ESX Server - End of Life Announced!

Finally after almost a decade since its first release, and three years after ESXi was introduced, ESX Server product has an end of life date. The days of debating with IT folks that ESX is "Linux based" has finally come to an end. VMware, with the release of ESX 4.1, very quietly announced that this would be the last version of ESX Server, with its legacy Service Console (or COS). Future versions of VMware's enterprise class hypervisor will ship only in the ESXi version.
To be honest, it was VMware's early releases of ESX Server documentation which did not differentiate between the hypervisor and the COS. At the time, the term “hypervisor” was largely unknown. Come to think of it so was the term "server virtualization" and no one understood what a “virtual machine” was. But as the years went on and ESX Server became the hypervisor standard in the industry, it also became very clear that ESX Server was not a "Linux based" operating system. Instead, ESX was the hypervisor and the “server part” was a virtual machine that was used to manage and configure the hypervisor. It was this virtual machine that actually was a Linux operating system (a stripped down version of Red Hat Linux). Still though, this architecture was a difficult discussion when you ran into organizations that had a "no Linux" rule.
After the release of ESXi in 2007, the “Linux-less” version ESX Server was very slow to be adopted in part because its initial release was not fully compatible with VMware's Virtual Infrastructure (now known as vSphere). This lack of compatibility with ESXi only fueled the belief that the server piece of ESX Server was not just a VM for management instead it was needed for the hypervisor to perform some of the advanced virtual infrastructure tasks.
Finally, after years of ESX rumors regarding VMware’s removal of the legacy COS, that reality will finally arrive with ESXi's next release. The days of unstable, third party Linux utilities running in ESX Server’s COS have come to an end. Anyone still using ESX Server because of custom agents or scripts in the COS will have to finally move to a solution that supports ESXi.
For those of you that are still running your infrastructure on ESX Server, don’t worry. You still have some time before ESX Server is retired. VMware has delivered many tools and utilities to help you migrate to ESXi. They have even gone as far to develop a two day training class to help you migrate any lasting dependencies that will prevent you from upgrading to ESXi.
http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2010/07/esx-41-is-the-last-esx-what-do-i-do-now.html

vCenter™ Admin Portal - Beta

vCap is currently in beta from VMware and is very interesting - a virtual machine appliance that will enable a web portal to manage multiple vCenter servers.

Still a beta but its an interesting direction...

http://communities.vmware.com/community/beta/vcadminportal

ESXi Management as an Internet Based Web Service

The ability to deploy, manage and report on ESXi servers and virtual machines via a web based service… Not a bad idea! VMware recently announced VMware GO (http://go.vmware.com), a web based solution allowing users to build ESXi servers, deploy and manage virtual machines all from a hosted web service. Geared toward users new to virtualization and ones not familiar with or those who do not care to have the knowledge of a virtualization layer to use VMware’s ESXi hypervisor.

VMware GO enables you to discover existing servers on your network (Windows Only in this beta release) and verify if they are viable ESXi server candidates. It will create and download for you the necessary media in ISO format and help you burn a CD/DVD that can be used to install ESXi on the target server simply by booting the server to this VMware GO ESXi CD image. GO also allows you to add any of your existing ESXi servers that are already running in your environment as well.

GO is basically a “poor man’s” management system for your ESXi servers, as opposed to paying for and deploying VMware’s vCenter management software. GO enables you to track multiple ESXi hosts from a single web interface, track and manage all the virtual machines running on these hosts and even allows you to generate reports on your virtual environment.

While it is no replacement to vCenter’s functionally, GO is an extremely interesting product that is designed to give VMware a vehicle to reach out to an audience that has alluded them. It will attract users to VMware’s flagship product – ESXi - that have previously passed on the technology because of ESXis hypervisor/command line look and feel. Users of VMware GO can deploy, manage and support running virtual machines on ESXi hosts without ever needed to touch a command line or console type interface. VMware GO’s web interface allows for full access to the environment through the comfort of one’s favorite web browser.

VMware GO is currently available in beta form at go.vmware.com. It does have a few bugs and works better with certain versions of the Windows operating systems than it does others (Vista acting better then XP), but it will be very exciting to see where VMware takes this idea and what this web portal could become in the future.

VSphere ESXi 4 running in VMware Workstation

Following the instructions posted by David Davis for ESXi 3.5 running within VMware workstation you can sucessfully get ESXi 4 running as well.

http://blogs.virtualizationadmin.com/davis/2008/09/16/running-vmware-esx-35-and-esxi-in-workstation-on-your-desktop-pc/

ESXi Update 3 - Patching ESXi Hosts

VMware released today Update 3 for ESX/ESXi.
http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/vi3_esx3i_e_35u3_rel_notes.html?src=EM_08Q4_VMW_OTHER_ESXI35-3IUPDATE3&ossrc=EM_08Q4_VMW_OTHER_ESXI35-3IUPDATE3

Verified the ESXi Configurator Utility will patch ESXi hosts using the new Update 3 package.

http://www.itsallvirtual.com/ downloads

VMware RCLI Creating a session file for ESXi

The RCLI utility comes with the ability to create a session file for your host so that you do not need to repeat the user ID and password to a host when passing multiple perl script commands.

The session file that is created will have the host name and ID and password saved in it. This allows you to call/use this file when executing .pl scripts against the host, thus saving you the time of entering your ID and password every time.

Creating the session file:

In the following location of the RCLI install (assuming default path) you will find a save_session.pl, you will use this script to create your sesssion file.

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VI Remote CLI\Perl\apps\session>save_session.pl

The command looks like this:
>save_session.pl --savesessionfile c:\users\robert\ESX1host --server 10.10.1.105 --username root --password pass

This will create a file in c:\users\robert called ESX1host. The file is a session files that contains the informaiton for the host (10.10.1.105) wiht the ID or root and using a password of pass.

NOTE for Vista users - by default you do not have the ability to create files in the default installation folder of the RCLI application. Instead of using c:\users\robert you could have just as easly only put the file name. The perl scritp will then create the files in the same directory as the save_session.pl file. The scrit will not error out! But it will also NOT create the file (even when is says is did). So please use a path to a directory that you have the ability to write.

Now that you have a sessoin file for your host you can used it as follows:

Command without using the session file...
>vicfg-ntp.pl --server 10.10.1.105 --list
Enter username: root
Enter password:
No NTP servers configured.

Command using the session file...
>vicfg-ntp.pl --sessionfile c:\users\robert\ESX1host --list
No NTP servers configured.

At first it looks like more effort to create the file than to just enter the server name, user ID and password everytime. And it is if you only running a single command, but if you are going to run multiple commands againts a server all you have to do now is keep calling the same session file with a new script

>vicfg-vswitch.pl --sessionfile c:\users\robert\ESX1host --list
Switch Name Num Ports Used Ports MTU UplinksvSwitch0 64 4 1500 vmnic0
PortGroup Name VLAN ID Used Ports Uplinks VM Network 0 0 vmnic0 Management Network 0 1 vmnic0

or

>vicfg-vmknic.pl --sessionfile c:\users\robert\ESX1host --list
Interface Port Group IP Address Netmask MAC Addressvmk0 Management Network 10.10.1.105 255.255.255.0 00:0c:29:0e:8e:e2

Its worth the effort to create if you run more then one command... Espically since the file, once created can be used over and over again (assuming the password to the host has not changed).

VMware RCLI commands for ESXi

Using the RCLI to configure a VMware ESXi server.... All can be done via the Virtual Infrastructure client but with a little scripting to can easily configure, audit and manage multiple ESX i hosts.

I'll add real world syntax as I figure them out.... Updated 11-5-08

To help identify what command does you can use the --hlep switch wiht any of the pearl scripts.

• vicfg-advcfg.pl - allows for the modification of any of the advanced configuraiton options.

vicfg-advcfg.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --get Cpu.MigratePeriod - returns the value of the Cpu.MigrationPeriod

• vicfg-cfgbackup.pl - can backup and restore ESX settings

vicfg-cfgbackup.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --save rwgood

• Restore the file

vicfg-cfgbackup.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --load rwgood --force

• vicfg-dns.pl allows you to change the DNS seetings of a host
• vicfg-dumppart.pl > helps with the support files
• vicfg-module.pl > allows you to manged the loaded modules
• vicfg-mpath.pl - all sort fo info on the VMFS paths

vicfg-mpath.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --list

• vicfg-nas.pl
• vicfg-nics.pl > configure the phsical NICs in the host
• vicfg-ntp.pl > managed the NTP settings

vicfg-ntp.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --list > List the configured NTP servers on the host
vicfg-ntp.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --add time.gov > Adds time.gov to the ntp configuration
vicfg-ntp.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --delete time.gov > Removes the time.gov from the ntp configuration
vicfg-ntp.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --start > Starts the NTP service on the host
vicfg-ntp.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --stop > Stops the NTP service on the host

• vicfg-rescan.pl > rescanning for VMFS and storage
• vicfg-route.pl
• vicfg-snmp.pl > configure your SNMP settings
• vicfg-syslog.pl > configure the ESX host syslog target
• vicfg-user.pl > local ESX i user management

vicfg-user.pl --server 10.10.1.104 -e user -o add -l Newusername -p password --role admin > This will add the user called Newusername wtih a password of password to the host and give the the permission of admin. --role options are the following admin read-only no-access

vicfg-dns.pl --server 10.10.1.104 > this will show you the DNS settings fo the host

• vicfg-vmhbadevs.pl > all about the HBAs
• vicfg-vmknic.pl > more and same infor for you nics
• vicfg-vswitch.pl > configuring the vSwitches

vicfg-vswitch.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --add mine > adds new vSwitch called mine

vicfg-vswitch.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --add-pg public mine > adds a port group called public to the vSwitch mine

vicfg-vswitch.pl --server nhqesx036 vSwitch1 --pg mine --vlan 100 > This adds a vlan tag of 100 to the port goup mine.

vicfg-vswitch.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --link vmnic1 mine > adds the vmnic1 to the vSwitch called mine

• vifs.pl > used to move files to and from the ESX host
• vihostupdate.pl > updating and patching the ESX i

vihostupdate.pl --server 10.10.1.104 --bundle --install ESXe350-200807812-O-BG.zip > Install the ESXe patch on server 10.10.1.104

NEW - Built a utility to help update visit http://www.itsallvirtua.com/ downloads

vihostupdate.pl --server 10.10.1.104 -q > shows the version of the ESXi host

• vmkfstools.pl > same as alway managing disk
• vmkuptime.pl - does nothing yet
• vms.pl
• vmware-cmd.pl > same as always managing the VMs on the host