vizz.info

It would appear that VMware ESX 3.0.2 needs your CPU to have EM64T and VT features and that Execute Disable is enabled in the BIOS (e.g. an Intel Xeon E5300 X5365) to run 64-bit VMware guest virtual machines !

Here are some other Red Hat RHEL 64 bit guest issues you might see

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2087

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2260

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2263

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=10147

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2229

Don’t forget to install the optional VMware Management User Interface (MUI) on your VMware Servers so that you can web admin @

http://localhost:8222

and

https://localhost:8333

Here are some VMware Virtual Center 1.4.1 (VMWVC) with VMware Server (VMWSVR) demo / 30 day eval tips:

• Don’t be put off by the VMWVC min spec of P4 & 2G RAM - it works (for demo/eval purposes) on a PIII with only 256M RAM !
• Make sure you install VMWSVR on CentOS/Red Hat/Oracle instead of Debi/Ubun (so you can connect as root from VMWVC to VMWSVR)
• Make sure you install the VMWSVR MUI Console
• Remember you first need to add a Farm Group and then a Farm before you can do File | New | Add Host and then finally add any optional Virtual Machine Groups
• Don’t run the Server Console against the VMWSVR you wish to manage with VMWVC

VMware Server 1.0.4 bug and security release now available

Perhaps the most “interesting” fix is
“This release fixes a problem with virtual machines running Red Hat Linux 7.1, kernel version 2.4.2, that caused the guest operating system to become unresponsive during the installation of VMware Tools, after the user selected the default display size.”

Its reassuring to see that there are others out there who are still using Red Hat 7, 8 & 9 !

VMware has just released a majority of VMware Tools as open source software as part of the project Open Virtual Machine Tools. VMware Tools is a set of guest operating system virtualization components that enhance performance and improve management of VMware virtual machines.

Open Virtual Machine Tools (open-vm-tools) is hosted at http://open-vm-tools.sourceforge.net, and the source code is available today to enable Linux vendors to integrate open-sourced VMware Tools into upcoming versions of their operating systems.

http://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/tools.html

If your VMware Player / Server / Workstation / ESX CentOS, gNewSense, RHEL or Ed/X/Ubuntu guest clock timer is running too slowly you may need to add “clock=pit” to your kernel command line !

If you are running a CentOS 4 or Red Hat RHEL 4 guest :

# vi /boot/grub/menu.lst

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.EL ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet clock=pit

If you are running a gNewSense 1.x.y or Ubuntu 6.x.y guest :

# vi /boot/grub/menu.lst

and add “clock=pit” to the “defoptions” “comment”

# defoptions=quiet splash clock=pit

run

# update-grub

then

# cat menu.lst

and check kernel line now contains “clock=pit”

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-28-686 root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash clock=pit

vmsnap and vmrestore that was used to backup and restore vmwesx 2.5 (esx2.x) VMs & vmdk’s have been replaced in vmwesx 3 with VMWVCB vcbMounter and vcbRestore

you will also need to get version 3 of vmbk.pl if you are using that to backup your VMs

# vcbUtil -u root -p password -c ping
# vcbUtil -u root -p password -c resourcepools
# vcbUtil -u root -p password -c vmfolders

# vcbVmName -u root -p password -s any:

# vcbMounter -u root -p password -a powerstate:off -r /vmimages/off
# vcbMounter -u root -p password -a moref:96 -r /vmimages/centos3
# vcbMounter -u root -p password -a name:centos4 -r /vmimages/centos4
# vcbMounter -u root -p password -a uuid:65D4EE45 -r /vmimages/centos5
# vcbMounter -u root -p password -a moref:16 -r /vmimages/rhel4

# vcbRestore -u root -p password -s /vmimages/off/ -b overwrite

See

http://pubs.vmware.com/vi301/backup/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=backup&file=vm_bug_appA.7.5.html

http://www.vmware.com/products/beta/esx-vc/vcb-cos-esx30-usage.html

http://www.petri.co.il/vmware-consolidated-backup-utilities.htm