Posts Tagged ‘VMware tutorial’

Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Run ESXi 9.0.0? Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 11 Ultimate #homelab

Saturday, August 9th, 2025

 

Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Run ESXi 9.0.0? Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 11 Ultimate #homelab

Can the Minisforum MS-A2 handle VMware’s latest ESXi 9.0.0?

In Part 11 of the Ultimate #homelab series, we put the MS-A2 to the test with the brand-new VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 9.0. From BIOS boot to creating a demo virtual machine, you’ll see the entire installation process and whether this mini PC can run the latest VMware tech.

What’s Inside This Video:

Installing ESXi 9.0.0 on the Minisforum MS-A2

BIOS boot & USB installer setup

First boot and installation walkthrough

Testing NVMe devices & enabling NVMe Memory Tiering

Creating and running a demo virtual machine

Connecting with the HTML Web Client and checking performance

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your homelab to vSphere 9.0, this is your step-by-step look at how it runs on a small but powerful platform.

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Posted in All, computing, ExpertsExchange, Hancock's VMware Half Hour, vExpert, Virtualisation, Virtualization, VMware | Comments Off on Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Run ESXi 9.0.0? Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 11 Ultimate #homelab

Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Run ESXi 8.0.3g ? Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 10 Ultimate #homelab

Saturday, August 9th, 2025

 

Can the powerful Minisforum MS-A2 run VMware vSphere 8.0?
In Part 10 of the Ultimate #homelab series, we put this compact beast to the test by installing VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 8.0.3g and seeing how it performs. From BIOS setup to creating a demo virtual machine, this episode covers the full journey.

What’s Inside This Video:

Installing ESXi 8.0.3g on the Minisforum MS-A2

BIOS configuration & USB boot with Ventoy

Full ESXi setup walkthrough

Creating & running a test VM

Enabling NVMe Memory Tiering with NVMe namespaces

Checking performance and confirming a successful install

If you’ve been wondering whether the MS-A2 can handle serious VMware workloads in a home lab, this is the episode to watch!

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Posted in All, computing, ExpertsExchange, Hancock's VMware Half Hour, vExpert, Virtualisation, Virtualization, VMware | Comments Off on Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Run ESXi 8.0.3g ? Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 10 Ultimate #homelab

HOW TO: Create an Offline Depot with a Python script | VCF 9.0 Component Deployment Guide

Monday, August 4th, 2025

 

In this episode of Hancock’s VMware Half Hour, we walk through creating an Offline Depot using a Python script to support VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0 deployments in air-gapped or isolated environments. We begin with a brief update on the VCF Installer, remove previously downloaded components, and disconnect our offline repository from a Synology NAS. Then we dive into the technical steps—running a Python script on Ubuntu using the http_server_auth.py script from GitHub, mounting an NFS export, verifying FQDN configuration, and checking access to the depot via a web browser. Finally, we show how to configure the VCF Installer to use this offline depot, perform downloads directly to the installer, and verify SSH shell activity to ensure everything is working correctly. This practical guide is ideal for anyone managing VCF in restricted environments or those who need a secure and reusable local depot setup.

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Posted in All, computing, ExpertsExchange, Hancock's VMware Half Hour, homelab, vExpert, Virtualisation, Virtualization, VMware | Comments Off on HOW TO: Create an Offline Depot with a Python script | VCF 9.0 Component Deployment Guide