Hello to all,

This is my first post on MangoLassi. I was referred to this forum by a colleague...

I've recently been entrusted with the task of setting-up a Hyper-V host, for our client.The physical server was already purchased, from another vendor. I require some advice on setting-up a single Hyper-V host (This would be my first-time deploying a Virtualization solution in a production environment, so I may require some hand-holding.. )

I'll start with some facts & figures, and then move-on, to asking the questions : -

Company's Line of Business : Interior Design & Architecture. So most of data/files would be presentations, Autocad file (.dwg etc), images, spreadsheets, docs etc..

• Current Size of Data : 1.4TB

• Number of users : 15

• OS Platform : All Windows based .. Win 7 and above

• Server OS License : Windows 2016 R2, Standard

• Physical Host/Server Specs : HP ML-150 Gen 9 with

  • Intel Xeon E5-2609v4 (1.7GHz/8-core/20MB/85W)
  • 16 GB DDR-4 RAM
  • Dynamic Smart Array B140i Controller
  • 2x2TB SAS HDD in hard-RAID 1 Config.. Usable space = 1.86TB
  • 2x3TB SAS HDD in hard-RAID 1 Config ... Usable space = 2.79TB
  • 2x2 Port NICs
  • Dual 900W Power Modules

• Proposed VM to be provisioned : 2 ... 1 for Active Directory Domain Controller & other Management activities, and the 2nd for File & Application server. The storage is to be provisioned from the disks in server itself. The client MAY implement a project management application, in the near future ..

I know that the storage config is rather awkward - The server is brand new, and was purchased with 2x2TB HDD. After it was delivered, the client realized that they required more storage, so they bought an additional 2x3TB HDDs... I'm guessing They opted for 7.2RPM disk, due to cost constrains..

explained the pros and cons of a RAID10 & RAD1 to the client ... Also.. this a new server, and has bays for 4LFFs, which are all occupied, with the 4 disks. So, adding more/higher capacity disks is not possible, unless we swap-out 2 of the existing ones, or add additional bays.. Currently, the client is not willing to spend more ..

The decision we arrived at is that, for now, they'd prefer to have storage space (Given that there are just 15 users), with the decent'ish redundancy & performance offered by RAID 1 ... If, down-the-line, they feel that the performance needs to be better, they'll swap the 2x2TB HDDs for new 2x3TB HDD, and have them in a RAID 10 array, with around 5.5TB of storage..

Anyway.. here's what I've done ...

• I've created 2xRAID1 arrays ... Array1 with 2x2TB HDDs, and Array2 with 2x3TB HDDS

• Carved-out a 64GB partition on Array1, and installed Windows 2012 r2 Std. (With GUI, as I am a Hyper-V noob. Once I'm acclimatized to Hyper-V, I'll uninstall the GUI) for the host OS.

• Created a 300GB Partition (V:) on Array1, for the 2 VM guest operating systems. VM1 will the Domain Controller (DC) has a 100GB Dynamic VHDX, and VM2 (File and Application Server) has a 150GB Dynamic VHDX.

• Created a 2.7 (Max available) partition on Array2, and assigned 1.5TB to a Dynamic VHDX, for all the Data. Attached this VHDX to VM2

My questions ..

• What about provisioning for Checkpoints and VSS ? Currently, VSS is disabled on all volumes on the Host OS.

• Shall I created a 3rd VHDX for VM2, just for VSS ? If yes, what size, and would it be fine, if I create this VHDX on Array1 ? We are happy with around 2-3 days worth of previous versions.. I don't think daily changes would be more than 1GB

• Is one large 2TB VHDX fine for the data, or should is it recommended to break it up in smaller VHDXs

• Is it recommended to disable checkpoints for the Domain Controller VM ? ... btw ... how does one disable checkpoint, for a particular VM ? From Integration Services ?

• Any special provisioning for paging ? or anything else, for that matter ?

• I'm thinking of using VEEAM Free, for back-ups.. The back-up destination would be a Synology NAS box, with a 5TB HDD. Does VSS need to enabled for backups ?

• Am I over-thinking things, and shall I just keep it real simple ?

I'd like to know if the above storage provisioning is fine.. Comments and suggestions, a thwack on the head (for asking these ridiculous question) , are most welcome..

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

I was told to install 2012 R2, simply because it's a more mature OS, by virtue of it being around for longer .. Infact, I'd prefer working on 2016

That's wrong. It is LESS mature BECAUSE it has been around "longer." Windows 2016 is the continuation of 2012 R2, it's the more mature, longer lived version of it. Windows 2012 R2 is the same family as 2016, but 2016 has two more years of maturity under its belt. Whoever is directing you doesn't understand software and is giving you a reason that should have led to a different decision. So you have a logic problem in management somewhere.

http://www.smbitjournal.com/2014/04/software-versions/

hmm... interesting way to look at it .. makes sense, when you put it this way...

@JaredBusch said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

But you are using the wrong version, right? So that's not unexpected.

Seems more like an access issue, rather than a version issue

Possible. Are you using a VPN? Is there Active Directory?

1. Make sure AD is not tied to Hyper-V, Hyper-V in this setup should not use AD at all. It needs to be totally independent.
2. Use a local Windows 10 machine at the customer site and RDP to that, don't use a VPN to customer sites (for loads of reasons, but simplicity is the one here.)

No AD as yet... I RDP to the server, via VPN

What kind of VPN do you have?

SSL VPN

aww.. SSL VPN - that might be your problem. I know that RPD can work over SSL VPN, but RSAT might not.

SSL VPN does not support a lot of traffic types. There's a good chance the required ports aren't being routed correctly over your SSL VPN.

@scottalanmiller answered already, but in my own terms, WTF you smokin'?

A VPN is a VPN. Or it is some not VPN trying to fake it like a cheap hooker.

You seem to be speaking from experience ..

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

Well if you still have the option, I'd still start over and install Hyper-V 2016 as the hypervisor - the lack of concern over licensing alone makes that worth it to me (I suppose you could install Hyper-V 2012 if demanded by your boss or the client).

The following has happened, since my last post ...

• list item We've decided to go-ahead with Windows 2016. Infact, I'm even free to use Hyper-V Server 2016. However, I'm not at all comfortable with working without a GUI.. I don't want to be in situation where I have to Google Powershell commands for even mundane things like creating VHDX files ... Plus, Remote GUI tools such as Hyper-V manager and RSAT (On Windows 8x), are cumbersome to setup, especially when the remote machine is a non-domain machine.. Plus, I'm not sure if Coreconfig works on Hyper-V Server 2016. Any suggestions on how to make remote management easier/smoother ? 5nine Free ?

• list itemI've pushed for RAID 10, once again .. The client has reluctant agree, as long as they don't have you buy new HDDs. I explained to client that I could create a RAID 10 array, even with the existing 2x2TB HDDs, and 2x3TB HDDs, but that would mean that RAID 10 array would take into consideration the size of the smallest HDD. So, it'll be as if the array was created using 4x2TB HDDs, giving them total usable space of around 3.5 - 3.7TB. Around 1.8TB of HDDs space would be unusable, and simply go to waste, thus increasing the cost/GB for storage.. .So, now, I'll get their final decision on this, tomorrow.

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

I know that the storage config is rather awkward - The server is brand new, and was purchased with 2x2TB HDD. After it was delivered, the client realized that they required more storage, so they bought an additional 2x3TB HDDs... I'm guessing They opted for 7.2RPM disk, due to cost constrains..

Important to note... whoever made that buying decision is the IT decision maker here and they made the decision to do two RAID 1 arrays. Why did that person get tasked with making that decision? Who knows, that is something to look into. But they are the authority on the server and are making the "tough" technical decisions here. You are just implementing decisions that they made already.

The really big questions to look into are things like "How did they buy a server and extra storage when they didn't have the person who understands the needs involved yet?" This indicates a significant business decision making problem somewhere up the chain. This suggests you have a rogue Head of IT hidden in the organization somewhere, and it might easily be a secretary.

Actually, here's what happened ... The vendor, from where this server was purchased, sold it, with the 2TB HDDs bundled... Currently, the client operates in a workgroup environment, with the data scattered across more than 10 PCs...

When I was assigned this client account, the first thing I did was to ask them to collate all the data, into a central storage repo... Once, they started moving all the files to a centralized storage, the total size of all the files they had shifted, was getting to be well over 2B. So, we ordered another set of 3TB HDDs.. Later, I noticed that a lot of data was from around 7-10 years ago, not really used actively, so shifted it to another storage unit, for archiving...

okay ... let's say, I install Hyper-V 2016... how do I manage, using a GUI, from a remote non-domain Windows 8.1 machine, via VPN ? I installed RSAT, but, some features worked, some did'nt.. same with Hyper-V Manager .. Most of the functions kept giving me Access Denied..even after I used "runas"

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

But you are using the wrong version, right? So that's not unexpected.

Seems more like an access issue, rather than a version issue

@Dashrender

Yes, 2012 looks like 8.1, but it still did not provide a full-fledged desktop experience (Themes n all), out of the box... 2016 does that, on the other hand ... Why not have a minimal GUI just for servers, without the bells and whistles ..

I installed Hyper-V Core, and I'm facing a though time configuring... The server is at a remote location, and connect to the remote network via VPN, and am trying to use tools like Server Manager, Hyper-V manager, and even 5nine.. Server Manager itself works fine, but when I launch tools (such a Computer Management) from within Server Manager, I get random access denied messages .. Even after adding it as a Trusted host

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

Plus, I hate the Windows 2016 desktop experience. Why couldn't they just let it be the same as 2012 R2

What's different about it from Win 10?

The fact that it's not Windows 10 ... It is Windows SERVER 2016

@black3dynamite

@black3dynamite said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein

In response to converting from Desktop Experience to Core. You will have to do a fresh install.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-docs/get-started/getting-started-with-server-with-desktop-experience

"Unlike some previous releases of Windows Server, you cannot convert between Server Core and Server with Desktop Experience after installation. If you install Server with Desktop Experience and later decide to use Server Core, you should do a fresh installation."

Major... major bummer !!

Plus, I hate the Windows 2016 desktop experience. Why couldn't they just let it be the same as 2012 R2

hello,

I managed to convince the seniors and client, and they've agreed upon the following : -

• list item To switch to RAID10, at the cost of the losing 1TB from the 2x3TB HDDs.since RAID10 always creates an array size, based on the smallest HDD(s)

• Use Windows 2016, through-out - for the HostOS as well as the guest VMs

However, they insisted that I start-off with the Desktop Experience(with just Hyper-V role enabled), setup everything, and then, once everything is working smoothly, down-grade to Server Core .... Their logic is that, it is better this way since I'm a newbie, and that Server Core is supported by MS, whereas Hyper-V server is not ..

Anyway, I carved-out a 64GB (C:)partition from the 3.6TB of usable space, and installed the Host OS, and enabled the Hyper-V role.

Now, does it make sense to further divy-up the HDD, for each VM, and the data ? Or should I just created another partition (D:), and allocate it the rest of the HDD space, then create all the VHDXs and VMs on this partition ?

@JaredBusch said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

But you are using the wrong version, right? So that's not unexpected.

Seems more like an access issue, rather than a version issue

Possible. Are you using a VPN? Is there Active Directory?

1. Make sure AD is not tied to Hyper-V, Hyper-V in this setup should not use AD at all. It needs to be totally independent.
2. Use a local Windows 10 machine at the customer site and RDP to that, don't use a VPN to customer sites (for loads of reasons, but simplicity is the one here.)

No AD as yet... I RDP to the server, via VPN

What kind of VPN do you have?

SSL VPN

aww.. SSL VPN - that might be your problem. I know that RPD can work over SSL VPN, but RSAT might not.

SSL VPN does not support a lot of traffic types. There's a good chance the required ports aren't being routed correctly over your SSL VPN.

@scottalanmiller answered already, but in my own terms, WTF you smokin'?

A VPN is a VPN. Or it is some not VPN trying to fake it like a cheap hooker.

You seem to be speaking from experience ..

@Dashrender said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

But you are using the wrong version, right? So that's not unexpected.

Seems more like an access issue, rather than a version issue

Possible. Are you using a VPN? Is there Active Directory?

1. Make sure AD is not tied to Hyper-V, Hyper-V in this setup should not use AD at all. It needs to be totally independent.
2. Use a local Windows 10 machine at the customer site and RDP to that, don't use a VPN to customer sites (for loads of reasons, but simplicity is the one here.)

No AD as yet... I RDP to the server, via VPN

What kind of VPN do you have?

SSL VPN

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

But you are using the wrong version, right? So that's not unexpected.

Seems more like an access issue, rather than a version issue

Possible. Are you using a VPN? Is there Active Directory?

1. Make sure AD is not tied to Hyper-V, Hyper-V in this setup should not use AD at all. It needs to be totally independent.
2. Use a local Windows 10 machine at the customer site and RDP to that, don't use a VPN to customer sites (for loads of reasons, but simplicity is the one here.)

No AD as yet... I RDP to the server, via VPN

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@dr.funkenstein said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

But you are using the wrong version, right? So that's not unexpected.

Seems more like an access issue, rather than a version issue

@scottalanmiller said in Storage Provisioning For a Single Hyper-V Server Setup:

what way are you finding the RSAT tools cumbersome? I find them incredible easy. Where are you running into complications? Also, you need to be on Windows 10, obviously. Again, whoever chose Windows as your environment made most of these decisions for you.

I keep getting an access denied, even though, I use RSAT with proper credentials belonging to the remote server..

okay ... let's say, I install Hyper-V 2016... how do I manage, using a GUI, from a remote non-domain Windows 8.1 machine, via VPN ? I installed RSAT, but, some features worked, some did'nt.. same with Hyper-V Manager .. Most of the functions kept giving me Access Denied..even after I used "runas"