Virtual Machines 2 (TestTrack Unplugged)

I’ll assume you read the first post in the series or saw the list of all of the scenarios.

Virtual Machines 2

Things to note:

• “Ensure RAM can be added to the App virtual machine without downtime.” = Hot Plug.
• “maximum storage performance for …high storage I/O load” = Hmm.
• “create the virtual machine using any means necessary” = Sounds like we could delete the VM and recreate if needed.

Step 1: Enable Memory Hot Plug

but the option isn’t available.

Ok, so there is a OS requirement, lets check there.

Better update the OS to one that allows Hot Plug.  The actual OS isn’t listed in the scenario, probably better stick to what we know, a 64-bit Win 2003 that allows HotPlug.

But, setting to Win2003 64-bit Datacenter doesn’t enable hot plug so time to look for other requirements.

Step 2: Upgrade VM Compatibility

Ok, so there’s Hot Plug now.

Step 3: Update storage

So the parameters are a “high storage I/O load” and “maximum storage performance” plus “can remain thin-provisioned”

So thick provisioning isn’t a consideration and there is nothing about contention so we don’t need to configure shares.

There is no information about exiting arrays or paths or hosts, all you have is the VM so sticking with that there is really only one change you can make.

IOPS whitepaper
SCSI controller performance

Switch the controller type to Paravirtual.

Scoring

Is paravirtual selected?
$found = get-vm app | get-scsicontroller
if ($found.type -eq "ParaVirtual") {$one = 1}

Hot swap enabled?
if ((get-vm app).extensiondata.config.memoryhotaddenabled) {$two = 1}