PHD Virtual Releases New Freeware Solution to Simplify VMware ESX Patch Downloads

Patch Downloader v6.0 eases downloading patches for VMware ESX versions

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PHD Virtual Technologies, a virtual machine data protection and recovery solution provider, has released Patch Downloader version 6.0, a new freeware solution to simplify patch downloading for several VMware ESX versions. Patch Downloader is the fifth free virtualization utility to be offered by PHD Virtual as part of its longstanding commitment to the virtualization community.

Patch Downloader v6.0 eases downloading patches from the VMware support site by automating the process for users who cannot use the VMware Update Manager. Now, rather than downloading each patch manually through a Java Download manager, VMware administrators can select the version of ESX from the Patch Downloader drop down menu and choose the file repository destination (including folder, drive map, SMB share, etc.). The program will list all available patches and information about the patches, including severity of the problem it corrects, the impact on VM/Host uptime, and a description of the problem fixed. Downloads of selected patches are performed with just one mouse click, making it easy to keep the ESX patch repository up to date.

Patch Downloader joins PHD Virtual’s suite of other free VMware ESX utilities:

  • VMNetBac 1.2.0 allows customers to backup and restore the network configuration of a virtual machine. VMNetBac is a quick recovery tool to minimize the risk of losing network configurations when intrusive or mass-upgrade type tasks are performed.

  • Virtual SAN 1.0.0 is a virtual SAN appliance for VMware ESX 3 Server that provides the benefits of shared VMFS storage without the cost of a SAN. It utilizes otherwise unused local storage in the ESX server to facilitate enterprise-level features such as vMotion, DRS, and HA.

  • SnapHunter 0.5.3 is an ESX 3 Service Console utility that reports back on the Snapshot status of virtual machines from multiple ESX Servers.

  • KS QuickConfig 1.3.0 is a Windows GUI utility that reduces the time needed to deploy and configure VMware ESX 3 servers, and to eliminate inconsistencies that can arise with manual operations.

Also available on the PHD Virtual Web site is a full-featured trial download of the company’s scalable esXpress data recovery and data protection solution for virtual IT. EsXpress v3.5 uses the virtual environment to backup itself without requiring any additional hardware or software, making it a scalable and cost-effective VMware backup solution.

More information is available at www.phdvirtual.com.

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