Configuring the ESX Server host firewall for SSH

To ensure that the SSH service is enabled in the ESX Server firewall through the Virtual Infrastructure Client:

1.     Log in to the VirtualCenter or directly to the ESX Server host with the Virtual Infrastructure Client as an administrative user.

2.     Click the ESX Server from the inventory.

3.     Click the Configuration tab.

4.     Click the Security Profile Link.

5.     Review the Firewall properties and ensure that SSH Server is listed under Incoming Connections. If SSH Server is not listed:

a.     Click Properties.

b.     Select the SSH Server check box.

c.     Click OK.

Note: If you want to be able to use SSH from the ESX Server host, ensure that the SSH Client option is checked using the same steps as outlined above.

Alternatively to enable this from the ESX Server service console:

1.     Log in to the ESX Server service console as root .

2.     Type the following command to determine if the sshServer port is enabled on the firewall:

[root@server]# esxcfg-firewall -q sshServer
Service sshServer is blocked.

3.     Type the following command to open the firewall port in case it is blocked:

[root@server]# esxcfg-firewall -e sshServer

Note: To close the SSH server port, type esxcfg-firewall -d sshServer.

Note: If you want to be able to use SSH from the ESX Server host, sshClient must be enabled using the same steps as outlined above

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=4309499

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003796

From the physical or remote console connection

Changing the IP for the Service Console must be done from the physical console or through a remote console session. If you make changes through a network connection such as SSH, network connectivity to the Service Console disconnects because the Service Console's network interface changes.

For this example, it is assumed that vswif0 is the Service Console adapter that is the interface to which you are applying the IP address change. Running the following command sets the IP address to the value substituted for a.b.c.d and the subnet mask to the value substituted for w.x.y.z:

[root@server root]# esxcfg-vswif -i a.b.c.d -n w.x.y.z vswif0

After running this command, edit the /etc/hosts file with an editor (such as nano or vi) and modify it so that it reflects the proper IP address and hostname.

To change the default gateway address and the hostname for the Service Console edit the /etc/sysconfig/network file and change the GATEWAY and HOSTNAME parameters to the proper values.

After you edit these files, you must reboot the host or restart the network service using the following command:

[root@server root]# service network restart

Note: This command will break any current network connections to the service console.

You can also dynamically change the hostname using the command:

[root@server root]# hostname newname

Note: This command creates a temporary hostname change. This change is lost when the system is rebooted.

To change the DNS server settings, edit the /etc/resolv.conf file, update the nameserver IPs, and search domain if applicable.

  I got the Windows 7 Beta CD and available for download.

  \\apac.dell.com\data\PENANG\SERVICES\TechTrain$\APCC\Enterprise\Software(Vendor)\OS\Windows\Window_7  

Windows 7 Beta and Customer Preview information:

Beta Customer Preview Program

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx

Springboard Series

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/default.aspx?ITPID=sprblog

Beta Forums / blogs

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/01/09/update-on-windows-7-beta-availability.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/

Feedback Program

http://wfp.microsoft.com/

Technet Library

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd266801.aspx?ITPID=sprblog

The subscription number (sometimes referred to as an installation number or a registration number)

for a Red Enterprise Linux 5 subscription can be found in several places, depending on how the subscription was purchased.

 For purchases made directly from Red Hat or from a reseller:

o    visit the Customer Center: https://www.redhat.com/wapps/support/protected/subscriptions.html

o    Or, contact Red Hat Customer Service: http://www.redhat.com/about/contact/directory.html#custservice

·         For purchases made from Dell:

o    First, activate the service tag: https://www.redhat.com/wapps/activate/protected/dell.html.

o    The subscription number can then be found in the Customer Center: https://www.redhat.com/wapps/support/protected/subscriptions.html

·         For purchases from a hardware vendor that included a media kit, refer to the front of the poster included with the media kit.

Linux : If I add several hundred GB of RAM to a system do I really need several hundred GB of swap space ? ------ NOT REALLY!

Currently Red Hat recommends a linear increase to the amount of swap space on a system as the amount of RAM increases. Specifically that swap space on a system be twice the amount of RAM when the system has up to 2GB and the amount of RAM plus 2GB when the system has more than 2GB of RAM. This is pretty much the same recommendation as upstream so the reasoning behind it is, the larger the system, the larger memory workload that system will likely encounter.

 This no longer makes sense as memory sizes have increased up into the hundreds of GBs range.

 The reality is the amount of swap space a system needs is not really a function of the amount of RAM it has but rather the memory workload that is running on that system. A Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 system will run just fine with no swap space at all as long as the sum of anonymous memory and system V shared memory is less than about 3/4 the amount of RAM. In this case the system will simply lock the anonymous and system V shared memory into RAM and use the remaining RAM for caching file system data so when memory is exhausted the kernel only reclaims pagecache memory.

 Considering that

1) At installation time when configuring the swap space there is no easy way to predetermine the memory a workload will require, and

2) The more RAM a system has the less swap space it typically needs, a better swap space requirements rule for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 is:

·         Systems with 4GB of ram or less require a minimum of 2GB of swap space

·         Systems with 4GB to 16GB of ram require a minimum of 4GB of swap space

·         Systems with 16GB to 64GB of ram require a minimum of 8GB of swap space

·         Systems with 64GB to 256GB of ram require a minimum of 16GB of swap space

Hi Team,

Why "top" command its showing only 1 CPU (CPU0).

Actually that’s  not CPU0 ... it's the average value over all CPU(s) as top
explicit shows. To toggle the display mode to show all CPUs separately
press '1'. and 'h' shows all available commands....

OR

Find Linux CPU utilization using mpstat and other tools (#mpstat -P ALL à Will show all processors utilization)

Please note that you need to install special package called sysstat to take advantage of above commands.

This package includes system performance tools for Linux (Red Hat Linux / RHEL includes these tools by default).

Step by step guide below..

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/how-do-i-find-out-linux-cpu-utilization.html

http://www.computing.net/answers/linux/top-does-not-show-second-cpu-/28483.html

..

How to Repair this SVCHOST.EXE error

After some investigating into the 0X745f2780 SVCHOST error, it became apparent the problem is a corrupted Windows Update in Windows XP. Follow the steps below to fix this error.

Verify Windows Update Service Settings

• Click on Start, Run and type the following command in the open box and click OK
  
  services.msc
• Find the Automatic Updates service and double-click on it.
• Click on the Log On Tab and make sure the "Local System Account" is selected as the logon account and the box for "allow service to interact with desktop" is UNCHECKED.
• Under the Hardware Profile section in the Log On Tab, make sure the service is enabled.
• On the General Tab, the Startup Type should be Automatic, if not, drop the box down and select Automatic. 
• Under "Service Status" on the General tab, the service should be Started, click the Start button enable it.
• Repeat the steps above for the service "Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)"

Re-Register Windows Update DLLs

• Click on Start, Run, and type CMD and click ok
• In the black command window type the following command and press Enter
  
  REGSVR32 WUAPI.DLL
• Wait until you receive the "DllRegisterServer in WUAPI.DLL succeeded" message and click OK
• Repeat the last two steps above for each of the following commands:
  
  REGSVR32 WUAUENG.DLL
  REGSVR32 WUAUENG1.DLL
  REGSVR32 ATL.DLL
  REGSVR32 WUCLTUI.DLL
  REGSVR32 WUPS.DLL
  REGSVR32 WUPS2.DLL
  REGSVR32 WUWEB.DLL

Remove Corrupted Windows Update Files

• At the command prompt, type the following command and press Enter
  
  net stop WuAuServ
• Still at the command prompt,
  
  type cd %windir% and press Enter
• In the opened folder, type the following command and press Enter to rename the SoftwareDistribution Folder
  
  ren SoftwareDistribution SD_OLD
• Restart the Windows Update Service by typing the following at the command prompt
  
  net start WuAuServ
• type Exit and Press Enter to close the command prompt

Reboot Windows

• click on Start, Shut Down, and Restart to reboot Windows XP

Although this method may not solve all of the issues with a SVCHOST.EXE Application error, I have found it fixed the problem with the 0x745f2780 reference error.

Other Issues with SVCHOST.EXE

I've encountered other issues with SVCHOST taking up 100% of the CPU Cycles. These issues are usually experienced with Windows Update in some form or another. To fix this frustrating problem, following these steps:

1) Download and install Update for Windows XP (KB927891)
2) Download and install an update for Windows Update Agent WSUS 3.0
3) Restart your computer and your computer should run better with slowing to a crawl because of SVCHOST.EXE

DESKTOP  & NOTEBOOK SECURITY PATCH

We have received notification from Microsoft that a security vulnerability has been identified that affects workstations.  A security patch must be installed on all workstations.

What is being released?

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-001

Vulnerabilities in SMB Could Allow Remote Code Execution (958687)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-001.mspx

When will this occur?

Below table is the manual installation timeframe

http://supportapj.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/entvideos/extpart

Extpart (extend partition) utility instructions:

Note: 

• To extend a partition you need unallocated space on the hard drive.  
• The partition that is going to be extended has to be next to the unallocated space in the Disk Manager view. So if there's a C: and D: drive, and then the unallocated space, the C: cannot be extended with extpart. Only the D: drive.