VMware GSX Server 3 Administration Instruction Manual

Administration Guide

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20050707 Version: 3.2 Item: GSX-ENG-Q205-089

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Table of Contents

Introduction and System Requirements ____________________________9

VMware GSX Server: Enterprise-Class Virtual Infrastructure

for x86-Based Servers ____________________________________________10

Welcome to VMware GSX Server ___________________________________12

Enterprise-Class Virtual Infrastructure for Intel-Based Servers ___________13

What’s New in Version 3 __________________________________________14

Features in Version 3.2 _________________________________________14

Critical Bugs Fixed in GSX Server 3.2 ______________________________15

Features in Version 3.1 _________________________________________15

Critical Bugs Fixed in GSX Server 3.1 ______________________________16

Features in Version 3 __________________________________________17

Before You Install the Release ___________________________________21

If You Are Upgrading from an Earlier Version of GSX Server _____________23

Reinstall VMware Tools _________________________________________23

Host System Requirements ________________________________________24

Server Requirements __________________________________________24

Remote Client Requirements ____________________________________30

Virtual Machine Specifications _____________________________________32

Supported Guest Operating Systems ________________________________35

Technical Support Resources ______________________________________37

Self-Service Support __________________________________________37

Online and Telephone Support __________________________________37

Support Offerings ____________________________________________37

Reporting Problems ___________________________________________37

Log Files ____________________________________________________39

Installing VMware GSX Server ___________________________________ 43

Selecting Your Host System _____________________________________43

About the VMware Virtual Machine Console on the Server _____________44

Installing VMware GSX Server on a Windows Host ______________________45

Basic Installation ______________________________________________46

Default Directories ____________________________________________48

Installing the GSX Server Software on a Windows Host ________________48

Installing VMware GSX Server on a Linux Host _________________________55

Basic Installation ______________________________________________56

www.vmware.com

Default Directories ____________________________________________58

Installing the GSX Server Software on a Linux Host ___________________59

Installing the VMware Management Interface on a Linux Host __________63

Installing an X Server __________________________________________64

Before You Install on a SuSE Linux 7.1 or Higher or SLES Host ___________64

Before You Install on a SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 Host _____________65

Before You Install the VMware Management Interface

on a Linux Host ______________________________________________65

Configuring Web Browsers for Use with GSX Server _____________________67

Launching the VMware Virtual Machine Console

from the Management Interface on an Encrypted Server ______________67

Connecting to the Management Interface on a Proxy Server ___________68

Launching Help in Netscape on a Linux System _____________________69

Installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console ________________________70

Installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console

on a Windows Host ___________________________________________70

Installing the VMware Virtual Machine Console on a Linux Host _________73

Installing the VMware Scripting APIs ________________________________75

Installing the VmPerl and VmCOM Scripting APIs

on a Windows Host ___________________________________________75

Installing the VmPerl Scripting API on a Linux Host ___________________78

Uninstalling VMware GSX Server ___________________________________80

Uninstalling GSX Server on a Windows Host ________________________80

Uninstalling GSX Server on a Linux Host ___________________________85

Upgrading VMware GSX Server _________________________________ 87

Preparing for the Upgrade ________________________________________88

Before You Install VMware GSX Server _____________________________88

When You Remove an Existing Version and Install the New Version ______90

Upgrading on a Windows Host ____________________________________91

Upgrading on a Linux Host ________________________________________92

Using Virtual Machines Created with Version 2 under Version 3 ____________93

Creating Everything New from the Start ___________________________93

Using an Existing Virtual Machine without Upgrading

the Virtual Hardware __________________________________________93

Using an Existing Virtual Machine and Upgrading

the Virtual Hardware __________________________________________94

Upgrading Virtual Hardware in the Guest Operating System ___________94

Using Virtual Machines Created with Version 1 under Version 3 ___________103

Upgrading Virtual Hardware in the Guest Operating System __________103

Managing Virtual Machines and the VMware GSX Server Host _______ 107

Remotely Managing Virtual Machines ______________________________108

Changing the Port Number

for VMware Virtual Machine Console Connections __________________109

Downloading the VMware Virtual Machine Console _________________111

Securing Virtual Machines and the Host _____________________________114

Understanding Permissions and Virtual Machines ___________________114

Authenticating Users and Running Virtual Machines

on a GSX Server for Windows Host ______________________________117

Authenticating Users and Running Virtual Machines

on a GSX Server for Linux Host __________________________________119

Checking Permissions in the VMware Management Interface __________121

Securing Your Remote Sessions _________________________________121

Identifying a Virtual Machine by Its UUID ____________________________123

Specifying a UUID for a Virtual Machine ___________________________124

Logging GSX Server Events on Windows ____________________________125

Backing Up Virtual Machines and the GSX Server Host _________________127

Using a Backup Agent in the Virtual Machine ______________________127

Using a Backup Agent Running on the Host Operating System ________127

Backing Up the GSX Server Host ________________________________128

Considerations for Backing Up Virtual Machines ____________________128

Using the VMware Management Interface ___________________________129

Setting the Session Length for the VMware Management Interface _____130

Logging On to the VMware Management Interface _________________131

Using the Status Monitor ______________________________________132

Configuring a Virtual Machine __________________________________137

The Apache Server and the VMware Management Interface __________147

Logging Off of the VMware Management Interface _________________147

Deleting Virtual Machines ________________________________________148

Deleting a Virtual Machine Using

the VMware Virtual Machine Console ____________________________148

Deleting a Virtual Machine Using

the VMware Management Interface _____________________________148

Configuring the GSX Server Host __________________________________149

Securing Remote Connections with SSL __________________________149

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Configuring Startup and Shutdown Options for Virtual Machines ______150

Setting User Preferences for the VMware GSX Server Host ____________155

Setting Global Preferences for VMware GSX Server __________________160

Creating Network Labels ______________________________________163

Setting a MIME Type to Launch

the VMware Virtual Machine Console ____________________________166

Using VirtualCenter to Manage GSX Server Virtual Machines _____________169

Creating Virtual Machines on a GSX Server Host

from a VirtualCenter Client _____________________________________169

Connecting to a GSX Server Virtual Machine

from a VirtualCenter Client _____________________________________169

Moving and Sharing Virtual Machines ___________________________ 171

Moving a VMware GSX Server 3 Virtual Machine ______________________172

Virtual Machines Use Relative Paths ______________________________172

Preparing Your Virtual Machine for the Move ______________________172

Moving a Virtual Machine to a New Host __________________________173

Moving a GSX Server 2 Virtual Machine _____________________________175

Virtual Machines Use Relative Paths ______________________________175

Preparing Your Virtual Machine for the Move ______________________175

Moving a Virtual Machine to a New Host __________________________176

Moving Older Virtual Machines ___________________________________178

Virtual Machines May Use Relative or Absolute Paths ________________178

Preparing Your Virtual Machine for the Move ______________________179

Preparing the New Host Machine _______________________________179

Considerations for Moving Disks in Undoable Mode _________________180

Sharing Virtual Machines with Other Users ___________________________183

Performance Tuning and the VMware GSX Server Host _____________ 185

Configuring and Maintaining the Host Computer _____________________186

Configuring GSX Server _________________________________________187

General GSX Server Options ___________________________________187

GSX Server on a Windows Host _________________________________191

GSX Server on a Linux Host ____________________________________193

Understanding Memory Usage ___________________________________194

Memory Use on the Host ______________________________________194

Specifying How Much RAM is Used

by All Running Virtual Machines ________________________________195

Memory Usage on Older Linux Hosts ____________________________197

High-Availability Configurations with VMware GSX Server __________ 199

Using SCSI Reservation to Share SCSI Disks with Virtual Machines _________200

SCSI Reservation Support _____________________________________200

Enabling SCSI Reservation _____________________________________201

Issues to Consider When Sharing Disks ___________________________202

Overview of Clustering with GSX Server _____________________________204

Applications That Can Use Clustering ____________________________205

Clustering Software __________________________________________205

Creating a Cluster in a Box _______________________________________206

Configuring Virtual Machines for Cluster in a Box ___________________207

Creating a Two-Node Cluster with Microsoft Clustering Services

on a Single GSX Server Computer _______________________________207

Using Network Load Balancing with GSX Server ______________________214

Overview of Network Load Balancing Clusters _____________________214

Creating a Multinode Network Load Balancing Cluster _______________215

Creating Two-Node Clusters Using Novell Clustering Services ____________219

Creating the First Node's Base Virtual Machine _____________________219

Creating the Second Node in the Cluster _________________________220

Installing the Guest Operating System and VMware Tools ____________220

Adding the Shared Disks to Both Virtual Machines __________________220

Installing Novell Clustering Services on the Cluster Nodes ____________222

Clustering Using the iSCSI Protocol ________________________________223

Clustering Scenarios Using iSCSI ________________________________223

Creating and Configuring the iSCSI Initiator Virtual Machine ___________224

Configuring the iSCSI Target in the Cluster ________________________225

Glossary ____________________________________________________ 227

Index ______________________________________________________ 233

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction and System

Requirements

The following sections introduce you to VMware GSX Server.

•VMware GSX Server: Enterprise-Class Virtual Infrastructure for x86-Based Servers

on page 10

•Welcome to VMware GSX Server on page 12

•What’s New in Version 3 on page 14

•Host System Requirements on page 24

•Virtual Machine Specifications on page 32

•Supported Guest Operating Systems on page 35

•Technical Support Resources on page 37

www.vmware.com

VMware GSX Server Administration Guide

VMware GSX Server: Enterprise-Class

Virtual Infrastructure for x86-Based

Servers

VMware® GSX Server is virtual infrastructure for enterprise IT administrators who want

to consolidate servers and streamline development and testing operations. GSX

Server is easily installed and managed, and provides rapid return on investment (ROI).

Unlike other virtualization products, GSX Server is enterprise-proven, preserves

freedom of choice and offers an upgrade path to datacenter-class virtualization.

Because it has over four years of proven success, thousands of customers trust

VMware GSX Server as their virtualization solution. Easily installed on Windows or

Linux platforms, GSX Server provides advanced capabilities that make it the most

flexible server virtualization product on the market. GSX Server is part of the widely

deployed VMware virtual infrastructure solution with virtual machines compatible

across all VMware products, and with unified management and provisioning provided

by VMware VirtualCenter.

VMware GSX Server simplifies computing infrastructure by partitioning and isolating

servers in secure and transportable virtual machines, each of which can run standard

Windows, Linux or NetWare operating systems and applications. GSX Server allows

you to remotely manage, automatically provision and standardize virtual machines on

a secure, uniform platform.

Thousands of enterprise customers rely on VMware GSX Server to deliver server

scalability, reliability and high availability and to maximize return on IT investments.

Use GSX Server across the enterprise to:

•Streamline software development and testing operations with easily provisioned

and managed server-based virtual machines.

•Implement server consolidation for new and legacy departmental server

applications.

•Provision servers rapidly to local or remote locations.

•Streamline operating system and application patch management.

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