April 2012
6 posts
3 tags
Dexter vs Big Data
This past weekend the Mrs. and I were enjoying some downtime so we decided to catch up on the last season of Dexter. This isn’t one of those shows that immediately starts making you think about cloud or big data but so is life as an IT guy. I thoroughly enjoy the show but I’ve decided that Dexter shouldn’t still be free. Careful as he is, the viewer watches him leave fatal...
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BrownBag Hosting Yet Again
Last week I had an opportunity to again fill-in host the ProfessionalVMware.com BrownBag, this time with Jake Robinson (@jakerobinson - geekafterfive.com) talking PowerCLI! I managed to start on time, not mute the presenter, and get the recording which you can catch at http://vimeo.com/40199252. It’s a great session and Jake does fantastic job.
Well it would seem that my job wasn’t...
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Start-Countdown Function - A Visual for...
A current project we have is quite large and involved. Part of it requires a series of Start-Sleep commands to slow things down so other items can finish. In some places we monitor for activities to complete but sometimes it’s just easy enough to let it wait.
Wait, What is it doing?
The one complaint I have always had with Start-Sleep is that it NEVER tells you how long you’ve...
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#PowerCLI - Save Yourself from Going Loop-y
I see this often in the PowerCLI community forums and in my day to day job. I need to loop through a variety of VMs, VMhosts, Clusters, etc.
In many respects what I really want to do is grab data from various layers so that I can get a big/full picture about what’s going on. In this post I’ll provide a relatively basic example of how this may come to play and a way that I find...
4 tags
vExpert 2012
Woke up this morning to some pleasant news, which of course what I consider to be the best kind of news!
I have been selected as a vExpert for 2012! Very cool!
While this recognition isn’t likely to get me a raise it does provide more encouragement to continue to share and contribute to the VMware community.
Some Thoughts
It wouldn’t be a vTesseract post if I...
March 2012
1 post
Where You Been?
Well readers I want to say first off that I’m really sorry for the long delay between posts. I assure you it’s bothered me quite a bit not posting in so long. In fact today I had a super nice guy stop me at a conference and introduce himself. He informed me that he was a regular reader of my blog. HUGELY appreciative to have someone who reads want to take the time to introduce...
February 2012
5 posts
1 tag
Top Blogging Results - Cooking with Gas
Earlier today the results were released for the vSphereLand top blog voting. Once again the community spoke and I think they did a fantastic job with the top 25. I had a special interest this year as you may know since I am now a blogger and vTesseract.com was on the ballot for the best new blog. Here’s how vTesseract.com fared:
#2 Best New Blog
#8 Scripting Blog
#73 Overall (out of...
VCP5 Section 6 - Troubleshooting
Hopefully you’re already a avid follower of the ProfessionalVMware.com #BrownBag sessions. I mentioned them here back in October as well as in my VCAP-DCA and VCAP-DCD exam experiences. In fact if it weren’t for the amazingly supportive participants of the BrownBag series I would have probably never attempted the VCAP exams.
It is time for me to give back. This upcoming...
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UCS - Remove Role #PowerShell Script
I have been reading up and browsing the Cisco UCS PowerTool to learn about all the many cool new cmdlets available. I recently upgraded to version 0.9.6.0 which has over 1400 cmdlets! Whoa! That’s just a few more than the 149 that were released last year. Make sure you read my earlier post talking about the beta version 0.9.6.0 release.
Clearly I have only scratched the surface in my...
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VCAP-DCD5 Beta Exam Invitations Released
Earlier this evening while playing “Go to sleep daddy so I can stick my finger up your nose” with my 2yo I received my invitation to sit the VCAP5-DCD. Needless to say I’m exhausted from thinking about certification exams but I’m going to give it a go before the deadline of March 2. Definitely looking forward to getting it out of the way and seeing what VMware is offering...
4 tags
UCSPowerTool New Build 0.9.6.0 Released
Hi Scripters! I got excellent news today! Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been doing a great deal of work with the Cisco UCSPowerTool which provides PowerShell functionality for managing your Cisco UCS server environment. I began using this tool last summer with a simple 149 cmdlets. It provided some functionality but left entirely too much requiring XML calls. The latest beta...
January 2012
19 posts
4 tags
vCloud Director - You Certifiable?
I saw recently posted on Twitter that VMware will be releasing a vCloud Director certification. http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/01/vcloud-director-certification.html
Initial comments seemed to be mixed, including a comment about how this seemed pointless. I do not wholly disagree with this sentiment but my bet is that this is going to be part of a much bigger picture. I anticipate that...
6 tags
VCP 5 Certification Guide from @VMwarePress -...
Being a SafariBooksOnline subscriber was a tough choice for me initially even though it was part of my desire to go all digital as I describe in a previous post. My primary hesitation was whether or not I’d actually use it enough to justify the cost. Well, I’m several months in and I’d say that I definitely got my money’s worth so far just in the amount of resources that...
3 tags
#PowerShell - Export-CSV without the Comma -...
One of my favorite parts of my job is the regular need to gather and conform data. Actually it can be a real pain sometimes but it’s usually an interesting challenge. I came across this issue several months ago when trying to generate a function that would format the data output so that it could be imported into another tool. I can’t go into specifics about this but I can highlight...
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More #PoshFun - Join Us!
The popularity and fun I’ve been having with creating pseudo #powershell scripts has started to spread. Not only am I writing more of them every day but I’m seeing many others as well. Recently Cody Bunch and I spat a few back and forth and it looks like we’ve settled on the Twitter hashtag of #PoshFun for these little scripts. I figured I might as well post some of the more...
3 tags
Clone-List #PowerCLI Function
If you’ve been managing a virtual environment for any period of time you’ve probably received this email:
Josh,
Next week we plan to do an upgrade for XXX application and would like a clone of the following servers to kick off the upgrade window.
bigapp-db
bigapp-web01
bigapp-web02
bigapp-web03
bigapp-file01
bigapp-…01
bigapp-…09
KThanksBye
Person
I recently got...
3 tags
2012 Vote for the Top Virtualization Blogs!
It’s that time of year again. Election time. No, not for POTUS, but for vSphere-Land’s vLaunchPad top Blog award! I have to say that the work that Eric Siebert does every year to update and maintain the vLaunchPad is tremendous. He certainly deserves a great deal of appreciation for his work. The usefulness and quality of content is precisely the reason why I have kept it as my...
6 tags
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More #PowerShell Fun - Star Wars
It’s become a little joy of mine to make up funny cmdlets. These are not actual scripts that you can run but mainly a demonstration of ways you can describe the world with PowerShell
Get-DeathStar | Get-Target -Type “ExhaustVent” | Where{$_.Size -like “WompRat”} | Set-Fire -Type “NotImpossible”
Another new classic.
$search = Get-Droids | Where{$_...
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“Get-Breakfast | Where{$_.Style -match “hungry|man”} | Set-Bacon...”
– Making Breakfast the #PowerShell way
6 tags
TrainSignal Troubleshooting and the VCAP-DCA
“Hello, and welcome to TrainSignal!!!”
LOL? If so then you’re probably a TrainSignal customer.
WTF? If so then you probably should consider being a TrainSignal customer.
Those five words are the well known intro of TrainSignal’s David Davis. When you hear those five words you had better hope you’re in a comfortable chair and ready to learn. A couple of...
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#TechSpouse FTW!
It’s Saturday afternoon and everyone just went down for a nap. This is usually a good time for me to catch some sports, work in the homelab, or write a blogpost. Over the last few days I’ve had this recurring though that I just can’t shake so I wanted to share and see where other stand on the topic.
The more involved I get in my career and in the community the more I realize...
6 tags
Wind at My Back - Plans for 2012
2011 certainly ended on a pretty high note for me. I’m one of those folks that need the next challenge and it is likely I’m setting myself up pretty well. I’m outlining a few things here that I’m hoping to work on in 2012. Some of them may not pan out while I’m sure new things will creep up throughout the year. If last year was any indication I have no idea...
A Tale of Two Halves, 2011 Part 2
The month of June clearly marked the beginning of the end of a long series of difficult months. As I approached summer I had a new set of goals for so many aspects of my life and career. I couldn’t wait to get started. Little did I know things were going to change for me significantly pretty soon.
2011 A.T. (After Twitter)
Backing up slightly I had a series of phone interviews...
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#PowerCLI 5.0.1 Release - Install and Notes
It’s a happy day in the PowerCLI world. VMware released their latest update, 5.0.1. This release finally brings to light the vCloud Director cmdlets that many of us have been waiting for so patiently. Luc Dekens has put together a great rundown of the new features on his blog at http://www.lucd.info/2012/01/10/powercli-5-0-1-goes-cloud/ so I’ll try not to overlap. Also check out...
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PowerScripting Podcast #171 - Wait for it...
Last week was pretty busy for me but I definitely made time to head out to the Inaugural Charlotte PowerShell Users Group [Recap]. On my way home I made the decision to stop and find some free wi-fi [at McD’s] so I could get online to listen to the PowerScripting Podcast. I’m a huge fan. Not quite groupie, but…ok, pretty much a groupie.
If you are not familiar, the...
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A Get-Random Gotcha #PowerShell - How I Was Robbed...
OK, so last night at the Inaugural PowerShell Users Group Meeting (@CharlottePoShUG) there were some giveaways. Naturally our excellent host, Jim Christopher, got everyone’s name and assigned each participant a number. If you use PowerShell then you know the next step is naturally Get-Random for selecting the winner from the 29 attendees.
There were 4 prizes to give away so the...
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Inaugural Charlotte PowerShell Users Group Meeting...
Last night I made the trek down to the Microsoft Charlotte office for the inaugural Charlotte PowerShell users group. Jim Christopher (@beefarino) did an excellent job getting this event kicked off with a bang having the Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson {@ScriptingGuys), present on PowerShell modules. Attendees were also fortunate to have Teresa Wilson, the Scripting Wife (@ScriptingWife), there as...
6 tags
A Tale of Two Halves, 2011 Part 1
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. No I’m not going all Charles Dickens on you with my blog but when thinking about 2011 I can not escape the duality of my year. This post is almost a journal for myself and I hope it will outline some of my challenges and motivations last year since 2011 can be broken down for me pretty basically into two parts. Before and After Twitter.
...
December 2011
4 posts
3 tags
Holodeck - The Perfect Cloud Service
I saw this contest online (http://www.cloud-buddy.com/?p=867) asking participants for their definition of Cloud and I had been considering my answer. During a chat with @vTexan Tommy Trogden this evening I had it. Not sure if I’ll win but here it goes.
What is Cloud
Cloud is like the Holodeck in Star Trek. If businesses understand their wants and their needs they are able to mold and...
5 tags
My VCAP-DCA Experience
Well I finally received my VCAP-DCA results and I’m very pleased to say that I passed! The two VCAPs were a fantastic challenge but I’m definitely GLAD to have them behind me. I’d like to put together a few things that I found in the VCAP4-DCA experience and share them with you.
My first piece of advice. Taking both VCAPs close together stinks and is a royal time sink....
5 tags
Y U NO vMotion!?!?
The Story
You’ve been there. Sitting at vSphere client waiting for the clock to hit 10:00pm so that you can start your maintenance change. You plan to do host updates so you need to put each host in maintenance mode. And away you go…
“Wait! Stuck at 2%!?!”
“What’s going on?”
“Why is this VM not moving!?”
“Fine, I’ll move it...
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Guest Blogger for The Scripting Guy blog!!
This has been a pretty fantastic week for me and it was topped off nicely having a post of mine put on the Scripting Guy Blog! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks again for the opportunity Scripting Guy and Scripting Wife!
http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2011/12/16/use-powershell-to-simplify-access-to-data-through-powercli.aspx
November 2011
11 posts
2 tags
7 tags
4 tags
127.0.0.1 on the Range
One of my favorite uses of #PowerShell and #PowerCLI is for implementation. I’m an engineer at heart so building things is always rewarding. However, getting something to build things for you is inspiring. If you ever followed my old blog I had built a script for creating a standard switch network in a VMware environment based on data in a .CSV file.
Old Blog Site here —>...
3 tags
Get-InfoLinks | Where{$_.Type -eq "Multimedia"}
OK, so I’m a PowerShell dork but I’m Ok with that. This post is a compilation of YouTube channels I subscribe to and Podcasts I check out on a regular basis. I figured this is a good listing for the media junkies or folks looking to gain some knowledge while on the go. Please feel free to share ones that you follow as well and I’ll update the posting periodically. Sorry about...
1 tag
#PowerShell Guru?
Several months ago I came across a question on the PowerShell Users group on LinkedIn asking how to become a PowerShell Guru. While I don’t consider myself a guru I do feel I’m becoming more proficient daily and I have recognized how my scripting has evolved with the mentoring and assistance of some true PowerShell gurus.
I think I learned the most from generating reports since it...
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#VMTNSubscriptionMovement Links
The VMTN subscription revival is near and dear to my heart. As such I’ve been compiling links where it is being discussed. Feel free to share your posts if they’re not already listed and I’ll add them.
Please make sure to let VMware know what you think about this. +1’s are good but also let them know why you want it and how you’ll use it.
www.bringbackvmtn.com
...
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My VCAP-DCD Experience
It’s customary for the bloggers out there to talk about their certification experience. I don’t want to disappoint so here’s my story. Hope it was worth the wait!
It was a cool October morning the day after an excellent birthday evening with the family followed by some light last minute preparation. Going to bed early was definitely a great design decision which is what this...
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New Unlimited IT Training?
I came across http://sabta.com/1t3rq recently and boy does it strike another core wish of mine. With VMTN looking promising on traction I’m excited to think of the opportunity to have a monthly provided training service that I could handle personally out of pocket. This training combined with the home lab could equal some excellent skills growth.
I’ve verified that there is...
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New MyVMware
I recently caught a link to VMware’s preview of their upcoming integrated customer portal My VMware.
http://www.vmware.com/my_vmware_video
My initial impression from the video is that VMware may finally have a usable customer portal. I’ve found the site generally confusing at times over the years although experience has taught me where to look for what I need. It appears that they...
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Bring Back VMTN Please!
Recently Mike Laverick brought up something I’ve been asking about for quite a while, Bringing back VMTN! I believe it’s time to try and get some traction on this. The problem involves two parts:
Accessibility of VMware applications for homelab/dev
Timeout on licenses require time-consuming reinstalls
The solution proposed by Mike is to bring back VMTN and I am a huge...
October 2011
2 posts
5 tags
How do you size ISO Template Datastore?
While studying for my VCAP-DCD exam I came across a statement in the vSphere 4 design workshop student manual that had me chuckle. To paraphrase:
There is no need for datastore overhead because templates do not run, and therefore do not have snapshots.
I have to say that I am split on this one because while templates do not have snapshots I ALWAYS provide at least 10% of free space in my...
3 tags
ProfessionalVMware.com #BrownBag Sessions
If you haven’t been tuning into the ProfessionalVMware.com Technical Brownbags then it’s time you get started. These live podcasts, hosted by Cody Bunch and occasionally Damian Karlson, have become a key part of my week. Guests on the Technical Brownbag present and discuss on a variety of topics which primarily focused on certification preparations. Looking through the archive you...
September 2011
9 posts
6 tags
NC UCS Users Group (#ncucsgroup) - September...
Last week the second NC UCS Users Group (#ncucsgroup hashtag on Twitter) meeting was held on Cisco’s campus in RTP, NC. The conference room where the event was held feels like home to me after several years of hosting the Cisco IP Telecommunications Users Group there. First order of business for me was helping with the projector which has a mind of its own, proof positive I was in the...
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Resources for Getting Started with #PowerCLI...
Books - Training
I highly recommend the new PowerCLI book. http://www.powerclibook.com/ It is not really “light” reading but they do a great job of demonstrating common uses of PowerCLI. They also have all of the scripts available for download at:
...