VMware Cloud Director, VMware Workstation 16 Pro & Fusion 12 Pro additions to VMUG Advantage are now available, along with vSphere 7.0 Update 1!

These are major new superpowers your new or existing VMUG Advantage subscription, part of the EVALExperience set of code access perks. Announced minutes ago: VMWARE CLOUD DIRECTOR, VMWARE WORKSTATION 16 PRO, AND VMWARE FUSION 12 PRO NOW AVAILABLE! Oct 08 2020 by Molly Smith at VMUG Communities …

Oct 8 2020

VMware vSphere 7.0 Update 1 is now GA, here's how to download it any which way!

TLDR - Today, vSphere 7.0 Update 1 became generally available to download, install, or upgrade, announced by VMware here. Be sure to use VUM to update your VCSA first, then update your ESXi host(s) with the preferred Lifecycle Manager. Alternatively, use ESXCLI to upgrade which doesn't require…

Oct 6 2020

Get your lab ready for VMware's VMworld 2020, VMUG Advantage is offering TinkerTry readers 15% off throughout September, refer a friend!

TLDR Short URL for this article that's easy to share with your IT friends: tinkertry.com/tinkertry15 with VMUG Advantage sign-up page here. Backstory Click to learn more or subscribe. It's been such an honor to enjoy an active readership of my various virtualization articles over these past 9+…

Sep 1 2020

Washington DC VMUG Presentation on Aug 20 2020 - TinkerTry home lab’s VMware vSphere 7.0 upgrade challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

Some silly tourist doing selfies on United States Capitol Grounds - July 12, 2019. I wanted to let folks know that I'll be presenting tomorrow, and I'm hoping folks can join us from all across the world to not just hear my experiences, but to share yours as well. In case you didn't know, Al Rasheed…

Aug 19 2020

How to workaround "Update installation failed. vCenter Server is non-operational." message during VCSA 7.0 update

This article is short and simple, hopefully helping some of the many folks that have watched either my Jun 24 2020 or Jun 25 2020 VCSA 7.0 upgrade attempt videos, using VAMI. For me, my home lab had a healthy VCSA 6.7 upgrade to VCSA 7.0 GA, performed successfully on camera on release day Apr 02…

Jul 3 2020

How to change or disable your VMware vSphere Client default inactivity timeout

Maybe you're a demo master, and you want to conquer your private lab and show it whose boss. You're sick and tired of fat-fingering that dang adminstrator@vsphere.local username then password into your vSphere Client at the most inopportune times, especially if you (wisely) didn't use your…

Jun 10 2020

VMware Cloud Foundation 4.0 is now available on VMUG Advantage EVALExperience!

Click to learn more. Well well, what do we have here? How about a full SDDC in your lab? Note I didn't say home lab, unless you have a pretty beefy configuration, read onward for details. Just when I thought I wouldn't find any more surprise wins for the VMUG Advantage team, somebody apparently…

Jun 8 2020

How to apply your VMUG Advantage EVALExperience vSphere 7 license keys to your home lab

This article and video assume you've already installed vSphere 7 in your home lab, and you are now seeking a little guidance on exactly how to go about applying your license keys during the 60 day evaluation period, without any interruption in running your (non-production) workloads. If you're…

May 6 2020

VMware vSphere 7.0 is now GA, here's how to download it right away!

TLDR - To get downloading, the main VMware download page with all the stuff to sift through is here, with guidances on what exact files to get from where detailed below! If you're more of a YouTube watcher and you want to see what the ugprades to 7.0 are like, here's the article featuring informal…

Apr 2 2020

VMUG Advantage EVALExperience is serious about home labs with a 10% discount for TinkerTry readers and now includes VCF and SRM too!

Backstory Last week, this timely twitter exchange occurred, seen at right. JD Wallace noticed that the code at VMUG Advantage isn't always quite at the very latest patch level. The kind volunteer who updates the VMUG Advantage EVALExperience growing library of huge files does so on a quarterly…

Nov 5 2019

TinkerTry IT @ home featured on Hello From My Homelab

Back at VMworld 2018 US, I was a bit bummed when I heard that there was a home lab panel featuring @sirgeekness @homelaber @DemitasseNZ @virtualhobbit and @importcarguy, at the very same time as I was scheduled to present on another stage. Well, I wasn't bummed for long, since the ever effervescent…

Sep 26 2018

How to download your VMUG Advantage EVALExperience VMware vSphere 6.7 VCSA and ESXi ISOs and 365 day license keys

If you are wondering exactly where to find your coveted, legitimate VCSA 6.7 and ESXi 6.7 ISOs VMware-VCSA-all-6.7.0-8217866.iso VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.7.0-8169922.x86_64.iso and license keys for your non-production home lab, then you've come to the right place! I've done the hardest part for…

May 4 2018

March 1st Connecticut VMUG UserCon - one lucky attendee will win a TinkerTry'd SuperServer, thanks to the VMware User Group!

March 1, 2018 - New Haven, Connecticut Don't forget to register, it's free. Don't forget to enter the raffle when you stop by my pedestal, and stick around for this very special end-of-day give-away! Connecticut VMUG UserCon was at the Connecticut Convention Center in 2016, and on March 1 2018,…

Feb 21 2018

VMUG Advantage EVALExperience includes latest VMware vRealize Log Insight 4.5 syslog server appliance for easy vSphere, vSAN, IoT, and networking gear log file analysis

Main Dashboard looks pretty cool, click the image to zoom in and have a look around. My 10GbE network has fallen to 1GbE and can't get up I was working with Netgear ProSUPPORT Services for Business Users on an issue I was having with one of my 2 Xeon D SuperServers this past summer. Specifically,…

Oct 16 2017

VMUG Advantage just added the latest vRealize Automation Enterprise to EVALExperience!

On a closely related note, see also: VMUG Advantage just added the latest NSX 6.3.1 and All Flash vSAN 6.6 bits to EVALExperience, great for vSphere home labs, just $200 a year! May 01 2017 vSphere 6.5 Update 1 No word yet on when VMUGAdvantage EVALExperience downloads will offer last week's big…

Aug 3 2017

VMUG Advantage just added the latest NSX 6.3.1 and All Flash vSAN 6.6 bits to EVALExperience, great for vSphere home labs, just $200 a year!

I've been a big fan of the EVALExperience offering from the good folks at the VMware User Group organization for years. It's just one of the many benefits of subscribing to VMUG Advantage, and is worth far more than the $200 it costs online, or $180 at your friendly neighborhood VMUG UserCon, as…

May 1 2017

My experience demoing Xeon D home lab and talking NVMe and vSAN with Supermicro at the recent NYC VMUG, thank you Ariel Sanchez, and welcome to VMware!

Trains and food La Bonne Soupe Thanks to the the extreme hospitality of NYC VMUG Leader Ariel, I was able to enjoy a wonderful dinner with a friend right in NYC, the night before last week's VMUG. Turns out that temperatures in mid 30s (Fahrenheit), coupled with 20-30 mph sustained winds makes…

Mar 29 2017

Public Speaking Schedule

Jump directly to 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2016, I spoke publicly 15 different times! TinkerTravels 2016 - More than a dozen technical demonstrations at a variety of user groups and conferences Before now, there was never a super easy way to find this information, at any…

Feb 14 2017

Another great Connecticut VMUG UserCon yesterday, with VMUG member presentation "The Ultimate Home Lab"

Yesterday was a blast for me, meeting so many IT Professionals who are also my neighbors. I even had a chance to get to catch up with these two inspiring key-noters: Gurusimran Khalsa, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at VMware, and blogger vbrowncoat.com, who I had briefly met before at The…

Mar 2 2016

My experience at the Boston VMUG USERCON Dec 8 2015, amazing speakers and 12 home lab giveaways!

Thanks to the VMUG organization, I was invited to join a dinner the night before the Boston VMUG with a whole bunch of folks just this once, including VMUG leader/powerhouse Steve Athanas. Boy does he know how to put on a show! I'm very grateful for this chance to hang out with the people that made…

Dec 9 2015

My first Providence VMUG, Nov 19 2015

The right half-of the room, note the many laptops for the Hands On Lab vSAN lab. I live half way between Boston and New York, about 2 hours to either, in central Connecticut, near Hartford. Been to VMUGs in all 3 cities, but somehow, never to the VMUG near Providence RI, only 1.5 hours of rural…

Nov 20 2015

My experience at the Boston VMUG USERCON June 18 2015

Many folks in the New England / New York City area have met me these past few years, as I enjoy learning new things at various user groups for IT Professionals. I missed last year's Boston VMUG, but 2015 was bigger than what I recall from 2013, with many home lab give-aways and some friendly…

Jun 19 2015

TinkerTry at Connecticut VMUG USERCON doing a live virtualization lab demo

[pictures of the event now available below] It's an honor to have been invited to present at the Connecticut VMUG UserCon on May 21, 2015. What's extra nifty here is that participating at the demo zone at this UserCon also turned into an offer to record a 14 minute video that will soon be appearing…

May 20 2015

Think of VMUG USERCON as a VMUG meeting on steroids

A user group with hands-on demonstrations and exhibits, along with in-depth technical sessions. Sounds good to me! When I take the time, and expense, to travel, I tend to be much more fond of seeing techies actually do stuff when I arrive, rather than salesy slide deck presentations. See also: Top …

Jan 22 2015