NEC Express5800-120Ri-2, Express5800-120Rg-1, Express5800-120Li, Express5800-120Rj-2, Express5800-120Rh-1 Supplementary Manual

VMware vSphere 5.1

VMware vSphere 5.1

VMware ESX 5.1

VMware vCenter Server 5.1

Supplementary Notes

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

NEC Corporation

November 2012

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

Contents

1 Preface ................................................................................................................................................. 4

1-1 This document ............................................................................................................................... 4

1-2 Related documents ........................................................................................................................ 4

1-3 Other information ........................................................................................................................... 5

2 Notes Common to the VMware Products and Each Component ......................................................... 6

2-1 Obtaining the latest version ........................................................................................................... 6

2-2 Applying the latest patch ................................................................................................................ 6

2-3 Name resolution for ESXi and vCenter Server .............................................................................. 6

2-4 System time of ESXi and vCenter Server...................................................................................... 7

2-5 Restrictions on usable characters ................................................................................................. 7

2-6 Application of license ..................................................................................................................... 8

3 Notes Common to ESXi........................................................................................................................ 9

3-1 BIOS settings on a physical machine ............................................................................................ 9

3-2 BIOS NUMA setting ....................................................................................................................... 9

3-3 Notes on using snapshots of virtual machines .............................................................................. 9

3-3-1 Necessary virtual disk space .................................................................................................. 9

3-3-2 Notes on deleting snapshots .................................................................................................. 9

3-4 Notes on changing the LUN configuration of LUNs in a SAN ..................................................... 10

3-5 Path policy when using a SAN .................................................................................................... 10

3-6 Installing the Outbox driver .......................................................................................................... 10

3-7 BIOS device boot order ............................................................................................................... 13

3-8 Scratch partition ........................................................................................................................... 13

3-9 Hot Plug Display of Guest OS Network Adapter ......................................................................... 15

3-10 ESXi Behavior When an APD (ALL Path Down) Occurs ........................................................... 15

3-11 Notes on the environment in which the blade server is used .................................................... 16

3-12 Notes on adding a datastore ..................................................................................................... 16

3-13 Use of passthrough PCI device in the virtual machine .............................................................. 16

4 Notes on vCenter Server .................................................................................................................... 17

4-1 Notes on the vCenter Server database ....................................................................................... 17

4-1-1 Usable databases ................................................................................................................. 17

4-1-2 Database configuration ......................................................................................................... 17

4-1-3 Automatic tablespace expansion .......................................................................................... 17

4-1-4 Use of the same instance by multiple applications ............................................................... 17

4-1-5 When SQL Server is set up as the vCenter Server database .............................................. 17

4-1-6 When Oracle 10g is set up as the vCenter Server database ............................................... 17

4-1-7 When the SSO database is set up ........................................................................................ 18

4-2 When vCenter Server has not yet booted when the vCenter Server service is starting ............. 18

4-3 The vCenter Server service does not start after the system restarts .......................................... 19

4-4 Notes on virtual machine deployment using a template .............................................................. 20

4-4-1 Customization for Windows guest OS deployment .............................................................. 20

4-5 Notes on vCenter Server Related Products ................................................................................ 20

4-5-1 vCenter Converter ................................................................................................................ 20

4-5-2 Update Manager ................................................................................................................... 20

4-5-3 Data Protection ..................................................................................................................... 21

4-6 Notes on installing vCenter Server .............................................................................................. 22

4-6-1 Port number used in vCenter Server .................................................................................... 22

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

4-6-2 Message recorded in the vCenter Server event log ............................................................. 22

4-6-3 When using the latest version of vCenter Server 5.1 ........................................................... 23

5 Notes on vSphere Client and Web Client ........................................................................................... 24

5-1 Obtaining the vSphere Client installation file ............................................................................... 24

5-2 Notes on connecting from a client terminal to vCenter Server .................................................... 24

5-2-1 Port numbers used for a connection between a client terminal and vCenter Server ........... 24

5-2-2 Notes on changing the vCenter Server HTTPS port number ............................................... 24

5-2-3 Setting up name resolution for the ESXi by using the client terminal ................................... 24

5-3 Logging into vCenter Server from Web Client ............................................................................. 25

5-4 Setting up Web Client .................................................................................................................. 25

5-5 Notes on using vSphere Client in a Windows XP or Windows 2003 environment ...................... 26

5-6 Notes on using the CD/DVD image of a virtual machine from Web Client .................................. 26

6 Notes on Other Components .............................................................................................................. 27

6-1 vSphere HA .................................................................................................................................. 27

6-1-1 Preventing a warning message in a vSphere HA cluster configuration ................................ 27

6-1-2 Automatically starting or stopping virtual machines .............................................................. 27

6-2 vSphere FT .................................................................................................................................. 27

7 Notes on Guest OSs ........................................................................................................................... 28

7-1 Notes on using a Linux guest OS in a SAN storage system ....................................................... 28

7-2 Installing VMware Tools in a Windows guest OS ........................................................................ 28

7-2-1 Installing the shared folder and virtual print (Thinprint) functions ......................................... 28

7-2-2 Installing VMware Tools in a Windows 2000 guest OS ........................................................ 29

7-3 Setting up the keyboard for a guest OS ...................................................................................... 29

7-4 Synchronizing the guest OS time ................................................................................................ 30

7-4-1 Time synchronization function using VMware Tools ............................................................. 30

7-4-2 Disabling time synchronization in VMware Tools that functions when certain operations are

performed ....................................................................................................................................... 30

7-4-3 Time synchronization using NTP client ................................................................................. 30

7-5 Network properties of a guest OS ............................................................................................... 31

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1 Preface

1-1 This document

This document provides notes on using vSphere 5.1 (ESXi 5.1 and vCenter Server 5.1) on an
NEC Express5800 series server and describes how to set it up.

Before reading this document, be sure to check the new features and known issues described
in the vSphere 5.1 release notes.

This release notes is available at the VMware websites below.

 vSphere 5.1 Release Notes

http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere5/doc/vsphere-esx-vcenter-server-51-release-n
otes.html

1-2 Related documents

VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

The documents for vSphere 5.1 are available at the VMware websites below.

 VMware vSphere documents

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-pubs.html

 vSphere Upgrade

http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-51/topic/com.vmware.ICbase/PDF/vsphere-esxi-vcente
r-server-51-upgrade-guide.pdf

 System requirements

http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-51/topic/com.vmware.vsphere.install.doc/GUID-BE89A
906-6D49-4793-88BB-C63112E3B131.html

For details about the hardware and software compatibility, visit the VMware websites below.

 Hardware, Host Operating System, and Guest Operating System Compatibility Guide

(VMware Compatibility Guide)

http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php

 VMware Product Interoperability Matrixes

http://partnerweb.vmware.com/comp_guide2/sim/interop_matrix.php?

 VMware 5.1 Configuration Maximums

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere5/r51/vsphere-51-configuration-maximums.pd
f

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Component Name

Abbreviation

VMware vSphere

vSphere

VMware ESXi

ESXi

VMware vCenter Server

vCenter Server

VMware vSphere Client

vSphere Client

VMware vCenter Converter for vCenter Server

vCenter Converter

vSphere Data Protection

Data Protection

VMware vSphere Distributed Power Management

vSphere DPM

VMware vSphere Fault Tolerance

VMware FT

vCenter Single Sign On

SSO

VMware vSphere Update Manager

Update Manager

vCenter Inventory Service

Inventory Service

vSphere Web Client

Web Client

VMware VirtualCenter Management Webservices

Webservices

1-3 Other information

 Trademarks

VMware products are protected by one or more of the patent numbers listed at

http://www.vmware.com/download/patents.html. VMware is a trademark or registered

trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other names and
products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

In addition, all company names and product names in this document are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners. The (R) and TM symbols have been omitted
from this document.

 Abbreviations

In this document, each component of the VMware product is abbreviated as follows:

VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

 URLs

The URLs in this document are subject to change or deletion without notice.

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

2 Notes Common to the VMware Products and Each Component

2-1 Obtaining the latest version

To obtain the latest components of VMware vSphere 5.1, download and install the NEC-dedicated

module (NEC Custom Image) from the following VMware website:

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsphere/

5_1#drivers_tools

Click on the Drivers & Tools tab, and then expand the OEM Customized Installer CDs category.

* Downloading of the NEC-dedicated module requires that you login to the account at the

VMware portal site in which the VMware vSphere 5.1 license (serial key) was registered.

2-2 Applying the latest patch

NEC checks patches released by VMware Inc. and releases verified patches through its PP

support service. To ensure stable system operation, apply the latest patches made available

through this service.

2-3 Name resolution for ESXi and vCenter Server

For a vSphere 5.1 environment, it must be possible for each node (ESXi, vCenter Server, vSphere

Client, or Web Client) to perform mutual name resolution according to the IP address, host name

(FQDN), or host name (short name), and the ping function must be available.

Installation of vCenter Server might fail if the host name of vCenter Server cannot be resolved by

FQDN reverse lookup.

It must also be possible for vSphere Client or Web Client to perform name resolution for each node

(ESXi and vCenter Server), and the ping function must be available.

The DNS name must be able to be resolved to configure Data Protection.

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

2-4 System time of ESXi and vCenter Server

For an environment in which ESXi and vCenter are used, use NTP to synchronize all the physical

machine times. To accomplish this, set up a configuration in which NTP clients run on both the

ESXi hosts and the Windows servers on which vCenter Server is installed to synchronize the time

with an external NTP server.

If the times for different ESXi hosts differ, the guest OS system time can become invalid when, for

example, VMotion is used to migrate a virtual machine, which can cause jobs for that OS to

execute incorrectly.

Set up synchronization with the NTP server time on an ESXi host following the procedure below:

 vSphere Client

(1) Connect to the ESXi host from vSphere Client.

(2) Select the Configuration tab.

(3) Select Time Configuration in the Software section, and then click Properties… at the upper

right of the window.
(4) Select the NTP Client Enabled check box in NTP Settings.
(5) In NTP Settings, click Options.
(6) Click NTP Settings and click Add to add an NTP server.
(7) Enter the NTP server IP address, and then click OK.
(8) Select the Restart NTP service to apply changes check box, and then click OK.
(9) Select Cancel to close the Time Configuration dialog box.

 Web Client
(1) Log onto Web Client as the root user.
(2) Move to vCenter, and then to Hosts and Clusters from the navigator on the left of the Web

Client window, and select the name of the host to be set up.
(3) Select the Manage tab, and then Settings.
(4) Under System, select Time configuration, and then click Edit.
(5) Click Use Network Time Protocol (Enable NTP client) on the Edit Time Configuration

dialog box.
(6) Enter the IP address or host name of the NTP server to be used in the NTP Servers text box.

Select an option for starting or stopping the NTP service from the NTP Service Startup Policy

drop-down list.
(7) Click OK on the Edit Time Configuration window to close the dialog box.

2-5 Restrictions on usable characters

For an environment in which ESXi or vCenter Server is used, do not use characters other than
ASCII characters (including two-byte characters) for virtual machine names, the virtual machine
comment field, virtual disk names, virtual network names, datastore names, resource pool names,
image file names (CDs, DVDs, or FDDs), or other settings. If non-ASCII characters are used, some
vSphere 5.1 features might not work correctly.

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

2-6 Application of license

If you start vSphere Client in the Japanese mode , connect to vCenter Server, and apply the license,
the license application fails. You can avoid this by directly connecting to ESXi.

When connecting to vCenter Server before applying the license, use Web Client or start vSphere
Client in the English mode.

 How to start vSphere Client in the English mode

Add - locale en_US to the argument in VpxClient.exe before starting vSphere Client.

Example: Execution example in which vSphere Client is installed in the default folder

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure

Client\Launcher\VpxClient.exe” –locale en_US

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

3 Notes Common to ESXi

3-1 BIOS settings on a physical machine

Set the BIOS time for a physical machine on which ESXi runs to a UTC time (Japan standard time

- 9 hours). This is because ESXi always handle the physical machine BIOS time as a coordinated
universal time (UTC).

3-2 BIOS NUMA setting

If the NUMA Configuration setting is available in the BIOS settings for the NEC Express5800
series, set it to Enabled.

Setup method

On the POST screen, press the F2 key to display the BIOS SETUP screen, and then specify the
following item.
Advanced - Memory Configuration
NUMA Configuration: Enabled

3-3 Notes on using snapshots of virtual machines

3-3-1 Necessary virtual disk space

To use snapshots, allocate datastore space equal to twice the size of the parent virtual disk for
each snapshot generation.

Required free space = Parent virtual disk size x (number of snapshots + 1)

When the snapshot of a virtual machine is created, a differencing disk is created in addition to the
parent virtual disk, and data subsequently written to the virtual disk is instead written to the
differencing disk. The size of this disk might increase up to the same size as the parent virtual disk.
A temporary area that potentially has the same size as the parent virtual disk at most is required for
each virtual disk to delete snapshots.

Example: Maximum disk space required in the datastore when creating three snapshots in the
virtual machine with a 10-GB virtual disk

10 GB (parent disk) + 10 GB x { 3 (number of snapshots) + 1 (temporary area) } = 50GB
↑ Required free space

3-3-2 Notes on deleting snapshots

When deleting snapshots, free space approximately equal to the size of the parent virtual disk is
necessary as a temporary area. If this free area cannot be allocated, it is not possible to delete
snapshots.

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VMware vSphere 5.1

(ESXi 5.1 / vCenter Server 5.1)

3-4 Notes on changing the LUN configuration of LUNs in a SAN

Do not make the following changes to the LUN configuration from the storage (SAN) while ESXi is
running:

 Deleting LUNs
 Adding LUNs (such that the numbers of existing LUNs change)

If the above LUN configuration changes are made while ESXi is running, the ESXi host might stop
responding or data might be damaged.

3-5 Path policy when using a SAN

If using a multi-path configuration in an FC SAN or iSCSI SAN environment, see the Hardware,
Host, Guest Operating System and Guest Operating System Compatibility Guides for details about

usable path policies:

Note For the document link, see 1-2 Related documents.

3-6 Installing the Outbox driver

If the Outbox driver is not present on the installation media, it must be installed separately.
Download and install the Outbox driver as described below:
The correspondence between the onboard and option devices and drivers can be found at the
following URL:

http://www.nec.co.jp/vmware/vs5/driver.html

If the Outbox driver is not present on the installation media, install it as described below:

(1) Download the latest driver file (zip file) from the following URL:

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsph

ere/5_1#drivers_tools

(2) Unzip the downloaded zip file and then copy the vib file from the unzipped file to the client

terminal on which vSphere Client was installed.

For the procedures below, refer to the procedures for your client tool (vSphere Client or Web
Client).

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