Tips

Tips

Container and virtualization technology services

• Citrix DaaS: How to deploy virtual desktops as a service provider

  Need a leg up in the desktop-as-a-service market? Citrix offers business resources, marketing assistance and a reference architecture to help service providers get started.  Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V cluster: Basic points for customers

  Learn about the most important factors for a Server 2012 Hyper-V cluster, including Failover Clustering, Cluster Shared Volumes and more.  Continue Reading

• Using VMM 2012 to add Hyper-V servers to trusted and untrusted domains

  Learn how to add Hyper-V servers to trusted and untrusted domains using Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager 2012 in this chapter excerpt.  Continue Reading

• Selling government IT solutions: Challenges and opportunities

  Partners are finding business opportunities in selling government IT solutions despite tight budgets and learning curves in the government sector.  Continue Reading

• Creating a virtual machine template in vCenter Server

  Learn how to create a virtual machine template, update the template and deploy a VM from a template in vCenter Server.  Continue Reading

• Cloning virtual machines in vCenter Server

  Learn how to identify and clone virtual machines in vCenter Server, from the parameter selection in vSphere 5 to the actual steps to creating the clone.  Continue Reading

• V2V conversion using VMDK to VHD Converter

  If your VMware customers are interested in Microsoft Hyper-V, you can use the VMDK to VHD Converter tool to perform a V2V conversion and migrate VMs.  Continue Reading

• Five ways your VDI implementation can fail

  Solution providers can win with VDI solution sales, but failure to communicate with customers and manage expectations can kill a VDI implementation.  Continue Reading

• Virtual storage appliance vs. traditional shared storage

  A virtual storage appliance can be a viable way to allocate storage for their virtual server infrastructure; it offers cost and complexity benefits compared with traditional shared storage.  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right VDI solutions for your customer

  Solution providers can get a leg up on competition by knowing the VDI solutions, such as Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and VMware View, that are available to customers so they can pick the best option.  Continue Reading

• VSphere 5 upgrade challenges: Licensing and ESXi

  Your customers may be chomping at the bit to begin a vSphere 5 upgrade, but there are a number of factors for them to consider, including new licensing and changes to VMware’s virtual machine file system.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for physical environment tests before setting up virtualization

  Performing physical environment tests in a thorough manner, determining what you should and shouldn’t virtualize, will smooth the process of setting up virtualization on customers’ servers.  Continue Reading

• Improving software licensing management with application metering

  Solution providers can augment their relationship with customers by using application metering to save them money on unneeded software licensing costs.  Continue Reading

• The importance of a vSphere health check to VARs

  Performing a vSphere health check for your customer not only ensures their environment is performing well, but also gives you opportunities for value-adds such as tools and applications.  Continue Reading

• XenServer Workload Balancing setup and configuration steps

  Workload Balancing can help VARs ensure their customer's VMs are placed on placed in the best-available hosts. Read here how set up and configure this feature to save your customers money.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V R2 migration tricks for solution providers

  To smoothly transition customers to Hyper-V R2, you’ll need to become familiar with the best ways to relocate, import and export virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• Using Citrix Xen Server Platinum trial software

  Before recommending that your customer upgrades to Citrix XenServer Platinum edition, you can demo the features and licensing by using Citrix's free evaluation software.  Continue Reading

• Utilizing vSphere features, resource controls for VM priority

  Solution providers can show customers the value of virtualization by configuring vSphere features and resource controls to prioritize VMs and give them proper access to resources.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Hyper-V R2 VM import and export

  Completing a Hyper-V R2 VM import and export may be more complex than necessary, but this tip explains how to work around issues such as being unable to move VMs after an import.  Continue Reading

• Using XenConvert for XenServer 5.6 workload, machine conversions

  Solution providers using XenConvert to convert XenServer 5.6 physical machines and workloads to a virtual environment should also know best practices for troubleshooting issues during conversion.  Continue Reading

• Managing virtual machines in vSphere

  When modifying and managing virtual machines in vSphere, solution providers should make sure to know how to use other tools and methods besides the vSphere Client.  Continue Reading

• Managing a XenServer environment with the Xen command line

  The Xen command line offers options such as the xe command to perform difficult tasks in a XenServer environment, but the XenCenter interface may work best for easy tasks.  Continue Reading

• Exploring vSphere HA features for failure protection

  vSphere HA provides protection for areas in your customer's virtual environment where failures may occur, such as guest OSes and the network.  Continue Reading

• Assigning vSphere security access controls

  Even with vCenter Server's centralized capabilities, securing customers' vSphere environments can be a hurdle. An expert outlines how to assign vSphere security access controls.  Continue Reading

• Network convergence services: Bringing storage onto the network

  With data center infrastructures converging, knowledge of converged network services would benefit any networking solution provider. In this tip, you'll learn about storage protocols, convergence configuration and other best practices related to ...  Continue Reading

• Third-party tools for Microsoft Hyper-V R2: Top 5 must-haves

  Check out this list of top the five third-party tools for Microsoft Hyper-V R2 that can help solutions providers improve Hyper-V management, monitoring, backup and recovery.  Continue Reading

• Open source Xen vs. Citrix XenServer

  Our expert compares the three major open source Xen contenders with Citrix XenServer to help you determine which Xen management product is best for your customers.  Continue Reading

• Big vSphere features that don't get much attention

  The Virtual Machine Communication Interface and Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling are two big vSphere features that provide great benefits but are often overlooked.  Continue Reading

• Hypervisor comparison: Weighing hybrid environments

  Last year, a hypervisor comparison meant choosing one hypervisor to suit a particular environment. Now, solutions providers must consider the hybrid approach.  Continue Reading

• Citrix XenServer license considerations

  Sure, XenServer is available for free now. But your customers still have to obtain a XenServer license for certain XenServer components.  Continue Reading

• VMware's standard and distributed virtual switches: What resellers need to know

  Understanding VMware's standard and distributed virtual switches is an important step for resellers planning to offer their customers network virtualization services and VMware virtual switches. Get a reseller-level explanation of the vSphere ...  Continue Reading

• Using Cisco Nexus 1000V to help network managers and VMware admins

  With network virtualization becoming more common across enterprise networks, the roles of server managers and network managers begin to collide and cause conflict. In this tip, solution providers will learn about helping server managers and network ...  Continue Reading

• Installing Citrix XenServer 5.5 and XenCenter

  Solutions providers that are looking for alternatives to Microsoft Hyper-V R2 and VMware ESX or vSphere will find that installing Citrix's XenServer 5.5 is a painless process.  Continue Reading

• Citrix XenServer 5.5 hardware requirements

  Finding out the Citrix XenServer 5.5 hardware requirements before you begin implementation can save your customers' money on additional hardware purchases.  Continue Reading

• Efficient storage provisioning: Capex and opex savings

  Find out how efficient storage provisioning techniques through the use of storage virtualization, thin provisioning and storage domains can cut capital expenses (capex) and operating expenses (opex) for customers.  Continue Reading

• Analyzing data in a virtualized server environment

  You may know the basics of a green data center, but this chapter excerpt provides actual data that compares a virtualized server environment with a regular server environment.  Continue Reading

• Comparing I/O virtualization and virtual I/O benefits

  How do you differentiate between virtual I/O and I/O virtualization? In this tip, Greg Schulz details what each method can contribute to server performance and infrastructure and also compares their distinct qualities.  Continue Reading

• Managing and optimizing the Microsoft Hyper-V server

  In this chapter excerpt from "MCTS: Windows Server Virtualization Configuration Study Guide: (Exam 70-652)," you'll learn how to understand the configuration tools and techniques for Hyper-V and get an overview of System Center Virtual Machine ...  Continue Reading

• Top five virtual desktop environment management issues

  Find out how to overcome the top five virtualization management issues in your virtual desktop environment.  Continue Reading

• Top five virtual desktop infrastructure management problems

  The demand for desktop virtualization and virtual desktop infrastructure is on the rise. Find out how to address common issues and improve customers' virtual desktop environments.  Continue Reading

• Resource utilization projects add value to server virtualization

  Learn how to use the findings of server virtualization health checks to sell resource utilization projects to your customers.  Continue Reading

• Evaluating VMware alternatives for server virtualization software

  Learn how VMware alternatives may help your customers meet their server virtualization software needs.  Continue Reading

• Native management tools for VDI: VMware vs. Citrix and Microsoft

  Compare the native management tools of VMware vs. Citrix and Microsoft in the first of a two-part series on desktop and application virtualization management tools.  Continue Reading

• Five keys to owning server virtualization projects

  To address the entire lifecycle of a customer's server virtualization project, concentrate on these five key areas: assessment, architecture, migration, training and ongoing management.  Continue Reading

• Using VMware NetQueue to virtualize high-bandwidth servers

  Sometimes high-bandwidth servers are left out of the virtualization picture due to I/O issues, but a new VMware queuing feature, NetQueue, alleviates these performance problems while allowing you to virtualize more servers.  Continue Reading

• OS virtualization vs. hypervisor: Why you should offer both

  As server virtualization fever sweeps through the industry, make sure you're prepared for the eventual rise of OS virtualization. Learn about the benefits of OS virtualization and prepare to offer OS virtualization along with the hypervisor model ...  Continue Reading

• Linux server virtualization pros and cons

  Linux server virtualization is a viable option for your customers' data centers, but it's important to understand both the benefits and drawbacks before you go down the road to Linux virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Three ways to prevent virtual machine sprawl

  The introduction of virtualization technology into data centers and server rooms leaves customers vulnerable to virtual machine sprawl. Learn what techniques should be used to avoid the problem.  Continue Reading

• SAN-based storage virtualization: Five benefits for your customers

  Storage virtualization holds promise, but still has a lot of problems. SAN-based storage virtualization could offer some solutions. This tip outlines five value propositions for SAN storage virtualzation.  Continue Reading

• Web server virtualization done right

  There's an on-going push toward virtual Web servers to lower costs and increase redundancy. Learn how to implement a successful Web server virtualization project in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Virtual machine security best practices

  Virtual machine security has to address specific web server secutiry threats. Protect your customers' data from internet attacks or user mistakes. Know the fundamental differences between securing a virtual machine and a physical server.  Continue Reading

• Virtual machine server migration

  Failed virtual machine server migrations may scare shops into pulling the plug on a project. Contributor Chris Wolf helps you identify the best method for a physical-to-virtual system migration.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization calculator for Windows Server

  Microsoft's Windows Server Virtualization Calculator helps you make accurate licensing assessments based on the planned number of processor sockets and virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• Server consolidation: Virtualization vs. clustering

  You've come to a server consolidation fork in the road, but you can't simply grab a map or ask directions. This tip will help you choose your server consolidation path: clusters, virtual machines or both.  Continue Reading