Some hardware for some fun projects came in this week

2x totally different purposes...and both are excellent.
Untangle is a pure UTM...edge firewall.
ClearOS is an open sourced version of Microsoft Small Business Server Premium. So you get a server (samba..file/print services), a web server, an e-mail server, a database server, and a firewall (although not as feature rich of a firewall as Untangle..still waaaaay better than your off the shelf home grade router).

Thanks for the clarification :)
 
I know the feeling, anyone want to translate into English what hyoer-v does and why it is better / worse than other options?

Hypervisor. Virtualized computing.
"Virtualizing" multiple server guests into one physical host..that's what it does.

VMWare and its popular ESXi got the trend going big time.

Naturally Microsoft didn't want to miss this game...so they came out with Hyper-V..included with Server 08 R2 in simple form...with bigger versions available with higher versions of Server 08..or with direct purchase.

If you've played with Microsofts Virtual PC...or with Windows 7 Pro.."XP Mode"...you've seen the basics of it.

Or..."Parallels" on Apple systems?
 
OK, I've used virtuozzo for VPS servers, all makes sense now. Never tried Hyper-V will give it a shot on a box at home.

Thanks
 
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Hey all, don't forget XenServer 6. The big 3: XenServer, ESXi and Hyper-V

@Angry I am interested in those after market drive caddies if you want to post the link.
 
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@anglian

If you plan on getting into bare metal virtualization here is a good comparison site. http://www.virtualizationmatrix.com/matrix.php

I think many like Hyper - V because you can run it within Server 2008 R2 and it has more flexible licensing than VMware and better compatibility than Citrix. They also have a bare metal version if you want to give it a shot.

In the long haul I think many are betting on MS to have more market share than Citrix and VMware. But for the time being ESXi has about 70-80% of the market.

I currently use Citrix XenServer 6. I think out of the box they have the best offering and its easiest to get going.
 
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Agreed VMWare has the lions share of the market.

The main reason I'm moving to Hyper-V for some clients...is for smaller clients of mine that have someone in the office that "has a clue" and can work with me over the phone with server stuff. There have been a few times where I've been say.."on the road"...on the phone with them, and something needed to be done at the host...and naturally they couldn't do it (or more like it would be quite difficult for me to try to walk them through a few things through V-Sphere client).

The standard install of Hyper-V gives them the easy peasy desktop GUI that I should be able to walk them through. Overall...much easier for the typical smaller of small business clients to handle.

For beefier installs, larger clients....I'm not sure if I'll move to Hyper-V on Server Core...from VMWare.

For those new to Hyper-V....there are basically 2x versions.
*Standard host OS...you install Server 08....and then install the Hyper-V function. But the server itself is running on the typical Server 08 desktop...so full GUI experience.
*Windows Core...basically a VERY stripped down install of Server 08...so as to minimize the footprint, and diminish exposed services and vectors of attack. Really no desktop GUI...so consider it command line. And you manage it from another computer on the network with a management client..much like one does with VMWare now.
 
I've been running both on core and on normal install depending on the situation. It's taken a bit for me to get used to core. The thing I like most about it is that users are not going to be messing around with the server without a gui. Performance, I haven't seen a real great difference which is surprising.
 
Got the 710 in the picture put into production over the weekend.

Friday night..brought it onsite.
Has Server 08r2 installed running Hyper-V role

Use 5Nines V2V Easy Converter to bring over the ESXi guest of SBS03
http://www.5nine.com/vmware-hyper-v-v2v-conversion-free.aspx

I had estimated an overnight conversion....but wow, those hard drives on the old Proliant ML350 g3 which was running ESXi 3.5 were apparently REALLY tired and brutally slow. Started the conversion around dinnertime on Friday, it finished at 2am Sunday morning. Injected the hyper-v tools, a few reboots (painfully slow before TCP was set..a DC and Exchange without DNS working boots up reeeeeeal slow) re-activate Windows(due to all the new hardware), catch up on a bunch of updates, and had her in production by 4am this morning receiving e-mail.

Over the summer will install SBS2011 on the 710 as another guest...and do a migration from SBS03 and shut 03 down for good. And also get Remote Desktop Services in there doing an app in published apps mode for the satellite offices through a VPN.
 
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