Latest News from Sidney Smith

Another great job by the VMware Performance Team!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:07:54 EDT

I just stumbled upon a fresh post by Hal Rosenberg, a Performance Engineer from VMware. Its a great doc, titled Performance Troubleshooting for VMware vSphere 4. It has some great flowcharts and steps to take to come to a root cause analysis for performance issues. Although it is written for vSphere 4, much of the [...]

The Science of VMware and the Art of Photography

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:18:20 EDT

While attending VMworld this year, I participated in Greg Lato’s VMworld 2009 Portrait Project. Greg works days for VMware and freelances as a photographer. I can barely maintain one blog, Greg has two. Latoga Labs chronicles his vocation and Latoga Photography chronicles his art. Below are a couple of great examples of his art. Even [...]

VMworld 2009: Hey VMware / Moscone WTF?!? My Rant

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:30:03 EDT

First off, I want to say that this is my first time in San Fransisco. It seems to be a great city, but I don’t have time to do any site-seeing. The Moscone Center, although small compared to the Las Vegas venues, seems to be able to accommodate all of the sessions. Somehow, the [...]

VCDX and VCP4

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:04:16 EDT

Monday was my first day at VMworld. I didn’t attend any sessions, but I did defend a design for my VCDX and I took the VCP4 Certification test. After that, I tried to attend the View Advanced Config and Troubleshooting Lab, but the line was huge, even for registered users. The one nice thing about [...]

VMworld 2009 - Blogging, Tweets and the “Ask a vExpert” Booth

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:17:47 EDT

Well, VMworld 2009 is almost upon us! I have an ungodly schedule for next week. I start the S&M with a nice refreshing VCDX Design Defense bright and early Monday morning at the VMware San Fransisco office. Then, its off to the SF Mariott for a relaxing sit by the VCP 4.0 Exam engine. Of [...]

Behind the Scenes Photos of VMworld Data Center

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:01:15 EDT

Two words: Holy Crap! http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/08/an-awesome-peek-behi... Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d1560').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:0.5}) });

More on Cisco UCS, HP Matrix and ITaaS

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EDT

I just finished reading Project California: a Data Center Virtualization Server - UCS (Unified Computing System) from Cisco. It gave an excellent take on Cisco’s view of how UCS benefits a datacenter. It also explains how new technologies from Intel, QLogic and Emulex all complement the Cisco gear. As a matter of fact, the first [...]

Keep it simple stupid - registering unregistered vm’s

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:22:04 EDT

Last week my boss came to me and asked if I could write a script for a customer to register VM’s after being replicated from once VI environment to another. I agreed to take on the project and go for it. Like everything I do these days I decided to use powershell to write the script. [...]

Changes to the ESX Service Console and ESX vs. ESXi…again

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:39:25 EDT

A whitpaper was posted in the VMTN communities Thursday outlining the differences between the ESX 3.x and ESX 4.x service console. It further offers resources for transitioning COS based apps and scripts to ESXi via the vSphere Management Assistant and the vSphere CLI. Also mentioned briefly was the vSphere PowerCLI. If you are a developer [...]

Stevie’s Unified Event Management, My Cloud Shangri-La

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:06:29 EDT

If you know Steve Chambers you know he just moved to Cisco. Before that, he was with VMware and has been a pillar of the VI:OPS boards. He is now working on a document about Unified Event Management and in the spirit of community, he is looking for comments, suggestion, etc. He called my attention [...]

What’s New with Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:00:54 EDT

As many of you know, Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 is the (soon to be released) second release of Microsoft’s free hypervisor. This is the version of Windows Server 2008 that is a free download – no license needed. It’s locked into a Server Core installation, capable of only running the Hyper-V role. There’s some new [...]

Discounted Exams Available at VMworld

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EDT

VMware just set up some discounted certification exams at VMworld. It just gives you another reason to go! Hi all, VMware will be providing onsite exam services at this year’s VMworld. The exams available are the VCP on VI3, VCP on vSphere 4 and the VCDX Enteprise Administration and Design Exams. Both VCP exams can be taken [...]

VI3 ATDG Available as a free download now!

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:11:05 EDT

Just like they did with the Advanced Technical Design Guide for VI2, Scott, Mike and Ron are releasing the VI3 ATDG today. I read it when it was first released and it is a great reference. Go get some -> http://www.vmguru.com/ Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d1494').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:0.5}) });

vSphere Service Console and Disk Partitioning

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:22:31 EDT

Everyone at this point should be aware that the Service Console is now located in a vmdk on a VMFS partition. The Service Console vmdk must be stored on a vmfs datastore and the datastore must either be local stoage or SAN storage that is only presented to the one host. So I guess no [...]

Setting up a Splunk Server to Monitor a VMware Environment

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:24:18 EDT

In a previous article, I compared syslog servers and decided to use Splunk. Splunk is easy to set up as a generic Syslog server, but it can be a pain in the ass getting the winders machines to send to it. There is a home brewed java based app on the Splunk repository of user [...]

How-To: Disable Debug Mode in Workstation 7.0 Beta

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:14:47 EDT

OK… I know the wonks at VMware will frown upon this one, but someone posted a similar hack for WS 6.5 beta, so here it is for WS 7.0 beta. I finally got around to installing the beta code this morning and immediately saw a performance issue. VMware Workstation Beta runs in debug mode by [...]

Dear VMware: Pick a Common (SUPPORTED) Virtual Appliance OS…Please….

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:17:00 EDT

One of my pet peeves is that each virtual appliance coming out of VMware is that each different virtual appliance released by them is based on a different OS. Some of these do not even have documented methods for updating the OS. We all know that no matter what OS is running on a system, [...]

VMware Workstation 7 Beta

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:55:18 EDT

Many of you have been invited to the public preview of VMware Workstation 7. If you haven’t taken the oppurtonity or haven’t been invited here is some of the main improvements that are included. VMware has changed the way the VMware tools are delivered. When you launch Workstation you will be presented with a [...]

Storage Protocol Differences and FCoE Diagrams

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:08:14 EDT

Just thought I would share these diagrams that I used in a recent training session. I used them to explain the differences in the storage protocols that may be used for a vStorage Cloud and how FCoE works. Click on the images for a larger view. The first image shows the differences between the common storage [...]

Setting up Hyper-V Linux Integration Components on SLES 10

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:15:00 EDT

After finally setting up a SLES 10 server on Hyper-V I thought I write a little how to on getting the Linux Integration components working. Microsoft includes an install doc that doesn’t really tell the whole story.

VMware Capacity Planner 2.7 - Lipstick on a Pig

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:47:06 EDT

Last week’s upgrade / outage of the VMware Capacity Planner Dashboard was a COMPLETE surprise to me. I was trying to access data on Friday with no success. Why? Because I just don’t pay attention to the notices on the front page of the dashboard. Low and behold, the Capacity Planner Dashboard is now available! [...]

VMTN: I/O Performance in vSphere, Block Sizes and Disk Alignment

Sat, 30 May 2009 10:34:25 EDT

Yes folks, it rears its ugly head again…Disk Alignment… If you have not read it yet, check out the whitepaper on disk alignment from VMware. First, chethan from VMware posted a great thread on VMTN about I/O performance in vSphere. The start of the thread talks about I/O, then leads into anice discussion about block size. [...]

Differences between vSwitches and dvSwitches

Sat, 30 May 2009 08:37:11 EDT

There are not huge differences between a vNetwork Standard Switch (vSwitch, vSS) and a vNetwork Distributed Switch (dvSwitch, vDS). The big thing is the concept of dvSwitches being centralized in vCenter and using the concept of compliance to assign a dvSwitch to a host. Both types of switches provide the following: can forward L2 frames can segment traffic [...]

VMware ESX Configuration Maximums Comparison Matrix

Fri, 29 May 2009 23:47:03 EDT

Have you ever needed an easy to reference way to see what the configuration maximums are for different versions of VMware ESX. I know I seem to need this all the time. I find it a huge pain to keep referring to each of the individual VMware documents to get the answers. Sometimes I also [...]

vSphere Install and Upgrade Best Practices KB Articles and Links

Thu, 28 May 2009 17:37:27 EDT

So, I use NewsGator to aggregate a BAZILLION feeds from several sources, blogs, like this one, actual news feeds and a bunch of VMware feeds. The VMware feeds are from the VI:OPS and VMTN forums. The VMTN forums allow you to create a custom feed by selecting the RSS link at the bottom right of [...]

SPLUNK! Goes the Syslog Server…

Sun, 17 May 2009 11:59:53 EDT

The use of a “syslog” server is important in today’s data center. Most network and SAN switches, along with Unix and Linux servers are capable of sending logging information to a syslog server. The obvious reason for a syslog server is to centralize all of your logs. This enables you to troubleshoot issues more efficiently. [...]

Go Virtual, Get Green, Save Money, & Be a Hero!

Wed, 13 May 2009 14:17:07 EDT

In this tough economy many companies are scrambling to virtualize to cut costs and promote a green environment. Others would like to but with budgetary constraints and freezes they just can’t get the funding to take on a VMware virtualization initiative. Even with the promises of ROI on their horizon once they do so it [...]

Pre-order Scott Lowe’s “Mastering VMware vSphere 4″ Here

Mon, 11 May 2009 08:30:22 EDT

Pre-order Scott Lowe’s “Mastering VMware vSphere 4″ Here Mastering VMware vSphere 4 Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d1300').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:0.5}) });

We are writing a VMware book for O’Reilly Publishing!

Fri, 08 May 2009 18:56:22 EDT

We are writing a book. That’s right O’Reilly’s publishing has signed us to write a book about VMware virtualitation. Dave Convery, Myself(Sid Smith), and Mike Burke whom hasn’t yet posted any blogs on DailyHypervisor (hint hint Mike….. )will be authoring this masterpiece. I don’t want to quote a title yet because it may change [...]

Microsoft Hyper-V and Linux…is it a match made in heaven?

Thu, 07 May 2009 18:00:07 EDT

Microsoft has recently launched an initiative through it’s interoperability division to prove Hyper-V can compete in the Linux realm. Microsoft has partnered with Novell to provide Hyper-V support for SUSE Linux (SLES 10). Expanding on this support Novell has built a Systems Center Configuration manager Management Pack for SLES 10. This management [...]

VMware vSphere Upgrade Path Overview

Tue, 05 May 2009 09:24:11 EDT

Many of you are wonder how you will go about upgrading to VMware vSphere when it is release. Well I’m here to say don’t worry. The upgrade path from ESX 2.x & 3.x is very painless and fairly simple. A lot of you will remember all the phone you have had in [...]

Just some more vSphere information

Tue, 05 May 2009 08:11:26 EDT

Here is some information about vSphere that I thought would be good to share with the world. As with everything else this is just a drop in the bucket. I’m currently working on putting together some upgrade videos and screenshots so take a look back and hopefully I will have them done by [...]

Get Hal’s PowersHell Book Here!

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:12:24 EDT

This is just a shameless plug to try selling books on DailyHypervisor.com…As you already know, Hal Rottenberg has written a book called “Managing VMware Infrastructure with Windows PowerShell TFM” Get it here: Managing VMware Infrastructure with Windows PowerShell TFM Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d1254').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:0.5}) });

Installing VMware ESX 4 in Text Mode

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:40:53 EDT

There are many reasons to install VMware ESX in text mode. The main reasons I use text mode are that it seems quicker for me and text mode responds better when using remote console connections, such as iLo, DRAC or console over IP. Previous versions of VMware used a text mode that incorporated Anaconda and [...]

VI4 Certification News

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:16:38 EDT

From the VMware Certification Site: Certification News: VMware Certified Professional on vSphere™ 4 With the launch of vSphere™ 4, a new certification will be available. The VMware Certified Professional (VCP) on vSphere™4 beta exam will be available 30 days post GA. Candidates eligible for the beta exam will be contacted directly by VMware. There are four possible paths to [...]

FLASH: ESX 4 Console OS is REALLY a VM this time!

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:12:16 EDT

While I was setting up ESX in text mode for my next blog post, I discovered that the installation sequence first creates a VMFS file system and then creates a VMDK file for the console OS. I confirmed it in the VIC. Here is a screen shot: Click to enlarge image I also noticed that the logs [...]

Running VMware ESX 4 RC in a VMware 6.5.2 VM.

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:24:35 EDT

I just set up another quick VI4 lab on my laptop for the purposes of capturing screen shots and testing some things out. I was worried because I was not able to start VMs in this lab using ESX 4 Beta 2, but everything is fine again! Here is a screen shot of a Winders [...]

VMware vSphere 4 under the covers - First Look

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:36:26 EDT

Tuesday April 21st VMware announced they will be releasing vSphere 4 by the end of 2nd quarter. This is exciting news for many looking to take advantage of some of the new features available with this release. In this post I’m going to walk through a handful of some of these new features. [...]

VMware Partner Exchange Technical Notes

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:50:54 EDT

Below are some notes that I took from the VMware Partner Exchange technical sessions that I attended. I left off the BCDR Workshop because it will become a separate post. Upgrade and Migration Tips: This session was conducted by Mustafa Kahlil, who is probably THE senior SE at VMware. He has over 10 years with the company [...]

VMware Partner Exchange Notes - Keynotes

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:40:44 EDT

Here are some breif notes from VMware Partner Exchange. I will also post about some of the technical sessions. I am not going to regurgitate the keynotes. The content will be available soon on Partner Central and there are several blogs that have plenty of information from the keynotes. I will however provide some highlights: Partner [...]