The virtualization world is going nuts talking about cloud computing and how it is going to destroy the datacenter. The possibilities are intriguing but I'm pretty sure that it could easily be a decade before people think of the cloud the same way that they look at virtualization in genenral.
I just came across this scream stream at FierceCIO.com simply mentioning the possiblity and with nothing to truly back it other than a slightly obscure report from UC Berkeley. This is certainly premature and I seriously doubt that too many CIOs and CTOs are going to ever feel very comfortable handing their datacenter over to a 3rd party regardless of the cost savings. I'm still waiting to see the Fax machine and paper disappear from the corporate world. We will continue to hold onto corporate datacenters for the same reasons. On the same note, even in the cloud your servers will be in a datacenter... Just someone else's. Read the article and my response below.
Article
http://www.fiercecio.com/story/will-cloud-kill-data-center/
My Comment:
I'd say it is premature to say that the cloud is going to kill the datacenter. What I expect we will see are some organizations taking advantage of this, primarily those who need space and have already consolidated into a virtual (VMware) environment. The cloud services as mentioned here would then allow them to upload their existing application servers that they feel comfortable with having offsite, and comfortable meeting SLAs. The corporate datacenter will go away about the same time that fax machines and paper will go away. People like things that they can touch. It makes these things more tangible and comforting when you can open the door and see the lights and hear the fans. Semantics can come to play and we can say that having servers off-site isn't part of the "traditional" datacenter, but let's check back in 3-5 years and see where this has gone. My bet is that the cloud will be used like storage rental facilities; great for when you're moving or you just need a little extra space.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
vSphere - OVF URL Issue (Am I Just Demanding?)
OK, so I haven't posted in a while and I apologize. I'll catch you up by saying that in June 2009 I took a contract position as a VMware Engineer over at CARQUEST Technology and it has been enjoyable thus far. That being said I'm hoping to get a few more posts over the coming weeks on vSphere and other technologies I am working with, such as the IBM XIV storage system.
Earlier today I logged into my vCenter 4 server to import the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA). I typed the web address... "www.vmware.com/go/importvma/vma4.ovf" and received the following error:
"An error occurred while reading the URL: Invalid URI: the format of the URI could not be determined."
To be fair I did not type in http:// as listed on the vMA site but it was disappointing to me that with all the investment that they put into making vSphere fantastic they failed to inlude a simple "IF" statement to check what the inputted string started with and add an HTTP:// if needed.
I then corrected my "error" and included the http:// and received yet another error:
"An error occurred while reading the URL: The remote server returned an error: (407) Proxy Authentication Required."
I am now 0-2 on trying to quickly add an appliance. A quick Google and VMware community search led to only one way to work around this by running the ovftool in the command line
ovftool --proxy=user:pass@proxy.example.com http://external-site.com/ovf/package.ovf
--P.22 of http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf10/ovftool_10_userguide.pdf--
It seems to me that there should be some way to input the proxy settings either from the environment or through vCenter Server. I can see where there may be some disconnect since the ovftool is separate but this really makes it difficult for me to download appliances as easily as I should in order to best take advantage of OVF based appliances and the VMware Marketplace.
Browsing through the file system led me to a module.properties file under directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\tomcat\webapps\ui\jslib-1.0.160852\modules\com.vmware.webaccess.ovf_1.0.0" in 64bit Server 2008 that contained tons of information but no presence of the word "proxy". Perhaps there is a line that can be injected on this or another settings file to eliminate the need to use command line ovftool in order to authenticate against our proxy server. I'll keep digging and update this post if I find another means to access appliances through our Proxy.
One last quick disappointing note: If you bookmark the vMA page you'll notice that the header has Assistant spelled incorrectly with an 'e' instead of the appropriate 'a'. I think in the end I'm disappointed that this appliance and mechanism for deployment isn't more polished like so many other VMware released items. In the end I've had to download the .zip to import the appliance. Not as slick and easy as it was intended to be.
Earlier today I logged into my vCenter 4 server to import the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA). I typed the web address... "www.vmware.com/go/importvma/vma4.ovf" and received the following error:
"An error occurred while reading the URL: Invalid URI: the format of the URI could not be determined."
To be fair I did not type in http:// as listed on the vMA site but it was disappointing to me that with all the investment that they put into making vSphere fantastic they failed to inlude a simple "IF" statement to check what the inputted string started with and add an HTTP:// if needed.I then corrected my "error" and included the http:// and received yet another error:
"An error occurred while reading the URL: The remote server returned an error: (407) Proxy Authentication Required."
I am now 0-2 on trying to quickly add an appliance. A quick Google and VMware community search led to only one way to work around this by running the ovftool in the command lineovftool --proxy=user:pass@proxy.example.com http://external-site.com/ovf/package.ovf
--P.22 of http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf10/ovftool_10_userguide.pdf--
It seems to me that there should be some way to input the proxy settings either from the environment or through vCenter Server. I can see where there may be some disconnect since the ovftool is separate but this really makes it difficult for me to download appliances as easily as I should in order to best take advantage of OVF based appliances and the VMware Marketplace.
Browsing through the file system led me to a module.properties file under directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\tomcat\webapps\ui\jslib-1.0.160852\modules\com.vmware.webaccess.ovf_1.0.0" in 64bit Server 2008 that contained tons of information but no presence of the word "proxy". Perhaps there is a line that can be injected on this or another settings file to eliminate the need to use command line ovftool in order to authenticate against our proxy server. I'll keep digging and update this post if I find another means to access appliances through our Proxy.
One last quick disappointing note: If you bookmark the vMA page you'll notice that the header has Assistant spelled incorrectly with an 'e' instead of the appropriate 'a'. I think in the end I'm disappointed that this appliance and mechanism for deployment isn't more polished like so many other VMware released items. In the end I've had to download the .zip to import the appliance. Not as slick and easy as it was intended to be.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
USB in ESX - How?
Since we brought it up and since I feel like a slacker for not posting in several weeks I thought I'd share my experience on managing USB devices in an ESX environment. In my previous post I mentioned a posting about connecting USB devices to ESX hosts and the many different ways for doing that in both a temporary and permanent fashion. I've never had much need for temporary connection but for a rock solid permanent solution I highly recommend AnywhereUSB by Digi - website.
Priced at just a couple of hundred dollars you are able to assign one of these an IP (or DHCP which I don't recommend), install the supplied software on your guest VM, plug in your USB device and you're up and running. Ok, so in all honesty here are some gotchas and other things to keep in mind:
1. One AnywhereUSB device to one operating system at a time. You can mix and match between physical and virtual as long as they have the provided client and drivers but only one server can talk to one of these guys at a time. This also means that even though it has 5 USB ports in it you can not map them to individual servers. Hopefully someone from Digi will correct me on this but that's just the way it is.
2. Give it a static IP. It makes it so much easier to track it down and to keep track of which one is which. If you purchase multiples of these you had better label the unit as well. You'll thank me for this one.
3. Follow the instructions for installation. I know you're gitty to have this device but if you skip a step you'll be sorry. Refer to #5.
4. Just because you have a gigabit network, you're limited to the speed of the AnywhereUSB device. I vaguely recall seeing that you may get USB2 speeds of 400mbps but I have not seen that as the case in production. If you have a 100Mb network then you know what your cap is already regardless.
5. Make sure you load the Windows generic drivers on your guest VM. ESX does not present USB to the VM, and you're not adding it to your VM's settings unless you've been doing some unsupported hacking, so the generic drivers were not installed when your OS was installed. In order to do this you'll need to copy the usbd.sy_ file from the \I386 directory of the Windows CD to the \system32\drivers directory and CHANGE THE FILE EXTENSION to usbd.sys. Reboot and then install the software. If you miss this step you'll be sorry.
6. I found it quite refreshing the first time I installed one of these guys and had the presence of mind to try it out first on a test server a snapshot before taking the first step. Always a good practice when installing something new for the first time.
7. You have to reboot at least once to use an AnywhereUSB device. That should be all though. Refer to #5
If you've kept these things in mind and follow the instructions you'll have many happy years of giving your VMs access to critical USB devices without unsupported hacking or sacrificing VMotion.
Links
Original Post - VMETC.Com
http://vmetc.com/2009/03/11/connecting-a-usb-device-to-an-esx-hosted-vm/
Digi - AnywhereUSB Website
http://www.digi.com/pdf/wp_ESXServer_AnywhereUSB.pdf
Priced at just a couple of hundred dollars you are able to assign one of these an IP (or DHCP which I don't recommend), install the supplied software on your guest VM, plug in your USB device and you're up and running. Ok, so in all honesty here are some gotchas and other things to keep in mind:
1. One AnywhereUSB device to one operating system at a time. You can mix and match between physical and virtual as long as they have the provided client and drivers but only one server can talk to one of these guys at a time. This also means that even though it has 5 USB ports in it you can not map them to individual servers. Hopefully someone from Digi will correct me on this but that's just the way it is.
2. Give it a static IP. It makes it so much easier to track it down and to keep track of which one is which. If you purchase multiples of these you had better label the unit as well. You'll thank me for this one.
3. Follow the instructions for installation. I know you're gitty to have this device but if you skip a step you'll be sorry. Refer to #5.
4. Just because you have a gigabit network, you're limited to the speed of the AnywhereUSB device. I vaguely recall seeing that you may get USB2 speeds of 400mbps but I have not seen that as the case in production. If you have a 100Mb network then you know what your cap is already regardless.
5. Make sure you load the Windows generic drivers on your guest VM. ESX does not present USB to the VM, and you're not adding it to your VM's settings unless you've been doing some unsupported hacking, so the generic drivers were not installed when your OS was installed. In order to do this you'll need to copy the usbd.sy_ file from the \I386 directory of the Windows CD to the \system32\drivers directory and CHANGE THE FILE EXTENSION to usbd.sys. Reboot and then install the software. If you miss this step you'll be sorry.
6. I found it quite refreshing the first time I installed one of these guys and had the presence of mind to try it out first on a test server a snapshot before taking the first step. Always a good practice when installing something new for the first time.
7. You have to reboot at least once to use an AnywhereUSB device. That should be all though. Refer to #5
If you've kept these things in mind and follow the instructions you'll have many happy years of giving your VMs access to critical USB devices without unsupported hacking or sacrificing VMotion.
Links
Original Post - VMETC.Com
http://vmetc.com/2009/03/11/connecting-a-usb-device-to-an-esx-hosted-vm/
Digi - AnywhereUSB Website
http://www.digi.com/pdf/wp_ESXServer_AnywhereUSB.pdf
USB in ESX - Why Not?
I was recently talking with a friend about the beauty of USB devices in Workstation and we quickly began talking about the difficulties of USB devices in ESX. This is a problem I had already tackled some years ago with AnywhereUSB but earlier this evening I found a post discussing USB connectivity to an ESX hosted VM and felt it time to talk about it with you.
http://vmetc.com/2009/03/11/connecting-a-usb-device-to-an-esx-hosted-vm/
In the post the author describes several means for connecting USB devices in both temporary and permanent scenarios. I personally have never had much need for one time connectivity but since many of our applications require USB dongles for their license managers it's safe to say that connecting through the host or through RDP just won't do as a permanent solution. This is especially true as virtualization continues to branch out into the desktop arena where USB devices are more than just a pretty face, they're often a non-negotiable requirement.
While the post was extremely helpful one of the items that I feel the author failed to discuss is why VMware would continue to not support USB connectivity to guest VMs from their ESX hosts. Why wouldn't they indeed?
My immediate belief is that like most things it is for our own protection. Just imagine how upset your management, or you if you are the management, would be if DRS did not properly balance your resources, HA did not restart your server upon a failure, or you were not able to put a machine into maintenance mode due to a USB device preventing Vmotion because of a device associated to a single host. I know I wouldn't want to tell the boss that the thousands of dollars I fought hard for to purchase these features were all done in because of a USB dongle. Note: I have not yet tested this scenario but it seems reasonable given the results I've seen from having VMDKs and ISOs on local storage.
The greatest strength of VMware over its competitors is that they control the hardware and control the drivers that the VMs see. They have worked hard on their hypervisor to make these features available and I'm pretty sure that they won't open their arms to USB devices on the host anytime soon. After all, there are clearly many different options out there that solve this issue. Where's the benefit in complicating their already growing datacenter OS further?
http://vmetc.com/2009/03/11/connecting-a-usb-device-to-an-esx-hosted-vm/
In the post the author describes several means for connecting USB devices in both temporary and permanent scenarios. I personally have never had much need for one time connectivity but since many of our applications require USB dongles for their license managers it's safe to say that connecting through the host or through RDP just won't do as a permanent solution. This is especially true as virtualization continues to branch out into the desktop arena where USB devices are more than just a pretty face, they're often a non-negotiable requirement.
While the post was extremely helpful one of the items that I feel the author failed to discuss is why VMware would continue to not support USB connectivity to guest VMs from their ESX hosts. Why wouldn't they indeed?
My immediate belief is that like most things it is for our own protection. Just imagine how upset your management, or you if you are the management, would be if DRS did not properly balance your resources, HA did not restart your server upon a failure, or you were not able to put a machine into maintenance mode due to a USB device preventing Vmotion because of a device associated to a single host. I know I wouldn't want to tell the boss that the thousands of dollars I fought hard for to purchase these features were all done in because of a USB dongle. Note: I have not yet tested this scenario but it seems reasonable given the results I've seen from having VMDKs and ISOs on local storage.
The greatest strength of VMware over its competitors is that they control the hardware and control the drivers that the VMs see. They have worked hard on their hypervisor to make these features available and I'm pretty sure that they won't open their arms to USB devices on the host anytime soon. After all, there are clearly many different options out there that solve this issue. Where's the benefit in complicating their already growing datacenter OS further?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Devices (Toys) I Love
I spent some time today upgrading some software and drivers and felt like lightening the mood a little and talk about a couple of "toys" that I use on a regular basis. I wouldn't say that the information here is super informative so much as a testimonial.
Wireless Headphones
Staying on top of the latest technologies requires absorbing material from the variety of mediums at which folks are publishing information. Videos, podcasts and flash tutorials supplement the many blogs and white papers but can be more disruptive to people around me. Headphones are the natural solution but I have found that those pesky wires are always getting in the way when at the gym or wanting to get up for a drink refill.
Imagine my elation when I came across the Motorola S9 ROKR wireless bluetooth stereo headphones. I first saw them at Best Buy and found the original $150 price tag way too hard to swallow. Once I convinced myself that this was something that would certainly make my life just a little bit better I was on the prowl for a deal. As usual, NewEgg.com delivered and $50 later I was the proud owner of some NCSU Red ROKRs.
The S9 ROKR uses Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 and provides what I consider excellent sound quality for what I was asking from them. I found them extremely comfortable but this too is definitely a matter of taste. The best part? They have built in microphone for managing calls when using a cell phone or use with Skype. I later found out, to my chagrin, that my BlackBerry Pearl does not support Bluetooth 2.0. Naturally my wife's Pink Motorola RAZR connected right away and worked like a dream, but she cares little about these things thus far.
My primary use of the S9 ROKR is with my laptop. I love charging up the battery before traveling and playing whatever media I choose without the fuss of wires. It also comes in handy when I want to watch some training videos and not disturb anyone with the geeky information. I'm able to lean back, move around, grab a snack or refill and simply enjoy life without wires. Since I'm not really interested in walking around the gym with my wife's pink RAZR I'm just going to wait for a new BlackBerry before I get to use them the way I want but I definitely see years of happy use with this rechargeable wireless wonder.
Can you See me? WebCam
The other little wonder that I have found myself loving is my Logitech QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks webcam. This past fall my mom and sister decided it was time for new computers so I pulled some strings, got them some great deals from the good folks at Dell, and purchased them some webcams for Christmas. The plan was to provide my mom the ability to see her kids and grandkids (coming 2009) without leaving her living room. I set them both up with Skype accounts, configured their webcams and showed them how to use them.
Setup with Skype was a cinch and I found the resolution great for the web at 640x480. The webcam simply clips nicely on my laptop monitor and came with a fantastic little carrying case for my laptop bag. The built in software provides some fun little "effects" but not something I've found much use for. My only disappointment that I've had is the inability to easily use it with my desktop system, but I bought a NOTEBOOK webcam so no complaints there.
My mom loves being able to communicate this way to stay in touch so mission accomplished. I'm sure I'll get some business use for it soon as we roll out new features with our new phone system upgrade, especially if it's going to continue to snow like it did today. Stay warm and take care.
Wireless Headphones
Staying on top of the latest technologies requires absorbing material from the variety of mediums at which folks are publishing information. Videos, podcasts and flash tutorials supplement the many blogs and white papers but can be more disruptive to people around me. Headphones are the natural solution but I have found that those pesky wires are always getting in the way when at the gym or wanting to get up for a drink refill.
Imagine my elation when I came across the Motorola S9 ROKR wireless bluetooth stereo headphones. I first saw them at Best Buy and found the original $150 price tag way too hard to swallow. Once I convinced myself that this was something that would certainly make my life just a little bit better I was on the prowl for a deal. As usual, NewEgg.com delivered and $50 later I was the proud owner of some NCSU Red ROKRs.
The S9 ROKR uses Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 and provides what I consider excellent sound quality for what I was asking from them. I found them extremely comfortable but this too is definitely a matter of taste. The best part? They have built in microphone for managing calls when using a cell phone or use with Skype. I later found out, to my chagrin, that my BlackBerry Pearl does not support Bluetooth 2.0. Naturally my wife's Pink Motorola RAZR connected right away and worked like a dream, but she cares little about these things thus far.
My primary use of the S9 ROKR is with my laptop. I love charging up the battery before traveling and playing whatever media I choose without the fuss of wires. It also comes in handy when I want to watch some training videos and not disturb anyone with the geeky information. I'm able to lean back, move around, grab a snack or refill and simply enjoy life without wires. Since I'm not really interested in walking around the gym with my wife's pink RAZR I'm just going to wait for a new BlackBerry before I get to use them the way I want but I definitely see years of happy use with this rechargeable wireless wonder.
Can you See me? WebCam
The other little wonder that I have found myself loving is my Logitech QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks webcam. This past fall my mom and sister decided it was time for new computers so I pulled some strings, got them some great deals from the good folks at Dell, and purchased them some webcams for Christmas. The plan was to provide my mom the ability to see her kids and grandkids (coming 2009) without leaving her living room. I set them both up with Skype accounts, configured their webcams and showed them how to use them.
Setup with Skype was a cinch and I found the resolution great for the web at 640x480. The webcam simply clips nicely on my laptop monitor and came with a fantastic little carrying case for my laptop bag. The built in software provides some fun little "effects" but not something I've found much use for. My only disappointment that I've had is the inability to easily use it with my desktop system, but I bought a NOTEBOOK webcam so no complaints there.
My mom loves being able to communicate this way to stay in touch so mission accomplished. I'm sure I'll get some business use for it soon as we roll out new features with our new phone system upgrade, especially if it's going to continue to snow like it did today. Stay warm and take care.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Death by Snapshot
One of the greatest features in VMware's many virtualization technologies is the ability to take snapshots of virtual machines while they are powered on. Put simply, VMware snapshots save the system state of the virtual machine providing a restore point. This technology is available and works very well on a variety of VMware platforms including Workstation, Server, and ESX. Unfortunately this feature carries it's own risk to the performance and stability of your environment. In this entry I will discuss the destructive event of a snapshot consuming remaining available space on a datastore.
Recovery Outline at End of post
How snapshots work
In preparing for this entry I came across an extremely helpful post by Eric Siebert where he very clearly explains the many aspects of snapshots and how they work. I'll summarize a few important points in this section but highly recommend reading his full post.
Snapshots can be initiated and managed by either the VI Client or through the command line and once initiated, the snapshot makes the base VMDK read only and writes all changes to a new file. Each new differential (delta) file begins at 16MB and grows at 16MB increments as changes are made to the VM but naturally can not exceed the size of the original base file. These files will continue to grow until the snapshot is reverted (the changes are applied back to the base VMDK) or disk space is depleted, which makes for a stressful afternoon if this happens.
Drive space is gone!
I have seen it happen several times. Someone, or something, initiates a snapshot in your ESX environment and forgets to remove that snapshot when they have completed their task. My personal experience has found that this typically becomes a problem when backup software uses snapshots and the snapshot isn't merged back. Snapshot usage in this manner is common for backing up VMs since it allows the full disk to be placed in a read-only state so that the copy can continue without interrupting the machine's ability to operate.
A live snapshot delta file for most VMs will not likely grow very quickly, except for servers with higher amounts of disk I/O such as Exchange, SQL, or File shares (especially when using Windows Volume Shadow Copy). If a growing snapshot file isn't discovered and either applied or reverted then the snapshot could consume the remaining available storage. Once this happens the VM with the applied snapshot can no longer write its changes to the delta file causing the server to stop. Additionally, any other VMs writing to the filled datastore will also be forced to shut down. Fortunately any virtual machines on the datastore without snapshots, or an active swap file, will continue to run.
Note: If you are dealing with a single snapshot then no additional space is required to commit that snapshot to the original VMDK file, but I personally feel better when I have some extra room to move.
Make Room
If you are like me and have storage claustrophobia you want to make some room on your datastore. If the VM is a critical server it would be advisable to move another VM to a different datastore so that the afflicted VM can be restarted quicker and reduce any risks from trying to move a VM with a snapshot. I've seen mixed information about migrating with snapshots and it's feasibility. I'll leave it to the reader in their own situation but my suggestion is to play it safe and move another system without running snapshots.
Storage Vmotion immediately comes to mind for this situation. Unfortunately as Chad Sakac clearly explains in his blog post, Storage Vmotion requires creating a snapshot in order to operate. Consequently, with no drive space, we're left with the horrid task of intentionally taking down a server to make room. In my situation we took down our intranet server since it was one of the smaller servers, would take the least amount of time to migrate, and would cause the least impact on employee productivity. The time to complete this task will depend on several factors, specifically in regards to the type and speed of storage that you are using. This process took about 15 minutes for us to migrate our server to a new datastore.
Apply Snapshots
Once drive space has been created you should be allowed to start up the VM and commit the snapshots. Don't forget to turn the migrated server back on!
I have yet to receive a consensus on whether applying the snapshot on a live machine is better than leaving it powered off, but if the server in question is a main production box then it may be worth giving it a shot. You can expect that the process will take longer on a live machine. It will certainly be performing better than it was a few minutes ago!
Applying the snapshots can be a long grueling ordeal depending on the amount of space you have consumed. Be patient and do not be surprised if you see your task timeout in the VI client. VirtualCenter will timeout any task at 15 minutes but your process will still be running. Check to see if your process is complete by keeping an eye on the datastore browser in the VI client. You will be looking to see that the delta files are no longer there and you will also note that there is storage available in your datastore again. You may need to hit refresh occasionally in order to witness the disappearing files.
Our environment provided us with over 70GB of snapshot files over the course of 3 days time which took approximately 90 minutes to apply. Eric Siebert speaks to this in the second part of his snapshot post where he states that "A 100 GB snapshot can take 3-6 hours to merge back into the original disk." Suffice it to say that the larger the snapshot the longer it will take, and the more storage "cushion" you have on the datastore, the greater your risk for a long wait.
Recovery
Once the snapshots have merged back into the original file you can get the VM back up and running (if you haven't done so already) and then Storage Vmotion the server you moved previously if that is available in your environment.
Prevention
Vmware does not provide any tools natively for monitoring active snapshots in your ESX environment. Third-party applications are available to help automate the process of finding these active snapshots. I have not personally used them yet but Jason Boche mentions a few of them in his blog where he briefly displays Xtravirt Snaphunter, RVTools, and hyper9.
I will probably get my hands on a couple of these in the coming weeks and will certainly provide some posts. If you are in a fix to get some monitoring on your snapshots it looks as though SnapHunter can notify you via email when you have snapshots or even commit them if you so choose.
If you want to go low tech and only manage a few machines, you can check for snapshots by looking in the VI client or keeping an eye out for delta files in the datastore browser. Be vigilant regardless of your method for tracking active snapshots. It certainly doesn’t look good to the bosses when your highly robust ESX environment fails your company, especially when it can be easily prevented.
Despite the agony that can be caused by an unchecked snapshot, Vmware's snapshot feature is a true saving grace for the administrator and should be used without too much trepidation. The ability to apply a patch, test a deployment, or change a configuration and then quickly revert the system is more than I'd be willing to give up. Just keep your eyes open to the snapshots that are out there and everything should run smoothly and optimally, which the bosses definitely appreciate.
Recovery Outline
- Identify the server(s) affected and determine priority on bringing them back online.
- Shutdown and cold migrate another virtual machine from the filled datastore to a new location. Not always necessary if you have only a single snapshot since applying a single snapshot requires no disk space.
- Apply snapshots to the affected server. You may power on server if you prefer but this will have an adverse effect on performance and cause this step to take longer.
- Be patient. A 100GB snapshot could take 3-6 hours to commit. VirtualCenter will timeout your task after 15 minutes so don't panic.
- Monitor the Datastore Browser in the VI client and wait for the delta file(s) to disappear. You will likely need to refresh occasionally which may take a moment to process each time.
- Once the snapshot is committed you can safely turn on the VM (if you haven't already) and hopefully breathe a sigh of relief.
- Play it safe and set up a system of monitoring your VMs for active snapshots through either an automated software like SnapHunter from Xtravirt or simply monitoring for delta files in the datastore browser
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Passing the VCP
Passed the VCP – Here’s what you need to know!
After a few hectic holiday weeks I buckled down and set a date for the VCP (VMware Certified Professional) exam. I found a large number of helpful resources online and figured I’d try to help others by providing some of the resources I used.
Requirements
In order to receive your VCP certification you must begin by participating in an instructor-led VMware authorized course. If you do not already have your VCP then you can choose between the “Install and Configure” or the “Deploy, Secure and Analyze” courses. This course is available as Classroom learning at a VMware Authorized Training Center, Live Online and also available with on-site training by a VMware Certified Trainer. The course certainly isn’t cheap at $3,000 but make sure to check with your company and see if they might be willing to make an investment. Locate and schedule courses on VMware's Education Services site. (Requires account, but you will use this account many times)
I participated in the “Install and Confgure” classroom course last December (prior to ESX3.5’s release). In the course there is a great deal of lecture from a knowledgeable VMware Certified Trainer as well as hands-on labs as you progress. All PowerPoint information is also available in the provided student manual and lab book. Once you’ve completed the course make sure you hold onto this manual, it will come in handy while studying for the VCP. (If you’re wondering, there was a slight gap between the VI3.0 course and the material for VI3.5 but the core information was the same.)
Study Aids
VMware makes a great deal of resources available on their website for preparing you to take the VCP exam. Begin by reviewing the VCP Blueprint to get an outline of the knowledge you need as well as instructions on where to find the information about each topic. These tools include the various configuration and deployment guides that can be found at http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_35u2.html.
The Education Services page on VMware’s website provides links to additional information about the certification, scheduling a class, and creating your Education account. Once you’ve created your account you also have the ability to post questions on the VCP Forum where a great deal of intelligent folks can answer your questions. Many of the resources I’m mentioning here were recommended from the VCP forum.
One of the more useful and concise resources I used was the “VCP Exam Cram” book, by Elias N. Khnaser, which I found at Barnes and Noble but can be purchased cheaper on Amazon. If you prefer digital copies you can get access to this and others at Safari Books Online where you can either buy the print version or sign up for the monthly subscription. The greatest benefit to the online version is the ability to search through the text quickly without having to use the old fashioned index in print versions. This book very efficiently organizes the core information you need to pass the exam and provides several practice exams. Each chapter has a short exam of 10 questions and provides a reasonable gauge on topics you may need more review. I found that the practice tests are similar and the scores made on them will likely reflect approximately to your final score. Take the tests and review your missed questions and you will probably find your knowledge gaps.
Another good resource for practice test questions is the Mock Exam provided by VMware and located at http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrSurvey/assess.cfm?item=639&user=0&refer=0&p=0&ui=www. These mock exams provide 20 minutes to answer 20 questions and are fair representation of the types of questions you’ll find on the exam. You only get 100 attempts so use them well!
Many other resources are out there including training videos and awesome flash cards created by Rob Schmidt with over 300 exam questions. Remember that these are based on VI3.0 and may contain a couple of errors or outdated information, so always trust your documentation.
Finally, check on the various blogs out there for tips and hints that others have found helpful. If you’re reading this then it is likely you will be interested in theirs as well. One that helped me initially was Holy VM! By David Strebel where he provided most of the links you’ll find on this page.
Experience, Experience, Experience
The most important thing that you can do is get experience using VMware VI3 technologies. If you are like me and do not have enough resources for a testing/learning environment at work, or at home, you are left with little options for honing your VMware skills. Fortunately the folks at Xtravirt wrote up a whitepaper for installing VI3.5 on Workstation 6.5 Build 118166. I spent some time in the weeks prior to taking the exam doing test installs of ESX, ESXi, VirtualCenter and the VI Client. This testing provided invaluable working knowledge of the many technologies.
Using trial versions of software like Lefthand Networks will allow you to turn local storage into iSCSI storage to connect your virtual ESX hosts. I did not perform this operation but know many people who have. My instructor for the “Install and Configure” course also highly recommended this software.
There is no better way of getting your hands dirty then playing with real equipment in a real-world environment. Join your local VMware Users Group or make other industry contacts and see if they have labs that you can visit and enhance your skills. If you have free time and don’t mind working pro-bono then perhaps see if a colleague will let you sit in during other implementations. Make sure you have proper permission of course!
The Exam
The VCP-310 Exam consists of 75 questions and you are given 90 minutes to complete it. If you are a non-English speaker you receive an additional 30 minutes. The exam cost is $175 which I found to be reasonable. A score of 70 is required to pass which means you only have to answer 53 questions correctly. (I have noticed that some documentation states that a score of 75 is required but my exam and VMware’s website both state 70) You must schedule the exam through Pearson Vue at www.pearsonvue.com/vmware and take it at an authorized testing facility. Make sure you sign up with the same email address that you signed up for the VMware course with if possible. This is highly recommended to expedite qualifying you with PearsonVue to take the test. Arrive 15 minutes early and you might as well leave everything in the car except your identification and car keys. You are not allowed to bring anything into the testing area with you. The proctor will log you in and verify that your identity and scheduled exam match.
My test began with a 10 question survey which was timed but did not affect my actual testing time. The exam is computer based and allows you to mark questions for review as you progress. You get the option to go back to these questions once you have completed all of the questions. My advice is to mark questions for review that you do not have 100% confidence in your answer. If you are truly prepared you will have ample time to go back over these questions before finishing up. Use your time wisely and review all of your questions thoroughly as time permits. Fortunately I found an error I made on one question and was able to correct the error.
Once you have completed the exam you will receive your results right away and will be provided a printout containing your Score Report which contains your score, registration number, and validation number. You will be able to use the registration and validation numbers to later print out an authenticated certificate from www.pearsonvue.com/authenticate.
I have deduced from the VCP community forums that you will receive your VCP welcome packet within about 6 weeks of passing the test. This includes a license of VMware Workstation ($189.00) which reimburses your for the exam cost ($175). Additionally it is my understanding that you will receive the opportunity to create a new login for connecting to VCP only features, documents, and utilities. I will provide more information on this VCP welcome pack once I receive mine.
Conclusion
The VCP-310 exam is certainly challenging but can be easily passed with the right preparation. Spend as much time as you can gaining hands-on experience and read up on the documentation that I’ve mentioned in this entry. Keep your eyes on the forums periodically and take as many practice tests as you can. Make sure that you understand the purpose and limitations of the Virtual Infrastructure and its components and you’ll find that you’re answering questions quickly without too much thought and deliberation. Take your time and you’ll walk away a VCP.
I hope I have provided you adequate information to make you feel informed about the process. Best of Luck!
After a few hectic holiday weeks I buckled down and set a date for the VCP (VMware Certified Professional) exam. I found a large number of helpful resources online and figured I’d try to help others by providing some of the resources I used.
Requirements
In order to receive your VCP certification you must begin by participating in an instructor-led VMware authorized course. If you do not already have your VCP then you can choose between the “Install and Configure” or the “Deploy, Secure and Analyze” courses. This course is available as Classroom learning at a VMware Authorized Training Center, Live Online and also available with on-site training by a VMware Certified Trainer. The course certainly isn’t cheap at $3,000 but make sure to check with your company and see if they might be willing to make an investment. Locate and schedule courses on VMware's Education Services site. (Requires account, but you will use this account many times)
I participated in the “Install and Confgure” classroom course last December (prior to ESX3.5’s release). In the course there is a great deal of lecture from a knowledgeable VMware Certified Trainer as well as hands-on labs as you progress. All PowerPoint information is also available in the provided student manual and lab book. Once you’ve completed the course make sure you hold onto this manual, it will come in handy while studying for the VCP. (If you’re wondering, there was a slight gap between the VI3.0 course and the material for VI3.5 but the core information was the same.)
Study Aids
VMware makes a great deal of resources available on their website for preparing you to take the VCP exam. Begin by reviewing the VCP Blueprint to get an outline of the knowledge you need as well as instructions on where to find the information about each topic. These tools include the various configuration and deployment guides that can be found at http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_35u2.html.
The Education Services page on VMware’s website provides links to additional information about the certification, scheduling a class, and creating your Education account. Once you’ve created your account you also have the ability to post questions on the VCP Forum where a great deal of intelligent folks can answer your questions. Many of the resources I’m mentioning here were recommended from the VCP forum.
One of the more useful and concise resources I used was the “VCP Exam Cram” book, by Elias N. Khnaser, which I found at Barnes and Noble but can be purchased cheaper on Amazon. If you prefer digital copies you can get access to this and others at Safari Books Online where you can either buy the print version or sign up for the monthly subscription. The greatest benefit to the online version is the ability to search through the text quickly without having to use the old fashioned index in print versions. This book very efficiently organizes the core information you need to pass the exam and provides several practice exams. Each chapter has a short exam of 10 questions and provides a reasonable gauge on topics you may need more review. I found that the practice tests are similar and the scores made on them will likely reflect approximately to your final score. Take the tests and review your missed questions and you will probably find your knowledge gaps.
Another good resource for practice test questions is the Mock Exam provided by VMware and located at http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrSurvey/assess.cfm?item=639&user=0&refer=0&p=0&ui=www. These mock exams provide 20 minutes to answer 20 questions and are fair representation of the types of questions you’ll find on the exam. You only get 100 attempts so use them well!
Many other resources are out there including training videos and awesome flash cards created by Rob Schmidt with over 300 exam questions. Remember that these are based on VI3.0 and may contain a couple of errors or outdated information, so always trust your documentation.
Finally, check on the various blogs out there for tips and hints that others have found helpful. If you’re reading this then it is likely you will be interested in theirs as well. One that helped me initially was Holy VM! By David Strebel where he provided most of the links you’ll find on this page.
Experience, Experience, Experience
The most important thing that you can do is get experience using VMware VI3 technologies. If you are like me and do not have enough resources for a testing/learning environment at work, or at home, you are left with little options for honing your VMware skills. Fortunately the folks at Xtravirt wrote up a whitepaper for installing VI3.5 on Workstation 6.5 Build 118166. I spent some time in the weeks prior to taking the exam doing test installs of ESX, ESXi, VirtualCenter and the VI Client. This testing provided invaluable working knowledge of the many technologies.
Using trial versions of software like Lefthand Networks will allow you to turn local storage into iSCSI storage to connect your virtual ESX hosts. I did not perform this operation but know many people who have. My instructor for the “Install and Configure” course also highly recommended this software.
There is no better way of getting your hands dirty then playing with real equipment in a real-world environment. Join your local VMware Users Group or make other industry contacts and see if they have labs that you can visit and enhance your skills. If you have free time and don’t mind working pro-bono then perhaps see if a colleague will let you sit in during other implementations. Make sure you have proper permission of course!
The Exam
The VCP-310 Exam consists of 75 questions and you are given 90 minutes to complete it. If you are a non-English speaker you receive an additional 30 minutes. The exam cost is $175 which I found to be reasonable. A score of 70 is required to pass which means you only have to answer 53 questions correctly. (I have noticed that some documentation states that a score of 75 is required but my exam and VMware’s website both state 70) You must schedule the exam through Pearson Vue at www.pearsonvue.com/vmware and take it at an authorized testing facility. Make sure you sign up with the same email address that you signed up for the VMware course with if possible. This is highly recommended to expedite qualifying you with PearsonVue to take the test. Arrive 15 minutes early and you might as well leave everything in the car except your identification and car keys. You are not allowed to bring anything into the testing area with you. The proctor will log you in and verify that your identity and scheduled exam match.
My test began with a 10 question survey which was timed but did not affect my actual testing time. The exam is computer based and allows you to mark questions for review as you progress. You get the option to go back to these questions once you have completed all of the questions. My advice is to mark questions for review that you do not have 100% confidence in your answer. If you are truly prepared you will have ample time to go back over these questions before finishing up. Use your time wisely and review all of your questions thoroughly as time permits. Fortunately I found an error I made on one question and was able to correct the error.
Once you have completed the exam you will receive your results right away and will be provided a printout containing your Score Report which contains your score, registration number, and validation number. You will be able to use the registration and validation numbers to later print out an authenticated certificate from www.pearsonvue.com/authenticate.
I have deduced from the VCP community forums that you will receive your VCP welcome packet within about 6 weeks of passing the test. This includes a license of VMware Workstation ($189.00) which reimburses your for the exam cost ($175). Additionally it is my understanding that you will receive the opportunity to create a new login for connecting to VCP only features, documents, and utilities. I will provide more information on this VCP welcome pack once I receive mine.
Conclusion
The VCP-310 exam is certainly challenging but can be easily passed with the right preparation. Spend as much time as you can gaining hands-on experience and read up on the documentation that I’ve mentioned in this entry. Keep your eyes on the forums periodically and take as many practice tests as you can. Make sure that you understand the purpose and limitations of the Virtual Infrastructure and its components and you’ll find that you’re answering questions quickly without too much thought and deliberation. Take your time and you’ll walk away a VCP.
I hope I have provided you adequate information to make you feel informed about the process. Best of Luck!
Quick Notes:
- Take a VMware authorized course
- Read as much material as you can
- Get your hands dirty and get Experience– Makes it so much easier!
- Enroll for the Exam at www.pearsonvue.com/vmware
- Get some Rest and eat well the day of the test!
- Take your time and review questions you are not 100% confident about.
Links
- Course Datasheet - http://mylearn1.vmware.com/descriptions/EDU_DATASHEET_VI3_InstallAndConfigure_v3.5.pdf
- VCP Blueprint - http://mylearn.vmware.com/lcms/mL_faq/1714/VCP3.5Blueprint.PDF
- Education Services - myLearn Login - https://mylearnssl.vmware.com/index.cfm
- VCP Forum - http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/certedu/certification/vcp
- VMware Infrastructure 3 Documentation - http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_35u2.html
- Holy VM! – David Strebel - http://www.holy-vm.com/2008/10/07/tips-on-passing-the-vmware-certified-professional-vcp-exam/
- VCP Discussions - http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/certedu/certification/vcp?view=discussions
- Rob Schmidt’s Flash Cards - http://www.petri.co.il/forums/showthread.php?t=15947
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
