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Dell EqualLogic Host Integration Tools for Microsoft v4

26 January 2012
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Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Dell EqualLogic team has officially announced the release of Host Integration Tools for Microsoft (HIT/Microsoft) v4.0, now available for download. The EqualLogic Host Integration Tools for Microsoft (HIT/Microsoft) tightly integrate the EqualLogic PS Series arrays with Microsoft host operating platform and host applications enabling consistent data protection (using snapshots and replicas), performance optimization (with a specific multipath module) and streamlined management and operation (for example to help to connect a host or to initialize an array). I’ve see HIT/Microsoft 4.0 during the last Dell Storage Forum and also during the beta period and it’s […]

DellTechnologies, Microsoft, vStorage ,

Storage Best Practices: Vendor vs. VMware

16 December 2011
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Reading Time: < 1 minuteA best practice is a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark. In addition, a “best” practice can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered. But, as well described by Frank Denneman in his post, best practices are never absolute, they depends on your specific case.

Highlights, vDesign, VMware, vStorage

VMFS5 – Upgrading vs. Fresh Install

6 December 2011
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Reading Time: 3 minutesWith a vSphere 5 upgrade there is an important vDesign decision: if you already have some VMFS3 datastores could be better upgrade them to the new version of build new datastores directly with VMFS5? The upgrade procedure is quite fast and friendly and could be applied to a live datastore, so seems that there isn’t a big different between an upgrade or a clean format. But usually the recommendation is to re-format each LUN to VMFS-5 rather than upgrade it. This will fix a number of issues, including:

vStorage ,

Reclaim free space in Thin Provisioned vmdk disk

5 December 2011
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Reading Time: 3 minutesOne of the “issue” with vmdk in thin format is that they start “small” and then grow when you add new data… But when you delete some data, the vmdk file size is not reduced. To be honest this issue is more related to the guest file systems that does never delete the block data, but only the metada (or some of them). Of course at guest OS level you will see the right disk usage, but this will probably not match the one that you see at VMware level (that usually will be bigger).

Highlights, vStorage ,

ESXi – RDM disks with SAS Storage (local or shared)

29 November 2011
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Reading Time: 2 minutesThe RDM disks are a feature of VMware vSphere (but was present also in Virtual Infrastructure) to make a “mapping” between a LUN (or logical disk) to a VM (is similar to a disk pass-through). This feature can be used in different cases, for example: to support disk larger than 2 TB (only in vSphere 5 with physical RDM) and to implement guest clustering with shared storage (still only with physical RDM). But there is an issue (or a feature :) ) that does not allow to add a RDM disk from the GUI for […]

Highlights, VMware, vStorage

Upgrade path to vSphere 5 – The storage part

16 November 2011
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Reading Time: 3 minutesThe storage part of a vSphere 5 upgrade path has two different steps: a firmware upgrade, that may be needed before start the vSphere upgrade (see the hardware part) and a modules/plugins/utilities upgrade, that is applied after the vSphere upgrade. In my case, for an EqualLogic array, the minimum firmware version compatible with ESXi 5 is the 4.3 release (but I’ve tried also with a firmware 4.0.6 and it works), but you will need at least the 5.0 series in order to support VAAI and VASA (see vStorage API). New firmware works also with vSphere […]

VMware, vStorage , ,

VCP5 Exam Prep – Part 6.3

28 September 2011
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Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor a list of all objectives see the VCP5 page. Objective 6.3 – Perform Basic vSphere Storage Troubleshooting Verify storage configuration (similar as vSphere 4.x) See the vSphere Troubleshooting guide (page 45). A minimum of storage enterprise knowledge is also required. Troubleshoot storage contention issues (similar as vSphere 4.x) See the vSphere Troubleshooting guide (page 45) and vSphere Storage guide (page 24). Troubleshoot storage over-commitment issues (similar as vSphere 4.x) See the vSphere Storage guide (page 183) and VCP5 Exam Prep – Part 3.1 (in the thin provisioning points). Troubleshoot iSCSI software initiator configuration issues (similar […]

vCertification, VMware, vStorage ,
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