--- title: "Discovering System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)" description: "Learn how System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) makes managing virtual machines across virtualization platforms easier!" canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/scvmm/" --- # Discovering System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) > Learn how System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) makes managing virtual machines across virtualization platforms easier! Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/scvmm/ --- ATA Learning Tap to hide [ ATA Learning ](/) * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Search for: * [](https://twitter.com/adbertram) * [](https://github.com/Adam-the-Automator) * [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-the-automator-llc) * [](/feed/) ![Discovering System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/scvmm.jpg) # Discovering System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04025eca38bf59973f7838d8d4e79b34a3e3ef587ec879ee63f80149ff9be11b?s=192&d=mm&r=g)Verah Ombui](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/verah-ombui/)15 August 202312 min. read Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) Tags:[SCVMM](/tag/scvmm/) Table of Contents * [Prerequisites](#prerequisites) * [Downloading and Extracting the SCVMM Setup Files](#downloading-and-extracting-the-scvmm-setup-files) * [Installing and Configuring SCVMM on a Windows Server](#installing-and-configuring-scvmm-on-a-windows-server) * [Adding Virtualization Hosts](#adding-virtualization-hosts) * [Creating and Configuring Host Groups](#creating-and-configuring-host-groups) * [Assigning a Host to an Existing Host Group](#assigning-a-host-to-an-existing-host-group) * [Creating and Deploying VMs in SCVMM](#creating-and-deploying-vms-in-scvmm) * [Creating a Logical Network](#creating-a-logical-network) * [Creating IP Address Pools](#creating-ip-address-pools) * [Configuring SCVMM for an External Virtual Network](#configuring-scvmm-for-an-external-virtual-network) * [Conclusion](#conclusion) Managing your virtualized infrastructure via a centralized management tool may sound too good to be true. Well, say hello to the System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). With SCVMM, you would be walking in what seems like a fantasy land where you can effectively manage and deploy virtual machines (VMs). And in this tutorial, you will learn how to perform various management tasks in a virtualized environment via SCVMM. Discover SCVMM and start virtualizing your dream infrastructure! ## Prerequisites Before you dive deep into the SCVMM, ensure you have the following in place: * A [domain-joined](https://adamtheautomator.com/add-computer-to-domain/) machine running a Windows Server Standard/Datacenter Edition with [Hyper-V roles enabled](https://adamtheautomator.com/hyper-v-windows-10/) – This tutorial uses Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Edition 64-bit. * A Microsoft SQL Server Standard/Enterprise Edition installed – This tutorial uses [Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Standard Edition](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/download-sql-server-2017-rtm). * SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) installed – This tutorial uses [SQL Server Management Studio 19](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-ver16). Related:[Getting Started With SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)](https://adamtheautomator.com/sql-server-management-studio/) * [Windows Preinstallation Environment](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install) and [Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install) installed on your server. ## Downloading and Extracting the SCVMM Setup Files SCVMM is a Microsoft management tool that allows you to manage and deploy VMs across virtualization platforms, such as Hyper-V and VMware. But to take advantage of SCVMM, you must first download and extract the SCVMM files on your Windows Server, as follows: Related:[Comparing Giants: VMware vs Hyper-V Virtualization Platforms](https://adamtheautomator.com/vmware-vs-hyper-v/) 1\. Open your preferred web browser, navigate to [Microsoft’s official evaluation center](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/download-system-center-2022) page, and download the SCVMM installation file. ![Downloading the SCVMM 2022](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-84.png) Downloading the SCVMM 2022 2\. Next, open the SCVMM package (i.e., _**SCVMM\_2022**_). ![Opening the SCVMM package](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-83.png) Opening the SCVMM package 3\. On the welcome screen, click **Next** to extract the SCVMM setup files. ![Starting the SCVMM installation](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-82.png) Starting the SCVMM installation 4\. Now, accept the license agreement, and click **Next**. ![Accepting the license agreement](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-81.png) Accepting the license agreement 5\. Choose an appropriate folder location to extract files, and click **Next**. ![Browsing a destination folder for the file extraction](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-80.png) Browsing a destination folder for the file extraction 6\. Confirm the settings and destination folder, and click **Extract** to extract the setup files. ![Extracting the SCVMM setup files](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-79.png) Extracting the SCVMM setup files 7\. Lastly, click **Finish** to close the wizard. ![Finishing extracting the setup files](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-78.png) Finishing extracting the setup files ## Installing and Configuring SCVMM on a Windows Server Extracting the setup files does not automatically install SCVMM. Like any other tools/software, you must install and configure SCVMM on your Windows Server. To install SCVMM, follow these steps: 1\. Open your file manager, navigate to where you extracted the SCVMM setup files, and launch the _**setup.exe**_ file in the _**System Center Virtual Machine Manager**_ folder. ![Launching the SCVMM setup](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-98.png) Launching the SCVMM setup 2\. Next, in the SCVMM prompt, click **Install** to begin installing SCVMM. ![Starting the SCVMM 2022 installation](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-97.png) Starting the SCVMM 2022 installation 3\. Tick the VMM management server box and the **VMM console** box that appears, and click **Next**. ![Selecting VMM features to install](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-96.png) Selecting VMM features to install 4\. Fill in the **Product registration information on the next page**, and click **Next**. ![Filling out the product registration details](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-95.png) Filling out the product registration details 5\. Accept the license agreement, and click **Next.** ![Accepting the software license agreement](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-94.png) Accepting the software license agreement 6\. Read about the **Diagnostic and Usage Data**, and click **Next**. ![Reading about SCVMM diagnostic and usage data](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-93.png) Reading about SCVMM diagnostic and usage data 7\. Turn **On** the **Microsoft Update** for updating SCVMM, and click **Next**. ![Turning on the Microsoft Update option](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-92.png) Turning on the Microsoft Update option 8\. Choose a location to install SCVMM, and click **Next**. ![Choosing the SCVMM installation location](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-91.png) Choosing the SCVMM installation location 9\. Configure your database, as shown below: * **Server name** – **Browse** or input the name of your computer running your SQL Server. * **Use the following credentials** – Tick this box, fill in the **User name** and **Password** of your computer running the SQL Server. * **Instance name** – Choose your Microsoft SQL Server’s instance name. * **New database** – Choose this option to create a new database called **SCVMM2022DB** (arbitrary). Once configured, click **Next** to continue. ![Configuring the SCVMM database](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-90.png) Configuring the SCVMM database 10\. Next, provide your domain’s **User name** and **Password**, and click **Next**. > 💡 _Optionally, you can configure the distributed key management. Distributed key management allows the control of encryption keys for securing data across multiple locations. In SCVMM, the encryption keys are stored in the Active Directory._ ![Configuring the service account](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-89.png) Configuring the service account 11\. Now, configure or leave the default port settings, and click **Next** to proceed. ![Reviewing the port configuration](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-88.png) Reviewing the port configuration 12\. Choose the **Create a new library share** option, specify the VMM library **Share name**, **location**, and **description**, and click **Next**. The VMM Share Library allows you to create and manage a centralized library of resources, such as VM templates, ISO images, scripts, and other files. Different SCVMM instances within your virtualized infrastructure can share and access this library. ![Configuring the VMM share library](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-87.png) Configuring the VMM share library 13\. Verify the installation summary, and click **Install**. ![Reviewing the installation summary](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-86.png) Reviewing the installation summary 14\. Once installed, click **Close** to exit the wizard. ![Finishing the SCVMM installation](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-85.png) Finishing the SCVMM installation ## Adding Virtualization Hosts After completing the installation and initial configuration, you are almost ready to use SCVMM to manage your virtualization environment. But first, you need a virtualization host, a physical server, that runs a hypervisor and hosts VMs. SCVMM allows you to centrally manage and administer these virtualization hosts, regardless of the underlying hypervisor technology, such as Hyper-V or VMware vSphere. To add a virtualization host in the SCVMM, do the following: 1\. Launch SCVMM you installed on your Windows Server. 2\. Next, provide your domain credentials to connect to your SCVMM server. ![Logging into the SCVMM console](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-114.png) Logging into the SCVMM console 3\. In the SCVMM console, navigate to **Fabric** (bottom-left), which opens the **Fabric** workspace. This workspace is where you can manage infrastructure elements, including virtualization hosts. ![Accessing the Fabric workspace](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-113.png) Accessing the Fabric workspace 4\. Now, click the **Add Resources** drop-down, and choose **VMware vCenter Server** to initiate adding a [vCenter Server](https://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter.html). ![Initiating adding a vCenter Server host](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-112.png) Initiating adding a vCenter Server host 5\. Specify the vCenter Server you wish to add as follows: * **Computer name** – Specify the name (IP address) of your vCenter Server. * **TCP / IP port** – Add the port needed to connect to the vCenter server (**443** by default). * **Run As account** – Click **Browse** to choose the administrative account you used to connect to the vCenter Server. ![Specifying the vCenter Server details](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-111.png) Specifying the vCenter Server details 6\. Select an existing user from the list on the **Select a Run As Account** window or click **Create Run As Account** to create a new one. But in this example, click **Create Run As Account** to create a new user account. ![Adding a Run As account](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-110.png) Adding a Run As account 7\. Provide a **Name** and **Description** for the **Run As** account, authenticate with your vSphere credentials, and click **Finish** to save the entry. ![Authenticating the new Run As account](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-109.png) Authenticating the new Run As account 8\. With the Run As account created, click **Finish** to add a vCenter Server. ![Finishing Run As account creation](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-108.png) Finishing Run As account creation 9\. Navigate to the **Jobs** tab, as shown below, to view all jobs. ![Navigating to the jobs tab](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-107.png) Navigating to the jobs tab Below, you can see the Add virtualization manager job has been completed, which indicates you have successfully added a vCenter Server. ![Confirming the successful addition of a vCenter Server](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-106.png) Confirming the successful addition of a vCenter Server 10\. Under **Fabric**, expand **Servers**, right-click **All Hosts**, and select **Add VMware ESX Hosts and Clusters**. A wizard opens where you can add new ESXi host resources (step 11). ![Initiating adding ESXi Hosts](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-105.png) Initiating adding ESXi Hosts 11\. Select the credentials for your vCenter Server on the Add Resource Wizard, and click **Next**. ![Specifying the credentials to access the ESXi host](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-104.png) Specifying the credentials to access the ESXi host 12\. In the **Target Resources** page, click the **Select all** button to pull in all the hosts in the cluster, and click **Next**. ![Pulling in the hosts in the ESXi clusters](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-103.png) Pulling in the hosts in the ESXi clusters 13\. Select the location to import the VMware ESXi hosts, and click **Next**. ![Selecting the ESXi hosts location in SCVMM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-102.png) Selecting the ESXi hosts location in SCVMM 14\. Review your selected settings, and click **Finish** to add ESXi host resources to SCVMM. ![Confirming the configurations made](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-101.png) Confirming the configurations made The **Jobs** window shows the job to add the ESXi hosts to SCVMM completed. ![Confirming the successful ESX host addition](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-100.png) Confirming the successful ESX host addition 15\. Ultimately, navigate to **VMs and Services**, and right-click on one of the VMs listed to view the available options. ![Displaying available options for VM management](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-99.png) Displaying available options for VM management ## Creating and Configuring Host Groups As your [virtualization](https://adamtheautomator.com/vmware-vcenter-server/) hosts are now managed by SCVMM 2022, you can start creating and managing VMs through the SCVMM console. But first, you need a way to organize and manage virtualization hosts. Related:[Dive Into Managing VMs With VMware vCenter Server](https://adamtheautomator.com/vmware-vcenter-server/) To create a host group, a local container, within SCVMM, follow these steps: 1\. Navigate to **Fabric** workspace, right-click the **All Hosts** folder, and choose **Create Host Group** to create a new host group. ![Creating a new host group](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-125.png) Creating a new host group 2\. Next, provide a descriptive host group name (i.e., _**Host Group-001**_). ![Naming a host group](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-124.png) Naming a host group 3\. Right click on your newly-created host group, and select **Properties** to access its properties in a new window. ![Accessing the host group’s properties](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-123.png) Accessing the host group’s properties 4\. Now, change the **Name**, **Location**, and **Description** of your host group as you desire, and click **OK**. ![Changing the host group’s general settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-122.png) Changing the host group’s general settings 5\. Leave the placement rules settings as default, where a host group uses the placement settings from the parent host group, and click **OK**. > 💡 _Optionally, configure the placement settings for the Host Group, which define the preferred host ratings, load-balancing settings, and availability options._ ![Leaving the default host group placement settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-121.png) Leaving the default host group placement settings 6\. Under **Host Reserves**, configure the host reserve values for the **CPU**, **Memory**, **Disk I/O**, **Disk space**, and **Network I/O**, and click **OK**. Host reserve settings let you specify the resources VMM sets aside for the host O/S to use. ![Configuring the host reserve values](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-120.png) Configuring the host reserve values 7\. Configure [dynamic optimization and power optimization](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/system-center/vmm/vm-optimization) settings, and click **OK**. Dynamic optimization balances the VM’s load within a host cluster, while Power optimization enables VMM to evacuate hosts of a balanced cluster and turn them off to save power. ![Setting dynamic host cluster optimization and power optimizations](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-119.png) Setting dynamic host cluster optimization and power optimizations 8\. Configure the network settings as follows: * Tick the box to **Inherit network local resources from parent host groups**. * **Resource type** – Select a resource type from the drop-down to view the network resources associated with your selected host group. Once configured, click **OK** to proceed. ![Configuring the network settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-118.png) Configuring the network settings 9\. View and allocate storage to your host group, and click **OK**. ![Allocating storage specifications for Host Group](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-117.png) Allocating storage specifications for Host Group 10\. Manage custom properties for **Virtual Machine**, **Virtual Machine Template**, **Host**, **Host Cluster**, **Host Group**, **Service Template**, **Service Instance**, **Computer Tier**, and **Cloud**, and click **OK**. ![Setting custom host group properties](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-116.png) Setting custom host group properties 11\. Finally, click **OK** to save the changes. ![Confirming the host group configurations](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-115.png) Confirming the host group configurations ## Assigning a Host to an Existing Host Group With a host group created in SCVMM, you must assign a host to the host group, so you can quickly manage and apply common settings to multiple hosts simultaneously. This setup helps streamline your virtualized infrastructure management and simplifies configuring networking, storage, and other host-specific settings across a group of hosts. To assign a host to your host group: Right click on the host to assign to your host group and select **Move to Host Group** to initiate assigning the host. ![Assigning a host to a host group](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-126.png) Assigning a host to a host group Now, choose the target host group from the **Parent host group** drop-down list, and click **OK** to confirm. ![Selecting the destination host group](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-127.png) Selecting the destination host group After confirming the move, the host is assigned to the new host group. The host is listed under the corresponding host group, as shown below. ![Confirming the host in a new host group](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-128.png) Confirming the host in a new host group ## Creating and Deploying VMs in SCVMM In SCVMM, VMs form the fundamental units of virtualized infrastructure you can create, manage, and operate. With SCVMM’s cross-platform management capabilities, you can create VMs for [physical-to-virtual (P2V)](https://www.nakivo.com/blog/convert-physical-machine-hyper-v-vm/) and [virtual-to-virtual (V2V) migrations](https://www.nakivo.com/blog/convert-hyper-v-vmware-vm/). To create a VM in SCVMM, follow these steps: 1\. Navigate to **VMs and Services** (left pane), and click **Create Virtual Machine** in the toolbar to initiate creating a new VM. ![Initiating creating a new VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-140.png) Initiating creating a new VM 2\. In the wizard below, choose the **Create the new virtual machine with a blank virtual hard disk** option since you are creating your first VM, and click **Next**. ![Choosing the option to create a new VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-139.png) Choosing the option to create a new VM 3\. Next, configure the VM identity as follows: * **Virtual machine name** – Specify a unique name for your VM. * **Description** (optional) – Distinguishes your VMs from one another. * **Generation** – Choose one below depending on your virtualization environment’s specific needs and the guest OS’s compatibility requirements.
Generation 1VMs are better suited for legacy or less demanding workloads.
Generation 2VMs offer more modern features and are better equipped to handle newer OSes and security requirements.
Once configured, click **Next** to proceed. ![Configuring the VM identity](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-138.png) Configuring the VM identity 4\. Now, select the profile from the **Hardware profile** list or configure the hardware settings manually, and click **Next**. The hardware settings differ depending on your chosen Generation machine (Generation 1 or Generation 2). ![Configuring the VM hardware specifications](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-137.png) Configuring the VM hardware specifications 5\. In the **Select Destination** page, specify how the VM should be deployed, and click **Next**. This tutorial’s choice is to deploy the VM on a specified destination host. ![Selecting the destination location for the new VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-136.png) Selecting the destination location for the new VM 6\. View the ratings, choose the host to deploy the VM, and click **Next**. ![Selecting the destination host of the VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-135.png) Selecting the destination host of the VM 7\. Next, review the VM settings, accept the default VM path on the host or specify a different location, and click **Next**. ![Specifying the storage location of the VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-134.png) Specifying the storage location of the VM 8\. In **Select Networks**, select the network adapter that appears, and click **Next**. ![Selecting the VM network adapter](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-133.png) Selecting the VM network adapter 9\. Configure the **Automatic actions** to take when the host **starts** or **stops** and the **OS** to install on your VM, and click **Next.** ![Configuring the VM's additional properties](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-132.png) Configuring the VM’s additional properties 10\. Lastly, review your selected settings and click **Create** to finalize creating your VM. ![Finalizing creating the new VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-131.png) Finalizing creating the new VM Below, you can see your newly-created VM in the list within a host group. ![Verifying the newly-created VM](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-130.png) Verifying the newly-created VM Optionally, you can right-click your VM, as shown below, and modify its configuration and properties as necessary. > 💡 _Note that some changes require you to restart your VM for the changes to take effect. Additionally, always ensure that you have appropriate permissions and resources and understand the impact of your changes to VM properties._ ![Exploring the VM management options](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-129.png) Exploring the VM management options ## Creating a Logical Network Your VM is running but must be connected to your physical network infrastructure. Worry not, though! SCVMM provides tools to create, manage, and configure virtual networks efficiently. You will connect your VM to your physical network infrastructure by creating a logical network, a physical network in your datacenter. Logical networks provide an abstraction layer allowing you to define and manage VM networking for VMs independently of the underlying physical infrastructure. To create a logical network, follow the below steps: 1\. In the **Fabric** workspace, expand **Networking**, select **Logical Networks**, and click **Create Logical Network** to configure your new logical network. ![Initiating creating a logical network](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-146.png) Initiating creating a logical network 2\. Next, provide a descriptive **Name** and **Description** for your logical network, and click **Next**. ![Naming the logical network](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-145.png) Naming the logical network 3\. Select the **Connected network** option to link your logical network to your physical network infrastructure, and click **Next.** ![Specifying the logical network settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-144.png) Specifying the logical network settings 4\. On the **Network Site** page, add a network site to your logical network as follows: * Click **Add**, select your logical network (**LogicalNetwork-001**), and select your host group (**Host Group-001**) from the list. * Click **Insert row**, and enter the VLANs and IP subnets to assign to the logical network definition. * Name your logical network, and click **Next** to continue. ![Configuring network sites](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-143.png) Configuring network sites 5\. Review your selected settings, and click **Next** to create your logical network. ![Finalizing creating the logical network](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-142.png) Finalizing creating the logical network 6\. Finally, select your newly-created logical network to view its network information and verify the correct settings. ![Verifying the newly-created logical network](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-141.png) Verifying the newly-created logical network ## Creating IP Address Pools Unfortunately, IP address conflict is a thing, so you must ensure IP address assignments for your VMs are in place. How? You must create IP address pools to automatically assign IP addresses to your VMs for quicker network management. SCVMM allows you to define IP address pools for different logical networks to ensure efficient IP address utilization. To create IP address pools in SCVMM: 1\. In the **Logical Networks** table, select your logical network (**LogicalNetwork-001**) where you wish to create the IP pool and click **Create IP Pool**. A wizard appears where you will configure your new IP pool (step three). ![Initiating creating the IP pools](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-155.png) Initiating creating the IP pools 2\. In the wizard below, specify a **Name** and **Description** (optional) for the new IP address pool, select your **Logical Network**, and click **Next**. ![Naming the new IP address pool](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-154.png) Naming the new IP address pool 3\. Now, in **Network Site**, choose to **Use an existing network site**, select the IP subnet (or create a new site) from which to create the pool, and click **Next**. ![Configuring the IP subnets](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-153.png) Configuring the IP subnets 4\. For the **IP address range**, provide the **Starting** and **Ending IP address** for the IP pool (which must be contained within the subnet), and click **Next**. > 💡 _Optionally, specify the IP address range you want to reserve for VIPs under the **VIPs and reserved IP addresses** section._ ![Setting the IP address range](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-152.png) Setting the IP address range 5\. On the **Gateway** page, click **Insert**, specify one or more default gateways and the metric, and click **Next**. The default gateway address must be in the same subnet range as the IP address pool but does need to be part of the pool. ![Configuring default gateway settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-151.png) Configuring default gateway settings 6\. For the **DNS** settings, **Insert** specific DNS-related information, and click **Next.** ![Configuring DNS settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-150.png) Configuring DNS settings 7\. Skip specifying a Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server, and click **Next** to continue since you will not need one in this tutorial. ![Configuring WINS server settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-149.png) Configuring WINS server settings 8\. Review your selected settings, and click **Finish** ![Reviewing the network settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-148.png) Reviewing the network settings 9\. Now, expand the subnet where you created your IP address pool, and select the IP Address pool. Doing so lets you view the static IP address pool information in the SCVMM console. > 💡 _By configuring IP address pools in SCVMM, you reduce the manual effort involved in assigning IP addresses. Moreover, you ensure efficient IP address utilization within your virtualized environment._ ![Confirming the IP address pools creation](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-147.png) Confirming the IP address pools creation ## **Configuring SCVMM for an External Virtual Network** With an IP address pool created, you must enable communication and internet access for your VMs to interact with the outside world. How? By connecting your logical network to an external virtual network. To make logical networks available to VMs on an external virtual network: 1\. Navigate to your host group (**Host-Group-001**), right-click on your host, and choose **Properties.** ![Viewing the host properties](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-159.png) Viewing the host properties 2\. Next, navigate to the **Hardware** tab (left pane), and configure the following: * Select the physical network adapter to use for the logical network. * Tick the box beside the logical network name to associate with your selected adapter. Once configured, click **OK** to proceed. ![Configuring the host network adapter settings](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-158.png) Configuring the host network adapter settings 3\. Click **OK** when prompted to enable the logical network. ![Confirming enabling the logical network](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-157.png) Confirming enabling the logical network 4\. Finally, verify that the **Network Compliance** status of your logical network is **Fully compliant**, as shown below. ![Verifying the network compliance of the newly-created network adapter](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-156.png) Verifying the network compliance of the newly-created network adapter ## Conclusion Throughout this tutorial, you have learned to leverage various features the SCVMM provides to administer and manage your virtual infrastructure effectively centrally. With a solid understanding of SCVMM’s capabilities, why not consider integrating your [SCVMM with Azure and Hybrid Cloud](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/targets/scvmm?view=azure-devops)? Explore deploying and managing VMs in both on-premises and Azure Cloud environments! 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