Do you or don't you checkpoint a Hyper-v client server before installing updates

[TwistedHelixis]

Hello, at a small primary school I have a single 2012r2 server running as a Hyper-V host with 2 Gen2 2012r2 VM clients (1-DC & 1-Data+SQL). As the school is so small we do not have a WSUS server and each holiday period I install the server updates.

 

The one and only time I used the checkpoint system in Hyper-v was on my test server, the checkpoint worked fine but when I went to merge the checkpoints back together it caused an error and then my test VM would not boot.

 

Do you use checkpoints or not before installing any Windows updates?

 

Also, if you have SQL installed do you bother to stop the SQL services before taking a snapshot?

 

Thanks

[DannyG555]

I'm assuming you are referring to snapshots? I definitely make a snapshot before I make changes so that I have something to roll back to should things go wrong.

 

I've never personally experienced a problem during the merging stage... its always been successful on the multiple times I've done it.

[TwistedHelixis]

@DannyG555 - Thanks

 

My understanding is that it's OK now to snapshot a live DC, is that correct?

[DannyG555]

I've never done it with a DC and would be wary about doing so personally. I believe they can become pretty grumpy with a time difference...

[sparkeh]

@DannyG555 - Thanks

 

My understanding is that it's OK now to snapshot a live DC, is that correct?

Yep, since server 2012 its no longer the big nono it used to be (though I still don't do it!).

[DannyG555]

In the context of restoring a DC snapshot that is

[sparkeh]

Just to qualify my previous remarks, don't jump in a snapshot a DC, do some reading around it and understand what it does and how it works beforehand.

[TwistedHelixis]

I've never done it with a DC and would be wary about doing so

though I still don't do it

It does not take much time to restore the DC from a backup anyway so I will not snapshot that.

 

The other server has SQL2012 installed and apparently 2012r2 does not support SQL snapshots, although I believe some admins do snapshot anyway. Is this something you do or would recommend?

[sparkeh]

It does not take much time to restore the DC from a backup anyway so I will not snapshot that.

 

The other server has SQL2012 installed and apparently 2012r2 does not support SQL snapshots, although I believe some admins do snapshot anyway. Is this something you do or would recommend?

I definately wouldn't snapsot checkpoint (for sake of accurate with 2012 onwards its a checkpoint) SQL as it can lead to problems.

[TwistedHelixis]

OK, so probably best not to checkpoint either of the vm guest servers then.

Thanks

[Fazza]

Windows Updates? No. SIMS Updates? OH YES!

 

For Windows Updates I just do them as we'd soon run out of storage space if I checkpointed/snapshoted them all - if updating SCCM, SIMS or something like that then that's the only time I take a snapshot/checkpoint.

[TwistedHelixis]

@Fazza

 

So when you snapshot Sims are you also taking a snapshot of SQL or is that on a different server?

[Fazza]

@Fazza

 

So when you snapshot Sims are you also taking a snapshot of SQL or is that on a different server?

 

Same server! I always check the backups are working too, just in case! I also check that the last test restore for our SIMS server worked as well!

[TwistedHelixis]

Same server! I always check the backups are working too, just in case! I also check that the last test restore for our SIMS server worked as well!

 

Do you merge the snapshots back together straight after updating Sims?

[Fazza]

Do you merge the snapshots back together straight after updating Sims?

 

Only once the SIMS Administrator says everything has worked OK!