Xen Server Rolling Pool Upgrade HTTP invalid url to installer files

Problem with the "invalid url to installer files" error while attempting a rolling pool upgrade. The web server was IIS 8. The problem was that a mime type for the empty extension was not defined. Solved by creating a new mime type of "." [actually type a period and nothing else into the text box] with type "application/octet-stream". You also need to have a mime type for bz2 and possibly more. I simply created a mime type of "application/octet-stream" for extensions ".*" to include all corner cases. This resolved the 404 error and Xen Center could now see the install files on the website.

Xenserver: Deleting VDIs locked by the control domain

You can run into a situation where during a canceled move, a VDI is created on a SR that is locked by the control domain, even after a reboot.

Here is the method I used to solve this situation: 

1. Find the UUID of the VDI: xe vdi-list name-label = <Name of the VDI>
2. Find the UUID of the block device that the VDI is mounted with: xe vbd-list vdi-uuid=<UUID of the VDI>
3. Unplug the block device, this will corrupt the VDI: xe vbd-unplug uuid=<UUID of the block device>
4. Make the control domain forget the vdi: xe vdi-forget uuid=<UUID of the VDI>
5. Rescan the SR: xe vdi-scan sr-uuid=<UUID of the SR>
6. Destroy the VDI file: xe vdi-destroy uuid=<UUID of the VDI>

Journey into the Microsoft Private Cloud

The HP c7000 blade server chassis arrived today. Join me as I construct our Private Cloud, leveraging Microsoft System Center over the next month.

Update: Hardware installed, but the migration project has been put on hold until I can carve out budget for HP Virtual Connect modules.

Mount USB disk on Xen Server

How to mount a USB disk on Xen Server

1. Insert the USB stick or disk
2. Check the device name with FDISK -l
3. Make a mount point directory: mkdir /mnt/usbdisk
4. Mount the disk (assuming FAT file system with mount -t vfat -o rw,users /dev/DEVNAME /mnt/usbdisk the DEVNAME is contained in the results of step 2.
5. When done, use umount /mnt/usbdisk
6. Then remove the drive.

Procedure to restore a SpamTitan appliance from a backup

Restore procedures.

1. Install the VM, give it the original IP address, DNS, and domain name.
2. Install the Original License File, or a new license, the backup does not contain the license.
3. Update the SpamTitan appliance to the same version as the last backup.
4. Restore the backup.
5. If the network address was not set to be the same you must do so, the backup does not contain the network interface information.
6. Replace the branding and report images, the backup does not contain any of the branding images.

 So the take away from this:

1. Make regular automated backups to an FTP server.
2. Keep a copy of the license key file.
3. Keep copies of corporate branding.

Could not create a VHD file in Hyper V, "A Virtual Disk Provider for the specified file was not found"

Issue:
Could not create a VHD file in Hyper V, "A Virtual Disk Provider for the specified file was not found"
Cause:
Backup Exec 2010 R3 drivers for tape library modify registry settings.
Resolution:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2013544

Hyper V role fails installation, requires multiple reboots.

Issue description:

Hyper V role installation fails, during start up and message shows up which states the role installation failed, and a rollback is occurring. 

Cause:

For me this was being caused by the system reserved partition (SRP). The SRP was in an offline state. 

Resolution:

I used DISKPART to bring the volume online, and to assign it a drive letter to hold it online. Also I turned Automount back on, it was previously disabled because it was causing the Dell DRAC firmware upgrade to fail. The role addition succeeded this time.