it’s that time of year again! vmworld 2011 is fast approaching and some great sessions are now up for public vote! Included in all of those great sessions are (5) sessions that I’m part of and I’d love for you to review and vote on them if you’d like to see them in the agenda.

Session details are below and you can vote for them by visiting http://www.vmworld.com/cfp.jspa

1425 – Ask the Expert vBloggers
Rick Scherer, Duncan Epping, Scott Lowe, Frank Denneman, Chad Sakac

1426 – Designing Virtualized Desktops for Success
Rick Scherer, Tyler Baker, Asif Khan

1427 – Battle of the Storage Experts
Rick Scherer, Chad Sakac, Vaughn Stewart, Eric Schott, Mike Koponen

1712 – Virtualizing SAP for Private Cloud
Rick Scherer, Eric Walter

2820 – Real World Storage API for Array Integration Effects, Design and Planning with VMFS and NFS
Rick Scherer, David Robertson

Once again, please check out my session abstracts and vote! http://www.vmworld.com/cfp.jspa

Created on May 12, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under Conferences, VMworld.

This blog has 144 views and no responses.

Tags: ask the experts, conference, sap, vaai, vdi, view, virtualization, VMworld

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Hey there you Linux (or Mac) Users! vmware Labs has released another fling, with RVC you can now manage your vSphere environment using your Linux or Mac CLI! RVC is built on Ruby (RbVmomi bindings to the vSphere API) and will require at least Ruby 1.8.7+ to run, the preferred version of Ruby is 1.9.2. The RVC is extremely simple to install and start using. You can download the code right now from http://labs.vmware.com/flings/rvc. As the development team states in the fling, “RVC doesn’t (yet) have every feature vSphere Client does, but for common tasks it can be much more efficient than clicking through a GUI.” this is still pretty darn cool and will allow you to potentially script some basic vSphere tasks with an extremely small Ruby footprint!

Created on April 30, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under vSphere.

This blog has 977 views and no responses.

Tags: cli, Linux, mac, ruby, vsphere client

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vmware has recently released a patch for their vSphere 4.0 product line, which affects both ESX and ESXi.

Details from vmware;

We are pleased to inform you that a new VMware ESX 4.0 Patch is available as of April 28, 2011.

Improvements included in this patch:

• An update for the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) to revoke an RSA key that HP uses for code signing certain software components
• Remediation of a denial of service possibility. By sending malicious network traffic an attacker could exhaust the available sockets which would prevent further connections to the host
• Refinements in handling of shared folders

Detailed information regarding resolved and known issues and enhancements can be found at ESX 4.0 Patch Release Notes

• http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1037260
• http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1037261

VMware ESX 4.0 Patch is available for download at:
Download VMware ESX 4.0 Patch http://www.vmware.com/patch/download/.

Thanks,

VMware vSphere Product Management Team

One of the patches included (ESX400-201104401-SG for ESX and ESXi400-201104401-SG for ESXi) resolves a couple different issues, one updates the Certification Revocation List (CRL) to revoke a key that HP uses for code-signing certain software components. HP server contains a new key pair and has re-signed the affected software components with the new key. What this means is that if you apply this patch on a HP server and you are using specific HP management agents (like the HP Management Agent for VMware ESX 4.x) you will need to download the software with the updated key and re-install it.

The other fix within the above mentioned patch resolves a potential denial of service attack against the vmkernel over it’s management interface. When an attacker exhausts all available sockets the ESX(i) host will become inaccessible via vCenter or the vSphere client. Virtual Machines will continue to run and have network connectivity, but the ESX(i) host may need to be rebooted in order to be able to connect to the machine again. The ESX(i) system might intermittently lose connectivity caused by applications that do not correctly close sockets. If this occurs, an error message similar to the following might be written to the vpxa log file:
socket() returns -1 (Cannot allocate memory)
An error message similar to the following might be written to the VMkernel log file:
socreate(type=2, proto=17) failed with error 55
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2011-1785 to this issue. More information on this patch can be found in KB 1037258 (ESX) and KB 1037259 (ESXi).

Another patch, specific to ESXi (ESXi400-201104402-BG), has also been released. The only information on this patch can be found in KB 1037553 which states “This patch improves the way shared folders are handled.”.

Created on April 30, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under vSphere.

This blog has 469 views and 3 responses.

Tags: esx, esxi, patch, update, vsphere

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The VMware Labs team released a little gem of something that I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time. Taking the full install of the vSphere Client and creating a ThinApp package out of it…that’s right, the entire application in one small and easy to use executable file. The details on the flings page says it best…

Run vSphere client 4.1 in a snap. No install, just download the EXE and double-click. Place the ThinApped vSphere client on any network share and it will automatically stream to any Windows PC with no installation, agents, drivers, or specialized servers required. Carry ThinApped vSphere client and your customization on USB stick and now your vSphere client is available on the GO!

Download it for yourself from here today!

Created on April 11, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under vCenter, vSphere.

This blog has 581 views and no responses.

Tags: client, thinapp, vsphere

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Just received notice this morning that EMC VNX Replicator has been approved for support for VMware Site Recovery Manager 4.0.x and 4.1.x. An excerpt of the message is below:

The EMC VNX Replicator 4.0.23 is now certified (re-test waiver) for SRM versions 4.0.x and 4.1.x. EMC has updated the 4.0.22 Celerra SRA to reflect new array support (VNX line), but have not had to change any of the code as the new array runs the same replication software as the old (Celerra line).

The SRA is available from the SRM 4.1.1 download page at
http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/srm411/ZCVwYnRkZCpiZGpwKg.

Note that you must login to get the download page that contains the SRA files.

The updated SRM storage partner compatibility matrix is available at http://www.vmware.com/pdf/srm_storage_partners.pdf.

Created on March 16, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under EMC, SRM.

This blog has 857 views and no responses.

Tags: dr, EMC, replication, replicator, site recovery manager, srm, vnx, vsphere

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vmware Labs has released vCenter XVP Manager and Converter, their first stab into management of non-VMware virtualized environments. vCenter XVP Manager allows you to use the vSphere Client to manage Hyper-V Server 2008 hosts and their associated virtual machines, it also allows you to easily migrate those Hyper-V based virtual machines into VMware virtual machines.

The installation is pretty simple, you first install a server piece that could very well be installed on your vCenter Server, then you install a XVP Manager Plug-in into your vSphere Client which is done via the vSphere Client Plug-in Manager.

This product is currently only listed as a vmware Labs Fling, which means that it is not guaranteed that it will continue beyond it’s 1.0 Technical Preview status, but if people like it and push vmware for this type of functionality we may very well see it embedded within the core vCenter Server product.

For more information and to download vmware vCenter XVP Manager check out the vmware Labs website.

Created on February 26, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under Hyper-V, vCenter.

This blog has 581 views and 3 responses.

Tags: client, fling, hyper-v, labs, Microsoft, vcenter, VMware, vsphere, xvp, xvp manager

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vmware just dropped another dot release to their flagship desktop virtualization product, View. vmware View 4.6 is now officially available for download. Although this release is mostly a ton of bug fixes rolled up into a single package, there are a number of great new features including PCoIP support when going through a Security Server as well as Sync Support for iPhone and iPad users.

Like I mention above, the biggest feature for me is now the ability to do PCoIP through the Security Server. Before this functionality was available you were either required to use RDP or you must VPN into the network where the View Connection Broker server was located, but this typically wouldn’t work because of the added latency the VPN tunnel would create.

All of the updates in this release can be found in the official release notes, however here are the hot what’s new items:

• Security servers can now accommodate PCoIP connections – Security servers now include a PCoIP Secure Gateway component. The PCoIP Secure Gateway connection offers the following advantages:
  • The only remote desktop traffic that can enter the corporate data center is traffic on behalf of a strongly authenticated user.
  • Users can access only the desktop resources that they are authorized to access.
  • No VPN is required, as long as PCoIP is not blocked by any networking component.
  • Security servers with PCoIP support run on Windows Server 2008 R2 and take full advantage of the 64-bit architecture.
• Enhanced USB device compatibility – View 4.6 supports USB redirection for syncing and managing iPhones and iPads with View desktops. This release also includes improvements for using USB scanners, and adds to the list of USB printers that you can use with thin clients. For more information, see the list of View Client resolved issues.
• Keyboard mapping improvements – Many keyboard-related issues have been fixed. For more information, see the list of View Client resolved issues.
• New timeout setting for SSO users – With the single-sign-on (SSO) feature, after users authenticate to View Connection Server, they are automatically logged in to their View desktop operating systems. This new timeout setting allows administrators to limit the number of minutes that the SSO feature is valid for.
  • For example, if an administrator sets the time limit to 10 minutes, then 10 minutes after the user authenticates to View Connection Server, the automatic login ability expires. If the user then walks away from the desktop and it becomes inactive, when the user returns, the user is prompted for login credentials. For more information, see the VMware View Administration documentation.
• VMware View 4.6 includes more than 160 bug fixes – For descriptions of selected resolved issues, see Resolved Issues.
• Experimental support for Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 RC operating systems

Created on February 26, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under View.

This blog has 810 views and no responses.

Tags: desktop, pcoip, rdp, vdi, view, virtualized desktops, vmware view, vmware view 4

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I just wanted to spend some time to tell you about two great books recently released by Pearson publishing. Both are focused on VMware vSphere 4 and will help you do two things…learn more about vSphere and how to administer it, then help you to pass the VCP-410 exam which is needed for VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification.

The first book, VMware ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise by Edward Haletkyis now in its second edition which includes details into the new features found in vSphere 4.1. As you may or may not know, Edward runs VirtualizationPractice.comand has been a virtualization evangelist for quite some time. In addition to the blog site, Edward is also the moderator and host of the Virtualization Security Podcast. If you’re looking to expand your vSphere knowledge I’d strongly suggest checking out this book, there is even a free chapter available for download.

Once you’ve read Edward’s book and have configured your own vSphere environment in your home lab, the next thing to do is prepare for the VCP-410 exam. VCP4 Exam Cram: VMware Certified Professional, 2nd Edition has just been revised to include all of the latest updates to the VCP-410 exam. Elias Khnaser takes you through what is needed to become VCP Certified, it provides coverage and practice questions for every exam topic. The book contains an extensive set of preparation tools, such as quizzes, Exam Alerts, and a practice exam, while the CD provides real-time practice and feedback with a 75-question test engine.

There you have it, two great reads on expanding your knowledge around VMware vSphere 4. You don’t have to take my word for it, but the job market around virtualization is growing like crazy so learning as much as you can and becoming certified is the clear cut way to jumping into this great line of work!

Get Your Contest On!

Would you like a free copy of the VCP4 Exam Cram? The nice people at Pearson gave me 10 copies to give away and one of them could be yours! I’ll make this contest really simple, I will be giving away 5 copies to readers that comment on this post and 5 copies to followers on Twitter. That means you have 2 chances to win!

Chance #1: Post a comment on this page expressing your interest in becoming VCP Certified.
Chance #2: Follow me on Twitter(@rick_vmwaretips) and send a tweet to me that says you want to become VCP Certified (example:  @rick_vmwaretips I’d love to get my hands on the VCP4 Exam Cram!)

UPDATE: Contest is now closed, I will be notifying the winners tonight and they must respond by Monday to receive their prize. Entries made after 2/24 at 8:30am PST are ineligible.

Fine print:  Contest ends February 24 at 8:30 a.m. PST.  Winners must respond by February 28 at 11:59 PST or prize will be forfeited.  US residents only.

Created on February 21, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under Certification, Good Reading.

This blog has 482 views and 25 responses.

Tags: book, vcp, vcp4, vcp410

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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For those of you still running the VI 3.0 suite of vmware products will be happy to know that vmware hasn’t forgotten about you. There was a recent release of version 3.0.3 for ESX which pretty much covers some vulnerabilities in the service console. The biggest piece of this patch is the fact that it will be required if you plan on obtaining upgrades after June 1, 2011. The reason for this is because the secure key RPM needs to be updated, which is included in the 3.0.3 patch bundle, more information on this can be found in KB 1031235.

Here is some more information from the release notes;

Improvements included in this patch:

• The service console RPM for krb5 is updated to krb5-libs-1.2.7-72. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2010-1321 to the security issue that this update addresses.
• The service console RPMs for Samba are updated to samba-3.0.9-1.3E.18vmw,
  samba-common-3.0.9-1.3E.18vmw, and samba-client-3.0.9-1.3E.18vmw versions. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the names CVE -2009-2906,
  CVE-2010-2063, and CVE-2010-3069 to the security issues that this update addresses.
• To continue applying patches on ESX 3.0.3 hosts, you must update the secure key RPM
  before June 1, 2011. This patch updates the secure key.

Detailed information regarding resolved and known issues and enhancements can be found at ESX 3.0.3 Patch Release Notes:

• http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1031234
• http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1031235
• http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1031238

VMware ESX 3.0.3 Patch is available for download at http://www.vmware.com/patch/download/.

Created on February 17, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under VMware.

This blog has 253 views and one response.

Tags: esx, esx 3.0, patch, patches, update, vi3, vmware vi3

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Last week on Twitter I publicised that I received the official document stating I achieved my VMware Certified Advanced Professional – Datacenter Administration Certification in vSphere 4. I’ve known for a few months that I passed the DCA exam because of e-mails that VMware Certification sent out, but what I did not know was my actual certification number.

Participants of the VCP, VCAP and VCDX certification tracks are assigned certification numbers when they successfully pass the required exams for that track. For example, I’m VCP #7315 which I received when I passed the VCP2 exam and I’m VCDX #21 which I received when completing all necessary steps for VCDX certification.

So I received in the mail the typical “Welcome Kit” that you receive with your certificate. In this kit I received the Congratulations letter, my free copy of Workstation, a nice vCAP hat and the actual certificate. To my surprise my number is VCAPDCA-1 which means I was the first person to take and successfully pass the DCA exam. Quite exciting!

I’m a fairly humble person, as most people would say about me, but I am pretty stoked about being #1 and by no means would I consider myself in the same category as VCDX #1. Thank you VMware for allowing me to be part of such as great certification beta program! I can’t wait to see what other great programs you come out with.

Created on February 11, 2011 by Rick Scherer

Posted under Certification.

This blog has 1,206 views and 2 responses.

Tags: Certification, vcap, vcap4, vcap4-dca, vcdx, VMware

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