What's new in the Win 7 virtual hard drive?

The Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk File Format (.vhd) is a public format specification that specifies a virtual hard disk encapsulated in a single file that can host native file systems and support standard disk operations. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server, and Microsoft Virtual PC use VHD files as virtual disks attached to virtual machines. VHD is a very useful container, and the .vhd file format is also available for Microsoft Data Protection Manager, Windows Server Backup, and many other Microsoft and non-Microsoft solutions.

What are the new features of the virtual hard disk?

In Windows(R) 7, the virtual hard disk can be used as the operating system on the specified hardware without any other parent operating system, virtual Machine or hypervisor. Windows 7 Disk Management Tools, DiskPart Command Line Tools, and Disk Management The Microsoft Management Console can be used to create VHD files. Windows 7 image (.wim format) files can be deployed to VHDs, and .vhd files can be copied to multiple systems. The Windows 7 Boot Manager can be configured for native or physical boot of a Windows image contained in a VHD. The .vhd file can also be connected to a virtual machine for use with the Hyper-V role in Windows Server® 2008 R2. Native boot VHD files are not available for replacing a full image deployment on all client or server systems. Previous versions of Windows did not support native boot from VHD and required hypervisors and virtual machines to boot from VHD files.

Which population does the virtual hard disk apply to?

For enterprise environments that have managed and used .vhd files for virtual machine deployment, disk management support for VHD files and native boot VHD functionality will be enabled. Get the biggest advantage. Many of our data center customers are transitioning to Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs) to enable server consolidation and reduce energy costs. Native VHD support in disk management utilities and core storage systems simplifies creation and image management in VHD files.

Although more and more applications are migrating to virtual machines, enterprise environments still run most data centers on physical computers. The IT administrator needs to maintain two sets of images: one set of images is based on the .wim format on the physical machine and the other set is based on the .vhd format on the virtual machine. The common image format that supports both physical and virtual machines provides flexibility in image deployment while simplifying the image management process.

Developers and testers will use virtual machines to test new systems and application software. Virtual machines provide a convenient, independent test environment and reduce the need for dedicated test hardware. However, sometimes you need to run tests on a physical computer to access a specific hardware device (such as a graphics card) or get an accurate performance analysis. The common image format that runs on both virtual and physical machines also helps developers and testers. Native boot from VHD supports booting a Windows 7 image from a file without the need to create a separate physical disk partition for installing Windows.

What are the advantages of new and changed features?

The native support for VHDs simplifies the image management process and reduces the number of images that need to be cataloged and maintained. In order to create a VHD on Windows Server 2008, you need the Hyper-V server role and create a VHD file using Hyper-V Manager, then boot the virtual machine to install the Windows version on the CD/DVD into the partition of the VHD. In Windows 7, native support for the VHD format means that VHD files can be created and modified without the Hyper-V server role installed. You can attach a VHD file using the Disk Management tool and provide services using a Windows image in the VHD. Using the Windows Deployment Tools in the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK), you can apply a Windows image to a VHD and apply the update to a system image in a VHD file.

Windows images that are applied to VHD files can be launched in a Hyper-V virtual machine or natively on a physical computer without the need for a hypervisor. In order to start a Windows system in a virtual or physical computer, the boot environment must be properly initialized for each situation.

What are the dependencies?

The steps to deploy a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 image to a VHD file depend on the Windows deployment tools, including imagex.exe. Imagex.exe is used to capture Windows operating system partitions into the Windows image (.wim) file format and to apply .wim files to file system partitions (which may be in VHD files).

The imagex.exe deployment tool is one of the tools available in the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK). The Windows AIK for Windows 7 trial must be installed to get the deployment tool, which can be downloaded from the Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 Beta.

The Windows AIK download file is an ISO image that you can burn to a DVD and install it into your system. After installing the Windows AIK, the ImageX command line tools are located in the Windows AIK\\PE Tools directory.

Starting Windows 7 from a VHD file This also requires a Windows 7 boot environment. The Windows 7 boot environment is initialized during a full operating system installation and includes the Windows Boot Manager and Boot Configuration Data (BCD) and other supporting files.

What are the implications of these changes on virtual hard disks?

Supporting VHDs as a native format is a key solution in companies where IT staff are proficient Manage various imaging technologies and tools for clients and servers. In addition to deployed VHD images, managed enterprise environments use technologies such as folder redirection and roaming profiles to manage user data.