VMware Technical Resource documents listing

VMware provide a list of Technical Resource Documents at http://www.vmware.com/resources/techresources/cat/91

The listing provides little search capabilities and it can be a challenge to find a document relevant to a topic of research. The following document details each of the documents currently listed with a link to the PDF and the detailed description, all in one listing. Documents are listed in order of revision.

Compiled by Rodney Haywood(

Rodos), Enterprise Architect - Virtualisation, Alphawest Services, Sydney Australia

206 documents listed.

Dell EqualLogic VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

by Dell on 01/25/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/dell/dell-vmware-solution-brief-r2final08q4.pdf

This solution brief explains how organizations can use VMware virtualization technologies to provide a virtual desktop infrastructure.

Dell EqualLogic VMware® View 3

by Dell on 01/25/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/dell/dell-vmware-desktop-wp-r208q4.pdf

This paper assumes that the reader already has a good understanding of desktop virtualization

and has reached the point where they are ready to begin sizing their server and storage architecture.

Address Desktop Challenges with VMware View and NetApp

by NetApp on 01/24/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/netapp-tap-desktop-solution-brief.pdf

NetApp helps you realize the full potential of your VMware environment by addressing the common storage challenges associated with virtual desktop solutions.

Comprehensive Virtual Desktop Deployment with VMware and NetApp

by NetApp on 01/24/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/netapp-vmware-view-wp.pdf

VMware offers an end-to-end solution called VMware® View, the next generation of VMware VDI, that allows organizations to provide corporate end users with access to virtual desktop machines that are hosted in a central data center.

xpnet Performance White Paper

by xpnet on 01/21/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/xpnet_Performance_Review_of_AppVirt_Solutions.pdf

Application Virtualization 2008-2009:

Assessing the Architectural and Performance Characteristics of Four Leading Windows Application Virtualization Solutions

Java in Virtual Machines on VMware ESX: Best Practices

by VMware on 01/21/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/Java_in_Virtual_Machines_on_ESX-FINAL-Jan-15-2009.pdf

This paper discusses best practices for running Java-based software in VMware ESX virtual machines. These guidelines will help you to get the best from your Java applications and application servers when you run them on VMware Infrastructure 3.

VMware ThinApp 4 Reviewer’s Guide

by VMware on 01/19/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/thinapp_4_reviewers_guide.pdf

VMware ThinApp 4 Reviewer’s Guide

Performance of Virtual Desktops in a VMware Infrastructure 3 Environment

by VMware on 01/20/2009 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vdesk_scaling.pdf

This paper examines the performance of virtual desktops running a typical mix of interactive applications on VMware ESX 3.5 Update 2. These include office application tasks such as editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as browsing the Internet and reading documents. Results show the effect on performance as workload is scaled up from 16 to 160 virtual machines.

VMware View Reference Architecture Kit

by VMware on 12/09/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/resources/vmware-view-reference-architecture.pdf /

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/resources/vmware-view-profile-virtualization.pdf /

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/resources/vmware-view-xp-deployment-guide.pdf /

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/resources/vmware-view-ns20-deployment-guide.pdf

This reference architecture kit is comprised of four distinct papers written by VMware and our supporting partners to serve as a guide to assist in the early phases of planning, design and deployment of VMware View based solutions. The building block approach uses common components to minimize support costs and deployment risks during the planning of VMware View based deployments.

Included in this kit are the following materials:

VMware View Reference Architecture
Guide to Profile Virtualization
Windows XP Deployment Guide
Storage Deployment Guide for VMware View

Storage Design Options for VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

by VMware on 11/29/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/resources/WP_Storage_Design_Options_For_VMware_VDI.pdf

This paper provides information on technical concepts related to storage implementations in a VMware ® Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment.

Using IP Multicast with VMware ESX 3.5

by VMware on 12/01/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/technology/esx35_ip_multicast.pdf

This paper explains the operation of IP Multicast in ESX 3.5 and the considerations and best practices for deployment.

VMware Distributed Power Management: Concepts and Usage

by VMware on 11/24/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/DPM.pdf

VMware Distributed Power Management (DPM) saves power in a VMware Infrastructure 3 cluster of ESX hosts by consolidating virtual machines onto fewer hosts and powering hosts off during periods of low resource utilization, and powering hosts back on for virtual machine use when workload demands increase. DPM is an optional add-on to VMware Distributed Resource Scheduling (DRS).

This paper provides a technical overview of DPM operation in the VirtualCenter 2.5 / ESX 3.5 release. It is intended for VMware partners, resellers, and customers who want detailed information on DPM functionality in that release.

SQL Server Workload Consolidation

by VMware on 11/25/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/SQL_Server_consolidation.pdf

Database workloads are very diverse. While most database servers are lightly loaded, larger database workloads can be resource-intensive, exhibiting high I/O rates or consuming large amounts of memory. With improvements in virtualization technology and hardware, even servers running large database workloads run well in virtual machines. Servers running Microsoft's SQL Server, among the top database server platforms in the industry today, are no exception.

Performance of Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI)

by VMware on 11/13/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/RVI_performance.pdf

AMD recently introduced its second generation of hardware support for virtualization, incorporating MMU virtualization called Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI). Hardware support for MMU virtualization can improve performance, particularly for MMU-intensive workloads.

VMware ESX 3.5 leverages this RVI support in AMD processors. This paper compares the performance with and without RVI of a number of industry-standard benchmarks and microbenchmarks running in VMware ESX 3.5, Update 2 on AMD Opteron 8384 ("Shanghai") processors.

10Gbps Networking Performance on ESX 3.5 Update 1

by VMware on 11/04/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/10GigE_performance.pdf

10 Gigabit Ethernet is expected to replace Gigabit Ethernet and become the dominant Ethernet standard in the next few years. VMware ESX now supports a number of 10 Gbps network cards and allows multiple virtual machines to share a single physical NIC. This paper presents results from our single-virtual machine and multi-virtual machine network throughput experiments that show ESX can easily reach line rates on 10 Gbps links. The paper discusses how Jumbo Frames influence networking performance, both on the receive and the transmit paths. The paper also presents the results of our scalability experiments in which up to 16 virtual machines share a single 10 Gbps physical NIC and discusses the allocation of bandwidth to different virtual machines.

VMware Update Manager 1.0 Performance and Best Practices

by VMware on 11/03/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vum_1.0_performance.pdf

This paper provides measurements of VMware Update Manager (VUM) 1.0 performance and gives recommendations about VUM deployment and configuration.

Installing and Configuring Linux Guest Operating Systems

by VMware on 10/30/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/linux_install_config.pdf

This technical note describes installing, configuring, updating, and administering Linux guest operating systems in virtual machines running on VMware Infrastructure 3 version 3.5. In addition, this note includes a collection of useful tips and tricks in fine-tuning your Linux virtual machines. Although the recommendations in this paper apply to most Linux distributions, they are tailored specifically to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. Linux administrators can use this paper as a source for guidelines when building and maintaining Linux virtual machines in their VMware Infrastructure environments. Some working knowledge of VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2, ESX 3.5 Update 2, and Linux operating systems is required.

Best Practices for Patching VMware® ESX/ESXi

by VMware on 10/09/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/esx_patching_best_practices.pdf

This best practices document gives a brief explanation of patching and the different mechanisms for applying patches for the VMware ESX 3.5 product line. This paper does not focus on the differences in detail between proactive patch management and reactive patch management. Instead, it focuses on the ESX patching model, patch packaging, and deliverables – key topics you need to understand to maintain your ESX systems.

VMware Consolidated Backup ‐ Partner Integration Guide

by VMware on 09/29/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vcb_partner_integration_guide.pdf

This guide offers information on VMware Consolidated Backup integrations developed by VMware Technology Alliance Partners. The functionality described here is supported by the partner Support organization directly rather than by VMware Global Support Services.

VMware VDI Storage Considerations

by VMware on 09/29/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vdi-storage-considerations-v4.pdf

This information guide focuses on design choices for the storage environment that forms the foundation of a production VMware VDI implementation.

Implementing Microsoft Network Load Balancing (NLB) in a Virtualized Environment

by VMware on 09/25/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/implmenting_ms_network_load_balancing.pdf

Network Load Balancing (NLB) is a feature of recent Microsoft Windows Server operating systems used to improve the scalability and availability of Internet server applications. This paper provides instructions for supporting NLB in unicast or multicast mode on VMware ESX.

Virtual Appliances: A New Paradigm for Software Delivery

by VMware on 09/23/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vam/VMware_Virtual_Appliance_Solutions_White_Paper_08Q3.pdf

This white paper discusses the value of virtual appliances and outlines the ways in which VMware is building a rich and diverse ecosystem around the virtual appliance model based on four key elements:

A VMware Ready Virtual Appliance Program which is an ecosystem initiative that enables customers to identify virtual appliances that follow best practices and are optimized for VMware Infrastructure.
A robust authoring tool for configuring, packaging and updating production-ready virtual appliances.
A large and diverse marketplace where vendors can list their virtual appliances online for customers to discover, download, evaluate and purchase.
A reliable, robust and proven virtualization platform for deploying and managing virtual appliances.

Virtualizing SAN Connectivity with VMware Infrastructure 3 and Brocade Data Center Fabric Services

by VMware on 09/03/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-BRCD_Virtualizing_SAN_Connectivity_GA-TB-084-00.pdf

This Joint best practice technical white paper addresses the benefits of using NPIV with ESX Server 3.5. It addresses best practices and deployment considerations. Providing specific examples of deployment steps and two case for which the NPIV can be leveraged with Fabric quality of service (QoS) in VMware environments.

Best Practices Guide: Emulex Virtual HBA® Solutions and VMware® ESX Server 3.5

by VMware on 09/2/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware_Emulex_Best_Practices_for_Virtual_HBA_V4.pdf

This Joint best practice technical white paper addresses the benefits of using NPIV with ESX Server 3.5. It addresses best practices and deployment considerations. This paper provides specific examples of deployment steps and use cases for which the joint technology can be leveraged in virtualization environments.

Using EMC SRDF Adapter for VMware® Site Recovery Manager

by VMware on 08/28/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware_SRM_SRDF_bestpractices.pdf

This white paper discusses the best practices for using VMware® Site Recovery Manager with EMC® SRDF® Adapter.

Performance Counters

by VMware on 08/27/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/technote_PerformanceCounters.pdf

This technical note provides additional information about performance counters available in ESX.

Timekeeping in VMware Virtual Machines

by VMware on 08/15/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_timekeeping.pdf

This paper describes how timekeeping hardware works in physical machines, how typical guest operating systems use this hardware to keep time, and how VMware products virtualize the hardware.

VMware Management and Automation Products: Deployment Approaches and Considerations

by VMware on 08/20/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/MandA_deployment.pdf

VMware Management and Automation products provide datacenter automation solutions in IT service delivery and business continuity. These products can be deployed across a shared VMware Infrastructure platform. This paper presents technical guidance and considerations when deploying these products together on a shared VI platform.

VMbook - Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

by VMware on 08/07/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/practical_guide_bcdr_vmb.pdf

This VMware® VMbook focuses on business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) and is intended to guide the reader through the step-by-step process to set-up a multisite VMware Infrastructure that is capable of supporting BCDR services for designated virtual machines at time of test or during an actual event that necessitated the declaration of a disaster, resulting in the activation of services in a designated BCDR site.

DRS Performance and Best Practices

by VMware on 07/28/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/drs_performance_best_practices_wp.pdf

VMware Infrastructure 3 provides a set of distributed infrastructure services that make the entire IT environment more serviceable, available, and efficient. Working with VMware ESX 3, VMware VirtualCenter 2, and VMware VMotion, VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) dynamically allocates resources to enforce resource management policies while balancing resource usage across multiple ESX hosts. This performance study focuses on understanding the effectiveness and scalability of DRS algorithms. It identifies various scenarios in which you can benefit from DRS and explains how to configure your environment to take best advantage of DRS.

Performance Best Practices and Benchmarking Guidelines

by VMware on 07/10/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/VI3.5_Performance.pdf

This book provides tips that help administrators maximize the performance of VMware Infrastructure 3 version 3.5. A separate chapter provides guidance on benchmarking VMware ESX systems.

Data Protection Options for Exchange

by VMware on 06/25/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/data_protection_options_exchange.pdf

More and more customers are deploying their mission critical applications, prominently Exchange, on VMware Infrastructure platform. This paper describes various options that customers have in protecting Exchange installation against data loss. The paper also summarizes the merits of each of the options.

Scalable Storage Performance

by VMware on 06/05/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/scalable_storage_performance.pdf

VMware ESX enables multiple hosts to share the same physical storage reliably through its highly optimized storage stack and VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS). To gain the greatest advantage from shared storage, it is important to understand the potential bottlenecks at various layers and make the necessary configuration changes to get optimal storage performance.This paper presents the results of our studies on storage scalability in a virtual environment with many ESX hosts, many LUNs, or many of both. It examines the effects of I/O queuing at various layers in a virtual infrastructure as more and more virtual machines share the same storage. It considers the effects of SCSI reservations on virtual machine I/O performance. And it looks at ways to mitigate bandwidth bottlenecks when multiple LUNs are connected to a single ESX host. It provides recommendations you can follow to avoid overcommitting storage resources.

VMware VDM 2.1 Reviewers Guide

by VMware on 06/04/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vdm_2.1_reviewers_guide.pdf

This Reviewer's Guide provides a step-by-step process to get VDM 2.1 installed and configured for evaluation purposes.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure: Deployment Considerations

by VMware on 06/04/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vdi_deployment_considerations_wp.pdf

This white paper is the first in a series that detail deployment considerations that should be taken into account when planning a VMware VDI deployment.

Consolidating Web Applications Using VMware Infrastructure

by VMware on 05/29/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/consolidating_webapps_vi3_wp.pdf

Enterprises continue to move their technologies and services onto the Web. Today, the Web servers that provide these services are distributed across multiple systems. As the number of Web applications increases, it is very common for the number of physical systems in the data center hosting these Web applications to increase along with them. Studies from IDC, among others, describe the challenges IT managers face administering the proliferation of servers used to run Web applications. Virtualization can help businesses to consolidate their Web computing needs onto fewer high performance servers. This approach can simplify management, save operating costs, and increase the efficiency of delivering Web services.

In this paper we explore the configuration and testing of VMware® Infrastructure 3 as a consolidation platform for multiple Apache Web servers. It describes the processes and methodologies we used in the consolidation study. In addition, we describe the results of our performance testing using the industry standard SPECweb2005 workload to determine the effectiveness of this consolidation approach.

Oracle Database Scalability in VMware ESX

by VMware on 05/14/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Oracle_Scaling_in_ESX_Server.pdf

Database applications running on individual physical servers represent a large consolidation opportunity. However enterprises considering such consolidation want guidance as to how well databases scale using virtualization.

In this paper we demonstrate that when running multiple virtual machines with Oracle database workloads on VMware ESX, the individual performance remains close to that of the Oracle database workload in a single virtual machine, while CPU utilization scales in a near-linear fashion.

This scalability is one of the factors that makes VMware ESX the perfect platform on which to consolidate demanding, mission-critical workloads such as Oracle databases.

Implementing Virtual Provisioning on EMC Symmetrix DMX with VMware Virtual Infrastructure

by EMC on 06/15/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/symmetrix_virtual_provisioning_wp.pdf

This white paper provides a detailed description of the technical aspects and benefits of deploying VMware Virtual Infrastructure version 3 on EMC Symmetrix devices using Virtual Provisioning.

Thin Client Compatibility Guide for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Virtual Desktop Manager

by VMware on 06/30/2008 @

http://vmware.com/pdf/VDM_ThinClient_guide.pdf

VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is an integrated desktop virtualization solution that delivers enterprise-class control and manageability with a familiar user experience. VMware Virtual Desktop Manager provides simplified management and secure provisioning of virtual desktops.

VMware Virtual Desktop Manager is tested for compatibility with a variety of thin client devices. Our goal is to support a wide variety of thin clients and virtual desktop devices used to access virtual desktops through VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

DMZ Virtualization with VMware Infrastructure

by VMware on 05/08/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/dmz_virtualization_vmware_infra_wp.pdf

As virtualization of network DMZs becomes more common, demand is increasing for information to help network security professionals understand and mitigate the risks associated with this practice. This paper provides detailed descriptions of three different virtualized DMZ configurations and identifies best practice approaches that enable secure deployment.

VirtualCenter Database Performance for Microsoft SQL Server 2005

by VMware on 04/14/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vc_database_performance.pdf

VMware® VirtualCenter uses a database to store metadata on the state of a VMware Infrastructure environment. Performance statistics and their associated stored procedure operations constitute the largest and the most resource‐intensive component of the VirtualCenter database. Hence the performance of your VirtualCenter database depends upon the frequency at which you collect performance statistics and the level of detail of the statistics you store. VirtualCenter 2.5 features a number of enhancements that are aimed at greatly improving the performance and scalability of the performance statistics operations in the VirtualCenter database. The purpose of this study is to present the performance results of tests we conducted to validate these performance enhancements and to provide best practices information for configuring a VirtualCenter database. The study also provides information for sizing the server you use to host the VirtualCenter database based on these performance results. Although the new features in VirtualCenter 2.5 benefit users with any of the supported databases, the examples and performance data presented in this study are specific to Microsoft SQL Server and the paper assumes that you have a working knowledge of SQL Server.

IBM® Lotus® Sametime® Reference Architecture in a VMware® Infrastructure 3 Environment

by VMware on 04/04/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ibm_lotus_sametime_ref_arch_vi3_wp.pdf

Real-time collaboration has become a vital component of on-demand business, and IBM Lotus Sametime has quickly become an important component in many IBM Lotus Notes® and IBM Lotus Domino® environments. Typical Lotus Sametime deployments that support several thousand users require multiple servers in the physical environment, which results in high capital and operating costs. Virtualization offers unprecedented opportunities in commodity server consolidation, workload management, and return on investment.

VIRTUALIZED iSCSI SANS: Flexible, Scalable Enterprise Storage for Virtual Infrastructures

by VMware on 03/12/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/dell-eql-iscsi-sans-wp.pdf

This white paper describes a virtualized infrastructure that applies storage and server virtualization technologies to cost-effectively achieve a flexible, high-performance, dynamic IT infrastructure that is simple to manage and scale.

Performance Comparison of Virtual Network Devices

by VMware on 03/11/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/perf_comparison_virtual_network_devices_wp.pdf

The networking performance of a virtual machine is greatly influenced by the choice of virtual network devices in the virtual machine and the physical devices configured on the host machine. ESX Server 3.5 supports multiple virtual network devices (vlance, e1000, vmxnet), each with its own usability advantages and performance benefits. It is clear that vlance is not the best choice for high-performance workloads. However, many users are still uncertain about the performance differences between e1000 and vmxnet virtual network devices.

What's New in VMware Infrastructure 3: Performance Enhancements

by VMware on 02/28/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vi3_performance_enhancements_wp.pdf

The new features in VMware® Infrastructure 3 makes it even easier for organizations to virtualize their most demanding and intense workloads. The new version of VMware Infrastructure 3 provides significant performance enhancements, including the release of VMware ESX Server 3.5 and a new ultra-thin hypervisor called VMware ESX Server 3i that can significantly

Networking Performance in VMware ESX Server 3.5

by VMware on 02/25/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ESX_networking_performance.pdf

There is a general belief that due to the extra layer introduced by virtualization code, networking performance in a virtualized environment cannot match the performance in a native environment.

Performance Characterization of VMFS and RDM Using a SAN

by VMware on 02/14/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/performance_char_vmfs_rdm.pdf

VMware ESX Server offers two choices for managing disk access in a virtual machine—VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) and raw device mapping (RDM). It is very important to understand the I/O characteristics of these disk access management systems in order to choose the right access type for a particular application. Choosing the right disk access management method can be a key factor in achieving high system performance for enterprise‐class applications.

Large Page Performance

by VMware on 02/14/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/large_pg_performance.pdf

VMware ESX Server supports the use of large pages inside virtual machines. The large‐page support enables server applications to establish large‐page memory regions. Memory address translations use translation lookaside buffers (TLB) inside the CPU. The use of large pages can potentially increase TLB access efficiency and thus improve program performance. This study examines the performance of this feature.

Performance of VMware® VMI

by VMware on 02/13/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/VMware_VMI_performance.pdf

VMware ESX Server 3.5 introduces support for guest operating systems that use VMware's paravirtualization standard, Virtual Machine Interface (VMI). This paper describes VMI and its performance benefits, concluding that VMI-style paravirtualization offers performance improvements for a wide variety of workloads, but that the actual performance gains depend on the nature of those workloads.

Maintaining End-to-End Service Levels for VMware® Virtual Machines Using VMware DRS And EMC Navisphe...

by EMC on 02/05/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/EMC_VMware_NQM_wp.pdf

With the increasing deployment of VMware® ESX Server for mission-critical applications, it becomes even more important to maintain the performance of these applications in virtual machines. The complexity of virtualization, especially when server and storage resources are shared across multiple components, makes it more difficult for an administrator to detect and solve performance problems.

Using CLARiiON®’s Navisphere® Quality of Service (NQM) product and VMware’s Distributed Resource Scheduler allows you to maintain application service levels in virtual machines. This greatly minimizes the time and resources needed to manage and fix performance issues.

H2756 - Using EMC Celerra IP Storage with VMware Infrastructure 3 over iSCSI and NFS (EMC White Pape...

by EMC on 01/31/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware_VI3_and_EMC_Celerra_IP.pdf

With th release of VMware Infrastructure 3, virtual hardware support was extended to include the use of IP storage devices. This support enables ESX environments to take full advantage of the NFS protocol and IP block storage using iSCSI. This significant improvement profivdes a method to tie virtualized computing to virtualized storage, offering a dynamic set of capabilities within the data center and resulting in improved performance and system reliability. This white paper describes how best to utilize EMC Celerra in a VMware ESX environment.

Storage / SAN Compatibility Guide For ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i

by VMware on 01/30/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi35_san_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server 3.5 has been tested and deployed in a variety of storage area network (SAN) environments. This guide describes the combination of HBAs (host bus adapters) and storage devices currently tested by VMware and its storage partners.

I/O Compatibility Guide For ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i

by VMware on 01/30/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi35_io_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server Software delivers high performance I/O for PCI-based SCSI, RAID, Fibre Channel, and Ethernet controllers. To achieve high performance, these devices are accessed directly through device drivers in the ESX Server host, and not through a host operating system as with VMware Workstation and GSX Server products.

VMware certifies that specific systems and components are compatible with ESX Server software. Through the VMware Preferred Hardware Partner Program, ESX Server software works with leading server vendors to ensure that appropriate configurations of their current and future server products are certified.

Backup Software Compatibility For ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i

by VMware on 01/30/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi35_backup_guide.pdf

This is not an exhaustive list of all backup software packages and versions that are compatible with ESX Server software, but it represents those servers that VMware or its partners have tested with the current release of ESX Server software.

Systems Compatibility Guide For ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i

by VMware on 01/30/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi35_systems_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server is tested for compatibility with a variety of major guest operating systems running in virtual machines. Additionally, VMware ESX Server is tested for compatibility with currently shipping platforms from the major server makers in pre-release testing. Our goal is to support a variety of storage and network adapters used as standard options for these platforms as they come to market.

SPECweb2005 Performance

by VMware on 01/28/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/specweb_perf_final.pdf

Virtualization is revolutionizing data center computing by making it easy for people to run multiple operating systems and multiple applications seamlessly on the same computer. More and more organizations are adopting VMware® Infrastructure 3 for server consolidation and to reduce the total cost of ownership.

VMware ESX Server 3.5 is designed for high performance. With a number of optimizations for superior performance, even the most I/O‐intensive applications perform well when deployed on VMware Infrastructure 3. In this paper we compare the performance of a virtual machine to that of a similarly configured native machine using the industry standard SPECweb2005 workload. In our virtualized tests we achieved close to 85 percent of native throughput performance using the highly network‐intensive SPECweb2005 workload. In the tests focused on measuring latency, we did not observe any noticeable difference in application latency between the native and virtual environments. These results demonstrate that users need not sacrifice performance in order to embrace the benefits of virtualization technology.

Using the Wyse V10L and S10 Thin Clients with VDM

by VMware on 01/28/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VDM_Wyse_tech_note.pdf

This technical note provides a reference for configuring Wyse V10L and S10 devices for use with VDM. VDM supports the Wyse V10L and S10 Thin Client devices, running Wyse Thin OS version 5.3.0.9 or later. For detailed information about deploying and managing Wyse thin client devices, contact Wyse directly.

Wyse Thin Client devices with versions of the Wyse Thin OS earlier than 5.3.0.9 do not support HTTPS connection to a VDM Server. You must upgrade the Wyse Thin OS to version 5.3.0.9 or later to use HTTPS.

Unlike VDM Web Access or VDM Client, Wyse thin clients connect to desktop virtual machines directly using RDP and connections do not pass through a VDM Connection Server. As a result Wyse thin clients cannot be used in DMZ deployments.

Windows XP Deployment Guide

by VMware on 01/27/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/XP_guide_vdi.pdf

VMware® Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) transforms the way customers use and manage desktop operating systems. Desktop instances can be deployed rapidly in secure data centers to facilitate high availability and disaster recovery, protect the integrity of enterprise information, and remove data from local devices that are susceptible to theft or loss. Isolating each desktop instance in its own virtual machine eliminates typical application compatibility issues and improves users’ personal computing environments.

This guide offers best practices for creating Windows XP-based templates for VMware VDI-based solutions and for preparing the same templates for use with Virtual Desktop Manager 2.

VMware VDM 2 Load Balancing Guide

by VMware on 01/27/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VDM_2_lb_guide.pdf

Once appropriate server-grade hardware has been selected, load balancing become an important consideration for addressing a configuration’s scalability and fault tolerance.

In general, load-balanced configurations use multiple VDM Connection Servers installed in a primary-and-replica manner, with the first server installed as the primary and subsequent servers are installed as replicas. VDM Connection Servers provide session management and handle all incoming client requests, directing them to the appropriate virtual desktop session, and VDM Security Servers provide SSL tunneling capabilities for encrypting communication between the client devices and the VDM Connection Servers.

The configuration of a load-balanced solution largely depends on the requirements of the organization for which it is being deployed. Companies that already have a load balancing solution in place may be able to utilize it for VDI since the load generated by the VDI solution is minimal. Both hardware-based load balancing appliances and inexpensive (or free) software-based load balancing products can be considered as candidate solutions.

Using VMware VDI and vmSight for Stronger and Sustainable HIPAA and PCI Compliance

by VMware on 01/27/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/HIPAA_PCI_vdi_compliance.pdf

For many organizations, HIPAA and PCI compliance is no longer optional. Penalties are increasingly stiff, and the ultimate cost of non-compliance – the breach of personal data – can damage organizations in multiple ways. Compliance, and validation of compliance, is not easily achieved. It is especially difficult when computing environments are widely distributed and not all computers are centrally managed.

Virtualization technologies, including virtual desktops, offer an improved means to centralize computing, management and monitoring while still providing users local access and full functionality. For organizations seeking stronger HIPAA and PCI compliance, relying on virtual desktops for access to sensitive systems provides both cost savings and increased manageability and security. With an integrated compliance monitoring and reporting system such as the vmSight virtual network intelligence suite, virtual desktops can be used to increase compliance and reduce data breaches while also reducing IT costs.

Comparison of Storage Protocol Performance

by VMware on 01/24/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/storage_protocol_perf.pdf

This paper demonstrates that the four network storage connection options available to ESX Server are all capable of reaching a level of performance limited only by the media and storage devices. And even with multiple virtual machines running concurrently on the same ESX Server host, the high performance is maintained. The data on CPU costs indicates that Fibre Channel and hardware iSCSI are the most CPU efficient, but in cases in which CPU consumption is not a concern, software iSCSI and NFS can also be part of a high‐performance solution.

VirtualCenter Database Maintenance: SQL Server

by VMware on 01/23/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vc_microsoft_sql_server.pdf

This document discusses ways to maintain the VirtualCenter database for increased performance and manageability. It covers all versions of VirtualCenter 2.0. The recommendations here pertain specifically to SQL Server, version 2000 and later. This document assumes the reader has a working knowledge of SQL Server.

What Is New for Storage in Virtual Infrastructure 3 Release 3.5

by VMware on 01/06/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/new_storage_features_3_5_v6.pdf

With the launch of VMware Infrastructure 3 version 3.5 comes a new version of VMware’s hypervisor, ESX Server 3.5. One of the core focus areas for Virtual Infrastructure 3.5 is to enable greater uptime and agility in the management of the virtual infrastructure environment. VMware has addressed this by bringing new levels of flexibility and connectivity options to Virtual Infrastructure 3 version 3.5.

VMware Consolidated Backup: Improvements in Version 3.5

by VMware on 12/28/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vcb_35_new.pdf

This paper descibes the new features of VCB introduced with VI 3, version 3.5. It explains the features and how customers can benefit with those features.

VMware VMotion and CPU Compatibility

by VMware on 12/27/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vmotion_info_guide.pdf

This white paper focuses exclusively on CPU compatibility and outlines CPU compatibility checks performed by VMware VirtualCenter before allowing migration with VMotion. It describes why some CPU compatibility constraints make VMotion possible only between certain revisions of CPUs. The appendices detail some differences in features and extensions in current CPUs and describe procedures that could be used to relax some CPU compatibility constraints to facilitate VMotion.

VMware Consolidated Backup

by VMware on 12/27/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vcb_best_practices.pdf

This whitepaper is intended to enhance the readerâ€™s knowledge by discussing deployment considerations, best practices recommendations, and troubleshooting tips when implementing VMware Consolidated Backup. The whitepaper is a collection of information gathered by real world field implementations, expertise of VMware Professional Services and in-house testing. Insightful information useful in troubleshooting VCB environment is also provided.

Performance Characteristics of VMFS and RDM

by VMware on 12/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vmfs_rdm_perf.pdf

VMware ESX Server offers three choices for managing disk access in a virtual machine—VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS), virtual raw device mapping (RDM), and physical raw device mapping. It is very important to understand the I/O characteristics of these disk access management systems in order to choose the right access type for a particular application. Choosing the right disk access management method can be a key factor in achieving high system performance for enterprise‐class applications.

This study provides performance characterization of the various disk access management methods supported by VMware ESX Server. The goal is to provide data on performance and system resource utilization at various load levels for different types of work loads. This information offers you an idea of relative throughput, I/O rate, and CPU efficiency for each of the options so you can select the appropriate disk access method for your application.

Firewall Configurations for Backup Clients on ESX Server 3

by VMware on 12/09/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35_25_vcb_firewalls.pdf

This document provides information about how to configure connections between different backup software products and VMware® ESX Server 3 hosts. The document explains how to open predefined firewall ports for supported backup products and how to open specific ports from a command line. If the backup product you use requires additional configuration changes to work with ESX Server 3, the document describes any specific steps you need to perform.

Virtual Machine Failure Monitoring

by VMware on 12/09/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35_25_vmha.pdf

VMware® High Availability (VMware HA) monitors your virtual infrastructure for ESX Server host failures and restarts virtual machines that are interrupted by those failures on alternate hosts. Starting with ESX Server 3.5, VMware HA can also detect and handle the failures of individual virtual machines and respond appropriately based on your specifications.

With this additional functionality, called Virtual Machine Failure Monitoring, VMware HA deals with both host operating system and guest operating system failures.

Round-Robin Load Balancing

by VMware on 12/09/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35_25_roundrobin.pdf

VMware® ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i version 3.5 enhance ESX Server native multipathing by providing experimental support for round‐robin load balancing. This technical note explains how round‐robin load balancing works and how to set it.

Configuring and Troubleshooting N-Port ID Virtualization

by VMware on 12/09/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35_25_npiv_config.pdf

N‐Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) is an ANSI T11 standard that describes how a single Fibre Channel HBA port can register with the fabric using several worldwide port names (WWPNs). This allows a fabric‐attached N‐port to claim multiple fabric addresses. Each address appears as a unique entity on the Fibre Channel fabric.

The primary source of information on configuring NPIV in a VMware Infrastructure 3 environment is the Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide, available on the VMware Web site.

This technical note provides additional details about certain specific NPIV configurations and information on diagnostic techniques that may be helpful as you configure NPIV. It also includes information to help you understand error messages that may appear as you are working with NPIV in a VMware Infrastructure environment.

Enabling NetFlow on Virtual Switches

by VMware on 12/09/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35_25_netflow.pdf

NetFlow is a general networking tool with multiple uses, including network monitoring and profiling, billing, intrusion detection and prevention, networking forensics, and SOX compliance. NetFlow sends aggregated networking flow data to a third‐party collector (an appliance or server). The collector and analyzer report on various information such as the current top flows consuming the most bandwidth in a particular virtual switch, which IP addresses are behaving irregularly, and the number of bytes a particular virtual machine has sent and received in the past 24 hours.

VMware OVF Tool

by VMware on 12/10/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ovf_tool.pdf

The Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF) is a virtual machine distribution format that supports sharing virtual machines between products and organizations. The format facilitates the use of virtual appliances, which are preconfigured virtual machines that package applications with the operating system they require. Because OVF runs on multiple platforms, a virtual appliance is ready to run without significant additional configuration.

Using VMware ESX Server With Hitachi Data Systems NSC or USP Storage

by VMware on 10/02/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/hds_svd_technote.pdf

This technical note discusses using ESX Server hosts with a Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) NSC or USP SAN storage array using FibreChannel (FC) connections. These storage arrays use advanced storage virtualization technology, and setup differs from setup of a nonâ€virtualized SAN storage array that is to be used with ESX Server hosts.

Best Practices for Building Virtual Appliances

by VMware on 11/15/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/Best_Practices_Building_Virtual_Appliances.pdf

A virtual appliance is a pre-installed, pre-configured operating system and software solution delivered inside a virtual machine. Deploying a software solution as a virtual appliance enables you to build a complete turnkey package that customers are able to download and immediately deploy. Thus, customers skip the time-consuming and often support-intensive task of installing and configuring the appliance. This lets customers focus all their energies on trying or using your solution rather than struggling to get it to run. This document describes the best practices for building a virtual appliance. It covers high level design principles as well as low level details for building virtual appliances ready for certification under the VMware Certified Virtual Appliance program. In turn, virtual appliances built according to these standards will allow your customers or prospective customers to test or use your virtual appliance with all the VMware virtualization platforms.

Management of VMware ESX Server 3i

by VMware on 11/12/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ESXServer3i_management.pdf

VMware ESX Server 3i is the next-generation hypervisor, offering improved security, increased reliability, and simplified management. In many respects, the functionality of an ESX Server 3i system is the same as for ESX Server 3. However, the architecture of ESX Server 3i points the way to a new management model for a virtualized infrastructure. This paper covers the management of an ESX Server 3i system and lays out the characteristics of this new management model.

Architecture of VMware ESX Server 3i

by VMware on 11/12/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ESXServer3i_architecture.pdf

VMware ESX Server 3i is the next-generation hypervisor, providing a new foundation for virtual infrastructure. This innovative architecture operates independently from any general purpose operating system, offering improved security, increased reliability, and simplified management. This paper describes the architecture and operation of ESX Server 3i and discusses the new management model associated with it.

Understanding Full Virtualization, Paravirtualization, and Hardware Assist

by VMware on 11/11/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware_paravirtualization.pdf

In 1998, VMware figured out how to virtualize the x86 platform, once thought to be impossible, and created the market for x86 virtualization. The solution was a combination of binary translation and direct execution on the processor that allowed multiple guest OSes to run in full isolation on the same computer with readily affordable virtualization overhead.

The savings that tens of thousands of companies have generated from the deployment of this technology is further driving the rapid adoption of virtualized computing from the desktop to the data center. As new vendors enter the space and attempt to differentiate their products, many are creating confusion with their marketing claims and terminology. For example, while hardware assist is a valuable technique that will mature and expand the envelope of workloads that can be virtualized, paravirtualization is not an entirely new technology that offers an “order of magnitude” greater performance.

While this is a complex and rapidly evolving space, the technologies employed can be readily explained to help companies understand their options and choose a path forward. This white paper attempts to clarify the various techniques used to virtualize x86 hardware, the strengths and weaknesses of each, and VMware’s community approach to develop and employ the most effective of the emerging virtualization techniques. Figure 1 provides a summary timeline of x86

virtualization technologies from VMware’s binary translation to the recent application of kernel paravirtualization and hardware-assisted virtualization.

SQL Server Performance in a VMware Infrastructure 3 Environment

by VMware on 11/11/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/SQLServerWorkloads.pdf

This performance study clearly demonstrates that VMware Infrastructure 3 provides an excellent production-ready virtualization platform for customers looking to deploy Microsoft SQL Server inside virtual machines. Furthermore, together with virtualization-based distributed infrastructure services such as VMotion, VMware High Availability, and VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler, VMware Infrastructure 3 can provide increased serviceability, efficiency, and reliability for your SQL Server deployments. This should offer transformative cost savings to your dynamic data center.

iSCSI Design Considerations and Deployment Guide

by VMware on 11/05/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/iSCSI_design_deploy.pdf

With the release of VMware Infrastructure 3, VMware added ESX Server support for iSCSI storage. With rapidly increasing adoption rates, many VMware customers requested iSCSI as an option for storage virtualization and are now deploying it as a lower cost alternative to Fibre Channel SANs. This paper is intended to help you understand the design considerations and deployment options for deploying VMware Infrastructure 3 using iSCSI storage. The first section provides an overview of iSCSI terminology, benefits, and limitations. The second section provides a high-level overview of the VMware iSCSI implementation using either a software initiator or a hardware initiator. The third section provides a detailed set of deployment steps covering both software and hardware initiator options. The paper concludes with two appendices that provide software versus hardware initiator iSCSI performance test results and details on command line options for managing iSCSI from the ESX Server host. This paper highlights trade-offs and factors to consider when deploying iSCSI storage to support VMware Infrastructure 3. It is a complement to, not a replacement for, VMware product documentation.

The Roadmap to Virtual Infrastructure: Practical Implementation Strategies

by VMware on 09/20/2007 @

http://download3.vmware.com/elq/pdf/wp_roadmaptovirtualinfrastructure.pdf

The paper provides recommendations to provide IT management with the most salient best practices and implementation strategies to get started and to accelerate a successful roll out of virtualization technology. These guidelines are based on experiences and best practices accumulated by many of our leading customers and partners.

OVF Open Virtual Machine Format Specification

by VMware on 09/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ovf_spec_draft.pdf

The Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF) describes an open, secure, portable, efficient and extensible format for the packaging and distribution of (collections of) virtual machines.

The Open Virtual Machine Format Whitepaper for OVF Specification

by VMware on 09/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ovf_whitepaper_specification.pdf

The Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF) specification is a hypervisor-neutral, efficient, extensible, and open specification for the packaging and distribution of virtual appliances composed of one or more VMs. It aims to facilitate the automated, secure management not only of virtual machines but the appliance as a functional unit. For the OVF format to succeed it must be developed and endorsed by ISVs, virtual appliance vendors, operating system vendors, as well as virtual platform vendors, and must be developed within a standards-based framework.

VMware Infrastructure and CA XOsoft's WANSyncHA: Building a DR System

by VMware on 08/19/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vi_xosoft.pdf

You can combine two very powerful solutions, VMware Infrastructure and CA XOsoft's WANSyncHA, to provide a multi-layered disaster recovery solution that covers a wide array of contingencies, is extremely cost-effective, and provides an unusually high degree of robustness and simplicity.

Best Practices for Setting Up VMware ACE 2.0 Enterprise Edition

by VMware on 08/20/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_best_practices.pdf

VMware ACE 2.0 Enterprise Edition enables you to apply corporate IT policies to a virtual machine containing an operating system, enterprise applications, and data to create a secure, isolated PC environment known as an “ACE virtual machine.” This technical note explains how to set up VMware Workstation with ACE option pack to most efficiently create and manage ACE masters.

Pocket ACE Guide

by VMware on 08/18/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/pocket_ace_technote.pdf

The purpose of this technical note is to provide an in-depth view of Pocket ACE, a new feature of VMware ACE 2 Enterprise Edition. This guide is intended for architects or administrators looking for more information about Pocket ACE and how it might be used in their environments. This guide covers the steps required to create an ACE master, policy, and package for deploying Pocket ACE instances.

Disaster Recovery Virtualization: Protecting Production Systems Using VMware Virtual Infrastructure ...

by VMware on 08/17/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/DR_VMware_DoubleTake.pdf

This paper describes the use of VMware virtualization and NSI Doubletake replication technology to implement a DR solution. The paper educates the reader about using the virtualization technology to protect physical environment in primary data centers and also talks about benefits of P2V and V2V DR.

Optimized Backup and Recovery for VMware Infrastructure with EMC Avamar

by VMware on 08/13/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware_and_Avamar_Backup.pdf

This document provides technical details for the different methods of backup and recovery of VMware Infrastructure using EMC Avamar software. It gives a brief overview of VMware Infrastructure and EMC Avamar, outlines the architectural requirements for each method, and reviews advantages and key considerations to consider.

VMware Virtual Networking Concepts

by VMware on 07/29/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virtual_networking_concepts.pdf

VMware Infrastructure 3 provides a rich set of networking capabilities that integrate well with sophisticated enterprise networks. With virtual networking, you can network virtual machines in the same way that you do physical machines and can build complex networks within a single ESX Server host or across multiple ESX Server hosts, for production deployments or development and testing purposes. This guide is for VMware Infrastructure 3 users who want a clearer understanding of the basic design of the networking capabilities in VMware Infrastructure 3 and how that design affects deployment in the datacenter.

VMware Virtual Machine File System: Technical Overview and Best Practices

by VMware on 07/25/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmfs-best-practices-wp.pdf

The VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) is a high performance cluster file system that allows virtualization to scale beyond the boundaries of a single system. This paper gives a technology overview of VMFS, including a discussion of features and their benefits. The paper highlights how VMFS capabilities enable greater scalability and decreased management overhead. It also provides best practices and architectural considerations for deployment of VMFS.

Layers of Virtual Storage in VMware VI3: Configuration without Confusion

by VMware on 07/25/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/storage-layers-wp.pdf

Provisioning storage for a virtual environment requires navigating several layers of abstraction, making it desirable to view this as a stack in order to follow the complete path successfully. The purpose of this paper is to define the options, choices and terms that can help trace the route through this complex set of dependencies.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Performance on VMware® ESX Server 3

by VMware on 07/09/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Virtualizing_Exchange2003.pdf

This paper discusses the performance and scalability of Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 when deployed within virtual machines running under VMware ESX Server 3.01.

Using MSCS to Cluster VirtualCenter

by VMware on 06/21/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/VC_MSCS.pdf

This document describes the use of Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) to provide high availability for VirtualCenter. This capability is available in VirtualCenter 2.x starting with VirtualCenter 2.0.1 Patch 2. You can implement the clustering architecture described in this paper whether VirtualCenter runs on a physical server or in a virtual machine.

Networking Performance in Multiple VMs

by VMware on 06/05/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Multi-VM_Network_Performance.pdf

Scaling and performance of VMware ESX Server 3.0.1 and XenEnterprise 3.2.0 are measured by running a heavy networking load simultaneously in each of several uniprocessor virtual machines. The results are also compared with a single SMP native machine running the same total load.

Using a Network Appliance SAN with VMware Infrastructure 3 to Facilitate Server and Storage Consolid...

by Network Appliance on 05/30/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_netapp_consolidation_wp7018.pdf

This paper describes the real-world experiences of a customer that reduced its x86 server count by 60% and decreased overall operating costs.

Performance Tuning and Benchmarking Guidelines for VMware Workstation 6

by VMware on 05/08/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/WS6_Performance_Tuning_and_Benchmarking.pdf

This book provides guidance in obtaining the best possible performance using VMware Workstation 6.0, both in a production environment and when running benchmarks.

Multi-NIC Networking Performance in ESX 3.0.1 and XenEnterprise 3.2.0

by VMware on 04/30/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Multi-NIC_Performance.pdf

In this paper, we characterize the virtualization overheads of virtual machines by measuring the performance under heavy networking in a uniprocessor virtual machine.

Managing VMware VirtualCenter Roles and Permissions

by VMware on 04/16/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vc_roles.pdf

This paper introduces you to the way Virtual Infrastructure 3 controls access to resources and describes techniques you can use to assign appropriate access rights efficiently. It explains the concept of roles, provides information to help in the design of custom roles, and gives recommendations for how to work with roles and privileges in VirtualCenter.

Running VirtualCenter in a Virtual Machine

by VMware on 04/03/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vc_in_vm.pdf

Running VirtualCenter in a virtual machine is fully supported by VMware to the same degree as if it were installed on a physical server. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines on how to deploy VirtualCenter in a virtual machine, including sizing, installation, functionality, and configuration of VMware HA.

SAN System Design and Deployment Guide

by VMware on 03/19/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_san_design_deploy.pdf

This guide, or “cookbook,” describes how to design and deploy virtual infrastructure systems using VMware Infrastructure 3 with SANs (storage area networks). It describes SAN options supported with VMware Infrastructure 3 and also describes benefits, implications, and disadvantages of various design choices.

VirtualCenter Monitoring and Performance Statistics

by VMware on 03/19/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_monitoring_statistics_note.pdf

This document lists the metrics available for monitoring from VirtualCenter. It includes guidelines for setting the Statistics Collection Level, and indicates the types of metrics available for each level.

VirtualCenter 2.x: Using Database Views

by VMware on 02/14/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vc_dbviews_2x.pdf

This document describes the relationships of the provided database views in your VMware VirtualCenter database. This document does not describe how to create or use database views. This document describes the database views for VirtualCenter version 2.x.

Security Design of the VMware Infrastructure 3 Architecture

by VMware on 02/22/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_security_architecture_wp.pdf

VMware Infrastructure 3 is one of the most secure and robust virtualization platforms available. VMware has both the technology and the processes to ensure that this high standard is maintained in all current and future products. This document discusses the architecture of VMware Infrastructure 3, focusing on the security aspects of the design.

VMware Infrastructure 3 Security Hardening

by VMware on 02/21/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_security_hardening_wp.pdf

This paper provides recommendations for steps you can take to ensure that your VMware Infrastructure 3 environment is properly secured. It also explains in detail the security-related configuration options of the components of VMware Infrastructure 3 and the consequences for security of enabling certain capabilities.

A Performance Comparison of Hypervisors

by VMware on 01/31/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/hypervisor_performance.pdf

This paper provides a quantitative and qualitative comparison of two virtualization hypervisors available for the x86 architecture — VMware ESX Server 3.0.1 and open-source Xen 3.0.3 — to validate their readiness for enterprise datacenters.

Performance Tuning Best Practices for ESX Server 3

by VMware on 01/25/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi_performance_tuning.pdf

The paper provides a list of performance tips that cover the most performance-critical areas of Virtual Infrastructure 3 (VI3). The intended audience is system administrators who have already deployed VI3 and are looking to maximize their performance.

Deploying Microsoft Exchange in VMware Infrastructure

by RapidApp on 01/18/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/exchange_best_practices.pdf

Deploying Microsoft Exchange in VMware Infrastructure offers many advantages, including higher availability,simplified recovery, and more efficient use of resources. This paper discusses best practices for running Exchange 2003 in a VMware Infrastructure environment, in the areas of servers, virtual machines, storage, and implementation. In addition, a case study shows an example architecture, and the Appendix provides some sample metrics for Exchange performance.

Replacing VirtualCenter Server Certificates

by VMware on 12/19/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi_vcserver_certificates.pdf

This Technical Note provides information about replacing the default certificates supplied with VirtualCenter Server hosts.

VDI -- A New Desktop Strategy

by Foedus on 12/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vdi_strategy.pdf

VDI allows IT administrators to host and administer user desktops on Virtual Infrastructure in the datacenter. Users access their desktop using a remote desktop protocol. While sharing similarities with other computing models, VDI offers many new and compelling benefits for increasing manageability, performance, and security of user desktops/PCs. This paper compares VDI to other user management strategies and highlights VDI’s benefits for particular use cases.

Configuring Management Agents for ESX Server 3.0.1

by VMware on 10/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx30_cfg_mgmt_tools.pdf

This technical note describes how to configure the selected management agents for use with ESX Server 3.0.1: Dell OpenManage 5.1 agents, HP Insight Manager 7.6.0 agents, and IBM Director 5.10.3 agents.

Scaling IBM DB2 in VMware Infrastructure 3 Environment

by VMware on 10/09/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/db2_scalability_wp_vi3.pdf

This white paper characterizes the performance of a web-based OLTP workload using IBM DB2 9 and running in VMware Infrastructure 3 environment. The results described in this paper support the conclusion that running IBM DB2 in VMware virtual machines can provide an effective production ready platform for hosting multiple virtualized OLTP workloads.

Improving Scalability for Citrix Presentation Server

by VMware on 10/22/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_citrix_scalability.pdf

This white paper presents data showing the number of Citrix sessions you can sustain when running Citrix Presentation Server 4.0 inside a virtual machine, and then measures scalability with 1, 2, 4 and 8 VMs. For ESX 3, engineering improved Citrix performance in a virtual machine and we want to showcase those gains, as well as present best practices for performance.

Ready Time Observations

by VMware on 10/31/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_ready_time.pdf

To achieve best performance in a consolidated environment, you must consider ready time — the time a virtual machine must wait in a ready-to-run state before it can be scheduled on a CPU. This paper provides information to help you understand the factors that influence ready time on an ESX Server 3.0 system.

Using VMware Infrastructure for Backup and Restore

by VMware on 10/26/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_backup_wp.pdf

This white paper describes what resources should be backed up on an ESX Server system and explains the options available for that backup, including advantages and disadvantages of each option. The paper also offers some recommendations based on these trade-offs.

This paper applies to VMware Infrastructure 3. The corresponding paper for ESX Server 2.x is available at http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/237

Recommendations for Aligning VMFS Partitions

by VMware on 08/01/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_partition_align.pdf

Partition alignment is a known issue in physical file systems, and its remedy is well-documented. The goal of the testing reported in this paper was to validate the assumption that unaligned partitions also impose a penalty when the partition is a VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMware VMFS) partition.

This paper lists a summary of the results of our testing, recommendations for VMware VMFS partition alignment, and the steps needed to create aligned VMware VMFS partitions.

The Role of Memory in VMware ESX Server 3

by Kingston on 10/23/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_memory.pdf

The memory management capabilities of VMware ESX Server 3.0 provide a unique and sophisticated way to maximize the usage of physical memory within a single box. For many workloads, memory is the limiting factor, and effective memory management enables more virtual machines to share a single server, increasing ROI for consolidation. Advances in virtualization, CPU, and memory technology make the addition of memory one of the most effective investments for maximizing the utilization of an ESX Server host.

Patch Management for ESX Server 3

by VMware on 09/06/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_esxupdate.pdf

The VMware ESX 3 Server software maintenance tool, esxupdate, is a utility that efficiently updates VMware ESX Server hosts. Use it to install software updates, enforce software update policies, and track installed software. The benefits of this mechanism include smaller distribution downloads, atomic updates, ability to automate update deployment, selectability by update classification, and automatic dependency resolution.

SAN Conceptual and Design Basics

by VMware on 10/03/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_san_cfg_technote.pdf

To use ESX Server effectively with a SAN, you’re expected to be familiar with the SAN technology. This white paper offers a brief introduction to some basic SAN concepts, but doesn'’t aim to be an exhaustive source of information on SANs.

Enabling Active Directory Authentication with ESX Server

by VMware on 10/02/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_esxcfg_auth_tn.pdf

This document provides information about how to configure ESX Server to use Active Directory for authentication.

This paper applies to VMware Infrastructure 3. The corresponding paper for ESX Server 2.x is available at http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/429

The Portable Datacenter

by VMware on 09/25/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/portable_datacenter.pdf

Using VMware technology as a foundation, Smartronix, a global professional solutions provider,created a complete datacenter that is self-contained and easily transported to any location at a moment’s notice. This paper documents the architecture of this portable datacenter solution.

VMmark: A Scalable Benchmark for Virtualized Systems

by VMware on 09/24/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmmark_intro.pdf

This paper presents VMmark, a novel benchmark for quantifying the performance of virtualized environments. VMmark is designed as a tile-based benchmark consisting of a diverse set of workloads commonly found in the datacenter. The workloads comprising each tile are run simultaneously in separate virtual machines at load levels that are typical of virtualized environments. The performance of each workload is measured and then combined with the other workloads to form the score for the individual tile. Multiple tiles can be run simultaneously to increase the overall score.

VMware ESX Server Using EMC Symmetrix Storage Systems

by EMC on 09/19/2006 @

http://www.emc.com/techlib/pdf/300-003-507_a01_elccnt_0.pdf

This solutions guide describes integration of the VMware ESX Server with EMC Symmetrix networked storage systems—and software including EMC Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) and EMC TimeFinder local replication software. Topics covered include installation, setup, configuration, and best practices; how TimeFinder can be used with VMware ESX; and how SRDF can be leveraged with VMware ESX Server to provide business restart processing.

Double-Take Replication in the VMware Environment

by VMware on 09/18/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_doubletake.pdf

This technical white paper talks about the way Double-Take's replication solution can be used in VMware environment. It also talks about a customer experience and lists a few example scenarios.

Using VMware ESX Server with 3PAR Utility Storage to Optimize Virtual Computing Deployments

by VMware on 10/15/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_3par_util_stor.pdf

This whitepaper discusses the cost of over-provisioning servers and storage in an IT infrastructure, and how this unnecessary cost can be reduced and even eliminated through combining server virtualization technology and utility storage. The combination of VMware ESX Server and 3PAR Utility Storage results in a powerful virtualized utility computing platform.

VMware ESX Server Using EMC CLARiiON Storage Systems

by EMC on 08/28/2006 @

http://www.emc.com/techlib/pdf/H2197_VMWare_ESX_CLARiiON_Stor_Syst_ldv.pdf

This solutions guide describes integration of the VMware ESX Server with EMC CLARiiON networked storage systems—and software including EMC SnapView, EMC MirrorView, and EMC SAN Copy. Download this guide for detailed information and instruction on how CLARiiON storage systems and software enhance VMware functionality by providing capabilities to efficiently grow, clone, and/or remotely replicate virtual environments.

Planning an Upgrade to VMware Infrastructure 3

by VMware on 10/15/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_upgrade_plan.pdf

Because of the breadth of the changes in VMware Infrastructure 3, environments that currently run ESX Server 2.x and VirtualCenter 1.x must be upgraded with procedures that utilize special capabilities designed into the product. This guide aims to help IT administrators and architects understand the upgrade process and plan for it appropriately.

VDI Server Sizing and Scaling

by VMware on 08/24/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vdi_sizing_vi3.pdf

VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a server-based computing offering that provides desktop environments as an enterprise hosted service. VDI allows administrators to maintain and manage all user applications, data, and environments in the centrally located data center.

This white paper describes the testing methodology, results, and analysis and sizing guidelines for setting up Virtual Desktop Infrastructure using VMware Infrastructure 3.

Fast Transparent Migration for Virtual Machines

by VMware on 04/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/usenix_vmotion.pdf

This paper describes the design and implementation of a system that uses virtual machine technology to provide fast, transparent application migration. This is the first system that can migrate unmodified applications on unmodified mainstream Intel x86-based operating system, including Microsoft Windows, Linux, Novell NetWare and others. Neither the application nor any clients communicating with the application can tell that the application has been migrated. Experimental measurements show that for a variety of workloads, application downtime caused by migration is less than a second.

Memory Resource Management in VMware ESX Server

by VMware on 12/08/2002 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/usenix_resource_mgmt.pdf

This paper introduces several novel ESX Server mechanisms and policies for managing memory. A ballooning technique reclaims the pages considered least valuable by the operating system running in a virtual machine. An idle memory tax achieves efficient memory utilization while maintaining performance isolation guarantees. Content-based page sharing

and hot I/O page remapping exploit transparent page remapping to eliminate redundancy and reduce copying overheads. These techniques are combined to efficiently support virtual machine workloads that overcommit memory.

Virtualizing I/O Devices on VMware Workstation’s Hosted Virtual Machine Monitor

by VMware on 06/24/2001 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/usenix_io_devices.pdf

This paper focuses on VMwareWorkstation’s approach to virtualizing I/O devices. This paper studies the virtualization and performance of an Ethernet adapter on VMware Workstation. Results indicate that with optimizations, VMware Workstation’s hosted virtualization architecture can match native I/O throughput on standard PCs.

An Analysis of Disk Performance in VMware ESX Server Virtual Machines

by VMware on 10/26/2003 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/wwc_performance.pdf

This paper studies the performance of a key component of the ESX Server architecture: its storage subsystem. We characterize the performance of native systems and virtual machines using a series of disk microbenchmarks on several different storage systems. We show that the virtual machines perform well compared to native, and that the I/O behavior of virtual machines closely matches that of the native server. We then discuss how the microbenchmarks can be used to estimate virtual machine performance for disk-intensive applications by studying two workloads: a simple file server and a commercial mail server.

A Comparison of Software and Hardware Techniques for x86 Virtualization

by VMware on 08/08/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/asplos235_adams.pdf

The main technical contributions of this paper are (1) a review of VMware Workstation’s software VMM, focusing on performance properties of the virtual instruction execution engine; (2) a review of the emerging hardware support, identifying performance trade-offs; (3) a quantitative performance comparison of a software and a hardware VMM.

Using VMware ESX Server with IBM WebSphere Application Server

by VMware on 08/20/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/partners/vmware/ESX_WAS_WP.pdf

This paper looks at the best practices when running VMware ESX Server and IBM WebSphere Application Server on a large symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) server to achieve the best application performance (throughput and response time). Our tests concluded that the use of VMware software is an excellent option for those wanting to run WebSphere Application Server in a virtualized SMP environment.

Improving Guest Operating System Accounting for Descheduled Virtual Machines in ESX Server 3.x Syste...

by VMware on 08/20/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_esx_vmdesched.pdf

This document explains how to install and monitor VMDesched on Linux and Windows guest operating systems. It also describes timer interrupt virtualization issues resolved by VMDesched and how VMDesched works.

When installed, the VMDesched component provides two key benefits:

• Improved accuracy for guest operating system CPU time accounting when physical CPU resources are overcommitted.

• Improved guest operating system timekeeping with respect to real time.

The experimental VMware Descheduled Time Accounting component, VMDesched, is an optional new component of VMware Tools. VMDesched is available starting with ESX Server 3.0.

VMware ESX Server: Third-Party Software in the Service Console

by VMware on 08/02/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_3p_scvcons.pdf

In general, VMware recommends that users avoid running third-party software in the VMware ESX Server service console. Clear exceptions to this policy are software packages explicitly identified in ESX Server compatibility guides. This technical note outlines the reasons for this recommendation and guidelines developers should follow when writing software to run in the ESX Server service console.

Running Microsoft Exchange Server in a Virtual Machine Using ESX Server 2.5

by VMware on 07/21/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/exchange_esx25_wp_eng.pdf

This white paper provides lab-tested guidance for implementing an enterprise messaging system using Microsoft Exchange messaging products and VMware ESX Server 2.5.

The paper provides referential and prescriptive guidance to enable a customer or solution provider to adequately plan, build, deploy, and operate an enterprise messaging system that results in the following benefits to an organization:

• Availability to meet the service level agreements (SLAs)

• Security to meet the business requirements

• Scalability to meet the projected business volumes

• Predictable and reliable performance from pre-tested implementations

• Reduced implementation time, cost, and operational risk, leading to a faster time to benefit

Configuring VMware ACE as the Primary Desktop Environment: Sample Registry File

by VMware on 10/06/2005 @

http://download3.vmware.com/software/ace/ace-secure-template.reg.txt

The sample registry file to accompany the technical note Configuring VMware ACE as the Primary Desktop Environment, which explains how to configure VMware ACE and a host computer so the virtual machine running in VMware ACE is the primary desktop environment.

VMware ESX Server Ethernet-based Storage Configuration

by VMware on 06/15/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/iscsi_storage_esx.pdf

This technical note examines key issues in configuring iSCSI storage with virtual machines running on an ESX Server system.

HCL: I/O Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.x

by VMware on 01/03/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_io_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server Software delivers high performance I/O for PCI-based SCSI, RAID, Fibre Channel, and Ethernet controllers. To achieve high performance, these devices are accessed directly through device drivers in the ESX Server host, and not through a host operating system as with VMware Workstation and GSX Server products.

VMware certifies that specific systems and components are compatible with ESX Server software. Through the VMware Preferred Hardware Partner Program, ESX Server software works with leading server vendors to ensure that appropriate configurations of their current and future server products are certified.

HCL: Backup Software Compatibility for ESX Server 3.x

by VMware on 12/20/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_backup_guide.pdf

This is not an exhaustive list of all backup software packages and versions that are compatible with ESX Server software, but it represents those servers that VMware or its partners have tested with the current release of ESX Server software.

HCL: Systems Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.x

by VMware on 01/03/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_systems_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server is tested for compatibility with a variety of major guest operating systems running in virtual machines. Additionally, VMware ESX Server is tested for compatibility with currently shipping platforms from the major server makers in pre-release testing. Our goal is to support a variety of storage and network adapters used as standard options for these platforms as they come to market.

HCL: Storage Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.x

by VMware on 01/09/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_san_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server 3.x has been tested and deployed in a variety of storage area network (SAN) environments. This guide describes the combination of HBAs (host bus adapters) and storage devices currently tested by VMware and its storage partners.

Streamlining Patch Testing and Deployment

by VMware on 06/15/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/gsx_landesk.pdf

Using VMware GSX Server with LANDesk Management Suite to improve patch deployment speed and reliability.

Using Clones to Streamline Development

by VMware on 06/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ws5_clones_technote.pdf

Use Workstation 5, with its linked clones and multiple snapshots features, to set up a repository of clean development environments in a series of virtual machines and then quickly clone and download a desired setup in minutes.

Development in Multitier Configurations with Workstation Teams

by VMware on 06/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ws5_teams_technote.pdf

Use Workstation 5, with its teams feature, to set up an entire three-tier configuration for development and testing, virtually, on a single physical machine.

Performance Benchmarking Guidelines for VMware Workstation 5.5

by VMware on 04/14/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/WS55_Benchmarking_Guidelines.pdf

This white paper provides guidance in implementing benchmark tests using VMware Workstation 5.5. It addresses benchmarking methodology, configuring for performance, ensuring “apples-to-apples” comparisons, and avoiding common pitfalls.

Building Virtual Infrastructure with VMware VirtualCenter

by VMware on 07/29/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi_wp.pdf

This paper demonstrates how adopting virtual infrastructure helps organizations drive costs out of their infrastructure, respond faster to business needs and increase consistency of operations.

VirtualCenter Technical Best Practices

by VMware on 07/19/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vc_technical_best.pdf

This presentation provides an overview of VirtualCenter product components, system requirements, the VirtualCenter database, authentication, sample configurations, and VMotion considerations.

Comparing the MUI, VirtualCenter, and vmkusage

by VMware on 03/18/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/mui_vmkusage2.pdf

This paper compares three VMware performance tools and highlights where the values of the output can differ, focusing on CPU and memory statistics.

Performance Problem Report Check List

by VMware on 04/08/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_checklist1.0.pdf

This paper presents a check list that VMware Support uses to iteratively eliminate potential performance issues until the system is running optimally.

Using vmkusage to Isolate Performance Problems

by VMware on 03/23/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_using_vmkusage.pdf

This paper introduces vmkusage and describes how to use it to analyze and isolate ESX performance problems.

ESX Performance Tips and Tricks

by VMware on 02/07/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_performance_tips_tricks.pdf

This paper provides several useful tips for tuning and troubleshooting your ESX Server machine.

Using esxtop to Troubleshoot Performance Problems

by VMware on 12/23/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_using_esxtop.pdf

This paper describes the process for troubleshooting a suspected performance problem at the virtualization layer (i.e., the ESX Server layer) using the esxtop tool.

Representing Physical Machines in the Virtual World

by VMware on 12/23/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_machine_representation.pdf

This paper describes the process for troubleshooting a suspected performance problem at the machine representation layer (i.e., virtual machine layer).

Isolating Performance Problems

by VMware on 12/23/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_isolating_performance.pdf

This paper provides an overview of the process used to troubleshoot performance problems in the ESX Server environment.

ESX Server Architecture and Performance Implications

by VMware on 08/03/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_performance_implications.pdf

This paper uncovers ESX Server software architecture and provides insights into the techniques used for efficient resource control. It also describes advanced scheduling configuration options and performance tools for measuring system resource utilization.

NIC Bonding and VLANs on IBM BladeCenter

by VMware on 08/10/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx21_IBM_NIC_VLAN.pdf

This paper covers topics including load balancing, failover only mode, and switch failover mode.

Configuring and Installing HP Blade Servers

by VMware on 04/28/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx21_HP_blade.pdf

This paper helps you maximize your ESX Server experience on HP blade servers.

Configuring and Installing IBM BladeCenter

by VMware on 03/31/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx21_IBM_blade.pdf

This paper helps you maximize your ESX Server experience on IBM blade servers.

Login Using Active Directory

by VMware on 03/02/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_authentication_AD.pdf

This document explains how to use a Microsoft Windows 2000 Active Directory domain as an authentication source.

This paper applies to ESX Server 2.x. The corresponding paper for VMware Infrastructure 3 is available at http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/582

Login Using Windows NT

by VMware on 05/13/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_authentication_NT.pdf

This document explains how to use Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with domain as an authentication source in the ESX Server 2.1 environment.

Using VERITAS NetBackup DataCenter

by VMware on 03/24/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/veritasnetbu.pdf

This technical note describes basic procedures for using VERITAS NetBackup DataCenter version 4.5 to backup VMware ESX Server files.

Using AnywhereUSB to Connect USB Devices

by VMware on 03/01/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_anywhereusb2.pdf

AnywhereUSB enables a virtual machine running on VMware ESX Server to send USB data through its standard Ethernet interface over an Ethernet or wireless IP network to nearly any USB device.

Providing LUN Security

by VMware on 03/10/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_lun_security.pdf

VMware ESX Server provides strong security and performance isolation for virtual machine storage. This technical note describes the underlying mechanisms and some configuration differences between physical and virtual environments as they relate to SAN storage.

Virtual to Physical Documentation and Sample Configurations

by VMware on 06/18/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/support/v2p/index.html

The V2P Technical Note details how a customer can convert an existing virtual machine to a physical machine using third party tools.

Converting Image Files into Virtual Machine Disks

by VMware on 07/13/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/p2v_thirdpartyimage.pdf

This technical note describes how to create virtual disks, with or without operating systems, using third party tools, compatible with VMware virtual machines.

P2V Assistant Tested Hardware

by VMware on 05/24/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/p2v_hardware.pdf

Listing of systems, SCSI / RAID controllers, NICs, and Fiber Channels tested against P2V.

VMware Infrastructure 3: Pricing, Packaging and Licensing Overview

by VMware on 06/02/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi_pricing.pdf

Simplifying how customers purchase, deploy and get support for VMware data center products, the VMware Infrastructure 3 product suite introduces significant changes to pricing, packaging and licensing for all products included in the suite.

HCL: VMware ESX Server Supported Backup Tools

by VMware on 10/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/support/esx25/doc/backup_tools_links.html

Links to ESX Server 2.5 supported backup clients.

HCL: VMware ESX Server 3.x and 2.5.x Supported System Management Clients

by VMware on 12/18/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/support/esx25/doc/sys_mgmt_links.html

This document lists the links to ESX Server 3.x and 2.5 supported system management clients.

HCL: Backup Software Compatibility for ESX Server 2.x

by VMware on 10/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_backup_guide.pdf

This document describes the specific backup packages tested by VMware.

HCL: SAN Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 2.x

by VMware on 11/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_SAN_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server has been tested and deployed in a variety of SAN environments. However, in practice, because every customer's device combination, topology, and configuration are unique, VMware recommends that VMware professional services be engaged to install and configure the initial ESX Server installation in your SAN environment.

This paper describes in detail the combinations of HBAs and storage devices currently tested by VMware and its storage partners.

HCL: I/O Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 2.x

by VMware on 11/07/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_io_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server delivers high performance I/O for PCI-based SCSI, RAID, Fibre Channel, and Ethernet controllers. To achieve high performance, these devices are accessed directly through device drivers in the ESX Server machine and not through a host operating system as with VMware Workstation and GSX Server products.

HCL: Systems Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 2.x

by VMware on 12/11/2007 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_system_guide.pdf

VMware ESX Server has an architecture that delivers high performance I/O for PCI- based SCSI, RAID, Fibre Channel, Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet adapters, as well as internal RAID controllers. These high performance devices are accessed directly through device drivers in the ESX Server machine and not through a host operating system as with VMware Workstation and GSX Server products.

VMware ESX Server is tested for compatibility with a variety of major guest operating systems running in virtual machines. Additionally, VMware ESX Server is tested for compatibility with currently shipping platforms from the major server makers in pre-release testing. Our goal is to support a variety of storage and network adapters used as standard options for these platforms as they come to market.

VMware ESX Server 3: 802.1Q VLAN Solutions

by VMware on 06/04/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_vlan_wp.pdf

This white paper provides an overview of VLAN concepts and benefits and illustrates three possible ESX Server and virtual machine VLAN configurations. It then compares the advantages

and disadvantages of the three possible configurations and recommends some best practices. The paper also includes configuration samples for both ESX Server and the external physical switches and concludes with a list of frequently asked questions.

VMware Infrastructure 3 architecture

by VMware on 06/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi_architecture_wp.pdf

This paper describes the architecture of VMware Infrastructure, beginning with the elements that make up its physical topology, followed by the virtual, or logical, view of VMware Infrastructure where the relationships between the virtual architectural elements and the physical world are explored. Lastly, the architectures of two core VMware Infrastructure components are discussed in further detail.

Tips and Tricks for Implementing Infrastructure Services on ESX Server

by Foedus on 06/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/tips_tricks_infrastructure_services.pdf

The purpose of this paper is to provide advice on leveraging key features of VMware Infrastructure for deployment of infrastructure services for system administrators who are new to VMware Virtual Infrastructure. This paper is intended for system administrators who are new to VMware Infrastructure. The recommendations are applicable to small or mid size companies. Recommendations and examples will illustrate what can be accomplished using the VMware Infrastructure platform.

Foedus is a leading provider of Virtualization Infrastructure technologies and services to companies worldwide, specializing in helping organizations utilize emerging technologies to solve their critical business challenges. By offering a unique combination of consulting talent and implementation expertise, Foedus enables companies to realize a measurable return on their VI investment.

VirtualCenter 2: Template Usage and Best Practices

by Foedus on 06/04/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vc_2_templates_usage_best_practices_wp.pdf

This document will focus on the use of virtual machine templates in VMware Infrastructure 3. Virtual machine template functionality was redesigned in VMware Infrastructure 3 which includes VirtualCenter 2. In this context, a virtual machine template (usually referred to as simply a template) is a reusable image created from a virtual machine. The template, as a derivative of the source virtual machine,typically includes virtual hardware components, an installed guest operating system (with any applicable patches) and software application(s). New to VirtualCenter 2 is the ability to keep templates current with OS and application updates.

Foedus is a leading provider of Virtualization Infrastructure technologies and services to companies worldwide, specializing in helping organizations utilize emerging technologies to solve their critical business challenges. By offering a unique combination of consulting talent and implementation expertise, Foedus enables companies to realize a measurable return on their VI investment.

File / Print / DNS Servers: Getting Started with Virtual Infrastructure

by Foedus on 06/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/file_print_dns_wp.pdf

In this white paper, we will discuss the value of adding virtual infrastructure to the organization to support various staple services such as File and Printing services and DNS. Leveraging VMware ESX Server's iSCSI support, virtual file servers reach new capabilities while keeping costs affordable at the same time. The scalability of virtual networking support in VMware ESX Server 3.0 lends itself especially well in high-bandwidth scenarios when coupled with new processor technology from Intel. New features of ESX Server 3.0 such as clustering, consolidated backup and Distributed Availability Services mean you can ensure 100% availability of file and printing services without the complicated setup of Windows clusters or 3rd party products.

Foedus is a leading provider of Virtualization Infrastructure technologies and services to companies worldwide, specializing in helping organizations utilize emerging technologies to solve their critical business challenges. By offering a unique combination of consulting talent and implementation expertise, Foedus enables companies to realize a measurable return on their VI investment.

Consolidated Backup in VMware Infrastructure 3

by VMware on 06/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_consolidated_backup.pdf

VMware Consolidated Backup offloads backup tasks from ESX Server systems to one or more dedicated backup proxies, thus reducing the load on the ESX Server systems and improving manageability. It provides highly flexible backup and restore capabilities, from full image backups (for any guest operating system) to full and incremental file-based backups (for Microsoft Windows guest operating systems).

This white paper provides a brief introduction to VMware Consolidated Backup.

VMware HA: Concepts and Best Practices

by VMware on 01/02/2008 @

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMwareHA_twp.pdf

This paper describes the use of VMware HA to system and server administrators and IT architects. The paper addresses the important details of the VMware HA architecture and expounds on configuration and implementation topics and how to avoid configuration issues. This paper also discusses various ways that network and storage can be configured and how the choices affect the levels of availability. Troubleshooting and special issues like isolation and maintenance mode are also discussed. Key best practices like basic networking dos and don'ts and advanced VMware HA options and when to use them are explained as well.

Resource Management with VMware DRS

by VMware on 06/05/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_drs_wp.pdf

VMware® Infrastructure 3 provides a set of distributed infrastructure services that make the entire IT environment more serviceable, available and efficient. VMware DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler) dynamically allocates and balances computing capacity and virtual machine placement with resources pooled from multiple ESX Server hosts.

This white paper provides an architectural and conceptual overview of VMware DRS and describes how you can use DRS to simplify provisioning of applications, achieve higher levels of resource utilization, and better align use of IT resources with business priorities.

Extending Your Patch Management Framework: Technical Note

by VMware on 06/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_custom_patch.pdf

This technical note explains how to use VMware ACE to extend the patch management

framework that has been adopted by your company.

(script )

Integration with Active Directory

by VMware on 06/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_active_directory.pdf

This technical note explains how to set up Active Directory to use with VMware ACE.

Custom Authentication: Technical Note

by VMware on 06/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_simple_authenticate.pdf

This technical note explains how to write a simple script to authenticate remote

VMware ACE users.

(script )

Managing Guest Workers

by VMware on 05/26/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_guest_mgmt.pdf

This technical note explains how to use VMware ACE to manage personal computers for guest workers, such as contractors, who routinely use their laptop computers both at work and at home to access the corporate network.

Managing Remote Access

by VMware on 02/13/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_remote_mgmt.pdf

This technical note explains how to use VMware ACE to manage remote access through VPN to a corporate network.

Best Practices for Setting up VMware ACE

by VMware on 02/13/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_best_practices.pdf

This technical note explains how to set up VMware ACE Manager and most efficiently manage your VMware ACE projects.

Configuring VMware ACE as the Primary Desktop Environment: Technical Note

by VMware on 10/06/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_primary_desktop_20051006.pdf

This technical note explains how to configure VMware ACE and a host computer so

the virtual machine running in VMware ACE is the primary desktop environment.

(sample registry file )

Virtual Machine Encryption Basics

by VMware on 01/17/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ace_encrypt_bg.pdf

This technical note provides an introduction to the encryption used in VMware ACE. VMware ACE gives administrators the option of enhancing the security of virtual machines they distribute to end users by encrypting key data and configuration files.

Storage Subsystem Performance in VMware ESX Server: BusLogic Versus LSI Logic

by VMware on 04/04/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ESX2_Storage_Performance.pdf

This white paper compares the performance of virtual BusLogic and virtual LSI Logic SCSI drivers within VMware ESX Server for a variety of data sizes and access patterns.

ESX Server Performance and Resource Management for CPU-Intensive Workloads

by VMware on 02/14/2006 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ESX2_CPU_Performance.pdf

This white paper describes the methods available for allocating and managing resources among ESX Server virtual machines. The paper then examines benchmark results run with various system configurations to illustrate the effects and benefits of using these different scaling and resource allocation methods.

Reference and Capacity Planning with Citrix Presentation Server (for ESX Server 2)

by VMware on 03/09/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_citrix_planning.pdf

This guide recommends architecture designs for users implementing Citrix in a VMware environment. It outlines the advantages of deploying Citrix Metaframe operating in virtual machines running on VMware ESX Server.

Reference & Planning for Virtualizing Citrix

by VMware on 02/22/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_citrix.pdf

This provides reference and capacity planning for Citrix Presentation Server in a VMware ESX Server Environment.

Hyper-Threading Support in ESX Server 2.1

by VMware on 04/13/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx21_hyperthreading.pdf

This paper explains the changes that an administrator can expect to see when running ESX Server on a Hyper-Threading Technology (HT) system.

Best Practices for ESX Server 2

by VMware on 11/04/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_best_practices.pdf

This paper recommends specific deployment guidelines to maximize the ease of use of ESX Server in your environment.

Systems Management

by VMware on 12/06/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ESX2SysMgt.pdf

This technical white paper provides an overview of the systems management options possible with VMware ESX Server 2.

NUMA Support for ESX Server 2

by VMware on 06/10/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_NUMA.pdf

This whitepaper describes how the mainframe-style partitioning of VMware ESX Server 2 and the NUMA system design of the IBM Enterprise X-Architecture complement and support each other.

VMware ESX Server 2: 802.1Q VLAN Solutions

by VMware on 12/10/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_vlan.pdf

This white paper provides an overview of VLAN concepts and benefits and illustrates three possible ESX Server and virtual machine VLAN configurations.

Security

by VMware on 09/24/2004 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_security.pdf

This paper describes how VMware provides for security in the ESX Server environment.

CLARiiON Integration with VMware ESX Server

by EMC on 09/14/2006 @

http://www.emc.com/techlib/pdf/H1416_emc_clariion_integration_vmware_wp_ldf.pdf

This technical overview highlights the clustering and VMotion capabilities of the VMware ESX Server when connected to a CLARiiON storage system.

Best Practices Using VMware Virtual SMP

by VMware on 07/12/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsmp_best_practices.pdf

This paper provides an overview of Virtual SMP and outlines recommendations for deploying virtual machines with more than one virtual CPU on VMware ESX Server.

Timekeeping in VMware Virtual Machines

by VMware on 08/01/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware_timekeeping.pdf

This paper describes how timekeeping hardware works in physical machines, how typical guest operating systems use this hardware to keep time, and how VMware products virtualize the hardware.

Backup, Restoration, and Disaster Recovery

by VMware on 11/11/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx_backup_wp.pdf

Backup, restoration, and disaster recovery are among the most crucial elements of datacenter management. VMware ESX Server System and VMware Virtual Infrastructure provide many different capabilities. This paper describes what resources should be backed up on an ESX server and explains all the options available for that backup.

This paper applies to ESX Server 2.x. The corresponding paper for VMware Infrastructure 3 is available at http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/610

NSI Double-Take and VMware ESX Server & GSX Server Virtual Machines

by VMware on 10/07/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/nsi_doubletake_esxgsx.pdf

This document describes how VMware products can be used with Double-Take from NSI Software to provide solutions for challenging high availability and disaster recover cases.

Please see updated paper for VMware Infrastructure 3 at: http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/560

Using IBM® TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server FlashCopy Function with the VMware ESX 2.5 Server

by VMware on 10/07/2005 @

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ibm_flashcopy_esx.pdf

In the current information age, the amount of data is increasing exponentially, and storing and managing this vast amount of data is critically important. As part of their data backup strategy, companies are increasingly replicating their data using point-in-time solutions such as FlashCopy® for ESS.

Rodos · ‎01-24-2009

Version 19

Added xpnet Performance White Paper

Added Java in Virtual Machines on VMware ESX: Best Practices

Added VMware ThinApp 4 Reviewer’s Guide