Virtualizing Microsoft® Business Critical Applications on VMware vSphere®

Virtualizing Microsoft® Business Critical Applications on VMware vSphere®

Released August 2013
Publisher(s): VMware Press
ISBN: 9780133400373

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Book description

Best practices, guidance, and tips for virtualizing  Microsoft® business critical applications on  the VMware vSphere® platform

By virtualizing Microsoft’s enterprise applications on vSphere, you can drive down costs while migrating toward flexible, low-cost private cloud architectures. This unique guidebook bridges the gap between the Microsoft and VMware worlds, bringing together the deep knowledge, cutting-edge best practices, and practical techniques you need to succeed.

Leading experts Matt Liebowitz and Alex Fontana present end-to-end coverage of virtualizing Windows Server 2012 AD domain controllers and failover clusters, Exchange Server 2013, SQL Server 2012, and SharePoint Server 2013. They offer indispensable advice on sizing, architecture, performance, availability, monitoring, and metrics.

Throughout, the authors share valuable tips, tricks, and insights from their own experiences. For each Microsoft application, they provide "proof of concept" sample configurations and clearly explain how  new features impact virtualization. You’ll also find authoritative, up-to-date guidance on licensing  and other issues related to ensuring full support from both Microsoft and VMware.

Coverage includes

    •    Evaluating the benefits, risks, and challenges of virtualizing Microsoft business critical applications

    •    Identifying strategies for success associated with people, processes, and technology

    •    Reviewing VMware vSphere features most important to virtualizing business-critical applications

    •    Taking advantage of new virtualization-aware features built in to Windows Server 2012 domain controllers

    •    Designing and configuring vSphere High Availability (vSphere HA) clusters to run Windows enterprise applications

    •    Reflecting Exchange Server 2013’s new architecture to maximize its performance in virtualized environments

    •    Leveraging new SQL Server 2012 features to simplify the delivery of high availability on virtual servers

    •    Reducing SQL Server 2012 licensing costs through virtualization

    •    Planning, designing, and deploying virtualized SharePoint Server 2013 environments

Table of contents

  1. About This eBook
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication Page
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
    1. What to Expect
    2. What You Need to Know to Read This Book
    3. Who Is the Target Audience?
  8. About the Authors
  9. About the Technical Reviewers
  10. Acknowledgments
  11. We Want to Hear from You!
  12. Reader Services
  13. Chapter 1. Introduction to Virtualizing Business Critical Applications
    1. What Are Business Critical Applications?
    2. Why Virtualize Business Critical Applications?
    3. Risks, Challenges, and Common Objections of Virtualizing Business Critical Applications
    4. Summary
  14. Chapter 2. Strategies for Success
    1. Understanding People, Process, and Technology
    2. Capacity Planning Assessments
    3. Strategies for Success
    4. Enterprise Management and Monitoring
    5. Summary
  15. Chapter 3. Overview of VMware vSphere
    1. Why vSphere for Business Critical Applications
    2. vSphere Considerations for Business Critical Applications
    3. Summary
  16. Chapter 4. Virtualizing Windows Server 2012 Domain Controllers
    1. Introduction to Active Directory
    2. Benefits of Virtualizing Domain Controllers
    3. Virtualizing Windows Server 2012 Domain Controllers
    4. Windows Server 2012 Virtualization-Aware Safeguards
    5. Virtualized Domain Controller Deployment
    6. Summary
  17. Chapter 5. Virtualizing Windows Failover Clusters
    1. Background
    2. Defining High-Availability Requirements
    3. High-Availability Capabilities
    4. Windows Failover Clustering on vSphere
    5. Setting Up a Windows Failover Cluster on vSphere
    6. Summary
  18. Chapter 6. Virtualizing Exchange Server 2013
    1. What’s New in Exchange 2013
    2. Support for Virtualizing Exchange 2013
    3. Exchange 2013 Sizing on vSphere
    4. Virtualizing Database Availability Groups
    5. Backup and Recovery of Virtualized Exchange Servers
    6. Exchange 2013 Deployment
    7. Summary
  19. Chapter 7. Virtualizing Microsoft SQL Server 2012
    1. What’s New in SQL Server 2012?
    2. Why Virtualize SQL Server 2012?
    3. Preparing for Virtualizing SQL Server 2012
    4. Virtualize Microsoft SQL Server 2012
    5. Deploying SQL Server 2012
    6. Summary
  20. Chapter 8. Virtualizing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013
    1. What’s New in SharePoint 2013
    2. Why Virtualize SharePoint 2013
    3. Preparing for Virtualizing SharePoint Server 2013
    4. Virtualizing SharePoint Server 2013
    5. Deploying SharePoint Server 2013
    6. Summary
  21. Index

Product information

  • Title: Virtualizing Microsoft® Business Critical Applications on VMware vSphere®
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: August 2013
  • Publisher(s): VMware Press
  • ISBN: 9780133400373