Nesting Hyper-V with VMware ESXi 5.5

This weeks posting focuses on the setup of my home virtual lab.  I recently setup my home lab consisting of the following specs:

• Supermicro X7DAL
• 2 - Quad Core Intel Xeon E5440 @ 2.83 GHz (8 vCPUs)
• 2 - NICs
• 24 GB of RAM
• 2 - 1 TB Hard drives
• Evaluation version of ESXi 5.5

Most of my experience has been with VMWare so I choose this as my base system.  Now I wanted to learn more about Hyper-V and have read it could be nested within ESXi.  The following will guide you through configuring a ESXi 5.5 system to allow for nested Hyper-V usage.

In some places there are multiple ways to accomplish the same process through the vSphere client, CLI, or using a tool like WinSCP.  The end result is to modify the config files so how ever you feel comfortable.  I will be utilizing WinSCP to access the files and modify using a Windows text editor.  You can download WinSCP here: http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

1. To start we need to ensure SSH access is enabled.  I configured mine through vSphere client but you could do this through local access also.
• Launch vSphere and connect to ESXi system
• Ensure your system is select in left navigation box
• Click "Configuration" tab in right navigation box
• Under software click "Security Profile"
• Click "Properties" for "Services"
• Select "SSH" and click "Options"
• Select desired startup policy
• I choose to automatically start
• Click Okay until back at main vSphere page
2. Now we need to modify our ESXi config file.  This file is located at /etc/vmware/config.
• Launch WinSCP
• Connect to your ESXi server through a SFTP connection
• Navigate to root level and then to /etc/vmware/
• Select config and Edit
• Add the following
• vhv.allow = “TRUE”
• Save and close the editor
3. Next we need to create the Hyper-V system profile, we will not be installing yet.
• Go and create a new VM with specs you desire
• I configured mine with following:
• VM Hardware version 8
• 4 vCPUs
• 12 GB of RAM
• 2 NICs
• 40 GB Thin Hard drive
• 100 GB Thin Hard drive
4. Now we need to edit the VM Profile
• In WinSCP navigate to VM location
• /vmfs/volumes/[DateStore]/[VM Name]
• Select [VM].vmx file and Edit
• Add the following lines:
• monitor.virtual_exec = "hardware"
• hypervisor.cpuid.v0 = "FALSE"
• Save and close the editor
5. Before we install our OS we still need make some changes to our VM settings
• Within vSphere access your VM's settings
• Select "Options"
• Enable CPU/MMU Virtualization for our VM
• Under Advanced Select "CPU/MMU Virtualization"
• Select "Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for instruction set virtualization and Intel EPT/AMD RVI for MMU virtualization"
• Expose CPUID to guest
• Under Advanced Select "CPUID Mask"
• Select "Expose the NX/XD flag to guest"
• Click "Advanced"
• Locate line ecx and modify to following:
• ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --H- ----
• Okay back to main vSphere window
6. Finally we can install our Hyper-V OS
• Proceed to install as normal and enjoy creating Hyper-V VMs within ESXi environment.

Following resources we used:

• Veam blog: Nesting Hyper-V with VMware Workstation 8 and ESXi 5
• http://www.veeam.com/blog/nesting-hyper-v-with-vmware-workstation-8-and-esxi-5.html
• WinSCP
• http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Dual Platform Woes - Password Alerts

As my current employer moves to a dual platform of Windows and Mac systems we have ran in to issues with users not being aware of password expiration.  As such the Technology team has had to look for ways to ensure both Windows and Mac users are aware of upcoming password expiration.

To accomplish this we have deployed the following:

1. PowerShell Script
• Password Alert
• Runs daily at 7AM
• Starts 14 days from expiration and continues until password reset
• Provides links and directions on how to reset password
• Password Expiration Report
• Sends single email with OU Expiration reports attached
• Use Windows Task Scheduler to execute scripts daily
• Run on DC


2. ADPassMon
• Version 1
• Can be found here: 
• https://yourmacguy.wordpress.com/adpassmon/
• Version 2 (Forked)
• Can be found here: 
• https://macmule.com/2014/04/01/announcing-adpassmon-v2-fork/
• Deployed via MDM (Casper Suite)
• Preference file locked to prevent user from tampering
• Application set to relaunch daily at 10am, in case user force closes

We have just implemented both of these into our environment.  Will include complete write ups on setup of each option in the near future.

Office 2016 Beta Release

Well, hello digital world.  Long time now chat.

So much has happened in my life I will have to provide a couple post to catch you all up.  But this post is to focus on Office 2016 for Mac.

Available for download here: http://products.office.com/en-US/mac/mac-preview

From my limited experience with Office 2011 for Mac I have been severally disappointed.  I will be downloading the beta in the morning for review personally.  I am hoping that MS has incorporated more features that are standard to PC version into the Mac version.

Stay tuned for my review within the next week.

In the mean time head over to Spiceworks and join the discussion there:

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/825685-free-public-beta-preview-of-office-2016-for-mac-is-now-available

HP Driver Packs

First order of business at my new job was to assist my SCCM Technical Analyst (TAn) with finding HP driver packs or cabs.

While talking with my TAns I learned that we are still developing images and having a hard time importing drivers from the installation disks for each system.  My SCCM TAn had experience with Dell and their driver cab files but had no luck locating HP cabs.  Some Googling and asking on SpiceWorks community pointed us to the driver packs.  

To find drivers packs for your equipment go to:
            http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/clientmanagement/drivers-pack.html

SharePoint 2010 HR Site Setup and Configuration

Documenting setup of our departments for others and future needs. As the title states this is the setup of our Human Resource Departments site.

1. Access Main Site Collection site [http://intranet]
2. Site Actions > New Site
3. Select Publishing Site
• Title: Human Resources
• URL: hr
4. Wait for site to be created
5. Update features for Human Resources site
• Site Actions > Site Settings
• Site Actions > Manage Site Features
• Team Collaboration Lists > Activiate
6. For our site we will be using the following parts:
1. Welcome
• Static welcome message from HR team
2. Announcements
• HR Accounements (Template: Announcement)
3. Document Library
• HR Document Library (Template: Document Library)
4. Training Schedule
• HR Training Schedule (Template: Calendar)
5. Helpful Links
• HR Helpful Links (Template: Links)
7. Setup HR Announcements
1. Site Actions > More Options
2. Select Announcements from list in right pane
1. Name: HR Announcements 
3. Click Create
8. Setup HR Document Library
1. Site Actions > More Options
2. Select Document Library from list in right pane
1. Name: HR Document Library 
3. Click Create
9. Setup HR Training Schedule
1. Site Actions > More Options
2. Select Calendar from list in right pane
1. Name: HR Training Schedule
3. Click Create
10. Setup HR Helpful Links
1. Site Actions > More Options
2. Select Links from list in right pane
1. Name: HR Helpful Links
3. Click Create

SharePoint 2010: Aggregate Calendars

If you receive the following error:

• Could not establish trust relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel with authority 'Exchange_mail_server'. (87ed56e6-5b15-41ad-8672-72afdeb45460)

Check out this KB for help. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982982
We completed Method 2 with best success.

New Job

Hello everyone,

So I don't recall if I publicly put this out but back in March I was let go from my last employer as there System Administrator/IT Support.  After a rough three months of searching, submitting resumes, meeting with placement companies I finally landed a new job.  As of July 2nd I accepted a job IT Manager at a School District.  The IT department consists of around 5 Technical Analysts and 6-8 Technical Assistants.  We support somewhere around 1000 faculty and 7800 students & parents.