As covered earlier at TinkerTry, patching for the branch target injection vulnerability known as Spectre-2 requires you to patch your: VCSA/vCenter (this article) ESXi server(s) Each VM operating system Each server(s) BIOS/firmware This article is an update to my recent article that has the full…
Just over 2 years ago, I enthusiastically announced: Supermicro SuperServer SYS-5028D-TN4T mini-tower now ready for business as the first Intel Xeon D-1500 in the VMware HCL (Compatibility Guide) Feb 10 2016 Then, I visited Supermicro's booth at VMworld 2016, I politely inquired why ESXi 6.5…
I recently bumped into an issue after a public demonstration of my home lab. After the successful day, I routinely replaced the VCSA appliance I had been messing around with by deleting the old one and installing a new one. I re-used the same DNS name, which for my home lab is vcsa.lab.local,…
So many Xeon D form factors There are so many form-factors for Xeon D out there, thanks to the System On a Chip design that allows for a variety of embedded and IoT centric-designs. See my recently updated: Intel Xeon D is a rather versatile platform, have a look! Xeon D home lab success…
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,…
Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article below. You'll find the newer article here: How to easily update…
Introduction This article takes a quick look at Intel's latest SSD specs, and their potential for use in a VMware virtualization home lab environment. I do not currently have a sample of the 760p for first-hand testing. The information here is based on a briefing I recently received from an Intel…
*Jan 14 2018 Update - This patch has been pulled, details here. Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article…
Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article below. You'll find the newer article here: How to easily update…
Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article below. You'll find the newer article that features an even easier…
Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article below. You'll find the newer article here: How to easily update…
click to view "What's New in v7.3" Full NAKIVO v7 install/configure demo video below is available, using my home lab's vSphere 6.5 environment! I haven't had a chance to test v7.3 yet, as it just came out today, and I haven't gotten my hands on the NFR version yet. The trial version is…
There are three recent Intel announcements that are quite interesting. The first is about 4 recent detailed technical publications, the second is about a maximum Optane capacity doubling, and the third is about a new 3D XPoint fab, in collaboration with Micron. Of most interest to me personally is…
I'm in the middle of testing this driver. Keep an eye on the process at this spot in the original article: How to download and install the Intel Xeon D 10GbE X552/X557 driver/VIB for VMware ESXi 6.x, works for X540 too Nov 02 2015 that has been updated many times since it was initially published.…
When working on my recent article, How to check that your TCP Segmentation Offload is turned on in both your VMware ESXi server and your VMs I quickly discovered that there seemed to be some shortcomings when checking the device driver versions for some network adapters, such as those that are…
Photo of my actual "Bug Hunt Winner" certificate, mailed to me back in 2014. I don't usually cover news on TinkerTry, but this time the news is big enough for home virtualization lab enthusiasts that I just had to be sure you saw this. Did you know that VMware has opened up the beta…
Disclosure: The U.2 version of the 900P 280GB was the only model available anywhere, so I purchased one to test. Intel later provided me a loaner AIC version of the 900P as well, in the 280GB capacity. There were no stipulations, I continue to candidly share my experiences. Unfortnately, things did…
Available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback. It's likely you've heard many folks rave about Frank Denneman and Niels Hagoort's VMware vSphere 6.5 Host Resources Deep Dive book (on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback). I can only imagine the amount of time and dedication it took for them to get this…
Sometimes a home lab can be kept operational for months with minimal maintenance. This month, many things happened that required more immediate attention. Maybe this month should have been called Bugtober instead of Blogtober, and it ain't even over yet! None of these took terribly long to fix, but…
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,…
List of VMware software included in EVALExperience, as of October 2017. There have been many enhancements to this invaluable $200-a-year EVALExperience program lately, including the additions of vSAN 6.6 / NSX 6.3.1 and vRealize Automation Enterprise. Don't forget that your $20 discount is still…
Important Update - On Mar 20 2018, VMware VMSA-2018-0004.3 announced that CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre-2) mitigation is now included in the latest patch that you should be using instead of the older patch featured in the original article below. You'll find the newer article that features an even easier…
This article underwent significant changes since first published, as it was quickly found to contain conclusions that were incorrect. It was based on just one very early engineering sample I obtained directly from Intel that turned out not to be a reflection of the now generally available P4800X…
If you're at all curious about how my VMworld 2017 US experience went, it just so happens I captured many of the highlights with pictures on Twitter. I made the most of every minute, my first time going as a VMware Employee. I went to as many customer events as I could, prioritizing those events…
TinkerTry - Sensible datacenter
technology in the IT Pro's home. My opinions here, not my employer's.
Paul Braren, VCP #2681 in 2005,
vExpert since 2014,
vExpert vSAN.
Veeam Vanguard 2015-2018.
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Detailed Intel Xeon D and NUC specs at TinkerTry.com/compare
Easily update VMware ESXi at TinkerTry.com/easy-update-to-latest-esxi
