Tag: Server 2012

ethernet adapter is already bound to the microsoft virtual switch protocol

hyper-v_logoWhen I was reinstalling one of my home lab server with Server 2012 (overdue for months now…) I can across the following error when I tried to configure my virtual switch.

external ethernet adapter is already bound to the microsoft virtual switch protocol

After a quick google search I came across a MS support article which described this error to a T.

You need to download the NVSPBind tool seperately from the MSDN website here. After opening the command prompt (in elavated administrator) I ran this command:

nvspbind /u “Friendly NIC Name”

When this was finished I was able to configure the virtual switch to connect to my external NIC.

Shadow a session on Server 2012

On previous versions of Server 2012 (i.e. 2008 (r2)) RDS it was possible to shadow your connected users. However with the new release of Server 2012 this feature has been stripped away from the RDS role. The new way of remotely viewing a user session will only be through Remote Assistance. This feature was already shipped with 2008 (r2) but is now the sole way of remotely view assisting your users. You can easilty add the Remote Assistance feature through the Server Manager console or via PoSH of you want to script the installation.

Group Policy settings reference for Windows and Windows Server

Microsoft has released an updated version of their Group Policy settings reference guide to include support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. You can read what else is new in the reference guide and download it below.

What’s New?
The Administrative Template spreadsheet contains three columns that provide more information about each policy setting’s behavior related to reboots, logoffs, and schema extensions. These columns are the following:

  • Reboot Required: A “Yes” in this column means that the Windows operating systems requires a restart before it applies the described policy setting.
  • Logoff Required: A “Yes” in this column means that the Windows operating system requires the user to log off and log on again before it applies the described policy setting.
  • Active Directory Schema or Domain Requirements: A “Yes” in this column means that you must extend the Active Directory schema before you can deploy this policy setting.
  • Status: A “New” in this column means that the setting did not exist prior to Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. It does not mean that the setting applies only to Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. Refer to the column entitled “supported on” to determine to which operating system the policy setting applies.

Download the updated reference documents here.

Remote Server Administration tools for Windows 8 & Server 2012

Microsoft has released the new version of their Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8 includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell cmdlets and providers, and command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server 2012.  In limited cases, the tools can be used to manage roles and features that are running on Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008. Some of the tools work for managing roles and features on Windows Server 2003.

You can download the tools here.

HP guide to install Server 2012 on their hardware

HP has released a small PDF which helps you to install and configure Server 2012 on HP hardware.

Read or download the PDF here.

A grab of the document:

This paper identifies the HP ProLiant servers and ProLiant server platform options that we support with Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and provides information that can assist you during your OS installation1. The information applies to both Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Edition and Microsoft Windows Server Standard Edition. Their differences in virtualization support make them appropriate for different environments:

• Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Edition provides unlimited virtual instances, making it ideal for highly virtualized private and hybrid cloud environments.

• Windows Server 2012 Standard Edition provides two virtual instances, making it ideal for low density or non-virtualized environments.

 

This paper addresses the following key topics:

• Recommended system configurations

• Supported HP ProLiant servers

• Supported ProLiant server platform options, including:

Software and drivers

Storage options

NICs

• Procedures for a new installation

• Known issues and workarounds

 

Update for Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 available

Microsoft has released an update for Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2). This article includes information about the contents of the update and how to obtain the update.

Issues that are fixed

This update lets servers that are running Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2 provide updates to computers that are running Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012.

This update fixes the following issues:

Windows Server 2012 available for download (TechNet plus subscribers)

Today Microsoft announced the general availability of Windows Server 2012.

Enabling the Modern Datacenter

Microsoft built Windows Server 2012 from the cloud up, applying its experience operating global datacenters that rely on hundreds of thousands of servers to deliver more than 200 cloud services. Windows Server 2012 expands the definition of a server operating system, with significant new advancements in virtualization, storage, networking and automation. Hundreds of new features can help customers achieve a transformational leap in the speed, scale and power of their datacenters and applications. In combination with Windows Azure and System Center, Windows Server 2012 empowers customers to manage and deliver applications and services across private, hosted and public clouds.

For those that are TechNet or MSDN subscribers, Windows Server 2012 is now available for download. If you don’t have a subscription you can download the Windows Server 2012 Trial Evaluation.

This Microsoft Server 2012 website is always a good starting point for overview information. Download the data sheet, downloads and case studies.

If you are looking for more technical info check out the http://technet.microsoft.com/windowsserver tech center.

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Component Architecture Poster

This poster provides a visual reference for understanding key Hyper-V technologies in Windows Server 2012. This Hyper-V poster focuses on Hyper-V Replica, networking, virtual machine mobility (live migration), storage, failover clustering, and scalability.

You can download this poster here at Microsoft.

Windows 8 and Server 2012 general availability dates released

The Windows Product group announced Release to Manufacturing (RTM) and General Availability of Windows 8 the 1st week of August and Late October respectively.

Check out the post:

Windows 8

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/09/upcoming-windows-milestones-shared-with-partners-at-wpc.aspx

Windows Server 2012

http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2012/07/09/windows-server-2012-final-release-timing.aspx

Windows Server 2012 Editions

Licensing Overview

Windows Server 2012 delivers a dramatically simplified licensing experience. Shaped by feedback from customers and partners, the new Windows Server licensing approach will help make choosing the right Windows Server easier while delivering the following benefits.

Simple

It’s easier than ever to determine the right Windows Server edition for you. Choose from just four editions of Windows Server 2012, based on the size of your organization and your requirements for virtualization and cloud computing.

Economical

All editions of Windows Server 2012 deliver excellent economics and ROI for your business. For example, Datacenter edition with unlimited virtualization rights provides the benefits of cloud-level scale with predictable, lower costs. Standard edition now offers all of the same enterprise-class features as Datacenter and is differentiated only by virtualization rights.

Cloud-optimized

Businesses today are rapidly adopting a hybrid approach across private and public cloud computing. Windows Server 2012 offers the right edition for you, no matter where you are on your path to the cloud; Datacenter edition for highly virtualized cloud environments, Standard edition for lightly virtualized environments progressing toward cloud, or Essentials edition for an ideal cloud-connected first server.