisors. The guest OS interacts with these hypervisors to do its various tasks like interfacing with the hardware devices or to allocate memory and control the processor execution.

Hypervisors provide a layer of separation between different guest OS so that the guest OS can run independently. There are mainly two types of virtualizations possible using Type 1 Hypervisors namely 1). ParaVirtualization and 2). Full Virtualization.

Xen: A powerful hypervisor
Xen is a hypervisor providing services that allows multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same hardware concurrently.
Xen is a powerful hypervisor capable of running many different types of guest OS like linux, netBSD, Solaris and Microsoft Windows.
Xen is a bare-metal hypervisor which provides a layer to the Guest OS for interfacing with the hardware.

Xen is capable of providing both para-virtualization and full virtualization. For Full Virtualization their should be Hardware-assisted Virtualization support.
Xen also supports live migration from one OS to another and aims to provide 0 downtime in migration. For this Xen loads all the OS address space in the memory so switching can be ultra-fast.
System Requirements for Xen:
Processor: 64-bit processor with minimum clock speed of 1.5 Ghz with Intel VT or AMD-V for Full Virtualization
Ram: 1 GB (minimum), 2GB or more (Recommended)
Disk Space: 16GB (minimum), 60GB or more(Recommended)

A little explanation?
Now, we will know how to set dom0 and domU on Ubuntu 12.10.
Lets first know what exactly are these dom0 and domU.
Dom0
dom0 is the initial domain that is started by the Xen Hypervisor on boot. Without this the Xen hypervisor is just useless.
Dom0 is essentially the host operating system on which Xen hypervisor run Xen Mangement toolstack and has special privileges, like being able to access the hardware directly.
DomU
domU is the counterpart to dom0. It has no special privileges and can not interface the hardware directly. The kernel of domU comes from dom0 ‘s filesystem, not from filesystem exported to domU.
Now when we know what are dom0 and domU, lets have a look on how to install Xen as dom0 and domu on Ubuntu 12.10.

Installing Xen as dom0 and domU on Ubuntu
Installing Xen dom0 and domU on Ubuntu is very much easier. Lets have a look how to do it.Open terminal in Ubuntu by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T and follow this guide.
Step 1: Write the following command in the terminal Running this command you will prompted to enter your password. Enter it and Ubuntu will ask you whether you want to install it or not. Just Press Y followed by Enter.
Step 2: Now all the required packages have been installed. Now you need to run your dom0. For this you will have to restart your system. But wait… there is one thing left. We need to edit a file “/etc/xen/xend-config.sxp”. For this run this command
 sudo gedit /etc/xen/xend-config.conf
restart and choose Ubuntu with Xen Hypervisor from GRUB boot menu.
Step 3: Now you will be in Ubuntu running with Xen hypervisor. Now lets proceed. Now use this command and you will see your system running.
Step 4: Now lets create a domU. First we need to configure a file“/etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf”. For this execute this command.
sudo gedit /etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf
Now find these enteries in this file and chnage them as given here. If these enteries are preceeded by # remove the hashes

dir=/mnt/xen

This command will set the directory where Xen will mount the guest OS
install-method=debootstrap

This method tells how to install the guest OS
size=8Gb

This will set the disk image size
memory=1024Mb

This sets the amount of memory available to guest OS
swap=128Mb

This sets the disk space available as swap
fs=ext3

This sets the type of filesystem for the disk image
dist=lucid

This sets the default distribution to install
image=sparse

This sets the type of image to be used
dhcp=1

This sets the dynamic IP allocation for guest OS
nameserver=< IP address of the DNS server>

If this property is not set then the configuration for this will be taken from host OS
bridge=virbr0

This sets the bridge mode
kernel = /boot/vmlinuz-`uname -r`

This will set the kernel for the guest OS
initrd = /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r`

This will set the initial ramdisk file for the guest OS
mirror = http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu

This will set the place from where the guest OS is downloaded
ext3_options = noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro
ext2_options = noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro

These two commands sets the filesystem options
xfs_options = defaults
reiserfs_options = defaults btrfs_options = defaults

These two commands sets the filesystem options
boot = 1 passwd = 1
serial_device = hvc0 disk_device = xvda

Step 5: Now we are 90% done with our work. Now lets complete the remaining 10% and take some rest.

Now lets create the image. Issue this command to create the image
sudo xen-create-image –hostname=ubuntu10
When your image is being created it may ask for root password. Just provide any password and your domain will start automatically.

Step 6: Now you can login to it using
xm console ubuntu10
to terminate
xm destroy ubuntu10
to restart
xm create -c /etc/ubuntu10.cfg