[lugip] vmware?

Tue Nov 25 13:00:33 EST 2008

my R&D guy is still testing ESXi in our lab.....so the jury is still out.
We too, were interested in seeing if this is a viable solution for us.
We're very pleased with Vmware support for ESX and have used it on several
occasions so our professional opinion is "pay for the support", however we
are researching the free solutions for customers on a budget.

On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 11:48 AM, Edward M. Corrado <ecorrado at ecorrado.us>wrote:

> It looks like VMware ESXi is now available for free (with, of course,
> support available for a fee). Has anyone looked at that instead of ESX?
> While I may get a budget in the future, at this point for testing I don't
> have one to speak of. I'll be lucky if I can get a new server:-(.
>
> Edward
>
>
> John Martinetti wrote:
>
>> yes - you are correct.  I was confused, most likely due to low caffiene
>> levels.
>> We've piloted both Centos and the free Vmware Server package along side of
>> the paid "ESX" for that particular customer, on the production hardware
>> (white boxes with supermicro main-boards).
>> Still - we're awaiting the customers decision and have strongly urged him
>> to
>> consider purchasing ESX for production servers mainly for the support.  As
>> far as our pilot is concerned, the performance for both configurations
>> (CentOS/Vmware server free vs. ESX) was satisfactory.
>>
>> I think our biggest mistake from this case study was the whitebox
>> hardware...it was cheap and the customer wanted 2 servers per location
>> with
>> one acting as a hot spare.  This actually worked quite well with custom
>> scripting to snapshot the vm's and rysnc them across both physical
>> machines....so that's something to keep in mind.
>>
>> One last thought about the latest versions of Vmware server, they changed
>> the GTK based GUI mangement application to a web-based application and
>> removed an number of the command-line tools, which I found disappointing.
>> The web based GUI management application is slick and has new features
>> (esp
>> regarding snapshots), but it's slow and cumbersome over WAN lines that
>> aren't up to par.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 11:02 AM, Brian Jones <bkjones at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> Hey John, what do you mean moving to CentOS and ESX? If you're running
>>> ESX, there is no host OS -- ESX *is* the base OS. The only OSes you
>>> install are in the VMs themselves.
>>>
>>> As for Ubuntu, it's listed in the VMWare Server Admin Guide as being a
>>> supported host OS. In addition, you can actually install vmware server
>>> on ubuntu straight from the Canonical commercial software repository.
>>> When it comes to VMWare, I really do advocate looking at all of the
>>> documentation even before you purchase the product, because there's a
>>> lot of information to digest, and if you don't read it, especially for
>>> hardware and host OS compatibility, you're likely to make an error in
>>> your deployment plan that'll cost you a lot of time (at least).
>>>
>>> If you have some budget for this project, I would *strongly* recommend
>>> going with ESX for production boxes, perhaps using the free server for
>>> prototyping and testing new VM builds that can then be migrated to an
>>> ESX server and launched into production. I'll leave out the VMotion
>>> details, since that requires an enormous budget and probably hardware
>>> purchases on top of that :)
>>>
>>> My experience with ESX has been unbelievably good, and all of you who
>>> know me know I don't say that much. ;-P  They release updates in a
>>> timely manner and performing updates in my experience has been dead
>>> easy, and flawless, and has never affected the stability of anything
>>> running on it. I've run both Windows and Linux on ESX (on the same
>>> hardware, in fact). It "just works".
>>>
>>> Good luck!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 10:44 AM, Edward M. Corrado
>>> <ecorrado at ecorrado.us> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Thanks for relaying your experiences. This si the type of thing I need
>>>> to know. I have used vmware for desktop purposes and it has worked
>>>> great, but when you are talkign about servers, it is a whole diffeent
>>>> ball of wax.
>>>>
>>>> I'm not sure if it would be any better then the desktop edition with
>>>> VMware, but for the record, Ubuntu does have a server edition. I
>>>> generally agree about the issue of running an install designed for a
>>>> desktop as a server. I have been playing with xubuntu for servers. You
>>>> get a little bit of graphic-goodness and it doesn't require a great deal
>>>> of overhead.
>>>>
>>>> Edward
>>>>
>>>> John Martinetti wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> well, if you want opinion, do *NOT* use Ubuntu.
>>>>> My opinion is based upon experience having 22 production servers in the
>>>>> field running Ubuntu with Vmware Server (the free version) hosting
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Windows
>>>
>>>
>>>> 2000 Server images.
>>>>> We're currently in the planning and testing phase of a project to
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> replace
>>>
>>>
>>>> Ubuntu with CentOS and the *paid* version of VMWare, ESX server.  It's
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> nice
>>>
>>>
>>>> being able to open a trouble ticket with Vmware when you're out of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> options.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Main reasons for my displeasure?  Stability. Ubuntu was not playing
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> nicely
>>>
>>>
>>>> with Vmware after running updates.  On multiple occasions we had to move
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> the
>>>
>>>
>>>> working Windows image over the the "hot-spare" server hardware in the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> branch
>>>
>>>
>>>> location due to an administrator running updates on the Ubuntu host.
>>>>> Now - keep in mind...our host machines were not bare-bones Ubuntu
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> systems,
>>>
>>>
>>>> much to my dismay, my cohorts insisted upon having full blown Gnome
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Desktops
>>>
>>>
>>>> on each machine so we could access them over crappy WAN lines using
>>>>> NoMachines' NX client/server remote control package.   And it's also
>>>>> arguable, that we really didn't take a good hard look at all the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> packages
>>>
>>>
>>>> installed on the servers that really weren't necessary....so there ya
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> have
>>>
>>>
>>>> it.  Still -in the long run...I'd advise against Ubuntu, it's a desktop
>>>>> OS...not a server.  For those people who think it can be molded into a
>>>>> reliable server platform..that's great....but for actually geting stuff
>>>>> done, you want a distro that's suitable for the task, not one that
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> *could
>>>
>>>
>>>> be* after you've fscked with it for a month.
>>>>>
>>>>> Another thing to keep i mind about Vmware, definitely pay careful
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> attention
>>>
>>>
>>>> to the hardware compatibility list.  Dont go thinking you can use just
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> any
>>>
>>>
>>>> old white-box....that's a reciped for disaster and sleepless nights.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>  Stick
>>>
>>>
>>>> to a proven hardware platform straight from the list or your liable to
>>>>> experince Vmware's wonderful "pink-screen-of-death".  Seen it?  It's
>>>>> alarming...and it definitely means you'll need a mop. Surpisingly, Dell
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> has
>>>
>>>
>>>> *many* options on the Vmware hardware compatibility list and also
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> surpising
>>>
>>>
>>>> to me, not nearly as many HP/Compaq choices, although the standard DL
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> and ML
>>>
>>>
>>>> series are well represented.  We're waiting for approval on a project
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> now to
>>>
>>>
>>>> completely virtualize a small engineering firm with Dell hardware and
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Vmware
>>>
>>>
>>>> running their Windows server images on top of ESX.  Using vizioncore's
>>>>> VRangerPro utility, you can snapshot each Windows image daily and sync
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> them
>>>
>>>
>>>> across all hardware, so in the event that one piece of hardare fails,
>>>>> recovery is trivial and pretty quick with little to no data loss - so
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> there
>>>
>>>
>>>> are some interesting niches for Vmware now that weren't really viable
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> until
>>>
>>>
>>>> recently.
>>>>>
>>>>> That's my $.02 - good luck with your decision.  Consider CentOS....for
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> that
>>>
>>>
>>>> matter...consider CentOS for *any* Linux Server application over a
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> desktop
>>>
>>>
>>>> distribution.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 10:04 AM, Edward M. Corrado <
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> ecorrado at ecorrado.us>wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> I would like to start using VMware for some of our servers. The guest
>>>>>> operating system on these will normally be some form of Linux at this
>>>>>> point. I would like to have a stable platform for the underlying host
>>>>>> and am considering Ubuntu 8.04 because of the long term support. What
>>>>>> are other people using? Is there a reason to use something other than
>>>>>> Ubuntu as the host? It seems that they  Also, what version of VMware
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> are
>>>
>>>
>>>> you using? I was looking at the free VMware server, but I know there
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> are
>>>
>>>
>>>> other options.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How about other virtualzation products?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Edward
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Lugip mailing list
>>>>>> Lugip at lugip.org
>>>>>> http://www.lugip.org/mailman/listinfo/lugip
>>>>>>
>>>>>> LUG/IP Hardware Sig meets first Tuesday of the month at the Hamilton
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Public
>>>
>>>
>>>> Library at 7pm
>>>>>>
>>>>>> LUG/IP meets Second Wednesday of the month at the Lawrence
>>>>>> Headquarters
>>>>>> Branch of the Mercer County Library at 7pm
>>>>>>
>>>>>> LUG/IP Coffee Klatch meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at the
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Panera
>>>
>>>
>>>> Bread in West Windsor near Target at 8am
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For more information go to http://www.lugip.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Lugip mailing list
>>>>> Lugip at lugip.org
>>>>> http://www.lugip.org/mailman/listinfo/lugip
>>>>>
>>>>> LUG/IP Hardware Sig meets first Tuesday of the month at the Hamilton
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Public Library at 7pm
>>>
>>>
>>>> LUG/IP meets Second Wednesday of the month at the Lawrence Headquarters
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Branch of the Mercer County Library at 7pm
>>>
>>>
>>>> LUG/IP Coffee Klatch meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Panera Bread in West Windsor near Target at 8am
>>>
>>>
>>>> For more information go to http://www.lugip.org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Lugip mailing list
>>>> Lugip at lugip.org
>>>> http://www.lugip.org/mailman/listinfo/lugip
>>>>
>>>> LUG/IP Hardware Sig meets first Tuesday of the month at the Hamilton
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Public Library at 7pm
>>>
>>>
>>>> LUG/IP meets Second Wednesday of the month at the Lawrence Headquarters
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Branch of the Mercer County Library at 7pm
>>>
>>>
>>>> LUG/IP Coffee Klatch meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at the
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Panera Bread in West Windsor near Target at 8am
>>>
>>>
>>>> For more information go to http://www.lugip.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Brian K. Jones
>>> Python Magazine  http://www.pythonmagazine.com
>>> My Blog          http://www.protocolostomy.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>> LUG/IP Hardware Sig meets first Tuesday of the month at the Hamilton
>> Public Library at 7pm
>>
>> LUG/IP meets Second Wednesday of the month at the Lawrence Headquarters
>> Branch of the Mercer County Library at 7pm
>>
>> LUG/IP Coffee Klatch meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at the Panera
>> Bread in West Windsor near Target at 8am
>>
>> For more information go to http://www.lugip.org
>>
>>
>
>
>
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