Homelab

Simple Network Mapping using VMware tools and Netstat

  • simon 

Network Mapping I had fun working out a simple way to extend application discovery using VMware tools,  following a retweet or two (or 17) it seems like a lot of folks enjoyed reading about it too.  So fresh from putting together a simple method to interrogate application data, helped by some very clever engineering from the VMware tools team and the function from William Lam, I thought I’d write up how we can reuse the… Read More »Simple Network Mapping using VMware tools and Netstat

Ravello Cloud Lab

  • simon 

As a vExpert for 2018 I get access to Ravello cloud services, what better to do then then continue the home-lab build I started last year.

I’m by no means finished putting the lab together, however I have spent some spare time over the easter weekend starting to pull it together.

The first component of this lab will be the Virtual Center Server Appliance.  Not content with running it on-top of an ESX host, I decided to try and follow the guide below put together by @ian0x0r;

Deploy VMware VCSA 6.5 onto bare metal Oracle Ravello

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Deploying Multiple VMs with ARM Templates or how to use ‘Copy’ and ‘CopyIndex’

  • simon 

Deploying Multiple VMs with ARM Templates or how to use ‘Copy’ and ‘CopyIndex’ I’ll preface with a few of the resources I’ve used so far in my Azure study journey Tools, Resources and Progress If you’ve been following this series of posts (can you call two posts a series?), then you will have the tools, resources, tempates and scripts to; Deploy a new Network and subnet containing an IaaS AD controller into an Azure subscription.… Read More »Deploying Multiple VMs with ARM Templates or how to use ‘Copy’ and ‘CopyIndex’

Deploy a VM add to an existing AD Domain and Network in IaaS with Azure ARM

  • simon 

Deploy a VM add to an existing AD Domain and Network in IaaS with Azure ARM

I’ll preface with a few of the resources I’ve used so far in my Azure study journey

The story so far.

Tools installed and scripts configured! In the post we ran through the step by step creation of an IaaS AD controller, deployed to Azure using ARM and DSC.  One of the elements that I didn’t focus in on was the heavy that was done during the IaaS AD controller deployment to create and configure the Virtual Network.Read More »Deploy a VM add to an existing AD Domain and Network in IaaS with Azure ARM

Deploy an AD Domain in IaaS to Azure with ARM and DSC

  • simon 

Deploy an AD Domain in IaaS to Azure with ARM and DSC

I’ll preface with a few of the resources I’ve used so far in my Azure study journey

Quick Update

I’ve been working with Ravello to build out a vSphere environment, but have had to put that on hold just for the moment to take a closer look at Azure.  I’ve been working with Azure for a while in a hands off capacity that has been rewarding in the complexity, but lacking in hands on opportunities.   A chance presented itself to get back hands on with Azure and I’ve jumped at the chance to get back hands on.Read More »Deploy an AD Domain in IaaS to Azure with ARM and DSC

Cloud lab progress and Ravello thoughts

  • simon 

Cloud lab progress

The cloud lab is progressing well.  It is taking longer than I would like.  However, it is providing me with valuable hands on time.

I had to rework the design of the lab, this wasn’t down to technical limitations, it was down to performance.  With the limitations in place on the Ravello hosts (4 CPU and 16 GB RAM) it just not was fast enough to run a vSphere embedded VCSA.Read More »Cloud lab progress and Ravello thoughts

Ravello Home-Lab build

  • simon 

Home-Lab build

Ravello responded! I have been granted a user account to create my home-lab build on the Ravello cloud service.  What makes this so very cool for me, is that I know I’m going to be travelling a lot over the coming weeks and months. So I can effortlessly take my lab with me.  I’ve also been working in an architecture role recently and have been itching to get back hands on with some of the technology. The home-lab build is the perfect place to scratch that itch.Read More »Ravello Home-Lab build

Cloudy Home-Lab and the desire to retain WAF!

  • simon 

I like playing with technology. My Home-Lab used to be the office and a small instance of ESX 3 that I got running under VMware workstation when I was bored.

When I worked for a large UK based hosting provider I got to work with interesting technology everyday.  there where boxes and boxes of blades, servers, storage, networking and racks to work with everyday.  Not to mention the several hundred hosts and VMs in production that needed a careful eye and the occasional prod.Read More »Cloudy Home-Lab and the desire to retain WAF!