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forbes
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ESX3 reference card / cheat sheet

Hi everyone,

I have started to create an ESX3 reference card (or what some people call a "cheat sheet"). It's not finished yet, but I wanted to get some feedback before I go too far with it.

I see it's general purpose is for a Sys Admin (like me) who can't remember everything at 2am in the server room. However, it would probably be useful for anyone studying for their VCP or for Technical Architect types who need to know how much RAM a VM can be allocated.

Anyway, have a look over here and let me know what you think, by posting a reply in this thread:

Forbes

Message was edited by: forbes

Typo mistakes

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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forbes
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I uploaded version 0.6 today. I've added the ESX host section and there have been a couple of other small improvements.

www.vmreference.com

Let me know of anything you think I should add (or remove).

Forbes Guthrie

http://www.vmreference.com

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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GBromage
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If you've got the room, a quick summary of the esxcfg-vswitch and esxcfg-vswif commands might be useful.

Since, if there's ever a problem with VirtualCenter connectivity, it's likely those are what you're going to need.

I hope this information helps you. If it does, please consider awarding points with the 'Helpful' or 'Correct' buttons. If it doesn't help you, please ask for clarification!
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forbes
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Thanks for the comment. I was starting to think no-one was listening Smiley Wink

Absolutely. Networking and Storage will be done in the next version, and I'll definately include the basics of esxcfg-vswitch and esxcfg-vswif. If I've got the space I'd like to include a bit on what to do if your service console is trashed, i.e. delete and recreate.

However, I want to avoid it just being a command-line reference guide though. This is really meant to help the average user. If it can be done in VCI then I won't bother.

I am thinking about an additional guide for the new Remote CLI appliance for 3.5, which would detail all the commands available there. These are a subset of the full blown ESX Service Console commands, but cover the interesting ones. There's a listing on Eric Sloof's blog here

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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forbes
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Version 0.7 is done.

I've been fiddling with the networking section to get it as good as I can. This is the one section where I do need to use a few COS commands, as sometimes its the only way. I'm pretty happy with its"facts to size" ratio.

Unfortunately, I think the planned section for the common hardware management agents (IBM Director, Dell OpenManage & HP InsightManager) is going to have to be dropped. I just don't think I'm going to have space. I think I could do IBM director in 4 lines, but I'm not so familiar with the other two (anyone got any links to Dell's and HP's setups?) I'll just need to wait and see. I've still got Storage (FC, iSCSI & NFS), Resources (DRS, Resource Pools, Clusters & HA) and VCB, all to squeeze into one column. Eek.

As usual, let me know if you have any comments.

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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balacs
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

(anyone got any links to Dell's and HP's setups?)

Dell Documents can be found at www.dell.com/vmware > support documents. The user guide for OpenManage installation on ESX is at http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/solutions/installing_dell_openmanage_on_esx.pdf

Bala, Dell Inc.

Bala Dell Inc
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forbes
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Thanks balacs, I'll have a look today.

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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GBromage
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For the HP stuff, there's not a lot in it. Just copy the installation file down there, and run it.

To be honest, I think you're right not to include it. Certainly put a notation to install the server hardware management agents, but I don't think you need any more than that. If people don't know how to do it, or at least to a google search for installation instructions, then they probably shouldn't be managing a server environment in the first place.

I hope this information helps you. If it does, please consider awarding points with the 'Helpful' or 'Correct' buttons. If it doesn't help you, please ask for clarification!
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forbes
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I think you're right. I've stuck a note in the install checklist to "install hardware and backup agents as required", and I think that would be enough.

It's more a nice to have thing really; to save someone digging around, just to install an agent. I know from experience, that for the IBM one it took quite a bit of searching around to find the right documentation for the latest version. Also, its one of those things that can't be done from the VIC, which might confuse a Windows Engineer unfamiliar with Linux. In my experience, windows server guys aren't scared of the command line, but its just not obvious to them to have to chmod a script before running it.

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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forbes
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Ok, I've decided on a bit of a compromise for now. After reading the excellent pdf from Dell, I thought I would just link to these sorts of documents. I can squeeze it into the Install bit. Something like this:

• Install hardware management agents as required:

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

VMware latest tech note: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx302_cfg_mgmt_tools.pdf

Dell: http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/solutions/installing_dell_openmanage_on_esx.pdf

HP:

IBM: http://wiki01.haw.ibm.com/collaboration/wiki/display/redwiki/ESXServerinstallation

• Install backup agents as required

The IBM link is the best one I have found to date. Actually the VMware technical note is very useful and succinct.

I have tried searching on the forums here and on the HP site, but haven't found a good equivalent link. Anyone know of an HP guide for Insight manager?

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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forbes
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version 0.8 is now available:

www.vmreference.com

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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mfunger
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Thanks! As a relative newcomer, this is extraordinarily helpful. If I could give you points for being helpful, I would.

cheers!

Don't Panic.

Don't Panic.
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forbes
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Thanks mfunger,

its always nice to hear that someone finds it useful. Most of the people that get hold of this are probably old veterans of ESX, so its interesting to see if people new to it find it useful, confusing, too detailed, not detailed enough, set at too high a level or too nitty-gritty.

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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forbes
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At last. Version 0.9 is online.

I consider this to be pretty much "feature complete". I just need help

to tell me if you think there is anything inaccurate, missing or out-of

date. I will tidy up the general formatting in the meantime, but please

let me know what you all think. Once I've released version 1.0 sometime

later this week or next, I won't update it very often. So if you think

it can be improved then speak now!

I'm already thinking about what to do for the 3i guide, but I leave for

Vancouver at the end of next week, so things might slow for a few

weeks. Hopefully my next job will involve lots of VMware work again, so I can continue to create similar guides. Let me know if you have any advice here Smiley Happy

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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rsa911
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Virtuoso

Nice !

Thanks Forbes, keep up the good work

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avarcher
Commander
Commander

Hi, I followed your link and the first thing I read on 0.9 was

'DHCP is only supported on VMs if the DHCP server is accessible to the service console (vswif)'

which is quite wrong, as long as the VM is connected to a network with DHCP it can take an address.

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forbes
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Thanks avarcher. You're quiet right, I noticed that error last week when I was reveiwing that section, and couldn't remember where I got it from. I was from my notes I had taken late last year.

I just had a hunt around, and figured out where it cropped up. If you look at the Server Config Guide on page 63, it has:

NOTE DHCP is supported only if the DHCP server is accessible to the service console. In other words, the service console must have a virtual interface (vswif) configured and attached to the network where the DHCP server resides.

but this obviously relates to the service console itself. It's a bit of a strange comment to make to be honest - to use DHCP it must be on a network which can see a DHCP server.

Anyway, it's has no place where it is in the guide.

These are the sort of goof-ups that I need your expert eyes to catch. Many thanks.

Forbes Guthrie

Forbes Guthrie http://www.vReference.com vExpert
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Steve_Mc
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Very nice!

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thechicco
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Excellent stuff Forbes. I am due to take my exam very soon and these will come in very handy indeed. It makes a change to have a good deal of the 'juicy bits' on a couple of pages rather than spread over 7 or 8 pdf's Smiley Wink

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TheVirtualNut
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Top work mate....keep it going.

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