HyTrust Appliance 2.0 is available. Building on the successes of 2009, which included our initial product launch and numerous awards, we’re happy to see the streak continue into 2010 by delivering a major new release that will empower enterprises to capitalize on the wave of datacenter virtualization and accelerate efforts to virtualize tier-one applications. The features available in HyTrust Appliance 2.0 deliver true enterprise-class policy management and access control capabilities to virtual infrastructure. New features include the following:

* Root Password Vault: Locks down privileged host accounts and provides passwords for temporary use to enable time-limited privileged account access. Root accounts on hypervisors are extremely powerful and, as a consequence, can create a significant liability if not kept out of the wrong hands. With the aid of Root Password Vault, all root account access is attributable to an individual and every action is logged, providing far greater visibility and accountability.
* Federated Deployment: Secure distributed system architecture allows for automated replication of policies and templates across multiple HyTrust Appliances as well as geographic boundaries. For larger enterprises with multiple datacenters and collocation facilities, Federated Deployment of HyTrust Appliances ensures consistency of controls across the entire infrastructure.
* Virtual Infrastructure Search: Enables quick and easy accessibility to all virtual infrastructure objects, policies, and logs within HyTrust Appliance.
* Remote API: Interface to remotely access and automate the administration of the HyTrust Appliance. Provides the greater scalability demanded by large, enterprise-wide deployments of virtualization.
* Object Policy Labels: Creates a policy categorization structure, similar to “Web 2.0 tagging” for virtual infrastructure objects, which enables better organization and tighter, more consistent controls. Object Policy Labels enable access, network segment, and zoning policies, which allows administrators to dictate which virtual machines are allowed to connect to which network segments or hosts via RuleSets and Constraints.
* Router-Mode: a deployment option where all VMware management traffic is forced to flow through the HyTrust Appliance. HyTrust Appliance acts as a router for the “protected” management subnet and ESX/ESXi hosts and vCenter Server use HyTrust Appliance as their default gateway. This adds yet another flexible deployment option to the other existing options, ensuring the HyTrust Appliance will easily adapt to any enterprise architecture.

Along with the new capabilities delivered in 2.0, we’d like to introduce you to the new editions of HyTrust Appliance:

* Community Edition is a free version of the product that supports up to three hosts.
* Standard Edition supports an unlimited number of hosts and offers more flexible deployment options.
* Enterprise Edition supports an unlimited number of hosts, offers more flexible deployment options, supports federation of multiple HyTrust Appliances, enables privileged account management via Root Password Vault, allows two-factor authentication, and offers a remote API for additional management flexibility.

You can download the Community Edition of HyTrust Appliance at http://www.hytrust.com/community.

Interesting paper on the nehalem MMU stuff:
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Perf_ESX_Intel-EPT-eval.pdf

By comparison here’s the tests on AMD hardware:
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/RVI_performance.pdf

Summary, some things AMD is a little faster on; Intel is consistently a little faster on a few more tasks though.

All in all though the difference appears minimal.

From http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/vsp_40_esx_server_config.pdf <— look on page 98 or the VMware ESXi Configuration Guide

Network Attached Storage

ESX supports using NAS through the NFS protocol. The NFS protocol enables communication between an NFS client and an NFS server.

The NFS client built into ESX lets you access the NFS server and use NFS volumes for storage. ESX supports only NFS Version 3 over TCP.

You use the vSphere Client to configure NFS volumes as datastores. Configured NFS datastores appear in the vSphere Client, and you can use them to store virtual disk files in the same way that you use VMFS-based datastores.

*** NOTE: ESXi does not support the delegate user functionality that enables access to NFS volumes using non- root credentials.

Also see these links for more info on read only capabilities for different licenses.

http://partnerweb.vmware.com/comp_guide/docs/vSphere_Comp_Matrix.pdf

On the ViOPs site there is a comparison matrix of ESXi/ESX in case we’re asked ‘which one should I use?’.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1006543

RCLI is limited to read-only access for the free version of VMware ESXi. To enable full functionality of RCLI on a VMware ESXi host, the host must be licensed with VI Foundation, VI Standard, or VI Enterprise.

VMware makes periodic updates to the ESXi Installable version you can download. This page was created to help track and locate those.

Use these numbers to determine when a system was patched last and to make sure the VMware Infrastructure Client is the right one.

Best Practice:

ESXi: Run the VMware Infrastructure Update tool from a windows management station with the VMware Infrastructure Client every month.

ESX: Use vCenter Update Manager to scan and remediate ESX hosts when new security patches are available.

How to Check the Version Numbers:

1. Download the VMware Infrastructure Client from the Web User Interface.
   For example: https://ESX-HOST-IP-ADDRESS/client/VMware-viclient.exe
2. Start the VMware Infrastructure Client
3. Click the Help Menu
4. Select “About”
5. Note the Version and Build for both the Client and Server.
6. Compare to list below to ensure they are at same release.
7. If you update the Server you should connect to the Web User Interface and download the latest VMware Infrastructure Client.

Latest Install ISO is VMware ESXi 3.5 Installable Update 4 Build Number: 153875
Released: (2009.03.20)

ESXe350-200907401-O-SG – PATCH Build 176894 (2009.05.28) – VIC 147633 – Tools 176894 <– Latest Patch

ESXe350-200906401-O-BG – PATCH Build 169697 (2009.05.28) – VIC 147633 – Tools 169697

ESXe350-200905401-O-BG – PATCH Build 163429 (2009.05.28) – VIC 147633 – Tools 158874
ESXe350-200904401-O-SG – PATCH Build 158874 (2009.04.29) – VIC 147633 – Tools 158874
ESXe350-200904201-O-SG – PATCH Build 158869 (2009.04.10) – VIC 147633 -
ESXe350-200903201-O-UG – UPDATE Build 153875 (2009.03.30) – VIC 147633 <– Update 4
ESXe350-200903411-O-BG – PATCH Build 153840 (2009.03.20) – VIC 119801
ESXe350-200901401-O-SG – PATCH Build 143129 (2009.01.30) – VIC 143129
ESXe350-200811401-O-SG – PATCH Build 130755 (2009.12.02) – VIC 119801
ESXe350-200810401-O-UG – UPDATE Build 123629 (2008.11.17) – VIC 119801 Update 3

The typical way to apply patches to ESXi hosts is through the VMware Update Manager. For details, see the VMware Update Manager Administration Guide.

ESXi hosts can also be updated by downloading the most recent “O” (offline) patch bundle from http://support.vmware.com/selfsupport/download/ and installing the bundle using VMware Infrastructure Update or by using the vihostupdate command through the Remote Command Line Interface (RCLI). For details, see the ESX Server 3i Configuration Guide and the ESX Server 3i Embedded Setup Guide (Chapter 10, Maintaining ESX Server 3i and the VI Client) or the ESX Server 3i Installable Setup Guide (Chapter 11, Maintaining ESX Server 3i and the VI Client).

Note: ESXi hosts do not reboot automatically when you patch with the offline bundle.

Reference:

http://support.vmware.com/selfsupport/s3portal.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=SearchPatch&SearchPatch_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2Fpatchupdate%2FfindPatchByProductVersion&_pageLabel=s3portal_pages_downloadPatch_page&version=3.5&product=ESXi%20(Embedded%20and%20Installable)

How we watch movies on our iMac

Overview

Operations

Parts List

Quantity	Description	Unit Price	Extended Price
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/adapters/index.htm	Female HDMI to Male DVI Adapter	$8
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/adapters/index.htm	Female TOSlink/Male 1/8 Plug Adapter	$3
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/index.htm	30 foot TOSlink Optical Digital Audio Cable	$31
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/subwoofer/subwooferprices.htm	Subwoofer Cable, 30 feet	$50
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/index.htm	HDMI Cable, Series-2, 30 feet	$121
	KLH Audio Subwoofer e-12dbn	$100
http://www.retrevo.com/support/Philips-42PFL7432D-TVs-manual/id/2839bh429/t/2/http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/30424/overview/42pfl7432d37.html	Philips 42″ lcd 42PFL7422D	$900
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=STRDE995	Sony STR-DE995 Receiver	$500
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=RMLG112	Sony RM-LG112 Remote Control	$100
http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/05/23/i4u-reviews-dishs-vip-622-hd-dvr/	Dish Network ViP622 High Definition Digital Video Recorder	$300
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4183762$	Logitech Harmony 1000 Remote Control	$220
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4183764	Logitech Harmony Remote Extender RB-996-000029	$220
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/stereo_speakers/acoustimass_5/index.jsp	Bose AM-5 Speaker System	$400
	JBL Center Channel Speaker	$100
	Apple iMac 24″ Intel Core 2 Duo REFURB IMAC 2.16/1G/250/SD/AP/BT FA456LL/A	$1449
	Apple VESA MOUNT KIT M9649G/A	$29
	BRETFORD FLAT PANEL WALL MOUNT TJ540LL/A	$120
	Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter	$19
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=281816	Belkin 3 channel HDMI Video Switcher Part#AV24502tt	$110
	APC SmartUPS 1400	$350

Parts Description

Apple iMac 24″ Intel Core 2 Duo

Logitech Harmony 1000 Remote Control

The Logitech Harmony 1000 features a brilliant 3.5” color touch screen that allows for one-touch activity-based control of even the most sophisticated A/V components. Navigation controls located on the right side of the panel make it easy for you to scroll through several options. Say goodbye to the wasted time and unnecessary complexity of multiple remotes controlling multiple devices; Logitech’s patented Smart State Technology makes it easy! Control your HDTV, adjust aspect ratios, or change sound modes—there are no complicated macros to program. Just press an on-screen activity icon and Harmony does the rest. The Harmony 1000’s sleek shape and brushed aluminum surfaces will look right at home as the centerpiece of your digital living room. The remote is all you’ll need to control even the most complex home entertainment systems. And when used together with a Harmony® RF Wireless Extender (sold separately), you can further reduce clutter by placing your components out of sight. Since the remote can transmit both infrared and radio frequency commands, you can control equipment inside a cabinet or even in the next room. Control your electronic devices in an organized fashion. With the Logitech Harmony 1000, it’s all within your fingertips.

Optical Digital Audio Cable: Mitsubishi Eska POF

When we have a choice, we prefer to run digital audio in coax; it’s more robust over distance, and the cable is interchangeable with cable used for certain other applications (e.g., composite video). However, an increasing number of devices are coming onto the market with digital audio available only in optical form, following the TOSlink standard. For these applications, we build our optical cables using the finest high-performance Plastic Optical Fiber (POF), Mitsubishi’s ESKA Fiber. While POF is in general rather lossy stuff compared to glass optical fiber, we prefer it for optical digital audio use because it’s much more physically durable and because its aperture matches the spec for optical digital audio use, unlike glass fiber which is too small and must be used in bundles. Our fiber is encased first in a tough cladding layer and then, for added durability, a flexible outer PVC jacket similar in texture to the PVC on some of our high-flex Belden cables (e.g. Belden 1505F). In our own usage, we’ve tested these cables at lengths up to 50 feet and found them to perform perfectly even at those extended distances.

Female HDMI/Male DVI Adapter

For plugging an HDMI cable into a DVI jack.

Female TOSlink/Male 1/8″ Plug Adapter

For plugging a TOSlink cable into an optical-compatible 1/8″ jack.

Subwoofer Cables

In some ways, the subwoofer cable interconnect is the least demanding application in home theater. While HD video demands cables able to carry high-bandwidth signals, at tight impedance tolerances, the subwoofer cable has the relatively easy job of carrying a very low-frequency, very low-bandwidth signal. But a subwoofer cable has a critical job to do, and needs to do it well: keep out hum. Hum can come from ground loops (cable won’t help you if that’s the case, but see our isolation transformer below) or, often, from EMI (electro-magnetic interference). High-energy, low-frequency noise, like the 60-cycle hum from nearby power cords, fluorescent lights, and other miscellaneous sources, is the hardest type of interference to shield against, and the best defense here is a dense and highly-conductive braid shield. Our recommended subwoofer interconnect cables have not one, but two, dense braid shields, and in our testing we’ve found this to be the best shield configuration, outperforming conventional single-braid, braid-and-foil, and unbalanced twisted-pair cables when it comes to hum rejection.

The Cable: Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 Analog Audio Cable

Our
recommended subwoofer cable is our own proprietary design, the LC-1
low-capacitance audio cable. It has an extremely heavy double-braid
shield layer for the best possible rejection of induced low-frequency
hum, and extremely low capacitance for the flattest possible frequency
response. It is thick — about .305 inch in diameter — but is more
flexible than comparably-sized cables, and is therefore easy to route
around corners and obstacles. Unlike most analog audio cables on the
market, too, LC-1 is UL-listed and bears a CM rating under the National
Electrical Code, so is suitable for in-wall installation in both
residential and commercial environments. (CM is a superior rating to
the more often-seen CL-2 and CL-3 ratings). For more information and
specs on this cable, see our “Design Notes” article about LC-1.

The Connectors: Taversoe Crimp RCA Plugs Connectors are a critical part of any audio cable, because if the cable isn’t well-joined to the connectors, or if the connectors don’t make firm electrical contact with the jacks, it doesn’t much matter how good the cable is. Our LC-1 cables are terminated with the Taversoe RCA plug, a high-quality RCA plug with an all-metal body and shell specifically designed for the perfect dimensions for use with LC-1. Its all-metal body, crimped tightly to the shield braid, completes the shielding assembly from cable end to cable end, to ensure that the cables do not become an entry point for noise. These plugs are gold-plated on all jack-contact surfaces, and employ a set of leaf-spring style grippers on the outer RCA ring which apply just the right amount of force to the jack to grip it firmly without overtightening.

HDMI Cables

HDMI is a digital signal format, developed
primarily as a platform for the implementation of HDCP (High Definition
Content Protection) to prevent consumers from having complete access to
the contents of high-definition digital recordings. As one might expect
from a standard that was developed to serve the content provider
industries, rather than the best interests of the consumer, HDMI is
something of a mess. The signal is not robust over distance because it
was designed to run balanced when it should have been run unbalanced
(SDI, the commercial digital video standard, can be run hundreds of
feet over a single coax without any performance issues); the HDMI cable
is an unnecessarily-complicated rat’s-nest arrangement involving
nineteen conductors; switches, repeaters and distribution amplifiers,
by virtue of this complicated scheme, are made unnecessarily expensive;
and the HDMI plug is prone to falling out of the jack with little more
than a light tug. As more and more manufacturers move to implement HDMI
on more home theater devices, however, it falls to the consumer to try
to make the best of this dubious and poorly-thought-out standard.

BJC Series-2 HDMI Cables: In addition to our new Belden-built cables, we continue to offer our more economical, Chinese-sourced Series-2 HDMI cables. These cables are of excellent quality and we have found them dependable up to lengths of 50 feet at all resolutions up to 1080p/60. They are rated CL2 for in-wall installation, and use 24 AWG silver-plated copper signal conductors.View the drawing and spec sheet on our Series-2 HDMI and HDMI/DVI Cables, in .pdf format.

Sony STR-DE995B Receiver

• Stereo Power Rating: 100 Watts Per Channel x 2 (8 ohms 20 Hz-20 kHz, THD .09%) • Dolby® Digital EX, dts®, 96k/24 bit dts ES®, dts:Neo6®, Dolby® Pro Logic® II Decoding • A & B/A or B Speaker Switch • 32-bit Dolby® Digital, Dolby® Pro Logic® and dts® Decoder • 32-bit DSP with 13 acoustic environments • Digital Cinema Sound™ system with Cinema Studio EX modes

Philips USA 42PFL7422D 42″ Widescreen 1080p HDTV LCD

1920 x 1080p pixel resolution 8000:1 dynamic contrast ratio 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio 500 cd/m² brightness 176°H/176°V viewing angle Perfect Pixel HD Engine offers the unique combination of ultimate sharpness, natural detail, vivid colors and smooth natural motion on all qualities of HDTV Built-in analog/digital tuner (NTSC/ATSC) USB connector for easy, instant multimedia playing Three HDMI inputs for easy full HD connectivity 42PFL7422 D: 41 3/16″ W x 27″ H x 4 5/8″ D weight: 73.6 lbs. 47PFL7422 D: 45 5/8″ W x 29 5/8″ H x 4 5/8″ D weight: 52.8 lbs. VESA 600mm x 400mm compliant

HDMI™ 3-to-1 Video Switch

The Belkin PureAV HDMI 3-to-1 Video Switch allows you to connect to and switch among three high-definition, digital-video source devices through only one High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or Digital Visual Interface (DVI)* connection on your high-definition television (HDTV). Its quick adoption has made HDMI one of the most common audio video connections available. It is used on high-definition components, such as HDTVs, up-converting DVD players, HD cable/satellite boxes, entertainment computers, and the newly released Blu-ray® and HD-DVD players. This has created a bottleneck at the HDTV connection—with a common scenario featuring three HDMI/DVI sources to only one HDMI/DVI input. The Belkin PureAV HDMI 3-to-1 Video Switch lets you connect three sources into one HDMI input on your HDTV. Then, simply select from among the source devices either by pressing the input-selector button on the Switch itself, or by using the included remote control to scroll to or directly select a source.

Bose Acoustimass-5 Speakers

Two Direct/Reflecting® cube speaker arrays deliver the warmth and emotion of string and wind instruments. Those sounds are lifelike and spacious thanks to Direct/Reflecting® cube speaker arrays. With a blend of reflected and direct sound, this innovative Bose technology approximates the way sound reaches your ears during a live performance. You experience the richness of your favorite music from almost anywhere in the room. The Acoustimass bass module produces dramatic low tones without audible distortion and can be hidden behind furniture. Music and movie effects all seem to come from the small cube speakers, rather than the hideaway module.

---

VMware HA doesn’t work.

1. Verify that host name is lowercase: hostname; hostname -s
2. Verify that host name in /etc/hosts is lowercase
3. Verify that search domain in /etc/resolv.conf is in lowercase
4. Verify that host name in /etc/sysconfig/network is fqdn, all lowercase
5. Verify that the host name in esx.conf is fqdn, all lowercase
6. Verify that host name in DNS is lowercase: nslookup; <short hostname> (should properly resolve fqdn of host, all lowercase)
7. Verify that all primary service consoles have the same name.
8. Verify that all primary service consoles are in the same IP subnet.
9. If VMotion vmkernel port is on same vSwitch as primary service console, use das.allowVmotionNetworks=1
10. If host has multiple service consoles, use KB 1006541 and the das.allowNetwork0 HA option to ensure that only the primary service console is allowed.
11. Verify that customer has appropriate licensing for HA, and has available licenses:  In LM Tools, perform a status inquiry, verify that cu is licensed for VC_DAS
12. Once you have met all of the above criteria, enable HA.
13. If, after you have verified all the above, and HA still won’t configure:

1. On the host, stop vpxa: service vmware-vpxa stop
2. The host will show not responding in VC after a while
3. Disconnect the host from VC
4. Re-connect the host to VC
5. This will force the VPXA package to re-deploy, as well as the HA packages to re-deploy.
6. Re-configure the hosts for HA.

Many thanks to: Kevin Riley [mailto:kriley@vmware.com]

See also:
http://vmwaretips.com/wp/2008/10/20/advanced-settings-for-vmware-ha/

http://blog.spudz.org/?p=388

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1006541
As of VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 configuration of VMware High Availability fails.
An error similar to the following appears in the Tasks and Events detail:

HA agent on <esxhostname> in cluster <clustername> in <datacenter> has an error Incompatible HA Networks:

Cluster has network(s) missing on host: x.x.x.x

Consider using the Advanced Cluster Settings das.allowNetwork to control network usage.
das.allowVmotionNetworks
- Allows for a NIC that is used for VMotion networks to be considered
for VMware HA usage. This parameter enables a host that has only one
NIC configured for management and VMotion combined to be used in VMware
High Availability communication. By default, any VMotion network is
ignored.
das.allowNetwork[...] – Allows the use of port group names
to control the networks used for VMware HA. The value is set as the
name of the portgroup, for example, Service Console or Management
Network . When configured, the VMware HA cluster only uses the
specified networks for VMware HA communication.

To configure VMware HA to use the new settings:
Log in to VirtualCenter with the VI Client as an administrator.
Edit the settings of the cluster and deselect Enable VMware HA.
Click OK, and wait for the servers to unconfigure for VMware HA.
Click
ESX Server > Configuration > Networking on each of the ESX hosts
in the cluster and note the portgroups that are common between the
servers.
Edit the settings of the cluster, and select Enable VMware HA.
Click VMware HA.
Click Advanced Options.
Add the das.allowNetworkX option with a value of the portgroup name, where X is a number between 1 and 10,

IR: Wednesday, June 24, 2009

There are many customers we’re setup with virtualized active directory domain controllers. Windows 2003 at first and now Windows 2008 both work fine as Virtualized Domain Controllers.

Here are some of the links and notes that help as references…

–> http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/Virtualizing_Windows_Active_Directory.pdf

An anti-affinity DRS rule is used when you want to keep 2 virtual machines on separate hosts when they provide a redundant service and locating them on the same host would eliminate that redundancy.

–>http://vmprofessional.com/2009/06/drs-and-anti-affinity-rules.html

The Virtual Machine on 64-Bit Windows Server

If using the x64 version of Windows Server 2003 or 2003 R2, one of the primary goals will be to contain the entire Active Directory database within the virtual machine’s RAM cache. On 64-bit Windows, employing 16 GB of RAM cache will accommodate a database of approximately 2.5 million users.
Caching the Active Directory database in 64-bit Windows will avoid performance hits related to certain disk operations. For a virtual machine that is a domain controller, adding, modifying, searching, deleting and update operations generally benefit significantly from caching. Write operations will always incur a slight penalty, regardless of whether a domain controller is running on a physical or virtual machine.
There is limited benefit for filling cache on 32-bit Windows for customers with large directories; in fact, in some cases this actually can exhaust kernel resources.

–> http:/viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1223

–> http:/xtravirt.com/xd10095
First Published: 17 June 2009
Windows 2008 Server and Windows 2008 Server R2 further refine the functionality with the service being renamed Active Directory Domain Services.

–> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875495/
This article describes a condition that occurs when a domain controller that is running Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 starts from an Active Directory database that has been incorrectly restored or copied into place. This condition is known as an update sequence number rollback, or USN rollback. When a USN rollback occurs, modifications to objects and attributes that occur on one domain controller do not replicate to other domain controllers in the forest. Because replication partners believe that they have an up-to-date copy of the Active Directory database, monitoring and troubleshooting tools such as Repadmin.exe do not report any replication errors.

–> http://download3.vmware.com/vmworld/2006/tac9710.pdf
Here is a link to a VMworld 2006 Presentation titled TAC 9710 -
Virtualizing a Windows Active Directory Domain Infrastructure:
* Clock synchronization
* Network performance
* Multi-master replication model
* Security
* Potential single point of failure
* Disaster recovery

–> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd348449.aspx?ppud=4

# To help prevent a potential update sequence number (USN) rollback situation, see Appendix A: Virtualized Domain Controllers and Replication Issues.

–> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd348479(WS.10).aspx

– I b e n
iben.rodriguez – gmail
Follow me on http://twitter.com/iben

I recently had opportunity to install VMware ESX on some old Dell hardware. These notes helped me move through the process.

VM-Help database of links: http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3.5/Whiteboxes_SATA_Controllers_for_ESX_3.5_3i.htm

How to enter nocheckCPUIDLimit on ESX with screen shots – http://communities.vmware.com/message/1136449#1136449
This is a two step process. Once for initial install from cd-rom and once for rebooting off hard drive. I did have to tweak it as it did not work 100% as advertised (see BrennanB post on April 27th).

Please let me know what other links worked for you and your old hardware.  Be sure to update vm-help with any feedback too!

I b e n

How Does VMware Storage VMotion Work?

VMware Storage VMotion allows virtual machine storage disks to be relocated to different datastore locations with no downtime, while being completely transparent to the virtual machine or the end user.

Before moving a virtual machines disk file, Storage VMotion moves the “home directory” of the virtual machine to the new location. The home directory contains meta data about the virtual machine (configuration, swap and log files). After relocating the home directory, Storage VMotion copies the contents of the entire virtual machine storage disk file to the destination storage host, leveraging “changed block tracking” to maintain data integrity during the migration process. Next, the software queries the changed block tracking module to determine what regions of the disk were written to during the first iteration, and then performs a second iteration of copy, where those regions that were changed during the first iteration copy (there can be several more iterations).

Once the process is complete, the virtual machine is quickly suspended and resumed so that it can begin using the virtual machine home directory and disk file on the destination datastore location. Before VMware ESX allows the virtual machine to start running again, the final changed regions of the source disk are copied over to the destination and the source home and disks are removed.

This approach guarantees complete transactional integrity and is fast enough to be unnoticeable to the end user.

VMware White Paper on Storage vMotion – http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/storage_vmotion_datasheet.pdf

Dell video showing how VMware Storage vMotion works – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EfGJaYnQjM

VI Client Plugin by Andrew Kutz – http://code.google.com/p/akutz/downloads/detail?name=SVMotionClientSetup-0.4.4.msi

Guide on how to use Storage vMotion – http://www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tutorials/vmware-esx-articles/vmotion-drs-high-availability/storage-vmotion-svmotion-vi-plugin.html

Here is another GUI for VMware Storage vMotion – http://communities.vmware.com/thread/122847

VMware Storage vMotion GUI

Take an average office turned into a server room.  Many companies throw a 3 or 5 ton split air conditioner on a wall call the electrician and start loading the racks up with servers. Now a days the new server hardware can use all the power (and cooling) you have in probably one rack (think three loaded blade chassis with 16 servers each = 90 amps of 208v).  The question is how much cooling can you afford?

For customers deploying 10 or more servers it is recommended to use the most efficient power delivery and structured wiring options.

Using 3 phase power reduces the number of PDUs and “whips” required to power up large quantity of machines.  The actual cables from the server to the PDU are the same and the power supplies still receive 1 phase 208v power.  This is just a different and more efficient
method of delivering the power to the servers.

You get higher densities with fewer wires to the electrical service panel with 3 phase power over single phase power. ServerTech has a great white paper on this topic here:

http://www.servertech.com/3-Phase_Power_in_the_Data_Center.pdf

A 3 phase 30 amp 208V circuit can deliver 8.6 kw versus a 1 phase 30 amp
208V circuit which only delivers 4.99 kv.

Here is one of the more popular units…

3 phase 30 amp
CW-48VY-L2130
http://servertech.com/products/pdf/SwitchedCW-48VY.pdf

Input NEMA L21-30P Cordset
Output (48) IEC 60320/C13
http://servertech.com/products/pdf/SmartCDUCS-84VDD-3Ph.pdf

CS-24VD-L1530 – List $860.
CS-48VDD-L1530- List $985.
CS-84VDD-L1530- List $1,290.

You need to hire an electrician at $100 per hour x 4 hours plus parts.

Cheap fast switch with life time warranty:

24 ports NetGear GigE Unmanaged Switch – $260
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Switches/UnmanagedSwitches/JGS524.aspx

SuperGoose temp and humidity – $500
http://www.itwatchdogs.com/products_mon.shtml#wxg-2

Trendpoint power monitoring – direct $3085

http://www.trendpoint.com/TrendPointOne.html

48 port tie lines from each server rack to a central control rack cost about $2000 per rack

Sample power calculations (need to be adjusted) 24 amps x 208 volts = 5000 watts * 3 racks = 15000 watts = 51,113.088 with BTU/hour = 4.25 tons cooling (worst case)

3 Homaco M6 Square Hole 4 post Racks – $360.19 each
19-84-SSDA2732
http://www.homaco.com/equipfloorracks/adjustdual/m6serverrack.htm
OR-19-84-SSDA2732. 84″- M6 SERVER RACK. 84″- M6 SERVER RACK.

And you can get all the various power cables needed for 208vac
operation from quail.
http://www.quail.com/seriesPage.cfm?seriesID=9