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Posts Tagged ‘Server’

How to expand/resize/extend C drive VMware Server within several minutes?

July 21st, 2010

Why resize/extend C drive VMware Server?

VMware is the most popular Virtual Machine software for now. It is easy to use and works like a physical computer. The most common problem of VMware is related to disk partition space. For example, after a period of time, you may find the system C drive running out space, so you have to resize/extend C drive VMware Server. To most of the people, it is extremely hard to extend C drive on VMware Server.

Common VMware Server disk partition space problem

1. As I mentioned above, the system C drive runs out of space and you need to resize or expand VMware Server partitions.
2. C drive and the entire virtual disk is low disk space, so you cannot extend C drive VMware Server by resizing other data partitions.
3. Though VMware is virtual machine, it will use the physical partition space. When there is no free space on this physical partition, what will you do? Delete this partition including the VMware Server? No, no one wants to do this, in this article, I’ll tell the easy method – extend this partition directly without data loss.
In the next paragraphs, I’ll tell you how to solve these problems one by one.

How to extend C drive VMware Server?

Step 1: Install Partition Wizard in your VMware Server and launch it, right-click the data partition and select “Move/Resize” to shrink this partition.

In the pop up window, drag the left borderline of this data partition rightwards.

After step 1, there will be Unallocated space created behind the system partition.

Step 2: Right-click the system C drive and select “Move/Resize”. In the pop up window, drag the right borderline rightwards.

Now the system partition has been extended, click “Apply”.

How to extend C drive and entire disk space?

As I mentioned above, if there is no free space in other data partition, you cannot extend C drive by shrinking the data partition, you need to extend the entire virtual disk space firstly. After that, you will get Unallocated space to extend C drive.
Steps to extend entire hard disk:

Step1: Open up Run dialogue from the start menu (Start -> Run) or hold down the Windows key and press R. Type “cmd” and hit enter to open up the Command Prompt.
Step2: Run VMware disk manager tool, the format is like this: “AA\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe” –x BB.GB(MB) “CC\DD.VMDK”.
AA: The absolute path of vmware-vdiskmanager.exe
BB: What size you want to extend the VMware virtual disk to
CC: The absolute path of the virtual disk you want to extend
DD: The name of the virtual disk want to extend

Input the command and press enter to proceed, after that, the virtual disk will be extended and there will be “BB.GB(MB) Unallocated space at the end of the virtual disk.

 

Step3: Follow the steps of “How to extend C drive VMware Server?” and the second problem could be solved.

To solve the third problem, it is very easy, too. Just install Partition Wizard on the physical computer and resize the partitions.

Jordan is one of the editors of HDD TOOL, which provides common solutions to solve hard disk drive and operating system problem freely.

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Use StarWind 5.0 HA as your VMware ESX SAN Server

July 9th, 2010

Starwind 5.0 HA has various editions that are compatible with any size of the organization. The improved technology provides uninterrupted and constant access to the storage system in case of any break down. It is suitable for any existing system. Any window server can be developed and converted to high performance VMware SAN. You need not invest much in additional propriety products. Starwind ISCSI SAN for VMware provides a series of services, which permit network storage, protect data and keep them secured. VMware HA, V Motion, VCB require shared storage. Nevertheless, with Starwind you can consolidate the storage, which eradicate downtime and develops the performance. Data is protected. For any IT company virtualization is required. Therefore, virtualization of server using VMware ESX saves cost and improves accessibility and increase in performance. It can be installed in organizations of any size. Simultaneously, storage virtualization is also required and Starwind iSCSI SAN comes to your help at this stage. The installation is thirty minutes. By using Starwind iSCSI SAN you can keep the VMware environment fully secured in case of failures. Starwind improves performance and reduces cost. The recovery of data is quick when you use CDP and snapshots. The storage and server efficiency is enhanced. Starwind modifies all standard servers to centralized shared storage for VMware thus allowing high level of application and availability of data and full protection on failure. The minimum system requirement is Window XP with service pack 2. 800 MHz Pentium 3 processor. It also requires 512MB RAM with 50 MB space in the disk. Nevertheless, it is recommended to have Windows Server 2008 with service pack 1, 2 GHz Intel Xeon processor, 4 GB RAM, 1GB for application data and files and PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet connection. Since 2003, Starwind has been pioneering the iSCSI storage industry and is accepted as one of the best choice for all type of business, government and industry. The combination is easy to handle. Storage virtualization increases VMware virtualization capacity. It reduces cost and use of hardware. Starwind is reliable, scalable, simple to manage and install with robust business features. It is compatible with VMware.

To improve virtualization of VMware ESX SAN Server and to install iscsi san software visit starwindsoftware.com

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Troubleshooting Boot Failures In Windows Server 2003

April 9th, 2010

Most of us have had the problem before. You start up your Windows machine and are greeted with a cryptic error message or “blue screen of death” before your system boots. It’s a sinking feeling. You cannot access the operating system and troubleshooting the problem can be difficult. In most cases, people end up resorting to drastic measures, such as reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system. It’s not always a lost cause. Windows Server 2003 includes a number of alternative boot options to help you troubleshoot and resolve these issues.

When attempting to recover from a Windows boot failure, the first step is to get to the boot options menu. You can do this by hitting the F8 key on your keyboard immediately after the Windows boot loader screen is displayed. Once you have accessed the boot options menu, you will have a number of options which are outlined below:

Safe Mode

This option starts the operating system with a bare minimum of system drivers. Safe Mode will help you when troubleshooting boot failures caused by device drivers and registry problems. This mode does not provide networking support and most system services are disabled.

Safe Mode with Networking

The same exact thing as Safe Mode, only with Networking support.

Safe Mode with Command Prompt

This is a command line interface. It can be useful for renaming files and doing other basic command line routines. The windows explorer shell is not loaded and it’s basically just a dos prompt.

Enable Boot Logging

Boot logging starts the system normally, but it creates a detailed log of all the services and drivers that are trying to load at boot time. This can help you determine what is causing the system to crash. The default location for the log file is C:Windows
tbtlog.txt.

Enable VGA Mode

This actually loads the currently installed video driver, but uses the lowest resolution and color depth available. This is a useful option if you are troubleshooting an issue with your video card or monitor driver.

Last Known Good Configuration

You can use this option to revert to a copy of the registry that was saved during the last successful login to Windows. Although it sounds great, I can’t remember a single instance that this has ever worked for me in the past, and believe me, I’ve tried it several times.

Directory Services Restore Mode

This is only applicable for Active Directory Domain Controllers. It allows you to perform maintenance and backup recovery tasks on Active Directory.

Debugging Mode

This will allow you to hook up a working server via a serial cable to send debugging messages for analysis. This requires a great deal of configuration on the receiving end and may not be a realistic option for most people.

Finally, you can use the Recovery Console to perform more advanced troubleshooting. The Recovery Console is not installed by default. If it is not installed, you can still use it by booting to the Operating System CD and choosing the “Repair with Recovery Console” option. The Recovery Console allows you to change service startup options, create or extend volumes and or select alternative boot options.

In this article we’ve covered the multiple boot options provided by Windows Server 2003. If you are not dealing with a hardware failure you can often narrow down and correct most boot problems in Windows Server 2003 using these tools.

Matt Peterson is a Senior Consultant for N2 Network Solutions, a Phoenix IT Consulting Firm that provides Microsoft Exchange Consulting Services and IT Outsourcing.

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Virtual Private Server Hosting at Bns Hosting

March 31st, 2010

If you are looking for multi-tenancy, virtualization, resource management, and clustering, you can try virtual private server hosting. Virtual private server or commonly known as virtual dedicated server allows resellers to fully control and allocate resources to their customer. Virtual dedicated server hosting acts as a bridge between shared web hosting services and dedicated server hosting services. Using VPS hosting, you are providing high levels of control which has currently become the most popular option for resellers.

The biggest advantage of using VPS hosting, is its cheaper cost compared to dedicated server. And, it generally runs its own copy of operating system with customers having super-user-level access. You as the “owner” of the VPS can install almost any software that runs on the OS. Reasons you might consider when choosing VPS are:

The media. When you have just started your business, you have your shared server hosting. But soon you have to expand and outgrow the features of your online business, that will need more web space, memory, etc. You have the option to choose between dedicated server and VPS. Dedicated hosting is expensive, so you will choose VPS.

More power. In VPS, you are actually availing the services of a dedicated server that has been partitioned into a number of servers. Here, you get more bandwidth, memory, space and more control.

Cost efficient. Since VPS gives you the advantages of a dedicated server hosting, but at a lower cost, this hosting service is the best hosting plan if you are considering the cost.

Complete root access: Just like a dedicated server, the virtual private server gives you unlimited root access. This means that you have the complete freedom to configure your website without impacting other websites. By the same coin, any changes made by websites sharing your server will have no impact on your website. Because of this, you can eliminate the risk of downtime due to mistakes committed by others. Since private servers are virtually invisible to each other, your website enjoys complete functional isolation.

Total security: Just like dedicated servers, virtual servers do not share their space with other customers. Thus, you enjoy total security.

While deciding on whom/where to purchase the VPS hosting service, you should try to ask the following questions:

1. What are the specifications of the host server, the RAM, the CPU, the processor, the disk space provided, the bandwidth, and if they can provide you on how many VPS is already running in the host server.?

2. How is resource contention handled? What if one of the VPS are running out of disk space, how do you deal with these?

If you are considering hosting your own website, sharing a virtual private server is a very viable option. You will want to make sure that you are fully aware of any server side restrictions, such as maximum amount of CPU and network resources available, but many virtual private server hosts provide more than enough for nearly any website. The factors that you can consider when choosing the virtual private server hosting are, the cost, the security, and the efficiency. The only disadvantage here is, if you are not aware on how to manage your own server, you might want to choose the shared hosting service. Anyway, if the hosting company that will host your virtual private server has 24/7 technical support, you can ask them anytime, on how you must handle the server.

With BNS VPS hosting service, you control your virtualized dedicated server via Microsoft’s RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) and install applications on your server. You create your own user authentication database and use your dedicated IP address. This dedicated IP address isolates your server from common problems associated with shared hosting —shared  IP address being listed in spam blacklists. For more information about virtual private server hosting service, you can visit BNS Hosting’s site. And talk to one of our hosted solutions expert 24/7.

Kristin Tiong

BNS Hosting

www.bnshosting.net

Technical Support, SEO Specialist

#29 AB Fernandez Ave., Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines

+65 (075) 614 3247

isabel.tiong@bnshosting.net

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Compare Linux Server Hosting And Windows Server Hosting

March 28th, 2010

Usualy , the choice to host your website depends upon the scripting language that is used in your website.
If languages are PHP, MySQL, or Perl , Linux web server hosting is preferable.
But if you are thinking for ASP Dot Net scripting language and MS SQL database , you should chose only Windows Based hosting.

If you would like a few interactive facilities similar to chat or searchable database, Linux may not be the best choice. Also, a Linux-based web server is not fully acquiescent amongst Windows technologies. If you are using any Windows-centric technologies like Visual Basic, then Windows-based servers might be the required opportunity for you.

Advantages of Linux server hosting

Linux is an open source software product and so it does not need the high endorsement fees that other operating systems do; you can freely download and use it at no cost. A Linux website can easily be converted to a Windows website without much hassle. Also, the website can easily be changed as the necessity of the user grows. Linux web hosting is acutely cheap as Linux is a cost free operating system. Usually, merely the cost of distribution is borne by the host or owner. When the scripting language covet PHP, MySQL, or Perl etc. are required for your website then Linux server hosting is the most reliable and cost effective solution for you. Unless heavy load of scripting language, presently ought to not be traceable. There are multiple kinds of databases that run on Linux hosting, but the various widespread most likely among web host providers are mSQL, MySQL and PostgreSQL. These databases are relational by nature, and permit vastly optimized communication with your website for rapid reclamation of data. By lots of circles Linux hosting is supposed to be much securing than Windows hosting, and for that reason only Linux server hosting is also the more popular option for web designers and programmers.

Advantages of windows server hosting

.NET technologies like ASP dot net VB dot net are obtainable on this platform. If you have a website built with Microsoft .NET technologies then you ought to have to select a Windows server hosting plan. If you need an enterprise class database there are some different features so run on a Linux platform but if you desire Microsoft’s MSSQL database, a Windows hosting bill will be your best choice. Access Databases are only obtainable provided a Windows server hosting plan. Access can easily run on a Microsoft Windows platform and thus it is unavailable on a Linux hosting. If your site needs particularly this feature then you will undergo to accept windows server hosting. If you are using some of the Microsoft’s Sharepoint services a Windows Hosting guidelines is sole reliable choice for you. Windows plans typically significantly costly due to the fact that of the license price compulsory by Microsoft.

Normally, Linux server hosting plans are at least 20% cheaper than windows server hosting plans.
If you need not to undergo any unique features for your website, covet cart, searchable database etc, Linux server hosting is a finest non&wshyp;traditional for your needs.

When you are required for specific Microsoft technologies, Windows hosting plans generally is planning to be your favorable think. But for all miniscule business owner needs Linux hosting plans will generally perform quite perfectly for its cost effective features

Owner and editor of Ratethehosting.com
Web hosting rating system that allows internet users and site owners to share their opinion on web hosting services, and rate the services according their quality.

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