Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• What makes long-distance vMotion different?

  Long-distance vMotion eliminates practical geographical limitations by raising the round-trip latency limit.  Continue Reading

• How does VMware instant clone technology modify vSphere Integrated Containers?

  Expert Steve Bigelow explains how instant clone technology helps VMware's vSphere Integrated Containers supply a baseline Linux OS and, as a result, increase greater hardware isolation and security.  Continue Reading

• What are the benefits of VMware Virtual Volumes?

  As storage tries to catch up to the rest of the data center, VMware Virtual Volumes are helping to get there and support the trend toward software-defined storage.  Continue Reading

• How do vSphere integrated containers differ from other containers?

  Containers have gained a lot of momentum in the past year and now VMware has thrown its hat in with vSphere integrated containers.  Continue Reading

• What are the best practices for VMware vMSC deployment?

  When it comes to VMware vMSC deployment, two factors to keep in mind are distance and storage subsystems.  Continue Reading

• What kind of failures should VMware vMSC address?

  VMware vMSC is able to detect a wide variety of failures, ranging from something very minor to even the major issues in an environment.  Continue Reading

• What is VMware vMSC and how does it fit in the data center disaster recovery?

  VMware vSphere has introduced the idea of stretched clusters, but what exactly is VMware vMSC? Find out in this tip.  Continue Reading

• How do vRealize Automation and Orchestrator build VM extensibility?

  The extensibility functions in VMware's vRealize offerings give IT the ability to add customized workflow routines for enhanced VM lifecycle management.  Continue Reading

• How are service catalogs used in vRealize Automation?

  Businesses today are finding it more efficient to develop self-service portals via tools such as vRealize Automation to speed along IT requests.  Continue Reading

• How does vRealize Automation fit in your data center?

  VMware's vRealize Automation offering allows IT to customize the product to plug into the existing infrastructure tools.  Continue Reading

• How do vRealize Automation and vRealize Orchestrator differ?

  VMware offers two products that can help automate cloud management tasks to provide more consistency with the distribution of IT services.  Continue Reading

• How does the vSphere Essentials kit compare to vSphere ROBO?

  How do the new vSphere offerings tailored for remote locations compare to previous editions?  Continue Reading

• Is vSphere ROBO a better option than the cloud?

  Running workloads in the public cloud may be tempting, but there may be times that VMs on local servers in a branch office is a better choice.  Continue Reading

• How do the VMware ROBO editions differ?

  The new offering for remote/branch offices, VMware ROBO, comes with different features and VM licensing models.  Continue Reading

• What is NSX micro-segmentation?

  VMware's NSX network virtualization offering can add another layer of protection by isolating various elements in the vSphere infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• What are some top NSX use cases?

  Using a network virtualization platform such as NSX can speed along certain networking tasks that were not conducive to quick changes.  Continue Reading

• Can a VMware snapshot resurrect a VMDK file?

  Snapshots can be used to undo botched upgrades, but can they be used to rebuild a broken VMDK file?  Continue Reading

• Is there an SDN open source alternative to NSX?

  VMware's NSX and Cisco's ACI platforms have gotten the most attention in the SDN space, but is there room for open source alternatives?  Continue Reading

• How much does VMware NSX cost?

  VMware's network virtualization product was recently updated to version 6.1.4 to add features, issue fixes and plug several vulnerabilities.  Continue Reading

• What is one issue for adopters of vCenter Server Appliance 6?

  With the removal of feature and performance limitations in vCenter Server Appliance in vSphere 6, is it time to switch?  Continue Reading

• How has VSAN performance changed in vSphere 6?

  The pooled-storage capabilities in VMware Virtual SAN get a makeover with the release of vSphere 6.  Continue Reading

• VMware VAIO unlocks storage functions in vSphere 6

  New APIs in vSphere 6 provide filters to increase flexibility and boost performance in the storage array.  Continue Reading

• Is VMware Virtual Volumes compatible across all products?

  Before plunging in to use the new VVOLs storage architecture feature in vSphere 6, check to see whether it passes your compatibility requirements.  Continue Reading

• What are the implications of NFS 4.1 in vSphere 6?

  VMware's vSphere 6 is one of the first major products to support NFS 4.1, but the benefits may not outweigh the risks to use this storage protocol.  Continue Reading

• Tweak Chrome Web browser to fix vSphere Web Client

  Google has slowly peeled away NPAPI support from its Chrome Web browser. Here's how to get it working with the vSphere Web Client.  Continue Reading

• How much is an EVO:RAIL appliance?

  There are other considerations beyond the cost of an EVO:RAIL appliance when investigating the viability of this system for your data center.  Continue Reading

• How is storage, licensing handled with the EVO:RAIL appliance?

  The EVO:RAIL hyper-converged appliance that runs on VMware software has a few caveats potential customers should keep in mind.  Continue Reading

• What is EVO:RAIL? What's included?

  With EVO:RAIL, VMware banks on customers who want one stop when they need help with their hyper-converged infrastructure appliance.  Continue Reading

• How to expand the reach of vRealize Operations Manager

  One of the key features behind VMware's monitoring and management offering is its extensibility that allows it to broaden its reach in the data center.  Continue Reading

• More pep for streamlined vSphere 6 Web Client

  What did VMware's engineers do to give the vSphere Web Client its dramatic speed boost in vSphere 6?  Continue Reading

• Working with schedules in vRealize Operations Manager

  When should an administrator avoid regular schedules when using a management application such as vRealize Operations Manager?  Continue Reading

• Taming data center disturbances with vRealize Operations Manager

  As more workloads and servers are virtualized, the vSphere administrator will need some kind of tool to help keep an eye on resources and make intelligent choices.  Continue Reading

• What's the best HotAdd configuration for VMware VDP?

  The HotAdd function speeds up backups in vSphere Data Protection, but certain requirements must be met to mount a disk.  Continue Reading

• How do I address capacity issues in VMware VDP?

  A certain amount of data will need to be backed up before the advantage of deduplication in vSphere Data Protection will become apparent.  Continue Reading

• What causes UUID errors with Replication 6?

  There are a few situations that will trigger a UUID issue when using vSphere Replication 6 to copy VMs -- and one direct way to correct it.  Continue Reading

• Connect the dots to uncover Replication RPO violations

  When attempting to troubleshoot an RPO violation in vSphere Replication, the underlying cause is oftentimes more complex than it appears on the surface.  Continue Reading

• How to troubleshoot VMware vSphere Replication issues

  When problems occur with the tool you use to protect your data, it's imperative to track down the logs that can help restore order.  Continue Reading

• How are recovery points set in vSphere Replication 6?

  When malware strikes or a patch goes bad, a regular backup cycle probably isn't the remedy you need when you want to minimize the loss of data.  Continue Reading

• Can VMware's Horizon 6 go toe-to-toe with Citrix XenDesktop?

  VMware has made big strides to compete with Citrix in application and desktop virtualization, but there are key areas where Citrix still holds an edge.  Continue Reading

• How does VMware Horizon 6 differ from previous versions?

  VMware attempts to address today's more mobile workforce with management and performance enhancements to its desktop and application virtualization product.  Continue Reading

• What is the VMware Blast feature in Horizon 6?

  VMware's Horizon 6 platform provides several technologies to reduce latency for end users working in a VDI environment.  Continue Reading

• What is the function of the NSX Edge gateway?

  For a company that wants to open up the lines of communication in its NSX virtual network, using the NSX Edge gateway service will provide access to isolated networks.  Continue Reading

• How does VMware App Volumes differ from ThinApp?

  VMware App Volumes, formerly CloudVolumes, is the virtualization company's attempt to speed application deployments and reduce IT headaches.  Continue Reading

• What is under the virtualization hood of vCloud Suite 5.8?

  With vSphere Enterprise Plus as its foundation, vCloud Suite can optimize workload performance by shifting resources and avoid potential roadblocks through its monitoring functionality.  Continue Reading

• How is vCloud Suite 5.8 licensed?

  Consider the price of the recurring support costs for vCloud Suite and decide whether a basic or production subscription makes more sense for your business.  Continue Reading

• What are the main components in vCloud Suite 5.8?

  VMware updated its vCloud Suite in late 2014 to give busy data center administrators a tool to speed up provisioning and lock down sensitive workloads with enhanced security features.  Continue Reading

• How much longer will that SSD last in a vSphere server?

  Even modestly sized SSDs can be more expensive than traditional hard drives, but do the benefits outweigh any concerns about longevity?  Continue Reading

• How can I use SSDs in a vSphere server?

  Using solid-state drives in your VMware environment can boost virtual machine performance when deployed and managed properly.  Continue Reading

• What are some key VMware Workstation features?

  While VMware Workstation offers flexibility for a busy test/dev shop, it won't help if the hardware underneath can't meet end-user demands.  Continue Reading

• How does a Type 2 hypervisor compare to a Type 1 hypervisor?

  Using a Type 2 hypervisor offers flexibility, control and security on endpoints where work on testing and development occurs.  Continue Reading

• What are some vCloud Director features for cloud management?

  In virtualization's evolution from servers to the cloud, VMware has several offerings for managing resources in virtual data centers.  Continue Reading

• How does a VMware vApp compare to ThinApp, RDSH apps?

  There's a variety of options for an enterprise to deliver applications to its customers and employees, but settling on one delivery method requires weighing the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• How can an enterprise benefit from using a VMware vApp?

  By developing a virtual appliance technology, VMware has given businesses a way to both bundle and manage multiple VMs into a single package.  Continue Reading

• How does VMware Fault Tolerance work?

  When a business needs a workload to run uninterrupted, the Fault Tolerance feature in vSphere ensures VMs will continue to run even when a server fails.  Continue Reading

• Is thick provisioning better than thin?

  There's some doubt about whether there is an advantage to using thin provisioning over thick when setting up virtualized storage; our expert weighs in.  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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Which CLI is best: vSphere CLI, PowerCLI or ESXi Shell?

  VMware offers three CLI choices to run commands in a vSphere environment, but which one is the best option?  Continue Reading

• How to hunt down VM network timeout issues with performance charts

  Setting up the performance counters in the vSphere client can help troubleshoot a dropped packets issue.  Continue Reading

• How to clear a clogged core dump in VMware ESXi

  With a little manipulation via SSH or ESXi Shell, a locked core dump file can soon be just a distant memory for your ESXi environment.  Continue Reading

• How do you connect to the Mac host on VM Fusion?

  A user with an XP VM has a few options to try to connect that VM to the Mac host.  Continue Reading

• How to correct VMware View certificate errors

  Attempting to correct issues with a VMware View certificate is a lengthy process that can be less challenging if you can upgrade.  Continue Reading

• Follow VMware's advice to keep VM time from drifting

  If you find the Linux virtual machines have been falling out of sync, then it's possible you need to enable a key vSphere setting.  Continue Reading

• With VMware View and a zero client, is RTAV or USB redirection better?

  Would USB redirection work better than RTAV with softphones and USB headsets in the VMware View client?  Continue Reading

• VMware vCHS options: Dedicated cloud vs. virtual private cloud

  VMware's vCloud Hybrid Service is available in two flavors: dedicated cloud and virtual private cloud, which differ in terms of price and scale.  Continue Reading

• Which CPU settings deliver optimal VMware Workstation 9 performance?

  Newer processors pack more punch, but administrators still need to tailor CPU allocation for a smoother Workstation 9 experience.  Continue Reading

• Copy VMDK files if you need to hand over a virtual machine

  Copy VMDK files and then import them into the host if you need to hand over a VM to a client.  Continue Reading

• Using Puppet for SIT environment and UAT environment management

  How should you go about building and managing SIT and UAT environments in VMware? Our expert explains which methods he prefers.  Continue Reading

• How many VMs can vSphere vMotion move at once? And other questions

  VMware vMotion live migrates VMs between hosts. Evolving with vSphere, vMotion has gained a lot of capabilities, but it still has limitations.  Continue Reading

• Is VMware Capacity Planner free?

  Many consultants offer VMware Capacity Planner free to interested virtualization admins, but if you dread their sales pitch, consider vBenchmark.  Continue Reading

• Dos and don'ts of vSphere inventory tagging

  Tagging can make vSphere inventory management easier or harder, depending on how you implement tag categories and what descriptors you choose.  Continue Reading

• How to set up a home virtualization lab for about $1,000

  Choosing the right hardware and software for your home lab can be tricky, but you can use good components for relatively cheap -- or even free.  Continue Reading

• To virtualize or not to virtualize vCenter Server

  VMware admins have a choice when deploying vCenter: virtual or physical. There are pros and cons to each approach, and many admins choose to do both.  Continue Reading

• How to automatically consolidate VMware snapshots in vSphere 5

  IT admins sometimes create and delete VMware snapshots for recurring tasks. Two experts suggest ways to consolidate VMware snapshots automatically.  Continue Reading