2009-09-23

And I do use memory over-commit

One of the most ridiculous things that Microsoft are saying as of late is that the feature in vSphere that allows you to over commit memory, is not such a big thing and that most people do not use it anyway - here here and here.

If you saw my previous post you will see that I managed to double the amount of virtual machines running on the same host (from 8 to 16 VM's running Windows 2003 Server 1GB RAM) without changing the 8GB RAM configuration on the host.

Would I be able to do this with Hyper-V? Hell No!

So I will say this again to Microsoft. Customers use Memory over-commit, they use it daily, and use it all the time. As long as you do not have this feature - this will be a strong point against using your product.

Enough said about that!

Nehalem Processors Are Great

A client came to me a few months ago requesting help with a problem they had.

They have a system that does some (I guess you can call it) grid computing. They were using 20 desktops with XP to compute perform some calculations, and the the process was taking 10 hours , utilizing ~100% CPU on each machine throughout the process.

Because of  a change that was made in the algorithm, the process would now take 22 hours to complete, for the same amount of calculations and that was not an acceptable result.

We wanted to test, would it be possible to cram a large amount of Virtual machines to do the work and we came up with the following solution:

  1. 3 IBM x3550 Dual E5430 Processors
  2. 8 GB RAM
  3. ESX3i on each of them
  4. 8 Windows Server 2003 VM's on each server (total of 24 VM's)

We saw that when the Virtual machines were busy doing the calculation process, they were utilizing 100% of the vCPU, bringing the host to very close to 100% utilization during the calculations. This was the hard limit of 8 VM's on each host.

The amazing thing was that the same run that would have taken 22 hours on physical Desktops now took on these three servers 8 hours (a 275% increase in performance). The client was thrilled!

We tested different configurations of more VM's with lower CPU limits, but since the utilization was 100% regardless of the speed of the vCPU, the results stayed that the optimized configuration was 8 VM's per host.

The cost for the whole design (including a test Server and a Management sever) was

prices1

Fast forward 6 months. Budget issues, etc. etc.

Client comes to say that they are ready to go forward with the project. But there was one slight problem. During that period IBM announced that they were going over to a new series of Servers (x3550M2) and that the old ones were no longer available for purchase.

And also during that period ESX4 was released.

New servers were tested with the same data as before, this time on a x3550M2 with Dual E5530 Processors.

We fired up the tests with the same 8 VM's as before. the results were pretty much the same. Except for one small thing. We were seeing that the the CPU was only 50% utilized (or more correctly only 50% of the cores were being used) Huh??

Where did I get another 8 cores from? The answer - Hyper threading!

With Hyper threading enabled -  the machine recognized 16 cores. So we deployed another 8 VM's (16 in total on one host). And of course there was no problem of RAM, because since all the machines are exactly the same,

I am not saying that in all use cases this will work, but this one did. We ran the tests, and instead of the results we had with the previous hardware of 8 hours, the job was now complete in 5 (a 60% increase in performance). With this metric, we now could reduce the number of physical Hosts from 3 down to 2. Also the pricing for VMware Software that was on the original configuration (Foundation Accelerator Kit) was now replaced with the VMware Essentials at a lower price (40%). In the same configuration we now configured the system with 2 ESX hosts and 32 VM's.

the new price for the project.

prices2

So yes, the Nehalem Processors, are a good thing, and in this specific case - it managed to lower the costs and boost the performance.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

How To Manage VMware Server 2.0.x ?

When VMware released the free product VMware Server 2.0.0 version, they decided to get rid of the Console client application.

Was this a good thing? Some say no, some say that it was, personally - I think it was a mistake to ditch the Console.

A bit of background.

When you install Server 2.0.x, bundled with it you get an Apache/Tomcat installation on your host.

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Now this is something that I find personally annoying. Take for example a Windows Host. Windows has IIS built in. So why do I need to add another Web server to the machine. Same goes for Linux by the way, this will install its own Web Server, regardless if you are already using Apache on you Linux host

And it uses resources..

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This is the management console that you receive.

image

There are certain use cases for running Server instead of ESXi, to name a few - non compatible hardware, access to USB devices, sound etc. that you cannot get with using ESXi

But never fear, and this is not a very well documented feature, but it is available. Some of you might have heard about a management tool that can help. It is free, it is a VMware product and most of you are already using it.

If you have not already guessed, I am talking about the vSphere Infrastructure Client.

So how would you go about doing this? Well it is pretty simple. When managing your host through the Web interface you went to the following ling (my host IP = 10.0.0.5) https://10.0.0.5:8333/ui/#

So what you should do is open the VIC and in the host field connect to the host but on port 8333 like this:

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Login with your credentials and then you get a familiar screen

image

Note the subtle differences though

image image

image

image

image

image

image

And last but not least a remote console to a working VM

image

This is fully functional. You can create VM's, change resources, Snapshots, the works!

And of course I do not need apache running and using resources.

image

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Why did I find it important to bring this to your attention? With this method it allows you use a single tool and application to manage all your virtual hosts, be they:

  • VMware Server
  • ESXi
  • vCenter

I find it useful in my mixed VMware environment.

Hope you Enjoyed the ride!

2009-09-17

Windows 2000 - R.I.P.

From this this post on Technet - we can finally say that if you have a Windows 2000 Server in your enviroment - GET RID OF IT!!!!!! (or at least before July 13, 2010)
Another small thing to note - Service Pack 2 for Windows 2003 - was the last, there will be no no SP3.
Here is the short version.
Windows 2000 Server
Extended Support for Windows 2000 Server will end on July 13, 2010. At this time, Windows 2000 Server will no longer be publicly supported.  You will be able to continue using "Self-Help Online Support"*
Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2
Also on July 13, 2010, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2 (at a supported service pack level) will move from the Mainstream Support phase to the Extended Support phase.  During the Extended Support phase:
  • Microsoft will continue to provide security updates and paid support (Example: Premier and Essential support, per-incident telephone/web support, etc.)
  • Customers will continue to have access to all security updates and Self-Help Online Support options (Example: Knowledge Base articles, online product information etc.)
  • Non-security hotfixes developed during the Extended Support phase will be provided ONLY to customers who enroll in Extended Hotfix Support (EHS).
Please note: If you'd like to enroll in EHS, customers must already have a Premier Support contract. In addition, customers must enroll in EHS within the first 90 days of the Extended Support phase.  Program and per fix fees may also apply.  Customers with Software Assurance can enroll in EHS at any time.  
Service Pack 3 for Windows Server 2003
We have received inquiries from our customers and partners on whether or not there will be a need for a Service Pack 3 for Windows Server 2003.  Microsoft will not have a SP3 release for Windows Server 2003
To Summarize...
  • Self-Help Online Support* will be available for Windows 2000 Server after Extended Support before it ends on July 13, 2010.
  • Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2 will begin an extended support phase on July 13, 2010
  • There will be no Service Pack 3 for Windows Server 2003
Go forth and upgrade!! (or retire)

2009-09-16

My New Year's Resolutions

According to Jewish religion, the year is based on the lunar calendar and coming up at the end of this week is Rosh Hashanah - the beginning of the new Jewish Year.
No, I am not getting religious on you all, but it is a good time for self refection on what I have done this past year, and what I would like to accomplish in the upcoming year.
I was asked to prepare the vision for where we are going in the next year compared to where we are today.
I though I would share with you the list that I came up with (with no particular order of importance)
Internal Cloud
  • Collaboration of virtual resources across the forest
    • Connect the different virtual Centers together with Virtual Center Linked-mode
    • Allow for check-out - migration - check back in on a different global location
Security
  • Tighten Virtualization security across the board
    • Host
    • Virtual Machines
    • Virtual Center
  • Procedures - Standardize procedures for more conformity and better operations
  • Auditing changes made to the Infrastructure to allow a paper trail
  • Look into utilizing VMSafe for security on the host for virtual machines when they become more widely available
Automation
  • Utilize more scripting for more standardization of procedures (PowerCLI)
  • Make use of Orchestrator for workflows and deployment
  • 3rd party / native tools for monitoring / alerts / problem identification and resolution
Storage
  • Utilize the latest storage technologies for
    • Thin provisioning
    • Storage de-duplication
    • Storage offloaded snapshots
    • Storage replication between sites (SRM)
BCP/DR
  • More efficient backup methods and faster restore time
  • Start testing SRM
Cost / chargeback
  • Define a cost model for each workload we offer
  • Realistic chargeback according to resources consumed
Network
  • 10gb Ethernet for higher throughput using iSCSI/NFS on the backbone network
  • FCOE
  • Integration with Cisco Nexus 1000 for bettor control and conformity of network policies and compatibility in our current Infrastructure
The Human Factor
  • Education to the end user - virtualization does not mean a hit in performance - on the contrary
  • Not every machine needs 4gb RAM 2 Quad cores
  • Virtualization can save money both on CAPEX and OPEX
The Business
  • Continue assistance to R&D / PD with enabling them to perform their job better / faster / easier
  • Lab manager - start to work with these products - for better productivity
  • Help the business with developing a Virtual Appliance Version of our product
Wishing you all a good year with good things to come (also in the virtualization world)
Shana Tova!

2009-09-14

Search Engines - Are They Biased ?

So who would you believe?

Microsoft or Google?

Quick search for VMware on

Bing

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and on Google

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Or are they just not as good as one another?

Quick search for Barack Obama on

Bing

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and on Google

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You be the judge.

Performance Troubleshooting for VMware vSphere 4

A new white paper has been published by Hal Rosenberg from VMware 

it is a 51 page document, with step-by-step walkthroughs of how to troubleshoot performance problems on an ESX host regarding all aspects - Network, Storage, CPU, RAM, Guest, and Host.

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The troubleshooting process starts with the top-level troubleshooting flow in Top-Level Troubleshooting Flow. However, the introductory material includes background information that is important for the successful completion of a performance troubleshooting effort. Identifying Performance Problems discusses what we mean by a performance problem, and how to tell when observed behavior is and is not a problem. Performance Troubleshooting Methodology gives an overview of the troubleshooting methodology used in this document. Using This Guide discusses how to use this guide. The guided approach makes using this document different than reading a typical manual. Performance Tools Overview gives an overview of the performance monitoring tools used in the troubleshooting process. Starting with Top-Level Troubleshooting Flow, the remainder of the document covers the process of using the performance monitoring tools to identify observable performance problems, find the root-cause of those problems, and then fix the causes.

A highly recommended document for all ESX Admins.

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The vSphere Blogging Contest - It Begins!!

From the WebEx that held this evening (IDT 21.00), VMware will be announcing a new bloggers contest that will be focusing on specific technologies over the next few months.

Keep your browsers open and refreshing automatically (until John gets the page up) pointing at
this page - where the contest will be announced.
(Update.. - The page is now live)

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So what is VMware looking for? (I have cut the email address - until the official announcement)

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The timeline of contest is as follows

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The rules (so I am sorry Duncan - you cannot participate)

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The idea behind this contest is to promote the leading features - and get more in-depth information about these features out to the public.

So I will play, not for the prizes. I mean, I blog anyway on most of these subjects.

All-in-all a nice idea - it should bring some more publicity to the winning blog entry (and blogger) and of course allow us bloggers to spread our religion about next best thing since sliced bread.

Hope you enjoyed the ride.

FTP client in ESXi

This one I saw from a Tweet from lamw.

Of course activating the shell console on ESXi is not supported - I do not need to remind you about that. But, if you already have done it and would like to transfer files in and out of your ESXi host with FTP, here is how.

VMTN Thread

~ # ftpget
BusyBox v1.9.1-VMware-visor-654 (2008-12-17 10:01:32 PST) multi-call binary

Usage: ftpget [options] remote-host local-file remote-file

Retrieve a remote file via FTP

Options:
        -c,--continue   Continue previous transfer
        -v,--verbose    Verbose
        -u,--username   Username
        -p,--password   Password
        -P,--port       Port number

~ # ftpput
BusyBox v1.9.1-VMware-visor-654 (2008-12-17 10:01:32 PST) multi-call binary

Usage: ftpput [options] remote-host remote-file local-file

Store a local file on a remote machine via FTP

Options:
        -v,--verbose    Verbose
        -u,--username   Username
        -p,--password   Password
        -P,--port       Port number

 

2009-09-10

How to Prepare for Enterprise Plus?

Last week I prepared a short explanation of what changes there are in vSphere Licensing in anticipation of the upcoming date of December 15, 2009 whereas we will no longer be able to purchase vSphere ESX Enterprise.

Think this is a good summation of what your options are, and thought that I would share it with the community.

It is always good idea to be pro-active, instead of re-active.

With the release of vSphere at the end of May 2009, the licensing Structure for vSphere has changed  from the previous structure that we are accustomed to in VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3.5 (VI3)

1. There is no change in vCenter Server Licensing.

2. vSphere is now sold per physical CPU. The VI3 license was always for 2 CPU's. As of the change to vSphere it is priced per CPU, so please take care when placing your orders.

3. The editions in which ESX are now offered have changed from what was available in VI3

Editions Available in ESX 3.x were:

                Foundation

                Standard

                Enterprise

Editions available in ESX 4.x are:

- Essentials / Essentials Plus (Bundle)

- Standard

- Advanced

- Enterprise (*This is a special case that will explained later in detail)

- Enterprise plus

Below is a schematic as to how the different editions map between the versions
(all Prices in the document are VMware List Price)

clip_image001

 

Here is the feature breakdown for the new versions

clip_image002

Most of the Servers deployed today in our company are using the ESX Enterprise version, and using the Enterprise features of: VMotion, Storage VMotion, and DRS.

In order to accommodate customers VMware decided to continue the Enterprise License - but only until the End of the year (December 15, 2009). Thereafter, this edition will not be available for purchase. This has been confirmed with VMware support and licensing departments and on numerous locations in the Virtual community.

What does this mean for customers and for company in particular?

1. Starting December 16, 2009 - Enterprise will no longer be an option for purchase.

2. The Enterprise version will continue to be supported after the deadline mentioned above.

3. We will have to choose which version we will purchase instead - Enterprise Plus or Advanced.

  • Advanced

    We will be able to continue to use most of the features we have been using until now - besides two important features

    - Storage VMotion (migration of VM's from one storage device to another in real-time)

    - DRS (Dynamic Resource Scheduling of optimal placement of Virtual machines  - based on their 
      utilization)
  • Enterprise Plus

    This will include all previously used features plus the new features of Host Profiles, Distributed vSwitch and 8-way vSMP.

Important issues to note if upgrading to Enterprise Plus

  • If you currently use the features of SVMotion and DRS and plan to do so in the future then you will have to purchase the Enterprise Plus license. 
  • The new features that come with Enterprise plus will only work if all of the hosts in that cluster are at the same level.

That leaves you with some choices

  • Create separate clusters with only Enterprise Plus licenses (which will limit redundancy in your clusters)
  • Upgrade your entire cluster to Enterprise Plus (50% discount on upgrade until mid-December, but includes mandatory maintenance fees for additional year)
  • Mix your cluster with Enterprise and Enterprise Plus and continue to utilize SVMotion and DRS, forfeit the new features, but leave place for future growth
  • Purchase Advanced instead and save the extra expense but give up on the SVMotion and DRS.

In addition, the new Essentials/Essentials Plus Package - are ideal for for small environments / lab solutions - the package includes:

vCenter (limited to manage 3 hosts)          

6 CPU licenses of ESX

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To recap and summarize

- Licenses are now per single Physical CPU

- Enterprise will be available for order only until mid-December 2009

- Enterprise Plus will have planning issues which can be solved by:

  • Separate Clusters
  • Upgrade current Enterprise to Enterprise Plus (better to do before mid-December)
  • Evaluate if the features are needed, and if not go down to Advanced

- Essentials/Essentials Plus can be a cost-effective solution for small environments/ labs.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

2009-09-09

Master Luc (LucD22)

I would like you all to give a very warm welcome to Luc Dekens.

Luc is one of the Masters of PowerCLI Forums. If you have a question about Powershell and VMware - he is the guy to ask - and he will answer!

He has finally started a Blog - I advise you to follow each and every post - it is a gem

2009-09-06

More VMworld 2009 Numbers

Continuing this post from Dave Lawrence - VMworld 2009 by the numbers I will add a few of my own.

  • 29 video interviews done by John Troyer on the VMworld Live Ustream channel
  • 23 (at least) new VCP4's
  • 251 blog posts that came through on PlanetV12N about VMworld
  • 7600 Tweets that have accumulated in my inbox (I use Twinbox) Since the beginning of VMworld
  • 35MB - The amount of storage space - those 7600 tweets use in my PST
  • 11 Blog posts on my blog about VMworld 2009 (and counting) - AND I WAS NOT EVEN THERE!!!
Thanks for a great Show!

2009-09-03

Best of VMworld 2009 Contest Winners

Category: Business Continuity and Data Protection

Gold: Vizioncore Inc., vRanger Pro 4.0
Finalist: Veeam Software Inc., Veeam Backup & Replication
Finalist: PHD Virtual Technologies, esXpress n 3.6

Category: Security and Virtualization
Gold
: Hytrust, Hytrust Appliance
Finalist: Catbird Networks Inc., Catbird vCompliance


Category: Virtualization Management
Gold: Netuitive Inc., Netuitive SI for Virtual Data Centers
Finalist: Veeam Software, Veeam Management Suite
Finalist: Embotics Corp., V-Commander 3.0

Category: Hardware for Virtualization
Gold: Cisco Systems Inc., Unified Computing System
Finalist: Xsigo Systems, VP780 I/O Director 2.0
Finalist: AFORE Solutions Inc., ASE3300

Category: Desktop Virtualization
Gold: AppSense, AppSense Environment Manager, 8.0
Finalist: Liquidware Labs, Stratusphere
Finalist: Virtual Computer Inc., NxTop

Category: Cloud Computing Technologies
Gold: Mellanox Technologies, Italio Cloud Appliance
Finalist: InContinuum Software, CloudController v 1.5
Finalist: Catbird Networks Inc., Catbird V-Security Cloud Edition

Category: New Technology
Winner: VirtenSys, Virtensys IOV switch VMX-500LSR

Category: Best of Show
Winner: Hytrust, Hytrust Appliance

 

Congratulations to all the Winners!!!

2009-09-02

New Free Products from Vizioncore

Vizioncore have released 3 new products that are free.

vControl

vControl Multi-Hypervisor Management provides multi-VM control and task-based automation to reduce VM administration and improve consistency. Furthermore, vControl Multi-Hypervisor Management allows organizations to automate manual and repetitive tasks while enabling a cost-effective solution for high availability in the data center.

Working across multiple platforms, including VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and Sun Solaris Zones, vControl gives administrators the power to manage single or multiple VMs one-by-one or simultaneously. Finally, vControl Multi-Hypervisor Management provides pre-configured workflows to manage daily tasks, as well as a workflow builder for customization.

vControl Multi-Hypervisor Management helps organizations:

  • Reduce virtual machine (VM) administration time and errors without sacrificing control of the virtual environment
  • Perform various actions on a single VM or for multiple VMs to reduce time and effort
  • Automate manual and repetitive tasks while freeing up time to perform more valuable tasks
  • Reduce the costs of providing high availability (HA) to VMs
  • Reduce VM configuration and setup times while preventing oversight


More Details here

vConverter

vConverter SC freeware from Vizioncore is enterprise-class software that significantly reduces the time, cost, and effort required to convert physical and virtual machines to VMware®, Microsoft®, or XenServer. vConverter SC is suitable for all types and sizes of server consolidation initiatives where several or even thousands of physical servers need to be virtualized.

vConverter SC enables fast, easy and reliable conversions without disrupting the source physical system during the conversion process. There is no need to reboot, no need to visit machines being converted and no software to install on the source, which means virtually no downtime, thus significantly reducing the time and cost of the conversion process. vConverter SC also automates many time consuming and error prone conversion tasks such as target VM configuration and post conversion clean up.


More details here


vOPtimizer Wastefinder

vOptimizer WasteFinder is powerful freeware product that scans through VMware vCenter Servers (formerly Virtual Center) to locate over allocated virtual storage and misaligned Virtual Machines (VMs). The vOptimizer WasteFinder Space and Alignment Report provides totals of wasted storage and also a potential savings estimate if the space is reclaimed.

This unique storage optimization solution allows organizations to determine whether they are wasting expensive storage assets, to locate which VMs will yield the best storage reclamation results, and to discover how much money they are really spending on unused virtual storage. Potential savings estimates are calculated using customer provided storage costs and free space requirements to ensure accuracy.

vOptimizer WasteFinder also locates all VMs that not properly aligned on 64K partition boundaries. Improperly aligned VMs experience decreased I/O throughput and higher latency. Optionally, vOptimizer Pro from Vizioncore can be purchased to quickly and easily reclaim wasted virtual storage and to align VMs to proper 64K partition boundaries.

More Details here

Keep these wonderful products coming!!!

VMware GO - Will You GO?

VMware has announced the Beta release of their new management product for ESXi free -
VMware GO.

From the short summary of the product

VMware Go is a Cloud based application that enables you get up and running quickly with VMware virtualization in a completely automated fashion.

  • Web Browser Interface
  • Easy-to-use Wizard
  • Quickly create ESXis
  • Easily add VMs
  • Manage ESXis and VMs

Ok I have already gone through the motions of installing. A few points that I have noted.

  1. Supported OS XP SP3, Vista 32bit SP2, Vista 64bit SP2 (No Windows Server OS).
  2. Support Browsers: IE 7 & up, Firefox 3 & up.
  3. I found the the installation finicky - with Firefox - because of the .Net components
  4. The whole application is run from your browser on the web - it is a cloud App.

I posted a few questions on the forum, which immediately came to mind.

  1. All the data is stored where - I gather with VMware somewhere on a DB - correct?
  2. Is the GO interface the only way to interact with the product?
  3. From what I remember - the API's in ESXi free were read only - so what changed that this now allows changes?
  4. Will there be a possibility to run the GO application on my network - and not with VMware? (Virtual Appliance)
  5. What information is collected by VMware and what is done with this information?

The answers I received

  1. VMware Go stores information that's discovered from your ESXi servers, VMs, Patch Data, etc in a secure database.
  2. The Go interface is the only way to interact with that data at this time. Although future versions will be able to export data and get more extensive reports.
  3. VMware Go can read and write from your ESXi installation using the VMware PowerCLI. It does not interface to ESXi through APIs.
  4. VMware Go is a SaaS application that runs in the cloud and cannot be run locally on your network. However, since the VMware Go agent runs on your client machine, you can access ESXi and VMs running on your network and they can be used by VMware Go.
    VMware Go is available for free on the internet, there are no plans for intranet versions for personal use.
  5. The information stored by VMware Go like IP address, ESXi Config data, etc, are stored only to create a good user experience in VMware Go and improve future reporting capabilities.

So from these answers I was left with even more questions? (and Texiwill - forgive me for being the paranoid security guy here in your place)

  • People will have issues "entrusting" their infrastructure to an application that they have absolutely no control over
  • I have no idea of what information is stored in on VMware's servers.
  • I have no idea what VMware will do with this information?
  • Who can assure that the information will not be compromised?
  • How all of a sudden did the read-only API in the free ESXi become read/write?
  • If the configuration can be triggered from the WWW is this not punching a whole in the corporate LAN?

I know that this is free, I know that is targeted to the SMB market but quoting Wikipedia

EU Member States traditionally have their own definition of what constitutes an SME, for example the traditional definition in Germany had a limit of 250 employees, while, for example, in Belgium it could have been 100. But now the EU has started to standardize the concept. Its current definition categorizes companies with fewer than 10 employees as "micro", those with fewer than 50 employees as "small", and those with fewer than 250 as "medium".[1] By contrast, in the United States, when small business is defined by the number of employees, it often refers to those with fewer than 100 employees, while medium-sized business often refers to those with fewer than 500 employees.

Will those businesses allow the first 5 points that I mentioned above to endanger their environment?

I as one would suggest that they make this available as a application (Virtual Appliance like almost everything that is being added today) that each customer can run in his own infrastructure.

Would be interested to hear your opinions.

You can follow the thread here

2009-09-01

VMWorld – for the masses (not in SF)

For all of you people (like me) who are not able to attend the conference in San Francisco – a post on the VMWorld communities about a decent number of sessions that you can view online (for free)

None of these sessions are available as live sessions at the conference

Here is the Available List:

BC2082 VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager Performance and Best Practice
BC2253 Pain-free VMware Agentless Backup AND Recovery - VCB & Beyond
BC3083 Mission Critical: Virtualization and Robust DR Architectures for Vital Systems
BC3602 VMware Fault Tolerance - vSphere Workflows and API Considerations
DV1406 Integrating VMware View with your VPN
EA1396 SQL, Exchange and SharePoint Deployments on EMC Celerra Unified Storage
EA3216 Best Practice for Virtualizing Active Directory using vSphere
EA3579 Oracle Enterprise Workloads on VMware How-To
TA1440 Networking in ESX: VM DirectPath Dynamic - the road to Direct VM to Hardware
TA3488 All Hypervisors Are Not Created Equal - The Unique Advantages of VMware ESX
V12789 VMware vCenter Converter 101
VM2711 Virtual Infrastructure Performance Optimization: From the Data Center to the Desktop
VM3237 vCenter Databases: Setup, Management and Best Practices
VM3237 VC Linked Mode in vSphere 4.0
VM3325 vSphere and ESXi Log Files 101 & 102
VM3404 Alarms for vCenter 4.0
VM3414 Study Reveals Production Best Practices for Virtualization

 

Enjoy!!