10 free useful VMware tools

1. Putty and SSH Plug In

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/      http://akutz.googlecode.com/files/ConsoleClientSetup-0.1.5.msi

SSH clients for remotely connecting to the ESX service console. Putty runs as a standalone application and the SSH Plug-in is a VI client plug-in that integrates an SSH console directly into the client.

2. WinSCP and Veeam FastSCP

http://winscp.net/eng/download.php   /   http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-fastscp.html

SCP clients for browsing ESX server file systems and transferring files to/from ESX hosts
3. VI3 SnapHunter and Snap Alert

http://www.xtravirt.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=75&func=fileinfo&id=19    /   http://vmprofessional.com/index.php?content=snapalert

Utilities that can report all running snapshots on ESX hosts including name, size and date. Can also automatically email reports and optionally commit snapshots.
4. VI Scripted Backup Utility

http://www.xtravirt.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=75&func=fileinfo&id=7

A backup utility that is run from the Service Console that provides VMDK level backups of any VM on storage accessible by the host. The script can be targeted at any ESX server or VC server, and if pointed at a VC server is DRS aware. 

5. MCS StorageView

http://www.mightycare.de/downloads/task,cat_view/gid,16/

A utility that displays all the logical partitions, operating system, capacity, free space and percent free of all virtual machines on ESX 3.x or Virtual Center 2.x . It can also display how many gigabytes you can save by decreasing the logical partition to a size the VM really needs.
6. Storage vMotion Plug-In

http://akutz.googlecode.com/files/SVMotionClientSetup-0.4.4.msi

A VI client plug-in that extends the client’s functionality by providing an integrated, graphical tool that can be used to invoke storage VMotion (SVMotion) operations.

7. Vmotion Info

http://www.run-virtual.com/?page_id=155

A program that will collect Vendor, Model, CPU Types and the CPU feature bits from all hosts to check for vMotion compatibility.

8. VMCdConnected

http://www.ntpro.nl/blog/archives/172-Software.html

Scans all Virtual Machines and shows if they have a CD connected to it. After scanning the VM’s you can disconnect all the CD’s with a click of  a button. 

 
9. VMware Converter

http://www.vmware.com/download/converter/

Performs hot and cold conversions of physical and virtual servers to virtual machines. Also converts image formats.

10. Tripwire ConfigCheck

http://www.tripwire.com/configcheck/

Quickly assesses the security of VMware ESX 3.5 hypervisor configurations compared to the VI3 Security Hardening guidelines. Ensures that ESX environments are properly configured and provides the necessary steps towards full remediation when they are not.

Hosted Messaging & Collaboration (HMC 4.5) Vs Exchange 2007

The HMC 4.5 solution builds on the foundation products of

• Windows
• Exchange
• Sharepoint
• OCS
• SQL
• MPS
• WSUS
• SCOM (to name a few)

to allow Service Providers to build out a single platform that can deliver essentially software as a service allowing Service Providers to deliver Exchange as a service, Sharepoint as a service and OCS as a service.

There are a number of core elements that are covered below as to why use HMC 4.5. However the single biggest reason for using HMC is that you can use the same platform to deliver service to multiple customers.

 Therefore you have a core choice to make.

•  Use dedicated Exchange servers per customer
•  Use HMC to build 1 platform that can be used to deliver services to many customers which to the customers appears to be dedicated to them.
  

Now option 1 may be more appealing initially from a pure exchange perspective. However, very quickly the number of servers required in this scenario is going increase past the number used for an HMC platform and they wont be fully utilised.

Secondly, once the number of separate servers grow the amount of management and admin will increase and result in no profitability

Support policy for Microsoft software running in non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software

Hardware virtualization software lets you run multiple operating system instances at the same time on a single computer. Microsoft has two software offerings, Microsoft Virtual PC and Microsoft Virtual Server, that provide this functionality. Third parties also have software in the market that provides this functionality. This article describes support provided by Microsoft for its software running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

Except as described in this article, Microsoft does not test or support Microsoft software running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. For Microsoft customers who do not have a Premier-level support agreement, Microsoft will require that the issue to be reproduced independently from the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. Where the issue is confirmed to be unrelated to the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software, Microsoft will support its software in a manner that is consistent with support provided when that software is not running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

For Microsoft Premier-level support customers running non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software from vendors with which Microsoft does not have an established support relationship that covers virtualization solutions, Microsoft will use commercially reasonable efforts to investigate potential issues with Microsoft software running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. As part of that investigation, Microsoft may require the issue to be reproduced independently from the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. Where issues are confirmed to be unrelated to the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software, Microsoft will support its software in a manner that is consistent with support provided when that software is not running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

Microsoft will jointly support certain non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software from vendors with which Microsoft has established a support relationship that covers virtualization solutions. This joint support will include coordinating with the vendor to investigate support issues. As part of the investigation, Microsoft may require the issue to be reproduced independently from the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. Where issues are confirmed to be unrelated to the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software, Microsoft will support its software in a manner that is consistent with support provided when that software is not running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

Visio Stencils for Linux & Windows servers

I needed to create a proposal which contained a number of Linux  web. appplication  and database servers rather than using the generic server icon I created my own – here they are ………

if you would like a copy then please email me

Exchange Server 2007 and Hyper-V

Here are some details of Exchange running on Hyper-V:

 

http://blogs.technet.com/scottschnoll/archive/2008/06/15/exchange-server-2007-and-hyper-v.aspx