Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• VMware NSX and Cisco ACI: Two tacks to network virtualization

  Virtualization has moved into the networking realm with competing offerings from VMware and Cisco that differ in their approach.  Continue Reading

• Can VMware's SRM do a failback?

  VMware says Site Recovery Manager does failbacks and failovers, but one SRM expert says it's not quite the case.  Continue Reading

• How can I maximize ESXi cluster space in VMware VSAN?

  An administrator wishing to implement the VSAN software-defined storage functionality in vSphere 5.5 can spare a drive for the cause.  Continue Reading

• What's better? An OVF or an OVA file?

  What is an OVA file and how does it compare to an Open Virtualization Format package?  Continue Reading

• Can VMware VSAN offer RAID-like safeguards?

  Administrators using VMware Virtual SAN have a new way to pool storage from servers, but how dependable is this latest technology offering?  Continue Reading

• Can a Horizon 6 Cloud Pod balance View desktops?

  VMware's new end-user computing platform Horizon 6 has several new features, which may close the distance with perennial leader Citrix.  Continue Reading

• How VMware ThinApp differs from a Horizon 6 hosted app

  VMware supports hosted apps in some editions of Horizon 6 to ensure compatibility with certain legacy applications.  Continue Reading

• Trust but verify Distributed Power Management capabilities

  Administrators should review server power management mechanisms and ensure key functions are configured properly.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid alarms when using Distributed Power Management

  Take steps to prevent a management software tool from issuing alerts when Distributed Power Management powers down a server.  Continue Reading

• How Distributed Power Management squeezes out more savings

  Distributed Power Management, or DPM, goes a step beyond allocating resources based on activity level by powering off servers.  Continue Reading

• How can admins protect data in VMware Horizon 6?

  Noted for its server virtualization dominance, VMware is set to launch Horizon 6, its latest salvo in the war to take VDI customers from Citrix.  Continue Reading

• How do admins handle licensing in Horizon 6?

  Systems administrators tasked with managing users and published applications in Horizon 6 must define who has access to which programs.  Continue Reading

• Is thick or thin a better format for vSphere Storage Motion?

  An administrator can choose thick or thin provisioning on a destination volume for a data store, but which one offers better performance?  Continue Reading

• The right way to rename VMs with vSphere Storage vMotion

  A quirk in older ESX/ESXi versions will not result in a prompt rename of a VM until it has moved to another data store.  Continue Reading

• What to do when VMware Storage vMotion falters

  When a VM is being moved with VMware Storage vMotion and the migration doesn't execute properly, there are several ways to pinpoint the problem.  Continue Reading