VM /ETC

Posts Tagged ‘virtualization’

Figuring out whether you can replicate your VMs across your WAN to a DR site is never easy. There are many factors to consider, but luckily, one of my Veeam peers and a fellow VMware vExpert, Ricky El -Qasem has created a Replication Calculator to help figure it out.

From the post on the Virtualize Planet Blog: Replication Bandwidth Calculator | Virtualize Planet

ReplicaCalc

How many times do you get asked “how do I work out if VM Replication will work with my internet link” Well I wanted to demonstrate some way of providing a calculator without working it out in my head every time. So I made a Replication Calculation tool.  It is assumed that you provide it with 3 values:

1. Average Rate of Change.
2. The Link speed – this value should reflect the upload speed at the source site or the download speed at the target if this is less. So for example if the upload at the source is 6Mbs and 10Mbs download at the target then go for 6Mbs
3. Bandwidth % – which is the amount of bandwidth as % which achievable from the link speed specified.

Download and install ReplicaCalc from here > ReplicaCalc

Ricky describes the needed values in more detail in his post so be sure to read it all there. He also demonstrates how to use Veeam Backup and Replication to get the VM dynamic rate of change. The tool is useful whether using Veeam to replicate your VMs or not, however.

Thanks Ricky!

For more on this topic, I’ve blogged about using a bandwidth calculator to figure out whether your current WAN link is adequate or not for your replication jobs before.

Your vSphere VMs may be running from snapshots even though you didn’t create them. That is, if a scheduled job which auto creates snapshots runs into a datastore with insufficient free space. In this scenario a special Consolidate Helper snapshot will be created. 

The following screenshot shows the mysterious snapshot as I found it on my lab domain controller

In my case, the scheduled job that needs to create and then normally commit the snapshot is a Veeam Backup and Replication job. At some point in the life of my lab I did run out of space, and although it’s not an issue anymore, the snapshot still exists even when the jobs aren’t running! I was a bit surprised that backup jobs could even complete with this snapshot in place.

VMware KB article 1003302 explains that the Consolidate Helper snapshot is actually created when trying to commit (delete all) a snapshot.

Read the rest of this entry »

VIRTUMANIA Episode 25 … finally! We put the headsets back on and recorded another episode. Sorry for the delay! The following is the podcast summary:

VIRTUMANIA Podcast Episode 25 – Better Late Than Never VMWorld 2010 Autopsy.  Marc Farley (@3parfarley) of  StorageRap.com with co host Rick Vanover (@rickvanover) of RickVanover.com are joined by special guests Jon Owings (@2vcps) of 2vcps.com and Kelly Culwell (@kculw) of VirtualInsanity.com. Unconfirmed reports describe chalk outlines on the Moscone Center floor from the bodies of exhausted vendors and attendees. Enjoy our autoposy of VMWorld 2010 from the experiences of this week’s Virtumaniacs. Get an inside perspective on the sessions, the announcements, the parties, the people, and everything else. Virtumania is an Infosmack Production.

Listen to the podcast with the embedded player or subscribe to get a weekly copy so you can listen when convenient.

Check out the VM /ETC VIRTUMANIA Page to listen to past episodes as well as episodes of Infosmack.

This week on VIRTUMANIA we focus on Xangati’s ability to record network activity between VMs and hosts on virtual infrastructure. The following is the podcast summary:

VIRTUMANIA Podcast Episode 24 – De-Funkified V.I. Rich Brambley (@rbrambley) of VMETC and Marc Farley (@3parfarley) of 3Par and StorageRap.com with guests and Rick Vanover (@rickvanover) of RickVanover.com and Ed Haletky (@texiwill) of The Virtualization Practice Blog and The Virtualization Security Podcast. This week’s episode features special guest Nathaniel Iverson, Director of Product Marketing at Xangati. With Xangati’s announcement of the free Xangati appliance for ESX, virtualization administrators now have a cost effective tool to auto record activity inside their virtual infrastructure and more easily prescribe the proper remedy to alleviate the symptoms. Virtumania is an Infosmack Production.

Listen to the podcast with the embedded player or subscribe to get a weekly copy so you can listen when convenient.

Check out the VM /ETC VIRTUMANIA Page to listen to past episodes as well as episodes of Infosmack.

The Twitter game
Back once again.
A little challenge
For VMWorld 2010.

Started last year.
Some thought strange
At VMworld 2009
And Partner Exchange.

Here’s the rules.
Hope you play.
Use three words
Whatever you say.

Hashtags are allowed.
Apostrophes are free.
Always use tag #vmworld3word.
above = 3.

Count symbols, numbers,
as word substitutes.
punctuation doesn’t count.
emoticons I’ll excuse

RTs are encouraged
to link conversations.
Here’s an example
“RT @twittername(s): to link conversations #othertag #vmworld3word>” note various exceptions

Slang is permitted
if commonly used.
There’s lotsa grey
gotta carefully choose.

The contest begins
On WUPaaS Sunday.
Join, you must
Yoda would say

Tweet when inspired.
Not every time.
Make it fun
without the rhymes

I was told
around the Moscone
screens will display.
Honest, no bologna.

If they do
Look for mine.
Tweet your own.
try to outshine!

This little ditty
shows game intent.
Clear as mud?
Leave a comment!

Citrix CTO Simon Crosby was our very special guest for VIRTUMANIA Episode 23! The following is the podcast summary:

VIRTUMANIA Podcast Episode 23 – The Citrix Virtualization Safari. Rich Brambley (@rbrambley) of VMETC and Marc Farley (@3parfarley) of 3Par and StorageRap.com with guests and Rick Vanover (@rickvanover) of RickVanover.com and Greg Knieriemen (@knieriemen). This week’s special guest is Citrix CTO Simon Crosby (@simoncrosby / Citrix Blogs). This episode’s conversation covers almost everything going on at Citrix for virtualization. From Citrix Receiver on the iPad, HDX with VDI, development of the Citrix XenClient, XenServer strategy, partnership with Microsoft, to Citrix in the Cloud, Crosby offers inside thoughts and experiences.  VIRTUMANIA is a Infosmack Production.

Before, between, and after the important stuff we also have some fun with Rick’s picture of the wrong end of a giraffe and Dell’s rumored acquisition of 3PAR

Listen to the podcast with the embedded player or subscribe to get a weekly copy so you can listen when convenient.

Check out the VM /ETC VIRTUMANIA Page to listen to past episodes as well as episodes of Infosmack.

I was lucking enough to get an invite from the VIRTUMANIA mothership this past week. I was back for my third appearance on the Infosmack Podcast, and this time the guest of honor was Paul Maritz!

The following is the podcast summary:

Infosmack Podcast Episode 63 – VMware’s Paul Maritz. Greg Knieriemen of Chi Corporation, Marc Farley of 3Par and StorageRap.com and Rich Brambley of Veeam and our sister podcast Virtumania with special guest Paul Maritz, CEO of VMware. In this week’s special episode with Paul, we explore VMware beyond server virtualization, how they are building the data center platform of the future and Paul’s work with The Grameen Foundation as well as “10 Big Questions”.

I have to say that it was an honor and a thrill to be able to chat with Paul. When we weren’t recording he made some funny comments about Infosmack being his first public podcast, and at the end he suggested he possibly would be interested in making another appearance depending on how this one turned out! I know that Greg, Marc and I are definitely pleased.

Infosmack also experimented with soliciting questions from Twitter during the episode. Although Infosmack doesn’t have a live audience, the real time interaction via tweets was definitely fun. Both Infosmack and Virtumania will most likely repeat this use of Twitter in the future!

Listen to the podcast with the embedded player or subscribe to Infosmack to get a weekly copy so you can listen when convenient.