An issue has been uncovered with ESX 3.5 Update 2 (build 103908) and ESXi 3.5 Update 2 (build 103909) that causes the product license to expire on August 12, 2008.

VMware has reissued ESX 3.5 Update 2 (build 110268) and ESXi 3.5 Update 2 (build 110271) for download.

You can download the new bits here

Posted by Gabriel Maciel

I posted before how important I consider it is to use VMware Workstation as a learning platform for the VI environment and I am now very pleased to see that Xtravirt has updated its document explaining how to install VMware ESX 3.5 on Workstation 6.5 Beta. Here is the announcement:

"In 2007, like others in the global VMware community, Xtravirt developed a common methodology to install and run VMware ESX 3.x on VMware Workstation 6 together with a shared storage solution based upon an iSCSI software target. We called it ‘VI3 in a box’.

This allowed users and professionals in the IT community to create simple and cost effective VI3 infrastructures to test, learn about and demonstrate these environments.

Upon the release of VMware ESX 3.5 we found that this methodology did not continue to hold true. Although still possible to install ESX 3.5, when attempting to start a nested Virtual Machine on the ESX VM, the ESX VM panics, and a stop message appears.

However, with the release of VMware Workstation 6.5, build release 99530, a revised solution now exists.

This white paper documents the process to install and configure ‘VI3.5 in a box’."

You can access the updated document here.

Posted by Gabriel Maciel

From Virtualization.Info:

VMware finally made the move that everybody predicted and was awaited for a long time: releasing its hypervisor for free.

During the Q2 2008 earnings call the company announced that before the end of July it will release the Update 2 for VMware Infrastructure 3.5 and that will give away the lightweight edition of the product, ESX 3i, for free.

The new 3i edition was introduced at the end of the last year.

It doesn’t change the characteristics of the hypervisor but fundamentally chances a part of its architecture, dropping the Console Operating System (COS) and reducing the overall system footprint to 32Mb.

The change allowed several OEMs to preload this edition of the hypervisor into their servers, through internal USB keys, Solid-State Drives (SSD) or hidden partition in the primary hard drives.

virtualization.info has learned some additional details about the move:

• VI 3.5 and ESX 3i will continue to share a the large majority of the code base (so there will be an ESX 3i Update 2). There will be no delays on the release of both products.


• ESX 3i will continue to have the same features that has today, without additional limitations


• ESX 3i will continue to have the same APIs, allowing anybody to develop free or commercial alternatives to VirtualCenter (despite some features like VMotion cannot be replicated because of the VMware SDK limitations).


• VMware will not require the purchase of any software & support subscription to access the product. Customer will be able to get the code without any restriction.


• The customers that purchased the current version of ESX 3i directly from the VMware online store will be eligible for a rebate.


• The ESX version that includes the Console Operating System (COS) will not be faded out (at least in the short timeframe). Most VMware customers are currently using that version and the company will support them for a long time.


• VMware Server will not be faded out (as many could suppose). The company still sees the product as a valuable proposition for a different kind of audience.

You can read the full post here.

Posted by Gabriel Maciel

Here you have the best links and articles for the past week:

1. ESX Server Security Technical Implementation Guide via US Department of Defense
2. Why Virtualization Amplifies The Disconnect Between Security and IT Operations, And What You Can Do About It via Virtualization Security
3. Upgrading your Active Directory to Windows Server 2008 via Sander Berkouwer's Blog
4. Well, that's interesting news - now what? via Virtual Geek
5. Optimize My IT via VMware

In what it seems to be the Top 10 things you must read about VMware series, Eric Siebert wrote the top 10 about VMware Networking:

1-VI3 Networking – Concepts and Components: A VMworld 2007 presentation (you will need to sign-in) describing the VI3 network architecture and how to properly configure it.

2-VI3 Networking - Advanced Configurations and Troubleshooting: A VMworld 2007 presentation (you will need to sign-in) on advanced virtual networking topics with tips for troubleshooting problems.

3-VMware ESX Server 3 802.1Q VLAN Solutions: Provides concepts and configuration tips for using 802.1Q VLAN tagging with your vSwitch configurations.

4-Integrating Virtual Machines into the Cisco Data Center Architecture: A white paper written by Cisco on ESX server networking architecture and integration with Cisco network devices.

5-Networking Performance in VMware ESX Server 3.5: A white paper from VMware comparing virtual to physical networking performance.

6-Network Throughput in a Virtual Infrastructure: A white paper from VMware that outlines the considerations that affect network throughput.

7-ESX3 Networking Internals: A VMware TSX 2007 presentation on the internals of how ESX vSwitches function.

8-High Performance ESX Networking: A VMware TSX 2007 presentation on ESX network design considerations.

9-How To Configure Networking from the Service Console Command Line: A VMware KB article on setting up networking via the CLI.

10-Server Virtualization – Network Implications and Best Practices: A presentation from Cisco on network virtualization architecture and design considerations for Cisco networks to support virtual environments.

Posted by Gabriel Maciel

Back in February I wrote a post about the VMware Tools and Utilities I use to administer our VMware environment. Now, via vmware-land.com we get the following list:

1-Putty - Telnet and SSH client for remotely connecting to the ESX service console
2-WinSCP and Veeam FastSCP - SCP clients for browsing ESX server file systems and transferring files to/from ESX hosts
3-VI3 SnapHunter and SnapAlert - Utilities that can report all running snapshots on ESX hosts including name, size and date. Can also automatically email reports and optionally commit snapshots
4-VI Scripted Backup Utility - A backup utility that is run from the Service Console that provides VMDK level backups of any VM on storage accessible by the host
5-MCS StorageView - A utility that displays all the logical partitions, operating system, capacity, free space and percent free of all virtual machines on ESX 3.x or Virtual Center 2.x
6-SSH Plug-in - A VI client plug-in that integrates an SSH console directly into the client
7-Storage VMotion Plug-in - A VI client plug-in that extends the client’s functionality by providing an integrated, graphical tool that can be used to invoke storage VMotion (SVMotion) operations
8-VMotion Info - A program that will collect Vendor, Model, CPU Types and the CPU feature bits from all hosts to check for VMotion compatibility
9-VMCdConnected - Scans all Virtual Machines and shows if they have a CD connected to it. After scanning the VM’s you can disconnect all the CD’s with a click of a button
10-VMware Converter – (Performs hot and cold conversions of physical and virtual servers to virtual machines. Also converts image formats

Enjoy!

Posted by Gabriel Maciel

This is the list of the links for this week:

1. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Connection Broker Comparison via Quest
2. Microsoft Hyper-V to flaunt advanced virtualization features via Infoweek
3. Virtualization's Impact on IT Operations - Part 1 via Virtual Strategy Magazine
4. Deploying Virtual Servers in a SAN Environment via Virtual Strategy Magazine
5. Alternatives to VCB for VMware backup via SearchVMware