In part 1 of this series, I outlined the design for implementing a virtual desktop infrastructure solution using VMware View. In this part, I demonstrate how to install and configure the VMware View Connection Server and View Composer in preparation for deploying virtual desktops. Continue reading
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Implementing a VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with Horizon View 6.2 – Part 1: Design
In September 2015 VMware released version 6.2 of their Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) offering, Horizon View. View enables enterprises to virtualise their desktop estate, potentially saving thousands in hardware costs in the process. Other benefits, such as greater flexibility are also realised. Continue reading
Creating a VPN between a Cisco ASA and vCloud Air
In preparation for an upcoming project with my resident Code Monkey, I decided it was time to link the lab to my vCloud Air instance using a VPN. However as GUI access to the firewalls are disabled in the lab, the on-premises configuration will have to be done using the CLI. Continue reading
VCAP5-DCD… passed!
I’m pleased to announce that after my not-so-stellar attempt in July, I have now passed the VCAP5 Datacenter Design exam. Whilst it was quite difficult, it is achievable… you just need to know your onions.
But boy, am I finally glad it is out of the way.
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Using vCloud Air to stand-up a Chef Compliance Proof-of-Concept
The other day I wanted to start playing with Chef, as it’s a tool our company is about to use a lot, and it’s one area I’m quite behind the curve on. Unfortunately the lab was maxed out for resources, so I decided to turn to vCloud Air to rapidly provision an environment. Continue reading
Cloning the ESXi boot volume
Since ESXi was introduced it has been possible to install it to a USB key. Initially it was always a hack… I remember getting a 3.5 image and using dd in a very unsupported way to write an image. It was only when ESXi 4.0 came along were USB keys officially supported as a boot volume. Continue reading
Check out the ESXi Embedded Host Client
Again… nothing new here. If you’re a seasoned pro then you’re already aware of the excellent work the boys and girls do down at VMware Labs with regards to the Flings. But if you’re not, due to workloads being crazy or because you’re studying like a man possessed, then this might be of interest. Continue reading
Measuring and preventing vSphere resource over-commitment
Recently I was asked to perform a VMware environment review for a financial services customer of ours. This involved reviewing a number of settings across the estate, one of which being resource utilisation. The biggest challenge was to ensure that none of the customer’s clusters were Continue reading
Using vSphere Auto Deploy to reduce configuration drift in the enterprise – Part 2
In part 1 of this short series we discussed configuration drift with regards to ESXi hosts. In this part, we complete the series by configuring answer files, host profiles, and various other settings needed to successfully Auto Deploy ESXi hosts. Continue reading
Using vSphere Auto Deploy to reduce configuration drift in the enterprise – Part 1
A common challenge facing enterprise deployments of vSphere is configuration drift. When the hardware or software configuration changes, manageability becomes increasingly difficult. This in turn results in higher support costs. Continue reading
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