Windows 7 may be grabbing the headlines, but it’s not the only new operating system on the block. Originally dubbed Windows 7 Server, the now more conservatively styled Windows Server 2008 (WS 2008) R2 could do for servers what the Vista replacement is expected to deliver on the desktop. That’s because, unlike the R2 for Windows Server 2003, the WS 2008 R2 is packed full of enhanced and, in some cases, totally new features, the most keenly awaited of which has to be Hyper-V 2.0.
The new Windows hypervisor removes the thorn of live migration from Microsoft’s side, enabling virtual machines to be migrated between host servers while still running, for example to balance loads or allow for server maintenance. Rival VMware has had this option with VMotion for years but it’s costly, whereas with Hyper-V 2.0 it’s bundled in both the full Windows Server 2008 R2 package and the standalone Hyper-V Server implementation.
Live migration is facilitated by another new feature of the R2 release called Clustered Shared Volume, part of an enhanced Failover Clustering role that enables virtual hard disks used by virtual machines (VMs) to be shared.
Clustering in WS 2008 wasn’t always easy, but we had no problems setting up an R2 cluster. Indeed, once we’d sorted out the servers to use and the disks we wanted to share the whole process took just a few minutes using the enhanced Failover Clustering Manager in WS 2008 R2 to both configure the cluster and manage VM migration.
Migrating virtual machines
We were also impressed by the speed and ease with which VMs could be migrated. That’s because there’s a lot of background preparatory work with a duplicate VM first created on the target server to which memory and state information from t he source VM is replicated. That done, the source VM is shut down and the new VM started in seconds with no discernible interruption in service as far as applications and users are concerned
Live migration can also be managed from the command line PowerShell interface, although to fully exploit this and other new Hyper-V features you’ll need the R2 release of System Center Virtual Machine Manager, expected within 60 days of the new hypervisor. Note, however, that you still can’t migrate VMs between servers with processors from different vendors, although migration to another processor family from the same vendor is now possible.
Other changes in Hyper-V include the ability to boot physical as well as virtual machines from VHD images, and add and remove storage on running VMs. Terminal Services also gets an overhaul and a new name – Remote Desktop Services – reflecting the inclusion of new Virtual Desktop Integration technologies. However, 2008 R2 isn’t just about virtualisation with lots of other usability and management enhancements plus new facilities when Windows 7 clients are connected to the OS.
We installed the software on a variety of servers and found the process a lot quicker and simpler than for the original WS 2008 product with far less operator input required. Tools to automate rollouts are available but a typical bare metal install took us around an hour with the end result a minimal yet secure server ready to be fine-tuned using the re-vamped Server Manager console from which we added the various roles and features we wanted. These are unchanged from WS 2008 but the setup tools are, again, more automated, added to which Server Manager can now be run remotely - a real boon when servers are tucked away in inhospitable machine rooms.
Another new addition is an Active Directory Administrative Center, a kind of super console that groups together tools to perform directory tasks, such as manage users, computers and sites across multiple domains and forests. Again, this is a welcome addition, although some work is needed to make the interface as slick as the more mature Microsoft Management Console snap-ins it’s designed to replace.
Likewise, it’s good to find a recycle bin implemented to undo changes made to the Active Directory structure. However, the recycle bin wasn’t turned on by default and there’s no graphical interface requiring us to scrabble about on the command line and wade through the help files to activate and make use of this option.
PowerShell 2.0 is another key component with lots of new features including an Active Directory plug-in and new remote management tools. System administrators have been calling for these since WS 2008 was first launched, but a fair degree of technical competence is needed to master PowerShell, and its command line interface doesn’t suit everyone. Smaller businesses in particular could struggle and will be better off using the graphical tools which deliver the same functionality in a more accessible format.
'Better together'
Then there are the so-called 'better together' features when WS 2008 R2 is deployed alongside Windows 7 desktops. The most notable is DirectAccess, giving remote users secure access to network resources without the need for a complex virtual private network. We tried it with the release candidate of Windows 7, and were impressed with both the seamless client experience and at how straightforward it was to set up and manage. Unfortunately there are no plans to extend DirectAccess to other client platforms at present which will seriously limit its uptake.
Other more widely applicable R2 enhancements include an updated web server (IIS 7.5) together with support for both IIS and .Net applications in Server Core. However, there are issues to bear in mind, such as the fact that WS 2008 R2 is 64-bit only, plus the need for well specified hardware to get the best of what it has to offer.
On a server with the latest quad-core Xeon 5500 processors and 64GB of RAM, for example, the OS sailed through the various tasks we gave it. On an older single core Xeon box with a more modest 4GB of memory, however, it struggled, especially when we tried to run multiple VMs when there were noticeable delays and lots of extra disk activity.
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