Whenever a new vSphere version comes out, I upgrade at least one of my clusters to it but when I get a chance, also install a new fresh one. So, the time has come for me to build a fresh vSphere 6 cluster. Normally, I just do an install with all the standard things done [...]
A quick one this: Yesterday, I had to shut down one of my Shuttles, running my HP StoreVirtual VSA (12.0.00.0725.0). Usually, it's not a problem as there are three nodes in the cluster and it remained up as expected, after the shut down. However, when the node came back, the storage node didn't come back automatically. [...]
A client asked me what happens if ESXi servers are pointed towards the Windows domain name in “Time Configuration” and one or more domain controllers are not contactable. While I had a theory, I realised I have never tested what actually happens and what is the failure process. I have seen many environments where using [...]
I happen to have two Synology boxes in my lab (DS213+ and DS412+) and I try to keep them updated as much as I can. Recently, DSM 5.1 was released which applies to both of them so this weekend, I took a few minutes to update both of my devices. DSM 5.1 brings a lot [...]
It's time for another book review and this time, I am reviewing "Disaster Recovery using VMware vSphere Replication and vCenter Site Recovery Manager" This book is written by Abhilash GB (@AbhilashGB) who is amongst many things, a vExpert as well. The book is just over 140 pages long with five chapters. One thing I immediately [...]
In Part I of this series, I went through the thought process behind my new machine build and in Part II, I documented what was purchased based on those decisions and how much it costed. In this last part of the series, I'll go through some of the build issues that would help you in case [...]
In the previous post, I explained the need for a new machine in my home lab and the considerations before buying appropriate components to build one. In this post, I will look at the "Physical Decision Points" and the "Bill of Materials" (read "damage") for those components. So, without further ado, let's start: Physical Decision [...]
A few months back, I started to think about having another machine built for my lab as the one I built about year and a half ago, was starting to become a bit cramped. There are a lot of things going on these days and you do need to have enough of a lab to [...]
Security is a subject that has historically been overlooked by companies/vendors when it comes to deployment of new systems. Generally, an easy and quick way out is preferred, especially when there are time-pressures to deliver a project or solution. That situation is exacerbated due to the fact that techies don't generally give security much thought [...]
We all know that Network I/O Control is your friend when it comes to production deployments of vSphere in general. Today, I quickly wanted to make a point that NIOC is also great when it comes to home labs and why we should have it enabled, if possible. A few days back, I was deploying [...]