The Cloud-Native and Open-Source Revolution: My Journey and Passion

As I sit down to write this blog post, it’s been roughly a year since I embarked on a new journey into the cloud-native and open-source world. It’s been an incredible experience so far, filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and raise awareness about the amazing technologies and communities within this ecosystem. In this post, I’d like to share my experiences, passions, and goals within this space, as well as some exciting initiatives that I’m involved in.

My journey into cloud-native and open-source began with an opportunity to work with Kasten technologies, where I was tasked with raising awareness and driving adoption of their innovative solutions. As someone who has been deeply rooted in the virtualization community for many years, it was both exhilarating and intimidating to venture into this new world. However, I quickly realized that the cloud-native and open-source communities share a similar ethos and values as the virtualization community. People within these communities are passionate about technology, collaboration, and giving back to the community.

As I delved deeper into the cloud-native and open-source ecosystem, I was struck by the vastness of the topic and the endless amount of content available. However, my experience has taught me that the best way to learn is by diving right in and getting hands-on experience. This approach has not only helped me gain a deeper understanding of the technologies but also allowed me to contribute back to the community.

One of the most exciting initiatives I’m involved in is the 90-day “challenge” that I recently embarked upon. The idea behind this challenge is to focus on getting a good foundational knowledge of the whole ecosystem and driving force behind DevOps. I’ve created a repository for this project, where I’ll be documenting my journey and sharing my learnings with the community. I invite you to take a look and provide feedback.

Another passion of mine is advocating for Open-Source technologies, particularly within the UK. As part of the Open UK program, I’m committed to promoting the benefits of Open-Source technologies and encouraging their adoption across various industries. I believe that Open-Source technologies are essential for driving innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity within the tech industry.

One of the things that I love about the cloud-native and open-source community is its focus on learning in public. The idea is that by sharing our experiences, knowledge, and perspectives, we can help each other grow and thrive. This approach aligns perfectly with my own passion for learning and giving back to the community. As such, I’ve made it a point to regularly share my learnings on social media platforms and blogs, and I encourage others to do the same.

In conclusion, my journey into the cloud-native and open-source world has been an incredible experience so far. I’m passionate about advocating for these technologies, promoting collaboration and inclusivity within the tech industry, and contributing back to the community. If you’re interested in learning more or joining me on this journey, please feel free to reach out to me directly. Together, we can make a difference and drive innovation within the tech industry.

Becoming a vExpert: An Inside Look into the VMware Community

As a virtualization enthusiast, I remember my early days in the community like it was yesterday. I hopped on Twitter to connect with like-minded individuals and soon found myself engaging with a group of people who would become my lifelong friends and colleagues. One person who stands out among the rest is Luigi Danakos, who would go on to become a good friend and fellow vExpert. He introduced me to the VMware community at large during my first VMworld conference, and it was an experience I will never forget.

At the time, I had no idea about the vExpert program, but over the years, I became more active in social media and online forums, participating in Twitter, Facebook, and the VMTN community forums. I also took on a more active role in my local VMUG, speaking and leading Hands-on Labs. These efforts paid off, and I eventually earned the title of vExpert.

Becoming a vExpert is relatively straightforward. Applications are accepted periodically, and you can submit your application on the vExpert website. However, the waiting game can be anxiety-inducing, as the selection process can take some time. But trust me, it’s worth the wait!

One of the newer opportunities for existing vExperts is the #SubPrograms. These are more specialized aspects of the VMware technology and community where you get to showcase, evangelize, and promote an area that you are passionate about. My passion has always been EUC (End-User Computing), and I have applied to become one of the first vExperts for EUC. You can read more about this Sub Program in the VMware EUC Blog post.

One of the coolest things about the vExpert program is the #SWAG. You know, the cool shirts, bags, toys, glasses that you get when you attend conferences!? A long-time vExpert and a friend of mine is married to an amazing woman who runs her own business STKPromotions #ShamelessPlug. Every year when the vExperts are announced, they create a pop-up shop where you can order all manner of #SWAG. Shirts, glasses, hats, and all sorts of #SWAG to show off that you are a vExpert.

In addition to the #SWAG that you can purchase from STK, there are also lots of opportunities to get NFR (Not For Resale) licenses from companies that support the vExpert community. And if you attend VMworld, you have a chance to get a #SwagBag that has all sorts of goodies inside. Last year, there was even a Raspberry Pi!

This year, there have been a number of really amazing conference calls/webinars set up just for vExperts covering many topics like Tanzu, Project Pacific, Cohesity, Runecast, and VMware Cloud Health just to name a few. These invite-only meetings are a huge perk to get ahead of the curve. Huge props to Corey Romero @vExpert/@vCommunityGuy for his endless support, hard work, and dedication!

In conclusion, if you are into technology, virtualization, VMware, and some or all of the tools that encompass this vast ecosystem and are active in your community (online and offline), I highly recommend you find out more and submit yourself to be a vExpert. Reach out to me with any questions, comments, or suggestions too! Until next time #StayVirtual.

VMware has recently announced the latest update to its vSAN solution – vSAN 7 Update 1, which offers exciting new features and quality of life improvements for users. As a Principal Architect specializing in Healthcare IT on the East Coast, I am particularly thrilled about the introduction of the new shared witness feature for 2-node vSAN clusters.

The shared witness feature is a game-changer for 2-node vSAN clusters as it frees up compute and storage resources for other VMs while making maintenance easier by reducing the number of appliances that need to be maintained. With the new shared witness appliance, you can now have a maximum of 64 clusters attached to one witness, making it much more efficient and scalable.

One of the primary benefits of the shared witness feature is that it allows for a more streamlined and cost-effective approach to vSAN clustering. By eliminating the need for separate witness appliances for each cluster, organizations can significantly reduce their hardware and maintenance costs. This is especially important in healthcare IT where budget constraints are always a concern.

Another significant advantage of the shared witness feature is that it simplifies the management of vSAN clusters. With fewer appliances to maintain, administrators can focus on other critical tasks and spend less time troubleshooting and maintaining the infrastructure. This can lead to improved productivity and efficiency, which is crucial in a healthcare IT environment where downtime can have serious consequences.

In addition to the shared witness feature, vSAN 7 Update 1 offers several other exciting new features and improvements. These include enhanced support for NVMe storage, improved performance and scalability, and advanced security capabilities.

For example, the new version of vSAN supports the use of NVMe storage devices, which can significantly improve performance and reduce latency. This is particularly important in healthcare IT where fast access to patient data is critical for providing high-quality care.

Furthermore, vSAN 7 Update 1 includes several advanced security features that can help protect sensitive patient data from cyber threats. For instance, the new version includes support for encryption and secure boot, which can help ensure that data is protected from unauthorized access and tampering.

In conclusion, the latest update to VMware’s vSAN solution – vSAN 7 Update 1 – offers a range of exciting new features and quality of life improvements that can significantly benefit healthcare IT organizations. The shared witness feature for 2-node vSAN clusters is particularly noteworthy as it simplifies clustering, reduces hardware and maintenance costs, and improves management efficiency. As a Principal Architect specializing in Healthcare IT on the East Coast, I am excited to explore these new features and their potential benefits for our clients.

The blog post discusses TPM 2.0 and secure boot in ESXi, providing technical details on the attestation process. It explains that TPM 2.0 provides assurance that Secure Boot did its job, and vCenter provides a handy report to show which hosts have failed their attestation. The post also mentions that there is no standalone option for attestation, as it requires a third-party comparison of TPM values with ESXi event logs and VIB metadata.

Here are some key points from the blog post:

1. TPM 2.0 provides assurance that Secure Boot did its job.

2. vCenter provides a handy report to show which hosts have failed their attestation.

3. There is no standalone option for attestation, as it requires a third-party comparison of TPM values with ESXi event logs and VIB metadata.

4. The current method of retrieving the attestation status is via the report in the HTML5 client in vCenter.

5. VMs will continue to run on hosts that have failed attestation, but there is a request for the ability to prevent this in the future.

6. The post encourages readers to provide feedback on the topic, and mentions that there will be an FAQ on vSphere Central for more information on TPM and virtual TPM coming soon.

Hola a todos! En este artículo, exploraremos una herramienta muy interesante llamada vSphere Diagnostic Tool. Esta herramienta es un script de Python que ejecuta comandos de diagnóstico en vCenter Server Appliance, proporcionando datos útiles para la resolución de problemas.

La herramienta tiene varios Pass/Warning/Fail tests para facilitar rápidamente el aislamiento de los problemas encontrados en el entorno de vSphere. La herramienta no tiene requisitos complicados o complejos, y no es necesario modificar la vCenter Server Appliance de producción con binarios adicionales u otros enlaces en vCenter.

Para comenzar, descargamos la herramienta desde la página de VMware Flings. Subimos el archivo descargado por ejemplo usando WinSCP en nuestro vCenter Server. Nota: En caso de que tengamos problemas en subir el archivo a través de WinSCP a nuestro vCenter, podemos revisar el siguiente KB: Error when uploading files to vCenter Server Appliance using WinSCP.

Desempaquetamos el archivo con el siguiente comando:

“`bash

unzip vsphere_diagnostic_tool.zip

“`

Cambiamos a la carpeta y ejecutamos el script con el siguiente comando:

“`bash

python vsphere_diagnostic_tool.py

“`

Pulsamos “Y” y después agregamos las credenciales del usuario “administrator@vsphere.local”.

Ejemplo de la salida del comando:

“`txt

vCenter Basic Info:

vCenter Server Appliance Version: 6.5.0-12345

Build Number: 12345

ESXi Hostname: vsphere

ESXi IP Address: 192.168.1.100

ESXi Port: 443

vCenter Server UUID: b27d164f-b5c8-4a56-8e8a-be5685845c55

“`

As we can see, the tool provides a lot of information about our vCenter environment, including version numbers, build numbers, hostname, IP address, port, and UUID. If we have any failures or warnings in any of the checks, the tool provides information on how to resolve the issues, such as KB articles.

The tool is very useful for quickly reviewing the status of our vCenter environment and identifying potential problems. It is also helpful in isolating problems quickly and providing information on how to resolve them. We hope that this tool continues to incorporate new features and versions of vCenter or other VMware products.

We appreciate the community of VMware Flings for providing such excellent tools. We hope that this information can be helpful, and any questions or suggestions can be left in the comments. Thank you for reading!

VMware Aria: The Future of Cloud Management

In the ever-evolving world of cloud technology, VMware Aria is a game-changer for multi-cloud management. This innovative solution offers a unified platform for managing all your cloud infrastructure, regardless of the provider you choose. With Aria, you can easily migrate your applications between clouds, optimize your resource utilization, and reduce costs.

The Benefits of VMware Aria

1. Multi-cloud management: Aria allows you to manage your clouds simultaneously, providing a unified view of your infrastructure across different providers.

2. Easy migration: With Aria, you can easily migrate your applications between clouds, reducing downtime and increasing agility.

3. Resource optimization: Aria helps you optimize resource utilization, ensuring that you’re getting the most out of your cloud investment.

4. Cost reduction: By providing a single platform for managing multiple clouds, Aria can help reduce costs and improve your overall bottom line.

The Future of Cloud Management

As more and more businesses move to the cloud, the need for effective cloud management solutions will only continue to grow. VMware Aria is at the forefront of this trend, offering a powerful and flexible platform for managing multi-cloud environments. With its robust set of features and capabilities, Aria is poised to become the go-to solution for organizations looking to streamline their cloud operations and improve their bottom line.

Key Features of VMware Aria

1. Unified management: Aria provides a unified platform for managing all your cloud infrastructure, regardless of the provider you choose.

2. Multi-cloud support: Aria supports multiple clouds, allowing you to manage your environments across different providers.

3. Resource optimization: Aria helps you optimize resource utilization, ensuring that you’re getting the most out of your cloud investment.

4. Cost reduction: By providing a single platform for managing multiple clouds, Aria can help reduce costs and improve your overall bottom line.

5. Easy migration: With Aria, you can easily migrate your applications between clouds, reducing downtime and increasing agility.

6. Robust security: Aria provides robust security features to protect your infrastructure and data from unauthorized access and threats.

7. Scalability: Aria is designed to scale with your needs, providing a flexible platform for managing your growing cloud environment.

8. Integration: Aria integrates with other VMware solutions, such as vRealize Automation and vRealize Operations, providing a complete cloud management solution.

Conclusion

VMware Aria is the future of cloud management, offering a unified platform for managing Multi-cloud environments. With its robust set of features and capabilities, Aria is poised to become the go-to solution for organizations looking to streamline their cloud operations and improve their bottom line. As more and more businesses move to the cloud, the need for effective cloud management solutions will only continue to grow, making VMware Aria an essential tool for any organization looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Sure, here is a new blog post based on the information provided:

—

Resolving Alarms and BGP Issues in NSX-T 3.1.3.7

As we recently encountered an issue with NSX-T 3.1.3.7, we wanted to share our experience and the solution/workaround for those who might encounter similar problems. The issue we ran into was related to alarms and BGP connectivity between sites. In this post, we will go over the steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

Background

———-

We recently upgraded from NSX-T version 3.1.3.6 to 3.1.3.7, and one of our sites started experiencing alarms in the alarm section of the NSX-T management platform. The alarms were related to BGP connectivity issues between the sites. After investigating the issue, we found that all BGPs were established, and ping commands gave a reply, but the issue persisted.

Troubleshooting Steps

————————

To troubleshoot the issue, we followed these steps:

1. Check the connection: We logged into the Edges and grabbed the VRF ID of the RTEP tunnel. We then checked the BGP and ping between the RTEP IP addresses on both sites. As we could see all BGPs were established, and the ping commands gave a reply.

2. Check from Postman: We opened Postman and fired a GET API call to the NSX-Manager to grab the edge ID we needed in the next API call. We selected Basic Auth under the Authorization tab and filled in the admin credentials. When getting a reply in the body, we searched for the edge name and the corresponding ID.

3. Get RTEP status: We then used this ID to get the RTEP status with the following GET API call: /api/v1/transport-nodes//inter-site/bgp/summary>

The output showed that the BGP to one of the peers was established, but the issue persisted. We noticed that the alarm was resolved on one of the manager nodes, but it was still showing on other nodes and was keeping the alarm active.

Workaround

———–

To resolve the issue, we performed the following workaround:

1. Restart the Proton service on all manager nodes:

We SSHed with the admin user to the NSX-T manager nodes and executed the following commands:

Stop service proton

Start service proton

This workaround removed the alarm, and the issue was resolved.

Conclusion

———-

In conclusion, if you experience alarms and BGP connectivity issues in NSX-T 3.1.3.7, follow the troubleshooting steps outlined above to identify and resolve the issue. The solution/workaround is to restart the Proton service on all manager nodes. This issue is known in the 3.1.3.7 version in a 3-manager nodes setup, but it is fixed in version 3.2.1.

Note: Always check the NSX-T documentation and official support channels for the latest information and updates before troubleshooting and resolving any issues.

Monitoring Aria Automation Infrastructures with PowerShell and Python

As a VMware enthusiast, I am always eager to explore the latest features and tools offered by the company. Recently, I had the opportunity to delve into the world of Aria Automation, previously known as vRealize Automation, and its monitoring capabilities. In this blog post, I will share my experiences and the script I created to monitor ABX, CAS, and Cloud Accounts using PowerShell and Python.

Background and Objectives

————————-

Aria Automation is a powerful tool for managing and automating virtual infrastructure, and it provides a wealth of monitoring capabilities. However, I found that there was a lack of comprehensive monitoring scripts available online, especially for Cloud Accounts and CASs. Therefore, my objective was to create a script that could monitor these aspects of Aria Automation and provide a user-friendly interface.

Script Overview

————–

The script I created is written in PowerShell and uses the VMware vRealize Automation (vRA) API to gather information about ABX, CAS, and Cloud Accounts. The script has several components:

1. A welcome window that allows users to select whether they want to monitor Cloud or OnPrem instances.

2. A main window that displays the health check results and allows users to select configuration files or enter URL and refresh token bearer values.

3. A counter that counts down for 30 minutes before re-downloading the Bearer Token.

4. Endpoint details that display information about the status of the endpoint itself and the containers present on it.

5. Cloud Accounts and CASs monitoring, which will be added in future updates.

Script Development

——————

To develop the script, I first needed to familiarize myself with PowerShell and the vRA API. I used the VMware vRealize Automation (vRA) SDK to create the script and the documentation provided by VMware to understand the API functions and parameters.

I started by creating a simple welcome window using PowerShell’s built-in function, “Write-Host.” The user can select whether they want to monitor Cloud or OnPrem instances, and the script will adjust accordingly.

Next, I created a main window that displays the health check results. The user can select configuration files or enter URL and refresh token bearer values. I used PowerShell’s “Write-Host” function again to display the information in a straightforward manner.

The counter was created using a simple loop that counts down for 30 minutes before re-downloading the Bearer Token. The endpoint details were obtained using the vRA API, and I used Python’s “tkinter” library to create a user-friendly interface.

I also added functionality to monitor Cloud Accounts and CASs, which will be added in future updates.

Conclusion

———-

In this blog post, I shared my experiences and the script I created to monitor ABX, CAS, and Cloud Accounts using PowerShell and Python. The script provides a user-friendly interface and allows users to select configuration files or enter URL and refresh token bearer values. The script also includes a counter that counts down for 30 minutes before re-downloading the Bearer Token.

I hope this script will be useful to other VMware enthusiasts who are looking to monitor their Aria Automation infrastructures. I plan to continue updating the script with additional features and functionalities, so please stay tuned!

Title: Resolving Avamar Backup Failures with Error MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN

Introduction:

Avamar backup is a powerful tool for data protection, but like any other software, it can sometimes fail due to various reasons. One common error that admins might encounter is the MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN error during Avamar maintenance. In this blog post, we will explore the reasons behind this error and provide step-by-step solutions to resolve it.

Reasons for MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN Error:

The MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN error occurs when Avamar fails to perform maintenance tasks due to various reasons such as:

1. Incorrect configuration of the Avamar server.

2. Failure of the backup or restore process.

3. Insufficient disk space on the Avamar server.

4. Network connectivity issues between the Avamar server and the client machines.

5. Corrupted data or database issues on the Avamar server.

Solutions to Resolve MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN Error:

To resolve the MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN error, follow these steps:

Step 1: Check the Avamar Server Logs

The first step is to check the logs on the Avamar server to identify the root cause of the error. You can find the logs in the /var/log/avamar directory. Look for any errors or warnings related to the maintenance task that failed.

Step 2: Verify the Avamar Server Configuration

Verify that the Avamar server is configured correctly, including the network settings and disk space availability. Make sure that the Avamar server has sufficient disk space to perform the maintenance tasks.

Step 3: Run the Maintenance Task Again

If the previous step does not resolve the issue, try running the maintenance task again. You can do this by executing the following command:

cplist –full Denetim noktasının oluşturulduğu tarih ve saatin, yükseltme başarıyla tamamlandıktan sonra olduğundan emin olun.

This command will show you the list of all Avamar maintenance tasks and their status. If a task is failed, try running it again to see if it completes successfully.

Step 4: Manually Create a New Maintenance Task

If the previous steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to manually create a new maintenance task. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Stop the Avamar service using the following command:

dpnctl stop

2. Create a new maintenance task using the following command:

cplist –create Denetim noktasının oluşturulduğu tarih ve saatin, yükseltme başarıyla tamamlandıktan sonra olduğundan emin olun.

3. Start the Avamar service using the following command:

dpnctl start

Step 5: Monitor the Avamar Server

After completing these steps, monitor the Avamar server to ensure that it is functioning correctly and that the maintenance tasks are running successfully. You can use the Avamar UI or the command-line tools to check the status of the server and the maintenance tasks.

Conclusion:

Resolving MSG_ERR_SHUTDOWN errors in Avamar backup can be a challenging task, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can identify and fix the underlying issues. By following the solutions outlined in this blog post, you can ensure that your Avamar backup system is running smoothly and that your data is protected correctly. Remember to regularly monitor the Avamar server and perform maintenance tasks to prevent such errors from occurring in the future.

In this blog post, we will discuss managing vGPUs using Python. We will cover two ways of calling objects in the session and provide a MOB cheat sheet to help navigate through your environment and determine the types of objects available. The code is available on GitHub for you to try out yourself, and we’ll go over how to find what hosts have GPUs, which VMs have vGPUs, add a vGPU to a VM, and remove one. Unfortunately, due to limitations in the vSphere API, we cannot access information provided by NVIDIA Management Library (NVML), but we hope this helps you unlock secrets of managing your vGPUs with Python. May your servers run continuously, and your data center stay chilled.

We will explore two ways to call objects in the session: navigating directly to objects and using a container view. We’ll discuss how to find what hosts have GPUs, which VMs have vGPUs, add a vGPU to a VM, and remove one. The code is available on GitHub for you to try out yourself, and we’ll provide a MOB cheat sheet to help navigate through your environment and determine the types of objects available.

The main areas for objects are:

All of the code discussed in the session is available on GitHub, so you can try it out yourself. We’ll also provide details on how to find what hosts have GPUs, which VMs have vGPUs, add a vGPU to a VM, and remove one. Unfortunately, due to limitations in the vSphere API, we cannot access information provided by NVIDIA Management Library (NVML), but we hope this helps you unlock secrets of managing your vGPUs with Python. May your servers run continuously, and your data center stay chilled.

To navigate to objects directly or use a container view, we’ll discuss how to find what hosts have GPUs, which VMs have vGPUs, add a vGPU to a VM, and remove one. The code is available on GitHub for you to try out yourself, and we’ll provide a MOB cheat sheet to help navigate through your environment and determine the types of objects available.

In conclusion, we hope this helps you unlock secrets of managing your vGPUs with Python. May your servers keep running, and your data center stay chilled. Permanent link to this article:

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In the interest of full disclosure, I am an employee of Dell EMC. The views expressed herein do not represent the views of Dell Technologies or its subsidiary companies.

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