With the latest release from VMware on the virtual center, it does provide the LIVE CLONE features which previously I had also suggested to the local VMware representative. What is Live Clone, Live clone meants you can now clone the VM in online status.
This had been really impressed and simplify the day to day task for our operation perspective. We know the snapshot manager is the option do help when we apply changes to the VM, but some how for critical machine, we do need to have clone another set of VM in case for roll back purpose.
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I had tested both environment with my test machine which is DELL Precesion Workstation with 2 x 2.0 Quad core, which had total of 17GB ECC memory loaded with 3 SATA disk contain more than 1TB local storage. Below is the comparison I had done during the test.
Installation – ESX 3.5i had advantages as the entire process is fast and simple. ESX 3.5 require more interaction as it looks similiar to Linux installation. I know the ESX 3.5 can be script and customize by using the ks.cfg which I had done previously for mass deployment. For comparison 1 to 1, ESX 3.5i is much more easier and faster.
Configuration – Basically I dun really find much different as I do manage this machine with my virtual center. The only different is the Linux connection and command no longer usable on ESX 3.5i. By the way, I read some artical to tweak around to make the SSH work on the 3.5i, but I will prefer to proceed with powershell or CLI if I do need to use command prompt.
Perfomance – ESX 3.5i had better through put. In my test, I created 3 VM which 2 of them running on Windows 2003 SP2 with 4GB memory and 4Vcpu, plus additional 1 VM with SUSE Linux. I did the same on ESX 3.5 too. The respond on the ESX 3.5i is much smooth and not lacking, as ESX 3.5 you will see some lacking from the console open on Virtual center. Follow by file copy test, the VM on ESX 3.5i is slightly faster than ESX 3.5. just less than a minute faster which I tried to copy some file with 20GB. Beside these points, I had not found anything different.
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When I try to log in to my virtual center to verify my VM farm today, the virtual center show my ESX host had been disconnected from the virtual center by itself. The ESX host itself should be running in critical mode as production and had HA and DRS enable on the cluster. The 1st thing I try to verify is to ensure all my VM and the ESX host is still in production mode, and yes, all the VM is not been down and it still run as normal while it disconnected.
Here is what I did to reconfigure my ESX host and re-join it back to the HA and DRS cluster in my production farm.
Disable the HA and DRS features from the cluster, and totally remove the ESX host from the inventory on Virtual Center server. Follow by that, I SSH in to the ESX host with su -, then I path to the /etc/init.d and look for the services mgmt-VMware status command
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