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VMware Site Recovery Manager: How much do you know?
This VMware Site Recovery Manager quiz will either humble you or boost your ego. Test your knowledge of VMware’s disaster recovery product. Quiz
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Site Recovery Manager: Getting schooled in disaster recovery
When disaster strikes, don’t get caught with your data center down. VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager can move an entire data center out of harm’s way with a single mouse click. Tutorial
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VMware vSphere PowerCLI FAQ
With a cmdlet here and script there, you can easily manage VMs through the VMware vSphere PowerCLI. With ESXi on the horizon, it’s a good time to start learning about this tool. FAQ
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VMware management and performance monitoring guide
There are lots of VMware management tools out there. This guide highlights the most important ones for VMware monitoring and offers best practices for improving VMware performance. Learning Guide
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VMware scripts and commands: A management guide
New to VMware scripts and commands? These command line resources will help you overcome VMware management hurdles. Learning Guide
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Scripting hot backups and recovery for virtual machines: Chapter download
Learn how to script your virtual machines for hot backups with this VMware chapter download. Chapter Download
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VMware Site Recovery Manager: An exclusive look at the future
In the future, VMware Site Recovery Manager will have host-based replication and other new features. Expert Mike Laverick previews these yet-to-be-released VMware SRM capabilities. Article | 23 Dec 2010
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Five must-have vSphere PowerCLI scripts
The vSphere PowerCLI command line tool can make an administrator's life much easier by automating tedious, repetitive task. Here are five PowerCLI scripts you can't live without. Article | 12 Apr 2010
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VMware vSphere Command Line Interface: Using vCLI for ESXi management
If you’re a command-line lover, you may prefer to use the vSphere Command Line Interface instead of the vSphere Client for managing ESXi hosts. Tip
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VMware Auto Deploy: ESXi installation made easy
Installing ESXi is time consuming, but you can automate the ESXi installation and configuration process with VMware Auto Deploy in vSphere 5. Tip
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ESXi console tech support mode: When the vSphere Client isn’t enough
The ESXi console and its tech support mode can solve many issues that the vSphere Client can’t. Once enabled, you have the power of the Linux command line at your disposal. Tip
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PowerCLI 5.0: New cmdlets and PowerShell snap-ins for vSphere
PowerCLI 5.0 was just released with a host of new cmdlets and PowerShell snap-ins. This release makes scripting easier and the command-line less intimidating. Tip
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Patching VMware ESXi Installable
Patching VMware ESXi Installable has changed since the release of ESXi 4.1. Now the only way to update the free hypervisor is with the vihostupdate command-line utility. Tip
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VMware backup tools and strategies for small businesses
Virtualization has trickled down to small businesses, presenting IT pros with new challenges. Choosing the proper VMware backup tools and strategies is one such obstacle. Tip
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VSphere Host Profiles vs. PowerCLI: The war for automation supremacy
Both vSphere Host Profiles and PowerCLI scripts automate the host-provisioning process, but each tool has strengths and limitations. Tip
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VCenter Orchestrator: The workflow-automation king
With vCenter Orchestrator automated workflows, you can indulge your lazy streak. This free workflow automation tool in vCenter Server can eliminate many manual processes. Tip
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Working with host profiles in the vSphere PowerCLI
After learning how to create and manipulate host profiles from the vSphere PowerCLI, you can check and correct host compliance with a few short commands. Tip
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Using the VMware vSphere PowerCLI: PowerShell training for VMware admins
Brushing up on your PowerShell knowledge will help you take advantage of the VMware vSphere PowerCLI and automate VMware tasks – saving time and reducing administrative errors. Here's a good starting point. Tip
- See More: Tips on Scripting administrative tasks
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VMware vSphere Command Line Interface: Using vCLI for ESXi management
If you’re a command-line lover, you may prefer to use the vSphere Command Line Interface instead of the vSphere Client for managing ESXi hosts. Tip
-
VMware Auto Deploy: ESXi installation made easy
Installing ESXi is time consuming, but you can automate the ESXi installation and configuration process with VMware Auto Deploy in vSphere 5. Tip
-
ESXi console tech support mode: When the vSphere Client isn’t enough
The ESXi console and its tech support mode can solve many issues that the vSphere Client can’t. Once enabled, you have the power of the Linux command line at your disposal. Tip
-
PowerCLI 5.0: New cmdlets and PowerShell snap-ins for vSphere
PowerCLI 5.0 was just released with a host of new cmdlets and PowerShell snap-ins. This release makes scripting easier and the command-line less intimidating. Tip
-
Patching VMware ESXi Installable
Patching VMware ESXi Installable has changed since the release of ESXi 4.1. Now the only way to update the free hypervisor is with the vihostupdate command-line utility. Tip
-
VMware Site Recovery Manager: How much do you know?
This VMware Site Recovery Manager quiz will either humble you or boost your ego. Test your knowledge of VMware’s disaster recovery product. Quiz
-
Site Recovery Manager: Getting schooled in disaster recovery
When disaster strikes, don’t get caught with your data center down. VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager can move an entire data center out of harm’s way with a single mouse click. Tutorial
-
VMware backup tools and strategies for small businesses
Virtualization has trickled down to small businesses, presenting IT pros with new challenges. Choosing the proper VMware backup tools and strategies is one such obstacle. Tip
-
VSphere Host Profiles vs. PowerCLI: The war for automation supremacy
Both vSphere Host Profiles and PowerCLI scripts automate the host-provisioning process, but each tool has strengths and limitations. Tip
-
VMware vSphere PowerCLI FAQ
With a cmdlet here and script there, you can easily manage VMs through the VMware vSphere PowerCLI. With ESXi on the horizon, it’s a good time to start learning about this tool. FAQ
- See More: All on Scripting administrative tasks
About Scripting administrative tasks
The VMware Infrastructure Toolkit, or VI Toolkit, integrates with Microsoft PowerShell to provide easier scripting to VMware admins. Previously, scripting for VMware was done primarily with the SDK, which had a learning curve that some administrators may not have had the time for. For the VMware administrator, PowerShell scripting translates to easier scripting – which means easier task automation and overall VMware infrastructure management.
For example, did you know that you can script the entire creation of a guest OS, and have new guest OSes created by the script in less than 10 minutes? You can also create scripts that take snapshots of all guest OSes on a host server, manage virtual machine hot backups and recovery, or that instruct one VMware ESX server to fail over to another.
This section offers pointers and tutorials on VMware scripting, and some tips explaining how individual scripts work to execute the task at hand.