ptg6432687 This page intentionally left blank Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 4 Installing Windows 2008 Server and the Hyper-V Role IN THIS CHAPTER . Planning and Preparing a Server Installation . Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 Operating System . Installing the Hyper-V Server Role . Understanding Server Core Installation . Performing Common Server Tasks with Ser ver C or e This chapter describes the step-by-step process for installing a clean version of the Windows Server 2008 oper- ating system on a server system for the purpose of imple- menting the Hyper-V virtualization role on the system. Also covered in this chapter is the installation of the Server Core configuration of Windows Server 2008 to run the Hyper-V role on a GUI-less version of Windows Server. Even though the installation process is intuitive and has been simplified, an administrator must make several key decisions to ensure that the completed installation will meet the needs of the organization. For example, based on the statistical information generated in Chapter 3, “Planning, Sizing, and Architecting a Hyper-V Environment,” a Hyper-V host system needs to have enough memory and processing capabilities to handle the number of virtual guest sessions that will be hosted on the Hyper-V system. Planning and Preparing a Server Installation Before you begin the actual installation of Windows 2008, you must make several decisions concerning prerequisite tasks. How well you plan these steps will determine how successful your installation is—as many of these decisions cannot be changed after the installation is complete. Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 102 4 Installing Windows 2008 Server and the Hyper-V Role TABLE 4.1 Windows Server 2008 System Requirements Component Minimum Requirements Recommended Requirements Processor 1GHZ AMD 64 or Intel EM64T (x64) processor with at least 2 core or even 4 or 8 core 2GHz or faster Memory 512MB of RAM 8GB of RAM, or even 16GB to 32GB, depending on the number of virtual guests Disk space 8GB 8GB for the base installation of Windows 2008, plus enough disk space for all the virtual guest session disks Verifying Minimum Hardware Requirements Whether you are installing Windows 2008 in a lab or production environment, you need to ensure that the hardware chosen meets the minimum system requirements. In most situations, the minimum hardware requirements presented will not suffice; therefore, Table 4.1 provides not only the minimum recommendations, but also the recommended and optimal system requirements for a Hyper-V virtualization server role configuration. When you are designing and selecting the system specifications for a new server solution, even the recommended requirements might not suffice, and it is best to determine the required server configuration based on the metrics for virtual server host configuration identified in Chapter 2, “Best Practices at Planning, Prototyping, Migrating, and Deploying Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.” NOTE Windows Server 2008 suppor ts both 32-bit and 64-bit processor architectures. However, to run the Hyper-V virtualization role, you must run the x64-bit version of Windows Server 2008 on a server that has hardware-assisted vir tualization support (for example, AMD 64 or Intel EM64T). Finally, the maximum amount of RAM supported on a 64-bit system for a Standard Edition server is 32GB. The Enterprise and Datacenter editions can support up to 2TB of RAM. Choosing the Appropriate Windows Edition There are four main editions in the Windows 2008 family of operating systems. The editions are Windows Server 2008, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2008, Datacenter Edition; and Windows Server 2008, Web Server Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 103 Planning and Preparing a Server Installation 4 Edition. For the Hyper-V role, the Web Server Edition is not supported at all for the host server. The Standard Edition of Windows 2008 may suffice, even with its 32GB maximum memory support. However, for licensing considerations, Microsoft provides four virtual server use licenses with an Enterprise Edition of Hyper-V host, meaning that the purchase of one copy of Windows 2008 Enterprise Edition will allow the organization to run four virtual server sessions of Windows 2008 Enterprise at no additional charge. The Standard Edition of Windows 2008 allows one virtual server session at no additional charge. Assuming that a Hyper-V server will run three to four guest sessions, the Enterprise Edition and the virtual server use license makes the Enterprise Edition a better financial choice than the Standard Edition of Windows 2008. The Datacenter Edition allows for an unlimited number of virtual guest sessions on the system. In previous versions of Windows, the Datacenter used to run only on proprietary hardware. With Windows 2008, however, the Datacenter Edition will run on almost any server than supports the Standard or Enterprise Edition of Windows. The major difference is that the Datacenter Edition provides more license use for guest sessions. Choosing a New Installation or an Upgrade Although Windows 2008 enables you to install a new version of Windows 2008 on a server or upgrade an existing version of Windows on the system, for the Hyper-V role server, the organization would normally install a new copy of Windows 2008 on the system. Even if the organization is running Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 on a system running Windows Server 2003, the process usually involves installing Windows Server 2008 on a new server, and then copying over the Virtual Server 2005 VHD image files and mounting the image files on the new server. This authors cannot think of a scenario where it would be better to upgrade an existing version of Windows to Windows 2008, so the recommendation is to always install Windows 2008 clean on a system, and then to install the Hyper-V on that system. Full Version of Windows or Server Core Installation When you shove in the DVD to install Windows 2008 on the server for the first time, you have the choice of choosing either a full version of Windows 2008 or installing the Server Core Edition. You must make this decision at the time of installation; you cannot switch the decision later because such a switch would require reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling the other version of Windows. The decision between full Windows versus Server Core is as follows: . Full Windows—A full version of Windows provides the administrator with the normal Windows GUI interface, Start button, and all the administrative tools common in a normal Windows server installation. If the organization will be Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 104 installing only one Hyper-V host system and most administration will be done on the host server itself, make the server a full version of Windows. That’ll allow the administrator to install the Hyper-V Administration tool on the system, load on tape backup or other common software familiar to the administrator, and use the server for Internet downloads and other tasks commonly done on a normal Windows server. . Server Core—The Server Core Edition of Windows does not have a GUI, but instead boots to a logon screen, and then the administrator can log on and get to a com- mand prompt. From the command prompt, the server can be joined to a domain, the Hyper-V role can be installed, and then you can address all other administration and management from another server on the system that has the Hyper-V Administration tool. A Server Core installation minimizes the attack surface on the server because there is no GUI on the system, and thus there are no common Windows applications such as Internet Explorer, Media Player, or the like that are destinations for viruses and attacks. For an organization that will be building Hyper- V host servers and centrally administering the servers from either the Hyper-V Administration tool or the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 tool, a Server Core installation provides better security and easier ongoing maintenance you. Member Server or Standalone Server After your Windows Server 2008 has been installed on a server system, you can join the server to an Active Directory domain to be made a member server, or the system can remain as a standalone server. Some factors to consider when deciding whether to make server a member server or standalone are as follows: . Member server—A member server allows a server to be centrally administered with common Active Directory administrator credentials. The member server can partici- pate in Active Directory as any other Active Directory server that might be patched, monitored, or centrally managed. . Standalone server—A standalone server is not joined to a domain, and therefore the credentials for the server are based on the local administrator rights to the server itself. For organizations that place a Hyper-V server in their demilitarized zone (DMZ) to host several edge server systems, for security purposes the Hyper-V host may likely not be attached to a domain. The Hyper-V standalone server will be man- aged and administered individually, just like any other nondomain attached servers. Gathering the Information Necessary to Proceed During the installation of Windows 2008, you must tell the Setup Wizard how you want your server configured. The wizard takes the information you provide and configures the server settings to meet your specifications. Taking the time to gather the information described in the following sections before start- ing your installation will result in a faster, smoother, and easier install. 4 Installing Windows 2008 Server and the Hyper-V Role Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 105 Planning and Preparing a Server Installation 4 Selecting the Computer Name Each computer on a network must have a name that is unique within that network. Many companies have a standard naming convention for their servers and workstations. If yours does not, you can use the following information as a guideline for creating your own. Although the computer name can contain up to 63 characters, workstations and servers that are pre–Windows 2000 recognize only the first 15 characters. It is widely considered a best practice to use only Internet standard characters in your computer name. This includes the letters A–Z (upper- and lowercase), the numbers 0–9, and the hyphen (-). Although it’s true that implementing the Microsoft domain name system (DNS) service in your environment could allow you to use some non-Internet standard characters (such as Unicode characters and the underscore), keep in mind that this is likely to cause problems with any non-Microsoft DNS servers on your network. Think carefully and test thoroughly before straying from the standard Internet characters noted in the preceding paragraph. Name of the Workgroup or Domain After the server installation is complete, you need to determine the name of the work- group or domain that the server will be joining. You can either enter the name of an exist- ing Windows domain or workgroup to join, or create a new workgroup by entering a new name. Users new to Microsoft networking might ask, “What is the difference between a work- group and a domain?” Simply put, a domain is a collection of computers and supporting hardware that shares the same security database. Grouping the equipment in this manner enables you to set up centralized security and administration. Conversely, a workgroup has no centralized security or administration. Each server or workstation is configured independently and locally for all security and administration settings. Network Protocol and IP Address of the Server When installing Windows 2008, you must install and configure a network protocol that will allow it to communicate with other machines on the network. Currently, the most commonly used protocol is called TCP/IP version 4, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This protocol allows computers through- out the Internet to communicate. After you install TCP/IP, you need to configure an IP address for the server. You can choose one of the following three methods to assign an IP address: . Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)—APIPA can be used if you have a small network that does not have a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, which is used for dynamic IP addresses. A unique IP address is assigned to the network adapter using the LINKLOCAL IP address space. The address always starts with 169.254 and is in the format 169.254.x.x. Note that if APIPA is in use, and a DHCP server is brought up on the network, the computer will detect this and will use the address assigned by the DHCP server instead. Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 106 . Dynamic IP address—A dynamic IP address is assigned by a DHCP server. This allows a server to assign IP addresses and configuration information to clients. Some examples of the information that is distributed include IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, DNS server address, and the Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) server address. As the dynamic portion of the name suggests, this address is assigned to the computer for a configurable length of time, known as a lease. Before the lease expires, the workstation must again request an IP address from the DHCP server. It might or might not get the same address that it had previously. Although servers and workstations can both be configured to use this method of addressing, it is generally used for workstations rather than servers. . Static IP address—Using a static IP address is the most common decision for a serv- er configuration. By static, we mean that the address will not change unless you change the configuration of the server. This point is important because clients and resources that need to access the server must know the address to be able to connect to it. If the IP address were to change regularly, connecting to it would prove difficult. NOTE Windows Server 2008 includes the latest TCP/IP protocol suite known as the Next Generation TCP/IP stack. The legacy protocol stack was designed in the early 1990s and has been modified to accommodate for today’s future growth of computers net- worked together. The new TCP/IP stack is known as Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Organizations using IPv6 can either dynamically assign or statically assign an IPv6 address to the Hyper-V host server. Backing Up Files If you are performing a new installation on a previously used server, you may consider performing a complete backup of the data and operating system before you begin your new installation. This way, if there is something on the old server that somebody wants, you have a backup of the information. However, if you know the server data is not needed, skip the backup process and begin the installation of the new Windows 2008 operating system. When performing a new installation on a previously used server, you overwrite any data stored there. In this scenario, you must use your backup tape to restore any data that you want to preserve. NOTE Many people back up their servers but never confirm that the data can be read from the backup media. When the time comes to recover their data, they find that the tape is unusable or unreadable, or that they do not know the proper procedures for restor- ing their server. You should perform backup/recover y procedures on a regular basis in a lab environment to confirm that your equipment is working properly, that you are com- fortable with per forming the process, and that the recover y actually works. 4 Installing Windows 2008 Server and the Hyper-V Role Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 107 Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 Operating System 4 Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 Operating System The setup interface for Windows 2008 is a significant departure from the blue background and white text of previous versions. After the installation software loads into memory, the configuration setup pages have a consistent look and feel. Each step outlined in the following sections also has integrated links to relevant Help topics. Many of the choices and options that were part of the pre-installation setup process in Windows 2000/2003 (such as naming the server, giving it an IP address, and so on) are now relegated to a post- installation configuration process after the base OS installation has completed. Thus, the steps required during initial installation are minimized, allowing for a more streamlined initial process and consolidating operations pertaining to settings specific to the final role of the server to the post-installation phase. The following sections outline the preferences that must be entered during a clean instal- lation of Windows 2008. 1. Customizing the Language, Time, Currency, and Keyboard Preferences The first element when installing Windows 2008 is entering the Language to Install of the server. Typically, the language selected is English; however, the language selections vary based on a region. Examples of languages include English, Arabic, French, Dutch, Spanish, and many more. The next element to be specified is the Time and Currency Format. This setting dictates how the server will handle currencies, dates, and times, including daylight savings. The final element is the Keyboard or Input Method. Specify the country code, such as US, Canada, or China, and click Next to begin the installation. Figure 4.1 shows these languages and other preferences. FIGURE 4.1 Specifying the language and other preferences. Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 108 2. The Install Now Page The next page in the installation process prompts you with an action to Install Now. Click Install Now to commence the Windows Server 2008 installation. Alternatively, before running the installation, you can click the two operational links: the What to Know Before Installing Windows link and the Repair Your Computer link. The What to Know Before Installing Windows link provides a list of prerequisite tasks, error messages, and general information about the installation. The Repair Your Computer link should be used if you need to fix a Windows 2008 operating system that is already installed. 3. Entering the Product Key After you select the Install Now option, you need to enter the product key. The key is vali- dated when entered; so if you mistype the product key, the installation will halt, giving you the opportunity to reenter the key before proceeding. The key entered dictates which versions of Windows 2008 are available for install. (All versions are available on the product media; separate media is required only for 32-bit versus x64-bit versions.) You can also opt to not enter the key and then select the appropriate version of Windows 2008 for installation, including Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, and their corresponding Server Core versions. As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 2008 must be activated. Click this option to automatically activate Windows when the server comes online. Click Next to continue with the installation process. Using a Retail Media Activation Key When you purchase the installation media from a retail source, you will have to contact Microsoft (either online or by telephone) to activate your product key. This key is unique for each installation. Fortunately, you still can automate the installation. Using a Volume Media Activation Key When you purchase the installation media as part of a Microsoft volume licensing program (such as Open or Select), no activation is required. In addition, you can use a common product key across all your installations. 4. Selecting the Type of Operating System to Install The next page is Select the Operating System You Want to Install. One of the first items that you must address on every new installation of Windows 2008 is which type of operat- ing system will be installed. The options include a complete installation or a Server Core installation. A complete installation is a traditional installation of Windows and includes all the user interfaces and supports all the server roles. As mentioned earlier, a Server Core installation is a scaled-down installation of Windows 2008 with the intent to reduce surface attack and management. A subset of the server roles are present, and the server is 4 Installing Windows 2008 Server and the Hyper-V Role Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 109 Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 Operating System 4 managed through the command prompt; therefore, the GUI does not exist. Click Next to continue, as depicted in Figure 4.2. 5. Accepting the Terms of the Windows Server 2008 License The Please Read the License Terms page is invoked next. Review the license terms and check the I Accept the License Terms check box if you comply with these terms. Click Next to continue. 6. Selecting the Type of Windows Server 2008 Installation On the Which Type of Installation Do You Want page, you can either select to upgrade an existing Windows server or to install a clean copy of Windows. Because this is a clean installation and a legacy operating system does not exist, the Upgrade selection is grayed out and not available. Therefore, in this scenario, the only option available is to select Custom (Advanced), to perform a client installation of Windows Server 2008. Click Next to continue, as shown in Figure 4.3. 7. Selecting the Location for the Installation On the next page, the Install Windows Wizard asks where you want to install Windows. You need to specify where you want to install the OS and then click Next to continue, as illustrated in Figure 4.4. This section replaces the portion of both Windows 2000/2003 server installs where decisions about disk partitioning and formatting are made during the initial steps of the installation. At this point, you can supply additional disk drivers, or add, delete, extend, or format partitions in preparation for the install. It’s another small change to the process for preparing a system for loading the OS, but that change simpli- fies and organizes the process in a logical way. FIGURE 4.2 Specifying which operating system to install. Download at www.wowebook.com . e This chapter describes the step-by-step process for installing a clean version of the Windows Server 2008 oper- ating system on a server system for the purpose of imple- menting the Hyper -V virtualization. virtual server host configuration identified in Chapter 2, “Best Practices at Planning, Prototyping, Migrating, and Deploying Windows Server 2008 Hyper -V. ” NOTE Windows Server 2008 suppor ts. Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2008, Datacenter Edition; and Windows Server 2008, Web Server Download at www.wowebook.com ptg6432687 103 Planning and Preparing a Server