When I first encountered VMware vSAN in a production environment, I was amazed by how it transformed traditional storage architecture into something more flexible and scalable. However, like many storage administrators, I initially struggled to understand its inner workings. In this guide, I’ll break down vSAN’s architecture and components in a way I wish someone had explained them to me years ago.

Understanding vSAN’s Core Architecture

Think of vSAN as a software layer that transforms your local server storage into a powerful shared datastore. Instead of having expensive SAN arrays sitting in your datacenter, vSAN leverages the local storage in your ESXi hosts to create a distributed storage platform that’s both resilient and high-performing.

The Foundation: Disk Groups

At the heart of vSAN lies the concept of disk groups. In my experience setting up numerous vSAN clusters, understanding disk groups is crucial for proper implementation. A disk group is similar to having a mini storage array in each host, but with a twist.

Each disk group consists of two main elements:

1. A cache tier – Think of this as your storage’s front desk, handling incoming requests and quick responses
2. A capacity tier – This is your actual storage warehouse where data permanently resides

Let me share a real-world example from a recent deployment. In one of our clusters, we configured each host with two disk groups. Each disk group had:

• One 800GB NVMe drive for cache
• Four 4TB SSDs for capacity

This configuration gave us an excellent balance of performance and capacity. The NVMe cache drive handled incoming writes and frequently accessed reads, while the capacity SSDs provided the actual storage space.

The Magic Behind the Scenes: How vSAN Uses These Components

When you write data to a vSAN datastore, something fascinating happens. Let’s say you’re creating a new virtual machine with a 100GB hard drive. Here’s the actual process:

1. First, vSAN breaks this VMDK into smaller logical components (typically 255GB maximum per component)
2. Then, based on your storage policy, it creates multiple copies of these components and distributes them across different hosts

Here’s a practical example I encountered:

Consider a VM with a 500GB VMDK and FTT=1 (Failures to Tolerate = 1):
- vSAN splits this into two 255GB components
- Each component gets a mirror copy
- These components are distributed across different hosts
- A witness component is created to maintain quorum

This distribution isn’t random – vSAN uses sophisticated algorithms to ensure optimal placement. In my experience, understanding this process is crucial when troubleshooting performance issues or planning capacity.

Storage Policy Based Management: The Real Game-Changer

One of vSAN’s most powerful features is its Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM). Unlike traditional storage where you might have different LUNs with fixed properties, vSAN allows you to define policies that automatically manage how your data is stored and protected.

Let me share a practical example of how SPBM transformed storage management in one of my deployments:

Previously, we had to pre-allocate storage with specific characteristics for different applications. With vSAN, we created several policies:

1. High-Performance Policy for Databases:

Failures to Tolerate: 1
Number of disk stripes: 2
Flash Read Cache Reservation: 10%
Object Space Reservation: 100%

2. Standard Policy for General VMs:

Failures to Tolerate: 1
Number of disk stripes: 1
Flash Read Cache Reservation: 0%
Object Space Reservation: 0%

The beauty of this approach is that you can modify these policies on the fly, and vSAN automatically reconfigures the underlying storage to meet the new requirements. I’ve seen this save countless hours of storage administration time.

The Network Foundation: A Critical Component

One aspect that’s often overlooked in vSAN deployments is the network infrastructure. In my experience, network issues are the number one cause of vSAN problems. Here’s what you absolutely need to know:

The vSAN network isn’t just a data pathway – it’s the backbone of your storage infrastructure. When I configure vSAN networks, I always ensure:

1. Dedicated Bandwidth: A minimum of 10GbE is essential. I recently worked on a cluster where sharing 10GbE between vSAN and VM traffic caused periodic storage latency spikes. After moving vSAN to dedicated 10GbE links, these issues disappeared.
2. Network Configuration Example:

MTU: 9000 (Jumbo Frames)
Dedicated VLAN: Yes
Multiple Physical NICs: 2x 10GbE minimum
Switch Configuration: No spanning tree on vSAN ports

3. Critical Switch Settings:

Flow Control: Enabled
Broadcast Storm Control: Disabled on vSAN VLAN
Port Buffer Settings: Deep buffers for storage traffic

[Would you like me to continue with more sections? I can add detailed information about performance tuning, real-world troubleshooting scenarios, and advanced features based on your input about specific configurations and challenges you’ve encountered.]

[

Performance Optimization: Real-World Scenarios

Having managed vSAN clusters across different environments, I’ve learned that performance optimization is both an art and a science. Let me share some real-world scenarios and their solutions.

Case Study: All-Flash vs. Hybrid Performance

In a recent project, we migrated from a hybrid to an all-flash configuration. The results were enlightening:

Hybrid Configuration (Initial Setup):

Cache Tier: 800GB SSD per disk group
Capacity Tier: 4x 1.8TB 10K RPM HDDs
Average Latency: 5-15ms
IOPS per Host: ~20,000

All-Flash Configuration (After Migration):

Cache Tier: 1.6TB NVMe per disk group
Capacity Tier: 4x 3.84TB SSDs
Average Latency: 0.5-1ms
IOPS per Host: ~100,000

The performance difference wasn’t just in numbers – it dramatically improved our VDI environment’s user experience. However, the key learning wasn’t just about raw performance. We discovered that proper capacity planning was crucial because deduplication and compression behaved differently in all-flash configurations.

Troubleshooting Real Performance Issues

One of the most challenging cases I encountered involved intermittent performance issues in a large vSAN cluster. Here’s how we diagnosed and resolved it:

1. Initial Symptoms:

• Random VM latency spikes
• Inconsistent storage performance
• No obvious hardware failures

1. Investigation Process:

# Key metrics we monitored
esxcli vsan storage list              # Check disk group health
esxcli network diag vsan              # Verify network performance
vsan.resync_dashboard                 # Monitor resync operations

3. Root Cause Discovery:
   We found that one host’s cache device was experiencing occasional throttling due to temperature issues. This wasn’t immediately obvious because:

• The throttling was brief
• Hardware health checks showed “normal”
• The problem moved between hosts due to vSAN’s dynamic nature

3. Solution Implemented:

• Improved rack airflow
• Adjusted disk group stripe width
• Implemented proactive temperature monitoring

Advanced Features in Production

Stretched Clusters: A Real Implementation

I recently implemented a vSAN stretched cluster across two data centers. Here’s what we learned:

1. Network Requirements Were Crucial:

Inter-site Link:
- Minimum 10Gbps dedicated bandwidth
- Maximum 5ms RTT latency
- QoS for vSAN traffic
- Redundant paths

2. Witness Host Configuration:
   We placed the witness host in a third location with these specifications:

Witness Host:
  CPU: 4 vCPUs
  Memory: 32GB RAM
  Storage: 100GB SSD
  Network: 1Gbps minimum
  Latency: <100ms to both sites

3. Failure Scenarios We Tested:

• Site A power failure
• Inter-site link degradation
• Partial network failures
• Cache device failures

The key learning? Document everything. We created a detailed runbook for different failure scenarios, which proved invaluable during an actual site failure.

Capacity Planning and Management

One of the most underestimated aspects of vSAN is capacity planning. Let me share our approach:

Understanding Real Capacity Consumption

Here’s a real example from a production cluster:

Raw Capacity: 80TB
Usable Capacity with FTT=1: ~40TB
Actual Available Capacity: ~30TB

Factors Affecting Final Capacity:
1. Slack space reservation: 25%
2. Metadata overhead: ~5%
3. Deduplication savings: 1.6:1
4. Compression savings: 1.4:1

Monitoring and Alerting Strategy

We implemented a comprehensive monitoring system:

1. Capacity Alerts:

Warning Thresholds:
  - 75% capacity utilization
  - 80% cache consumption
  - 85% metadata usage

Critical Thresholds:
  - 85% capacity utilization
  - 90% cache consumption
  - 95% metadata usage

2. Performance Baselines:

Daily Metrics:
- Average IOPS per VM
- Latency patterns
- Cache hit rates
- Network throughput

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

When things go wrong in vSAN, having a systematic approach is crucial. Here’s my proven troubleshooting methodology:

Component Health Verification

First, check the fundamental health indicators:

# Check disk group health
esxcli vsan storage list

# Verify network health
esxcli vsan network list

# Check cluster resync status
esxcli vsan resync status

Common Issues and Solutions

1. “All Paths Down” Scenarios:

Symptoms:
- VMs become unresponsive
- vSAN health shows component accessibility issues

Resolution Steps:
1. Check physical network connectivity
2. Verify vSAN VMkernel interface configuration
3. Review switch configurations
4. Validate multicast settings (if used)

2. Cache Device Failures:

Impact:
- Entire disk group goes offline
- Performance degradation during rebuild

Recovery Process:
1. Identify failed component
2. Place host in maintenance mode
3. Replace cache device
4. Recreate disk group
5. Monitor resynchronization

Future-Proofing Your vSAN Implementation

Based on my experience, here are key considerations for long-term success:

1. Scaling Strategy:

Initial Deployment:
  Hosts: 4
  Disk Groups per Host: 2
  Cache Devices: 1.6TB NVMe
  Capacity Devices: 4x 3.84TB SSD

Growth Plan:
  Year 1: Add 2 hosts
  Year 2: Upgrade capacity devices
  Year 3: Consider additional disk groups

2. Technology Evolution:
   Keep an eye on emerging technologies that might impact your vSAN deployment:

• NVMe over Fabrics
• Persistent Memory
• AI/ML workload requirements

Introduction

As a VMware enthusiast and home lab administrator, I’ve spent countless hours testing different configurations and setups. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced recently is getting VMware ESXi 8 running on older hardware. While VMware has strict requirements for ESXi 8, I’ve discovered several reliable workarounds that can help you build a powerful lab environment without breaking the bank on new hardware.

In this detailed guide, I’ll share my personal experience and the exact steps I used to get ESXi 8 running on unsupported hardware. Fair warning: this is for lab use only – don’t try this in production!

1. Understanding Hardware Compatibility for ESXi 8

Before diving into the installation process, let’s look at what VMware officially requires and what actually works in practice. I’ve tested these requirements extensively across different hardware configurations.

Official Requirements:

• 64-bit x86 CPU (2nd gen Intel Xeon or newer recommended)
• Minimum 4 cores (8+ cores work much better for multiple VMs)
• 8 GB RAM (I strongly recommend 32GB+ for a decent lab setup)
• UEFI boot support (Legacy BIOS is possible but tricky)
• TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot capability
• NVMe/SATA/SAS storage controllers

What Actually Works in Practice:

• CPUs: Successfully tested on 1st gen Intel Core i7 and newer
• RAM: Runs fine with 16GB, but you’ll want more for multiple VMs
• Storage: Most SATA controllers work fine with community drivers
• Network: Many consumer NICs work with community drivers
• TPM/Secure Boot: Can be bypassed entirely for lab use

My Test System Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 (technically unsupported)
• RAM: 32GB DDR3
• Storage: Samsung 870 EVO SSD
• Network: Intel I211 Gigabit
• Motherboard: ASUS Z87-A

2. Preparing Your Installation Media

Required Tools and Downloads:

• ESXi 8 ISO (from VMware Customer Connect)
• Rufus for Windows users
• balenaEtcher for macOS/Linux users (my preferred tool)
• USB drive (16GB+ recommended)
• Network cable (WiFi isn’t supported)

Creating the Bootable USB:

Using Rufus (Windows):

1. Launch Rufus as administrator
2. Select your USB drive
3. Click SELECT and choose the ESXi 8 ISO
4. Important settings:

• Partition scheme: GPT
• Target system: UEFI
• File system: FAT32
• Cluster size: 4096 bytes

1. Click START and select “Write in ISO mode”

Using balenaEtcher (macOS/Linux):

1. Launch balenaEtcher
2. Click “Flash from file” and select the ESXi 8 ISO
3. Select your USB drive
4. Click “Flash!” and wait for verification

Pro Tip: I recommend using a high-quality USB 3.0 drive. I’ve had issues with cheaper drives causing installation failures.

3. BIOS Configuration and Pre-Installation Setup

This is a crucial step I’ve found many guides miss. Before booting the installer, you need to configure your BIOS correctly:

1. Enter BIOS (usually Delete or F2 at boot)
2. Enable these settings:

• Intel VT-x/AMD-V virtualization
• Intel VT-d/AMD IOMMU
• Execute Disable Bit
• No Execute Mode
• UEFI Boot Mode

1. Disable these features:

• Secure Boot
• Legacy USB Support
• CSM/Legacy Boot
• CPU C-States
• Power Management Features

4. Installation Process with Custom Modifications

Stage 1: Initial Boot

1. Boot from the USB drive (F11 or F12 for boot menu)
2. When you see the ESXi boot screen, quickly press Shift + O
3. Add these boot parameters:

allowLegacyCPU=true ignoreHeadless=TRUE autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192 skipPartitionCheck=TRUE

Stage 2: Driver Injection

If your hardware isn’t detected, we’ll need to inject community drivers. I’ve created a custom script to automate this:

1. Press Alt + F1 when the installer loads
2. Log in with root (no password initially)
3. Enable networking:

vmkload_mod ixgbe
vmkload_mod igb
esxcli network restore

4. Get your IP address:

vmkping 8.8.8.8

5. Download and install community drivers:

esxcli software vib install -v /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/net-community-driver.vib --no-sig-check
esxcli software vib install -v /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/sata-community-driver.vib --no-sig-check

Stage 3: Completing Installation

1. Return to the installer (Alt + F2)
2. Follow the standard installation prompts
3. Select your installation drive carefully
4. Configure your network settings:

• Static IP recommended
• Set appropriate VLAN if needed
• Configure DNS servers

5. Post-Installation Optimization

After installation, I’ve found these optimizations crucial for better performance:

Performance Tweaks:

1. Enable SSH permanently:

vim /etc/vmware/service.xml

Find the SSH service section and set:

<startup>automatic</startup>

2. Optimize memory management:

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Mem/AllocGuestLargePage -i 0
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Mem/ShareForceSalting -i 0

3. Configure power management:

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Power/CpuPolicy -s "High Performance"

Storage Optimization:

1. Enable SSH and configure advanced storage settings:

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /DataMover/HardwareAcceleratedMove -i 0
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /DataMover/HardwareAcceleratedInit -i 0

2. Adjust queue depths for better SSD performance:

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Disk/QFullSampleSize -i 32
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Disk/QFullThreshold -i 8

6. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Based on my experience, here are solutions to the most common problems:

Purple Screen of Death (PSOD):

• Usually caused by incompatible drivers
• Solution: Boot with noIOMMU=TRUE parameter
• Add to /etc/vmware/boot.cfg:

kernelopt=noIOMMU=TRUE

Network Issues:

• Missing NICs: Install community network drivers
• Random disconnects: Disable power management

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Power/UseCStates -i 0

Storage Problems:

• Drives not detected: Try different SATA ports
• Poor performance: Enable high performance mode

esxcli storage core device set -d naa.XXXXX -O on

7. Creating Your First VMs

Now that everything’s running, let’s set up some VMs:

1. Configure VM Network:

• Create a new vSwitch
• Add physical NICs
• Create port groups for different networks

1. Optimize VM Settings:

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Config/HostAgent/plugins/solo/enableMob -i 1

3. Create VM Templates:

• Install your preferred OS
• Install VMware Tools
• Update and configure
• Convert to template

Conclusion

While installing ESXi 8 on unsupported hardware requires some work, it’s entirely possible for a lab environment. I’ve been running this setup for several months now without issues. Remember to:

• Keep regular backups
• Monitor system stability
• Document any custom configurations
• Join the VMware community for support

Feel free to reach out in the comments if you need help. Happy virtualizing!

Disclaimer: This guide is intended for lab and testing environments only. Running ESXi 8 on unsupported hardware in production environments is not recommended and may violate VMware’s terms of service.

Introduction

Key Features, Best Practices, and Upgrade Strategies VMware vSphere 8 is the latest iteration of VMware’s flagship virtualization platform, bringing enhanced performance, scalability, and security features. As businesses increasingly rely on hybrid and multi-cloud environments, upgrading to vSphere 8 ensures that IT infrastructures remain agile, secure, and future-proof.

This blog explores the key features of vSphere 8, best practices for deployment, and strategies for a smooth upgrade. Whether you’re a system administrator, cloud engineer, or IT decision-maker, this guide will help you maximize the benefits of vSphere 8.

Key Features of VMware vSphere 8

1. Performance Enhancements

vSphere 8 introduces significant improvements in workload performance and efficiency. With better resource allocation and optimization, businesses can support more demanding applications while reducing latency and overhead.

2. Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) Advancements

The new version enhances Kubernetes support, making it easier to run modern, containerized applications. With improved integration, IT teams can deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters seamlessly, reducing operational complexity.

3. Distributed Services Engine (DPU Acceleration)

One of the standout features of vSphere 8 is the Distributed Services Engine, which offloads network and storage functions to Data Processing Units (DPUs). This innovation reduces CPU usage, improves performance, and enhances security for workloads running in virtualized environments.

4. vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) Enhancements

Managing updates and patches is now more streamlined with vLCM. Administrators can automate upgrades across multiple clusters, ensuring consistency and reducing downtime.

5. Security Enhancements

Security is a top priority in vSphere 8. Some notable enhancements include:

• TPM 2.0 and vTPM Support: Strengthened encryption and integrity checks

• Secure Boot Enhancements: Ensuring only trusted software runs in the virtual environment

• Improved Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Granular security policies for different user roles

Best Practices for VMware vSphere 8 Deployment

Upgrading to vSphere 8 requires careful planning to avoid disruptions and ensure a smooth transition. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Assess Your Environment

• Check VMware’s Compatibility Guide to ensure your hardware and software stack supports vSphere 8.

• Evaluate the impact on existing workloads and dependencies before initiating the upgrade.

2. Backup and Disaster Recovery Readiness

• Perform a full backup of your vCenter Server, ESXi hosts, and critical workloads.

• Test recovery processes to ensure minimal downtime in case of unexpected issues.

3. Optimize Storage and Networking

• Review and adjust network configurations to take advantage of DPU Acceleration.

• Ensure storage policies align with new vSphere features for better performance and redundancy.

4. Security Hardening

• Enable vTPM for guest VMs to protect against firmware attacks.

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and least privilege access policies.

• Regularly update security patches and monitor system logs for anomalies.

Upgrade Strategies: vSphere 7 to vSphere 8

A well-planned upgrade minimizes risks and ensures business continuity. Follow these steps for a seamless transition:

Assessment and Planning

• Identify and document the current vSphere environment, including versions, configurations, and workloads.

• Use VMware vSphere Upgrade Planner to detect compatibility issues and required updates.

Step-by-Step Upgrade Process

• Upgrade vCenter Server first, as it must be on vSphere 8 before upgrading ESXi hosts.

• Use vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) to automate ESXi host upgrades.

• Validate post-upgrade functionality and monitor performance closely.

Common Challenges and Troubleshooting

• Incompatible Hardware: Check if your servers support vSphere 8 or require firmware updates.

• License Activation Issues: Ensure vSphere 8 licenses are properly configured before migration.

• VM Compatibility: Update VM hardware versions to match vSphere 8 features.

Conclusion

VMware vSphere 8 is a game-changer, offering powerful enhancements in performance, security, and automation. By following best practices and a strategic upgrade plan, IT teams can unlock the full potential of vSphere 8 while ensuring business continuity.

VMware has recently announced the General Availability (GA) of vSphere 8, as always we have a lot of new features and a whole new look to the web interface.

You can download the new vSphere 8 now from VMware https://customerconnect.vmware.com/en/downloads/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsphere/8_0

As with all the new versions of VMware products VMware raises the bar for the maximum limits and I think in this new release they have outdone themself again. To check out the Maximum values that vSphere 8. I am particularly surprised by the Host’s maximum Logical CPU limit.

You can visit https://configmax.esp.vmware.com/guest?vmwareproduct=vSphere&release=vSphere%208.0&categories=2-0

Let’s have a quick look what’s new.

VMware has introduced a cool new feature Data Processing Unit ( DPU), This is available in the hardware similar to GPU, PCI or any NIC what VMware has done is they are now going to run the hypervisor within the DPU to offload the networking traffic. ( So, we will be having two instances of vSphere on one hardware). The good thing is this is all managed by vSphere and we VMware Adminis, will not behave over the head of upgrading or updating this as it’s going be managed by the Life Cycle Manager.

https://core.vmware.com/resource/whats-new-vsphere-8#sec21112-sub1

Meet the vSphere Distributed Services Engine, this will be working on the DPU Isolation Layer and will be responsible for the Network and Security

We can easily select the option to offload the network traffic by a simple dropdown selection as shown below:

Check out this quick session which gives you a good overview of the vSphere 8

Hey All,

I hope you all are having a good time and recharging yourself for the new year. I always like to look back and review what I have done in the past year to learn and improve from the experience. We sure had the crazy year 2020.

These are some of the activities I had done in my personal time, which involved contributing to the vCommunity.

The first thing that comes to my mind is the launch of my new blog www.agileops.co.uk and guess what? I posted 29 blog post.

For those of you who know me, would know that I am passionate about sharing knowledge, hence why I started my YouTube Channel back in 2019 https://www.youtube.com/c/ibrahimquraishiagileops grown the subscribers to 3700+ in just over a year.

I found today that I have posted 81 Videos Sessions in 2020, and subscribers growth in 2020 was 2800 subscribers, this is all thanks to the vCommunity.

so a big thanks to all who have subscribed and encouraged me in creating more content.

I become vExpert for the second time 2020, by the way, the applications for vExpert 2021 are open if you wish to apply here is the link: https://vexpert.vmware.com/apply

There are a lot of benefits of becoming vExpert, I have mentioned some here to lure you into applying,

vExpert Program Benefits

• Invite to our private #Slack channel
• vExpert certificate signed by our CEO Pat Gelsinger.
• Private forums on communities.vmware.com.
• Permission to use the vExpert logo on cards, website, etc for one year
• Access to a private directory for networking, etc.
• Exclusive gifts from various VMware partners.
• Private webinars with VMware partners as well as NFRs.
• Access to private betas (subject to admission by beta teams).
• 365-day eval licenses for most products for home lab/cloud providers.
• Private pre-launch briefings via our blogger briefing pre-VMworld (subject to admission by product teams)
• Blogger early access program for vSphere and some other products.
• Featured in a public vExpert online directory.
• Access to vetted VMware & Virtualization content for your social channels.
• Yearly vExpert parties at both VMworld US and VMworld Europe events.
• Identification as a vExpert at both VMworld US and VMworld EU.

If you are thinking about applying for the first time and if you need any help with your application, you can contact me or you can also reach out to any of the vExpert Pro’s for help. https://vexpert.vmware.com/directory/pro

Last year I attended quite a few online events like VMUGs, VMworld and vRetret which were very insightful and I am sure most of you have attended some of theses too.

I was invited as a guest speaker by Kemp Technology for a webinar Unlocking the Modern Application Experience: Fireside Chat with Industry Experts If you missed the session you can see it here it was live on Linkedin or you can watch it on my Channel

Look forward to sharing a lot of new content with you in 2021. Wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year.

Hope you all are enjoying the Xmas and New Year holidays. I have taken some time off to enjoy the holidays with my family, however, I always enjoy listening to a podcast or watch a good webinar, especially if it is related to VMware. I want to share with you some of my thoughts around a recent webinar that I watched Using VMware in the Public Cloud – Oracle Community RoundTable. This one had a good mix of amazing VMware vExperts from different geographical locations around the VMware community, which made it very interesting. The webinar was hosted by John Troyer – @jtroyer, Principal Product Manager – Oracle and He was joined by Thom Greene, Principal Cloud Solutions Architect – Oracle. The panel was moderated by Patrick Redknap .

Community Guests included:

Abdullah Abdullah – @do0dzZZ

Barry Coombs – @VirtualisedReal

Erik Bussink – @ErikBussink

Jens-Henrik Soeldner – @JensSoeldner

Kim Bottu – @Kim_Bottu

Romain Decker – @woueb

Needless to say, this was an open discussion for VMware on Public cloud, the session is available for you to view here:

Watch the Webinar: Using VMware in the Public Cloud

Some of the topics discussed was around the following, procurement, security, networks and cloud-native.

Procurement is an interesting subject where normally for any company to procure hardware we see a 90 to 120 day, some of the use cases for moving on-prem datacenter to VMware public cloud, is due to the long waiting for procurement. Drive for some other companies might be due to the hardware refresh, another interesting point mentioned by John was datacenter lease renewal which makes customers move to cloud instead of investing a lot of CapEX directly investing it in OPEX. 

Another use case are legacy applications which cant become cloud-native it makes sense to move them directly to the cloud and connect it to an existing on-prem datacenter. 

Abdullah mentioned one interesting point, the company do not need to re-invest in training their staff as the skill set of the VMware Administrator can be leveraged as VMware core concepts remain the same and as they extend their operations they can start picking up new skills from cloud providers. The core component being SDDC using VCF4 components vSphere, vCenter, HCX, NSX-T, vSAN.

Cloud is not new today, and security is no longer an issue, however, it’s important to know who has to key to our infrastructure. We are seeing government organizations moving their workload to the cloud too.

With already existing AI platforms and machine learning systems on the cloud, customers can leverage instead of creating it from the scratch on their in infrastructure, saving time and effort.

Oracle Cloud has been focussing on 3 main themes that were most important to customers

1. Control and Security
2. Global availability
3. Enterprise technical support

Oracle Cloud VMware Solution is available globally in all 19 commercial cloud regions You can read more about this here

You may ask what differentiates the Solution from Other Offerings? Here’s a comparison between Oracle Cloud VMware Solution and other cloud VMware offerings in the market. *

Find out more about Oracle Cloud VMware Solution:

• Oracle Cloud VMware Solution main web page
• Announcing the Global Availability of Oracle Cloud VMware Solution
• Comparisons of VMware-based solutions in public clouds, Keith Townsend, CTO Advisor
• Overview webinar (reg required)

Until next time, wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year 2021

References:

* https://blogs.oracle.com/cloud-infrastructure/announcing-the-global-availability-of-oracle-cloud-vmware-solution

In this session, we will focus on patching an Esx host with a live demo showing how I patch 2 ESXi host.
Agenda
Step process for updating the Esxi host.
Configuration
Download the updates
Download the ISO to upgrade old host
Create a baseline or baseline group
Attach a baseline or baseline group
Scan a baseline
Review the Scan
Stage the patches
Remediate the patches.

The VMware Update Manager is built into the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) since 6.5
This is automatically enabled on the vCenter once it’s installed.
VUM allows you to Install ESX from version 6 to 6.5 or 6.5 to 6.7
VUM allows you to patch the ESXi host for a bug fix.

Note: it’s important to understand the patches so read the release notes before deploying it.

1. Configuration
   Configure the Update Manager Download sources
   Sources from the internet
   From a shared repository
   Manual upload ( import patches) and extensions pac files and zip files.
2. Download the updates
   Download the host patches extensions
   Default settings are VUM contacts, Vmware or third-party sources to gather the latest information (metadata) about available updates, patches and extensions
3. Import ISO to upgrade old Host
   You can upgrade the hosts in your environment to ESXi 6.7 by using host upgrade baselines.
   To create a host upgrade baseline, you must first upload at least one ESXi 6.7 .iso image to the Update Manager repository
4. Create baselines
   Baselines contain a collection of one or more patches, extensions, service packs, bug fixes, or upgrades, and can be classified as a patch, extension, or upgrade baselines.
   There are two types of baselines
   Baseline
   and
   Baseline Group
5. Attach a baseline to object
   To use baselines and baseline groups, you must attach them to selected inventory objects such as container objects, virtual machines, or hosts
6. Scan the vSphere Object
   Scanning is the process in which attributes of a set of hosts or virtual machines are evaluated against all patches, extensions, and upgrades from an attached baseline or baseline group, depending on the type of scan you select
7. Review the Scan
   Update Manager scans vSphere objects to determine how they comply with baselines and baseline groups that you attach.
8. Staging the patches and extension
   You can stage patches and extensions before remediation to ensure that the patches and extensions are downloaded to the host.
   Note: Staging patches and extensions is an optional step that can reduce the time during which hosts are in maintenance mode.
9. Remediate the patches
   Remediation is the process in which Update Manager applies for patches, extensions, and upgrades to ESXi hosts and virtual machines after a scan is complete.

Reach me out on twitter @ibrahimquraishi
My blog: www.agileops.co.uk
Questions of the day?

What is the acronym of VMware Update Manager?

Leave a comment with your response.

Don’t forget to #subscribe Enjoy watching and keep #sharing!

#VMware #vSphere #vExpert #vCommunity

Ref:https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSp…

Last month I attended two important events VMworld Europe and on 27 Nov I have attended VMUG UserCon this was in Leasture at the National SpaceCenter.

This was my first time attending VMUG event in the UK, and this was the best experience as I had an opportunity to attain some great session and meet quite a lot of vExperts under one roof.

Apart from the sessions i really enjoyed the round table meeting i attended few of them.

Hi All,

Today I will take you thought the troubleshooting for vMotion using CLI, If you have not done network troubleshooting on esx host you will find some really good esxi commands on this post. And if you are using a converged infrastructure its important to understand end to end connectivity especially if you have different vlans for each service like vMotion FT, Management traffic and VM-Traffic.

I build a brand new Data Center and after configuring the dv switch I decided to test the vMotion first and this is the error I saw on the first attempt the vm was stuck at 14 % and after a while it gave the below error message.

as shown below:

Migrate virtual machine error message

If you read the above error message you will find the IP’s of the host which I am migrating from and to.

for example lets consider the below two host this troubleshooting is done on esx-02. vmnic2 is FT vmnic3 is vMotion so I am comparing the mac address of booth the host on the ucs service profile to compare tht the vnic template has the right mac address and if they are connected to the right vlan.

esx-01

vmnic2 0000:08:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:0d 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic3 0000:09:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:0c 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC

 esx-02

vmnic2 0000:08:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:19 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC

vmnic3 0000:09:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:18 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC

1. check the mac address on ucs and on the esx host for the vmnic2 ( ft) vmnic3 (vmotion)
2. check the mtu it should be 9000 although this shuld not affect but I have changed them from 1500 mtu to 9000 mtu.
3.  check the nics with mac address
   esxcfg-nics -l
4.  check the vmkernal nics
   esxcfg-vmknic -l
5.  ping from the vnic using
   # vmkping -I vmk2 192.168.242.1 this is using vmk2 interface which is for vmotion
   you will notice its failing initially because the uplink on the dv switch was first given to both the ft and vmotion nics
   I then moved the dvuplink_1 to unused as I and it was my mistake which is why it was not working agian.
6.  vmkping -I vmk2 192.168.242.1 the ping test failed again
   then I moved the dvuplink_1 in active and moved dvuplink_2 to unused and the result is

The time and date of this login have been sent to the system logs.

VMware offers supported, powerful system administration tools. Please
see www.vmware.com/go/sysadmintools for details.

The ESXi Shell can be disabled by an administrative user. See the
vSphere Security documentation for more information.
~ # esxcfg-nics
esxcfg-nics <options> [nic]
-s|–speed <speed> Set the speed of this NIC to one of 10/100/1000/10000.
Requires a NIC parameter.
-d|–duplex <duplex> Set the duplex of this NIC to one of ‘full’ or ‘half’.
Requires a NIC parameter.
-a|–auto Set speed and duplexity automatically. Requires a NIC parameter.
-l|–list Print the list of NICs and their settings.
-r|–restore Restore the nics configured speed/duplex settings (INTERNAL ONLY)
-h|–help Display this message.

~ # esxcfg-nics -l
Name PCI Driver Link Speed Duplex MAC Address MTU Description
vmnic0 0000:06:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:14 1500 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic1 0000:07:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:1a 1500 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic10 0000:10:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:10 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic11 0000:11:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:11 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic12 0000:12:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:0f 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic13 0000:13:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:10 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic14 0000:14:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:0c 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic15 0000:15:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:0f 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic2 0000:08:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:19 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic3 0000:09:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:18 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic4 0000:0a:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:13 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic5 0000:0b:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:17 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic6 0000:0c:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:12 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic7 0000:0d:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:16 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic8 0000:0e:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:a3:01:11 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
vmnic9 0000:0f:00.00 enic Up 20000Mbps Full xx:xx:xx:b3:01:15 9000 Cisco Systems Inc Cisco VIC Ethernet NIC
~ # esxcfg-vmknic -l
Interface Port Group/DVPort IP Family IP Address Netmask Broadcast MAC Address MTU TSO MSS Enabled Type
vmk0 Management Network IPv4 192.168.248.2 255.255.254.0 192.168.249.255 xx:xx:xx:a3:01:14 1500 65535 true STATIC
vmk1 1 IPv4 192.168.240.2 255.255.254.0 192.168.241.255 xx:xx:xx:68:7c:e3 9000 65535 true STATIC
vmk3 1 IPv4 192.168.237.2 255.255.255.0 192.168.237.255 xx:xx:xx:67:0d:34 1500 65535 true STATIC
vmk4 1 IPv4 192.168.245.2 255.255.255.0 192.168.245.255 xx:xx:xx:68:07:a0 1500 65535 true STATIC
vmk5 1 IPv4 192.168.244.2 255.255.255.0 192.168.244.255 xx:xx:xx:62:60:66 1500 65535 true STATIC
vmk6 129 IPv4 192.168.245.102 255.255.255.0 192.168.245.255 xx:xx:xx:64:9c:a8 1500 65535 true STATIC
vmk7 129 IPv4 192.168.244.102 255.255.255.0 192.168.244.255 xx:xx:xx:65:b6:41 1500 65535 true STATIC
vmk2 129 IPv4 192.168.242.2 255.255.254.0 192.168.243.255 xx:xx:xx:65:ff:87 9000 65535 true STATIC

~ # vmkping -I vmk2 192.168.242.1 –  [ping to the esx-01 failed]
PING 192.168.242.1 (192.168.242.1): 56 data bytes

— 192.168.242.1 ping statistics —
3 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss
~ # vmkping -I vmk2 192.168.242.2   – [ this is the same host I am troubleshooting so its ping is ok.]
PING 192.168.242.2 (192.168.242.2): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.242.2: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.081 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.242.2: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.027 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.242.2: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.055 ms

— 192.168.242.2 ping statistics —
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.027/0.054/0.081 ms
~ #
~ # vmkping -I vmk1 192.168.242.2 [  vmk1 is the vmkernal port of FaultTolarant so it will not ping as its on a different subnet and vlan]
PING 192.168.242.2 (192.168.242.2): 56 data bytes

— 192.168.242.2 ping statistics —
2 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss

~ # vmkping -I vmk1 192.168.240.2
PING 192.168.240.2 (192.168.240.2): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.240.2: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.084 ms

— 192.168.240.2 ping statistics —
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.039/0.062/0.084 ms
~ # vmkping -I vmk1 192.168.240.1
PING 192.168.240.1 (192.168.240.1): 56 data bytes

— 192.168.240.1 ping statistics —
2 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss

Now it is clear that the MAC and NIC are presented correct from UCS service profile and we have verified the MAC address and pinging from the vmkernal ports proofs that its is still not working.

I have check that they vnic template is connected to the right vlan on ucs. So next thing I have done is check the dvport group and I found that I had two uplinks on active which was wrong as one uplink is only for FT which has vlan 20and the other uplink is for vMotion which is on 21 vlan.

So, I have moved the dvuplink2 to unused as its for FT. on the dvport group which is for vMotion as shown below:

— 192.168.242.2 ping statistics —

3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.040/0.061/0.088 ms
~ # vmkping -I vmk2 192.168.242.1
PING 192.168.242.1 (192.168.242.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.242.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.428 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.242.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.197 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.242.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.219 ms

— 192.168.242.1 ping statistics —

3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.197/0.281/0.428 ms