TinkerTry Virtualization Feed

VMware vSphere 8 is now GA (General Availability), here's how to download it any which way!

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:59:00 +0000

This article has replaced my previous IA article, now that the same exact IA bits to download have been deemed worthy of the GA designation, as VMware proudly announced that vSphere 8 is now GA on Nov 8 2022, updating the same release notes accordingly.

Advertising Disclosure - This VMware ad earns the vExpert author a commission when used for purchases at vmware.com, a free way to demonstrate that you value his decade+ of technical content creation.

To get started with your lab testing, jump to the appropriate download section:

TinkerTry YouTube Channel - Oct 16 2022 - Successfully upgrading my lab from VMware vSphere VCSA 7.0U3g to 8.0.0

Are these 2 files what you're looking for?

As of Nov 19, the 8.0 bits are available here at vmware.com and a the vExpert site, but I"m only finding the ESXi 8 bits at the VMUG Advantage EVALExperience site, still seeking where to find those elusive VCSA bits.

VMware vSphere 8.0 general availability was announced on Oct. 11 2022:

Announcing: vSphere 8 Initial Availability:

We are excited to announce the initial availability of vSphere 8, now available for download. This is a production quality major release with massive improvements that bring the benefits of cloud to on-premises workloads, supercharge performance through DPUs and GPUs, and accelerate innovation with an enterprise-ready integrated Kubernetes runtime. Read more on the new release model for vSphere releases going forward.

My testing of vSphere 8 has just begun, meanwhile, you'll want to read VMware's recently updated and popular-for-a-reason SD card/USB boot device revised guidance (85685), Windows 11 Support on vSphere, and New Release Model for vSphere 8:

We want to encourage adoption of new vSphere releases with confidence, so we’re updating our release designations to indicate both the production level release quality and to reflect successful customer adoption. We’re moving to a new IA/GA (Initial Availability/General Availability) model to ensure our customers have all the information and lead time they need for successfully adopting and consuming the new releases.

You can follow me on Twitter, follow my TinkerTry Articles about Virtualization RSS feed, and/or subscribe to my weekly newsletter to be get notified of further articles and updates about vSphere 8 and more.

The new Express Storage Architecture (ESA) is of great interest to me, eliminating the need for multiple tiers of storage, with all typically NVMe devices serving in both a caching and capacity role. But running a fully supported vSAN Express Storage Architecture fulltime in a home lab is likely to be a bit pricy, and noisy, we'll see. Hopefully the new Dell PowerEdge XR4000 with an integrated vSAN witness proves me wrong!

Screenshot of VMware KB 2143832 on Oct 12 2022, click/tap to view the full article.

You should read about VMware's changing stance on using USB or SD for the ESXi hypervisor. I'm working on ways to buy myself some time and test some SATADOM, prepping for the eventual arrival of vSphere 8 which marks when VMware will no longer support USB & SD as boot devices for your ESXi install.

Sequence

As always, be sure to update your VCSA first, here's my lab testing of that procedure using VAMI. Next, update your ESXi host(s) with the preferred Lifecycle Manager. Alternatively, use ESXCLI to upgrade which doesn't require VCSA, downloads and installs with one command, and doesn't require my.vmware.com credentials or software trials, or VCSA.

Prerequisites

Folks new to VMware sometimes get tripped up when trying to find the actual files they'll need to get started. Note that the fresh install full downloads do require you to use your MY VMware account, with free sign-up and 60 day trials, with information about potentially avoiding all that for existing vSphere 8.0 non-production labs here.

If you are new to 8.x, you'll likely need new license keys and some preparation. I believe that if you have a vSphere 7.x license keys in your lab that are working now, after the upgrade to 8.0, you may be starting a 60 day trial, during which time you'll want to apply your license keys from any one of the 4 options listed below. I'm working on verifying this, as I purchased a full license of VMware vCenter Server 7 Essentials, since I also run production workloads in my home lab which is really more of a single-node, ultra efficient, and fast Xeon D-1500 based home datacenter.

As always, you must do your homework including checking whether your VM backup solution supports vSphere 8, with a little info from Veeam here. Likely that will take at least a month or more. Check with your backup vendor to be sure. As always, the focus of my articles is home or work lab testing, typically considered non-production environments.

Release Notes

Before you begin any upgrades, you really need to review:

VMware vSphere 8.0 Release Notes

Note, breaking with past traditions, there currently doesn't appear to be separate release notes for ESXi 8.0 Hypervisor.

Warning
Note, when 7.0 came out, folks noticed significant changes about the filesystem layout, and note there were warnings about using boot media that's less than 32GB in size:

ESXi Hardware Requirements

Good thing the bootable media included with SuperServer Bundles since 2016 have been 32GB in sze. That said, it's best for fresh installs to go with SATADOM or a SATA SSD for ESXi hypervisor installs these days, see reasons here.

You will find all kinds of details in these articles, including dependencies and warnings.

So if you're going forward with lab testing this anyway, but you don't have a VMware support, then you absolutely must back up everything first!

License keys for vSphere 8 are another topic for another day, but one place that you can get 365 days of them for nearly every product VMware makes is the VMUG Advantage EVALExperience program, using TINKERTRY to get $20 off your $200 purchase. Absolutely worth every penny!

Download

Note, VCSA 6.7 was 3.41 GB, 7.0 was 6.42 GB, 7.0 Update 3 was 8.86 GB, and 8.0 is 7.94 GB. There's a lot of increased functionality, and keeping perspective here, this is a heckuva lot smaller than installing Windows Server and SQL Server used to be. VCSA is now a Photon OS based slim Linux variant that only includes the code that's actually needed.

To get started with your lab testing, jump to the appropriate download section:

at my.vmware.com and haven't requested a trial in the last 60 days, the 2 links below should work, but won't give you access to license keys that are purchased separately at the VMware Store where you'll find that the VMware Essentials Kit is the most cost-effective option, unless you are eligible for the Academic Price. Per incident support is purchased separately, most helpful for VMware software issues on VMware HCL supported hardware, such as a Bundle.

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 8.0.0

Release Notes
7.94 GB
Name: VMware-VCSA-all-8.0.0-20519528.iso
Release Date: 2022-10-11
Build Number: 20519528

VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image 8.0.0

Release Notes
619.13 MB
Name: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0-20513097.x86_64.iso
Release Date: 2022-10-11
Build Number: 20513097

Licenses

Within 60 days, you'll want to apply your new vSphere 8 licenses from here:
customerconnect.vmware.com/license-management

Troubleshooting Access

If you get a sad-trombone moment and are faced with an issue with accessing the downloads such as
Your evaluation has expired
Consider requesting a new vSphere 8 trial here:
customerconnect.vmware.com/en/evalcenter?p=vsphere-eval-8

See also alternative solutions I wrote up that may still work My VMware's "You either are not entitled or do not have permissions to download this product." error, and what to do about it., and this newer trick that may help.

2. If you're currently a vExpert

Log in to the download page at:
vexpert.vmware.com/my/downloads
then search for 20519528 at top right to find all new vSphere 8 related VCSA and ESXi downloads, or just search for each of these file names below:
The VCSA 8 appliance download you'll want is
VMware-VCSA-all-8.0.0-20519528.iso.gz
but Windows users will also need something like 7-zip to extract the iso from the fully-downloaded gz file.
Type "20519528" in the search box at top right
If you search for 20513097 The generic (non Dell or HP) ESXi download you'll likely want for most home labs is called
VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0-20513097.x86_64.iso.gz
Type "20513097" in the search box at top right
Only if you have a Dell PowerEdge Server, search for 20513097 then download
'VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0.0-20513097.x86_64-Dell_Customized-A00.iso.gz'

Licenses

~~Within 60 days, you'll want to apply your new vSphere 7 licenses from here:~~
~~vexpert.vmware.com/my/licenses~~

On October 17th, vexperts received an email entitled "[vExpert-announce] vExpert License Keys":

Hello vExperts, the license keys for the following are now available (please see instructions below):
• VMware vCenter Server 8 Standard for vSphere 8 (Per Instance)
• VMware vSAN 8 Enterprise
• VMware vSphere 8 Enterprise Plus

Going forward, new licenses will appear in your VMware Customer Connect account. The email address in your vExpert profile is the email address we are granting licenses to via Customer Connect.

To see your licenses go to https://customerconnect.vmware.com/eval > sign in > Click on Custom Evaluations and you will find the three licenses mentioned above.

Thanks,

Corey Romero

and on Oct 31 2022:

We have loaded the following additional licenses in the Customer Connect portal at https://customerconnect.vmware.com/eval

• vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 8.0.0 Enterprise
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0.0

Thanks,

Corey Romero

3. If you're currently a VMUG Advantage EVALExperience subscriber

As of November 18 2022, downloads of vSphere 8 are finally available at the EVALExperience site! I've updated this section accordingly.

EVALExperience is just one of many benefits to the VMUG Advantage program, click the image to read about many others.

This is the VMUG Advantage download site for existing members, and here is the sign-up site, taking roughly one business day to process your payment and give you access to the downloads. Sorry weekend impulse tinkerers, next time, place your order on Thursday morning, OK?

As of October 19 2021, the EVALExperience VCSA and ESXi 7.0 Update 3 bits are not available for download using the direct link below. I've recorded this video of the ordering and downloading process on Apr 7 2020. As 8.0 arrived on VMUG Advantage, the process was still quite similar.

STEP 0 - Become a member, or renew your membership if it expired

Mine had expired, so I renewed by clicking on UPGRADE TO ADVANTAGE. I'm told it usually takes one business day to process the order.

STEP 1 - Add to Cart

When prompted, just log-in, Add to Cart, disable any ad blockers for this page, then begin your download!

VMware vCenter Server 8
This one item added to your shopping cart, place your order, and you'll see the exactly the 2 downloads you need!

STEP 2 - Check out

STEP 3 - Agree to the EULA

STEP 4 - Fill out SURVEY questions

Fill out answers to some basic product survey questions, takes about a minute.

STEP 5 - Verify Contact Information

STEP 6 - Click NEXT to order

Your existing membership is your only cost, there is no additional cost for downloading any of the code you find in your portal. You'll now see a confirmation screen with the 2 license keys that you'll need to use in your lab once your installation is completed during the 60 day trial.

You can copy your serial numbers from here to a secure repository for use later, then click the Download button.

STEP 7 - Click on DOWNLOAD or VIEW at the bottom

Be sure ad blocker(s) are disabled for this url, or your download won't start.

As of Nov 19 2022, 8.0 is available, here's the 2 files:

VMware vCenter Server 8.0
VMware vCenter Server 8

File: VMware-VCSA-all-8.0.0-20519528.iso
size: 7 GB

VMware vSphere 8 (ESXi)
File: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0-20513097.x86_64.iso
Size: 619 MB

License Keys and Downloads retrieval

STEP 8 - Retrieve (then apply) those 2 license keys

Order history.

Keys were provided in STEP 6 above, but they can easily be retrieved any time by going in to your VMUG Advantage Order History, then clicking on the View Details button.

You should see your VCSA keys there, but if you don't also see keys for your ESXi 8 there, no worries, just head on over here and do the same check-out process and get your ESXi keys. There's no need to re-download the same file you downloaded in Step 7 above.

License keys and a button to re-download.

You are entitled to apply this vSphere license to 2 instances of VCSA. You are entitled to apply the ESXi license to 16 CPUs.

How to download your vSphere 7 [VCSA/ESXi] files and license keys from VMUG Advantage EVALExperience

4. If you're seeking the Free Hypervisor Download and License

customerconnect.vmware.com/en/evalcenter?p=vsphere-eval-8

Here's an excellent, still relevant article walking you right through all the steps, with all the old 7.0 URLs automatically redirecting you to 8.0:

virten.net/2020/04/free-esxi-7-0-how-to-download-and-get-license-keys

Not having access to VMware vSphere's best features that vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) enables are pretty severe restrictions these days, here's a good article Nakivo wrote about the limitations in Free VMware ESXi 6.7. I know some just have one system, or multiple systems they're cool with managing via the ESXi Host Client.

What I have little sympathy for are folks trying to get away with using this free version for a production environment. I actually talked to a bank once who was doing exactly that. Sigh.

Thoughts & Plans

Xeon D-1500 series and Xeon D-2100 series testing.

I have been having good luck testing vSphere 8 since October on my Xeon D-1500 8 core SuperServer Bundle.

I am still possibly considering re-doing my popular How to build your awesome virtualization home lab with VMware vSphere 6.0 (ESXi & VCSA), especially now that I've uses my insanely fast and affordable Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4 for years, doing forward and reverse lookup and FQDN that VCSA loves, with lovely names instead of ugly IPs for everything, and no certificate errors. This router also avoids that clumsy hosts-file-editing stuff and kludgey router domain name hoops I resorted to jumping through last time around. Setting expectations properly, I need to disclose that finding the time and the support to undertake such a large effort is going to be a challenge. A lot has changed in vSphere in the 7.5 years since I created that video, and during that same time I've changed day jobs roles 5 times at 3 companies too. If you have a keen interest in seeing such a step-by-step networking and vSphere deployment walk through, please:

consider a Patreon membership
drop a comment below to indicate interest, no login required
include @paulbraren in a tweet

Upgrades

I'm also working on my usual "How to easily update" set of VCSA and ESXi articles.

Video

Step-by-step video showing me upgrading my SYS-5028D-TN4T Bundle based on the Xeon D-1541, going from 6.7U3 to 7.0 in my home lab.

How to update any 6.x VMware ESXi Hypervisor to 7.0 using ESXCLI for easy download and install

USB Image Tool for Windows easily backs up and restores complete VMware ESXi installed on USB or SD

Oct 14 2022 Update

Title changed, from/to:

VMware vSphere 8 is now GA, here's how to download it any which way!
VMware vSphere 8 is now IA (Initial Availability), here's how to download it any which way!

Thank you Stephen Foskett, for politely pointing out that my original title needed tweaking.

Oct 16 2022 Update

I tried using the ESXCLI method to upgrade my ESXi 7.0U3 host to 8.0, but sadly, I get this unexpected error:

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0.0-20513097-standard -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml --no-hardware-warning
 [VibDownloadError]
 Unable to download from any URLs: ('https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/esx/vmw/vib20/rd1173-esxio/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib', '/var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed/esxioCachedVibs/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib', '')
        url = https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/esx/vmw/vib20/rd1173-esxio/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib
  localfile = /var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed/esxioCachedVibs/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib
 Please refer to the log file for more details.

While it seems to find the repo just fine, something goes sideways after that, I'm just not sure what quite yet. I'll likely try again tomorrow...

VMware vSphere 8 is now IA (Initial Availability), here's how to download it any which way!

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:11:00 +0000

This article has been replaced with this one, now that the same exact IA bits to download have been deemed worthy of the GA designation, as VMware proudly announced that vSphere 8 is now GA on Nov 8 2022 and updated the release notes.

To get started with your lab testing, jump to the appropriate download section:

TinkerTry YouTube Channel - Oct 16 2022 - Successfully upgrading my lab from VMware vSphere VCSA 7.0U3g to 8.0.0

Are these 2 files what you're looking for?

As of Oct 12 2022, less than 24 hours after 8.0 became available for download, neither vExpert nor VMUG Advantage EVALExperience sites have the 8.0 bits quite yet, they're only here at vmware.com for now. Once the other two sources are available for download, the article below will be updated accordingly.

VMware vSphere 8.0 general availability was announced on Oct. 11 2022:

Announcing: vSphere 8 Initial Availability:

We are excited to announce the initial availability of vSphere 8, now available for download. This is a production quality major release with massive improvements that bring the benefits of cloud to on-premises workloads, supercharge performance through DPUs and GPUs, and accelerate innovation with an enterprise-ready integrated Kubernetes runtime. Read more on the new release model for vSphere releases going forward.

We want to encourage adoption of new vSphere releases with confidence, so we’re updating our release designations to indicate both the production level release quality and to reflect successful customer adoption. We’re moving to a new IA/GA (Initial Availability/General Availability) model to ensure our customers have all the information and lead time they need for successfully adopting and consuming the new releases.

Screenshot of VMware KB 2143832 on Oct 12 2022, click/tap to view the full article.

Sequence

Prerequisites

Release Notes

Before you begin any upgrades, you really need to review:

VMware vSphere 8.0 Release Notes

Note, breaking with past traditions, there currently doesn't appear to be separate release notes for ESXi 8.0 Hypervisor.

Warning
Note, when 7.0 came out, folks noticed significant changes about the filesystem layout, and note there were warnings about using boot media that's less than 32GB in size:

ESXi Hardware Requirements

You will find all kinds of details in these articles, including dependencies and warnings.

So if you're going forward with lab testing this anyway, but you don't have a VMware support, then you absolutely must back up everything first!

Download

To get started with your lab testing, jump to the appropriate download section:

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 8.0.0

Release Notes
7.94 GB
Name: VMware-VCSA-all-8.0.0-20519528.iso
Release Date: 2022-10-11
Build Number: 20519528

VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image 8.0.0

Release Notes
619.13 MB
Name: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0-20513097.x86_64.iso
Release Date: 2022-10-11
Build Number: 20513097

Licenses

Within 60 days, you'll want to apply your new vSphere 8 licenses from here:
customerconnect.vmware.com/license-management

Troubleshooting Access

2. If you're currently a vExpert

As of Oct 12 2022, downloads of vSphere 8 weren't available at the EVALExperience site.
The section as it originally appeared below in my vSphere 7 download articles has been tweaked, should the vexpert portal decide to also offer the vSphere 8 downloads again, these are my best guesses at how it will work.

Log in to the download page at:
vexpert.vmware.com/my/downloads
then search for 20519528 at top right to find all new vSphere 8 related VCSA and ESXi downloads, or just search for each of these file names below:
The VCSA 8 appliance download you'll want is likely going to be something like
VMware-VCSA-all-8.0.0-20519528.iso.gz
but Windows users will also need something like 7-zip to extract the iso from the fully-downloaded gz file.
Type "20519528" in the search box at top right
If you search for 19193900 The generic (non Dell or HP) ESXi download you'll likely want for most home labs is called
VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0-20519528.x86_64.iso.gz
Type "20519528" in the search box at top right

Licenses

~~Within 60 days, you'll want to apply your new vSphere 7 licenses from here:~~
~~vexpert.vmware.com/my/licenses~~

On October 17th, vexperts received an email entitled "[vExpert-announce] vExpert License Keys":

Hello vExperts, the license keys for the following are now available (please see instructions below):
• VMware vCenter Server 8 Standard for vSphere 8 (Per Instance)
• VMware vSAN 8 Enterprise
• VMware vSphere 8 Enterprise Plus

Going forward, new licenses will appear in your VMware Customer Connect account. The email address in your vExpert profile is the email address we are granting licenses to via Customer Connect.

To see your licenses go to https://customerconnect.vmware.com/eval > sign in > Click on Custom Evaluations and you will find the three licenses mentioned above.

Thanks,

Corey Romero

and on Oct 31 2022:

We have loaded the following additional licenses in the Customer Connect portal at https://customerconnect.vmware.com/eval

• vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 8.0.0 Enterprise
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0.0

Thanks,

Corey Romero

3. If you're currently a VMUG Advantage EVALExperience subscriber

As of Oct 12 2022, downloads of vSphere 8 aren't yet available at the EVALExperience site, so the section below is mostly as it appeared for vSphere 7.0 Update 3, with the exception of updated filenames.

EVALExperience is just one of many benefits to the VMUG Advantage program, click the image to read about many others.

As of October 19 2021, the EVALExperience VCSA and ESXi 7.0 Update 3 bits are not available for download using the direct link below. I've recorded this video of the ordering and downloading process on Apr 7 2020. Once 8.0 arrives on VMUG Advantage, the process will likely be quite similar.

STEP 0 - Become a member, or renew your membership if it expired

Mine had expired, so I renewed by clicking on UPGRADE TO ADVANTAGE. I'm told it usually takes one business day to process the order.

STEP 1 - Add to Cart

When prompted, just log-in, Add to Cart, disable any ad blockers for this page, then begin your download!

VMware vCenter Server 7
This one item added to your shopping cart, place your order, and you'll see the exactly the 2 downloads you need!

STEP 2 - Check out

STEP 3 - Agree to the EULA

STEP 4 - Fill out SURVEY questions

Fill out answers to some basic product survey questions, takes about a minute

STEP 5 - Click NEXT to order

You can copy your serial numbers from here to a secure repository for use later, then click the Download button.

STEP 6 - Click on DOWNLOAD or VIEW at the bottom

Be sure ad blocker(s) are disabled for this url, or your download won't start.

As of Mar 11 2022, 7.0U3c (7 Update 3c) is available, here's the 2 files:

VMware vCenter Server 8.0

File: VMware-VCSA-all-8.0.0-20519528.iso

Size: 7.94 GB

VMware vSphere Hypervisor [ESXi]

File: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0-20513097.x86_64.iso
Size: 619 MB

License Keys and Downloads retrieval

Order history.

Keys were provided in STEP 5 above, but they can easily be retrieved any time by going in to your VMUG Advantage Order History, then clicking on the View Details button.

License keys and a button to re-download at a later date.

How to download your vSphere 7 [VCSA/ESXi] files and license keys from VMUG Advantage EVALExperience

4. If you're seeking the Free Hypervisor Download and License

customerconnect.vmware.com/en/evalcenter?p=vsphere-eval-8

Here's an excellent, still relevant article walking you right through all the steps, with all the old 7.0 URLs automatically redirecting you to 8.0:

virten.net/2020/04/free-esxi-7-0-how-to-download-and-get-license-keys

What I have little sympathy for are folks trying to get away with using this free version for a production environment. I actually talked to a bank once who was doing exactly that. Sigh.

Thoughts & Plans

Xeon D-1500 series and Xeon D-2100 series testing.

I plan to do a thorough test on my Xeon D-1500 8 core SuperServer Bundle.

I am still considering re-doing my popular How to build your awesome virtualization home lab with VMware vSphere 6.0 (ESXi & VCSA), especially now that I've found an insanely fast and affordable Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite that does the forward and reverse lookup and FQDN that VCSA loves, with lovely names instead of ugly IPs for everything, and no certificate errors. This router also avoids that clumsy hosts-file-editing stuff and kludgey router domain name hoops I resorted to jumping through last time around. Setting expectations properly, I need to disclose that finding the time and the support to undertake such a large effort is going to be a challenge. A lot has changed in vSphere in the 7 years since I created that video, and during that same time I've changed day jobs roles 5 times at 3 companies too. If you have a keen interest in seeing such a step-by-step networking and vSphere deployment walk through, please:

consider a Patreon membership
drop a comment below to indicate interest, no login required
include @paulbraren in a tweet

Upgrades

I'm also working on my usual "How to easily update" set of VCSA and ESXi articles.

Video

Step-by-step video showing me upgrading my SYS-5028D-TN4T Bundle based on the Xeon D-1541, going from 6.7U3 to 7.0 in my home lab.

How to update any 6.x VMware ESXi Hypervisor to 7.0 using ESXCLI for easy download and install

USB Image Tool for Windows easily backs up and restores complete VMware ESXi installed on USB or SD

Oct 14 2022 Update

Title changed, from/to:

VMware vSphere 8 is now GA, here's how to download it any which way!
VMware vSphere 8 is now IA (Initial Availability), here's how to download it any which way!

Thank you Stephen Foskett, for politely pointing out that my original title needed tweaking.

Oct 16 2022 Update

I tried using the ESXCLI method to upgrade my ESXi 7.0U3 host to 8.0, but sadly, I get this unexpected error:

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0.0-20513097-standard -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml --no-hardware-warning
 [VibDownloadError]
 Unable to download from any URLs: ('https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/esx/vmw/vib20/rd1173-esxio/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib', '/var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed/esxioCachedVibs/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib', '')
        url = https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/esx/vmw/vib20/rd1173-esxio/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib
  localfile = /var/vmware/lifecycle/hostSeed/esxioCachedVibs/VMW_bootbank_rd1173-esxio_0.1-1vmw.800.1.0.20513097.vib
 Please refer to the log file for more details.

While it seems to find the repo just fine, something goes sideways after that, I'm just not sure what quite yet. I'll likely try again tomorrow...

TinkerTry'd Synology DiskStation DS1522+ NAS featuring AMD Ryzen, 10GbE, 5 8TB HDDs and 2 NVMe SSDs!

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:55:00 +0000

Earlier this summer, Synology reached out to me to discuss the possibly of turning in some long term evaluation NAS equipment in return for some hands-on time with the very new Synology 1522+ featuring AMD Ryzen and ECC memory capability. Naturally, I said yes, especially since they were offering this evaluation unit to arrive near it's June 29th product launch! Be sure to also have a look at this little 5 bay NAS's product page at Synology DiskStation DS1522+:

Image from DS1522+ Datasheet.

Flexible data management for homes and small business
The 5-bay Synology DiskStation DS1522+ is easy to scale and expand as your needs change, with optional support for up to 15 drives, 10GbE networking, and NVMe SSD caching. Powered by Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM), it offers a flexible all-in-one solution for data sharing, synchronization, backup, and surveillance.

Another reason I jumped at the chance was that Synology was no longer as supply chain constrained, so thankfully this time around they were able to equip my 5 bays with matching 8TB Synology HDDs. But wait, there's more, they also sent me these very tantalizing tool-free-installation add-ons:

Qty 1 E10G22-T1-Mini Network Upgrade Module
- 10GbE RJ-45 network upgrade module for compact Synology servers
- Integrate easily with support for 10/5/2.5/1 Gbps networks
Qty 2 M.2 NVMe SSD SNV3000 Series
- I/O performance boost

VMware, VMUGs, and vExperts

I run VMware vSphere 24x7 in my compact and efficient home datacenter. Having shared NAS storage across the cluster storage for VM backups is blessing for any vSphere home datacenter like mine, and is especially handy for testing iSCSI and/or NFS too. I also really needed more Windows compatible network shares for my growing 4K video production for growing my YouTube Channel.

Synology has been known to sponsor NAS giveaways at many VMUG (VMware User Groups), and it's a good move given the IT Professional audience who could always use a bit of extra resilience and protection in their labs.

The common use of Synology in vSphere environments is also pretty evident in the many posts about Synology over on blogs.vmware.com, and many of those smare authors are also proud members of the VMware vExpert Community.

Disclosure - While these items were provided at no charge to TinkerTry.com, LLC, there were no stipulations about what I could write or record video about, other than to share my experience with the DS 1522+, and those 5 HAT5300-8T drives. This is not a sponsored post, nor is the video. No preview of this article or video were provided to Synology in advance of publication. TinkerTry.com, LLC may earn a modest commission from readers who use the shopping links below.

As a backup appliance

Did you know that NAKIVO Backup and Replication can be installed directly on many NASs including most of Synology’s models? This new DS1522+ is one of the many NASs listed as compatible by Synology here. Awesome!

Synology Active Backup Suite

Having backup software installed directly on the NAS can make a lot of sense for small businesses or home lab enthusiast who wants to separate their backup storage from their compute cluster. This allows for easy recovery from host/server disasters, since the backup server is running on the NAS itself, not on a VM that has went offline.

See also Synology Active Backup Suite, which I have not yet had a chance to test:

Active Backup centralizes backup tasks for VMware, Hyper-V, Windows endpoints, Microsoft 365 and G Suite to Synology NAS – and lets you manage from one simple console. Fast and reliable recovery delivered to keep running services, VMs, and files instantly available.

TinkerTry'd Synology DiskStation DS1522+

As of Aug 16 2022, only this first video in the series has been recorded and produced. I'm hopeful that subsequent testing goes well, and that time and reader/viewer interest warrants my continuation of this series.

Part 1 - Unboxing, measure watts, install HDDs, SSDs & 10G

TinkerTry - Aug 15 2022 - TinkerTry'd Synology DiskStation DS1522+ Part 1 - Unboxing, measure watts, install HDDs, SSDs & 10G

You'll see in the video that:

I like the new disk tray design overall, and I carefully compare and contrast it with the latching mechanism on the 6 bay
I'm alright with the LEDs no longer being on the drives, instead, they're off to the right-side of the front bezel
I'm not thrilled with the external power supply connector, but it's a decent trade off for desk space savings

I don't want to say any more, it'll spoil the many moments and observations contained throughout the video. After watching, please feel free to drop me a comment below this article or below the video. Thank you for your readership/viewership!

Part 2 - Synology HAT5300-8T Hard Disk Drives

Enterprise class drives by Toshiba.
Article planned for 3Q22.

Part 3 - Noise measurements, DSM UI 7 overview

Tentatively planned for 3Q22.

Part 4 - VMware vSphere 8.0 / vSphere.Next featuring 10GbE connectivity

Tentatively planned for 4Q22.

Part 5 - NAKIVO backup testing

Tentatively planned for 4Q22.

Part 6 - Synology Active Backup Suite testing

Tentatively planned for 4Q22.

Power Consumption

My measurement of roughly 57 watts after boot at idle (seen in my video above) is impressive for 5 8TB drives, 2 SSDs 10G, and an AMD Ryzen CPU! This relatively miserly watt use makes it well suited for 24x7 home office use. For comparison purposes, humans put out about 100 watts worth of heat at idle. In my home, I'll likely locate this in an unconditioned area of my basement, which is quite alright given it's a headless unit meant to be operated and used remotely over my network. Even better, over my 10G network, using my Netgear S708T-100NES. Hopefully my largely resolved 10G challenges on Xeon D-1500 don't resurface, or maybe I can get my hands on some new Xeon D-1700/Xeon D-2700 gear this year, we'll see.

Shop

This is an Amazon Associate link that earns the author commissions at no cost to the shopper.

Item # B0B4DFBRZV on Amazon.

Amazon
Synology 5-Bay DiskStation DS1522+ [Diskless]

Item # SYDS1522P on B&H.

B&H Photo & Video
Synology DiskStation DS1522+ 5-Bay NAS Enclosure

Item # N82E16822108819 on Newegg.

Newegg
Synology DS1522+ Diskless System Network Storage

Specifications

You can see the specifications detailed at Synology here, here's an excerpt from the Hardware Specs tab:

CPU

CPU Model AMD Ryzen R1600

CPU Quantity 1

CPU Architecture 64-bit

CPU Frequency 2-core 2.6 (base) / 3.1 (turbo) GHz

File System
Internal Drives

Btrfs

EXT4

External Drives

Btrfs

EXT4

EXT3

FAT

NTFS

HFS+

exFAT

Press Release

You can see the press release by Synology here:

DiskStation DS1522+

Introducing Synology® DiskStation DS1522+ for versatile data management

Specifications

Bellevue, Wash— June 29, 2022—Synology today announced the new 5-bay Synology DiskStation DS1522+, the latest compact solution in its Plus line of all-in-one storage devices. It assists users of all sizes to protect data, IT infrastructure, and physical assets professionally and securely while supporting a host of business, IT administration, and productivity applications.

"DS1522+ is a versatile solution fit for a wide range of usage needs and environments," said Peggy Weng, product manager at Synology Inc. "The new 10GbE upgrade option plus scalability for 10 additional drives makes the DS1522+ cost-effective and a solution that can easily grow with any team."

Compact solution, boundless possibilities
DS1522+ integrates thoroughly as the primary storage solution for smaller setups or as an edge node for multi-site deployments. Powered by DiskStation Manager (DSM) 7.1, it features robust data management capabilities, comprehensive file sharing, collaboration, and video surveillance capabilities.

Scalable up to 15 drive bays with two DX517 expansion units, a fully expanded DS1522+ can reliably host massive amounts of data while taking up minimal desktop or shelf space. A new network upgrade slot enables anytime 10GbE upgrades, while two built-in M.2 2280 NVMe slots can be used to speed up storage performance significantly.

Beyond file storage
Synology storage systems can easily be configured to become a cross-platform private cloud while still giving users complete control over their data. Synology Drive enables intuitive file management and synchronization between platforms like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, ensuring users' data is accessible no matter where they are.

Synology Photos enables hobby photographers looking to manage their growing collection to quickly pull and back up media from their phones, sort and organize pictures, and make them easily shareable with robust permissions control.

Learn more about file management

Keep businesses running
Keeping business endpoints, emails, and critical data secured and backed up is more necessary than ever with continuous and emerging cybersecurity threats. The DS1522+, once set up, will automatically conduct data backup, snapshot, and replication automation to ensure files and LUNs stored on it can be backed up to other devices including cloud services.

Synology's Active Backup Suite allows IT infrastructure, such as Windows systems, Hyper-V/VMware VMs, and Microsoft 365/Google Workspace accounts, to be safely backed up onto the DS1522+ and easily restored when needed.

Learn more about data protection

Compact surveillance and application server
The DS1522+ also functions as a full-fledged video management system that provides full local data ownership. Synology's Surveillance Station is a powerful VMS designed for businesses and is already implemented and protecting over 500,000 sites. Flexible ONVIF support and more than 8,300 validated IP cameras make deployment simple and easily suited to each location's requirements.

Surveillance Station makes it easy to set up and manage up to 40 cameras on the DS1522+ with a modern and customizable interface. For larger or multiple building environments, add in floor plans and overlay Google Maps or OpenStreetMap for maximum situational awareness. Retain important footage and increase resiliency with support for backup recording servers, multi-device management (Central Management System), and even support for end-to-end encrypted, simultaneous dual recording to C2 Surveillance.

Learn more about Surveillance Station

Availability
The Synology DS1522+ is available starting today through Synology partners and resellers at an MSRP of $699.99

vExperts are now able to place ads on their virtualization blogs for 18% commissions on VMware purchases!

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 22:59:00 +0000

Advertising Disclosure - This VMware ad earns the vExpert author a commission when used for purchases at vmware.com. It's a free way to demonstrate that you value his decade+ of technical content creation.

What a nice surprise email from VMware Community Manager Corey Romero @vCommunityGuy today, a way to give vExpert's blogs a collective boost in revenue earning potential.

Over a decade ago, Buy Sell Ads came on the scene in the virtualization blog space, and they had an easy way for vendors to find the virtualization category and purchase ad space that ran across all the blogs in that category automatically, enabling bloggers to focus more on creating great content instead of spending time hunting down advertisers. BSA then changed their back-end, and for whatever business reasons, they also removed that virtualization category. This was was to the detrminent of many bloggers, losing much or all of their revenue that was helping "keep the lights on," worsening the struggle to cover monthly web hosting bills and development costs associated with running a blog. My TinkerTry.com was one of them.

In addition to the obvious VMware vSphere product that often have 4 digit costs, I also have a large number of articles about VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion. This affiliate marketing program seems to have me covered there too, with a large library of images in a variety of ad sizes, along with the usual special URLs that link directly to specific products. I'm experimenting with placing these couldn't-be-more-content-appropriate ads in some of my most popular, evergreen articles such as:

Note, you do need to apply to the vExpert - VMware Store Affiliate program here at impact.com, then be accepted, before you're able to run such ads. I'm not sure what the acceptance criteria is.

As for TinkerTry.com, LLC, I got a nice welcoming email from my account manager within hours, and he was able to help me with some minor questions I had when placing their ads.

So I'm very grateful to now have a long-term advertiser whose ad I gladly placed in the widget area at the top-right of every article on my site, visible to everybody who is willing add TinkerTry.com to their ad blocker's whitelist. I'm glad VMware has decided to add this generous perk for their many vExperts globally. It's tough out there, and it's not getting any easier for content creators.

Just in case you forgot, this new perk is in additon to the already huge list of vExpert perks:

vExpert Program Benefits

Network with over 2,000 other vExperts

Opportunity to apply for 10 Official VMware Business Unit lead vExpert sub programs.

Invite to our private vExpert #Slack channel

Opportunity to apply for 10 product BU led vExpert sub-programs

vExpert certificate signed by our VMware CEO

Permission to use the vExpert logo on cards, website, etc. for one year

Exclusive gifts from various VMware partners

Private webinars with VMware partners as well as NFRs

Access to private betas (subject to admission by beta teams)

365-day eval licenses for most products for home lab

Private pre-launch briefings via our blogger briefing pre-VMware Explore (subject to admission by product teams)

Featured in a public vExpert online directory

Access to vetted VMware & Virtualization content for your social channels

Yearly vExpert parties at both VMware Explore U.S. Europe events or Gifts for attending vExperts.

NEW - vExpert PRO Mentorship

We have over 100 vExpert PROs ready to help you become a vExpert. We can help mentor you through the process and outline what you need to do to qualify. Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vmwarevexpert and or LinkedIn Group at: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9057469/

And now, just added:

vExperts are now able to apply to be eligible to place VMware ads on their blogs that earn 18% commissions on all VMware purchases!

So for TinkerTry readers wishing to purchase VMware products, please consider taping or clicking on the ad at top-right of any TinkerTry.com article, or simply visit this link to the VMware Store:

https://imp.i263671.net/c/123896/1309600/11461
when it comes time to place your order, which will help indicate to me that you value my work and wish to continue to see TinkerTry create novel VMware-related content.

Here's the vast list of eligible products that you can paste into the "Search Store" box:
Product Name | SKU
License Based Products
- VMware Fusion 12 Pro for Parallels FUS12-PRO-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Player FUS12-PLAY-C
- Upgrade to Fusion 12 Player FUS12-PLAY-UG-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Pro FUS12-PRO-C
- Upgrade to Fusion 12 Pro FUS12-PRO-UG-C
- VMware Workstation 16 Pro WS16-PRO-C
- Upgrade to Workstation 16 Pro WS16-PRO-UG-C
- VMware Workstation 16 Player WS16-PLAY-C
- Upgrade to Workstation 16 Player WS16-PLAY-UG-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Pro for Academic Users FUS12-PRO-A
- Upgrade to Fusion 12 Pro for Academic Users FUS12-PRO-UG-A
- VMware Workstation 16 Pro for Academic Users WS16-PRO-A
- Upgrade to Workstation 16 Pro for Academic Users WS16-PRO-UG-A
- VMware Workstation 16 Player for Academic Users WS16-PLAY-A
- Upgrade to Workstation 16 Player for Academic Users WS16-PLAY-UG-A
- VMware vCenter Server Standard VCS7-STD-C
- VMware vSphere Essentials Kit VS7-ESSL-KIT-C
- vSphere Essentials Kit for Academic Users VS7-ESSL-KIT-A
- VMware vCenter Server Foundation VCS7-FND-C
- Upgrade to vSphere Enterprise Plus VS7-STD-EPL-UG-C
- VMware vSphere Enterprise Plus VS7-EPL-C
- VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit VS7-ESP-KIT-C
- vSphere Essentials Plus Kit for Academic Users VS7-ESP-KIT-A
- VMware vSphere Standard VS7-STD-C
- VMware vSphere Essentials Kit Term VS7-ESL-KIT-TL-C
- VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit Term VS7-EPKIT-G-TLSS-C
- vSphere Remote Office Branch Office Standard VS7-RBSTD25-C
- vSphere Remote Office Branch Office Advanced VS7-RBADV25-C
- Upgrade to vSphere Enterprise Plus VS7-ENT-EPL-UG-C
- vSphere Remote Office Branch Office Enterprise VS7-RBENT25-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Player for Parallels FUS12-PLAY-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Player for Academic Users FUS12-PLAY-A
- VMware Tanzu Basic - Per CPU TZ-BS-TLSS-C
- VMware vSphere with Tanzu – Configuration for 1 Processor VS7-EPL-TZ-1Y-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Player FUS12-PLAY-C
- vSphere with Tanzu Basic (VMware Cloud Foundation 4 Standard with 1-Year Tanzu (Per CPU)) CF4-STD-TZ-1Y-C
- Tanzu Basic(VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid for VMware vSphere add-on for Kubernetes. Per CPU - 1 Year - Internal Only) CF4-TKG-VS7-KUBC-1Y-C
- VMware Fusion 12 Player, Personal Use License, ESD FUS12-PLAY-P
- VMware Workstation 16 Player, Personal Use License, ESD FUS12-PLAY-P
- DEMO - VMware vSphere Essentials Kit Term VS7-ESL-KIT-TL-C
- VMware vSphere Essentials Kit Term VS7-ESL-KIT-TL-C
Install Builder Products
- VMware InstallBuilder for Windows BIT-IB-WIN-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Qt for Windows BIT-IB-QT-WIN-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Linux BIT-IB-LIN-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Qt for Linux BIT-IB-QT-LIN-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Mac BIT-IB-MAC-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Qt for Mac BIT-IB-QT-MAC-C
- VMware InstallBuilder Professional BIT-IB-PRO-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Qt Professional BIT-IB-QT-PRO-C
- VMware InstallBuilder Enterprise BIT-IB-ENT-C
- VMware InstallBuilder Professional Site BIT-IB-PRO-SI-C
- VMware InstallBuilder for Qt Professional Site BIT-IB-QT-PRO-SI-C
- VMware InstallBuilder Enterprise Site BIT-IB-ENT-SI-C
- VMware InstallBuilder Professional Concurrent seat BIT-IB-PRO-CNR-C
- VMware InstallBuilder Enterprise Concurrent seat BIT-IB-ENT-CNR-C
Per Incident Support
- Per Incident Support - vSphere Essentials VS7-ESSL-1PAK-C
- Per Incident Support - vSphere Hypervisor HYP-1PAK-C
- VMware After Hours Per Incident Support ESX-GS-PAK
- Single Support After Hours Request ESX-SUP-PAK
- Per Incident Support - Fusion Pro FUS-PRO-SUP-1PAK
- Per Incident Support - Workstation Pro WS-PRO-SUP-1PAK
- Per Incident Support - Fusion Player FUS-PLAY-SUP-1PAK
- Per Incident Support - Workstation Player WS-PLAY-SUP-1PAK

You can follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my RSS feed for TinkerTry Articles about Virtualization, subscribe to my TinkerTry YouTube Channel then peruse the Virtualization Video library, and/or subscribe to my TinkerTry Weekly newsletter to be notified of updates automatically.

Jun 24 2022 Update

Clarified and revised the introductory paragraph, and shortened the title.

Prepare for VMware vSphere 8.0 / vSphere.Next by reading updated KB 85685 "SD card/USB boot device revised guidance"

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 21:44:00 +0000

If you are a VMware vSphere administrator preparing for the upcoming vSphere 8.0 / vSphere.Next, then this article is for you! Yes, the information here is critical to ANY virtualization home lab enthusiast, and/or any VMware administrator who is planning out how and where they'll be installing or upgrading to VMware ESXi 8.0 hypervisor. This popular KB has 82,545 views already, and I was automatically alerted to this significant KB update via email yesterday because I had used the handy "Subscribe" button months ago.

I encourage you to read VMware KB 85685 in its entirety, with some crucial excerpts quoted below to hopefully get your attention:

VMware KB 85685
SD card/USB boot device revised guidance (85685)

Summary
VMware will continue supporting USB/SD card as a boot device through the vSphere.Next product release, including the update releases. Both installs and upgrades will be supported on USB/SD cards. The change from the previous guidance is that SD/USB as a standalone device will now be supported on previously certified server platforms. Customers can still however provision an additional persistent device to store the OSData partition, which VMware recommends. ESX will attempt to relocate the critical regions to such a persistent device. Starting from 7.0U3c, if an USB SD card boot device is detected during installs and upgrades, critical regions of the OSData partition such as VMTools and scratch will automatically be moved out. Moreover with vSphere.Next, the entire OSData partition can be moved out.

I found it a little surprising that VMware already called out 8.0 on the April 27 2022 update to this KB, then on April 28 2022 they apparently changed every 8.0 reference to vSphere.Next instead. Hmm, I can guess that somebody at VMware MarCom (Marketing Communications) had a fit about this. If VMware does wind up calling it vSphere.Next when whenever it gets officially announced, hopefully it’s better received than the renaming of VMworld to VMware Explore was.

You can have a look for yourself by traveling back in time to the last time Web Archive grabbed this KB 85685 on March 17 2022 here, but for some reason, it doesn't pull up right now.

Check out this KB 85685 excerpt:

Guidelines for vSphere Boot Devices

A SATA/SAS/NVMe SSD that meets VMware specified endurance requirements, or HDD is strongly recommended.

Boot Device:
High-Quality Media: PCIe NVMe, SAS, SATA/SATADOM SSD
Industrial grade flash/SSDs, SLC or pSLC

Boot Device Size:
32GB** minimum (must), 128GB** recommended

Endurance requirements:
128 TBW (over 5 years)

IO Performance
At least 100MB/s
Please refer to the ESXi hardware requirements here: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.esxi.install.doc/GUID-DEB8086A-306B-4239-BF76-E354679202FC.html
** GB here equals 1024x1024x1024 (2^30=1,073,741,824) bytes as opposed to 10^9 bytes (1,000,000,000)

Observations

We now have some very specific hardware guidance. For example, an older consumer SSD like the modest, smallest, and slowest variant of Samsung 960 EVO M.2 NVMe SSD is rated at:

100 TBW (TeraBytes Written)
3,200MB/s reads
1,500MB/s to 1,900MB/s writes, depending upon size

In other words, it's more than good enough to run your ESXi 8.0 on for years to come, even if you pound on it with vSAN. It has no warranty for such use, and you'll be unlikely to ever find such non-PLP protected consumer SSDs on a VMware Compatibility Guide, but it should be just fine, as long as you're not using it for vSAN itself.

SATA M.2

Transcend 256GB SATA III 6Gb/s MTS430S 42 mm M.2 SSD Solid State Drive [TS256GMTS430S]

If you have a M.2 form factor slot that supports AHCI/SATA (B+M Key) instead of NVMe, that slot would be the best choice to use your ESXi 8.0 going forward. Now you just need to see if you can find one that meets the specs above.

For example, Transcend M.2 SSD 430S in the 256GB size is rated at 140 TBW and 530 MB/s reads and 400 MB/s writes, so it exceeds the requirements, but the 128GB version does not.

NVME M.2

Even the 2015's original consumer (M Key) Samsung 950 Pro NVMe M.2 256GB specifications indicate 200 TBW, and 2,200 MB/s read and 900 MB/s writes, exceeding the minimum specs. Gladly, I have some around that I wrote about back in 2015.

SATADOM

I might be going with SATADOM instead, to keep my M.2 slots for my super speedy VMFS datastores, where speed really matters. We'll see. That is, if I can find a device that exceeds those specs. It's sure seeming that the choice of boot device for home labs might be a worthwhile topic for a future article...