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Running Terminal Server on ESXi

Autor brendon | 10.12.2009 | Category TechStuff, Virtualization

I came across a site recently where an ingenuitive sales person had installed convinced the customer to have users logging onto a Virtual Terminal server for their MYOB and not use the SBS as a TSE. Great idea unfortunately the implementation was a little less well considered.

I won’t go into all the gory details but some of the sites I found with good tips on how to correctly configure TSE VM’s are:

http://www.stefanschuller.com/guides/guide-optimize-performance-citrix-vmware-esx.html
and
http://www.brianmadden.com/blogs/gabeknuth/archive/2007/08/27/a-short-guide-to-virtualizing-presentation-and-terminal-servers-on-vmware-esx-3.aspx

Running Win08R2 w/ Hyper-V as a Desktop

Autor brendon | 17.09.2009 | Category Server, TechStuff, Virtualization

windowsYou would think by now that Virtual PC or ‘WindowsXP Mode’ on Win7 would be able to run x64 guests. In the Microsoft world, the only way to do this is with Windows 2008 Server and the Hyper-V Role. When the hard drive in my work laptop died, I decided to install the RC of Server 08 R2 with Hyper-V. I have been running this for about two months now as my main OS and am reasonably happy with it.

There are several roles, features & options you can configure on the OS to give it the look and feel of Windows 7. But it still didn’t feel quite right. At TechEd Mark Tigwell suggested I look over this list of configurations posted on TechNet blogs for running Server 08 as a desktop OS.

The settings listed shaw up the differences but do not include instructions to permit local User (non-admin) account managing rights in Hyper-V. Instructions for that can be found here.

VMWare VConverter Recommendations

Autor brendon | 09.09.2009 | Category TechStuff, Virtualization

While onsite doing work for a customer in Northern Queensland  I had to migrate several hosts into an ESXi 4.0 device.

The VConverter process is reasonably simple and strait forward however it just wouldn’t import a few of the machines that was planned. In the end, one of the guys from our office suggested the following steps and URL to import the host successfully.

  • Specify LSI logic for adapter to import (windows OS) disks as SCSI devices.
  • Move each partition into a separate .vmdk file.
  • Always un-install vConverter client from source server and reboot after each attempt.
  • The URL with useful commands and configuration notes is: http://vsphere-land.com/tips-tricks/converter-tips

    Winframe to Metaframe to Presentation to Xen

    Autor brendon | 26.02.2008 | Category TechStuff, Virtualization

    Several Name iterations & a couple of acquisitions along, CITRIX has renamed it’s Presentation Server again. Now XenApp, it has been brought in line with the new Xen virtualisation suite. XenDesktop will be for your application virtualisation and XenServer for your operating system virtualisation. I can see this combination of products and CITRIX’s massive existing customer base will give it a huge leap into the virtualisation market.

    I have not used XenServer yet but from what I understand it will be on par with the ESX/ Windows Virtualisation products from Microsoft and VMWare. Giving customers a lot of choice when deploying new virtual infrastructure. Scott Lowe has rescently posted a few thoughts on the new XenServer and I found both the article and comments quite interesting.

    If you are in the Virtualisation industry and have not yet heard of XenServer I suggest have a read. What’s the saying, Know thy enemy