In-the-Lab: Install VMware Tools on NexentaStor VSA

Physical lab resources can be a challenge to "free-up" just to test a potential storage appliance. With NexentaStor, you can download a pre-configured VMware (or Xen) appliance from NexentaStor.Org, but what if you want to build your own? Here's a little help on the subject:

1. Download the ISO from NexentaStor.Org (see link above);


2. Create a VMware virtual machine:
   
   
   
   1. 2 vCPU
   
   
   2. 4GB RAM (leaves about 3GB for ARC);
   
   
   3. CD-ROM (mapped to the ISO image);
   
   
   4. One (optionally two if you want to simulate the OS mirror) 4GB, thin provisioned SCSI disks (LSI Logic Parallel);
   
   
   5. Guest Operating System type: Sun Solaris 10 (64-bit)
   
   
   6. One E1000 for Management/NAS
   
   
   7. (optional) One E1000 for iSCSI
   
   
   
   


3. Streamline the guest by disabling unnecessary components:
   
   
   
   1. floppy disk
   
   
   2. floppy controller (remove from BIOS)
   
   
   3. primary IDE controller (remove from BIOS)
   
   
   4. COM ports (remove from BIOS)
   
   
   5. Parallel ports (remove from BIOS)
   
   
   
   


4. Boot to ISO and install NexentaStor CE
   
   
   
   1. (optionally) choose second disk as OS mirror during install
   
   
   
   


5. Register your installation with Nexenta
   
   
   
   1. http://www.nexenta.com/register-eval
   
   
   2. (optional) Select "Solori" as the partner
   
   
   
   


6. Complete initial WebGUI configuration wizard
   
   
   
   1. If you will join it to a domain, use the domain FQDN (i.e. microsoft.msft)
   
   
   2. If you choose "Optimize I/O performance..." remember to re-enable ZFS intent logging under Settings>Preferences>System
      
      
      
      1. Sys_zil_disable = No
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   


7. Shutdown the VSA
   
   
   
   1. Settings>Appliance>PowerOff
   
   
   
   


8. Re-direcect the CD-ROM
   
   
   
   1. Connect to Client Device
   
   
   
   


9. Power-on the VSA and install VMware Tools
   
   
   
   1. login as admin
      
      
      
      1. assume root shell with "su" and root password
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. From vSphere Client, initiate the VMware Tools install
   
   
   3. cd /tmp
      
      
      
      1. untar VMware Tools with "tar zxvf  /media/VMware\ Tools/vmware-solaris-tools.tar.gz"
      
      
      
      
   
   
   4. cd to /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib
      
      
      
      1. install VMware Tools with "./vmware-install.pl"
      
      
      2. Answer with defaults during install
      
      
      
      
   
   
   5. Check that VMware Tools shows and OK status
      
      
      
      1. IP address(es) of interfaces should now be registered
         
         [caption id="attachment_1580" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="VMware Tools are registered."][/caption]
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   


10. Perform a test "Shutdown" of your VSA
    
    
    
    1. From the vSphere Client, issue VM>Power>Shutdown Guest
       
       [caption id="attachment_1581" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="System shutting down from VMware Tools request. "][/caption]
    
    
    2. Restart the VSA...
       
       [caption id="attachment_1582" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="VSA restarting in vSphere "][/caption]
    
    
    
    

Now VMware Tools has been installed and you're ready to add more virtual disks and build ZFS storage pools. If you get a warning about HGFS not loading properly at boot time:

[caption id="attachment_1586" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="HGFS module mismatch warning."][/caption]

it is not usually a big deal, but the VMware Host-Guest File System (HGFS) has been known to cause issues in some installations. SInce the NexentaStor appliance is not a general purpose operating system, you should customize the install to not use HGFS at all. To disable it, perform the following:

1. Edit "/kernel/drv/vmhgfs.conf"
   
   
   
   1. Change:     name="vmhgfs" parent="pseudo" instance=0;
   
   
   2. To:     #name="vmhgfs" parent="pseudo" instance=0;
   
   
   
   


2. Re-boot the VSA

Upon reboot, there will be no complaint about the offending HGFS module. Remember that, after updating VMware Tools at a future date, the HGFS configuration file will need to be adjusted again. By the way, this process works just as well on the NexentaStor Commercial edition, however you might want to check with technical support prior to making such changes to a licensed/supported deployment.