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.
In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I will show you HOW TO: Create, Configure and Deploy VMware vSphere vCenter Server 7.0 High Availability (VCHA).
VMware vCenter Server High Availability (HA) protects vCenter Server against host and hardware failures. The active-passive architecture of the solution can also help you reduce downtime significantly when you patch vCenter Server. It is included as a free function within vCenter Server, no additional licensing is required for the additional Passive and Witness nodes.
vCenter Server HA does require an isolated “cluster heartbeat network”, as demonstrated in this video
In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I explore two inexpensive 10Gbe network interfaces suitable for the #homelab for use with VMware vSphere vSAN.
In this video, I will show you how to perform a Physical to Virtual conversion of a Windows XP physical workstation computer to VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0) using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1 Build 8466193 not the latest bug fixed version VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.3 Build 20575345 from VMware.
I discuss the 0-day security issues found in VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1 Build 8466193 which was the reason VMware “pulled” the download from their website on the 2 February 2022.
We have removed vCenter Converter from the list of VMware product downloads. This is a precautionary measure to protect our customers from using legacy technology that does not comply with VMware’s high standards for security and stability. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Offering unsupported products based on legacy technology presents potential security and reliability risks to our customers. The last release of vCenter Converter occurred in May 2018, and its support officially ended in December 2019. While we understand some customers may want to use this tool, the risks reached a level where we had no choice but to remove it from the download site.
One of our top goals is to maintain the safety and stability of our customers’ workloads. As part of a technology’s evolution, we must consider the technical standards the customers must comply with. When a straightforward update cannot meet compliance requirements, the product needs to undergo a thorough rebuild. This is the case with vCenter Converter, whose functionality will be migrated to a modern platform based on a reliable technology stack.
Work on a renewed version of vCenter Converter is already in progress. Although we cannot commit to any specific timelines for its release, the updated tool will meet our high standards for security and stability, providing enhanced functionality and supporting the latest technologies available in vSphere virtual machines.
On the 11th October 2022 VMware released VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.3 Build 20575345, which has the security issue fixed.
I also demonstrate that VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.3 Build 20575345 seems to have an issue installing on a Windows XP Service Pack 3 computer unlike VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1 Build . VMware does not support the installation of VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.3 Build 20575345 on legacy operating systems, that are no longer supported by the vendor.
You will have to assess the risk of using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1 Build 8466193 in your organisation, or use a different third party tool to create physical to virtual conversions.
The operating system used in this demonstration is Windows XP Professional, but the same procedure can be used for any Windows operating system.
This 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.
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
I’m excited to announce that my entire Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO: VMware vSphere 7.0 series is now fully uploaded on YouTube! After much effort, the back catalog is finally available, offering nearly 22 hours of in-depth VMware vSphere 7.0 content.
With a total playlist duration of 21 hours, 58 minutes, and 21 seconds, this series is designed to help you dive deep into VMware vSphere 7.0, from foundational concepts to advanced techniques. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your existing skills, this series has something for everyone.
What to Expect:
Concise Sessions: Each video is around 30 minutes long, perfect for those who want quick, focused learning sessions.
Comprehensive Coverage: From installation and configuration to troubleshooting and advanced tips, the series covers the full spectrum of VMware vSphere 7.0 functionality.
Step-by-Step Demos: Many episodes include live demonstrations, making it easy to follow along and implement what you learn.
Why I Created This Series:
VMware vSphere is a robust platform, but mastering it can be a challenge. That’s why I set out to create bite-sized, easily digestible content that fits into a busy schedule. Each episode builds upon the last, so by the end, you’ll have a thorough understanding of VMware vSphere 7.0.
How to Access the Playlist:
The full playlist is available on my YouTube channel. Whether you want to binge-watch or pick a topic that interests you, it’s all at your fingertips. Feel free to share your thoughts, ask questions, or request new topics in the comments section of each video.
Head over to YouTube, grab a coffee, and start learning!
Stay tuned for more exciting content, and thank you to everyone who has supported the channel along the way!
In this video, I will show you how to HOW TO: Cross vCenter Server vMotion (export) between standalone vCenter Servers 7.0 not linked to the current SSO domain. I will show you how to troubleshoot and check using simple bash tools ping and vmkping, that it will be possible to perform a Storage vMotion. I will touch briefly on Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC), and migrate and demonstrate live a Storage vMotion between different generation processors, and create an EVC baseline per VM, and end with a Migration (cold).
The syntax I’m using in this video to test network communications between VMkernel portgroups
In this video, I will show you how to perform a Virtual to Virtual conversion of a Windows virtual machine to VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0) using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1, and in the same conversion process shrink and reduce the size of the virtual disk.
In this video, I will show you how to perform a Physical to Virtual conversion of a Windows computer to VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0) using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1.
The operating system used in this demonstration is Windows XP Professional, but the same procedure can be used for any Windows operating system.
In this video we will show you HOW TO: Backup (Export) and Restore (Import) virtual machines to VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 for FREE. This procedure can be followed to backup (export) and restore (import) any virtual machine hosted on the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 host server.