Virtual Wood Blog

VMware, vSphere, ESX, ESXi, PowerCLi and everything else

Virtual Wood Blog - VMware, vSphere, ESX, ESXi, PowerCLi and everything else

Tag Archives: vmware

vSphere IP Pool and VMA etc.

When installing a VMA under vSphere it will not power on with an error regards IP Pools. This can then start a very infuriating circular process of the range never being allowed. I spent a good hour or so looking at this issue and with the help of thesaffageek we thought of a way to NOT use the IP Pool (this is something that is being used for Cloud and the future)

To get around the need for the IP Pool the vAPP options need to be disabled to allow the virtual machine to power on and be configured. The following steps should be followed:

  1. Right click on the virtual machine (the VMA machine)
  2. Select Edit Settings
  3. Select the Options tab
  4. Select vApp Options
  5. Select Disabled
  6. Select Ok
  7. Power on the virtual machine and configure

Once the machine has been configured and powered on the settings changed will have reverted back to Enabled but will not need the pool. I’m not 100% sure why this happens and I have not yet had to restart the VMA. I will update this post if I get any issues.

By Paul Wood

Study for the new VCP5-DT

Hi All,

Well I’m now in study mode for the VMWare VCP5-DT which I will be taking in a few weeks. I will keep this post updated with the resources I have been using but here is a quick overview:

  1. VMware vSphere 5 test lab
  2.  All of the PDF files from VMware from the VMware View download page
  3.  VMware View exam blurprint
  4.  Making notes on each knowledge section (this I will upload in the future)

I will add links to each location once I have the time but its all easy to find. A test exam is also being hosted by VMware under the MyLearn section which I will again link later. As I said this post will be updated as I go through the study process with more data and links.

Paul Wood

VMware Converter 5 and tricks for NT and 2000

During a recent site visit I came across an NT 4 and Windows 2000 machine and these where both already virtual. Neither machine has VMware Tools installed but as it was going to be a cold migration this was not an issue.

The process meant that during the migration the disk would be converted to thin which did not seem to be an issue for the Windows 2000 machine but the NT machine would fail at 98% (virtual machine configuration) each time. I decided to try the NT machine and not touch the disk configuration and everything completed.

The next job is installing VMware Tools and this turned out to be an issue. The automated process locked on each machine to the point of having to revert back to a snapshot (taken of each virtual machine before anything is carried out). The interactive was then tried which showed that the process and machine locked when the VMXnet drivers where installed. It had been so long since an NT and 2000 machine had been seen that the need to do a custom install had been filled. Reverted both machines and carried out a custom installation making sure that the VMXnet driver was not selected and everything worked.

I hope this helps someone that comes across the same issue and has forgotten the issues of NT and 2000 within a virtual estate these days.

Paul Wood

VMware VCP 5 Passed !!!

Well as the subject says I passed my VMware VCP 5 on the 09/02/12 and its all thanks to thesaffageekl and TrainSignal. These are two great resources and will make sure that everything is covered before taking the exam.

Now to start looking at the VCAP which again I will be using thesaffageek content so that I’m ready and on the correct path.

Good luck to all those that are looking to pass the VCP before the end of February.

Study time for the VCP5

Its that time again to study as lots of flights with work and hotels and I find this the best time.

A good place to start regards the VCP5 is at thesaffageek and a great bloke. This site has lost of great infomration and can help with all your needs.

As always a great source of information is the guys at Train Signal with the vSphere 5 training package with videos.

As I use more resources I will update this page.

Happy New Year

Well 2011 is behind us and 2012 is here to take shape. I hope everyone that reads and uses my blog has a great 2012 and lets help save the planet. This will be helped by migrating all that old hardware and saving power and space.

Good luck all in 2012

Changing the size of a persistent disk on a VMware View 5 virtual machine (vSphere 5)

The following steps will allow the disk persistent disk to be changed of deployed View 5 virtual machines. This will work if only a few virtual machines need to be changed.

To start with the pool needs to be changed if all future pool machines need to have larger disk’s.

This is done through the VMware View Administrator website following the next steps:

1. Login to the VMware View Administrator website
2. Select the pools from the ‘Inventory’ in the left hand menu
3. Select the pool that needs to be change and click on the name
4. Select Edit from the top menu tabs
5. Under View Composer Disk change the value of Persistent disk size to the required value
6. Click OK

This has now changed the pool setting for any new machines that are deployed. This will not change the size of the persistent disk of the virtual machines that have already been deployed. To do this please follow the steps below.

1. Login to the vSphere Client
2. Navigate to the VMware View folder that hold the pool that needs to have the disk size changed
3. Select the first virtual machine that needs to be changed and right click selecting Edit Settings…
4. Select the Hard disk that is the current persistent disk
5. In the Disk Provisioning section change the Provisioned Size to the required size
6. Click OK

The persistent disk size has now been changed but for the virtual machines to see this change they need to be restarted. Once the virtual machines have been restarted follow the below.

1. Login to the vSphere Client
2. Navigate to the VMware View folder with the virtual machine that have been changed and restarted
3. Select a virtual machine and right click selecting Open Console
4. Login to the virtual machine with administrative rights
5. Click Start and the right click on Computer selecting Manage
6. Select Disk Management
7. Select the disk to be change and right click selecting Extend Volume…
8. Click Next
9. Click Next
10. Click Finish
11. Close the window and logoff the machine

The virtual machine when connect to through View will now have a persistent disk of the size specified.

I hope this helps and leave your comments.

Created by Paul Wood