Posts tagged VMware ESX

Using the integrated kickstart generator

Oct 14th

Posted by Christian in Life

VMware built an kickstart generator into ESX 3.5. You just need to enable it, simply by editing an XML configuration and restarting the webAccess service. Simply edit /usr/lib/vmware/webAccess/tomcat/apache-tomcat-5.5.26/webapps/ui/WEB-INF/struts-config.xml and look for the line saying:

<action path="/scriptedInstall" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction" parameter="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/disabled.jsp" />

This line needs to be commented out (<– and –>) and the lines following, having those comment marks around them needs to be removed.

<!--
<action path="/scriptedInstall" type="com.vmware.webcenter.scripted.ProcessAction">
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form1" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form1.jsp" />
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form2" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form2.jsp" />
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form3" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form3.jsp" />
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form4" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form4.jsp" />
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form5" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form5.jsp" />
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form6" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form6.jsp" />
  <forward name="scriptedInstall.form7" path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form7.jsp" />
</action>
-->

After doing that, you should be able to restart the webAccess service, and after that access your ESX host.

# service vmware-webAccess restart
Stopping VMware ESX Server webAccess:
   VMware ESX Server webAccess                             [FAILED]
Starting VMware ESX Server webAccess:
   VMware ESX Server webAccess                             [  OK  ]

If that worked, you should see the Login to Script Installer link on the Dashboard of the Web interface.

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VMware vSphere and templates

Jul 31st

Posted by Christian in Life

I just converted one of my (old) templates, as I wanted to refresh the updates and the virus scanner. After converting, I was asked about the UUID (no clue why), and expected to be done with it. But after looking at the console, I got the following, completely cryptic message:

Unable to connect to MKS

Unable to connect to MKS

After digging a bit deeper (that is looking at the vmware.log of the virtual machine, since the message of the GUI is *real* cryptic), I’m a bit wiser:

Jul 31 08:25:16.637: vmx| [msg.svgaUI.badLimits] Insufficient video RAM. The
maximum resolution of the virtual machine will be limited to 1176x885 at
16 bits per pixel. To use the configured maximum resolution of 2360x1770
at 16 bits per pixel, increase the amount of video RAM allocated to this
virtual machine by setting svga.vramSize="16708800" in the virtual
machine's configuration file.

After softly shutting the VM down, and the powering the VM back up everything is back to working order.

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