I am one of a number of guest presenters at the Microsoft Ireland System Center 2012 launch events in Dublin (this Thursday) and Belfast (next Tuesday). Each of the 4 guests are presenting different aspects of System Center in the afternoon with 40-45 minute slots for each of us.
I have a background in SMS/Configuration Manager (I was an MVP for 1 year before switching to Hyper-V) and the others tend to focus on VMM/OpsMgr/Service Manager/Orchestrator so I decided I’d go for the product that I happen to love most of the lot … the one that lets an IT megalomaniac have his/her way with a network. OpsMgr might be the product that I would always put in 3rd in a new network (DCs first, Hyper-V second), but ConfigMgr would never be far behind because I can get so much information from it and use it to deploy and control the entire lifecycle of the PCs. So that’s what I’ll be focusing on in my presentation.
The lab “looks” something like this:
The “beast” laptop is booting from Windows 8 (the client OS) Consumer Preview and Hyper-V is enabled. I have my VMs stored on the SSD. The laptop is connected to Wi-fi with DHCP enabled, making it mobile – perfect for demos. I need to be able to demo OS deployment with my lab so I need DHCP that is insulated from the physical world. Therefore my lab guests are running on an internal virtual switch rather than an external one.
I still need Internet access. That’s why I have an external virtual switch. It is configured to enable the parent (the Win 8 OS on the laptop) to share the Wi-fi connection. I have set up a virtual proxy server to enable the isolated guests to have Internet access – the Configuration Manager Primary Site Server needs to download updates from Microsoft.
I also need the parent partition to access the internal virtual switch (to copy files to machines and to RDP into VMs for the demo – RDP performs better than Virtual Connect) and to simultaneously access the Wi-Fi network. DNS was an issue. The solution? I have configured the Internal local area connection on the parent partition with an IP config for the Internal network. The browser is also configured to use the guest proxy. Problem solved and I’ve accelerated browser performance.
I have to set the presentation in stone still. I got the lab 95% to where I want it but the presentation will be demo-centric:
- Talk about ConfigMgr
- The new approach of ConfigMgr and new features, then switch to demo
- OS deployment
- Security (Endpoint Protection, patching and firewall policy)
- End user experience – solve a problem using the Application Catalog
- Admin experience – New console, s/w deployment, custom policy, auditing, reporting, dashboards, etc.
Considering the focus of Configuration Manager 2012 is controlled, secure, and audited empowerment of the end user then I want to show as much of that as possible. That’s the goal anyway 
What kind of “beast” laptop can handle that lab?
https://aidanfinn2.wpcomstaging.com/?p=11228
Hi Aidan, curious to know what proxy software you’re using here in this setup- something small and simple or the likes of TMG etc ?
I’m setting up a Hyper-V server myself for lab purposes and considering my options for isolation from our LAN.
Cheers
Was using freeproxy.
I have been scouring the internet for some information on setting up a Client Hyper-V Virtual Network that will still share the internet from my host.
Could you please tell me how you managed to do this?
I am wanting to do 2 things.
Firstly I wish to create a VM that can run SBS2011 completely isolated form my internal network apart from the fact that it will use the host internet.
Then I wish to remove this machine down the track and put in all my test servers so that I can do my MCITP training. Again I wish to have my host network with DHCP unmodified and have a virtual network that can run all my other VM’s. I hope all this makes sense and that you can help.
g.
Gary, that’s a big question that is not suitable for this forum. If you’re using a single NIC then you need to look at one of the VLAN solutions. Otherwise if you have multiple NICs then you can create isolated vSwitch for your lab.
OK, thanks.. I had made a post on technet but so far no one has been able to provide a working answer.
Thanks for your time.