Win2k8 RTM + Hyper-V Pre-Release = ALMOST

Well, we’re ALMOST there…Windows Server 2008 has RTM’d and is ALMOST available to market.  Reading through the fine print online, it seems that Hyper-V is included on the disc, well…ALMOST…it’s a pre-release version of Hyper-V.  We had a few minutes this morning and started playing with the bits, which we pulled down from an MSDN subscription.  We just happened to have a new Dell PowerEdge 2950 laying around, waiting to start its new life as a virtual server base so out came the disc and let the testing begin!

I had some pre-conceived notion that there was going to be a magic Hyper-V install and that then we’d have a screen to be able to install the guest VM’s on top of it.  Turns out you install Windows Server 2008 first, THEN you add the Hyper-V role to the box, which slips the hypervisor layer underneath the Win2k8 install, which then terminals into Hyper-V. 

The install procedure is pretty straight forward.  First we put the DVD in the drive and installed Windows Server 2008 Enterprise x64 edition.  Pretty straight forward spouse-mode install.  Set up the timezone, configure your network settings and then it’s on to the Roles.  Just add the Hyper-V role and let it do it’s magic and Voila!  You’re in the Virtual Machine business.

Keith Combs has a slick little 10 minute webcast of the Virtual Machine interface and how to work with the VM’s on his "Keith Combs’ Blahg", so head over there and enjoy. 

Now if only I had some clue as to when I can expect the actual Release of Hyper-V so I can start scheduling my server configs going forward…

Doug White