Saturday, May 14, 2011

Installing ESX 4.1

1. Insert the ESX DVD in the server.
2. Select "Install ESX in graphical mode".


3. Press [Enter].
4. At welcome screen, click "Next".
5. Check "I accept the terms of the license agreement", click "Next".
6. Select the language of "Keyboard", click "Next".


7. At "Custom Drivers" screen, ESX accepts to install custom drivers for ESX. If you want to add drivers for ESX, select "Yes", click "Add".
8. Click "Next".


9. Click "Yes" to load default drivers.
10. At "Loading Drivers" screen, click "Next".
11. Select "Enter a serial number later", click "Next".
12. At "Network Configuration" screen, select an adapter for ESX to use for system tasks.


13. Click "Next".
14. Select "Use the following network settings", provide the IP address information for the network adapter.


15. Click "Next".
16. At "Setup Type" screen, select "Advanced setup".


17. Click "Next".
18. Select the local storage or SAN storage to install ESX.


19. Click "Next".
20. Click "OK".
21. At "Datastore" screen, click "Next".
22. At "Service Console Virtual Disk Image" screen, please follow the custom partitioning design:


Reference:
http://vmetc.com/2009/07/22/best-practices-for-vsphere-esx-4-service-console-partitions/

23. Click "Next".
24. Select the "Time Zone", click "Next".
25. At "Date and Time", provide the NTP server, click "Next".
26. Provide the password for root account and you can add an additional account.


27. Click "Next".
28. Click "Next" to install ESX.
29. When the installation finished, click "Next".
30. Click "Finish" to reboot the server.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Enabling Windows Server Backup support for the Hyper-VSS Writer


Generically, a VSS write is an interface provided an application to manage data and state information, ensure that pending data is flushed to disk, and ensure that the application is quiescent prior to initializing a volume shadow copy snapshot. This process is necessary to provide a consistent application state prior to performing a backup. In fact, Hyper-V provides a VSS writer that supports the backup of Hyper-V server configuration information and virtual machines.

In Hyper-V, the VSS writer is implemented in the Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management Service (VMMS) and offers the following functionality:

1) Backup and recovery of Hyper-V server and all configuration settings
2) Online backup of Windows Server 203 or later guest operating systems when Hyper-V Integration Services and installed
3) Offline backup of all supported virtual machine guest operating systems when Hyper-V Integrations are not installed
4) Recovery of individual virtual machines to the same Hyper-V server or a different Hyper-V server

The Hyper-V VSS write does not provide the following functionality:

1) Online backup of Windows Server 2003 or later guest operating systems if Hyper-V Integration Services are not installed
2) Online backup of virtual machines running operating systems other than Windows
3) Online backup of virtual machines with FAT of FAT32 volumes
4) Online backup of virtual machine with dynamic disks


1. At Hyper-V server, log in as Administrator.
2. Launch "Registry Editor".
3. Create the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support\{66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE}


4. At right pane, right-click blank area, select "New > String Value".
5. Enter "Application Identifier".
6. Double-click "Application Identifier", type "Hyper-V", click "OK".


7. Close "Registry Editor".

Reference:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958662

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Installing server roles on Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core

To install a server role on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2, you should use DISM.exe to install and uninstall most server roles.

1. At Server core server, log in as Administrator.
2. At "Command Prompt", enter "Dism /online /get-features /format:table".


This command is used to  listing all server roles and features which are installed.

3. Enter "Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:TelnetClient" to install telnet client.


The telnet client was installed in the server.

4. Enter " Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:TelnetClient" to install telnet client.


The telnet client was uninstalled in the server.

Reference:

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Using Core Configurator 2.0

Core Configurator 2.0 developed by codeplex is a third-party GUI Tools for Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core.

To download Core Configurator 2.0, please go to http://coreconfig.codeplex.com

1. At Server Core server, run "Start_Coreconfig.wsf".


Remark: The latest version of Core Configurator needs .NET Framework and PowerShell, which it will automatically install once the tool is executed.

2. Click "Yes".



3. At "Customer Experience Improvement Program", you can select "Accept" or "Decline" to join Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.


4. At "Core Configurator 2.0", click "Control panel".


You can configure some settings by this tool in Server Core environment.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Enable Tech Support mode in ESXi4

When you press [Alt] + [F1] in ESXi console, you can access the Tech Support mode. By default, this setting is disabled.


Press [Alt] + [F2] to return to console.

To enable Tech Support mode, there are 2 methods.

Enable Tech Support mode by console
1. At the console, press [F2].
2. Log in as root.
3. Select "Troubleshooting Options", press [Enter].
4. Select "Enable Local Tech Support", press [Enter].


5. Select "Modify Tech Support timeout", press [Enter].
6. Provide a timeout value, press [Enter].
7. Press [Esc] twice.
8. Press [Alt] + [F1] to enter Tech Support mode.



Enable Tech Support mode by vSphere Client
1. Log in the ESXi server by vSphere Client.
2. Select "Configuration" tab.
3. Next to "Software", select "Security Profile".


4. Click "Properties".


5. Select "Local Tech Support", click "Options".


6. Select "Start and stop with host", click "Start".
7. Click "OK" twice.
8. Next to "Software" section, select "Advanced Settings".
9. At left pane, select "UserVars".
10. At right pane, next to "UserVars.TSMTimeOut", provide the timeout value.


Reference:

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Enable vSphere web access in ESX4

By default, the vSphere Web Access is disabled in VMware ESX 4.


To enable it, you have to enter the following in VMware ESX console.

1. At ESX console, press [Alt] + [F1].
2. Log in as root.
3. Enter "service vmware-webAccess status".


The Web Access is stopped.

Remark: The service name is case-sensitive.

4. Enter "servuce vmware-webAccess status".


The Web Access is running, but after restarting the server, the service can't be started automatically. You have to enter "chkconfig" to modify the startup setting of this service.

5. Enter "chkconfig --level 345 vmware-webAccess on".


Now, the Web Access is enabled.


Reference:

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!