VM /ETC

Archive for March, 2009

Nick Triantos of NetApp has posted some preview vSphere vStorage integration information about NetApp’s ESX Host Utilities. The next version of Host utilities will be available as a plugin for vCenter and will allow the centralized configuration and monitoring of all managed ESX hosts. The current version 5.0 requires running a acript on each ESX host for installation and utilities configuration. As Nick explains on his Storage Nuts and Bolts Blog:

“Thus far, the Host Utilities, including the current 5.0R2 release needed to be installed at the console of each ESX host. With the 6.0 release this will changes and a single vCenter plugin instance will manage all the ESX hosts in the Datacenter from a centralized management location.It will support both ESX and ESXi implementations as well as all protocols, FC, iSCSI, FCoE, NFS and you will be able to set all the necessary parameters for every ESX host in the cluster regardless of protocol implementation.”

If you’ve implemented NetApp filers for VMware Virtual Infrastructure then you know the importance of the NetApp Host Utilities. You can also recognize the immediate benefit of a centralized distribution and configuration feature. Installing the utilities on all your ESX hosts is not difficult, but it certainly is tedious and time consuming. The monitoring and status information in vCenter is “icing on the cake” for the Vmware admin because currently this information is only available via the NetApp Filer management interface.

Nick provides a video demonstration apparently from the VMware Europe 2009 booth in Cannes, France last week. The video is without sound but does provide some call out text to explain features and provide some narration. The video gets a little too fast for me in spots so I’ve taken some notes and listed them below. Read the rest of this entry »

Theology is defined as the study of religion. After reading the Virtual Gipsy blog post VMware as Religion and browsing all the other anthropological observation themed posts on that site I was prompted to consider the possibility that virtualization may actually be best compared to a religion, and VMware may just be it’s largest denomination. In my scenario vTheology could be coined the field of study concerning all virtual infrastructure technology and it’s supporters. Sound crazy or humorous? This post explores the comparisons made by Brenda (twitter name @b_renda), the Virtual Gipsy author, as well as some light-hearted observations of my own.

First, wikipedia describes religion in part as:

“… both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. “Religion” is sometimes used interchangeably with “faith” or “belief system,”but it is more socially defined than personal convictions, and it entails specific behaviors, respectively.”

Using that aspect of the definition, it’s easy to see how virtualization, not to mention any widely adopted technology, can be compared to a religion. However, the prevalent popularity of virtualization today and the constant debate over which vendor offers the best data center salvation choice makes for a well defined congregation.

Brenda sets the stage with her VMworld Europe 2009 focused view, but her professor -like analysis serves as a great start to expanding the concept to the entire technology.

“Words like guru, evangelist, high priests, cardinals, belief, followers, gospel, VMware-ism, atheist and disciples were all used several times in my (virtual or physical) presence. That struck me, since I had never before associated software with something ’soft’ like religion. I had always thought of it as scientific: mathematical, logical, measurable, and not as emotional, spiritual and intuitive. But hey, if they say so, and keep saying it, there has got to be something more to it right? I have divided these religion-related words into two groups: the ones that describe certain categories of people (guru, evangelist, high priest, cardinal, follower, atheist and disciple) and the ones that point at virtualisation as a whole (belief, gospel and VMware-ism ).”

Be sure to read her Blog for all of Brenda’s observations. Who knows, but Virtual Gipsy may one day be considered the “old testament” of a future generation of cloud admins.

Taking it a step further, can’t we draw a comparison (if we really wanted to) between Read the rest of this entry »

I wish this post was a definitive answer to all the confusion about VMware’s new product names. Instead it’s a conversation I had on Twitter this morning that both a. establishes my misunderstanding and b. sets the precedent for how I will refer to VMware VDC-OS and vSphere moving forward. After reviewing the tweets below feel free to shed some light for me on the VMware terminology that, at least to me, is as “clear as mud”.

rbrambley: VMware use of vSphere replaces the “VI” in VI 3.5 Enterp suite of products. U can have a vSphere client but not a vSphere server. Yes?!!

mikedipetrillo: @rbrambley Actually you have a vCenter client – not a vSphere client. It’s probably time for me to write up what everything is.

rbrambley: @mikedipetrillo If not mistaken, recent vids show “vSphere Client” in windows title bar. Does that mean “ESX” will be replaced by “vSphere”?

rbrambley: @mikedipetrillo write up would be great but lose the “substrate” talk. Speak to me relating the current products and their substitutes

mikedipetrillo: @rbrambley vSphere encompasses all products. ESX is still ESX. Virtual Center is vCenter. I’ll send you a secret decoder ring.

mikedipetrillo: @rbrambley Yup. That’s exactly what I need to write up. Here’s what it is today – here’s what it is tomorrow.

rbrambley: @mikedipetrillo I would appreciate that VMware decoder ring!

tom_howarth: @rbrambley vSphere is the new name for VMware Infrastructure, VDC-OS is the new name for ESX

rbrambley: @tom_howarth More than ESX. VDC-OS incl ESX, vCenter, View, Appspeed, & all. Think vSphere is a subset group of VDC-OS. VDC-OS is substrate

rbrambley: Hey Paul, pick VMware’s preferred definition of “substrate” 4 us! I’m going w/ aquarium material on tank bottom. http://tinyurl.com/aq47qp

tom_howarth: @rbrambley I think it is the other way round

langonej: @rbrambley Having had my fair share of fish tanks, that’s exactly the image, “subtrate” conjures for me.

rbrambley: @langonej In a way it makes sense. VDC-OS is rocks. vSphere is the treasure chest and bell diver. The bubbles are the virtual appliances!

I follow Dilbert comics mostly because no one summarizes the office place from a geek’s perspective better than Scott Adams, but every once in a while his comic touches a virtual “funny bone” with me that literally makes me wipe away tears. Maybe I find these two strips so humorous because of the timing of VMworld Europe last week or the upcoming Citrix Synergy and Microsoft TechEd conferences?

Dilbert.com Feb 28

Dilbert.com Mar 02

I’m not trying to point fingers at any one virtualization vendor, but as Larry the Cable Guy likes to say “I don’t care who you are. That’s funny.”

I hope there are more Marketecture strips in this series!

In a fashion that I’m sure makes Eric Seibert of VMware-land.com proud, Duncan Epping has posted a page full of VMworld Europe 2009 links. Since my coverage slackened after Day 1 of the conference last week, I appreciate Duncan’s list of links too. The list is organized into several sections:

• Keynote 1 wrap us
• Keynote 2 wrap ups
• Announcements
• Hands-on Labs
• Sessions
• Various

Duncan’s links are to the 4 blogs of VMworld Europe attendees who he thinks provided the best coverage and includes  photos, videos, and text summaries.

Eric published a summary list of VMworld 2008 links last fall.