Server 2012 r2
- Server 2012 user cals will work on server 2012 r2
- Can’t in place migrate from 2012 to 2012 r2
- Can’t in place migrate from 2012 r2 preview to 2012 r2 RTM
- 2012 r2 Std = 2 free VM’s
Virtualization
- VHDX = 64TB max size
- Can live migrate vm’s from 2012 host to 2012 r2 host, but not the reverse
- VM’s support direct attached nic teaming
- Gen 2 virtual machine:
- Hot add cd/dvd-rom drive
- Boot from UEFI firmware
- Faster to install and boot because of VM Bus
- Enhanced session mode:
- Can copy and paste with RDP between host and guests
- Can convert VHD to VHDX
- VHDX can grow and shrink while the vhdx stays online.
- VM metrics, live graphs of cpu, memory, disk IOPS, of VM’s
- Live snapshotting of Linux VM’s, can backup live linux VM’s
- Right click -> Clone a live VM
- Move the VHD location of a live VM to a different spot with no downtime
- A VHDX located on shared storage can be mounted to multiple VM’s natively
- Cluster aware updating, pushes WSUS updates at different times so VM’s don’t get bogged down
- Replicate VM’s without a domain by using certificate based authentication, Kerberos not required.
- Automatic VM activation using a generic key, as long as host is activated, the VM’s will be too.
Networking
- Software defined networking, use policies for network configuration instead of hitting hosts and VM’e one at a time.
- IP payloading with GRE, allows two networks w/ same subnet address to talk to each other, without NATing
- Use powershell to edit smart switch configurations
- One tool/command can edit nic ports on server and ports on the switch
- SMB multichannel, loads can be split to multiple nics on different networks
- RSS – receive side scaling allows network cpu processing to spread across all cores.
- Live networking monitoring of vm’s at the host level
- Ping has been replaced by ps commandlet: Test-NetConnection
- Alias= tnc
- Ping port: tnc 192.168.1.1 rdp
- tnc alone will test internet connection of pc/server
Management
- Using powershell with OMI and SMI-S standards you can modify third party switches or storage devices.
- Connect directly to iDRAC from VMM or powershell
- Check out the Microsoft Script Center for powershell scripts
- Powershell in a web browser. http://servername.local/pswa
- Has session saving
- Use powershell to create tasks/jobs, custom triggers
- Multiple levels of server desktop environment
- “Desktop experience” with metro apps
- Full server with metro gui
- Server core with management graphic shell
- Server core
- Server core can be updated to gui with a simple restart
- RSAT does not require a domain, can manage workgroup servers
- Use powershell to pipe role installs to multiple servers
- Desired state configuration:
- Powershell commands to tell servers what configurations/roles are needed
- Use MOF file as template for system settings, roll out to multiple servers at once.
- Domain not required
- Windows Server Essentials is a role now, can be installed to any server
- Comes with the pretty SBS stuff
- Comes with RWW
VDI
- RDS tools are in server manager and not stand alone administration tools
- Rdweb as a web portal for RDS
- Pooled vs Private remote desktops
- Pooled: uses differencing disk for saved state, can roll back state when you log off
- Private: individual vm
- Session shadowing
- User profile disks: Vhds can store personal data, then roll back a saved state, and the personal data will be saved.
- User profile is a mount point to the vhd on a network share.
- User profile folder will follow you from vm to vm.
- Hyper-v settings on master vm get rolled to the pooled vm’s
- Dynamically add/remove monitors for RDP sessions
In summary server 2012 r2 is ridiculous, I am very
impressed. Going from 2012 to 2012 r2 seems like a bigger upgrade than 2008 r2 to 2012. MS is focused on making stuff easier, having the
technology work for us. Once the stream and the slides becomes available I will link them here.
