Why is VMWare considered so often
-
I started with free ESXi just before 5 came out. I had very little experience with virtualization. My only real experience was with VirtualBox running a BESx server. I learned how to use it and since Hyper-V was very limited and I am the only guy here, I decided to deploy VMware on 3 hosts. I have had some headaches in the past (vSphere Storage Appliance) with them but I overall have had a good experience. My main complaint, other than cost, is the slow and clunky vSphere Web Client. The C# client is so much better.
I do want to dip my toe into XS but will wait until I have more time and they upgrade the UI, as someone has mentioned in an earlier post.
-
@wrx7m said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
I started with free ESXi just before 5 came out. I had very little experience with virtualization. My only real experience was with VirtualBox running a BESx server. I learned how to use it and since Hyper-V was very limited and I am the only guy here, I decided to deploy VMware on 3 hosts. I have had some headaches in the past (vSphere Storage Appliance) with them but I overall have had a good experience. My main complaint, other than cost, is the slow and clunky vSphere Web Client. The C# client is so much better.
I do want to dip my toe into XS but will wait until I have more time and they upgrade the UI, as someone has mentioned in an earlier post.
The XenCenter interface is very similar to the VMware C# interface. Both in terms of looks and functionality.
-
Let's say you want to migrate/convert your VMs from VMware to XS. How easy is that?
-
@wrx7m said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
Let's say you want to migrate/convert your VMs from VMware to XS. How easy is that?
What do you use for a backup?
-
@coliver Veeam - It is awesome
-
@wrx7m said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
Let's say you want to migrate/convert your VMs from VMware to XS. How easy is that?
Pretty simple, you'd just V2V the VM or do an export to the open format.
Import the VM into XS and test.
-
@wrx7m said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@coliver Veeam - It is awesome
Without being too off topic, could you list the top 5 things you like the most about VEEAM? This could give me ideas for XO
-
@olivier said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@wrx7m said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@coliver Veeam - It is awesome
Without being too off topic, could you list the top 5 things you like the most about VEEAM? This could give me ideas for XO
Ability to restore individual files is huge.
-
@olivier said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@Breffni-Potter I have no idea of what you are talking about. The official doc is here: https://xen-orchestra.com/docs/
But I missed that, The site layout makes me bounce my eyes. Make my life easier, give me a menu bar button. If I don't see it on the FAQ or as a button on featured, what's the fastest way of getting to them?
Put the link in the download email, soAssume I am ignorant of opening a web browser and connecting to the IP address. Think of a brand new person to IT who gets ahold of your product, the bit at the bottom about pro support does not help the guys on the free edition.
https://xen-orchestra.com/#!/features/webinterface
This assumes you are a Xen Server believer. Why would I use Xen over the other 2 choices, yes you are offering a management tool for Xen but sell to me the benefits of XenServer.
I'm eager to hear things that you think really useful in UI as a VM admin, to improve XO
Brave man
I've got a nice 1920 x 1080 screen. The UI takes up way too much real estate, I don't get to see every option for a single VM and have to scroll.
Everything feels a bit too close together, a bit cluttered. Even though I've got 1 host and 2 1 VMs, My worry is once it grows it's going to become unmanageable.
The row of grey icons on grey buttons, I have to look carefully to see is that a thunderbolt icon or something else.
-
@scottalanmiller But isn't that performed with an agent into each VM?
I mean it is huge, and would really be great if there was a way to integrate it. Or to use something like AMANDA to be able to perform file level restores.
-
@scottalanmiller I assume it's possible thanks to an agent in the VM?
Well, I like challenges, I could imagine a way to read the VM blocks and read the underlying FS to display files. But that would be something a bit complicated ^^
-
@olivier How does the AMANDA backup appliance do this currently?
It's agentless is it not, and provides a full File Level backup?
-
@coliver said
The XenCenter interface is very similar to the VMware C# interface. Both in terms of looks and functionality.
Yeah, XenCenter is almost a clone which for a toolbox to tell things what to do, so anyone going from VMWare or Hyper-v tools can jump right into it.
-
@DustinB3403 said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@olivier How does the AMANDA backup appliance do this currently?
It's agentless is it not, and provides a full File Level backup.
It's agentless, but it works over network shares. Not very good in general, IMHO.
-
@DustinB3403 said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@scottalanmiller But isn't that performed with an agent into each VM?
No, Veeam is purely agentless. That's their thing. Everything is handled through the hypervisor's snapshot mechanism. Hence why they have no means of working with ESXi Free. No one is less associated with agents than Veeam.
-
@Breffni-Potter
- Do you see the big red button? Just click on the link just 10px on top, you know, the one with "More documentation? Go read it here"
- The point is we are mainly targeting XenServer users. Why? Works out-of-the-box with them, market around 100k installs. Do you really think a company like ours can compete directly with VMWare or Microsoft? This is a niche strategy, the only solution to start on the market without raising 100M$ on the first round. I admit this is more a business reason than anything else, so it's possible it only makes sense after having the explanations.
- Fair point and that's why we are designing a new UI. Especially on the infrastructure size, the goal is now to provide something scalable for our customers from small to huge VMs number (approx from 1 to 5000 VMs)
- Do you see the big red button? Just click on the link just 10px on top, you know, the one with "More documentation? Go read it here"
-
@Breffni-Potter said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
This assumes you are a Xen Server believer. Why would I use Xen over the other 2 choices, yes you are offering a management tool for Xen but sell to me the benefits of XenServer.
Why else would you be on a XenServer tooling site? Makes no sense to sell the only reason that someone would be there.
That's like having a Chevy dealer that needs to explain the benefits of driving. realistically, everyone who comes in the door already knows why cars are nice.
-
@scottalanmiller said
That's like having a Chevy dealer that needs to explain the benefits of driving. realistically, everyone who comes in the door already knows why cars are nice.
No. You are not a Chevy dealer, you are a chevy accessories dealer.
If most people are driving Fords or BMWs, is it not in your interest to hype up the chevy to begin with?
-
@Breffni-Potter said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@scottalanmiller said
That's like having a Chevy dealer that needs to explain the benefits of driving. realistically, everyone who comes in the door already knows why cars are nice.
No. You are not a Chevy dealer, you are a chevy accessories dealer.
If most people are driving Fords or BMWs, is it not in your interest to hype up the chevy to begin with?
You're right, you are a chevy accessories dealer. But if you own a chevy, and you really want those parts you wouldn't go to a BMW dealership for them or even a BMW Accessories dealer.
You know what you have, and you know what it can do. You just want add-ons. XO offers this.
You have the option to buy the accessory from this accessories dealer, or build it your self. So that's a huge item with people already using XenServer.
-
@olivier said in Why is VMWare considered so often:
@Breffni-Potter
- Do you see the big red button? Just click on the link just 10px on top, you know, the one with "More documentation? Go read it here"
Where is the big red button? I must be blind.
@olivier said
- The point is we are mainly targeting XenServer users. Why? Works out-of-the-box with them, market around 100k installs. Do you really think a company like ours can compete directly with VMWare or Microsoft?
Is the point to compete? Or is the point to say "here's the alternative, try this out, we think it's cool we endorse it"
the only solution to start on the market without raising 100M$ on the first round
But what happens when your pool of customers stagnates? Surely that pool of 100k installs needs to get bigger.
- Do you see the big red button? Just click on the link just 10px on top, you know, the one with "More documentation? Go read it here"
