Falconstor created two slapstick movies (part 1 & II) about data protection and posted them on YouTube. Never lose valuable data again. FalconStor data protection solutions, including the new VMware-certified FalconStor CDP Virtual Appliance for VMware, ensure continuous availability and complete protection. No matter what IT issues you face, FalconStor will make it seem as if it never happened.
Friday, November 9. 2007
As if it never happened
The Best Damn Server Virtualization Book Period
Server Sprawl and escalating IT costs have managers and system administrators scrambling to find ways to cut costs and reduce Total Cost of Ownership of their physical infrastructure. Combining software applications onto a single server, even if those applications are from the same software vendor, can be dangerous and problems hard to troubleshoot. Virtualization allows you to consolidate many servers onto a single physical server reducing hardware, electrical, cooling, and administrative costs. These virtual servers run completely independent of each other so if one crashes the other are not affected. Planning and implementing a server consolidation is a complex process. This book details the requirements for such a project, includes sample forms and templates, and delivers several physical to virtual migration strategies which will save both time and costs. Readers of this book will easily be able to plan and deploy VMware, Microsoft Virtual Server, and Xen.
Key Features:
- Create a virtual network to exchange information or provide a service to other virtual machines or computers.
- Use virtualization to support removable media such as CD or DVD optical disks.
- Reduce server costs, administration overhead, and complexity .
About the Author
David Rule Jr. (VMware VCP, VAC, MCP, Citrix CCEA, CCA) is a Senior Consultant for Choice Solutions LLC, an Overland Park, KS-based systems integrator that provides IT design, project management, and support for enterprise computing systems. Davids primary role is in developing virtualization strategies for Choice Solutions clients.
Product Details
Paperback: 500 pages
Publisher: Syngress (November 23, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597492175
ISBN-13: 978-1597492171
How to reset the ILO password on your ESX server
All the ESX servers I’m managing will be moved to a data centre next month. Since I never bothered to configure the ILO board, I faced a potential problem. When the servers are at a location where I can’t sit down behind a real console I must use ILO instead. You can configure the ILO board when you reboot your server and press <F8> but then all your VM’s will be out of the air. The other way is installing hponcfg in the service console.
First you have to download three rpm files.
hponcfg-1.6.0-1.linux.rpm
hpasm-7.7.0-115.rhel3.i386.rpm
hprsm-7.7.0-99.rhel3.i386.rpm
Then copy those three files with WinSCP to the tmp folder of your server console.Logon to your service console and install the rpm files using the following command.
[root@esxhost tmp]# rpm -ihv hponcfg-1.6.0-1.linux.rpm hpasm-7.7.0-115.rhel3.i386.rpm hprsm-7.7.0-99.rhel3.i386.rpm
After that we have to activate hpasm and hprsm (cmasm2d will fail) .
# hpasm activate
# /opt/compaq/hprsm/hprsm activate
==============================================================================
NOTE: New cma.conf entries were added to the top of /opt/compaq/cma.conf
==============================================================================
Starting HP Lights-Out Drivers and Agents (hprsm): cpqriisd cmasm2d cmarackd
Starting cpqriisd:[ OK ]
Starting RIB agent (cmasm2d):[FAILED]
Starting Rack agent (cmarackd):[ OK ]
Create a test.xml file and copy it to your tmp folder.
<RIBCL VERSION="2.0">
<LOGIN USER_LOGIN="Administrator" PASSWORD="anytext">
<USER_INFO MODE="write">
<MOD_USER USER_LOGIN="Administrator">
<PASSWORD value="vmware2007"/>
</MOD_USER>
</USER_INFO>
</LOGIN>
</RIBCL>
Execute the following command and your password is vmware2007.
[root@esxhost tmp]# hponcfg -f test.xmltest.xml
Firmware Revision = 1.22 Device type = iLO 2 Driver name = cpqci
Script succeeded
You can find additional XML files to configure other ILO options here.
Continue reading "How to reset the ILO password on your ESX server" »Thursday, November 8. 2007
Eric Sloof is presenting at the Dutch VMUG
With only one month ahead of us the Dutch VMUG event in getting closer and closer. One of the presenters on this day (December the 7th) is Eric Sloof. At exactly 14:15 he’s going to talk about Virtual Desktop infrastructure, in particular his presentation will take a close look at VMware VDM, the Virtual Desktop Manager that will be launched by VMware next year. When you want to attend the Dutch VMUG event, you have to be quick, there are only 30 places left. I hope to see you at the Nieuwegein Business Centre on the 7th of December.
Tuesday, November 6. 2007
Rollout: VKernel Virtual Appliance
If you're using VMware ESX extensively but haven't deployed a chargeback tool, or at minimum a system for monitoring resource consumption and available capacity, you will lack valuable ammunition come budget time. Usage measurements can justify infrastructure expansion, help recover costs, even transform IT into a profit center. The VKernel Capacity and Chargeback Virtual Appliance is ESX-specific software that reports on capacity and resource consumption. It also provides chargeback totals based on a user-defined unit cost for four core metering sources: CPU, RAM, storage and network usage. An unlimited number of custom fields are available for monitoring cooling costs, administrative services, software licensing or whatever else you can dream up. VKernel says the product can handle as many as 300 hosts, so there's definitely room to breathe. Read the complete article at the source.
Monday, November 5. 2007
VMware Marriage Tradition
Before people get married at VMware, they are traditionally dunked in a VMware fountain or pool, then forced to wear a ridiculous costume. It's training for being married. Cyehsc recorded this ritual and posted the video on YouTube.