Configure Hyper-V Settings
In this section, you will get an overview of the available Hyper-V settings for the server. You con�gure all server-side default con�guration settings like default locations of your con�guration �les or the release key. You can open the Hyper-V Settings page (Figure 8.5) in Hyper-V Manager by clicking Hyper-V Settings in the Actions pane.
FIGURE 8.5 Hyper-V settings
326 Chapter 8 N Using Virtualization In Windows Server 2008
The Hyper-V Settings page includes the following settings:
Virtual Hard Disks Speci�es the default location of your virtual hard disk �les ( .vhd).
Virtual Machines Speci�es the default location of your virtual machine con�guration
�les. It includes the Virtual Machine XML con�guration �les (part of the Virtual Machines folder) as well as related snapshots (part of the Snapshot folder).
Keyboard De�nes how to use Windows key combinations. Options are Physical Com-
puter, Virtual Machine, and Virtual Machine only when running full screen.
Release Key Speci�es the key combination to release the mouse in your virtual machine.
Options are Ctrl+Alt+left arrow, Ctrl+Alt+right arrow, Ctrl+Alt+space, and Ctrl+Alt+Shift.
User Credentials Speci�es whether you want to use your default credentials to connect to
a running virtual machine.
Delete Saved Credentials Deletes any saved credentials stored on this computer.
Reset Check Boxes Resets any check boxes that hide pages and messages when checked.
This will bring up again any window on which you checked the Do Not Show This Window Again check box.
Manage Virtual Networks
A virtual network provides the virtual links between nodes in either a virtual or a physical network. Virtual networking in Hyper-V is provided in a secure and dynamic way because you can granularly de�ne virtual network switches for their required usage. For example, you can de�ne a private or internal virtual network if you don�t want to allow your virtual machines to send packages to the physical network.
In order to allow your virtual machines to communicate with each other, you need virtual networks. Just like normal networks, virtual networks exist only on the host computer and allow you to con�gure how virtual machines communicate with each other, with the host, and with the network or Internet. You manage virtual networks in Hyper-V using Virtual Network Manager, shown in Figure 8.6.
Using Virtual Network Manager, you can create, manage, and delete virtual networks, sometimes also called virtual switches. You can de�ne the network type as external, internal only, or private:
External Any virtual machine connected to this virtual switch can access the physical
network. You would use this option if you want to allow your virtual machines to access, for example, other servers on the network or the Internet. This option is used in production environments where your clients connect directly to the virtual machines.
Internal Only This option allows virtual machines to communicate with each other as well
as the host system, but not with the physical network. When you create an internal network, it also creates a local area connection in Network Connections that allows the host machine to communicate with the virtual machines. You can use this if you want to separate your host�s network from your virtual networks.
Hyper-V Installation and Configuration
327
FIGURE 8.6 Virtual Network Manager
