Using teaming in ESX Server
So I downloaded the new VMWare ESX server (Now free BTW) and installed it. I was primarily interested in ESX server's ability to be controlled by a remote console. With workstation 5.x, if you want to do work with the virtual machines, remotely, you need to use the terminal server client into the machine that is hosting Vmware (assuming you are running on Windows). This works OK, except that some machines don't track the mouse very well, and some fiddling needs to be done. That can sometimes be irritating.
VMWare ESX server runs virtual machines as services, so you don't have to be logged into the host that is running the virtual machines, and you can access those machines using a console remotely. It is much cleaner and more functional, and FAR less frustrating.
I was a little surprised however to find that most of the cool features of workstation were left out, for instance, the ability to have multiple snapshots, and to manage those snapshots in an organized way. Teams were also a neat concept, but not available in ESX server.
Well I think I may have a workaround. It isn't perfect, but I believe it will work fine under most circumstances. The following assumes that all host OS's involved are Windows-based. You need to have ESX server set up on one of the machines, and Workstation 5.5 on the other machine. Ready? Lets get started (am going from pure memory, so I may be making some corrections soon).
Steps:
1. Copy the "VMware-console-e.x.p-xxxx.exe" file from the [path] directory of the ESX server machine, to the Workstation machine.
2. Now run that file on the Workstation machine.
3. At this point you have now added the ESX Server console to your workstation machine. Create a virtual machine with your VMWare Workstation machine, and configure it the way you want with multiple snapshots if necessary.
4. Make note of the path to the virtual machine you just created. Now be sure the machine is shutdown in workstation, and close out of it in the workstation window. Copy the folder for that virtual machine to the "Virtual machines" folder on your ESX server machine.
5. Now you can open that virtual machine with ESX server console, and run it normally.
6. If you want to revert to do any kind of snapshot management, simply power-down the virtual machine in the ESX Server console and close it out. You can re-open this virtual machine in workstation, but since it is on the other machine, you will need to specify a UNC path to get to it, like \\youresxserver\c$, then browse from there. Once you find the folder for the virtual machine, simply open up the machine. At that point, you can manage snapshots however you see fit. Once you are finished, simply save, and close, and then reopen with your ESX console, and restart it.
There are limitations to this approach. I was never able to get teaming to work at all in VMWare ESX server. It just wouldn't recognize the format. Also the above instructions rely on the fact that virtual machines are shut down in the process of managing them from either ESX or Workstation.
-Schnibitz
VMWare ESX server runs virtual machines as services, so you don't have to be logged into the host that is running the virtual machines, and you can access those machines using a console remotely. It is much cleaner and more functional, and FAR less frustrating.
I was a little surprised however to find that most of the cool features of workstation were left out, for instance, the ability to have multiple snapshots, and to manage those snapshots in an organized way. Teams were also a neat concept, but not available in ESX server.
Well I think I may have a workaround. It isn't perfect, but I believe it will work fine under most circumstances. The following assumes that all host OS's involved are Windows-based. You need to have ESX server set up on one of the machines, and Workstation 5.5 on the other machine. Ready? Lets get started (am going from pure memory, so I may be making some corrections soon).
Steps:
1. Copy the "VMware-console-e.x.p-xxxx.exe" file from the [path] directory of the ESX server machine, to the Workstation machine.
2. Now run that file on the Workstation machine.
3. At this point you have now added the ESX Server console to your workstation machine. Create a virtual machine with your VMWare Workstation machine, and configure it the way you want with multiple snapshots if necessary.
4. Make note of the path to the virtual machine you just created. Now be sure the machine is shutdown in workstation, and close out of it in the workstation window. Copy the folder for that virtual machine to the "Virtual machines" folder on your ESX server machine.
5. Now you can open that virtual machine with ESX server console, and run it normally.
6. If you want to revert to do any kind of snapshot management, simply power-down the virtual machine in the ESX Server console and close it out. You can re-open this virtual machine in workstation, but since it is on the other machine, you will need to specify a UNC path to get to it, like \\youresxserver\c$, then browse from there. Once you find the folder for the virtual machine, simply open up the machine. At that point, you can manage snapshots however you see fit. Once you are finished, simply save, and close, and then reopen with your ESX console, and restart it.
There are limitations to this approach. I was never able to get teaming to work at all in VMWare ESX server. It just wouldn't recognize the format. Also the above instructions rely on the fact that virtual machines are shut down in the process of managing them from either ESX or Workstation.
-Schnibitz
posted by mrschnibitz at 2:56 PM
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