Recently I’ve been using vCloud Air a lot, for both proof-of-concept and spinning up my own lab machines. But for some reason I just don’t gel with the UI. It’s not particularly bad, I just don’t find it very intuitive. So I set off in search of another tool, and found the VCA-CLI. 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.
Continue reading
Wednesday Tidbit: Make sure you’re running the correct SSH daemon on NetBSD
After my post a few months back on compiling a new version of OpenSSL on NetBSD, it occurred to me I don’t always configure the SSH daemon correctly on my test lab boxes. Even though I always install the latest version, I sometimes forget to ensure this is the version that starts on boot. Continue reading
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
Wednesday Tidbit: Using a connection file with Microsoft Azure
Continuously entering connection details to cloud systems can quickly become boring. However, if you’re connecting to Azure and from a secure system, then there is an easier way.
Download and install Continue reading
Publishing RemoteApps on Microsoft Azure
Recently I migrated back to Mac OS X after many years in the Microsoft wilderness. Whilst I’ve definitely not looked back, there is the (very) odd application I miss, and have not yet had time to find a replacement. Two of these are Microsoft Project and Visio, and both are integral to my day-to-day work. Continue reading
Wednesday Tidbit: Who turned off Admission Control?
After my post on measuring and preventing vSphere resource over-commitment, a discussion arose at the company I work regarding HA admission control. It would appear that it has been disabled on a number of internal 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
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