Punching Clouds

Disclaimer: The views expressed anywhere on this site are strictly mine and not the opinions and views of VMware

OK Folks, here it is… the vSphere Platform 4.1 upgrade has been released. The upgrade contains new features as well as improvements in scalability. Here is a list of a few things to be noted:

• Memory Compression
• DRS Host Affinity
• Storage I/O Control
• Network I/O Control
• Performance Reporting
• Cloud Scale
• ESXi Active Directory Integration
• Expanded HCL

For more details and definitions on the new improvements please got the VMware site and check out the what’s new documentation.  Enjoy!

Alright here it is.. for all of you vSphere PowerCLI fans out there, VMware education has a new two day instructor led class based on vSphere automation with PowerCLI. Many of you in the community have had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the very active, and proficient PowerCLI experts like LucD, Duncan, and others, now you’ll have an opportunity to learn how to get down and dirty with the vSphere PowerCLI. The class will help you fine tune your know knowledge and skill on the vSphere PowerShell framework in order to improve efficiency, manageability, and flexibility in your vSphere environments.

The class introduces the use of PowerCLI, and procedures to automate vSphere 4 functions and tasks. With the constant and rapid growth of virtual datacenters it’s always a good idea to know and understand how to use the tools that can help improve the efficiency required to manage this type of demand as well as manageability, availability, and flexibility. The target audience is vSphere 4 platform systems administrators. system architects, and also IT managers. Having experience with Windows, Linux operating systems, as well as scripting experience with Windows PowerShell, VBScript, Perl, UNIX shell, Python, and any other language with variables and control structures will be helpful.

The objectives are to provide a scenario where attendee will understand how to use PowerCLI to automate server management, configuration and other task as listed below:

• Automate VMware ESX configurations
• Automate the provisioning  of virtual machines
• Automate changes to virtual machine configurations
• Automate cluster operations
• Automate reporting

The listed tasks are functions which take a great deal of management efforts that can now be simplified, and executed with more efficiency.

VMware vSphere: Automation with vSphere PowerCLI Course Outline

Introduction to vSphere PowerCLI

• Define the main vSphere PowerCLI object
• Define the main commandlets in vSphere PowerCLI
• Connect to vSphere infrastructure
• Get help for commandlets

Automating ESX Host Configurations

• Automate creating of virtual switches on ESX hosts
• Automate configuration of datastores on ESX hosts

Virtual Machine Provisioning, Configuration, and Protection

• Automate creation of virtual machines
• Change virtual machines settings programmatically
• Run vSphere PowerCLI scripts in virtual machines
• Automate virtual machine protection

Automating Cluster Operations

• Automate virtual machines storage migrations
• Automate VMware vMotion
• Create a VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler/VMware High Availability cluster
• Automate cluster configuration
• Automate resource pool creation and configuration

Automating Reporting

• Automating reporting about virtual machines
• Automating reporting about ESX Hosts
• Automating reporting about clusters

You’ll spend about 60% of the class in a hands-on lab environment learning how to do all of the listed tasks. The class will definably get you thinking about many more task that you would like to automate, and now you’ll have a base understanding to get you started. Shout outs to the lead instructor of the class, who’s been involved with the development and pushing PowerShell for as long as I can remember, Joe Christie, AKA ” Gandalf the Grey”.  For Schedules and availability checkout the forever active VMware Education site.

For those of you that have been wondering about the capabilities of the vCenter Orchestrator (vCO), that one component that gets installed under the hood with vCenter Server 4.o. Well now you don’t have to wonder about it anymore really…the vCenter Orchestrator Team is now sharing their knowledge, skills, and resources on the web. I was fortunate enough to collaborate with Burke Azbill on an engagement for vCenter Orchestrator, and VMware Lifecycle Manager recently, when he told me about the site. just to give you everyone a bit of info o the person I’m referring to here, Burke Azbill is a VMware Senior Consultant, and one of the experts of vCenter Orchestrator, and VMware Lifecycle Manager, and also the master mind behind the vCO Team Site. Some of the ways on which VMware is going to be using the vCenter Orchestrator, I can’t really talk about yet, but vCO it’s definitely going to be another one of really awesome plugable applications that will integrate deeply into the rest of the vSphere, and future platforms. I’ll say this… the vCenter Orchestrator is not just limited to the virtual infrastructure, or just VMware related products. There are just so many things that this application can be used for, and it’s pretty cool. Check out the site and contribute if you can, ask questions, make request. I know there are a lot of people out there wondering how to configure that service they see in Windows Services after the vCenter server is installed. You can watch videos of configuration, and installations and much more there. Everyone will be amazed by what this product will bring to the internal and external cloud in the very near future. vCenter Orchestrator is one of my favorite products so check it!

Alright Folks, here is the official update on the previously reported issue with the NetApp SRA 1.4.3 and VMware SRM post. Here are actual facts as of why VMware took down the SRA bits down from their download site. Again thanks to LarryT from NetApp for replaying to the original post from last week, and shedding some light on the situation, and also thanks to Michael White from VMware for the update.
The NetApp SRM SRA 1.4.3 is now available again. It turns out VMware pulled the SRA bits from the download site due to an install / configuration issue, and NOT an operational one.  The NetApp SRM SRA 1.4.3 back and it is available for download.  It is a small issue for NFS users.  If you are a NetApp partner, and need more info, you should be able to search the knowledgebase for KB article KB58002.  You’ll need your NetApp partner login to gain access to the information provided on listed link. There will be an update in the near future to avoid the issue completely, but the KB article has an easy workaround.

Error: Network device needed by recovered virtual machine could not be found at recovery or test time

This issue is also impacts IBM N Series SRA. The error listed above is what you will experience if you protect virtual machines that are using distributed virtual switches and try to recovery them.  This issue will be fixed in the next patch, and the next release of SRM. You can talk to VMware GSS for a patch if you need one.  It will only be provided by request, and is available now.  I should mention that there is a small  cosmetic issue connected with this problem that is in vCenter Server, and it will only be fixed in Update 2 of vCenter Server, but will not stop a successful failover.

VMworld 2010 is going to be loaded with an incredibly interesting amount of presentations. This year there many new things planned, but this year VMworld is bringing something truly special… the virtualization’s dynamic duo, the Chips (TV Show) of virtualization, the John & Ponch of virtualization, AKA Chris McCain, and I (being funny).  We have a couple of interesting topics for VMworld, and now that the VMworld sessions are now available for public voting, go and check all the sessions out and what’s going to be possibly available this years,  and vote for ours if you want to see them at VMworld 2010. We’ve submitted the following session:

VMworld 2010 Session:

Private Cloud – Business Continuity Section

Exploring the vSphere 4 Business Continuity Spectrum

Session Id: BC7521

This session will explore all of the business continuity options available within a vSphere 4 virtual infrastructure. The session will define the various types of data tragedies that can occur and how to plan and react to these events. Attendees will learn how to apply defined Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) to the various vSphere 4 business continuity features.

Technology and Architecture Session

Breaking Down the Distributed Virtual Switch Starring the Nexus 1000v

Session Id: TA7523

This session will break down the components of the distributed virtual switch. Attendees will learn how to implement and manage a DVS including a look at implementing the Cisco Nexus 1000v. Topics covered will include VLANs, PVLANs, DVS security, and granular DVS port management.

Virtualization 101 Section

Managing vCenter Server Certificates

Session Id: V17522

This session will detail certificate management for vCenter Server. Attendees will learn how to implement a trusted Public Key Infrastructure using Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services along with the steps to allow vCenter to use self-issued certificates.

We’ll also be around to discuss some of the punching topics about the vSphere Resource Kit , and some other cool projects. Check out Chris’s blog, which is yet another dynamic duo creation. Hopefully we will see you all at VMworld 2010.