Hancock’s VMware Half Hour
The Home of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour
You can find me here on
The Home of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour
September 3rd, 2024Farewell VMware Skyline Advisor Pro: A Tribute and a Song
October 3rd, 2024On 4th October 2024, we bid farewell to a cherished tool in the VMware community—VMware Skyline Advisor Pro. After years of serving IT administrators and engineers in identifying and resolving issues before they could disrupt operations, this beloved tool is reaching the end of its journey. While its departure marks the closing of a chapter, the legacy it leaves behind will be remembered for its innovative contributions to proactive VMware support.
A Look Back: The Role of Skyline Advisor Pro
VMware Skyline Advisor Pro was more than just a tool—it was a companion for those navigating the complex landscapes of VMware environments. Introduced as an enhancement over the standard Skyline Advisor, the “Pro” version provided advanced insights into potential vulnerabilities and configuration issues. This proactive approach helped IT teams save countless hours and avoid major incidents, allowing businesses to run smoother with fewer disruptions.
One of its most valued features was its real-time, data-driven recommendations. With its ability to analyze telemetry data, the tool provided critical security advisories and performance recommendations. The integrated integration with VMware’s support services made the overall experience even more seamless, allowing businesses to stay ahead of potential issues while reducing downtime and operational costs.
Skyline Advisor Pro was there when we needed it, always scanning, always optimizing.
The End of an Era
VMware announced that Skyline Advisor Pro would reach its End of Life (EOL) in October 2024. For many of us, it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend. As IT professionals, we have come to rely on it for both routine monitoring and critical insights. Its departure means we must now look to alternative solutions and adapt to a future without Skyline.
In Memoriam: The Song “Goodbye VMware Skyline Advisor Pro”
To mark this moment and pay homage to what Skyline Advisor Pro has meant to the VMware community, Andysworld! created a heartfelt tribute—his new song titled “Goodbye VMware Skyline Advisor Pro.”
The song captures the emotions of this bittersweet farewell, reflecting the reliability, trust, and proactive support that Skyline Advisor Pro provided. Through the lyrics and melody, Andy has crafted a personal expression of gratitude toward a tool that, for so long, kept our infrastructure safe and sound.
“Goodbye VMware Skyline Advisor Pro” symbolizes not just the end of a tool but also the beginning of new innovations to come. As one door closes, the VMware ecosystem will continue to evolve, finding new ways to support IT teams across the globe.
Looking Ahead
While the EOL of VMware Skyline Advisor Pro is sad for those of us who relied on it, it’s also a reminder that technology is always changing. As VMware pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, we can look forward to the next generation of tools and solutions that will help us manage our environments.
For now, we take a moment to reflect on Skyline Advisor Pro’s contributions and listen to Andy’s musical tribute as we say our goodbyes.
Here’s to the future, and here’s to never forgetting what made Skyline Advisor Pro special. Goodbye, old friend.
The End of an Era: VMware Skyline Advisor Reaches End-of-Life on October 4, 2024
October 1st, 2024
October 4, 2024, marks a significant milestone in the VMware ecosystem as VMware Skyline Advisor, a crucial tool in proactive support and issue resolution, reaches its End-of-Life (EOL). This announcement, influenced by VMware’s parent company Broadcom, signals the conclusion of an era for many VMware customers who have relied on Skyline Advisor to streamline their operations and mitigate potential disruptions.
What is VMware Skyline Advisor?
For years, VMware Skyline Advisor has provided an invaluable proactive support service for VMware customers. It allowed enterprises to identify and resolve technical issues before they impacted the business, offering tailored recommendations, security patches, and configuration insights. The real-time data analytics tool helped businesses avoid downtime and performance issues while ensuring compliance with best practices.
Why is VMware Skyline Advisor Ending?
In the wake of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, significant changes have swept through VMware’s product offerings. Broadcom’s decision to discontinue VMware Skyline Advisor has been driven by a shift in strategy, focusing on integrating and streamlining their technology stack. While Broadcom has not provided a direct replacement for Skyline Advisor, there are suggestions that future offerings will better align with their broader vision.
The EOL for Skyline Advisor does not mean a sudden drop in support, but it does mean that customers need to prepare for this service to be phased out completely. As of October 4, 2024, Skyline Advisor will no longer be accessible, and customers will have to seek alternative methods for proactive infrastructure management and issue resolution.
What Happens Next?
With Skyline Advisor reaching EOL, all customers currently using the tool will need to adjust their approach to maintaining system health and identifying potential issues. VMware has recommended that customers consult the Skyline Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for details on the termination of services and alternatives they can consider.
Businesses must plan for a smooth transition by exploring other VMware services and third-party tools that offer similar functionality. VMware is expected to provide updates and support to help its user base during this transition period, but it’s clear that many organizations will need to invest in exploring alternative proactive monitoring tools.
What Alternatives Are Available?
For enterprises that relied heavily on VMware Skyline Advisor’s proactive monitoring capabilities, there are several potential alternatives to consider. These include:
- VMware vRealize Operations: A comprehensive solution that provides full-stack monitoring and analytics. While it doesn’t offer the same streamlined, proactive support experience as Skyline Advisor, it is a robust tool with advanced functionality.
- Third-party tools: Many third-party platforms specialize in proactive monitoring, security patch management, and compliance checks. Organizations might explore partnerships with vendors offering similar services tailored to VMware environments.
- Professional services: As businesses search for new solutions, VMware partners and consultants can provide guidance on how to implement tools that suit specific operational needs.
Preparing for the Future
As VMware Skyline Advisor sunsets, the landscape of proactive support will undoubtedly shift. Organizations need to prepare by auditing their current infrastructure, exploring new solutions, and ensuring that they have processes in place to avoid any disruption in their operations.
While the end of Skyline Advisor may feel like the conclusion of an era, it also presents an opportunity to reevaluate how enterprises manage their virtual infrastructures and stay ahead of potential challenges. By proactively exploring alternative solutions now, VMware customers can ensure they remain agile and resilient, regardless of what the future holds.
Final Thoughts
October 4, 2024, will be the last day for VMware Skyline Advisor, but the proactive approach to issue resolution that it championed is here to stay. With Broadcom at the helm, VMware’s future may look different, but the drive for efficiency, reliability, and innovation will remain central to their vision. Stay informed by visiting the VMware Skyline FAQs and ensure your business is ready for what comes next.
Creating My First Song with AI: “Rainy Day Love”
October 1st, 2024Hey, everyone! I’m excited to share something new and creative from Andy’s World. Over the years, I’ve explored many technologies, but today, I’m stepping into the realm of AI-generated music with my very first song titled Rainy Day Love. It’s an intriguing mix of poetry and technology, showing how artificial intelligence can help bring creative ideas to life.
The Song: Rainy Day Love
Here’s a sneak peek into the lyrics:
Drops tapping ‘gainst a cracked screen, drip like chaotic streams,
Met her past the puddles, goldfish swimming through my dreams…
Rainy day love in the air, clouds curlin’ up a flirty stare,
Thunder whisperin’ secrets, lightning with a dare…
This song captures the magic of a stormy romance, where rain-soaked streets and thunderous skies reflect the excitement of love. The imagery of puddles, lightning, and clouds all dance together in this AI-powered musical adventure.
What is AI?
For those wondering, AI (Artificial Intelligence) refers to computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. It ranges from simple functions like recognizing your voice in voice assistants (think Siri or Alexa) to more complex operations like driving cars or composing music.
When it comes to AI in music, the technology analyzes patterns in existing songs, lyrics, and rhythms, then uses that understanding to create something entirely new. AI learns from data—whether it’s a library of love songs or stormy weather—and combines these elements to generate original music, like Rainy Day Love.
How Did I Use AI to Create Rainy Day Love?
The process started by feeding the AI with themes and emotions I wanted to convey, such as love, rain, and the sense of a citys cape during a storm. The AI then helped generate the lyrical structure, offering up creative suggestions for rhymes, rhythm, and metaphors. After some tweaking and collaborating with the AI, Rainy Day Love was born!
The Magic of AI Creativity
Using AI doesn’t mean taking the human element out of creativity. Instead, it enhances our ideas by offering new perspectives and possibilities we might not have thought of. For me, this experience was like working with a collaborator who never runs out of inspiration.
So, whether you’re curious about AI or just love the sound of rain-soaked romance, I hope you enjoy Rainy Day Love as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Stay tuned for more adventures in tech and creativity!
Andy
Master VMware vSphere 8.0: 20 Hours of Bite-Size Learning on YouTube!
September 30th, 2024
Part 32: HOW TO: Add a Synology NAS providing iSCSI Storage to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 Part 2
September 29th, 2024HOW TO Add a Synology NAS providing iSCSI Storage to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 Part 2
Part 31: HOW TO: Add a Synology NAS providing iSCSI Storage to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 Part 1
September 29th, 2024HOW TO Add a Synology NAS providing iSCSI Storage to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 Part 1
Part 30: HOW TO: FIX VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) Host vulnerability L1 Terminal Fault’ (L1TF) Speculative-Execution in Intel processors: CVE-2018-3646, CVE-2018-3620, and CVE-2018-3615
September 29th, 2024This video builds on the last videos in this series of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour, where we continue to build our VMware vSphere 7.0 Lab, and in this video, we start to explore the Warning messages appearing on several of our hosts in the cluster.
If you see the Warning message This host is potentially vulnerable to issues described in CVE-2018-3646. please refer to http://kb.vmware.com/s/article/55636 for details and VMware recommendations KB 55636. then this secuerity fix is required for your VMware vSphere Hypervsior (ESXi 7.0) host.
In this video, I will show you HOW TO: FIX VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) Host vulnerability L1 Terminal Fault’ (L1TF) Speculative-Execution in Intel processors: CVE-2018-3646, CVE-2018-3620, and CVE-2018-3615.
Modern Intel CPU do not suffer this issue, but earlier processors do have these security issues, in March 2018, security issues were detected in Intel processors called Meltdown, Spectre and L1 Terminal Fault.
The previous videos are listed here for your convenience
Part 5: HOW TO: Enable SSH Remote Access on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0).
Part 25: HOW TO: Add a Synology NAS providing NFS Storge to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0.
HOW TO: Suppress Configuration Issues System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage
Part 29: HOW TO: FIX No coredump target has been configured. Host core dumps cannot be saved
September 29th, 2024This video builds on the last videos in this series of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour, where we continue to build our VMware vSphere 7.0 Lab, and in this video, we start to explore the Warning messages appearing on several of our hosts in the cluster.
In this video, I will show you HOW TO: FIX the No coredump target has been configured. Host core dumps cannot be saved. There have been some changes in ESXi 7.0, and the core dumps can now only be written to SSD, HDD, NVMe, not persistent storage such as USB flash drives or SD cards. I discuss some of the issues with ESXi 7.0 and the support of USB flash drives and SD cards. There has been some confusion over the last 18 months about the support of ESXi 7.0 on USB flash drives and SD cards, VMware, Dell and HPE state there were not supported, because 7.0.2 or later caused issues with corruption of the ESXi installation if installed on these devices, and later VMware stated this was deprecated,. and then more recently did an about turn and not it’s supported.
SD card/USB boot device revised guidance (85685)
I think the “writing is on the wall” and if you are in a production environment using USB flash drives and SD cards, now is the time to change to SSD, HDD, NVMe or SATADOM for ESXi installations.
The previous videos are listed here for your convenience
Part 5: HOW TO: Enable SSH Remote Access on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0).
Part 25: HOW TO: Add a Synology NAS providing NFS Storge to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0.
HOW TO: Suppress Configuration Issues System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage
New Kernel options available on ESXi 7.0 (77009)
Configuring a diagnostic coredump partition on an ESXi host (2004299)
Part 28: HOW TO: FIX the Warning System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage, Move system logs to NFS shared storage. – Alternative Link on YouTube
September 29th, 2024This video builds on the last videos in this series of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour, where we continue to build our VMware vSphere 7.0 Lab, and in this video, we start to explore the Warning messages appearing on several of our hosts in the cluster.
In this video, I will show you HOW TO: FIX the Warning System logs on the host are stored on non-persistent storage by moving the system logs to NFS shared storage.
The previous videos are listed here for your convenience
Part 25: HOW TO: Add a Synology NAS providing NFS Storge to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0.
HOW TO: Suppress Configuration Issues System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage
Part 27: HOW TO: Migrate VMware vCenter Server 7.0 in an enabled EVC VMware vSphere 7.0 Cluster of ESXi 7.0 hosts using “Andy’s Towers of Hanoi solution”
September 29th, 2024In this video, I will show you “Andy’s Towers of Hanoi solution to Migrating VMware vCenter Server 7.0” – HOW TO: Migrate VMware vCenter Server 7.0 in an enabled EVC VMware vSphere 7.0 Cluster of ESXi 7.0 hosts.
This video builds and continues on the theme in this series Part 22: HOW TO: Add VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 Hosts to VMware vSphere vCenter Server 7.0. and Part 25: HOW TO: Add a Synology NAS providing NFS Storge to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0.
The reason I call this the Andy’s Towers of Hanoi solution is that the Towers of Hanoi is a puzzle game, and a logical approach is required in a certain order to solve it. This is very similar to the puzzle or headache, when you have older and new CPU generation VMware vSphere Hypervisors Hosts (ESXi hosts), and vCenter Server is currently hosted on a new CPU host (with newer CPU), and you want to combine all these hosts in a Cluster using an EVC baseline.
Like the individual blocks of the Towers of Hanoi puzzle, represents a procedure or function in the process to migrate the vCenter Server.
In this tutorial and example in this Lab, this is complicated in the virtual machine vCenter Server 7.0 are also hosted on shared storage which is also hosted on the Dell PowerEdge R730, which we want to add to a Cluster of Dell PowerEdge R720. This example represents adding a new CPU generation host “Haswell” to older CPU generation hosts “Sandy Bridge” in the same Cluster.
In Summary
1. Storage vMotion all virtual machines from shared storage to local storage on the Dell PowerEdge R730.
2. Power off the virtual machine Synology NAS
3. Enable EVC “Sandy Bridge” Per VM EVC for Synology NAS.
4. Power on virtual machine Synology NAS.
5. Storage vMotion all virtual machines from local storage on the Dell PowerEdge R730 to Shared storage on the Synology NAS.
6. Power off DNS virtual machine.
7. Cold Migrate to Cluster. Power on DNS virtual machine.
8. Power off vCenter Server 7.0 virtual machine.
9. Unregister from vCenter Server 7.0 host (Dell PowerEdge R730).
10. Register vCenter Server 7.0 on new host (Dell PowerEdge R720)/
11. Power on vCenter Server 7.0 on new host (Dell PowerEdge R720).
12. Login to vCenter Server 7.0.
13. Drag and Drop Dell Power Edge R730 into Cluster.
14. Done.
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) Explained
![[Valid RSS]](http://andysworld.org.uk/images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")