Yellow Bricks

by Duncan Epping

software

Stage Manager beta available

· ·

I already blogged about it, but the new product VMware Stage Manager is now available as a beta download. Try it! Key features in this release:

  • Rapidly create new multi-server software configurations (services)
  • Monitor resource usage on a per-service, per-stage and per-instance basis
  • Easily perform operations on a complete service (e.g. cloning, deploying, archiving, etc.)
  • Marshall changes across the service lifecycle, interacting with external process management/workflow system to ensure compliance with service transition policies
  • Maintain an archive of past service configurations supporting compliance and recovery operations
  • Maintain an auditable history of software configuration changes
  • Manage storage behavior on a per-stage basis to maximize storage efficiency
  • Control access to services on a per-service, per-stage and per-instance basis
  • Inherit then deploy services to resource pools created within VMware VirtualCenter

Xenserver patchmanagement

· ·

One of the things that Xenserver, still lacks is decent patch management. VMware solved this in ESX3.5/VC2.5 with the “update manager” which is an awesome tool for updating your ESX Hosts. (Yes it can be used for Windows/Linux and applications, but it needs to be refined in my opinion.) Patching Xenserver is a manual job, but not for long. Citrix just announced a new feature for the upcoming Xenserver release, pool-wide patchmanagement.

Pool-wide patch management has been integrated into the product, and, in conjunction with a wizard in XenCenter, will allow you to:

  • Check the Citrix XenServer website for updates
  • Download any pending updates to your XenCenter system
  • Choose which servers in your managed pools you wish to apply the patches to
  • Put each server in maintenance mode (with their VMs kept online on another server via XenMotion)
  • Apply the patches
  • Bring the server back online and move VMs back to it automatically

All in a single guided process.

There should be a beta available soon. It’s good to see Citrix is bringing Xenserver up to speed. This competition/rivalry will eventually make all products better! Read it at the source.

VMware Stage Manager

· ·

VMware starts a new beta program the 21st of January, the product is called Stage Manager. Stage Manager seems to be some sort of Lab Manager spin off. But it goes way beyond what Lab Manager can do.

  • You can easily boot shadow production servers
  • Create test environments for infrastructure changes
  • Build complex pre-production environments
  • Systematically propagate complex system changes through development, testing, staging and user acceptance phases before committing systems into production
  • Get a better grip on your change, configuration and release (CCR) management processes

If you’re interested than contact your VMware partner and maybe you’ll be the one winning that “VMWorld 2008” pass! I will try to get my hands on the product and see if I can find the time to test it.