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VMware storage options and Storage vMotion: A guide
VMware storage options include VMFS, thin provisioning, NFS and block-level storage. Virtualization storage features such as VMware Storage vMotion also help protect VM data. GUIDE
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FAQ: Building a VMware home lab
A VMware lab gives you great hands-on experience with virtualization. You can use VMware Workstation to run ESX or ESXi as a VM in a home lab without a dedicated host. FAQ
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VMware resource pool management guide
Poor virtualization performance affects all business operations. Therefore, strict VMware resource pool management is essential for efficient, well-run companies. Learning Guide
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Test ESXi 4.1 today, migrate smoothly from ESX tomorrow
VMware ESXi has taken the backseat to ESX for a variety of reasons, but the improvements in ESXi 4.1 demonstrate that it's time to start switching – especially considering vSphere 4.1 is ESX's final act. Feature
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VMworld 2009 recap
VMworld 2009 was as busy as ever -- if you'd like to refresh your memory, or get a sense of what attending VMworld is like, check out our expert's recap. Slideshow
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VMware's 2009 report card
While VMware was leading the virtualization pack, its software still left room for improvement. See what our expert said. Slideshow
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Debate: Is VMware virtualization worth the cost?
Some say VMware virtualization costs too much and isn't worth it -- our expert says that if you need the advanced technologies VMware provides, the price isn't bad. Slideshow
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Virtualization Viewpoints covers today's VMware products and trends
Eric Siebert's Viewpoints column talks about all aspects of VMware, from product updates to how the company stands in the field to critiques where necessary. Slideshow
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Putting the VMware home lab infrastructure peices together
If you decide to build a VMware home lab, you'll want to spend time choosing the right components if you want the lab to run advanced VMware technologies. Slideshow
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The top 10 most popular Virtualization Pro blog posts
Some blog posts are still helpful months after they're first published. Here are the top 10 Virtualization Pro blog posts to date. Guide
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Why VMware licensing changed in vSphere 5 and what it means for you
VMware licensing had to change eventually. Advancements in technology made the old per-socket model a problem for VMware, which added vRAM limits to the vSphere 5 licensing model. Column | 27 Jul 2011
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Top five lessons learned from a virtualization veteran
Everyone knows the basic pros and cons of virtualization, but lessons about 100% virtualization and virtual infrastructure design are learned only through experience. Column | 14 Jun 2011
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VMware hardware requirements make Hyper-V more appealing
The VMware hardware certification and support process is broken. If VMware doesn’t resolve problems with its vSphere hardware requirements, users may opt for Hyper-V. Virtualization Viewpoints | 27 Jan 2011
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VMware's 'anti-EMC' sentiments and EMC World 2010 coverage
This week's VMware news roundup includes gossip on VMware's former regime, rumors that SAP will run on Vblock bundles and announcements about new storage integration with VMware. Article | 14 May 2010
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The latest information about VMforce; new VMware certification tests
This week's VMware news roundup includes latest speculation surrounding VMforce.com, new VMware certification tests over the summer and new VMware Ready-certified NAS devices. Article | 23 Apr 2010
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New chips may force VMware upgrades; HyTrust, Reflex and VMware tackle password management
This week: VMware's Standard license won't be enough for users who want the latest chips; HyTrust, Reflex and VMware attempt to tackle password management; and more. Article | 06 Apr 2010
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VMware at a glance: a SpringSource tc Server giveaway and VMware Labs debuts
This week's VMware news roundup includes a SpringSource tc Server giveaway and the debut of VMware Labs, a site dedicated to VMware engineers and their creations. Article | 12 Mar 2010
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VMware at a glance: VMware pushing vStorage APIs and 2010 predictions
This week's VMware news roundup includes VMware pushing third-party vendors to use vStorage application programming interfaces and some 2010 predictions. Article | 17 Feb 2010
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The top 5 barriers to expanding a virtual infrastructure
Budget, performance and support concerns top the list as to why some organizations haven't moved past phase I of a virtualization implementation. Article | 05 Nov 2009
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Disaster recovery ousts consolidation as top driver for virtualization
Disaster recovery is now the top driver for virtualization adoption, ousting server consolidation, and storage is the biggest virtualization challenge, indicates a recent survey. Article | 17 Sep 2009
- See More: News on Selecting storage and hardware for VMware environments
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VMware storage management in vSphere 5: VSA, VMFS and VASA
VMware vSphere 5 storage enhancements include the vSphere Storage Appliance, expansion of the file system and increased integration with VMware-Aware Storage APIs. Tip
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VMware vSphere Replication breaks disaster recovery storage barriers
VSphere Replication eliminates expensive disaster recovery storage requirements. SMBs no longer have to be jealous of enterprises’ DR plans. Tip
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Five ways to increase your server consolidation ratio
Bosses love server consolidation, because it reduces costs. To keep your bosses smiling, find new ways to increase your consolidation ratio. Tip
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VCenter CapacityIQ by the numbers
Knowledge is power, and vCenter CapacityIQ provides metrics on vital infrastructure resources. Armed with this data, you can make sound logistical and workload decisions. Tip
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Free shared-storage options for VMware ESXi
While shared storage isn’t a requirement, it’s a best practice for VMware ESXi infrastructures of all sizes. For cost-conscious IT shops, consider free shared-storage options. Tip
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Attaching NFS storage to a VMware ESXi host
NFS storage provides a cheap and effective way to centrally store disk images in VMware ESXi. It takes only a few clicks to attach NFS storage to an ESXi host. Tip
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Thin provisioning myth-busters: The benefits of thin virtual disks
Thin provisioning gets a bad rap, often undeservedly so. Thin virtual disks can offer many benefits over other storage types. Here’s how to get the most out of them. Tip
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Connecting an ESXi virtualization host to an iSCSI SAN
Storing VMs on an ESXi virtualization host? That’s a rookie mistake. Instead, connect an ESXi virtualization host to an iSCSI SAN to protect VMs from a host failure. Tip
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Why does vendor lock-in get such a bad rap?
Most companies avoid purchasing components from a single vendor -- otherwise known as 'vendor lock-in.' But a single-vendor approach has its advantages. Tip
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Busting through vendor FUD for more informed IT decisions
When IT vendors sling FUD, it can get messy. Don't get caught in the crossfire. Learn how to avoid the dirty tactics and misinformation to make more informed IT decisions. Tip
- See More: Tips on Selecting storage and hardware for VMware environments
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VMware VMFS (Virtual Machine File System)
VMware VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is a cluster file system that facilitates storage virtualization for multiple installations of VMware ESX Server, a hypervisor that partitions physical servers into multiple virtual machines... (Continued) Word
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Storage options for virtualization: What's best for your business?
When it comes to virtualization, there are lots of different storage options out there. Find out how to choose the best storage for virtualization in your organization. Podcast
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Unified Computing System nets midmarket business for Cisco
Cisco designed the Unified Computing System for large enterprises, but it's attracting midmarket business instead. Hear all about it on this edition of This Week in Virtualization. Podcast
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Hypervisor Huddle: 30 percent of VMware users also using Hyper-V, XenServer
President of Focus talks with TechTarget staff about surprising findings in Focus's latest virtualization research report, including mixed-hypervisor data centers and a new top reason to virtualize. Hint: It's not consolidation. Podcast
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VMware storage management in vSphere 5: VSA, VMFS and VASA
VMware vSphere 5 storage enhancements include the vSphere Storage Appliance, expansion of the file system and increased integration with VMware-Aware Storage APIs. Tip
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Why VMware licensing changed in vSphere 5 and what it means for you
VMware licensing had to change eventually. Advancements in technology made the old per-socket model a problem for VMware, which added vRAM limits to the vSphere 5 licensing model. Column
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VMware vSphere Replication breaks disaster recovery storage barriers
VSphere Replication eliminates expensive disaster recovery storage requirements. SMBs no longer have to be jealous of enterprises’ DR plans. Tip
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Five ways to increase your server consolidation ratio
Bosses love server consolidation, because it reduces costs. To keep your bosses smiling, find new ways to increase your consolidation ratio. Tip
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Top five lessons learned from a virtualization veteran
Everyone knows the basic pros and cons of virtualization, but lessons about 100% virtualization and virtual infrastructure design are learned only through experience. Column
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VCenter CapacityIQ by the numbers
Knowledge is power, and vCenter CapacityIQ provides metrics on vital infrastructure resources. Armed with this data, you can make sound logistical and workload decisions. Tip
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VMware storage options and Storage vMotion: A guide
VMware storage options include VMFS, thin provisioning, NFS and block-level storage. Virtualization storage features such as VMware Storage vMotion also help protect VM data. GUIDE
-
Free shared-storage options for VMware ESXi
While shared storage isn’t a requirement, it’s a best practice for VMware ESXi infrastructures of all sizes. For cost-conscious IT shops, consider free shared-storage options. Tip
-
Attaching NFS storage to a VMware ESXi host
NFS storage provides a cheap and effective way to centrally store disk images in VMware ESXi. It takes only a few clicks to attach NFS storage to an ESXi host. Tip
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Thin provisioning myth-busters: The benefits of thin virtual disks
Thin provisioning gets a bad rap, often undeservedly so. Thin virtual disks can offer many benefits over other storage types. Here’s how to get the most out of them. Tip
- See More: All on Selecting storage and hardware for VMware environments
About Selecting storage and hardware for VMware environments
Managing storage in a VMware environment will bring a few topics to mind: snapshots, Storage VMotion, and VMFS – the Virtual Machine File System, which is VMware's preferred storage method for virtual machines. Raw device mapping (RDM), however, provides similar performance and can be a better choice depending on the specific storage configuration, as one of the expert tips in this section explains.
A VMware administrator also needs to know how to connect virtual storage appliances, or VSAs, to a VMware infrastructure in order to take full advantage of VMware High Availability and VMotion, which you can also learn about here.
You'll also want to read up on network-attached storage (NAS) and the Network File System (NFS). NFS eliminates LUN micromanagement and NAS clusters help manage variable input/output performance, which help growing environments scale without sacrificing performance.
Finally, you'll find tips explaining the thin-provisioned disk option, which saves disk space but is really only ideal for virtual machines that will grow over time. Although this feature was available in VMware Infrastructure 3, it required manual coding, whereas this functionality has been enhanced in the latest VMware product suite, vSphere 4.0.