Overview of VMWare DRS - Distributed Resource Scheduler

VMWare DRS is a new technology that will automatically move Virtual Machines around your cluster of ESX 3.0 servers to their optimal location based on complex rule sets and user defined resource pools by utilising VMotion technology. This article will provide an overview of the technology and allow you to make an informed decision on the benefits DRS can provide to you and your business.

IBM HS20 and ESX 2.x - Build process, problems and solutions.

Here is another long overdue article regarding IBM HS20 blades and ESX 2.x. I had a fair bit of experience with ESX on HP kit when the IBM gear turned up. New bladecenters and a nice shiny new SAN. So according to my documented build process all I had to do was stick the cd in and follow my process. Well it wasn't to be, I had some large configuration issues with the IBM gear and this article hopes to help anyone in the same situation. Some of the parts in this document apply to all configurations and will be outlined also in seperate articles as well as inclusion here due to this.

I couldn't sleep tonight so I thought that a quick article on my P2V process for windows servers might help others and cure my insomnia. While there is a great P2V product available for free at RTFM called Ultimate-P2V, I will write about the process that I use with VMWare's commercial product. There are also other products on the market available from different vendors including hardware manufacturers but that is also out of scope for my braindump tonight. Some of the products, especially the ones from the hardware vendors are just a point and click process that don't require a lot of the manual tweaking.

Disaster Recovery Options with VMWare ESX server.

Virtual Infrastructure 3 is more than just a leap and a bound ahead of ESX 2.x and the competition. The options that is has now are things we have been wanting and needing, so VMWare has listened to the feedback people gave. But one frustrating thing is how the Disaster Recovery aspect of VMWare has not really changed. In fact I think it has been neglected, and let me explain.