Just came across this interesting tool to view and control different stuff in the VMware ESX service console using a windows based GUI app.
Pretty smart for ESX managers with not so much linux skills.

from the source:

Features:

List Virtual Machines and Virtual Disk information with the location and size of the files
(also for unregistered Virtual Machines)

Rename Virtual Disks of a registered Virtual Machine

Kill Virtual Machine Process
If the Virtual Machine can’t be powered off with the VMware tools

List All Virtual Disk Flatfiles on a Datastore with size and modificationdate.

View Logfiles on the ESX Host

Register on the website, download and install it on your windows box (worked on my windows vista)
Source

The tool is version 1.0.0.0, so I can imagine that it will expand with more features in the future.

(4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

Where possible when I do an upgrade from 3.0.0 to 3.0.1 I will try do a re-installation. The installation of ESX doesn’t take that much time especially if you have all configuration settings and licenses available and it’s always nice to have a “clean” install.

But I wanted to give an upgrade a try. Sitting at home using vpn to my corporate network I only have my ssh client(putty) available, no physical access to the server and the server in question does not have any remote management (ilo, rmgt) available. Searching trough the vi3_installation_guide.pdf I came across the pretty simple procedure.

Upgrading Using esxupdate
To upgrade using esxupdate

1 Download the esxupdate tar archive bundle.
2 Extract the compressed tar archive and change to the newly created directory.
3 Type esxupdate -n update.
4 When the update command completes, reboot the ESX Server host.

I started with migrating my vm’s to another esx server just to be sure.

I downloaded the “ESX Server 3.0.1 Upgrade Package from earlier releases of ESX Server 3” from the download section on vmware.com and copied it to my esx server using winSCP and extracted the tar and followed the guide:

tar -xvzf 3.0.1-32039-full.tgz

cd 32039

esxupdate –n update (took about 12 min)

last 2 lines from the update sequence
INFO: — TOTALS: 221 packages installed, 0 pending or failed, 0 excluded —
INFO: Install succeeded – please come again.

reboot

Now I just need to install the 30+ patches that are available for 3.0.1, much more then there are for 3.0.0
Maybe it’s time for a new version Vmware ESX 3.0.2

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Normally I do not post news on this blog but this “rumor” could in my opinion start a new era in x86 virtualization.

I found this article on searchvirtualization.techtarget.com

VMware Inc. is working on a reduced footprint version of its ESX hypervisor, called ESX Lite, that would run directly within a server’s firmware, SearchServerVirtualization.com has learned.

Source

(if true) VMware ESX lite will make the virtualization layer thinner and closer to the hardware then ESX does and will provide an out-of-the-box pre-installed virtualization solution appliance.

I am sure this article will feed the buzz around virtualization and shows where the technology might be going.

I will be following this story closely….

UPDATE july 4th 2007 on the ESX lite story.Dell will come with a product called VESO that will have a ESX lite version pre-installed read here

(No Ratings Yet)

As virtualization technology is coming out of its infant years (x86 virtualization that is, as IBM mainframes have done it since before I was born) and the technology has proven to be a stable solution for years, it seems weird that MS is not giving in and is willing to support virtual servers running windows (besides of their own virtual server products)

Especially now that Microsoft has just released an official document that explains the rules for licensing MS Windows on virtualization products like vmware ESX and SWsoft virtuozzo

Microsoft licensing document source
Microsoft Virtualization Support policy source

Maybe Microsoft should re-think it’s support policy !

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Paul Rooney from crn.com has written a post with some interesting tips and insights about deploying virtualization technology in your organisation.

It are notes taken from the Microsoft TechEd 2007 event held in Orlando.LINK

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