VMware

When it comes to configuration management, SaltStack and Ansible stand out as two of the most popular open-source tools for automating infrastructure, deploying applications, and managing IT environments. Whether you’re a DevOps professional or an IT administrator, choosing the right tool can streamline your workflows and improve efficiency. In this technical comparison, we’ll break down the differences between SaltStack Config and Ansible Open Source, covering their architectures, ease of use, scalability, and more. By the end, you’ll know which tool is best suited for your specific needs. ...

Want to harness the power of SaltStack Config for configuration management without tying it to an existing VMware Aria Automation setup? Deploying SaltStack Config 8.17 as a standalone product via VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (by VMware by Broadcom) is an excellent solution. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, ensuring you can set up a standalone SaltStack environment efficiently. Perfect for IT administrators or DevOps teams, this tutorial makes deployment simple and scalable. ...

Setting up a vSAN cluster on a single ESXi host without vCenter is simpler than you might think. This guide walks you through a CLI-based method to configure VMware by Broadcom’s vSAN in a standalone environment. Whether you’re testing in a lab or laying the groundwork for a larger cluster, a single node vSAN deployment offers a flexible starting point that scales as your needs grow. What Is a Single Node vSAN? VMware by Broadcom’s vSAN is designed for multi-host clusters managed by vCenter, typically requiring at least two hosts for production resilience. However, with CLI tools, you can establish a vSAN cluster on a single ESXi host. This setup is ideal for experimentation or initiating a cluster, providing a solid base for later expansion with vCenter and additional nodes. ...

In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations for Networks 6.x appliance to 6.14 using the upgrade bundle. To get started log in to the platform server using an administrative account (default:admin@local) and go to Settings -> Infrastructure and Support Under Offline Update click on Click Here: Select the upgrade package and click Upload (the upgrade package can be downloaded from here). We are returned to the previous screen where we can track the upload and bundle processing progress. ...

In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations for Networks 6.x appliance to 6.14 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.18. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the guide here. To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. ...

VMware Aria Operations for Networks (formerly vRealize Network Insight) provides deep network visibility, security analysis, and troubleshooting capabilities. Deploying VMware Aria Operations for Networks through VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (ASLCM) ensures a streamlined installation process. Prerequisites Before proceeding, ensure that: • Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager (ASLCM) is installed and configured. • VMware Aria Operations for Networks binaries are manually downloaded from Broadcom’s Support portal. • vCenter and NSX credentials are available. ...

In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations for Logs 8.18.x appliance to 8.18.3 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.18. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the guide here. To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. ...

Upgrading Aria Operations for Logs (formerly VMware vRealize Log Insight) is a crucial task to ensure you’re using the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of upgrading Aria Operations for Logs using a .pak file. Prerequisites Before starting the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are met: Backup the Existing Deployment: • Take a snapshot of all nodes in the Aria Operations for Logs cluster (Master, Worker, and any nodes). ...

In this post I will go over upgrading Aria Operations 8.18.x appliance to 8.18.3 using Aria Suite Lifecycle. As a pre requirement we do need to have Aria Suite Lifecycle upgraded to 8.18. Instructions can be found here. The upgrade does not include the latest Product Support Pack. We can apply the latest Product Support Pack following the guide here. To get started we can go to Aria Suite Lifecycle -> Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Binary Mapping. ...

In this guide i will go over the manual steps of getting an existing 8.x Aria Suite Lifecycle appliance to support the latest product releases available. Here is a great blog that goes in to the details about what the Product Support Pack is https://blogs.vmware.com/management/2019/01/vrslcm-pspak.html. Typically the newer Product Support Pack is included part of the upgrade for Aria Suite Lifecycle, however sometimes there are product releases in between releases where product support packs come in handy. As of 8.16.0 Product Support Pack 4 we can no longer automatically download the Product Support Pack upgrade files. The release notes for 8.16 can be found here. The release notes for 8.18 Product Support Pack 5 can be found here. ...