[ale] Getting rid of VMware
Derek Atkins
derek at ihtfp.com
Fri Mar 12 09:15:28 EST 2021
Hi,
My guess is that the multiple ethernet ports are being used as a Link
Aggregation Group (which would allow you to have a single IP address but
increase the aggregated network capabilities). But you'd have to check.
I think you will need to at least look at the VMware host configuration to
figure out how the host *is* configured. I don't think you need to be a
vmware expert, but you will need to login as vmware admin to look at the
configs.
-derek
On Fri, March 12, 2021 9:08 am, Tod Fassl via Ale wrote:
> We had four machines in the cluster. We've already pulled 3 of them out.
> Two, I've already installed Linux on and have been repurposed. One is
> sitting there waiting for me to wipe out ESXI and install Linux on it.
> Our virtual Linux file server is still running on that one remaining
> ESXI host. So my task is to install Linux on that machine we just pulled
> out of the cluster and reconnect the ISCSI array to it.
>
>
> What I need to get a grip on is basically how it is working now. I don't
> want to have to become an VMWare expert for a week of work. I suspect
> that what I will be able to do is to follow the usual steps for
> attaching an ISCSI array to a Linux file server. But I don't understand
> why there are all these cables and how its working now.
>
>
> The virtual machine that is acting as a file serveris running on a ESXI
> host that has 6 ethernet cables connected to it. But it looks like most
> of the ports aren't even active. I would *assume* I can safely remove
> those cables. But why the heck are they there in the first place?
>
>
> There's this famous anecdote in comp sci. There was a bare copper wire
> running from an old room-sized computer to a filing cabinet. There was a
> note on the filing cabinet that said, "Do not remove this cable." So a
> new guy comes in, first thing he does is remove the cable, and of
> course, the machine crashes.
>
>
> I don't want to be that guy.
>
>
> I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and learn more about VMWare. Kinda
> sucks though. I'm a math major, not a brick layer.
>
>
> On 3/11/21 5:13 PM, Jim Kinney wrote:
>> That sounds like the hardware nodes supports the iscsi protocol or the
>> base hypervisor layer from vmware is doing the iscsi connection.
>> Probably the later.
>>
>> Either way, you're going have a challenge unless you can get details
>> on the iscsi contents. You'll need to tie each virtual drive to it's
>> correct device. Otherwise virtual machine A gets the drive space of
>> virtual machine B.
>>
>> From ESX you can get the UUID string of the virtual drive used by that
>> linux vm.
>>
>> I would use that vm now as just a source for a backup. Then restore to
>> the new hardware machine running a base install with restore bits. The
>> iscsi array will still need a partition to use for the hardware linux.
>> I doubt vmware will make this easy.
>>
>> Un-virtualizing the drive on an iscsi array sounds like lots of pain.
>> Retire first.
>>
>> On March 11, 2021 5:37:36 PM EST, Tod Fassl via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
>>
>> Soonish, I am going to have to take an ISCSI array that is
>> currently
>> talking to a VMWare virtual machine running Linux and connect it to
>> a
>> real Linux machine. The problem is that I don't know how the Linux
>> virtual machine talks to the array. It appears as /dev/sdb on the
>> Linux
>> virtual machine and is mounted via /etc/fstab like its just a
>> regular HD
>> on the machine.
>>
>>
>> So I figure some explanation of how we got here is in order. My
>> previous
>> boss bought VMWare thinking we could take 4 24-core machines and
>> make
>> one big 96-core virtual machine out of them. He has since retired.
>> Since
>> I was rather skeptical of VMWare from the start, the job of dealing
>> with
>> the cluster was given to a co-worker. He has since moved on. I know
>> just
>> enough about VMWare ESXI to keep the thing working. My new boss
>> wants to
>> get rid of VMWare and re-install everything on the bare metal
>> machines.
>>
>>
>> The VMWare host has 4 ethernet cables running to the switch. But
>> there
>> is only 1 virtual network port on the Linux virtual machine.
>> However,
>> lspci shows 32 "lines with VMware PCI Express Root" (whatever that
>> is):
>>
>>
>> # lspci
>> 00:07.7 System peripheral: VMware Virtual Machine Communication
>> Interface (rev 10)
>> 00:10.0 SCSI storage controller: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic 53c1030
>> PCI-X
>> Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI (rev 01)
>> 00:11.0 PCI bridge: VMware PCI bridge (rev 02)
>> 00:15.0 PCI bridge: VMware PCI Express Root Port (rev 01)
>> [...]
>> 00:18.7 PCI bridge: VMware PCI Express Root Port (rev 01)
>> 02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82545EM Gigabit
>> Ethernet
>> Controller (Copper) (rev 01)
>>
>>
>> The open-iscsi package is not installed on the Linux virtual
>> machine.
>> However, the ISCSI array shows up as /dev/sdb:
>>
>> # lsscsi
>> [2:0:0:0] disk VMware Virtual disk 1.0 /dev/sda
>> [2:0:1:0] disk EQLOGIC 100E-00 8.1 /dev/sdb
>>
>>
>> I'd kinda like to get the ISCSI array connected to a new bare metal
>> Linux server w/o losing everybody's files. Do you think I can just
>> follow the various hotos out there on connecting an ISCSI array w/o
>> too
>> much trouble?
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--
Derek Atkins 617-623-3745
derek at ihtfp.com www.ihtfp.com
Computer and Internet Security Consultant
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