Tips

Tips

• Server consolidation project planning: Three steps to success

  As the Boy Scouts always say: Be prepared. With a server consolidation project, you can prepare for consolidation in three distinct phases.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization storage performance monitoring: Metrics and tools

  Storage performance monitoring ensures that you’re warned of low storage capacity and that you’re up to date on virtualization storage usage trends.  Continue Reading

• Open source Xen hypervisor in the Linux kernel: Does it matter?

  The open source Xen hypervisor has fought hard, but KVM is the new top dog in open source virtualization.  Continue Reading

• A guide to Hyper-V features for the VMware administrator

  For every VMware action, there’s a Hyper-V reaction. VSphere and Hyper-V features have many similarities, but their vendors speak different languages.  Continue Reading

• Determining the consolidation ratio in your server consolidation project

  Once you know what makes your servers tick, you can analyze that data and decide on a consolidation ratio for your server consolidation project.  Continue Reading

• Avoiding CPU contention and bottlenecks

  Bottlenecks can leave your VM twiddling its thumbs. Luckily, there are several techniques to prevent CPU contention and maximize performance.  Continue Reading

• How DMZ design improves VM security in the cloud

  With VM hosting in the cloud, your main concern is VM security. But with a solid DMZ design, you can keep VMs properly isolated.  Continue Reading

• Data deduplication reduces storage requirements: Law firm case study

  One large law firm objected to document storage requirements. Along with virtualization, storage consolidation and data deduplication overruled.  Continue Reading

• To consolidate or not to consolidate: Resource-intensive applications

  That is the question… Should you consolidate servers with resource-intensive apps? Not necessarily. They'll have to share resources with multiple VMs.  Continue Reading

• Private cloud strategy: A four-step plan for success

  To get the benefits of cloud computing, you need a solid cloud strategy. Prepping for private cloud computing begins with the assets you already have.  Continue Reading

• Dynamic storage allocation with thin provisioning: Pros and cons

  Allocating virtualization storage is easy with thin provisioning. But this dynamic storage allocation method can complicate storage management.  Continue Reading

• Network virtualization technology FAQ

  Network virtualization lets you break one physical network into many virtual networks or combine physical networks into one virtual network.  Continue Reading

• Automating Windows OS deployment in virtual infrastructures

  Free is good. Free and automated is even better. There are lots of dynamic Windows OS deployment methods, but some may not fit your infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of iSCSI storage networking in virtual infrastructures

  ISCSI provides simplicity for virtualization storage networking, but iSCSI performance, network design, security and cost can present challenges.  Continue Reading

• LUN configuration best practices to boost virtual machine performance

  LUN configuration plays a key role in tweaking VM performance. With the right hardware, disk type and RAID level, VM storage helps run more VMs per host.  Continue Reading

• How many VMs should you put on a LUN?

  LUN configuration can improve virtual machine performance. When deciding how many VMs to put on a LUN, the size of your infrastructure is an important consideration.  Continue Reading

• Why choose Fibre Channel for virtualization storage networking?

  Fibre Channel offers great storage networking performance and security, but cost and complexity can be deal-breakers when deciding whether to implement a Fibre Channel SAN.  Continue Reading

• Server cluster sizing: How many VMs is too many?

  Even server clustering has its limits. Hypervisors and hardware can restrict how many hosts and VMs a server cluster can hold.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V dynamic memory allocation vs. VMware memory overcommit

  VMware memory overcommit and the Hyper-V dynamic memory allocation feature have similarities, but the user experience is completely different.  Continue Reading

• Creating virtual machines with Oracle VM VirtualBox 4

  In Oracle VM VirtualBox 4, creating virtual machines is simple, and you have several options for hardware settings, memory and virtual NICs.  Continue Reading

• Keeping up with the KVM storage options

  If KVM were a reality TV show, it would be pretty trouble-free. KVM storage can be customized for optimal performance, and it’s easy to manage with logical volumes.  Continue Reading

• Oracle VM VirtualBox 4: An overview

  It’s easy to overlook Oracle VM VirtualBox, with all the other hosted virtualization products out there. But your small environment can take advantage of many VirtualBox features.  Continue Reading

• A VMware admin's guide to the XenServer command line

  If you're a VMware admin, don't just stick with what you know. Understanding the XenServer CLI can come in handy if you have to master XenServer management.  Continue Reading

• Memory overcommit and multiple processors: Too much of a good thing

  You don’t always need to over-assign memory and processing resources. In fact, memory overcommit and multiple processors can weaken performance.  Continue Reading

• The future of software licenses in a virtual world

  Software licenses just want to fit in. But in virtual infrastructures, software licensing has an increasingly confusing role to play as vendors come out with new licensing methods.  Continue Reading

• How Hyper-V Dynamic Memory improves your server consolidation plan

  Virtual memory allocation with Hyper-V Dynamic Memory can help boost your server consolidation plan. But beware VMs that take more memory than they actually need.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization certification options: VMware, Microsoft and Citrix

  Want to get certified for virtualization? There are many virtualization certification options. Start your journey by deciding which is right for you.  Continue Reading

• Top five P2V conversion roadblocks

  The P2V conversion process doesn’t always run smoothly. Downtime, hardware incompatibility and outdated applications can foil your P2V migration plan at any stage of the game.  Continue Reading

• Virtual memory management techniques: A beginner's guide

  There are lots of virtual memory management techniques, including ballooning and memory compression. You can use these methods to control resource sharing among colocated VMs.  Continue Reading

• Software license agreements aren’t made to be broken

  Software license agreements get foggy when virtualization enters the picture. Many violations are only discovered by accident, but that can be avoided if departments work together.  Continue Reading

• Using P2V conversion for virtualization disaster recovery

  Not all servers are good VM candidates. But with P2V conversion, you can still protect the leftovers in a virtualization disaster recovery strategy.  Continue Reading

• Top 5 tips for P2V conversion success

  The process of converting physical machines into VMs doesn’t always run smoothly. There are five easy ways to ensure your P2V conversions go off without a hitch.  Continue Reading

• Got multiple virtualization vendors? Learn to convert virtual disks

  Virtualization vendors don’t have virtual disk format standards. If you use multiple virtualization platforms, you’ll have to convert from one vendor’s disk format to another’s.  Continue Reading

• Software licensing challenges: How virtualization obscures CPU usage

  When it comes to software licensing, virtualization changes the game. It’s more difficult to pinpoint processors and ensure that you purchase the right number of software licenses.  Continue Reading

• From Xen to KVM: Making sense of changes in RHEL 6

  Migrating VMs from Xen to KVM virtualization sounds daunting, but Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 includes tools to ease the transition. These migration tools are among other new virtualization features in RHEL 6.  Continue Reading

• Top 10 virtualization management tools

  There are lots of virtualization management tools out there, but which ones are right for your infrastructure? Here are 10 tools data center managers should consider.  Continue Reading

• Mixing and matching virtualization platforms

  Using multiple virtualization platforms allows you to avoid vendor lock-in, but it can be difficult to bridge and manage technologies from different virtualization vendors.  Continue Reading

• VM backup methods for quick VM recovery

  Some VM backup methods offer quicker restores than others. With these two approaches, you can have VM recovery in just a few minutes, even for terabyte-sized servers.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization security: How vulnerable is your hypervisor?

  Choosing the right hypervisor for your infrastructure is not only critical for deployment and management purposes, but it also comes into play with virtualization security.  Continue Reading

• Windows VSS virtual machine backup strategies: Hyper-V vs. VMware

  For a strong virtual machine backup strategy, Windows VSS must 'play nice' with other host components. But it works differently in VMware and Hyper-V environments.  Continue Reading

• Using Windows VSS for virtual machine backup

  The goal of virtual machine backup is to create and store an exact copy of a VM. But when changes occur during the backup process, you need Windows VSS to ensure consistency.  Continue Reading

• XenServer management for the VMware administrator

  If you’re a VMware administrator, you may not have ventured outside the VMware realm. But learning XenServer management with the command line can round out your infrastructure skills.  Continue Reading

• Endpoint virtualization vs. server virtualization: Server requirements

  Endpoint virtualization is a new level of server virtualization, but there are some important differences in the two implementations and how end users interact with the server.  Continue Reading

• KVM live migration with the Linux command line

  KVM live migration wasn’t always possible. But now it’s easy, thanks to the Linux command line. Just make sure you meet a few important requirements.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization challenges: Security, storage and VM sprawl

  The deeper you get into a virtualization project, the more challenges you face. Virtualization security and backup management are some of the most common.  Continue Reading

• Storage resource management tools simplify capacity management

  Storage complicates capacity management, but using storage resource management tools to monitor I/O and prevent resource contention can make things easier.  Continue Reading

• Infrastructure change management and performance monitoring

  Virtual machine performance monitoring helps keep VMs available, but you also need infrastructure change management to document configuration changes and prevent VM sprawl.  Continue Reading

• Five easy VM administration tips and virtualization best practices

  VM administration poses challenges for IT personnel. But if you follow these virtualization best practices, your infrastructure can run more efficiently and securely.  Continue Reading

• Overcoming virtualization challenges: Capacity planning, provisioning

  The abstraction of virtualization makes resource provisioning tricky. Without proper capacity planning, over-allocation can affect performance and waste resources.  Continue Reading

• How server load-balancing services work: VMware DRS, Microsoft SCVMM

  If you know how your load-balancing service calculates the ins and outs of virtual server load balancing, you can tune clusters to better meet your organization's needs...  Continue Reading

• Virtualization cost savings: Labor and maintenance

  Virtualizing your infrastructure can save money on labor and server lifecycle maintenance. With fewer physical servers, there's less to provision, monitor and maintain manually.  Continue Reading

• Virtual application performance testing: An art form

  Application performance testing reveals how virtualized applications will perform in production. Consider user experience, vendor requirements and factors that affect performance.  Continue Reading

• Server cluster high-availability gotchas: DNS and failover

  Sometimes, high availability is a problem not a solution. Be on the lookout for numerous behaviors in a server cluster that can extend VM downtime after a failure.  Continue Reading

• High-availability architecture: Redundancy vs. abstraction

  If you're getting more involved with virtualization, you may want to take another look at your high-availability architecture. Redundancy and abstraction can help prevent problems.  Continue Reading

• Using redundant network architecture and storage pools for HA

  Building a redundant network architecture and placing all your VMs on a storage pool is an efficient way to achieve high availability in your virtual data center.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V Dynamic Memory vs. VMware memory overcommit

  Memory allocation can be a guessing game in virtualized environments. Hyper-V Dynamic Memory and VMware memory overcommit tackle the problem in different ways.  Continue Reading

• Virtual network security best practices

  Since a network itself can become an attack vector, you need network security best practices to prevent a breach. Isolating vSwitches on your management network and using security apps intended for virtualization are two key tactics.  Continue Reading

• Virtual security: New attack vectors, new ballgame

  With physical security, you don't have to consider breaches of virtual machines, utilities or virtual disk files. But virtualization creates new security risks and vulnerabilities.  Continue Reading

• How to monitor virtual memory with Hyper-V Dynamic Memory

  With Hyper-V Dynamic Memory, you can allocate and monitor virtual memory levels to prevent VMs from experiencing negative memory.  Continue Reading

• Virtual memory settings in Hyper-V Dynamic Memory

  Virtual memory settings in Hyper-V Dynamic Memory configure extra space on VMs during memory allocation. This feature makes virtual memory allocation more precise and easier.  Continue Reading

• How virtual memory allocation works with Hyper-V Dynamic Memory

  Historically, allocating the right amount of virtual memory to Hyper-V virtual machines was a guessing game. But Hyper-V Dynamic Memory does the job for you.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V Live Migration terms: brownout, blackout and dirty pages

  You may not know about brownouts, blackouts and dirty pages in Hyper-V Live Migrations, but they are useful for monitoring virtual machine live migration.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization hypervisor comparison: Type 1 vs. Type 2 hypervisors

  This virtualization hypervisor comparison takes a look at the Type 1 hypervisor, which enables hardware virtualization, and the Type 2 hypervisor, which runs atop existing OSes.  Continue Reading

• Using virtual appliances to make software deployment easier

  Virtual appliances, or VAPs, are virtual machine templates that bundle OSes and applications. They can reduce software deployment time and offer several new capabilities as well.  Continue Reading

• Lifecycle management: Physical vs. virtual machines

  Lifecycle management in a virtual infrastructure poses a few more challenges than you're used to. Without proper lifecycle management, you could end up with VM sprawl.  Continue Reading

• Hypervisors: Which is right for you?

  Most hypervisors have the same basic features, but the devil is in the details. Comparing hypervisors' CPU usage, memory and processor support will help you make the right choice.  Continue Reading

• Xen-to-KVM virtual machine migration: A step-by-step guide

  Red Hat is working on a tool to simplify the Xen-to-KVM virtual machine migration process. In the meantime, moving from Xen to KVM requires manual work in the Linux command line.  Continue Reading

• Meeting PCI DSS requirements in a virtual environment

  PCI DSS requirements don't address virtualized environments, but if there's a data breach, you're responsible. To avoid hefty fines, secure your hosts, VMs, storage and networking.  Continue Reading

• Esxtop: Troubleshooting ESX servers with performance metrics

  Colorful pie charts depicting ESX server performance look great, but sometimes you need more powerful metrics. The esxtop command retrieves key performance metrics.  Continue Reading

• Windows Failover Cluster: The importance of the coordinator node

  The Windows Failover Cluster architecture is complex, but using the coordinator node to perform certain tasks can minimize the time sink.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization implementation: Nine steps to success

  Virtualization implementation projects are complicated, but if you assess your environment, plan properly and follow these tips, they can be relatively painless.  Continue Reading

• How to solve disk I/O performance problems with pass-through disks

  Pass-through disks improve disk I/O performance in virtual environments. Find out when to use these storage disks and how to incorporate them into your virtualization strategy.  Continue Reading

• SCVMM PowerShell scripts simplify administrative tasks

  Using SCVMM PowerShell scripts to perform tedious management tasks can simply your life. SCVMM PowerShell scripts are more powerful and customizable than GUI-based tools.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server infrastructure design, planning and deployment

  Virtual server infrastructure planning involves choosing a platform and hardware. Make the right choices by following these best practices for virtual server infrastructure design.  Continue Reading

• When direct-attached storage makes sense

  While direct-attached storage isn't sexy, it offers solid performance at a low price. If you've considered DAS, here are scenarios where it may make sense.  Continue Reading

• Top Hyper-V PowerShell cmdlets for basic tasks

  Hyper-V PowerShell cmdlets help write scripts, which are more customizable than GUI-based tools. Here are some basic cmdlets for use with Hyper-V PowerShell.  Continue Reading

• VM errors: The case of the disappearing virtual machine

  The root cause of a VM error can be difficult to pinpoint. Here's the tale of a randomly disappearing VM, and how to prevent this VM error in your environment.  Continue Reading

• Top conversion tools for virtual machine migration

  Conversion tools from hypervisor vendors and third-party companies can help you overcome virtual machine migration challenges. Find out which conversion tools are right for you.  Continue Reading

• Antivirus scans: How to improve performance in virtual environments

  Antivirus scans are notorious for ruining virtual environment performance. Here are some ways to avoid that problem without forgoing antivirus scans altogether.  Continue Reading

• Xen live migration software and hardware configuration

  In virtual environments, Linux stacks can't afford downtime. Here's how to set Xen live migration to preempt disruption and create redundancy.  Continue Reading

• Managing Virtual Hard Disk data with encapsulation

  Encapsulating Virtual Hard Disk data may seem like the best way to manage Hyper-V storage. Pass-through disks, however, offer backup and restoration advantages over huge VHD files.  Continue Reading

• Red Hat vs. Ubuntu KVM virtualization: Which is best?

  Red Hat and Ubuntu KVM technologies share similar architecture, but the management features available for Red Hat KVM sets the distribution apart.  Continue Reading

• Virtual disk performance and VM snapshot issues in Microsoft Hyper-V

  As he dips his toes in the Hyper-V waters, VMware expert Mike Laverick finds some downsides to the VM snapshot process and virtual disk performance.  Continue Reading

• VMware's single pane of glass vs. Hyper-V's management consoles

  Managing virtualization through a single pane of glass is all the rage these days, but as VMware expert Mike Laverick discovers, Hyper-V requires multiple management consoles.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery implementation with Hyper-V

  Once you finalize the logistics for a disaster recovery implementation with Hyper-V, installing and configuring the various components is relatively simple.  Continue Reading

• Connecting an iSCSI storage system to XenServer

  Attaching an iSCSI storage system to XenServer allows administrators to use advanced virtualization features, such as live migration. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V failover: Building a multi-site cluster

  For Hyper-V failover purposes, learn how to build a multi-site cluster to move data off-site during an network or power outage.  Continue Reading

• How to configure Citrix XenServer live migration

  To set up XenServer live migration, all you have to do is install XenServer on server hosts, deploy XenCenter and install the XenServer Tools package in the virtual machine.  Continue Reading

• How to calculate ROI and TCO for virtualization projects

  Finding out how to calculate ROI and TCO can be a challenge with virtualization projects. Depend more on your ROI calculations and less on vendors' virtualization ROI calculators.  Continue Reading

• Data center planning considerations for high availability

  Sure, virtualization brings flexibility, but high-availability data center planning is still crucial. Take full advantage of the benefits of data center high availability.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server migration tools

  This section of our virtual server migration guide outlines various virtual server migration tools for virtualization environments and outlines the pros and cons of manual, semi-automated and fully automated server migration tools.  Continue Reading

• Why virtual machine updates are so important

  Virtual machine updates and patches require a game plan. This checklist helps eliminate the problems associated with virtual machine update management.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization costs include software, hardware and labor

  Virtualization software, hardware and labor will all affect your TCO and ROI calculations. Consider them all to get a true picture of your virtualization costs.  Continue Reading

• Calculate return on investment before moving to server virtualization

  Server virtualization is an obvious money-saver, but you still need to calculate return on investment. There are often hidden costs that will affect your virtualization ROI.  Continue Reading

• Six VM backup mistakes to avoid when backing up Hyper-V

  Virtualization complicates the server backup process. Here are six VM backup mistakes you should avoid to eliminate headaches and reduce VM downtime when backing up Hyper-V.  Continue Reading

• Virtual machine provisioning automates, simplifies server provisioning

  Virtual machine provisioning can simplify server provisioning and the management of resource allocation. Know the challenges that come with the benefits and how to overcome them.  Continue Reading

• VM snapshot backup process explained

  Although virtual machines are dynamic, they still need to be protected from hardware failures. A VM snapshot backup is one way to protect virtualized data at a point in time.  Continue Reading

• Creating a VM clone for a virtual machine template

  Cloning a virtual machine is an efficient alternative to creating a new VM for test and development. This tip offers a walkthrough on how to create a VM clone.  Continue Reading

• How a Windows or Linux clustered file system works

  When server clusters operate collaboratively, the deployment of a Windows or Linux clustered file system becomes necessary.  Continue Reading

• Virtual hardware platform explained

  More flexible resource allocation and improved workload performance are just two of the benefits of having a virtual hardware platform.  Continue Reading