VMware server 2.0

[Red Squirrel]

I know when this first came out, and even a few months after, it was VERY unstable. The web based client constantly crashed, and it was near impossible to manage. The VI client sorta worked but was very limited in what it supported.

I switched to virtualbox, but I don't like the way it manages VMs, as they are not self contained in their own folder, and easy to copy etc...

Wondering if anyone has tried VMware Server 2.0 recently and if it's better now? I'm sure they must of did some fixes, at least I hope.

ESXi is not an option in my case as I don't own server class hardware, and the host machine does some tasks too. Eventually I will virtualize everything 100% but right now my setup is that my main server does most tasks, then some stuff is virtualized on top, so I need a solution that installs within the OS.

So has anyone tried VMware Server 2.0 recently, and find that they fixed the web interface?

 

[PCTC2]

VMware Server 2.0 still has a buggy web interface. It still gives out every once in a while but overall it's a little better. It crashes if you leave the web interface open too long, but in day to day management, it's decent enough.

The MAIN problem is the face Server 2.0 DOES NOT COMPILE on kernel 2.6.30 or greater. There are hacks to patch the modules to compile, but it does cause some issues with stability. I ran VMware Server 2.0 on Ubuntu 8.04 LTS fine, but I needed 9.10 for kernel 2.6.30 for the mpt2sas driver for my SAS 2008 controller. I use the patch, but I have problems now and then with stability of my machines. I'm waiting for Server 2.0.3 to fix this kernel issue.

I do a lot of remote management to my VM server in my sig so I need a server web interface like VMware Server 2.0. I still am disappointed that you can only use 2 cores in a VM in Server but 4 in other VMware products.

 

[heymrdj]

Like PCTC2 said, the new kernel has issues. I upgrade the kernel of my Debian Etch system and vmware 2.0.2 is very unstable because of bad compilings. I too have done some patch work but it still doesn't work the best. Sometimes the services won't even boot on start. Waiting for 2.0.3 as well now.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Oh right I remember that was an issue with server 1.0 as well, it was very fussy about kernel version. Otherwise I'd just use that. I actually preferred it's client anyway as it was simple and straight to the point.

Even the vsphere client for ESX is starting to drive me nuts at work, it's so bulky and slow compared to the previous vcenter one.

I'm going to be testing KVM as a potential system to switch to (for home), anyone have experience with it in a production/home environment with multiple VMs? (say, 5+)

 

[Paperlantern]

You could always pick up a copy of VM Ware Workstation and put it on your server and run the VMs you need in that. Ive used 6.5 for about 6 months now and Ive not had any issues with it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You could always pick up a copy of VM Ware Workstation and put it on your server and run the VMs you need in that. Ive used 6.5 for about 6 months now and Ive not had any issues with it.

I'm trying to get away from that. Right now I'm using virtualbox, but it's not really meant for a server environment. I want something more "background" like.

So is KVM not a good product? Every time I ask about it people seem to just offer another solution. I'm testing it right now on a test machine I have but I don't know if it's the best test. That machine has been giving me lot of headaches so there might be some kind of hardware problem.

 

[Nothinman]

AFAIK RHEL has replaced Xen with KVM so while it's not as featureful as Xen or VMware, eventually it should be.

 

[Brazen]

I'm trying to get away from that. Right now I'm using virtualbox, but it's not really meant for a server environment. I want something more "background" like.

So is KVM not a good product? Every time I ask about it people seem to just offer another solution. I'm testing it right now on a test machine I have but I don't know if it's the best test. That machine has been giving me lot of headaches so there might be some kind of hardware problem.

I run a home server with VirtualBox. Frankly, I like it more than the VMWare Infrastructure I manage at work. You can start virtual machines using VBoxManage like this: 'VBoxManage startvm "VM Name" -type vrdp'

You can manage everything from the commandline with VirtualBox, but sometimes I like to use the gui so I just run it remotely using X11 forwarding over ssh.

 

[Crusty]

I run a home server with VirtualBox. Frankly, I like it more than the VMWare Infrastructure I manage at work. You can start virtual machines using VBoxManage like this: 'VBoxManage startvm "VM Name" -type vrdp'

You can manage everything from the commandline with VirtualBox, but sometimes I like to use the gui so I just run it remotely using X11 forwarding over ssh.

You can manage VMWare server from the the CLI as well using their APIs. I'm not sure of the syntax 100% but it's definitely similar to VBox in that regard.

 

[ultimatebob]

Are you sure that VMWare ESXi isn't an option? Version 4 has been stable since update 1 came out, and the hardware compatibility is much better now.

 

[MerlinRML]

I've been playing with VMWare Server 2.0 for the last few months. Web management definitely crashes (seriously, this is the part they couldn't get right and haven't fixed?), but that's really the only problem I've had with it. I'm really not doing anything incredibly taxing or complex, and also please take into consideration the I've not used any of the competing solutions, so please pardon my ignorance.

While I understand the frustration of a GUI crash, I feel like aside from initial setup of the VM and occasional NIC, dvd mount, etc, I don't really use it much. The whole point of this is to run the VMs, and once installed, I remote desktop and ssh to do everything I need.

 

[Nothinman]

While I understand the frustration of a GUI crash, I feel like aside from initial setup of the VM and occasional NIC, dvd mount, etc, I don't really use it much. The whole point of this is to run the VMs, and once installed, I remote desktop and ssh to do everything I need.

Exactly, it sucks when it happens but I'm in the web interface so infrequently that I really don't care.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Exactly, it sucks when it happens but I'm in the web interface so infrequently that I really don't care.

Sometimes it's so bad that something as simple as loading a CD can require to reboot the whole server, it's pretty bad. Also I like having a console access for special test systems that may not even be on a routable network.

I may just end up sticking with virtualbox, really my main issue with it is I hate how it organizes it's files and how they can't be moved once a VM is setup. paths are hard coded somewhere in the system so VMs wont even start if moved. As far as installing and other things go it's one of the simplest. I just hope the whole oracle buying sun thing does not eventually turn it to a paid product.

 

[Binky]

I've never seen the web client crash that I can remember, although I only use it about once per week. I've got several VM's including CentOS, OSX, Win7, and Linuxmint. The only VM running every day is Centos (PBXinaflash install, no GUI, no VMwaretools).

Maybe it's a browser issue. I use maxthon, which is a Trident-based browser. I assume your crashes are occuring with Firefox.

 

[Nothinman]

Sometimes it's so bad that something as simple as loading a CD can require to reboot the whole server, it's pretty bad. Also I like having a console access for special test systems that may not even be on a routable network.

I may just end up sticking with virtualbox, really my main issue with it is I hate how it organizes it's files and how they can't be moved once a VM is setup. paths are hard coded somewhere in the system so VMs wont even start if moved. As far as installing and other things go it's one of the simplest. I just hope the whole oracle buying sun thing does not eventually turn it to a paid product.

After the initial install I generally don't mount CDs in the VM, I just mount them locally and do the install over the network via SMB.

 

[heymrdj]

I've never seen the web client crash that I can remember, although I only use it about once per week. I've got several VM's including CentOS, OSX, Win7, and Linuxmint. The only VM running every day is Centos (PBXinaflash install, no GUI, no VMwaretools).

Maybe it's a browser issue. I use maxthon, which is a Trident-based browser. I assume your crashes are occuring with Firefox.

For me, anything firefox gives it hell, even the log in boxes aren't in the right positions. Internet Explorer 7/8 seem to do fine but they both still love to randomly crash. Sometimes the crash takes the vm process with it.

 

[Nothinman]

For me, anything firefox gives it hell, even the log in boxes aren't in the right positions. Internet Explorer 7/8 seem to do fine but they both still love to randomly crash. Sometimes the crash takes the vm process with it.

I've never had the Tomcat crap crash enough to take a VM with it. Generally I just get a blank page instead of a login dialog. And usually restarting tomcat and hostd fixes it.

 

[Crusty]

I've never had the Tomcat crap crash enough to take a VM with it. Generally I just get a blank page instead of a login dialog. And usually restarting tomcat and hostd fixes it.

This has been my general experience as well, but I do remember once or twice having to reboot the whole box to get everything to come back up.

 

[Red Squirrel]

After the initial install I generally don't mount CDs in the VM, I just mount them locally and do the install over the network via SMB.

True for a typical production server, where I set it up, then do the rest from SSH.

But I also like to mess around with new stuff, or even setup networks that are outside of my real network etc... so remote access is not always an option. I like full blown console access.

I might just stick with VBox as it is very stable, just less practical, and I'm very picky about file locations, and ability to physically move files around (like vmware). VBox is less tolerant of stuff like that. If I"m not careful when creating a new VM files end up spread everywhere (disks in one folder, snapshots in another etc) right in the home directory, which is not raided. Don't really want to dedicate a whole raid array for just home, rather keep data out of /home and put it on my /data drive.

Guess what I could have done is make the VM user's home directory somewhere on the data drive. That would have maybe solved my file system headaches. I'll know better next time I setup Virtualbox. Now is too late, as it does not tolerate moving files around very well.

 

[Nothinman]

But I also like to mess around with new stuff, or even setup networks that are outside of my real network etc... so remote access is not always an option. I like full blown console access

I make sure remote access is always an option for me, even if it's a forwarded port on the VMware server itself to a non-routed VMware network.

Guess what I could have done is make the VM user's home directory somewhere on the data drive

Or just simply make ~/.VirtualBox/Machines a symlink to wherever you want them...

Now is too late, as it does not tolerate moving files around very well.

Huh? AFAIK it lets you specify where everything except the config and logs are just fine.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Huh? AFAIK it lets you specify where everything except the config and logs are just fine.

If you try to move the file once it's done, it wont work anymore. You can't run the file directly, like you can with vmware. It's registered somewhere in the system. I think it's in the main xml file, but even if you change the path in there, it wont work.

 

[Nothinman]

If you try to move the file once it's done, it wont work anymore. You can't run the file directly, like you can with vmware. It's registered somewhere in the system. I think it's in the main xml file, but even if you change the path in there, it wont work.

But you can fix them fairly easily, I did it a few weeks ago when I went to start a VMware VM inside of VirtualBox. And although I know the vmx files are executable, I can't say I've ever done that. I've always used the UI or vmrun.

 

[PCTC2]

I used this script if you want to try it out:
http://radu.cotescu.com/2009/10/30/how-to-install-vmware-server-2-0-x-on-ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala/

Right now, it's been pretty stable for a few weeks, but the login screen sometimes gives me a blank screen. But a few refreshes fixes that so it might be something a little more complex.

I'm going to try KVM/qemu soon because I can't use qemu and VMware in the same box so I'm building a new dev box for qemu. QEMU uses the Intel VT/AMDV functions so it blocks out VMware (it gets loaded first). I use qemu for building and testing Ubuntu, Debian, and other distros for my company's ARM development. It's kinda cool to see Ubuntu 9.10 on a low-powered TI OMAP-based board hooked up to my monitor over HDMI.

 

[heymrdj]

I used this script if you want to try it out:
http://radu.cotescu.com/2009/10/30/how-to-install-vmware-server-2-0-x-on-ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala/

Right now, it's been pretty stable for a few weeks, but the login screen sometimes gives me a blank screen. But a few refreshes fixes that so it might be something a little more complex.

I'm going to try KVM/qemu soon because I can't use qemu and VMware in the same box so I'm building a new dev box for qemu. QEMU uses the Intel VT/AMDV functions so it blocks out VMware (it gets loaded first). I use qemu for building and testing Ubuntu, Debian, and other distros for my company's ARM development. It's kinda cool to see Ubuntu 9.10 on a low-powered TI OMAP-based board hooked up to my monitor over HDMI.

Hey thanks alot for that, I'm going to have to give this a try when I have some free time. :thumbsup: