Release Notes for Virtual Machine Manager in System Center 2012 R2
Updated: June 28, 2016
Applies To: System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager, System Center 2012 R2
Before you install and use Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) in System Center 2012 R2, read these release notes.
Known Issues
File servers under management will go into an unknown state after upgrade
Description: After upgrading from VMM in System Center 2012 SP1 to VMM in System Center 2012 R2, existing file servers under management will go into an Unknown state. Refreshing the Windows file server storage provider that is hosting the file server will fail, and an error message "Cannot refresh the Windows file server storage provider <name> because the storage provider has at least one file server that has not been successfully created yet" will be displayed.
Workaround: Remove and then re-add the Windows file server storage provider hosting the file server. Lastly, re-add the file shares under VMM management.
VMs with shared VHDXs are displayed as "Incomplete VM Configuration"
Description: VMs with shared VHDXs that were not created using VMM will be displayed as being in an "Incomplete VM Configuration".
Workaround: Use VMM to create a service that uses shared VHDXs.
File Server VM migration fails from an MSU host, resulting in Incomplete state
Description: File Server virtual machines (VMs) cannot Live migrate or Quick migrate from a Management Scale Unit (MSU) host, leaving the VMs in an "Incomplete" state.
Workaround: Complete the following procedure to resolve this issue:
Shutdown the File Server (FileSrv) VM.
Open Windows PowerShell with Administrative privileges, and run the following cmdlet for each VMM cluster node:
Get-VMNetworkAdapter -VMName FileSrv | Set-VMNetworkAdapter -MacAddressSpoofing OffRestart the VM.
From the VMM Console, use Repair with the Ignore option (if needed), and then refresh the VM.
A VM on a VMware ESX host cannot be assigned to a cloud while it is running
Description: Virtual machines running on VMware ESX hosts can be assigned to a VMM cloud, but need to be turned off during assignment.
Workaround: None.
Windows Server Gateway: all gateway virtual machines on a given host cluster must use same back-end network
Description: If you have configured a Windows Server Gateway by using VMM, and you are adding gateway virtual machines to the host cluster on which your gateway already exists, identify the "Network Virtualization" (back end) network that you are using for the existing gateway. Also identify the network site in that logical network. You cannot use any other network sites for gateways that you add to that host cluster.
Workaround: Use the same back-end network site for any gateways that you add to the host cluster.
Cannot manage Spaces storage for Scale-out file servers on Windows Server 2012
Description: If System Center 2012 R2 VMM is installed on Windows Server 2012, you cannot manage Spaces storage devices that are attached to a Scale-out File server. Spaces storage requires an updated SMAPI that is included with Windows Server 2012 R2 release version.
Workaround: None.
Operations Manager Health Service Might Restart Creating Inaccurate Chargeback Metrics
Description: The Operations Manager Health Service that collects chargeback metrics might automatically restart periodically, generating inaccurate data. This is caused by very low default values for four Operations Manager monitors.
Workaround: Use the Operations Manager user interface to create overrides for the following four monitors. For each of the four monitors, click the checkbox next to Agent Performance Monitor Type (Consecutive Samples) - Threshold and then enter an Override Value as shown below:
Health Service Handle Count Threshold (Override value = 10000)
Health Service Private Bytes Threshold (Override value = 2048000000)
Monitoring Host Handle Count Threshold (Override value = 10000)
Monitoring Host Private Bytes Threshold (Override value = 2048000000)
These overrides are only applied to the VMM server computer's Health Service object. For more information on how to override a monitor, see How to Override a Monitor.
Cannot enter or change application and SQL Server settings directly in VM templates
Description: In a VM template, application settings and SQL Server settings cannot be entered or changed.
Workaround: If you are creating or editing a VM template, avoid entering application settings or SQL Server settings, although you can enter other settings. Enter application settings in an application profile, and SQL Server settings in a SQL Server profile. Then bring all settings together in a service template. For information about how to create a service template, see How to Create a Service Template in VMM.
To add a VM template to a service template, open the service template in Service Template Designer and then drag the VM template onto the service template. To add an application profile to a service template, open the service template in Service Template Designer and then right-click the appropriate machine tier. Click Properties and then click Application Configuration. Near the top of the page, beside Application profile, open the drop-down list and click the profile name. Add a SQL Server profile to a machine tier in a similar way. Adjust settings in any machine tier as needed.
Cannot manage Spaces storage for Scale-out file servers on Windows Server 2012
Description: If System Center 2012 R2 VMM is installed on Windows Server 2012, you cannot manage Spaces storage devices that are attached to a Scale-out File server. Spaces storage requires an updated SMAPI that is included with Windows Server 2012 R2 release version.
Workaround: None.
Disk classifications not displayed correctly after a new LUN has been registered to host
Description: Disk classifications are displayed incorrectly as "Local Storage" or "Local Storage" after a new Logical Unit Number (LUN) has been registered to a host.
Workaround: Close and reopen the applicable host properties page in the VMM user interface.
VMM no longer supports VDS Hardware Providers
Description: VMM uses VDS hardware providers to communicate with SANs for SAN migration. VMM no longer supports VDS hardware providers.
Workaround: Use the SMI-S or SMP provider. For specific information, contact your storage area network (SAN) vendor. For updated provider support with VMM, see: Supported Storage Arrays for System Center 2012 VMM.
VMM cannot manage General Use file servers on Windows Server 2012 R2
Description: Windows Server supports both Scale-Out file servers and General Use file servers. However, if a General Use file server is created on a cluster that contains a Scale-Out file server, VMM will not discover, and hence cannot manage, the General Use file server. Use as a Library server is supported.
Workaround: This is by design.
VMM does not manage Storage Tiering in Windows Server 2012 R2
Description: Windows Server supports storage tiering with Storage Spaces. However, VMM does not manage tiering policy.
Workaround: Use SMAPI to manage storage tiering.
VMM does not manage Write-back cache in Windows Server 2012 R2
Description: Windows Server supports specifying write-back cache amount with Storage Spaces. However, VMM does not manage this.
Workaround: Use SMAPI to manage the write-back cache.
Hyper-V Replica Failover and Cluster Migration Causes Inconsistent State
Description: Performing a Hyper-V Replica failover followed by a cluster migration causes the VMRefresher service to update the wrong virtual manager, putting the virtual machines into an inconsistent state.
Workaround: None.
File Server Tasks Not Supported on Untrusted Nodes
Description: The following tasks are not supported for a file server on untrusted nodes: install file server, uninstall file server, add nodes, or to remove nodes.
Workaround: Verify that the VMM agent and the WS-Management service are installed and running on the server.
Incorrect Server Error Code Returned for Invalid Library Paths
Description: When an invalid library path is specified for a virtual machine in VMM, an incorrect error code of "InternalServerError" is displayed, instead of displaying "NotFound".
Workaround: Ignore.
Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager Does Not Accept Replication Frequency Changes
Description: The virtual machine Replication Frequency setting will not be accepted by the Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager service if the setting is changed after protection is enabled for a virtual machine.
Workaround: Decide on and set the Replication Frequency setting before protection is enabled for a virtual machine.
VMM does Not Provide Centralized Management of WWN Pools
Description: VMM does not provide centralized management of World Wide Name (WWN) pools.
Workaround: Use Hyper-V Manager to manage WWN pools instead.
Windows Server Operating System MP Disabled by Default
Description: The Network Adapters column in the Host State windows may show adapters as being not monitored or displaying an empty circle. This is because the Network Adapter Connection health monitor in the Windows Server Operating System Management Pack (MP) is disabled by default.
Workaround: Create an override in the VMM Management Pack in order to enable the Network Adapter Connection health monitor. For more information to perform this task, see: How to Enable or Disable a Rule or Monitor.
Service deployment fails and the guest agent on virtual machines does not work as expected
Description: Service deployment fails, and the guest agent on virtual machines that is created by the service instance is uninstalled or corrupted.
Workaround: If this occurs, first install Microsoft .NET Framework 4, and then install the agent manually as follows:
Install the Visual C++ Redistributable package on the virtual machine host. The installation file is located at:
64-bit computer: <VMM installation folder>\agents\amd64\vcredist_x64.exe
32-bit computer: <VMM installation folder>\agents\i386\vcredist_x86.exe
Install the agent on the virtual machine. The installation file is located at:
64-bit computer: < VMM installation folder >\agents\Guest\amd64\vmmGuestAgent.msi
32-bit computer: <VMM installation folder>\agents\Guest\amd64\vmmGuestAgent.msi
Management of VMs deployed directly on NPIV-exposed LUNs is not supported
Description: VMM no longer supports management of virtual machines deployed directly on LUNs exposed to Hyper-V through N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV). This configuration is not compatible with Failover Clustering
Workaround: Use virtual fibre channels that are configured for virtual machines in Hyper-V.
Windows PowerShell help might not open as expected on computers running localized operating systems
Description: Windows PowerShell help for System Center 2012 R2 is available in English only. When you run the Update-Help command, the Help is downloaded and placed in a folder specifically for the English version of the Help (ENU). However, when you run Get-Help command, the computer attempts to retrieve Help from the folder that corresponds to the language of the operating system. If the operating system language is not English, the attempt fails.
Workaround: To fix this issue, install the update that is described in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 update rollup: November 2012 on computers that require Windows PowerShell Help for System Center 2012 R2.
Deploying virtual machines to hosts on perimeter networks might fail
Description: When you are creating a virtual machine, if you configure VMM to use Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) in unencrypted mode to initiate a file transfer from the VMM server or library server to a destination host that is located in a perimeter network, the transfer might fail. This happens because by default, on the firewall, VMM opens only the port that is used for encrypted traffic (port 443).
Workaround: On the perimeter firewall, manually open the WSMan TCP port (port 5985, by default).
Registering a storage file share on a library server might cause an error
Description: If you register a storage file share on a library server that contains a library share with the same name as the storage file share and then you remove the library share or unregister the storage file share, VMM might stop working unexpectedly.
Workaround: To avoid this issue do the following:
Outside the VMM console, go to the storage provider on which the storage file share exists, and stop sharing it.
In the VMM console, refresh the storage provider. Then, specify a unique name for the file storage share, and register it again.
Failing over and migrating a replicated virtual machine on a cluster node might result in an unstable configuration
Description: In the following scenario, failing over and migrating a virtual machine might not work as expected:
A primary virtual machine on a cluster node is replicated to a secondary virtual machine on a cluster node or stand-alone host.
A failover is initiated from the primary virtual machine to the secondary virtual machine.
Within a day, the primary virtual machine is migrated to a different node in the cluster.
If this occurs, the primary and secondary virtual machines might not appear correctly in the cluster node or on the stand-alone server. In addition, deleting one of the virtual machines might delete the other virtual machine.
Workaround: To avoid deleting the virtual machine, do the following:
Remove and then re-add the cluster. This cleans up the VMM database for the secondary virtual machine.
Refresh the virtual machines on the hosts, to ensure that the primary virtual machine appears correctly in the cluster node.
Modifying Tenant Administrator permissions affects permissions for self-service user roles
Description: When any property of the Tenant Administrator user role is modified or added, share and receive permissions that are assigned to Self-Service user roles that were created by a Tenant Administrator will be removed unexpectedly. Other permissions that are assigned to these Self-Service user roles will not be affected, and they will behave as expected.
Workaround: After you modify Tenant Administrator role properties, ensure that permissions that are assigned to Self-Service user roles that are created by the Tenant Administrator are defined as expected. If permissions have been removed inadvertently, add them back in.
Member-level permissions for network quotas are not applied for the Tenant Administrator role
Description: When you create a Tenant Administrator role with permissions to create virtual machine networks and you set a member-level virtual machine network quota, the quota is not applied, and users can exceed the limit set.
Workaround: Set a limit using the role-level quota value that is enforced.
Canceling and restarting when creating a new virtual machine might fail
Description: Canceling and restarting the wizard when you are creating a new virtual machine might fail if the computer name that is specified for the virtual machine is generated automatically, based on a template naming pattern.
Workaround: Do not cancel and restart the wizard when you are creating a virtual machine from a template that uses a pattern for the Computer Name property.
BlogEngine service deployment fails
Description: Attempting to deploy the BlogEngine service fails, and error 22631 is issued.
Workaround: Ensure that the configuration file (.vhd or .vhdx) that is used for deploying the service has 9.5 gigabytes (GB) or more of free disk space.
Using reserved IPs for Guest Cluster roles may cause intermittent connectivity issues
Description: Using reserved IPs in Hyper-V Network Virtualization (HNV) Consumer Address (CA) space for Guest Cluster roles may cause connectivity issues because these IPs are not dynamically detected by VMM.
Workaround: Do not use reserved IPs for Guest Cluster services or roles.
VMM PowerShell cmdlets return a list of objects if the ID parameter is Null
Description: If a VMM cmdlet accepts ID as an input parameter and the parameter is omitted, the cmdlet will return a list of all VMM objects.
Workaround: Always provided a value for the ID parameter when one is expected.
See Also