Virtual Infrastructure Professionals Ltd

VMware FAQ Print E-mail

Q How can Virtual Center help you?
A

VMWare Virtual Centre gives you a centralised interface to manage your entire virtual infrastructure. It gives you single point of management for ESX servers / PlateSpin and virtual machines providing for a central VM template repository, and publication of location across the whole ESX server / PlateSpin farm. Overall, it reduces your costs in time and effort in the operation of your whole IT infrastructure.

ESX Server vs. VirtualCenter
ESX Server without VirtualCenterwith VirtualCenter
Separate Remote Console and Management Interface per ESX Server (Host)Centralized Management Interface and Integrated Remote Console
Manual VM ProvisioningBuilt-In VM Provisioning Process
Manual Cold VM Migration across HostsBuilt-In Facility to Cold Migrate VMs
No Support for Hot VM MigrationsVMotion (Support for Hot VM Migrations)
Management Interface for StatisticsVirtual Machine Dashboard for Statistics
Automation via scripting and cronScheduled Tasks and Alarms
Individual accounts per HostUnified Login (via vpx)
Unix User/Group PermissionsSecurity Roles (Active Directory, Windows Domains)

 

Q The flexibility of ESX
A
  • Vmotion provides the ability to move virtual machines across ESX servers without interruption to the end user.
  • Future releases of ESX will provide frameworks for clustering across the ESX server farm.
  • Online resource reallocation or resizing within a virtual machine to allow for varying workloads.
  • Ability to utilise different hardware platforms across sites as ESX abstracts the OS from the physical hardware.
  • Ability to make a copy of a running system and then utilise that copy for debug or testing purposes on any of the VMware products (workstation, PlateSpin or ESX).

 

Q Disaster Recovery with VMware
A

Disaster recovery (DR) sites are mandatory for businesses operating in today's demanding environment. VIP can implement VMware as a cost-effective solution for DR. The number of physical servers required will greatly reduce. In addition, VIP can ensure that the dynamic data content in production can be replicated with SAN synchronisation, restored via tape backup or conversion of a backup image of the production server into a virtual machine. Benefits include:

  • Minimal downtime for production
  • Smaller recovery windows required for DR
  • Removal of requirements for software licensing at the DR site for virtual machines
  • Ease of management and control over the DR environment
  • Reduced system administration allowing staff to concentrate on production
COMPARING BACKUP TECHNIQUES
From Guest OSFrom Service Console
Allows incremental, differential backupFull disk image only, including system files
Application data can be archived without shutdownVM power-off required
Archived system data can only be restored into a running VMEasy to boot a restored virtual disk
Must install agent software in each VMMay need Service Console disk space for exported disks
Best for application dataBest for system image

 

Q Now that VMware has released its FREE ESX HyperVisor called ESXi, what are the differences in features and price in comparison to the other ESX3 range?
A

Please see the diagram below.  Note prices are indications only and are in USD.