VMware vSphere

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  • 1.  vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 15, 2013 06:27 PM

    Hi guys,

    I'd like to write a list of things you have to keep in mind and potential problems that can occure when upgrading to 5.1. Are there reasons for you not to upgrade right now and stick to 5.0 for the moment? Even a new installation on 5.0?

    I came up with these:

    - a stricter compatibility matrix regarding supported servers.

    - the need of using SSO even in small environments which don't leverage from it.

    - some features only available through the web client?! (But I guess we all have to get used to the web client anyway :smileywink:)

    - new releases always comes with bugs (saw 3 PSODs in different 5.1 environments yet)

    Hope you can help me with some other arguments or maybe you disagree with mine. Appreciate it!



  • 2.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 15, 2013 06:51 PM

    DarkPassenger wrote:

    Hi guys,

    I'd like to write a list of things you have to keep in mind and potential problems that can occure when upgrading to 5.1. Are there reasons for you not to upgrade right now and stick to 5.0 for the moment? Even a new installation on 5.0?

    I came up with these:

    - a stricter compatibility matrix regarding supported servers.

    - the need of using SSO even in small environments which don't leverage from it.

    - some features only available through the web client?! (But I guess we all have to get used to the web client anyway :smileywink:)

    - new releases always comes with bugs (saw 3 PSODs in different 5.1 environments yet)

    Hope you can help me with some other arguments or maybe you disagree with mine. Appreciate it!

    I think the major issue many people experiance is the complexity and additional requiremetns of SSO.

    as far as using the webclient, that is only for the new features of 5.1, anything from 5.0 is still in the vi client.



  • 3.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 15, 2013 07:07 PM

    If you are using a USB controller as a PCI pass through device under 5.0, be aware that there are issues with 5.1.  See http://communities.vmware.com/thread/417736?start=120&tstart=0 for an ongoing discussion of this issue.



  • 4.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 16, 2013 12:39 AM

    Aloha,

    I'd advise you to read thru the comments in the VCenter Server Community. Not a whole lot of good things said about 5.1. I am very warm and fuzzy in my 5.0 Update X world - and will continue to be for the forseeable future.

    Bill



  • 5.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 16, 2013 10:09 PM

    Thanks for your answers so far!

    @ Bill

    Most issues in the community are quite specific. I'm rather looking for disadvantages on a higher level which affect many of users in the same way.

    I'm suppose to create a small presentation about this topic and as you can see I'm short of content. More input please :smileyhappy:



  • 6.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 17, 2013 01:27 PM

    Got another one:

    The installation proccess is much more complicated than prior 5.1. Even when using simple intall the databases have to be created manually through the SQL Server Management Studio.



  • 7.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 19, 2013 06:02 PM

    and so on:

    - SSO as a new single point of failure (exept your'e going to setup multiple instantces).

    - SSO authentication on SQL server only comapatible with SQL-authentication.

    - Need for installing and using (insecure) flash in production environments  because of the webclient.

    - Ressources you need to spent on vCenter (10 GB RAM are not unusual and a lot for small environments)

    Really no one else with notes, doubts or problems with vSphere 5.1??

    Well, it seems VMware really did a hell of a job :smileyhappy:



  • 8.  RE: vSphere 5.1 - Need help to find potential problems/drawbacks to look out for

    Posted Mar 19, 2013 10:39 PM

    DarkPassenger wrote:

    Even a new installation on 5.0?

    You will have to upgrade at some point. It's not like 5.2 will come out with the new feature that SSO is removed and the web client has been depreciated in favour of the fat client (as much as I'd like that to happen).

    All that will happen when 5.2 comes out is that 5.0 will be considered even more obsolete and you will be faced with a more pressing upgrade than if you were running 5.1.