Rescan Linux VM guest for new vmdk w/o reboot

So recently at $work I've been handling a project to migrate production and test Oracle environments to new hardware on top of new vSphere as well.

So my job is corralling the DBA contractor, keeping him on par and whatnot.  Anyway this post isn't about that really.  The servers themselves are CentOS 7 with Oracle 12c, and in the name of Best Practices I've created 5 hdd's: OS, U01, U02, tmp and Backups.  So last night DBA requests another named U03 to house teh redo log files.  Ok sounds good, but this time I did not want to have to bounce the server to see the hew 'hardware'. So credit goes to: Vivek Gite @ here

echo "- - -" > /sys/class/scsi_host/host#/scan

Works like a friggin champ!  Of course this string returns nothing but a quick Fdisk -l shows that my sdf was found.

*drops mike*

Virtualizing Multi-WAN pFSense on ESXi 5.5

So in an effort to both over-complicate my hose network setup and introduce a platform to test alternative Firewall distros over this past week end I stood up an ESXi 5.5. box.  It's running on a Dell Optiplex 790:

Core I5-2400 3.1ghz - 8gb ram - 128gb generic SSD - 3 x Intel nics, 1 x Broadcom nic.


I have 3 x 3mb ATT 'Uverse' circuits, I had to opt for ATT Business in order to get those.  Which is not a bad thing.  I signed no contract so I can leave whenever I want.  And I pay no more than a residential customer.

Anyway  here's a cool diagram of my new found setup.

The nics I wound up using were all pcie.. the single Broadcom, a single Intel then a dual headed Intel.

I gave the pF vm 2gb of ram, and a 9gb virtual hard disk.. it's load is light and even those resources are at least twice what any pF appliance will have.  Now the ESXi install is actually running of a 4gb class 10 micro SD card in a micro SD to USB adapter.  The generic 128gb SSD is only used for the Datastore.

Enterprise Virtualization Upgrade

So we finally.. and I do mean FINALLY got approval for one of our major projects this year.
Dum, dum DUUUMM,  creating a real, live, full-reaching virtualization structure.

Up til now in our main site we've cobbled together a vast array of VM provider setups.. XenServer (Before Citrix bought them out), Hyper-V (2008 flavor) and a few free ESXi hypervisors.  Since we have the dough dedicated for it now.. my plan is:

Replace all existing Hypervisors
'Upgrade' to a pay-for ESXi setup with support options
Introduce an actual SAN to the environment

The hypervisor hardware I'm looking at is HP Proliant DL360p gen8's.. a trio for the main site and a pair for my site.  The reasons will come shortly..
Anyway the Proliants will have:
      2 x Xeon E5-2643V2 cpus
      64gb PC3-14900E
      Intel 4-port gigabit nic
      Sandisk Extreme Class10/UHS Class 1 SDHC 32gb
      2 x 300gb SAS (Storing VM templates and ISOs)

Now for mass-storage.. we've decided on a Netapp FAS2552 with 24 x 1.2TB internal drives and a shelf with 12 x 600gb drives for roughly 14TB of usable storage.  It'll come with all the licenses netapp has to offer.. Snap Mirror being the primary focus.  Not only will this filer replace our aging file servers, but it'll store the VM data as well as (later on) replicated data from the other site.. my site :)


More to come..