Deploy Microsoft Virtualization and VDI solutions using real-world Hyper-V configurations About This Book • Get acquainted with the basics of Windows Server Hyper-V 2012 R2 and understand how to efficiently design a highly available virtualization solution • Assess your physical server environment and understand the fundamentals of server consolidation and sizing of Hyper-V hosts • Design practical solutions for common design patterns with explanations of these design decisions In Detail The IT community has already experienced the benefits of server virtualization. However, they were limited to one option primarily until Microsoft released its flagship Hypervisor platform. Windows Server Hyper-V 2012 and R2 along with Hyper-V Server 2012 and R2 present a cost effective yet robust virtualization solution to enterprises who wish to consolidate their physical server workloads or migrate their pre-existing VMware workloads to Hyper-V. Hyper-V has proven to be a stable and an economical virtualization solution and with its high availability, live migration, and new network virtualization and storage enhancement features, enterprises will never feel the need to consider another alternative. This book is a practical, example-oriented tutorial that will guide you through the basics and architecture of the Hyper-V platform and thereafter help you understand how to build your Virtualization infrastructure from the ground up. The book then goes on to focus on scalability and high availability aspects and trains you in setting up highly available Hyper-V clusters and the live migration of virtual machines. You will also learn about the advancements in virtual networking and storage in Windows Server 2012. After the implementation guidance, the book then advises you on how to set up backup and recovery and how to prepare a disaster recovery plan via Hyper-V Replica. The book concludes with a good insight into Microsoft VDI implementation guidance. What You Will Learn • Set up independent and highly available clustered Hyper-V hosts via GUI and PowerShell • Acquire knowledge about Generation 1 and 2 Virtual Machines, their creation and management, and also look at the VM Conversion process • Understand NIC Teaming, Extensible Virtual Switch, and other networking advancements • Gain insight into virtual machine storage changes and its follow-up benefits • Discover backup and recovery patterns for Hyper-V • Familiarize yourself with the essentials of Hyper-V Replica • Leverage the benefits of Microsoft VDI Who This Book Is For This book is aimed at IT admins, consultants, and architects alike who wish to deploy, manage, and maintain Hyper-V solutions in organizations of various sizes. Readers are expected to have a working knowledge of managing Windows Servers and a fair understanding of networking and storage concepts. Style and approach This is a handy and easy-to-follow guide that describes virtualization concepts and the Hyper-V design approach. Each topic is explained sequentially and is enhanced with real-world scenarios, practical examples, screenshots, and step-by-step explanations to help readers understand clearly.