Lost Creations has made this very popular GUI plugin for doing SVMotion from the VI Client. It has been out there for quite some time, so this post is merely for my own reference (I actually thought I had posted about this before...)
Showing posts with label Tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tools. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Making ISO's with MagicISO
MagicISO is a good tool for making ISO files. It's easy to use, just choose your files in an explorer like view make the ISO. In the free edition, there is a limitation on the size of the ISO's - around 300 MB. Get it at http://www.magiciso.com/ .
On another note, ISO's is an easy way of transferring files to a VM. It can cumbersome to transfer files to a VM via the network. Sometimes you have to go through one or more jumpstations. In stead, you can make an ISO of the files you want to transfer, and then mount the ISO directly to the VM from within the VI client.
On another note, ISO's is an easy way of transferring files to a VM. It can cumbersome to transfer files to a VM via the network. Sometimes you have to go through one or more jumpstations. In stead, you can make an ISO of the files you want to transfer, and then mount the ISO directly to the VM from within the VI client.
PsTools: Remote execution of commands in Windows
PsTools is a number of command-line tools that lets you execute useful commands remotely. Below is a list of tools included in the package which is free and can be dowloaded from the MS Technet site .
I have found a number of these tools very helpful:
PsExec: Lets you execute commands remotely. Use this command to start a command prompt:
psexec \\'computer name or ip' -u 'user' -p 'password' cmd.exe
PsKill: If you have a server that are maxing out its CPU and it takes forever to RDP to it, then you can use first PsList to show running processes and then PsKill to stop the process which is using the CPU.
PsShutdown: If you want to reboot a server via RDP it often hangs in the process. And if you haven't got ILO, then your screwed if you haven't got physical access to the server. Normally it helps to RDP to the console (Start -> Run -> mstsc /console) but if not PsShutdown lets you shut down the server or reboot it.
If, for some reason, you can't execute the commands remotely, then a trick is to make an ISO file containing the PsTools and mount that ISO on the VM. That will make the tools directly available on the VM.
I have found a number of these tools very helpful:
PsExec: Lets you execute commands remotely. Use this command to start a command prompt:
psexec \\'computer name or ip' -u 'user' -p 'password' cmd.exe
PsKill: If you have a server that are maxing out its CPU and it takes forever to RDP to it, then you can use first PsList to show running processes and then PsKill to stop the process which is using the CPU.
PsShutdown: If you want to reboot a server via RDP it often hangs in the process. And if you haven't got ILO, then your screwed if you haven't got physical access to the server. Normally it helps to RDP to the console (Start -> Run -> mstsc /console) but if not PsShutdown lets you shut down the server or reboot it.
If, for some reason, you can't execute the commands remotely, then a trick is to make an ISO file containing the PsTools and mount that ISO on the VM. That will make the tools directly available on the VM.
Friday, April 17, 2009
VLAN / Portgroup replicator tool
This is not a new tool (ITQ Infrastructure Client), but it is still very useful. Let's say you have to setup six hosts in a cluster and you have to configure two vSwitches on each host with several portgroups or VLANs on each switch. This can take quite some time if you're scripting the post confirguration. And there are plenty of room for error as each host is configured manually.
With this tool, you only need to configure the vSwitches and VLANs on one host manually. Then you can export the network configuration and apply it to the remaining hosts all at once.
With VI4 this feature will be built in with "Host Profiles" but until then, this tool can be used.
With this tool, you only need to configure the vSwitches and VLANs on one host manually. Then you can export the network configuration and apply it to the remaining hosts all at once.
With VI4 this feature will be built in with "Host Profiles" but until then, this tool can be used.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Howto: Extend system partition with Diskpart
Diskpart is a useful tool for extending logical Windows partitions (typically d-drive) which are not system partitions (c-drive) from within Windows without having to boot on a PXE-cd and rearrange partitions with e.g. Partition Magic. See here for Diskpart instructions.
Here's a workaround for extending the system or boot partition with diskpart (this will only work if the c-drive is the only partition on the .vmdk file). The logic of it is to take the whole .vmdk file and attach it to another VM as a second disk. This way Diskpart will let you extend a system partition:
1. Shut down the VM on which you whish to extend c-drive (c-drive-VM)
2. Create a new temporary VM (temp-VM)
3. Create a new disk on the temp-VM and choose 'Attach existing .vmdk file'. Browse for the .vmdk file of the c-drive-VM
4. Edit settings for the temp-VM and chose the newly added disk and resize it to new size.
5. Boot temp-VM and extend using Diskpart (you may need to assign a drive letter to disk in Disk Management)
6. Shut down temp-VM
7. Delete disk from temp-VM
8. Now the disk has been extended but it c-drive-VM it still shows as the original size. Therefore, delete the disk from c-drive-VM and add it again. This way, the correct disk size will show.
9. Boot c-drive-VM. Done.
Now, maybe this is not a super elegant way to go about it, but if you have a temp-VM ready then it's probably a little quicker than using the old way...
Here's a workaround for extending the system or boot partition with diskpart (this will only work if the c-drive is the only partition on the .vmdk file). The logic of it is to take the whole .vmdk file and attach it to another VM as a second disk. This way Diskpart will let you extend a system partition:
1. Shut down the VM on which you whish to extend c-drive (c-drive-VM)
2. Create a new temporary VM (temp-VM)
3. Create a new disk on the temp-VM and choose 'Attach existing .vmdk file'. Browse for the .vmdk file of the c-drive-VM
4. Edit settings for the temp-VM and chose the newly added disk and resize it to new size.
5. Boot temp-VM and extend using Diskpart (you may need to assign a drive letter to disk in Disk Management)
6. Shut down temp-VM
7. Delete disk from temp-VM
8. Now the disk has been extended but it c-drive-VM it still shows as the original size. Therefore, delete the disk from c-drive-VM and add it again. This way, the correct disk size will show.
9. Boot c-drive-VM. Done.
Now, maybe this is not a super elegant way to go about it, but if you have a temp-VM ready then it's probably a little quicker than using the old way...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Putting a host in maintenance mode hangs at 2%
When putting a host into maintenance mode, it happens that the progress hangs, or times out, at 2% and then nothing further happens. VMotion is not commenced for any of the VM's.
There are a number of things, that should be in place before automatic evacuation of VM's will work.
There are a number of things, that should be in place before automatic evacuation of VM's will work.
- DRS should be set to "Fully automated"
- If HA is enabled and only two hosts in the cluster, then the "Allow VM's to be powered on even if they violate availability constraints" option should be checked (see screendump below)
- All CD's on the VM's must be disconnected. Eric Sloof from ntpro.nl has made a cool application, vmcdconnected, where a given host can be scanned and all CD's can be disconnected with one click (see screendump below). After scan, all the VM's with a '+' in front of it has a CD-rom connected.
CPU compability tool
This tool from run-virtual.com can be used to check the CPU compability of your physical servers. On many servers, the VT feature is disabled by default which means that 64-bit VM's cannot run. With this tool, this can be checked without having to boot into BIOS.
How to extend D-drive in Windows with Diskpart
In stead of booting into PXE-boot and starting e.g. Partition Magic for rearranging disks, Diskpart can be used for extending a logical partition which is not the system partition, typically the d-drive.
1. Shut down the VM
2. Right click the VM, choose Edit Settings, click the hard disk, type in new disk size in GB, Click OK.
3. Start VM
4. Start a CMD prompt
5. Run: Diskpart
6. Run the following commands:
List volume
Select volume 2 (if volume 2 corresponds to D drive)
Extend
Exit
7. Done. Reboot to be sure.
1. Shut down the VM
2. Right click the VM, choose Edit Settings, click the hard disk, type in new disk size in GB, Click OK.
3. Start VM
4. Start a CMD prompt
5. Run: Diskpart
6. Run the following commands:
List volume
Select volume 2 (if volume 2 corresponds to D drive)
Extend
Exit
7. Done. Reboot to be sure.
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