VCF 9 Design
Recently updated…this can get deep.
There are lots of things to consider BEFORE you start clicking deploy.
While you have to deploy certain things with VCF 9, the way in which you do can provide different outcomes for your business.
VCF 9 Design Documentation is here.
VCF 9 Support Model & Release Cadence
The predictable release cycle will definitely help teams plan better.
A new major release every 3 years.
A new minor release every 9 months.
(let’s see how well that holds up)
…and the model has changed for software support lifecycles.
What used to be 5 years of planned software lifecycle, with 2 years of extended support available….is now 6 years + 1 year extended support available.
VMware Blog post is here.
VMware CSP (Cloud Service Provider) Program Changing – Again!
Not sure how many times this has changed, but now…..
“Current VMware CSPs that didn’t receive an invite for the new program by today have reportedly been cut & will receive a notice of non-renewal.
Broadcom subsequently launched a white-label program allowing smaller CSPs to work through CSPs that were still VMware partners, but that program is also shuttering on October 31.
Businesses relying on cloud platforms based on VMware tech licensed through the white-label program could suddenly be forced to migrate hastily, which has inherent risks, including hight costs.
In a statement to The Register, Broadcom encouraged CSPs cut from VMware’s channel to work with authorized partners to “ensure a smooth transition for customers who seek to renew a service at the end of their current term,” but it offered no incentive or resources.”
Ars Technica post is here.
ESXi Patches
Latest ESXi patches release notes.
Release Notes for ESXi 9.0.0.0100 are here.
Release Notes for ESXi 8 update 3f are here.
Release Notes for ESXi 7.0 update 3w are here.
VCF 9 – Importing an Existing vSphere Environment
After you get VCF 9 deployed (hopefully on net new gear)….
How do you import existing environments?
NOTE THE DIFFERENCE ABOUT WHERE vCENTER & NSX RUN!!!
If you deploy net new, versus if you import….
Tom Forta did a nice, short, summary here.
What’s New in VMX-22
A short & sweet listing of new VM features once upgraded to VMX-22.
I’m really interested in the Span Policy to Group VMs to Specific # of hosts (bot specific hosts outright).
Blog post is here.
Holodeck for VCF 9 is released.
Perfect for Partners who need to develop and/or demo VCF.
Get one beefy ESXi server (or a few physical servers in a cluster), and run a 100% nested VCF 9 environment (can be nested with approximately 30 CPU cores, 325 GB memory, and 1.1 TB disk).
Holodeck isn’t new, but the VCF 9 release is.
VMware Blog post is here.
Holodeck for VCF 9 documentation is here.
VCF 9 – Developer Experience & Documentation
An explanation about how the documentation is now structured.
Links to all of the docs are here as well.
VMware Blog post is here.
VCF 9 – VPCs
Well, it needs NSX behind the scenes.
You can build your VPCs then in vCenter
VMware Blog post is here.
VCF 9 – Configuring Edge Clusters
While the place to configure it has “changed”, you could still do this from NSX.
Now….all the same networking requirements exist…it’s just WHERE you do the deployment / configuration of Edge Cluster that has changed.
Blog Post is here.
DSM 9.0 Metrics to VCF Operations
DSM (Data Services Manager) can orchestrate PostgeSQL & MySQL databases.
Not sure why this isn’t already builtin to the DSM…
Though Cormac states that it will get builtin at some point…
Cormac Hogan’s post is here.
Citrix back in the Hypervisor Market?
I remember when they killed off XenServer years ago.
OK, they didn’t kill XenServer, but gave it to the open source community under the Linux Foundation as a Collaborative Project in 2013.
Now, they want to say they are a player in that market.
Time will tell….
The Register post is here.
McDonald’s AI Bot Exposes Millions of Applicants Data
Whoops!
So if you apply, you get to talk to an AI Chatbot first….that would irk me.
I’ve tried using some of those, as we all have, to varying levels of success.
so….if you AI platform has a security flaw…things can go wrong.
Guess you need to pay attention to what your 3rd party providers do.
…and was it AI’s fault, or theirs?
I wonder if the 3rd party prover was the lowest cost?…you get what you pay for.
Wired post is here.
Wireshark – 2025 Beginners Guide
Nice walkthrough, and even covers using Wireshark from a VM!
That’s what I do when learning new things (run them in a VM first).
Blog post is here.
Google ending support for older Nest Devices
Saw this when I was planning to add a camera to my home.
I like Nest when it was Nest, not Google.
Granted, that was 10 years ago…
Devices will still work, but no smart features.
Personally, I reset everything I have that’s Nest, and already have things running well without the “smart features”.
I wonder if Google will push 1 last software update that puts ads to upgrade your thermostat on them?
Tom’s Guide post is here.
Google post is here.
Opting Out & Secure YOUR Personal Data
Great post covering basic hygiene for the modern age….
Long read? YES!
That’s because of a very thorough details explanation of things, written so well, my grandmother could follow along.
Derek Seaman’s post is here.
Free Learning – GitHub Repo
KodeKloud
Nutanix University
Nutanix .NEXT 2026 – April 7-9, Chicago, IL
PluralSight
vBrownBag
VMware Explore 2025 – Aug 25-28, Las Vegas
VMware Hands On Labs
VMware Explore 2024 Sessions (William Lam’s easier to search list version)