Following the first announcement of the Semi-Annual Channel release of System Center, took place in February with the version 1801, in June has been released the new update release: System Center 1807. This article will explore the new features introduced in System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) the update release 1807.
Networking
Information related to the physical network
SCVMM 1807 introduced an important improvement in the field of network. In fact,, using the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), SCVMM can provide information regarding connectivity to the physical network of Hyper-V hosts. These are the details that SCVMM 1807 can retrieve:
- Chassis ID: Switch chassis ID
- Port ID: The Switch port to which the NIC is connected
- Port Description: Details on the port, such as the Type
- System Name Manufacturer: Manufacturer and Software version details
- System Description
- Available Capabilities: Available features of the system (such as switching, Routing)
- Enabled Capabilities: Features that are enabled on the system (such as switching, Routing)
- VLAN ID: Virtual LAN identifier
- Management Address: management IP address
The consultation of this information can be via Powershell or by accessing the SCVMM console: View > Host > Properties > Hardware Configuration > Network adapter.
Figure 1 – Information provided by SCVMM 1807 regarding the physical connectivity of Hyper-V hosts
These details are very useful for having visibility on the physical network and to facilitate troubleshooting steps. This information will be made available for Hyper-V hosts that meet the following requirements:
- Windows Server Operating System 2016 or later.
- Features DataCenterBridging and DataCenterBridging-LLDP-Tools enabled.
Conversion SET in Logical Switch
SCVMM 1807 can convert a Hyper-V Virtual Switch, created in Switch Embedded Teaming mode (SET), in a logical switch, using directly the SCVMM console. In previous versions of SCVMM this operation was feasible only through PowerShell commands. This conversion can be useful to generate a Logical Switch, that can be used as a template on different Hyper-V hosts that are managed by SCVMM. For more information on Switch Embedded Teaming (SET) I invite you to consult the article Windows Server 2016: the new Virtual Switch in Hyper-V
Support for host VMware ESXi v6.5
SCVMM 1807 introduced support for VMware ESXi host v 6.5 within its fabric. For what is my experience, even in environments that consist of multiple hypervisors, hardly you use SCVMM to manage VMware host. This support is important because it introduces the ability to convert VMs hosted on VMWare ESXi host 6.5 in Hyper-v VMs.
Storage
Support for selecting the CSV to use when adding a new disk
SCVMM 1807 allows you to specify, during the addition of a new virtual disk to an existing VM, in which cluster shared volumes (CSV) place it. In previous releases of VMM this possibility was not provided and by default the new virtual disks were placed on the same CSV where the disks that have been associated with the virtual machine were present. In some circumstances, such as in the presence of CSV with little free space available, this behavior could be inadequate and inflexible.
Figure 2 – Adding a new disk to a virtual machine by selecting which CSV place it
Support for the update of cluster Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)
In Virtual Machine Manager 2016 there is support for making the deployment of Storage Spaces Direct cluster (S2D). With SCVMM 1807 has also introduced the possibility of patching and update of Storage Spaces Direct cluster nodes, orchestrating the entire update process, which will use the baseline configured in Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). This feature allows you to more effectively manage the Storage Spaces Direct environment, cornerstone of the Software Defined Storage of Microsoft, that leads to the achievement of the Software Defined Data Center.
Statement of support
Support for SQL Server 2017
In SCVMM 1807 was introduced the support for SQL Server 2017 to host its database. This allows you to upgrade from SQL Server 2016 to SQL Server 2017.
Conclusions
The update release 1807 introduces several innovations in Virtual Machine Manager that greatly enrich it in terms of functionality. Furthermore, This update also addresses a number of issues listed in Microsoft's official documentation. It is therefore recommended to evaluate an update of the Virtual Machine Manager deployments, for greater stability and to take advantage of the new features introduced. Remember that the release belonging to the Semi-Annual Channel have a support period of 18 months.
To try out System Center Virtual Machine Manager, you must access to theEvaluation Center and after the registration you can start the trial period.
