Steps to server virtualization

One of the biggest technologies that Microsoft seems to have recently launched is server virtualization technology. The main idea behind the main server virtualization technology is that from a single physical machine can form many independent virtual machines. Each of these virtual machines has a separate system source setup, separate operating system, and individual applications. In this article, Network Administrator will show you how to create your own virtual servers.

Configure a virtual server

Before deploying, you will have to download a copy of the virtual server software. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition is a perfectly suitable software, moreover it is free. It is applicable for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. You must download the version that matches the existing Windows operating system on your server.

After downloading Virtual Server you must make sure that IIS is installed and running on the server. Double click on the downloaded file to start the installation process. When the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition screen appears, click the Install Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 button . At this step you will encounter a prompt to accept the license for the end user of the software. After that, click on Next and enter the username and company name. Click Next and you will be asked if you want to fully install (Complete) or option (Custom). Select Complete and click Next .

Because Virtual Server is a web application, you will encounter a request to enter the port you want to access through it. In my opinion, use the default port number (1024). In most cases, you should use the option to configure the admin website to always run as an authenticated user.

When the installation process is complete, Setup will give you a link to the Virtual Server web interface. Click on the link and save this URL to your browser's Favorite list. If you plan to access Virtual Server management immediately from the server, I recommend disabling the Enhanced Security Configuration function of Internet Explorer.

Create virtual machine

After performing the above steps, Virtual Server can run, now is the time to create a virtual machine. First, start by creating a virtual hard drive. To do this, select the Create command created in the Virtual Disks section of the management section. It is possible to create a virtual hard disk with a fixed or dynamic size. Use the most appropriate option for virtual servers so you can deploy.

To create a virtual hard drive, select a location from the Location drop-down list (Figure A), and then enter a drive file name in the provided section. In my opinion, it is recommended to use a name that can describe the purpose of the drive. By default the drive's capacity is 16GB but you can reset this size at any time. Click the Create button to create.

Figure A : Start creating a virtual hard drive

After creating a virtual drive, click the Create option in the management section of the Virtual Machines interface. You will then see a screen like Figure B.

Figure B : Interface used to create a virtual server

Start the process by entering a name for the virtual machine you want to create. The name must be described in accordance with the intended use.

The next thing that the interface asks you is about a virtual hard drive. You must actually create the virtual drive, select the option to use the existing virtual drive and then select the drive you created earlier. The last thing to choose is the type of network adapter you want the virtual machine to use to connect to the network. You must do this even though you have the option to set up a virtual machine from the network, otherwise you can disconnect the network by selecting the Not Connected option. Click the Create button and the virtual machine will be created.

Use virtual machine

After you have created the virtual machine, you must install an operating system for it. When the machine creation process is completed, you will see an interface screen as shown in Figure C. Insert an operating system installation disc into the CD / DVD drive and click on the thumbnail shown in the figure. Then, Windows will turn on the virtual server. There will be no value when you just turn on the virtual machine, the screen shown in Figure C will replace with a similar interface, as shown in Figure D.

Figure C : The screen you will see after creating a virtual server

Figure D : Interface screen when you turn on the virtual server

As shown in Figure D, you think you can click on the virtual machine thumbnail to access the machine control. However, there are still a few steps to set up before actually observing the virtual machine. Specifically, you must install the Virtual Machine Remote Control ActiveX component. To do this, see Figure E. There are many options to set up, but you can access the virtual server with a simple step of selecting the Enable button and clicking OK . When you're done, you'll see a yellow warning bar appear at the top of the browser window, indicating that you need to click on the warning bar to install ActiveX Control. Click on the yellow bar and follow the instructions. The virtual session will have the same interface as shown in Figure F.

Figure E : Select the Enable box and click OK

Figure F : Note that Windows will run inside a Web browser window.

Conclude

Before I finish, I want to give you some advice on using virtual machines. You must note that the mouse pointer shown in Figure F will exist until you click outside the virtual server window. While performing mouse control on the virtual machine, you will not be able to move the mouse outside the boundaries of the virtual machine window. If you need to use the mouse outside the virtual machine window, press the Alt key (press release), then you can move the mouse out of the window.

Another thing to note is that you cannot press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete combination to log on the virtual machine system. When you press those keys, you will only open the Task Manager of the server that contains the virtual machine. To log on to a server, press the right Alt key and the Delete key.