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  • Server Virtualization Customer Handbook
  • About VMware Server Virtualization
    • Roles and responsibilities
      • Managed virtual machines
      • Unmanaged virtual machines
      • Maintenance
    • Licensing
      • VMware licensing
      • Windows licensing
      • Red Hat OS licensing
      • Oracle licensing
    • VMware Server Virtualization versus RPC-VMware
  • Getting started with Server Virtualization
    • VMware Server Virtualization architecture
    • VMware Server Virtualization features
      • VMware Server Virtualization managed services
      • Patching and upgrading
        • ESXi patching
        • OS patching
    • Add-on services
      • Replication Manager
        • Architecture
        • Key features
        • Roles and responsibilities
        • Using Replication Manager in MyRackspace portal
          • Viewing the recovery plan
          • Viewing a VM’s replication status and other details
          • Viewing protection group details
          • Requesting a failover test
          • Requesting a planned migration
          • Request a unplanned failover
        • Official terms and conditions
      • VM Replication
        • Architecture
        • Key features
        • Roles and responsibilities
        • Official terms and conditions
      • VM Recovery
        • Architecture
        • Key features
        • Roles and responsibilities
        • Official terms and conditions
      • Add-on services comparison
  • VMware Server Virtualization user manual
    • Accessing the MyRackspace portal
    • Managing permissions
      • Assigning permissions by user
      • Assigning permissions by product
      • Managing groups
      • Changing global permissions
    • Credentials Management
    • Ordering virtual machines
      • Creating a new virtual machine
        • Ordering multiple virtual machines
    • Cloning virtual machines
      • Cloning a virtual machine
    • Managing virtual machines
      • Powering a virtual machine on and off
      • Rebooting a virtual machine
      • Filtering virtual machines
      • Snapshotting a virtual machine
        • Reverting snapshots
        • Deleting snapshots
      • Resizing and adjusting virtual machines
      • Re-imaging virtual machines
      • Removing and deleting virtual machines
      • Tracking orders
    • Viewing hypervisor and virtual machine performance
    • Migrating workloads to VMware Server Virtualization
      • Data migration
      • Import from OVA/OVF file
      • Professional Services migration
    • Datastore overhead
      • Why does Rackspace require this?
      • What else can consume space on my datastores?
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Additional resources
    • SLA information
    • Compliance information
    • Additional links
  • Disclaimer

Managing virtual machines#

This section details the functionality available in the MyRackspace Portal for your VMware Server Virtualization components. This includes virtual machine self-service and order tracking.

Important

Before you begin, ensure that you are on the Dedicated Hosting tab on the top right-hand corner of your browser.

Dedicated Hosting is highlighted in red if you are in the correct tab.

Powering a virtual machine on and off#

Use the following steps to power a virtual machine on and off:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.

  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The Virtual Machines management section displays.

  3. Select the virtual machine that you want to clone from the virtual machine list. This action opens up your individual virtual machine's details.

  4. Click the Actions dropdown menu on the right-hand side.

  5. In the Automate Action section, select Power VM....

  6. If you select power off, the action powers down the selected virtual machine and suspends billing.

    If you select power on, the action powers up a previously off virtual machine and initiates billing.

    Note

    If you are powering on a virtual machine again, this might require review from a Rackspace VMware Support technician. For best practice and security reasons, OS updates might need to be applied before the virtual machine is returned to service, depending upon the length of time the virtual machine has been powered off. A ticket generates with this request and the Rackspace VMware Support team updates the ticket accordingly.

Rebooting a virtual machine#

Use the following steps to reboot a virtual machine:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.
  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The Virtual Machines management section displays.
  3. Select the virtual machine you want to clone from the virtual machine list. This action opens up your individual virtual machine's details.
  4. Click the Actions drop-down on the right hand side.
  5. In the Automate Action section, select Reboot VM....
  6. This automated action allows the selected Virtual Machine to be rebooted using one of the following methods:
    • Soft Reboot: Graceful shutdown and restart of your server's operating system.
    • Hard Reboot: Power cycle your server (immediate shutdown and restart). You need to select a reason for a Hard Reboot from the dropdown list.

Filtering virtual machines#

Use the following steps to filter the view of your virtual machines:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.
  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The Virtual Machines management section displays.
  3. Click to filter the virtual machines by:
    • All Virtual Machines
    • Status: Online or Powered Off
    • Type: Virtual Machine, Clone, or Template
    • Region (Datacenter)
    • Hypervisor

Snapshotting a virtual machine#

Warning

As snapshot files grow, it can affect all virtual machines on the hypervisor. For this reason, Rackspace recommends keeping no longer than a two-day snapshot. After this time, you can delete the snapshot, or we can revert to the to the snapshot and original disks.

A VMware snapshot is a copy of the virtual machine's disk file (VMDK) at a given point in time. Snapshots provide a change log for the virtual disk and are used to restore a VM to a particular point in time when a failure or system error occurs.

Use the following steps to snapshot a virtual machine:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.
  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The virtual machines management section displays.
  3. Select the virtual machine you wish to snapshot.
  4. Scroll to the Snapshots section.
  5. Click Create Snapshot.
  6. Enter a description for your new snapshot.

Reverting snapshots#

Use the following steps to revert a snapshot of a virtual machine:

Warning

You will lose all changes made to this virtual machine after the snapshot was created. You cannot undo this action.

  1. Click the gear icon next to the selected Snapshot name.

  2. Click Revert to Snapshot.

  3. Click Revert.

    Warning

    You lose all changes made to this VM since the snapshot was created. You cannot undo this action.

  4. The virtual machine automatically powers down and powers back on after.

Deleting snapshots#

Use the following steps to delete a snapshot of a virtual machine:

Warning

Deleting a snapshot means that all changes that have occurred to the virtual machine will get committed to the parent disk or snapshot.

You lose the ability to restore to your pre-snapshot virtual machine.

  1. Click the gear icon next to the selected Snapshot name.
  2. Click Delete Snapshot.

This applies all the changes to the virtual machine since the snapshot was created. The snapshot file applies to the source disk and the virtual machine stays online during this process. The snapshot no longer exists.

Warning

As snapshot files grow, it can affect all virtual machines on the hypervisor. For this reason, Rackspace recommends keeping no longer than a two-day snapshot. After this time, you can delete the snapshot, or we can revert to the to the snapshot and original disks.

Resizing and adjusting virtual machines#

Warning

It is important to size VMs as close to what is required as possible as resources like CPU, memory, and disk can be easily added but removal requires a restart and results in downtime.

Rackspace recommends the following resource allocation ratios:

  • 1:5 physical CPU to virtual CPU
  • 1:1.5 physical RAM to virtual RAM

Before resizing a virtual machine, note that overallocation of resources has the potential to negatively impact the performance of the virtual machine and other virtual machines within your environment.

Use the following steps to resize and adjust a virtual machine:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.

  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The virtual machines management section appears.

  3. Select the virtual machine that you want to resize from the virtual machine list. This action opens up your individual virtual machine's details.

  4. Click the Actions dropdown menu on the right-hand side.

  5. In the Automate Action section, select Resize VM.... This automatically shuts down your VM, applies your change, and powers the VM back on.

  6. Choose the new number of vCPUs and amount of vRAM.

  7. Click Resize Virtual Machine.

    Warning

    Clicking Resize Virtual Machine causes your virtual machine to power off immediately. This process takes approximately 5 minutes plus the required boot time.

Re-imaging virtual machines#

Use the following steps to request a re-image a virtual machine:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.

  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The virtual machines management section displays.

  3. Select the virtual machine that you want to clone from the virtual machine list. This action opens up your individual virtual machine's details.

  4. Click the Actions drop-down on the right hand side.

  5. In the Automate Action section, select Re-image VM....

  6. This action request reprovisions this VM with a new Guest OS version or a new Guest OS. Provide details of any needing to be retained in current VM prior to reprovisioning.

  7. Click Request Re-Image.

  8. This action creates a ticket to track your re-imaging.

    Warning

    You lose all data on your VM once re-imaged. Save any data you might need elsewhere. The VM will be unavailable for several hours during the re-imaging process.

Removing and deleting virtual machines#

Use the following steps to delete a virtual machine:

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.
  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The virtual machines management section appears.
  3. Select the virtual machine you wish to remove from the virtual machine list. This action opens up your individual virtual machine's details.
  4. Click the Actions dropdown menu on the right-hand side.
  5. In the Request Action section, select Delete VM....
  6. Enter any Special Instructions to include in support ticket.
  7. Select Request Deletion

This action triggers a ticket for your Rackspace VMware Support team specialist to action. To track the progress of this, see the Tracking Orders section below.

Tracking orders#

If you have requested the creation of a new VM, re-imaging, or the deletion of a VM you can track your order through the MyRack portal.

  1. Click the Products dropdown menu.
  2. Select VMware Server Virtualization from the list. The virtual machines management section displays.
  3. Select Track Orders.

If you have any concerns or questions about an action you have requested, contact your Rackspace VMware Support team specialist.

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