Esxi free is dead. Alternative?

[NPS]

It should just be obvious. The server has an open view of all the files it shares to the NFS client. You could chroot into the tree if you wanted. As a result there is no buffering that would be affected by snapshotting the raw block device - because there is no block device. No filesystem block device cache and consistency model present.

I don't think the problems I wanted to put in fokus are dependent on block storage protocols. I think the problem remains the same on the layer above that, where we would talk about file access. Most software working with files is not perfectly transaction based. So my point would be that you do a set of modifications to a file with flushes in between and the snapshot is taken before the last modification of the full change set is completed and the data would be consistent again.

 

[gea]

I am also looking at SmartOS (Triton, mnx) to run as a hypervisor and then add Nomad on top, which would be great if I figure out how to import ESXI VMs to SmartOS.

@gea do you think napp-it would work on SmartOS?

I have reconsidered this.

The current port of napp-it for ZFS on Windows I am currently working on offers not only the option for Hyper-V on ZFS + native Windows SMB with rdma. On the Windows port of napp-it I execute admin commands or tools like zfs or zpool via a background client server socket connection . This can be extended to non-Windows servers like BSD, Linux , OSX or Illumos/Solaris. A Windows napp-it (runs without any Windows modification, just copy and run) can then remotely manage them via a OS specific socket server script that adopts napp-it requests like type, get, set, read,write xx to OS specific commands. Only this socket script + Perl is required. Should be not a problem with SmartOS at least for tasks like zfs management and job management that can extended with (private) napp-it menues for individual management tasks.

I have put this on my todo list.
(to be expected in the medium term)

Anyone has done such?
- create a folder on persistent storage on SmartOS with a default Perl.
- modify bootup to autostart perl ./path/socketscript.pl

A future online installer can then download this folder with Perl and the socket script and a adds an autostart of the socketserver.

 

[unwind-protect]

I don't think the problems I wanted to put in fokus are dependent on block storage protocols. I think the problem remains the same on the layer above that, where we would talk about file access. Most software working with files is not perfectly transaction based. So my point would be that you do a set of modifications to a file with flushes in between and the snapshot is taken before the last modification of the full change set is completed and the data would be consistent again.

That is all true.

My point, however, is that with NFS this part of the problem isn't made worse compared to a VM-local snapshot.

 

[BobTB]

... via a OS specific socket server script that adopts napp-it requests like type, get, set, read,write xx to OS specific commands. Only this socket script + Perl is required. Should be not a problem with SmartOS at least for tasks like zfs management and job management that can extended with (private) napp-it menues for individual management tasks.

This sounds mighty nice, send/receive replication would be possible then too

 

[gea]

A send from any OS to any OS will be a lot of work. At least everything is possible with full remote socket control.
Main advantage over ssh is less configuration and access can be restricted to specific tasks under gui control.

First step is remote ZFS management of a group of Windows/ OmniOS ZFS servers.
And it is quite easy to add individual menus to napp-it with minimal scripting knowledge.

If anyone wants to play with on BSD, Linux, Illumos, OSX or Solaris for first steps
https://www.napp-it.org/doc/downloads/napp-it on windows.pdf

Please report insights.

 

[SRussell]

After that minimum amount of thousands of cores for basic level pricing... I am making an intentional decision to walk away from VM Ware. It was never much of my core skills but screw spending any more of my own time to keep up for the next certification.

 

[you]

Would be fine if those who use ProxMox or XCP report experiences and tipps with a Unix storage VM (OmniOS/ Solaris) or Windows (ZoW)

- Installation (problems/ workarounds)
- Tuning (nic, memory assignment)
- Consistent ZFS snaps (like ESXi quiesce snaps)
- Backup/ fast disaster recovery (configured storage VM best via snap/zfs send methods and bootenvironments)

I left some information about my proxmox omnios nappit setup here. It's running just fine.

 

[bigfellasdad]

For home use I stopped using vmware some years ago and now only use Proxmox. At work we are currently looking into alternatives for vmware, and we use A LOT of it across all of our data centre's in the UK with likely 25,000 VMs, im interested to know the final decision, at which point ill likely start using what ever that may be. I do hope its proxmox though.