How-To: NIC Teaming with Windows Server 8 Developer Preview

NIC teaming are now bundle with Microsoft Windows Server 8. With this exciting bundle, IT engineer will no longer suffer in configuring teaming software which proprietary to hardware vendors most occasions. AND this also means the NIC teaming of Windows Server 8 is applicable to NIC of diferrent manufacturers.

Jut got a little time to test out how does this work. Thanks to Noel i got my chance to get my hands on the a pair of CISCO UCS C series, and these server are as shown below

Figure 1: CISCO UCS C-Series Rackmount

My setup was having 2 x NIC of the server connects to my home router, a very common Belkin ADSL router. And here goes the configuration steps :-

1. Click Start and select Server Manager.

2. Click Disable at the NIC Teaming.

Figure 2: NIC Teaming at Server Manager pane

3. Click OK at Manager Servers window.

Figure 3: Managed Servers

 4. Select HV2 (or the server you are about to configure) and notice that there are 2 x NIC present.

Figure 4: NIC Teaming window

 5. The diagram below shows my NICs speed. 100Mbps... =(

Figure 5: NIC Speed

 6. Click Tasks and select New Team.

Figure 6: Teams pane

 7. Type in prefer Team Name and Team Interface Name. Select the NICs you want to team.

Figure 7: Add Team

 8. Select Advanced on the left pane and select Switch Independent for Teaming Mode and Address Hash for Load Distribution Mode. Click Apply.

Figure 8: Add Team (advanced)

 9. New teamed NIC created.

Figure 9: NIC Teaming

 10. Check the created NIC.

How-To: Install Hyper-V Role on Windows Server 8

If you have not install Windows Server 8 Developer Preview yet, you may also follow guide which i have blogged earlier at How To: Windows Server 8 Boot from VHD. Upon the installation of Windows Server 8, you may proceed with the steps below for Hyper-V V3 role installation:-

1. In Windows Server 8 Developer Preview, launch the Server Manager Console.

2. If you have not launch the Server Manager, click on Start > Server Manager.

3. At the Dashboard, click add roles

Figure1: Dashboard of Server Manager

4. At the Add Roles and Features Wizard page, select Role-based or Feature-based Installation.

Figure2: Add Roles and Features Wizard

5. Click Next until Server Roles.

6. At the Select Server Roles page, select Hyper-V.
7. Click Next until Confirmation.
8. At the Confirm installation selections page, check Restart each destination server automatically if required.

Figure3: Confirmation

Figure4: Role installation in progress

9. After the server has completed rebooting, log back on to the Windows Server 8 Developer Preview with following credentials:
10. Close the Server Manager window.

11. Launch the Server Manager, click on Start > Server Manager.
12. Click on Hyper-V Manager.

Figure5: Hyper-V Manager from Start

Figure6: Hyper-V Manager

How To: Windows Server 8 Boot from VHD

Lately have been trying out Windows Server 8 on Hyper-V and decided to boot up Windows Server 8 directly from my notebook. What I discovered is that it seem like the sysprep-ed of the OS on VHD are not bootable by using the similar way what we have for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

My current running OS is Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 on physical partition and a boot from VHD with Windows 7.

Found out blogs on the net which use this concept:
1. Boot machine with Windows Server 8 Developer Preview DVD
2. Bring out the 'Command Prompt'
3. Use 'Diskpart' to create and attach an empty VHD
4. Continue the installation of Windows Server 8

Below are the set of steps and commands you need:-
1. Insert 'Windows Developer Preview' to your DVD-Rom. If you have not had a copy go here to download a copy.
2. Boot your computer with the 'Windows Developer Preview' DVD.
3. At the first Setup page, press 'Shift + F10' to bring out 'Command Prompt'

4. Type 'diskpart'
5. Type 'list disk'. This guide assume your computer has 1 hard drive, so the expected result is you get 'Disk 0' listed.
6. Type 'select disk 0'
7. Type 'list volume'. you should see all your existing partition on the hard drive with 'Drive Letter'.
8. Type 'create vdisk file=<drive:>\windows8.vhd maximum 80000 type expandable'. Replace <drive:> with the drive letter where you want to store the VHD. This will  create a VHD with size 80GB.
9. Type 'select vdisk file=<drive:>\windows8.vhd'.
10. Type 'attach vdisk'
11. Type 'exit'
12. Continue with the installation step.
13. You will see 'Disk1' during the disk and partition selection.

UPDATE:
22 January 2012
To install Hyper-V V3 role on Windows Server 8, you may use my guide at How-To: Install Hyper-V Role on Windows Server 8