Final Case Study
Babu Dev
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Chapter 2: VMware ESXi on Linux
Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
• Use VMware software for business continuity and disaster
recovery
• Understand VMware ESX Server architecture
• Install, configure, and use VMware ESX Server 3i
• Implement security measures for VMware ESX Server 3i
Key Terms
Standalone hostStandalone host
a computing server in a virtualized environment
Virtual machineVirtual machine
a software implementation of a computer that executes
programs as if it were a real, physical computer within the
physical memory of the host machine, but completely separated
from the underlying hardware of the host machine
Introduction to VMware ESXi on Linux
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VMware allows multiple operating systems and applications to run
independently in virtual machines, as shown in Figure 2-1Figure 2-1. A virtualvirtual
machinemachine is a software implementation of a computer that executes
programs as if it were a real physical computer within the physical
memory of the host machine, but completely separated from the
underlying hardware of the host machine.
Figure 2-1
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With VMware, multiple virtual machines can be run at once.
This can be extremely useful for disaster recovery, because it takes
less time to get a new virtual machine up and running should it fail
than it takes to get a new physical server up and running. This chapter
teaches you how to use several VMware software solutions, including
ESX/ESXi, vSphere, and vCenter.
VMware and Business Continuity
Figures 2-2Figures 2-2 through 2-72-7 show the following advantages of using
VMware for business continuity:
• High availability without complex configurations
• Cost-effective failover clustering
• Continuity with virtual machines on storage area networks (SAN)
• Storage array–based replication
• Virtualized failover site
• Backup operations
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Figure 2-2
VMware detects server failures, and if one fails, it automatically restarts virtual machines on different physical servers.
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Figure 2-3
VMware uses clustering to distribute workloads across several machines, yielding availability benefits.
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Figure 2-4
Storage area networks allow data to survive server failures.
Figure 2-5
Storage array-based replication creates exact copies of data and applications at remote locations so they are ready to activate when necessary.
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Figure 2-6
A virtualized failover site allows users to test data restoration.
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Figure 2-7
The VMware backup agent reliably controls the backup and file restoration process.
VMware and Disaster Recovery
VMware has the following uses for disaster recovery:
• Partitioning
• Allows for the consolidation of several applications and
operating systems on the same machine, increasing server
utilization
• Provides considerable operational savings
• Hardware independence
• Hastens recovery by simplifying system startup and
configuration at the disaster recovery site
• Minimizes the cost of buying similar, new recovery servers
• Encapsulation
• Stores server operating system, applications, data,
configurations, and state as an image file on the hard disk
• Simplifies operations including backup and recovery, server
migration, duplication, and disaster recovery server
provisioning
• Isolation
• Changes in any virtual machine are entirely isolated from
other virtual machines
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• A user can simultaneously run batch programs and disaster
recovery tests on the disaster recovery hardware
The encapsulation process is shown in Figure 2-8Figure 2-8, while the isolation
process is shown in Figure 2-9Figure 2-9.
Figure 2-8
VMware can store a system’s hard drive image in a single file for easy recovery.
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Figure 2-9
VMware isolates changes on one virtual machine from others.
VMware ESX
VMware ESX partitions servers into virtual machines, reducing
hardware and power requirements. Its features include the following:
• Single-server partitioning
• Production-class hypervisor
• Advanced server resource management
• Shared physical resources
• Runs unmodified operating systems and applications
• Runs demanding applications side by side on the same server
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ESX is platform independent, requires minimal interfaces, and can
run multiple operating systems on a single server. It has a protected,
menu-driven interface to prevent users from running arbitrary code.
Users do not need experience with any particular OS, and no user
accounts or passwords are required to be created and maintained. No
operating system antivirus software or backup efforts are required.
VMware ESX supports both Windows and Linux. It replaces the
scripting execution environment of the service console, using the
same commands and same syntax as VMware Infrastructure 3. It
provides standards-based monitoring of hardware resources.
VMware ESX Server System Architecture
VMware ESX Server provides resource management services, as well
as a service console providing bootstrapping, management, and other
services. The ESX Server architecture allocates available hardware
resources to multiple workloads on a remote network.
VMware ESX Server’s architecture is shown in Figure 2-10Figure 2-10. Key
elements of the system’s design include the following:
• The virtualization layer virtualizes the hardware environment
and physical resources so that they are accessible to multiple
users without any interference.
• The resource manager is used for enabling partitions as well as
allocating memory, CPU time, disk use, and network bandwidth to
all virtual machines.
• The hardware interface components include device drivers and
are used to enable hardware-specific service delivery. While
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enabling hardware-specific service delivery, these components
hide hardware differences from other parts of the system.
• VMware ESX allows the user to run multiple applications in
virtual machines on the same physical server.
Figure 2-10
VMware ESX Server allocates hardware resources to multiple workloads.
Installing ESX Server 3i on Linux
To install ESX Server 3i on a Linux system, a user follows these steps:
1. Plug the network cable into the Ethernet adapter.
2. Insert the VMware ESX Server CD and boot the machine.
3. If required, set the CD-ROM as the first boot device at the BIOS
setup screen.
4. At the boot prompt, type texttext and press Enter.
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5. At the WelcomeWelcome screen, read the acknowledgment message and
click OKOK to continue.
6. The installer will scan the system hardware to determine if the
Ethernet and SCSI devices are compatible with VMware ESX
Server.
7. At the Installation TypeInstallation Type screen, select a suitable installation
type from the following, and then click OK:OK:
• Default: Performs a full installation and clears any existing
data on the selected partitions.
• Custom: Allows the user to manually select keyboard and
mouse configuration options.
• Upgrade Existing System: Upgrades an existing installation of
the ESX Server.
8. If CustomCustom is selected, set the keyboard and mouse options, then
click OKOK after each.
9. The End User License AgreementEnd User License Agreement screen should appear. Check
Accept End User License,Accept End User License, then click OK.OK.
10. Enter the ESX Server serial number in the ESX Serial NumberESX Serial Number
field, then click OK.OK.
11. If installing ESX Server on an unformatted disk, the warning
message in Figure 2-11Figure 2-11 will appear. Click YesYes to continue.
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Figure 2-11
Click Ye sYe s to format the device.
12. The Disk Partitioning SetupDisk Partitioning Setup screen will then appear. The ESX
Server system requires a minimum of three partitions. Select
ManualManual to manually create the partitions, or select AutomaticAutomatic to
have the installer create the partitions. If the AutomaticAutomatic option is
selected, then specify the hard disk space to be allocated to the
service console by selecting the appropriate option, and click OK.OK.
If ManualManual is selected, follow these steps:
• To create the first partition, click New.New. Set the mount point to
/boot, the type to ext3, and the size to 50 MB.
• To create the second partition, click New.New. Set no mount point,
the type to swap, and the size to double the memory assigned
to the service console.
• To create the third partition, click New.New. Set the mount point
to /, the type to ext3, and the size to 1800 MB.
13. At the Network ConfigurationNetwork Configuration screen, enter the following
information and select OKOK to continue:
• Enter the host’s name in the HostnameHostname entry field.
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• Check the Use bootp/dhcpUse bootp/dhcp box.
• In the IP addressIP address block, enter the IP address, subnet mask,
and network gateway.
• Enter the primary and secondary domain name servers.
14. The Time Zone SelectionTime Zone Selection screen appears. Select the local time
zone and then click OK.OK.
15. On the Root PasswordRoot Password screen, specify the new root password
and click OK.OK. Note that root is the username for the
administrator. Users with administrative privileges log in with
this name when using the VMware Management Interface or the
service console.
16. At the Add UserAdd User screen, add at least one user and then click OK.OK.
17. At the User Account SetupUser Account Setup screen, user accounts can be added,
edited, or deleted. Click OKOK to move on.
18. The Installation to BeginInstallation to Begin screen appears. Click OKOK to begin
installing files.
19. Once the packages are installed, the CompleteComplete screen appears.
Click OKOK to reboot and finish the installation.
Configuring ESX Server 3i
To configure an installed ESX Server system, a user follows these
steps:
1. Launch a Web browser and enter the URL as http://http:// followed by
the hostname assigned to the server during the ESX Server
installation. For example, if the hostname is 192.168.1.5, enter the
URL as http://192.168.1.5.http://192.168.1.5.
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2. Accept the site’s security certificate.
3. Log in to the VMware Management Interface as root using the
credentials entered during installation.
4. The System Configuration Wizard will launch. Click the NextNext
button to start the wizard.
5. The End User License AgreementEnd User License Agreement appears. Check the I acceptI accept
the terms of the license agreementthe terms of the license agreement check box, and enter the
VMware ESX Server serial number in the VMware ESX ServerVMware ESX Server
field. Click the NextNext button.
6. At the Startup ProfileStartup Profile screen, configure the following
parameters, and then click the NextNext button:
• Reserved memory: The default reserved memory for the
service console is 192 MB, which is enough for managing up
to eight virtual machines concurrently. To manage more than
eight virtual machines, use the following values:
• 272 MB for up to 16 virtual machines.
• 384 MB for up to 32 virtual machines.
• 512 MB for more than 32 virtual machines.
• SCSI Storage Controller: Select the storage adapters to be used
by the service console and virtual machines on the server. To
use the same adapter for both the service console and virtual
machines, in the Dedicated ToDedicated To list, select VirtualVirtual
Machines,Machines, and then check Shared with Service Console.Shared with Service Console.
• Ethernet Controllers: Select the network adapters to be used
by the service console and virtual machines on the server.
• Check the Enable Hyper-threadingEnable Hyper-threading check box to enable the
ESX Server to boot in hyperthreading mode.
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7. At the RebootReboot screen, click the NextNext button to reboot the system.
8. After the reboot, log in again.
9. The Storage ManagementStorage Management screen appears. At this screen, you
can do any of the following and then click the NextNext button to
continue:
• Create new VMFS-2 partitions to store virtual machines in any
remaining free space.
• Edit the existing VMFS volumes.
• Remove any extended partitions.
10. At the Swap ConfigurationSwap Configuration screen, set up the swap file that ESX
Server uses as part of its memory management features. The
default configuration creates a swap file equal to the total amount
of memory on the server.
• Click ChangeChange to make any required changes to the swap file
configuration.
• If there is a configured swap file, click ActivateActivate or EditEdit to
activate or edit the configured swap file.
• If there is no configured swap file, click CreateCreate to create and
configure a swap file.
• Click NextNext to continue.
11. Set the following swap file settings, and click the NextNext button to
continue:
• VMFS volume.
• File name.
• File size.
• Activation policy.
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12. The Network ConnectionsNetwork Connections screen appears, showing the
system’s virtual switches.
• Click AddAdd to create a new virtual switch.
• For an existing virtual switch, click AddAdd to create a port group
and assign a label and VLAN ID for the new port group.
• Click EditEdit to configure the speed and duplex settings for the
virtual switch.
• Click the NextNext button to continue.
13. At the Security SettingsSecurity Settings screen, select the security level for the
ESX Server machine and the network traffic generated by the ESX
Server. To use custom settings, check the Custom SecurityCustom Security check
box and click the NextNext button.
14. At the Custom Security ConfigurationCustom Security Configuration screen, customize the
security settings by choosing the proper options and click the OKOK
button.
15. After choosing security settings, click the NextNext button. A message
appears stating that configuration is complete. Click the OKOK
button to finish configuration.
VMware vSphere
VMware vSphere uses virtualization to convert data centers into
simplified cloud-computing infrastructures. Cloud computing is a
general term used to describe the providing of computing services via
a network connection such as the Internet. Physical hardware
resources across multiple systems are virtualized and become a
group, offering virtual resources to the data center. vSphere manages
large pools of infrastructure such as networking, CPUs, and storage as
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a flawless dynamic operating environment.
The VMware vSphere client can be downloaded from the VMware
server’s Web interface. Figure 2-12Figure 2-12 is a diagram of VMware vSphere.
Figure 2-12
VMware vSphere virtualizes physical resources together.
VMware vSphere Component Layers
The following are the component layers of VMware vSphere:
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• Infrastructure services: These services are provided to abstract,
collect, and allot infrastructure resources and hardware. These
services include:
• VMware vCompute: Abstracts away from underlying discrete
server resources and collects and assigns these resources
across distinct servers to applications
• VMware vStorage: Allows for the efficient use and
management of storage
• VMware vNetwork: Simplifies and enhances networking
• Application services: These ensure scalability, availability, and
security. Some examples include fault tolerance and high-
availability (HA) applications.
• VMware vCenter Server: This offers a single control point for the
data center and provides services such as configuration,
performance monitoring, and access control.
• Clients: Users access the VMware vSphere data center through
clients like the vSphere client and Web access through a Web
browser.
VMware vSphere Components
The following are the components of VMware vSphere:
• VMware ESX and ESXi: The virtualization layer runs on physical
servers that abstract storage, processor, memory, and other
resources into multiple virtual machines. ESX can be embedded
into a server’s firmware, or it can be separately installed software.
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There are two versions of ESX:
• VMware ESX 4.0 contains a built-in server console that is
available as an installable CD-ROM boot image.
• VMware ESXi 4.0 does not contain a server console and is
provided as either embedded or installed.
• VMware vCenter Server: This is the central point for provisioning,
configuring, and managing virtualized IT environments.
• VMware vSphere Client: This interface allows users to remotely
connect to ESX/ESXi or vCenter Server from any Windows PC.
• VMware vSphere Web Access: This Web interface allows access to
remote consoles and virtual management.
• VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS): This is a high-
performance cluster file system for ESX/ESXi virtual machines.
• VMware Virtual SMP: This allows a single virtual machine to
concurrently use multiple physical processors.
• VMware VMotion: This allows for the live migration of running
virtual machines from one physical server to another with
continuous service availability, zero downtime, and complete
transaction integrity.
• Storage VMotion: This enables the migration of virtual machine
files from one database to another without service interruption.
• VMware High Availability (HA): This offers high availability for
applications running in virtual machines. Failing servers are
restarted on other production servers that have sufficient
capacity.
• VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS): This assigns and
balances computing capacity dynamically across the pool of
hardware resources for virtual machines. It includes Distributed
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Power Management (DPM) that helps to decrease the data center’s
power consumption.
• VMware Consolidated Backup: This is a centralized facility for
agent-free backup of virtual machines. It reduces the impact of
backups on ESX/ESXi performance and simplifies backup
administration.
• VMware vSphere SDK: This provides a standard interface for third
party and VMware solutions for accessing the VMware vSphere.
• VMware Fault Tolerance: This creates a secondary copy of the
original virtual machine, which becomes active when the primary
virtual machine becomes unavailable, providing continuous
availability.
• vNetwork Distributed Switch (DVS): This involves a distributed
virtual machine that spans the ESX/ESXi hosts, allowing for
increased network capacity and the reduction of ongoing network
maintenance activities. This way, virtual machines maintain a
consistent network configuration as they migrate across multiple
hosts.
• Host profiles: This simplifies host configuration management
through user-defined policies. Host profile policies check
compliance to standard host configuration settings across the data
center.
• Pluggable storage architecture: This is a multipath I/O framework
that allows storage partners to enable their array asynchronously
to ESX release schedules.
