Disabling the virtual machine. Comparative Vmware Server and VMware Workstation Overview

Video recording of demonstration in good quality - 720p - everything is clearly visible. For those who do not want to watch the video - under the cut decoding demonstration and screenshots.

Disclaimers:

1. Transcript with small editing.
2. Please remember the difference in writing and oral speech.
3. Screenshots B. big amountotherwise nothing to disassemble.

Colleagues, good afternoon. We begin to demonstrate VMware NSX. So, what would like to show today. Our demo infrastructure is deployed on the basis of our MUK distributor. Infrastructure is quite small - these are three servers, servers have ESXI in the 6th version of the update 1 V-center updated, that is, the most freshest thing we can offer.

In this structure, we have received several VLANs from NSX network engineers, in which the server segment can be placed, video desktops, a segment that has access to the Internet in order to access the video desktop. On the Internet, well, access to transit networks so that colleagues from MUK can connect from the inner network, right? Any operations related, for example, if I want for some demo or some pilot to create a few more network port-group networks make a more complex configuration, you need to contact colleagues from MUK, ask them to work on equipment - That has done it there.
If I need to interact between segments, then either again negotiate with the networks, or in a simple thing - a small machine, a router inside, two interfaces, there and here, as we used to do.

Accordingly, the use of NSX 10 pursues two goals: on the one hand, it is to show how it works not on virtuals, on the gland, yes, that it really works and it is convenient; The second moment is to really simplify the specific tasks. Accordingly, we see in this moment? At the moment we see what virtual machines appeared in this infrastructure after NSX has been implemented. Some of them are mandatory, it is impossible without them. Some appeared due to a certain setup of the infrastructure itself.

Accordingly, the NSX-manager is mandatory - this is main server.through which we can interact with NSX, it provides the V-center web client to its graphical interface, it allows you to access it through the REST API in order to automate some actions that can be done with NSX or some scripts, Or, for example, from various cloud portals. For example, VMware VREALIZE Automation or portals of other vendors. For technical NSX-y, you need a cluster from NSX controllers, that is, these servers execute an official role. They define, they know, yes, they store information about how the physical ESXI server, which IP addresses and MAC addresses are currently present, what new servers we have added, which falls off, distribute this information on ESXI SERVER, that is, in fact, when we have created using the NSX, L2 segment, which must be available on several ESXI servers and the virtual machine attempted to send an IP package to another virtual machine in the same L2 segment, NSX Controllers know exactly what a host actually needs to be delivered. And they regularly give this information. Each host owns a table, which IP, which MAC addresses on which hosts are, what are real, physically packages need to be transmitted.

If we open the configuration of any host, we can see the same interface through which packages will be transmitted over the network. That is, we have the parameters of the VMKERNEL adapter, this host will be using this IP address to the VXLAN network packages. A little bit here we have a small monitor, so you have to get out.

And we see that a separate TCP / IP STACK is used to transfer these packages, that is, it can be a separate default gateway different from the usual VMkernel interface. That is, from the point of view of physics: in order to deploy it in the demo, I needed one VLAN, in which I can accommodate these interfaces; preferably - and I checked that this VLAN is not only distributed on these three servers, it will stretch a little further if the fourth-fifth server appears, for example, not in the same chassis, where these blades are standing, and somewhere separate maybe even not in this VLAN-E, but which is routed here, I can add, for example, the fourth server that will be in another network, but they will be able to communicate with each other, I can stretch my L2 networks created using NSX from these three servers, including this new fourth.

Well, actually now go to how NSX himself looks like, that is, what can we do with it with a mouse and keyboard, right? We are not talking about the REST API when we want to automate anything.

Section Installation (Now we are there, I hope you will switch) allows us to see who we have a manager, how many controllers, the controllers themselves unfold from here. That is, the manager we download from the site VMware, this is Template, we turn it out and implement in the V-Center. Next, we set up the manager, specify a login-password to connect to the V-Center to the server in order for it to register the plugin here. After that, we connect to this already interface, say: "We must implement controllers."

The minimum, if we say, for example, about some test bench, the controller may even be one, the system will work, but it is not recommended. The recommended configuration is three controllers, preferably on different servers, on different stars, so that the failure of a component cannot lead to the loss of all three controllers at once.

We can also determine which hosts and which clusters running this V-center of the server will interact with NSX. In fact, not necessarily the entire infrastructure running a single V-Center server will work with it, there may be some sample clusters. Selecting clusters, we must install additional modules on them that allow the ESXI server to make encapsulation / decapsulation of VXLAN packets, this is done, again, from this interface. That is, you do not need to go to SSH, you do not need any modules manually copy, from here they pressed the button, traveled the status "It turned out / failed".

Next, we must choose, in fact, how this setting of the VMKernel interface will occur. That is, we choose a distributed switch, choose an applint, that is, where it happens; Select the load balancing parameters when the links are several, depending on this, when we have only one IP address of this type, sometimes there may be several. Now we use in mode one by one.

Next, we must select the VXLAN ID. That is, VXLAN is a technology that resembles VLAN, but these are additional tags that allow in one real segment to isolate different types of traffic. If the VLAN identifiers are 4 thousand of them, the VXLAN identifiers are their 16 million. Here we actually choose a certain range of VXLAN numbers segments that when automatic creation Logical switches, will be assigned to them.

How to choose them? Actually, as you want, of this range, if you have a big infrastructure and there may be several NSX implements so that they do not intersect. Quite simply. Actually, just like VLAN. That is, I use the range from 18001 to 18999.

Next, we can create the so-called transport zone. What is the transport area? If the infrastructure is large enough, imagine, you have about the order of hundreds of ESXI-Serve, about 10 servers on the cluster, you have 10 clusters. We can not use all of them to work with NSX. Those of them that we have involved, we can use as one infrastructure, and we can break, for example, into several groups. To say that we have the first three clusters - this is one island, from the fourth to the tenth - it is a different island. That is, by creating transport areas, we indicate how far this vxlan segment can spread. I have three servers here, you will not know much, right? Therefore, everything is right here. Just all the hosts from me fall into this zone.

And one more important point. When setting up the zone, we control how to go information sharing information about IP addresses, MAC addresses. It can be unicast, it can be MultyCast L2 level, it can be unicast, routed via L3 level. Again, depending on the network topology.

These are such a certain preliminary things, that is, again I repeat: everything that took place from the network infrastructure is that I have all the hosts on which NSX should operate with each other by IP using if necessary, including, including and ordinary routing. And the second moment is that MTU here in this segment, where they interact, was 1600 bytes, and not 1500 - as it happens usually. If I can't get 1600 bytes, so I just have to in all designs that I create in the NSX-E, clearly fasten the MTU, for example in 1400 so that I fit in the physical transport in 1500.

Further. I use NSX, I can create a logical switch. This is the easiest way to compare with the traditional network (VLAN to cut). The only thing that, no matter how I know, where my physical servers are connected, yes, here are the same switches. Theoretically network can be more complex. You may have some of the servers are connected to one switch, part to another, somewhere L2, somewhere L3. As a result, actually creating a logical switch, we cut VLAN immediately on all switches through which traffic will go. Why? Because in fact we create VXLAN, and the real physical traffic that will see switches - it is traffic from an IP address per hypervisor to an IP address of another hypervisor, the UDP type, inside the VXLAN content.

That is, thus cutting networks is very easy. We simply say: "Create a new segment", choose the type of transport Unicast, choose which transport zone, that is, in fact, on which ESXI clusters this segment will be available. We are waiting for a little - and now this segment will appear. In fact, what happens when we create these segments? That is, how to connect a virtual machine there? There are two options for this.

Option number time.

We say directly from here that connecting a virtual machine to the physical network. And some of our customers said: "Oh, this is what our networks want." They go to network settings, and says, here you have, lace from the car, including in the port of a logical switch, right? And choose, here - the car, here, respectively, the interface.

Either the second option. In fact, when creating a logical switch, the NSX manager refers to the server's V-center and creates a port group on a distributed switch. Therefore, in fact, we can go just in the properties of the virtual machine, select the desired port group, turn on the virtual machine there. Since the name is generated programmatically, it will include the name of this logical switch, the number of the VXLAN-segment. That is, in principle, from a regular V-Customer-Customer, it is clear enough, in the gamble the logical segment you turn on the virtual machine.

Further. A few more machines that were visible at the very beginning, yes? And here, where did they come from. Some NSX functions implements directly at the module level in the ESXI kernel. This, for example, routing between these segments is a firewall during the transition between these segments, or even within this segment, some functions are implemented using additional virtual machines. So-called Edge Gateways or Additional Services when needed. What do we see here? We see that in my infrastructure there are three of them, one of them is called NSX-DLR, DLR is a Distributed Logical Router. This is a service virtual machine that allows the distributed router to NSX-E to work, it does not have network traffic through it, it is not data-playn, but if our distributed router is involved, for example, in the exchange of routes using the Dynamic Routing Protocols BGP, OSPF, From somewhere these all routes should fall, other routers must contact someone and share this information. Someone should be responsible for the status of a distributed router or not. " That is, it is actually a certain management module of a distributed router. When it is configured, we can specify that it should work reliably, respectively, two virtual machines in the HA-pair will be introduced. If one for some reason has become unavailable, the second one will work on its place. Two other EDGEs that have the type of NSX Edge are virtual machines through which the traffic that goes into external networks that are not managed by the NSX-Ohm. In my scripts, they are used for two tasks: NSX Edge is simply connected to the internal networks of the MUK data center network, it eats, for example, my V-Center is how it was on the usual standard port group, it works there. In order for I could with some virtual machine on the NSX Logical Sweethell to reach the V-Center, I need someone who will connect them. Binds them with me this virtual machine. She, indeed, one interface is connected to a logical switch, another interface is connected to a conventional port group on Standart Switch to ESXI, which is called NSX Internet EDGE. Guess what is different? It is about the same, but the port group to which it connects is the port group that is connected to the DNZ network in which honest white Internet addresses work. That is, on it now, on one of its interfaces, a white IP address is configured and you can connect to this demo, using NSX Networking. Accordingly, additional services such as distributed routing, we configure here in the firewall point, if we want to make firewall, if we want to do NAT, if we want to do Log Balancing or, for example, VPN, with an external connection, for this we open properties Internet EDGE.

We sprawl a little in time, so I will not show everything that I wanted to show.
Accordingly, in the EDGE properties, we can control the firewall, this is a firewall that will be applied when traffic through this virtual machine is going through, that is, it is actually a certain perimeter firewall. Further, it may have a DHCP server, or it can make a promise as IP-Helper, as DHCP-Helper. He can do NAT - what I need here for EDGE, which looks one side of the honest Internet, and the other in the internal networks. It has a load balancing. It can act as a point for a VPN tunnel or as a terminator for client connections. Here are two bookmarks: VPN and VPN Plus. VPN is the site of the site, between EDGE and other EDGE, between Edge and our cloud, between Edge and the provider cloud, which uses our VCNS technologies or NSX. SSL VPN Plus - there is a client for various operating systemswhich can be put on your laptop or user, they will be able to connect to VPN infrastructure.

Well, literally the last few moments. Distributed firewall, that is, the firewall is applied on each host, as the rules we can specify here IP addresses, package numbers, port numbers, the name of virtual machines, including masks, for example. Make a rule that from all machines whose name begins with UP, allow walking at 14:33 to all machines whose name begins with DB. Allow traffic from a typewriter, which in the daddy of the V-center one, will go to the daddy another, connect to Active Directory, say that if the machine is included in a specific group AD, then this traffic is allowed, if not included, then traffic prohibit. Well, different other options.

Plus, again, what to do with traffic? Three actions: Allow, prohibit, refuse. What is different to ban from refuse? And one and the other blocks traffic. But one just does it quietly, and the second sends back the message that your traffic was killed. And it is much easier then in diagnosis.

And literally an important addition at the end. That is, such a component as Service Composer. Here we can integrate NSX by some additional modules, for example, this is an external load balancing, this is an antivirus, it is some IDS / IPS system. That is, we can register them. We can see here which configs are, we can describe the same securities. For example, a group of demouses is a group that includes itself in the machines on which the user from the Demousers group was launched. What do we see now? That one virtual machine is entering this group. Where's she? Here.

Virtual desktop, the user is connected there. I can take a rule in a firewall, which is to say that allowing the users of one group access to one file servers, and users of another group allow access to other file servers. And even if it is two users who come to the same, for example, the VDI desktop, but at different times, the firewall dynamically apply different policies to different users. Thus, it is possible to build a much more flexible infrastructure. There is no need to allocate individual network segments, individual machines for different types of users. That is, network policies can dynamically reload depending on who is now using the network.

Distribution of VMware solutions in

On the modern market of software, there is a huge number of virtual machines (VM), but today's review is devoted to VMware Workstation. This is a program designed for simultaneous installation and using multiple operating systems from one computer.

How to install vmware workstation

Installing the VMWare Workstation is absolutely the same as any other program. After the application window appears on your computer, in the left part of it, you will see all available virtual machines, and in the right - directly working window, with which the control is performed.

Special attention should be paid to the creation of VM. In VMware Workstation there are two ways: normal and selective. After selecting the type of configuration, you need to choose compatible programs and the operating system itself. Next, the list of settings will be automatically proposed.

It is important that you can not only choose the type of operation, but also the number of cores involved in the work. But experienced users advise not to spend too many resources on the guest OS. Increased resource consumption will only slow down the device, but will not affect the performance of the guest operator. Installation is also invited to select the number of RAM. As a rule, it is enough to choose the value proposed by the system automatically, but the setting can be performed in manual mode.

Stages setup

After that, you can start up. In the process of operation, the software can be paused, while all the entered settings and parameters will be saved. To turn off, just click on the appropriate button in the working window. It is important that sooner or later the work of the virtual machine will have to stop, since it will accumulate unnecessary files that slow down the device.

You can use VM, even after reinstalling the main OS. To do this, just open the working window and copy it.

In general, VMware Workstation can be safely called useful software. This program has high functionality and simple interface, and allows operations on different operating systems without negative consequences for a computer.

VMWare Workstation for Windows

VMware is one of the first players in the virtualization platform market. In 1998, VMware patented its virtualization software techniques and has since released many efficient and professional products for virtualization of various levels: from VMware Workstation.Designed for desktop PCs to VMware ESX Server, which allows you to consolidate the physical servers of the enterprise in the virtual infrastructure.

Unlike computer (mainframe), the X86 database devices do not support virtualization to the fullest. Therefore, VMware has had to overcome a lot of problems in the process of creating virtual machines for computers based on X86. The main functions of most CPUs (in computer and PC) are to perform a sequence of saved instructions (i.e. programs). In the CPU processors, X86 contains 17 special instructions that create problems with virtualization, due to which the operating system displays a warning message, interrupts the application of the application or simply issues a common failure. So, these 17 instructions turned out to be a significant obstacle in the initial stage of virtualization for computers based on x86.

To overcome this obstacle, VMware has developed adaptive virtualization technology, which "intercepts" data of instructions during the creation phase and converts them to safe instructionsSuitable for virtualization without affecting the processes of execution of all other instructions. As a result, we obtain a high-performance virtual machine that corresponds to the hardware provision of a node and supporting complete software compatibility. VMware has developed and implemented this innovative technology, so today it is an indisputable leader of virtualization technologies.

In a very extensive list vMware products You can find quite a few tools to improve the efficiency and optimization of IT infrastructure, management of virtual servers, as well as migration tools from physical platforms to virtual. According to the results of various performance tests, VMware virtualization tools is almost always won by competitors. VMware has more than 100,000 customers around the world, in the list of its customers 100% of organizations from Fortune 100. The network of partnerships covers more than 350 manufacturers of equipment and software and more than 6000 resellers. At the moment, the market volume belonging to VMWare is estimated at 80%. Meanwhile, VMware has something to choose from:

VMware Workstation. - Desktop-user-oriented platform and intended for use by software developers, as well as IT professionals. The new version of the popular product VMWare Workstation 7 has become available in 2009, Windows and Linux are supported as host operating systems. VMware Workstation 7 can be used in conjunction with the development environment, which makes it particularly popular in the environment, teachers and specialists of technical support. The VMware Workstation 7 output means official support for Windows 7 both as a guest and host operating system. The product includes Aero Peek and Flip 3D support, which makes it possible to observe the work of the virtual machine, taking the cursor to the VMware taskbar or the corresponding tab on the host desktop. The new version can work on any version of Windows 7, as well as any versions of Windows can be run in virtual machines. In addition, virtual machines in VMware Workstation 7, fully support Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM), which allows using the Windows Aero interface in guest machines.

VMware Player. - The free "player" of virtual machines based on the VMware Workstation virtual machine, designed to run already ready-made virtual machines created in other VMware products, as well as in Microsoft VirtualPC and Symantec Livestate Recovery. Starting from version 3.0 VMware Player also allows you to create images of virtual machines. Restriction of functionality now applies mainly to features intended for IT specialists and software developers.

VMWare Fusion - Desktop product for virtualization on the Mac platform from Apple.

VMware ServerThe free VMware Server product is a rather powerful virtualization platform that can be run on servers running Windows and Linux host operating systems. The main purpose of VMware Server is support for small and medium virtual infrastructures of small enterprises. Due to the low complexity of its development and installation, the VMware Server can be deployed as soon as possible, both on servers of organizations and home users computers.

VMWare Ace - Product to create virtual machines protected security policies, which can then be distributed according to the SaaS model (Software-AS-A-service).

VMware vSphere. - Complex of products representing a reliable platform for data virtualization. The company is positioning this complex as well as powerful platform Virtualization to create and deploy private "clouds". VMware vSphere comes in several issues with features designed specifically for small companies and medium-sized companies and corporations.

VMware vsphere includes a number of components that convert standard equipment into a common stable environment that resembles the mainframe and includes built-in service level control elements for all applications:

Infrastructure services are components providing comprehensive server resources virtualization, repositories and networks, their association and accurate allocation of applications on demand and in accordance with business priorities.
Application Services are components providing built-in service levels management elements for all applications on the VSphere platform platform regardless of their type or OS.
Vmware vcenter. Server provides a central console for managing virtualization, providing administration of infrastructure services and applications. This console supports the comprehensive visualization of all aspects of the virtual infrastructure, the automation of everyday use and scalability to control large media data center.

Fig. 2.10.

VMware Esx Server - This is a hypervisor, breaking physical servers on a variety of virtual machines. VMware ESX is the basis of the VMware VSphere package and enters all the releases of VMware vSphere.

Fig. 2.11.

VMware vsphere Hypervisor (Previously VMware ESXI) - "Lightweight" Virtualization Platform corporate levelbased on ESX technologies. The product is free and is available for download from the VMware site. VSPhere VMware Hypervisor is the simplest way to start working with virtualization.

Vmware vcenter. - Provides an extensible and scalable platform for a virtual infrastructure proactive management and provides comprehensive information about it. VMware VCenter Server provides centralized media management VSPhere and simplifies the execution of everyday tasks, significantly improving the administrative management of the medium. The product has wide opportunities for consolidating servers, their configuration and management. VMware VCenter Server aggregates all aspects of the virtual environment management: from virtual machines before collecting information about physical servers for subsequent migration to the virtual infrastructure. In addition, VMware VCenter Configuration Manager, VMware VCenter Converter). In particular, vCenter Converter. It is intended to be transferred to a virtual environment of physical servers, allowing you to carry out the "hot" (without breaking systems) and cold migration. vCenter Site Recovery Manager - This software for creating a territorial-remote backup segment of the virtual infrastructure, which, in case of refusal of the main node, takes on the launch of virtual machines in accordance with the recovery plan after failures. vcenter Lab Manager. - Product to create the infrastructure for the storage and delivery of virtual machine configurations, which allows to organize an effective testing scheme in software developers.

VMWare Thinapp. - Former product Thinstall Virtualization Suite, software virtualization software that allows you to distribute preset applications to client workstations, reducing the time for standard installation and configuration operations.

VMWare View. - Complex of products, providing the centralization of user workstations in virtual machines on the VSphere platform. This reduces the costs of standard IT operations related to the deployment and maintenance of custom desktops.

VMware Capacity Planner - A means of centralized collecting and analyzing data on hardware and server software, as well as equipment performance. This data is used by VMWare authorized partners to build virtual machine consolidation plans on the VMware ESX Server platform.

Vmware vmmark. - Product available only by hardware manufacturers designed to test VMware ESX Server performance on server platforms.

Citrix (Xen)

The development of a non-profit hypervisor Xen began as a research project of the computer laboratory of the University of Cambridge. The founder of the project and his leader was Jan Pratt (Ian Pratt) University employee, who later created an XENSOURCE company, which is engaged in the development of commercial Virtualization platforms based on the XEN hypervisor, as well as support for the Open Source of the Non-Profit Product Xen. Initially, Xen was the most developed platform that supports the technology of ferricultualization. This technology allows the hypervisor in the host system to control the guest OS through VMI hypervits (Virtual Machine Interface), which requires the modification of the guest system's kernel. At the moment, the free version of Xen is included in the distributions of several OS, such as Red Hat, Novell Suse, Debian, Fedora Core, Sun Solaris. In mid-August 2007, Xensource was absorbed by Citrix Systems. The amount of the transaction made about $ 500 million (shares and cash) indicates the serious intentions of Citrix for virtualization. Experts believe that Microsoft Citrix is \u200b\u200bnot excluded, given the long-standing cooperation with Xensource.

Free xen. Currently, the Open Source version of the XEN platform is used mainly in educational and research purposes. Some successful ideas implemented by numerous developers from around the world are reflected in the commercial versions of Citrix virtualization products. Now the free Xen versions are included in the distributions of many Linux systems, which allows them to use virtual machines to isolate software in the guest OS in order to test and examine safety problems, without the need to install the virtualization platform. In addition, many independent software developers can distribute it using virtual templates in which the guest system and the proposed product are already installed. In addition, Xen is ideal for supporting the old software in the virtual machine. For more serious purposes in the manufacturing environment of the enterprise, the Citrix commercial platforms must be used.

Citrix Xenapp - Designed for virtualization and publication of applications in order to optimize the service delivery infrastructure in large companies. XenApp has a huge number of users around the world and in many companies is a key component of IT infrastructure.

Citrix Xenserver. - Platform for consolidating medium-scale enterprises consolidation, including the main opportunities to maintain virtual infrastructure. The manufacturer positions this product as an Enterprise-level solution for server virtualization that supports work in the "cloud" environment.

Citrix Xendesktop. - The decision on the virtualization of the desktops of the enterprise, which allows centrally to store and deliver workers' environments in virtual machines to users. The product supports several application delivery scenarios on desktop tables, thin clients and mobile PCs and compatible with server virtualization solutions of competitors.

Today I would like to tell you about the products that Vmware were previously produced, but for one reason or another were removed from sales and stopped developing. The list is far from complete and contains, for the most part, my opinion about products according to the results of working with them.

VMware Esx Server

I will, perhaps, from the most significant product, thanks to which VMware has become the leader in the server virtualization market.

VMware ESX Server - first type 1 hypervisor for intel processors x86. ESX was not the first server hypervisor, and not even the first VMware product. However, in it for the first time, features such as live migration of VM (VMotion), high availability of VM (Distributed Resource Scheduler), power management (Distributed Power Management) and much more.

By the way, you never wondered what ESX abbreviation mean? So, ESX is ELASTIC SKY X. What once again proves that in the distant 2002 VMware developed its products with a loaf of cloud computing ...

ESX was built on the basis of monolithic architecture, all drivers, network and I / O subsystem worked at the hypervisor level. However, a small service VM - Service Console on the basis of the Red Hat Linux modified Red Hat Linux distribution has been installed to control the hyperzimir on each host. On the one hand, it imposed a number of restrictions - the service VM was seated part of the host computing resources, its discs, like any other VM, was required to be placed on VMFS, and each host needed at least in two IP addresses, one - for the VMKernel interface second - for Service Console. On the other hand, Service Console provided an opportunity to install third-party software (agents, plug-ins), which expanded the possibilities for monitoring and managing the hypervisor. The presence of Service Console has generated a common misconception that ESX hypervisor is a modified Linux "Ohm.

It is worth mentioning that the first versions of the ESX were installed and managed individually, however, starting ESX 2.0, a VMware VirtualCenter appeared for centralized management (now known as VCenter Server). Then, in fact, Virtual Infrastructure appeared, which was a set of virtualization products consisting of an ESX hypervisor and virtualCenter. To version 4.0 Virtual Infrastructure was renamed VSphere.

In 2008, an alternative hypervisor appeared - ESXI, which did not need the Service Console, was much less in size, but did not support much of what was able to ESX (ESXI had a Web interface, built-in firewall, the ability to download San, integration with Active Directory, etc.). With each new version of VMWare gradually increased the functional ESXI. VMware vSphere 4.1 has become the latest release that includes ESX hypervisor. Starting with 5.0 VMware left only ESXI.

VMWare GSX Server / Server

For many years, VMware GSX Server was produced in parallel with VMware ESX. Ground Storm X (GSX abbreviation is so decrypted) was the second type hypervisor and was installed on top of the server OS Microsoft Windows., RedHat or SuSe Linux. Using the hypervisor type 2 had its advantages. First, GSX supported a much wider list of equipment and could even work on a desktop hardware as opposed to "capricious" ESX. Secondly, VMware GSX was extremely easy to install and configure, anyone who worked with VMware Workstation was able to manage with GSX. Thirdly, GSX had a built-in NAT and DHCP server, which made it easy to adjust the network for VM.

As the Senior GSX fellow supported centralized control via VirtualCenter.

Later, GSX was renamed VMWare Server, it received the ability to run 64-bit VM, as well as allocate VM to several virtual processors. Vmware Server 2.0, released at the end of 2008, became free, got a full-fledged web interface and conversation USB devices Inside VM, however, lost support for VMware VirtualCenter.

By this time, ESX and ESXI hypervisors took most of the server virtualization market. Output free versions VMware Esxi Free and Microsoft Hyper-V Server have become the last nail to the Coffin cover VMware Server. VMware and Microsoft cast their hypervisors for server OS.

VMware VCenter Server Heartbeat

The product intended to ensure high availability of VCenter services and adjacent services (DBMS, SSO, Update Manager), was not developed by the VMware itself, but a third-party company - Neverfail Group.

The protection mechanism was based on the idea of \u200b\u200borganizing a two-zone cluster operating in Active-Passive mode. The passive node monitored the state of the main node, and in case of its inaccessibility, launched clustered services. The cluster did not require a general storage, because The changes made on the active node were periodically replicated to the passive node. Vcenter Heartbeat has provided protection for both physical and virtual, and even mixed VCenter configurations, when one node was physical, and the second is virtual.

Although some time Vcenter Heartbeat and was the only way to protect VCenter not only from hardware, but also from software failures, Implementation of frankly chrome. The complex procedure for installing and servicing the cluster, as well as the mass of bugs made their black things. As a result, starting with VSphere 5.5 U3 / VSphere 6.0, VMware refused VCenter Heartbeat and returned to a more familiar way to clusterization microsoft | Failover Cluster.

VMware VCenter Protect.

For those of you who worked with VSphere at least the 4th version, it should be known that at that time VCenter Update Manager supported installing updates not only for ESX / ESXI hypervisors, but also guest operating systems and various software. However, starting with 5.0, this functionality was excluded from Update Manager, instead VMware began to offer a separate product - VMware VCenter Protect, which was purchased with Shavlik.

In addition to updating the guest OS, VCenter Protect allowed to perform the inventory of software and hardware, run various schedule scripts, check for vulnerabilities.

But, at all, sales went not very well, in addition, the VMware portfolio was VREALIZE CONFIGURATION MANAGER, purchased in 2010 at EMC, and performed the functions of patch management, inventory and much more. Therefore, in 2013 VCenter Protect was sold by Landesk.

VMware Virtual Storage Appliance

Virtual Storage Appliance - the first VMware attempt to play the software-defined storage market. VSA was intended for SMB and allowed to create a general fault-tolerant storage storage based on the local disks set to the server.

Esxi has deployed a special APPLAX VSA on each host. VSA virtual disks were placed on VMFS storage created on local volumes RAID controller. Half of the disk space was intended for mirroring data from another VSA (such a network analogue RAID 1) located on the adjacent host, half remained for useful data. Then each APPLAX presented his mirroring storage via NFS protocol back to all virtualization hosts. One installation supported 2 or 3 virtualization hosts, when using 2 hosts, VCenter Server served as an arbitrator and had to unfold on a separate physical server or an ESXI host, not included in VSA.

The VSA functionality was very limited. For example, the first version of VSA supported the placement only on VMFS volumes with RAID 1 or 10, which led to high overhead data storage costs (in fact, the useful space was less than 1/4 from the volume of local disks), there was no support for VAAI, was not Support caching or typing.

All this together in the aggregate with not too low price and low performance did not allow VSA to oust usual storage from the SMB segment. Therefore, shortly after the release of the first version of Virtual San in 2014, the product was removed from sales.

Vmware virsto.

Another victim of Virtual San, the product of the company of the same name, which Vmware acquired in 2013. As far as I know, after buying Virsto, I did not appear in the price list, and it was almost immediately multiplied by zero.

Perpeptic development in the field of software-defined data warehouses, VIRSTO was a virtual APPLAX that performs the role of the virtualizer storage, i.e. The resources of the SCD were presented to Aprons, and aplanes, in turn, gave the disk space host via the NFS protocol. The heart of Virstor was VirsTofs - a specialized file system that allows you to optimize write and read operations through the use of mechanisms similar to those that can be seen in NetApp FAS storage. VIRSTO could accumulate random write operations in a special log and then sequentially write data to the storage, which has been positively affected by IOPS and delays. In addition, VIRSTO supported multi-level data storage (thyring) and optimized work with snapshots due to storage in the metadata RAM on which block with data in which of the pictures is located.

Despite the fact that the product did not come out, the efforts of the developers were not gone - in Virtual San 6.0, instead of VMFS-L, a new format of disks on the VIRSTOFS database and support for "advanced" snapshots appeared.

VMware Lab Manager.

Product to automate the deployment and control of the VIM Lifecycle in test environments.

In essence, Lab Manager was a manager of managers, unfolded over the existing VMware ESX / ESXI and VCenter installation and allowed to organize multiplayer (multi-chand) access to a common virtual infrastructure, allocate users with a necessary set of computing resources, automatically issue IP addresses of BM from pools, creating an isolated networks for VM, indicate the rental period for VM.

With an increase in the popularity of the topic cloud computing VMware switched to another product - VCloud Director, gradually moved from Lab Manager all accumulated chips and closing it.

VMWare Ace

I want to finish the review on a rather rare beast - VMware Ace. Even before the VDI appears in its classic and widespread BYOD, VMware has offered clients for centralized management of virtual workstations that could run on personal computers of users - VMware ACE.

Ace worked in a bundle with client hypervisors VMware Workstation and Player and allowed to manage VM based on the specified policies. Using policies, administrators could limit the VM functionality (for example, disable USB device promotions or monitor network access), forcibly encrypt virtual disks, allow access to VM only for authorized users, to configure the life of the VM, after which the VM has ceased to be launched, etc. VM, together with politicians and hypervisor, VMware Player could be exported as a ready Pocket ACE package and passed to the user any in a convenient way (on a CD disk, flash drive or over a network). If necessary, the administrator could deploy the Ace Management Server server to which client hypervisors connected and requested the actual policies for VM.

Despite the interesting functionality, the product was not widespread, and according to VMware did not meet all the requirements of those few customers that they were used, so in 2011 it was removed from sale. A few years later, Vmware Horizon Flex came to replace ACE, having his own WM delivery mechanism on user computers, as well as supporting VMware Fusion Pro hypervisor for Apple Mac OS X.

Era Person installed applicationsJudging throughout the slower moves to the sunset, client-server technologies returned. The powerful PC will no longer be required, because all data processing is performed on the server. The novelty requires the presence of a structure that the cloud computing is named with the efforts of marketers. The industry is developing rapidly and in a couple of years we promise to remove the tenth of the applications in the clouds. For all this, specific tools are needed, and someone as not Vmware be the first.

Purpose VMware vSphere.

In order not to run ahead of the train at first, let's decide on the appointment and place of the product. Officially, the story of the new name began a little over a year ago (at the end of April 2009), when VMware announced VMware vSphere (vmware.com/products/vsphere). The solution did not appear on an empty place and came to replace the VMware Virtual Infrastructure Virtualization Platform, the developments of which are used.
In general, the purpose of the product after renaming has not changed - combining virtual systems, networks and storages into single pools of resources. Although the definition shows that the marketers worked out, which a little corrected the wording under modern trends. Now the site is that " vSphere First OS oriented for cloud computing", Which allows you to quickly and efficiently deploy and manage virtual resources. But we know that "OS is what the Earth is spinning", and VSphere is spinning, well, I will not get ahead.

Home Idea when moving to VSphere to do working environment The most convenient, stable and controlled. Due to, of course, optimization is to reduce the number of physical servers, increasing the consolidation of servers. By the way, if you read the description of the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (SCVMM), I bump into familiar words :).
The list of features VSphere is very large, here it is better to refer to the official documentation. Alive only the most remarkable:

VMware vstorage Thin Provisioning - disk space saving, it is real only necessary volume;
VMware VMSAfe - a highly reliable cluster file system used to store virtual machines;
VMware API VSTORAGE and VCenter Data Recovery - Centralized backup and recovery VM from the graphics console;
VMware Hot Add - hot "add" devices without stopping a virtual machine;
VMware Distributed Power Management - Power Management, allows you to significantly reduce its costs;
VMware Host Profiles - Control Interface Allows you to centrally configure VMware ESX / ESXI nodes and monitor the settings for compliance with politicians.

Plus here products "hot" migration VMware vmotion.Clustering High Availability and high availability Fault Toleranc.e, load balancing VMware DRS., virtual disk moving technology Storage VMotio.n and more. Moreover, the savings when using VSphere is achieved and the fact that for some operations (for example, reservation) no longer need to purchase a product of a third-party developer. Previously, I had to buy something like a Veeam Backup produced Veeam Software.
Supports restrictions in CPU, RAM consumption and resource pools (Resource Pool) and individual hosts, with the possibility of guaranteed resource allocation (Reservation), the Vnetwork component provides bidirectional shaping and traffic restriction.
The full list of supported OS for different VMware products is presented on the VMware Compatibility Guide page, you will find all the popular systems - Windows systems and options * NIX.
In VSphere compared to Virtual Infrastructure, the licensing procedure has also changed, which has become more flexible, since now the licenses are not focused on a couple of physical processors, but by the number of processors (their quantity is driven into the key). Moreover, if the number of nuclei does not exceed 6 (in versions of Advanced and Enterprise Plus - 12), then additional payments will not be required. At the height of the crisis, this approach was very welcomed, because when making a very simple solution Tens of indicators are taken into account about the transition to virtual machines.
VMware vSphere consists of the following components:

hypervisors VMware ESX and / or VMware Esxi - Actually, everything is spinning on them;
VMware VCenter Server Agent Provides the connection of hypervisors to the VMware VCenter Server control center (formerly VMware VirtualCenter Server), VCenter Server is responsible for deployment, centralized menugent and access is purchased separately;
other components ensuring the main features of which varies depending on the chosen license.

Functionally components are divided into two parts: Infrastructure Service (Infrastructure Services) and Application Services (Application Services) than they differ excellent on the project website.
To simplify the choice of your decision, VSphere is available in three editions: Standard, Advanced and Enterprise. For small organizations are offered - Essentials, Essentials Plus, and two versions for Retail and Branch Offices Essentials and Essentials Plus. Moreover, the price of Essentials is sufficiently adequate, providing the use of a product to 3 servers (2 CPUs) to make it interesting and most importantly, that solutions for a small office is an integrated All-in-One already including VCenter Server.
In the documentation on the site you can find the VSphere comparison tables with other virtualization products at cost and functionality.
At the time of writing these lines on the VMware website, the version of VSphere4 Update 2 appeared, although semi-official information about the future version 4.1 has already leaked to the network. Main changes relate mainly to quantitative changes - VM in a cluster, registered VM and hosts, and so on.

Deploying vsphere.

Reading the description, the first thought that comes to the head of the newcomer is very difficult. In fact, with a careful approach and fulfill all the requirements, the deployment process and subsequent addition of hosts and VM can be called even simple.
To install VSphere, you will need to perform a number of requirements and go through a few steps:

the equipment must comply with the VMware Hardware Compatibility List (HCl);
VMware VSphere ESX / ESXI Server - we deploy on physical servers (2x2 Hz x64bit CPU, 2+ GB RAM, 2+ GB HDD);
VMware VCenter Server and VSphere Client are installed on the same network to control ESX (I) servers;
we deploy SAN data storage network;
install client OS in virtual environments.

To determine the support server 64-bit VMware using the utility CPU Identificationposted on the page (vmware.com/download/shared_utilities.html).
Above shows only the main steps, each step requires and intermediate settings (network setting, SAN, if you need Active Directory and so on). Some of these moments are described in detail in the documentation that can be found in the address. vmware.com/support/pubs/vs_pubs.html. As usual, all docks are in English and are often confused, although it is recommended to read anyway (at least if problems arise). We will briefly understand the highlights of setting up and controlling VSphere to visually submit with what we have.
On the download page, which will be available after registration, select the ESX or VMware ESXI hypervisor to install, VMware VCenter Server (as an ISO image or zip archive). Plus, here is the optional components - Server Heartbeat, Data Recovery (CD ISO) and VSHIELD ZONES.
For small organizations, a free VMware ESXI platform is probably more suitable for all necessary features. In addition, it recommends that VMware representatives themselves. At the beginning, we deploy VMware ESX or ESXI, given that their base Linux, although somewhat cut down, then the installation can be called standard and the problems it usually does not cause. Just follow the indications of the visa - we accept the license, set up the network and select the disk. On the ESX license can be entered on VCenter. After rebooting, we can control the hypervisor from the console, through the web interface or by setting the VSphere Client. The latter can be downloaded from the web page of the virtual machine whose address will be available after installing ESX (I) or with VCenter.
In addition, in context, you can remember the free web tool VMWare Go. (go.VmWare.com.), which allows you to quickly proceed to using the free VMware ESXI hypervisor to virtualize physical servers in a small company.

The next step is to install a VMware VCenter computer running MS Windows. The references on the version on the site failed was failed, but the center without problems was both on Windows XP and Windows 2008 R2. All VCenter data stores in a database for small environments (5 physical, 50 virtual machines) can be used. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Expresswhich is already with the installation archive and is offered by default. Otherwise, during the installation process, you will need to configure the connection to the DBMS.

If there are not many hosts (up to 250), it will be enough and the 32-bit version is different and only 64 bit options. That is, we summarize for a small number of servers is enough client 32 bit XP with free SQL EXPRESS.In more powerful configurations, you will have to deploy a server with MS SQL with a 64 bit axis. In more detail, all other requirements are painted in the documentation. At the very beginning, it should be allowed to pass the packages by ports - 80, 389, 443, 636, 902/903, 8080 and 8443.
Download ISO Image or Zip Archive, Run the installation file and select the VCenter Server link in the wizard window. By the word, the archive contains distributions and some other products - VSphere Client, Vcenter Guided Consolidation, VCenter Update Manager, VCenter Converter, Vcenter Orchestrator and VMware Consolidated Backup. Installer language - English. If the whole process is produced in Active Directory, then you will need admin rights.
During the initialization of the installation script, compatibility checks will be made and in the event of a loyalty, recommendations were issued. For example, since VCenter uses its web server, it will conflict with IIS installed by ports. Although in the process you can change the settings by specifying the default port for most services - HTTP, HTTPS, LDAP, SSL, HeartBeat. The package is self-sufficient, if something is not enough, everything you need (.NET, J # and others) will be set up automatically.
It is possible to combine multiple systems with VCenter installed in the associated group (LINKED MODE), and manage with any system with all the settings of virtual machines. The default standalone is offered installation, but selecting the switch to the "Join A VMware VCenter Server Group ..." in step "VCenter Server Linked Mode", we can immediately connect to the already existing group of VCenter servers. In general, this is all installation of the server. For some time we wait until the wizard will configure the services, will generate certificates and copies the files.
At the end, similarly set the remaining components available in the VCenter Installer window, unless of course there is a need for them. Again, they are not necessarily put on the same computer, although it is usually more convenient.
When installed VCenter Update Manager. (VCUM) Indicate the VCenter server and access credentials. As a database to which you want to connect to specify the previously created database. Attention, when requesting a password in the window " Database Information»We leave it blank, in this case Windows authentication will be used. The directory to which updates will be placed it is better to position on a separate partition hard, which has enough free space (at least 20 GB). And specify it at the Destination Folder step for "Configure the Location for Downloading Patches". The client part of the VSphere Client with which it is done actually all the settings is usually placed on an admin computer, system requirements are not large (CPU 266, 200 MB RAM and 1 GB HDD).

Adding nodes and licenses

Installation is completed. Open from the VSphere Client menu, enter login and password (checkbox Use Windows Session Credentialallows you to connect with current credentials), accept the certificate.
The client window appeared in the sign of the conductor. On the left, computers are selected, to the right settings, at the bottom of the current task panel. Pay attention to the address bar. After the first registration, you get to the OS settings tab in Home - Inventory - Host and Clusters, and they are not needed yet. To access all the possibilities of VSphere simply go to Home.

The control area is divided visually into three parts by purpose:

Inventory - search for systems, adding nodes and clusters, datacenter, permissions management, and so on;
Administration - management of roles, sessions, licenses, VSphere settings, viewing the log and service status;
Management - management tasks, event output and virtual machine cards, creating host profiles.

Subclauses in each are not so much, so there are not much time to get acquainted with the interface. I can not not mark the presence of all kinds of tips and masters, if it is not fulfilled, what a mandatory step is made, then you immediately receive a link and recommendations what to do. The task interface is oriented, that is, the admin adjusts something, and VSphere as it can consistently performs tasks, the main thing is that there is no need to wait until one task is executed to configure the next item. Most operations require some time and occur in the background, so monitor the status at the bottom of the window.

The pop-up window immediately shows the number of days remaining until the end of the trial period. If the license is already purchased, then it is time to introduce it. Go to B. Administration - Licensing, choose the system and in the context menu item Manage vsphere Licenses. Copy the license window, and optionally in the field below a brief description and click Add License Keys. To compare the key, the specific server is moving into Assign Licensees. or in the context menu choose Change License Key..
Now the most important thing for which we all were installed, connect ESX (I). First, we create a Datacenter, I do not say where to look for, since the desired link will be shown anyway, but only then let go further. You will only have to rename Datacenter to be clearer to his belonging. Click on datacenter and choose a link Add a Host..

Another visor phase appears, in the first window, which we enter the name or IP of the node and the login / password for control, connect, accept the certificate and receive information about the system. If required, we can add a license here and enter the node data. For some time you have to wait until the host is added (the process will show the status bar at the bottom of the window).
Next, the process is almost similar, choose the host, recommendations are opening in Add a Virtual Machine (All recommendations can be disabled in the settings). In the Summary window, all data on the host are displayed by passing out the window. Configuration. We get the ability to change some settings - network settings (Connect Vmotion, ISCSI, NFS, and others), virtual switches and so on. After adding multiple hosts, the ability to create a cluster will be available. Select the New Cluster item in the context menu, Vizard will ask you to enter the name of the future cluster. With the help of checkers, install the support for HA and DRS (DISTRIBUTED RESOURCE SCHEDULER). DRS technology is a simple balancing driver who tracks and as uniformly distributes resources in VM (more vmware.com/ru/products/vi/vc/drs_overview.html). If it is activated, in the future the wizard will propose to choose one of the Migration options VM - Manual, Partially and Full Automated, plus specify the migration method (from Conservative to aggressive). Configure Power Management (DPM), activate host monitoring, EVC activation (Enhanced Vmotion Compatibility), schapfyle storage location. By the way, the essence of EVC is very simple. As you know, processors are different and the guest OS installed in the system can use different chips like SSE. But what will happen if this OS is taken and transfer with VMotion to another system in which completely different technologies? Here is EVC and brings everything to a single denominator, simply turning off "superfluous", as a result, VM transfer passes painlessly. There are two EVC inclusion options - for AMD and Intel hosts. After selecting items, a list of compatible processors will be shown. Although if all servers are the same EVC in the cluster, you can completely disable.
The cluster is created, but the hosts we have not added to it. It is very simple, we take by the mouse. Immediately the new wizard starts, in which you can leave everything by default, we click on the NEXT twice and add other hostes.
After all operations, the Deploy Ovf Template item becomes available, which allows you to add virtual machine templates in Open Virtualization Format format from both the local disk and via the Internet. Such an image can be created, by using the VMware OVF Tool independently (you can find on the site search) or download from the Internet. The adding process simplifies the next master. The added axis can immediately run and check in operation. It remains to distribute added OS images to hosts, for selecting the Migrate point in the context menu and in the wizard window, specify the host to which it must be copied.
Given that cloud systems will be serviced by a large number of admins with different rights, they need to be divided into capabilities. In VSphere, a role-playing concept is used, after installing in Administration - Roles available 9 role patterns that allow you to choose and for one click to assign it to the user of his right. A simple master makes it possible to create any number of new roles.
In the following articles, you cannot tell about all the possibilities of such a powerful product as VSphere, the Fault Tolerance, Storage VMotion function remains beyond the framework, hot adding devices, resource management, monitoring and many other questions.