VMGuru.nl – I choose (a virtual) life!

A few weeks ago I got an assignment to review a colleague’s infrastructure design based on VMware.
The design was fine (because they used my design document as template ) but one thing triggered me.

There was a special port group on one of the virtual switches names ‘MSCLUSTER’. No problem so far but I heard the client recently migrated to iSCSI storage.

The combination Microsoft Clustering Services (MSCS) combined with iSCSI triggered  my alarm bells. As I recalled Microsoft Clustering on iSCSI is not a problem but Microsoft Clustering on VMware with iSCSI is not supported (by VMware).

So, I rejected the design based on this support issue.

This message was not well received, as it turned out they had just migrated their clustered Exchange servers and had been running this way for a while now. Proposing to the client to migrate again was no option. So they tried to  question my findings. They had been running this setup without any problems and Exchange CCR clustering wasn’t real Microsoft Clustering because no disks were clustered, only the Exchange services.

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VMware has given out a VMware Alert for customers who are using VMware View in combination with PCoIP and ESX 4.0 to NOT update with ESX Update 2 yet.

After upgrading ESX 4.0 hosts with Update 2 VMware View clients are unable to connect to the virtual desktops. VMware is currently investigating a workaround for customers that have installed ESX 4.0 Update 2 and are affected see for more information and update the following KB Article: KB Link

This Knowledge Base article will be updated as new information becomes available. If you have been affected by this, please read the KB.

Symptoms are:

• Connections to virtual desktops using PCoIP fail
• You are no longer able to connect to virtual desktops using PCoIP
• You have recently updated VMware Tools

For example, you have installed ESX 4.0 Update 2, which updates VMware Tools, and you are no longer able to connect to virtual desktops using PCoIP.

I have just updated the list after receiving word the new version is out and the build numbers are known for vSphere 4 and vCenter Server. So I compiled a list of build numbers and updates from the patch notes for VMware ESX and VMware vCenter Server.

vCenter Server 4.0 Update 1 | 19 Nov 2009 | Build 208156

vCenter Server 4.0 | 05 May 2009 | Build 162902

VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 5 | 10 Jul 2009 | Build 174791 (English version)

VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 4 | 23 Feb 2009 | Build 147633 (English version)

VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 3 | 03 Oct 2008 | Build 119598 (English version)

VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 2 | 25 July 2008 | Build 104217 (English version)

VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 1 | 10 Apr 2008 | Build 84767 (English version)

VirtualCenter 2.5 Server | 10 Dec 2007 | Build 64201

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Since last week I’ve got a new assignment which is a long way from home. Next to the downsides of traveling 5 hours a day and staying in hotels, it certainly has advantages.

During my 5 hour drive or when I’m staying in a hotel i have time to listen to the VMware Community Roundtable podcasts I put on my iPhone. For those of you who don’t know this. VMware Community Roundtable is a weekly conference call/chat for VMware enthusiasts. Every week there’s a different topic and this is your change to discuss these topics with the experts in the community. For those of you who don’t have time to attend, there’s the possibility to listen online or download the sessions as podcasts.

Last week I listened to a great topic which was called the ‘#66 – iSCSI Super Friends with EMC, NetApp, Dell, HP, VMware‘. This podcast was from September 30 so it was quite an old podcast but this was such a great session that I don’t want to keep it from you. This session discusses the multi vendor blog post by VMware (Andy Banta), EMC (Chad Sakac), NetApp (Vaughn Stewart), Dell/EqualLogic( Eric Schott), HP/Lefthand Networks (Adam Carter) on how to implement iSCSI with VMware VI3.5 and vSphere 4.

So for those of you who already heard it, sorry for the ‘old’ intel, for those of you who haven’t, this is a must read/hear.

The mult vendor blog post discusses can be found here:

• Using iSCSI with VMware VI 3.x
• Using iSCSI with VMware vSphere 4
  

I really liked the conclusion that you can build iSCSI storage solutions which are as fast as fiber storage solutions and that tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 storage definitions should not be based on the technique used but on the service level agreement with your end user.

Personally I wonder what the future will bring. Will fiber channel disappear in favor of iSCSI? As discussed during this podcast, ethernet is ideal for storage connections, the questions is which protocol to use, NFS, iSCSI or FCoE. We will see ……

A few weeks ago I attended the ‘What’s new in VMware vSphere 4‘ course given by Eric Sloof. Eric pointed us to a very nice and cheap shared storage solution from Iomega which he also uses in his home lab, the Iomega Storcenter ix-series.

I have been scouting the local hardware vendors for the Iomega ix2 but I could decide to go for the cheaper 1TB or the more expensive 2TB version. Today I was browsing through the VMware HCL when I remember the dilemma and was wondering if VMware even knew/supported the little Iomega storage box. And what do you know ………… the Iomega ix-series is on the VMware HCL!

The Iomega StorCenter ix2 and the ix4-100 are supported for all versions of VMware ESX 3.5 and the larger rack mountable ix4-200r is even supported on ESX 4.0 as NAS or iSCSI.

So I will be heading for the shops to get my own home shared storage solution.

The Iomega StorCenter ix is available in the following configurations:

Last week I reported a bug to VMware and yesterday I got their reply stating that this issue is solved in VMware ESX 3.5 Update 4 which they had just released. Damn those VMware guys are fast

Update 4 has build number 153875, requires a VMware Tools update and includes the following changes:

• Expanded Support for Enhanced vmxnet Adapter
• Enablement of Intel Xeon Processor 5500 Series
• QLogic Fibre Channel Adapter Driver Update
• Emulex Fibre Channel Adapter Driver Update
• LSI megaraid_sas and mptscsi Storage Controller Driver Update
• Newly Supported Guest Operating Systems
• Newly Supported Management Agents
• Newly Supported I/O Devices
  • SAS Controllers and SATA Controllers
  • Network Cards
  • Expanded Support for Intel E1000 network interface
  • Onboard Management Processors
  • Storage Arrays

More information can be found in the VMware ESX 3.5 Update 4 release notes

Thanks VMware for this quick fix

VMware uses the name vSphere for their Virtualisation Infrastructure product also known as ESX. Here in Cannes in the hands on labs I have used the new interface and some of its nifty features. You have to get used to the new interface, but when you are used to it it works nicely and you can find your way around quickly. Did you have to search for some deep hidden options in the VI3 suite, here with the new look and feel around vSphere its almost effortless.

After ESX 3.5 update 3 there was the risk for I/O failure to your SAN.  It presents itself like:

• VMware ESX or ESXi host might get disconnected from VirtualCenter
• All paths to the LUNs are in standby state
• esxcfg-rescan might take a long time to complete or never completes
• Error messages in vmkernel log

Last Friday VMware published a patch for this problem.

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Today VMware has released ESX/ESXi 3.5 Update 3.

In the release notes I found the following changes:

• Increased number of vCPUs per core limit (from 8 to 20);
• New supported servers, NICs and storage I/O controllers;
• New supported Guest Operating Systems.

Besides that there are many improvements and bug fixes.

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