VMware Videos - Virtualization News and How-To » vSphere

VIDEO: vSphere Security- Get Rid of Annoying SSL Certificate Warning vSphere Client

David Davis — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:42:36 +0000

In this lesson, Jason Nash, VCDX (aka @nash_j on Twitter) covered how to get rid of that annoying SSL certificate warning when you connect to an ESXi server or a vCenter server from the vSphere Client. This video is part of the soon to be released (July 2011) Train Signal vSphere Security video training course.

VMware View Video Training – Using Location Based Printing

David Davis — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:58:40 +0000

Launched today, our new VMware Certified Associate – Desktop (or VCA-DT) video training course covers VMware View Administration. This 8 hour course is taught by Brian Knudtson, a VCP, VCA-DT, VCAP-DCA, VCAP-DCD, and vExpert.

Below, you’ll find lesson from the course that covers how to use VMware View’s location-based printing. VMware View Location-Based Printing allows you to map printers to virtual desktops based on client properties, including device name, IP, MAC address, login credentials or group membership. In this demonstration from TrainSignal’s VMware View course, Brian will walk through the configuration options to optimize the end user experience with printing in View.

Here’s the outline from the new Train Signal VMware View Administration / VCA-DT video training course:

Lesson 1 – Getting Started with VMware View Administration Training

In this lesson, you’ll meet your instructor for the course, Brian Knudtson, and get an overview of what topics the course will cover.

About Your Instructor
An Overview of the Course

Lesson 2 – Lab Setup

Hands-on experience is crucial to solidify your knowledge of VMware View. In this lesson, you’ll learn what hardware and software components are needed to build your own lab environment in order to follow along with Brian’s demonstrations.

Advantages of a Lab
An Overview of the Course Lab

Lesson 3 – The Course Scenario

In this lesson, we will talk about the fictitious company used to provide real-world examples throughout the course, Home Royal Furniture.

The Scenario – Home Royal Furniture

Lesson 4 – View Components and Licensing

In this lesson, we will discuss the VMware View architecture and the role of each component. We will also look at the licensing options for View and ThinApp.

View Manager
View Connection Server
View Replica Server
View Transfer Server
View Security Server
View Composer
View Agent
VMware vSphere
vShield Endpoint
View Client
Local Mode
Kiosk Mode
User Experience
ThinApp
View and ThinApp Licensing

Lesson 5 – Installing View

In this lesson, we begin with an in-depth discussion of system requirements for installing each component of the View architecture. We then work hands-on to install all of the components.

Connection Server System Requirements
Transfer Server System Requirements
Composer System, Database and Feature Requirements
Agent System and Client System Requirements
Protocol Specific Requirements
Feature Specific Requirements
Active Directory Requirements
Client Devices
Delegated Authority
Installation Process
Installing the Connection Server
Installing Composer
Configuring View Administrator
Installing the Security Server
Installing the Transfer Server
Installing the Agent on the Parent VM
Installing the Windows Client

Lesson 6 – Configuring Virtual Desktops

In this lesson, we’ll look at the processes and best practices for creating virtual desktops and pools. We’ll talk in depth about the types of desktops in View, best practices for creating the parent image and for sizing your pools, we’ll look at persistent and disposable data disks, and we’ll wrap up by walking through the creating of an automated floating pool, an automated dedicated pool and a manual dedicated pool.

Parent Image Best Practices
View Desktop Types
Configuring View Desktop Pools
Composer Linked Clones
Persistent Disk and Disposable Data Disk
Pool Sizing
Demonstration: Automated Floating Pool
Demonstration: Automated Dedicated Pool
Demonstration: Manual Dedicated Pool

Lesson 7 – Maintaining Desktop Pools

We’ll discuss and demonstrate the operations you can perform on your desktops with Composer, including refreshing, recomposing and rebalancing desktops, and show how the pool configuration impacts the result of each operation. We’ll also look at how to entitle users and groups to desktops and how to limit pool access to specific Connection Servers. Our demonstration will also include what options you can edit once your pool is created and how to manage user sessions.

User Entitlements
Composer Operations – Refresh
Composer Operations – Recompose
Composer Operations – Rebalance
Editing Pools
Managing User Sessions
Demonstration – Entitling Users
Demonstration – Refresh Operation
Demonstration – Recompose Operation
Demonstration – Editing Pools
Demonstration – Managing User Sessions

Lesson 8 – User Profiles and Data

In this lesson, we’ll talk about the components of the Windows User Profile, the benefits and caveats of using Active Directory Roaming Profiles, and alternatives to using roaming profiles. We’ll discuss best practices for maintaining user profiles and how to use persistent disk storage and folder redirection with user profiles. Our demonstration will show how to enable roaming profiles and configure persistent disks and folder redirection in a View environment.

Windows User Profiles
Active Directory Roaming Profiles
Common Issues with Roaming Profiles
Maintaining User Profiles
View Persistent Disk
Folder Redirection
Exploring Local Profile
Enabling Roaming Profile
Configuring Persistent Disks
Configuring Folder Redirection

Lesson 9 – View Local Mode

If users need access to their virtual desktop but are offline or have a poor network connection, View Local Mode allows them to continue to use their virtual desktops. With View Local Mode, users can download and execute virtual desktops using local resources. In this lesson, we’ll talk the use cases for View Local Mode, how to manage Local Mode with policies, some requirements and best practices for Local Mode and we’ll demonstrate how to configure View Local Mode, what it looks like to the end user, and how to manage local sessions.

What is Local Mode?
Local Mode Use Cases
View Transfer Server
Maintaining Local Mode Desktops
Local Mode Policies
Local Mode Settings, Requirements and Best Practices
Configuring Local Mode
End User View of Local Mode
Managing Local Sessions

Lesson 10 – View Kiosk Mode

There are many use cases for public or shared clients that serve specific functions and that maintain a desktop ready for users, such as hospital workstations, airline check-in machines and customer information stations. View Kiosk Mode is a perfect solution for these use cases, providing an unattended client that automatically logs into View and connects to a desktop, authenticates at the device-level instead of end user, and leaves additional authentication to applications. In this lesson, we’ll discuss View Kiosk Mode, best practices for using Kiosk Mode and walk through how to set it up and connect to a client.

What is Kiosk Mode?
Kiosk Mode Use Cases
Setup for Kiosk Mode
Connecting the Client
Best Practices
Setting Up Kiosk Mode

Lesson 11 – Printing

Printing is a very important component of the user experience with virtual desktops. View provides several options for setting up printers in your virtual desktop environment, including location-based printing. We’ll discuss each of the options and walk through login script printer mapping and configure location-based printing for our scenario environment.

Options for Setting Up Printers
Location-Based Printing
Location-Based Printer Mapping
Login Script Printer Mapping
Configuring Location-Based Printing

Lesson 12 – Creating ThinApp Packages

ThinApp provides a layer of virtualization between the operating system and applications and isolates applications from other applications and the OS. In this lesson, we’ll look at ThinApp up close, its requirements and limitations, best practices for configuring the packaging machine, the components of a ThinApp package, and we’ll demonstrate how to create and test a ThinApp package.

How ThinApp Virtualizes Applications
ThinApp Requirements and Limitations
ThinApp Packaging Machine Best Practices
Steps to Virtualizing with ThinApp
Composition of a ThinApp Package
Advanced ThinApp Concepts
Testing Packages
Creating a ThinApp Package
Dirty Testing and Clean Testing the Package

Lesson 13 – Deploying ThinApp

In this lesson, we’ll discuss the options for registering packages, securing packages and deploying packages to clients, including Login Script deployment and ThinApp integration with View. For our demonstration, we’ll take the ThinApp package that we created in the previous lesson and deploy it to our clients.

Execution Modes
Registering Packages
Deployment Options
Package Security
Login Script Deployment
ThinApp Integration with View

Lesson 14 – Monitoring View

In this lesson, we’ll look at all the ways to monitor the performance of VMware View. We’ll configure the Event Database to store information about events occurring within the View environment, we’ll look at the information collected on View Dashboards and how to examine desktop and session status within View Administrator.

Event Database
View Dashboards
Desktop States
Session Status
Setting Up the Event Database
Monitoring Desktop Status

Lesson 15 – Troubleshooting View

We’ll start this lesson by talking about common failure points within View. We’ll dive deep into the connection procedures and how Linked Clones work in order to understand where failure may occur. We’ll also discuss the ports needed for View and some items to consider to optimize PCoIP performance. Then we’ll dive into logs and diagnostic information and look at what information View collects, where it is stored and how to generate support bundles in case you have to open a ticket with VMware.

Common Failure Points
Connection Procedures
How Linked Clones Work
Ports Needed for View
PCoIP Performance
Log File Locations
Collecting Diagnostic Information
Troubleshooting Problem Desktops
Investigating Linked Clones
View Log Files
Generating Support Bundles

Lesson 16 – Preparing for the VMware VCA4-DT Certification Exam

In this lesson, we’ll talk about the VMware View certification path, give an overview of the VCA4-DT exam, discuss the exam objectives and which lessons cover the topics of each objective. We’ll talk about some tips for taking the VCA4-DT exam and some supporting resources that will help you prepare for the exam.

VCA4-DT Overview
VCA4-DT Objectives
VCA4-DT Exam Tips
My Favorite Supporting Resources

Lesson 17 – Next Steps

This lesson will wrap up the course. We’ll talk about what we covered throughout the course, what View certifications you can pursue and supporting resources that will help solidify your View expertise.

What We Learned
VMware Desktop Certifications
My Favorite Supporting Resources
We Value Your Opinion

VIDEO: Interview with eGroup’s Steve Rattacasa (@Rattacasa @davidmdavis)

David Davis — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 11:43:34 +0000

In this video, I interview Steve Rattacasa, Systems Engineering Manager from eGroup (www.egroup-us.com). Steve (aka @Rattacasa on Twitter) and I were at the Charlotte regional VMware User Group (VMUG) where eGroup has a nice vSphere lab setup for attendees to use. This all-in-one lab was used for hands-on training with VMware View and other VMware vSphere products. The rack includes the new EMC VNX 5300, Cisco UCS Blades, and a Cisco Nexus 5000. You can follow eGroup on Twitter at @eGroup_Inc.

Sorry that there is some annoying background noise at the start of the video but, hang in there for a few seconds and it goes away.

NEW vSphere Performance Video Training by @davidmdavis from @TrainSignal

David Davis — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:21:56 +0000

Today (May 24, 2011), my vSphere Performance Video Training course from Train Signal is officially available for sale! This 14 hour, 40 lesson video training course is the only one of it’s kind. It focuses both on the VCAP-DCA blueprint (section 3 – DRS & Performance) as well as real-world vSphere troubleshooting. Additionally, I provided a lot of content on third-party tools that most companies use to manage and monitor performance.

The course is delivered INSTANTLY via streaming web access (which is iPad compatible) and you’ll also receive a DVD in the mail for offline viewing. The cost of the course is just $397 (about 1/10th the price of a similar classroom course) and I’m so sure that you’ll enjoy watching it that there is a money-back guarantee.

I spent the last three months creating this course and did everything possible to make it the best single source for vSphere Performance knowledge. I was honored to have the course reviewed by the distinguished Mike Laverick of RTFM-ED.co.uk. Mike provided me valuable feedback throughout the course creation to help me make the course as complete as possible.

The first 50 customers to purchase the course will receive a free copy of the Duncan Epping and Frank Denneman’s HA/DRS Technical Deepdive book!

Click Here to Order My vSphere Performance Video Training

Watch the demo video below to see a sample from the full course:

Here’s the total course outline:

VMware vSphere Performance Monitoring Training – Course Outline

Lesson 1 – Getting Started with VMware vSphere Performance Monitoring Training Course

In this lesson you will meet your instructor and find out why vSphere Performance is important. You will find who should watch this course as well as what we will cover.

About Your Instructor
7 Reasons Why vSphere Performance is Important
Who Should Watch this Course?
What We Cover in the Course

Lesson 2 – Lab Setup

In this lesson you will learn about the hardware and software requirements for your environment in order to better follow along with the course.

Lesson 3 – Course Scenario

In this lesson you will learn about the scenario we will be using throughout this course, which will allow us to work hands on with VMware vSphere in a corporate setting.

Lesson 4 – Where vSphere Performance Fits Into the VCAP-DCA

vSphere Performance is a critical topic in the VCAP-DCA exam but where does it fit in and what performance topics are on the DCA? Get the answers to these questions and pickup important DCA study tips in this lesson.

Reviewing the VCAP-DCA Blueprint
Understanding the Importance of Performance
VCAP-DCA Study Tips

Lesson 5 – vSphere Performance Overview

In this lesson, you’ll get an overview of what makes vSphere work by learning about the different pieces such as the VMkernel, Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), and more. Understand the difference between ESX and ESXi architecture as well as critical performance considerations in a virtual infrastructure.

Performance and Performance Problems
Troubleshooting Methodology
Why is Performance Critical with Virtualization?
What Makes Up vSphere?
ESX Server Architecture
ESXi Server Architecture
Comparing ESX and ESXi Server
Critical Performance Considerations
Understanding the VMkernel
Understanding the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)
Viewing and Changing Monitor Mode

Lesson 6 – Understanding vSphere CPU Performance

Learn what causes CPU load and what affects CPU performance. Additionally, we’ll talk about CPU ready time and CPU worlds.

CPU Scheduler Overview
What Causes CPU Load?
What Affects CPU Performance?
What CPU Metrics Do I Need to Monitor?
Importance of Ready Time
What in the World is a CPU World?
vSphere CPU Scheduler Reference
Understanding NUMA

Lesson 7 – Understanding vSphere Memory Management

By watching this lesson, you’ll learn the vSphere memory management techniques vSphere uses that help to make memory over commitment possible such as transparent page sharing (TPS), memory ballooning, hypervisor swapping, and the new vSphere 4.1 memory compression.

Memory Management Overview
Memory Over Commitment
Transparent Page Sharing (TPS)
Memory Ballooning
Hypervisor Swapping
Memory Compression

Lesson 8 – Understanding vSphere Storage Management

Gain understanding in how vSphere uses storage and the storage virtualization layers that are involved. We’ll cover storage performance factors, protocols (like iSCSI, NFS, and FC), the VMFS, and the new Storage I/O Control (SIOC) found in vSphere 4.1

Storage Virtualization Overview
Storage Performance Factors
LUN and Storage Queuing
Understanding Storage Protocol Options
Understanding the VMFS
Storage I/O Control (SIOC)

Lesson 9 – Understanding vSphere Network Management

Learn how vSphere uses virtual networks and what overhead is created. You’ll learn about the various virtual machine vNIC adapters that are available and how to choose the correct one. Additionally, you’ll learn about VMDirectPath, jumbo frames, TCP offload, and the new Network I/O Control (or NIOC), also new in vSphere 4.1

Network Virtualization Overview
What is I/O Virtualization Overhead?
Understanding Virtual Network Adapters
Choosing a Network Adapter for Your VM
VMDirectPath
Jumbo Frames
TCP Offload
Network I/O Control (NIOC)
Virtual Machine Communications Interface (VMCI)

Lesson 10 – Understanding vSphere Resource Pools

In this lesson, learn what a resource pool is, how it differs from a cluster, and the terms you need to know when you begin using resource pools (reservations, limits, and shares).

Resource Pool Defined
Difference Between Resource Pools and Clusters
Resource Pool Traits
Reservations
Limits
Shares
Creating Resource Pool and Defining Reservations, Limits, and Shares

Lesson 11 – Understanding vSphere Clusters

Find out the different types of cluster (DRS/DPM/HA), how they relate to resource pools, and watch as David creates a cluster, step by step.

What is a vSphere Cluster?
Types of Clusters
Creating a Cluster

Lesson 12 – Tuning vSphere CPU Resources

Find out the metrics you must know to monitor and troubleshoot vSphere CPU performance. You’ll see how to use the vSphere client and esxtop to solve CPU performance problems – FAST.

Viewing Physical and Virtual CPU Counts
CPU Metrics You Must Know
Monitoring CPU Metrics with the vSphere Client
Monitoring CPU Metrics with esxtop
6 Ways to Solve CPU Performance Issues

Lesson 13 – Tuning vSphere Memory Resources

vSphere memory overcommitment is phenomenal but you can push it to its limits. Learn vSphere metrics like active, consumed, and granted memory as well as swapping and ballooning. Plus, watch how to solve vSphere memory issues in 6 steps.

Analyzing Host and VM Memory
Memory Metrics You Must Know
Monitoring Memory Metrics with the vSphere Client
Monitoring Memory Metrics with esxtop
How You Know When Host Memory is the Problem
How You Know When Guest Memory is the Problem
6 Ways to Solve Memory Performance Issues

Lesson 14 – Tuning vSphere Storage Resources

When your vSphere storage is performing optimal, vSphere VMs and applications will fly. However, poor storage performance can mean end user complains and a lot of pain for the VMware Admin. Watch this lesson to find out the critical storage performance metrics you must know, how to monitor them with the vSphere client & esxtop, and how storage I/O control (SIOC) can prevent storage bottlenecks.

Critical Storage Performance Metrics
Monitoring Storage Metrics with the vSphere Client
Monitoring Storage Metrics with esxtop
How Storage I/O Control (SIOC) Can Help
6 Ways to Solve Storage Performance Issues

Lesson 15 – Tuning vSphere Networking Resources

What vSphere networking performance metrics do you monitor and how do you use them to troubleshoot vNetwork performance? Find out the critical vSphere network metrics, how to view them with the vSphere Client and esxtop, and how network I/O control (NIOC) can help you.

Speed and Duplex
Critical Networking Performance Metrics
Monitoring Network Metrics with the vSphere Client
Monitoring Network Metrics with esxtop
How You Know When the Network is the Problem
How Network I/O Control (NIOC) Can Help
6 Ways to Solve Network Performance Issues

Lesson 16 – VM and Application Performance Tuning Overview

In this overview video, we’ll talk about the importance of physical vs virtual resources, understanding your application, measuring application response, and when you should (or should not) virtualize an application.

Understanding Physical vs Virtual Resources
Understanding Your Application
Measuring Application Response
When You Should or Shouldn’t Virtualize an Application

Lesson 17 – Properly Configuring a VM Guest

Properly configuring a virtual machine is just as important as configuring a host. In this lesson, learn how to size a virtual machine to ensure ideal performance, including CPU, RAM, and virtual devices, and more.

Sizing VM Guest CPU, RAM, Disk, and Network
Importance of the VMware Tools
Installing VMware Tools
Selecting the Right Guest OS
Configuring Timekeeping on VMs
Selecting Storage
Aligning Partitions
Disabling Unneeded Devices
To SMP, or Not
VMM Monitor Modes

Lesson 18 – Tuning VM Guest Memory

Managing vSphere virtual machine memory is one of the most critical pieces of vSphere performance. Learn how to size and tune VM guest memory to ensure that you don’t have undersized or oversized VMs.

Viewing Which VMs Have Overprovisioned RAM
How To Size VM Guest Memory
Best Practices for VM Guest Memory

Lesson 19 – Cleaning Up a Windows VM After P2V Conversion

When converting from physical to virtual machines, you need to cleanup old device drivers and old physical server apps to ensure that you don’t end up hurting performance. Learn how to perform P2V cleanup and upgrade/downgrade your VM HAL.

Why Cleaning Up After P2V is Important
Steps You Should Take to Clean Up After P2V
Resources to Assist in P2V Clean Up
Using the VM Advanced ISO Toolset

Lesson 20 – Utilizing VM Guest Hot Add

vSphere has the ability to hot plug new virtual CPUs on running virtual machines and hot add RAM on running VMs. In this lesson, you’ll see how to dynamically add CPU and RAM to give virtual machines the resources that they need without downtime for end user applications.

Adding, Modifying, and Removing Virtual Hardware
Requirements to Use vSphere Hot Add / Hot Plug
Using Hot Add to Add RAM to a VM
Using Hot Plug to Add CPU to a VM

Lesson 21 – Using vSphere Alarms for Performance Monitoring

An important part of performance management is monitoring infrastructure performance. You don’t want overutilization to cause downtime for the end users! Watch this lesson to learn how to configure default and custom vSphere performance alarms.

Alarms Overview
Alarms vs. Events
Configuring vSphere Performance Alarms
Modifying a Default Alarm
Configuring vCenter Server Mail Sender Settings
Creating a New Alarm
Testing Alarms

Lesson 22 – Advanced Performance Graphing with the vSphere Client

The vSphere client offers advanced performance graphing that is highly customizable. Learn about the multitude of vSphere performance counters available at just about every level of the virtual infrastructure, how to save your graphs for later use, and how to export your graphs to a graphic file or to Microsoft Excel.

vSphere Performance Graphing Overview
Controlling the Amount and Detail of Stored Performance Data
Customizing Advanced Performance Graphs
Saving and Exporting Performance Graphs

Lesson 23 – Advanced Performance Analysis with esxtop and resxtop

Learn how to use the best CLI-run vSphere Performance tool – esxtop. You’ll find out when to use esxtop vs resxtop, how to control esxtop columns, how to save your configuration, run esxtop in batch mode, and more!

Overview of esxtop
Differences Between esxtop and resxtop
Controlling esxtop Columns and Fields
Using esxtop Configuration Files
Running esxtop in Batch Mode
Common esxtop Scenarios
esxtop Resources

Lesson 24 – Storage Performance Analysis with vscsiStats

Learn how to use this powerful CLI storage analysis tool, step by step, to show statistics like virtual storage latency. Plus, you’ll learn how to export the results to excel and create a chart them.

Overview of vscsiStats
Using vscsiStats, Step by Step
Scenarios for vscsiStats
Graphing vscsiStats with Excel
To Learn More

Lesson 25 – VMware AppSpeed Quickstart

VMware’s AppSpeed delves into the performance of the actual applications running in the virtual infrastructure. In this lesson, David will show you how to install and get started with VMware’s application performance monitoring (APM) tool.

AppSpeed Overview
Scenarios Where AppSpeed Can Help
AppSpeed Requirements and Installation
Using AppSpeed

Lesson 26 – VMware Capacity IQ Quickstart

VMware’s Capacity IQ focuses on vSphere capacity analysis and planning. In this lesson, you’ll get an overview of how Capacity IQ helps as well as how to install it and get started using it to prevent capacity bottlenecks in your virtual infrastructure.

Capacity IQ Overview
Scenarios Where Capacity IQ Can Help
Capacity IQ Requirements and Installation
Using Capacity IQ

Lesson 27 – Distributed Resource Scheduler Overview

In this lesson, you’ll find out why DRS may work differently that you thought. You’ll tune-up your skills on creating and monitoring DRS clusters before we move into more advanced topics.

Overview of Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS)
Why Isn’t My VM Load Perfectly Balanced?
Configuring DRS
Creating DRS Cluster
DRS Troubleshooting Tips
Monitoring DRS
My Favorite HA/DRS Book

Lesson 28 – DRS Automation, Affinity Rules, and EVC

There is more to DRS than just initial setup. From watching this lesson, you’ll understand the different DRS automation levels, how to properly configure DRS rules and groups, and how to enable Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC).

Understanding DRS Automation
DRS Groups and Affinity Rules
New DRS Features in vSphere 4.1
Understanding Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC)

Lesson 29 – Configuring and Using Distributed Power Management

Save your company tons of money by enabling Distributed Power Management (DPM). Besides the real cost savings, learn how to configure DPM, the DPM automation levels, DPM thresholds, and why you might opt to use per host DPM.

Distributed Power Management (DPM) Overview
Enabling and Configuring DPM
Monitoring Power Utilization

Lesson 30 – vSphere Capacity Planning

Learn how to perform proper vSphere capacity planning so that the whole virtual infrastructure doesn’t grind to a halt. Find out the steps to perform successful capacity planning, the tools to use, how to use VMware Guided Consolidation, and how to predict host and VM capacity with performance charts.

Why Perform Capacity Planning?
Steps to Perform Successful Capacity Planning
Tools Used in Capacity Planning
Using VMware Guided Consolidation
Configuring VMware Guided Consolidation
Predicting Host and VM Capacity with Performance Charts
Using vSphere Performance Charts for Capacity Planning

Lesson 31 – Using VMware vCenter Operations

The latest VMware performance tool is vCenter Operations. It is unique among other performance tools as focuses on collecting performance statistics and then alerts you to abnormal behavior of the virtual infrastructure. In this lesson, you’ll find out how to install it, configure it, and understand it’s workload, health, and capacity scores which you’ll use to troubleshoot vSphere performance.

vCenter Operations Overview
Requirements and Installation
Terms: Workload, Health, and Capacity
Downloading and Installing vCenter Operations
Configuring vCenter Operations
Using vCenter Operations

Lesson 32 – Using VKernel vOperations Suite

vKernel’s vOperations Suite (vOPS) is a third-party virtual appliance that performs capacity analysis, performance monitoring, and identifies under or overprovisioned virtual machines. This lesson will show you what it can do, how to download it, install it, and configure it.

What is VKernel vOps?
System Requirements
Installation
Using vOps for Capacity Planning

Lesson 33 – VMware’s Free ESXplot

VMware’s free ESXplot allows you to create graphs of esxtop exports in order to solve vSphere performance problems in the infrastructure. Learn how to get ESXplot up and running, export data from esxtop, view graphs in ESXplot, and export ESXplot graphs to a graphic file.

What is ESXplot?
Downloading and Installing ESXplot
Exporting Data from ESXi Server Using esxtop
Analyzing vSphere Stats From esxtop with ESXplot

Lesson 34 – VMware’s Free IOBlazer

A free performance tool from VMware, IOBlazer is used to analyze trace files from vscsiStats and perform storage modeling. Learn where to get it, how to export vscsiStats trace files, and analyze them with IOBlazer.

What is IOBlazer?
Downloading and Installing IOBlazer
Analyzing vSphere Storage Stats From vscsiStats with IOBlazer

Lesson 35 – Veeam Monitor Free Edition

Veeam’s Monitor version 5 is an excellent vSphere performance monitoring and alerting third-party product, offered in a completely free version. Learn how to obtain the free version, install it in a VM, link it to vCenter, and view the critical performance metrics at every level of the virtual infrastructure.

How Can Veeam Monitor Free Help You?
Veeam Monitor Free vs. Full
Downloading and Installing Veeam Monitor Free Edition
5 Critical Performance Stats, Analyzed with Veeam Monitor

Lesson 36 – Xangati for ESX Free Edition

No other performance tool offers insight to the vSphere virtual network like Xangati does. Xangati combines traditional vCenter performance metrics with realtime traffic monitoring of the virtual network to provide you a powerful vSphere performance troubleshooting tool. Thankfully, there is a free version of Xangati that David will show you how to install and use in this lesson.

What Makes Xangati Unique?
Downloading and Installing Xangati for ESX
Configuring Xangati
Virtual Network Analysis with Xangati

Lesson 37 – Using vKernel’s Free Performance Tools

vKernel offers four different free vSphere performance tools. Learn how to use ApplicationView, CapacityView, StorageView, and Capacity Modeler. You’ll gain extensive knowledge on how to get Capacity Modeler up and running then use it to perform “what if” vSphere capacity modeling scenarios.

Four Free Performance Tools From vKernel
Exploring VMs Utilization with ApplicationView
vSphere Performance Overview with CapacityView
Analyze Storage Latency with StorageVie
Predicting vSphere Capacity with Capacity Modeler

Lesson 38 – XtraVirt’s Free vAlarm

One of David’s recommended must-have free tools is vAlarm because it alerts you to alarms in the virtual infrastructure, on your Windows desktop, without having to individually configure the 42 default alarms, individually.

What is vAlarm?
Downloading and Installing vAlarm
vSphere Alarms in Windows with vAlarm

Lesson 39 – VMware Guest Console (Free)

Learn how to use the free vSphere guest VM management tool that David calls “a must-have tool for VMware Admins”. VGC allows you to administer guest VM state, access the console, manage processes across all VMs, access file systems of all VMs, and manage snapshots.

Overview of Free VMware Guest Console (VGC)
Downloading and Installing VGC
Analyzing VM Inventory, Processes, Snapshots, and More

Lesson 40 – Next Steps

After completing this vSphere Performance course, David gives advice on where to go next. Whether you want to practice what you have learned in this course, read more online, or find out how to prepare for the VCAP-DCA, you’ll know the next step after watching this lesson.

What We Learned
Next Steps for Learning
Next Steps for VCP or VCAP Certification
Feedback

Click Here to Order My vSphere Performance Video Training

Overview of my Upcoming vSphere Performance Video

David Davis — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:57:23 +0000

In May I’ll be releasing my vSphere Performance Monitoring video training course from Train Signal. I’ve spent 3 months creating this course that will have about 40 video lessons. I’ll cover everything in the VCAP-DCA blueprint, section 3 that covers DRS and vSphere Performance. BUT, this isn’t just a certification course. I tried to keep this course real-world focused and even include how-to videos on a variety of free and commercial vSphere Performance tools.

Here’s a quick video I recorded where I talk about the course topics. Stay tuned toward the end of May for this great new vSphere Performance video training course!

VIDEO: Importing Hyper-V VMs into vSphere

David Davis — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:34:16 +0000

Did you know that you can import Hyper-V VMs into vSphere? Sure, ditch the old ball and chain and assimilate to the collective!

Learn how to do it, step by step, in the video below and for more detail, checkout this full-length article I wrote at Petri KB: Importing Hyper-V VMs into vSphere

The video below is part of my Best of vSphere 4.1 for vNerds video that you’ll receive free with every vSphere video purchase from the Train Signal vSphere Training Library.

How To Upgrade to vSphere 4.1 Update 1 by @davidmdavis

David Davis — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:26:27 +0000

I recently posted a new article over at VirtualizationReview.com in my new “How-To Guy” section about the new vSphere 4.1 – Update 1. In the article, I cover the new features of Update 1 and the steps that you would take to get there, both for vCenter and ESX/ESXi servers.

You can read the full article at: How To Upgrade vSphere 4.1 Update 1 by David Davis

VIDEO: Get my Best of vSphere 4.1 Video Free

David Davis — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:27:57 +0000

I recently released a 2 hour, 17 video training course on how to use the new features of vSphere 4.1. In this video, I cover things like Network IO, Storage IO, Tech Support Mode, Memory Compression, DRS Host/Affinity Rules, Using vMA as a log collector, and much more.

You can’t buy this course but it is included FREE with every purchase of any of the Train Signal vSphere training courses (or if you are an existing Train Signal vSphere user, you have access to the course).

In the video below, I’ll explain more about this offer AND the video below that is a full 17 minute video from the course on how to use the new vSphere 4.1 Import a Hyper-V VM feature.

Ready to Get Your Free Best of vSphere 4.1 Training?

Get the new Best of vSphere 4.1 for vNerds training course by purchasing Train Signal’s VMware vSphere training package or any single vSphere training.

Best of vSphere 4.1 for vNerds Training Outline

Introduction to Best of vSphere 4.1 for vNerds

About Your Instructor
About the Course
About Train Signal’s vSphere Training Package

Video 1 – Overview of vSphere 4.1 New Features

What’s New in vSphere 4.1
Storage, Network, Availability and Management Features
Platform Enhancements
vSphere 4.1 Enhancements for Small and Midsize Businesses

Video 2 – New vSphere 4.1 Windows Active Directory Authentication

Introduction to New vSphere 4.1 AD Authentication
Steps to Configure ESX AD Authentication

Video 3 – Using Storage and Network I/O Control in vSphere 4.1

Why You Need Storage I/O Control (SIOC)
How SIOC Works
SIOC Requirements
Enabling SIOC in vSphere 4.1
Configuring Shares and IOPS for VMs
Monitoring the IOPS and Latency for a Datastore

Video 4 – Importing Hyper-V VMs with vSphere 4.1

Going in the Right Direction
What You Need to Know
Step by Step: Importing a Hyper-V VM with vSphere Converter

Video 5 – Configuring vSphere 4.1 VM to Host DRS Affinity Rules

Why You Need DRS Affinity Rules
New vSphere 4.1 VM to Host DRS Affinity Rules and Groups
Two Types of DRS Affinity Rules
Configuring DRS Affinity Rules

Video 6 – Understanding Memory Compression in vSphere 4.1

Compressed Memory is Not Equal to Memory
You’re Already Using Memory Compression
Recommended Reading: vSphere 4.1 Memory Performance Study
Hands-on: Examining Memory Compression

Video 7 – Power Consumption Graphing and Control in vSphere 4.1

vSphere 4.1 Power Management Improvements
Requirements for Hardware Power Management
Review of CPU Power Management Policies
Configuring CPU Power Management Policies on ESX and ESXi Servers

Video 8 – New vSphere 4.1 ESXi Tech Support Mode

About ESXi Tech Support Mode
Configuring ESXi Tech Support Mode

Video 9 – vSphere 4.1 ESXi Lockdown Mode

Introduction to ESXi Lockdown Mode
Configuring ESXi Total Lockdown Mode

Video 10 – Configuring vMA as a Log Collector for ESXi Servers

Why ESXi Servers Need a Logging Server
Configuring vMA as an ESXi 4.1 Logging Collector
Comparing Syslog and vMA Vi-Logger
Configuring vMA Vi-Logger

Bonus – vChat where vExperts David Davis and Simon Seagrave discuss the new features of vSphere 4.1

VIDEO: VMware ESXi 4.1 Lockdown and New Total Lockdown Mode

David Davis — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:23:34 +0000

VMware ESXi lockdown mode is used to prevent local host access and, instead, require all host management to go through vCenter. That means that with lockdown mode enabled, you cannot login to the sever using SSH, configure it via PowerCLI, or even locally using Tech Support Mode (watch my video on tthe new 4.1 TSM here). You can even take this a setup further and enable “total lockdown”. With total lockdown, you won’t even be able to use the direct console user interface (DCUI) so there will be no local host management. Watch my video below on how each of these lockdown modes work, how to configure them, and how to test them to ensure that they are really enabled.

If you have more quetions on lockdown mode, please checkout Charu Chaubal’s post at VMware Blogs about the new 4.1 lockdown modes (which also contains my video).

VIDEO: This Week in Virtualization with David Davis

David Davis — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:36:40 +0000

This week, I was the guest on a new weekly virtualization podcast called This Week in Virtualization. In this episode, we talked about the next version of vSphere and its features – to be released at an unspecified date. You can watch on a webpage or you can subscribe to an iTunes RSS feed and watch in iTunes or on your iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV. Click on the video below to bring up the webpage to watch:

VIDEO: My Home VMware vSphere Lab

David Davis — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:56:08 +0000

Here is a video detailing my home VMware vSphere lab including servers and storage…

Note: I forgot to mention in the video, the Intel Quad Q6600 shown in the video DOES run vSphere 4 as well so it is a compatible whitebox. It uses the MSI7450 BIOS.

Feel free to embed this video in your blog! You can get the code to do that by pressing the embed button on the video!

For more information on home labs and whitebox servers, listen to the VMware community roundtable episode that covers this topic.

VIDEO: Jumpstart ESXi and P2V with VMware GO

David Davis — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:27:51 +0000

I just released a new video to add to my vSphere video training course. This video covers VMware’s GO – a free product that provides SMBs the ability to download ESXi, install it, configure it, create new VMs, perform P2V, download VMs, and manage ESXi servers and VMs once up and running. GO is completely web-based, once you have watched my video, you can try out VMware GO for yourself!

VIDEO: Installing the vSphere Client in Windows 7

David Davis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:46:36 +0000

UPDATE: IF YOU WILL USE THE LATEST VERSION OF THE VSPHERE CLIENT (vSphere 4.0 Update 1 or later), THESE INSTRUCTIONS NO LONGER APPLY.

While the vSphere Client does install fine in Windows 7, it is when you attempt to connect to your vCenter Server that you discover there is a problem. VMware doesn’t officially support the vSphere Client under Windows 7 but there is a workaround to make it work.

In this video, I cover how to get the vSphere Client working in Windows 7, step by step.

You can download the special system.dll file that is needed here.

How To Install VMware vSphere Client in Windows 7 from Train Signal. Your leader in Computer Training

Special thanks to those who have posted on this topic before me as I couldn’t have created this video without your help!

Running VMware ESXi 4 / vSphere in VMware Workstation – VIDEO

David Davis — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:36:16 +0000

Here is a video sample from my upcoming VMware vSphere video training course. In this 18 minute video, you will learn how to run VMware ESXi version 4 / vSphere inside VMware Workstation. If you like the video please comment and feel free to use the embed code to embed this video on your blog!

VMWare CTO Stephen Herrod Demos vSphere dvSwitch at Interop

David Davis — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:49:07 +0000

In this CNET video, VMWare CTO Stephen Herrod Demos vSphere dvSwitch at Interop 2008 in Las Vegas. After Stephen, Rob Noth of VMWare demonstrates the Cisco command line – Great Video!