VMware View 4.6
VMware View 4.6
I installed yesterday the latest release of VMware View 4.6, build 366101. It works very well. I upgraded the following components:
- VMware Connection Broker 4.6
- VMware Security Server 4.6
- VMware Transfert Server 4.6
- VMware Composer 2.6
- VMware View Agent 4.6
- VMware View Client
The most important new feature is the PCoIP support trough the VMware Security Server, without any VPN connexion. With the earlier version, it wasn't possible to use the PCoIP from the WAN with the PCoIP protocol.
A good tip: don't forget to open the firewall ports as follow :
PCoIP between View Client and Security Server
- TCP 4172 from Client to Security Server
- UDP 4172 from Client to Security Server
- UDP 4172 from Security Server to Client
PCoIP between Security Server and virtual desktop
- TCP 4172 from Security Server to virtual desktop
- UDP 4172 from Security Server to virtual desktop
- UDP 4172 from virtual desktop to Security Server
Route based on IP hash is not supported with Cisco UCS B200 M1/M2
I just try to do NIC teaming with a Cisco UCS B200 M1, and have a problem. I setted the settings for the teaming on Route based on IP hash, and have an issue, i lost some pings and the connectivity was instable.
I tried to change the settings on route base on source MAC hash or route base on physical NIC load, and it works fine.
Here is the choice that you can made to select the best load balancing policy which match your infrastructure :
- Route based on originating virtual port
- Route based on IP hash
- Route based on source MAC hash
- Route based on physical NIC load
- Use explicit failover order
VMware View Client 4.x freeze
When you try to connect to a VMware View Connection broker or VMware View Secure server with a VMware View Client 4.x _(4.0 or 4.5) running Windows 7, the client freeze without any option to cancel or close the window. The only option is to kill the process.
On the application log, a lot of errors or warnings appear about VMware View, like :
-
Program C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware View\Client\bin\wswc.exe, thread 0x160C encountered a machine exception code 0xC0000005 (no DbgHelp.dll loaded)
-
backtrace[00] frame 0x0728f670 IP 0x764120fa params 0x7650ac78 0x1 0x1 0x765bb194 ??? [no module data]
VMware View error log
This issue appear since Microsoft publish two new updates. To solve this issue, you have to uninstall these two Microsoft Windows 7 update :
- KB 2482017
- KB 2467023
Then restart the computer.
VMware indicate that they will provide a fix to correct this issue. But it isn't available yet.
VMware VCP study guide
VMware vSphere: What's New
A lot of websites provide a study guide to help people who want to pass the VMware VCP certification. I selected a couple of them which are for me the more reliable and up to date.
Before passing the VCP exam, depending if you are already certified or not, one of the following courses is required :
- VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage
- VMware vSphere: Troubleshooting
- VMware vSphere: Bootcamp
- VMware vSphere: Fast Track
Then the VCP exam can be passed in a certified exam center (personvue, etc...) . More informations are available on the VMware Website at this address.
You can use one of this following websites which help you to study:
- The SLOG - SimonLong/Blog : An online blueprint very usefull with links to all documents needed to study.
- The VMware VCP BluePrint : Similar to the SLOG online blueprint, but without the links to the documents
- The VMware vSphere4 Card : a pdf file up to date with the major VMware information (configuration maximum, etc... ) to remember.
- The xtravirt documentation downloader : needed to download locally almost all the VMware Product documentation and keep it up to date.
With all this tips, you should be able to pass easily the exam.
Good luck.
How to suppress the “No management Network Redundancy” HA warning
When you add VMware ESX hosts in a cluster, and you enable HA (High Availability) on it, a warning can appear on each ESX hosts of this cluster. This warning appear when you set up only one Service Console by ESX server. The VMware best practices are to add a second Service Console Port to it, in a different network. But depending of infrastructure, I may be unable to create a second Service Console. You can disable this warning on the HA Advanced Settings.
- Right click on the VMware Cluster
- Edit Settings
- VMware HA
- Advanced Options
- Add the options name "das.ignoreRedundantNetWarning" with the value "true
VMware HA Advanced Options
The warning on all ESXs of this cluster will disappear.
When you add VMware ESX hosts in a cluster, and you enable HA (High Availability) on it, a warning can appear on each ESX hosts of this cluster. This warning appear when you set up only one Service Console by ESX server. The VMware best practices are to add a second Service Console Port to it, in a different network. But depending of infrastructure, I may be unable to create a second Service Console. You can disable this warning on the HA Advanced Settings.
- Right click on the VMware Cluster
- Edit Settings
- VMware HA
- Advanced Options
- Add the options name "das.ignoreRedundantNetWarning" with the value "true
The warning on all ESXs of this cluster will disapear.
NetApp SV-SMVI 3.0
I just found that a new major release of NetApp SV-SMVI is now available. It's a new version of SV-SMVI which now allow to run a post-script job with SMVI 2.0 or VSC 2.0.
The usage still be almost the same : SV-SMVI interrogate SMVI/VSC and determine the most recent snapshot. Then it tells the secondary controller to update the snapvault relation based on this snapshot.
You can find more information at this address : http://communities.netapp.com/docs/DOC-8720
View 4 Installation Guide
VMware View 4
Server installation
Here is a complet guide to install the VMware View 4 solution. For these guide, we will use all of these components :
- 1 ESX server (release 208167)
- 1 VMware VSphere server (Virtual center)
- 1 VMware Connection Server (CS)
- 1 VMware Replica Server (RS)
- 1 Windows XP Virtual Machine Template
Our Virtual Infrastructure is already installed (Virtual Center and sysprep files placed in the C:\Documents adn Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\Vmware VirtualCenter\sysprep\xp, and ESX server). We will install and configure the Connection and Replica Server. The principe is easy. We install in first the primary server (VMware Connection Server), and an second server which is "connected" to the primary server. The replica server isn't mandatory, but recommended, for load balancing and high availability. When the CS and RS has been installed, we should configure load-balancing solution between CS and RS servers (for example Microsoft Network Load Balancing). Once the connection server and replica server installed, we will prepare one template for deploying Virtual machine from this computer.
Template creation
Now, we will install the Template Virtual Machine
- Do not connect Flopy or CD-ROM drive at startup (but let the CD on the Virtual Hardware, usefull for future VMwareTools Update)
- Disable or delete the COM1 and COM2 serial port
- Turn off all theme enhancements
- Disable or change the screen saver to blank
- Delete wallpapers
- Run disk Cleanup
- Modify the hardware Acceleration to Full
- Delete all unused update file (in the c:\Windows\$...$ folder, except the $hf_mig$ folder
- Disable the indexing service
- Disable the Windows Operating System's paging
- Turn off unnecessary sounds
- Remove the system restore points
- Remove all blinking icons
- Turn off disk performance counters
- Disable unwanted services
- Change to RDP color depth value in the registry (to improve te color from 16-bits to 24-bits with RDP)
- For windows XP : change the value ColorDepth to 4 on [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services]
- Enable the Remote Connections, and allow users to log to this computer trough RDP sessions.
- Open the Firewall ports :
- 50002 for PCoIP
- 3389 for RDP
- 32111 for USB
- If your VM has more than one Virtual Nic, you have to add the subkey to this path :
- HKLM\Software\VMware, Inc.\VMware View\Node Manager\
- subnet -> ip_adresse/mask
- For example : subnet = 192.168.0.1/24
Deployement
Desktop type
- Standard deployement
- The template will be cloned machine by machine. Each machine with his own HDD.
- Link clone
- You have to make a snapshot of the template. You will base you VM on the snapshot.
- One replica virtual machine will be deployed based on the virtual machine snapshot. All deployed VM based on this image will share the HDD's VM template as read-only disk. All modification on VMs will be writted on the delta HDD.
Desktop Pool
Individual Desktop
- Without clone technology. Only one VM by pool
Automated Desktop Pool
- With clone technology, the user will be assigned to the desktop randomly
Manual Desktop Pool
- Permit to add manually the VM in the pool
Microsoft Terminal Service Desktop Pool
- Permit to add a Terminal Service source to the desktop.
Click next
Persistence
Persistent
Non persistent
VMware View Persistence
For this guide, we will use the option : Persistent
Virtual Center Server
Linked Clone
VMware linked clone technology
For this guide, we will use the option : Linked Clone
Unique ID
VMware View Unique ID
You have to fill three input in this form :
Unique ID
It's the unique ID of the pool. It isn't visible by the user, but only from the VMware View Manager.
Display name
This name is visible by the user. Is the "computer name"
Description
A small description of the Desktop Pool.
Desktop Pool settings
VMware Desktop Pool Settings
General
The next form permit to set a lot of settings about the interaction between the user and the desktop. We will talk about field by field.
State
Enable or disable the pool
When VM is not in use
Do nothing
Let the VM on the active state.
Always on.
Be sure the VM is always on. If the user shutdown the VM, VMware View will power on the VM.
Power off VM
Supend VM
Automatic logoff after disconnect
Never
Immediatly
After
Logoffthe user after x minute.
Refresh OS disk on logoff
Delete all modification done by the User (delete the delta disk file)
Never
Always
On each logoff
Every
Every x days
At
Based on disk % utilization
Allow user to reset their desktop
Allow the user tho reset the VM. (In case of Blue Screen, VM not responding)
Display Protocol
Default Display Protocol
Defin the default display protocol
PCoIP
RDP
Allow users to override the default protocol
Allow the users to change the display protocol
Max number of monitor
Permit to change the maximum number of monitor from 1 to 4. Be carefull, you have to change the RAM dedicated to the Graphical Adapter of the VM too. Because, if you don't allow enough of RAM for Video Card, you shouldn't see the desktop, but have black screen, or cannot use full screen mode.
Resolution of each monitor
Same warning that with the max number of monitor options.
Adobe flash
You have to install the VMware Adobe Flash Optimizer for using these options.
Adobe flah quality
Set the flash quality
Do not control
Low
Medium
High
Adobe Flash Throttling
Set the frame rate
Disabled
Adobe Flash content is disable entirely
Conservative
Timer interval is 100 milliseconds. This settings results in the highest frame rate
Moderate
Timer interval is 500 milliseconds
Aggressive
Timer interval is 2500 milliseconds
VMware Provisioning Settings
You can choose two different provisionning settings :
Simple
You indicate the number of desktop that you would like to provisionne.
Advanced settings
Allow you to manage the mininum desktop number, available and maximum number. The available option allow you to provision x number of desktop ready to be assigned.
VMware Provisioning Settings