Internet Protocol security (IPsec) can be used between clients and the cluster nodes, as well as between nodes so that you can authenticate and encrypt the data. Access to the cluster can also be audited to determine who connected to the cluster and when.

Increased Availability for Virtual Data Centers

One of the most important aspects of any data center is providing the highest possible availability for systems and applications. Virtual data centers are no exception to the need for consolidation, high availability, and, most of all, sophisticated management tools.

Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 includes the Live Migration feature, which allows you to move a virtual machine between two virtualization host servers without any interruption of service. The users connected to the virtual machine being moved might notice only a slight slowing in performance for a few moments. Otherwise, they will be unaware that the virtual machine was moved from one physical computer to another.

Live Migration Support through Cluster Shared Volumes

Live Migration uses the new Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) feature within Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2008 R2. The CSV volumes enable multiple nodes in the same failover cluster to concurrently access the same logical unit number (LUN).

While CSVs are currently employed mainly for Live Migration, their benefits will extend beyond that single scenario. For one, they’re easy to configure using simple NTFS rather than some other proprietary format. That means administrators won’t have to reformat their SANs to take advantage of CSVs. It also means administrators will have an easier time showing users only a single data repository rather than a small forest of silos—no more drive letter metaphors for end-users, just convenient networked storage. And last, CSVs don’t require config and management tools of their own. Windows Server administrators used to the tools in Windows Server 2008 can continue using those same consoles and they’ll simply work with CSVs in R2.