Educational Episodes: Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)

Typically, Content Libraries are used for keeping VM templates, vApp templates, ISO files, and all that jazz you typically share within your network. With such capability, that thing makes vSphere admins’ life easier allowing them to ensure consistency within the infrastructure under workloads. So, if you have never used it before, it may be high time to learn more about Content Libraries. Learn the basics of working with Content Libraries in VMware vSphere in the full article by Paolo Valsecchi.

Microsoft has recently released Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build which is the latest release of Windows Server vNext LTSC (Long-term servicing channel). This update contains Desktop Experience and Server Core in eighteen server languages. Also, it includes an English Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release. And, that’s not all: the build includes the first Microsoft Hyper-V Server preview. In today’s post, we will talk about what to expect from this build, its known issues, and terms of use.

VMware ESXi has an option which allows us to revert back to previous version after upgrade. You might need it in case you don’t see your network card (driver not on the ISO) or you see the NIC perfectly, but network isn’t stable after your upgrade.

For the first time, Microsoft made an online Windows Server Summit at June 26^th 2019. Microsoft talked about hybrid cloud, security, cloud native application and hyperconverged solution. Some of the new features which are coming with Windows Server 2019 were unleashed. In this topic, I’d like to summary what are the new features and why you should consider Storage Spaces Direct for a new installation or to update your existing cluster.

If you are an information technology administrator, then by now, you would have known that Microsoft released Cumulative Update 10 for Exchange Server 2016. This update takes Exchange Server 2016 on version number 15.01.1531.003. These latest updates are available now on the download center. These new updates have addressed many issues of the previous versions which range from issues related to security or quality reported by the customers to updates in functionalities. This Exchange Server update also comes with important changes to installation prerequisites.  In today’s post, we will talk about the updated prerequisites, details about this version and how to install the update. So, without any more delay, let us start.

For some reason, VMware Skyline is not common knowledge for VMware vSphere admins and VMware products users on the whole. Skyline is VMware proactive support technology allowing to provide advanced technical support for VMware vSphere products (including vSAN 6.6 and later) and VMware NSX. Soon, some other products will be supported. But wait, what is this service actually for? To make that thing clear for everyone, I’d like to shed light on VMware Skyline in this article.

Leakage of confidential business information can become a true disaster for any company. Therefore, data security is an issue of prime importance for most of companies. Organizing an IT infrastructure, administrators’ top question is how to warrant a secure storage to keep sensitive business information. In this article, I suggest having a closer look at a relatively recent method of ensuring data security – VMware virtual machines encryption that can become a good remedy against intruders for your organization.

Today we will look at one of them – Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol or CHAP. Before we start, let me tell you a few words about CHAP. Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) is a network login protocol that uses a challenge-response mechanism. You can use CHAP authentication to restrict iSCSI access to volumes and snapshots to hosts that supply the correct account name and password (or “secret”) combination. Using CHAP authentication can facilitate management of access controls because it restricts the access through account names and passwords, instead of IP addresses or iSCSI initiator names.

Talking about SQL Server 2016 features, it won’t be fair to leave Always Encrypted aside. This feature prevents your sensitive data from leaking out and enables to get more freedom for your data placement choices. Always Encrypted comes in handy, when, let’s say, you hire external vendors to administer your SQL server and do not want them to see your sensitive data, or when both your client and data are hosted in Azure. So, if you still do not use it, that’s high time to start!
Read the full article by Mikhail Rodionov to learn more about SQL Server Always Encrypted benefits and why and when you need it.