Configure VM Cores per Socket with Virtual Machine Desired State Configuration (VMDSC) 1.1.0
Categories Flings, Performance, vRealize Suite, vSphere
Last week (4/25/2022) we released an exciting new update to the Virtual Machine Desired State Configuration (VMDSC) VMware Fling (https://flings.vmware.com/virtual-machine-desired-state-configuration). This update includes several fixes and enhancements including a new feature that has been requested many times by customers since the Fling was originally released; the ability to specify Cores per Socket in addition to CPU and Memory when configuring virtual machines.
If you are not already familiar with VMDSC you may be asking yourself “What’s the big deal? I can change a virtual machine’s CPU, Cores per Socket, and Memory anytime I want through vCenter”. While that is most certainly true, this approach requires virtual administrators to schedule a date/time with business/application/VM owners so the VM can be powered off to make the change. The power of VMDSC allows you to specify the desired state CPU, Memory, and now Cores per Socket of a virtual machine and the configuration will take effect the next time the VM is rebooted. This eliminates the administrative burden associated with rightsizing VMs.
Once deployed, administrators can leverage the VMDSC REST API and the included Postman Collection to specify desired state CPU/Memory attributes of their VMs by specifying the following parameters:
{ "uuid": "{{vm-uuid}}", "cpu": 1, "cores_per_socket": 1, "memsize": 1024}
VMDSC Integrations
Additionally, we provide powerful (yet optional) integrations with vRealize Orchestrator, vRealize Operations, vRealize Log Insight, and PowerCLI (https://github.com/HeathReynolds/PowerVMDSC) to extend the capabilities of VMDSC from a management and automation perspective.
Be sure to check out the VMDSC User Guide for detailed instructions regarding how to deploy and configure VMDSC as well as setup the optional integrations. The user guide can be found here: https://flings.vmware.com/virtual-machine-desired-state-configuration
VMDSC 1.1.0 Release Notes
- Version 1.1.0 (3884518)
- Includes the ability to specify cores_per_socket in addition to the original cpu & memory desired state values.
- Includes additional CPU validation logic to ensure the Cores per Socket value is a multiple of the total number of desired vCPUs.
- Includes the ability to specify only the desired VMDSC elements when making API calls rather than all of them (e.g. – you can specify just the CPU desired state, or memory, or cores_per_socket rather than all three of them).
- Updates to the following items to include the new cores_per_socket capabilities:
- vRealize Orchestrator package
- Postman Collection
- PowerVMDSC PowerShell Module
- vRealize Log Insight Content Pack
- VMDSC User Guide
- Pagination updates to the GET /configs API request.
Greetings Steven – Your VMDSC Fling is EXCELLENT, thank you for your innovation and great work!
One of my customers has had great success with VMDSC on their Windows infrastructure, and they would like to extend that to the rightsizing to their Linux VM’s.
My customer is having problems getting their Linux VM’s to take the VMDSC changes. Does VMDSC work on Linux VM’s ?
Thank you in advance! Much respect, Rob Codo
Hi Robert, thanks for reaching out! Yes, VMDSC should work fine with both Windows and Linux VMs. I recommend opening up a bug on the Flings site (https://flings.vmware.com/virtual-machine-desired-state-configuration) to get some assistance.
Thank you Sir! Sorry you left VMW, but good luck at the new “Evil Empire”;-)
Hello,
I need some help resolving this SSL certificate issue. I copied the CA root to /etc/ssl/certs directory. I still get x509: certificate signed by unknown authority.
I have root and immediate cerficates.
Can help me in resolving this issue?
Thanks
Hi Antono,
Can you please post your question on the Flings site (https://flings.vmware.com/virtual-machine-desired-state-configuration)?
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks Steve
I been posting my questions on the Fling site. No one is responding to any questions
I been testing the VMDSC solutions for a few weeks now. This a great solution. I have perform testing with this solution on vRealize Orchestrator and PowerVMDSC.
I would prefer to use Orchestrator for this rightsizing project that I am working on. Rightsizing works with Orchestrator with no issues. I have few questions that you can answer.
1. Can the VMDSC appliance connect to multiple vCenters or just one vCenter per VMDSC?
2. Will I need to deploy separate Orchestrator appliances per vCenter for the workflows to execute correctly for that vCenter? I have more than one vCenter that I will to apply this to.
Hi Antonio,
I apologize that you haven’t been receiving responses on the Fling site… I left VMware a few months ago. Below are my “unofficial” answers to your questions:
1. Can the VMDSC appliance connect to multiple vCenters or just one vCenter per VMDSC? The current architecture requires one VMDSC appliance per vCenter Server instance.
2. Will I need to deploy separate Orchestrator appliances per vCenter for the workflows to execute correctly for that vCenter? I have more than one vCenter that I will to apply this to. In theory no, however, you may need to modify the workflows to prompt for the appropriate VMDSC appliance that corresponds with the desired vCenter.
hello, excited to start using the appliance. seems like after the broadcom merger v2.1.1 vro package is no longer available. Lots of changes to the site. Where can I download a copy?
Hi Fabian,
I have not worked at VMware/Broadcom for about a year and half now so I do not have any visibility into what is happening with the Flings site; however, William Lam posted a few blogs over the past few months: VMware Flings Update & VMware Flings are back!. There is a link at the bottom of the “VMware Flings Update” blog that takes you to an archive of the Flings site from back in October… you might be able to find the vRO package there. Good luck!