Foglight® Resource Optimizer 6.0.0

Developed for Foglight Management Server 6.0.0 / Foglight Evolve 6.0.0

Release Notes

June 2021


Contents

Welcome to Foglight Resource Optimizer

New in this release

Resolved issues and enhancements

Known issues

Third party known issues

Upgrade and compatibility

System requirements

Troubleshooting

Product licensing

Getting started with Foglight Resource Optimizer

About Us


Welcome to Foglight Resource Optimizer

Virtual machines (VMs) are quickly becoming the industry standard in IT infrastructures. IT managers find themselves with hundreds, if not thousands of VMs or physical machine hosts in their infrastructures. VMs can be added quickly, making it necessary to plan for the addition of virtual machines to the physical machines that host them. This can be a challenge for administrators. IT managers lack the required tools to accurately optimize CPU, memory, and network consumption, or project storage requirements. Monitoring virtual machine environments with Foglight® Resource Optimizer simplifies the optimization process, providing waste-finding and right-sizing functionality for virtualized environments.

These Release Notes cover the resolved issues, known issues, workarounds, and other important information about the 6.0.0 release of the Foglight Resource Optimizer. Review all sections before starting the installation.

 


New in this release

This release contains the following new features and updates:

Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments new features

Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments 6.0.0 accompanies the release of Foglight Evolve 6.0.0. It does not include any new features or improvements:

Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments new features

Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments 6.0.0 accompanies the release of Foglight Evolve 6.0.0. It does not include new features or improvements:

 


Resolved issues and enhancements

The following is a list of issues addressed and enhancements implemented in this release:

Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments resolved issues

Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments 6.0.0 accompanies the release of Foglight Evolve 6.0.0. It does not include any resolved issues.

Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments resolved issues

Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments 6.0.0 accompanies the release of Foglight Evolve 6.0.0. It does not include any resolved issues.

 


Known issues

The following is a list of issues known to exist at the time of this release:

Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments known issues

Defect ID

Known Issue

VFOG-12427

Summary: Foglight Resource Optimizer can reclaim CPU & Memory resources only on one VM at the same time, when the Hot-Add feature was not enabled.

Details:

The Hot-Add feature only can be enabled in VMware® vSphere® Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus versions, but not on the Standard version.

Only VM Hardware version 7 or later support the Hot-Add feature.

The Guest OS of the VM also needs to support the Hot-Add feature.

Workaround: For any Hot-Add disabled VMs, do not reclaim CPU & Memory resources at the same time, otherwise, one of the reclaim actions would fail.

VFOG-12306

When upgrading VMware-Optimizer-5_6_16_1.car to version 5.7.0 (or later), follow one of these processes:

  • Upgrade the VMware-Optimizer-5_7_4.car before upgrading Optimizer-5.7.4 car.

  • Disable VMware-Optimizer-5_6_16_1.car before upgrading to Optimizer-5_7_4.car and VMware-Optimizer-5_7_4.car.

VFOG-12221

When reclaiming selected resources based on the Optimizer recommendations, these entries are removed from the recommendations list while the reclaim operation is in progress. When the reclaim operation completes, these recommendations re-appear on the list for a short time (less than 5 minutes). These recommendations are finally removed from the list only after new data has been retrieved (in next 5 minutes).

VFOG-11968

Support resize for hosts using GRUB2 boot loader.

VFOG-11203

Remove platforms that have reached end of life and add support to new releases.

VFOG-11144

Support disk resize on disk without partition.

VFOG-10712

Adding constraints on an ESX Host does not change the recommendations for the VMs residing within that host.

VFOG-9477

When installing the CommonAnalytics-5_6_16.car cartridge, a lot of warnings are reported in the Management Server log file. These warnings refer to deprecated properties, and can be ignored.

VFOG-9104

Implement Storage remediation for SQL Server clusters.

VFOG-7235

Renew the currently used version of NTFS-3G in vOptimizer ISO.

Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments known issues

Defect ID

Known Issue

VFOG-12221

When reclaiming selected resources based on the Optimizer recommendations, these entries are removed from the recommendations list while the reclaim operation is in progress. When the reclaim operation completes, these recommendations re-appear on the list for a short time (less than 5 minutes). These recommendations are finally removed from the list only after new data has been retrieved (in next 5 minutes).

 


Third party known issues

There are no known third-party issues specific to this release of Foglight Resource Optimizer.

 


Upgrade and compatibility

The latest version of Foglight Resource Optimizer is 6.0.0

For upgrade and compatibility information, see the following sections:

Compatibility information for Foglight Resource Optimizer

The following is a list of product versions and platforms compatible with this Foglight Resource Optimizer release.

Product Name

Product Version

Platform

Foglight Management Server

6.0.0

All platforms supported by this version of the Foglight Management Server

Foglight Agent Manager

6.0.0

All platforms supported by this version of the Foglight Agent Manager

Foglight Evolve

6.0.0

All platforms supported by this version of the Foglight Evolve

 

Upgrading Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments

The latest version of Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments is 6.0.0.

Foglight Resource Optimizer 6.0.0 requires Management Server version 6.0.0 or Foglight Evolve 6.0.0.

Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments also requires Foglight for VMware version 6.0.0.

 

Note: When upgrading VMware-Optimizer-5_6_16_1.car to version 6.0.0 (or later), follow one of these processes:

 

To upgrade Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments to version 6.0.0:

  1. Download the following packages from Quest Support Portal:
  2. On the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, install the following cartridge files. Do not remove the older version of these cartridges. Install the new versions over the older versions. The sequence of cartridge installation is important because of their dependencies:
    1. vUsage-Feedback-6_0_0.car
    2. DRP-6_0_0.car
    3. OptimizerAutomation-6_0_0.car
    4. CommonAnalytics-6_0_0.car
    5. Virtual-VMware-6_0_0.car
      Note: After installing the Virtual-VMware-6_0_0.car cartridge, existing vCenter agents (VC agents) must be updated using the Update Agent button in the VMware Environment > Administration tab.
    6. Virtual-VMware-Admin-6_0_0.car
    7. VMware-Optimizer-6_0_0.car
    8. Optimizer-6_0_0.car
    9. ChangeAnalyzer-6_0_0.car (recommended)
  3. If configuration has been previously edited to support larger environments, please refer to Foglight for VMware Release Notes to restore the configuration.

For cartridge installation instructions, see “Installing Foglight cartridges” in the Foglight Administration and Configuration Help.

 

Upgrading Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments

The latest version of Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments is 6.0.0.

Foglight Resource Optimizer 6.0.0 requires Management Server version 6.0.0 or Foglight Evolve 6.0.0.

Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments also requires Foglight for Hyper-V version 6.0.0.

 

To upgrade Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments to version 6.0.0:

  1. Download the following packages from Quest Support Portal:
  2. On the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, install the following cartridge files. Do not remove the older version of these cartridges. Install the new versions over the older versions. The sequence of cartridge installation is important because of their dependencies:
    1. vUsage-Feedback-6_0_0.car
    2. DRP-6_0_0.car
    3. OptimizerAutomation-6_0_0.car
    4. CommonAnalytics-6_0_0.car
    5. Virtual-HyperV-6_0_0.car
      Note: After installing the Virtual-HyperV-6_0_0.car cartridge, existing Hyper-V agents must be updated using the Update Agent button in the Hyper-V Environment > Administration tab.
    6. Optimizer-6_0_0.car
    7. Virtual-HyperV-Admin-6_0_0.car
    8. HyperV-Optimizer-6_0_0.car

For cartridge installation instructions, see “Installing Foglight cartridges” in the Foglight Administration and Configuration Help.

 


System requirements

Foglight Resource Optimizer 6.0.0 can be installed on Foglight and comes installed on Foglight Evolve 9.3 or Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition 8.9.3.

For information about system requirements for this release, see section "Hardware requirements and guidelines" in the System Requirements and Platform Support Guide for the product you have installed.

 

Before installing Foglight Resource Optimizer, ensure your system meets the following minimum hardware and software requirements:

Platform, Memory and Hard Disk Space The platform, memory, and hard disk space requirements for the monitored servers must match the Agent Manager requirements. For complete information, see the System Requirements and Platform Support Guide.
Operating System Foglight Resource Optimizer can be installed on any supported Foglight Management Server or Foglight Evolve configuration.

 


Troubleshooting

This section provides information about problems that you might encounter while monitoring your environment with Foglight Resource Optimizer, and describes the solutions available to troubleshoot these problems.

Troubleshooting Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments issues

This section includes the following topics:

Evaluate the time a VM needs to shut down for reclaiming resources

Users must evaluate the time a VM needs to shut down for reclaiming resources.

For example, if the evaluation result is 5 minutes, users must:

1. Add -Dcom.quest.hyperv.timeout.minutes=5 to the FglAM_HOME\state\default\config\baseline.jvmargs file.

2. Restart the Foglight Agent Manager to load the parameter and use the new value.

Recommendations provided by the Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments are not displayed on the Federation Master

With default configuration, the recommendations provided by the Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments are not displayed on the Federation Master.

Workaround:

1. Add the following line to the FOGLIGHT_HOME\config\server.config file on Federation Master:

server.vm.option0 = "-Doptimizer.hyperv.vm.life.period.millis=1800000";

2. Save changes, and then restart the Management Server.

 


Product licensing

Foglight includes a licensing capability that restricts access to those features that are defined in the license. Any Management Server installation requires a license that grants access to server-specific parts of the browser interface and the features associated with them. Foglight cartridges are also license-protected. While some cartridges are covered by the base Foglight license (such as Foglight Agent Manager cartridges and Foglight for Infrastructure), others may require an additional license. Foglight Resource Optimizer is covered by the Foglight Evolve Operate and Flex license and Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition license.

To activate a trial or a purchased commercial license:

  1. On the navigation panel, under Dashboards, click Administration > Setup > Manage Licenses.
  2. Click Install.
  3. In the Install License dialog box, click Browse.
  4. In the file browser that appears, specify the location of the license file.
  5. In the Install License dialog box, click Install License.

 


Getting started with Foglight Resource Optimizer

Contents of the release package

The Foglight Resource Optimizer release package contains the following:

  1. Foglight Resource Optimizer version 6.0.0 cartridge files:
  2. Foglight Resource Optimizer Automation version 6.0.0 cartridge file:
  3. Product Documentation, including:

Installation instructions

Foglight Resource Optimizer 6.0.0 comes pre-installed and enabled on Foglight Evolve 9.3 or Foglight for Virtualization, Enterprise Edition 8.9.3.

Foglight Resource Optimizer can be installed on the Foglight Management Server versions listed in the Upgrade and Compatibility section.

Note: Based on current model, Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments only support VMs on Cluster Shared Volume (CSV).

 

To install Foglight Resource Optimizer for VMware Environments version 6.0.0:

  1. Download the following packages from Quest Support Portal:
  2. On the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, install the following cartridge files. Do not remove the older version of these cartridges. Install the new versions over the older versions. The sequence of cartridge installation is important because of their dependencies:
    1. vUsage-Feedback-6_0_0.car
    2. DRP-6_0_0.car
    3. OptimizerAutomation-6_0_0.car
    4. CommonAnalytics-6_0_0.car
    5. Virtual-VMware-6_0_0.car
      Note: After installing the Virtual-VMware-6_0_0.car cartridge, existing vCenter agents (VC agents) must be updated using the Update Agent button in the VMware Environment > Administration tab.
    6. Virtual-VMware-Admin-6_0_0.car
    7. VMware-Optimizer-6_0_0.car
    8. Optimizer-6_0_0.car
    9. ChangeAnalyzer-6_0_0.car (recommended)
  3. If configuration has been previously edited to support larger environments, please refer to Foglight for VMware Release Notes to restore the configuration.

For cartridge installation instructions, see “Installing Foglight cartridges” in the Foglight Administration and Configuration Help.

 

To install Foglight Resource Optimizer for Hyper-V Environments version 6.0.0:

  1. Download the following packages from Quest Support Portal:
  2. On the Cartridge Inventory dashboard, install the following cartridge files. Do not remove the older version of these cartridges. Install the new versions over the older versions. The sequence of cartridge installation is important because of their dependencies:
    1. vUsage-Feedback-6_0_0.car
    2. DRP-6_0_0.car
    3. OptimizerAutomation-6_0_0.car
    4. CommonAnalytics-6_0_0.car
    5. Virtual-HyperV-6_0_0.car
      Note: After installing the Virtual-HyperV-6_0_0.car cartridge, existing Hyper-V agents must be updated using the Update Agent button in the Hyper-V Environment > Administration tab.
    6. Optimizer-6_0_0.car
    7. Virtual-HyperV-Admin-6_0_0.car
    8. HyperV-Optimizer-6_0_0.car

For cartridge installation instructions, see “Installing Foglight cartridges” in the Foglight Administration and Configuration Help.

Configuration prerequisites

Prerequisites for VMs without Integration Services (Hyper-V® environments)

If you plan to reclaim resources that require a VM shutdown (for example, Change CPU or Memory Allocation, Power Off VM, etc.), and there is no Integration Service on the targeted VM, save all data on that VM before performing the reclaim action.

VMs without Integration Services cannot be shut down successfully. Instead, the VMs are turned off, and all unsaved data is lost.

Prerequisites for VMs without VMware Tools (VMware® environments)

If you plan to reclaim resources that require a VM shutdown (for example, Change CPU or Memory Allocation, Power Off VM, etc.), and there are no VMware Tools installed on the targeted VM, save all data on that VM before performing the reclaim action.

VMs without VMware Tools cannot be shut down successfully. Instead, the VMs are turned off, and all unsaved data is lost.

Additional resources

Additional information is available from the following:

Globalization

This section contains information about installing and operating this product in non-English configurations, such as those needed by customers outside of North America. This section does not replace the materials about supported platforms and configurations found elsewhere in the product documentation.

This release is Unicode-enabled and supports any character set. In this release, all product components should be configured to use the same or compatible character encodings and should be installed to use the same locale and regional options. This release is targeted to support operations in the following regions: North America, Western Europe and Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Far-East Asia, Japan.

 


About Us

Quest creates software solutions that make the benefits of new technology real in an increasingly complex IT landscape. From database and systems management, to Active Directory and Office 365 management, and cyber security resilience, Quest helps customers solve their next IT challenge now. Around the globe, more than 130,000 companies and 95% of the Fortune 500 count on Quest to deliver proactive management and monitoring for the next enterprise initiative, find the next solution for complex Microsoft challenges and stay ahead of the next threat. Quest Software. Where next meets now. For more information, visit https://www.quest.com/.

Technical support resources

Technical support is available to Quest customers with a valid maintenance contract and customers who have trial versions. You can access the Quest Support Portal at https://support.quest.com.

The Support Portal provides self-help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Support Portal enables you to:

 


Copyright© 2021 Quest Software Inc.

Quest, the Quest logo, Foglight, and Where next meets now are trademarks and registered trademarks of Quest Software Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. For a complete list of Quest Software trademarks, please visit our website at www.quest.com/legal. Red Hat, JBoss, the JBoss logo, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. CentOS is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Fedora and the Infinity design logo are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. Microsoft, .NET, Active Directory, Internet Explorer, Hyper-V, Office 365, SharePoint, Silverlight,SQL Server, Visual Basic, Windows, Windows Vista and Windows Server are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. AIX, IBM, PowerPC, PowerVM, and WebSphere are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Java, Oracle, Oracle Solaris, PeopleSoft, Siebel, Sun, WebLogic, and ZFS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Products bearing the SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Oracle Corporation. OpenLDAP is a registered trademark of the OpenLDAP Foundation. HP is a registered trademark that belongs to HewlettPackard Development Company, L.P. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both. MySQL is a registered trademark of MySQL AB in the United States, the European Union and other countries. Novell and eDirectory are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc., in the United States and other countries. VMware, ESX, ESXi, vSphere, vCenter, vMotion, and vCloud Director are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Sybase is a registered trademark of Sybase, Inc. The X Window System and UNIX are registered trademarks of The Open Group. Mozilla and Firefox are registered trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation. IOS is a registered trademark or trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. Apple, iPad, iPhone, Mac OS, Safari, Swift, and Xcode are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd. Symantec and Veritas are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. OpenSUSE, SUSE, and YAST are registered trademarks of SUSE LCC in the United States and other countries. Citrix, AppFlow, NetScaler, XenApp, and XenDesktop are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. PostgreSQL is a registered trademark of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group. MariaDB is a trademark or registered trademark of MariaDB Corporation Ab in the European Union and United States of America and/or other countries. Intel, Itanium, Pentium, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Debian is a registered trademark of Software in the Public Interest, Inc. OpenStack is a trademark of the OpenStack Foundation. Amazon Web Services, the "Powered by Amazon Web Services" logo, and "Amazon RDS" are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Infobright, Infobright Community Edition and Infobright Enterprise Edition are trademarks of Infobright Inc. POLYCOM®, RealPresence® Collaboration Server, and RMX® are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.