VMWare Server to ESX Server 3.5

It aint sexy, but it works! So I've been bashing my brains against the wall this weekend (painful, I know) trying to get virtual machines off of a VMWare Server (v1.0.2 for the super-geeks out there) and onto a Virtual Infrastructure ESX 3.5 server.

I tried the copy the VMDK file thing but no luck. I tried doing a direct conversion from a Virtual Center Management server... uh uh. Finally, it must have been God Himself whispering in my ear, it occurs to me "Why don't you run VMWare Converter 3.0, convert the VM to your ESX 3.0 server, then migrate the newly converted VM to ESX 3.5?"

Wouldn't you know, IT WORKED! The new VCMS system uses a Converter Server 4.0, so it doesn't appear to function as a local install on the VM you want to convert, like 3.0 does. So here's the details:

- Install VMWare Convert 3.0 on the VM you want to convert.
- Launch the application (obviously)
- Click "Import Machine"
- Click "Next"
- Select "Physical Computer" and click "Next"
- Select "This local machine" and click "Next"
- Select your volume options (you can increase or decrease the virtual disk at this point) and click "Next" and the "Next" again
- Under destination, select "VMWare ESX Server or VirtualCenter virtual machine" and click "Next"
- Enter you ESX machine information and click "Next" (remember, this doesn't work directly with an ESX 3.5 server, so you will need 3.0.
- Type a name for you virtual machine and click "Next"
- Select the Host Resource Pool and click "Next"
- Select the storage location for the new VM and click "Next"
- Set you NIC parameters. Be sure to connect it to the LAN network on the destination machine for at least one of your NICs and click "Next"
- You can customize if you'd like, but that's beyond the scope of this post so just click "Next"
- Once the machines completes it's conversion, you then follow the instruction for migrating from ESX 3.0 to ESX 3.5 and you're DONE!

Like I said, it ain't sexy, but it works!! :)

Office Update - Again

Well, I made the move of the 600 SC's into my closet but I had to pull them out within a few hours. The closet has ventilation, but it's apparently insufficient because the machines were louder in the closet than they were on my office floor. So for now (and this is going to shock all of my Microsoft friends) I'm going to shut down my MS network/domain for a while.

There's only three of us, so I really don't *need* it. Besides, if I want to test something out, I can always use the lab at work (that's why I built it in the first place).

I must say though, the office is strangely quite without the constant hum of the 600's, though my son's GX280 is humming a little bit, but it's nowhere near as loud as the previous monsters.

On a side note. I haven't had an opportunity to revamp the ESX setup pictures yet. I'll see if I can get to this weekend. Sorry for the delay to those of you who've sent me emails about the subject.

PMI Called - They're Not Giving The Money Back!

So I submitted my application to PMI to take my PMP certification exam. I then proceeded to get flagged for a "random" audit, which basically means I have to prove my experience and education credentials to their Audit Board. Of course I don't know I'm going to be flagged for an audit until I drop the $400 to take the test. It's all good though, if you don't pass the audit... they give (most of) the money back.

So all that to say that I got my audit results back and I've been cleared to take the test! Look out PMP, here I come!!

VMWare ESX 3.5 Install - Connecting to Your SAN

The installation of ESX (Virtual Infrastructure) 3.5 is is a relatively simple and straight forward process. VMWare has a couple of paths you can take. One is to download an ISO that creates a bootable CD.

So, on the Dell 2900, where I installed 3.5, you first go into the BIOS (F2) and set the boot order so that the CD ROM comes first. You could also press F11 to bring up the boot menu and select the CD ROM from the list. But you need to make sure that the CD ROM is allowed as a bootable device, which means you're going to have to go into the BIOS anyway, so why not just go ahead and put it as the first device in the list while you're there?

At any rate, once you have all that done, the rest is pretty much EXACTLY like I describe in my previous post on installing ESX 3.0.

Now, for my installation, I also wanted to connect the system to my EMC AX150, so that I could boot the virtual machines off of the SAN, instead of the local server. To do this, you need to do a couple of things...

First, the new ESX 3.5 REQUIRES that you use the new Virtual Infrastructure Client v2.5. The older 2.0 will not work. I supposed you could go all "Linux" on it and do the setup by hand, but the GUI makes it pretty simple, so I use the GUI (Flamers, please send comments to garydoesntcare@garydrumm.com). Anyway,so the next few pictures will give you some insight on this exciting stuff...

Click on the thumbnails for a larger view...



















(OK. So the pictures are HUGE and lack context. I'll make the changes this evening and you can check back when they're done.)

Upgrading to VMWare ESX 2.X and 3.0 to 3.5

Well kiddies, if you're wondering "what's Gary been doing lately?", and I know you have, let me tell you. I've been pretty much head's down preparing for a major virtual infrastructure upgrade at work. Basically, I'm currently managing and maintaining 6 VMWare boxes; including: ESX 3.0, ESX 2.5.2, ESX 2.5.4, and VMWare Server 1.0.2 spanning connections to two SAN's (and EMC 150 and Stonefly).

So basically what we're (and by we're me and my buddy Matt, who subs as a Network Admin) is installing the new 3.5 infrastructure on a Dell 2900, attach it to the the EMC SAN, migrate all of the old machine to the new 3.5 box (16 in all), and finally re-deploy a Dell 6850 as the 2900's HA partner server.

Whew! I get tired just thinking about it. But it'll be good times. Add to that the deployment of the new Virtual Center Management Server 2.5, and we'll be cooking with gas.

So as I get closer to completing the WBS (That's "Work Breakdown Structure" for my non-PMP'ish readers), which should be by the end of the week, I post it here (with the server names and IP addresses removed, of course) so you can see the magnitude of the project.

The project plan, thus far, is already 32 MB in size and 23 pages long! Yeah, I know. But we're talking about production systems here, and I don't mess with production servers without a detailed plan. Almost down to "click on OK to continue" or "type cd vmfs/vmhba0:0:0:5/server.vmdk". Better to know EXACTLY what you're doing before jacking with production servers.

So check back with me later in the week, ir better yet, subscribe! :)

Suse on the XPS

If you follow my blog at all, you know that I've been talking about my screwed up, Gen 1, Dell XPS laptop. This thing has been buggy for weeks. Well this evening, while working on my office re-org project, I pulled the XPS out of the closet and decided to see if I could get it to boot. You know, just for the fun of it. Low and behold, the thing booted up. Of course, I had to remove and re-install the hard drive, which means that it had somehow come loose. That also explains why it wouldn't get past the POST.

At any rate, I had Mandriva running on the machine before it crapped out on me. But I've done Mandriva. Let's try something new... Suse! OK, so Suse isn't something to get all excited about. It's basically a watered down version of Red Hat and it's owned by former networking giant, Novel. Since MS kicked them out of the networking world about 13 years ago, I guess they had to do something.

Anyway, so Suse installed without issue. So much so, in fact, that I'm writing this post, using my new Suse install, at this very moment. Even though I haven't gotten the wireless configured just yet, the rest of the components, including hard-wired networking, seem to have sailed right on through.

So I'll leave Suse on here for now. But the bast part is, I got my XPS back! :).

Shut Up and Drive!!! - RANT

OK. I'm a tech guy. I love cell phones, computers, cars, radios, TV's and all the rest of the cool tech toys as much as any other tech guy. But one thing that just frustrates the ever-loving crap out of me is people who slow traffic down because they're talking on the damn phone!

No, I'm not saying don't talk and drive, it's totally possible to do two things at the same time. But if you're going to talk and drive, please, please, please at least go the speed limit, not 20 mph under. If you're going to drive more slowly, then for god's sake, get in the slow lane.

Nothing irritate me more than miles and miles and miles of traffic, only to discover that it's some slow driving jerk talking on his cell phone, oblivious to everyone else around him. Don't be an arrogant twit! The world does not revolve around you. There are other people on the road who are trying to get somewhere, and you talking on the phone and not paying attention to anything going on around you isn't helping my road rage.

Office Update

OK, so I worked on my office a little this afternoon. I know I've kind of gone back and forth trying to figure what I'm going to do, but I think I've finally come to a conclusion. For starters, I'm going line the floor, walls, and ceiling of my office closet with acoustic foam, dampening any ambient noise that may come from the computers I'll be placing there.

Next, I'll build a desk/table top, this will be a custom installation of shelving for this closet, since I have several storage bins for various equipment and files, and I want to make it a multi-function design, allowing me to use the closet as both a server closet and storage closet.

I'm lining it with foam because, for the immediate future I'm keeping the 600SC's online. Though I'm going to experiment with another idea using the 500GB HDD out of my iOmega drive enclosure. This would be great because I wouldn't have to fork over a couple of hundred dollars for a 500GB HDD, and I can always go back and drop a smaller IDE drive in the enclosure at a later time.

I could then use this drive in the GX280 as it's root drive, re-install Xubuntu, and then setup VMWS 2.0 for my virtualization backbone and migrate the 600's off. But that's likely to happen a couple of month from now. I have so much going on at work I just haven't had time to mess with my home setup much.

At any rate, I think this is a good idea. Anyone have another idea? Comment below:

Vicious Vista Vindictiveness

You know, maybe it's just me, but I really don't understand what everyone seems to hate so much about Vista. It's clean, it's relatively secure, it does what it's suppose to do. So why all the whining? I know, I know, it takes some getting used to. There are a lot of differences in the way you get things done, but we're talking a major OS overhaul here, so things are not likely to remain the same.

I remember when Microsoft introduced Windows 95 (yes, I know, I just dated myself), which was a HUGE difference from the Windows 3.1 and WFW interface, and I remember taking support phone calls from people who just purchased their brand new AST computer with the "new fangled" operating system.

"Where's my DOS prompt?" "How to I open to Word Perfect?" What's this weird dot in the middle of my screen?" (extra credit for anyone who gets that reference, by the way). Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

The biggest issue people seem to have outside of the new interface is that fact that it doesn't work with "legacy" hardware. But do you really need that craptastic HP laser printer from 1984 anymore anyway? Shouldn't you maybe go out an buy some new stuff?

So here's Gary top 5 tips for getting along with Vista:

#5. Understand that this is a "new" OS, it's not going to work the way you're used to working.
#4. Go out and buy Windows Vista for Dummies - No, I didn't just call you a dummy!
#3. Upgrade your hardware! That 8mm video camera you got from your great great grandfather probably won't work.
#2. Once you get some new hardware, download Microsoft Virtual PC and build a virtual XP box inside of Vista. This way you can run your XP only software and still have Vista on your box.
#1. Stop whining and switch to Linux! ;) - Just kidding! (sort of)

Seriously. In this day and age, it's not the person who can run the widget machine the best that gets ahead, it's the person who learns how to run the new widget machine the fastest who makes it to the top.

Just remember, it's all DOS underneath (BTW, check out Windows Power Shell for some more really cool goodies!) and while Vista may have some growing pains, Microsoft will eventually get the kinks worked out and we'll all be the better for it.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below: (Keep it clean, this is a "family blog")

No Mac Attack

OK, so I decided against the Mac for now. Mostly because I have too many computers as it is and I dont' want to add to the craziness. That is, of course, unless I sell my Gen1 XPS, they're going for about $800-$1200 on eBay right now, depending on condition. But even if I sell it, I'd rather spend the money building my super-quiet core server and then maybe upgrading my son's GX280 so I can install Vista.

I supposed I could cannibalize the other GX280, yanking memory and hard drives out of it and then just do any "testing" on my virtual server. OK. So do any one of the 5 people I have reading this have any ideas on a super-quiet server?

Gary