After a guest session has been installed, whether it
is a Microsoft Windows server guest session, a Microsoft Windows client
guest session, or a guest session running a non-Windows operating
system, the host configuration settings for the guest session can be
changed. Common changes to a guest session include things such as the
following:
Adding or limiting the
RAM of the guest session
Changing
network settings of the guest session
Mounting a CD/DVD image or mounting a physical
CD/DVD disc
Adding or Limiting the
RAM of the Guest Session
A common configuration change
that is made of a guest session is to increase or decrease the amount of
memory allocated to the guest session. The default memory allocated to
the system frequently is fine for a basic system configuration; however,
with the addition of applications to the guest session, there might be a
need to increase the memory. As long as the host server system has
enough memory to allocate additional memory to the guest session, adding
memory to a guest session is a very simple task.
To add memory to the guest session, do the following:
1. | From the
Server Manager console or from the Hyper-V Manager MMC snap-in, click to
select the guest session for which you want to change the allocated
memory.
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2. | Right-click
the guest session name, and choose Settings.
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3. | Click on Memory and enter in the amount of RAM you want
allocated for this guest session (in megabytes).
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4. | Click OK when you are finished.
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Note
You cannot change the
allocated RAM on a running virtual guest session. The guest session must
be shut down first, memory reallocated to the image, and then the guest
image booted for the new memory allocation to take effect.
Changing Network
Settings for the Guest Session
Another common configuration
change made to a guest session is to change the network setting for the
guest session. An administrator of a virtual server might choose to have
each guest session connected directly to the network backbone with an
external network, just as if the guest
session had a network adapter connected to the backbone, or the network
administrator might choose to set up an isolated (internal or private)
network just for the guest sessions.
The common configuration methods
of the virtual network configurations can be broken down into two
groups, as follows:
Direct
addressing— The guest sessions can
connect directly to the backbone of the network to which the virtual
server host system is attached. In this instance, an administrator would
configure an external connection in the Virtual Network Manager and
have an IP address on that external segment.
Isolated
network— If the administrator wants to
keep the guest sessions isolated off of the network backbone, the
administrator can set up either an internal or private connection in the
Virtual Network Manager and the guest sessions would have an IP address
of a segment common to the other guest sessions on the host system. In
this case, the virtual server acts as a network switch connecting the
guest sessions together.
Note
To connect the
internal network segment with the external network segment, a guest
session can be configured as a router or gateway between the internal
network and external network. This router system would have two virtual
network adapters, one for each network.
To change the connected
network used by a guest session adapter, do the following:
1. | From the
Server Manager console or from the Hyper-V Manager MMC snap-in, click to
select the guest session for which you want to change the network
configuration.
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2. | Right-click
the guest session name, and choose Settings.
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3. | Click on the network adapter that requires
reconfiguration. From the list in the Network field, select the desired
network.
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4. | Click OK
when you are finished.
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Mounting a Physical
CD/DVD Image or Mounting a CD/DVD Image File
When installing software on a
guest session of a virtual server system, the administrator would either
insert a CD or DVD into the drive of the physical server and access the
disc from the guest session, or mount an ISO image file of the disc
media.
To access a physical CD or DVD
disc or to mount an image of a CD or DVD, do the following:
1. | From the
Server Manager console or from the Hyper-V Manager MMC snap-in, click to
select the guest session for which you want to provide access to the CD
or DVD.
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2. | Right-click the guest session name, and choose
Settings.
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3. | Click on
DVD Drive and choose Physical CD/DVD Drive if you want to mount a disc
in the physical drive of the host system, or click on Image File and
browse for the ISO image file you want to mount as a disc image.
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4. | Click OK when you are finished.
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Other Settings to
Modify for a Guest Session Configuration
There are other settings
that can be changed for a guest session. These options can be modified
by going into the Settings option of the guest session and making
changes. These other settings include the following:
BIOS— This setting allows for the selection of boot order
on the guest machine to boot in an order that can include floppy, CD,
IDE (disk), or network boot.
Processor—
Hyper-V provides the ability to allocate core processors to the guest
image, so a guest image can have up to four core processors allocated
for each session. Additionally, resource control can be weighted between
guest sessions by allocating system resource priority to key guest
server sessions versus other guest sessions.
Note
Windows Server 2008 R2 provides a
processor compatibility check box to limit processor functionality for
virtual machines that will be Live Migrated between dissimilar hosts.
IDE Controller—
The guest session initially has a single virtual hard drive associated
with it. Additional virtual hard drives can be added to a virtual guest
session.
SCSI
Controller— A virtual SCSI
controller can be associated with a virtual guest session as well
providing different drive configuration options for the different drive
configurations.
COM Ports— Virtual
communication ports such as COM1 or COM2 can be associated with specific
named pipes for input and output of information.
