VMware View VDI environment -- limited to 2 CPU cores to VMs?

Cerulean

Cerulean

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
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Greetings!

We have a VMware View VDI environment with many linked-clone VDIs. It is possible to temporarily give a VM more RAM and more cores by powering it down --> quickly modifying its settings --> powering it up before VMware VIew has a chance to act.

Adding more RAM -- works.

Adding more cores -- works but ... doesn't.

In Windows, Task Manager only shows 2 cores in the graphs.

In vSphere Client --> Performance --> modify graph settings to show all CPUs (0 through 3+). The Chart will indicate that the maximum, minimum, latest, and average is within 0 to 10 MHz, while cores 0 and 1 have activity 500 - 4000 MHz. Clearly the cores labeled 2 and above are not being made available for use to the VM.
 
Not sure why they're not showing up but the right way to do it would be to change the golden image VM's vCPUs and then recompose your linked clone pool. A wild guess as to why the extra cores aren't recognized is because the replica disk is read-only and that's where the system configuration resides.
 
moto316 said:
Not sure why they're not showing up but the right way to do it would be to change the golden image VM's vCPUs and then recompose your linked clone pool. A wild guess as to why the extra cores aren't recognized is because the replica disk is read-only and that's where the system configuration resides.
Click to expand...
Yep, I've tried this and get the same result. :(

Very strange T_T

I need to check live production server VMs as a sanity check to verify those aren't affected too. If they aren't, it would make me inclined to think that there's got to be a configuration setting somewhere that is doing this.
 
Cerulean said:
Yep, I've tried this and get the same result. :(

Very strange T_T

I need to check live production server VMs as a sanity check to verify those aren't affected too. If they aren't, it would make me inclined to think that there's got to be a configuration setting somewhere that is doing this.
Click to expand...

And your changing the vcpu on the golden image, powering it up and making sure its recognized, powering it down and taking a new snapshot, and using that new snapshot when you recompose correct?
 
Also, you're sure you're changing cores and not sockets right?
 
I've tried both ways.

I have tried 1 socket and 4 and 6 cores
I have tried 2 sockets and 2 cores

On the sockets, it only allows me to go up to 2, which makes sense.

Our VDI hosts are Dell PowerEdge R720 servers with two Intel Xeon E5-2680 octocore CPUs for a reported "16 CPUs x 2.7 GHz"

For confirmation, yes, I would modify the base image --> take a snapshot --> recompose the pool VMs set to use that new snapshot.

The host of our Exchange server VM runs on is the same specs, but with two E5-2640 hexacore CPUs @ 2.5 GHz. Task manager correctly shows all processors. The VM is configured for 2 sockets 6 cores for a total of 12 cores.
 
What is the Guest OS for your desktop? Windows 7 64bit?
I'm running Horizon View 6.1. I can select 1 or 2 sockets and up to 32 cores per VM.
If I set the VM OS to Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows NT it only lets me select one socket and one core. Windows 2000 will allow 8 sockets and 8 cores.
All other Windows OS will let me go crazy...

Is this setting limited in the C# client or web client?

Ideas:
Test 1 - Create a blank VM and see if you are limited on CPU config
Test 2 - Power off an existing VM and see if the CPU options change.
Test 3 - Change the OS of the VM then change it back. See if you get any differences.
Test 4 - Unregister the VM from View and see if it "unlocks." I know view locks my Video settings on some special VM pools.

Good luck!
Nicholas Farmer
@vmnick0
http://vmnick0.me
http://pcli.me
 
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