Field Procedure

Subject: How to Configure and Access a Windows Virtual Machine on a Vstac Watch
Release Date: 3/12/12
Version: 1.0
Procedure Summary
This document is the procedure conducted when installing a Virtual Machine within vSphere client. . The
document also explains on how to connect the Pivot3 logical volume to the VM.

Products Affected
Vstac Watch

How to Deploy and Access a Windows Virtual Machine on a Vstac Watch 1

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................. 2
vSTAC ARRAY SETUP ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Create a Virtual Machine using vSphere Client ................................................................................................ 4
Prepare the Windows 2008 Server ISO file, and Deploy the Virtual Machine ............................................... 12
Setting up an IP on the VM for Remote Desktop and Data Access ................................................................ 23
Accessing a VM via Remote Desktop ............................................................................................................. 25
Installing the Pivot3 Support Software .......................................................................................................... 27
Connecting To the PIVOT3 Logical Volume within a VM ............................................................................... 30
Configuring a Logical Volume ..................................................................................................................... 33
Binding a Logical Volume ........................................................................................................................... 36

How to Deploy and Access a Windows Virtual Machine on a Vstac Watch 2

vSTAC ARRAY SETUP
This document will describe how to manage a Windows hosted virtual server, referred to in this document
as a “virtual machine” (VM), on a Pivot3 vSTAC watch array. The document refers only to the vSTAC Watch in
the instructions.
Before a VM can be accessed certain tasks must be performed. The table below shows the tasks involved
in setting up a vSATC Watch array and the VMs that will reside on that array. The right-hand column shows
which Pivot3 document contains the instructions for performing each task.

TASK DOCUMENT
1. Racking the vSTAC Hardware Installation
Guide
2. Cabling the vSTAC Installation Guide
3. Install vSTAC on a management station Installation Guide
4. Install vSphere Client on a management station
5. Creating an array Installation Guide
6. Creating the Windows VM Installation Guide and
This Document
7. Creating data volume(s) for the VM Installation Guide
8. Using Remote Desktop to access and administer This Document
the Windows VM
9. Creating the iSCSI connection to the VM’s data Installation Guide and
volume(s) This Document
10. Partitioning and formatting the data volumes Installation Guide and This
Document
11. How to tune vSTAC Performance for Windows Support Portal
Server 2008

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Create a Virtual Machine using vSphere Client
In this exercise you create a new Virtual Machine and edit the properties.
1. From your Management Station laptop, launch VMware vSphere Client.

2. After vSphere Client has connected, select the IP address in the left pane.

3. Right mouse click on the IP address and select New Virtual Machine…

4. The Create New Virtual Machine dialog displays. Under Configuration select Typical and click Next.

How to Deploy and Access a Windows Virtual Machine on a Vstac Watch 4

5. Enter the Virtual Machine Name in the field provided and click Next.

6. Select VM-Store as the destination storage for the virtual machine file. Click Next.

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7. Select Windows as the Guest Operating System and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit) as
the Version. Click Next.

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8. In Create Network Connections, select 3 as the number of NICs you want to connect. Under Network
use the drop down list boxes to select the following:

o NIC 1: SAN Network 0 VMXNET 3

o NIC 2: SAN Network 1 VMXNET 3

o NIC 3: Camera Network VMXNET 3

9. Verify Connect at Power On is checked for all 3 NIC’s, click Next.

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10. In the Create a Disk dialog, select 40 GB as Virtual disk size and Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed. Click
Next.

11. Check the Edit the virtual machines settings before completion box near the bottom of the page

12. Click Continue.

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 13. In the Virtual Machine Properties dialog select Memory (adding) and enter 5 GB.

14. Click on the CPUs (adding) and change the Number of virtual sockets to 2 and Number of cores per
socket to 3.

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15. Click on the Resources tab and then select Advanced CPU. Enter 4-15 in the Scheduling Affinity field.
Click Finish.

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16. Monitor the Recent Tasks pane at the bottom of the vSphere Client dialog for “Completed” to display
beside Create virtual machine.

17. Under the IP address in the left pane, right mouse click on the VM, Server#, and select Edit Settings…

18. Click on the Resources tab and then select Advanced CPU. In the Hyperthreaded Core Sharing
section, select None from the Mode: drop down list box. Click OK.

19. Close the VMware vSphere Client.

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Prepare the Windows 2008 Server ISO file, and Deploy the Virtual Machine

20. From your Management Station laptop, launch VMware vSphere Client.

21. After vSphere Client has connected, select the IP address in the left pane.

22. Select the Configuration tab, click on Storage. From the Datastores section, right click ISO-Store and
select Browse Datastore…

23. Click on upload icon then select Upload File…

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24. Browse to the P3-W2K8R2-EMB.ISO file

25. click Open then Yes at the Upload Warning dialog box. When the upload is complete, close the
Datastore Browser.

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26. Select the IP address in the left pane and press the plus (+) icon to display the virtual machines.

27. Select the VM, Server#, then right mouse click and select Edit Settings…

28. Click CD/DVD drive 1, select Datastore ISO File under Device Type, click Browse, select ISO-Store then
click Open. From the Browse Datastores dialog, select the P3_W2K8R2-EMB.ISO and then click OK.

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29. In the Device Status, select Connect at power on.

30. Click OK to close the VM Properties window.

31. In the left pane, right mouse click on the VM, Server#, select Power and then Power On.

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32. Select the Console tab then observe Windows complete the installation.

Once installation is finish the VM will reboot.

33. When Windows installation is complete the Initial Configuration Tasks window will be open on the
VM, scroll down and check Do not show this window at logon and click Close. In addition, close the
Server Manager window.

34. You will have noticed that the mouse pointer in the Console display is sluggish. This can be resolved
by installing VMware Tools which is also required to configure the VM’s NICs. To perform this click
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 <Ctrl> and <Alt> keys at the same time to get the cursor out of the Console display, then right mouse
click on the VM, Server#, and select Guest, Install/Upgrade VMware Tools.

35. Click OK at the Install VMware Tools warning dialog.

36. When the AutoPlay window opens, select Run setup64.exe.

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This will open up the VMware Tools installation wizard

37. Click Next.

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38. Select Typical then click Next.

39. Click the Install button on the next screen

The installation will begin.

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How to Deploy and Access a Windows Virtual Machine on a Vstac Watch 20
40. Click Finish when the installation is complete.

41. When asked to restart your system, click Yes.

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42. While the VM restarts select the IP address in the left pane and select the Configuration tab, click on
Virtual Machine Startup/Shutdown in the Software panel.

43. Click on the “Properties…” link on the upper right hand side of the panel.

44. Check the Allow virtual machines to start and stop automatically with the system check box. In the
Startup Order section highlight the VM, Server#, then click the Move Up button until it is under
Automatic Startup.

45. Type 0 in the Default Delay seconds field for Startup and Shutdown. Click OK to close the window.

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Setting up an IP on the VM for Remote Desktop and Data Access

1. Log into your VM through vSphere client by selecting the VM, Right click, select Guest and then Send
Ctrl+Alt+Delete
2. Login to your VM
3. Select the Start button then control panel, click on Network and Sharing Center
4. Select Manage network connections

5. Select the icon Local Area Connection

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6. Right click, Select Properties
7. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then select the Properties tab

8. Select Use the Following IP Address and type your static IP.
9. Then Hit OK

10. Close out all windows

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Accessing a VM via Remote Desktop

1. On your management client open Remote Desktop

2. Select Options
3. Type in the IP address of the VM and username (Pivot3 VM Default: administrator)

4. Select the Local Resources tab

5. Under Local Devices and Resources place a check mark next to Clipboard
6. Select the More tab

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7. Place a check mark in all check boxes

8. Select OK and hit Connect

9. Dependent on the Operating System you are using Remote Desktop from type in your Password,
(Default Pivot3 VM: Pivot3!)

10. Select OK, Your Remote Desktop session will begin.

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Installing the Pivot3 Support Software

In this portion of the Windows 2008 VM installation you will need to copy the Pivot3 Multi-path software
and RAIGE Connection Manager to the VM to connect to the iSCSI volume you have created.

I. Installing the DSM Executable

1. Within the VM go to Computer and select your local drive where the Pivot3 Client software resides
2.

3. Browse to the Pivot3 Client software folder, then open the folder named windows
4. Select both the DSM and RCM executable
5. Right click and select copy

6. Paste the files onto your Desktop or the C drive in your VM.
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7. Select the DSM executable and install the application, selecting defaults.
8. Once the installation has completed, it will ask to restart the computer now, Select yes, then Finish

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II. Installing the RCM Executable

1. Log back into the Remote Desktop Session

2. Select the RCM Setup Executable and select the default options for each window by hitting next
3. Once the installation has completed a Shortcut for the application will appear on your Desktop,
labeled; Pivot3 RAIGE Quick Connect

Once you select finish then a Data volume is ready to be attached to the VM.

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Connecting To the PIVOT3 Logical Volume within a VM
After creating an array and configuring Logical Volumes, use the Pivot3 RAIGE Quick Connect Wizard to
connect the standalone or hosted virtual servers to the Logical Volumes.
1. Start the RAIGE Quick Connect Wizard by either selecting the All Programs>Pivot3>RAIGE Connection
Manager>RAIGE Quick Connect Wizard from the Start menu or launching the RAIGE Quick Connect
Wizard shortcut from the desktop (if this option was selected during installation).

The Quick Connect Wizard displays the currently configured Host Identifier name when the
volume was created.

2. Select Logical Volumes to connect. The RAIGE Connection Manager discovers and displays the Logical
Volumes that the initiator can access.

By default, all Logical Volumes are selected to be connected.

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3. Confirm the Logical Volumes to be connected and then select Next to continue.

The RAIGE Connection Manager connects to the selected Logical Volumes.

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 When complete, the wizard displays the Windows device names associated with the connected
Logical Volumes.

4. Launch the Microsoft Disk Management tool (optional). The connected volumes appear as physical
disks to Windows and can now be initialized and partitioned using the Disk Management utility. Click
the Launch Disk Management checkbox to run the Disk Management tool after the Finish button is
clicked. Click Finish to complete Logical Volume creation or click Cancel to cancel the operation.

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Configuring a Logical Volume
These steps show how to convert a Pivot3 Logical Volume to a GPT disk and change the cluster size to
64KB as recommended.
1. Start the Microsoft Disk Management tool, if it is not running. Click the Windows Start menu and
select Administrative Tools > Computer Management. In the console tree, click Disk Management.
The Disk Management window displays your disks and volumes.

2. Right-click the first disk volume and select Convert to GPT Disk.

3. To create a new partition, right-click the unallocated space on the disk where you want to create the
partition, and then click New Partition for Windows 2003 or Simple Volume for Windows 2008.

Windows 2003

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 Windows 2008

4. Follow the prompts to set the partition type, size , and drive letter or path, clicking Next after each
entry.
5. On the Format Partition page, specify the formatting options that you want, and then click Next.
Recommended values are:
 File system: NTFS
 Allocation unit size: 64KB
 Perform a quick format selected

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6. On the Completing the New Partition Wizard page, verify the options that you selected are correct,
and then click Finish.
Disk Management creates the new partition and displays it in the appropriate Disk Management
window. If you chose to format the partition in step 5, the format process now starts.

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Binding a Logical Volume
Once the new volume has completed formatting, it is necessary to bind your volumes together through
the Microsoft iSCSI initiator.
1. Open the Microsoft iSCSI initiator in Windows 2003 by selecting All Programs> Microsoft iSCSI initiator >
Microsoft iSCSI initiator from the Start menu or launching the Microsoft iSCSI initiator shortcut from the
desktop (if this option was selected during installation).
Or for Windows 2008 Select All Programs>Control panel then the iSCSI Initiator Icon.
2. Under Windows 2003 Select Bound Volumes and /Devices tab and then select Bind all. In windows 2008,
Select Volumes and Devices, then Autoconfigure.

A reboot is not necessary when binding your new volumes.

How to tune vSTAC Performance for Windows Server 2008

Once you have the VM configured and can Read and Write to your volumes it is important to you’re
your Windows 2008 VM for Performance on the vSTAC Watch.

As a reference to tuning please refer to our Support Portal at http://support.pivot3.com register and
log in. Once logged in go to the Documentation section and down the document;” How to tune
vSTAC Performance for Windows Server 2008”

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Procedure Verification

The user is successfully able to Remote into the Virtual machine, Read and Write data to the Volume without
error.

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