central VM repository

[marcmarcmarc]

Hey,

i'm looking for the right tool to manage my standalone VMware machines on a central Server in my LAN.

I would like to store all images on one server manage them as far as possible and get them over an webinteface/or client interface from every computer i want....

any ideas?

thank you!

marc

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Are you using VMware Server, Workstation, ESXi or ESX? That will make a difference... However with a standalone host all the tools you need are bundled with the host. Unless the webAccess (Server, ESXi, and ESX), and VIC (ESXi and ESX) do not do as you desire. If so we would need to know exactly what is missing.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[marcmarcmarc]

thank you for that fast reply,

i'm using VM Workstation, what i want to do is to store all VM images on a central server. (I don't want to run them there)

Im looking for a software that allows me to save different versions/snapshots (Versioning of my images).

-

---

>

Another user than should be able to download or get a version in some comfortable kind of way (the whole Image on his laptop with workstation (just for presenting or sth.))

So all together i'm looking a Management Tool to manage my local used VMs.

kind regards,

marc

[marcmarcmarc]

thanks

[azn2kew]

You can use any VMware products that can create guests machines and all you need to do is enable web access component so you can manage and provision your VMs remotely anywhere with IP connectivity. We've implemented web access for our ESX environment for help desks to do minor tasks reset, restart, shutdown etc...on the VMs that assigned permission to. You can manage all your VMDK files in a centralize storage systems (iSCSI, SAN, NFS) and secure it from there. You can use VMware ESX 3.5 and VMware Workstation 6.5 to have the web interface options.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[azn2kew]

You can create snapshots and granted your users to invoke that snapshots anytime with any VMware Player, Server and Workstation loaded on their laptop/PC as long as they can browse and see the .vmdk and .vmx files that would be okay. So basically, just create the guests and secure the VMDK files in a safe location and grant them access permissions to them over the network. Allow them to add to inventory using the .vmx file and they can use it. Your best choice is using VDI solution or Lab Manager where it will grant you standard guest machines and you can check in/out anytime also automated lab management its good for test/dev programmers.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[Texiwill]

Hello,

You are looking at using VMware ACE capabilities to get this. Or some of the VMware View options (but this requires ESX). You can store your VMs centrally but you would need to build out the other bits for Workstation. Or use something like VMware Ace.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[marcmarcmarc]

thank you for the replies!

i tried ACE but it also doesn't store the VMs centrally, its just good for policy management.

So next step i would try a VM GSX Server (i think its the one on a Win or Linux Plattform?!) to store and

develop the images centrally. Is there a way to open GSX images with VM Workstation?

(Further i would like to know if there is a way to deploy these images over a web interface?)

thank you in advance...!

[Texiwill · Accepted solution]

Hello,

VMware Server (replacement for GSX) would allow you to create the VMs and then you would need to 'convert' those VMs to Workstation using VMware Converter or export the VM as OVF. Workstations allow you to import OVF. So yes you could distribute them but OVF is not part of a check out/check in process but you could combine ACE with OVF stored VMs to get what you want in some cases.

I think you are still going to have to write some of your own code for this..... VMware View w/ACE will do exactly as you want however....

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[oreeh]

GSX / Server images are compatible with Workstation / Player.

Simply copy them.