This is something I did a while ago, but it came to my attention that people didn't; a) Know that it's recommended to use a syslog server with ESXi b) You could use an application built in to vMA called vilogger.
Although it is stated in The Architecture of VMware ESXi…..
Because the in-memory file system does not persist when the power is shut down, log files do not survive a reboot. ESXi has the ability to configure a remote syslog server, enabling you to save all log information on an external system.
…..it is not a well known fact. So that is partly the reason for writing the post. The other reason is to introduce you to vilogger, which is part of the vMA. Of course you can use which ever syslog server you wish, if you plan to use your own, be sure to checkout Managing VMware ESXi page #68 to view the configuration steps.
I'm not going to take you through the steps of installing vMA, nor am I going to tell you all about what the vMA (vSphere Manage Assistant) does. If you want to read more about that please find the relevant links in the Sources section at the bottom of the page. But I am going to take you through the steps I took to use vMA as my ESXi syslog server.
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Today VMware finally officially announced their new Exam set named; VMware Certified Advanced Professional – VCAP
The VCAP Certification will sit in between VCP and VCDX.
The VCAP comprises of two Exams:
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This is more of a discussion point than a informational Post. I've been trying to find out about what is the best practice for an ESX Hosts System Resource Reservation (Not Resource Pools). What values to use? And should I dive deeper and apply/remove reservations from System Resource Pools (See Screenshot).
I've been reading through these two VMware documents but nothing obvious seems to jump out at me.
It mostly just explains about how Shares/Reservations/Limits and standard Resource Pooling, which I think I already understand well.
Before I moved over to ESXi, it was part of my build document to Reserve 800MB of RAM for the COS. Do I need to reserve anything now? What do you do?
- Do you just set a simple CPU and Memory System Resource Reservation? If so what values and why?
- Do you dive deeper into the Advanced System Resource Pool Reservations? If so, Why?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Note: I am not talking about Resource Pools. I'm talking about The System Resource Allocation section on the Config tab of an ESX Host. (As seen below)
A few weeks back, Global Knowledge announced a new service called VMware Xtra. VMware Xtra is the brainchild of awarding winning Instructor Scott Vessey. Having already met Scott and regularly chatting with him I had a feeling that this will be good.
VMware Xtra is a selection of online resources to help you get the most from your VMware training courses. The online repository allows users access to support tools such as technical papers, industry experts and video tutorials.
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Just lately I've been doing a lot of work in a Lab environment. Some of the work I'm doing is quite important to me so I decided to workout a way I can backup my VM's onto a backup device. To my surprise this was pretty simple to do.
Here is how I decided the script should function:
- Send myself an email telling me that the backup process has started
- Import the name of the VM to be backed up and the destination datastore from a CSV file
- Create a Snapshot of the VM I want to backup
- Create a Clone'd VM from the Snapshot
- Place the backup onto my Backup Datastore
- Name the backup <master VM name>-<date stamp>
- Thin provision the backup
- Remove the Snapshot from the master VM
- Send myself an email telling me that the backup process has completed
So that's what I wanted to do, this is what I ended up with.
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If you're a virtualisation enthusiast like myself, you'll understand that we don't only need to know about virtualisation. We also need to know about all of the other IT areas that are incorporated into our virtual environment. Storage is a massive part of this. Whether your using iSCSI, FC SAN, NFS or even local storage, it's crucial to make sure you have your storage set up correctly to get the best performance, reliability and availability for your data. Storage isn't one of my strengths. Even though I know the basics, I feel, and have also been told that this can hold me back in becoming a better virtualisation specialist.
Fortunately whilst visiting EMC at the GestalIT TechFieldDay earlier in April, each of the delegates, including myself were given a copy of EMC's book; Information, Storage And Management.
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The Steering Committee are pleased to announce the next UK London VMware User Group meeting, kindly sponsored by RES Software, to be held on Thursday 6th May 2010. We hope to see you at the meeting, and afterwards for a drink or two, courtesy of VMware.
Our meeting will be held at the Thames Suite, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 33 Queen Street, London EC4R 1AP, +44 (0)20 7248 4444. The nearest tube station is Mansion House, location information is available here. Reception is from 1230 for a prompt 1pm start, to finish around 5pm. Our agenda is not final at the moment, but looks something like this:
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You may or many not have read my Post back in January about the VMware vSphere 4.0 Security Hardening Guide Draft. Well the guide has now been released fully for you to download and review against your Virtual Infrastructure
Overall, there are more than 100 guidelines, with the following major sections:
- Introduction
- Virtual Machines
- Host (both ESXi and ESX)
- vNetwork
- vCenter
- Console OS (for ESX only)
The Guide can be downloaded here: http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-12306
Source
During GestalIT TechFieldDay, myself and the other bloggers were introduced to the new Data Robotic’s product called the Drobo FS.
About the Drobo FS
The revolutionary Drobo FS was designed with one purpose in mind: to deliver the best file sharing experience ever. From the moment you plug it in and see it instantly appear on your desktop, you’ll know there’s nothing like it. The all-in-one Drobo FS is perfect any connected home, home office, or small office environment needing a simple, safe device for sharing and backing up files over the network.
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I came across this free eBook today on the Hitachi website. If you're like me and work with Virtualization products but would like to learn more about Storage Virtualization then is a great freebie to download.
Just click on the following link and fill out the form to get your copy. HDS: eBook – Storage Virtualization for Dummies by Hitachi Data Systems
Minhaj116: 
2 VCP's and a Truck
