After some prodding from the other half, I decided to install Splunk on our monitoring server. As usual when installing new software on a production server I was prepared for the inevitable headaches. After initially being disappointed there was no Yum install for it, I was reading the install guide to find out what extra modules I was going to need to compile to get it installed. To my pleasant surprise, Splunk required a single file download and a one line install command. After launching the service and accepting the terms and setting the service to launch on boot (and of course opening up the ports on my firewall) I found the install was complete.

Configuring Splunk was just as easy. I simply had to tell it which directory my logs are stored in. Setting up a forwarder on my other servers was just as easy. I found the method that worked was do a full install, configure the directories and forwarding then set it to lightweight forwarding mode. Next thing i knew all my log files were being sent to the monitoring server (and exceeding the daily 500MB limit … you would think that it would skip the limit during initial configuration).

 

In order to get networking working properly with CentOS 6 on Hyper-V, use the following steps.

On the host, download Linux Integration Services Version v3.2 for Hyper-V

To install Linux Integration Services Version 3.2:

1. Open Hyper-V Manager: Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Hyper-V Manager.
2. Create a new virtual machine where you will install Linux: In the Actions menu, click New, and then click Virtual Machine.
3.  Specify the Linux installation media: Right-click the virtual machine that you created, and then click Settings. In IDE Controller, specify one of the following:

• An image file in ISO format that contains the files required for installation
• A physical CD/DVD drive that contains the installation media

4. Right-click the virtual machine that you created, and then click Settings. Select Legacy Network Adapter and click Add.
5. Configure the new Legacy Network Adapter with a static MAC address. Click OK.
6. Turn on the virtual machine: Right-click the virtual machine that you created, and then click Connect.
7. Begin installing Linux.
8. When prompted, restart the virtual machine and complete any first-boot configuration tasks.

Note

Unless a legacy network adapter was added during the virtual machine’s initial configuration, the virtual machine will not have any network support.

9. Log on to the virtual machine.
10. In Hyper-V Manager, configure LinuxIC v32.ISO (located in the directory where you extracted the downloaded files) as a physical CD/DVD drive on the virtual machine.
11. As the root user, mount the CD in the virtual machine by issuing the following command at a shell prompt:

# mount /dev/cdrom /media

12. As the root user, run the following command to install the synthetic drivers. A reboot is required after installation.

# cd /media
# /media/install.sh
# reboot

13. Shutdown your virtual machine.
14. Right-click your virtual machine and then click Settings. Select the Network Adapter.
15. Make sure the Network that is selected is your External Network.
16. Change the MAC Address to match the one on your Legacy Network Adapter.
17. Select the Legacy Network Adapter and click Remove.
18. Turn on the virtual machine: Right-click the virtual machine and then click Connect.
19. Log on to the virtual machine.
20. Change the network config scripts for eth0.

# vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0

NM_CONTROLLED=”no”
ONBOOT=”yes”
BOOTPROTO=”dhcp”

21. Enable the eth0 interface.

# ifup eth0

22. Verify your settings by pinging Google.

# ping 8.8.8.8

The above instructions are based on the ones provided with the Linux Integration Services Version 3.2, but with updates and changes I have found were needed in order to get networking functioning.

How appropriate that I start this blog on a day of new beginnings. This morning I was called in for a “scheduling meeting” which was in reality a corporate downsizing lay-off. So as of today I am back on the job hunt but also looking forward to working on some of my own projects as well.
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I hope to be attending the IPv6 Summit in Ottawa on Friday. Even if I don’t manage to make any new contacts (highly unlikely) I am still looking forward to the experience to learn from others who are also working on IPv6 deployments right now. My home office deployment in 95% complete, I just need to work on some problems with radvd not properly advertising DNS servers (or more appropriately, Windows 7 not recognising the router advertisements for DNS servers). The nightly release of OpenWRT is a huge help n deploying IPv6 as it includes the ip6tables config which is missing from the latest official release. As for the D-Link firmware for my router, like the Cisco small business (Linksys) IPv6 certified one I tried, it works great for local IPv6, but routing across my PPPoE connection has a lot of issues.

As for other projects, I have a few to keep me busy. My migration to new dual stack servers is completed. This site is nearly complete. I have several DragonHawk sites I need to work on (Enterprises, Productions, Entertainment and Lore). BusinessITSolution.com will become a full service SaaS and network management service. MonkeyPhux is a new open source dating server application I plan to start work on. Geek2GeekDating will be my production site using the MonkeyPhux back end. CreditFuckers is going to become an IP telephony debt collector blacklist database. ActiveSpeak will become a hosted VOIP PBX service. Finally MusicScribes will be a music fiction writers site.