The VMguy

Fresh out of the app store comes the VMware vSphere Client for iPad v1.2.0.  You rush right over to the download section in iTues here.  If you already have it downloaded, visit the app store on your device and download the update.  Here’s What’s New from the App Store:

New in v1.2 (see notes below):

• Migrate virtual machines without downtime using vMotion.  This feature is available via Host & VM action menus.  Virtual machines can also be two-finger flicked/dragged from the Host detail view to enter vMotion mode
• Ability to email vMotion validation error details to others
• View task progress reporting on VM cards
• Ability to refresh vCenter host list
• Support of ESX 3.5
• Support for vSphere 5.0

Release Notes:

• This version requires vCMA 1.2, available at: http://labs.vmware.com/flings/vcma
• Min iOS version: 4.0

What, not a VMware release you say?  This one is very important to my customers as many have been waiting a long time for iSCSI boot on UCS.  The new software can be downloaded here.  Here’s the What’s New section from the Release Notes:

An update to the product that started it all.  VMware updated their oldest product to version 8.0.  You can head right to the download here.  Here’s the what’s new section from the release notes for all the details:

This release of VMware Workstation adds the following new features and support.

• Installation Changes and Enhanced Keyboards
• Virtual Hardware Improvements
• New User Interface
• What Happened to Teams?
• Shared Virtual Machines and AutoStart
• Remote Connections
• Upload to vSphere
• Documentation Changes

Installation Changes and Enhanced Keyboards

The hardware requirements to install this version of Workstation have changed. Workstation now requires a relatively modern 64-bit CPU. See Installation Requirements for details.

The keyboard filter driver is no longer installed by default. When the driver is not installed, the enhanced keyboard functionality is unavailable and you must press Ctrl-Alt-Ins instead of Ctrl-Alt-Del to send a Ctrl-Alt-Del keystroke to the guest. To use the enhanced keyboard functionality, you must perform a custom installation and select the component. If you select the component, you must reboot whenever you install or uninstall Workstation. Read the rest of this entry »

VMWorld keeps rolling on and on.  VMware has made Site Recovery Manager 5.0 available for download here.  As I’ve mentioned time and time again, SRM is my favorite non-vSphere product from VMWare.  This one does not disappoint.  You can grab the download here.  Here’s the What’s New Section from the release notes:

VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager 5.0 enhances your ability to build, manage and execute reliable disaster recovery plans for your virtual environment. With the release of version 5.0, VMware has expanded the capabilities of Site Recovery Manager to provide unprecedented levels of protection. New use cases have been made possible through the addition of the following capabilities:

• vSphere Replication. When used in conjunction with VMware vSphere 5.0, Site Recovery Manager 5.0 introduces a new capability to utilize the vSphere 5.0 host to perform replication of powered-on virtual machines over the network to another vSphere 5.0 host, without the requirement for storage array-based replication. As virtual machines change with use, the changed blocks are replicated to a shadow copy of the virtual machine resident at the recovery site, in accordance with a Recovery Point Objective set as a property of the virtual machine itself.
• Planned Migration. A new workflow designed to deliver migration while minimizing the risk of data loss. Planned migration will stop the workflow from continuing if an error is encountered, providing an opportunity to fix the problem, ensuring that systems are properly quiescent and that all data changes have been completely replicated.
• Automated Re-Protection. Re-protection is a new extension to recovery plans for use only with array-based replication. Automated re-protect enables the environment at the recovery site to establish replication and protection of the environment back to the original protected site through a single click.
• Automated Failback. Automated failback returns the entire environment to the originally protected primary site. This can only happen after re-protection has ensured that data replication and synchronization have been established to the original primary site. Failback will run the same workflow that was used to migrate the environment to the protected site, ensuring that the critical systems encapsulated by the recovery plan are returned to their original environment. Automated failback, like re-protection, is only available for use with array-based replication protected virtual machines.
• Enhanced Dependency Definition. This includes the addition of more (5) priority groups, and the ability to set virtual machine dependencies within a priority group. Virtual machine dependencies can be defined to ensure that required systems are available before dependent virtual machines are powered on. This enables highly organized workflow control, ensuring that required services are available before dependent virtual machines are powered on.

Is VMWorld still going?  It seems the entire desktop line from VMware refreshed today.  You can grab the download for Fusion 4.0.1 here.  Here’s the what’s new section from the release notes:

This release of VMware Fusion adds the following new features.

• New Installation Experience
• New User Interface
• Designed for Lion
• Virtual Hardware Improvements
• Encrypted Virtual Machines
• Pause State for Virtual Machines
• Remote CD and DVD Drives
• Shrinking Disks with Snapshots
• Mirrored Folders
• OVF Support
• Other Technical Changes

New Installation Experience

VMware Fusion is now installed by dragging and dropping to the Applications folder. Users of older versions can upgrade using the included utility. VMware Fusion can be uninstalled by quitting the application and dragging it to the trash.

Read the rest of this entry »