Well the day is finally here, the day that I can share that I’ve successfully purchased my very own HomeLab! This has been a source of struggle for me, since I’ve always wanted a HomeLab. I entertained and researched various setups, including the Intel NUC. During my search I came across the SuperMicro E300-8D, which supports up to 128GB of RAM. For more information on the E300-8D, check out SuperMicro’s Website. It was the perfect price point and it allowed me to get the most out of my investment. It fit what I was looking for, which was a small footprint server that didn’t require much power. Additionally I wanted something quiet. While some have complained about the noise, I don’t believe it’s an issue with the stock fans, so long that it isn’t located within a sleeping area. The Server is setup in my Home Office. I also wanted to ensure I had plenty of memory so that I wouldn’t have any issues when provisioning a nested ESXi vSAN Lab.
Author: spo0587
Blog Anniversary: Two Year Blog Update
TheVirtualBoi Turns Two!
It’s hard to believe this blog is now two years old. It seems like just yesterday I was trying to determine the best blogging platform to utilize. Time has flown by, and during that time I’ve written approximately 40 blog post, including this one. I’ve learned so much during that time, and I can honestly say this blog has challenged me to continue to learn and grow. My biggest accomplishment was obtaining my AWS Solutions Architect Associate Certification.
When I review the statistics, I see that very few people read it. We life in a age of instant tidbits of information, and people aren’t going to take the time to read this unless they are trying to resolve an issue. If anything it helps hold me accountable, although I hope people can learn and find inspiration from this blog. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I plan to continue to focus on VMware, Data Protection, and AWS.
Monday Motivation: Beast Mode
Monday’s: Its often considered the worst day of the week. People HATE Monday and love Friday. Why is that? In order to find out, I think you have to dive deep into human nature.
In order to get where you want to get in life, you have to work for it. Nothing beats hard work. Often times you will have to outwork others (competition) for it. There won’t be anyone to give you all the answers or tell you how to get there. You will have to forge your own path. You have to invest in yourself, and it’s up to you to take responsibility for own life/career, no one else can do it for you. Just because you work hard doesn’t mean you get a gold star. There are just as many people you don’t know who are working just as hard, if not harder! It’s very disappointing because I’ve know several individuals who have had such potential, but let complacency set in. This results in them staying exactly where they are.
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done”- Thomas Jefferson
Comparison: vSphere Essentials vs Essentials Plus
In this short blog post, I want to discuss the differences in VMware’s entry level offerings. The other day I had to reference the VMware datasheet that compared the differences between vSphere Essentials vs vSphere Essentials Plus. Sadly I didn’t know the differences until now since I’ve always been fortunate to be spoiled with the full feature set of Enterprise and/or Enterprise Plus!
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My journey into Presales Engineering
This is a story about my journey into Presales. It’s a rather long story describing how I’ve gotten to this point in my career. The intent isn’t to gloat, but rather paint a picture for those who are also looking to get into Presales. In my opinion, Presales is the pinnacle of IT Careers. This is a rather long read, but a story I believe is worth telling. Throughout my career in IT, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing individuals, as well as great organizations who really cared for their employees. This process has been a journey to say the least.
AWS Solutions Architect Associate 2018
AWS Solutions Architect Associate 2018
“There are two kinds of individuals: Those who find a way, and those who find an excuse”
This was the motto that got me to this point when I saw the word “Congratulations” flash on the screen. I had just hit the “End Exam” button. I couldn’t believe it, I had finally passed the AWS Solutions Architect Associate Exam. While I sat in the 80 degree testing room (why put ten people in one room with 10 computers, then shut the door with no AC?) staring at the screen, I couldn’t help but be thankful. I had finally passed the test that, up until that point, struck fear in my mind. The culmination of over a years worth of preparation, many up and downs, two failed attempts and continued effort finally paid off.
How to: Configuring GPU Passthrough on a Virtual Machine
GPU Capability on a VM
Recently there’s been a lot of talk regarding Machine Learning, IoT, Big Data, AI, etc. All of these industry buzz words have been the talk of the industry. These technologies now are starting to creep into the world of Virtualization. About ten years ago, it was all about moving away from Physical to Virtual, but now the conversation is starting to shift to a new conversation, which is Virtualization of new and emerging workloads.
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Central MS VMUG – Q3 Meeting – Presented By Datrium
Today, the Central MS VMUG had its Q3 meeting. Since I am a VMUG Co-Leader I was able to help setup this meeting, which was my first. Everyone had a great time networking and learning. The food at Lou’s was great as usual!
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Day Two Recap: VMworld 2018
To catch today’s General session, check out the video below! See how VMware’s customer obsession, vSAN, NSX and AWS all work together.
Day One Recap: VMworld 2018
Wow! What an amazing day of announcements from VMworld 2018! If you didn’t already know, today was the first day of VMworld 2018, and it didn’t disappoint! Although I’ve never been to VMworld, I always follow each years event closely. With that said, I will be blogging each day to recap the major highlights and developments from the event.
TheVirtualBoi 