Windows Server Insider 2022 Datacenter Azure version #WindowsInsiders #WIMVP #Azure #Winserv

Installing Windows Server Insider Datacenter Azure Edition

In my last blogpost we installed Windows 11 Insider Preview Enterprise Build on a Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine. Now we do the same with Windows Server 2022 Insider build version on Microsoft Azure Cloud.

IMPORTANT

This blogpost is for testing only and not ready for production environments yet!

Before you Search for the Windows Server Insider Preview image, you need some preview features added to your azure subscription first. Here you find more information

One of the features is Inquest Hot patching, which we activate via Azure Cloud Shell with Bash Azure CLI :

az feature register –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestHotPatchVMPreview
az feature register –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestAutoPatchVMPreview
az feature register –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestPatchVMPreview

Register via Azure CLI with these commands.

Feature registration can take up to 15 minutes. To check the registration status:

az feature show –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestHotPatchVMPreview
az feature show –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestAutoPatchVMPreview
az feature show –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestPatchVMPreview

When registration is done, you will see this message.

Once the feature has been registered for your subscription, complete the opt-in process by propagating the change into the Compute resource provider.

Type the following Azure CLI commandline :

az provider register –namespace Microsoft.Compute

Now your Microsoft Azure Subscription is ready for the new Features with the Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview Datacenter Azure Edition Build.

You need the Core edition when you want to try hotpatching.
and you need to be a Windows Server Insider.

Here you can Register for the Windows Server Insider Program

Create the Virtual Machine.

Add Storage to your Virtual Machine.
Because it’s for testing only I selected SSD.

Set your network settings.

Set Management settings like Hotpatch Preview.

At Advanced tab you can add Extensions and Custom scripts.
Click on Review + Create

Validation is passed, Click on Create and the
Windows Server Insider 2022 Datacenter Azure Edition will deploy.

IMPORTANT

Check the Network Security Group (NSG) of the Virtual Machine in Azure and set the security settings!

Set the Security Settings in the NSG.

Because we Installed the Windows Server Insider Core version,
Windows Admin Center (Preview) is very handy for Management.

Running Windows Server 2022 Insider Build 10.0.20348.166 in Azure
with Windows Admin Center (Preview) for Testing.

Now we wait for the Hotpatch 😉

Conclusion

Microsoft Azure Cloud platform is great for testing new products like Windows Server Insider Build versions, Windows 11 Insider Preview and the new Azure features. So when this becomes GA in the future you have already the experience and did some feedback to the Microsoft Product Team 😉

#WindowsInsiders 11 Preview Enterprise Build in #Azure Cloud

Windows 11 Enterprise Preview in Azure

When you joined the Microsoft Windows Insider Program you can use the Windows 11 preview build images from the Azure Marketplace.
Here you can see the Windows 11 Preview plans in the Microsoft Azure Market place.

As a Windows Insider it’s great to have your machine in the Microsoft Azure Cloud to test new features of Windows 11 Preview. You don’t have to buy compatible hardware for Windows 11 Preview, and you only pay for the machine when you use it in the Cloud.
Here you find the Windows 11 Preview minimal requirements.

In the following steps I deploy Windows 11 Preview Enterprise in Azure Cloud.

Create your Windows 11 Preview Machine in Azure Cloud.

For this you need a Microsoft Azure Subscription to create a Windows 11 Preview Virtual Machine in the Cloud. In the Azure template for deployment you can select the right size Virtual Machine, Storage, networks, and Management extensions like security and Azure Monitor.

Before you Connect your Windows 11 Preview VM, make sure the security for RDP is set in the Network Security Group (NSG)

Set security for your RDP session in the NSG.

Go to Settings => Windows Update => Windows Insider Program.
Click on Get Started.
First step link an account to join the program.
(This must be your Windows Insiders account)

Sign in selection and continue.

IMPORTANT

Here you select your Windows Insider Channel, read the information and choose your
Windows Insider Build Channel. As a Windows Insider MVP I choose for the Dev Channel to give feedback to the product Team and get the first new features of Windows 11 Preview.

Read the recommendations and click on Continue.

Review the Agreements for your Device.
Click on Continue if you agree.

Restart the Virtual Machine into the Dev Channel for
the latest updates.

Set your Windows Update Advanced options.

Here we have Windows 11 Preview Insider Build 22000.160 on Azure Cloud 😉

After this I went to the Windows Insider Feedback Hub to do my settings :

At Settings of the Feedback Hub you can update the software.
and of course your personal settings.

I Like the Windows Insider Feedback Hub in Dark mode.

IMPORTANT

When you are ready with testing and sending feedback to Microsoft don’t forget to Stop the Virtual Machine! This save you money.

Conclusion

Microsoft Azure Cloud Services and Windows 11 Preview Insider Builds working together gives you flexibility and as a Windows Insider you can test every Windows 11 Preview Build from any place with a Internet connection. I like to give Microsoft feedback to make Windows Awesome for everyone on the planet 🙂

Follow Windows Insiders on Twitter :

@WindowsInsider

Jason Howard

Amanda Langowski

Brandon LeBlanc

Eddie Leonard

Jen Gentleman

Windows 11

 

 

Azure Monitor Insights for Arc enabled Kubernetes Clusters anywhere #Azure #Kubernetes

Azure Monitor Insights for Monitoring your Containers.

In the last blogpost I wrote about Microsoft Azure Arc Services and how to connect a Docker for Desktop Kubernetes Cluster for testing your DevOps solution like Container Apps, Functions, App Services in a test environment. Here you find the Link to the Installation.

One of the Microsoft Azure Arc features is Azure Monitor Insights for monitoring your Kubernetes Cluster and the Containers.

Azure Arc Insights for Kubernetes Cluster anywhere

In the following step-by-step guide we will configure Azure Monitor Insights for your Kubernetes Cluster.

I Connected my Analytics Workspace CloudMVPLab.
Click on Configure.

Onboarding your Kubernetes Cluster will take some minutes.

After a while your Kubernetes Cluster Analytics data will show in Insights.

Here you see a navigation bar with the following topics

• What’s New
• Cluster
• Reports
• Nodes
• Controllers
• Containers.

Insights reports of the Kubernetes Cluster

Here you can Click on default reports of your Kubernetes Cluster.

Storage Capacity and Health Status report of your Kubernetes Cluster.

Storage Capacity more in Details.

Deployments Report of your Kubernetes Cluster.

Workload details Report of your Kubernetes Cluster.

Kubelet report of your Kubernetes Cluster

Data Usage of your Kubernetes Cluster

Data Usage

Insights the Nodes of the Kubernetes Cluster

Insights of the Nodes and on the right you can view Analytics.

Here you can work with Log Analytics on your Cluster.

Insights in Controllers of your Kubernetes Cluster

Insights of your Controllers

Insights Containers of your Kubernetes Cluster

Container Insights of your Kubernetes Cluster

Container Insights with Azure Log Analytics.

So with Azure Arc Enabled Kubernetes Clusters you can monitoring your Cluster and running Containers to keep you in Control on what is happening on the Cluster but also with your Container Apps and microservices. After this you can set Alerts and notifications when something is going wrong or offline. With this running you can start running your own App services, Containers or Azure functions on your Kubernetes Cluster.

Microsoft Senior Cloud Advocate Thomas Maurer explains in this awesome video how to add Azure App Services to your Kubernetes Cluster

Conclusion

This configuration with Docker for Desktop Kubernetes Cluster is for testing purpose only and can be used for your own DevOps solutions before you deploy on Production Ready Clusters. With Azure Arc Enabled Kubernetes Clusters you get the powerful Microsoft Azure Features and solutions in a secure way on your Kubernetes Cluster. I wish you lot of success with Azure Arc Enabled Kubernetes Clusters to make Awesome Apps and IT solutions for the Business 😉

#AzureArc Services with Docker for Windows #Kubernetes Cluster for Testing #DevOps #MSBuild

Microsoft Build 2021 Global virtual event

I Hope everyone had a Great Microsoft Build 2021 Online Conference this week. Microsoft announced a lot of new features and Hybrid Cloud Solutions at Build 2021 🙂 If you missed this Awesome Build 2021 event, you can watch the highlights on demand here.

Microsoft also launched MSBuild Book of News 2021

Build 2021 Resources: Build consistent hybrid and multicloud applications with Azure Arc

DevOps and developers are increasingly using microservices-based architectures with containerized applications for agility and flexibility. Azure Arc extends the single control plane from Azure to enable you to build apps consistently across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. With this information I was thinking, can I connect Microsoft Azure Arc Services to my Surface Book 3 with Windows 10 Preview Insiders Build 21390 and Docker for Windows with Kubernetes Cluster 1.19.7 active?

IMPORTANT: The following step-by-step guide is for testing purpose only.

Installing Docker for Windows with Kubernetes Cluster on Windows 10

First you need to have Docker for Windows 10.

System requirements

Your Windows machine must meet the following requirements to successfully install Docker Desktop.

• WSL 2 backend
• Hyper-V backend and Windows containers

WSL 2 backend

• Windows 10 64-bit: Home, Pro, Enterprise, or Education, version 1903 (Build 18362 or higher).
• Enable the WSL 2 feature on Windows. For detailed instructions, refer to the Microsoft documentation.
• The following hardware prerequisites are required to successfully run WSL 2 on Windows 10:
  • 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
  • 4GB system RAM
  • BIOS-level hardware virtualization support must be enabled in the BIOS settings. For more information, see Virtualization.

Here you can download Docker Desktop for Windows

With docker desktop for Windows you can switch between Windows Containers and Linux Containers. When you want to have a Kubernetes Cluster on your Windows 10 device active you have to switch to Linux Containers in the taskbar like this :

It’s now active for Linux Containers. (Default)

Right Click on the Docker tray icon and go to Settings.
Then go to Kubernetes to enable your Cluster locally on your Windows 10 Device.
When you apply it take some minutes for the installation.

When you see the Kubernetes icon on green, then your Cluster is running.

When you do a lot of DevOps work you use Microsoft Visual Studio Code for Free, because here you can see your Kubernetes Cluster and try your own code or Apps.

Kubernetes Cluster is running locally on your Windows 10 device.

Installing Microsoft Azure Arc Agent

The next step is to install the Microsoft Azure Arc agent on your Windows 10 device.

Login in your Azure Subscription, if you don’t have one you can start here

Search for Azure Arc in your subscription.

Click on Servers and Click on Add.

Click on add a Single Server.
Click on Generate Script.

Prerequisites for the Azure Arc Agent.

Select your Azure Subscription and Resource Group
Choose your Region.
Operating System is Windows. ( your Windows10 device)
Click on Next.

You can add your TAG here.
More information about Azure Tags

Here you can download the Installation script or do a Copy of the Azure Arc Agent.

Open PowerShell ISE in Administrator mode.
Paste the Azure Arc Agent PowerShell Script.
Click on run.

When you see this message open your browser and go to
https://microsoft.com/devicelogin

Copy the Code in the last rule of PowerShell here and click on Next.

Enter your Azure Subscription account here and click on Next.

Connection is made with Azure you can close this screen.

Azure Arc Agent is connect with your Windows 10 Device.

Here you see my Azure Arc Enabled Machine.

Now your Windows 10 device, my Surface Book 3 is connected with Microsoft Azure Arc Services.

Register a Kubernetes Cluster with Azure Arc

The last step is to register your kubernetes Cluster with Microsoft Azure Arc Services.

Click on kubernetes Clusters on the left.
Click on Register a Kubernetes Cluster with Azure Arc.

The prerequisites to add your Kubernetes Cluster to Azure Arc

Select your Azure Subscription
Select your Resource Group
Give your Cluster a Name in Azure
Select Region.
Are you behind a Proxy Server? Yes or No

Here you can add your TAG to the Kubernetes Cluster.

The Next step is to run the Script, you can do that with PowerShell or Bash. I Did this via Azure CLI and with Helm 3.

Microsoft Azure CLI active with Helm 3

Copy the Bash commando into your Azure CLI like here.

This operation might take a couple of minutes.

Done, the Kubernetes Cluster is added to Azure Arc.

Dockkube was successfully connected to Azure.

Kubernetes Cluster with Azure Arc

Now you Have connected your Kubernetes Cluster to Azure Arc Services, you can start exploring the extensions :

Kubernetes Cluster – Azure Arc extensions

You can work with GitOps on your Kubernetes Cluster via Azure Arc Services

GitOps on your Kubernetes Cluster via Azure Arc.

More Features like Security, Monitoring, Automation :

Features for Kubernetes in Azure Arc Services.

Here you see in Visual Studio Code your Azure-Arc Helm Release.

Conclusion

“Learn how to write once and run anywhere using your preferred cloud-native application services. Ensure governance, compliance and security for your deployments, all through a single pane of glass management experience in Azure.”

With Microsoft Azure Arc Services you bring Azure Cloud Technology anywhere for your Apps, Containers, microservices.
I Hope this is a first start for exploring and testing your Hybrid Cloud solution. Wish you a lot of fun and happy coding 😉

 

Windows Admin Center v2103 Available! What’s New #Winserv #Azure #Management #WindowsAdminCenter #MVPBuzz

Windows Admin Center v2103

With Windows Admin Center you can remotely manage Windows Server running anywhere—physical, virtual, on-premises, in Azure, or in a hosted environment.
The tool, available with your Windows Server license at no additional charge, consolidates and reimagines Windows OS tools in a single, browser-based, graphical user interface.
At Microsoft Ignite 2021 Global Virtual Event they launched Windows Admin Center version 2103. Here you find the download.

What’s New in Windows Admin Center v2103

WAC Updates Automatically

Events Tool ReDesign (Preview)

Great Overview of the Server Events 😉

Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows

Windows Admin Center in The Azure Portal 

Set Proxy Server in Windows Admin Center Settings.

Open in a Separate Window

This is a Separate Window on my Second Screen, this works Awesome!

Windows Admin Center Virtual Tool improvements 🙂

Conclusion

Microsoft is working hard to make Hybrid IT Management better for Administrators to manage Hybrid Cloud datacenters. Windows Admin Center is a must have for managing
Windows Server Core, AzureStack HCI, and Cluster Services. I can say: I love to work with Windows Admin Center 🙂

 

When you have feedback for the Product Team please do that here at User Voice

Today is Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event of the Year #MSIgnite #Azure #Cloud #AzureStackHCI #Winserv and More

JOIN Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event

You don’t want to miss this Live Awesome Virtual Global Event of Microsoft 😉

Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview Build 10.0.20298 Available! #Winserv #WindowsServer2022 #WIMVP #WindowsInsiders #MSIgnite

Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview Build 10.0.20298

Microsoft Windows Server Insider Team Released Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview Build 10.0.20298, here you find more information on Tech Community

This Build is Available with :

• Windows Server 2022 Standard (Core)
• Windows Server 2022 Standard ( Desktop Experience)
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter ( Core)
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter ( Desktop Experience)

I Installed Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview with Windows Admin Center.

Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview Build 10.0.20298 is Running 😉

And in Control of Windows Admin Center.

Download Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview here

Don’t forget this Awesome session at MSIgnite 2021 Event!

 

#WindowsAdminCenter and Windows Server 20H2 Core with WSL2 #Ubuntu Distro #Winserv #WSL2

Windows Server 2019 Core and WSL 2 Ubuntu 18.04

The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) gives you the most command-line tools, utilities, and applications directly on Windows. I’m using Microsoft Windows Admin Center and Windows Server Core 20H2 with Build version 19042.746 to deploy WSL 2 with Ubuntu 18.04 Linux Distro. Here you find the installation of the Windows Server Core 20H2 with Windows Admin Center

In the following steps we will install the Following :

• Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
• Move from WSL 1.0 to WSL 2.0
• Install Ubuntu 18.04 Linux distro

Installing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

This will install the WSL Feature.
When it ask do you want to Restart select No, because we will install the Next Feature :

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform

Select now Yes for Restarting the Server.

Moving from WSL 1.0 to WSL version 2.0

Before we Move from WSL version 1 to WSL version 2, we need a WSL Kernel Update.
Download here https://aka.ms/wsl2kernel

I Created a Share on the Windows Server via WIndows Admin Center.
And Uploaded the WSL_Update_X64.msi

Run WSL_Update_X64 and Click on Next.

Click on Finish

WSL –Set-Default-Version 2
Now we have Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 Active.

Install Ubuntu 18.04 Linux Distro for WSL2

With the following Powershell Invoke-WebRequest we get Ubuntu 18.04

---

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://aka.ms/wsl-ubuntu-1804 -OutFile ~/Ubuntu1804.zip -UseBasicParsing
md C:\Distros\Ubuntu1804
Expand-Archive ~/Ubuntu1804.zip C:\Distros\Ubuntu1804

---

Run Ubuntu 18.04

Ubuntu 18.04 is Running in WSL2 on Windows Server Core 20H2 😉

Conclusion

First of All Microsoft Windows Admin Center is supporting me in the Installation of Windows Subsystem for Linux. We have WSL 2 Running with Ubuntu 18.04 with a lot of possibilities!
What I really like is integration, like in Windows 10 and Docker for desktop with the WSL 2 Engine. Here my Blogpost
Together with VSCode Remote WSL is Cool.

Would be awesome to run Docker Windows and Linux Containers in combination with WSL 2 integration on Windows Server Core edition. Maybe in the Future, who knows?

Running #Dapr in WSL2 Ubuntu 20-04 distro in #WindowsInsider Build 21277 RS and #VSCode

Working with Dapr in WSL2 Remote VSCode and Ubuntu 20.04 distro

Dapr is a portable, event-driven runtime that makes it easy for any developer to build resilient, stateless and stateful applications that run on the cloud and edge and embraces the diversity of languages and developer frameworks.

 

Developer language SDKs and frameworks 

To make using Dapr more natural for different languages, it also includes language specific SDKs for Go, Java, JavaScript, .NET and Python. These SDKs expose the functionality in the Dapr building blocks, such as saving state, publishing an event or creating an actor, through a typed, language API rather than calling the http/gRPC API. This enables you to write a combination of stateless and stateful functions and actors all in the language of their choice. And because these SDKs share the Dapr runtime, you get cross-language actor and functions support.

SDKs

• C++ SDK
• Go SDK
• Java SDK
• Javascript SDK
• Python SDK
• RUST SDK
• .NET SDK

Dapr in Standalone version.

I’m using Windows Insider Build version 21277-RS with Docker for Windows Edge and Visual Studio Code.

Docker for Windows Edge Version Running.

Because Docker for Windows Edge support WSL2 Engine and Visual Studio Code too, brought me to an idea to build dapr into Ubuntu 20.04 WSL Distro on my Windows Insiders 21277 RS version on my Surface Book 3. There for you must activate the WSL2 integration with my default WSL distro Ubuntu-20.04.

Docker for Windows WSL 2 Integration.

In your Ubuntu-20.04 WSL2 version, you can install Dapr into your linux distro, more information you find here on dapr.io

Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux Installation Guide for Windows 10 with all kind of Linux distro’s 

Dapr init ( in the Ubuntu-20.04 WSL2 Linux distro )

Here you find the Dapr dev environment installation types for Dapr init, I did the standalone version. Dapr makes then the following containers :

Dapr Containers.

Then we have the following running :

• Dapr Dashboard
• Zipkin

Zipkin is a distributed tracing system. It helps gather timing data needed to troubleshoot latency problems in service architectures. Features include both the collection and lookup of this data.

Zipkin Traces

Dapr Dashboard

Now we have Dapr running in the WSL2 Ubuntu-20.04 distro, you can use Visual Studio Code on Windows Insiders using Remote WSL and work with your favourite dapr SDK like the list above 😉

Dapr Extension in VSCode

From here you can work with your dapr application.

In this guide dapr is running with Docker containers, but you can also install it on Kubernetes or K8s, AKS, Azure any where, see this overview :

Dapr with Kubenetes Containers.

Dapr Overview.

Important Note : Dapr is now production ready with version 1.0 ! Developers, DevOps, AzOps, you can start with it and Build and Test your own microservices and Container apps !  Hope you are having fun with it too 😉

 

 

Happy Holidays and I wish you a Healthy 2021 #Azure #Cloud #MVPBuzz #Winserv #Security #Healthcare

It’s a year full of misery with the Covid-19 virus around the world. People who lose their loved one, It’s a very sad time for all of us! Microsoft technologies are still going on strong with new features in Azure Cloud Services but also supporting the people who are working in the healthcare, data analytics, Microsoft Teams for Collaboration and much more. But what I want to say to all HealthCare people over the world : THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO 👍
I have deep respect for you all !
Community, Microsoft Product Teams, MVP Lead, WIndows Insiders, I wish you and your family happy holidays and a Healthy 2021 with lot of Success! 🎄😍