Capability Profiles in SCVMM 2012

As I have stated before, SCVMM 2012 had some major improvements all over the place, and also in the Library.

Another interesting feature that I have found quite useful, is the possibility to create “Capability Profiles”.

For example; you have a Hyper-V Cluster that also plays a part in one of your defined clouds. You want to make sure that everything that is put onto that cloud, are configured as Highly Available.

There are many reasons for that, especially if you are dealing with Dynamic Optimization and Power Optimization – you want your resources to be available, and not directly attached to a physical server.

The configurable options in a Capability Profile:

·         Fabric Compatibility (Hyper-V virtualization host, VMware virtualization host, and Xen virtualization host)

·         Processor Range (This may vary from hypervisor to hypervisor. Hyper-V is currently limited to max 4 vCPU, while VMWare and Xen supports so much as 8 vCPU)

·         Memory Range (This one also vary from hypervisor to hypervisor)

·         Microsoft Synthetic Video Adapter (For Hyper-V only)

·         DVD Drive Range (Number of DVD drivers)

·         Shared Image Mode (For Hyper-V only)

·         Bus Configuration (Contains configuration of the virtual disks, meaning if the profile should allow Fixed Disk Mode, Dynamic Disk Mode etc. You may for example not want your user to create VMs with differential disks on your cloud, so you can specify that it is not allowed)

·         Network Adapters (Minimum and maximum vNICs)

·         Network Optimization (For Hyper-V only)

·         Advanced (Here you can configure the profile to enforce Highly Available VM Mode, and define it as required)

Create a Capability Profile for a Hyper-V Cloud, that requires VMs and services to be configured as Highly Available.

1.       Navigate to the Library

2.       Extend “Profiles”

3.       Right-click on Capability Profiles and select “Create Capability Profile”

4.       Name the profile with whatever you want, and remember to type a realese. Click “Next”

5.       In the next window, select “Hyper-V virtualization host” in the “Fabric Compatibility”.

6.       Scroll down to the last option located under the “Advanced” section, and mark the Highly available VM mode field as “Required”.

Now, you have created a Capability Profile that requires the resources to be Highly Available. But this profile needs to take place somewhere. To put it into action, we navigate further to one of our clouds.

In the “VMs and Services” pane, right click your cloud, and select “Properties”.

If you take a closer look, you will recognize the “Capability Profiles” option down to the left.

Click here, and mark the newly created Capability Profile you just created.

Once this is done, click “ok” and you have made the change.

What next?

You will need to modify your resources in the Library, to match this Capability Profile – as long as they should be placed on this cloud.  This includes Hardware Profiles and VM/Service Templates.

I will provide you with a PowerShell script to update your resources one day, when I have a little more time to spend on this one.

Cheers,