Back in the day we just used the ‘At’ command to schedule a reboot, but starting with Server 2012 that was stopped! If you try it now you will see the following;
The AT command has been depreciated. Please use schtasks.exe instead
Solution (The Quick Way)
Execute the following command (change time and data accordingly);
I was trying to hot add some memory to a VM the other day, and found the option grayed out. Normally I’d just down the VM, add the memory, then bring it back up. But it was a production server and I was pretty sure the OS supported it.
A quick Google search told me why it was grayed out, but it also transpired there was little to no information on what version of Windows hot add and hot plug would work with.
Solution
I’m not going to argue the semantics of the differences between “hot add” and “hot plug”, if I’m taking about hot add I’m talking about memory, if I’m talking about hot plug I’m talking about adding CPUs. You also need to be aware that to date Few OS’s support hot remove or hot unplug. If you try you will see the following;
vSphere version 6 or 6.5 (Hot Unplug )
It simply wont let you lower the value;
Note: With a Supported O,S (i.e. Server 2016 and 2019) you CAN hot remove CPU.
vSphere version 5.0 or 5.5
Hot Add Memory/ CPU in vSphere 6 & 6.5
As with earlier version of vSphere, to enable hot plug or hot remove, the machine has to be shut down. Then the option can be enabled. Select the VM > Edit Settings.
CPU: Virtual Hardware > CPU > Tick ‘Enable CPU Hot Add’ > Save.
Hot Plug, Hot Add in the vSphere HTML5 Client
Hot Add Memory/ CPU in vSphere 5 & 5.5
As for memory and CPU settings you will probably see what I was seeing. Both the options are not changeable.
2. Sorry but to enable this feature you need to power off the client machine, then when you edit its settings > Options > Advanced > Memory/CPU_Hotplug > You can enable hot add and hot plug > OK . Power the VM back on again.
3. Now you will see you have the option to hot add memory and hot plug CPUs.
What Operating Systems support this?
Like I said above, I did some testing because information is thin on the ground, this is what I was actually able to make work.
With 2008 R2 Standard
1. As you can tell from the table memory hot add will work but to add a CPU will need a reboot. Before I started I had 2 CPUs and 4GB of memory.
2. Lets add more memory and CPUs.
3. For all machines I tested there was a lag, sometimes as little as 3-5 seconds, other times as long as 15-20 seconds, during this time you will see some processor and memory usage spikes. But as shown the memory eventually becomes available.
4. Post reboot, your extra CPUs will appear.
With 2008 R2 Enterprise and Datacenter
1. Note I’m using Datacenter here, but Enterprise is the same. I increased the memory from 4 to 5 GB, And added a further 3 CPUs.
2. It does work, you simply need to restart the “Task Manager” to reflect the increased CPU count.
3. Finished.
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I was setting up a print server yesterday, when I tried to add the print server role it failed with this error;
Unable to obtain feature list error 0x800f0902
Solution
Internet searching was pointing to a problem with the ‘Task Scheduler Service’ and suggested stopping that, which I was unable to do. It turns out my server had just finished Windows updates, and needed to reboot, (it was a new deployment). Post reboot it was fine.
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In Part 3 we ran through manual pools, if you want to deploy automated pools using ‘Linked Clones’, then you will need VMware Composer. Composer installs on your Virtual Center Server. It also requires a database, the following is a step by step guide to installing SQL Server 2008 R2 and configuring it for Composer.
VMware View 5 Suppored Database Platforms
When you have your databse platform installed and configured, on the Virtual center server create an ODBC connection to the database and install VMware Composer. Finally you will need to enable composer in the VMware View Administrator Console.
Solution
VMware View – Installing SQL 2008 R2 and Configuring for Composer
1. Let the SQL DVD auto-run and choose Installation > New installation > OK > Product Key > Next > Accept the EULA > Next > Install the setup files.
2. Take note of any warnings, here it’s complaining that I’m on a domain controller (in a test environment this is OK, don’t do this in production!). And it’s giving me a firewall warning. I’m going to disable the firewall as I’m behind a corporate firewall, BUT if you want to create an exception for TCP port 1433, or run the following command. That would be the correct way to address the warning.
[box] netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name = SQLPort dir = in protocol = tcp action = allow localport = 1433 remoteip = localsubnet profile = DOMAIN [/box]
3. You only need the “Database Engine Services” and the “Management Tools” , or you can simply install everything > Next > Next > Select Default Instance* > Next > Next.
*Unless you specifically want a named instance.
4. I set the services to run under the ‘System’ account, if you want to use the domain admin, or another domain service account use that instead. You can use the “Use same account button for all” to save typing > Next.
5. We will need SQL authentication, type in a suitable complex password (You can add the current user of the domain administrator as well) > Next > If your installing Analysis services you can add an account here > Next.
6. Install the native mode default configuration > Next > Next > Next > Install > Close > Exit the SQL installer.
7. Launch the SQL Management Studio > Log in (for servername simply type in localhost) > Right click Databases > New Database..
8. Give the Database a name > Select the ‘Options’ Settings.
9. Change the recovery model to ‘Simple’ > OK.
10. Expand Security > Logins > Create a new login.
13. Give the new user/login a name, select SQL authentication > Set a complex password > Untick Enforce password expiration > Select the user mappping section (on the left).
14. Select the database you have just created and give this new user the “db_owner” role > OK > Exit the management studio
VMware View – Configure ODBC Settings on the Virtual Center Server
15. On the vCenter Server > Start > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC).
16. System DSN > Add > SQL Server Native Client > Finish,
17. Add in the Database name and the server you installed SQL on > Next.
18. Supply the details for the user you created and the password you set > Next.
19. Change the default database from ‘master’ to the one you created > Next > accept all the defaults > Finish.
20. Click ‘Test Data Source’ and it should say TEST COMLPETED SUCESSFULLY > OK > OK > OK.
VMware View – Installing VMware Composer
Note: Composer MUST be installed on your VMware virtual Center (vCenter) Server.
21. Run the installer > Next > Next > Accept the EULA > Next > Next > Enter the ODBC details and login you created earlier > Next.
22. Next > Install > Finish.
VMware View – Add Composer to VMware View Administrator Console
23. Connect to, and log into the VMware View Administrator Console > View Configuration > Servers > If you already have a vCenter server select Edit > If not select Add.
24. On the vCenter Server settings tab ensure ‘Enable View Composer’ is ticked and add in a domain user (with rights to create, and delete computer objects in the domain) > OK.
25. You will know if the operation was successful as the vCenter logo will change, it will now have a gold/yellow box around it.
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Seen on Windows Server 2008 R2 running on VMware ESX/ESXi 4.0 and 4.1
Solution
Firstly, I’m assuming you are running the latest version of VMware tools on the machine in question, this procedure was carried out with VMware tools version 8.3.2 and cures the problem.
1. On the affected VM Click Start > In the search run box type > devmgmt.msc {enter}
2. Expand “Display adapters” Right click the one in use > “Update Driver Software.”
3. Browse to ” C:/Program Files/Common Files/VMware/Drivers/wddm_video” > Next.
4. When finished it should say “VMware SVGA 3D” Drivers have installed successfully. > Close
5. You will be prompted for a reboot, do so.
Note: Also ensure that you have allowed at least 8MB RAM for the graphics card (machine needs to be powered off before you can edit this).
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ES! it is, if in doubt see the compatibility matrix. But you have tried to install it and seen an error?
Error: This product can only be installed on the following 64-bit operating systems: Windows XP SP2 or above Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008
Solution
Essentially this just a bad error message that bears no resemblance the the actual problem!
The REAL REASON you are seeing this error is because you re trying to install vCenter on a domain controller.
This happens because, as part of the vCenter 4.1 setup the following takes place,
And if the server is a Domain controller, ADLDS cannot be installed. You will notice that if you watch the “Roles” section during the install of vCenter, that a role drops onto the list.
Final Thoughts
For anyone who thinks “Well Ill put vCenter on first then make the server a domain controller”. That won’t work either, if you try that you will see this error,
Error: The TCP ports shown below are required by Active Directory Domain Services, but are already in use on this computer. 389 ldap
To be honest a more descriptive error message would help. (Cheers VMware!). It’s not as if you cant do it…
Same thing on Server 2008
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This article is primarily geared towards making your guest virtual machines hard drives LARGER, If you want to SHRINK or make the drive smaller then see the following article.
1. On the properties of the VM select the hard disk in question and locate its size.
2. Enter the new size and hit OK. Note: Making the drive size smaller, will have no affect, if you want to do that clone the drive. If the option is “Greyed out” then make sure you DO NOT have any snapshots for this machine.
Re-sizing the guests “Volume” Option 1 – Graphically
Note: To do this using diskpart skip forward to number 10.
3. On the guest > Right click “My Computer” > Manage > Locate “Disk Management”. You will see there’s some free space that’s appeared on the end of the drive, (Click action > Re-scan if you can’t see it).
4. Simply right click the existing volume and select “Extend Volume”.
5. Next.
6. Copy in the extra space you want to assign (all of it probably) > Next.
7. Finish.
8. All the physical drive should now be committed.
9. And just to be sure, look in “My Computer” the drive is now 300 GB.
Re-sizing the guests “Volume” Option 2 – From Command Line with diskpart
10. Start > run > cmd{enter}
[box]diskpart list volume< select volume x –Where x is the volume number of the volume to be re sized[/box]
11. The final command is simply extend (This uses ALL the available free space.) Note the volume size in the picture below has jumped up by 40 GB.
Resizing a System (boot) Partition.
Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 can do this quite happily. Older versions of Windows do not like having their system drive re sized, you see the following error if you try,
Error: The volume you have selected may not be extended. Please select another volume and try again.
Option 1 (Connect this drive to another machine)
In a virtual environment this is much simpler, but even if its a real physical hard drive, you can put it into another server and re size it. In an ESX environment simply do the following,
1. Shut down the machine that needs its drive re sizing, then go to another virtual machine’s properties and select add.
2. Hard Disk > Next.
3. Select “Use existing virtual disk” > Next.
4. Browse to the the drive we want to re size > Next.
5. Next.
6. Finish.
7. Now on the VM (Action > Re-scan disks). You will see the drive, and it’s not listed as a system drive, so you can extend it using any of the methods listed above.
8. For example, heres the drive re sized using disport.
9. when you have re sized the drive go back to the properties of the machine you have connected it to, and remove it.
10. OK.
11. Now power on the original VM and drive will be re sized.
Option 2 (Re size the Windows volume with GParted)
Note: This will work for a physical server as well.
1. Here’s our system drive with some nice shiny free space.
2. Make sure the server in question can boot from CD, in VMware do the following to boot to the machines BIOS, for a real server watch the screen as the server boots for instructions (Usually F10, F1 or Esc but differs depending on vendor).
3. Locate the boot order and make sure CD/DVD is at the top of the list.
4. Download GParted burn the image to CD, if you are working on a real server (use ImgBurn if your stuck). Or simply point the VM to the iso image, and boot the machine in question from it. At the welcome screen press Enter.
5. Use your arrow and tab keys to select Don’t touch the keymap > OK.
6. Pick a language.
7. We want to launch the GUI (X Windows), so select 0 (Zero).
8. Select Re size/Move > Drag the arrow to include the free space > Re size/Move.
9. Apply
10. Apply.
11. Close.
12. Click GParted > Quit.
13. Exit > Reboot/Shutdown > OK.
14. Remove the CD/ISO and press Enter.
15. The guest will run chkdsk the firs time it boots. This is normal don’t panic.
16. Once booted the volume will be re sized.
Shrink a Windows Partition with diskpart
1. To actually make the volume smaller with diskpart, the initial commands are the same.
2. If you use “shrink” on its own is will shrink the drive as much as it can (I cannot think of any situation where you would do this!). So to shrink the volume by 10 GB simply issue a “shrink minimum 10240”. (The figure in in MB).
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Seen while using Backup Exec 2010 R2, while attempting to backup an Exchange 2010 server (on Windows server 2008 R2) in a VMware virtualised environment (using the VMware Backup Exec Agent).
I installed a classroom full of PC’s today, after setting them all updating, and rebooting, I went to lunch, and came back to find them all displaying this,
Stage 3 of 3
Preparing to configure Windows.
Don't turn off your computer.
I went and did another room, came back, and there was no change.
Solution
It turns out this is a known problem if you are installing KB2533552, to get round the problem simply press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, and you will be presented with the login page.
Microsoft recommend you install the above update separately.
Note: It will affect both Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2.
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