VMware Workstation vs. Sun VirtualBox: Workstation wins

Sun VirtualBox is not quite a newcomer to the virtualization arena but it is definitely newer than VMware Workstation, and since it is free it is gaining quite a bit of...
Best practices for running Java virtual machines on VMware ESX

VMware recently released a new white paper on best practices for running a Java virtual machine (JVM) on an ESX virtual machine. This includes any product that utilizes a JVM, such as...
Three ways to temporarily move VMs off a VMware ESX host

I recently came across an ITKE question from a user that had some virtual machines (VMs) on an ESX host. He wanted to move the VMs off of it so he could reconfigure the server with more storage, reinstall ESX and then move the VMs back on to it. Presumably he only had one ESX host with only local...
Manage virtual machines with an iPhone

Tired of running back to your desk to solve the "Help! This virtual machine is acting funny" emails you read on your iPhone or BlackBerry? Andrew Kutz, developer of the Storage VMotion graphical user interface (GUI)...
Using vCenter Converter to create VMware ESXi virtual machines

Administrators considering VMware ESXi may wonder if vCenter Converter will workfor VMware ESXi conversions. The answer is yes, but there's a gotcha. Converting a physical machine into an ESXi virtual machine works best when you use the latest version of VMware Converter, version 3.0.3. While...
Getting started with iSCSI and VMware ESX

Many VMware ESX administrators are quite comfortable with fibre channel storage but have not ventured into the iSCSI world. I recently set up my first iSCSI configuration for a small VMware Infrastructure 3 installation and it was quite successful. Here are some takeaways: iSCSI is quite...
VMware videos

At a recent company meeting we saw a very cool and creative video of a commercial made by our new advertising agency. It was originally part of their portfolio that they submitted to us during the selection process. Watching their...
Different methods for browsing VMFS data stores

There are several ways you can browse the files on a virtual machine file system (VMFS) data store, but there are differences among these methods. The three most common methods are: using the VMware Infrastructure's Client’s (VI Client's) built-in data store browser; using the service console...
The VMware vExpert Awards are here

Last week VMware announced its VMware vExpert Awards, which will be given to those people who have contributed to the VMware virtualization community through their efforts either virtually...
Sneak peek at Reflex System’s new Virtual Management Center

I recently had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the upcoming release of Reflex System’s Virtual Management Center. Reflex Systems is set to launch its new version in a few weeks. Virtual Management Center reflects their recent...