Indy Racing Experience

I recently had the opportunity to drive an Indy car at the Indianapolis 500 track - part of the Indy Racing Experience.



What a rush! Even if I only got to drive 3 laps, it was a once in a lifetime experience.

When you first get to the track you have to sign your life away on about 10 different forms and insurance paperwork. Then the fun begins. They have you change into a Indy firesuit and shoes - now you start to feel like a driver.

They sit you down in a small room and go over the car:

1. No Shifting - they will push-start the car in top gear
2. Gas/Brake/Clutch/Dead Pedal - it is pretty tight in the car and you cannot see down so you have to quickly feel for the pedals.
3. There is a pace car leading you around the track on the ideal line - stay behind that car at least 6 car lengths.
4. Drive at your own pace - the pace car will slow you down if the track spotters think you are driving too erratic for the speed.

Out to the track to look at the pit and cars - then you DRIVE!

Once out there I learned that these cars have a Honda Goldwing engine (it is what would fit in the engine compartment). Average speeds range all over, but the fastest was a professional driver with a average of around 120mph.

When it is your turn you get a fire mask and helmet - then strapped into the car. It is a unique feeling as you are mostly laying down in the car and strapped with the racing harness. Not much room at all - I am 6' 3" and very close to the top of the range of allowable heights due to the space constraints.

When the pace car comes around they push you off and you release the clutch and GO!!!!

What a rrush - driving around the track that I have watched many a race on. I now have a totally different view of Indy Racing and even more of an appreciation for what the drivers go thru in a race.

You hit the banked turns and it just sucks the car down the track. Following the lead car, you try and hit the turns high - but that is harder than it seems because in the car it looks like you are driving right into the wall until the turn sucks you down.
The steering is very, very tight - only a little movement causes the car to turn. Definitely not like driving my VW....

They time the second of three laps to get your average speed. I did not do too badly - missed turn two low and drove mostly thru the middle of the turn losing some speed. Other than that I had my foot on the floor and drove!

Average Speed: 105 mph

I'll take that. The fastest driver in our group that day was 110 mph. I think I could have gotten close to that had I not missed the turn low.....

What a great experience. I recommend it for anyone that enjoys racing and driving.

ESXi Copy/Clone VM - Poor Man's Template and Clone

Ran into an issue today on a ESXi box.

We do not have VirtualCenter in a remote location and we wanted to add a new ESXi server. Do it as cheap as possible - no VC and thus no Templates.

1st problem - need to copy ISO's to the ESXi box to do the Windows installations.
No Problems - just login to the local VI client of the server and use the datastore browser to upload files to the root of datastore1.

Now - use these ISOs to install Windows Server.
Patch Windows Server.

Problem 2 - Without VirtualCenter you do not have the ability to make a template of this server. Also on ESXi you cannot clone a server.

1. In VI create a new directory in the datastore for your new server
2. Copy the vmdk file from the Windows Server you created 1st into this new directory. Only copy the vmdk file - nothing else.
3. Now you need to get a console on ESXi to do some of this work. But, no service console and no SSH. I found a posting on how to enable the 'Tech Support' mode on ESXi and that will open SSH.

WARNING - This is NOT SUPPORTED and introduces Security Issues, follow at your own risk.
From (http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/08/10/howto-esxi-and-ssh/)

1. Go to the ESXi console and press alt+F1
2. Type: unsupported
3. Enter the root password
4. At the prompt type “vi /etc/inetd.conf”
5. Look for the line that starts with “#ssh” (you can search with pressing “/”)
6. Remove the “#” (press the “x” if the cursor is on the character)
7. Save “/etc/inetd.conf” by typing “:wq!”
8. Restart the management service “/sbin/services.sh restart”

Now login via Putty to get a console.

1. Navigate to the new directory created above. (cd \vmfs\volumes\datastore1\xxx)
2. rename the Server to the new name (mv 'Windows1.vmdk' 'Windows2.vmdk')
   Need to do this for both files - the vmdk and the *-flat.vmdk
3. VI Windows2.vmdk
4. find the line near the top that has the old filename listed
5. change this filename to the new one and save/exit VI

Back to VMWare VI client

1. Make a new VM on this server
2. Choose 'Custom' and when you get to the 'Select a Disk' portion of creation you will browse the datastore and select this newly renamed vmdk file.

Now just start the new VM and go!

EDIT

You can use these same steps to clone a VM.
Just take the VM that you wish to clone and do the VMDK copy from above. Don't forget to edit the new vmdk file and then create a new VM - attach this copy of the vmdk and you have now cloned a VM in ESXi!