Lab 25: VMware vSphere Update Manager

Reference Project Architecture: 

In this lab, I am going to install, configure, and use VMware vSphere Update Manager.

Update Manager facilitates centralised, automated patch and version management for VMware vSphere and offers support for VMware ESX/ESXi hosts, virtual machines, and virtual appliances.

You can perform the following activity with the Update Manager:

• Upgrade and patch ESX/ESXi hosts
• IInstall and update third-party software on hosts
• Upgrade virtual machine hardware, VMware Tools, and virtual appliances

The tasks list for lab 25:

• Install vSphere Update Manager
• Install the Update Manager Client Plug-In
• Modify Cluster Settings
• Configure vSphere Update Manager
• Create  a Patch Baseline
• Attach a Baseline and Scan for Update
• Stage the Patches onto the ESXi Hosts
• Remediate the ESXi hosts

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

Steps for the task: Install vSphere Update Manager

I am going to show how to install vSphere Update Manager in my System.

Step 1: Double click on the autorun.exe file and Run.

The VMware vSphere 5.5 vCenter Installer is displayed.

Click the vSphere Update Manager Link. Then Click “Install” to start the installation Wizard

Step 2: Now you need to perform the following installation action that I showed the following screenshot. I already did it. You just need to follow and provide the necessary information

Provide your root username and Password

Accept the default database option and click Next

If your name resolution is working, select the hostname; otherwise, continue with the host IP address.

Accept the default setting but If you want, you can change the destination address.

Steps for the task: Install the Update Manager Client Plug -In

You can install the Update Manager client plug-in to use vSphere Update Manager that is provided as a plug-In for the VMware vSphere Client.

Step 1: Log in vCenter Server through vSphere Client using your administrator user and Password

Step 2: Installation Process: Go to the Plug-In menu bar ->Manager Plug-In

Step 3: Now continue the installation process, you have to perform the following actions that I showed in the Screenshot.

Under the available Plug-ins in the Plug-in-Manager window, click the “Download and Install” link.

In this step, you will get a Security warning dialogue box, click “Run”

Click Install” button to progress the installation.

Click “Finish” to complete the Installation.

Steps for the task: Modify Cluster Settings

In this section, I will enable VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS). For this task, I chose a fully automated mode and disable VMware HA admission control.

The Configuration Procedure:

You need to perform the following Actions that I showed on the ScreenShot to modify the cluster settings.

Select Home->Inventory ->Hosts and Clusters. Right click on your lab cluster and select “Edit Settings”

Select “Fully automated” for automation level, it will enable vSphere DRS to migrate VM as required without taking any permission from the administrator.

Now Select the vSphere HA from left panel, Select the “Disable: Allow VM power on Operations that violate availability constraints”

Now you need to go “Resource Allocations” to verify that no CPU and Memory Reservation are assigned to the VMS. If you get any CPU and memory reservations, Edit the setting and put the zero (0) for CPU and Memory Reservation.

Steps for the task: Configure vSphere Update Manager

In this task, I have shown how to configure vSphere Update Manager by importing patches and extension manually without using a shared repository or the Internet for download.

The Configuration Procedure:  You need to perform the following actions that I showed on the Screenshot to configure vSphere Update Manager.

Go to the Home -> Solution and Application -> Update Manager

Go to the Configuration tab, click “Download Setting” link.

Click “Import patches link” that your instructor provided you.  Click Browse and select the location of the “Import patches”

Steps for the task: Create a Patch Baseline

In this task, I showed how to create a patch baseline on the screenshot. Baselines contain a collection of one or more patches, extension, or upgrades for the vCenter Server system

The Configuration procedure:  You need to perform the following action to create a patch baseline step by step.

Click Baseline and Groups tab. You will see there is two by default “Create” link. One is under Baseline and another is under Baseline Group panel.

In this section, I am going to show how to create new Baseline. Click “Create” from Baselines Groups section.

Name the Baseline and Description

Name: ESXi Host Update

Description: Patch for ESXi 5.5

Select the patch Option “Fixed“. If you select “Fixed” the baseline will remain same even after you update the patches to the repository.

Select all of the patches and click the down arrow that I pointed by red colour under the horizontal scroll bar to add the patch to the fixed patches to add pane.

Now you can a new patch “ESXi host Update” has created with two default baselines

Steps for the task: Attach a Baseline and Scan for Updates

In this task, I used scanning process for patching the attributes of hosts in my system.

The Baseline Attach procedure: You need to follow the following steps for attaching a baseline and Scan for updates in your cluster.

Click the “Compliance view” at the upper-right of the Baseline and Groups tab.

Select the “Lab Cluster” from the vCenter Server inventory and Click the “Update Manager” and select “Attach” link.

Now you will get “Attach Baseline or Group” wizard. Select the “ESXi Host Update” patch Baselines that you created the previous task.

Now click the “Scan” link under Update Manager tab in the lab cluster

After “Scan” is complete, the result should be ESXi hosts are “Non-Compliant”. 0% compliant.

Steps for the task: Stage the Patches onto the ESXi Hosts

Staging patches and extensions speeds up the remediation process because patches and extensions are already available locally on the hosts.

The Configuration Procedure: I showed the configuration procedure step by step on the screenshot. You need to perform the following action.

Select the ESXi host from “All Groups and Independent Baselines” under “Update Manager”  and Click “Stage”. Note: do not select the ESXi host from the lab cluster.

Now you need to perform the following action that showed on the Stage wizard.

Baseline: ESXi Host Updates

Select all patch and extension Exclusion in the box and click Next

Monitor the Stage patch configuration from the “Recent task”

Steps for the task: Remediate the ESXi Hosts

Remediation of hosts in a cluster requires that VMware vSPhere Distributed Power Management and VMware vSphere HA admission control are temporarily disabled.

The Remediate the ESXi Hosts Configuration procedure:  I showed on the screenshot how to remediate the ESXi host, you need to perform the following actions for configuring the remediate.

Go to the “Lab Cluster” and Click the “Update Manger” tab. Click the “Remediate”.

In the Remediate wizard, perform the following action.

Remediation selection: leave it to default

Patches and extension: leave it to default if all is already selected.

Schedule: Name: Lab Cluster [ The cluster name will be showed automatically]. Leave the page default and click “Next”

Host remediation Option:  Select “Disable any removable media devices connected to the virtual machines on the host” and leave other settings default. Click “Next”

Cluster Remediation Options: Deselect: Disable Distributed power management (DPM) if it is enabled for any of the selected clusters.

Now click “Generate Report” to identify the task list that remediation process will perform.

“Lab cluster” task will be performed by remediation process.

Monitor the progress of the lab cluster task that is performing the remediation process from the “Recent Tasks” bar.

You will see the EXSI host placed into the maintenance mode during the remediated process if you check the progress.

Note: If you have any power-on VMs under the maintenance host, they will migrate to the other node in the cluster. Any powered-off VM will not migrate.

You will see the hosts in the lab cluster show 100 % compliance when the remediation process complete. Status: Compliant and the red circle will show “Red”

Admin view:

You can also monitor VMware vSphere Update Manager status details from “Admin view”.  Note that: you must have Windows administrator credentials to install Update Manager in your infrastructure.

VMware vSphere vCenter Server Service Status Check: 

You can also check vCenter Server service status from Home ->vCenter Service Status. It will give you an overall review of your vCenter Server Service including health report, alerts and warning report, and activated services status.

This screenshot is my vCenter Server service status. You can see I am using 16 services and no alert and warning for those services. Green colour indicated here that system health report is positive.

Thank you 🙂 

Module 7: Storage Space Management

In this module, I experiment with Space Guarantees and File Reservation, Configure Deduplication services for a Volume, and  Create a Quotas for all users of the qtree, and Create a Quota for an existing qtree and modifying an existing Quota.

Quotas provide a way to restrict or track the disk space and number of files used by a user, group, or qtree. Path of the quotes:  /etc/quotas file.

We use quotas in the Storage system to limit resource usage. It will give us notification when resources usage reached the specific level that we defined or also track usage of resources. Quotas working with users and group, and qtree. When a quota is created with a qtree, it is called tree quota.

The tasks for the module 7: 

• Explore file space consumption
• Configuring deduplication for a volume
• Create and Manage quotas
• Generate a quota report
• Modify the /etc/quotas file and implement quota changes

Steps for the task: Explore file space consumption

In this task, I will discuss how to explore file space consumption. I will create a volume with space reserved for file and create fully provisioned and thin provision file with it

Step 1: Create a new volume with 30 MB in aggregate 1 for reserved space for the files FileVol

vol create Filevol -s file aggr1 30m

 

Step 2: Mount FileVol

#mkdir /mnt/dataontap/Filevol

#mount 192.168.1.15 (IP_Address) :/vol/FileVol/mnt/dataontap (system_name)/FileVol

Step 3: Create a fully provisioned 10 MB file in FileVol that is called FULLfile

#cd /mnt/dataontap/FileVol

#dd if=/dev/zero of =FULLfile bs =1000 count =100000

Step 4: Create 10MB file called SPARSEfile in FileVol

#dd if =/dev/zero of =/SPARSEfile bs=1 count = 0 seek = 100000

Step 5: add a overwrite  protection to FULLfile

file reservation /vol/FULLfile enable

Step 6: add overwrite protection to SPARSfile

file reservation /vol/FILEvol/SPARESfile enable

Steps for the task: Configure deduplication for a volume

In this task, I will configure deduplication on NASvol

Step 1: First you need to add license for the deduplication services on Storage System

The license of deduplication is A-SIS.It is integrated with Data ONTAP software and the WAFL file system.

For the deduplication, you need to enable the “nearstore option NetApp storage system”

options licensed_feature.nearstore_option.enable

If options licensed_feature.nearstore_option.enable is off,

turn it on

options licensed_feature.nearstore_option.enable on

options licensed_feature.nearstore_option.enable

Check your license list

Step 2: Now I will turn on and check the status of the deduplication services on NASvol by the following command

sis on /vol/NASvol

sis status /vol/NASvol

Step 3: In this step, I will configure the deduplication service on NASvol to run on the flexible volume with percentage level of fingerprints in the change log reached the default threshold 20% by the following command

sis config -s auto /vol/NASvol  [ This configuration only for the future data]

Step 4: Now I will start the deduplication process for the existing data by the following command

sis start -s /vol/NASvol

Press “Y” for confirmation

df -s /vol/NASvol                   [ for checking the space saving]

 

Steps for the task: Create and Manage Quotas

In this task, I will use NetApp OnCommand System manager to create and manage quotas.

Step 1: Click Storage -> Qtrees in the NetApp OnCommand System manager. Click Create for creating a new qtree for NASvol with enabling oplocks and NTFS Security

 

Step 2:  In this step, I will create a CIFS share for nas_tree1 in the NetApp OnCommand System manager.

Step 3: Before creating a new quota, I will check the current value in the /etc/quotas file by the following command line

rdfile /etc/quotas

The output: #auto-generate by setup means user setup the tight restriction intentionally.

Step 4:  Now I will create a Quota using NetApp OnCommand System manager.

Click Storage -> Quotas ->Create 

Click next and entry the quota limit for Space Usage and file count

Click Next and Review the Summary of the quota configure

Step 5: Now I will show how to check quota status and current value in the /etc/quotas file by the Storage System CLI

quota status   [ checking quota status]

rdfile /etc/quotas [verify the current value of quotas file]

Step 6: Navigating the nas_tree1 as Map Network Drive

Computer -> Map Network Drive

Enter the folder path \\IP of Storage System \nas_tree1

Give the domain\Administrator  and Administrator password to establish connection

Step 7: Add at least 8MB of data to the nas_tree1 to check the threshold

Steps for the task: Create a Quota Report

In this task, I will create a quotas report using Storage System CLI  and NetApp OnCommand System manager.

Step 1:  View the Quota report by the following command on CLI

quota report

Step 2: In the NetApp OnCommand System manager: click Storage -> Quotas

Click Quota Report tab and compare the value with the CLI output

Steps for the task: Modify the /etc/quotas file and implement quota changes

In this task, I will show how to modify the /etc/quotas file and implement quota changes after threshold exceeded

Step 1: Click the User Defined Quotas tab in the NetApp OnCommand System manager

Step 2: Change the hard space quota from 12 MB to 15 MB from Edit Setting -> Space Limit

Step 3: Now click on the Quota Status on Volume tab. You can see each volume is listed with its quota status

Step 4: Select the NASvol volume and click the resize button to cause changes to the hard space to take effect

Step 10: From the Storage System CLI, I will again check the values in the /etc/quotas file to monitor the effect of change

rdfile /etc/quotas

Step 11: Try to exceed the limit of the quota

Thank You 🙂

 

 

 

Lab 1: Install VMware vSphere GUI

Reference Project Architecture: 

In this lab, I am going to show how to install VMware vSphere Graphical User Interface  ” VMware VSphere Client”

The vSphere Client is an interface for administering vCenter Server and ESXi hosts. It is the user interface and configured based on the server to which it is connected. The main function of vSphere Client for infrastructure configuration and day-to-day operations.

The task list for the lab 1: 

• IInstall the vSPhere Client

Prerequisites:

• VMware vSphere Software on the client Machine

The Steps for the task: Install the vSphere Client

Step1: As my software is zip state, I firstly extracting it. Double click on the compressed file.

Step 2: After completing the extracting, It prepares to start installing

Option 1: Setup Language: English [ You can select your own language as per your preference] 

Option 2: Welcome page

Option 3: Agree on the license Agreement  by selecting  “I agree to the terms of the license agreement”

Option 4: Destination folder: select the default destination [ It can be changeable, you can select different destination by clicking on “Change”]

Option 5: Ready to Install the program. Click “ Install“

Step 3: Click finish after installing is complete

Step 4: Log in the ESXi host one with the vSphere Client.  Double click the “vSphere Client” icon

Option 1: Double click the “vSphere Client” icon

Option 2: Give the host IP address or Hostname with domain address. Here I log in using my first host: vexsi01.momataj.local or I can log in using IP address 192.168.1.8

Option 3: Give the username: root and ESXi host root password.

Option 4: If you get a certificate issue “ Security Warning“. Select Install this certificate and do not display Security Warning for a host. Then you will never get this security warning in the future for this host while you log in!

Click “Ignore”

Step 5: Verify that Home -> Inventory -> Inventory is displayed in the navigation bar at the stop of the vShpere client

Step 6: Double click on the “Inventory” and verify that host is listed as the root in the inventory view on the left side of the window.

Step 7: Go to the vSphere client menu bar, Select  File -> Exit to close the vSphere client 

Thank you 🙂

Lab 5: Using the VMware vSphere Web Client

In this lab, I will demonstrate the ability to navigate and customise the vSphere Web Client. The vSphere Client is an interface for administering vCenter Server and ESXi.

The tasks list for the lab 5: 

• Install the Client Integration Plug-In
• Navigate the vSphere Web Client

The steps for the task: Install the Client Integration Plug-In

The client integration plug-in enables to access to a Virtual machine’s console in the VMware vSphere web client environment. It also gives the facilities to access to other VMware vSphere infrastructure features.

1. First, You need to log in VMware vSphere web client environment. Open your browser and connect to the VMware vCenter Server Appliance management page via https://vCenter_Server_Appliance:9443/
2. At the bottom of the vSphere Web Client login page, click “Download the Client Integration Plug-in”.
3. To continue the program, click the downloaded “.exe” file to run the installation program and It will take few minutes to install.  Some security-related warning will appear on your screen. Click “RUN” to continue. Note: Before run to install, close all web browsers from your computers; otherwise, It will not begin to install. 

Steps for the task: Navigate the vSphere Web Client

The vSphere Web client has a relational link between objects that enables an administrator to view the objects when they are maintaining the global perspective. It reduces the overall cluster of the user interface and administrator can access more quickly any area of interest.

Step1: Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance management page by your web browser with the link: https://vCenter-Server.momataj.local: 9443 ( this is my vCenter server link, you should use your link that is https://vCenter_Server_Virtual_Appliance:9443)

Step2: Log in as a root user and type the vCenter Server root password. My root username: Administrator. [You may have different name, use that one]

Step3: Now Select vCenter ->Hosts and Clusters and double click to expand data centre object.

 

Thank you 🙂

Lab 23: Configuring VMware vSphere Fault Tolerance

In this lab, I am going to discuss how to configure vSphere FT for Virtual Machine and how to verify that vSPhere FT is working with Virtual Machine.

vSphere FT provides a higher level of availability, enabling users to protect any Virtual machine from the host failure without any data loss or transaction interrupt or connection.

vSphere application is used for a mission-critical application system that can not tolerate any downtime or data loss. It is required for that business which has long-lasting client connections.

The tasks list for this lab 23:

• Prepare the Virtual Machine
• Enable the vSphere FT Logging
• Activate the vSphere FT Protection
• Test the vSphere FT Configuration
• Disable and Turn off vSphere FT Protection

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

Steps for the task: Prepare the Virtual Machine

In this task, I am going to prepare a VM that will be capable of using vSphere FT in a nested VMware ESXi environment.

Step1: Home ->vCenter ->VMs and Templates

Right-Click on the VM and Select Edit settings

Step 2: Click CD/DVD Drive 1 from the Hardware Section. Select “Client Device” and Device Mode ” Passthrough CDROM” from the Virtual Hardware section

Step 3:  Go to the “VM Options tab and click the arrow next to Advanced.  Click “Edit Configuration”

Step 4: In the Configuration Parameter

reply.supported = true  from false

Add two more new parameter

replay.allowFT = true

replay.allowBTOnly=true

Steps for the task: Enable the vSphere FT Logging 

Before enabling vSphere FT Logging, you need to enable vSphere HA Cluster on each host, configure two VMKernel ports for ensuring that hosts are supported vSphere FT.

Step 1:  Go to the Home -> vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters -> Summary

Verify the Host configuration for FT status = NO [current state]

Step 2: Manage -> Networking -> VMkernel Adapters

Select vMotion from the Edit Setting

Enable the Fault Tolerance Logging. Click “OK”

You may see that ” Host Configuration FT = NO” after enabling vSphere FT Logging because, in this lab, I installed ESXi host on Virtual hardware. But it will not affect on the fault tolerance testing

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 for the second host as well

Steps for the task: Activated the vSphere FT Protection

After enabling each host for vSphere FT in the Cluster, you can feature it on individual machines by turning on the fault tolerance.

Step 1: Select Home -> vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters

• Select the VM that you prepared for fault tolerance activity in task 1
• If the VM is powered on. Turn it Powered off before Turn on Fault Tolerance feature
• Right-Click on the VM -> All vCenter Actions -> Fault Tolerance -> Turn On Fault Tolerance

Press “Yes” to give confirmation

Step 2: In the summary tab of the VM, Find out the Primary VM location and the Secondary host Location

The Backup VM is called a Secondary Virtual Machine which is automatically created the corresponding host of the primary VM location.

Step 3: Powered on FT VM and noted the changes happened in the summary tab

Steps for the task: Test the vSphere FT Configuration

In this task, I am going to test the FT configuration

Step 1: Log in the secondary location host of VM FT through the Vsphere Client. You can see here a secondary VM has been created automatically in the second location of FT VM which is host vesxi.momataj.local

Step 2: Check the Primary location of FT VM esxio02.momataj.local from Related Objects -> Virtual Machine and make sure that VM is powered On

Step 3: Open Console of Primary VM and Secondary VM and Log in as Administrator user. Here “momo” is the administrator user for this FT VM

Step 4: Go to the command Prompt and type ” ipconfig ”

Ping the Ip address from the primary FT VM, You will see secondary FT VM is starting to running ping command equally.

Step 5: Go to the vSphere web client of your primary FT VM. Right-click on FT VM -> All vCenter Actions -> Test failover. It will stimulate a Primary VM is failure

Step 6: You can now both console windows have displayed the primary. 

Step 8: after failover, the Primary FT VM location has changed. It now belongs to the Secondary host location: “vesxi01.momataj.local”.

Steps for the task: Disable and Turn Off vSPhere FT Protection

After turning off vSphere FT for a virtual machine suspends its fault tolerance protection and release the secondary VM but preserving the configuration and history of fault tolerance activated the machine. If you disable the vSphere FT for a Virtual machine,  its fault tolerance protection by halting the secondary VM.

Step 1: Right-click Protected VM -> All vCenter Actions -> Fault Tolerance -> Turn off Fault Tolerance

Step 2: Read the warning message to figure out what is the difference between turn off Fault Tolerance and Disable Fault Tolerance. Press “NO”

Step 3: Right-click Protected VM -> All vCenter Actions -> Fault Tolerance -> Disable Fault Tolerance . Read the warning message. and Press “No”

Step 4: Right-click Protected VM -> All vCenter Actions -> Fault Tolerance -> Turn off Fault Tolerance. Press “Yes” this time

Step 5: You can monitor the progress of  that fault Tolerance is going to turning off from the “Recent Tasks” bar

Step 6: verify the Summary of the FT VM, Fault Tolerance is no longer present

Step 7: Go to the Monitor -> Resouce Allocation -> Memory. If you get Memory Reservation value, Change it to 0

Step 8: Right Click VM-> All vCenter Actions -> Edit Resource Setting -> Virtual Hardware

Memory -> Reservation = 0

vMotion FT Map of my project: 

Problem and Solution:

Problem:  If you get the following error as the screenshot is showing.

Solution: You need to check your Network adapter:  Fault Tolerance is not supported for the e1000 vNIC. Change your E1000 vNIC to VMXNET2

Recommendation: Use an alternative virtual NIC e1000, VMXNET2 (Enhanced), Flexible or VMXNET3

Thank You 🙂

Lab 20: Using Alarms

In this lab, I am going to demonstrate the vCenter Server Alarm Feature

An Alarm is a notification that mainly occurs in response to selected events and conditions that happen with an object in the inventory.  The alarm is the important to monitor the vCenter inventory because it is very difficult to check each of inventory activities manually. It gives you acknowledge of the object’s activities in the vCenter Server inventory.

By default, VMware provides a set of predefined alarm for the objects in the vCenter Server inventory. But You can also define your own custom alarm for your resources in the vCenter Server inventory.

VMware predefined alarms are configurable. You can edit, modify it if it does not fulfil your requirement such as condition, state or event that you want to monitor.

The tasks for the lab 20:

• Create a Virtual Machine Alarm that Monitor for a Condition
• Create a Virtual Machine Alarm that Monitor for an Event
• Trigger Virtual Machine Alarms and Acknowledge the Alarm
• Disable the Virtual Machine Alarms

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

Steps for the task: Create a Virtual Machine Alarm That Monitors for a Condition

In this task, I am going to create a VM alarm for monitoring VM activity with a condition.

Step1: Go to the Home -> vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters

Step 2: Select the name of the VM in the inventory for setting alarm. In my case, I chose “momatajvmclient 1-2” for performing this task. Note: As I am creating this alarm for “momatajvmclient 1-2” specific Virtual machine, this alarm only monitors that   “momatajvmclient 1-2” VM. If you create the alarm on the vCenter Server object, the alarm will apply to all VMs in your system.

Select Manage -> Alarm Definitions Note: VM inherited alarms defined at the vCenter Server level

Click “Add” (+)

Step 3: A new Alarm Definition wizard is displayed. Now you need to perform the following action that I showed on the Screenshot.

Option 1: General tab:

Alarm name: Give an appropriate name. I gave VM CPU Usage-Momataj

Description: Blank

Alarm type: Virtual Machine  from drop-down menu

Monitor for: Select Specific Conditions or State, for example, CPU Usage

Enable the alarm: Selected

Option 2: Trigger -> Click Add (+)

Perform the following action to set a trigger for the alarm.

Option: Trigger name: VM CPU Usage

Operator: Is above

Warning Condition: Double click the current value on the column and set it 25% for 30 Minutes. That means after 25% CPU usage in 30 minutes, the trigger condition must trigger a warning alarm.

Condition length: 30 seconds from the drop down menu. That means  Trigger will take 30 seconds to generate an alarm.

Critical Condition: 50% for 5 minutes. That means: Above 50% for 5 minutes will be considered as critical condition for CPU and trigger must generate an alarm

Option 3: Action.  Click add (+) icon. Note: An action specifies when the alarm is triggered. It is an operation that occurs in response to the trigger such as send an email notification to the administrator.

Now you need to configure the following action settings for generating an alarm.

Action: Click ” Send a Notification email below the action header to activate the drop-down menu. Select Suspend VM from the list.

Configuration: leave it blank

Green to Yellow: Select “Once”

Leave rest of the setting by default.

Step 4: Verify that newly created alarm from the list of the alarms

Steps for the task: Create a Virtual Machine Alarm that Monitors for an Event

Event triggers use arguments, operators, and values to identify the triggering condition. It does not rely on the thresholds or durations.

Creating an alarm comprises setting up general alarm, triggers, triggers reporting and alarm actions.

Step 1: Select Home ->vCenter ->Hosts and Clusters -> datacenter in the inventory

Click Add (+)

Step 2: You need to perform the following configuration to set alarm action as I showed the following on the screenshot

Step 3: Verify your newly created alarm from the alarm definition list: VM Suspended-Momataj [in my case]

Steps for the task: Trigger Virtual Machine Alarms and Acknowledge the Alarms

The acknowledge alarm feature is used to track when triggered alarm is addressed. When you acknowledge an alarm, its alarm actions are discontinued and the

alarm is neither cleared nor reset.

Step 1: Click on the VM for that you configure the alarm [ momatajvmclient1-2] I configured alarm so I am going to select it and triggering an alarm on this specific VM.

Monitor -> Issues-> Triggered Alarms

Step 2: Right click on your VM and select Open console. Log in your VM as I did.

Run the “Cpubusy.vbs” script with “Open with Command prompt“

Step 3: Monitor the performance of your VM CPU Usage. Monitor -> Performace -> Advanced

Step 4: After waiting 30 seconds, the alarm is triggered. You can monitor it from “Recent Task” Activity name is: Suspended Virtual Machine

Step 5: You can monitor it also from Monitor -> Tasks

Step 6: Monitor -> Issues: Now you can see an issue there: VM Suspended-momataj

In the triggered alarm, you can see critical trigger alarm with red warning sign

Verify the suspended alarm from the summary. You can see VM is showing “Suspended”

Step 8: Now Power on the Suspended Virtual Machine 

Stop the CPU busy script by pressing Ctrl+C

Step 9: Go to the ” Monitor -> Issues -> Triggered Alarm  and Click on Critical Severity and Select “Reset to Green“

Steps for the task: Disable Virtual Machine Alarms

In this task, I am going to show how to disable the alarm for the object on which alarm was defined. Note that, You can enable the alarm again after disabling it.

Step 1:  The first task is to disable the VM CPU Usage Alarm

Select you VM on which you applied the alarm in the inventory.

Click Manage -> Alarm Definitions Tab . Righ-Click on your VM CPU Usages alarm and Select Edit.

In the General tab: Deselect the “Enable this alarm”

Step 2: Disable VM suspended alarm

Home ->vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters -> DataCenters -> Manage -> Alarm Definitions -> Select “Edit”

Deselect the “Enable this alarm“

Thank you 🙂

 

Lab 19: Monitoring Virtual Machine Performance

In this lab, I am going to discuss how to system monitoring tools reflect CPU workload

The tasks list for the lab 19:

• Create CPU Activity
• Use vSphere web Client to Monitor CPU Utilisation
• Undo Change Made to the Virtual Machines

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

Steps for the task: Create CPU Activity

In this task, I am going to run a CPU busy scripts in each of the VMs for creating a heavy CPU load.

Step 1: Go to the Home -> vCenter ->VMs and Templates. Power On each of your VMs and Open it through console or VMRC. Log in as an Administrator user.

Step 2: Run the CPU busy script “cpubusy.vbs”. Right-click on it and select “Open with Command Prompt”

Steps for the task: Use vSphere Web Client to Monitor CPU Utilisation

In this task, I am going to show how to monitor CPU, memory, disk, Network, and Storage resources and how to use Resources metrics to follow up the performance by using performance charts

Step 1: Click your first VM in the inventory Note: Be sure that cpubusy.vbs script is running on that virtual machine.

Click the Monitor -> Performance tab. You will see “Overview view is displayed by default”

When I clicked on Performace tab, I got “Overview” view by default. 

Step 2: Click”Advanced” tab. You will see that Advanced tab is showing by default CPU usage in real time statistics.

Step 3: On the screen, You can see “Performace chart Legend” tab. Click on ” The name of VM”. The Chart Options link will be activated.  Note: You need to unpin the right column to make the like visible if you can not see it yet.

Click on Chart Options link:

Step 4: The customise Performance Chart dialogue Wizard has appeared.

Select CPU. Select “Rea-time” from the “TimeSpan” drop-down menu. In the target object box: Deselect the check box with your Virtual Machine’s Name.

In the CounterPane: Click “None” to deselected counters. Only Select “Ready and Used”

Only Select “Ready and Used” counters. Then “OK”

The Chart is displayed with graphical manner. You can now measure the real Time Performance of your VM CPU.

Step 5: Repeat the Step 4 for the rest of the VMs. Compare the CPU busy “Ready” and “used ” chart performance with each other VMs.

Note: Performace chart update automatically every 20 seconds

Press Ctrl+C to stop the “cpubusy.vbs” in each VM after complete performance chart task.

Steps for the task: Undo Change Made to the Virtual Machines

Now I will show how to undo the change that happened to the VMs after performing the previous tasks. And I will delete the Scheduling affinity value from CPU setting that we put in previous labs.

Step 1: Close the CPU Performance Chart Options Web Browser window for each VMs

Close the VM Console for each VMs

Step 2: Right Click on VM, Select “Edit Setting”

In the Virtual Hardware, Click “CPU” and expand it. Delete the “1” from the text box in the Scheduling Affinity. Then Ok

Step 3: Repeat the Step 2 for the rest of the VMs in your environment.

Thank you 🙂 

Lab 18: Resource Pools

In this lab, I am going to Create and Use Resource Pools on an ESXi host by using vCenter Server.

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

The tasks list for lab 18: 

• Create CPU Contention
• Create a Resource Pool Named Fin-Test
• Create a Resouce Pool Name Fin-Prod
• Verify Resource Pool Functionality

Steps for the task: Create CPU contention 

CPU contention is the state of using the limited logical CPU resources by the multiple VMs and being forced by the VMkernel to share. CPU contention is the responsible for the VMs poor Performance.

Step 1: Select Home ->vCenter ->VMs and Templates 

Step 2: Powered On your VMs and make sure they are running on the same host

Step 3: Login into the VM using Console or VMRC.  Right-click on the script of “Cpubusy.vbs” and Open with command Prompt

Step 4: Run the script 2-3 minutes for making it stabilise in the  VM operating system.

Step 5: Now you can see that “cpubusy.vbs” is running both VMs

Step 6: Right Click on the VM and “Edit Settings“

Set the CPU -> Set Scheduling Affinity “1” in space provided from the Virtual Hardware section of Edit Settings.

Repeat the steps of Scheduling Affinity for the both VM. The VM will run only on Processor 1 after giving the value “1” to scheduling Affinity.

You will notice from the running script, the program is processing approximately at the same rate of each virtual machine.

Steps for the task: Create a Resouce Pool Named Fin-Test

You can control over the resources of a host through the Resource pools.

Step 1: Go to the Home ->vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters. Right-Click on the host [ I select ESXi host 1] and Select “All vCenter Actions -> New Resouce Pool. 

Step 2: Perform the following action on the new Resource Pool wizard

Name: Fin-Test

CPU Resource Shares: low

All other settings keep the default. Then Ok.

Step for the task: Create a Resource Pool Named Fin-Prod

Step1: Select Home ->vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters. Right-Click on the ESXi host 1 and Select “All vCenter Actions -> New Resource Pool”

Step 2: Perform the following action on the New Resource Pool wizard

Name: Fin-Prod

CPU Shares: High

All another setting keep the default. Then “OK”

Steps for the task: Verify Resource Pool Functionality 

You can add and remove existing VM to a resource Pool.

Step 1: Select the “Fin-Prod” and Click “Summary” tab

Step 2: select the Fin-Test and Click the “Summary” for checking the number of Shares

Step 3: Drag You VM to the Fin-Pool and Prod-Pool. I placed “momatajvmcleint01-2” in Fin Prod and “momatajvmclient01-3” in the Fin-Test

Step 4: View the cpubusy.vbs in each VM console. You will see the difference from the running VMs. 

Step 5: Right-Click on the Fin-Prod and Select  Settings

Step 6: Change the Shares state for the Fin-Test resource pool = Low to Normal 

Verify the result from running Script. The output has been changed. 

Step 7: Change the CPU shares state for the Fin-Prod: Hign to Normal

Verify the result.  Both VMs are running at the same rate at the CPU shares Normal

Press Ctrl + C to stop the Script from your VMs.

Thank You 🙂

Lab 17: User Permissions

In this lab, I am going to discuss how to manage a custom user role in the VMware vSphere Environment.

A user is an individual authorised to log into an ESXi host and vCenter Server. User permission is setup based on the user role and activity limitation on the system. You can manage local user separately for the vCenter and ESXi hosts or you can manage user to use AD through SSO for both vCenter and ESXi hosts.

A role is the set of the privileges that allow users to operate their task in the system based on the privileges. You can set the role as group categories. A role can be system roles, custom roles and sample roles.

The tasks list for lab 17: 

• Create a Custom Role in vCenter Server
• Assign Permission on a vCenter Server Inventory Objects
• Verify Permission Usability

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

Steps for the task: Create a Custom Role in vCenter Server

In the VMware vSphere Web Client Environment, You can create custom roles through the role editing facilities. The role must be setup as per user requirements.

Step 1: Go to the Home -> Administration -> Roles 

Step 2:  Click on the ” Create role Action:

Step 3: You need to the setup role in the “Create Role” Wizard.

Role name: Type an appropriate name. My role name is VM Creator-Momataj as per VMware Lab guide.

Step 4: Now go to the Privilege panel and set the following privileges for this custom role.

Datastore: Allocate Space

Network: Assign Network

Resources: Assign Virtual Machine to a resource pool

Virtual Machine -> Configuration: Select add new disk, add or remove device and Memory

Virtual Machine ->Interaction: select All privileges and all subcategory of the interaction

Virtual Machine -> Inventory:  Select Create New.

Steps for the task: Assign Permissions on vCenter Server Inventory Objects

User’s assigned the roles for an object and permission are access role that consist of the user.

Step 1: Select Home ->vCenter ->VMs and Templates

Step 2: Select LabVMs and Go to the Manage -> Permission and Click on (+) icon

Step 3: The Assign permission wizard appears. Click “Add“

Step 4: Now you will get “Select Users\Groups” wizard. Select your domain Name from the Domain panel drop-down. Select the user you want to give the permission to access the role that you created in the previous task.

Step 6: Click the VM Creator-Your name role [ In my case: VM Creator-Momataj] in the Assigned Role panel. Click Propagate to children. Then “OK”

Step 7: Now go to the Home -> vCenter -> Datastores

Select the Datastore -> Manage – > Permission tab and the permission that I showed the screenshot and previous steps.

Step 8: Select Home ->vCenter -> Standard Networks 

Select Production Network and Set the permission from the Manage -> Permission tab and the permission that I showed the screenshot.

Steps for the task: Verify the Permission Usability

In this section, I will show that permission grant users “vesxi01user” can perform the operation based on the user right permission that is set as per role.

Step 1: Login as a domain user. I logged in the VMware VSphere Web Client as “vesxi01user.momataj.local”

Step 2: Home -> vCenter ->VMs  and Templates

Step 3: Right Click on the “Lab VMs” and Create a new Virtual Machine

Step 4: Select a Host. you can see user “vesxi01user” is able to perform tasks as per role and privilege.

Thank you 🙂

Lab 16: Managing VMware vSphere vApps

In this lab, I am going to demonstrate how to manage VMware vSphere vApps

VMware vSphere vApps is an object in the vCenter Server inventory. A vApp is a container for one or more virtual machines. It is shared the functionality with the virtual machines. A vAPP can be power on and off the virtual machine and can be cloned.  It can be used to package and manage related applications.

The distribution format for a vApp: Open Virtualization Format (OVA) or Open Virtualization Appliance (OVA).

A vAPP can be configured CPU and Memory Allocation, IP allocation Policy and Advanced Settings.

The tasks list for the lab 16:

• Create a vAPP
• Power on a vAPP
• Remove a vAPP

Prerequisites:

• Log in the VMware vSphere web client portal: https://vCenter Server Appliance Name.domainname:9443/vshpere-client/# or VMware vSphere Client via root user and password.

Steps for the task: Create a vAPP

In this task, I am going to show how to create a vApp in the VMware vSpere Environment. VMware vSphere vApp is the container, work as a resources pools in the system.

Step 1: Go to the Home ->vCenter -> Virtual Machines

Step 2: Right-Click on VM and Shutdown Guest OS 

Step 3: Go to the Home -> vCenter->vApps

Step 4: Click the ” Create a New vApp“

Step 5: After prompted the New vApp wizard. You need to perform the following action that I shared on the screenshot.

Option 1: Select Creation type: Select “Create a new vApp“

Option 2: Edit Settings  Select one of your hosts as destination

2a. Select Destination: Select one of your hosts as destination

2b. Select a name and Location

vApp Name: Give an appropriate Name. In my case: vApp Name: Momataj-vApp

2c. Resource Allocation: leave the default

Option 3: Ready to complete: Review the setting once again and click “Finish”

Step 6: Select Home ->vCenter -> VMs and Templates

Step 7: expand the Lab VMS. You will see your newly created vApp in the inventory list. 

Step 8: Drag the VM to your vApp. I dragged two of VMs that I have in the environment.

Step 9: Go to the Home -> vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters

Step 10: You need to expand the vAPP inventory.  In my environment, You can see vApp contains two virtual machines.

Click the “Related Object” tab and Select “Virtual Machines” button. You can see two machines is under vApp and powered off.

Step 11: Go to the Home->vCenter ->VMs and Templates. Right Click on the vApp and select “Edit Settings“

Step 12: An Edit vAPP will have appeared. Click the right arrow next to the Start Order to open the options.  

Placed your VM in the Group by clicking the up-down arrow

Select one VM in Group 1 and another VM in group B for this lab practice. In a real environment, You may need to keep more VM in one group.

Select group A and Group B, VM and Set the setup sequence Proceeds when 20 seconds have elapsed off.

Steps for the task: Power on a vAPP

A vApp can power On or Power off and also can be cloned.

Step 1: Right-click on the vApp and select “Power On”

Step 2: Monitor the process from the “Recent Tasks” bar

Step 3: You will see both VM under vAPP is powered On together.

Powered Off again your VMs, You can monitor that both VM become powered off together.

Powered On again to verify the vApp configuration.

After verifying Power On and Power Off, We learned that A vAPP can be configured the VM startup and Shutdown order as well.

Steps for the task: Remove a vAPP

In this task, I will show how to delete

a vAPP from VMware vCenter Server

Step 1: Right-click on the vApp and Select “Shut Down”

Step2: You will see two VMs become powered off after apply the shutdown command on vAPP

Step 3: Select Home ->vCenter -> Hosts and Clusters. Expand the vApp and Drag your VMs again to the Lab Server folder under ESXi hosts

Step 4: Right-click on the vApp and Select All vCenter Actions -> Delete from the Disk

Press “Yes” to confirm delete.

Thank you 🙂