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08-18-2006, 11:40 AM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Model: 8820
Carrier: Sprint
Posts: 2
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BES in VMware
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Has anyone here been successful configuring a BES to run in a Virtual Machine environment? VMWare is saving us a ton of money on new servers.
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08-18-2006, 11:46 AM
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#2
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BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Model: 9800
OS: 6.0.0.546
Carrier: AT&T
Posts: 2,344
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Can be done. I did my BES 4.0 -> 4.1 upgrade testing using VMware. I would not run my production server in it though.
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08-18-2006, 11:51 AM
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#3
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Talking BlackBerry Encyclopedia
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: LE
Model: Pearl
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 202
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works, but not supported by RIM
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08-18-2006, 12:11 PM
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#4
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Grumpy Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Model: SGS7
Carrier: Verizon
Posts: 27,948
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And when we asked RIM about supporting BES on VMWare, they told us that officially it wasn't, but, well, that's what they (RIM) were using...
We have had no issue with BES on VMWare.
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08-18-2006, 12:48 PM
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#5
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Talking BlackBerry Encyclopedia
Join Date: Jul 2006
Model: 8800
Carrier: Rogers
Posts: 216
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We run VMWare here as well and when we asked they stated it's on the "roadmap" for the future.
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08-18-2006, 12:51 PM
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#6
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iPhone Convert
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Tulip City - MI
Model: iP5
OS: 6.0.2
PIN: to beans
Carrier: I'm not
Posts: 13,878
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We've been using it for one of our BES servers (4.0) for over a year. Works great.
__________________
No longer a BES Admin, but it was fun while it lasted!
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08-18-2006, 12:56 PM
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#7
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Knows Where the Search Button Is
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Minneapolis
Model: 7100t
Carrier: tp-mobile
Posts: 26
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No issues whatsoever. VMWARE is used everywhere running a lot more more intensive apps then BES with no issues. If you call for support don't even mention its a vm, as it has no effect on the software. Heck microsoft will even support linux on the virtual server, so that shows you that vm's are not an issue at all.
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08-18-2006, 02:57 PM
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#8
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CrackBerry Addict
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
Model: 9700
Carrier: O2
Posts: 961
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one of the UK's mobile operators uses VMware for all of their Blackberry tech support trial systems. Allows them to run multiple bb instances, and different version levels on the same box..
not yet supported but watch this space..
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08-18-2006, 03:53 PM
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#9
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CrackBerry Addict
Join Date: Jun 2006
Model: 7100
Carrier: Rogers
Posts: 615
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Make sure you set up your network connections correctly and Give it lots of Hardware. These are the two main reasons it is not supported.
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08-18-2006, 09:46 PM
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#10
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Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Alabama
Model: 9000
Carrier: Cingular AT&T
Posts: 67
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Works on Windows platform
We run a second BES on Windows Enterprise x64 server R2 with Windows 2005 Virtual Server. Works great.
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08-18-2006, 11:45 PM
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#11
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Talking BlackBerry Encyclopedia
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: State of Confusion
Model: 9000
Carrier: T-Mobile
Posts: 483
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No issues with BES on VMWare for me. It will be officially supported in BES 4.1 SP2. RIM uses it like crazy and has for quite a while in Waterloo. I don't know why one poster said not to use it for production. It works great. Like what was said, if you ever call for support, just don't tell them it is VM.
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08-19-2006, 10:20 PM
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#12
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New Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: New York
Model: 8700C
Carrier: Cingular
Posts: 7
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While attending a Blackberry web seminar, I asked the question:
Does Blackberry recommend a preferred Virtual environment?
The answer:
We should be supporting VMWare ESX server as of BES 4.1.2, scheduled for the fall timeframe.
Regards,
Warren James
BlackBerry Solutions Group
Research In Motion |
...music to my ears.
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08-20-2006, 08:03 PM
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#13
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Knows Where the Search Button Is
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: AUS
Model: 8300
Carrier: Telstra
Posts: 23
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Just so I understand.... are you saying if you have 1 server it is better to Install exchange on it and then install vmware on that machine and run BES using VM?
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08-20-2006, 09:01 PM
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#14
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Thumbs Must Hurt
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Canada
Model: 7250
Carrier: Telus
Posts: 131
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jobsdone
While attending a Blackberry web seminar, I asked the question:
Does Blackberry recommend a preferred Virtual environment?
The answer:
We should be supporting VMWare ESX server as of BES 4.1.2, scheduled for the fall timeframe.
Regards,
Warren James
BlackBerry Solutions Group
Research In Motion |
...music to my ears.
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Of course they want to use ESX server and spend a lot more money.
I would suggest for testing purposes to use VMWare Server 1.0.1 as it's 100% free, and the nicest thing is you can install it on your 64bit machine and create x64 sessions with it with either one or two processors. I can't complain as it rocks on my Dual Core which is going to be a Core 2 Duo soon.
Andrew
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08-21-2006, 04:01 AM
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#15
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New Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Leeds
Model: multi
Carrier: o2
Posts: 2
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We are running 3 BES4 machines on ESX server and have been for well over a year without any issues
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08-21-2006, 10:26 AM
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#16
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Knows Where the Search Button Is
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Model: 8820
PIN: 24313302
Carrier: Cingular/AT&T
Posts: 41
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We currently run our production BES server in VMWare on an ESX server and have had no issue. Just make sure you have the RAM for it.
BTW, we have about 30 users on the server right now.
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08-21-2006, 07:14 PM
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#17
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CrackBerry Addict
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Model: 9000
OS: 4.6
Carrier: Rogers
Posts: 625
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I use vmware as my failover for my BES server.
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08-30-2006, 10:17 AM
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#18
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New Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oklahoma
Model: 8700c
Carrier: Cingular
Posts: 5
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Suggested Config
I have 1000 users on BES 4.0. Can anyone give me a SWAG on how the VM should be configured, memory, processor etc.
Also, we don’t control the VMWare farm and there is concern that other applications running on the same hardware as BES could impact performance. Please excuse my ignorance on the product but all I have to go by is my experience with Exchange servers sharing space on our SAN with other applications like SQL and Oracle. Performance takes a hit and there is nothing visibly wrong on Exchange.
Any information will be helpful.
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08-30-2006, 10:53 AM
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#19
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CrackBerry Addict
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Rockford, IL
Model: 9530
OS: 4.7.x
Carrier: Verizon
Posts: 590
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Each server gets allocated their pool of resources as configured by the VMWare admin. I would ask your VW admin to get you a list of resources allocated as well as a summary of how the shares are configured (not to be confused with Windows/Samba shares) if they are running Virtual Center. If another virtual server has higher priority shares, then the other servers will give up some memory resources, etc. to allow the higher priority server to process.
I'm a little rusty on this, but that's the general idea. If you have further questions, I would refer you to the VMWare support forums, the guys there are VERY knowledgable.
Link --> VMTN Discussion Forums: Forum Home
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08-30-2006, 12:40 PM
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#20
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BlackBerry Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: YYZ
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Carrier: Rogers
Posts: 1,183
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckcox
I have 1000 users on BES 4.0. Can anyone give me a SWAG on how the VM should be configured, memory, processor etc.
Also, we don’t control the VMWare farm and there is concern that other applications running on the same hardware as BES could impact performance. Please excuse my ignorance on the product but all I have to go by is my experience with Exchange servers sharing space on our SAN with other applications like SQL and Oracle. Performance takes a hit and there is nothing visibly wrong on Exchange.
Any information will be helpful.
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I'd use a real server. Virtualization is a beutifull thing but there is a point of diminishing returns. Disk aside, the only expensive part of a server is memory and OS. VM still requires a license of the OS on each virtual machine. And at a certain point it's cheaper to get 2 servers with less memory than 1 with a lot more.
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