Tag: Hyper-V

Poster: Networking in Virtual Machine Manager

If you are confused with VMM 2012 Networking in SP1 there is a new poster on the horizon that will help you:

  • Plan your VMM networks using a logical view of VM networks, logical networks, and logical switches using a variety of configurations including VLAN-based configuration, no isolation, network virtualization, external networks, and with no virtual networking.
  • Configure networking in VMM using configuration steps by roles including fabric administrators, tenant administrators, or by any user.
  • Understand the network object model with diagrams of objects showing the relationships between objects.
  • Extend VMM with options including using a vendor network-management server with extensions, connect a VM network to other networks by configuring the VM network with a gateway, and load-balance requests to VMs that make up a VMM service tier by adding a load balancer to VMM.

 

Grab it from here.

Network Virtualization (NVGRE) in Windows Server 2012 May Not work if You Do Not Have Update KB2779768 Installed

Two of my colleagues were testing Network Virtualization these days and stumbled on some strange issue. They’ve setup two standalone Hyper-V hosts, installed System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager SP1 and added the two hosts to be managed by VMM. They’ve created two networks with network virtualization in VMM. The first network was for customer A the second was for custom B. You can see a demo here how to setup Network Virtualization in VMM. After this 4 virtual machines were installed:

  • 2 for customer A. One (VMA1) located on Host1 and second (VMA2) located on Host 2.
  • 2 for customer B. One (VMB1) located on Host 1 and second (VMB2) located on Host 2.

Then they’ve started to ping VMA2 from VMA1 an vice versa but no replies were received.

It was time for some hard troubleshooting on network level with Wireshark. They’ve started to analyze the packets and compare them also to the RFC of the NVGRE. They were seeing this icmpType3Code10（Destination host administratively prohibited）upon inspection. They’ve searched over Internet and found this presentation Satoshi GOTO who is Microsoft MVP. The presentation is written in Japanese and provides information for our issue and why it was happening.

When Microsoft release Windows Server 2012 RTM Network Virtualization was included but it was based on the initial version of NVGRE RFC. So let’s compare the initial and the latest version of  NVGRE’s RFC:

In the initial version we have the following diagram for GRE Encapsulation Frame Format:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
   Outer Ethernet Header:             |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                (Outer) Destination MAC Address                |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |(Outer)Destination MAC Address |  (Outer)Source MAC Address    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                  (Outer) Source MAC Address                   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Optional Ethertype=C-Tag 802.1Q| Outer VLAN Tag Information    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |       Ethertype 0x0800        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   Outer IPv4 Header:
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Version|  IHL  |Type of Service|          Total Length         |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |         Identification        |Flags|      Fragment Offset    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |  Time to Live | Protocol 0x2F |         Header Checksum       |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                      (Outer) Source Address                   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                  (Outer) Destination Address                  |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   GRE Header:
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |0| |1|0| Reserved0       | Ver |   Protocol Type 0x6558        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                        Tenant Network ID (TNI)|   Reserved    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   Inner Ethernet Header
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                (Inner) Destination MAC Address                |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |(Inner)Destination MAC Address |  (Inner)Source MAC Address    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                  (Inner) Source MAC Address                   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Optional Ethertype=C-Tag 802.1Q| PCP |0| VID set to 0          |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |       Ethertype 0x0800        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   Inner IPv4 Header:

   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Version|  IHL  |Type of Service|          Total Length         |


Sridharan et al             Informational                      [Page 7]
 
Internet-Draft                  NVGRE                    September 2011


   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |         Identification        |Flags|      Fragment Offset    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |  Time to Live |    Protocol   |         Header Checksum       |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                       Source Address                          |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                    Destination Address                        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                    Options                    |    Padding    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                      Original IP Payload                      |
   |                                                               |
   |                                                               |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

In the latest version we have the following diagram for GRE Encapsulation Frame Format:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
   Outer Ethernet Header:             |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                (Outer) Destination MAC Address                |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |(Outer)Destination MAC Address |  (Outer)Source MAC Address    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                  (Outer) Source MAC Address                   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Optional Ethertype=C-Tag 802.1Q| Outer VLAN Tag Information    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |       Ethertype 0x0800        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   Outer IPv4 Header:
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Version|  IHL  |Type of Service|          Total Length         |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |         Identification        |Flags|      Fragment Offset    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |  Time to Live | Protocol 0x2F |         Header Checksum       |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                      (Outer) Source Address                   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                  (Outer) Destination Address                  |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   GRE Header:
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |0| |1|0| Reserved0       | Ver |   Protocol Type 0x6558        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |               Virtual Subnet ID (VSID)        |   Reserved    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   Inner Ethernet Header
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                (Inner) Destination MAC Address                |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |(Inner)Destination MAC Address |  (Inner)Source MAC Address    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                  (Inner) Source MAC Address                   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Optional Ethertype=C-Tag 802.1Q| PCP |0| VID set to 0          |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |       Ethertype 0x0800        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

   (Continued on the next page)




Sridharan et al             Informational                      [Page 6]
 
Internet-Draft                  NVGRE                     February 2013


   Inner IPv4 Header:
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |Version|  IHL  |Type of Service|          Total Length         |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |         Identification        |Flags|      Fragment Offset    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |  Time to Live |    Protocol   |         Header Checksum       |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                       Source Address                          |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                    Destination Address                        |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                    Options                    |    Padding    |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |                      Original IP Payload                      |
   |                                                               |
   |                                                               |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

On first sight there are no significant differences. I’ve highlighted with yellow the area where you need to focus your attention. You can see that the only difference is that the term Tenant Network ID (TNI) was replaced with Virtual Subnet ID (VSID). but let’s look closer at the explanation in the RFC.

Initial version:

  • The Key field in the GRE header is used to carry the Tenant Network Identifier. Key field is 32 bits long of which the lower 24 bits are used for TNI. The Key Present (bit 2 in the GRE header) is always set to 1.
  • The upper 8 bits of the Key field are reserved for use by NVGRE endpoints and are not part of the TNI space. NVGRE endpoints MUST set this value to zero.

 

Latest version:

  • Virtual Subnet ID (VSID): The first 24 bits are used for VSID as shown in Figure 1.
  • FlowID: The last 8 bits of the Key field are (optional) FlowID, which can be used to add per-flow entropy within the same VSID, where the entire Key field (32-bit) is used for ECMP purposes by switches or routers in the physical network infrastructure. If a FlowID is not generated, the FlowID field MUST be set to all zero.

 

So if you are reading right in initial version VSID 32 bits were looking like this:

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

| 8 bits FlowID |                          32 bits VSID                         |

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

and in the latest version we have this:

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

|                   32 bits VSID                                 | 8 bits FlowID |

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Format was changed.

Even it was not stated nowhere update KB2779768 was changing this format from the initial version to the format of the latest version. If you see in the description of the update you will find that only these issues are fixed in it:

  • Improves the speed of text input in some Windows Store apps.
  • Resolves an issue that prevents some users who have Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.0-based devices from using mirror drivers.
  • Resolves an issue that may prevent some games from being updated.
  • Resolves an issue that may cause blips in audio playback when a computer is running in "Connected Standby" mode.
  • Resolves an issue in which Windows Store apps do not obtain data when they connect to Windows Store through a cellular network.

But this update has another web page where are listed which files will be changed after the update is applied. An there you can see these files are changed:

  • Wnv.sys
  • Wnvapi.dll

Both files define Network Virtualization in Windows Server 2012.

In our case Host1 was having update KB2779768 and Host2 didn’t had it. This is like the two hosts are speaking in different languages for Network Virtualization.

You should install KB2779768 on all your Hyper-V hosts if you plan to implement Network Virtualization because every network device that will be NVGRE aware will follow the latest NVGRE format.

This issue is widely spread over Internet but only in Japanese web sites.

All credits for these findings go to my colleagues Yordan Dimov and Kiril Tsvetanov for tracing and resolving this issue and to Satoshi GOTO who detailed it in his presentation.

Hyper-V Replica and Riverbed document

This document captures the results from the bandwidth optimization experiments conducted in the Microsoft® Engineering Excellence Center (EEC) lab by using the Riverbed Steelhead appliance WAN optimization devices with Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Replica.

So basically if you use Hyper-V replica across WAN you should use WAN optimizers in order to reduce traffic and bandwidth. You can see the results from the document here.

Dynamic Memory for Linux Virtual Machines in Hyper-V

There is a rumor that Microsoft is working on dynamic memory for Linux virtual machines with some solid proofs. Last night there was MVA Jump Start “Introduction to Hyper-V” and as always there was an open Q&A section where you can ask a question and experts and MVPs answer. During the whole session I’ve asked one question until I’ve received an answer from MVP Cédric Bravo:

image

So to my interpretation we can expect dynamic memory for Linux virtual machines in the coming several months.

New MPs: System Center 2012 Management Pack for Windows Server Hyper-V 2012 and two more

It is here. Probably one of the most wanted and waited management packs – Windows Server Hyper-V 2012. On the download page the MP promises the following features:

  • Management of critical Hyper-V services that affect virtual machines and host server functionality
  • Management of host server logical disks that affect virtual machine health
  • Full representation of virtualization in a single Hyper-V host server, including virtual networks, and virtual machines
  • Monitoring of virtual machine hardware components that affect availability

 

This MP is only supported on SCOM 2012 or later. The documentation can be found in the installation folder after you install the MP. I’ve took a quick look at the documentation it is not long just 20 pages but it is good to read. Let’s hope there are no critical bugs in the MP because of the tight schedule of SC 2012 SP1. Download link is here.

Along with this MP several days ago two more MPs were released

 

More on Global Service Monitor you can read in this article.