Free tools for VMware

1. Veeam Backup & Recovery 6.5 free edition
2. UniTrends Enterprise Backup Free Edition (Protect 4 VMs For Free) or Unitrends NFR Edition (2 sockets and 2 application-enabled servers FREE)
3. Trilead VM Explorer Free VMware & Hyper-V backup (max 2 hosts)
4. NexentaStor Community Edition Free 18Tb ZFS Virtual Storage Appliance
5. VM Aware Database Performance
6. vSphere Plugin Wizard 2.0
7. VMware vCenter Mobile Access (vCMA) is a fully configured and ready to run virtual appliance that is required to manage your datacenter from mobile devices.
8. VMware Boomerang is a radically simple client application that allows you to use multiple vSphere servers simultaneously
9. VMware Guest Console (VGC)
10. Cloud Cleaner
11. Solarwinds VM to Could Calculator
12. Onyx proxy between the vSphere Client and the vCenter Server. Monitors the network communication between the two and translates it into an executable PowerShell code.
13. vCenter XVP Manager and Converter
14. Veeam ONE Free Edition 24×7 real-time monitoring
15. RVTools is a windows .NET 2.0 application which uses the VI SDK to display information about your virtual machines and ESX hosts
16. VMTurbo Real-time monitoring and a library of 32 pre-defined historical reports
17. vAlarm Free Desktop Tool for Monitoring vCenter Alarms
18. vSphere 4 Client RDP Plug-in
19. Xangati for vSphere VMware visibility and troubleshooting tool!
20. vOPS™ Server Explorer
21. Powergui Graphical User Interface & Script Editor for Microsoft Windows PowerShell
22. vGhetto Script Repository
23. UBERAlign free alignment of Virtual Machine disks (Nickapedia)
24. Thinware vBackup
25. PCoIP Log Viewer 2.0
26. Quest Workspace Assessment Tool
27. ESXi 5.0 / ESXi 5.1 Host Backup & Restore GUI Utility (PowerCLI based)

Unboxed voters Winner by VMware

Thanks to VMware that has chosen me as the winner of Unboxed voters.

Attempting to add a host to VirtualCenter produces a license error

Details

When you are attempting to add an ESX host to VirtualCenter, VMware Infrastructure (VI) Client displays an error message similar to the following:

There are not enough licenses installed to perform the operation.

Solution

The above error message may be caused by one of these problems:

• The VirtualCenter Server is in an unlicensed state. VirtualCenter may be unlicensed because the edition selected during the installation is not the purchased edition.
• There is a problem with a virtual machine on the ESX host.

Correcting the VirtualCenter Server license state

To correct the VirtualCenter Server license state:

  1.    Launch VI Client and log in to VirtualCenter.
  2.    Choose Administration > VirtualCenter Management Server Configuration. 

  3.    For VirtualCenter Server Edition, choose the edition that is not currently configured and click OK.

This is especially true if you purchased and uploaded VirtualCenter Foundation license and selected VirtualCenter Enterprise during installation.

If the VirtualCenter Server licensing is correct, the problem may be with a virtual machine on the ESX host.

Verifying and correcting issues with a virtual machine on an ESX host

To verify and correct a problem with a virtual machine on the ESX host: 

1. Log on to the ESX host service console with root privileges.
2. View the vpxa.log file. Run the command:
   
   more /var/log/vmware/vpx/vpxa.log
   Examine the log for messages for warnings similar to:
   
   [2008-06-16 12:37:59.350 'App' warning] ============BEGIN FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Invoking [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Fault Msg: "A general system error occured: Failed to serialize result"
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] ============END FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 1 msc 'App' error] [vm.GetLayout] Received exception in GetLayout: vmodl.fault.SystemError  
   
   The example shows the source of the problem is the error Failed to serialize result.
   
3. View the hostd.log file. Run the command:
   
   more /var/log/vmware/hostd.log
   
   The output appears similar to:
   
   [2008-06-16 09:44:12.052 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved current power state from foundry 0
   [ + 1 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved Summary info
   [ + 29 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' error] Disk was not opened successfully. Backing type unknown.
   [ + 31 msc 'App' warning] Failed to serialize result of method vim.VirtualMachine.GetLayout: Not initialized: vim.vm.FileLayout.DiskLayout[] disk.diskFile
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Activation [N5Vmomi10ActivationE:0xacfe360] : Invoke done [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Throw vmodl.fault.SystemError
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Result:
   (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   reason = "Failed to serialize result"
   msg = ""
   }Search for Failed to serialize result errors. This example shows that a virtual machine file Win2000.vmx is experiencing problems.
    
4. Determine the full path to the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd -l
   For example:
   
   # vmware-cmd -l
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/AD-SVR-PRM/Win2000-1.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/IIS-XPR/Win-2003.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxIn this example, the last line of output lists the full pathname to the problematic virtual machine.
    
5. Unregister the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd -s unregister /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxNote: This does not apply any power operations to the virtual machine. The virtual machine continues to run unaffected. You cannot, however, manage the virtual machine from VI Client until you re-register it.
     
6. Restart the ESX management agents. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX Server (1003490).
7. Add the ESX host to the VirtualCenter Server.
8. Re-register the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd -s register /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmx

Verifying and correcting issues with a virtual machine on an ESXi host

To verify and correct a problem with a virtual machine on the ESXi host, follow these steps: 

Note: The following steps require the vSphere CLI or the VMware RCLI. For more information, see vSphere Command-Line Interface.

1. Open a browser, and go to:
   
   http://<hostname>/host/
   
   where <hostname> is the name of the ESXi host
    
2. Enter the appropriate credentials.
3. Click on the vpxa.log link, and search for Failed to serialize result errors:
   [2008-06-16 12:37:59.350 'App' warning] ============BEGIN FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Invoking [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Fault Msg: "A general system error occured: Failed to serialize result"
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] ============END FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 1 msc 'App' error] [vm.GetLayout] Received exception in GetLayout: vmodl.fault.SystemError
    
4. Click on the hostd.log link, and search for Failed to serialize result errors:
   [2008-06-16 09:44:12.052 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved current power state from foundry 0
   [ + 1 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved Summary info
   [ + 29 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' error] Disk was not opened successfully. Backing type unknown.
   [ + 31 msc 'App' warning] Failed to serialize result of method vim.VirtualMachine.GetLayout: Not initialized: vim.vm.FileLayout.DiskLayout[] disk.diskFile
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Activation [N5Vmomi10ActivationE:0xacfe360] : Invoke done [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Throw vmodl.fault.SystemError
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Result:
   (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   reason = "Failed to serialize result"
   msg = ""
   }
   Make note of the virtual machine referenced in the hostd.log file. This example above shows a virtual machine file Win2000.vmx is experiencing problems.
    
5. Using the vSphere command line interface, run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd <connection options> -l
   
   The output appears similar to:
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/AD-SVR-PRM/Win2000-1.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/IIS-XPR/Win-2003.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxIn this example, the last line of output lists the full pathname to the problematic virtual machine as identified in the example in step 4.
     
6. Unregister the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd.pl <connection options> -s unregister /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxNote: This does not apply any power operations to the virtual machine. The virtual machine continues to run unaffected. You cannot, however, manage the virtual machine from VI Client until you re-register it.
     
7. Restart the ESXi management agents. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX or ESXi Server (1003490).
8. Add the ESXi host to the VirtualCenter Server.
9. Re-register the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd.pl <connection options> -s register /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmx 

For additional information or if the issue persists, see Not enough licenses installed (1005265) or Cannot connect ESX server to VirtualCenter (1005562). (Source kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003623)

Installing Windows XP on ESX using LSI Logic driver

I get a lot of questions concerning the deployment of Windows XP on ESX. By default, ESX will use the LSI Logic driver when deploying a new Windows XP virtual machine. The LSI Logic driver is not found on the CD-ROM media, so Windows XP will not continue with the installation if this driver is not found.
The steps:

• Create a new Windows XP Virtual Machine
• Upload a Windows XP .iso file to your datastore/ISOstore (preferably a VLK version) and link it via the CD-ROM options in your Virtual Machine. Make sure it is connected / at power on
• Go to http://www.lsilogic.com/cm/DownloadSearch.do and search for a driver for the LSI20320-R controller.
• Extract all files in the symmpi_wXP_1201800.ZIP
• Use a program such as WinImage to create an LSILogic.flp file and include the extracted files in the .flp image.
• Upload the newly created LSILogic.flp to your datastore/ISO store
• Link the .flp file via the Floppy options => use existing floppy image in datastore in your Virtual Machine. Do NOT connect it yet.
• Power On your Windows XP machine. The installation of Windows XP should begin.
• During setup, press F6 to select additional SCSI drivers
• Now is the time to connect your floppy and use S during Windows Setup when prompted to connect to the floppy drive.

• The LSILogic drive should appear. Press ENTER to continue
• Setup will continue as normal
• Install VMware tools
• Done!

NOTE: when using the BusLogic driver instead, you can download & use a preconfigured .flp file from the VMware site: http://download3.vmware.com/software/vmscsi-1.2.0.4.flp. Follow the same procedure as described above. The driver should be name VMware SCSI Controller in Windows XP. (Source: virtrix.blogspot.com/2007/09/vmware-installing-windows-xp-on-esx.html)

New VM receives NTLDR is missing

NTLDR is missing
Press Alt + CTLR + DEL

I just received this after creating a VM (in my case Windows XP) on ESX 3.5. I jump back to the server and fire up the VM and receive the same NTLDR is missing message.

Step 1. Check the summary or the .vmx to make sure there is no floppy drive present.

Step 2. Load BIOS (F2) during the VM power on and check to see if it recognized the drives.

Step 3. Boot to a mounted O/S disk (Bootable Windows XP). Load the recovery console. If you are able to get to the recovery console, your VM disk .vmdk’s are recognized. You may then want to try the following Microsoft recommended steps.

“Issue the following commands at the recovery console”

FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:
COPY x:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY x:\I386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
BOOTCFG /rebuild

Step 4 If the recovery console was unable to recognize any drives, which led me to believe that something was still wrong in the .vmx config file. I check and had two .vmdk files (one 12GB and one 15GB). The .vmx was referencing the wrong names. I updated the names to point to the existing .vmdk files and the VM powered up just fine.

Not sure when or how the scsi0 and scsi1 got pointed to invalid .vmdk names but good to know none the less. (Source: www.jesswatts.com/it/vm-receives-ntldr-is-missing)

The Ugliest Products in Tech History

All of this gear may have worked just fine, but it sure looked bad doing it. Here are 10 examples of the worst product designs in the tech industry's storied past.

By Emru Townsend , PCWorld Oct 8, 2007 11:00 am

Acoustic Coupler Modems



The 1970s aren't exactly known for great design (shag rugs, The Osmonds' hairstyles), but one egregiously tacky piece of tech from that era was also one of the most vital for the pioneers of our modern, always-connected world: the acoustic-coupler modem. Back when Ma Bell ruled the telephony landscape and phones were hard-wired into walls, the only way to connect your computer to the outside world was to make the call manually, listen for the carrier tone, and then push the handset into the twin suction cups mounted on top of the modem. A triumph of function over form, these devices were how the first generation of Netizens got their online fix. Too bad it looked like you were sticking your phone into two miniature plungers. -- Emru Townsend

Osborne 1 



The idea of portable computers is so commonplace now that we don't even call them portables. Terms like laptop and notebook convey the current state of the art: full-featured computers that you can easily tuck under your arm or into a knapsack. But in 1981 the first truly portable computer, the Osborne 1, weighed in at a bulky 24 pounds. The box included a 5-inch monochrome monitor, a full-size keyboard, and two floppy disk drives. The first generation of computer road warriors cut their teeth (and built up their biceps) carrying the popular but awkward Osborne, but as personal computers began getting smaller and sleeker, the suitcase-sized (and -shaped) Osborne 1 began looking like an unfortunate throwback.

Motorola DynaTAC 8000X



There are some things that are so sleek and gorgeously crafted you wonder how they could have come from such, er, less-than-glamorous forebears. Exhibit A is Liv Tyler. Exhibit B is the Motorola Razr, whose ancestor is the DynaTAC 8000X--the very first cell phone. At an unwieldy 10 inches tall (not including the antenna), the blocky 28-ounce 8000X wasn't all that visually or ergonomically appealing even in the big-hair, skinny-leather-tie 1980s. However, people were so awed by the concept of a truly mobile phone when the 8000X made its 1983 debut that thousands of people happily dropped $3995 for the sake of being cutting-edge. By 1984 there were over a quarter of a million wireless subscribers worldwide.

Microsoft Windows 1.0 



The first Macintosh operating system popularized the concept of graphical user interfaces when it was launched in 1984, and a year later Microsoft responded with the first version of Windows--and no GUI has been as blocky or garish since. To be fair, the first Windows wasn't so much an operating system as an add-on to MS-DOS, which meant living with design groaners like ALL-CAPITAL file names and the still-very-DOS-like graphics standard. Though more than a few people would contend that Microsoft has been playing catch-up with Apple's design sense ever since, the ugly duckling did eventually turn into a swan with Windows Vista. And, as we understand it, Windows has done kind of okay in the marketplace.

Nintendo Virtual Boy



In 1995, Nintendo capitalized on the virtual-reality craze by coming out with the Virtual Boy game console. The "portable" unit consisted of goggles mounted on a stand (looking like some kind of compact, plastic peep show), along with a full-size controller. By rapidly displaying slightly different images to the right and the left eye, the goggles made players experience the illusion of three dimensions. Although the technique is not unlike the one used for 3D IMAX movies, the console's cheaper technology meant that instead of bright colors, players got pixilated red-on-black monochrome images. The Virtual Boy still has its fans (check outwww.virtual-boy.org), but back in the mid-1990s people stayed away in droves. Nintendo pulled the plug on the Virtual Boy the year after its debut.

Tiger Electronics Furby



It sounds like the ultimate geek fantasy: Give your child an intelligent robot for Christmas--even if it does look like a cross between Gizmo from the Gremlins movie, a Muppet, and a Warner Bros. cartoon character. Thanks to its CPU, sensors, and moving parts, the original Furby could react to light, sound and touch: waking up in the morning, responding to words and sounds, and responding to having its fur stroked. Out of the box, Furbys spoke "Furbish," but could be taught to repeat certain English words if they were given positive reinforcement at the same time. In 1998 they caused enough of a sensation that the $35 toys quickly sold out in toy stores, driving prices up into the hundreds and riling up parents who clearly hadn't learned from the Tickle Me Elmo fad two years earlier.

iMac Flower Power and Dalmatian



Apple's first iMacs were like a breath of fresh air to the computer-buying public. The bright, playful colors and rounded design of the all-in-one computers were in sharp contrast to PCs, which were still mostly beige blocks. Among the 2001 lineup of iMacs were two new color schemes, Flower Power and Dalmatian (white with hazy blue spots). No doubt Steve Jobs felt that the softly colored hues would be considered soothing and tasteful, but frankly they were a bit more reminiscent of a cheap shower curtain. Even the Mac faithful agreed, and saved their oohs and aahs for the Indigo and Graphite models released at the same time.


Neuros II Digital Audio Computer



In 2004, Neuros Audio released the Neuros II, the second version of what was already the mother of all audio players: It played MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, and uncompressed WAV files. It could also record MP3s through a line input, a built-in microphone, or an FM tuner. Perhaps most innovative was the player's two-part design: The player unit was mounted inside an upgradable "backpack" that contained the battery and the storage media (from a 128MB flash drive to an 80GB hard drive). The downside was that the whole thing looked something like a black brick, at the ungainly size of 5.3 by 3.1 by 1.3 inches--at a time when audio players were getting sleeker and more strikingly designed. However, the legion of enthusiasts and tinkerers that Neuros catered to were more interested in specs than looks, and they happily snapped the player up.

Commodore 1541 Floppy Disk Drive



The Commodore 64 is arguably one of the best-designed computers ever. It's boxy enough to remind you it's from the 1980s, but it's got enough curves in just the right places that its look is almost timeless. Unfortunately, the external Commodore 1541 disk drive coming with it was pretty much a slab of plastic that was bulkier and heavier than the computer it was supporting. It was noisier too, making gronk sounds during ordinary operation and clacking when it encountered read or write errors. The drive also ran hot, which led to many drives being adorned with fans on the rear vents. The only thing less appealing than one of these monsters on your desk? Two of them.

Microsoft Zune Player


When Microsoft launched its "iPod killer" in 2006, the company made sure to include many of the things that made Apple's iconic players a runaway success, including great sound and an integrated music store/manager. Somewhere along the way, though, Microsoft forgot to include the iPod's sexy design, opting instead for a boxy plastic casing and a spectacularly unflattering brown color. The Redmond giant has released Zunes in other, "limited edition" colors, and did manage to achieve its somewhat modest goal of selling a million Zunes in seven months. Still, it's a bad sign when someone comes up with a Web site built entirely around the joke that no one would steal an iPod if it were hidden in a Zune casing--and people actually want to buy that casing.

5 Great Microsoft Web Services You Probably Don't Use

Microsoft is so often the behemoth everyone loves to hate that people overlook the stuff it does right. We tried its newer Web services and found five gems.

By Preston Gralla, PCWorld    Mar 4, 2009 5:45 am

When you think of Web apps and services, Microsoft doesn't immediately come to mind. Lately, though, the company has been rolling out a slew of them, including several that match or beat competing offerings from Google, Yahoo, and any number of startups you've never heard of.

Which of those Microsoft services are the best? We've tried them all, and we've selected five free hidden gems.

You'll notice that most of these services carry Microsoft's "Live" brand. If you're like most people, you're probably thoroughly confused by the Live lineup, and by what Live actually means--especially since Microsoft has muddied the waters with the newer "Live Essentials" moniker. For the record, Windows Live is a central online location for accessing the Live services and applications. Windows Live Essentials is a subset of the Windows Live brand that houses downloadable applications, including Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Messenger, and others.

Windows Live SkyDrive

How's this for a deal: Get 25GB of online storage, at no cost, with no strings attached. That's what Windows Live SkyDrive offers. Just create folders on the site and upload files to it. You can share any of your folders with colleagues, as well. The site's design is simple and straightforward.

That isn't to say SkyDrive is flawless. You can't use it as a virtual drive--it won't appear on your PC as a drive, so you can't save files directly to it within a program like Microsoft Word. That's a minor point, though. You can't argue with 25GB of free storage, especially considering that neither Google nor Yahoo currently has this kind of service. While Google is rumored to be working on a similar service called GDrive, Yahoo's Briefcase provides only 25MB of space, and is shutting down at the end of March anyway. So right now Windows Live SkyDrive is as good as online storage gets.

Windows Live Sync

If you have more than one PC and you want to keep files and folders on them synchronized, you need this service. After you download and run a small piece of software on each PC, head to the Windows Live Sync Web site and tell it which folders on which PCs should stay in sync.

You can synchronize your personal folders as well as your shared ones. Whenever any of your PCs are connected to the Internet, they will automatically sync the specified folders with one another. In addition, you can connect to any synced computer from any other computer to browse through the remote system's entire hard disk and to download files.

Note that unlike some of the fee-based sync services we looked at last year, Live Sync does not keep copies of your files in the cloud: It merely serves as a conduit between PCs. Since it involves no online storage, however, it puts no iimit on the amount of data you can sync. And, of course, it's free.

Live Mesh

Here's a free Microsoft service for people who do want to keep their files in the cloud. Though Live Mesh is more powerful than Windows Live Sync, it's also a bit more complicated.

Rather than synchronize files and folders from PC to PC, you create folders in Live Mesh and then have all of your PCs synchronize with those folders. With this arrangement, you can access the files and folders from any Internet-connected computer. You have an exceptional amount of control over the synchronization, too--for example, you can choose to synchronize only the files modified in the last 30 days, or those under 500MB. Live Mesh supports remote control of any PC in your mesh, as well. So far, Microsoft has announced no plans to charge for storage--or to limit the amount of data you can store.

Microsoft Office Live Workspace

Office Live Workspace will help anyone with a small business or in a workgroup who needs a simple way to collaborate on projects. With this service you can create and share documents, schedules, to-do lists, and more.

You start by creating a shared "workspace." You can choose from 11 prebuilt ones--such as a Project Workspace, a Meeting Workspace, or a Travel Workspace--or you can create your own from scratch. Each workspace has templates already created for it, including PowerPoint presentations, Excel worksheets, and Word documents. Group members can work on the documents and save them for colleagues to see and edit. To edit the Office documents, you'll need to install a free Office add-in, although anyone can view them without the add-in or Office.

Why use this rather than Google Docs or Zoho? One big, exclusive benefit is its direct integration with Microsoft Office--right within the Office suite, you can save files to your workspace, and you can use the Office programs to edit files in your workspace. On top of that, the template-driven approach to creating documents and workspaces is superior to anything you'll find in Google Docs or Zoho.

Microsoft's Virtual Earth 3D

Okay, this one isn't a Web service, strictly speaking--it's a desktop app that works with a Web service. But it's a good one: Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D.

Because Google Earth is so predominant in this arena, not many people bother with Microsoft's product, and that's a shame. This downloadable application works in concert with Windows Live Maps to give you dramatic and compelling 3D views of places around the world. Using simple controls, you can fly in and out of cities in full 3D. You can also go on guided tours that other people create, and you can make tours of your own. You can save your tours for future visits, too, or share them with other users.

The views are richer and more compelling than what Google has to offer, so if you're looking for great 3D mapping, this is the service to try.

To use Virtual Earth 3D in concert with Microsoft's Live Maps service, you must download the Virtual Earth 3D software, from either Windows Live Maps or Microsoft's general downloads site.

Microsoft says that the software will work with a 1GHz processor and 256MB of RAM, but recommends a 2.8GHz or faster CPU and 1GB of RAM. Go with the recommended specs or better, or else you'll find the app very slow going.

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