I am seeking individuals or resources that can guide me in creating virtual machine hosting from the ground up as a hobby project. Despite having never undertaken such a comprehensive virtualization project before, my desire to learn how it can be done has led me here.

For experimentation purposes, the following servers and conventional cars are available to me: four servers (the smallest with an Intel Xeon E5405 @ 2.40 Ghz, 8CPUs, 2.4GHz, 8GB RAM, and 2TB ROM) and seven conventional cars (with i5, 8GB, and HDD 1000 specs).

I have access to software licenses for Windows 2019, 2012, and SQL Server Datacenter. Additionally, there is a room with an Internet connection available.

My goal is to host virtual machines and I understand that this requires configuring a Hyper-V failover cluster with two servers plus one storage server. I also plan to use one more machine (perhaps a regular i5 PC?) for hosting control panel purposes and two separate database servers (one for SQL and one for MySQL), although these may be more relevant for hosting sites.

Based on my calculations, at least four servers will be required for hosting virtual machines and six for hosting sites. If needed, I can increase memory or add hard drive space (e.g. 1TB).

As next steps, I plan to install Windows drivers and set up remote control functionality for future work.

Consider a scenario where you establish a file or site hosting service and a user requests a minimum of 3GB of memory, or potentially more.
To ensure the venture is worthwhile, it would be necessary to have several hundred terabytes of memory for the first 2-3 months.

In most cases, to create your own external server, you need to install software - this is a web server, PHP, MySQL, and other applications. As a web server, you can use the popular Apache, which is easy to install and configure. For details on how to make a virtual server, you can always contact the specialists of 3data data centers. You will probably be able to avoid mistakes and get a fully functional virtual server in the shortest possible time.

In certain circumstances, it may be necessary to have a personal virtual web server on your own computer for hosting projects. Utilizing this option will enable you to operate modern internet technologies (such as JavaScript, PHP, CGI, Perl, SSI, etc.) and test internet resources or new scripts without having to pay for hosting. In fact, under equivalent conditions, there are no differences between a personal virtual server and a regular dedicated server hosted by a web hosting provider.

By creating a virtual server on your computer, the time needed to install and debug forums, web directories, online stores, and any other resources can be reduced. This solution can also work in situations where there is no access to the internet under any operating system, whether it be Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Once the debugging and testing process has been completed, the finalized internet resource can be transferred to a web hosting company's server.

In some cases, specific software must be installed to create a personal virtual server, such as a web server, PHP, MySQL, and other applications. Apache is a popular server that is both user-friendly and easy to configure. To gain further insights into creating a virtual server, individuals can solicit guidance from 3data data center specialists to avoid mistakes and obtain a fully operational virtual server in minimal time.

Your plan seems well thought out, considering the resources you currently have. Here's how you might want to proceed:

Planning and Preparing Your Environment: Planning is essential in large IT projects. Before you begin, you'll need to decide what type of virtualization software you want to use. Since you have Windows licenses, I would recommend using Microsoft's option, Hyper-V. However, you could experiment with other hypervisors like VMware ESXi or Proxmox depending on your preferences and available resources. Since you mentioned Failover with Hyper-V, I'll assume you're committed to that path for the time being.

Operational Guidelines: Review Hyper-V's requirements and ensure your servers meet those requirements. Also, consider the networking implications of virtualization, for instance concerning Virtual LANs (VLANs) and IP Address allocation.

Building Your Infrastructure: Start by installing Windows Hyper-V on your first two servers after setting them up. You can follow Microsoft's guidelines for installing and setting up Hyper-V. Once you're done with the setup, you can then add roles to the server including the Hyper-V role.

High-Availability Setup: To set up a failover cluster, all servers that are part of the cluster must be in the same Active Directory domain. Hence, it would be necessary to also set up an Active Directory Domain for your network if you don't already have one. The same two servers running Hyper-V can also be Domain Controllers. Consider setting up two domain controllers on two separate servers for high availability.

Shared Storage Setup: Hyper-V failover clustering typically works with shared storage, as it will need to quickly switch VMs from one host to another if one host goes down. You can allocate one of your servers as storage server utilizing Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) which is both efficient and cost-effective, especially since you are using Windows machines.

Cluster Configuration: Follow Microsoft's guidelines for setting up a Hyper-V cluster for the servers. During this stage, you'll also want to set up your Virtual Switches on each Hyper-V host to allow for VM Networking.

Creating and Managing VMs: Once clusters are set up, you can create VMs according to your needs.

Control Panel: For managing and offering VMs, you may want to consider introducing a control panel solution such as WHMCS. If a heavy control panel seems daunting, simpler open-source options like OpenStack and CloudStack can be used. But remember, these options require a learning curve.

Database Servers: For the database servers, you have options. You could set up Microsoft SQL and MySQL on the bare metal of the remaining servers, which would offer the best performance. Alternatively, you could create VMs on your Hyper-V hosts for the database servers.

Remember to monitor your system regularly and take regular backups.

Resources:

Microsoft Docs has enormous amounts of information about Windows Server, Hyper-V, high availability, SQL Server, etc. It's a fantastic resource to lean on during this process.

TechNet Virtual Labs: Microsoft has an online lab where you can follow along with lab guides on how to do several Hyper-V related tasks.

Server Fault: This website is a great resource for specific server related questions.


Here's a further breakdown based on the steps mentioned:

Step 1: Preparing Your Environment and Choosing Your Hypervisor
Every hypervisor has different features, capabilities, and system requirements, so the best choice for you depends on your specific needs:

Hyper-V is integrated with Windows Server, which makes it a natural choice if your environment is Windows-centric.
VMware ESXi is a Type-1 hypervisor that works well with many different types of operating systems, which can be beneficial if you have a varied application environment.
Proxmox VE is a open-source solution that combines both KVM and container-based virtualization, allowing you to run both VMs and lightweight LXC containers on the same host.
After you have chosen a hypervisor, verify that all of your equipment meets the system requirements. For example, Hyper-V requires a 64-bit processor with second level address translation (SLAT), VM Monitor Mode extensions, and at least 4 GB of RAM.

Step 2: Networking Implications and Considerations
You'll need to make sure all of your servers can communicate with each other, and that any VMs you create will also be able to communicate properly. You'll likely need to create virtual switches and possibly adjust IP settings if VMs need to be on a specific subnet. Consider using VLANs if you require further isolation within your network for security or performance reasons.

Step 3: Install Windows Server and Add the Hyper-V role
Set up your Windows Server installations and add the Hyper-V role using Server Manager. After this, you can create and manage VMs. Microsoft Docs has a very comprehensive guide to installing and enabling Hyper-V (I suggest you to follow it properly): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-v/get-started/install-the-hyper-v-role-on-windows-server

Step 4 and 5: Setting up AD, Failover Cluster, and Shared Storage
Again, Microsoft offers comprehensive guides for setting up AD domains and DNS (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/deploy/ad-ds-deployment-overview) as well as failover clustering (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/failover-clustering/create-failover-cluster).

For shared storage, you could either use a dedicated NAS/SAN device or, if your hardware supports it, use Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) to create a highly available, clustered storage system with your existing servers.

Step 6: Setting up a Control Panel
If you want to control the VM deployment, an interface like WHMCS, OpenStack or CloudStack could be helpful. These also have comprehensive installation guides available online.

If you choose WHMCS: https://docs.whmcs.com/Installation_Guide
If you choose OpenStack: https://docs.openstack.org/install-guide/
If you choose CloudStack: http://docs.cloudstack.apache.org/en/latest/installguide/
Step 7: Setting up the Database Servers
Setting up your database servers could be as simple as installing the software and creating databases, or as complex as designing a highly available database cluster with failover capabilities. A comprehensive introduction to setting up a SQL Server can be found here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/install-windows/install-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver15, and MySQL complete guide here: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql-installation-excerpt/8.0/en/

Learning Resources
Online Course Platforms (e.g. Coursera, Pluralsight, Udemy): There are many online courses available which go over server management, virtualization, and more. These can be a great resource to better understand some of the concepts and tasks you will be performing.

Books: There are numerous books available on the subject. Books like Mastering Hyper-V 2012 R2 with System Center and Windows Azure by John Savill or Windows Server 2019 & PowerShell All-in-One For Dummies by Sara Perrott can provide an excellent foundation.


let me break it down into smaller chunks for you:

1. Choosing a Hypervisor

There are lots of great choices when it comes to hypervisors. The right choice depends on your particular needs and resources. Two types of hypervisors exist: Type 1 (native/bare metal) and Type 2 (hosted).

Windows Server and Hyper-V are examples of Type 1. This means the hypervisor is installed directly on the bare metal of the server. Type 1 hypervisors are known for offering better performance and efficiency because they have direct access to the physical hardware.

If you're using a Windows environment, Hyper-V is a very good choice, especially if you already own Windows Server licenses. ESXi from VMware is another solid choice.

2. Installing and configuring Windows Server and Hyper-V

To install Windows Server, follow these steps:

a. Insert the Windows Server DVD or USB.

b. Restart your server and boot from the DVD or USB.

c. On the first installation screen, choose your language and preferences, then click Next.

d. Click "Install now" and select the version you want to install.

e. Accept the license terms and click Next.

f. Choose 'Custom: Install Windows Only (advanced)' and select the drive where Windows Server is to be installed.

g. The installation should start. Once completed, set a strong password for the Administrator account.

To install Hyper-V:

a. After installing Windows Server, go to the Server Manager Dashboard.

b. Click on "Add roles and features" and check the Hyper-V box.

c. You'll be prompted to install any necessary features and tools, simply click next.

d. Follow the prompts until working through each section of the wizard.

e. To complete the installation a restart is usually required.

3. Setting up shared storage

The shared storage setup will depend on your architecture and available hardware. In a basic setup you would have an iSCSI or NFS array providing shared storage over your network to your hypervisors.

For small, simple setups you could consider a direct-attached storage (DAS) solution.

For larger, more complex setups you might consider a storage area network (SAN), which can provide much more flexibility and performance but is also more complex and expensive.

4. Networking

Your network design will depend on your specific requirements - e.g., how much traffic you expect, what sort of redundancy you need, etc.

A good starting point for Hyper-V networking is to create a virtual switch for your VMs to connect to:

a. Open the Hyper-V manager, go to "Virtual Network Manager" and click New Virtual Network Switch.

b. You can choose from External (bridged), Internal (host-to-VM), or Private (VM-to-VM). The appropriate choice depends on your needs.

5. Implementing a control panel

A control panel is software that you install on your server that allows you to manage different aspects of your server through a user friendly interface. It is not necessary for running your server but can be useful, especially for less technical users.

Hyper-V doesn't have a built-in control panel akin to VMware's vSphere, but Microsoft does offer System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) which is a comprehensive management solution for Hyper-V.

For a Windows environment, other popular choices for control panels include Plesk and cPanel, although they usually cater more towards shared hosting environments and not virtualized environments.