How to create or add Group & Host Machines into VMM 2008

VMM – in long words is Virtual Machine Manager.  VMM is a useful tool which the current version is System Center Virtual Machine Manager R2 SP1.

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You can be able to download the trial copy from here.

The VMM is very useful since in most of the environment has VMWare & Hyper-V systems for virtualization.  It provides the most cost effective to unified management on  physical & virtual machines.

Part of the benefits running the VMM is as follow :

• Quick Storage Migration
• Live Migration allows the datacenter to be dynamic
• Support for Dynamic Memory Within Windows Server 2008

Many more that can be read here.

How to Add in Physical & Virtual Machines with VMM 2008 R2

Today I’m going to share with you on how to add in physical and virtual machines.

Currently I’ve just setup 2 Hyper-V hosts (Server Core) and need it to be manage by the Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager (VMM).

I launch the VMM client console.

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Diagram 2 - Right-Click on the All Hosts and select New host group.

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Diagram 3 - Input the appropriate grouping and press [Enter]

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Diagram 4 - Once the group is added, on the Actions Panel (on the right), select Add host

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Diagram 5 - Once the Add Hosts windows is launch, take note the options. (1) If the Hosts is joined to the AD domain, then select the  Windows Server-based host on an Active Directory domain

(2) Key in the credentials for VMM to connect to the hosts.
(3) If it’s in a trusted domain, check it .

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Diagram 6 - The Select Host Servers click on Search …

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Diagram 7 :
(1) key in the VM host name
(2) then click on Search
(3) click Add once the computer search is successful

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Diagram 8 - The above screen shows the selected computer is added.
Click OK.

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Diagram 9 - Repeat for the above process for the second VM host.

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Diagram 10 – Ensure that the Hyper-V Role is enabled on those servers added earlier.  Then click Yes

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Diagram 11 – In the Configuration Settings, click on the drag-down menu stating All Hosts

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Diagram 12 – Select the Hosts Group.  In my case here is the Test Group

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(4) It’s pointing to the Test Group under this particular VMM
(5) If the virtual hosts are being managed by another VMM, then need to check in this box, so that it will de-associate with the other VMM and re-associate with the new VMM.

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Diagram 14 – in the Add a virtual machine path or use default paths, click Next

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Diagram 15 -  Review the host settings and click Add Hosts

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Diagram 16 – The Jobs window will pop out to show the progress.

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Diagram 17 – Note that both the Hyper-V host has been added into group.  In my case is the Test group.

Once this is completed, then you can start to build a library of images then will start to populate the hosts with VMs.
Thank you & hope that the above helps.  Happy Virtual-i-zation !!
keywords : virtualization, virtual machine manager, Hyper-V, vmware, single console, add hosts