Technology Posts


  • Remove VIBs on ESXi hosts – NSX 4.2 on VCF 5.2
    Overview While working with VCF, things can go wrong. Sometimes that means removing hosts and cleaning them up so they can be reused again. Unfortunately, the built in tools do not always work and we have to resort to alternate methods. Steps to Remove the VIBs Disable SNMP. Enable Maintenance Mode. Check for VIBs. Remove…
  • TLS Certificates with OpenSSL
    Overview I often have to break Personal Information Exchange (PFX) files up because I need the certificate and the enclosed private key. Occasionally, I have needed to take all the separate files and export them as a PFX. Modern Browsers and Subject Alternative Name (SAN) Modern browsers, such as Google Chrome, stopped supporting certificates without…
  • Deploying NSX Edge Nodes
    Overview NSX Edge nodes have mystified me and have been quite a challenge figuring out. I have to admit, the number of components, getting the correct VLANs and segments configured and all in the right place has been challenging to learn for some reason. I think, after reading the current iteration of documentation and having…
  • FIPS 140-2 on VMware Cloud Builder
    Overview I went to deploy a VMware Cloud Builder appliance the other day with FIPS enabled and it turned out to be frustrating. Turns out, how the appliance is deployed matters. This post would not be possible without an extremely diligent, intelligent, and hard working colleague of mine, Vinny Santa Maria. The how in this…
  • VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) – Deleting Tasks
    Overview Every once in awhile, things don’t work so well. VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) suffers this as well and then you are left with a mess of failed tasks, sometimes, in the tens, but can be in the hundreds, or even thousands! This is the workflow I follow when I need to mass remove tasks….