Missing VMs in large Web Access list with vCenter4 and IE7?

[chouse]

Has anyone noticed in the Web Access side of vCenter, that some VMs are missing from the list if there are a large number of VMs? I have all 750 of my VMs in one folder and when my Service Desk staff logs in to the vCenter Web Access (WebAccess?) page using IE7, some of the VMs are missing from the list and as the list loads (it takes a minute or so), IE7 will prompt the user to stop a Javascript which may be causing the browser to perform slowly.

I have tested using Firefox 3.5 and Google Chrome and they do not have this problem - all VMs are listed. The large list loads a little faster and no prompts about slow running Javascripts are displayed.

Is this just because IE is garbage or what?

I assume if I broke the large list down in to numerous folders, that IE might perform better, but then my staff has to expand each folder looking for a particular VM. A search function would be nice.

This was not a problem in VirtualCenter 2.5's WebAccess. Just since upgrading to vCenter 4. Not even an upgrade, this is a new install.

[RParker]

Well if you have ALL the VM's in one list, there may be a limit to the number of items in a single list. Also you can move VM's and set permissions differently, So the folder permissions are not the same as VI.

but I don't see a problem with missing VM's on Web Access.

Also not to defend IE, but java is the SAME engine for ALL browsers, IE doesn't use a separate engine for java. It may still have a flaw, but don't get me started on isues with Google Chrome, that is garbage.. and FireFox is nice, but I can pinpoint flaws with each of them... So don't go bashing IE.

[chouse]

I have not heard of a limit on the number of items per folder, and my permissions for the staff are set at this folder level. I don't want to divide up the VMs in to separate child folders because then the staff would have to expand each one to find the VM they need to deal with.

The problem isn't Java, it's Javascript which is implemented differently in IE compared to Firefox and Google Chrome and I can repeatedly show that the list is complete in FF or Chrome, but not IE. Unfortunately we are mandated to use IE, so that's why I'm asking.

[RParker]

I don't want to divide up the VMs in to separate child folders because then the staff would have to expand each one to find the VM they need to deal with

Well that's not really true. You can set permissions for your groups, so when they log in they get access to their VM's, and they don't need to expand the list, they will see a list you assigned via a folder. Managing ALL VM's in a huge list isn't very efficient, and since you know IE has trouble with a LONG list, then using folders is probably your only option.

[chouse]

Sorry, one group manages all 750. I may just give them the vCenter client. Thanks.

[RParker]

> Sorry, one group manages all 750

Even if that's true there MUST be some semblance of sub-division within your organization, does your ORG chart fork only once as well?

There MUST be a difference in Windows (2003, 2008) maybe division in products (test, development, production).

Think if you were a user, would you want to SCROLL an entire list of 750 VM's or click a couple expansion VM's? I think if you actually ask your users, they will provide a solution, rather than mandating what they use, have you tried asking them what they want?

I doubt very seriously they would approve of a LONG list.. even a couple of sub divided folder is easier, even if it means simply splitting the list in half...

[chouse]

These are virtual desktops. The service desk staff has permissions to power on/reset/view console. They use Web Access to reset desktops when users call in with problems. There is no division in these desktops. The only way to divide them up would be alphabetically. Regular users do not use Web Access, only service desk staff. I am not the one mandating IE, and I'm also not going to split up these desktops in to arbitrary folders because the crappy browser does not function as well as others.

This was not a problem with VI3 WebAccess, so either the WebAccess implementation got more complicated or IE got more sucky. They're used to the long list because they can hit CTRL+F and type in part of the name to quickly find it in the list. If they were in folders, this would not be possible.

You sound a bit grumpy today. Don't presume anything about me or my organization. I am not some n00b VMware user.

[chouse]

As I was preparing to update to vCenter 4 U1, I noticed on the release notes for both the base release and U1 that Web Access is labeled "experimental". So I just rolled out the vSphere Client to those that were using the webpage and that is working much more nicely (especially with linked-mode)