Tag: VMware

VMWare vSphere 5.1 announced

VMWare released today during VMWorld the new version of vSphere. Version 5.1 will be the new version.

Here are a few new features of this version:

vSphere 5.1 is VMware’s latest release of its industry-leadingvirtualization platform. This new release contains the followingnew features and enhancements:

Compute

• Larger virtual machines – Virtual machines can grow twotimes larger than in any previous release to support even themost advanced applications. Virtual machines can now haveup to 64 virtual CPUs (vCPUs) and 1TB of virtual RAM (vRAM).

• New virtual machine format – New features in thevirtual machine format (version 9) in vSphere 5.1 includesupport for larger virtual machines, CPU performancecounters and virtual shared graphics acceleration designedfor enhanced performance.

Storage

• Flexible, space-efficient storage for virtualdesktop infrastructure (VDI) – A new disk formatenables the correct balance between space efficiency and I/Othroughput for the virtual desktop.

Network

• vSphere Distributed Switch – Enhancements such asNetwork Health Check, Configuration Backup and Restore,Roll Back and Recovery, and Link Aggregation ControlProtocol support and deliver more enterprise-class networkingfunctionality and a more robust foundation for cloud computing.

Read more about the new features here.

Compare the versions here at the VMWare website.

 

How to Convert VMware Virtual Machines to XenServer Virtual Machines

This article describes two methods to convert a VMware virtual machine to a XenServer virtual machine. The first method is to export and import it in an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) package. The second method is to export and import its disk images. It is preferable to use the first method because it retains many Virtual Machine properties and is simpler for a Virtual Machine with multiple disk images.

Requirements

Administrator access to VMware Virtual Machine for conversion Administrator access to XenServer and XenCenter Experienced using VMware products, XenServer, and XenCenter

Note: This article is for XenServer 6 onwards. For XenServer 5.6 and earlier, refer to CTX116603 – How to Convert VMware Virtual Machines to XenServer Virtual Machines 5.6 and Earlier.

Preparing VMware Virtual Machine

  • Power on Virtual Machine and login.
  • Uninstall VMware Tools.
  • Delete/uninstall any unnecessary data, drives, partitions, and applications.
  • Shutdown Virtual Machine.

Exporting VMware Virtual Machine to OVF Package

The following VMware products support OVF package export:

  • VMware vSphere
  • VMware Infrastructure
  • VMware Workstation
  • VMware OVF Tool
  • VMware vCenter Converter
  • VMware Studio

Note: The following instructions are for VMware vSphere.

  • Open VMware vSphere Client and login.

vSphere 5.0 Hardening Guide

This is the official release of the vSphere 5.0 Security Hardening Guide, v1.0.  The format of this guide has changed from previous versions. The guide is being released as a Excel spreadsheet only.  The guideline metadata from earlier guides has been greatly expanded and standardized.  CLI commands for assessment and remediation of the guidelines is included for the vCLI, ESXi Shell, and PowerCLI.  For additional information, please see the Intro tab of the spreadsheet.

You can download the guide here.

XenDesktop and Provisioning Services on vSphere 5

Scott Cochran wrote a good blog post on the Citrix blogs which this is the beginning.

I want to preface this post by saying if you are not interested in any backstory just skip down to the summary section for a wrap up…

Coming from a consulting background I learned the hard way that you always have to check the compatibility of all components in a project.  Since VMware released vSphere 5 many people found out the hard way that Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS) was not supported on VMware’s latest hypervisor platform.  People without in-depth knowledge of the Citrix solution stack may have read XenDesktop 5 was supported on vSphere 5, but in reality that only meant when using Machine Creation Services (MCS).  This forced companies to have to make some hard decisions.  You could either go down the route of using MCS with vSphere 5, or go with Provisioning Services on vSphere 4.x.  Hopefully most customers consulted with their trusted Citrix advisor prior to making this

Continue reading “XenDesktop and Provisioning Services on vSphere 5”

XenApp on VMWare best practices

Hi Guys,

If you want to deploy Citrix XenApp on a VMWare hypervisor then you should read the guide provided by VMWare.

This guide provides best practice guidelines for deploying Citrix XenApp on VMware. The recommendations are not specific to any particular set of hardware or to the size and scope of any particular XenApp implementation. The design examples and considerations provide guidance only and do not represent strict design requirements. Flexibility in Citrix XenApp deployments combined with the flexibility of deploying on vSphere allows for a wide variety of valid configurations.

So download your copy now and read this guide.

XenDesktop 5.5 vs View 5 on Apple’s IPAD

Hi guys,

Watch this YouTube video of the performance and end user experience between Citrix’s XenDesktop 5.5, HDX and Receiver for iOS 5.5 versus VMware’s View 5.0, PCoIP and View

See the results for yourself… Continue reading “XenDesktop 5.5 vs View 5 on Apple’s IPAD”

vSphere 5 License Overview

Hi guys,

Found this post about the new vSpehere licence model.

Here a piece of the post.

“Before you upgrade to VMware vSphere 5, run the tool below to learn how much vRAM you are currently using and how much you are entitled to under vSphere 5 licensing.

Because vSphere 5 licensing is based on a per-processor basis with vRam entitlements, you need to make sure all license keys you have purchased are entered into vCenter Server.

The following vRAM entitlements will be given per license type: Continue reading “vSphere 5 License Overview”

VMWare vSphere 5 clustering technical deepdive book release

Duncan Epping and Frank Denneman have released their new book “VMware vSphere 5.0 Clustering Technical Deepdive”. This book is available at Amazon in full colour and e-reader format. Frank and Duncan have written “vSphere 5.0 Clustering Technical Deepdive” to give you a better understanding of all the new clustering features vSphere 5.0 offers and how these integrate with each other. Continue reading “VMWare vSphere 5 clustering technical deepdive book release”