Allgemein

Lenzker’s Why VMworld 2019 ? 10 Reasons Why You Should Go

lenzker

It’s this time of the year again where a lot of us need to decide. Shall I go to this year’s VMworld? From time to time discussions come up with statements like:

“(#VMworld) is not the same any more…..When I was young, real knowledge and content was presented… . I was at #VMworld in the old days before it was cool….Virtualization is legacy, Azure and AWS is the only thing that counts”

Who am I to contradict those statements (even though they are wrong :P). I will try to give you my opinion why #VMworld is still the tech-conference highlight of the year.

If it’s your first time visiting VMware’s event I am going to create a second article called ‘let’s visit #VMworld’ about some personal tips and tricks how to get the maximum out of this years #VMworld

Read more →

#vRealize Operations and #PowerCLI: better together OR distributed switch health check alert. How to easily identify a wrong configured physical network

lenzker

During this week I worked a lot with vRealize Operations (vRops). vRops is a great tool when we need to get easy and quick insight into our environment, especially when the environment is a little bit larger. This post should highlight why the eco system (products and community) around VMware is so great and helps us to chose the right tool for the right purpose.

At a customer’s environment we gathered the following vRops alerts

“The MTU on the Distributed Switch is not allowed by one or more VLANs on the host’

“One or more VLANs are unsupported by the physical switch”

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vSphere Update Manager Troubleshooting: Could not scan ESX / ESXi host OR cannot execute upgrade script

lenzker

Even though I was more involved in conceptual doing in the last months I was recently asked for help since a customer was not able to update their environment via vSphere Update Manager.

The following blog post explains how we can work deal with the following event / task error messages:

“Could not scan ESXihostname” or “Cannot execute upgrade script on host”

The vSphere Update Manager is nowadays integrated in the vCenter Server Appliance and is pretty suitable for patching and upgrading ESXi hosts. In theory the process is really straight forward.

  1. Optional: Create a baseline that includes all relevant ESXi components (so called vSphere Infrastructure Bundles [VIB]) that you want add to your ESXi hosts (e.g. Create a static baseline for a specific vSphere build)
  2. Attach the baseline to a Cluster or an ESXi host object
  3. Scan the Cluster or ESXi host object against the baseline. In the end we can discover which baseline elements are installed on the ESXi host and which are missing. In case all baseline items exist on the ESXi host the host is declared as comply.
  4. Remediate the baseline. The ESXi host will be placed into the maintenance mode, the components defined in the baselines will be installed on the ESXi host. The host will reboot and the maintenance mode will be disabled. Afterwards the ESXi host should be comply to the baseline.

That is quite easy. Easy enough that this module takes around 1 hour in the vSphere: Install, Configure & Manage class (from time to time I still deliver VMware Trainings -> contact me if you want to join :).

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#vExpert 2019: Bewerbungszeitraum gestartet

lenzker

Es ist wieder soweit. Der Bewerbungszeitraum um ein vExpert im Jahr 2019 zu werden ist gestartet.

Da ich als vExpert Pro – quasi als ‘alter’ Hase – Leute innerhalb der Deutschen Virtualisierungs Community motivieren soll an ebendieser zu partizipieren habe ich ein Paar Worte für euch.

Was ist das vExpert Programm?

Das vExpert Programm ist VMware’s Kunden und Evangelisten Programm um Anreize zu schaffen sein Wissen mit anderen zu teilen. Als vExpert bekommt man Zugriff auf interne R&D Quellen, Webex Vorträge, Einladung in den vExpert Slack channel (Unglaublich mächtiges Tool), Einladung zu #vExpert Parties bei der VMworld und last but not least: Man wird Teil einer unglaublich coolen Community.

Wie werde ich vExpert?

Sammelt gute Gründe um diesen Titel zu verdienen. Schreibt blogs, interagiert auf Twitter in der Virtualisierungs-Community (folgt dem Hashtag #vExpert), helft anderen in der offiziellen VMware community oder sprecht auf Virtualsierungsveranstaltungen.

organisiert oder sprecht bei Virtualisieru

Warum sollte ich vExpert werden?

Das habe ich hier schonmal erläutert!

Ihr fühlt euch bereit? Dann bewerbt euch hier! Bewerbt euch bis zum 08. Februar 2019.

Ihr fühlt euch nicht bereit? Kontaktiert mich und ich kann euch mögliche Wege zeigen wie man zum vExpert wird.

#VMworld Barcelona: Adios Amigos. My Personal Recap

lenzker

VMworld 2018 Europe in Barcelona is about to end, but other than the rumors on the street proposed it seems that the newest rumor fact is that we will meet again next year for VMworld 2019 in  ….. BARCELONA… 4-7th November 2019

Having been in Las Vegas at this years VMworld, I didn’t expected that the European conference would flash me that much. But once again in my life I was wrong.

My Goal of this week

  1. Meet the people (check)
  2. Propagate the vExpert message among the German fellows (partially check)
  3. Learn about NSX-T (check)
  4. Learn about Workspace One Intelligence (check)
  5. Deliver a good presentation at Brian Maddens EUC Forum (partially check)
  6. Stay Healthy (DISQUALIFIED)

Comparing the check-mark I am really really happy with the results

Meet the people

Coming to more and more VMworlds over the years brought me into the position of knowing some persons in the field. The more I have been in the vCommunity, the more you realize how small the world is. It’s always so much fun hanging around with my comdivision gang. If you don’t follow them yet on twitter – get connected with Workspace ONE gurus Jens Hennig, Reinhard Partman and Automation / Cloud gurus Matthias Eisner, Yves Sandfort and Tobias Paschek.

Hanging around at the VMTN & vmware.code booth most of my time I had so many great conversations about technical and non-technical topics (‘crazy taxidriver’). I really need to do a shoutout to Brian Graf here. Every time you see him he is in a friendly, polite and nice mood and acts as a real good example of a great person. Very impressive and inspiring!

If you want to see the Interview I have given to my Ather Beg from Rackspace regarding NSX, check it out here:

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#VMworld US 2018: Datacenter and Cloud products, announcements and releases

lenzker

During (and around) the general session at VMworld 2018 (US) VMware has made clear that hybrid cloud is the way to go in the future.

The general session was focusing on the 4 so called super powers of technology.

  1. Cloud
  2. Mobile
  3. Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
  4. EDGE Computing

The keynote showed up how and with which products VMware is settling for remaining a digital player in the next century (tighter AWS cooperation, vSphere on ARM, hybrid / multi-cloud, Workspace One, Pulse) while keep the principle of doing good (for the people). Seriously a lot of good stuff in the pipeline.

People that were expecting news or announcements of the core products haven’t heard any news about them even though many have been refreshed

To make you aware of all kind of changes / new releases within the current product portfolio and the new I tried to summarize key elements of the new products or releases surrounding the #VMworld conference. I will add useful and good detailed blog posts of my fellow colleagues that have gotten into much deeper detail. Read more →

#vBeers Munich – Post #VMworld edition 26th October 2017

lenzker

###UPDATE: 26th October it is

The majority has decided. We will meet on the 26th October at around 6PM. Please enter your / any name in the doodle so that I can make a proper reservation.

DOODLE

####

After the success of the first #vBeers I have organized in Munich, I want to meet up with friends & community geeks who are interested in virtualization & beer/drinks.

Since I moderate from time to time the (famous) #beer2b in the center of Munich, I realized that a lot of useful input/information/thinking can come up as soon as you talk to other people in the field in a relaxed atmosphere. This will be the second edition of #vBeers in Munich. We had a group of 10-12 people at our first gathering. Let’s see if we can keep up with the number.

Since VMworld US and VMworld Europe has been passed and we worked out most of the news, I am pretty sure we will find great topics for further discussions.

virtmeetsbiergarten

###Update

WHEN? 26th October (Vote here). Please use your name/ email so that I can do a proper reservation.

WHERE? Augustiner Keller (Arnulfstr. 52, 80335 München)

Löwenbräu Keller (Nymphenburger Str 2 – München) – 18:30

IMPORTANT: If you want to come it would be great if you sign yourself up in the doodle mentioned so I can make sure we have enough space/seats for our meet-up.

Sponsored? Nope ;-( (BYOW – Bring your own wallet)

I deliver a NSX course to selected VMware Partner in Unterschleißheim. Therefore I hope to convince some of my participants to show up as well ;-)

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-06 at 10.14.24

 

PLEASE PUT YOURSELF INTO THE DOODLE SO THAT I CAN MAKE A PROPER RESERVATION.

DOODLE

#TopvBlog2017 : Place your vote and see my recommendations ! #vExpert

lenzker

As every year Eric Siebert started the collection for votes regarding the best blogs within the virtualization field.

Caused by the great blogging-landscape I was quite surprised last year to have reached the Top 100. To be honest this was surely related to my engagement during Partner enablement and Trainings (where one or the other blog post of mine has been shown). Since I have been trapped in Projects for the last months I would be really surprised to reach this position again. Anyway I felt very honoured to be qualified again as a #vExpert and for the first time also as an #EUCchampion.

I tried to deliver content that is technically useful (from my hardly learned lessons) or gave you some insights in my thinking or conference experiences (VMworld videos). So if you took some fun or benefit out of my content I would really look forward to gain the one or another vote.

Here you can give your vote. Thanks Turbonomic (formerly VMturbo) and Eric Siebert to sponsor and execute this event once again.

I am listed with this blog this year: vLenzker (Fabian Lenz)

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#VMware vs. #Nutanix: Let’s be positive rivals

lenzker

In 2016 I had the chance to attend 3 bigger vendor events. VMworld Las Vegas as a blogger, VMworld Barcelona as a regular Partner and Nutanix .NEXT in Vienna.

I summarized my experiences about the conferences in several blog posts and videos (Las Vegas / Barcelona) and try to argument why the rivalry between VMware and Nutanix is a good thing (for their customer and their products).

… a wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends …

Nutanix_vs_VMware

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#vBeers Munich Double Edition: (post- and pre #VMworld / Oktoberfest edition): 21th September 2016

lenzker

###Update

WHEN? 21th September 2016 – 06:30PM

WHERE? Augustiner Keller (Arnulfstr. 52, 80335 München)

IMPORTANT: If you want to come it would be great if you sign yourself up in the doodle mentioned so I can make sure we have enough space/seats for our meet-up.

Sponsored? Nope ;-( (BYOW – Bring your own wallet)

The decision was pretty hard to take since 2 dates had nearly similar amount of votes. The good thing is. Let’s double the amount of #vBeers. In the week of the 26th of September I deliver a Application Management in the Horizon Enterprise to selected VMware Partner in Unterschleißheim. Therefore we will definitely meet up during this week again (#vBeers Double Edition).

WHEN? 29th September 2016 – 06:30PM

WHERE? TBD (Maybe Oktoberfest)

Sponsored? Nope ;-( (BYOW – Bring your own wallet)

Screen Shot 2016-05-06 at 10.14.24

 

 

After the success of the first #vBeers I have organized in Munich, I want to meet up with friends & community geeks who are interested in virtualization & beer/drinks.

Since I moderate from time to time the (famous) #beer2b in the center of Munich, I realized that a lot of useful input/information/thinking can come up as soon as you talk to other people in the field in a relaxed atmosphere. This will be the second edition of #vBeers in Munich. We had a group of 10-12 people at our first gathering. Let’s see if we can keep up with the number.

Since VMworld US has just passed by and VMworld Europe is about to start in a few weeks, I am pretty sure we will find great topics for further discussions.

virtmeetsbiergarten

Read more →