vmware: where do I start?

My first real work experience with vmware was a project that I was assigned to virtualize a remote data center and move it to our main data center. I was tasked to design and build the infrastructure at our main location and to help those at the remote location P2V the servers there and get them to the main data center. I was really excited because I had always wanted to learn more about vmware. So, now I know what I need to do but where do I start? What do I do? Where can I find what I need?

This post is a quick reference for those that are getting started. Hopefully it will help you find the resources you need to be successful in designing, building, testing, maintaining and troubleshooting your infrastructure.

The first place to start is vmware’s website. It’s not easy to find stuff, but start with the documentation section and then download and read as much as you can about the version that you are working with. Click on Support and Downloads on the top and then click “Documentation”. Once there, look under the “Server Virtualization” section for the version you want, for example, ESX 4.1 Download and read the

Hardware compatability guide: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php

Technical resources for virtual networking:

http://www.vmware.com/technical-resources/virtual-networking/resources.html

However, you might want to start with the following. Don’t get tripped up on the docs being from ESX 3, the concepts and recommendations are stil relevant to current versions (and vmware hasn’t created any updated docs).

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virtual_networking_concepts.pdf

802.1q: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx3_vlan_wp.pdf

vmware Infrastructure 3 in a Cisco Network Environment: http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vmi_cisco_network_environment.pdf

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW_vSphere41_cpu_schedule_ESX.pdf

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/vsp_41_perf_memory_mgmt.pdf

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-Whats-New-vSphere41-Performance.pdf

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_resource_mgmt.pdf

Technical Papers: http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/

Interpreting esxtop statistics: http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9279

Duncan Epping http://www.yellow-bricks.com/esxtop/

Twitter – I was hesitant to get started with Twitter for a long time, mostly because I didn’t see the value of it. However, I just started using it recently and have found a wealth of information about vmware. The trick is knowing who to follow. Here are some that I follow:

Duncan Epping

Eric Sloof

Scott Drummond