Hyper-V Console Disconnects During Live Migration

Previously I showed how the architecture behind VMware vSphere clustering is so robust that even a remote virtual machine console remains connected as a VM migrates with VMotion from one host to another.  VMware vSphere is designed from the ground up as an integrated virtualization solution — cleanly abstracting virtual machine operations from the underlying aggregate pool of physical hardware.

Microsoft Hyper-V R2 derives HA clustering capabilities and Live Migration from the additional Windows Failover Clustering layer that can be added to the hypervisor.  With all that integration, you might think a remote console connection would seamlessly fail over along with the VM during a Live Migration.

Sorry, not in this release. Is it an omission, or just a bug?  Time will tell.

Now that System Center Virtual Machine Manger 2008 R2 (SCVMM) PRO tips can be used to automate Live Migration — if it is integrated with System Center Operations Manger 2007 (SCOM), that is — administrators connected to a remote VM console may find themselves suddenly cut off.

See it in action in this short video:

Oh, sure it’s not hard to go back into SCVMM, find the VM, and reconnect — but should you have to do that manually?  VM remote consoles may not be needed for day-to-day administrative tasks, but is that reasonable justification to ignore usability and integration?

Because the Microsoft Virtualization solution is a conglomeration of various components — Windows Server, hypervisor role, Failover Clustering, SCVMM, SCOM, etc. — it is much more difficult to provide a seamless experience.  This remote console issue is really just an indicator.

Related posts:

1. SCVMM/PRO Complexity: High
2. Choose any two: Hyper-V, HA, Linux
3. PRO Tips: pros only, please
4. VMware vMotion: Over 5 Times Faster Than Hyper-V Live Migration
5. Live Migration “significantly more complicated”