Mount Windows Folder Share to the VMware ESX Service Console

Title:Mount Windows Folder Share to the VMware ESX Service Console

Author(s):Xtravirt (Gavin Jolliffe)

Target Audience:Technical - Intermediate

Current Revision:1.0 April 2008

First Published:1 April 2008

Products:VMware ESX Server 3.x

UID:XD10056

1.0 Overview

Guide to mounting a Windows folder share to the ESX Service Console.

2.0 Pre-Requisites

1. An appropriate Windows local or domain account, and an available Windows file share
2. Open firewall port for smbClient
3. Create local mount point
4. Ensure the Netfs service is started
5. Modify Windows 2003 Local Security Policy (if required)

3.0 Tasks

From the local console or ssh session, eg:  Putty, open the ESX firewall port:

esxcfg-firewall -e smbClient

Create a new local mount point, eg:

mkdir /tmp/smbmnt

Enable netfs:

chkconfig netfs on
service netfs start

If connecting to a Windows 2003 Server share log on as local admins to the server and open Administrative Tools (within Control Panel or Start/Programs).  Open Local Security Policy, expand Local Policies -> Security Options, and set the following objects to Disabled if not already:

Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always)
Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (if client agrees)

Go Start -> Run and enter gpupdate to refresh local policy.  Also check that domain group policy is not overriding local policy.

From the ESX console run:

mount -t smbfs -o username=<username>/<domain>,password=<password> //<server name>/<share> /tmp/smbmnt/

To unmount the share run:

umount /tmp/smbmnt

Installing VMware Server on Linux (CentOS CentOS release 5.7 (Final))

Installing VMware Server on Linux (CentOS CentOS release 5.7 (Final))

[root@miami vmware-server-distrib]# ./vmware-install.pl
Creating a new VMware Server installer database using the tar4 format.

Installing VMware Server.

In which directory do you want to install the binary files?
[/usr/bin]

What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)?
[/etc/rc.d]

What is the directory that contains the init scripts?
[/etc/rc.d/init.d]

In which directory do you want to install the daemon files?
[/usr/sbin]

In which directory do you want to install the library files?
[/usr/lib/vmware]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware" does not exist currently. This program is going to
create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes] yes

In which directory do you want to install the manual files?
[/usr/share/man]

In which directory do you want to install the documentation files?
[/usr/share/doc/vmware]

The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware" does not exist currently. This program is
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes] yes

The installation of VMware Server 2.0.2 build-203138 for Linux completed
successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any
time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall.pl".

Before running VMware Server for the first time, you need to configure it by
invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl". Do you want this
program to invoke the command for you now? [yes]



Do you accept? (yes/no) yes
Accept the EULA
Thank you.

The bld-2.6.18-8.el5-i686PAE-RHEL5 - vmmon module loads perfectly into the
running kernel.

The bld-2.6.18-8.el5-i686PAE-RHEL5 - vmci module loads perfectly into the
running kernel.

The bld-2.6.18-8.el5-i686PAE-RHEL5 - vsock module loads perfectly into the
running kernel.

Do you want networking for your virtual machines? (yes/no/help) [yes]


Configuring a bridged network for vmnet0.

Please specify a name for this network.
[Bridged]

The following bridged networks have been defined:

. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0

All your ethernet interfaces are already bridged.

Do you want to be able to use NAT networking in your virtual machines? (yes/no) no

All your ethernet interfaces are already bridged.

Do you want to be able to use NAT networking in your virtual machines? (yes/no)
[yes] no

Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual machines?
[no] no

The bld-2.6.18-8.el5-i686PAE-RHEL5 - vmnet module loads perfectly into the
running kernel.

Please specify a port for remote connections to use [902]

Please specify a port for standard http connections to use [8222]

Please specify a port for secure http (https) connections to use [8333]

The current administrative user for VMware Server  is ''.  Would you like to
specify a different administrator? [no]

Using root as the VMware Server administrator.

In which directory do you want to keep your virtual machine files?
[/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines]

The path "/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines" does not exist currently. This
program is going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this
what you want? [yes] yes

Please enter your 20-character serial number.

Type XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX or 'Enter' to cancel:  A810T-P4507-0F5AN-4V2CW

Creating a new VMware VIX API installer database using the tar4 format.

Installing VMware VIX API.

In which directory do you want to install the VMware VIX API binary files?
[/usr/bin]


In which directory do you want to install the VMware VIX API library files?
[/usr/lib/vmware-vix/lib]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware-vix/lib" does not exist currently. This program is
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes] yes

In which directory do you want to install the VMware VIX API document pages?
[/usr/share/doc/vmware-vix]

The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware-vix" does not exist currently. This program is
going to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes] yes

The installation of VMware VIX API 1.6.2 build-203138 for Linux completed
successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any
time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-vix.pl".

Enjoy,

--the VMware team

Starting VMware services:
  Virtual machine monitor                                 [  OK  ]
  Virtual machine communication interface                 [  OK  ]
  VM communication interface socket family:               [  OK  ]
  Virtual ethernet                                        [  OK  ]
  Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                       [  OK  ]
  VMware Server Authentication Daemon (background)        [  OK  ]
  Shared Memory Available                                 [  OK  ]
Starting VMware management services:
  VMware Server Host Agent (background)                   [  OK  ]
  VMware Virtual Infrastructure Web Access
Starting VMware autostart virtual machines:
  Virtual machines                                        [FAILED]

The configuration of VMware Server 2.0.2 build-203138 for Linux for this
running kernel completed successfully.

If you have iptables running on your CentOS installation and you wish to allow external users remote access to the VMware web console, you will need to modify your firewall to allow them access. Begin by editing your firewall rules:
nano /etc/sysconfig/iptables
Below is an example rule to allow 192.168.1.2 access to the web console over a SSL connection (i.e. HTTPS):
-A RH-Firewall-1-INPUT -m state --state NEW -m tcp -p tcp --dport 8333 -j ACCEPT
/etc/init.d/iptables restart
[root@miami vmware-server-distrib]#

Note: Nevertheless, you can run setenforce permissive in a terminal to change SELinux from "enforce" to "permissive",  then restart VMware services with service vmware restart and test if it works.

[root@miami ~]#  setenforce permissive
[root@miami ~]# /etc/init.d/vmware restart
Stopping VMware autostart virtual machines:
  Virtual machines                                        [  OK  ]
Stopping VMware management services:
  VMware Virtual Infrastructure Web Access
  VMware Server Host Agent                                [  OK  ]
Stopping VMware services:
  VMware Authentication Daemon                            [  OK  ]
  VM communication interface socket family:               [  OK  ]
  Virtual machine communication interface                 [  OK  ]
  Virtual machine monitor                                 [  OK  ]
  Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                       [  OK  ]
  Host network detection                                  [  OK  ]
  Virtual ethernet                                        [  OK  ]
Starting VMware services:
  Virtual machine monitor                                 [  OK  ]
  Virtual machine communication interface                 [  OK  ]
  VM communication interface socket family:               [  OK  ]
  Virtual ethernet                                        [  OK  ]
  Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                       [  OK  ]
  VMware Server Authentication Daemon (background)        [  OK  ]
  Shared Memory Available                                 [  OK  ]
Starting VMware management services:
  VMware Server Host Agent (background)                   [  OK  ]
  VMware Virtual Infrastructure Web Access
Starting VMware autostart virtual machines:
  Virtual machines                                        [  OK  ]

  Now I was able to access through: https://miami:8333/

Note: I was having the issue of not opening up the Console, It was opening but getting hang so I open 902 port on firewall:
-A RH-Firewall-1-INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW -m tcp --dport 902 -j ACCEPT

  
Thanks