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.
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/
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.
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/RP
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
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.
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.
Such a shame in my opinion!
These are my memory dump notes from working with a Failed upgrade, and Snapshot revert failed!
I’ve been meaning to upgrade my VMware vRealize Log Insight 8.14.1.0-22806512 appliance in the #homelab for a while, so I was surprised at first when trying to simply upgrade the PAK file it failed with not enough storage in /tmp, so I tried both these updates
but failed, so after SSHing into the appliance and checking all the storage, and removing older log files, I noticed that /tmp is defined as a “ram drive”.
So I increased the memory in the Appliance by 2GB, shutdown, changed the memory, and powered on. SSHed back to the appliance
SSH log insight storage space
Using the command
mount -o remount,size=5G /tmp/
Increased the size to 5GB, so at least the upgrade could complete correctly, I also used
tail -f /storage/var/loginsight/upgrade.log to check the upgrade status, but trying to apply the Scheme upgrade to Cassandra it failed, this is a stock VMware vRealize Log Insight 8.14.1.0-22806512, so not sure why it failed, and there is not much info on the Broadcom site about VMware vRealize Log Insight.
The GUI stated the Upgrade had failed, and although it stated reverting to 8.14.1.0-22806512 it failed.
So I reverted to the snapshot, I had taken before applying the upgrade, but to my surprise, reverting to a snapshot ended up with a completely non-working appliance, the GUI stopped responding. So reaching out for the backups to restore the appliance, quickly found this VM was missing from the jobs!
Duh! Oh shite, got to fix the appliance now, and this is how I fixed it.
1.SSH to appliance
2. service loginsight stop (be prepared to wait a long time!)
3. /usr/lib/loginsight/application/sbin/li-cassandra.sh –startnow –force
it will respond with
Running Operations for Logs stop……..done
Starting Cassandra…..done
WARNING: Be sure to stop Cassandra before attempting to start Operations for Logs!
In worst case, restart the virtual appliance.
4. nodetool-no-pass flush
5. nodetool-no-pass repair –full
6. /usr/lib/loginsight/application/sbin/li-cassandra.sh –stopnow –force
7. service loginsight start
At this point I still did not have a working VMware vRealize Log Insight 8.14.1.0-22806512.
So I then applied the PAK manually.
8. /usr/lib/loginsight/application/sbin/loginsight-pak-upgrade.py /tmp/VMware-vRealize-Log-Insight-8.16.0-23364779.pak (this was already uploaded via WinSCP to /tmp)
and wait…
There’s alot of changes in the appliance from 8.14 to 8.16 as you can see above!
and now
Log Insight 8.16
Log Insight 8.16
So I hope my notes helps you upgrade your Appliance if you get stuck!
Oh, and I’ve added the VM to a backup job just in case for future, so snapshots don’t always save you!
VMware Explore 2024: Empowering Your Digital Transformation Journey
Join us at VMware Explore 2024 in Barcelona, the premier event for digital transformation and cloud computing! This year’s event promises to be an exciting and informative experience, with a lineup of industry-leading speakers, innovative solutions, and valuable networking opportunities.
As a valued member of the VMware community, we invite you to register now and take advantage of our early-bird pricing until July 29. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with thought leaders, learn about the latest trends and technologies, and explore how VMware by Broadcom can help empower your digital transformation journey.
At VMware Explore 2024, you’ll have access to a wide range of sessions, workshops, and demos that will help you stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving world of cloud computing and digital transformation. From AI and machine learning to multi-cloud strategies and security, our agenda is packed with relevant and timely content that will help you achieve your business goals.
In addition to the keynote address, we have a fantastic lineup of sessions and workshops that will help you gain valuable insights and practical advice on how to navigate your digital transformation journey. Our sessions will cover topics such as:
* AI and machine learning: How can you leverage these technologies to drive business outcomes and improve customer experience?
* Multi-cloud strategies: How can you create a cloud strategy that meets your unique needs and ensures security, flexibility, and scalability?
* Security: How can you protect your organization from cyber threats and ensure the integrity of your data?
* DevOps and containers: How can you streamline your development processes and improve collaboration across teams?
Leverage a partner ecosystem that can help you accelerate innovation across your cloud portfolio.
Get face time with top experts for solution insights and guidance.
Attend technical and career advancement sessions to add momentum to your professional path.
Gather together with those you know, team members you’ve missed, and industry peers you’ve yet to meet.
But VMware Explore 2024 is not just about learning – it’s also an opportunity to connect with other industry professionals, thought leaders, and VMware experts. Our expo hall will feature the latest solutions and technologies from our partners and sponsors, giving you a chance to explore and compare different options.
At VMware Explore 2024, we’re committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all attendees. That’s why we’ve implemented a number of initiatives to ensure that everyone feels valued and included. From our diverse lineup of speakers to our gender-neutral restrooms, we’re working hard to create a space where everyone can thrive.
So what are you waiting for? Register now for VMware Explore 2024 and take advantage of our early-bird pricing until July 29. We look forward to seeing you in Barcelona! ?????
So I thought it was time to apply for the VMware vExpert Sub Programs, of which there are several. I’ve been a vExpert PRO for several years, which is one of the sub programs, so this year I also applied for the VMware vSphere vSAN and vSphere sub programs.
and I’m happy to report that I’ve been excepted into the VMware vSphere vSAN and vSphere sub programs for 2024, as well as a vExpert PRO 2024.
(spelt correctly!)
Sadly ESXi FREE is now longer available! You will need to join VMUG Advantage+ or become a vExpert
Here are the hashes for the ESXi 8.0.2.22380479 8.0U2 ISO before it is removed:
| Name: | VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0U2-22380479.x86_64.iso |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | 2023-09-21 |
| Build Number: | 22380479 |
| VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image | |
| Boot your server with this image in order to install or upgrade to ESXi (ESXi requires 64-bit capable servers). This ESXi image includes VMware Tools. | |
| MD5SUM: | 2403e11fb6d46dd57ba0a6ee0fa1c833 |
|---|---|
| SHA1SUM: | a2773c2519715e28d23f39753f4d6064f29fef48 |
| SHA256SUM: | ff062f843be45760b591096fbf7be0b1003f6469db24f2d2e40a4c8ed3d86c21 |
VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image
Here are the hashes for the ESXi 7.0U3n-21930508 ISO before it is removed:
| Name: | VMware-VMvisor-Installer-7.0U3n-21930508.x86_64.iso |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | 2023-07-06 |
| Build Number: | 21930508 |
| VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image | |
| Boot your server with this image in order to install or upgrade to ESXi (ESXi requires 64-bit capable servers). This ESXi image includes VMware Tools. | |
| MD5SUM: | 0cacd44568b7f6112c6d003ef210dcfe |
|---|---|
| SHA1SUM: | 07b2f7677b274fca656bac564445c0882b540835 |
| SHA256SUM: | b5e65fc738900296dd70d1938d76ebb72dab19b9b722dedad445669fc77f1272 |
VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image
A list of all my Experts Exchange articles and videos can be found here – at the – CodHeadClub – To copy and paste!
http://tinyurl.com/AwesomeResourcesURL
This is an Awesome List of Computer Science, Technology, Programming and Educational resources for the benefit of all who care to use it.
The list was originally created by Closebracket.
I’ve now written over 140 articles and created 40 hours of tutorial VMware vSphere videos on vSphere 7.0 and 8.0. and today published Part 50 – VMware vSphere videos on vSphere 7.0.
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