Desired Outcome:
I don’t want to be bothered with changing the password. I’ll do that when I want to do that.
Steps:
-Control Panel, Administrative Tools
-Local Security Policy
-Account Policies, Password Policy
Note: Minimum was set to 0 days; Max was set to 42 days
-I changed Max to 999 days
Configuration:
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7 (Free)
Virtual Machine configured with Windows Server 2016
External USB Drive (Passport 500GB)
Objective:
Attach the external USB Drive, so I can copy over files to the Virtual Machine
Note: I’m not sure why this appears complicated to accomplish.
Lessons Learned
-Not sure why this is so difficult, but I’m not seeing this feature as a strength within VMware. I’ve decided to hold off on this method of attaching data.
-Because I’ll be using the replication method (inherit identities) to add a new IBM Domino Server, I’m just going to use LogMeIn to copy over needed files from current server to new server.
-If I figure this out later, I’ll update this document
Observations within ESXi Host:
-Inside ESXi Host
-Right click on Virtual Machine and select Edit Settings
USB Controller 1 is greyed out with USB 2.0
Click on “Add other Device” shows “USB Device” greyed out
Note: I can select USB Controller, but gives warning that you cannot have more than one USB device – I knew that
Observations within VM of Windows Server 2016:
-Not seeing any attached USB drive
Troubleshooting steps
-Issue is that, even after removing the USB Controller and adding a USB Controller with USB 3.0, I cannot then go back and add the device and select the USB drive.
-Note: I found that you don’t think about the USB Device within the USB Controller, but actually create a passthrough thru the Host Controller.
-XREF to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcWIkOG3rKY
-XREF this with same PCI as me – https://www.reddit.com/r/vmware/comments/4qae5c/host_usb_passthrough_and_vm_boot/
-In my case, I have a Dell R610 bare-metal server, that the ESXi is installed on
-Within VMware ESXi; Host, Manage, Hardware, PCI Devices and Search for USB
-It comes back with Intel Corporation C610/X99 series chipset USB Enhanced Host Controller #1
and the same ending in #2
-Right now, both are Disabled in the Passthrough column, so I checked both and clicked on Toggle Passthrough
-Comes back with successful enabled, and need to reboot the host to complete configuration.
Note: The YouTube video mentioned to not disable what I just enabled, as it may cause issues
-Now I have to shutdown and power down all my VM’s and restart the Host.
-Placed host in maintenance mode — this is a best practice
-Reboot host
-Host, Actions, Exit maintenance mode
-Power up a VM
-Edit settings
-Noticed I had USB Controller 1 set to USB 3.0 (from prior troubleshooting)
-Deleted this and added USB Controller 1 set to USB 2.0; saved
-Edit Settings
-Add other device
-New PCI device (scrolled to bottom)
-Choice of the two controllers I had added to passthrough
-Chose Controller #1
Note: Error: “Failed to reconfigure virtual machine. PCI passthrough devices cannot be added when Nested Hardware-Assisted Virtualization is enabled”
Note: Went back in again and expanded New PCI Device. This time, chose #1, and also clicked on “Reserve all memory”; same error re: Nested Hardware-Assisted Virtualization
Note: This is odd, because VMware says it doesn’t support Nested Hardware-assisted virtualization in production environments, so not sure why it’s enabled. Something about VMware wanting us to have access to everything in the beginning – https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2009916
-Note: Found this on how to enabled/disable the Nested feature – https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-51/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.vmware.vsphere.vm_admin.doc%2FGUID-2A98801C-68E8-47AF-99ED-00C63E4857F6.html
-I see within CPU, Hardware virtualization, “Expose hardware assisted virtualization to the guest OS. I cannot uncheck it. I also checked against VM’s that are not powered up yet.
Rebuilding Test server without hardware virtualization:
-Created a new VM, and did not check next to “Enable Windows VBS”
-Within Edit settings, I have USB Controller 1 USB 3.0. Issue is that within “Add other device” it still has “USB Device” grayed out. The video shows that this is clickable, but not for me. I had selected USB 3.0 based on the video
-Within “Add new device”, I clicked on PCI Device and Chose Controller #1. This time I got a “Successfully reconfigured”, and went back to add Controller #2. I also clicked on the “Reserve all memory” – no difference.
-Restarted server – no difference. Not seeing the attached drive.
-Within Windows Server 2016, Control Panel, I am seeing (under unspecified) USB Root Hub (xHCI). Not sure if that means it’s just seeing the PCI selection I made, or if it’s actually sensing hardware.
-Appears all the drivers within Device Manager (for USB) are up-to-date, but maybe there’s a driver missing?
-Went back into VMware Edit settings and changed from USB 3.0 to 2.0. “USB Device” is still grayed out.
-What’s interesting, back in Windows Control panel, is that the USB Root hub is no longer within unspecified, but I’m not seeing it anywhere else. Also, not seeing the attached drive.
-I had the local tech switch the port that the external USB drive is connected to – no difference.
Appreciate any thoughts, including redirecting my troubleshooting path.
Paul
–
Desired Outcome:
Decide on a Domino Upgrade method, after reviewing various options (copy method; replication preserving server identity)
System Overview
-Two clustered Domino 8.5.3FP6 Enterprise Servers on old bare-metal hardware
-One Domino 9.0.1. Enterprise Server for Traveler
-VMWare with two new VM’s of Windows Server 2016
Note: Plan is to migrate one of the Enterprise Servers and the Traveler server to VM’s
Note: For now, the other Enterprise Server will remain with an in-place upgrade to 10.0.1
-Downloads of IBM Domino 10.0.1 software to both VM’s
Copy Method
-This is a common method and is typically endorsed. The basic idea is to: create the directories on new server the same as on old server; make a copy of the /data folder to the new server; install the same version of Domino on new server; confirm for a couple days all is working; complete by doing an in-place upgrade to the version of Domino you actually want.
–Daniel Nashed gave me some additional input on the copy method. Copy the data, but not the binaries – meaning you do a fresh Domino install. An idea is to create a new server; copy the data over; test everything; delete the data; bring data over again. He REALLY likes this method.
Replication Method (inherit server identity)
-Input from Daniel Nashed was: That bring more issues than it solves. The concept works, and he has done many times before, but you have to be careful if you have DAOS and especially when the data is encrypted if you forgot to disable that. The replication method works, but it means you have to check in detail if all came over and you have to create replicas, etc.
-Input from John Paganetti (HCL):
-Good that I’m clustered, as it will have minimal impact on users
-Supports creating a test environment. I’ll be copying data over to a VM; installing Domino 8.5.3.; in-place upgrade to Domino 10.0.1.; test all applications
-Refresh Design on Administration Server only (checked) – this would be DA-OJAI
-Instead of creating two VM’s (Windows Server 2016), create three
-Create a VM with Domino 10.0.1.; add it to the cluster with the two Domino 8.5.3. servers; create replicas over to confirm applications work in a production environment.
-Bring down one of the Domino 8.5.3 servers; copy over the Program Directory, Data Directory, etc to a VM; rename notes.ini on the source server (so it can’t load again).
-Update various FQDN to new server
-Update the ODS for databases
-???? In-Place upgrade to Domino 10.0.1. — pending input from JP
-Wait a couple weeks
-Repeat on other server (cluster mate)
-Traveler server (various notes)
Chosen Method
-I’m going to go down path of adding a new server and doing the inherit identity
-In the administration server of current server, I added a new server and captured the server.id file
-Installed Domino 10 on a new server (VM)
-Used the server.id file
-Goal is to build up the new server; copy over various applications to test
-Then, create a one-way replication from current server to new server
