VMware vSphere Content Libraries in a Nutshell: Why use Them (or Why Not)

Some time ago, discussing how cool VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 1 is, I briefly mentioned content libraries. That article was just an overview, so I decided not to go into details, saying that some features need their own posts. In today’s article, I’d like to share my hands-on experience with content libraries and help you to decide whether this feature can make your life any easier.

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How to shrink VMDK with a couple of PowerShell scripts?

While extending a VMDK file is a fairly easy task that can be performed right in Disk Manager, shrinking a virtual disk is a bit tricky. And, you need to be really careful because unless done properly, reducing virtual disk size may cause data loss! Sure, you can just use VMware Converter to make a VMDK smaller, but, for my money, it is always better to have a script at hand. In this article, I’ll discuss how to shrink virtual disks with 2 simple PowerShell scripts.

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The 3-2-1 Backup Rule – Why Your Data Will Always Survive

Remember Blade Runner 2049, when people lost all their valuable data in The Blackout? Thanks to the 3-2-1 backup rule developed by Veeam, a disaster like that will never come true. I decided to write an article discussing this strategy in detail to make sure that guys new to IT will keep their data safe.

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Deep dive into VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager 8.1. Part 1 – Setting up the solution

VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager has been introduced back in 2011. It is a VMware vCenter plug-in for disaster recovery site configuration and management. It also allows migrating to that site at the moment of need or during planned migrations. In other words, SRM ensures shortest services downtime if something goes wrong at your main site. Please, don’t count on that thing that much since there will be insignificant time losses anyway.

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How to backup & restore with VMware vCSA 6.7

An ability to back up and restore vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) configurations appeared back in vCSA 6.5. I guess that many have already used it. If you were unlucky to restore from that backup, you know that this procedure is not that straightforward. Bad news: In vCSA 6.7 Update 1 configuration restore process is still like that. In today’s article, I take a closer look at how you back up and restore VMware vCSA 6.7 configuration.

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VMware solution lifecycle. Does the End of General Availability mean the end for a solution itself?

19 September 2018, VMware announced the end General availability for vSphere 5.5 – their probably most installed vSphere versions to date. But, wait, why write about it in January 2019? You see, some being misled by a title starting with “End”, think that it might be the end for the solution… WRONG! To overcome this fallacy, I decided to write an article that sheds light on VMware Lifecycle Policy and proves that End of General Availability is not the end!

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