Comments on: I’m Glad I’m Not The Only One http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/ The weblog of an IT pro specializing in virtualization, storage, and servers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:13:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Pkillur http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35398 Pkillur Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:03:00 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35398 So, I have quite a few friends who work at vmware, who was there when it RTM'd there were quite a few things that got kluged. One thing I haven't seen a lot about was the fact that they dropped support for certain Lefthand iSCSI arrays. It seems like there were a gajillion "my LH array went kaput" cases. I DO think that they'll fix the issues though, they were racing around the clock (literally) to fix a few of the bugs. If it makes anyone feel any better, most of the support guys thought the RCLI blows too... :) So, I have quite a few friends who work at vmware, who was there when it RTM’d there were quite a few things that got kluged. One thing I haven’t seen a lot about was the fact that they dropped support for certain Lefthand iSCSI arrays. It seems like there were a gajillion “my LH array went kaput” cases.

I DO think that they’ll fix the issues though, they were racing around the clock (literally) to fix a few of the bugs.

If it makes anyone feel any better, most of the support guys thought the RCLI blows too… :)

]]> By: slowe http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35397 slowe Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:42:08 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35397 Dmitry, You're absolutely correct--you *CAN* configure jumbo frames on the VMkernel interfaces. In my own tests in the lab, enabling jumbo frames on the vSwitch, enabling jumbo frames in the physical switch, and enabling jumbo frames on the IP storage device resulted in a complete loss of connectivity. That's right--it just plain didn't work. At least yours worked. :) Peter.E, You do make a good point about VMware responding to customers calling for software iSCSI and NFS. But now that they are an "enterprise" software vendor, will they still be as responsive to customer requests? Will they still be as concerned about product quality? Hot Carl, Keep in mind that ESX 3.5 doesn't do away with the Service Console--that's ESX 3i, the "embedded" version. "Regular" ESX 3.5 still has the Service Console. It's really more VirtualCenter quality than ESX quality, though, if you think about it. Dmitry,

You’re absolutely correct–you *CAN* configure jumbo frames on the VMkernel interfaces. In my own tests in the lab, enabling jumbo frames on the vSwitch, enabling jumbo frames in the physical switch, and enabling jumbo frames on the IP storage device resulted in a complete loss of connectivity. That’s right–it just plain didn’t work. At least yours worked. :)

Peter.E,

You do make a good point about VMware responding to customers calling for software iSCSI and NFS. But now that they are an “enterprise” software vendor, will they still be as responsive to customer requests? Will they still be as concerned about product quality?

Hot Carl,

Keep in mind that ESX 3.5 doesn’t do away with the Service Console–that’s ESX 3i, the “embedded” version. “Regular” ESX 3.5 still has the Service Console.

It’s really more VirtualCenter quality than ESX quality, though, if you think about it.

]]> By: peter.e http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35396 peter.e Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:08:01 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35396 hi scott you are absoluteley right in a few points. jumbo-frames not "supported" in the vmkernel or better "experimental-status" which is a word i dont want to read in "rocksolid" RTM`d enterprise software- release notes made me also think about the leading virtualization player. somehow i have the same feeling than you, ESX3.5 RTM`ed exactly at christmas, to late if you are looking back. i double that: its unfinished in some aspects so absoluteley no ESX4 right now. But i cant get the point regarding the remote-cli: IMHO it takes much longer (in the case of app deployment) providing a cli for windows+linux + a virtual-appliance etc. than programming a simple gui, just a window to VC. i have learned from my trainer that vmware doesnt think you will use this feature in the daily operating, so there is simple no need for a gui out there in vmwares opinion which is my opinion too of course. but if the customers say: hey we need a gui for that be sure, vmware implements it. i remember back to ESX2.x, everybody wanted to see iSCSI implemented into the vmkernel. now its standard having iSCSI and NFS in VI3. What i want so say: vmware will react on the customers needs. i am not related to vmware :) regards, p. hi scott

you are absoluteley right in a few points. jumbo-frames not “supported” in the vmkernel or better “experimental-status” which is a word i dont want to read in “rocksolid” RTM`d enterprise software- release notes made me also think about the leading virtualization player.

somehow i have the same feeling than you, ESX3.5 RTM`ed exactly at christmas, to late if you are looking back. i double that: its unfinished in some aspects so absoluteley no ESX4 right now.

But i cant get the point regarding the remote-cli: IMHO it takes much longer (in the case of app deployment) providing a cli for windows+linux + a virtual-appliance etc. than programming a simple gui, just a window to VC. i have learned from my trainer that vmware doesnt think you will use this feature in the daily operating, so there is simple no need for a gui out there in vmwares opinion which is my opinion too of course. but if the customers say: hey we need a gui for that be sure, vmware implements it. i remember back to ESX2.x, everybody wanted to see iSCSI implemented into the vmkernel. now its standard having iSCSI and NFS in VI3. What i want so say: vmware will react on the customers needs.

i am not related to vmware :)
regards, p.

]]> By: Dmitry Sorokin http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35395 Dmitry Sorokin Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:01:50 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35395 It's possible to configure jumbo frames for VMkernel interfaces. There's nothing in the GIU, but it all can be done with esxcfg-* commands. We did that in our LAB and did some IO tests, but didn't see any performance improvements. Probably because of the nature of the test (all random IO). With sequential IO it might help, but that type of IO you rarely see in real world. Dmitry It’s possible to configure jumbo frames for VMkernel interfaces. There’s nothing in the GIU, but it all can be done with esxcfg-* commands. We did that in our LAB and did some IO tests, but didn’t see any performance improvements. Probably because of the nature of the test (all random IO). With sequential IO it might help, but that type of IO you rarely see in real world.

Dmitry

]]> By: hot carl http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35392 hot carl Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:52:29 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35392 similar to joe cruz (above), i had a "nagging feeling" about vc 2.5/esx 3.5. fortunately i got that nagging feeling *before* doing any upgrades. unfortunately our upgrade plan was already in motion and a co-worker upgraded to vc 2.5. i managed to convince everyone to hold, so we haven't yet went to esx 3.5. as a 10+ year linux user, i *really* like the service console and hate to see it go. luckily for me (us) i stumbled across some of you and bob's posts and have been following both closely. we're now not planning on upgrading to esx 3.5 anytime soon. thanks for the posts and keeping us all updated! similar to joe cruz (above), i had a “nagging feeling” about vc 2.5/esx 3.5. fortunately i got that nagging feeling *before* doing any upgrades. unfortunately our upgrade plan was already in motion and a co-worker upgraded to vc 2.5. i managed to convince everyone to hold, so we haven’t yet went to esx 3.5. as a 10+ year linux user, i *really* like the service console and hate to see it go.

luckily for me (us) i stumbled across some of you and bob’s posts and have been following both closely. we’re now not planning on upgrading to esx 3.5 anytime soon.

thanks for the posts and keeping us all updated!

]]> By: vmzare http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35385 vmzare Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:38:11 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35385 Thanks for the info and fully agree with your suggestion to VMWare in general. Thanks for the info and fully agree with your suggestion to VMWare in general.

]]> By: Joe Cruz http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/comment-page-1/#comment-35383 Joe Cruz Sun, 10 Feb 2008 05:55:37 +0000 http://blog.scottlowe.org/2008/02/09/im-glad-im-not-the-only-one/#comment-35383 Hey, Scott. You know, before you and Bob mentioned it, I couldn't really put my finger on that nagging feeling I got after upgrading to VC 2.5/ESX 3.5. The "fit and finish", as you put it, is definitely slightly marred in this latest version. Here's hoping that VMware shakes themselves out of whatever funk is affecting their development! In the meantime, I'm going to be doing some due diligence discovery on the Hyper-V products as Windows 2008 hits the shelves. Hey, Scott.

You know, before you and Bob mentioned it, I couldn’t really put my finger on that nagging feeling I got after upgrading to VC 2.5/ESX 3.5. The “fit and finish”, as you put it, is definitely slightly marred in this latest version.

Here’s hoping that VMware shakes themselves out of whatever funk is affecting their development!

In the meantime, I’m going to be doing some due diligence discovery on the Hyper-V products as Windows 2008 hits the shelves.

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