The latest release has been labeled vSphere 6.0 U2. Most of the new features targeting the All-Flash version of VSAN which is able to leverage those new saving and protection features without losing performance as the hybrid version (with spinning disks) would get penalized due the fact that the RAID5/RAID6 (erasure coding) increases writes across the cluster.
vSphere Tips:
- How-to create vCenter alarms for VMs running on snapshots
- VMware Tools 10 release – Not Tighten to ESXi Releases Any More
- ESXi Commands List – Getting started
- ESXi Commands List – networking commands
- ESXi Commands List – Snapshot Deletion Monitoring
- VMware ESXi Command List – Maintenance
CBT bugs patches:
- Express Patch 6
- https://kb.vmware.com/kb/1033604 – Revert to a previous version of ESXi, e.g. vSphere ESXi 6 U2 (build 3620759)
VMware VSAN 6.x
- How To Enable Sparse Swap on VSAN [Guide]
- VMware vSphere Licensing Simplified
- VMware VSAN 6.2 Released as Part of vSphere 6.0 Update 2
- VMware VSAN 6.2 Licensing Guide
- VMware VSAN 6.2 Announced – Nearline dedupe, Erasure Coding, QoS ++
- VMware VSAN for ROBO Two Node 10 GbE cross-connect support
- VMware VSAN Stretched Cluster Performance and Best Practices
- What Is Erasure Coding?
- VMware VSAN 6.1 In The Lab
- VMware VSAN 6.1 [Details]
- VMware VSAN 6.1 Witness Appliance Download and Further Details [cool stuff]
- VMware vSphere 6.0 U1 Released Adding Stretched Cluster Functionality [With VSAN 6.1 built-in]
Other VMware Products:
- Horizon 7.0.1 Released
- VMware Horizon 7 Has Been Released – Instant Clones, Blast Extreme ++
- VMware Workspace One Announced
- VMware Horizon 7 Details – Instant Clones, Blast Extreme ++ [New]
- VMware Site Recovery Manager 6.1 Details
- VMware Workstation 12 Release With 40 New Features Added
- vRealize Log Insight 3.0 Released – Install Config Video [Guide]
- VMware Horizon View 6.2 Released – What’s New?
- vRealize Automation 7 Simple install
VMware VCSA:
- How To Install VMware VCSA 6 in VMware Workstation
- VMware VCSA – 3 Ways to Activate SSH
- VMware VCSA – How to check running services?
- VMware VCSA – How to Join Domain
- How to Install VMware VCSA 6.0 (vCenter server Linux appliance) [Guide]
- VMware VCSA – Configure NTP
- VMware VCSA – IP Address Change
Update: VMware VSAN 6.2 Released as Part of vSphere 6.0 Update 2
vMotion is one of the emblematic features of VMware Virtualization technology. vMotion is what many of the IT guys (including me) thinks is the “thing that got me hooked” into virtualization. It’s magic. vMotion has been here over a decade. Several improvements were already implemented since 2004 like storage vMotion (sVMotion), multiple nic vMotion, or a share-nothing vMotion which do not need shared storage to do a vMotion operation.
Videos:
VMware vSphere 6 Details:
- VMware vSphere Licensing Simplified
- VMware vFlash Read Cache (VFRC)
- VMware Tools 10 release – Not Tighten to ESXi Releases Any More
- vCenter Server 6.0 Performance Best Practices PDF
- VMware vSphere 6.0 Update 1b Released
- VMware vSphere 6.5 is next?
- VMware vSphere 6.0 Generally Available – Get Your Copy
- vSphere 6 Download – With a Free App Called VMware Software Manager
- vSphere 6 Features – New Config Maximums, Long Distance vMotion and FT for 4vCPUs [Detailed]
- vSphere 6 Features – vCenter Server 6 Details, (VCSA and Windows) [Detailed]
- vSphere 6 Features – vSphere Client (FAT and Web Client)
- vSphere 6 Features – VSAN 6.0 Technical Details [Detailed]
- ESXi 6.0 Security and Password Complexity Changes
- VMware Horizon View 6.1 Released
- vSphere Data Protection 6.0 is “Advanced” by default
- vSphere Replication 6.0 What’s New?
- vSphere 6.0 Will Support Hosts with 6 Tb of RAM
- vSphere 6.0 Content library
- vSphere 6.0 vMotion Enhancements – [General]
- What's new in NSX for vSphere 6.1 [Detailed]
How-to's and guides
- ESXi Commands List – Snapshot Deletion Monitoring
- ESXi Commands List – Storage
- How to Get Started with Ravello Systems – VM Import Tool
- vRealize Automation 7 Simple install [Guide]
- How-to Upgrade to Veeam Backup and Replication v9
- How to reset lost sa password in SQL express
- How-to Set an ESXi Scratch Partition from the vSphere Web Client
- How to Create Multiboot USB Stick With Veeam Recovery ISOs for Different Systems
- Storage performance troubleshooting with ESXTOP [Guide]
- VMware vCenter 6.0 U1 (VCSA) – How to install, configure ++
- VMware vSphere Metro Storage Cluster Recommended Practices – updated PDF
- Free Tool – GParted Live ISO
- How-to use VMware vCenter Server Support Assistant 6.0
- How to Install latest ESXi VMware Patch – [Guide]
- How to Connect to vCenter 6 vPostgres Database with PgAdmin – [Guide]
- Nested ESXi 6 in a lab – [ Guide]
- Install ESXi 6 to USB as Destination or Have it as Source (USB installer)
- vCenter Appliance 6.0 – Simplified Scripted Installation
- Configure vCenter Server After Installation [Guide]
- vSphere 6 – How To Backup vCenter 6 vPostgres Database On Windows
- How to backup and restore vPostgres database on VCSA 6
- vSphere 6.0 vCenter Server 6 Windows 2012 R2 Install Guide (With External SQL Server DB)
- VMware vSphere Update Manager 6.0 (VUM) – Lab time
- VMware vCenter Server (VCSA 6.0) Sysprep Files – Enable The “Pi Shell”
- VMware ESXi 6 Installation Guide – (prepare USB key using VMware Workstation or Player)
- vCenter Server 6.0 SSO Policies – Where To Change Password Maximum Lifetime etc…
- How to install VMware ESXi 6.0 in VMware Workstation 11 … [Guide]
- VMware vCenter 6 installation [Windows]… [Guide] – based on the RC code…
- vCenter 6 Configuration (after install) on Windows Server 2012 R2… [Guide] – based on the RC code…
- vSphere 6 Features – Mark or Tag local disk as SSD disk [Guide]
- How to tag SSD disk as Capacity Tier in All-Flash VSAN 6.0 version
- Top Three Lightweight Linux VMs for VMware vSphere Lab environment
- Mount VMFS Datastore via CLI or via GUI [Guide]
- The Virtual Machine is Running in monitor mode that is incompatible for Fault Tolerance – How to Fix
- VMware Validated Designs
Partner's Products releases and reviews:
- Nakivo Backup and Replication 6 Released
- Zerto Virtual Replication 4.5 adds Journal File Level Recovery and More
- Veeam Endpoint Backup 1.5 Free – Cool Update
- Veeam Backup and Replication 9 Released!
- VMturbo Operations Manager Lite – Free Forever For 4 Hosts/One Cluster
- What’s new in Trilead VM Explorer 6.0?
- Veeam Backup and Replication v9 Guest File Exclusion
- Veeam v9 Scale-Out Backup Repository – Maintenance Mode
- Veeam Scale-Out Backup Repository
- StarWind Virtual SAN Deployment Methods in VMware vSphere Environment
- Snapwatcher For VMware – Product Review
- Veeam Endpoint Backup 1.1 With Universal Restore (Dissimilar Hardware) enhancements
- Saber 1000 SSD – An Entreprise SATA 3 SSD Review
- Unitrends Virtual Backup FREE for VMware – Product Review
- Nakivo Backup and Replication 5.6 innovates with visual verification after backup
Upgrade from 5.x (or downgrade from 6.0 …)
- ESXi 5.5 upgrade to 6.0 – via VMware Online Repository Plus few other CLI commands
- ESXi Offline Bundle Download – To Upgrade ESXi Free (Internet connection is necessary) [Guide]
- Patch ESXi 5.5 to ESXi 6.0 – Lab Time (via vSphere Upgrade bundle OR via ISO) [Guide]
- Upgrade ESXi with VMware Update Manager (VUM) – [Guide] – Needs to install VUM first.
- How to Upgrade from VCSA 5.5 to 6.0 – Lab Time [Guide]
- ESXi 6.0 Downgrade Options – Lab Time [Guide]
PDF Guides:
- How-To Get the Best Performance On VSAN Cluster – Technical PDF
- VMware Virtual SAN Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Reference Manual
- VMware Virtual SAN 6.0 Design And Sizing Guide – PDF Book 80 Pages
- VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Deployment Guide PDF
New Tools:
- VCS to VCVA Converter – Window to Linux Based vCenter Migration Tool
- VMware VSAN Health Check Plugin
- Free ESXi Web Client Interface
Quick Tips:
To connect to the vsphere webclient you enter https://IP_of_vCenter:9443//vsphere-client/
To add a localized language add this to the end:
For English – /?locale=en_US
For German – /?locale=de_DE
For French – /?locale=fr_FR
For Japanese – /?locale=ja_JP
For Chinese – /?locale=zh_CN
Backup ESXi hosts with PowerCLI
01. connect via PowerCLI to your vCenter server
02. run this command to backup
Get-VMHostFirmware -VMHost $host -BackupConfiguration -DestinationPath C:DownloadFolder
03. Restore the host after install with this command
Set-VMHostFirmware -VMHost $Host -Restore -SourcePath c:bundleToRestore.tgz -HostUser user -HostPassword pass
You can also use this utility which do have a GUI.
ESX Virtualization – The Lab!
- Building Power Efficient ESXi Server – Start with an Efficient Power Supply
- ESXi Home Lab – Get a quality and comfortable case
- Supermicro Single CPU Board for ESXi Home lab – X10SRH-CLN4F
- Supermicro Single CPU Board for ESXi Home lab – X10SRH-CLN4F – Part 2
- Supermicro Single CPU Board for ESXi Home lab – Upgrading LSI 3008 HBA on the X10SRH-CLN4F
- Building Energy Efficient ESXi Home Lab – parts list
- Homelab – Airflow Solar System
- How to install SMIS Provider for your LSI/Avago controller card on VMware ESXi
New ROBO licensing :
This news is up since october 2014, but wasn't well discussed. vSphere Remote Office Branch Office Standard and Advanced – available in packs of 25 virtual machines priced at $3,000 for the Standard edition and $4,500 for the Advanced edition.
These packs can be distributed across multiple remote sites. These new offerings will replace existing vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus Kits for Retail and Branch Offices. (Note that the regular non-Retail/Branch Office Essentials and Essentials Plus Kits (that come in 6 CPU packs with 1 vCenter Server Essentials) will continue to be available).
link to the PDF – Datasheet
