08 novembre 2009

vCheck (Daily Report) V3

Initially when I started this script I wanted people to be clear that this was a report that was going to give you a daily summary of any issues which may exist in your Virtual Infrastructure, from the beta testing I did to a select few it was clear that they were expecting this to send them a full inventory of their infrastructure.

That wasn’t the point in this script and I think people now have the idea that this is more of an issue log than an audit script so I will now revert to my original name of…. vCheck.

The key thing to remember is that if an issue does not exist in a particular area then it will not show in the output, when and if issues turn up they will start appearing in the output almost like magic !

I want to thank everyone who is using this script and those who have left a comment, even if its just to say how much you like it !

I especially want to thank Raphaël SCHITZ (http://www.hypervisor.fr/) for all his contributions, he has added some great features to this version and helped me take it to a new level.

The previous version already reported on these areas:

• General Details
  • Number of Hosts
  • Number of VMs
  • Number of Templates
  • Number of Clusters
  • Number of Datastores
  • Number of Active VMs
  • Number of Inactive VMs
  • Number of DRS Migrations for the last days

• Snapshots over x Days old
• Datastores with less than x% free space
• VMs created over the last x days
• VMs removed over the last x days
• VMs with No Tools
• VMs with CD-Roms connected
• VMs with Floppy Drives Connected
• VMs stored on local datastores
• VMs with CPU ready over x%
• VMs with over x amount of vCPUs
• List of DRS Migrations
• Hosts in Maintenance Mode
• Hosts in disconnected state
• NTP Server check for a given NTP Name
• NTP Service check
• vmkernel warning messages ov the last x days
• VC Error Events over the last x days
• VC Windows Event Log Errors for the last x days with VMware in the details
• VC VMware Service details

So what is added to V3 ?

Well firstly I have fixed some bugs which existed in V2 and made things slightly faster.

The other added features are as below:

• Status report to screen whilst running interactively
• At the top of the script you can now turn off any areas you do not want to report on (this makes it faster to run)
• VMs on Local storage has been changed to report VMs stored on datastores attached to only one host
• VM active alerts
• Cluster Active Alerts
• If HA Cluster is set to use host datastore for swapfile, check the host has a swapfile location set
• Host active Alerts
• Dead SCSI Luns
• VMs with over x amount of vCPUs
• vSphere check: Slot Sizes
• vSphere check: Outdated VM Hardware (Less than V7)
• VMs in Inconsistent folders (the name of the folder is not the same as the name)
• Added the number of issues to each title line

As always please let me know if you have any comments, I already have some great ideas that I could not fit into this version so watch out for V4 !

Also a reminder that this script also checks your Windows vCenter server for services and event logs, it does this via WMI and therefore needs the correct permissions, there is still an area at the top of the script which you can give alternate credentials from the account that is running the script if needed.

If your new to this script and would like more details on how it looks or how to run it please check this post.

The script can be downloaded from here

http://www.virtu-al.net/2009/11/04/vcheck-daily-report-v3/

PCoIP, Ca donne quoi ?

Alors, PCoIP, ça donne quoi ?

Le protocole PCoIP Teradici va être intégré nativement dans la prochaine version du client léger de VMware View. et c'est juste impressionnant !
Dans la hard copy ci-dessus, je regarde une vidéo sur la VM restée à mon bureau, au travers d'un VPN sur une Box ADSL 4Mb/s. Mon portable est connecté à cette box en WIFI. Le débit mesuré sur ce dernier est de 80 Ko/s !!!! La vidéo est fluide avec une qualité moyenne et le son passe ... Inutile de dire que ça va résoudre pas mal de soucis rencontrés sur les clients légers avec toutes les applications graphiques.

http://ds45.blogspot.com/2009/11/alors-pcoip-ca-donne-quoi.html

How to access USB and Other PCI Devices in VMware ESXi4 VMs with VMDirectPath

Introduction to VMDirectPath

Although hardware independence is fundamental to many of the advantages of virtualization it also creates a problem when you need to connect a specific hardware device to a virtual machine. Although SCSI passthrough has been available in ESX for some time accessing other types of device, especially USB, has always required alternative solutions such as USB over IP hubs. With the release of vSphere4 VMware have introduced a new feature called VMDirectPath I/O which allows up to two PCI(e) devices on the host server to be connected to a Virtual Machine. Officially this is provided to reduce the latency and hence improve the performance of devices such as 10Gb NICs and Host Bus Adapters, in fact only a handful of such devices are supported by VMware. However in fact pretty much any PCI(e) device can be connected, just bear in mind that VMware will not help with any problems you may encounter

--> The rest is on :

http://www.petri.co.il/vmware-esxi4-vmdirectpath.htm

Mistakes when configuring your Hyper-V environment

I came across some interesting tips on things to consider in a virtualized environment by Greg Shields (Consultant and Microsoft MVP).
They are non-issues (or settled issues) on physical environments and you might overlook them when making the transition to virtual machines.

Here's a summary to get you interested:

• Screensavers
• Managing from the console
• AV on VM disk files
• Power options
• Cluster Failback
• RAM availability
• Backup for CSV
• Number of processors

Here are the links to the actual articles:

• http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid94_gci1365989_mem1,00.html

• http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid94_gci1372408_mem1,00.html

http://blogs.technet.com/josebda/archive/2009/11/05/mistakes-when-configuring-your-hyper-v-environment.aspx

[MsDays09] - Hyper-V v2 et System Center : la virtualisation en action

Cette session vous permettra de découvrir toutes les nouvelles fonctionnalités apportées par Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V dans le domaine de la virtualisation de serveurs. Déplacement à chaud des machines virtuelles, améliorations des performances de la plateforme, scénario de virtualisation des postes de travail et bien sûr l'administration de l'ensemble à l'aide de System Center et tout particulièrement System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 et Operations Manager 2007 R2. La session à ne pas manquer !

Accéder à la vidéo

Télécharger la présentation

http://blogs.technet.com/windows7/archive/2009/11/06/msdays09-hyper-v-v2-et-system-center-la-virtualisation-en-action.aspx

29 octobre 2009

VMware France inaugure ses 'sessions privées' avec VDI

J'ai trouvé formidable ce mail qui m'est parvenu aujourd'hui avec pour thème une présentation en 'session privée' à des utilisteurs finaux le dernier né de la gamme VDI : View 4. Vous noterez que ça n'empiète pas du tout sur les sujets abordés lors du prochain meeting du groupe utilisateur VMware France ... qui se déroulera une semaine plus tard. N'aurait-ce pas plutôt été le lieu pour l'annoncer ? Les leaders du groupe apprécient en connaisseurs .....

Pour accompagner ses clients dans leurs choix technologiques, VMware lance ses "Sessions Privées". Ces rencontres en petit comité vous accueilleront avecvos pairs d'autres organisations ou avec vos collègues, selon qu'il s'agisse d'une session multi-clients oud'une session privée réservée à votre entreprise.

Pour cette première "Session Privée", nous vous proposons de partager avec quelques autres grandes entreprises et les experts VMware, vos premières impressions surla nouvelle solution VMware pour le poste de travail virtuel.

Cette session de lancement aura lieule Jeudi 19 Novembre 2009 à Paris.

Dans un format réduit d'une demi-journée, vous découvrirez comment VMware View participe à la transformation de votre informatique en apportant une nouvelle dynamique pour vos utilisateurs. Présentation des résultats chiffrés (source IDC) sur le ROI de VMware View, annonce et démonstration de la nouvelle génération VMware View vous attendent lors de cette Session Privée

http://ds45.blogspot.com/2009/10/vmware-france-inaugure-ses-sessions.html

Virtualisation : Oracle se réveille!!

Vu sur Virtuanews : Oracle VM commence à être pris au sérieux

Il y a à peine six mois, lors du Salon Solutions Linux & Open Source 09, Kuassi Mensah, porte parole Oracle venu s’exprimer lors d’une table ronde sur la virtualisation aux côtés de Microsoft, Sun, et Red Hat, notamment, avait presque fait sourire l’audience. A cette époque, Oracle et sa vision de la virtualisation ne semblait pas pouvoir challenger le trio de tête, VMware, Citrix, Microsoft.
Depuis, de l’eau a coulé sous les VM. Oracle a racheté coup sur coup Virtual Iron (surnommé jusque là le VMware version Open Source) et Sun (rachat pas encore finalisé).
Lors de son show annuel Open World il y a une dizaine de jours, l’éditeur a reprécisé son intention d’être un acteur significatif dans le domaine, en dévoilant Oracle VM 2.2. C’est une première véritable étape vers une solution aboutie. Cette mouture, basée sur l’hyperviseur Xen 3.4 intègre les outils de virtualisation et de management issus de Virtual Iron. Heureux ou pas, les (nombreux) utilisateurs de Virtual Iron peuvent désormais, selon Oracle, facilement migrer vers Oracle VM. Oracle VM supporte aujourd’hui Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 et 5; RHEL 3, 4 et 5; Windows Server 2008 SP1, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Pro et Windows 2000. Un post sur le blog officiel de Oracle donne moults détails sur les nouveautés. Par ailleurs, le framework Oracle VM Storage Connect, annoncé également lors de Open World est un ensemble d’APIs qui permettent la gestion du stockage. C’est un équivalent du vStorage de VMware et du Storagelink de Citrix. La version finale n’est attendue qu’avec Oracle VM 3.0, annoncée pour le premier semestre 2010.
Ralliement en masse : Et c’est là que la donne change. Oracle VM Storage Connect a suscité un bon retour de l’industrie du stockage et de la sauvegarde. HDS, HP, Netapp, Brocade, Compellent, EMC, Emulex, Falconstor, Fujitsu, IBM, Intel, LSI, Mellanox, NEC, Qlogic, Symantec, et bien évidemment Pillar ont tous annoncé lors de Open World leur compatibilité avec Oracle VM. Falconstor, par exemple, a rendu compatible avec Oracle VM sa solution de virtualisation du stockage NSS ( Network Storage Server), sa solution CDP (pour réaliser automatiquement et de manière transparente les processus de failover vers un site de reprise d’activité distant), son module ASD (Application Snapshot Director) et son module Hypertrac Backup Accelerator.

... AH BON ?

http://ds45.blogspot.com/2009/10/virtualisation-oracle-se-reveille.html

How-to enable PvSCSI and when

VMware Paravirtualized SCSI (PVSCSI driver)

Introduced with vSphere 4 this driver can speed up and offload CPU.  VMware Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) adapter is able to achieve 12% more throughput with 18% less CPU cost compared to the LSI virtual adapter.

vSphere ships with this new high performance virtual storage adapter. Bus logic and LSI logic were the only choices so far. PVSCSI is best suited to run highly I/O intensive applications in the guest more efficiently (reduced CPU cycles)

Before you activate and configure take into consideration that:

• VMware does not support PVSCSI on the operating system boot partition, VMs will need to be configured with separate virtual disks(.vmdk) for the boot drive and the data drive. It means that the only way you can use PVSCSI is on your DATA drives.
• You can’t use PVSCSI on a VM which is configured for Fault Tolerance protection. (BTW if the VM has FT enabled, it can’t use VMXNET3 either…). See the requirements and limitations of FT here.

The actual step-by-step for Windows you can follow here or Linux here.

Some good read about PVSCSI and separating the Boot and Data partitions you can find on Rich Brambley’s blog as well

For some more documentation and(or) how-to, some more links:

• VMware KB article

For linux VM:

• Southbrain.com
• vmadmin.nt.com (01)
  
• vmadmin.nt.com (02)

For Windows VMs:

• blog.petecheslock.com
• Scott Lowe

vSphere Performance whitepaper (VMware)
What’s new in vSphere Storage whitepaper (VMware)

http://www.vladan.fr/how-to-enable-pvscsi-and-when/

vSphere v4.? Beta coming up…

VMware employee Michael Adams just revealed that there’s a beta program for new features or a new release of vSphere.

We are looking for beta participants to test out some new vSphere features currently in development. Interested? If so, contact your VMware account team for further details.

Unfortunately there are no details disclosed at this point in time and of course I can’t comment… I suggest everyone to contact their local account team and try to be part of this beta program! There are some great new features being developed at the moment and participating in this beta is definitely worth it!

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/10/28/vsphere-v4-beta-coming-up/

Upcoming Webcasts on Best Practices for Virtualizing MS Server Applications

We’ve got some great webcasts coming up in the next few weeks to discuss recommendations for virtualizing MS server applications and the benefits of choosing hyper-V + System Center as your virtualization solution.  Each technical webcast will focus on a specific server application- Exchange, SQL and SharePoint.   Please see below for detailed information.

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Virtualization Best Practices for SQL Server (Level 300).

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 at 10am Pacific time

Virtualizing business critical applications will deliver significant customer benefits including cost savings, enhanced business continuity and an agile and efficient management solution.  This session will focus on virtualizing SQL Server using Microsoft solutions, the benefits over key competitors such as VMware, and guidance for virtualizing SQL server for Production and Test/Dev scenarios focusing on consolidation, scale, load balancing, dynamic provisioning and high availability. We will go into technical details with best practices. Customer evidence and results from lab deployment tests will also be discussed.

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Virtualization Best Practices for Exchange Server (Level 300)  Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 10am Pacific time

Virtualizing business critical applications will deliver significant customer benefits including cost savings, enhanced business continuity and an agile and efficient management solution.  This session will focus on virtualizing Exchange using Microsoft solutions, the benefits over key competitors such as VMware, and guidance for virtualizing Exchange for various Production scenarios. We will go into technical details with best practices. Customer evidence and results from lab deployment tests will also be discussed.

http://blogs.technet.com/virtualization/archive/2009/10/27/upcoming-webcasts-on-best-practices-for-virtualizing-ms-server-applications.aspx