vmtools Server Build Process

Brief

Description

Build Process

VMware Guest Configuration

Guest Operating System Configuration

Software Installation

Services

Security Report

Monitoring

References

Brief

This describes how to build “vmtools” a vSphere management server.  It is based on the Windows Server 2008 template https://docs.google.com/document/d/11myLcm-lpatcLzRaBQnHzENryXqfWJmScAgcrT_tn0E/pub

Description

vmtools is used to manage vSphere.  It has a collection of free software ranging from VMware Labs Flings to tested, stable products like Notepad++.

Consider installing the following VMs in addition to this tool:

• IOAnalyzer1.1
• vBenchmark_OVF10
• VMware Management Assistant 5.0.0.0 Build 472630

Build Process

Build a server using Windows Server 2008 template https://docs.google.com/document/d/11myLcm-lpatcLzRaBQnHzENryXqfWJmScAgcrT_tn0E/pub

VMware Guest Configuration

No changes from default.

Guest Operating System Configuration

Windows Server Features

• Install Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows Server 2008 R2, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816817(v=ws.10).aspx
• Windows Active Directory Module for Windows Powershell

Software Installation

Applications

• Auto Deploy GUI

• Adds a GUI to Auto Deploy tasks (such as imaging and rules) in vCenter.
• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/autodeploygui

• esxplot

• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/esxplot

• Notepad++

• Not an IDE but this is an equivilent to your multitool for text editing.
• http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

• Onyx (VMware)

• Want to learn how to script some of those “point and clicks” you perform in vCenter?  Onyx translates them into rough powershell code.
• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/onyx

• PowerGUI

• Really good powershell IDE.
• http://powergui.org/index.jspa

• TextFX

• No longer developed, TextFX has some great text manipulation features like case manipulation, HTML tidy and sorting.
• http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/TextFX/

• PXE Manger for vCenter

• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/pxe-manager

• Quest_ActiveRolesManagementShellforActiveDirectoryx64_151

• Powershell commands for AD developed by Quest
• http://www.quest.com/powershell/activeroles-server.aspx             

• VMware Boomerang

• Use multiple vCenter servers simultaneously
• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/boomerang

• VMware PowerCLI

• http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/automationtools/powercli

• VMware vSphere Client
• VMware Update Manager PowerCLI

• http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ps-libs/vumps/vumps41/html/index.html

• Microsoft .NET Framework 4

• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851
• dotNetFx40_Full_setup.exe

• Windows Management Framework

• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34595
• Windows6.1-KB2506143-x64.msu

Scripts

• Inventory Snapshot (VMware)

• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/inventorysnapshot
• Take a snapshot of your inventory and be able to reproduce it.
• inventorysnapshot1-1

• View Controlled Recompose Script

• http://labs.vmware.com/flings/view-controlled-recompose-script
• View_Pool_Recomposition_RC5.ps1

Services

• Remote Desktop, 3389/tcp

Security Report

1. None

Monitoring

• No monitoring

References

{List any reference material, websites, wiki articles, policies, etc. you used to build this template.  Please use the MLA formatting style.  Using MLA helps document the reference's source, publication date and retrieval date.  This is important for other people to determine how relevant the source is and if newer information exists.

The general format for a citation:

• Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.

Typically most citations will be from a page on a Web Site.  For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by the information covered above for entire Web sites. Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date is given.

Example:

"Configuring disks to use VMware Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) adapters" vmware.com. VMware, 1/7/2012. Web. 02/02/2012. <http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1010398>

Other citation formats are available, including Tweets.  Please see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/ for more examples.}