VMware GSX Server 3 Administration Administration Manual Download Page 185

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C H A P T E R

185

Performance Tuning and the
VMware GSX Server Host

The following sections offer suggestions for getting the best performance from
VMware GSX Server and your virtual machines:

•

Configuring and Maintaining the Host Computer on page 186

•

Configuring GSX Server on page 187

•

Understanding Memory Usage on page 194

Summary of Contents for GSX Server 3 Administration

Page 1: ...Administration Guide TM...

Page 2: ...886 6 789 156 and 6 795 966 patents pending VMware the VMware boxes logo and design Virtual SMP and VMotion are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware Inc in the United States and or other juri...

Page 3: ...__________________________________________24 Remote Client Requirements ____________________________________30 Virtual Machine Specifications _____________________________________32 Supported Guest Op...

Page 4: ..._________73 Installing the VMware Scripting APIs ________________________________75 Installing the VmPerl and VmCOM Scripting APIs on a Windows Host ___________________________________________75 Insta...

Page 5: ...24 Logging GSX Server Events on Windows ____________________________125 Backing Up Virtual Machines and the GSX Server Host _________________127 Using a Backup Agent in the Virtual Machine ___________...

Page 6: ...Machines Use Relative Paths ______________________________175 Preparing Your Virtual Machine for the Move ______________________175 Moving a Virtual Machine to a New Host __________________________17...

Page 7: ...oad Balancing with GSX Server ______________________214 Overview of Network Load Balancing Clusters _____________________214 Creating a Multinode Network Load Balancing Cluster _______________215 Crea...

Page 8: ...www vmware com 8...

Page 9: ...GSX Server Enterprise Class Virtual Infrastructure for x86 Based Servers on page 10 Welcome to VMware GSX Server on page 12 What s New in Version 3 on page 14 Host System Requirements on page 24 Virtu...

Page 10: ...deployed VMware virtual infrastructure solution with virtual machines compatible across all VMware products and with unified management and provisioning provided by VMware VirtualCenter VMware GSX Se...

Page 11: ...e Supports large server up to 64GB of host memory 32 host processors and 64 powered on virtual machines for ultimate scalability extensibility and robustness Offers virtual machine compatibility acros...

Page 12: ...s the place to start If you re a veteran user of VMware products take a few minutes to see what s new in version 3 and review the notes on upgrading your installation The VMware GSX Server Administrat...

Page 13: ...u can set up completely independent installations of operating systems on a single machine Multiple instances of Microsoft Windows or Linux can run side by side in virtual machines that you create wit...

Page 14: ...processors VMware GSX Server 3 2 adds experimental support for the following 64 bit host operating systems on AMD64 and Intel EM64T processors Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 Upd...

Page 15: ...ad Failed to create DirectInput object HRESULT 0x80004001 sev 1 fac 0 code 16385 Unknown error 16385 0x4001 Fix for memory issue on hosts with 32GB RAM Fix for VirtualCenter alarm showing maximum memo...

Page 16: ...r crashes on Linux hosts after VMware Management Interface timed out Fix for problem that prevented the launching of the VMware Virtual Machine Console from the VMware Management Interface on a Linux...

Page 17: ...com support kb enduser std_adp php p_faqid 1307 You can now restrict which users can create virtual machines and virtual disks For more information see knowledge base article 1042 at www vmware com s...

Page 18: ...e virtual machines in the same window and switch from one to another using the new quick switch mode The console menus have been streamlined The console requires less network bandwidth over remote con...

Page 19: ...in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide Improved VMware Management Interface Managing virtual machines and the GSX Server host from a Web browser just got better You can configure more host an...

Page 20: ...work Adapter Teaming Support On Windows hosts virtual machines can bridge to teamed or bonded host network adapters For more information see Configuring Bridged Networking When Using Teamed Network In...

Page 21: ...ual checks only For more information see Updating GSX Server Software Automatically on page 156 Before You Install the Release There are a few steps you should take before you install this release to...

Page 22: ...intend to use your older GSX Server software keep the CD ROM or ESD installation package handy or else back up the drive on which GSX Server is currently installed If you need to install the software...

Page 23: ...or created a custom network you must take note of these settings before you uninstall the previous version of GSX Server Custom network settings cannot be preserved across product upgrades and must be...

Page 24: ...ts do not display properly in GSX Server Server Requirements The server is a Windows or Linux system where you install the GSX Server software Virtual machines can be stored on the server host or loca...

Page 25: ...Virtual Machine Console installation Disk space in tmp on Linux hosts should be equivalent to 1 5 times the amount of memory on the host For information on the tmp directory read VMware knowledge bas...

Page 26: ...ems Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition including Service Pack 1 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition including Service Pack 1 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Web Edition includin...

Page 27: ...se Linux 3 0 AS Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 0 ES Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 0 WS SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 SUSE LINUX 9 3 SUSE LINUX 9 2 32 bit host computers can ru...

Page 28: ...eliability on those host platforms We make every effort to add support for new kernels and distributions in a timely manner but until a kernel or distribution is added to the list below its use with o...

Page 29: ...not supported For the latest system requirements go to the VMware Web site at www vmware com support gsx3 doc intro_sysreqs_host_gsx html Information about Running GSX Server on Some SuSE Linux Hosts...

Page 30: ...Linux remote clients Software Windows Remote Client Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003 Web Edition Win...

Page 31: ...Machine Console on the client The VMware Management Interface requires one of these browsers Firefox 1 x Mozilla 1 x Netscape Navigator 7 0 Note As new browser versions are released VMware tests the...

Page 32: ...tual Memory Up to 3600MB of memory per virtual machine depending upon the host system s configuration the types of applications running on the host and the amount of memory on the host Virtual Graphic...

Page 33: ...or named pipes Virtual Parallel LPT Ports Up to three bidirectional parallel LPT ports Output to parallel ports or host operating system files Virtual USB ports Two port USB 1 1 UHCI controller Suppor...

Page 34: ...ncluding TCP IP NetBEUI Microsoft Networking Samba Novell NetWare and Network File System Built in NAT supports client software using TCP IP FTP DNS HTTP and Telnet Virtual Sound Adapter Sound output...

Page 35: ...ting systems using 64 bit extensions to the IA 32 instruction set are not supported Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows code named Longhorn experimental support Windows Server 2003 Web Edition Windows...

Page 36: ...Linux AS ES and WS 4 0 SuSE Linux 7 3 8 0 8 1 8 2 9 0 9 1 and 9 2 experimental support for SUSE LINUX 9 3 SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 including Service Pack 2 8 including Service Pack 3 and 9 inclu...

Page 37: ...m vcommunity usergroups html For more information about the VMware Technology Network go to www vmtn net Online and Telephone Support Use online support to submit technical support requests view your...

Page 38: ...t these logs Windows Host 1 Open a command prompt 2 Change to the GSX Server program directory C cd Program Files VMware VMware GSX Server If you did not install the program in the default directory u...

Page 39: ...file is in the same directory as the configuration file vmx of the virtual machine that had problems Also save any core files core or vmware core Virtual Machine Event Log File The virtual machine s...

Page 40: ...Windows host edit config ini located in C Documents and Settings All Users Application Data VMware VMware GSX Server On a Linux host edit etc vmware config 2 Add the following lines to the file vmauth...

Page 41: ...lems installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console please submit a support request and this log file On a Windows host the file is VMInst log It is saved in your TEMP directory the default location is...

Page 42: ...www vmware com 42 VMware GSX Server Administration Guide...

Page 43: ...erver on a Windows Host on page 45 Installing VMware GSX Server on a Linux Host on page 55 Configuring Web Browsers for Use with GSX Server on page 67 Installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console on...

Page 44: ...re GSX Server on page 87 before you begin About the VMware Virtual Machine Console on the Server VMware GSX Server uses the VMware Virtual Machine Console to manage virtual machines on any GSX Server...

Page 45: ...and enter your serial number You need to do this only once the first time you start a console after you install GSX Server 4 Create a virtual machine using the New Virtual Machine Wizard or the VMwar...

Page 46: ...ge 24 A remote management client and operating system that meet the system requirements for running the GSX Server remote management software See Remote Client Requirements on page 30 The GSX Server i...

Page 47: ...u are installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console on a Linux client see Installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console on a Linux Host on page 73 The VMware Virtual Machine Console can run on a remot...

Page 48: ...are ACE or the VMware Virtual Machine Console The only VMware product that can be installed on the same host as GSX Server is the VMware VirtualCenter client software If you plan to install GSX Server...

Page 49: ...are gsx server installer xxxx exe where D is the drive letter for your CD ROM drive and xxxx is a series of numbers representing the version and build numbers If you are installing from a downloaded f...

Page 50: ...omponents in a directory other than the default click Change and browse to the directory of your choice If the directory does not exist the installer creates it for you Caution GSX Server must be inst...

Page 51: ...click Space This is useful if you are choosing a custom installation due to limited disk space on your host If you want to install all the GSX Server components in a directory other than the default...

Page 52: ...eractions with the virtual machines you install on this system 7 Two shortcuts are created for you on your desktop automatically They give you easy access to virtual machines from the desktop of your...

Page 53: ...host complete the following steps 1 Extract the individual installation packages Open a command prompt and on one line type VMware gsx server installer xxxx exe a s x d C temp gsx where xxxx is a seri...

Page 54: ...ou always install the bridged and host only network adapters as part of the Network component For example to install everything but the VMware NAT and DHCP services specify on the command line ADDLOCA...

Page 55: ...are including the server VMware Management Interface the VMware Virtual Machine Console and the VmPerl API on the server 2 Install the VMware Virtual Machine Console and VMware Scripting APIs on Windo...

Page 56: ...Server remote management software See Remote Client Requirements on page 30 The installation CDs or disks for your guest operating systems The GSX Server installation software If you bought a GSX Ser...

Page 57: ...e tar archive is called VMware gsx xxxx tar gz where xxxx is a series of numbers representing the version and build numbers Note The VmPerl API package is installed when you install the server softwar...

Page 58: ...et suspend and resume virtual machines Create and delete virtual machines Configure host and virtual machine settings Essentially the console allows you to manage virtual machines locally and remotely...

Page 59: ...he GSX Server software ensure your Linux distribution is for a server not a workstation If you are running a workstation distribution you need to install the inetd process in order to connect to the V...

Page 60: ...copied the file cd tmp c Unpack the archive tar zxf VMware gsx xxxx tar gz d Change to the installation directory cd vmware gsx distrib e Run the installation program vmware install pl f Accept the d...

Page 61: ...ed private subnet This allows you to connect your virtual machines to an external network when you have only one IP network address on the physical network and that address is used by the host compute...

Page 62: ...irtual Machines Make sure this location is on a large enough file system to contain the files as the virtual disk files for each virtual machine are usually are gigabytes in size 11 Enter your GSX Ser...

Page 63: ...ROM drive and change to the Linux directory on the CD mount dev cdrom mnt cdrom cd mnt cdrom Linux 3 Copy the tar archive to a directory on your hard drive for example to tmp cp VMware mui xxxx tar g...

Page 64: ...at boot time on SuSE Linux 7 1 and higher or SuSE Linux Enterprise Server SLES hosts Before you install GSX Server on a SuSE Linux 7 1 or higher host system or a SLES host system you need to configur...

Page 65: ...Linux host you must install the libdb so 3 library from your Linux distribution s CD ROM before you install the VMware Management Interface The version that comes with a default Linux installation is...

Page 66: ...386 rpm or later If you installed this package after you installed the management interface software start the management interface s Apache server with this command etc init d httpd vmware start The...

Page 67: ...em on page 69 Launching the VMware Virtual Machine Console from the Management Interface on an Encrypted Server You can launch the VMware Virtual Machine Console from the VMware Management Interface a...

Page 68: ...ptions then click the Security tab 3 Select Trusted sites then click Sites 4 In the Add this Web site to the zone entry field type https domain where domain is your organization s domain name such as...

Page 69: ...er 6 0 Launching Help in Netscape on a Linux System To use VMware GSX Server Help on a Linux system you must have a Web browser installed on your physical computer GSX Server expects to find the Netsc...

Page 70: ...and install a console from an older version of GSX Server or ESX Server onto any client The following sections describe how to install the VMware Virtual Machine Console on Windows and Linux computer...

Page 71: ...ars Click Next 2 Accept the end user license agreement EULA Select I accept the terms in the license agreement then click Next 3 Choose the directory in which to install the console If you prefer to i...

Page 72: ...now is the time to make those changes Click Back until you reach the dialog box containing the information you want to change Otherwise click Install The installer begins copying files to your host 5...

Page 73: ...Machine Console on page 111 1 In a terminal window if you have not done so already become root so you can carry out the installation steps su 2 Mount the CD ROM drive and change to the Client director...

Page 74: ...doesn t appear press Q to continue 6 Run the configuration program vmware config console pl Note If you use the RPM installer you need to run this program separately from the command line If you inst...

Page 75: ...APIs on a Windows Host On either a Windows server host or a Windows remote computer you can use either the VmPerl API or the VmCOM API Both scripting APIs are installed automatically on the GSX Serve...

Page 76: ...than the default click Change and browse to your directory of choice If the directory does not exist the installer creates it for you Click Next Note Windows and the Microsoft Installer limit the pat...

Page 77: ...ick Finish The VMware Scripting API is installed If you install the VmCOM API two directories named MiniMUI and SampleScripts are created in the VmCOM API directory The MiniMUI directory contains a sa...

Page 78: ...ment Interface Login page to the machine on which you want to run the VMware Scripting API 2 In a terminal window if you have not done so already become root so you can carry out the installation step...

Page 79: ...y the directory where you want to install the VmPerl API documentation files These files consist of the README end user license agreement and copyright information The default is usr share doc vmware...

Page 80: ...PIs To uninstall the VMware Virtual Machine Console from a Windows client see Uninstalling the VMware Virtual Machine Console on a Windows Host on page 84 To remove specific GSX Server components for...

Page 81: ...grade your software To keep the licenses in the registry click Yes The uninstallation continues 6 During the uninstallation you are asked whether you want to keep any login information for any virtual...

Page 82: ...e to not use the VmPerl API you can remove only that component Note Do not use this method to remove GSX Server Use it to remove the VMware Scripting APIs or the VMware Management Interface only To re...

Page 83: ...The Custom Setup screen appears 4 Click the arrow to open the menu next to the component you want to remove select This feature will not be installed then click Next 5 When you are ready to begin rem...

Page 84: ...move Programs in the Windows Control Panel 1 Choose Start Settings Control Panel 2 Double click Add Remove Programs Add or Remove Programs on a Windows Server 2003 host 3 Select VMware Virtual Machine...

Page 85: ...ou used the tar installer to install GSX Server remove the software from your system by running vmware uninstall pl Note Uninstalling the server software removes the VmPerl API installed with it To un...

Page 86: ...www vmware com 86 VMware GSX Server Administration Guide...

Page 87: ...w to use virtual machines created under earlier versions of GSX Server with the current version Preparing for the Upgrade on page 88 Upgrading on a Windows Host on page 91 Upgrading on a Linux Host on...

Page 88: ...e product or a different version of GSX Server a message appears giving you the choice of discarding or keeping the file that stores the suspended state To recover the suspended state you must click K...

Page 89: ...before you upgrade Back Up Virtual Machines As a precaution back up all the files in your virtual machine directories including the vmdk or dsk vmx or cfg and nvram files for any existing virtual mach...

Page 90: ...Machine Accessible to Its Users If the virtual machine is located on a different host or in a different directory on the GSX Server host be sure to set permissions on the directory so that it is acce...

Page 91: ...l version 2 use the VMware GSX Server master installer For details see Uninstalling GSX Server on a Windows Host on page 80 You need to keep your existing license in the Windows registry After you reb...

Page 92: ...ial step you need to take is to make sure the directory to which you plan to untar the tar archive does not contain any files from a previous GSX Server tar installation You do not need to uninstall t...

Page 93: ...irtual Hardware Upgrade VMware Tools to the new version following the instructions in Installing VMware Tools in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide Do not remove the older version of VMware T...

Page 94: ...re may require you to reactivate the guest operating system Upgrading Virtual Hardware in the Guest Operating System Upgrading a virtual machine s virtual hardware gives it access to new features of G...

Page 95: ...w it to detect new hardware and install the appropriate drivers Upgrading the Virtual Machine s Hardware To upgrade the virtual hardware choose VM Upgrade Virtual Hardware A message appears warning th...

Page 96: ...eps provide examples of what you may see as your guest operating system recognizes the new virtual hardware The specific steps may vary depending on the configuration of the virtual machine 1 Power on...

Page 97: ...ter Select Install the software automatically and follow the on screen instructions 9 A message asks you to insert a disk Navigate to C Program Files VMware drivers to install the VMware SVGA II adapt...

Page 98: ...I 13 Windows detects an AMD PCNet adapter Select Automatic search and click Next Windows automatically installs the driver for the adapter 14 Click Finish to restart the virtual machine 15 Windows det...

Page 99: ...the necessary file 9 Windows detects an AMD PCNET Family Ethernet Adapter Go to C Windows System and let Windows select the necessary file 10 Windows asks for the file inetmib1 dll Enter the location...

Page 100: ...s asks for the file dhcpsvc dll Enter the location C Windows System then click OK 29 Windows asks for the file inetmib1 dll Enter the location C Windows then click OK 30 Windows asks for the file locp...

Page 101: ...For details see Installing VMware Tools in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide 8 Shut down the Windows guest and power off the virtual machine 9 Choose VM Upgrade Virtual Hardware 10 A messag...

Page 102: ...rs 3 Shut down the Linux guest and power off the virtual machine 4 Choose VM Upgrade Virtual Hardware 5 A message cautions you that the operation is irreversible and recommends that you back up the vi...

Page 103: ...erver is upgrading the virtual hardware Unable to upgrade drivename One of the supplied parameters is invalid You may safely ignore the error message then click OK to continue the upgrade process Upgr...

Page 104: ...virtual machine 6 Log on to Windows Me The SVGA driver is not working properly 7 From the Windows Start menu choose Settings Control Panel System Device Manager Display Adapters Manually remove the tw...

Page 105: ...M port Go to C Windows System and let Windows select the driver 11 Windows detects a printer port Browse for the Lpt vxd file 12 Windows detects an Intel 82443Bx Pentium r II Processor to PCI bridge w...

Page 106: ...the SVGA driver 7 Restart the Windows guest 8 Again you see a number of Plug and Play messages Click Cancel for those listing the Standard host CPU bridge PCI bridge and PCI Universal bus devices 9 W...

Page 107: ...curing Virtual Machines and the Host on page 114 Identifying a Virtual Machine by Its UUID on page 123 Logging GSX Server Events on Windows on page 125 Backing Up Virtual Machines and the GSX Server H...

Page 108: ...hysical computer For more information about consoles see Running Virtual Machines in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide For a more automated way to remotely manage virtual machines and the GS...

Page 109: ...which to connect Thus if you set only authd port to a different port number such as 9902 and you try to connect to a virtual machine on that host with a console on a remote host or client the console...

Page 110: ...le to connect to a virtual machine on the GSX Server host The GSX Server host must have this port number set to the authd port variable in its config ini file Windows host or vmware authd file Linux h...

Page 111: ...cripting APIs With the VMware Scripting APIs you can supply a different port number when you create a new virtual machine object This port number must match the port number set on the GSX Server host...

Page 112: ...r and RPM installation packages 3 Run the installation package To install the console on a Windows system see Installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console on a Windows Host on page 70 To install the...

Page 113: ...der contains VMware console xxxx exe the installer for the VMware Virtual Machine Console to run on Windows clients VMware console xxxx i386 rpm the RPM installer for the VMware Virtual Machine Consol...

Page 114: ...chines Access to a virtual machine is based on the permissions you as a user are granted to the virtual machine s configuration file vmx Different permissions let you access virtual machines in differ...

Page 115: ...hine s configuration file and virtual machine resources such as a physical disk or certain devices on a Windows host or read and write r and w permissions on a Linux host Administering Virtual Machine...

Page 116: ...to the host The virtual machine appears in the VMware Management Interface only when you are logged on with the account that created the virtual machine Other users cannot browse to the virtual machi...

Page 117: ...the host operating system as an Administrator A specific user account the virtual machine runs as the user account specified in the New Virtual Machine Wizard or the virtual machine settings editor Th...

Page 118: ...and Virtual Machine Devices If you intend to configure a virtual machine to use a physical disk or generic SCSI device the user account that the virtual machine runs as must be a member of the Adminis...

Page 119: ...standard Linux etc passwd authentication but can be configured to use LDAP NIS Kerberos or another distributed authentication mechanism Every time you connect to the GSX Server host with the VMware Vi...

Page 120: ...created the configuration file the owner Read and execute 5 for the primary group to which the owner belongs Read 4 for users other than the owner or a member of the owner s group When you first insta...

Page 121: ...ons are not signed by a trusted certificate authority therefore they do not provide authentication If you intend to use encrypted remote connections externally you should consider purchasing a certifi...

Page 122: ...emoved the management interface the directory is not removed from your host Enabling and Disabling SSL for Remote Sessions You enable and disable SSL for VMware Virtual Machine Console connections in...

Page 123: ...onstant If you move or copy the virtual machine you have the choice of creating a new UUID the first time you power on the virtual machine This new UUID is based on the physical computer s identifier...

Page 124: ...in use at the time the virtual machine was suspended remains in use when the virtual machine is resumed even if it has been copied or moved However the next time the virtual machine is rebooted the me...

Page 125: ...f a virtual machine from the GSX Server system Any messages and warnings generated by GSX Server and the responses to these messages and warnings Whenever GSX Server generates a message or a warning p...

Page 126: ...d to or removed from the inventory To modify what gets logged for a virtual machine add either or both of the options to the virtual machine s configuration vmx file To modify what gets logged for all...

Page 127: ...ware has tested the following backup software in virtual machines using the Dell PowerVault 120T tape drive changer BrightStor ARCserve Backup version 9 0 build 1868 Veritas Backup Exec 9 Service Pack...

Page 128: ...scheduled backups Backing Up the GSX Server Host To completely back up your entire GSX Server environment for a given point in time back up your entire GSX Server host Shut down all virtual machines o...

Page 129: ...In order for a user to manage a virtual machine from the VMware Management Interface that user must have at least read permission for that virtual machine s configuration file For more information ab...

Page 130: ...her user has performed the same or a conflicting operation right before you To refresh the page click Refresh at the top of a page This section includes the following topics Setting the Session Length...

Page 131: ...n that server You can connect to the server with up to eight management interface sessions at a time The URL to connect to the server is https hostname 8333 If you are connecting to the management int...

Page 132: ...s For information about the Status Monitor page see Using the Status Monitor on page 132 Using the Status Monitor The Status Monitor page contains a high level view of the GSX Server host including a...

Page 133: ...nagement Interface in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide Status Monitor page only Deleting a Virtual Machine Using the VMware Management Interface on page 148 Configuring the GSX Server Host...

Page 134: ...f the display name you can edit these options only when the virtual machine is powered off For more information see Setting Standard Virtual Machine Configuration Options on page 141 Shut Down Guest r...

Page 135: ...al Machine from a Linux Host or Client in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide The terminal icon appears slightly different depending upon the guest operating system selected for the virtual ma...

Page 136: ...tual machine link for more details about the virtual machine The Virtual Machine Overview page appears in a new browser window For more information see Configuring a Virtual Machine on page 137 The va...

Page 137: ...itor page The Virtual Machine Overview page appears in a new browser window The Virtual Machine Overview page contains these details about the virtual machine The current power state of the virtual ma...

Page 138: ...the virtual machine s configuration in these places To change most options you must power off the virtual machine The guest operating system installed in the virtual machine The number of virtual pro...

Page 139: ...ork adapters and memory allocated to the virtual machine You can configure each virtual hardware component Most hardware can be configured only when the virtual machine is powered off Activities you c...

Page 140: ...gement Interface in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide Adding a Parallel Port from the Management Interface in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide Adding a Serial Port from the Manage...

Page 141: ...uspended GSX Server automatically adds a vmss suffix to the name of the suspended state file to ensure that one virtual machine does not overwrite the suspended state file of another Enable Logging in...

Page 142: ...e system default specified in Configuring Startup and Shutdown Options for Virtual Machines on page 150 no wait or wait for a certain number of minutes Verbose Options allows you to enter and modify c...

Page 143: ...n option that cannot be accessed from elsewhere in the management interface you can edit the virtual machine s configuration file vmx from the Options tab Caution You should not add or change any opti...

Page 144: ...a value for option you specified then click OK 5 Click OK in the Options page to save the change to the configuration file To change an option in the configuration file complete the following steps 1...

Page 145: ...e Scripting API The list includes the time and IP address from which the user connected to the virtual machine and the status of the user s activity Note You can determine which users are connected to...

Page 146: ...stored by default in the virtual machine s directory On a Windows host this directory is installdrive Virtual Machines guestOS On a Linux host this directory is var lib vmware Virtual Machines guestO...

Page 147: ...estart the Apache server In order to use these commands you must first log on as root su then open a terminal session To start the Apache server type etc init d httpd vmware start To stop the Apache s...

Page 148: ...l Machine Console on page 148 Deleting a Virtual Machine Using the VMware Management Interface on page 148 Deleting a Virtual Machine Using the VMware Virtual Machine Console To use the console to del...

Page 149: ...Machine Console on page 166 Securing Remote Connections with SSL VMware Management Interface sessions and VMware Virtual Machine Console connections are secured with SSL For more information about SSL...

Page 150: ...con appears in the status bar of the browser running the VMware Management Interface and in the status bar of the VMware Virtual Machine Console window unless the console is connected to a virtual mac...

Page 151: ...u can customize each virtual machine s startup and shutdown policies If this option is disabled you cannot set startup and shutdown policies for any virtual machines on your system Continue Starting V...

Page 152: ...appears 4 Under System Configuration click Edit The System Startup and Shutdown Defaults page appears 5 To enable system wide startup and shutdown policies check the Start Up and Shut Down Virtual Ma...

Page 153: ...inutes to wait or indicate that GSX Server should not wait before starting the next virtual machine If you select Other specify the number of minutes to wait in the prompt that appears It is a good id...

Page 154: ...se the default start and stop policies when the system starts up and shuts down Specified Order lists the virtual machines in the order in which they are configured to start The order in which the vir...

Page 155: ...computer The settings do not affect settings made by any other user when that user is logged on to the host These settings can be changed by regular users as well as root and Administrator users To ch...

Page 156: ...erver checks automatically to see if updates for the product are available By default it checks once a week and if an update is available displays a message when you launch a console You can check man...

Page 157: ...the mouse after the first primary mouse button click in the virtual machine console window Grab keyboard and mouse input on key press GSX Server takes control of the keyboard and the mouse after the f...

Page 158: ...ard are copied into the host operating system clipboard Similarly each time the mouse pointer of your host operating system is grabbed by the console window the contents of the host operating system c...

Page 159: ...Ctrl Alt key combinations so GSX Server cannot receive the key combination Thus you need to use an alternate hot key combination to get out of full screen mode Note Because Ctrl Alt is the key combina...

Page 160: ...to specify the default location where all virtual machines on this host are created The directory GSX Server uses by default is displayed under Default location for virtual machines To set a different...

Page 161: ...ties for Virtual Machine Processes Windows Hosts Only GSX Server for Windows gives you the option to set the priority that the Windows process scheduler gives to your virtual machines when mouse and k...

Page 162: ...low that virtual machine has lower priority than other processes on the host If you set the priority of the virtual machine to normal that virtual machine contends with all the processes on the host I...

Page 163: ...on the Connections tab check the Use SSL for Console communications check box For more information about SSL see Securing Your Remote Sessions on page 121 Creating Network Labels If VMware VirtualCent...

Page 164: ...only Note If you intend to create and manage all your virtual machines from the VirtualCenter client you should assign unique labels to each host only adapter on a GSX Server host This way you can ea...

Page 165: ...r is configured for bridged host only or NAT networking its networking type is indicated next to the adapter name 5 Enter the name of the label in the Label entry field 6 Click OK to add the label the...

Page 166: ...to save your changes Setting a MIME Type to Launch the VMware Virtual Machine Console From the VMware Management Interface you can connect to a virtual machine from a console by clicking the terminal...

Page 167: ...re gsx is usr bin vmware 2 Save the file in a location of your choice Note On a Linux host change to the directory where you saved the file and give yourself permission to execute the file chmod x vmw...

Page 168: ...re console is usr bin vmware console 2 Save the file in a location of your choice Note On a Linux host change to the directory where you saved the file and give yourself permission to execute the file...

Page 169: ...the credentials for a user account on the GSX Server host to use when running virtual machines 3 Create network labels for your network adapters on the GSX Server host VirtualCenter uses labels to ide...

Page 170: ...ply the user account information when you add the GSX Server host to VirtualCenter Virtual machines created from a VirtualCenter client are not private To make the virtual machine available only to th...

Page 171: ...her Users on page 183 Note When you move a virtual machine to a new host computer or to a different directory on the same host computer or when you rename a directory in the path to the virtual machin...

Page 172: ...ems in the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide available on the console Help menu The following sections further describe moving a GSX Server 3 virtual machine Virtual Machines Use Relati...

Page 173: ...py all the files in the virtual machine s original directory If you stored any files in directories other than the virtual machine directory be sure to move them into a directory of the same name and...

Page 174: ...ual machine you are asked to keep the existing UUID or create a new one If you are using the UUID for management purposes you should select Keep then click OK to continue powering on the virtual machi...

Page 175: ...start a process like this The following sections further describe moving a GSX Server 2 virtual machine Virtual Machines Use Relative Paths on page 175 Preparing Your Virtual Machine for the Move on...

Page 176: ...this virtual machine to another directory on the same host you are ready to make the move Copy all the files in the virtual machine s original directory to the new location If you stored any files in...

Page 177: ...not have any absolute paths pointing to any files you are moving Note If your virtual machine is using disks in undoable mode it is best to commit or discard the changes when you shut down the guest...

Page 178: ...l the files in your virtual machine s directory before you start a process like this The following sections further describe moving older virtual machines Virtual Machines May Use Relative or Absolute...

Page 179: ...tual machine is using disks in undoable mode it is best to commit or discard the changes when the guest operating system shuts down If you cannot commit or discard the changes to your disk read Consid...

Page 180: ...or the first vmdk file match those that were used on the original host machine The device listing for the hard drive shows whether it is SCSI or IDE If that setting does not match the virtual disk you...

Page 181: ...the configuration file for the virtual machine that uses the undoable mode disk you wish to move In the console window select File Open and choose the configuration file of the virtual machine with th...

Page 182: ...ation on the new host computer You cannot move the disk to another directory on the current system If your disk file information does not contain a path it looks like this Windows 2000 vmdk If your di...

Page 183: ...achine was created under GSX Server 3 or another VMware product such as Workstation 4 or higher and uses independent disks in nonpersistent mode consider changing the location of the redo log file sin...

Page 184: ...www vmware com 184 VMware GSX Server Administration Guide...

Page 185: ...er Host The following sections offer suggestions for getting the best performance from VMware GSX Server and your virtual machines Configuring and Maintaining the Host Computer on page 186 Configuring...

Page 186: ...irtual disk files on a different physical computer Fragmentation of the host disk can affect any or all of the following The files that hold a virtual disk The files that store newly saved data when y...

Page 187: ...election Make certain you select the correct guest operating system for each of your virtual machines To check the guest operating system setting choose VM Settings Options General GSX Server optimize...

Page 188: ...drive every second or so to see whether a disc is present Doing this allows them to run autorun programs This polling can cause GSX Server to connect to the host CD ROM drive which can make the CD ROM...

Page 189: ...cessor Hosts Windows 95 and Windows 98 Guest Operating System Performance Tips When a snapshot exists virtual disks often have very good performance for random or nonsequential access But they can pot...

Page 190: ...the FoxPro database the NetWare client in Windows 98 Mathcad The Sims and Civilization III You can work around this problem by using a special setting called disabling acceleration Frequently the prob...

Page 191: ...the Windows host including Linux guests The GSX Server performance counters can monitor the following data from a running virtual machine Reading and writing to virtual disks Memory used by the virtu...

Page 192: ...counters for all running virtual machines select All instances To use the counters for specific virtual machines click Select instances from list then select the virtual machines you want Note For a...

Page 193: ...ll screen mode when the guest is in VGA mode VGA mode is any mode in which the screen is in text mode DOS for example or Linux virtual terminals or 16 color 640 x 480 graphics mode for example the Win...

Page 194: ...o a Virtual Machine in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide Memory Use on the Host Host operating systems do not behave well when they run low on free memory for their own use When a Windows or...

Page 195: ...asonable performance An individual virtual machine can use at most the amount of memory specified in its configuration file plus some overhead The amount of overhead memory required depends upon the s...

Page 196: ...mount of virtual machine memory that the host operating system may swap to disk To change this setting choose Host Settings Memory and choose an option under Additional memory Select one of the follow...

Page 197: ...CONFIG_BIGMEM option to map more physical memory This approach requires special steps described in detail in the Workarounds section below to work with VMware products The CONFIG_2GB option calls for...

Page 198: ...h at the LILO prompt type linux 2 2 16xxx mem 1983M To edit lilo conf open the file in a text editor In the kernel section add this line append mem 1983M Pass the boot time switch mem 959M at the LILO...

Page 199: ...X Server Using SCSI Reservation to Share SCSI Disks with Virtual Machines on page 200 Overview of Clustering with GSX Server on page 204 Creating a Cluster in a Box on page 206 Using Network Load Bala...

Page 200: ...ual disk to an existing virtual machine GSX Server creates a preallocated virtual disk by default Note This feature is advanced use it only if you are familiar with SCSI in general and the SCSI reserv...

Page 201: ...guest operating system uses For example if your guest operating system is on the scsi0 bus you should set up disks to share on the next available bus typically the scsi1 bus To enable SCSI reservatio...

Page 202: ...e default name path_to_config vmSCSI vmdk RESLCK You can provide your own lock filename Add a definition for scsi1 0 reslckname to the configuration file For example if you add scsi1 0 reslckname tmp...

Page 203: ...loss on the shared disk VMware recommends you take care when sharing disks If you need to shrink or defragment the virtual disk which can be done only with a growable virtual disk first disable SCSI...

Page 204: ...on increases availability and performance over a single machine approach Network Load Balancing in Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 provides such a service In a more complex cluster a single node...

Page 205: ...able clustering software includes Microsoft Clustering Service MSCS under Windows 2000 MSCS provides fail over support for two to four node clusters for applications such as databases file servers and...

Page 206: ...virtual machines nodes on a single physical machine Supports shared disks without any shared SCSI hardware Supports a heartbeat network without an extra physical network adapter A two node cluster on...

Page 207: ...the floppy disk drive In addition to the above devices the following are required for shared storage A secondary virtual SCSI host adapter One or more preallocated virtual disks that are shared attac...

Page 208: ...but make sure you specify Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition as the guest operating system SQL1 as the virtual machine name The virtual machine directory as d clust...

Page 209: ...est Operating System Installation Guide It is available from the Help menu or from the VMware Web site at www vmware com support guestnotes doc index html Note During the installation of the guest ope...

Page 210: ...hine Guide Choose the settings you want for example the size of the virtual disk or the amount of memory but make sure you specify Windows 2000 Advanced Server or Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Editio...

Page 211: ...ft Clustering Services on the first node of your cluster 1 Start the node 1 virtual machine 2 Follow the Windows setup prompts to enter The Windows serial number The host name SQL1 The IP addresses of...

Page 212: ...Windows Components 16 Check the Cluster Service component 17 Click Next and follow the prompts to install the service 18 As you configure the cluster service choose Form a New Cluster 19 Specify SQLCL...

Page 213: ...n the same domain created in step 8 for the first node or add it to an existing domain Note The setup in node 2 must match the setup in node 1 which you specified in step 8 for node 1 5 In the node 1...

Page 214: ...oad Balancing Cluster on page 215 Overview of Network Load Balancing Clusters Network Load Balancing is a Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Windows Server 2003 feature Using Network Load Balancing to b...

Page 215: ...machine directory as d cluster nlb1 on a Windows host or home cluster nlb1 on a Linux host Bridged networking for the virtual machine nlb1 as the disk filename 3 Connect to this virtual machine with...

Page 216: ...ifferent machines running GSX Server 4 Copy the nlb1 vmdk files into this directory 5 Use the VMware Virtual Disk Manager to change the name of the virtual disk to nlb n vmdk where n is the Network Lo...

Page 217: ...ettings 4 Add a second networking device binding it to another physical NIC or to the host only network For information see Adding and Modifying Virtual Network Adapters in the VMware GSX Server Virtu...

Page 218: ...adapter Note All members of the cluster must be configured for multicasting Refer to Network Load Balancing online Help for the remaining options 11 When you finish with the cluster parameters click...

Page 219: ...are 6 0 or 6 5 in a virtual machine using the standard NetWare 6 0 or 6 5 CD ROM VMware recommends you install NetWare 6 0 on a host with at least 384MB of memory NetWare 6 5 must be installed on a ho...

Page 220: ...lation is complete install VMware Tools in the guest operating system See Installing VMware Tools in the VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide After you finish installing the guest operating system...

Page 221: ...ile is D Netware6 Cluster2 Cluster2 vmx on a Windows host or home Netware Cluster2 Cluster2 vmx on a Linux host 6 Add the following lines to each configuration file scsi0 sharedBus virtual disk lockin...

Page 222: ...ert the driver floppy disk in the host s floppy drive 4 Copy the drivers to the c nwserver directory 5 Remove the driver floppy disk from the host s floppy drive 6 Reboot the virtual machine 7 The ser...

Page 223: ...the network The iSCSI initiator must run the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator package available for download from the Microsoft Web site at www microsoft com WindowsServer2003 technologies storage i...

Page 224: ...the cluster does not have to be a preallocated virtual disk nor does it have to be a SCSI virtual disk You should configure the virtual machine with at least two virtual network adapters one to commu...

Page 225: ...o clone the first node Then create the iSCSI target virtual machine Configuring the iSCSI Target in the Cluster The configuration of the iSCSI target node of the cluster depends on whether you are usi...

Page 226: ...www vmware com 226 VMware GSX Server Administration Guide...

Page 227: ...nection between a virtual machine and the rest of the world Under bridged networking a virtual machine appears as an additional computer on the same physical Ethernet network as the host See also Host...

Page 228: ...red to be running headless Host only networking A type of network connection between a virtual machine and the host Under host only networking a virtual machine is connected to the host on a private n...

Page 229: ...ses It creates files that define the virtual machine including a virtual machine configuration file and optionally a virtual disk or physical disk file See also Virtual machine settings editor Nonpers...

Page 230: ...sk shrinking reduces the amount of space the virtual disk occupies on the host drive Shrinking virtual disks is a convenient way to convert an older virtual disk created by GSX Server 1 for example to...

Page 231: ...guest operating system and associated application software can run Multiple virtual machines can operate on the same host machine concurrently Virtual machine configuration The specification of what...

Page 232: ...d disconnect devices while the virtual machine is running VMware Tools service One of the components installed with VMware Tools that performs various duties in the guest operating system like executi...

Page 233: ...ancing cluster 215 Network Load Balancing 214 Novell Clustering Services 219 software 205 two node cluster 207 219 Configuration virtual machine 231 Configure after Linux kernel upgrade 60 memory size...

Page 234: ...t only networking defined 228 enabling on Linux host 61 Hot key preferences 158 I IDE drives in virtual machine 32 See Disks Image file floppy 33 ISO 32 Input preferences 157 Install default directori...

Page 235: ...80 virtual machine 93 103 178 MIME type configuring for virtual machine consoles 166 Mode full screen 228 quick switch 230 Mouse grabbing input 157 in a virtual machine 33 Moving virtual machines 171...

Page 236: ...ns 158 shortcut keys 158 user 155 workspace 155 Priority preferences 161 Windows host 161 Private virtual machines 116 Process scheduler on a Windows host 161 Processor host requirement 24 provided in...

Page 237: ...pgrade from GSX Server 1 and 2 87 Linux kernel reconfiguring GSX Server after upgrade 60 on Linux host 92 on Windows host 91 virtual hardware 95 virtual machine 93 103 VMware GSX Server 87 USB virtual...

Page 238: ...7 launching remote consoles 70 log 40 logging in 131 logging out 147 permissions 121 proxy servers 68 refresh rate 130 remote management 108 run with debugging information 141 setting session length 1...

Page 239: ...g APIs on 75 priority preferences 161 process scheduler 161 uninstalling GSX Server 80 upgrading GSX Server 91 Windows Me upgrading guest 104 Windows operating system installing Scripting APIs on 75 W...

Page 240: ...www vmware com 240...

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