Archive for the ‘computing’ Category

HOW TO: Update VMware vSphere vCenter Server 8.0.3 to 8.0.3a using the Reduced Downtime Upgrade (RDU) function

Monday, August 26th, 2024

VMware vCenter Server 8.0.3a  Build 24091160 was released on the 17th July 2024.

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour I will show you HOW TO: Update VMware vSphere vCenter Server 8.0.3 to 8.0.3a using the Reduced Downtime Upgrade (RDU) function.

This procedure can be used to update any VMware vCenter Server 8.0 update in the future. VMware have released a new feature in later versions of VMware vSphere vCenter 8.0 called the Reduced Downtime Upgrade (RDU), which reduces downtime from over 60, minutes to 10 minutes. We would traditionally use the VAMI method here

HOW TO: Update VMware vSphere vCenter Server 8.0.2 (8.0u2d) 8.0.2 to 8.0.3 using the (VAMI) Appliance Management Interface

but RDU only takes 15 minutes, but it does require the original vCenter Server 8.0.3 iso media!

At the time of this recording, VMware vCenter Server 8.0 Update 3a was the latest version available from VMware.

VMware vCenter Server 8.0 Update 3a Release Notes

HOW TO: Update VMware vSphere vCenter Server 8.0.2 (8.0u2d) 8.0.2 to 8.0.3 using the Reduced Downtime Upgrade (RDU) function

Videos mentioned in this video, this method can be used to backup the vCenter Server database.

HOW TO: Use the vCenter Server 7.0.3 vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface (VAMI) to backup the database and configuration of your vCenter Server

HOW TO: Restore a vCenter Server backup to restore a production vCenter Server 8.0 appliance

HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 8.0 GA to ESXi 8.0U2 direct from VMware remotely using the ESXCLI tool installed on Windows 10

HOW TO: Remediate a vSphere Cluster VMware ESXi 8.0U2 to ESXi 8.0U3 including adding the HPE OEM Addon for ESXi 8.0.3 – A12 using VMware vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) from a single image

HOW TO: Migrate physical, virtual and cloud based workloads with real-time replication to VMware vSphere (ESXi) or Microsoft Hyper-V using OpenText Migrate

Friday, August 23rd, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the [url=”https://github.com/CodheadClub/AwesomeResources/blob/master/Virtualisation.md#andrewhancock”]Hancock’s VMware Half Hour[/url] I will show you HOW TO: Migrate physical, virtual and cloud based workloads with real-time replication to VMware vSphere (ESXi) or Microsoft Hyper-V using OpenText Migrate.

Ten years ago I wrote the following article about the product Double-Take MOVE by Vision Solutions. It’s been acquired in the last ten years, by Carbonite, and now is in the hand of OpenText, and is name going forward will be [url=”https://www.opentext.com/en-gb/products/migrate”]OpenText Migrate.[/url]

[url=”https://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/17312/HOW-TO-Migrate-physical-virtual-and-cloud-based-workloads-with-real-time-replication-to-VMware-vSphere-ESXi-using-Double-Take-MOVE.html”]HOW TO: Migrate physical, virtual and cloud based workloads with real-time replication to VMware vSphere (ESXi) using Double-Take MOVE[/url]

In these uncertain times, when you may be required to migrate workloads between platforms, such as VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V etc I can highly recommend [url=”https://www.opentext.com/en-gb/products/migrate”]OpenText Migrate.[/url] as one of the best products on the market for your Migration Project.

In this video I will demonstrate the migration of an Linux Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Server from Microsoft Hyper-V to VMware vSphere, and concurrently migrate a Microsoft Windows 2022 Server from VMware vSphere to Microsoft Hyper-V, with very little downtime.

Time for a facelift and new branding – Hancock’s VMware Half Hour

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024
Hancock's VMware Half Hour

Hancock’s VMware Half Hour

It was time for a change! So from today, I’ll be using this new artwork, across the social channels, and for more VMware content to come. It encompasses three things in my life, which I hold true, which is VMware, Experts Exchange and #beekeeping. My Thanks to Devolutions and their graphic designer Stacy Bensa for all the hard work, in creating the design for me. Again Thank You.

HOW NOT TO: Compromise your VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 5.1, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 by adding to Microsoft Active Directory

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour I will show you HOW NOT TO: Compromise your VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 5.1, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 by adding to Microsoft Active Directory. I will demonstrate the exposure, and discuss how to avoid it.

In this video demonstration the ESXi servers are ESXi ARM 7.0, but the same functionality has been built into ESXi since 5.1.

On the 29th July 2024, Microsoft  discovered a vulnerability in ESXi hypervisors being exploited by several ransomware operators to obtain full administrative permissions on domain-joined ESXi hypervisors.

this publication is here – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/07/29/ransomware-operators-exploit-esxi-hypervisor-vulnerability-for-mass-encryption/

VMware vExperts – Christian Mohn wrote about it here – VMware vSphere CVE-2024-37085 – A Nothing Burger

and Bob Plankers goes into more detail here – Thoughts on CVE-2024-37085 & VMSA-2024-0013

Please have a read of these publications.

Broadcom have issued updates and fixes to vSphere 7.0 and 8.0, and VCF 4.x and 5.x only. There is no security update for 6.7.

https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/24505

He’s like a VMware Yoda! :)

Wednesday, August 21st, 2024

A recent testimonial on Experts Exchange

VMware Yoda

VMware Yoda

A VMware Yoda !

A VMware Yoda !

HOW TO: Fix Synchronous Exception at 0x00000000XXXXXXX on VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4

Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour I will show you HOW TO: Fix Synchronous Exception at 0x00000000XXXXXXX on VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4.

It has been well documented that the Raspberry Pi 4 UEFI Firmware Image can cause this fault which renders the UEFI boot image corrupt. See here https://github.com/pftf/RPi4/issues/97

The UEFI firmware imaged used in the lab in this video is v1.37, it is debated as too whether this has been fixed in later releases v1.37, some suggest rolling back to v1.33 !

For the sake of continuity I’ve included previous EE Videos and Articles I’ve created here

Part 51. HOW TO: Update the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 ARM Edition (ESXi 7.0 ARM edition) from v1.12 to v1.15 on a Raspberry Pi 4

Part 20: HOW TO: Install and Configure VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4

Part 23: HOW TO: BOOT VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) from an iSCSI LUN for the Raspberry Pi 4

Action required: Enable multifactor authentication for your Microsoft Azure tenant by 15 October 2024

Sunday, August 18th, 2024

This arrived in my inbox, on Saturday, so better check with some Powershell. It produces a nice Excel spreadsheet of users enable for MFA or Single FA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Install-Module MsIdentityTools -Scope CurrentUser

Connect-MgGraph -Scopes Directory.Read.All, AuditLog.Read.All, UserAuthenticationMethod.Read.All

Export-MsIdAzureMfaReport .\report.xlsx

An Incredible 8-Month Journey with TryHackMe – Transformative Learning Experience!

Friday, August 16th, 2024

Over the last 8 months, I have thoroughly enjoyed using TryHackMe as my go-to platform for learning pentesting, hacking, and cybersecurity. The experience has been nothing short of trans formative, providing me with hands-on, practical skills that go far beyond theoretical knowledge.

TryHackMe offers an engaging and immersive learning environment, with a vast range of labs, challenges, and guided paths that cater to learners at all levels. Whether you’re just starting out or already have some experience, the platform provides a structured yet flexible approach that allows you to learn at your own pace.

One of the aspects I’ve appreciated the most is the way TryHackMe breaks down complex topics into manageable, easy-to-understand segments. The interactive labs have given me the confidence to apply what I’ve learned in real-world scenarios, which is invaluable for anyone serious about a career in cybersecurity.

The community and support on TryHackMe are also fantastic. With active discussions, helpful hints, and a supportive network of learners, I never felt stuck or overwhelmed. The team behind TryHackMe continuously updates and expands the content, ensuring that the learning experience stays fresh, relevant, and challenging.

In just 8 months, TryHackMe has significantly advanced my knowledge and skills in pentesting and cyber security. I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone looking to dive into this field—it’s an indispensable resource that makes learning not just effective but genuinely enjoyable!

Einsteinagogo completes all current 13 TryHackMe Learning Paths Completed !

Finally after many many hours, which I started in January 2024, I have now completed all the TryHackMe Learning Paths, of which there are 13 in total to date, and I went back and completed SOC Level 1, which had been added to.

Also earned 60 badges out of a total of 74, although 74 I think is now impossible as some badges are legacy!

So here’s a timeline of how I did them

  1. Introduction fo Cyber Security – 9th April 2024
  2. Pre Security – 15th April 2024
  3. Complete Beginner – 25th April 2024
  4. Jr Penetration Tester – 15th May 2024
  5. CompTIA Pentest+ – 17th May 2024
  6. DevSecOps – 26th May 2024
  7. Cyber Defense – 17th June 2024
  8. SOC Level 1 – 23rd June 2024
  9. Offensive Pentesting – 26th June 2024
  10. Red Teaming – 30th June 2024
  11. Security Engineer – 11th July 2023 – Time to Complete 64 Hours and 30 minutes
  12. Web Fundamentals – 1st August 2024 – Time to Complete 16 hours 35 minutes
  13. SOC Level – 16th August 2024 – Time to Complete 68 hours 50 minutes

What next, A Rest! There are still some badges which elude me, and another 500+ rooms, I’ve not completed, and I’m not in the Top 500 yet!

 

einsteinagogo’s Realtime TryHackMe Badge

Friday, August 16th, 2024

einsteinagogo TryHackMe Badge

TERMINATED by BROADCOM VMware IT Academy Software Licensing Programs – 15 August 2024 – ACTION REQUIRED

Wednesday, August 14th, 2024

SO THIS POST IS REALLY AN URGENT REMINDER YOU HAVE UNTIL THE END OF 15 AUGUST 2024, TO PURCHASE NEW SEATS, AND 31 AUGUST 2024 TO REGISTER THOSE SEATS

TERMINATION VMware-IT-Academy-Software-Licensing-Programs.

TERMINATION VMware-IT-Academy-Software-Licensing-Programs.

So I received this as an instructor late Friday 9th August 2024, at approximately 11pm – I had already heard rumours of this because NDG labs had notification earlier on the 2nd August 2024, I’m not sure why it was delayed going out to instructors, I still don’t have an email to my Administrator Account which is registered with the VMware IT Academy Software Licensing Programs, I have yet to receive a response to questions about this email, it states you can purchasxe subscriptions up until 15 August 2024, but seats and licenses must be obtained before 31 August 2024, otherwise email them for assistance!

VMware-IT-Academy-terminated-by-broadcom.

VMware-IT-Academy-terminated-by-broadcom.

Such a shame in my opinion!