I use Ubuntu desktop but I find that when it comes to virtualization I prefer to use Ubuntu Server more because of the small foot print and to make things much leaner.
Since the Desktop version is the only one that will auto mount the tools in ESX/ESXi implementations you need to get a copy of the tar.gz file from one of the Desktop versions and then SCP it over to the server version unpack it and then run the installer.
You need some prerequisite tools for it to install.
Then you can simple run the installer from the TAR.GZ file. I ran into some compile issues but in the end it all worked. If I find some more notes then I will post them here, keep coming back.
I have been building VDI sandbox solutions for a while and have a few points of interest you need to consider. While most of this is theory it is based on real empirical data. I will be posting much more information and a step by step guide. I mostly use VMware’s View for implementing VDI solutions. There are some other really good solutions out there such as Quest vWorkspace, Citrix/Xen Desktop and Panalogic. Here are the main points to keep in mind:
Networking – Most people don’t realize that a bad network implementation can really negate a good VDI solution. Something as simple as SNMP monitoring of switched ports using Cacti can show you where the network bottlenecks occur. Fixing the problem can be a bit trickier. Using internal routes and bonding uplinks can give you the bandwidth needed to feed the end users. Studies have shown that VLANs both hinder and help with network traffic. I am not sure which to believe but you should keep this is mind and monitor these if you have problems.
Storage I/O – While most people keep have a consistent type of storage like all fiber channel or iSCSI, VDI needs really fast storage when booting up end users images. Some people call these “BOOT Storms” and they can cripple the best solution. Big storage companies like NetApp have Solid State partitions for such things. You can plan for this by separating out the main boot images [high speed] from the user data [slower] in the VDI broker. Also later on we will talk about separating out applications such as MS Office from the OS.
Processor/RAM – VDI is a lot different from server virtualization. End users watch things like YouTube, listen to music, watch videos, etc. The end users will use as much RAM and CPU as they can so plan like you are rolling out individual desktops when planning your capacity. Even the best planners will find that users will exceed your expectations. Also consider that end users will get viruses which will eat up your resources pretty fast. You should consider and pre-assessment and post assessment using tools like Liquidware Labs. These tools will show you what programs end users are running and what processes use the most resources.
Storage – There are many types of storage and I personally believe that you should have different types of storage that meet the needs of your organization. While most companies use SAN implementations take a look at NAS storage. You can get a lot of storage for less money with NAS and with advances in 10G you can have a single fabric that comes close or exceeds SAN fiber today. The main point here is that you should plan your VDI storage and then multiple it by two. The main reason is that while you might plan for 40GB boot images VDI will store the Delta/User files in separate containers. If users change the desktop or modify the image to be different those changes will creep into the delta which will cause your storage needs to increase quite fast. There are other considerations below that you will want to explore.
Application Visualization – This goes a long way in keeping your VDIs slim and trim. Most people will find that the VMware’s ThinApp is easy to use and by keeping your applications on a network share you will keep the base image easy to manage. You should try and configure as many application off of the image as possible.
There is much more to publish so I will keep writing in the future and publishing code samples. Have fun and let me know if you have something to add.
I wanted to run a lot of host operating system on my AMD system and figure why not turn it into a VMware server for a little while so I can test all of the new system. Can’t wait until I get my new T-105, I got a heck of a deal.
So I went to VMware and downloaded the latest version at the time 2.0.1 for my AMD 64 machine. I put it on the desktop and then here is how it all goes.
Untar the package.
tar -xzf VMware-server-2.0.1-156745.x86_64.tar.gz |
The I went into the folder
Ran the installer
The installer begins and I left every answer to as the default (just pressed enter — PLEASE READ what it is displaying on the screen, there is information there you will need.)
NOTES: If you just pressed enter every time and didn’t write anything down there are some important cliff notes.
UNINSTALL – /usr/bin/vmware-uninstall.pl
First Time Run – /usr/bin/vmware-uninstall.pl
VMware machines – /var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines
Remote connections to use [902]
Port for standard http connections to use [8222]
Port for secure http (https) connections to use [8333]
Once Installed you can then manage the VMware server from Firefox.
http://localhost:8222
https://localhost:8333
Have fun, I am going to install FreeBSD, OpenSolaris and Oracle Linux now.