Dell Server 212 User Manual

VMware® ESX Server2.1.2 Software  
for DellPowerEdgeServers  
Deployment Guide  
Dwowwnlwoa.ddfreoml lW. cwowm.So|masnuuaplsp.coomr t..AdlleMlaln.ucaolsmSearch And Download.  
VMware® ESX Server2.1.2 Software  
for DellPowerEdgeServers  
Deployment Guide  
Dwowwnlwoa.ddfreoml lW. cwowm.So|masnuuaplsp.coomr t..AdlleMlaln.ucaolsmSearch And Download.  
Notes, Notices, and Cautions  
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you  
make better use of your computer.  
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to  
hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.  
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property  
damage, personal injury, or death.  
____________________  
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.  
© 2004 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.  
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of  
Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.  
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and PowerEdge are  
trademarks of Dell Inc.; VMware, VMotion, and ESX Server are trademarks of  
VMware, Inc.; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation; Linux is a  
registered trademark of Linus Torvalds; Netware is a registered trademark of  
Novell Inc.; Intel, Xeon, and Pentium are registered trademarks of  
Intel Corporation; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of  
Microsoft Corporation.  
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either  
the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims  
any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.  
Portions of this document Copyrighted VMware, Inc. 2004.  
August 2004  
P/N X6320  
Rev. A00  
 
Contents  
Introduction  
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5
Understanding ESX Server Components  
Qualification List  
Installation of ESX Server 2.1.2 Software  
Before Installation  
Service Console Configuration.  
After Installation .  
ESX Server Software  
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Dell OpenManage in a  
VMware ESX Server Environment  
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18  
OpenManage Software Overview .  
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18  
Using the Dell Remote Access Card III (DRAC III)  
on PE 6650 .  
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20  
21  
Installing OpenManage Server Administrator and  
Remote Management . .  
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Contents  
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Guest Operating Systems  
Guest OS Installation.  
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21  
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Guest OS Performance Tuning Tips .  
Additional Resources  
Product Documentation Resources .  
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Newsgroups.  
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Index  
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Tables  
Table 1-1.  
Table 1-2.  
Table 1-3.  
Table 1-4.  
Table 1-5.  
Table 1-6.  
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1-7  
1-8  
ESX Server System Configuration  
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1-14  
Figures  
Figure 1-1.  
Figure 1-2.  
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1-5  
1-9  
Non-VirtualCenter Configuration, One or More  
PowerEdge Servers with Optional SAN  
VirtualCenter Configuration with SAN for  
VMotion  
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Figure 1-3.  
Figure 1-4.  
Figure 1-5.  
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1-10  
1-10  
1-19  
VirtualCenter Configuration with SAN for  
VMotion (with HBA Failover)  
Example of a Management Station and  
Managed Systems  
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4
Contents  
 
Introduction  
®
VMware ESX Server software provides the rapid creation of multiple  
virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical server. These VMs each run in a  
®
resource-isolated, secure environment and include a Microsoft Windows,  
®
®
Linux™, or Novell NetWare operating system (OS) with their associated  
applications. The ESX Server software has a virtualization layer that  
allocates virtualized Dell resources to VMs and a Service Console – a  
management interface for the VMware virtualization layer. Figure 1-1 shows  
the ESX Server architecture.  
Figure 1-1. VMware ESX Server Architecture  
VMware VirtualCenter is a management application that monitors and  
manages virtual machines distributed across ESX Server installations, as well  
as the ESX Server systems themselves. VirtualCenter can show global task  
lists, each individual ESX Server, or each individual VM.  
When VirtualCenter-managed ESX Server farms have a common  
Storage Area Network (SAN), they can take advantage of VMotion™  
technology. This technology allows for the “hot” migration of a running VM.  
A live, state-full application, with its OS, can be moved from one  
PowerEdge™ server running ESX Server to another. This migration is  
transparent to the end users, who are not aware that it is taking place.  
VMotion technology provides dynamic scaling, performance, and  
DeploymentGuide  
5
 
                 
zero-downtime maintenance. If a physical server needs servicing, it can be  
vacated; that is, all running VMs are moved to other ESX Server systems  
without affecting users. The vacant system can be shutdown, repaired, then  
placed back into service at which time VMs can be migrated back to it – all  
without impacting availability to end users.  
Dell configurations of ESX Server software and VirtualCenter allow users to:  
Implement server consolidation  
Deliver high availability and guaranteed service levels  
Streamline testing and deployment  
Scale hardware and software infrastructure  
Upgrade to current and standard hardware, independently of  
software upgrades  
This document is a companion guide to the VMware ESX Server 2.1  
Installation Guide and provides specific information as it relates to  
Dell servers and Dell recommended configurations. For the latest version of  
this document see www.dell.com/vmware under the Resource tab. For more  
information about ESX Server software and VirtualCenter, consult the  
following documents, which are distributed with the software and are  
available on the VMware Web site at www.vmware.com/support/esx21/ and  
www.vmware.com/support/vc11/  
:
ESX Server 2.1 Installation Guide  
ESX Server 2.1 Administrator’s Guide  
Guest Operating System Installation Guide  
VMware Scripting API User’s Manual  
VMware VirtualCenter 1.1 User's Manual  
6
Deployment Guide  
 
     
Understanding Dell Configurations  
For this release, Dell has qualified a base server configuration for use with  
ESX Server 2.1.2 software. A single server can be used in a "stand-alone"  
mode, or one or more servers can be connected to a shared SAN through a  
switch. VMotion technology is available when two or more servers share a  
common SAN. VirtualCenter may be used to manage servers in any of these  
configurations, and is required to initiate VMotion events.  
NOTE: USB devices are not supported with ESX Server 2.1.2 software default  
installation and configuration. Even if USB is enabled in the BIOS, the  
ESX Server 2.1.2 software will disable it by default. If you need to use USB with  
ESX Server 2.1.2, see the VMware knowledge base article 1326 - Using USB  
When ESX Server Disables It.  
The following tables list Dell's recommended configurations. Table 1-1  
shows the common baseline configuration. For standalone configurations,  
add the contents of Table 1-2 to that of Table 1-1. For SAN-attached  
configurations, add the contents of Table 1-3 to that of Table 1-1  
.
Table 1-1. Base ESX Server System Hardware Configuration  
Device  
Class  
Configuration  
Configuration  
Configuration  
Server  
PowerEdge 6650 PowerEdge 2850 PowerEdge 1850  
Processor  
Four Intel Xeon Two Intel Xeon  
Two Intel Xeon  
Processors  
Processors  
16 GB  
Processors  
8 GB  
RAM  
8 GB  
(recommended) (recommended) (recommended)  
PowerEdge PowerEdge PowerEdge  
RAID  
Controller Expandable Raid Expandable Raid Expandable Raid  
Controller 4, dual Controller 4e/Di Controller 4e/Si  
channel  
(Dual Channel  
Integrated)  
(Single Channel  
Integrated)  
(PERC4/DC)  
Networking Two Integrated  
Network Ports  
Two Integrated  
Network Ports  
Two Integrated  
Network Ports  
Add-On NIC  
Add-On NIC  
Add-On NIC  
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Table 1-2. Additional Supported Devices for a Stand-Alone  
ESX Server System Configuration  
Server  
PE 6650  
Five internal hard Six internal hard Two internal hard  
disks (15K RPM disks (15K RPM disks (15K RPM  
at RAID 5 at RAID 5 at RAID 1  
recommended) recommended) recommended)  
PE 2850  
PE 1850  
Storage  
Table 1-3. Additional Supported Devices for a SAN-attached  
ESX Server System  
Device Class  
Configuration  
Host Bus Adapter (HBA)  
One fiber channel host bus  
adapter (HBA)  
or  
Two fiber channel host bus  
adapters (HBAs) for HBA failover  
configurations  
For higher availability on the PE  
1850, the Qlogic QLA 2342 (dual  
port HBA card) is recommended.  
Storage  
Two internal hard disks (15K RPM  
at RAID 1 recommended)  
Table 1-4. Recommended VirtualCenter Server Configuration  
Resource Class  
Server  
Recommendation  
PowerEdge 1850  
2 GB RAM  
Memory  
RAID Controller  
Integrated RAID controller  
enabled  
Storage  
Two internal hard disks (largest  
capacity available at RAID 5)  
Network  
Two integrated network ports  
Microsoft Windows Server 2003  
Operating System  
8
Deployment Guide  
 
             
Figure 1-2 shows the Dell qualified base server configuration when not using  
VirtualCenter.  
Figure 1-2. Non-VirtualCenter Configuration, One or More PowerEdge Servers  
with Optional SAN  
Dell's qualified configuration with VMware VirtualCenter is: VMware ESX  
Server 2.1.2 software on each PowerEdge server with a single  
VirtualCenter 1.1 Server on a PowerEdge 1850 managing all ESX Server  
installations in a farm. For additional performance or VMware VMotion  
features, Dell|EMC CX300, CX500, or CX700 storage is required.  
Figure 1-3 shows the configuration when using VirtualCenter and Figure 1-4  
shows the configuration when implementing HBA failover.  
DeploymentGuide  
9
 
       
Figure 1-3. VirtualCenter Configuration with SAN for VMotion  
Figure 1-4. VirtualCenter Configuration with SAN for VMotion (with HBA Failover)  
10  
Deployment Guide  
 
   
Understanding ESX Server Components  
ESX Server – VMware virtualization software infrastructure installed  
on PowerEdge Servers for partitioning and consolidating systems,  
providing a platform for VMs.  
Service Console – a management interface for VMware virtualization  
layer, which enables management of the ESX Server software remotely  
from a web browser.  
Management User Interface (MUI) – Web based interface used to  
configure the ESX Server software.  
Remote Console - Windows application, or Linux application that runs  
locally on a PowerEdge Server. This enables remote console access to  
Virtual Machines.  
Virtual Machine - an encapsulation of an operating system and its  
application with dynamic features beyond physical machines.  
NOTE: An explanation of the VMware ESX Server software component product  
license information can be found at the www.dell.com/vmware under the  
Product and Services tab.  
Understanding VirtualCenter Components  
VirtualCenter Server - a management server for network-connected  
VMware ESX Server systems.  
VirtualCenter Client - the client interface for end users and  
administrators to access the VirtualCenter server. This is often run on  
the same physical machine as the VirtualCenter Server.  
VirtualCenter Database - backend database used by the  
VirtualCenter Server. This database can either be located on the same  
server as the VirtualCenter Server or a separate server with  
Microsoft SQL or Oracle database.  
DeploymentGuide  
11  
 
             
Template Repository - is a persistent storage location that maintains  
VM templates. These are run-able images of OSs, optionally including  
applications. The images can be rapidly cloned for use by  
ESX Server systems.  
NOTE: Cloning is deployment of a new VM and not migration of an  
existing VM.  
VirtualCenter Agent - an agent that is installed on each  
Dell PowerEdge Server with ESX Server software that is part of a  
VirtualCenter farm. This agent allows the ESX Server software to be  
managed by VirtualCenter and allows for the VMotion capability. This  
agent is installed automatically when a host is added to VirtualCenter.  
NOTE: If you are installing ESX Server 2.1.2 software in your network for the  
first time and are using VirtualCenter, be sure to install or upgrade to  
VirtualCenter 1.1 first. VirtualCenter 1.1 contains the correct version of the  
VirtualCenter agent for ESX Server 2.1.2. This agent will be installed  
automatically on ESX Server 2.1.2 systems when VirtualCenter discovers them.  
Current Hardware and Software  
Qualification List  
For current Dell qualified configurations of VMware ESX Server software  
and VirtualCenter, see www.dell.com/vmware  
.
For Dell|EMC qualified storage configurations of VMware ESX Server  
software and VirtualCenter, see EMC Support Matrix (ESM) at  
www.emc.com/horizontal/interoperability/  
.
For additional, non-qualified Dell configurations, see VMware's system, IO,  
and SAN Compatibility Guides' located at www.vmware.com/support/  
.
Installation of ESX Server 2.1.2 Software  
NOTE: ESX Server 2.1.2 software is only supported with VirtualCenter 1.1. If you  
are using VirtualCenter to manage your ESX Server systems, you MUST  
upgrade your VirtualCenter installation to VirtualCenter 1.1 BEFORE you  
upgrade your ESX Server software to 2.1.2.  
This section describes the important guidelines for the installation of  
ESX Server 2.1.2 software on Dell servers. For step by step installation  
instructions and requirements of the ESX Server 2.1.2 software, see the  
12  
Deployment Guide  
 
               
ESX Server 2.1 Installation Guide from VMware. This document comes with  
the installation CD and can also be found at:  
.
Before Installation  
Planning  
Planning is an important phase in the installation of the ESX Server  
software. A well planned installation will require fewer reconfigurations  
and less tuning in the future. Gather the following information prior  
to installation:  
Determine the number of VMs that will run on the ESX Server  
installation and their corresponding workloads.  
Size the resource requirements for the VMs, such as  
CPU requirements, amount of memory, number of NICs, etc. For more  
information on sizing see the sizing guidelines document at  
www.dell.com/vmware  
.
Size the resource requirements for the Service Console.  
Identify resource sensitive VMs and dedicate the required resources to  
those VMs (for example, dedicating a NIC to a file server).  
Gather the required network information, such as IP addresses,  
gateways, and so on.  
Determine the most appropriate local disk partitioning scheme. (See  
below for recommended disk partitioning.)  
VirtualCenter  
If you are using VirtualCenter to manage your ESX Server systems, be sure  
to upgrade it to VirtualCenter version 1.1 before upgrading any of the  
ESX Server systems to 2.1.2.  
RAID Configuration  
Before installing the ESX Server software make sure that the disks have the  
required RAID configurations. Use the highest RAID level available, given  
the number of local disk drives. For two disk drives, use RAID 1. For more  
than two disk drives, use RAID 5 for improved performance. RAID 0 is not  
recommended, since it does not provide redundancy of data.  
DeploymentGuide  
13  
 
         
Utility Partition  
New Dell Servers ship with the Dell Utility Partition (UP) pre-installed.  
The UP is a bootable disk partition that contains Dell diagnostic utilities  
and other software useful in maintaining the hardware. It is accessed by  
pressing the <F10> key at system boot time. Dell recommends that you  
keep the UP on your ESX Server system. If the UP has been deleted, it can  
be restored using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD-ROM. For more  
information, see www.dell.com/openmanage  
.
NOTE: It is recommended to run the Memory Diagnostic test found in the Utility  
Partition before the installation of ESX Server software.  
Recommended Local Disk Partitioning  
The following table lists the recommended local disk partitioning for the  
ESX Server system. When installing the ESX Server system choose the  
Manual Partitioning option and use the following table to create the local  
disk partitions.  
Table 1-5. Suggested Disk Partitioning within VMware ESX Server  
Mount Point  
Type  
Recommended  
Size  
Notes  
(none)  
vfat  
31 MB  
Holds the Utility  
Partition. Created using  
Dell OpenManage Server  
Assistant CD-ROM.  
/boot  
swap  
ext3  
50 MB  
Holds the boot kernel  
image.  
swap  
2 * Service  
This is the swap partition  
Console Memory for the Service Console  
only and NOT the swap  
file for the ESX Server  
software.  
/
ext3  
4 GB  
Holds the Service  
Console and VMware  
ESX Server kernel.  
14  
Deployment Guide  
 
       
Table 1-5. Suggested Disk Partitioning within VMware ESX Server (continued)  
Mount Point  
Type  
Recommended  
Size  
Notes  
/vmimages  
ext3  
10 GB+  
Holds both ISO image  
files and Template  
Exported Virtual Disk  
images.  
/home  
ext3  
2 GB  
Holds the individual  
Virtual Machine  
configuration files.  
(none)  
(none)  
vmkcore  
vmfs2  
102 MB  
Holds the core dump file  
for the VMkernel.  
Remaining  
Holds the disk files for  
the virtual machines.  
NOTE: The /vmimages partition can hold ISO9660 images of CD-ROMs as well  
as Template Exported Virtual Disks. This space can also be used as temporary  
or transient storage to assist in relocating Virtual Disk images. For example, the  
Virtual Disks can be moved to this partition, and then copied to the destination  
machine or storage area. This space can also be used to make temporary  
backup copies of Virtual Disks.  
Service Console Configuration  
During device allocation, the memory reserved for Service Console is  
configured. The amount of memory for the Service Console depends on the  
number of virtual machines that are planned to run on the ESX Server  
system. It is recommended that more memory (around 128 MB) be allocated  
to the Service Console if Dell OpenManage is installed. The amount of  
memory dedicated to the Service Console can be changed at any time, but  
requires a reboot of the ESX Server system.  
DeploymentGuide  
15  
 
   
After Installation  
After the installation of the ESX Server software in graphics mode, execute  
the following steps to complete the installation.  
Create and activate a swap file for the VMkernel. The swap file helps in  
over-provisioning of the memory to the VMs and results in better  
resource management.  
Give a name to the local VMFS partition. This will improve usability  
and also preserve access to the local VM disk files, even if one or more  
peripheral devices are added or removed.  
Create a virtual switch and bind one or more outbound adapters to the  
virtual switch, if the VMs in the server require an uplink.  
For detailed instructions on how to execute the above steps see the  
VMware ESX Server 2.1 Installation Guide  
.
SAN Environment Setup with  
ESX Server Software  
Advanced features such as VMotion technology require a Storage Area  
Network (SAN) environment using Dell | EMC CX300, CX500, or CX700  
storage devices. Setting up the SAN for ESX Server systems does not require  
any special steps. This section provides a quick overview of the general  
concepts of a SAN and the steps needed to set up a SAN environment.  
LUN: A Logical Unit Number (LUN) is a unique identifier for a set of one or  
more physical disks.  
NOTE: A single disk can encompass more that one LUN, but it is not  
recommended for performance reasons.  
RAID Group: A RAID Group is a collection of one or more physical disks. In  
order to use the LUNs one has to create a RAID group and bind LUNs to it.  
Storage Group: A Storage Group is a set of one or more servers and one or  
more LUNs. A server in a Storage Group can only access LUNs which are in  
the same Storage Group. Storage Groups are typically used to implement  
access control.  
16  
Deployment Guide  
 
               
TM  
In order to create and use Storage Groups in Navisphere, the Access Logic  
option must be enabled.  
NOTE: Access Logic is a software component of Navisphere® which needs to  
be installed at the storage system.  
Zoning: Zoning controls access between fiber channel devices. Zoning at  
the switch would determine the group servers that can access a particular  
storage device.  
The typical steps involved in setting up a SAN are:  
1
2
3
4
Install and setup the CX300, CX500, or CX700 storage device.  
Configure zoning at the switch level.  
Create RAID groups.  
Create and bind LUNs.  
NOTE: When creating the LUNs, select Auto Assign to assign the LUN  
to the storage processor. This is highly recommended for better  
load balancing.  
5
6
Manually register the servers (hosts) connected to the SAN (see below  
for step by step instructions).  
Create Storage Groups containing the servers and the LUNs.  
For detailed information about setting up the storage device, and creating  
LUNs, RAID groups, and Storage Groups see the EMC Navisphere Manager:  
Administrator’s Guide. This document comes with the CX-series storage  
device on a CD-ROM.  
Manual Registration of Servers: The steps to manually register a host server  
using Navisphere Manager are given below:  
1
2
Click on the Storage tab on the Navisphere Manager session.  
Right-click on the storage system and select Connectivity Status  
.
All the World Wide Numbers (WWNs) of the HBAs installed in the  
connected hosts should be displayed.  
Select a WWN and select Register to register the HBA to the  
Storage Device.  
DeploymentGuide  
17  
 
   
3
Select the following options:  
Initiator Type: CLARiiON Open  
Failover Mode:1  
Array CommPath: Enabled  
Unit Serial Number: Array  
4
5
Enter the required Hostname and IP address for the server and  
select OK Repeat the steps for all the WWNs connected to the  
.
storage device.  
The host server must now be registered to the storage device. The host  
is then assigned to a Storage Group along with the LUNs that it will  
use to store VMFS files.  
NOTE: WWN of HBAs installed in a particular server can be determined by  
executing the command  
more /proc/scsi/qla2300/*(for Qlogic HBAs) or  
more /proc/scsi/lpfdd/*(for Emulex HBAs) in the  
service console.  
NOTE: EMC PowerPath is not supported with ESX software.  
Setting Up Manual Load Balancing  
Automatic load balancing is not supported in VMware ESX Server software.  
Load balancing can be achieved by manually configuring the preferred path  
for each LUN from the ESX MUI. For more information about load  
balancing, refer to Configuring redundancy and load balancing in Dell | EMC  
Storage for VMware ESX Server Software at www.dell.com/vmware  
.
Dell OpenManage in a  
VMware ESX Server Environment  
OpenManage Software Overview  
Dell OpenManage systems management software is a suite of application  
programs for PowerEdge systems. This software allows you to manage your  
system with proactive monitoring, diagnosis, notification, and remote  
access. Each system that you plan to manage with Dell OpenManage  
software products is called a managed system. Managed system applications  
18  
Deployment Guide  
 
               
include Server Administrator, and remote access controller (RAC) software.  
Server Administrator provides a comprehensive, one-to-one systems  
management solution in two ways: from an integrated, Web browser-based  
GUI (the Server Administrator home page) and from a command line  
interface (CLI) through the operating system. (For ESX Server systems,  
Server Administrator is installed in the Service Console.) Server  
Administrator is designed for system administrators to both locally and  
remotely manage systems on a network. Server Administrator allows system  
administrators to focus on managing their entire network by providing  
be used to remotely manage one or more managed systems from a central  
location. By installing IT Assistant on a management station, you can  
effectively manage from one to hundreds of remote managed systems.  
For more information about OpenManage see the OpenManage Product  
Documentation CD-ROM, which comes with the Dell Server and is also  
available at www.dell.com/openmanage  
.
Figure 1-5 illustrates the relationship between a management station and its  
managed systems. Figure 1-5 also shows the operating systems and the  
Dell OpenManage software products that may be installed on the  
managed systems.  
Figure 1-5. Example of a Management Station and Managed Systems  
management station  
IT  
Assistant  
Systems Management CD  
operating  
system  
ESX CD  
Server  
Administrator  
Systems  
Management  
managed systems  
CD  
remote  
access  
DeploymentGuide  
19  
 
   
NOTE: Managed system applications such as Server Administrator, and remote  
access controller (RAC) software are not used inside the virtual machines  
because the software would only see the virtualized hardware and not the  
physical hardware.  
NOTE: Dell OpenManage Server Administrator will run within the VMware  
Service Console and can be used to manage the server components. Devices  
which are dedicated exclusively to the VMkernel are not reported by Dell  
OpenManage Server Administrator and Service Console. Server Administrator  
can only monitor hardware components that are shared with the VMware  
Service Console. The following devices are dedicated exclusively to VMkernel:  
CPU1, CPU2, and CPU3 on PE6650 or CPU1 on PE 2850 and PE 1850  
Network Interface Cards and Host Bus Adapter (HBA) which are dedicated  
to virtual machines  
Using the Dell Remote Access Card III (DRAC III) on PE 6650  
If a DRAC III remote access card has been installed in your system, you  
should also install the ppp-2.4.1-2.i386.rpm package before installing the  
OpenManage Server Administrator. This file can be found on the  
ESX Server 2.1 Installation CD. Insert the installation CD into the systems  
CD-ROM drive and install the rpm in the Service Console using  
the commands:  
mount /dev/cdrom  
rpm -ivh /mnt/cdrom/VMware/RPMS/  
ppp-2.4.1-2.i386.rpm  
umount /dev/cdrom  
20  
Deployment Guide  
 
   
Installing OpenManage Server Administrator and  
Remote Management  
Use the following steps to install Dell OpenManage 4.1 on the ESX Server  
system. The ESX Server Installation CD-ROM and OpenManage CD-ROM  
are required for the installation.  
1
2
Log on with administrator privileges (root) to the Service Console.  
Install Dell OpenManage using the following command:  
# omasetup.sh install  
Follow the instructions to complete the installation. You will be asked  
to insert the ESX Server Installation CD-ROM and the OpenManage  
Server Assistant CD-ROM  
.
3
Configure SNMPD to send trapsink messages to the management  
console. Edit /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf and add the following line to the  
end of the file:  
trapsink <ITA_IP_Address> public  
Starting Your Server Administrator Session  
To start a Server Administrator session on a remote system, open the  
following URL in your web browser:  
where hostname is the assigned name for the managed node system and  
1311 is the default port. The IP address of the managed system can also  
be used.  
Guest Operating Systems  
Guest OS Installation  
For information on how to install Virtual Machines see the latest  
Guest Operating System Installation Guide  
.
NOTE: Before installing a W2K OS on a local disk (non-SAN configuration), see  
the VMware knowledge base article 675 - Lockup/Reboot Loop During a  
Windows 2000 Guest Operating System Installation.  
DeploymentGuide  
21  
 
                     
Guest OS Performance Tuning Tips  
The following tuning tips significantly improve performance over the  
Guest OS and VMTools default installations and are highly recommended  
for Dell qualified configurations.  
NOTE: The actual results of the tuning tips provided here depend on the  
configuration and will vary accordingly.  
Maximize ESX Server system tuning across VMs prior to individual  
VM Guest OS tuning. See VMware ESX Server 2.1 product  
documentation at www.vmware.com/support/esx21/doc for scheduling  
CPU, memory, and disk bandwidth across VMs.  
Ensure VMware Tools are installed to improve video and  
mouse performance and other benefits.  
Disable all CPU-intensive screen savers.  
Ensure that each VM's guest OS type is correct in its configuration file.  
To ensure best device performance ensure that you are using supported  
devices. See www.dell.com/vmware for details.  
For best performance, VMs should use separate resources from the  
Service Console, specifically Ethernet NIC cards.  
Ideally, each VM should be running only one application.  
For CPU-bound workloads, enable hyper-threading on the  
ESX Server system.  
For shared resources, pair VMs that will not compete for the  
same resource.  
Avoid using the two legacy Serial (COM) ports or Parallel (LPT) port  
devices by VMs.  
Disconnect CD-ROM device from all the VMs.  
For all VMs that do not require PXE boot, it is highly recommended to  
replace vlance with vmxnet device as the virtual NIC. It is included and  
documented in VMware Tools. This will drastically improve  
performance when Gigabit Ethernet is used and the VMs have high  
bandwidth requirements.  
22  
Deployment Guide  
 
       
Tradeoffs between memory and CPU resources:  
If VMs are CPU-bound and RAM is under-utilized, then turn off  
page sharing. You can achieve this from the ESX Server  
Management User Interface (MUI):  
Choose Options tab.  
Next, click on Advanced Settings.  
Set Mem.ShareScanTotal to 0. (The default is 200.)  
If VM peak memory is bursty, then decrease idle memory tax rate.  
From ESX MUI:  
Choose Options tab.  
Next, click on Advanced Settings.  
Set Mem.IdleTax to the rate of your choice. (The default  
is 75%.)  
VMware performance metrics can be accessed by exploring the  
directory structure at /proc/vmware within the Service Console.  
For better backup practices, it is recommended to create two virtual  
disks for each virtual machine: one virtual disk containing  
OS/application installation files and the other virtual disk containing  
user data. This allows for more frequent backup of the data virtual disk.  
Identify the limited resource by application type:  
Table 1-6. Limiting Resources by Application Type  
Limiting Resource  
Likely Application Type  
RAM  
Web Server, Application  
Server, File Server  
CPU  
Application Server,  
Streaming Server  
Network  
Disk  
File Server  
SAN Database, data-  
intensive Application  
Server  
DeploymentGuide  
23  
 
 
Microsoft Windows Tuning Tips  
Use Perfmon to profile the Windows application and identify its key  
resource, then:  
Isolate or limit sharing to each VM's key resource.  
Save perfmon-tuned, gold images for cloning. For example:  
Install Windows, Windows service packs and patches,  
VMware Tools, anti-virus, management agents, backup agent,  
application, application service packs, and patches. Save this  
pre-tuned golden master.  
Do performance profiling with perfmon to determine the  
optimal, tuned golden master to save for cloning. Although  
you may want to retain images at several installation points for  
future use as golden masters, note that performance tuning is  
after the full installation, including application.  
Windows Terminal Service (WTS) performance is greatly improved by  
setting the workload attribute to "Terminal Services". This option can  
be enabled in the MUI when creating the virtual machine, or by adding  
the following line in the configuration file of the virtual machine:  
workload = "TerminalServices"  
Similarly, Citrix MetaFrame XP performs better by installing hotfix  
XE102W014 in the guest Windows OS.  
Microsoft Windows 2003 Tuning Tips  
Dell recommends that you do all performance tuning experiments  
prior to activating your license for Windows 2003 operating system.  
Microsoft Windows 2000 Tuning Tips  
After installing VMware Tools, you need to change your Windows 2000  
screen area to be greater than 640x480 pixels; if you do not change it,  
Windows 2000 uses the standard VGA driver, degrading performance.  
Use the VMware SCSI driver, supplied within VMware Tools, instead of  
Microsoft's Buslogic driver.  
24  
Deployment Guide  
 
       
Microsoft NT4 Tuning Tips  
Virtual disks support DMA transfers for better performance.  
See www.vmware.com/support/esx21 for instructions on how to enable  
this feature.  
Service Pack 6a is highly recommended for performance and  
compatibility.  
Linux Tuning Tips  
• At the end of Linux OS installation on the VM, make sure that "Text"  
mode is selected for the Login screen instead of "Graphical" mode. For  
Linux, installation of VMware Tools is a semi-manual process. See the  
Guest Operating System Installation Guide for more information.  
Ensure that VMware Tools is installed in the guest OS prior to starting  
the X server. For example, Skip X Configuration in the video card  
installation. One benefit is that you get accelerated SVGA X server,  
instead of the X server installed for example, with Red Hat Linux 9.  
To install VMware tools see the manual for your VMware product.  
NOTE: Depending on the Linux distribution and kernel version, the  
VMware tools installation script may need to re-compile the VMware tools  
agent. This will require that the "make" utility and a C-compiler are resident on  
the Linux guest OS.  
Additional Resources  
Product Documentation Resources  
Complete and current documentation for Dell qualified  
VMware configurations is available at www.dell.com/vmware  
.
Dell products: www.dell.com see servers, then product literature.  
EMC Support Matrix (ESM) at  
www.emc.com/horizontal/interoperability/  
For information about Dell Services and Support product offerings and  
requirements see www.dell.com/vmware under the Product and  
Services tab.  
DeploymentGuide  
25  
 
               
VMware VirtualCenter 1.1  
Features: www.vmware.com/products/vmanage/vc_features.html  
Documents: www.vmware.com/support/vc/  
Troubleshooting:  
www.vmware.com/support/vc/doc/releasenotes_vc.html  
VMware ESX Server 2.1.2  
Features, Documentation, Install Guide, Admin Guide,  
Scripting Guide, SAN, Backup, Troubleshooting (also see the  
KnowledgeBase) www.vmware.com/support  
Technical Support Resources  
Dell-specific VMware information and additional documentation  
are located at www.dell.com/vmware/  
VMware support website at www.vmware.com  
Dell hardware support at www.dell.com/support  
Dell deployment and professional services www.dell.com/services  
Newsgroups  
VMware Newsgroups at news.vmware.com  
26  
Deployment Guide  
 
       
Index  
A
agent  
VirtualCenter, 12  
C
CD-ROM  
ESX Server installation, 21  
OpenManage, 21  
OpenManage  
documentation, 19  
OpenManage server  
assistant, 21  
ESX Server  
client interface  
VirtualCenter Server, 11  
components  
ESX, 11  
ESX Server environment  
VirtualCenter, 11  
ESX Server software, 5, 11  
components, 11  
configuration  
Dell, 7, 9  
installation, 12  
ESX Server RAID, 13  
Server Console, 15  
VirtualCenter server, 8-9  
SAN setup, 16  
ESX Server systems  
base hardware configuration, 7  
SAN configuration, 8  
supported devices, 8  
Index  
27  
 
 
F
farms  
ESX Server, 5, 9  
OS installation, 25  
tuning tips, 25  
load balancing  
automatic, 18  
G
guest OS, 21-22  
installation, 21  
performance, 22  
local disk  
partitions, 14  
LUN, 16  
H
hardware  
qualification list, 12  
I
installation  
after, 16  
guest OS, 21  
OpenManage, 18  
OpenManage Server  
Administrator, 21  
planning, 13  
O
OpenManage  
installation on ESX Server  
system, 18  
installation guide  
ESX Server 2.1 software, 6, 13,  
16  
product documentation, 19  
software overview, 18  
guest OS, 6, 21, 25  
28  
Index  
 
operating systems  
guest OS, 21  
RAID, 16  
guest OS installation, 21  
guest OS performance, 22  
Linux performance, 25  
NT4 performance, 25  
configuration, 13  
registering  
host servers, 17  
Windows performance, 24  
P
partitions  
local disk, 14  
utility, 14  
S
performance  
guest OS tuning tips, 22  
Linux, 25  
Server Administrator  
installation, 21  
NT4 tuning tips, 25  
Windows 2000 tuning tips, 24  
Windows 2003 tuning tips, 24  
Windows tuning tips, 24  
starting a session, 21  
server console  
planning  
servers  
ESX Server software  
installation, 13  
manually registering, 17  
software  
ESX Server, 6, 11-12, 18  
ESX Server 2.1.2, 7, 9, 12  
qualification list, 12  
Q
qualification  
hardware and software, 12  
storage area networks. See SAN  
storage group, 16  
systems management  
software, 18  
Index  
29  
 
T
technical support, 26  
templates  
Windows 2003 tuning tips, 24  
Windows NT4 tuning tips, 25  
VirtualCenter Server, 12  
tuning tips  
guest OS, 22  
Linux, 25  
Windows, 24  
Windows 2000, 24  
Windows 2003, 24  
Windows NT4, 25  
zoning, 17  
U
Utility Partition, 14  
V
VirtualCenter, 5, 7, 13  
components, 11  
server configuration, 8  
VirtualCenter components  
VirtualCenter Agent, 12  
VirtualCenter Client, 11  
VirtualCenter Server, 11  
VirtualCenter Template  
Repository, 12  
VMotion, 5, 7  
VMware  
configuration  
documentation, 25  
Tools, 22, 24-25  
30  
Index  
 
 
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