Step-by-Step: Build Your Private Cloud

http://blogs.technet.com/b/keithmayer/archive/2013/04/01/build-your-private-cloud-in-a-month-new-article-series.aspx

UPDATED: Including the newly released Step-by-Step guides for implementing Windows Azure Virtual Network Site-to-Site VPN and Point-to-Site VPN hybrid networking in the list of linked resources in this study program.

Are you virtualizing your servers? Yes, of course!

Are you spending less time managing your servers as a result?  Hmm … No!

Server Virtualization is Great, But …

Server virtualization has been a great set of technologies to reduce our capital expenses and some operating expenses by consolidating a larger number of virtualized server workloads in a smaller footprint of physical rack space.  As a result, we’ve been able to purchase less data center hardware and likely have lower power and cooling costs in running our data center.

However, most IT Pros are not seeing a reduction in the amount of time they spend with day-to-day management of server operating systems and applications.  Let face it … whether you have 100 physical servers or 100 virtual servers, you still have 100 server operating system instances to administer, configure, monitor, patch and update.  In fact, because of reduced capital costs when using server virtualization, many IT Pros report that they are now faced with managing a much larger ( and growing ) number of operating system instances and applications – these days, it seems like everyone in the company wants their own VMs!  As a result, IT Pros are forced to spend most of their day managing VMs and applications, and often don’t have enough time to spend on improving their IT environments.

Private Cloud … To The Rescue!

Well, Private Cloud is the answer! Private Cloud is not a product, but rather an approach for designing, implementing and managing your servers, applications and data center resources by reducing complexity, increasing standardization and automation, and provide elasticity – the ability to easily scale your data center up, down, in or out – to support evolving business and technical requirements.

Private Cloud applies the same principles used for scaling and managing the world’s largest public clouds to your private data center environment.  Now, you can have your very own cloud!

Build Your Private Cloud – The Series

My fellow Technical Evangelists and I have authored a content series that steps through building your very own Private Cloud by leveraging Windows Server 2012, our FREE Hyper-V Server 2012, Windows Azure Infrastructure Services ( IaaS ) and System Center 2012 Service Pack 1.

Week-by-week, we walk through the steps to envision, plan and implement your very own Private Cloud to take your existing data center to the next level and give you the tools and time back in your day for improving IT services and being able to change and shift with your business / IT needs.

Below is the weekly breakdown of each topic that we’ve written in this series to help you build your own Private Cloud.  Be sure to bookmark this page and check back daily to progress through building your Private Cloud this month!

WEEK 0 – Get ready to follow along!

Get prepared to follow along with our content series by downloading Windows Server 2012, the FREE Hyper-V Server 2012, System Center 2012 SP1, and Windows Azure.  Once you have these components, you’ll be ready to follow along with us as we build your Private Cloud together!

• DOWNLOAD the Bits You’ll Need to Follow Along!
  • DO IT: Download Windows Server 2012
  • DO IT: Download the FREE Hyper-V Server 2012
  • DO IT: Download System Center 2012 SP1
  • DO IT: Activate your FREE Windows Azure 90-Day Subscription

WEEK 1 – Build Your Private Cloud Foundation with Windows Server 2012

• MODULE 1: What is a Private Cloud? ( Video )
  • Why Private Cloud? by Yung Chou
  • NEW! Real-world Private Cloud Experiences from the Field ( Part 1 )
  • NEW! Real-world Private Cloud Experiences from the Field ( Part 2 )
  • DO IT: Download System Center 2012 SP1
  • DO IT: Microsoft Private Cloud ROI Calculator
• MODULE 2: Build a Private Cloud Foundation ( Video )
  • Build a Private Cloud Foundation – Storage by Matt Hester
  • Build a Private Cloud Foundation – Networking by Keith Mayer
  • Build a Private Cloud Foundation – Compute / Virtualization by Keith Mayer
  • DO IT: Download Windows Server 2012 and FREE Hyper-V Server 2012
  • REVIEW: Infrastructure-as-a-Service Fabric Architecture Guide
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Build Your Private Cloud Foundation

WEEK 2 – Building Your Private Cloud Fabric with System Center 2012 SP1

• MODULE 3: Deploy & Upgrade System Center 2012 SP1 Virtual Machine Manager ( Video )
  • Understanding Virtual Machine Manager ( VMM 2012 SP1 ) Fabric and Service Templates by Yung Chou
  • Step-by-Step: Deploy System Center 2012 SP1 Virtual Machine Manager by Tommy Patterson
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Deploying System Center 2012 SP1 Virtual Machine Manager
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configuring the VMM Library in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
  • REVIEW: Infrastructure-as-a-Service Fabric Management Architecture Guide
• MODULE 4: Build Private Cloud Storage Fabric ( Video )
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configuring Storage Fabric in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
• MODULE 5: Build Private Cloud Data Center & VM Network Fabric ( Video )
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configuring Network Fabric in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM

WEEK 3 – Configuring and Optimizing Your Private Cloud with System Center 2012 SP1

• MODULE 6: Configure Private Cloud VM Compute Fabric ( Video )
  • Zero-to-Cloud: From Bare Metal to Private Cloud Fabric by Matt Hester
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configure Host Groups in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Adding and Managing Hyper-V Hosts and Clusters in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Managing VMware ESX and Citrix XenServer in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
• MODULE 7: Dynamic Optimization of Your Private Cloud Fabric ( Video )
  • DO IT: Optimize Workload Placement with Dynamic Resource Optimization and Power Optimization ( Guided Hands-on Lab )
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configuring Dynamic Optimization and Power Optimization in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
• MODULE 8: Creating & Delegating Private Clouds with System Center 2012 SP1 Virtual Machine Manager ( Video )
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Creating Private Clouds in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
  • DO IT: Delegating Access to Private Clouds and Deploying Application Services by Yung Chou
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configuring Self-Service in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM

WEEK 4 – Deploying and Servicing Applications in Your Private Cloud with System Center 2012 SP1

• MODULE 9: Deploying and Managing Private Cloud Applications ( Video )
  • Define VM Hardware Profiles by Kevin Remde
  • Define VM Guest OS Profiles by Kevin Remde
  • Define Application Profiles by Kevin Remde
  • Define and Deploy VM Templates by Tommy Patterson
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Configuring Profiles and Templates in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
  • DO IT: Hands-on: Define and Deploy Application Service Templates by Blain Barton
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Creating and Deploying Services in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM

CONGRATULATIONS! But … Let’s Keep Going …

You’ve built your Private Cloud, but you’ve still got to manage, protect and grow it as your business evolves.  Over the next few weesks, you’ll learn to extend your base Private Cloud fabric and prepare for MCSE Private Cloud certification …

WEEK 5 – Extending and Protecting Your Private Cloud

• MODULE 10: Updating Private Cloud Fabric and Services / Scaling Private Cloud Application Workloads ( Video )
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Managing Fabric Updates in System Center 2012 SP1 VMM
• MODULE 11: Protecting Private Clouds with System Center 2012 SP1 Data Protection Manager ( Video )
  • Protect Your Private Cloud Workloads with System Center 2012 SP1 Data Protection Manager by Matt Hester
  • DO IT: Deploying System Center 2012 SP1 Data Protection Manager
  • DO IT: Managing Windows Azure Online Backup for System Center 2012 SP1 DPM
  • DO IT: Managing Hyper-V Data Protection with System Center 2012 SP1 DPM
• MODULE 12: Building a Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure with Windows Azure Infrastructure Services ( Video )
  • Intro to Hybrid Cloud for Private Cloud IT Pros by Tom Shinder and Michael Lubanski
  • DO IT: Activate Your FREE 90-Day Windows Azure Subscription
  • DO IT: Extend Your Private Cloud Network Fabric with Windows Azure Virtual Networks ( Guided Hands-on Lab )
  • NEW! DO IT: Lab Guide: Configure a Site-to-Site VPN with Windows Azure Virtual Networks
  • NEW! DO IT: Lab Guide: Configure a Point-to-Site VPN with Windows Azure Virtual Networks
• MODULE 13: Managing Your Hybrid Cloud Network Fabric with System Center 2012 SP1 App Controller ( Video )
  • Manage Your Hybrid / Private Cloud Infrastructure with System Center 2012 SP1 App Controller by Yung Chou
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Deploying System Center 2012 SP1 App Controller
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Deploying Virtual Machines and Services with System Center 2012 SP1 App Controller
  • DO IT: Lab Guide: Managing Virtual Machines and Services with System Center 2012 SP1 App Controller

WEEK 6+: Study and Get Certified on Private Cloud

Prepare for the MCSE: Private Cloud certification exams with these popular FREE exam study guides:

• DOWNLOAD: Study Guide for Exam 70-246, Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud
• DOWNLOAD: Study Guide for Exam 70-247, Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud

How are you building your Private Cloud?

Do you have tips, questions or comments on building your own Private Cloud? Feel free to share below in the comments section!

See you in the clouds!