TechNet Virtual Labs for Windows 8.1

Virtual hands-on labs that you can complete in 90 minutes or less. MSDN and TechNet virtual labs are hosted using a hybrid cloud consisting of Windows Server Hyper-V and Windows Azure.  

• Introducing Windows 8.1, UI features for business
• Windows 8.1 - Access and Information Protection
• Recovery and Security in Windows 8.1
• Windows 8.1: Deployment
• Windows 8.1: User and device management
• Windows 8.1: Windows Store Applications
• Windows 8.1: Anywhere Productivity
• VPN and Assigned Access in Windows 8.1 

Keys for Windows Server 2012 R2 AVMA , KMS Keys for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, KMS Client Setup Keys / 2016

KMS Client Setup Keys: here
Updated: August 2016. Applies to Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2.

The following AVMA keys can be used for Windows Server 2012 R2:

Edition	AVMA key
Datacenter	Y4TGP-NPTV9-HTC2H-7MGQ3-DV4TW
Standard	DBGBW-NPF86-BJVTX-K3WKJ-MTB6V
Essentials	K2XGM-NMBT3-2R6Q8-WF2FK-P36R2

Key Management Service (KMS)

The following KMS keys can be used for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2:

Windows 8.1 Professional	GCRJD-8NW9H-F2CDX-CCM8D-9D6T9
Windows 8.1 Professional N	HMCNV-VVBFX-7HMBH-CTY9B-B4FXY
Windows 8.1 Enterprise	MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7
Windows 8.1 Enterprise N	TT4HM-HN7YT-62K67-RGRQJ-JFFXW
Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Standard	D2N9P-3P6X9-2R39C-7RTCD-MDVJX
Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter	W3GGN-FT8W3-Y4M27-J84CP-Q3VJ9
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials	KNC87-3J2TX-XB4WP-VCPJV-M4FWM

Additional Information:

How to Find the Windows 10 Product Key After an Upgrade

"How do you find the Windows 10 product key once the upgrade from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 is completed."

Now traditionally, all that is required to retrieve this information is using the inventory capability via the Mobile Device Management software of choice.  Another option has been made available via third party applications. Be careful when pursuing this route as reports have come forward that some third party applications install adware/malware during the installation of the tool.   In either case, what has been discovered in some cases using both methods is the key provided is actually a generic key akin to one of the following:

• Windows 10 Enterprise: NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
• Windows 10 Pro: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
• Windows 10 Home: TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99

The trouble with using these keys, should you need to re-enter said key in future, is that it enrolls said Windows 10 installation into Insider Preview. While ok in a lab environment, Insider Preview could be troublesome in a production environment.

Keys for Windows Server 2012 R2 Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA) WindowsITPro

Activating virtual machines via Automatic Virtual Machine Activation in Windows Server 2012 R2  Server & Tools Blog

Automatic Virtual Machine Activation in Windows Server 2012 R2 Ben Armstrong

Windows Server 2012 R2 licensing and Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA)  Dell TechCenter Blog

AVMA step-by-step  Brian Lewis

Automatic Virtual Machine Activation in Windows Server 2012 R2 Gunter Danzeisen


AVMA: An easier way to activate Windows Server 2012 R2 in Hyper-V Secret Nest

Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA) in Windows Server 2012 R2

Automatic Virtual Machine Activation–Windows Server 2012 R2

Windows Server 2012 R2 & Windows 8.1 KMS Service Activation

Automatic Virtual Machine Activation

Windows Server 2012 R2 kicks Hyper-V up another notch

Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 KMS Keys  The Deployment Pros

Microsoft Server 2008 Keys  computerproblemhelper

Windows 8 genuine-activation keys  computerproblemhelper

Windows 7 Keys  computerproblemhelper

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 TechNet Library Documentation

This download is an Adobe® PDF of the entire contents of the Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 section of the Microsoft TechNet Library, for the convenience of Windows Server users who have limited Internet access, or require a portable version of the Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 documentation. 

Download link: Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 TechNet Library Documentation 

Date published: 02/18/1014 

Version 1.0

The PDF is 8,709 pages in length. Highlights of the PDF include the following.

• What's New in Windows Server 2012 R2
• What's New in Windows Server 2012
• Technical Scenarios
• Install and Deploy Windows Server
• Migrate Roles and Features to Windows Server
• Secure Windows Server
• Manage Privacy in Windows Server
• Support and Troubleshoot Windows Server
• Server Roles and Technologies
• Management and Tools for Windows Server

Related Resources:

• E-Book Gallery for Microsoft Technologies
• Windows Server on the TechNet Wiki
• Scripting with Windows PowerShell

Hyper-V Management Pack Extensions 2012 / 2012 R2

Management Pack to monitor the performance of your Hyper-V 2012 and 2012 R2 Servers and Clusters.
Requires SCOM 2012 RTM or higher. SCOM 2012 SP1 recommended.
A free extension to the Hyper-V SCOM management pack has been updated with support for Windows Server 2012 R2.

Date published: 12/08/2013

Download link:  Hyper-V Management Pack Extensions 2012 / 2012 R2

New features on release 1.0.1.282
Support for Windows Server 2012 R2 hyper-V
Hyper-V Extended Replica Monitoring and Dashboard
Minor code optimizations

Features on release 1.0.1.206
VMs Integration Services Version monitor
Hyper-V Replica Health Monitoring Dashboard and States
SMB Shares I/O latency monitor
VMs Snapshots monitoring
Managment Pack Performance improvements

Included features from previous release
Hyper-V Hypervisor Logical processor monitoring
Hyper-V Hypervisor Virtual processor monitoring
Hyper-V Dynamic Memory monitoring
Hyper-V Virtual Networks monitoring
NUMA remote pages monitoring
SLAT enabled processor detection
Hyper-V VHDs monitoring
Physical and Logical Disk monitoring
Host Available Memory monitoring
Stopped and Failed VMs monitoring
Failed Live Migrations monitoring

Management solution for Microsoft Hyper-V Server Core.

The Server Core is great for virtualization. It makes it easier for administrator to get the system configured and started. There are many benefits in using  Server Core, including greater stability, reduced maintenance, reduced memory and disk requirements and reduced attack surface. With Server Core you can significantly minimize your expenses and have a smaller storage footprint than a comparable deployment of full version of Windows Server. Check out some benefits of deploying Windows Server Core Installation here.

However, because there is no GUI, management of this installation demands a great deal of experience from user, involving the use of RSAT or Virtual Machine Manager. VMM is expensive and RSAT doesn't let the administrator to manage some versions of Hyper-V Server from the older OSes. These issues might prevent administrators from deploying Server Core on their servers, despite lower costs and other benefits.

VT Technology Management Utilities for Hyper-V remove the need for RSAT and VMM. More importantly, there is no steep learning curve for using vtUtilities to manage Server Core. This step-by-step guide will help you with setting up your environment from the scratch and outline using vtUtilities on Server Core or free Hyper-V Server.

vtUtilities can be installed locally on a Hyper-V host and deliver GUI with functionality level similar to Microsoft Hyper-V Manager.

With vtUtilities you can start/stop/create/interact and see the state of the virtual machines, change and read VMs settings, see host and guests performance data, configure virtual networks/virtual hard disks and much more...

Advantages of the vtUtilities

• Local GUI to manage Hyper-V on Server Core and free Hyper-V Server.
• GUI for replication, live migrations, VHDX, virtual Fibre Channel adapters, file system views and operations.
• GUI allowing connecting to the VM console 
• GUI for virtual network management including the management of virtual connections and bindings.
• Support for Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2 as well as Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V Server 2012 and Hyper-V Server 2012 R2. 
• Local and remote management of Hyper-V Server 2012 and Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 from Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• Local and remote management of all past Hyper-V versions from a single application.
• Easy access to Hyper-V event logs and VM jobs history.
• Real time monitoring of Hyper-V host and guests.

Support for new functionality introduced in Hyper-V Server 2012 R2

• Generation 2 virtual machines.
• Virtual hard disk and storage quality of service.
• Hyper-V Replica enhancements including support for extended replication.
• Hyper-V virtual networking enhancements.

 Free 1 week trial can be downloaded here:  vtUtilities

 Site and product links:

VT Technology Inc

VT Technology Management Utilities ( vtUtilities)

New Download. Windows Server 2012 R2 Products and Editions Comparison Chart

This chart illustrates the differences among the various Windows Server 2012 R2 products and editions, including the various editions of Windows Server, Microsoft Hyper-V Server, Storage Server, and MultiPoint Server.

The chart includes information about:

• Locks and limits (such as maximum number of connections of various kinds, domain-joining capability, and CPU and RAM limits) 
• Which server roles are supported
• Which server features are available

Download link: Windows Server 2012 R2 Products and Editions Comparison

Date Published: 02/07/2014

Supported Operated System:

Windows Server 2012 R2 

 

Related post: New Downloads: Windows Server 2012 Products and Editions Comparison Chart, IaaS PLA Guides, MAP.

Windows Server 2012 R2 Products and Editions Chart (Large)

A collection of Windows Server 2012 R2 / Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 links and related articles.

Related Links:

New Links for Windows Server, Hyper-V, Azure / July - October 2015

Windows Server 2016 TP3, RSAT for Windows 10

New Links for Windows Server, Hyper-V, Azure / May - June 2015

New Links for Windows Server, Hyper-V, Azure / March - April 2015

New Links for Windows Server, Hyper-V, Azure / January - February 2015

Windows Server 2012 R2 / Hyper-V / Azure Links & Videos
Useful Links for Windows Server 2012 R2 / Hyper-V Server 2012 R2

Windows Server 2012 R2 Technical documentation, install, deploy

MSDN Subscriptions

Series:

Hyper-V: Clustering & Resiliency Series by Pierre Roman

•  Host Configuration
•  Step 1: Storage
•  Step 2: Networking
•  Step 3: Networking Part 2
•  Step 3: Networking Part 3
•  Step 4: Logical Switches
•  Step 5: Shared Storage and Clustering
•  Step 6: Clustered Shared Volume & Optimize
•  Step 7: VMM Configuration

Top 10 New and Improved Features in Windows Storage Server 2012 R2  by Scott M. Johnson


Using Hyper-V features to enhance storage SearchStorage

How to create a Custom Authentication Provider for Active Directory Federation Services 3.0 Series by Tino Donderwinkel

Table of Contents: Success with Hybrid Cloud Series by Brad Anderson

New Blog Series: DR Planning for IT Pros

Hyper-V Replica Series by John Kelbley on TechNet

• Hyper-V Replica: Getting Started
• Hyper-V Replica: Better Than DR, it’s Disaster Avoidance and Way More!
• Hyper-V Replica: My Setup
• Hyper-V Replica: Basic Monitoring Report

End-to-End Bare-Metal Provisioning with SCVMM 2012 SP1 / R2 Series / Andiy Q's Blog

• Part 1 - Overview
• Part 2 - Configuring DHCP Services 
• Part 3 - Configuring WDS
• Part 4 - Configuring WSUS

Hyper-V 2012 R2 Network Architectures Series by Cristian Edwards

• Non-Converged Networks, the classical but robust approach
• Converged Networks Managed by SCVMM and PowerShell
• Converged Networks using Static Backend QoS
• Converged Networks using Dynamic QoS
• Converged Network using CNAs
• Conclusions and Summary
• Bonus

Ask the Core Team: What's New in Windows Servicing

• Part 1
• Part 2 - Reduction of Windows Footprint

Contoso Labs-Table of Contents Server & Tools

Downloads:

Download link:  Do you know what Hyper-V Server is?

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 TechNet Library Documentation PDF

Windows Server 2012 R2 Products and Editions Comparison   PDF

New Storage Paper: Maximizing Storage Efficiency on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Storage Server 2012 R2

Switch between Server Core mode and Server GUI mode in Windows Server 2012 Switch script

Tool: MPSReport replacement, MSDT
The Microsoft Product Support Report (MPSR) tool has been replaced by the Microsoft Diagnostic Toolkit (MSDT)

Tool: Server Performance Advisor (SPA) v3.1 to troubleshoot high CPU in LSASS in AD Domain Controllers. Applies to: Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008

Announcing the GA of Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager
Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager Service protects your on-prem applications by orchestrating the protection and recovery of Hyper-V Virtual Machines running in a private cloud (i.e. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2 or System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 SP1) to a secondary location.

Test Lab Guide: Windows Server 2012 R2 Base Configuration in Windows Azure
This Microsoft Test Lab Guide (TLG) provides you with step-by-step instructions to create the Windows Base Configuration test lab in a Windows Azure Virtual Network, using computers running Windows Server 2012 R2.

Windows Server 2012 R2 Test Lab Guide
This TLG provides you with step-by-step instructions to create the Windows Base Configuration test lab, using computers running Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2

Three Types of Base Configurations for TLG

Hyper-V Replica Automation Toolkit for SMA

List of Rollup Updates for Windows 8/8.1 & Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2

Hyper-V: Update List for Windows Server 2012 R2

Recommended hotfixes and updates for Windows Server 2012 R2-based failover clusters

Windows Server® 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 BranchCache Deployment Guide

HyperV - Dash Board

Windows Server® 2012 and 2012 R2 Core Network Guide

Windows Server 2012 R2 Deploying 802.1X Authenticated Wireless Access

Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter 2.0 

Server 2012 Failover clustering-Step by step guide

Virtualization Fabric Design Considerations Guide
This guide details a series of steps and tasks that you can go through to design a virtualization fabric that is able to host many virtual machines. Although all virtualization fabrics contain storage and servers for hosting virtual machines, in addition to the networks that connect them, every organization’s virtualization fabric design will likely be different. Throughout the steps and tasks, the guide presents the relevant design and configuration options available to you to meet functional and service quality (such as availability, scalability, performance, manageability, and security) requirements.

Licensing Brief - Licensing Windows Server 2012 R2 for Use with Virtualization Technologies
This document discusses how Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 is licensed when used with virtualization technologies like VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager, or Parallels Virtuozzo.

Server & Tools Blog

• How to Customize Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 
• Server folders on another server 
• Remote Desktop Services – Upgrade and Migration guidelines for Windows Server 2012 R2 
• Hyper-V Replica debugging: Why are very large log files generated?
• You Want Access to What? From Where? Keeping Users Productive in a Consumerized World 
• What Happens When You Release Your Domain Name from Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Using data deduplication with Hyper-V Replica for storage savings
• Improvements in recovery history
• Network Recommendations for a Hyper-V Cluster in Windows Server 2012
• Measuring Replication Health in a cluster
• Hyper-V Replica in Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center Operations Manager 2012 R2
• Hyper-V Replica: Extend Replication
• Upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2 with Hyper-V Replica
• What’s new in Hyper-V Replica in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Online resize of virtual disks attached to replicating virtual machines
• Replica Clusters behind a NAT
• Hyper-V Replica BPA Rules
• Replicating fixed disks to dynamic disks in Hyper-V Replica
• Monitoring Hyper-V Replica using System Center Operations Manager
• Using an existing VM for initial replication in Hyper-V Replica
• Hyper-V Replica & Proxy Servers on primary site
• Need more DSC Resources? Announcing DSC Resource Kit Wave 2
• Set Up a Lab with Windows PowerShell and Free Microsoft Software: Part 1
• Deploying Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard/Datacenter with Windows Server Essentials Experience role in an Existing Active Directory Environment
• Adding shortcuts on desktop using Group Policy Preferences in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• What's New in Defrag for Windows Server 2012/2012R2
• Cannot Extend Simple Virtual Disk in Windows Server 2012 R2

• Unable to launch Cluster Failover Manager on any node of a 2012/2012R2 Cluster
• Hyper-V Management Pack Extensions 2012 / 2012R2 Available
• Unable to create a Storage Space in Windows 2012 R2 when using Windows Azure data disks
• Windows Server 2012/2012R2 – When Physical disks are attached to a virtual machine, Hyper-V Replica will have to be disabled
• Activating virtual machines via Automatic Virtual Machine Activation in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Hyper-V Replica Certificate based authentication and Proxy servers
• Configuring Windows Failover Cluster Networks
• Deploying Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials in an Existing Active Directory Environment
• Behavior Change When Working with Pass-Through Disks in Windows Server 2012 Failover Clusters
• Work Folders interoperability with other file server technologies
• Desktop Experience in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Details on Generation 2 virtual machines and using them in VMM 2012 R2
• Windows Azure Pack–Gallery Item VM Role–References for Creation, Configuration, and Automation
• Automation–The New World of Tenant Provisioning with Windows Azure Pack (Part 3): Automated 
• Deployment of the Identity Workload as a Tenant Admin
• What’s New in Windows Servicing: Part 1
• Windows Server Work Folders Resources List
• Hyper-V Recovery Manager Recovery Plan Series – Part 1 
• Deploying Windows Server 2012 R2 Work Folders in a Virtual Machine in Windows Azure
• How to Build Your ADFS Lab on Server 2012 Part 3: ADFS Proxy 
• Introducing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Starter Kit (VDI SK) v1.0 Preview – Part 1 
• Introducing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Starter Kit (VDI SK) v1.0 Preview – Part 2 
• How to Build Your ADFS Lab Part4: Upgrading to Server 2012 R2 
• Retaining IP Address after failover using Hyper-V Recovery Manager  
• Available now: The Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter 2.0 
• Failover Clustering and Active Directory Integration 
• Windows Management Framework V5 Preview
• Introduction to Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) AlternateLoginID Feature
• Backup of a Replica VM
• Removing .NET Framework 4.5/4.5.1 removes Windows 2012/2012R2 UI and other features
• How to use the File Server Capacity Tool (FSCT) on Server 2012 R2
• How to Configure MSDTC to Use a Specific Port in Windows Server 2012/2012R2
• Configuring Microsoft Azure Online Backup on Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Backing up of replica VMs using DPM 
• Replication Health-Windows Server 2012 R2
• Configuring and Customizing Remote Web Access on Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Excluding virtual disks in Hyper-V Replica
• 2012R2 iSCSI Target Settings for Configuring a Specific Network  
• Understanding VPN configuration in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Debugging performance issues with VMQ
• Configuring Health Report in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Hyper-V Security Guide and New QFE for 2012R2 Addressing Backup with CSV Writer
• Announcing the Data Classification Toolkit for Windows Server 2012 R2!
• Troubleshooting Windows Server 2012 R2 Domain Controller new SIDs: A Real World Example
• Name Resolution Performance of Windows DNS Server 2012 R2 

 

Scripts

How to check if any Windows Server is pending for reboot

This PowerShell script will check if a server is pending for reboot and get the reboot status.

Uptime of servers
This script is used to extract the uptime of servers.

Hyper-V Network VSP Bind (nvspbind)
nvspbind is a tool for modifying network bindings from the command line. It is especially useful in Server Core environments with the Hyper-V role enabled.

Brad Anderson's Blog

• Success with Hybrid Cloud: By Scenario – Avoiding Lock-in
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: By Scenario – Disaster Recovery
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: By Scenario – Dev/Test
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: How the Financial Services Industry Benefits
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Benefits for the Oil & Gas Industry
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: How Retailers Benefit
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Saving Time & Money with a Hybrid Cloud
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Best Practices for Operating Your Hybrid Cloud
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Best Practices for Deploying a Hybrid Cloud
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Best Practices for Building a Hybrid Cloud
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Best Practices for Planning Your Hybrid Cloud
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Best Practices for your Hybrid Cloud
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: The Components of a Hybrid Cloud
• 2013 in Review – Resources for IT Pros
• Update: Expanded (and free) Resources for VMware Experts!
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: By Scenario – Cloud Bursting 
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Getting Deep – Virtualization & Templates
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Getting Deep – Hybrid Networking
• Success with Hybrid Cloud: Getting Deep –Hyper-V Recovery Manager 
• Success with Enterprise Mobility: Our Enterprise Mobility Vision

Ben Armstrong's Blog

• Shrinking a VHDX on a Running Virtual Machine   
• Online VHDX Resize in Windows Server 2012 R2 / Windows 8.1  
• Managing Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V from Windows 8.1   
• Resizing the boot drive of a virtual machine
• New Poster: Windows Server 2012 R2 Private Cloud Storage and Virtualization
• Reading Hyper-V Event logs with PowerShell
• Using PowerShell to Update Integration Components with SCVMM
• Updating Integration Services with SCVMM
• SCVMM, Hyper-V Replica, UI and PowerShell
• Targeting Group Policy at Hyper-V VMs
• Virtual Machine Stop Action in a Cluster
• Disabling VM heartbeat monitoring for a clustered VM
• Virtual Machines not shutting down on host shutdown in Windows Server 2012 R2
• SCVMM 2012 R2 – Error 2912 NO_PARAM when using Hyper-V Replica
• Linux Integration Services 3.5 Announcement
• Faster Live Migration–Which Option Should You Choose?
• Faster Live Migration with RDMA in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Hyper-V Management Pack Extensions for WS 2012 and WS 2012 R2
• MAP Toolkit 9.0 now available
• Figuring out your NUMA topology with Hyper-V
• Faster Live Migration with Compression in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Hyper-V Poster Updates
• Faster Live Migration in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Configuring Hyper-V Replica Resynchronization
• Virtualizing Exchange on Hyper-V
• Replicating Virtual Machines to Multiple Folders
• Exporting a running virtual machine
• Cloning running virtual machines in SCVMM 2012 R2
• Why is the wrong time displayed on my virtual machine?
• Registering an Incompatible VM with PowerShell
• Using Compare-VM on Compare-VM 
• Updated Hypervisor Top Level Functional Specification
• Protected Networks in Windows Server 2012 R2
• My Daily Hyper-V Status Email–Part 1 of 5 
• My Daily Hyper-V Status Email–Part 2 of 5 
• My Daily Hyper-V Status Email–Part 3 of 5 
• My Daily Hyper-V Status Email–Part 4 of 5 
• My Daily Hyper-V Status Email–Part 5 of 5
• Hyper-V Networking–DHCP Guard
• Hyper-V Networking–Router Guard
• Importing a VM with VHDs in Different Paths
• Understanding Maximum Dynamic Memory from inside a VM  
• Hyper-V Networking–NIC Teaming
• Hyper-V Replica to the Rescue!
• Quickly Recovering Replication on Hyper-V
• Gathering Recent Events for a Specific VM
• Ubuntu 14.04 in a Generation 2 VM
• Looking for Wasted Space inside Virtual Machines
• Allowing non-Administrators to control Hyper-V–Updated
• What version of Linux Supports what in Hyper-V?
• Hyper-V Replica to Azure
• Can you run Windows Server 2012 R2 on Windows Server 2008 R2?

Jose Barreto's Blog

• Troubleshooting File Server Networking Issues in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Updated Links on Windows Server 2012 R2 File Server and SMB 3.02
• Selecting the number of nodes for your Scale-Out File Server Cluster
• Automatic SMB Scale-Out Rebalancing in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Networking configurations for Hyper-V over SMB in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012 R2: Which version of the SMB protocol (SMB 1.0, SMB 2.0, SMB 2.1, SMB 3.0 or SMB 3.02) are you using?
• Detailed guides for Windows Server 2012 R2 Private Cloud Storage (using SMB3 File Servers, Cluster Shared Volumes and Storage Spaces)
• SMB Direct and RDMA performance demo from TechEd (includes summary, PowerShell scripts and links)
• Deploying a Windows Server 2012 R2 Scale-Out File Server Cluster using Azure VMs
• Step-by-Step for Mirrored Storage Spaces Resiliency using PowerShell  

Yung Chou's Blog

My Selected Contents for IT Pros

Windows Server 2012 R2 Installation Options and Features on Demand
High Availability, Disaster Recovery, and Windows Azure
Creating Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine

TechNet

Top Support Solutions for Microsoft Windows Server 2012
This is a collection of the top Microsoft Support solutions to the most common issues experienced using Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 (updated quarterly). Note that some content that applies to earlier versions of Windows Server is listed, because it can be helpful with Windows Server 2012 issues also.

Top Support Solutions for System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager
This is a collection of the top Microsoft Support solutions to the most common issues experienced using System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager (updated quarterly).

DirectAccess Survival Guide DirectAccess in Windows Server® 2012 R2 and Windows Server® 2012

• NUMA - Understand it & its usefulness with Windows Server 2012
• Move VM’s between Hyper-V and Windows Azure 
• Tiered Storage: My Unscientific Performance Testing
• Tiered Storage: Second Step - Creating My Virtual Disk and Volume
• Windows Server 2012 R2- Enhancing DHCP policies and DNS registrations in DHCP server
• DHCP Failover supports BOOTP clients in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Freeing memory for Hyper-V VMs on Windows 8/8.1 PFE
• List of storage related hotfixes post RTM for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• List of HAL/Kernel related hotfixes post RTM for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• From the MVPs: Enable Cross-Premises Network Connectivity to Windows Azure with Windows Server 2012 R2  MSDN
• Emulated and synthetic hardware specification for Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V  MSFT Support
• How can Hyper-V Server be a member of a cluster? (So many questions. So little time. Part 54.)
• Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Pros Series Day 4 – Replication – How Hyper-V Replica Can Save the Day 
• Hyper-V Virtual Switch Architecture MSDN
• Where did RRAS and DirectAccess go in WS2012 and R2?
• Windows Server 2012 R2 and Database Availability Groups
• Hyper-V Inception MSDN
• Importing VMs Utilizing The Hyper-V WMI v2 Namespace  MSDN
• Configuring Dynamics CRM IFD with Windows Server 2012 R@ AD FS (ADFS 3.0) 
• List of Hyper-V related hotfixes post RTM for Windows 8.1 RTM and Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM
• Links to post RTM hotfixes for Windows 8 RTM and Windows Server 2012 RTM
• Networking Configurations for Hyper-V over SMB in Windows Server 2012 R2 Radio TechNet
• Top 10 Windows Server 2012R2 Tips For The Smaller Business 
• Disk Partition Alignment for Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012, and SQL Server 2014 MSDN
• Windows 8.1 for Business: Getting Started with Client Hyper-V 
• Failover Clustering and Active Directory Integration 
• Migrating Roles and Features in Windows Server 
• DNSSEC on Windows Server  
• Managing Windows Server 2012 R2 Virtual Machine (VM) activations running on Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Virtualization Host…Solution: AVMA (Automatic Virtual Machine Activation)!!!  TechNet
• What's New in Update for Windows Server 2012 R2  TechNet/EHLO
• Every Host a Hypervisor
• Windows RT, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012 update rollup: April 2014  MSFT Support
• Hyper-V Management Packs Monitor issues  MSDN
• Windows Server 2012 Server Certificate Deployment Guide Now Available in TechNet Gallery
• Active Directory Based Activation in Windows 2012 / Windows 2012 R2
• Web Application Proxy in Windows 2012 R2
• What’s New in Windows Servicing: Service Stack Improvements: Part 3
• Windows Server 2012 R2: Install unsigned drivers  MSDN
• Windows Server 2012 Wireless Deployment Guide 
• Understanding the Windows Server Failover Cluster Quorum in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012 R2/IIS8.5 - Automatic Rebind of Renewed Certificates
• Tip of the Day: Every WS2012 Installation should be a Server CORE installation!
• Work Folders for Windows 7 Released!
• Tip of the Day: KMS Role in WS2012
• Configure ADFS and Device Registration service in Windows 2012 R2
• Configure Web Application Proxy server and publish Device Registration service in Windows 2012 R2
• Top Support Solutions for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2
• Building True Multi-Subnet Windows Server Failover Clusters
• Configure Windows 2012 R2 as iSCSI target
• Microsoft Azure Site Recovery – Replicating Hyper-V VMs to Microsoft Azure
• Run a router on Hyper-V
• Getting started with virtual Fibre Channel inside a Hyper-V VM

Keith Mayer's Blog

• Guided Hands-on Lab: Deliver Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) with Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager (HRM) 
• Guided Hands-on Lab: Planning Disaster Recovery Capacity for Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Replica 
• Guided Hands-on Lab: Virtual Networking 101 with System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)
• Step-by-Step: File Server Disaster Recovery in the Clouds with Windows Azure and Windows Server 2012 R2 
• Top Support Solutions for Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012
• Step-by-Step: Offline VM Template Servicing with Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V and PowerShell'
• (Module 2) Planning your Hybrid Cloud
• Step-by-Step: Build Your Cloud with System Center 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, Hyper-V and Windows Azure
• Step-by-Step: Offline VM Template Servicing in Hyper-V - Part 2 - Downloading Windows Updates via PowerShell
• Step-by-Step: Extending Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 with custom PowerShell tools
• Step-by-Step: Spin-up a Windows Server 2012 R2 Lab in the Cloud - Faster than you can download the bits!
• Step-by-Step: Live Migrate Multiple (Clustered) VMs in One Line of PowerShell - Revisited
• Step-by-Step: Build Your Cloud with System Center 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, Hyper-V and Microsoft Azure

• TechNet Radio: (Part 5) Building Your Hybrid Cloud - Building a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with Windows Server 2012 R2 
• TechNet Radio: (Part 4) Building Your Hybrid Cloud - Managing Cloud Foundations with Windows Server 2012 R2
• TechNet Radio: (Part 3) Building Your Hybrid Cloud - Networking Enhancements in Windows Server 2012 R2
• TechNet Radio: (Part 2) Building Your Hybrid Cloud - Hyper-V Enhancements in Windows Server 2012 R2
• TechNet Radio: (Part 1) Building Your Hybrid Cloud - Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Foundation

• TechNet Radio: (Part 1) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Managing Virtual Machine Hardware Resources
• TechNet Radio: (Part 2) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Live VM Migration in Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V
• TechNet Radio: (Part 3) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Storage Options
• TechNet Radio: (Part 4) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - High Availability
• TechNet Radio: (Part 5) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Virtual Machine and Service Templates
• TechNet Radio: (Part 6) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Disaster Recovery with Hyper-V Replica 
• TechNet Radio: (Part 7) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Dynamic Workload Balancing
• TechNet Radio: (Part 8) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - Supported Guest Operating Systems
• TechNet Radio: (Part 9) Hyper-V from a VMware Admin’s Perspective - How does Networking work in Hyper-V?

CANITPRO

• Step-By-Step: Creating A Windows Development Environment in Hyper-V
• Hyper-V: Clustering & Resiliency
• Hyper-V: Host Configuration
• Step-By-Step: Managing Windows Server 2012 R2 Via Windows 8.1
• Step-By-Step: Enabling DirectAccess in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Step-By-Step: Harnessing PowerShell to Build A New Active Directory Forest
• Benefits of Deploying Windows Server 2012 R2 Core Installation
• Step-By-Step: Deploy Hyper-V on SMB 3.0
• Step-By-Step: Scale-out file shares and continuously available file services
• Step-By-Step: Creating a Tiered Storage Space
• Step-By-Step: Enabling Disk Performance Counters in Windows Server 2012 R2 Task Manager
• Free Up Disk Space on Windows Server 2012
• Step-By-Step: Creating a Work Folders Test Lab Deployment in Windows Server 2012 R2
• What's New in SMB in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Top 8 Improvements Found in Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Replica
• Step-By-Step: Enabling Hyper-V for use on Windows 8.1
• Step-By-Step: Creating a Windows 2012 R2 Lab on Windows Azure
• Step-by-Step: Extending Windows Server 2012 Active Directory into the Cloud
• Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Compatibility
• Hyper-V: Clustering & Resiliency. Step 4: Logical Switches 
• Step-By-Step: Building Your Own Lab on Windows Server 2012 R2
• Introducing Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration 
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Core Server: I love it! 
• Step-By-Step: Enabling Hyper-V for use on Windows 8.1
• Step-By-Step: Creating A Simple Login Dashboard in Hyper-V 2012 R2 
• Using A Single DSC Configuration for Multiple Servers 
• Step-By-Step: Active Directory Migration from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2
• Step-By-Step: Virtual Machine billing in Azure
• Step-By-Step: Completing Storage Live Migration in Hyper-V 2012 R2  
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit Best Practices
• Step-By-Step: Recovering a Lost Azure VM Admin Password
• Step-By-Step: Syncing An On Premise AD with Azure Active Directory

WindowsITPro

• Build a Windows Server 2012 R2 Lab in Windows Azure 
• Hyper-V Replica Snapshot View in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Simple Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management Using PowerShell
• Default Stop Action for Hyper-V VMs
• Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager Protects Hyper-V VMs
• Hyper-V Upgrade S3 Video Adapter Warning
• Set Hyper-V Replica Storage Locations
• Modify IP Configuration of VM from Hyper-V Host
• AVMA Activation Requirements for Windows Server 2012 R2
• Hyper-V VM Spanning Memory Status
• Snapshots Renamed to Checkpoints
• Get Values from a Hyper-V Host About a Virtual Machine KVP
• Live Migration With Shared VHDX
• Shared VHDX Features not Available
• Make a VM Highly Available in Windows Server 2012
• Keys for Windows Server 2012 R2 Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA)
• Why No RemoteFX with a Generation 2 Virtual Machine?
• SCVMM Management of Hyper-V in Different Domains
• Out-of-Band Security Patch to Protect Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.x against Adobe Flash
• Can't Limit Hyper-V Server VMs 
• Understanding Hyper-V Networking with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2
• Changing UAC Behavior for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V 
• Getting Started with Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 
• Switching to the Minimal Server Interface  
• Is your Microsoft hybrid cloud environment having an AD identity crisis?
• Patches Required in Hyper-V Environment
• Edit Session Settings in Windows 8.1 Hyper-V
• Step-By-Step: Enabling Active Directory Recycle Bin in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Hyper-V Replica Processor Requirements
• Live Migration and Hyper-V Replica
• Mixing Generation 1 and Generation 2 Virtual Machines and Templates
• Hyper-V Processor Speed  
• Drain on Shutdown with Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Clusters
• Hyper-V +1 Operating System Support
• Work Folders Capability for Windows 7
• Linux Support in a Generation 2 Virtual Machine
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V: What's New, Part 2
• What's New in Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2012 R2

Petri

• Useful Tools for Hyper-V Administrators
• Antivirus on a Hyper-V Host: Do You Need It?
• Boot a Hyper-V Virtual Machine from a USB Drive
• How to Add Disk Performance Counters to Windows Server 2012 R2
• How to Perform a Nonauthoritative Restore of Active Directory in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Restoring a File or Folder in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Back Up a Windows Server 2012 R2 Domain Controller
• Setup a Windows Server 2012 R2 Domain Controller in Windows Azure: Provision a VM with a Persistent IP Address, Install AD DS
• Setup a Windows Server 2012 R2 Domain Controller in Windows Azure: IP Addressing and Creating a Virtual Network
• Installing the Remote Desktop Services role in Windows Server 2012
• Use PowerShell to Create a New Virtual Machine in Windows Azure Running Server 2012 R2
• How to Shadow a Remote Desktop session in Windows Server 2012 R2
• How to Install Windows Server 2012 R2
• How to Check for Missing Updates in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1
• LSA Protected Mode Troubleshooting Tips for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1
• How to Import Hyper-V Virtual Machines from a Backup
• How to Export Hyper-V Virtual Machines
• Windows Server 2012 or WS2012 R2 Hyper-V Cluster Requirements 
• The Purpose of a Hyper-V Failover Cluster
• Choosing Between VLANs or Hyper-V Network Virtualization
• Configuring VM VLAN Isolation in Hyper-V
• Performing a Hyper-V Replica Test Failover
• Perform a Hyper-V Replica Initial Copy Via a Restore
• The Hyper-V Virtual Switch: An Overview
• Perform a Hyper-V Replica Initial Copy Using External Media
• Perform a Hyper-V Replica Initial Copy Via the Network
• Designing a Hyper-V Virtual Machine
• Redirected I/O in Windows Server 2012/R2 Cluster Shared Volumes
• Options for Upgrading Standalone Hosts to Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V
• Introducing Hyper-V Server 2012 R2
• Use Cross-Version Live Migration to Upgrade to Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V
• Designing a Non-Clustered Hyper-V Host
• Enabling Hyper-V Extended Replication
• Top Performance Tuning Tips for Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V
• Sysprep Windows Server 2012 Faster with /mode:vm Switch
• Naming Standards in a Window Server Cluster
• Windows Server 2012 Scheduled Cluster Tasks
• How to Configure Fine-Grained Password Policy in Windows Server 2012 Using ADAC 
• Configuring Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) Cache
• What Is Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA)?
• Configuring Work Folders in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Configuring Hyper-V Virtual Machine NUMA Topology 
• Using Hyper-V Virtual Machine Processor Resource Control 
• How to Block Specific File Types in Windows Server 2012?
• How Does Hyper-V Dynamic Memory Work? 
• What Is Hyper-V Dynamic Memory?
• Using the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAP) for Windows 7/8.1 Migration
• Microsoft Releases Virtual Machine Converter 2.0
• How to Configure DNS on a Domain Controller with Two IP Addresses
• Microsoft Azure: First Impressions
• Understanding the Architecture of the Hyper-V Hypervisor
• Getting the most out of Hyper-V Dynamic Memory  
• Migrate or Restore a Windows Server 2012 R2 Certification Authority to a New Server
• How to Enable Shadow Copy on a Shared Folder in Windows Server 2012 R2
• 5 Reasons To Choose Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V over VMware vSphere 5.5
• Default Hyper-V Storage Paths Explained
• Automatic Start and Stop Actions for Hyper-V Virtual Machines
• What are Hyper-V Virtual Machine Integration Services?
• Performing Out-Of-Band File Copies to Hyper-V Virtual Machines
• Set the time and date in Windows Server Core 2012 R2 
• Live Exporting Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V VMs 
• Pause and Drain Actions on Windows Server 2012 R2 Clusters 

WindowsNetworking

• Free Tools for Active Directory Administration
• Windows NIC Teaming using PowerShell (Part 7)
• Windows Server 2012 R2 and BYOD  
• What's New in Windows Server 2012 Networking? (Part 8)
• Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 and Windows 8/8.1 (Part 1)
• Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2012 R2 (Part 1)  
• Deploying Windows Azure Pack 
• Cluster Aware Update Feature in Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2012 IP Address Management
• Windows Server 2012 DNS (Part 1)
• DHCP Failover with Microsoft Server 2012 R2
• Provisioning Virtual Machine Clouds with Windows Azure Pack
• Changes in the Update to Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2
• Security for Hyper-V hosts: A tip about what you can do to help ensure your Hyper-V hosts are secure.
• Windows Server 2012 DNS (Part 2)
• VSS for SMB File Shares
• Assessing the impact of schema changes
• Improving Network Performance in Windows Server and Client (Part 2)
• Storage planning for Hyper-V Hosts (Part 1) 
• Cluster Aware Updating for Windows Server 2012 R2 (Part 2)

VirtualizationAdmin

• Maximizing Your Virtual Machine Density in Hyper-V    
• Troubleshooting Slow VM Performance in Hyper-V
• Managing Hyper-V Snapshots
• Using Virtual Machine Connection and the Enhanced Session Mode in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Application resiliency in virtualization environments 
• Is it Better to Run Hyper-V on Windows Server or as a Standalone Hypervisor 
• Leveraging the Hyper-V Extensible Switch in Windows Server 2012 R2
• What You Need to Know About Software Defined Networking in Hyper-V 
• Diagnosing Live Migration Failures (Part 1)
• Diagnosing Live Migration Failures (Part 2) 
• Deep Dive into Hyper-V Network Virtualization (Part 1) 

InfoWorld

• 5 free Windows Server tools you should know about
• Windows Server 2012 R2: It's Azure Lite
• Windows Server 2012 R2 and Azure Pack work better together
• Whodunit: A Hyper-V failure may reveal fabled 'escape attack' 
• Hyper-V 'escape attack,' part 2: The mystery deepens 

TechTarget

• Don't stop that VM: WS 2012 R2 can resize your replica disk on the fly
• Windows Server storage changes and new features in 2012 R2
• Hyper-V networking: The three virtual switches that fuel connectivity
• How Hyper-V Recovery Manager works and where it falls short
• Five reasons to run Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 R2
• How Hyper-V Recovery Manager works and where it falls short 
• Improving VM performance through proper disk selection  

Forget physical access: Remote USB attacks can blue screen Windows servers  Networkworld
Windows Server 2012 R2 Inside Out: Active Directory Architecture | Microsoft Press Store
Hyper-V Network Virtualization: Overview and Q&A  ServerWatch
Microsoft Looking to Lure Customers Away from VMware ServerWatch
How To Upgrade Hyper-V to Windows Server 2012 R2  RedmondMagazin
How To Work with Hyper-V Checkpoints  RedmondMagazin
How To Migrate to Hyper-V RedmondMagazin
New versions of VMware and Hyper-V add storage features  SearchVirtualStorage

23 Best Practices to improve HyperV and VM Performance  Altaro Hyper-V

Backup & Recovery

Five reliable Windows Server backup solutions TechRepublic

Hyper-V Recovery Manager Automates Windows Azure Disaster Recovery Lifehacker

Announcing the GA of Windows Azure Hyper-V Recovery Manager Brad Anderson

Backup Windows Server 2012 R2 with Microsoft Azure Recovery Services  CloudComputingAdmin

Security

Threats in the Cloud – Part 1: DNS Attacks MSFT Security Blog
Auditing Windows Server 2012 PowerAdmin
A close look at a targeted attack delivery
15 Core Hyper-V Security Best Practices   ServerWatch

Video

Edge Show 87 Linux Integration Services for Hyper-V  Ch9
Windows 2012 Active Directory Domain Services Videos (2) TechNet
Virtualization with Windows Server 2012 R2  TechNet
Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Technologies  TechNet Video

Books

Largest collection of FREE Microsoft eBooks ever, including: Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Office 2013, Office 365, Office 2010, SharePoint 2013, Dynamics CRM, PowerShell, Exchange Server, Lync 2013, System Center, Azure, Cloud, SQL Server  Eric Ligman

How to enable ‘Download All’ for Free Microsoft eBooks and other tips 

Related VTTechnology Blog's posts: 

• What's New in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Useful Links for Windows Server 2012 R2 / Hyper-V Server 2012 R2
• Tech Net Virtual Labs Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Private Cloud Virtualization and Storage Poster and Mini-Posters
• Server Posterpedia
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Component Architecture Poster and Hyper-V Mini Posters
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2013
• Keyboard shortcuts for Windows 7, Windows 8 / 8.1, Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2, Visual Studio
• Volume Licensing Program Guides, Datasheets, and FAQ
• Capacity Planner for Hyper-V Replica 2.0, Windows 8.1 Power User Guide for Business
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Products and Editions Comparison Chart
• Free Hyper-V Server / Windows Server Core
• Windows server 2012 R2 Update