VMware ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers, by Edward Haletky, is a book I’ve been working on reviewing for quite a while now. It’s a fairly hefty tome, weighing in at just over 550 pages, and is chock full of technical details on both ESX Server 2.5.x and ESX 3.0.x. Throughout the book, the author faithfully covers information for both versions—where applicable, of course—and highlights differences and similarities.
Although I personally found the constant “back and forth” between ESX Server 2.5.x and ESX 3.0.x to be distracting, I can easily see where readers fresh out of an ESX Server 2.5.x migration—or still managing some servers running ESX Server 2.5.x—would find that aspect of the book useful. VMware administrators familiar with the older version but perhaps just now making the move to VI3 would also find the book useful as a “transition” manual.
I did run into a few technical inaccuracies, but these are minor in scope and do not materially affect the content. For example, on page 180 in the section titled “iSCSI/NFS Best Practices,” the author makes the following statement:
The iSCSI VMkernel device must be part of at least one service console vSwitch, which implies that the service console must be on the same network as the iSCSI servers. This is required whether using CHAP authentication, or not, to pass credentials to the iSCSI server.
Technically, the iSCSI VMkernel device can be on any vSwitch; the requirement is that there is Service Console connectivity to the iSCSI target. This connectivity could be direct (on the same subnet) or routed. While following the author’s guidance and placing a Service Console port group on the same vSwitch and same IP network as the iSCSI VMkernel device will most certainly work, it’s not required. It’s a very minor inaccuracy, as I said earlier, and does not substantially or materially change the validity of the material.
Summary
Overall, I found the book to be good reference material. Haletky covers a broad range of topics, from installation to storage and networking to disaster recovery. Anyone needing reference material for such a wide range of topics could do far worse than choosing this book.
Tags: ESX, Virtualization, VMware
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Friday, April 25, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Jose Ruelas
I actually disagre about your comments about the requirement of a service console connection to the iSCSI network
what you need to do is “ADD” another service console network to the same vswitch where the iSCSI network resides, and that solves the requirement
that is it
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 10:40 pm
slowe
Jose,
I’m sorry, but that’s incorrect. The only instance in which it would be REQUIRED to add a Service Console port group to the same vSwitch as the iSCSI VMkernel port group would be when the iSCSI network is physically separate. Thus, the only way to provide connectivity from the Service Console to the iSCSI target would be to add a Service Console port group on the same network.
Otherwise, as long as the Service Console has IP connectivity to the iSCSI target, then it will work. I can show you this configuration in action, today, working perfectly fine.
Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 11:40 am
Daniel Hernandez
I read the book before it went to print. They had a purchase option on PDF so it was like I was viewing it as he was writing it. Because I would have to downloaded updated PDF’s. My over all opinion on the book was it was good. Sometimes you just need a book or a manual to go into best practices and scenarios and he did do that. I do agree on the 2.5 stuff got in the way but it was similar to how VMware does it training classes lot of comparisons. So I wonder if he took that approach. My other comment was his Security Section and recipe it was very involved discussion but if I recall correctly he references a few third party open source apps. If I didnt see it in his book I may have seen it in a forum post. I dont mind loading Opensource apps for my personal use but when your in the Enterprise if you load an Opensource app somebody better know how to support it other than yourself. So thats the only challenge the book is geared for the Enterprise but suggesting using Opensource apps that sometimes the only way to get answers to them is to post on forums. Its interesting that this topic came up because a co-worker ask which ESX book should he buy I said this one and another one with a Light bulb on it that I couldn’t remember the name for.
Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Michael T Hoesing
Genrally a good book at explaining how ESX works with some very good storage background, should the reader need that content. The security section dwells on acheiving a Bastille score of 10, which is objective and verifiable, just make sure the Bastille standard aligns with your organization’s policy/standards, and the cost/benefit margin is favorable when improving on the 8.xx default score.
The security chapter recomends a variety of tools to use on the ESX host (logcheck, sar, sysstat, clamav,…) whose installation and configuration should be tested in a non-production environment, also support from the vendor needs consideration if these tools are installed.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Edward L. Haletky
Hello,
Scott thank you for pointing out the inaccuracy, I thought I caught all these. I have updated the errata found on the book’s website http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/VMWare_ESX_Server_in_the_Enterprise.
Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 7:01 am
slowe
Edward,
Not a problem at all, these things happen. I appreciate the opportunity to review the book, and keep up the good writing!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 8:02 am
Edward L. Haletky
Scott,
If you have any other inaccuracies, please let me know and I will update the errata.
Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky