Intel does not preconfigure SMBios information for their NUCs. When you install VMware ESXi, Manufacturer and Model information in the Summary tab are missing. Intel provides a tool for system integrators that allows customizing the BIOS.
Read More »Intel NUC - Blank Manufacturer and Model in ESXi Summary Tab
The vCenter Server has an internal user database that allows you to add and manage users with the vSphere Web Client. Users management and Single Sign-On is provided by the Platform Service Controller which is available since vSphere 6.0. In a large environment, you might want to connect your virtualization infrastructure to a centrally manage Active Directory.
This article explains how to add AD authentication in vSphere 6.5 and how to get the "Use Windows session authentication" checkbox to work with the enhanced authentication plugin. This works for both, the vCenter Server 6.5 installed on a Windows Server and the vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA).
In vSphere 6.5 the underlying operating system from the vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) has been changed to VMwares PhotonOS. With the new OS, you can still join an Active Directory domain to comply with company policies, or if you want to use windows session authentication. Joining an Active Directory domain is included in the infrastructure node configuration which is part of the Platform Services Controller. Please verify standard AD requirements like time synchronization and naming prior to joining a domain.
If you want to log in with the "Windows session authentication" checkbox, you have to add the appliance running the Platform Services Controller (PSC) to the domain. For embedded deployments, join the appliance running both, the vCenter and the PSC to the domain.
Read More »How to Join the vCSA 6.5/6.7 to an Active Directory Domain
Everyone knows the situation where you can't log into a system because you have forgotten the password. The following article explains how to reset the password and regain access to VMware vSphere 6.5 core components including vCenter, SSO and ESXi Hosts.
Read More »vSphere 6.5 Component Password Recovery (vCenter, SSO and ESXi)
When you've installed the vSphere Management Assistant 6.0 (vMA) you very like came across its very strict password policy. With this requirements, the password recovery for vMAs is a common tasks. This post explains how to recover forgotten vMA passwords and how to use insecure, simple passwords for lab uses.
Please provide a password for the vi-admin user.
BAD PASSWORD: to short
BAD PASSWORD: it is based on a dictionary word
BAD PASSWORD: is too simple
...Have exhausted maximum number of retries for service
Read More »vMA 6: Recover vi-admin Password and Remove Password Complexity
The vCenter Server Appliance 6.0 uses the Linux Logical Volume Management (LVM) that allows you to dynamically increase the disk size of the vCenter Server disks. For the vCenter server itself the process to increase the capacity is well documented in KB2126276. When you have an external Platform Services Controller, the tool mentioned in the KB is missing. You can't use "vpxd_servicecfg storage lvm autogrow" to increase the space automatically so you have to do it manually.
This post explains how to increase the disk space for an external platform service controller.
Read More »How to Increase VCSA External PSC Disk Space in vSphere 6
With the release of vSphere 6.0 VMware has started to transform their distribution model of PowerCLI cmdlets from PSSnapins into modules. This is a good thing because modules are the preferred method of adding cmdlets to PowerShell. Unfortunately the changed behavior breaks plenty instructions on how to load VMware PowerCLI in ISE, including my own. The old method works for core cmdlets, but functions related to Distributed Switches or Storage Policies for example are missing.
If you have the latest version of PowerCLI installed but cmdlets are missing in PowerShell ISE, maybe you are using the old method to load cmdlets.
Get-VDSwitch : The term 'Get-VDSwitch' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program.
Read More »How to properly initialize PowerCLI 6.x in PowerShell ISE
VMware Log Insight provides an easy, at a glance, view of an entire VMware environment including NSX and other components. Additionally available content packs provide predefined knowledge about events. Problems with a vSphere environment can be identified by simply looking at the Overview dashboard.
This post describes how to integrate all NSX Components into VMware Log Insight.
When you login as a user from an external authentication source like Active Directory or LDAP, configuration of NSX is not possible. The Network & Security button is present, but no NSX Managers or other configuration objects are visible, despite the user has administrative permissions at the vCenter Object. Network & Security configuration is empty. The default vCenter Administrator can see everything.
VMware NSX has its own permissions structure, separated from vCenter Server Permissions.
VMware NSX-V is the SDDC technology of the future. What ESX was once for Servers, NSX is now for Networks. I highly encourage everyone to make yourselves familiar with this technology. NSX with all its features is quite complex, but the entry point is quite simple and requires only basic vSphere and networking skills. This beginners guide explains how to deploy NSX in your homelab even with limited physical ressources by downsizing NSX Manager and NSX Controller VMs. The guide starts at zero and quickly explains how to deploy NSX and connect your first Virtual Machine to a VXLAN based logical switch that is able to communicate to the physical world through an NSX Edge Gateway.
What do you need to create the Lab?
Read More »VMware NSX-V 6.2 Beginners Guide - From Zero to Full Deployment for Labs