Virtual Machine Manager FAQ

This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 (VMM).

  • About Virtual Machine Manager
  • Virtual Machine Hosts
  • Virtual Machines
  • Choosing a Host for a Virtual Machine
  • Virtual Machine Manager Library
  • Monitoring Jobs
  • Checkpoints
  • Virtual Machine Self-Service
  • Reporting

About Virtual Machine Manager

Where can I ask a Virtual Machine Manager question?

You can post VMM questions on the System Center Virtual Machine Manager forums at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=85919.

What is Virtual Machine Manager?

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 (VMM) is a server application in the Microsoft System Center family of products. VMM manages a virtualized data center that runs Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, and it provides:

  • Consolidation of underutilized physical servers
  • Rapid provisioning of new virtual machines
  • Wizard-based physical to virtual machine (P2V) conversions
  • Wizard-based virtual-to-virtual machine (V2V) conversion of VMware virtual machines

What are the benefits of using VMM?

Virtual Machine Manager provides the following benefits to organizations:

  • Maximizes datacenter resources through server consolidation
  • Allows conversion of physical servers to virtual machines (P2V)
  • Allows conversion of VMware virtual machines (V2V)
  • Enables fast provisioning of new virtual machines
  • Minimizes guesswork in deployment through customized host ratings based on criteria that you set
  • Enables you to centrally manage the resources that you use to create virtual machines within the Virtual Machine Manager library
  • Speeds creation of new virtual machines by using templates
  • Takes advantage of datacenter investments in Storage Area Network (SAN) storage
  • Provides a rich management and scripting environment through the Windows PowerShell - Virtual Machine Manager command shell
  • Provides reporting by integrating with System Center Operations Manager 2007

Where can I find more information about VMM?

Documentation for VMM can be found in the System Center Virtual Machine Manager TechCenter. The following resources are available:

What are the software and hardware requirements for VMM servers?

Specific requirements vary by Virtual Machine Manager component. For example, you can install the following components on separate servers or on a single server:

  • Virtual Machine Manager server
  • VMM database
  • VMM Administrator Console
  • Virtual machine hosts
  • Library servers
  • VMM Self-Service Portal

For specific software and hardware requirements, see Virtual Machine Manager System Requirements (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69926).

Which operating systems are required by Virtual Machine Manager?

The VMM components can run on the following operating systems:

  • VMM server: Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, or Windows Server 2003 R2
  • VMM Administrator Console: Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, or Windows Server 2003 R2
  • Virtual machine hosts: Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, or Windows Server 2003 R2
  • Library servers: Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, or Windows Server 2003 R2
  • Web server for the VMM Self-Service Portal: Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, or Windows Server 2003 R2

For specific software requirements for each VMM component, see Virtual Machine Manager System Requirements (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69926).

How do I use the Administrator Console from my desktop?

Run Setup and install the VMM Administrator Console on your desktop or any supported server. The Administrator Console can be installed on computers running the Windows XP operating system with Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, or Windows Server 2003 R2. You can also install the VMM Administrator Console and the Windows PowerShell - Virtual Machine Manager command shell on a computer that is running either Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Can I use an existing SQL Server instance for the VMM database?

Yes. By default, VMM installs Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Service Pack 1 (SP1) on the VMM server and creates the VMM database using that instance. However, you can use an existing remote or local SQL Server instance if you choose.

Does VMM support cross-domain authentication?

Yes. Kerberos authentication is a prerequisite for VMM. To configure your environment to allow users in one Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain to access VMM resources in another domain, you can either ensure that both domains are in the same forest or configure a forest-level trust relationship and use Kerberos authentication. To set up a forest-level trust relationship, both domains must be in Windows Server 2003 forest mode. Windows 2000 Server does not support forest-level trusts.

Note

Installation on a server that is not joined to a domain is not supported. You can manage a host that is in a perimeter network, but special installation instructions are required for security reasons.

Does VMM have a command-line interface?

Yes. All administrative tasks in the VMM Administrator Console are performed by cmdlets in the Windows PowerShell - Virtual Machine Manager command shell and can be performed at the command line or automated through scripts. VMM wizards have a View Script button that allows you to view the Windows PowerShell cmdlets that perform the actions you specified in the wizards.

What languages are supported?

VMM is supported in the English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese simplified, Chinese traditional, and Korean languages.

Virtual Machine Hosts

What is a virtual machine host?

A virtual machine host is a physical computer that can host one or more virtual machines. Until you add a host to Virtual Machine Manager, you cannot create virtual machines, and many of the actions in the VMM Administrator Console are not available. When you add a host, you assign it to a host group. If you have not created any host groups, the host is assigned to the root host group, called All Hosts.

Which virtual machine hosts can VMM manage?

VMM is built on Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 and supports Windows Server 2003 SP1 or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64-bit.

VMM manages hosts that are running Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1, which requires the Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later operating system or the Windows Server 2003 SP1 operating system 64-bit version or later.

What are the network requirements for a virtual machine host?

To be managed by Virtual Machine Manager over an Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain, a host must be in a domain that is trusted by the VMM server's domain. The following trust relationships are supported:

  • The host is in the same AD DS domain as the VMM server.
  • The host is in the same forest as the VMM server.
  • The host and the VMM server are in different Windows Server 2003 forests that have a two-way forest-level trust between them.
  • If the host is on a perimeter network, special restrictions apply. For more information, see "How to Add a Host on a Perimeter Network" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98818).

Note

   If you prefer to add a virtual machine host to VMM while the host is not connected to the network, use the Install Agent Locally on Host option in Setup.exe to install the VMM agent on the server. After joining the host to the domain, you must still use the Add Host action in the VMM Administrator Console to manage the host in VMM.

What are the software and hardware requirements for hosts in VMM?

What are host groups?

Host groups are containers that an administrator creates within VMM to group a set of virtual machine hosts for easy management. Host groups are hierarchical; a host group can contain other host groups. For example, if you use VMM Self-Service, you can create a host group that identifies all the hosts that support self-service users. You create a self-service policy on the host group to allow anyone who is covered by that policy access to all the hosts in the host group.

What are host reserves?

Host reserves are the resources set aside on the physical host computer for the host operating system. Host reserves determine the upper limit on the use of host resources, such as CPU, memory, disk space, I/O, and network, by virtual machines on the host, and they are criteria used to determine the host rating when placing a virtual machine. Host reserves are only used when calculating the host rating; no resource metering is performed on the host.

What is the relationship between the host CPU speed and architecture, and what I can specify for the virtual machine?

When you create a virtual machine you, specify the processing power that you expect your virtual machine to need. VMM uses those values to determine the best host on which to place a virtual machine. Those values are not translated to host CPU reserves or the allocated processing power on the host.

How do I manage my existing virtual machine hosts?

To manage your existing virtual machine hosts, use the Add Hosts action in the VMM Administrator Console. After the hosts are added to VMM, you can manage the hosts and the virtual machines that are on the hosts in Virtual Machine Manager. The virtual machines are added to Virtual Machines view in the VMM Administrator Console. For more information about adding hosts, see "Adding Hosts" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98985).

How do I add a new host?

When you add a host to Virtual Machine Manager, a Virtual Machine Manager agent is installed on the server. If the server is not already serving as a host in Virtual Server, Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 also is installed. For more information, see System Requirements (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69926).

How does VMM operate with virtual networks?

You must create a virtual network on each host, bind the virtual network to a physical network interface adapter, and give the network a name. This procedure is done in the Administrator Console, in the Host Properties dialog box. VMM treats virtual networks with the same name as if they were connected to the same physical network. Using a common name for the virtual network makes it easier to move virtual machines between hosts or to deploy virtual machines to a group of hosts through automatic placement.

Note

When you migrate a virtual machine that is connected to one or more virtual networks, VMM attempts to identify hosts that have virtual networks with the same names. A host that does not have all virtual networks required by the virtual machine gets a zero-star rating. You can also use the virtual network's Description property to denote that it is the same as virtual networks on other hosts.

It is a best practice to reserve a network interface adapter for the host and to have the virtual machines use additional network interface adapters if you expect significant network traffic to be generated by the virtual machines. For example, if a host has two physical network adapters, one bound to "corpnet" and another bound to "backupnet," create a virtual network named "corpnet" and bind it to the "corpnet" network adapter. Create a second virtual network called "backupnet" and bind it to the "backupnet" network adapter.

Can I manage clustered hosts with VMM?

VMM supports host clustering and can manage clustered virtual machines. If both the source and the destination host are managed by VMM, then VMM detects host changes and updates displays in the Administrator Console. This is true whether the virtual machine changes hosts through a clustered resource group assignment or through a cluster failover.

Note

Host clustering configuration and cluster resource group management must be performed using clustering management tools.

For more information, see the whitepaper "Managing Virtual Server Host Clustering with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98888.

Can I add the VMM server as a host?

Yes. In VMM, you can add the VMM server as a host. If you use the VMM server as a host, you should take the cumulative performance requirements of all components—including the VMM service—into account when deploying virtual machines on the server.

You can also run Virtual Machine Manager inside a virtual machine.

Can I move a virtual machine from one host to another without stopping the virtual machine?

Virtual Server 2005 does not support live migration in this release. However, you can save the state of a virtual machine and restore it with downtimes of 5 to 30 seconds (depending on virtual machine RAM and load). This type of migration does not require shutting down the virtual machine.

To manage a host in VMM, must I remove the Virtual Server Administration Website from the host?

No. If you add a host to VMM that has the Virtual Server Administration Website already installed, VMM will not uninstall it. Virtual Server is installed on a new host when you add that host to Virtual Machine Manager. However, the Administration Website is not installed by default with Virtual Server and is not required by Virtual Machine Manager.

Virtual Machines

What is a virtual machine?

A virtual machine is a computer within a computer, implemented in software. A virtual machine runs on a virtual machine host and emulates a complete hardware system, from processor to network card. Virtual machines typically consist of one or more .vhd files, a .vmc file, and other properties. A virtual machine that is managed by VMM can be in one of two locations: placed on a host or stored in the library.

How can I create a virtual machine?

Virtual machines can be created from:

  • A physical computer (P2V conversion)
  • An existing virtual machine
  • A virtual hard disk
  • A virtual machine template
  • A VMware virtual machine (V2V conversion)
  • For instructions on creating a virtual machine, see "Creating Virtual Machines" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98987).

Can I convert a physical machine to a virtual machine?

Yes. Virtual Machine Manager includes a Convert Physical Server wizard that you can use to convert a physical server to a virtual machine. This process is known as physical-to-virtual machine conversion (P2V conversion). For more information, see " How to Convert a Physical Server to a Virtual Machine" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98991).

How can I convert a physical machine that does not meet the requirements of VMM P2V?

To convert a computer running Windows NT 4.0 or another operating system, such as Novell or Linux, the following partners are recommended:

  • PlateSpin, Ltd.
  • Portlock Corporation
  • To be converted, a server must be either in the same domain as the VMM server or in a domain that has a two-way trust relationship with the domain of the VMM server.

Can I change the size of the VHD while performing a P2V conversion?

Yes, you can configure dynamically expanding virtual hard disks (.vhd files) for the new virtual machine. Dynamically expanding .vhd files use the space required by their data rather than the full size of the virtual disk. For example, if the physical server has a 40-GB hard drive, of which just 4 GB is actually in use, you can create a virtual machine with a smaller hard drive.

Does VMM support virtual to physical (V2P) conversions?

No. Depending on customer demand, partners might offer V2P conversions at a later time.

Does VMM support virtual-to-virtual conversions (V2V)?

Yes. During a virtual-to-virtual (V2V) conversion, a virtual machine created using virtualization software other than Virtual Server is converted to a Virtual Server-based virtual machine in a VMM environment. Currently, VMM supports converting VMware server–based virtual machines to an analogous Virtual Server–based virtual machine deployed on a host managed by VMM.

Why am I asked to supply a CPU type when creating new virtual machines?

The CPU type is used to estimate the CPU utilization of the new virtual machine. This estimate affects the host ratings during virtual machine placement.

What account should I use to join a new virtual machine to a domain?

VMM uses the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) to customize the guest operating system of a virtual machine. During the Sysprep customization process, a virtual floppy disk is created on the host that contains the Sysprep information in clear text. Because the domain account password is in clear text during virtual machine creation on the host, using the join domain feature to join the computer to the domain requires special security considerations. Anyone with access to the host or virtual machine can use that information to access your network. The domain password is deleted from the Sysprep file after Setup is completed or if it fails.

To minimize security risks, use an account with limited privileges that can only create computer accounts and join them to the domain. If you do not have an account with limited privileges, select Workgroup.

For maximum security, use Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI) and Windows Script Host (WSH) to create a Visual Basic Script (VBScript) that automates the creation of computer accounts. For a sample script, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base, article Q315273 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=87303).

Can I use resources from multiple hosts to create a virtual machine?

Yes. You can use resources from any location when creating a new virtual machine. However, to use a file-based resource in Virtual Machine Manager, you must add it to the Virtual Machine Manager library. For more information, see "Adding File-Based Resources to the Library" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98984).

Choosing a Host for a Virtual Machine

How do I deploy my virtual machines on a host?

Based on the virtual machine hardware profile settings, VMM produces a list of rated hosts, allowing you to select the most suitable host.

What is virtual machine placement?

When a virtual machine is deployed on a host, the process of selecting the most suitable host for the virtual machine is known as virtual machine placement, or simply placement. During placement, hosts are rated based on the virtual machine’s hardware and resource requirements and the anticipated usage of resources. For more information, see "About Virtual Machine Placement" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98982).

What do the ratings mean when selecting a host?

VMM provides host ratings during virtual machine deployment or migration to help you select the most suitable host for the virtual machine. The rating is calculated based on CPU utilization, memory utilization, physical disk space, disk utilization, and network utilization and takes several factors into account, including the following:

  • Virtual machine requirements
  • Average host resource availability
  • Resources reserved for the host operating system (known as host reserves)

The ratings are from 0 stars (not suitable) to 5 stars (very suitable). You can place a virtual machine on a host regardless of its rating if the host has enough physical disk space and memory available. However, placing a virtual machine on a host with a higher rating provides better performance for the virtual machine.

Can I customize the host ratings?

Yes, the procedure for customizing host ratings for a virtual machine when you deploy or migrate the virtual machine is found in "Deploying Virtual Machines" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98989). These settings override the systemwide placement defaults that are set through placement settings in Administration view.

What’s the difference between the load balancing and resource maximization placement choices?

Load balancing favors hosts that have the most resources free. Use this choice if you want to distribute your virtual machines evenly across your hosts.

Resource maximization favors hosts that can accommodate the virtual machine with the least amount of free resources. Use this choice if you want to fully utilize one host before assigning virtual machines to additional hosts.

Why would a host rating be zero?

You might see a host with a rating of zero for several reasons including the following circumstances:

  • The host does not have enough physical disk space available for the virtual machine. At least one available volume must have enough disk space to store all the files associated with the virtual machine.
  • The host does not have an appropriate virtual network for the virtual machine. A host must have all the virtual networks associated with the virtual network adapters configured on the virtual machine.
  • In placement criteria, the relative importance of all resources is set to zero. Click Customize Ratings on the Host Selection page, and ensure that at least one resource has an importance higher than zero.
  • The host does not have the required resources available. Placing a virtual machine on this host exceeds the limits set by the host reserves.
  • You can find the specific reason for a rating of zero, select the host in the list, and view details beneath the list. For more information, see "About Host Ratings" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help.

Virtual Machine Manager Library

What is the Virtual Machine Manager library?

The Virtual Machine Manager library is a catalog that gives access to file-based resources stored on your library servers and to virtual machine templates, guest operating system profiles, and hardware profiles—database objects that you configure in Virtual Machine Manager. You can also store virtual machines in the library when they are not in use.

Library resources include the following:

  • Template. The combination of a guest operating system profile, hardware profile, and one or more .vhd files. The .vhd file containing the operating system files has computer identity information removed by using Sysprep process. A template is used to create a new virtual machine.
  • Virtual Hard Disk. A virtual machine hard disk implemented as a .vhd file. Virtual hard disks can be either fixed size or dynamically expanding.
  • Stored Virtual Machine. A managed virtual machine whose .vhd files and other properties are stored in the Virtual Machine Manager library.
  • ISO image. A standard CD or DVD disk image file.
  • Scripts. For example, PowerShell and Sysprep scripts. VMM uses Sysprep.inf files to configure guest operating systems during virtual machine creation.
  • Hardware Profile. A saved collection of settings that can be used to quickly define the hardware characteristics of a virtual machine. These settings include processors, memory, virtual network adapters, and DVD drives. Hardware profiles can be used to import standard settings into a virtual machine or a virtual machine template.
  • Guest operating system profile. A saved collection of settings that provide customization of the guest operating system. This profile is analogous to a Setup answer file, and it contains information about the system settings, the Administrator account, and the AD DS domain. Guest operating system profiles can be used to import standard settings into new virtual machines that are created from templates.

What is a library share?

A library share is a share that has been added to the VMM library. To be available for use in creating virtual machines, a resource must be stored on a library share. For more information, see "Virtual Machine Manager Library" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98640).

How do I add resources to the library?

To make resources available in VMM, you must copy the resources to a shared folder on the library server and then add the share to the library by using the Add library share action in the VMM Administrator Console. For more information about adding file-based resources to the library, see “Adding File-Based Resources to the Library” in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98984).

Can I add custom properties to library resources?

Yes, you can add up to 10 custom properties to virtual machines and templates. However, you cannot apply custom properties to VHD or ISO files, hardware configurations, or guest operating system profiles.

How can I reorganize library resources?

  • You can reorganize library resources using Windows Explorer or any other file copy/move tools. The files are automatically added to Virtual Machine Manager during the next library refresh. To add the files immediately, you can refresh the library share or the library server after moving the files. For more information, see "How to Add Files to the Library" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98990).

Can I share library resources, such as an ISO, with multiple virtual machines?

If you add a virtual hard disk to a virtual machine in the library, it is copied when you deploy the virtual machine to a host. If you specify an ISO image to use with a VM, you have the option of either copying the image to the virtual machine or linking to the ISO image file. By linking an ISO image, you can save space by sharing the same image with all virtual machines that are created using the same hardware profile.

How do I create a template?

To create a template, click New template in Library Actions pane in the Administrator Console. If you use a template to create a virtual machine, you can customize the hardware and operating system configurations by specifying the hardware and operating system profiles.

For detailed information, see "About Virtual Machine Templates" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98983).

Monitoring Jobs

What is a job?

A job is a series of sequential steps that complete an action. There are two types of jobs: system jobs, (for example, Refresh Virtual Machine) and jobs initiated through cmdlets (for example, Add Host). For more information, see "Jobs" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98638).

How do I check on the progress of a job?

In the Administrator Console, select the Jobs node of the tree view. You can view jobs by overview, jobs status, job owner, and start date.

Checkpoints

What is a checkpoint?

A checkpoint is a snapshot of a virtual machine at a specific point in time. Checkpoints are implemented using differencing disks and enable an administrator to roll the virtual machine back to its state at the moment the checkpoint was created. Checkpoints are portable; when a virtual machine is migrated from one virtual machine host to another, the checkpoints migrate along with the virtual machine. For more information, see "About Virtual Machine Checkpoints" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98845).

What is the difference between a checkpoint and a backup?

A checkpoint can serve as temporary backup before updating an operating system because you can roll back if the update has any adverse effects. Checkpoints are for temporary backup of a virtual machine and do not create full duplicates of the hard disk contents.

How do I back up my virtual machines?

See "Backing Up the Virtual Machine Manager Database" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98986).

Virtual Machine Self-Service

What is virtual machine self-service?

Virtual machine self-service allows administrators to delegate the provisioning of virtual machines to users. Administrators in environments that require frequent provisioning and teardown, such as testing and deployment, can delegate provisioning while limiting the available templates and hosts.

The self-service user is presented with a Web page that enables virtual machine provisioning within preset controls. For information about configuring VMM Self-Service, see "Setting Up Virtual Machine Self-Service" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help.

What rights and permissions do self-service users need to manage their virtual machines?

Users must have local administrator rights and permissions on their virtual machines if the virtual machines are not joined to a domain. The local administrator password for any virtual machine the user creates is set by the VMM administrator at the time the template for that virtual machine is created.

In addition, to install the Virtual Machine Remote Control, self-service users must have local administrator rights and permissions on the computer they use to access the Self-Service Portal.

Do I need to use the self-service portal to manage virtual machines created by self-service users?

No. Administrators can manage virtual machines by using the Administrator Console.

After users have created their virtual machines by using the VMM Self-Service Portal, they can manage them through the Self-Service Portal or in several other ways. If their organization allows it, they can use Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, or the Administration Web site in Virtual Server 2005 R2.

To use Remote Desktop to access virtual machines, the administrator must enable remote access on the template and ensure that appropriate permissions are given to the user or group.

How many virtual machines can self-service users create?

There is no limit on the number of virtual machines that users can create from the templates the administrator provides them, unless the quota-point system is used. The number of virtual machines they can create and use is limited only by the host group resources that the administrator has assigned to the virtual machine templates available to the user. If the administrator allows them to store virtual machines in the library, then the number is limited by the resources that are available in the library.

With Self-Service, can you limit resources (memory, disk space etc.) to users?

Resource management is done through a quota system. By assigning point totals to templates of different resource levels, you can effectively limit the number of resources that a user consumes.

What are quota points?

By default, self-service users have no restrictions on the number of virtual machines they can create, other than the resources you make available to them by assigning them to a host group. In the self-service policy, you can set quota points (QP) to manage the number and type of virtual machines the user or group can create. For example, entering a 1 in the Self-Service Policy Wizard means that the user or group can create only one virtual machine from templates that "cost" 1. If you enter a 2, the user or group could create two virtual machines, but not three. You can set up your quota scheme any way you would like. Listed below are three example quota schemes.

To limit RAM usage (example 1):

  • 1 QP/GB cost assigned to virtual machine template
  • 8 QP/user limit assigned in self-service policy
    • User limited to 8 GB total
    • User could exceed 4 virtual machines

To limit virtual machines (example 2):

  • 1 QP/virtual machine cost assigned to template
  • 4 QP/user assigned in self-service policy
    • User limited to 4 virtual machines
    • User could exceed 8-GB RAM usage on the host

Hybrid cost (example 3):

  • 5 QP/1 GB virtual machine cost assigned to template
  • 6 QP/2 GB virtual machine cost assigned to template
  • 7 QP/3 GB virtual machine cost assigned to template
  • 24 QP/user assigned in self-service policy
    • User can have four 1-GB virtual machines, or
    • User can have four 2-GB virtual machine, or
    • User can have three 3-GB virtual machines, or
    • User can have two 1-GB virtual machines and two 2-GB virtual machines

How can I limit the number of virtual machines self-service users store in the library?

You can limit the number or size or both of the virtual machines that self-service users store in the library by using the utilities in the Microsoft File Server Resource Manager at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=87006.

Can self-service users use VMM PowerShell cmdlets?

No. Only administrators are authorized to connect to the VMM server through VMM PowerShell cmdlets.

Reporting

What are the reporting requirements?

To view and use reporting in VMM, you must deploy the Server Virtualization Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007 and set up reporting in VMM.

  • The Virtual Machine Manager Administrator Console must be installed on the VMM server.
  • System Center Operations Manager 2007 must be deployed, and reporting must be set up in Operations Manager.
  • The Virtualization Management Pack must be deployed on the Operations Manager server.
  • To view and order reports in VMM, you must use a credential with Report Operator permissions in Operations Manager. For more information, see "How to Open a Report" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=99216).

What reports are available in VMM?

Reports are generated by Microsoft Operations Manager but can be ordered in VMM. The reporting view in the Administrator Console is not displayed until you enable reporting in VMM. To see and order reports in VMM, you must be an Operations Manager operator.

Reports available include:

  • Virtualization Candidates report helps identify physical computers that are good candidates for conversion to virtual machines. The Virtualization Candidates report displays average values for a set of commonly requested performance counters for CPU, memory, and disk usage, along with hardware configuration, including processor speed, number of processors, and total RAM. You can limit the report to computers that meet specified CPU and RAM requirements, and you can sort the results by selected columns in the report.
  • Virtual Machine Allocation report provides information you can use to calculate chargebacks to cost centers for virtual machines.
  • Virtual Machine Utilization report provides information about your virtual machines. For the identified time, this report shows average usage and total or maximums for virtual machine processors, memory, and disk space.
  • Host Utilization report shows the number of virtual machines running per host. For the identified time and host group, this report shows average usage and total or maximums for host processors, memory, and disk space.
  • Host Utilization Growth report shows the percentage growth of host resources and number of virtual machines running for the identified time period.
  • For additional information, see "Reporting" in the Virtual Machine Manager Help at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98639.

How do I set up reporting?

If you have not already done so, install a Virtual Machine Manager Administrator Console on the VMM server. This enables the Operations Manager administrator to perform tasks on hosts and virtual machines in the Virtualization Management Pack.

To learn more about Operations Manager 2007, see the TechCenter Web site for System Center Operations Manager 2007 at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=85923.

What is the Virtualization Candidates report?

The Virtualization Candidates report scans one or more physical servers, evaluates their workload, and makes recommendations on each server's suitability for virtualization. The Virtualization Candidates report is not part of VMM but is part of the Server Virtualization Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2007.

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