How to configure ESX 3.5 (3.x) Service Console networking:

1) This command "esxcfg-vswif -i <10.10.10.1> -n <255.255.255.0> vswif0" modifies the network configuration file /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-vswif0

# Broadcom CorporationNetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet
DEVICE=vswif0
BOOTPROTO=static
ONBOOT=yes
PORTGROUP="Service Console"
MACADDR=00:50:56:4f:12:ae
BROADCAST=172.17.10.255
IPADDR=172.17.10.201
NETMASK=255.255.255.0

2) Edit the route file /etc/sysconfig/network

NETWORKING=yes
GATEWAYDEV=vswif0
GATEWAY=172.17.10.1
HOSTNAME=vinycesxtest.valiantinsurance.com

3) Edit the DNS resolver file /etc/resolv.conf

nameserver 172.16.2.4
nameserver 172.16.2.5
search valiantinsurance.com

SQL Problem installing WSS 3.0 - 'min server memory':

weird error when installing WSS 3.0 (during SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard) with SQL 2005. to fix it so that wizard can complete, execute the following on the SQL server:

use master;
go
exec sp_configure 'min server memory','256';
reconfigure with override;

How to upgrade VMware VirtualCenter 2.5 SQL Express to SQL 2005:

1. Step 0: BACKUP or SNAPSHOT your VC server!
2. Stop VirtualCenter service
3. Stop VMware Update service
4. Stop License Server service
5. Stop SQL Express service
6. copy the SQL data files to the new SQL 2005 location. Example below:
7. 
8. on the new SQL 2005 server, start Management Studio and use "attach database" function import the migrated data files. Name the new database VIM_VCDB (or any other name).
9. identify or create a SQL user (vmware is recommended, but anything will work) on the SQL 2005 server to have db_owner role for the VIM_VCDB database.
10. on the VirtualCenter server, modify the both of the VMware DSNs in "Administrative Tools -> Data Source (ODBC)", see below:
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. take defaults for the rest of the steps.
16. Edit registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware VirtualCenter\DB\2" with the SQL user name.
17. at cmd prompt, run "vpxd -p" from the VirtualCenter folder under "c:\Program Files" (or the equivalent) and supply the password.
18. start Licensing Server
19. start VMware Update Manager
20. start VirtualCenter Service
21. test connection and functionality from a VI Client and you are done. if it works with no glitch, pat yourself on the back!

How to build a VMware VDI environment (simple):


Prerequisite: ESX host (or cluster) 3.5, Virtual Center 2.5, a Windows XP template, a Customization Specification (basically a sysprep.inf, but configured through VC), a VM running 2003 (for the VDM server).

1. on the VDM server, run the VDM Connection Server setup and take all defaults
2. browse to the admin console http://vdmserver/admin

How to enable the NetApp java shell:

An extremely neat command (undocumented) in NetApp DataOntap OS is "java netapp.cmds.jsh" which enables a command shell much like a stripped down version of linux. in this shell, you can use commands like "cd", "ls", "cat", etc.