VMware ESX and ESXi in the Enterprise: Planning Deployment of Virtualization Servers, Second Edition

Ed Haletkys practical, solutions-focused guide to running ESX Server - now fully revised for VMware 4.X and vSphere cloud computing Everything IT professionals need to plan, deploy, and manage ESX Server 4.X or vSphere in mission-critical environments. Extensive updates: new code, new hardware, new vSphere client; vSafe, VMFS, NIC Teaming, automated deployment and configuration, and much more By world-renowned virtualization consultant, author, and VMware Forum virtuoso Ed Haletky. This is the definitive, single-source guide to planning, deploying, and managing VMwares ESX Server 3.5 and new vSphere cloud computing platform in mission-critical environments. Drawing on his extensive experience consulting on enterprise VMware implementations, Edward L. Haletky brings together an unprecedented collection of tips, best practices, and field-tested solutions. More than any other author, he illuminates the real issues, tradeoffs, and pitfalls associated with ESX Server and vSphere, and shows how to make the most of them in any environment. Extensively revised for the newest versions of ESX Server and vSphere, this edition contains: Code updates to fully reflect VMware 4.X Detailed coverage of new hardware, including new IBM and Dell server images and Intel Nehalem processors. More coverage of auditing and monitoring. An all-new chapter on automated deployment and configuration. New or expanded coverage of vSafe, VMFS, NIC Teaming, distributed virtual switches, the new vSphere client, and other topics. Ed Haletky thoroughly addresses the entire lifecycle: planning, installation, template creation, system monitoring, tuning, clustering, security, disaster recovery, and more. All of this books best practices were road tested by consultants who have worked with ESX Server in multiple enterprises and diverse deployments. Haletky supports his recommendations with examples, real-world case studies, and empirical evidence.