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Self Resetting VHDs? RRS feed

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    Hey folks,

    I am new to the Hyper-V / VHD scene. My employer has TechNet and I have been playing around with Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V and want to try and recreate something that I saw while I was at a Windows 7 event that was sponsored by Microsoft.

    The Microsoft rep at the event said that the test computers we were using were booting off of a VHD that, when we were done using it, reset itself to a default image when we were done using it.

    How was this possible? Was the VHD being used like a live CD, where it booted up, you could use it but then it never saved any changes so it would delete anything saved to normal paths would be deleted, but if apps were installed they would be persistent when that VHD was booted from again?

    I ask because I am interested in playing arond and setting something like this up.

    Thanks!

    Jacob Geiser

    Jacob Geiser BS of IT -- Network Technologies Kaplan University

    Monday, May 7, 2012 3:54 PM

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    Hi,

    You can create differencing disks based on the original VHD you got.

    For more information, you can refer to:

    Hyper-V Virtual Machine (VM) Parent-Child Configuration Using Differencing Disks

    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/hyper-v-virtual-machine-vm-parent-child-configuration-using-differencing-disks.aspx

    You can also mount the VHD files to the virtual machine, take a snapshot before you run it.

    • Proposed as answer by BrianEhMVP Monday, May 7, 2012 4:40 PM
    • Marked as answer by Jacob.Geiser Monday, May 7, 2012 4:52 PM
    Monday, May 7, 2012 4:17 PM
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    Differencing VHDs.

    When you use a differencing VHD, the base image is shared and unique new blocks are in the differencing VHD file.  This means you could see a high read load on the base image and should choose the storage on which you stage the base image appropriately.

    J

    • Proposed as answer by BrianEhMVP Monday, May 7, 2012 4:40 PM
    • Marked as answer by Jacob.Geiser Monday, May 7, 2012 4:52 PM
    Monday, May 7, 2012 4:29 PM

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  • Question
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    Hi,

    You can create differencing disks based on the original VHD you got.

    For more information, you can refer to:

    Hyper-V Virtual Machine (VM) Parent-Child Configuration Using Differencing Disks

    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/hyper-v-virtual-machine-vm-parent-child-configuration-using-differencing-disks.aspx

    You can also mount the VHD files to the virtual machine, take a snapshot before you run it.

    • Proposed as answer by BrianEhMVP Monday, May 7, 2012 4:40 PM
    • Marked as answer by Jacob.Geiser Monday, May 7, 2012 4:52 PM
    Monday, May 7, 2012 4:17 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Differencing VHDs.

    When you use a differencing VHD, the base image is shared and unique new blocks are in the differencing VHD file.  This means you could see a high read load on the base image and should choose the storage on which you stage the base image appropriately.

    J

    • Proposed as answer by BrianEhMVP Monday, May 7, 2012 4:40 PM
    • Marked as answer by Jacob.Geiser Monday, May 7, 2012 4:52 PM
    Monday, May 7, 2012 4:29 PM
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    Ah, thanks everyone!

    I shall now go read about these!

    Thanks! :)

    Jacob Geiser BS of IT -- Network Technologies Kaplan University

    Monday, May 7, 2012 4:53 PM