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Erwin
Feb 17, 2006

I feel stupid asking this, but cloning/imaging isn't something I've done since XP, and I hated it then.

I want to make a 2008 R2 template in vSphere. I think I did it wrong since the VM comes up not joined to the domain, even though I set it to do so with the customization wizard. My steps were this:

- Create VM, install windows, VMware Tools, updates
- Change some settings for the local admin account
- Create unattend.xml in c:\windows\system32\sysprep that copies the admin account to the default account (this is not that important to me, but the 'how-to' write-ups I can find all say to do this, so I figured why not)
- Sysprep that bitch, choosing OOBE, and shut 'er down
- Convert to template
- Create VM from template

When the VM comes up, it asks me for language settings, an admin password, and is not connected to the network. So, I'm guessing I did something wrong. I thought maybe I shouldn't sysprep, but I remember trying before without sysprepping and not being able to join the VM to the domain, even though I had "create new SID" checked in the customization wizard. But, I remember in the vSphere class we cloned 2003 VMs without manually sysprepping (VMware took care of that after putting sysprep on the vCenter server).

Anyway, can anyone lay out the steps needed to create a 2008 R2 VM template, and use it to create VMs that join to the domain as specified in the customization wizard?

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Wonder_Bread
Dec 21, 2006
Fresh Baked Goodness!
Apparently my issues with the PHDvirtual software are because I am using CIFS shares, 'cause my Drobo doesn't support multi-target iSCSI or NFS.

Ugh... not really sure where to go from here. Don't have any money for storage, already pushing it with trying to get the five grand to get the backup software upgraded.

Mierdaan
Sep 14, 2004

Pillbug

Erwin posted:

I feel stupid asking this, but cloning/imaging isn't something I've done since XP, and I hated it then.

I feel stupid suggesting this, but you are changing this here radio button right?

Maneki Neko
Oct 27, 2000

Erwin posted:

Anyway, can anyone lay out the steps needed to create a 2008 R2 VM template, and use it to create VMs that join to the domain as specified in the customization wizard?

Silly question, did you use WSIM to create your xml?

That stuff seems like it changed quite a bit between 2008 and 2008R2. We don't use the customization stuff built into VMWare at all, but just have a generic sysprepped 2008R2 image sitting as a template, used WSIM to generate everything it worked like a champ.

Erwin
Feb 17, 2006

Mierdaan posted:

I feel stupid suggesting this, but you are changing this here radio button right?



I'm selecting "Customize using the Customization Wizard."

Mierdaan
Sep 14, 2004

Pillbug
Okay. I have everything set in a customization specification and have definitely forgotten to change that when deploying and the guest comes up all uncustomized :saddowns:

Erwin
Feb 17, 2006

Mierdaan posted:

Okay. I have everything set in a customization specification and have definitely forgotten to change that when deploying and the guest comes up all uncustomized :saddowns:
I've forgotten that in the past too, but sadly this seems to be another issue.

Maneki Neko posted:

Silly question, did you use WSIM to create your xml?

That stuff seems like it changed quite a bit between 2008 and 2008R2. We don't use the customization stuff built into VMWare at all, but just have a generic sysprepped 2008R2 image sitting as a template, used WSIM to generate everything it worked like a champ.

I copied and pasted an existing unattend.xml from some "how to make a 2008 R2 VMware template" blog and substituted my own company name, etc.

So, it looks like the network is not connected because of this maybe: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1020078 That might actually explain the entire problem, and certainly explains why VMware can't get it onto the domain. I guess I'll install the hotfix linked in that article onto the template, but I've already sysprepped it and babby here doesn't understand the implications :smith:

Vulture Culture
Jul 14, 2003

I was never enjoying it. I only eat it for the nutrients.

Wonder_Bread posted:

Apparently my issues with the PHDvirtual software are because I am using CIFS shares, 'cause my Drobo doesn't support multi-target iSCSI or NFS.

Ugh... not really sure where to go from here. Don't have any money for storage, already pushing it with trying to get the five grand to get the backup software upgraded.
Hm? We're currently backing up to CIFS on a Sun x4540 and we're not having any issues with our eval at all.

Wonder_Bread
Dec 21, 2006
Fresh Baked Goodness!
I'm getting faster performance (seeing almost a 1/2 reduction in initial backup time) by switching to NFS on a lovely Cisco NSS4000 NAS. I'm also getting post-processing linking errors fairly frequently.

According to the engineer I spoke to, CIFS is the least preferable of the bunch. Next week I am going to rotate the Drobo to a different server (currently hosted on Server 2003, going to try switching it to a Server 2008 R2 box) to see if that cures it, but I don't have high hopes.

e: Keep in mind here I am currently stuck using Prosumer technology, which I am sure has something to do with it.

Wonder_Bread fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Mar 9, 2012

Dilbert As FUCK
Sep 8, 2007

by Cowcaster
Pillbug
http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/

Anyone here a VMware partner? There are only 2 shops in our sister town(one is a reseller only), none in our City. I am pushing for us to become one, anyone have any stories tips to share I am all ears.

E: Or if you have any stories of working with a VMware partner on the job please share any experiences you can

Dilbert As FUCK fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Mar 9, 2012

Erwin
Feb 17, 2006

Erwin posted:

2008 R2 template problems...

For future reference, the solution was this VMware KB plus NOT sysprepping (VMware does this). I lost out on copying my local admin account to the default account, but I'm not a sperglord who turns off IE security and changes the start menu to classic and other dumb things, so no big deal.

stubblyhead
Sep 13, 2007

That is treason, Johnny!

Fun Shoe

Corvettefisher posted:

http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/

Anyone here a VMware partner? There are only 2 shops in our sister town(one is a reseller only), none in our City. I am pushing for us to become one, anyone have any stories tips to share I am all ears.

E: Or if you have any stories of working with a VMware partner on the job please share any experiences you can

I think my company is in the process of becoming one, or maybe we just want to but haven't really started yet? I'm not sure, that's all above my pay grade. I hope we do though because I would really like to get more involved with this aspect of the projects we're working on.

Mierdaan
Sep 14, 2004

Pillbug

Erwin posted:

turns off IE security

:ssh: you can turn it off for administrators in Server Manager :ssh:

Towner
Jun 18, 2006

Fuck this, I need beer

Mierdaan posted:

:ssh: you can turn it off for administrators in Server Manager :ssh:


Oh god thanks for this. I despise the IE default security on fresh installs of servers even if it is for peoples own good.

Erwin
Feb 17, 2006

Why do people ever touch the browser on a server?

adorai
Nov 2, 2002

10/27/04 Never forget
Grimey Drawer

Erwin posted:

Why do people ever touch the browser on a server?

Webex :(

Exclusive
Jan 1, 2008

adorai posted:

Webex :(

I usually share RDP/putty/etc from my PC. Am I doing it wrong?

adorai
Nov 2, 2002

10/27/04 Never forget
Grimey Drawer

zacd posted:

I usually share RDP/putty/etc from my PC. Am I doing it wrong?
depends. A lot of times we have vendors in that need to "do research" and I am not a fan of giving up my PC for 3 hours. Share the console session in VMware, and you can continue working. In my experience if you RDP to the server and then share a webex session inside of RDP, they lose mouse control if you minimize the window.

doomisland
Oct 5, 2004

SSH :v: That's one good thing about not being a Windows shop.

quicksand
Nov 21, 2002

A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.

Corvettefisher posted:

http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/

Anyone here a VMware partner? There are only 2 shops in our sister town(one is a reseller only), none in our City. I am pushing for us to become one, anyone have any stories tips to share I am all ears.

E: Or if you have any stories of working with a VMware partner on the job please share any experiences you can

I work for one and hold the VSP5 and VTSP5 that let us stay a partner. Protip: Sales Certs are garbage. Let someone else do those.

But what specifically are you wondering?

Exclusive
Jan 1, 2008

adorai posted:

depends. A lot of times we have vendors in that need to "do research" and I am not a fan of giving up my PC for 3 hours. Share the console session in VMware, and you can continue working. In my experience if you RDP to the server and then share a webex session inside of RDP, they lose mouse control if you minimize the window.

Good point. This does happen to me quite often.

Erwin
Feb 17, 2006

adorai posted:

depends. A lot of times we have vendors in that need to "do research" and I am not a fan of giving up my PC for 3 hours. Share the console session in VMware, and you can continue working. In my experience if you RDP to the server and then share a webex session inside of RDP, they lose mouse control if you minimize the window.

I have a laptop that I usually use for this, but why not make a Windows 7 VM, then use the browser in that for Webex, then RDP to the server that the vendor needs?

adorai
Nov 2, 2002

10/27/04 Never forget
Grimey Drawer

Erwin posted:

I have a laptop that I usually use for this, but why not make a Windows 7 VM, then use the browser in that for Webex, then RDP to the server that the vendor needs?
Seems like more work than just logging into the vsphere client.

Dilbert As FUCK
Sep 8, 2007

by Cowcaster
Pillbug

quicksand posted:

I work for one and hold the VSP5 and VTSP5 that let us stay a partner. Protip: Sales Certs are garbage. Let someone else do those.

But what specifically are you wondering?

Basically trying to get my IT firm as a VMware certified professional partner, since no other IT firm in our city is one, might as well become the first and only. Would go well with my vm cert anyway.

Basically the processes about going for them, the difficulty, any BS I should expect to encounter.

frogbs
May 5, 2004
Well well well
I want to run another instance of OSX Lion on my iMac. Will VMWare Fusion or Virtualbox let me do that? From the research i've done it seems less than straightforward. I have my original install media (InstallESD.dmg), is that all i'll need?

quicksand
Nov 21, 2002

A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.

Corvettefisher posted:

Basically trying to get my IT firm as a VMware certified professional partner, since no other IT firm in our city is one, might as well become the first and only. Would go well with my vm cert anyway.

Basically the processes about going for them, the difficulty, any BS I should expect to encounter.

Not too sure on the red tape side of things, but I'll talk to the guy who went through that at work.

But to be a Professional partner in a solutions provider path (I assume, this is what we did as we are a VAR). You need to be a Registered partner first, which was pretty straight forward as far as I know. 0 cost for it, no requirements for certs or VMware Revenue requirements.

Once you are a Registered Partner, you need to have 1 VTSP and 1 VSP, these can both be the same person; or ideally, 2 people. One being a sales guy, because the VSP sucks unless you want to spend 20 hours watching videos on how to make elevator presentations to the CIO's assistant, and how to shift paradigms with VMware's Product Branding and blah blah blah blah.

Once you have a VSP and a VTSP, and I think > $1000 in yearly VMware sales, you just send them a check for $250 and Bob's your uncle.

GMontag
Dec 20, 2011

frogbs posted:

I want to run another instance of OSX Lion on my iMac. Will VMWare Fusion or Virtualbox let me do that? From the research i've done it seems less than straightforward. I have my original install media (InstallESD.dmg), is that all i'll need?

VMWare will work with your install media as is. The last time I checked, Virtualbox could boot a premade Lion image but couldn't run the installer, but they might have fixed that by now.

evil_bunnY
Apr 2, 2003

FISHMANPET posted:

One step closer to real honest to god virtualization :ohdear:
I'm most probably getting some 720's in the coming weeks so I'll let you know.

Dilbert As FUCK
Sep 8, 2007

by Cowcaster
Pillbug

quicksand posted:

Not too sure on the red tape side of things, but I'll talk to the guy who went through that at work.

But to be a Professional partner in a solutions provider path (I assume, this is what we did as we are a VAR). You need to be a Registered partner first, which was pretty straight forward as far as I know. 0 cost for it, no requirements for certs or VMware Revenue requirements.

Once you are a Registered Partner, you need to have 1 VTSP and 1 VSP, these can both be the same person; or ideally, 2 people. One being a sales guy, because the VSP sucks unless you want to spend 20 hours watching videos on how to make elevator presentations to the CIO's assistant, and how to shift paradigms with VMware's Product Branding and blah blah blah blah.

Once you have a VSP and a VTSP, and I think > $1000 in yearly VMware sales, you just send them a check for $250 and Bob's your uncle.

Cool thanks sorta what I thought by looking at the vmware site. I won't mind the videos, I am sure my VCAP/VCP classes have covered the videos 10 times over.


One last question just because I know the person(s) above me will ask, I kinda know the answer but still
Would you say it created business, customers, or revenue for you? Was it noticeable or subtle(i know this depends on area) ?

Dilbert As FUCK fucked around with this message at 14:10 on Mar 12, 2012

evil_bunnY
Apr 2, 2003

Corvettefisher posted:

Would you say it created business, customers, or revenue for you? Was it noticeable or subtle(i know this depends on area) ?
The only thing that convinced customers to actually give us jobs were reference implementations we'd done before. Not being a partner might cost you a project, but in my experience having the box checked won't generate business, just enable it.

We got pretty good at upgrading Hypah-hypah installs with Essentials kits or implementing/expanding/upgrading small scale virtualization project before we started putting our fingers in bigger pies. I think the trick for us was expand scale and technical depth in consecutive steps.

evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 15:15 on Mar 12, 2012

some kinda jackal
Feb 25, 2003

 
 
Ugh. Just in case anyone is interested in adding more virtual networks in VMware Fusion (like I was for a small ESXi lab), here are some good hints on how to get this done.

I'm disappointed that VMware thinks everyone on a Mac is too much of a babby to need a way to edit networks with something like the Virtual Network Editor in Workstation. It's especially aggravating since they give us the option of virtualizing things like ESXi but then make us dig through text files and vm configurations to get the setup we want.

I'll grant them that it's probably not a pressing concern for most Fusion users, but honestly it can't possibly be that much overhead to add the UI to edit this file and add the additional hooks to the VM preference pane.

Dilbert As FUCK
Sep 8, 2007

by Cowcaster
Pillbug

evil_bunnY posted:

The only thing that convinced customers to actually give us jobs were reference implementations we'd done before. Not being a partner might cost you a project, but in my experience having the box checked won't generate business, just enable it.

We got pretty good at upgrading Hypah-hypah installs with Essentials kits or implementing/expanding/upgrading small scale virtualization project before we started putting our fingers in bigger pies. I think the trick for us was expand scale and technical depth in consecutive steps.
We do a bit of virtualization at our current moment for smaller companies. Seeing out our city doesn't have any and our sister city only has 2(one is reseller only), comes very surprising for our area. Hopefully slapping VMware Professional Partner on our cards probably will turn some heads. Everyone seems to want a "private cloud infrastructure" getting the VMware name with us might help us address larger clients.

Wonder_Bread
Dec 21, 2006
Fresh Baked Goodness!
How dangerous is it and/or what should I expect when upgrading ESX from the service console by hand (through SSH)? Right now my hosts are running ESX 4.1.0 build 260247, horribly out of date. I've upgraded my home ESXi server before, but I have never attempted an ESX upgrade, or one that is so far out of date.

Can I directly apply the Build 582267 patch? I don't have shared storage (everything is local), my vCenter isn't used for anything beyond looking at all of our hosts in a central location.

Also, my vCenter is 4.1.0 build 258902. Does this need to be upgraded in order to keep managing the vHosts?

Basically I am worried that somehow doing this is going to backfire on me and something will poo poo the bed.

luminalflux
May 27, 2005



Whoever came up with the VMWare SDK needs to seriously reconsider their life choices. Such a huge pile of enterprise garbage. I'm really glad that someone at VMWare came to their senses and wrote a ruby wrapper around it (rbvmomi) to reduce most of the suck that is trying to automate deploying VMs.

Vulture Culture
Jul 14, 2003

I was never enjoying it. I only eat it for the nutrients.

luminalflux posted:

Whoever came up with the VMWare SDK needs to seriously reconsider their life choices. Such a huge pile of enterprise garbage. I'm really glad that someone at VMWare came to their senses and wrote a ruby wrapper around it (rbvmomi) to reduce most of the suck that is trying to automate deploying VMs.
Wait, people still use things that aren't PowerCLI for automating vSphere?

luminalflux
May 27, 2005



Yes, people that automate everything with unix tools (like Chef and Ruby in my case). The only windows machine I'm running is the vCenter server. Also someone wrote a pretty sweet plugin to Chef's knife client for automating vSphere (knife-vsphere) which I'm using as a starting point for my scripts.

complex
Sep 16, 2003

I use http://vijava.sf.net and JRuby for enterprise integration.

some kinda jackal
Feb 25, 2003

 
 
Ugh, my 60 day vSphere trial ended and I barely made it through a few chapters of Mastering vSphere 5 thanks to some contract work I had to start.

Is this a thing where I email VMware and say "I'm trying to get vSphere experience so pretty please with a cherry on top can I have another 60 days" and they'll be agreeable, or do I basically have to game the system and create a second VMware account, redo my lab with the new keys?

I can't even download things like the vCSA that I was hoping to play with :|

How the hell do people manage setting up home ESXi labs with this limitation? :(

Dilbert As FUCK
Sep 8, 2007

by Cowcaster
Pillbug
Sometimes Vmware is nice, my class gives me full access codes for all VM products with a 1 year life

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some kinda jackal
Feb 25, 2003

 
 
Welp, I guess it can't hurt to try firing off an email to the sales team :sigh:

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