VM Deployment Tuning Guide v1.0

Created 9/9/10

VM Deployment Tuning Guide for vSpace Configuration Recommendations for an ESX Deployment

Introduction

Deploying NComputings desktop virtualization in parallel with industry-standard VM technology creates a synergy, delivering more power and flexibility than either technology can provide alone. This guide is a compilation of tips and tricks to help you implement NComputing and ESXi technologies in the most effective way possible. Before you begin, you should familiarize yourself with the L300 deployment guide as it provides a groundwork understanding of a standard installation of our product. This guide assumes a basic working knowledge of ESXi and VMWare. You can find additional documentation from VMWare on their support site, linked below.

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... 1

Virtual Machine Settings ............................................................................................................ 2

Virtual Machine Image Creation .............................................................................................. 2

Enable USB Support .............................................................................................................. 2

Adding USB Method 1 - Adding USB functionality while creating a Virtual Machine: ........... 3

Adding USB Method 2 Adding USB functionality to an existing Virtual Machine: .............. 6

Prevent Accidental Virtual NIC Removal ................................................................................. 9

Increase Virtual CPU Allocation .............................................................................................10

Disable Auto Connect for CD-ROMs ......................................................................................10

Disable Transparent Page Sharing (TPS) ..............................................................................11

Additional Configuration and Tuning .........................................................................................13

NComputing Windows Tuning Guide .....................................................................................13

Image Cloning and vSpace Registration ................................................................................13

NComputing L300 Guides .....................................................................................................13

If you do not already possess The L300 Deployment Guide, find it by

searching for L300 deployment guide on our Knowledge Base.

http://ncomputing.com/Support/Knowledgebase.aspx

VMware maintains numerous guides, tutorials, and how-to videos on

their website which can be accessed by following the link below.

http://www.vmware.com/support/

VM TUNING GUIDE VM CONFIGURATION RECOMMENDATIONS

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Virtual Machine Settings

Virtual Machine Image Creation

If you havent done so already, familiarize yourself with the documentation VMWare provides for both image creation and guest OS setup. Weve provided direct links to those documents below for your convenience.

Enable USB Support

Virtual Machines do not have USB controllers associated with them by default and as such Windows installations may not include any USB drivers. This results in a lack of USB functionality. This can be resolved by either of the following methods depending on your situation.

By default, Windows installations in an ESX Virtual Machine do not include USB drivers. As such, our L-series terminals will not have USB functionality until USB drivers are added to Windows.

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Below weve included a link to VMwares step by step virtual machine

creation guide. http://pubs.vmware.com/vsp40u1_e/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.

htm#context=admin&file=t_complete_the_virtual_machine.html

For OS-specific tips and configuration advice when creating a VM, see

VMwares Guest OS guide by following the link below. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Gue

stOS_guide.pdf


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Adding USB Method 1 - Adding USB functionality while creating a Virtual Machine: During the creation process of an ESX virtual machine, administrators can choose to add a virtual USB hub to the VM. This step takes place near the end of the VM creation process and is demonstrated in the images below:


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Adding USB Method 2 Adding USB functionality to an existing Virtual Machine: If you need to add USB functionality to a Virtual Machine that has already been created, this change can be made from the VM / VSphere console as demonstrated in the images below.


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Prevent Accidental Virtual NIC Removal

In some situations, ESXi will place a virtual machines virtual NIC in the system tray of the guest OS as part of the Safely Remove Hardware wizard.

If the NIC shows up in the Safely Remove Hardware wizard as seen above, you can prevent accidental removal by doing the following:

1. Connect a vSphere Client to ESX or vCenter Server

2. Power off the virtual machine in question

3. Right-click the virtual machine

4. Click Edit Settings, then the Options tab

5. Click General, then Configuration Parameters, then Add Row

6. Insert a new row with the name devices.hotplug and the value false

7. Power the virtual machine back on.


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Increase Virtual CPU Allocation

As you fine tune the resource allocation of a given virtual machine, it may become necessary to increase the number of Virtual CPUs the virtual machine can utilize. VMWare outlines this process in a number of documents, one of which has been linked below:

Disable Auto Connect for CD-ROMs

Disabling the auto connection feature in a virtual machine that direct it to associate with the hosts CD-ROM can prevent the virtual machine from running a number of processes which will, in turn, save on resource overhead. A picture of this setting, with Connection options unchecked, is included below.

Below weve linked the KB article wherein VMware outlines the step by step process of adding more CPU allocation after a virtual machine has

been created.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004060


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Disable Transparent Page Sharing (TPS)

Though TPS can offer some gains in memory capacity, we generally recommend that it be disabled due to the strain it places on the vmkernel of each vSpace ESX host youll be running. You can complete this process from the vSphere editor on your VM host.

First, from your vSphere editor open the Settings for the VM in question as seen above. Secondly, Select the Options tab and Configure Parameters as seen below.


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Click Add Row as seen above and add sched.mem.pshare.enable (no quotes) and set the value to FALSE as seen below.


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Additional Configuration and Tuning

NComputing Windows Tuning Guide

At this point you should be ready to progress to our Windows Tuning Guide to further configure the Operating System itself for optimal use with NComputing products.

Image Cloning and vSpace Registration

For Administrators wishing to simply clone a tested, known working Master Image, be sure that you do NOT register the Master Image itself. Doing so can cause authentication problems in vSpace.

Instead, deploy each Image into its own Virtual Machine first, and then register the Image once it is operational.

NComputing L300 Guides

For customers using our new L300 network terminal, be sure to review our selection of L300-specific configuration guides which can be found by searching for keyword L300 in our online Knowledge Base.

Version 1.0

2003-2010 NComputing Inc. All rights reserved. NComputing and vSpace are registered trademarks of NComputing Inc. USA. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Below weve linked our Windows Tuning Guide for your convenience.

[LINK TO WINDOWS TUNING GUIDE GOES HERE]

Follow the link below and search for keyword L300 for additional L300

configuration and feature information.

http://www.ncomputing.com/kb/

When deploying multiple cloned Virtual Machines from a pre-built Master Image, DO NOT REGISTER the Master Image. Instead, register each individual Image after it has been

deployed.

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Documents

VM Deployment Tuning Guide v1.0