Planning Tech

When you want to Export\Import Objects (Computers, Groups, Users) from your Active Directory you need to use the CSVDE that represents built in commands in your Active Directory infrastructure.

Note!

CSVDE represents as “Comma Separated Variable Data Exchange”

Exporting Objects from Active Directory

Here I will show you few examples for using CSVDE command with are top switches:

Example 1:

In the following Example you learn how to export the entire Active Directory Objects into a CSVDE file

Csvde –f ADfull.csv

-f – this switch represents the way you call your file, in our case we call it ADfull.csv

Example 2:

In the following Example you learn how to Export AD objects with only specific Attributes (Columns)

Csvde –f  adinfo.CSV –L “DN,objectclass.objectCategory,cn”

1. a.       DN – Object Distinguished Name. 
2. b.      Class of object –User,Group,Container.
3. c.       Category – Definition of the Schema (refer to this object).
4. d.      Common Name – Friendly name that being used to refer to the object .

Note!

At the end you will see only the 4 Columns you specify!

Example 3:

The –r switch is used to filter rows – in other words it’s allow you to select the type of records you want

In our example : objectcalss=user  , will return  all user and computer objects

Csvde –f  adinfo.CSV –L “DN,objectclass.objectCategory,cn” –r “(objectclass=user)”

Note!

-L equals to “list”

Example 4:

With this command you will receive a specific attribute using a WILDCARDS , in our case we will receive all user that there name started with “J”

Csvde –f  adinfo.CSV –L “DN,objectclass.objectCategory,cn” –r “(&(objectclass=user(cn=j*))”

Here I want to show you all switches you know till now :

Importing  Objects from Active Directory

By Default, when you use CSVDE, it  is set in Export mode . If you want to import object you must add the –I switch

Not like exporting attribute that easy and fun, when Importing object it’s much more complicated because you need to prepare your Database ,the following points need to be taken :

1. Default Domain Policy – you must allow blank passwords Default Domain Policy – you must allow blank passwords once new objects importing to your Database (put 0 in the pass length).

1. Backup AD -   when importing improper objects you can Damage your directory database.

1. c.       Know what you doing- LDAP is the Lang you use , so pay attention to the letters you use in the attributes names .

1. You must know the use of ADSI Editor you can find this tool from the Support Folder on your Server KIT .with ADSI editor you can understand the AD attributes .

To import a file to your Active Directory Database ,Type:

C:\ csvde –i   -f  Filename.CSV

Note!

By default all imported users will be in Disabled mode .

Configure SNMP and SMTP email for your Virtual Center Server

You can configure your ESX console to send notification via Mail for particular performance issues, to achieve it please do the following:

Open Venter -> Administration à Mail

Smtp Server: <Exchange IP>\<Exchange FQDN (xch.planning.com)>

Sender account: VcenterPlanning@planning-tech.com

Open Venter -> Administration à SNMP

User. Planning-tech.com

Now we need to set the alarms:

We can set the alarm to a single host or setting it on the entire data store:

Add alarm-> Triggers (Here we can configure the triggers that call the alarm!)->add (the Vcenter will add a default alarm we can Modify)

Open the Action tab -> here we actually set the actions that the server will take when one of the alarms will happened -> in action chose “Send a notification”-> in the Value tab insert the administrator E-mail account.

Exploring Maps of your Virtual

infrastructure

• Maps are automatically created – all maps are dynamics and update on every change you make
• Maps can be exported in graphic format(Like .JPEG)
• Maps are “live” and can be used for administration (we can click on one of the objects in the map and open that object)

• Cloning a machine is simply creating a duplicate / copy so that another VM can quickly be created
• Reasons for cloning :
  • Quickly create a new VM
  • Prevent OS rebuild
  • Create a server farm
  • Create test servers

• Types of cloning:
  • Internal ESX cloning (see clone to new VM option)
  • V2V-virtual to virtual:

= VMware Server to VMware ESX Server

= Virtual Server  to VMware ESX Server

• P2V – physical to virtual
• Cloning different than migrating

Right Click on the VM-> Clone to a New Virtual Machine (A new machine is created!).

VMware ESX management Options

• VMware Service Console
  • All the traditional RHEL commands are available, including scripting options, you also can see the Service Console address on the VMware Networking section.
  • Using the ESX Service Console
    • SSH
    • Must install a SSH client – such as secureCRT ($) or Putty($free)
    • It’s good feature that I recommend to know because in some cases you must use  it access your ESX server when the GUI is not available (In case toy deleted the Service Console)

• VMware Infrastructure Web Access
  • Installed by default – you can access it with https://ServerName or Server IP address
  • Not as full features as the VI client.
  • Used to manage individual server only.

Note!

You also can use this feature for downloading VMware Client.

• Virtual Infrastructure(VI)client
  • A full GUI client for VMware ESX and Virtual Center.
  • The most full featured ESX management option(with this tool you also Log in for the VM console for Central ESX server management)
  • Runs only on Windows system.
  • Can point to many ESX servers (But you need to Log out and Log in each server).
  • Required to be used for ESX server management.

Installing the VI client

• Download from the Web Interface -https://ServerName or Server IP address (will be available after you finish install the ESX server)

• Install & take the defaults

Click Run ->

• Login to VC server or ESX server with IP or DNS name.
• Who can login?

Local admin group members if VC Server is not on a DC

NAME IS <DOMAIN>\<USER>

As you already understand you can use VMware client to manage each one of your ESX servers reside on your organization, and it is not good enough!

The solution that helps you see all your ESX Host as come with the VMware Center application that helps you achieves that goal. You can think about that application as a bridge connecting

VMware Client-> VMware Center->All the company Hosts (ESX Servers)

• Product Description – Like I mention above this application allows you to create centralized management platform for VMware ESX Server (not VMware Server).

Note!

The Centralized management is for the ESX servers and not for the VMware Server

• Use Cases
  • Ease administration & data center resources
  • Testing & development – you can take the entire production environment and put it on a virtual machines separated from the local Segments and Vlans.
  • Easy for deployments for large infrastructure to meet business demands.
  • Better hardware utilization – as I told you VMware supports large amounts of Hardware (CPU, Memory ….).
  • Features
    • Large scale Performance -100’s of servers & 1000’s of VMs
    • Centralized management including cloning,templets,guided consolidation of P2V, live migration of VM disks,Centrelaid licensing,multi level alerts and notifications ,management delegation,Reporting,high-avilabilty,auditing,energy resources optimization, and more .
    • Centralized – no more logging onto each host
    • 14 days grace period to login to ESX if license server is down or unavailable
    • If the VC is going off it does not affect the ESX hosts!

What is VMware ESX server?

The VMware ESX server allows you the administrator, to make a lot of tasks to reduce your IT costs. More than that it’s allows you to work with other technology from what you are using now. Among the many benefits you can achieve here you have the most critical points for working with VMware technology

1. The VMware server allows you to run Multiple VM servers on one physical server, for example you can put your DC, Exchange and your File servers on one Physical server but on different virtual machines.

1. The ESX server can support many hardware limits you have till now, the more is better, the ESX server supports multi-processors, massive amounts of RAM and in the storage area you have SUN and NAS support as you can imagine.

1. The ESX supports many options for Central management; you can use GUI (VMware vSphire client), Telnet (Using putti) or the Web options provided with the ESX server.

1. The ESX server allows you to control Communication between your Servers using Virtual Networks, you can create different VLAN’S or different Switches depend on your Physical NIC you installed on the server.

What is the Kernel?

• It manages the Physical resources of the server- memory, CPU, storage and network.
• The heart of VMware ESX and its power.
• An operating system that works at the virtualization layer so you can achieve better performance using the ESX server.
• Without VMkernel you cannot use many great tools from VMware like Vmotion that I will explain on the following post.

• Vmotion is licensed Virtual infrastructure feature that performs the migration of RUNNING virtual machines with NO downtime.

• Vmotion requires a centralized SAN or NAS to store the VM as the VM never really leaves the central storage

• To use VMotion you must configure a new VMKernel network interface on each system(you need to create dedicated Vmnetwork for it).

• That Vmotion network transmits memory of the systems

• Darning that time, all the changes are stored in a bitmap on the host and is the last thing to be Moved to the new server

• The gust has a very short quiescent state when moved to new host while memory bitmap is moved

• Prior to being moved ,the machine is evaluated and there are lots of opportunities for errors as the two host machines and configuration must be very compatible

To install Virtual Center, The Virtual Center server must have:

• Administrator privileges on the installing system to install the Virtual Center server. The VC server installations add VC as windows service.
• Almost on any OS system (include windows XP PRO but not Linux!!!!).
• Minimum 2GB RAM for VC configurations managing 50 Hosts or less .greater than 50 hosts configurations, use 3GB RAM (if you use 32-bit systems 4GB is the maximum).
• The VC can be installed on a Virtual Machine and could be installed on the same OS containing Virtual Client (I recommended to put the VC on a different dedicate server).

Installing Virtual Center

You have 3 Servers to install:

1. Database Server – you can create new one or connect an existing database.
2. License Server – you could create it on the Database server, but remember that it’s a different program that has her on shortcuts.
3. Virtual Center server

Note!

All servers specified above – will install from the same CD to the same server.

1. VC client – download from the ESX webpage (you can do it after you installed your ESX server).
2. New Datacenter – here we add a difference sites contains ESX servers.
3. New Folder – if we chose this option we cannot add sites with ESX servers, so we need to choose Folder->New Database-> add site.

Adding Datacenter in VCENTER using Vclient

Note!

This is important issue because here you can create the Hierarchy of your sites .

• Temples are Copy of  a virtual guest machine(Kind of an Image) .
• A template is a “snapshot” of that VM taken at a time when the VM was freshly installed and before it was “used”, because you don’t want to use dirty machines .
• Templates typically include:
  • Fresh install of guest OS with Updates.
  • All Necessary Applications
  • VMware Tools (will be discussed on another post)
• Existing VMs can be converted to temples(but if already used it’s not recommended ! ).
• Temples can “deployed” /cloned (but not converted) to new VMs OR they can be converted back to VMs
• Templates are stored along with VMs in a folders and in data stores

Note!

You have to go to the “virtual machines & temples” inventory view to see your templates or else they won’t be visible.

Creating Template

Create a fresh copy of OS and install all application you need on that folder , after you finish create this VM.

Right Click on the VM-> Convert to Template :

After we convert the VM into template we will see a “White paper”  as additional VM machine , when we click on it we have two options :

Deploy Virtual Machine from this Template -> create a new virtual Machine from this template , with the same configuration configured on the VM we create that template .

Convert to Virtual Machine -> convert the template to the Original machine (Will erase the template we just create).