Eric Sloof

This driver enables read-only access to files and folders on partitions formatted with the Virtual Machine File System (VMFS). VMFS is a clustered file system that is used by the VMware ESX hosts to store virtual machines and virtual disk files. The VMFS driver comes with a command line interface (CLI) to mount and analyze VMFS volumes. The VMFS driver was tested on Linux and Windows based hosts, but should work on any platform that supports Java. The driver supports VMFS version 3 (VMFS3).

Volumes can now be mounted as a regular file system using a WebDAV client! The webdav command opens a VMFS volume, and serves the contents of the file system as WebDAV/HTTP. The volume can be directly mounted in most operating systems.  The WebDAV server binds on localhost (127.0.0.1) and port 50080 by default. This can be changed by optionally specifying the host IP and port to bind to. I’ve tested the driver and was able to browse the VMFS using the Internet explorer.

C:\Users\Eric Sloof\Downloads\VMFS\vmfs_r66>java -jar fvmfs.jar ssh://root:vmware@192.168.178.251/vmfs/devices/disks/vml.010000000053304d554a31335036333831333920202020202053414d53554e:5 dir /

VMware offers third‐party developers and partners the ability to extend the VMware Infrastructure Client (VI Client) with their own product‐specific menu selections, views, tabs, and toolbar icons, to provide access to external, Web‐based functionality.

These VirtualCenter Server extensions, or VC Plug‐ins, comprise the set of configuration files, URLs, icons, and Web‐server‐hosted resources that work together to display extended menu items, icons, and other user interface (UI) items in the VI Client and provide access to the external functionality.

Adding a plug‐in to the VI Client is relatively simple—the only requirement for the extended functionality is that it be available from a Web server, using a standard URL that can be accessed directly from your end‐users’ desktop machines.

I created a simple Twitter Plug-in which is available for download Twitter_plugin.xml. Just create a folder in C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Plugins and copy the Twitter_plugin.xml to that new folder. Launch your VI Client et voilá (French).

Update : I Received a tweet from @mikefoley, I got it to work.. Needed to register it. Used Powershell and it works! PowerShell registration utility for VI Client Plug-ins. 

Credits to Carter Shanklin for the XML file and the registration utility.

StarWind Software announced a free version of its iSCSI Target software will be available to help companies of all sizes experience the benefits of storage virtualization. Since 2003, StarWind iSCSI Target and StarPort iSCSI Initiator have been used by thousands of companies and users.

StarWind ISCSI Target Free Version installs on any Windows-based server and converts it into a SAN. It can also support virtual environments such as VMware ESX or VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V and can even run inside an individual VM itself. The lightweight version is built on trusted, proven and mature technology of the fourth generation StarWind Server product. One of the key features of the StarWind iSCSI Target is that it supports Server Cluster environments with Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, VMware ESX and ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V and other server solutions. The manageability, quality and performance of StarWind IP SAN encourage many users to recommend StarWind to others.

Key Features of StarWind Free Version include:

• Support for Server Clusters with VMware ESX and ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V
• Unlimited number of supported concurrent iSCSI connections
• Compression, Encryption and CHAP authentication
• iSCSI RAM disk for network performance tuning
• iSCSI CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/HD-DVD emulation
• Ease of use and simple manageability
• Support for 4 CPUs and CPU cores

The Free Version of StarWind iSCSI Target takes only a few minutes to download and install and is very simple to configure with Windows Server Clusters.

I was one of the happy few who was invited by VMware to attend the VMworld Europe 2009 in Cannes. They had a special reason to invite me. Every year I do my utmost to video blog as much as possible. This resulted in 20 new videos, which are already viewed nearly 5000 times. I had to take a rain check on some dinners I got offered. During editing, converting and uploading, it was just Wasa crackers for me. Thanks to VMware for the opportunity and of course the Flip.

On the bus to the airport with Robert Strong the Veeam Comedy Magician. Robert has been crisscrossing the world since 1985, entertaining audiences large and small, young and old, formal and casual, and everything in between! Recently voted “San Francisco’s Funniest Prop Comedian” and the “Bay Area’s Best Performer,” Robert has appeared on CBS This Morning, performed for the U.S. Congress, and taken his act to more than 30 different countries.

Robert Strong the Veeam Comedy Magician from Eric Sloof NTPRO.NL on Vimeo.

On the final day at the VMworld Europe in Cannes, Hugo and I were one of the few who are still here. As good fellow VMware vExperts do, we had dinner.  I recorded a little Flip video and also would like to congratulate Carter with his winning PowerShell session.

Dinner with Hugo Peeters, the aftermath from Eric Sloof NTPRO.NL on Vimeo.

Viktor van den Berg, Product Manager and Technical Trainer at the Xpert Training Group presented a session about the Unattended Deployment of VMware Infrastructure 3 at the VMworld Europe 2009 Cannes.

An unattended deployment of VMware infrastructure 3 reduces the time needed for installation and configuration of your VMware ESX and vCenter server(s). It also reduces the risk misconfiguration. Unattended deployment of these products will gain you a consistent configuration. At Xpert Training Group, an indepedent VMware Authorized Training Centre from The Netherlands, unattended deployments of VI-3 are used on a regular basis. In this session you will learn how to automatically deploy your ESX servers and how to connect these fresh installed ESX servers to a vCenter server. After the introduction of a step-by-step plan for unattended deployment, this session will focus on some useful scripting techniques used in a unattended deployment scenario. Expect some bash and powershell scripting in this session.

The Unattended Deployment of VMware Infrastructure 3 from Eric Sloof NTPRO.NL on Vimeo.

I asked Peter Ghostine, DVP / CTO Quest Software, Provision Networks Division, what he thinks about the VMware vClient initiative.

As part of the VMware vClient initiative, VMware has announced a strategic partnership with Teradici to include Teradici's PC-Over-IP technology as part of VMware View.

VMware will license the Teradici PC-Over-IP display protocol and will work with Teradici to co-develop and expand PC-Over-IP.

Interview with Peter Ghostine CTO Quest Software from Eric Sloof NTPRO.NL on Vimeo.

Just after completing his unattended ESX/VC install and configure session, I had a little interview with Viktor van den Berg, he did great.I have written an article about Viktor’s session which can be found at the Dutch VMUG website.

Viktor van den Berg just after his break-out session from Eric Sloof NTPRO.NL on Vimeo.

Just lifted off :-)

VMware VMworld Europe 2009 Cloud Party from Eric Sloof NTPRO.NL on Vimeo.