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Archive for category Hypervisors

Wake on LAN settings for XenServer 5.5

Apr 13

Posted by VirtuEs in HomeLab, How To, Hypervisors | 5 Comments

One of the create extra features on most NICs nowadays is the support for Wake On LAN. An option to wake up your system by sending a signal to your Network Interface Card (NIC). This signal can be a so called Magic Packet.
All you need for this option is a Motherboard that supports Wake-On-LAN (WOL) or Power Management Events (PME); which has to be enabled in the BIOS. And a NIC that also supports WOL. Even though WOL is Operation System independent, it’s behavior is usually configured from within the OS.

I want to be able to use WOL as a startup method for my XenServer systems, Therefore I looked at the options Linux has to offer to enable a NIC to listen for special WOL packets and boot up the system.

 

This post offers instructions to enable the WOL support with XenServer 5.5.

 
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Install the XenServer PowerShell Snapin on a 64-bits Windows OS

Apr 1

Posted by VirtuEs in How To, Hypervisors, Scripts | Comments off

As I’m discovering the CLI options I can revert to for scripting automated jobs for the XenServer 5.5 environment, I wanted to check out the new PowerShell Snapin provided by Citrix. After downloading and installing the XS-PS Windows installer I discovered that the PowerShell cmdlets were only installed for the PowerShell (X86) console and were not installed for the 64-bits console.

Fortunately for me a solution is mentioned on the XenServer SDK download page

In order to use the cmdlets in the 64-bits PowerShell Console, all you need to do is run the following command after the msi install in a command box:

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727>InstallUtil.exe "c:\Program File
s (x86)\Citrix\XenServerPSSnapIn\XenServerPSSnapIn.dll"

 

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Configure a NFS Share on the Iomega StorCenter

Mar 7

Posted by VirtuEs in HomeLab, Hypervisors, Storage | 2 Comments

The only NAS experience I’ve had so far has been with a Linksys NAS, providing nothing more than SMB protocol fileshares. The SMB fileshare protocol makes the Linksys sufficient enough for file sharing in a home network but definately not a NAS device suitable for a Virtualization environment.
Obviously I needed more Storage protocol options, like NFS and iSCSI to run some real simulations. And even though I’ve read about different Virtual Storage solutions, like the Celerra VSA, I still wanted to buy new NAS hardware. Hence I decided to buy the Iomega x2-200d StorCenter, which provides iSCSI and NFS protocols as well as the (traditional) CIFS. And along with a fair price and official XenServer and VMware certified status it makes up for a great homelab NAS.

Eager to try out the many options, I started to play with the StorCenter, without setting up my entire network first (no VLANs configured so far). First up was a try-out of the NFS and iSCSI options the StorCenter has to offer.

 

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My First Homelab

Feb 28

Posted by VirtuEs in Hardware, HomeLab, Hypervisors, News, Quests, Storage | 2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I started my first IT Quest. Reading on numerous blogs about the homelabs most of the Virtualization Experts have installed I figured it was the first big step for me to take as well. After all a XenServer certification isn’t worth much in my opinion if you don’t get the hands on experience to really know what you are consulting about. And I’d rather not be depended on the test facilities at the clients I’m consulting.

So to keep my knowledge up-to-date and learn even more new tips and tricks, I’ve bought two whiteboxes, a NAS and a 8-port Managed Switch. All the ingredients for my First Homelab experience. (Thankfully collected from the Expert blogs I’ve read.

 

The hardware specs

I decided to use my savings for the new motorcycle (didn’t hear a complaint from my partner on that one) to buy the good stuff right away. So here’s the specs for the hardware that from now on will be known as my first Homelab.

 

The configuration of each whitebox is:

  • ASUS V Series V7-P5G43M (Towermodel)
  • 1 x Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 / 2.66 GHz ( 1333 MHz ) – LGA775 Socket
  • 2 x OCZ Platinum Dual Channel – SDRAM – 4 GB ( 2 x 2 GB ) – 8 GB total
  • 1 x Intel PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter
  • 1 x ASUS DVD E818A6T – DVD-ROM – 18x – Serial ATA
  • 1 x WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS – 640 GB – SATA-300 – 7200 tpm -buffer: 32 MB

 

Additional Hardware:

  • 1 x Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage – NAS – 2 TB
  • 1 x Cisco Small Business Smart Switch SLM2008 – Switch – 8 ports
  • 1 x Laptop, provided by my employer, to be used as the management console.

So I’m all good to go for the next IT Quests to come …

The following sources have be read prior to ordering my own homelab configuration:
Gabes Virtual World » My new whitebox ESX home lab
NTPRO » A VMware High-Availability Cluster at Home
Yellow Bricks » My homelab

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xe.exe CommandLine Interface

Feb 3

Posted by VirtuEs in Favorites, How To, Hypervisors, Management Tools | Comments off

A XenServer can be managed with the xe Commandline Interface (CLI). Which can be run locally at the command prompt of the XenServer Console within XenCenter.
The ex.exe is also part of the XenCenter installation and allows and administrator to remotely manage a XenServer from the command prompt of the Windows desktop. With the CLI you can easily script some of the common tasks to perform on a XenServer.

Each xe.exe command starts with the connection settings for the XenServer (Pool Master), followed by the specific command(s) to be performed.
 

C:\Program Files\Citrix\XenCenter>xe.exe -s [xenserver] -u [user] -pw [password] [xe-commands]

 
Which uses the following syntax:

  • xenserver: ip-address or name of the XenServer (or Pool Master).
  • user: name of account used to connect to the XenServer.
  • password: password of the used account.
  • xe-commands: the commands to be performed after the connection to the XenServer (Pool Master) is made.

The rest of this post contains some examples of the different xe-commands that can be used.
 

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