Finally, after much time and many installments, we finally come to the last two components that make up System Center 2012!  In this post, I'll cover Unified Installer and Virtual Machine Manager.  As usual, I will focus on the self-study material that is freely available from Microsoft so that you and your team can get up to speed on these important technologies.  Once again, to help those who might not fully understand the purpose of the two components under consideration in this post, let me start with a brief definition of each:

Unified Installer - "You run the Unified Installer to deploy System Center 2012 components. After you select a System Center 2012 component to install, the Unified Installer prompts you for the prerequisites that the component requires. Then, the Unified Installer installs the component and its prerequisites."

Virtual Machine Manager - "System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) is a management solution for the virtualized datacenter, enabling you to configure and manage your virtualization host, networking, and storage resources in order to create and deploy virtual machines and services to private clouds that you have created."

 

Videos/Webcasts

 

• Edge Show 11 - Upcoming Changes in System Center 2012
• System Center 2012 Unified Installer
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3

 

Podcasts

 

• System Center 2012 Unified Installer
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3

 

Articles/Documentation

 

• Unified Installer
  • Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
  • User's Guide for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
    • System Requirements for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
    • Preparing an Installer Computer for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
    • Preparing a Target Computer for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
    • Running the System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
    • Log Files in System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Privacy Statement
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Supported Configurations
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Next Steps
• Installing System Center 2012 using the Unified Installer

 

Useful Websites

 

• System Center 2012 Cloud and Datacenter Management

 

Useful Blogs

 

• Steve Rachui's Manageability blog
• Kevin Remde's IT Pro Weblog

 

Downloads

 

• Technical Documentation Download for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
• Microsoft Private Cloud: Evaluation Guide (PDF)
• Download Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software

 

Forums

 

• System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

• TechNet Radio: IT Time - Microsoft Virtual Academy - System Center VMM 2012 and Configuration Manager 2012 Course Preview
• MVA System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012:
  • Introduction & ESX Management
  • Fabric & Demo
• Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • Virtual Machine Manager 2012 - Overview
  • Using VMM 2012 to Configure a Private Cloud
  • Modeling and Maintaining Virtualized Services in VMM 2012

Videos/Webcasts

• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012: Technical Overview
• System Center VMM 2012 Overview
• Learning to do the Basics in System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Provision for Productive Infrastructure with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Microsoft IT Discusses Strategies for Making Operations, Cloud Ready
• How Microsoft IT Uses System Center Virtual Machine Manager to Manage the Private Cloud
• From Virtualization to Private Cloud with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Managing your Fabric with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Edge Show
  • 4 - Infrastructure Management with System Center 2012
  • 6 - Deploying the Fabric with Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• 90 Seconds to the Cloud: Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta with Kenon Owens
• Live! IT Time:
  • 4: Private Cloud Chat
  • 6: Private Cloud Chat
  • 7: Private Cloud Chat
• Bare Metal to Private Cloud
  • (Part 3 of 8): Clustering Hyper-V and Installing a Highly Available Virtual Machine Manager Cluster
  • (Part 4 of 8): Configuring System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
• TechNet Radio:
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Building Your Cloud Infrastructure with System Center 2012
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Building Your Cloud Infrastructure with Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring with System Center 2012
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Building a Service Template in Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • Virtually Speaking with Yung Chou: "What is Cloud?"
  • Virtually Speaking with Yung Chou: "What is Private Cloud?"
  • Virtually Speaking with Yung Chou: Understanding Cloud Computing
  • Virtually Speaking with Yung Chou: "How Does Cloud Computing Apply to Me?"
  • Virtually Speaking with Yung Chou: Become the Next Private Cloud Expert
  • IT Time
    • Inside Microsoft IT - Patch Management in Virtual Machine Manager 2012
    • Inside Microsoft IT - Service and Manageability with System Center 2012
• Private Cloud Demo Extravaganza
  • 1. Deploy Bare Metal Servers to Hyper-V with System Center 2012
  • 2: Multiple Hypervisors for Cloud Resources & Adding ESX Servers with System Center 2012
  • 3: Add Resources to a Failover Cluster with System Center 2012
  • 4: Service Template Creation & Deployment with System Center 2012
  • 5: Standardized Service Updating with System Center 2012
• Virtualization Jump Start
  • 1: Virtualization Overview
  • 2: Differentiating Microsoft & VMWare
  • 3a: Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture - Part 1
  • 3b: Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture - Part 2
  • 4: High-Availability and Clustering
  • 5: System Center Suite Overview with focus on DPM
  • 6: Automation with Opalis, Service Manager & PowerShell
  • 7: System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • 8: Private Cloud Solutions, Architecture & VMM Self-Service Portal 2.0
  • 9: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture - Part 1
  • 10: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture - Part 2
  • 11: v-Alliance Solution Overview
  • 12: Application Delivery for VDI
• Building a "Starter" Private Cloud Platform
  • 1: Building the VMs
  • 2: Installing System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 RC
  • 3: Configuring System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 RC

Podcasts

• From Virtualization to Private Cloud with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• How Microsoft IT Uses System Center Virtual Machine Manager to Manage the Private Cloud
• Learning to do the Basics in System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Provision for Productive Infrastructure with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• TechNet Radio
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring with System Center 2012
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Building Your Cloud Infrastructure with Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • Virtual Lab Insider: Building a Service Template in Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • IT Time
    • Inside Microsoft IT - Patch Management in Virtual Machine Manager 2012
    • Inside Microsoft IT - Service and Manageability with System Center 2012
• Live! IT Time:
  • 4: Private Cloud Chat
  • 6: Private Cloud Chat
  • 7: Private Cloud Chat
• Bare Metal to Private Cloud
  • (Part 3 of 8): Clustering Hyper-V and Installing a Highly Available Virtual Machine Manager Cluster
  • (Part 4 of 8): Configuring System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
• Building a "Starter" Private Cloud Platform
  • 1: Building the VMs
  • 2: Installing System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 RC
  • 3: Configuring System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 RC

Articles/Documentation

• Virtual Machine Manager
  • Getting Started with Virtual Machine Manager
    • Overview of System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
    • What's New in System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
    • Glossary for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
    • Evaluating System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager by Using a Pre-Configured VHD
    • Resources for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
    • Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
  • Deploying Virtual Machine Manager
    • System Requirements for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
    • Installing System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
    • Installing a Highly Available VMM Management Server
    • Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
  • Administering Virtual Machine Manager
    • Configuring Fabric Resources in VMM
    • Deploying Virtual Machines and Services in a Private Cloud in VMM
    • Monitoring and Reporting in VMM
    • Performing Maintenance Tasks in VMM
  • Configuring Virtual Machine Manager
    • Configuring Run As Accounts in VMM
    • Creating User Roles in VMM
    • Ports and Protocols for VMM
  • Scripting in Virtual Machine Manager
    • System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Scripting Guide
    • System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Cmdlet Reference
  • Troubleshooting Virtual Machine Manager
  • Logo Certification for Windows Server 2008 R2
    • Custom Actions in Virtual Machine Manager
    • Windows Server 2008 R2 Logo Certification Issues with Virtual Machine
  • System Center - Virtual Machine Manager Privacy Statement
  • Microsoft Server Application Virtualization
    • Server Application Virtualization Overview
    • Installing Server Application Virtualization
    • Packaging Applications With Server Application Virtualization
    • Server Application Virtualization Sequencer Technical Reference
    • Troubleshooting Server Application Virtualization
    • Server Application Virtualization Privacy Statement
• TechNet Magazine
  • Microsoft System Center 2012: Taking Systems Management to the Cloud
  • System Center 2012: Keep an Eye on System Center 2012
  • Virtualization: Build and IT Lab for Virtual Machines (this article is about VMM 2008, but provides good foundational material)
  • System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012: VMM Gets Major Upgrade
• TechNet Wiki
  • Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager evolution
  • News, Requirements and Installation of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
  • The Service Concept in VMM 2012
  • SCVMM 2012 - The Main Tool for your Infrastructure and Clouds
  • SCVMM 2012 Ports Communications for Firewall Configuration
  • Create
    • Failover Clusters with VMM 2012
    • Hyper-V Hosts with VMM 2012
  • Networks with VMM 2012
• Capability Profiles in SCVMM 2012
• Using Service Templates in System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
• Managing XenServer with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2012
• How to Create and Configure a Private Cloud in System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 - Part 1
• Private Cloud in system Center Virtual Machine Manager - Part 2 - Delegate Control
• How to Improve the Virtual Machine Creation Using a VM Template
• Load Balancing and Cloud Computing (SCVMM 2012)
• Sorting Things Out in the SCVMM Library
• How to Create a Cloud in VMM 2012
• Private Cloud Security Operations Principles
• Patching Your Fabric with SCVMM 2012
• Green IT and VMM - How to User the Dynamic Optimization to Save Energy in VMM 2012
• System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Error Codes
  • [0-499]
  • [500-999]
  • [1000-1499]
  • [1500-1999]
  • [2000-2499]
  • [2500-2999]
  • [3000-3499]
  • [3500-3999]
  • [10000-10999]
  • [11000-11999]
  • [12000-12999]
  • [13000-13999]
  • [19999-20999]
  • [21000-21999]
  • [22000-22999]
  • [23000-23999]
  • [24000-24999]
  • [25000-25999]
  • [26000-26999]
  • [27000-27999]
  • [28000 and above]

Virtual Labs

• System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager: Building Your Cloud Infrastructure
• System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager: Building a Service Template
• System Center 2012 Operations Manager: Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring

Scripts

• Hyper-V: Scripts

Useful Websites

• System Center 2012 Capabilities Overview
• System Center 2012 Application Management
• TechNet Magazine
• MSDN Magazine
• Microsoft Support

Useful Blogs

• System Center: Virtual Machine Manager Engineering Blog
• The Microsoft Server Application Virtualization Team Blog

Downloads

• System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager - Evaluation (VHD)
• SCVMM 2012 Storage and Load Balancer Provider Downloads
• VMM Troubleshooting Tools: SCVMM2012_MPSReports
• System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Component Add-ons and Extensions
• Technical Documentation Download for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
• System Center Monitoring Pack for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager

Forums

• System Center - Virtual Machine Manager
  • General
  • Clustering
  • Hyper-V
  • P2v/V2V
  • Pro/SC Integration
  • Setup
  • VMWare
  • Self-Service Portal 2.0