Information about Cloud Computing (IaaS) and VMware Technologies

Today, I came across some articles and found a useful about offering a desktop on cloud with 3GB storage at free of cost! cool..huh... The desktop can be accessible thru your browser over the internet. The service is powered by Xcerion's XIOS technology including its XML virtual machine. Xcerion's( http://xcerion.com/internet-os/ ) XIOS/3 (Xcerion Internet Operating System)is a zero-footprint XML based OS. Since the OS and application runs in the browser, it also works in offline. There is no more update hazzle, they will update themself. You can upload your pictures/documents/movies/music thru a simple click "Upload Button" from your system. I felt that it took long time to see those files in the VM. Might be a bandwidth of my internet connection. Please visit and sign up for your cloud desktop http://www.icloud.com/en Cloud is keep passing!!!

Many of us still evaluating the vSphere and vCenter in our test environments. Sometimes, it takes more than 60 days to evaluate where trial edition expires. We can't extend the trial edition in ESX host, either we have to reinstall it or license it. vCenter also have to follow the same way as ESX does. But, here we can keep old database contents as it is when you reinstall the vCenter software. This document using vCenter 4.0 and SQLEXPRESS 2005 (built in) database. At the time of installation of vCenter 4.0, it installs SQLEXPRESS 2005 by default unless any other Database specified. Mostly, we are using built-in database is SQLEXPRESS 2005 for testing environment. When you install vCenter 4.0, it installs SQLEXPRESS 2005 and creates a database called "SQLEXP_VIM". You can view this thru SQL Server Configuration Manager console. Start à All Programs à Microsoft SQL Server 2005 à Configuration Tools à SQL Server Configuration Manager Creating DSN Create a System DSN f

Login to console and type [root@localhost root]# cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep lm flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss tm nx lm If you see “lm” under flags, it is 64Bit supported process Another way to find out: [root@localhost root]# cat /proc/cpuinfo processor : 0 vendor_id : GenuineIntel cpu family : 6 model : 23 model name : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5405 @ 2.00GHz stepping : 6 cpu MHz : 1995.067 cache size : 6144 KB fdiv_bug : no hlt_bug : no f00f_bug : no coma_bug : no fpu : yes fpu_exception : yes cpuid level : 10 wp : yes flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss tm nx lm bogomips : 3984.58 Enter “Model Name” and “Stepping” in Google search to make sure your processor 64-Bit supported

We can add a SCSI controller based Tape Drive with ESX 3.5/3i hosts to connect it with any particular VM to run as Backup Server. According to the HCL, It must be a separate SCSI Adaptor for the Tape drive. After, added the tape drive/SCSI controller, you will see the drive as SCSI device under STORAGE configuration in the VI Client Console. Few LSI will work as well, they must be pure SCSI, not RAID Controllers. Preferable SCSI controller card is Adaptec, However, you can check it on the VMware HCL website before you procure them. Now, you have to configure this tape drive as a SCSI Device on the particular VM. We add this ESX 3.5 is still using SCSI-2 commands: Therefore, we need to change the controller Type from LSI Logic to BUS Logic. 1) Shut down the VM and editing its settings. 2) Select to add a new HD - the size of it won't matter as you'll remove it before you save your change 3) On the Advanced Options screen for the Add Hardware wizard, select Virtual Device Node =

Sometimes the Virtual Center won’t do the job. You virtual machine has hung and you need to kill it. Here are 2 examples of how you can kill the vm from within the service console: The ‘VMWARE-CMD’ command Log on to the service console and issue the following command vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/ / / .vmx stop’ you must not use the friendly datastore name. If you need to know the location of all vm’s type ‘VMWARE-CMD -l’ that will list on vm’s and the location for the corresponding vmx file. If that fails, then try it with the hard option, ‘vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/ / / .vmx stop hard’ this command will just try and kill it without shutting it down. 2. Kill it using the PID command Run the following command: ps auxfww | grep to locate the correct PID of the virtual machine, the first number to appear in the output is your vm’s PID. Use the PID number to terminate the process by issuing kill -9 PID NO

This is one of another feature that vCenter4.0 (although it existing in VirtualCenter 2.5) provides that we can give remote console access thru RemoteConsole Plug-in and also can be accessed by web browsers. Browse the vCenter web console thru Internet Explorer® or FireFox. Select the desired VM and navigate to “Console” button. Then, Install the Remote Console Plug in in your desktop After the installation of the plug-in, navigate back to “Summary” tab. Click “ Generate Virtual Machine” Then pops up a window with URL of the VM Copy and paste URL in the browser or double click the “Remote Console Plug-in” shortcut in your desktop.

Finally, time has come!!!, Time to download and evaluate the vSphere. Download it from here Also, download the documents bundle here

VCB (VMWare Consolidate Backup) Framework is backup proxy. VCB is NOT Backup software. It acts as a relay agent between the Virtual Machine and backup software. Generally, VCB would be installed as part of vCenter OR it can be installed on any standalone system as well. VCB comprehensive software of Backup, Snapshot and mounting the virtual disk. Download the VCB Framework from www.vmware.com download portal. Install it on a Windows XP system. It install under the following path: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework Before take backup of the VMs, its virtual disk has to be mounted with our local system. Enter following command in Command prompt to mount the Virtual Disk: vcbmounter -h 172.17.42.55 -u -p -a name: -t file -r C:\VCC001 -m nbd where as -h can either ESX Host OR vCenter Server -u Username -p Password -a VM parameters (name: enter VM name as per the inventory) -t Fileflavor -r Mount point -m mode After run this command, you will folder called VC

The following points to pondered before migrate a Physical Server into Virtual Environment: 1. Avoid hot cloning of AD DC (Active Directory Domain Controller) to virtual environment. Best to build a new VM and make it DC (“dcpromo” on the fresh VM) 2. If any SQL Server, better to build a VM and restore the databases. 3. If any MS-Exchange server, better to do perform cold migration 4. If any SAN LUN presented in the physical server, unpresent them. Present the LUN back to VM and configure as RDM (Raw Device Mapping) 5. Keep the same no of CPUs. 6. You can increase the Disk size. 7. Keep in mind that USB is not supported VI3, if any USB tongle needed for any license purpose, better to stay back as physical OR try USBNetwork solution before migrate them NOTE: Install the VMWare Tools on those migrated servers without fail.

I have been invited for vSphere event in Mumbai, India on 14/May. It was 4 hrs program and VMWare presented the highlights of vSphere. Along with VMWare, CISCO and EMC also presented their products which can be intergrated with vSphere. I would prefer to highlight the networking advancement on the vSphere rather than its own features. CISCO NEXUS 1000v software switch attracted many audience. This product address previous network issues with VI3 products. NEXUS 1000v provides policy based VM connectivity. It is able to define the network policy, called as Port Profile. Also, Port Profile can consists QoS, Access-Control List. The highlighted feature of the NEXUS 1000v is portability. Those configured Port Profile can be migrated along with VM to another Host by VMotion.CISCO NEXUS 1000v can be managed by vCenter 4.0 To know more about NEXUS 1000v, please refer the CISCO website . Also, software is free to try. The Estimated price would be around less than USD.1000.

Finally, most waiting Cloud Computing Operating System has been launched by VMWare today!!!. vSphere will have lot of new features and licensing system. I will post all the details shortly. Until, you can read for more information http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/ Also you can read new features of vSphere here http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

iSCSI ===== http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/01/a-multivendor-post-to-help-our-mutual-iscsi-customers-using-vmware.html Hardware Functioning Correctly or not: ====================================== http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1004019 http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003690 Interpretting ESXTOP Statistics: =============================== http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9279 http://www.virtu-al.net/ Enabling/Disabling HyperThreading (HT) on DELL PE2950: ====================================================== http://www.experts-exchange.com/Hardware/Servers/Q_23238837.html Advanced Resource Management on ESX: ==================================== http://pubs.vmware.com/vi301/resmgmt/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm?href=vc_advanced_mgmt.11.10.html Cloud Computing: ================ http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-

The following technologies can be future technologies, just a prediction: 1. Virtualization 2. Cloud Computing 3. GIS Virtualization: Considering current economic turmoil, many of organization no more willing to invest money for their IT infrastructure. CTO/CIOs would consider more ROI than TCOs of their IT infrastructure. By virtualizing their IT environment, they can make more ROI.Currently, IT companies are doing research projects and grooming up their human resources to compete in the post-recession periods.Therefore, they would prefer to virtualize their systems to cut down cost for Desktops/servers. When a research project needs around 40 systemsfor the entire organization, they can simply go ahead with one higher class server such as DELL PE 2950/R905 and load the VMWare/XenServerfree Hypervisor and have 40 systems. Now, the ratio became 1:40. They really going to cutdown additional 39 physical servers and HVAC costs. Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is Internet ("cloud&quo

This web document from VMWare Portal explains the "esxtop" command and its parameters in details http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9279

This is one of the Best Link I got it for iSCSI on ESX environment. Author explained it such a lovely way... http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/01/a-multivendor-post-to-help-our-mutual-iscsi-customers-using-vmware.html

I had an chance to attend recent VMWare Technology Day, Mumbai, India. During the session, VMWare Declared the following features will be added in future version. The future version will be named as "vSphere". 1. 256 GB RAM for Guest Systems 2. 8 CPU Support 3. Hot CPU and PCI Devices Support 4. 512 GB RAM for Host Systems 5. 128 Core CPU Support (Current 32 Cores and 64 Cores experimentally Supported) 6. vStorage Thin Provisioning 7. vStorage Linked Clones 8. vCenter AppSpeed ( http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-appspeed/ ) 9. vcenter Orchestrator ( http://virtualfuture.info/2008/09/vmworld-2008-tech-preview-vcenter-orchestrator/ ) 10. vCenter Capacity IQ ( http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-capacityiq/ ) 11. vCenter Chargeback ( http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-chargeback/ )

We can monitor the ESX host and its VM from your desktop without any additional investment. SolarWinds offers free monitor tool. Sadly, they are allowing us to monitor only one host. If need more than that, please pay to them :). Here is the link for downloading the Tool: http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/vm_monitor.aspx Download this tool, install on your desktop (mine is Windows XP SP2). In the configuration setting, please enter your ESX host IP address and select the SNMP Version. It selecte SNMPV2 by default and enter the community string if SNMP related NMS configured. Otherwise, leave it to "public" The following steps only for if SNMP not enabled in the host. Connect the ESX thru SSH or service console. SNMP configuration file is: /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf To start the service: /etc/rc.d/init.d/snmpd start (OR) service snmpd start Use following command to start the SNMP service after every reboot chkconfig snmpd on Now, dont forget to do this.... esxcfg-firewal