VMware Tools – Gabbs' Random Thoughts

Virtual Updates 2020-11-16

vCenter STS Certificate Expires!!!
Please….take a minute to check on this, as it could cause issues….like the vCenter Server SSO components not working due to certificate expiration.
This VM Community post covers the topic.
Check your certificates, and renew then before they expire.
VMware KB article on how to fix on vSphere 6.5 & 6.7, if running on Windows.
VMware KB article on how to fix on vSphere 6.5, 6.7, & 7.0, if using VCSA.

VMware Modern Networks
Short notice, as this event is today!
My apologies….got this note this weekend before the post…..
Get signed up for this, and take 45 minutes to (hopefully) hear all about
Declarative, Event-Driven, self-service networks.

VMware Tools is now a Separate Product
What?
Yes, you must download VMware Tools separately now.
Still validating that it shows up in vSphere 7.x LCM (or what used to be called Update Manager) without additional steps, and it still appears to.
Just add this to your list of things to complain about when speaking with VMware going forward……
VMware Blog post is here.

Virtual Updates 2020-01-20

vSphere 6.0 – End of Support March 2020
We all have heard that support is ending….
March is only 2 months away!
This VMware Blog Post will be linked here for the next 2 months….
Here’s a direct link to VMware Product Lifecycle Matrix for products.
Let’s not forget that vSphere 6.5 & 6.7 have end of support for 2021/11/15

Microsoft LDAP Changes
This is an important one!
For all of us who grant vCenter permissions with AD over LDAP…
A change is coming in Microsoft software in March 2020.
This affects lots of software, not just VMware…
If you are using ldap://domain.com:389 in vSphere (or other), please read.
The VMware Blog post highlighting this is here.

CVS 10-year anniversary with WEI
Awesome news. (I’m biased a bit, as I work at WEI.
CVS has recently posted this to their website.
Its a short glimpse into their diversity program, and the have a video made that highlights WEI (a nice 4-minute video), our teams, and what makes WEI special.

Virtual Updates 2019-12-23

VMware Turtles
Anyone who follows VMware on any media, at some point, has probably seen a reference to the VMware Turtles.
Who are they?
Well, they are Turtles (obviously) that live in the ponds at VMware’s corporate campus in Palo Alto, CA.
This past week, VMware Blog has a post about their origins.
Nice light reading for the end of the year!

VMware Skyline Update – 12/2019
For those who don’t know about Skyline….
Free advisor for those with Production Support for vSphere.
ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED!
Already installed?
If auto-update is on, you’ll get the new features.
If not, update when you can.
VMware Blog post covers the new update.

Virtual Updates 2019-09-30

VMware Tools 11.0 is out!
So VMware Tools has been released separately from ESXi hosts for a while now. Still, a lot of people miss out on this information.
Well, Tools 11.0 is out, & I’m getting ready to run it in the lab this first weekend.
You can find the download here.
Release Notes are here.
Grab the offline VIB add it to Update Manager, and use Update Manager to distribute to your ESXi hosts (so VMs can be updated).

VMware vROPs – The community Reference Guide
Came across this great collection for vROPs on GitHub.
Kudos to the community putting this together.
VMworld sessions, documentation, books, training, HOLs sessions, Twitter Handles……

Virtual Updates 2019-06-24

VMware Tools Vulnerability
So vulnerabilities are everywhere, but this one should be easy to resolve.
The recommendation is to get up to VMware Tools 10.3.10
With VMware Tools updates available separately from ESXi versions, this should be pretty easy to resolve.
If you use the option in the VM to auto-update tools, a reboot of the VM should bet that done for you.
Cool that this script gives you some PowerCLI scripts to help you parse your list of VMs and update VMware Tools with a no reboot option.
Linux VMs are NOT affected (and should be using Open-VM-Tools anyway).

VTUG (Virtualization Technology User Group) – The Last Event
I have been a member of this group for many years now, and it is sad to see this group having its last event.
I am biased, of course, as I have been involved for years….
Those of us in New England are lucky…between VTUG, VMUG, and other Virtualization User Groups in the area, we have had the opportunity to have at least 12-24 events a year where we can network with peers, and continue our learning while contributing to the community.
If you have the time, the final VTUG Summer Slam is July 18, 2019.
It would be great to see this event have the sendoff it deserves…..

AWS:reInforce in Boston, MA this week
Really interested in heading out to this.
Hopefully, I don’t get distracted away from the event….

Virtual Update 2019-03-18

VMware EMPOWER is coming
There are 3 events (listed at the bottom of this post) scheduled for this year.
I am lucky enough to have been named a VMware EMPOWER Ambassador.
There will only be 10 x Ambassadors for each EMPOWER event.
What does this meant???
Anyone (who is a partner) can reach out to me, and chat about this event.
Unsure of whether or not to attend? Not sure if there is value? What would be the best use of my time?
Reach out to me on Twitter @MarkGabbs and we can chat.
Plus, Ambassadors can help you get $100 off registration!

vExpert 2019
vExpert 2019 was announced just recently.
I have been a vExpert for five years.
What is vExpert? It doesn’t require a blog, but it is about someone willing to contribute the community, and share their experience with others.
Take a look at the vExpert page, see what the program is about, search the directory, or find a great catalog of bloggers

RVTool 3.11.6 released
The latest update has been posted.
Remember to Donate.
Rob de Veij spends quite a bit of time on this, and I’m sure more than once, any vSphere Admin / Architect has found this tool useful.

Virtual Update 2018-10-15

VMware Hands On Labs Updated
Looks like a lot of the labs that were available at VMworld have made it to the HOL offered up all year.
vSphere 6.7, Wavefront, vSAN 6.7, VMware Pivotal Container Service & Kubernetes, Machine Learning, NFV, etc

VMware CloudHealth acquisition completed
This past week, VMware finalized the acquisition of CloudHealth, a Boston based firm.
CloudHealth is a Cloud Management Platform (CMP)They focus on automating cloud governance, consumption and costs.
Sounds like it has a direct overlap with some of the vRealize Suite (vRA, vRB, and vROPs).
Might this be a new CMP for us to learn?

vSphere With Operations Management – END OF AVAILABILITY
So VMware announced on 10/8/18 that vSOM is no longer available to customers on February 1, 2019. What happens to customers who HAVE been licensed for vSOM?
After 10/15/18, existing vSOM Enterprise Plus licenses will be split into VMware vSphere Enterprise Plus, and vROPs Standard.
This will result in higher Support & Services cost at the next renewal.

AFTER 2/1/2019, your only two options to acquire vROPs are purchasing vROPs standalone, or in the vRealize/vCloud Suite. Good news,….they are offering discounts on the upgrades.
vSphere Platinum Promotion
vROPs Promotion

ONLY for vSOM customers (as far as I know), vSphere Enterprise Plus can be upgraded to vSphere Platinum.
Platinum includes VMware AppDefense (security policy to secure applications, infrastructure, data & access). This is being offered at 50% off, and comes with $10,000 credits to use on VMware on AWS (if you are upgrading 5 or more licenses), which is enough to run 4 nodes for a few weeks.

ONLY for vSOM customers, vROPs can be upgraded to either vROPs Advanced or vRealize Suite at a 50% discount.

The third option is if you wish to upgrade vSphere Enterprise Plus AND vROPs (as described above), you would receive 50% off for vSphere Platinum and 65% off the vROPs upgrade of your choice.

Many of our customers have vSphere Enterprise Plus with Operations Management (vSOM), so WEI will be busy making sure that this conversation is had with all customers who do have this choice to make.