[dba-SQLServer] Syncing Virtual Machines

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Tue Oct 25 11:53:15 CDT 2011


This is MS - Hyper-V.  I use raid controllers so that the data environment doesn't change.  I 
installed a new motherboard / memory in the VM server.  Reinstalled the raid controller and disks 
and voila, my data environment is identical.

The "recovery" of an individual VM is a 10 minute task.  Open hyper-V and build a "new" machine, 
attaching to the existing virtual disk files.  Of course I have to do that for *every* VM.  There is 
an XML file sitting right in the VM directory alongside of the virtual disk which describes the VM. 
  Path to the disk, amount of memory, number of processors.

Do you think I can get hyper-V to actually *look* at that file?  Nope, I have to build the stinking 
thing all over.  I sure wish Bill Gates had chewed some ass on this division's bosses.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting

Reality is what refuses to go away
when you do not believe in it

On 10/25/2011 12:39 PM, Francisco Tapia wrote:
> So your saying that the VMware software is asking you to rebuild the vm shell?
>
> This can happen based on the new physical changes of your environment,
> in the past I simply used VMware converter to do the heavy lifting, is
> it not working for you?
>
> Sent from my mobile
>
> On Oct 25, 2011, at 9:34 AM, jwcolby<jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com>  wrote:
>
>> I don't quite understand the question, but everything is working fine.  As long as the virtual disks themselves still exist it is somewhat trivial to get a vm back working, but it is absolutely silly that I have to "rebuild" every VM, attaching the existing virtual disk for the VM(s) when an XML file is sitting right there to use.
>>
>> I have been doing this for years and for the small guy, the process is just pure frigging magic shall we say.  Smoke and mirrors and who the heck knows why we have to jump through these hoops. For a fortune 500 company with a million dollar IT payroll this may all make sense.
>>
>> I'm telling you, you guys should try and exist in this IT world when you are a sole proprietor trying to maintain all this stuff and make a living as well.  It pretty much sucks!
>>
>> Just understanding networks is a full time career.  Then add virtual machines (and their servers), and SQL Server (and their servers), and then maintain the workstations, and finally... learn C# and Access, source control (and the server), 16 different variants of remote access into the client's machines.  FTP crap to get and put files.  Have I left anything out?  Oh yea, in my "spare time" I have to maintain all of the family computers.
>>
>> And my wife wonders why I spend 12 hours a day in my office.
>>
>> My JOB is writing C# and Access database software.  My JOB actually consumes about 25% of my total time.  Maaaaybe 50% on a good day.
>>
>> So when I spend 2 hours dicking around trying to figure out (for the third or fourth time) how to get my VMs to cleanly back up - AND FAIL!!! (for the third or fourth time!!!) - I get slightly annoyed.
>>
>> It shouldn't be this hard!  The technology of all of this stuff is cool, the implementation is crap, and that is being kind.
>>
>> John W. Colby
>> Colby Consulting
>>
>> Reality is what refuses to go away
>> when you do not believe in it



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