Punching Clouds

Recently I’ve been getting questions about upgrading the operating system on the server where vCenter server is installed. For the most part, I’ve gathered information from a group of folks who are somewhat confused and misled on this procedure. So far I’ve heard all types of misinformation on what’s needed and what steps are required. I want to particularly address one of those false statements, that you must create a new vCenter database when upgrading to a new version of windows.  I want to make it perfectly clear that you do not have to create a new database. 

Now let me help out a bit by clearing things up and providing some substance.  Upgrading the Windows operating system where vCenter server is installed from an older version of Windows OS (Windows Server 2003) to a newer version (Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2), doesn’t require a new vCenter Server database. regardless of what the reason may be for the upgrade (whether it’s based on going from a 32-bit to a 64-bit architecture of the OS or for an increase of management capacity for vCenter). The assumption is not accurate that in order to perform this type of upgrade a new database is required, or even going as far as to thinking that it may even be a best approach is incorrect as well.

The creation of a new vCenter database may be acceptable for environments that intend on getting a fresh start, but definitely not something larger environments consider when planning an upgrade of any sort. A new vCenter Server database is a new virtual infrastructure inventory. That means reconfiguration of the logical architecture, adding, and reconfiguring all of the settings of the virtual infrastructure like:

• Host
• Clusters
• Resource Pool
• Alarms
• Access Permissions
• and more

Upgrading the operating system on which vCenter server is installed is something that can be done without the need of creating a new database, and it can also be done in a couple of different ways. In order to upgrade the Windows operating system you should follow Microsoft’s recommendations, but when doing an in-place upgrade all services related to vCenter should be stopped before proceeding.

vCenter Server Services

Another approach to this upgrade would be to simply install vCenter Server in a newly provision system with the current and desired version of Windows. Now in order to do this effectively perform the following steps before installing vCenter Server:

• Stop vCenter related services in the Windows Services snap-in (services.msc) of the running server
• Create a new System DSN pointing the new server to the database location
• Import the SSL keys from the running server

SSL Keys Location

• Install vCenter Server on the newly provisioned system and DO NOT reinitialized the database
• Copy the SSL certificates to it’s default location on the new system

The vCenter Server SSL directory under Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is located under a hidden directory called ProgramData located in the root drive.

vCenter Server SSL directory under Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

I hope this helps those of you looking into performing OS upgrades where the vCenter Server is involved. Let me know if there are any questions or issues. Windows Server 2008 R2 is not currently supported by VMware for vCenter 4.0, but Windows Server 2008 is officially supported. : )

While working on a multi-site deployment of vCenter Site Recovery Manager 4, I came across an error that seems to be caused by the Storage Replication Adapter (SRA). I encountered this error while installing both the SRA and the vCenter 4 onto a HP that was running Windows Server 2008 32bit operating system.

The issue seems to arise when you launch the installation for this particular vendor’s SRA.  The application starts to install and then halts with an error that reads “The $PRODUCT_NAME$ is not supported on this platform.” as shown in the below screen shot.

SRA Error Message under Windows Server 2008

A note about the environment: The vCenter Server was also installed on that version of the operating system. If you’re operating in an environment that requires the use of the latest versions of Microsoft’s operating systems, such as Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, and you’re attempting to configure SRM, then this problem will happen.

That message is problematic, since nearly all of the VMware vSphere applications are supported and compatible with the latest version of Windows.  When you get the message, you may be forced to use an older version of Windows Server, which would then require you to rebuild, re-install, and configure the vCenter server onto a new system.

After researching the issue, I came across a useful work around.  Cormac Hogan, one of VMware’s finest, provided this particularly helpful approach:  He instructed me to run the HP LeftHand SRA application in Windows Server 2003 SP1 comparability mode.  After doing so the SRA was installed successful.  To setup the HP LeftHand SRA to run in the Windows Server 2003 SP1 do the following:

• Right click on the application package
• Go to Properties
• Select the comparability tab
• Select the Run this program in comparability mode for, in the comparability mode window
• From the list of modes  choose (Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1)

Windows Server 2003 SP1 Comparability Mode

So, if you ever come across this issue, don’t rush to change or reinstall vCenter and SRM on an older version of Windows.  Instead, just follow the instructions mentioned above. Hopefully these issues will be addressed and resolved by the respective companies in the near future.  Keep me posted if you run into an other issues. Enjoy : )

It’s no secret that Microsoft’s PowerShell is one of the premiere scripting languages on the market.  It can be used for a multitude of functions and automated tasks in Windows, Microsoft, and VMware virtualization environments.  Below is a series of videos, narrated by Don Jones,that shed light on how to use PowerShell to automate the creation of Windows users.  Like previous posts, my goal with sharing these videos is simple: less time managing VMware, and more time living it up! Don is is the author of some of the best scripting books out there and a frequent contributor to TechNet Magazine.  Take a gander as he explains the nuts and bolts of PowerShell and provides a walkthrough for the automation of Windows user accounts. His advice can come in handy for migrations, deployments, etc.  Watch Don get loose!  And learn from one of the best as you get your PowerShell on!  And if you’re craving more from Don, you can find some links to his published books at Punching Clouds SkyHigh Books Store.

Automate user Provisioning with PowerShell Part 1

Automate user Provisioning with PowerShell Part 2

Creating Custom Profiles with Windows PowerShell