Category Archives: VMware

VMware Workstation, ESXi

VMware

VMware: Mount a .vmdk virtual disk from command line

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Hi,

sometimes you want to modify some offline Vmware virtual disks from command line. For example to copy or edit config files or set some parameters in the Windows sysprep.xml file.

The VMware Workstation does not provide  a command line utility for this procedure. But there is a way to do this. Download and install the Virtual Disk Development Kit.

After installation a vmware-mount.exe command exists in the bin Folder of the installation directory.

To mount a disk readonly, choose a drive letter (X: in this example), start a cmd.exe as Administrator type the command like this:

first, change to the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit Program folder

cd "C:\Program Files\VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit"

or append the program bin folder to PATH variable

set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit\bin;

vmware-mount.exe X: d:\temp\VirtualDisk.vmdk

to mount the disk writable append /m:w at the end of the command:

vmware-mount.exe X: d:\temp\VirtualDisk.vmdk /m:w

Unmounting is quite simple:

vmware-mount.exe X: /d /f

Have fun

Michael

VMware

VMware: Computer Account is disabled after deploying Windows Clients

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Hello,

last week I had to deploy 25virtual Windows (XP) Clients an on VMware ESX Cluster. One of the requirements was that the clients must be member of a Windows Active Directory.

After setting up vCenter (copy sysprep) I installed a reference Windows XP vm, convert them to a template and defined a Customization Specification like this:

Initial Customization Specification
Initial Customization Specification

During the cloning process, by using the template with the recently created custom spec, the domain join always fails and the Computer Account was disabled at each try.

Ok, now I tried modify some parameter of the Custom Specification:

  • Changing the Domain from fqdn to the NetBIOS Domain “SUB”
  • Altered the Username to SUB\joinuser or joinuser@SUB or joinuser@sub.domain.org

Continue reading VMware: Computer Account is disabled after deploying Windows Clients →

VMware

VMware: Cannot connect from vCenter Webclient to VDP Appliance

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Hi,

the license of VMware vSphere 5.1 includes the diskbased Backup Solution VDP(vSphere Data Protection). So I’ve decited to try the appliance (Version 5.1 Timestamp 2012-10-02) whether these meets our requirements.

Before I started, I ensured that

  • The DNS forward and reverse resolution of the choosen name and IP address is possible.
  • The User, who manage the backup, have vCenter Administrator rights.
  • all prerequisites are fulfilled

Downloading and installing of the appliance works as expected. The Appliance is properly registered in the vSphere Webclient but I can’t start the VDP Frontend within.

Error Message
Error Message

Error: Could not connect to the requested VDP appliance. Would you like to be directed to the VDP configuration screen to throubleshoot the issue.

But whats wrong? I’m currently logged on to the Webclient with my Domain Login. When I’m using SSO Administrator admin@system-domain Login the VDP Frontends starts,
also another Domain Login can connect. Something in the chain Windows Domain, Single Sign On, vCenter and VDP Appliance fails.
Continue reading VMware: Cannot connect from vCenter Webclient to VDP Appliance →

VMware

VMware vCenter: Howto add an Active Directory Domain as SSO Identity Source and using system session credentials

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Attention: If plan a update to VMware vSphere/vCenter 5.1.0 Update 1. Currently this version contains a bug which prevents User from Login. VMware is working on an Fix. See KB2050941

=> Bug is solved in 5.1.0 Update 1a

Hi everybody,

since VMware vCenter 5.1 a new service SSO, the Single Sign On Service,  handles the authentication for all logons. The advantage is that multiple authentication sources are possible. For example Local User and groups, OpenLDAP Directory Services and of course Microsofts Active Directory.

This post is related to vCenter Version 5.1.0b and describes how to add an Active Directory Domain as Identity source and get this running by using the “Reuse session” Authentication Type. The last one is the tricky part :-).

Let us start. Start the vSphere WebClient with a login which owns the appropriate rights, for example admin@system-domain or any other user who owsn has the SSO administrator privileges, and navigate to Administration/Sign On and Discovery/Configration. In the default configuration two identity sources are added by default. The SSO database and the user management of the local server.

To add an Active Directory as identity source the following informations are required

  • The Domain fully qualified domain name
  • The Domains NetBIOS Name
  • At least one domain controller
  • The Base DN for the users and groups

The attached powershell script GetSSOParameters.ps1 should determine this for your domain. You must start the script with the fully qualified domain name as parameter. Try it!

PS c:\>GetNetBiosDomainName.ps1 yourdomain.com
Basic Config for VMware SSO Identity source
NAME: YOURDOMAIN
Primary Server: ldap://domaincontroller1.yourdomain.com
Secondary Server: ldap://domaincontroller2.yourdomain.com
BaseDN Users: DC=yourdomain,DC=com
Domain: yourdomain.com
Domain Alias: YOURDOMAIN
BaseDN Groups: DC=yourdomain,DC=com

If you have the necessary information you can add the Identity source. See Screenshot below. First try to add by specifing a Username and a password which have the rights to query the Active Directory

VMware SSO Identity Source with "Password" option
VMware SSO Identity Source with “Password” option

Press the Test Connection Button and normally this return that the connection is successfully established. Continue reading VMware vCenter: Howto add an Active Directory Domain as SSO Identity Source and using system session credentials →