This blog post discusses the author’s experience with Intel Optane demo units received through the vExpert program. The author specifically focuses on the compatibility issues they faced when trying to connect these devices to ESXi 7.0 and 8.0.

The author explains that although the demo units were previously used in the Intel loan program, they were still in excellent condition and ready for use. However, the author encountered unexpected complications when attempting to connect the Optane SSDs to their homelab environment. Despite being recognized by Windows 10, the devices were not visible in ESXi or Ubuntu, preventing the creation of datastores.

After consulting with fellow vExperts and conducting further research, the author discovered that the issue stemmed from the fact that the Optane SSDs were formatted with LBA 4K sectors, which ESXi 7.0 and 8.0 do not support. The solution was to reformat the devices with LBA 512 bytes, which resolved the compatibility issues.

The author emphasizes the importance of carefully examining the compatibility of hardware components before integrating them into a homelab environment. They also express gratitude towards fellow vExperts for their assistance in resolving the issue and share their experience with Intel Optane demo units.

Overall, this blog post provides valuable insights into the potential compatibility issues that can arise when working with cutting-edge storage technology like Intel Optane. It highlights the importance of careful planning and research before integrating new components into a homelab environment.

Here is a 500-word blog post based on the information provided:

It has been five years since FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) was installed in my area, and during that time, it has worked flawlessly with no issues. However, in recent weeks, we have had two major outages. The first lasted for five hours due to an underground fault 1000m away, and Openreach physically moved “the shire” onto another fiber in the ground to resolve the issue. The second outage occurred just a few days ago and lasted for 15 hours, likely due to another failed fiber cable in the ground.

One thing I have learned during this time is that the BBU (battery back unit) in the ONT (optical network terminal) should be replaced every five years or so, as the batteries can fail and cause issues. However, Openreach no longer supplies or installs these units, and it’s now considered self-service. Therefore, I recently purchased eight AA Energizer rechargeable batteries with specifications of any battery > 2000mAh to replace the failed RED light on the BBU.

In general, FTTP has been a reliable and fast internet connection, and I am grateful for the investment in our area’s digital infrastructure. However, it is essential to be aware of the potential issues that can arise with the BBU and fiber cables and to take proactive steps to maintain the system.

Overall, my experience with FTTP has been positive, and I hope that others who have recently had issues will find this information helpful in resolving their problems.

As a vExpert and VMware fanatic, I’m always eager to share my knowledge and experience with the community. In this blog post, I’ll be discussing how to perform storage performance tests on VMware vSphere vSAN using the VMware Hyper-converged Infrastructure Benchmark fling (HCIBench).

Before we dive into the testing, let me provide some background information. HCIBench is a storage performance testing automation tool that simplifies and accelerates customer Proof of Concept (POC) performance testing in a consistent and controlled way. The storage devices we are using in this video are the Intel® Optane™ SSD DC P4800X Series 375GB, 2.5in PCIe x4, 3D XPoint™, but this procedure can be used to add any compatible storage devices in ESXi to a vSAN datastore.

Now, let’s get started with the testing! In this video, I’ll be showing you how to use HCIBench to perform various storage performance tests on vSAN. The tests include FIO Benchmarks (4K/70%Read/100%Random, 4K/100%Read/100%Random, 8K/50%Read/100%Random, 256K/100%Write/100%Sequential) and VDBENCH Benchmarks (4K/70%Read/100%Random, 4K/100%Read/100%Random, 8K/50%Read/100%Random, 256K/100%Write/100%Sequential).

The results generated from these tests are available for download in PDF format. These benchmarks provide a comprehensive view of the storage performance and can help you evaluate the suitability of different storage devices for your vSAN environment.

In conclusion, performing storage performance tests on vSAN using HCIBench is a valuable tool for evaluating the suitability of different storage devices and optimizing the performance of your vSAN environment. I hope this blog post has provided you with useful insights and practical information that can help you in your virtualization journey.

References:

* VMware Cloud Foundation Design Guide 01 JUN 2023

* WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH INTEL OPTANE? – Mr vSAN – Simon Todd Matt Mancini blog

* VMware vSAN 8.0 U1 Express Storage Architecture Deep Dive

* VMware vSAN 7.0 U3 Deep Dive Paperback – 5 May 2022

As an expert in computer science, technology, programming, and education, I am thrilled to share with you an awesome list of resources that have helped me in my journey. This list was originally created by Closebracket, and I have now added over 140 articles and 40 hours of tutorial videos on VMware vSphere, making it a comprehensive resource for anyone looking to expand their knowledge in these areas.

My Experts Exchange articles and videos cover a range of topics related to computer science, technology, programming, and education. Some of the most popular topics include ESXi 7.0, ESXi 8.0, homelab, Intel, optane, vExpert, VMware vSphere, and vSAN. These articles and videos are designed to be informative, engaging, and easy to understand, making them accessible to a wide range of audiences.

One of the things that sets my resources apart is the depth and breadth of knowledge that I bring to the table. With over 140 articles and 40 hours of tutorial videos, I have been able to cover a wide range of topics in detail, providing readers and viewers with a comprehensive understanding of each subject. Additionally, my experience as a vExpert and VMware vSphere expert allows me to provide insights and tips that are not easily found elsewhere.

Another advantage of using my resources is that they are constantly updated to reflect the latest developments in the field. For example, I have written articles and created videos on the latest versions of VMware vSphere, including ESXi 7.0 and ESXi 8.0, as well as on cutting-edge technologies like optane. This ensures that readers and viewers are getting the most up-to-date information available.

In addition to my Experts Exchange articles and videos, I also maintain a list of all my resources in one place, making it easy for readers and viewers to access them. This list can be found at the CodHeadClub, and it includes links to all of my articles and videos, as well as any other resources that I think might be helpful.

Overall, I believe that my awesome list of computer science, technology, programming, and educational resources provides a valuable resource for anyone looking to expand their knowledge in these areas. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out, there is something here for everyone. So, take some time to explore the list, and I am confident that you will find something that will help you on your journey.

This is a discussion thread on Reddit about the operating system OS/2, which was popular in the 1990s but is now considered a “dead” OS. The thread was started by a user who is running OS/2 as a virtual machine (VM) on vSphere and is looking for fragments of the software. Other users share their experiences with OS/2, including its speed and stability compared to Windows, and discuss the possibility of running macOS VMs on vSphere. One user mentions that IBM licensed OS/2 to Arca Noa and it is still maintained and updated with periodic feature updates. Another user shares a link to a website with old OS/2 software, including Virtualbox 5.1. The thread also touches on the topic of “software archeology” and the challenges of working with ancient software.

Automating VCF Host Commissioning with ESXi Kickstart

As a Senior Staff Solution Architect in the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Division at Broadcom, I have had the pleasure of working with a variety of customers to help them automate their ESXi provisioning and management processes. One of the most frequent use cases that I encounter is the need to automate the host commissioning process for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environments. In this blog post, I will show you how to incorporate the VCF host commissioning workflow automatically as part of an ESXi Kickstart installation.

Background and Challenges

Traditionally, after an ESXi host has been provisioned, it needs to be manually added to VMware SDDC Manager before it can be consumed for either expanding or deploying a new workload domain. This multi-step process can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when dealing with a large number of hosts. Moreover, this process requires user interaction, which can be a challenge for automated provisioning scenarios.

Solution Overview

To address these challenges, I came up with an idea to incorporate the VCF host commissioning workflow automatically as part of an ESXi Kickstart installation. The approach involves hosting a simple host mapping text file on a web server that contains the ESXi FQDN to the SDDC Manager (including service account token and network pool ID) details. The ESXi host will then use this file to remotely invoke the VCF Commission REST API and commission itself to the appropriate SDDC Manager.

Implementation Details

Here are the implementation details of the solution:

1. Host Mapping Text File:

Host a simple host mapping text file (sddcm-mapping.txt) on a web server that contains the ESXi FQDN to the SDDC Manager (including service account token and network pool ID) details. The format of the file is as follows:

:::

For example:

my-esxi-host.local:10.10.10.10:my-service-account:my-network-pool

2. ESXi Kickstart Configuration:

Modify the %firstboot section of your ESXi Kickstart to include the following code:

download /path/to/sddcm-mapping.txt &&

parse_ini /path/to/sddcm-mapping.txt ESXi_FQDN SDDC_Manager_IP Service_Account_Token Network_Pool_ID &&

curl -kL https://:443/api/v1.10/host/commission?ESXi_FQDN=$ESXi_FQDN&token=$Service_Account_Token -H “Content-Type: application/json” -d ‘{}’

This code will download the sddcm-mapping.txt file, parse it to extract the ESXi FQDN, SDDC Manager IP, service account token, and network pool ID, and then use these details to invoke the VCF Commission REST API and commission the host to the appropriate SDDC Manager.

3. VCF Host Commissioning Workflow:

Once the ESXi host has finished provisioning and has rebooted, it will attempt to run the firstboot script. The firstboot script will download the sddcm-mapping.txt file and check whether there is a configuration entry that directs it to commission itself to a specific SDDC Manager. If an entry is found, the script will use the credentials and construct the required payload and invoke the VCF host commission REST API. If everything was set up correctly, you should now see a task within your SDDC Manager which has been initiated by the ESXi host after it has finished provisioning, completely automating the host commissioning process.

Benefits and Future Enhancements

The benefits of this solution are numerous:

* Zero-touch provisioning: The entire host commissioning workflow is automated, eliminating the need for user interaction.

* Scalability: This solution can be easily scaled to accommodate large numbers of ESXi hosts.

* Flexibility: The solution allows for dynamic assignment of SDDC Managers, making it easier to manage and maintain your VCF environment.

In the future, I would love to see this feature integrated into ESXi Kickstart as a native capability, further simplifying the host commissioning process. Additionally, the solution could be enhanced to support multiple SDDC Managers and more advanced workflows, such as automated network pool allocation and VM deployment.

Conclusion

Incorporating the VCF host commissioning workflow automatically into an ESXi Kickstart installation provides a simple yet powerful solution for automating the host provisioning process in your VCF environment. By eliminating user interaction and leveraging the power of automation, you can significantly improve the efficiency and scalability of your VCF deployment.

Creating a Custom ESXi VIB for vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) Remediation

As a Technical Adoption Manager (TAM), I recently received a request from one of our customers to create a custom ESXi VIB that could be used with vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) and would only require the ESXi host to reboot as part of the remediation. This might sound like a strange request, but there are good reasons for this approach. In this blog post, I will outline the steps to create such a custom VIB and how it can be used with vLCM.

Background

———-

vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) is the successor to vSphere Update Manager (VUM), and it provides a more comprehensive set of features for managing updates and remediation across vSphere environments. One of the key benefits of vLCM is that it allows for offline bundles, which can be used to create custom VIBs that can be imported into vLCM for remediation.

Custom VIB Requirements

———————–

To create a custom ESXi VIB for vLCM remediation, we need to follow certain requirements:

1. The VIB must be signed with a valid certificate.

2. The VIB descriptor.xml file must set the live-install-allowed and live-remove-allowed options to allow the host to reboot after installation and removal of the VIB respectively.

3. The VIB must be compatible with both vSphere 7.x and 8.x.

Creating a Custom ESXi VIB

—————————-

To create a custom ESXi VIB, we can follow these steps:

Step 1 – Download the pre-built offline bundle from the Github repo or build your own using the instructions provided in my previous blog post.

Step 2 – Ensure the ESXi software acceptance level is configured with Community Support since the custom VIB would not be signed. You can do so by following the instructions provided here using either the vSphere UI or ESXCLI.

Step 3 – Use the vSphere UI to import the offline bundle by navigating to Lifecycle Manager->Actions and then clicking on the Import Updates operation.

Step 4 – Create or edit a vSphere Cluster that is managed by a vLCM Image by navigating to Update->Image->Edit and then clicking on the Add Components operation to select the ESXi reboot component and then click save.

Step 5 – Lastly, apply the remediation to the vSphere Cluster and a reboot will be required after the ESXi component has been installed on the host as demonstrated in the screenshot below.

[Insert Screenshot]

Benefits of Custom VIBs for vLCM Remediation

———————————————

Using custom VIBs for vLCM remediation offers several benefits, including:

1. Flexibility – Custom VIBs can be created to address specific issues or requirements that are not covered by the standard vSphere updates.

2. Efficiency – By using a custom VIB, we can avoid the need for a full reboot of the ESXi host, which can save time and reduce downtime.

3. Automation – Custom VIBs can be automated using vLCM, allowing for more efficient and consistent remediation across multiple hosts.

Conclusion

———-

In this blog post, we have explored the process of creating a custom ESXi VIB for vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) remediation. By following these steps, you can create a custom VIB that can be used with vLCM to perform remediation with minimal downtime and increased efficiency. As vSphere environments continue to evolve, the ability to create custom VIBs for vLCM remediation will become increasingly important.

Using Non-Standard Syslog Ports in ESXi: A Game Changer

As a seasoned IT professional, you may be familiar with the default syslog ports used by ESXi hosts for audit, compliance, and troubleshooting purposes. However, if you need to use a non-standard syslog port, the current solution has been less than ideal. But fear not, as vSphere 8.0 Update 2b and vSphere 7.0 Update 3p have brought a welcome enhancement to the table.

In the past, configuring a non-standard syslog port required either creating a custom VIB or modifying the local.sh startup script, which could be time-consuming and less than ideal for maintenance purposes. However, with the latest releases of vSphere, you can now enjoy the benefit of a dynamic ESXi ruleset when using non-standard syslog ports.

Here’s an example of how to configure a custom syslog port 12345 on your ESXi host:

Configure the syslog server with port 12345:

“`markdown

EsxiHost.config.syslog.server = “udp://192.168.1.100:12345”

“`

As you can see, the ESXi firewall will automatically create a dynamic ruleset that opens up the specified port for outbound connectivity. This feature is especially useful if you need to use a non-standard syslog port for any reason.

The best part? The dynamic ruleset will persist even after a reboot of the host, so you don’t have to worry about reconfiguring the firewall every time the host restarts.

Categories // ESXi, vSphere 7.0, vSphere 8.0 Tags // ESXi 7.0 Update 3p, ESXi 8.0 Update 2b, firewall, syslog

In the comments section, CLaudio asks if the rule will be permanent even after a reboot of the host, and I confirm that it will indeed be persistent. Arun also comments, asking for help with creating the dynamic rule on an ESXi 7.0u3p host, which I answer with more information on how to troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

Overall, this new feature in vSphere is a game changer for anyone using non-standard syslog ports on their ESXi hosts. No longer do you have to worry about the hassle of customizing the firewall ruleset or relying on a custom VIB. With the dynamic ESXi ruleset, you can easily configure your syslog server with any port you choose, and the firewall will take care of the rest.

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 5.1.1 has been released with several new features and capabilities, one of which is the “License Later” feature, also known as evaluation mode. This feature allows users to deploy VCF without requiring component license keys upfront, making it easier for users to test and evaluate the product.

To use the License Later feature, users can select “No” when prompted to enter a license key during deployment. This will allow the deployment to proceed without any licenses, and all components will be in evaluation mode. The evaluation mode is valid for 60 days, after which users must apply a license key to continue using the product.

It’s important to note that when deploying VCF using the Cloud Builder API, users must append the “deployWithoutLicenseKeys” parameter with a value of “true” to the deployment JSON file. This will allow the deployment to proceed without any licenses.

In addition, there is a new entry in the workbook called “License Now” which allows users to select “No” and leave all license fields blank. This will also enable the License Later feature.

I have already updated my VCF Automated Lab Deployment script to support the new evaluation mode with VCF 5.1.1, as I have received requests from customers asking about this capability.

In response to a question from shhwang, the License Later feature is valid for 60 days, and users can apply licenses within SDDC Manager using individual component licenses or the new single solution license key.

To answer Manu’s question, if users continue the deployment without a license, they can finish the deployment and all components will be in evaluation mode. To apply licenses, users can do so within SDDC Manager using individual component licenses or the new single solution license key.

Finally, Jason Kirk asked about how to get VCF 5.1.1 bits for his lab. Unfortunately, the only way to obtain VCF 5.1.1 is through the VMware Partner Network (NSF) program or by purchasing an annual VMUG Advantage subscription. I recommend reaching out to VMware or a authorized partner to inquire about the availability of VCF 5.1.1 for your lab.

In conclusion, the License Later feature in VCF 5.1.1 makes it easier for users to test and evaluate the product without the need for component license keys upfront. This feature is valid for 60 days, after which users must apply a license key to continue using the product. To apply licenses, users can do so within SDDC Manager using individual component licenses or the new single solution license key.

Here’s the blog post based on the information provided:

—

While updating and testing my Automated VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Lab Deployment Script to support the latest VCF 5.1.1 release, I came across a strange error message in the Cloud Builder UI about uploading the personality to SDDC Manager. The message read: “Failed to upload personality to SDDC Manager”.

I was confused because my script had been working perfectly fine with previous versions of VCF. After some troubleshooting, I discovered that the issue was caused by a change in the way VCF 5.1.1 handles deployments using JSON deployment method. Specifically, the property “clusterImageEnabled” is now required to be explicitly defined under the “clusterSpec” section of the JSON file.

The “clusterImageEnabled” property determines whether the VCF Management Domain will be deployed using vSphere Lifecycle Manager (VLCM) image-based deployment or the legacy vSphere Update Manager (VUM) baseline deployment. The default value for this property is “true”, which means that VCF will use VLCM image-based deployment by default. However, if you want to use the legacy VUM baseline deployment, you need to set this property to “false”.

To fix the issue, I simply added the “clusterImageEnabled” property with the desired value of “true” to my JSON file, and the deployment completed successfully. Here’s an example of how the “clusterSpec” section of the JSON file should look like with the “clusterImageEnabled” property defined:

“`json

{

“clusterSpec”: {

“clusterImageEnabled”: true,

“clusterName”: “my-vcf-cluster”,

“datastore”: “ds-123456”,

“network”: “vn-123456”,

“subnet”: “sn-123456”

}

}

“`

I hope this helps anyone who is automating their VCF deployments using the Cloud Builder API. This change in VCF 5.1.1 may cause some issues if you’re not aware of it, but with this knowledge, you should be able to avoid any potential roadblocks.

In summary, when deploying a VCF environment using JSON deployment method, make sure to explicitly define the “clusterImageEnabled” property under the “clusterSpec” section of your JSON file. This will ensure a successful deployment and avoid any confusion or errors like the one I encountered.

That’s it for this blog post. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!