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VMware vExperts were asked the following three questions?
1.How did you get into IT?
2.How did you get into working with VMware and becoming a 2011 vExpert?
3.What would you tell someone who wanted to get a job like yours to do?
Check out my answers, if you want at http://blogs.vmware.com/vmtn/2011/12/vexpert-spotlight-andrew-hancock.html
I do not have any floppy disks anymore, and as I’ve blogged many times, I don’t do the physical! Some System/Server Administrators seem to have forgotten the art of How to create a Windows Server 2003 boot disk, very useful to have if you’ve managed to corrupt the master boot record and cannot boot your OS, it’s not a big deal if you have a virtual server, you can create a virtual floppy to boot in minutes and recover your server, and service is restored, and why not leave the virtual floppy disk connected, it’s not causing any issues!
This step by step video How to create a Windows Server 2003 virtual floppy boot disk, demonstrates how to create a virtual floppy, format, copy the required files, and boot your server.
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/How-to-create-a-Windows-2003-Server-Virtual-Floppy-boot-disk.flv 480 360]
(flash is required, sorry iPad users!).
Okay, so we have a Full Backup of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011, approx 20GB on our Western Digital Worldbook NAS (\\nas\backup).
(see this blog – New HD Video Bare Metal Recovery of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011: Part 1 How to Backup Microsoft Small Business Server 2011)
The next bit could not have been easier, we insert the Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 DVD into the DVD ROM drive, Boot from the DVD as if we are going to install a copy of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 on the server, you are already probably familiar with this step, but we Click the ‘Repair your Computer‘. This procedure WILL only work, if restoring to “like for like” hardware as the original server backup. Follow the Wizard, selecting the network location of the backup.
In this video, I’m restoring to a VMware vSphere Virtual Machine. Initially to prove, that I’m restoring to Bare Metal Server, (no OS is pre-installed), I’ve booted the virtual machine with NO Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 DVD ROM Media in the DVD ROM drive, and you can see it tries to PXE Boot from the Network, at the next reboot, I’ve inserted the media, to boot and start the Server Bare Metal Restore from the Network copy.
DO NOT TRY THIS PROCEDURE ON A PRODUCTION LIVE SERVER!
YOU WILL ERASE AND DESTROY IT!
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Bare-Metal-Recovery-Part2-SBS2011.flv 480 360]
Wait for the Restore and Server to Restart.
Whilst on the subject of Backup and Restore, I also get asked “How Do I perform a Bare Metal Restore of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011?”
All the software is provided by Microsoft to perform a Bare Metal restore of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011. The application we use is called Windows Server Backup, available from the Start bar. So there is no excuse to try and practice, the software is included for free, and following these videos, you will also be able to perform a Bare Metal Recovery of your Microsoft Small Business Server 2011, should the need arise from a recent backup.
Firstly, we need to complete and run a Full Backup. You could backup to a another local disk, external USB hard disk, but I prefer to backup to a network location, which happens to be a Western Digital Worldbook NAS. I’ve already created a share called backup, so the full UNC path to the backup location is \\nas\backup
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Bare-Metal-Recovery-Part1-SBS2011.flv 480 360]
See Part 2 Bare Metal Restore – New HD Video Bare Metal Recovery of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011: Part 2 How to Restore Microsoft Small Business Server 2011
I get asked many times, “How do I Restore my Virtual Machines to my VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0 servers?”
Hopefully this will answer your question!
If you’ve followed the last blog, and video New HD Video: Backup VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0 for FREE using VMware vCenter Converter, I’ll show you how to restore it quickly in this 3 minute video
Okay, so you have a “virtual machine backup” or a virtual machine that you would like to Convert, Import or (“Restore”) to VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0.
I have a backup on a NAS called NAS (Western Digital Worldbook), in the share backup, folder TestXPforEE, the UNC path is \\nas\backup\TestXPforEE.
The destination ESXi server is called esx3iserver, and I’m going to restore to a datastore called nfs.
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/VMware-vCenter-Converter-Restore.flv 480 360]
I get asked many times, “How do I Backup my Virtual Machines on my VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0 servers?”
Hopefully, this will answer that question.
Firstly, download VMware vCenter Converter v5.0 for free from here. Yes it’s FREE.
We usually use VMware vCenter Converter for Physical to Virtual (P2V) or Virtual to Virtual (V2V) conversions, but it can also be used to Convert or Export (“Backup”) a virtual machine to disk. We can then use VMware vCenter Converter to Convert or Import (“Restore”) this virtual machine to another VMware system.
Best answered with a quick 5 minute video clip, to set the scene:-
Source Server – esx3iserver
Destination Server –nas (Western Digital World Book NAS), with a share called backup (\\nas\backup)
Virtual Machine to Backup – TestXPforEE
I’ve also connected to the NAS share from the converting Server (could be a workstation OS), to show the files being copied and exported to the share. (\\nas\backup). When selecting the destination source, virtual machine type, it does not matter what we select if imporing, restoring to VMware vSphere, as converter will be able to convert it back, if you want to use the virtual machine for VMware Workstation, VMware Player or Server, select the correct VMware virtual machine version.
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/VMware-vCenter-Converter-Backup1.flv 480 360]
In this way virtual machines which are Powered-On or Powered-Off can be Converted, Exported or Backed Up!
Andysworld! Moto: A BACKUP IS NOT A BACKUP, IF IT’S NOT STORED IN THREE PLACES!
How to restore in this blog – New HD Video: Restore a Virtual Machine using the FREE VMware vCenter Converter to VMware vSphere 4.x, 5.0 ESXi 4.x, ESXi 5.0, ESX 4.0
Sometimes we may come across a Virtual Appliance or Virtual Machine, which has been developed and tested for VMware Server 2.0.2, VMware Workstation or VMware Player that we would like to use on VMware vSphere 4.x or 5.0. In this example I’m using Open Computers and Software Inventory Next Generation. The VMs supplied have been developed and tested with VMware Server and VMware Player.
Only issue is, when we try to turn on the Virtual Appliance, we get the error message “Failed to open disk scsi0:0: Unsupported or invalid disk type 7. Ensure that the disk has been imported.” – in VMware vSphere 4.x or 5.0.
It’s possible that the virtual appliance virtual disk is probably monolithicSparse, and ESXi only works with pre-allocated disk (monolithicFlat).
No issue just use VMware Converter Standalone to convert the appliance or virtual machine.
This is my first outing with VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0, oddly the earlier version 4.3, will not import into ESXi 5.0, it produces a General Fault. The vConverter for vCenter works okay with ESXi 5.0, but not the standalone version.
Rather than a lot of words, here’s a quick video demonstration of the Conversion. So VMware Converter has more uses than just P2V tool!
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/vmdk.flv 480 360]
Still on top at Exchange Experts on 2 October 2011
Still On top in October 2011 after approx 4 months, this Year! Can leakim971 catch up!
Experts Exchange (EE) is a membership-based online “ask an expert” site for computer and IT related questions that was founded in 1996. Experts Exchange (EE) enables people with technology problems to quickly and easily solve their problems by collaborating with experts from around the world. Experts Exchange (EE) is the #1 resource on the web for solving IT related problems, pop over and take a test drive, and meet the Experts.
Checkout How it Works.
On Tuesday, 27 September 2011, I became the 1st Certified Virtualisation Genius at Experts Exchange. Here is a copy of my certificate.
Certified Virtualisation Genius at Experts Exchange
Experts Exchange (EE) is a membership-based online “ask an expert” site for computer and IT related questions that was founded in 1996. Experts Exchange (EE) enables people with technology problems to quickly and easily solve their problems by collaborating with experts from around the world. Experts Exchange (EE) is the #1 resource on the web for solving IT related problems, pop over and take a test drive, and meet the Experts.
Checkout How it Works.
Genius Badges before Virtualisation Badge
Genius Badges after Virtualisation Badge
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