VMware has finally released the long awaited Update 5 of VMware ESX 3.5. The releasenotes can be found here. When looking at the resolved issues section it seems that the Pegasus bug that can cause a PSOD mentioned in post Pegasus memory leak causes PSOD has been resolved. It is a big list of bug fixes and enhancements so I think surely worthwhile of deploying. Of course, don’t forget to test the update first 
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Posts Tagged ‘esx’
PHD Virtual has released version 3.5.6 of esXpress backup software. As the name suggests, it backups ESX hosts. As it states on the site, there is no support for ESX 4 (YET) but I was told that PHD Virutal is working very hard to make their product line ESX 4 ready ASAP. A trial can be downloaded here. Below you can find a list of “What’s new” in esXpress 3.5.6:
New in 3.5 Features
esXpress is Compatible with VMware ESX v3, v3.5 and (coming soon) vSphere4
Use esXpress out of the box with multiple version of VMware, no need to wait for a move vSphere4 to use virtual technology to back up virtual machines
Multi-User Global Deployment & Configuration Application
Automate the deployment and configuration of esXpress from our web-based application, integrated into the Virtual Infrastructure Client or accessible via a web browser. The Management Console and De-Duplication are delivered as virtual appliances for easy installation and setup. No additional software is required.
- Automatic deployment of esXpress
- Hierarchical and policy driven configuration
- Definable host groups with all hosts assigned to that group using the same standard configuration
- Hosts can inherit their configuration from global and group policies
- Host level overrides for esXpress configuration
- Centralized Backup Targets – create backup targets one time and assign to hosts and groups
Source-Side Global De-Duplication Across Entire ESX Farm*
Our groundbreaking new data de-duplication engine provides data de-duplication across all VM guests eliminating duplicate blocks across VMs before they are sent to the backup target, reducing network, I/O capacity and disk space usage.
- Greatly reduce LAN traffic and disk space usage by up 25:1 or greater**
- Use any VMware supported datastore and external NFS server for scalability
Up to16 concurrent backup streams per ESX host
- The fastest and most scalable solution available to backup up VMware
Multi-user File-level Restore
Quickly restore files, as compressed & uncompressed data to lessen LAN impact, directly back to the source.
Built-in Incremental Replication*
Replicate just changed blocks and inject them directly to into the replicated VM without having to do a full restore of the virtual machine
Smart Dynamic Export*
esXpress is the only solution with predefined date based directories, providing critical flexibility in deciding what data is exported to your medium of choice (tape, disk). The Smart Dynamic Export eliminates sending duplicative data to storage.
- Use up to 50% less tapes and tape library capacity
- Lower administrative overhead
Veeam has released version 3.1 of its backup solution Veeam Backup & Replication 3.1 which is compatible with ESX 4. It can be found here. To find out what’s new click here.
It is one of several backup offerings and I was very enthousiastic about the previous version. I will have to try out this version as well and see how it relates to it’s competitors vRanger Pro 4.0 DPP (still in beta), and esXpress 3.5
VMware has released several patches on May 28-2009. The patches for ESX 3.5 with their descriptions are listed below:
ESX350-200905405-BG – PATCH
Issues fixed in this patch (and their relevant symptoms, if applicable) include:
This patch updates kernel-source and kernel-vmnix to support the aacraid software driver update.The driver update fixes an issue where ESX 3.5 might fail on IBM, Fujitsu and SUN servers installed with Adaptec aacraid_esx30 driver. The failure occurs when the ESX host is running management agents and heavy I/O load on the volumes owned by aacraid_esx30 driver. Issues fixed in this patch (and their relevant symptoms, if applicable) include:
ESX350-200905404-BG – PATCH
This fix updates the tzdata package. The tzdata package contains data files with rules for various time zones around the world.This updated package addresses the following changes to Daylight Saving Time (DST) observations:* Future transition dates for Brazil were fixed
* Several Argentinian provinces decided not to observe Daylight SavingUsers in the affected locales, or users interacting with people or systems in the affected locales, are advised to upgrade to this updated package, which adds these enhancements.
ESX350-200905403-BG – PATCH
Issues fixed in this patch (and their relevant symptoms, if applicable) include:
ESX 3.5 might fail on IBM, Fujitsu and SUN servers installed with Adpatec aacraid_esx30 driver. This issue occurs when ESX host is running management agents and heavy I/O load on the volumes owned by aacraid_esx30 driver.
ESX350-200905402-BG – PATCH
Issues fixed in this patch (and their relevant symptoms, if applicable) include:
This fix includes an updated VMX RPM which addresses a robustness issue in VMX. Issues fixed in this patch (and their relevant symptoms, if applicable) include:
ESX350-200905401-BG – PATCH
Virtual machines using a NFS data store might fail after a HA failover event. This issue might result in two scenarios:1. When you have memory overcommitment with virtual machines on a NFS datastore, it results in the creation of a vswp file, which is a non-zero size swap file. In this scenario if HA failover events occur and the HA has the setting “Leave VM powered on”, then you might have a virtual machine failure on the host where the virtual machine was originally running before the HA event.2. If you do not have memory overcommitment with virtual machines on a NFS datastore, if HA failover events occur with the setting “Leave VM powered on”, further vmotions of the virtual machine running on the original host might fail.
- When an invalid license is specified to a license server or if the network is intermittent, the ESX server goes to an unlicensed state. The ESX server does not try again to acquire the licenses from the license server. This fix allows the ESX server to try to acquire licenses after a few minutes.
Issues fixed in this patch (and their relevant symptoms, if applicable) include:
- ESX 3.5 might fail on IBM, Fujitsu and SUN servers installed with Adpatec aacraid_esx30 driver. This issue occurs when ESX host is running management agents and heavy I/O load on the volumes owned by aacraid_esx30 driver.
The last day of VMworld 2009. I notice it is getting harder to get up 
but I managed anyways. First a coffee and something sweet to go with it. Then first session on my list DC14 – Overview of 2009 VMware Datacenter Products. Unfortunately I saw some people turning around already because of a full room. So decided to see something of “VI4″ in a LAB01 – Next Generation Datacenter Exploration.
I think this LAB was one of the busiest amongst all lab’s, but I just HAD to lay my hands on the new candy. Finally I could have a seat and after a brief explanation I wavered off the instuctor to let me be with my long awaited “VI4″ experience. Can’t remember the first part of the LAB. Wanted to make notes but I was told the LAB would be online the same very night. So far nothing there yet.
- Thin provisioning
It is already possible from the CLI to thin provision disks in VI 3.5. However now able to chose all kinds of formats within the GUI. Like thin/thick/thick zeroed and some more options available. Also when performing a migrate (storage vmotion), you are able to change your provisioning - Migrate (storage vmotion)
Storage vmotion is now available from the GUI , no need to load the 3rd party strorage vmotion plugin anymore. A demo can found here - vAPP
It is possible to logically group VM’s together in a vAPP. In the settings you are able to chose startup order and startup delay. It is possible to powerup/powerdown the complete vAPP as a single entity - Virtual Distributed Switch (VDS)
The Virtual Distributed Switch is a virtual switch defined on cluster level instead of on a per host based level. This makes administration much easier. Also switch vendors are able to provide their own VDS with vendor specific features like Cisco’s Nexus 1000V. A flash demo can be found here - Fault Tolerence (FT)
One feature that make me all warm and fuzzy inside, FT. Upon enabling this feature it clones and powers on a standby VM. A video can say more than a thousand words and can be found here - Host Profiles
With vSphere it is possible to make a configuration template from your ESX server. They are called “Host Profiles” and allow you to take a template from an ESX server, adjust it if necessary and check compliance against another ESX host. You can apply the template if you want to. A demo can be found here - Hot Cloning of VM’s
It is possible to Hot Clone VM’s! I think people will love this one! - More ways of extending VMFS partitions
The last part of the day I spent my time in the Solutions Exchange before going back home to The Netherlands where we all landed safely.
A small addenum for Tuesday. After visiting the solutions exchange I attended session DC31 – What’s new in the enterprise cloud. Personally I think cloud computing is a very nice concept and when listening throughout the event everyone can hear the buzz about it. Though cloud computing certainly is not a new concept it has my interest and am surely keeping track of it. At the end Tarry Singh, a well known and respected Technology Evangelist elaborated on cloud computing and the role it will take in the future. With all the new technologies coming out it seems cloud computing is “The next logical step”.
After the Q&A I attended session DC18 – Introduction to VMware vCenter ConfigControl. vCenter ConfigControl is a product that is best described as an additional tooling to your CMDB but as said in the session, does not replace it. It inventories Virtual Machines automatically and keeps track of configuration changes and updates. This product can come quite in handy to automate an keep track of “Virtual CI’s” and keeps de “Virtual CMDB” and it’s relations accurate.
The last part of the day I spend at the Solutions Exchange followed up by a dinner with some peers.
At 20.00 it was time for the VMworld Afterparty. I think the decorations and the themes were awesome on “Cloud number 9″ which was the place where the party was held. A relaxed downstairs where the music was of such a level you could actually hear each other talking, following by a great band on the upper levels. Of course everything was accompanied with lots of food and drinks. The floor was moving like crazy with all the people jumping and it was just a great place to be. At midnight the party was over. Wow what a great party!
Since it got a bit late with the VMworld afterparty something on the third day, about the second day. Sorry for that , but I notice that it gets harder to stay up till the early hours in the morning. It must be lack of coffee .
The keynotes of the second day were a lot better. In fact almost everyone decided to stay, give a few that wanted a headstart to beat the crowd leaving. The keynotes were a good fast and humourous overview of what’s going on with the new vSphere roadmap. It was fun to notice that also the tweets are read by Stephen Herrod and he plead to us to please tweet a numerous of things on which he gladly gave some hints. Overall it was a good session.
After that I attended session DC08 – vCenter Server for Linux. VMware has nice plans for proceeding onto this path and announced that the beta can be downloaded as a virtual appliance here. Even though not all features will be available yet in the first releases, like vConverter and Capacity Planner, VMware is aware of the need for such a platform for many of its customers. When asked when a linux client would be released, VMware said that a client for Linux has a lower priority since the demand voor vCenter server for Linux is much greater and of much greater value to the customers. Not only that, but in the future VMware intends to make the client completely web based. At the moment the beta only supports Oracle. On the Oracle website it is possible to download Oracle XE for free.
With loud applause the Linux session was over and I followed my colleagues to the Q&A session. A few notes on that are that there is no announcement of the release date yet due to accounting issues on which Paul Maritz appoligized. VMware hopes to do better in the future concerning release announcements. So for all of you guys and gals out there, some more patience because to quote Paul, “It will be released sooner or later” *laughs from the crowd*. On the question about a rumor of an acquisition between Cisco and VMware, Paul was lost for words what to say. For me personally it was the first time I heard of such a rumor and did not pay much attention to it.
So the VMworld has started this morning beginning with the Keynotes.
A lot of talks and sponsors about the extensively discussed Cloud Computing. After that, finally the first session. Tried to attend AP08 – Virtualizing Citrix XENApp Application Server. Unfortunately the room was packed like sardines in a tin can and had to move to another session. Decided to go to TP31 – Dell, Veeam and VMware: Best practices for virtual environments instead.
Unfortunately it was packed too, 
leaving no more time to go to another session. Luckily someone was leaving the session so I could officially start my VMworld session experience.
As could be expected from the session title there was a lot of Veaam talk and its product line and how Dell adopted and embraced this product suite in their consultancy trajectories.
Veeam has some very nice products out there. Also some of them are FREE! Make sure to check them out.
After that it was time for some lunch which was actually very good.
After taking care of our inner selves it was time too look at the exhibition room. Really a lot of products and vendors over there with all the necesarry and unnecesarry goodies and gifts . Always nice to look around there on how vendors are profiling themselves to customers in order to get your information. But I just love it and enjoy every pen and gadget I can find. I will post more on that later.
So visited several booths to get some information like RES Powerfuse, Appsense esXpress and Microsoft? Yes they are also present at VMworld. But decided it would be better to plan a few hours to visit them all and hear what they have to say and why I need their product.
So for now back to the booths and see what other sessions I am able to pick up.
VMworld Europe Edition is about to start. Some people have already landed and are preparing for “Partner Day” tomorrow. Several bloggers have also arrived and are actively blogging on several sites. To see a list of all the Dutch bloggers please follow the link below.
Since this site is brand new it is not there yet but maybe it will be in the future .
Happy reading!
