Upgrading VC2.5 to vSphare2.5 U4

Our environment was running virtual center 2.5 base edition. SQL was running one a shared database and virtual center server on one of the virtual machine. When we planned to upgrade to vShpare2.5 U4 we decided to move everything to physical server with database running on the same server. We shut down the VC service and disabled it so that no updates are happing on the database. After that we planned to perform database from SQL2000 to SQL2005. Once backup completed then we install SQL2005 on windows2003 server.

We then restored the old database on new SQL2005 server. Created new ODBC for SQL server.

With this we are ready to install vShare2.5 U4. It is quite simple and straight forward. It will detect the version of database and prompt for upgrade. We also have to insure that we have shut down VC license server and copy the license file to the new VC server.

After the upgrade is over we have to setup license server pointing to license file. Update the DNS and alias pointing to new vSphare 2.5 U4 server. We are ready to fire our VC client and point to the same "alias" . We may prompt to upgrade the client or it may work with same client.

Here are some surprise:

You will find all the host in disconnect state. DO NOT PANIC. This is normal because all the agent which runs on host is still pointing to old VC server. We have to perform reconnect with all the esx host. Yeah it is pain in the a#$%& and there is no work around. But good part was no permission change, no change in folder hierarchy . This gave me little bit of relief. I had pain with my ESX 2.X host connecting back to new VC. But everything went very smoothly .

It was cool experience to share.

Now new feature of vSphare 2.5 U4 which I did notice was :

You can perform hot cloning , yes hot cloning . You can clone running virtual machine without any packets drop. When it is at 3% then it think a lot J but after that it is very fast and user does not realize that machine is getting cloned . What I want to figure out is till what time that changes are captured? This will help me understand more about hot cloning.

How present NetAPP ISCSI LUN to The Windows Host

I was give assignment to present ISCSI LUN to windows box. I have never done this before. We have to present storage from NetAPP filer FAS3050.This windows box was suppose to run SQL database. Earlier to present storage from filer ,MS ISCSI initiator along with SNAP mirroring were used. It was costing more than HBA’s .So we connected Qlogic HBA “QLE4062C ” and tested it from BIOS (Ctrl + S) to the filer.

1. Once windows is installed then make sure that we have driver for Qlogic card is installed. Because driver don’t get installed by default. Once driver is installed then you can find Qlogic card under device manager

2. After Qlogic card is installed then we have can also test the connectivity to the filer from card using device

3. But this is not the end of the story . My real pain started how to enter target IP .After searching Qlogic website I found that  “SANSurger HBA Manger “ is my friend

http://driverdownloads.qlogic.com/QLogicDriverDownloads_UI/SearchByProduct.aspx?ProductCategory=82&Product=1037&Os=64

4. Download and Install SANSurfer iSCSI HBA Manager in client mode

5. Make sure you choose “iSCSI  GUI and Agent” so that you can have agent and we can also do some additional troubleshooting in case there is problem

6. It will ask for destination to install

7. Select for all the Users Profile

8. Once it is installed lunch it using “local host”

9. Once it is connected it will show all the physical card as well as port

You have to expand the card to see all the ports. Before we configure the lun , we have to ensure that SAN admin has created Lun for WINDOWS. We also have to share IQN with SAN admin

10. You can find the link status and IQN number from this, This needs to be shared with Storage person

11. Select wizard from the top and select “General Configuration Wizard”. Select HBA port and then next

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12. It will give driver version and MAC address

13. Provide IP address for the HBA

14. Don’t choose anything if you are not using IPV6

15. Don’t select iSNS if you are not uins Storage Network Server

16. This part is very crucial . We have to add the target IP address of the filer. Click on the green + tab. It will ask for target IP address for

17. Select next after adding. It will give summary

18. Once we hit “Next” then it will give warning message

19. Now it is very important steps. It will ask for password and the password is “config”. This information you can find in admin guide. This is not root password not anything but default password for SAN surfer manager

. Once it finished you can find space under “Disk Management”

When root partition is full on ESX host

I had been in a strange situation when upgrade of ESX host was failing. It was giving me all kind of wired messages.
This host had NFS mount where I had placed my swap files. Host was suppose to moved from one location to other location. Person who powered off did not realize that it had NFS mount. When ESX host was powered on different location it started giving me error message that it is still trying to do NFS mount (ALT+F12 log).

I was also getting error message "Configuration changes were not saved successfully during previous shut down" . The reason for this was ,root file system was full (Please dont ask me why , we have many admin)

I used "esxcfg-nas " command to delete that mount. But still my root partation getting filled message didnot resolved.

So I thougth of running following command to find out what files are above 10GB.

find / -size +10240000c -exec du -h {} \; | less


I found that some one has stored ISO file under /vmimage . :)

Deleted thoso ISO and I was able to upgrade my host to 3.5U4

My new status in VMTM forum.

I had been member of VMTM forum since 2007. I had recently given status of “Hot Shot”. It really thrill me.

Level avilable inside VMTM's are

My design for ESX network

I had been trying to find out what would be the best way to configure NICS on ESX.

My college told me to use Tagged VLAN for each component. Then I got into trouble that I cannot use single switch to have two tagged VLAN associated and use that for additional redundancy.

I argued and told why you want to tag VLAN when it got trunked on my NICs instead you label it as VLAN1 (In layman term trunk all the VLAN which has been created) and if I wish I will tag the packets when I send it out of my vSwitch.

What I have read about tagging is “ It is just a help you in switch Administration and have nothing to do with technical advantage” . If that is the case then my dear network engineer you trunked every VLAN on each of the NIC and I will pick and choose. This will be very helpful for me to design.

If you want to achieve this then you need to have following config on each of your port associated on your vSwtich

description * ESX*

switchport access vlan 1

switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q

switchport mode trunk

spanning-tree portfast trunk

I have also shared my one of the network design