Re-installation of VMware tools for Ubunutu

I needed this procedure for when I upgraded my ESX server from 3i to 4i

Do the following commands to remove the VMware tools that are already there:

cd /usr/bin
sudo .vmware-uninstall-tools.pl


Use Ubuntu community documents for installation: VMware Tools

External Expansion from IBM

Still stumbling. Looking for an external SCSI chassis for my whitebox. I know about the HP StoroageWorks, but looking for what IBM has to offer:

• Found this EXP400 on Ebay: Auction
• Lead me to an IBM web site for the EXP400 which is discontinued: EXP400 info at IBM
• Found the current Expansion Arrays, but they are all SATA or Fiber Channel: Current IBM Expansion Arrays

All in all, the EXP400 looks like a good product. Here are the drives that can go into it:

• 40K1023 73.4GB 10K rpm Ultra320 SCSI HDD
• 40K1024 146.8GB 10K rpm Ultra320 SCSI HDD
• 40K1025 300GB 10K rpm Ultra320 SCSI HDD
• 40K1026 36.4GB 15K rpm Ultra320 SCSI HDD
• 40K1027 73.4GB 15K rpm Ultra320 SCSI HDD
• 40K1028 146.8 15K rpm Ultra320 SCSI HDD

Here is the location to translate the P/N to FRU & Newest part numbers: Hard drive Accessories

Getting a cheap FC card into ESXi server

I am looking to see if I can add a cheap Fiber Channel (FC) to my ESX server.

Stumbled across this when looking for a StorageWorks on Ebay - FCA2404

• Found it on the VMware ESX hcl. looks like it works for ESX3i, but not 4i
• Found a HP web site for documentation: FCA2404 documentation
  
• Found the drivers for it: FCA2404 Drivers
  
• Works with windows 2000, 2003, and 2008 so believe the HP is continuing support for it
• Only a 2GB FC card, but do you need more for a home test sever
  

ESX Test sever hardware

Here are the specs for my ESX test server

• Intel S5000PSL motheboard
• Intel Chassis SC5299-E
• 2 Intel 5160 dual core processors
• 4GB of FB RAM (4 1GB sticks)
• LSI PCI-X MegaRaid card
• 1 73GB 15K SCSI drive fro ESX boot datastore
• 1 500GB SATA drive for Guest storage

Planned upgrades

• Addition of the SCSI cage AXX6SCSIDB to handle 6 scsi disks
• Removal of the SATA disk cage
• Addition of 6 73GB or 146GB disks for storage
• Addition of IBM ServeRAID 6M to handle SCSI disks in a logical array
  

About this Blog

Hello, Hello, Hello

Ok, sometimes I get curious and want to try things. Some times I succeed, and some times I do not, but most of all, I like to document my attempts to solve problems.

Now while I have many interests and solutions, this will focus on a certain subset of them. First of all Virtualization. There might be some Linux, Windows, and Scripting, but almost all of it will center around accomplishments related to a virtualization and computers.

Some of my recent endeavors that I plan to document later are as follows:

• Setting up and working with Nagios
• Getting Microsoft Cluster services to work with ESX 3i
• FreeNAS as a file share repository
• Using iSCSI with ESX

I hope that more than myself find these topics interesting.