Web Interface in VMware Converter?

Posted: 18-06-2009 | Author: Steve | Category: Software | No comments
VMwareThe stand alone version of VMware’s Converter 4.0.1 product apparently includes a web interface that is currently hidden or unfinished. It’s a well known fact that the product uses a web service to interact with the ESX hosts, but it would appear that VMware is developing a complete web user interface around it. At the present time the product only exposes a login form if you connect to the address: https://ipaddress/converter/ but several other functions are partially implemented, like for example the file upload facility that is handled by the FileInput.js component. It’s unclear why VMware is shipping this partially finished interface inside the product or if there are any firm plans or timescale to finish it but either way it looks interesting.

How VMware Uses ESX

Posted: 20-04-2009 | Author: Steve | Category: General | No comments

VMware LogoUp until recently VMware released very little information about how it uses virtualisation internally. The first time VMware released any information was during its VMware US event in September 2008. However during this years VMworld Europe 2009 event, held in Cannes, Tayloe Stansbury VMwares CIO, in his presentation (DC35),  provided a further interesting insight to the extent VMware uses its own products to support its day to day operations.

According to Tayloe Stansbury VMware has an internal VDI deployment of over 550 users, covering most of its departments. The client configuration includes Wyse V10 Thin Clients, Dell 24 inch monitors (configured at 1920×1200 pixels, 15bit resolution), keyboard and mouse.

The server configuration runs on HP c7000 blade systems, EMC Clariion CX3-80 storage and Cisco 3020s switch modules for the HP blades. The entire infrastructure is powered by VMware Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM) 2.1 for US and View 3.0 for Europe.

VMware has an internal virtualized mail server deployment serving 7800 mailboxes. The entire infrastructure is powered by 29 virtual machines (split in two data centers) running Microsoft Exchange 2007 Enterprise Edition. 22 of them are just for the mailboxes, the other 7 work as Client Access Servers (CAS).

VMware virtualizes its entire ERP infrastructure except Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC).  With 97% of the company servers are virtualized across one Tier 4 and two Tier 2 data centers just two applications are missing (one is Oracle RAC). EMC DMX4 is used as the storage backend of choice for mission-critical applications, otherwise EMC CX3-80 is the choice.  The front-end servers of choice are HP c7000 blades everywhere.