vSphere 5 Around the Corner!

VMware recently announced vSphere 5 will be coming July-August time frame 2011.

Three big new features will be included when it does come:

Storage DRS

Just like you use DRS to help you manage the workload on your hosts, Storage DRS will help you manage the workload on your SANs. The essential workup is that you'll be able to group your storage into storage pods that you can allow Storage DRS to manage what goes where based on capacity. Pretty cool, if you are dealing with some complicated storage situations.

SRM Host-Based Replication
This buys you the ability to use SRM even if you have disparing storage at your different locations.

Network I/O Control for VMs

This allows you the option to reserve bandwidth for high-priority VMs when you've got a congested network. Very useful control to have, depending on your network layout and configuration.


Another anouncement that VMware has made about vSphere 5 - it's ESXi all the way. That's right, ESX will be discontinued in favor of it's lighter, tigher cousin. I mentioned that this was coming before, but now it's actually here. Hope you are ready for migration!

VMware won't leave you figuring it out on your own, though. They recommend that you start migrating off ESX to ESXi now in preparation for the move to vSphere 5. Here is their Info Center about it, and here is their Migration Guide.
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Dustin Shaw
VCP

Basics of Installing VMware View 4.6

We just got View 4.6 up and running in our Demo environment, and here are the basic take-aways that we have.

1. Windows 2008R2 is the minimum for VMware View Secure Gateway. Or Demo Environment was previously on 2003R2, so we had to do an upgrade.
2. You have to update all of your View Base Images to the View 4.6 Agent.
3. You have to install the latest version of VMware Tools in your View Base Images
4. A number of Microsoft Patches need to be installed on your View Base Images:
• KB961501
• KB968389
• KB975467
• KB971657
• KB944043
5. You must remove all previous Snap Shots, and start fresh for your Linked Clones

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Dustin Shaw
VCP

VMware View released for iPad

VMware released the VMware View App for the iPad this week.

This allows you to use PCoIP on the iPad; the only App previously was the Wyse PocketCloud, which limited you to using RDP through View.

You can see the app in iTunes here.

VMware has also created a forum for the VMware View for iPad App to discuss feature requests, issues, and ideas.

The new app will work with VMware View 4.6 or later, not with View 4.5, so if you aren't yet upgraded to View 4.6 (which came out at the end of Febrary), you'll need to first.

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Dustin Shaw
VCP