VMware

Introduction Logs play a pivotal role in the management and troubleshooting of IT environments. Aria for Logs (formerly known as vRealize Log Insight) provides powerful log management capabilities, enabling deep analytical insights and real-time monitoring of data from various sources, including vSphere. To ensure Aria for Logs effectively collects and analyzes log data, it requires specific permissions within your vCenter Server. This blog post will guide you through creating a custom role in vCenter tailored for the Aria for Logs service account. ...

In VMware NSX, configuring SSH keys for users with specific labels and types provides a tailored access control approach that enhances both security and management capabilities. This blog walks through the process of setting user-specific SSH keys in NSX, using customized labels and types for better organization and identification. Overview SSH keys are crucial for secure authentication in NSX environments, allowing administrators to manage access without exposing systems to the risks of password-based logins. By setting SSH keys with specific labels and types, you can streamline user access management and improve security configurations. ...

In the evolving landscape of VMware ESXi environments, maintaining compatibility and ensuring that systems adhere to specific boot requirements is essential. As more environments transition towards UEFI, there might still be a need to check or enforce legacy BIOS boot methods on certain ESXi servers, especially for compatibility with older hardware or specific operational requirements. This blog post will guide VMware administrators on how to automate the process of checking the boot option (UEFI or Legacy BIOS) on multiple ESXi hosts using PowerShell and Plink. ...

With the release of of VCF 5.1.1 I wanted to get my lab upgraded. The release blog can be found here and the release notes are here Please note that some of the components within the VCF will still need additional upgrading. Please read the release notes for additional details. We can start by going to Inventory -> Workload Domains -> Select the domain -> Update/Patches -> Select the VCF version -> Download now. If you do not see the newest releases go to Administration -> Online Depot and add a VMware Customer Connect account that has access to perform downloads. ...

While trying to upgrade my SaltStack Config environment to 8.16.2 I encountered Error Code: LCMVSSC10013 in VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle. The error details: Error Code: LCMVSSC10013 Failed to import VMware Aria Automation Config. Exception occurred while importing VMware Aria Automation Config host. Exception message: Import of VMware Aria Automation Config failed for tenant Standalone vRASSC com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.vsse.common.exception.VsscImportFailureException: Import of VMware Aria Automation Config failed for tenant Standalone vRASSC at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.vsse.core.task.VsscImportTask.execute(VsscImportTask.java:185) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.platform.automata.service.Task.retry(Task.java:158) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.automata.core.TaskThread.run(TaskThread.java:60) at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source) at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source) at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source) Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Cannot execute ssh commands. Exception encountered : Session.connect: java.security.spec.InvalidKeySpecException: key spec not recognized at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SshUtils.execute(SshUtils.java:721) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SshUtils.runCommand(SshUtils.java:532) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SshUtils.runCommand(SshUtils.java:516) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SshUtils.runCommand(SshUtils.java:628) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.vsse.core.task.VsscImportTask.fetchFipsStatus(VsscImportTask.java:342) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.vsse.core.task.VsscImportTask.getProductDetails(VsscImportTask.java:260) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.vsse.core.task.VsscImportTask.execute(VsscImportTask.java:158) ... 5 more Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Cannot create session for ssh://root@ssc-01a.corp.local at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SessionHolder.newSession(SessionHolder.java:57) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SessionHolder.<init>(SessionHolder.java:37) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SshUtils.execute(SshUtils.java:663) ... 11 more Caused by: com.jcraft.jsch.JSchException: Session.connect: java.security.spec.InvalidKeySpecException: key spec not recognized at com.jcraft.jsch.Session.connect(Session.java:550) at com.vmware.vrealize.lcm.util.SessionHolder.newSession(SessionHolder.java:53) ... 13 more Caused by: java.security.spec.InvalidKeySpecException: key spec not recognized at org.bouncycastle.jcajce.provider.asymmetric.util.BaseKeyFactorySpi.engineGeneratePublic(Unknown Source) at org.bouncycastle.jcajce.provider.asymmetric.edec.KeyFactorySpi.engineGeneratePublic(KeyFactorySpi.java:212) at java.base/java.security.KeyFactory.generatePublic(Unknown Source) at com.jcraft.jsch.jce.XDH.getSecret(XDH.java:71) at com.jcraft.jsch.DHXEC.next(DHXEC.java:134) at com.jcraft.jsch.Session.connect(Session.java:328) ... 14 more To get around it I had to enable FIPS mode in Aria Suite Lifecycle under Lifecycle Operations -> Settings -> Tips Mode Compliance -> check the enabled box -> Click Update ...

In this guide i will go over the steps of getting an existing 8.x VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle (formerly vRSLCM vRealize Lifecycle Manager) 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 LCM, however sometimes there are product releases in between releases where product support packs come in handy. ...

In today’s dynamic IT environments, maintaining a secure and efficient infrastructure is paramount. For VMware vSphere administrators, managing the firewall settings on vCenter servers is a critical task that ensures the security of the entire virtualized infrastructure. Ansible, an open-source automation tool, offers a streamlined approach to managing firewall settings across multiple vCenter servers. This blog post will guide you through automating vCenter server firewall configurations using Ansible, showcasing how to apply these changes across multiple servers seamlessly. ...

In the realm of VMware vSphere management, securing your vCenter Server is critical to maintaining a robust and secure infrastructure. SaltStack Config, integrated into VMware’s vRealize Automation suite, offers a powerful way to automate and manage configurations across your VMware environment, including firewall settings. This blog explores how to leverage SaltStack Config to automate firewall adjustments on your vCenter servers, ensuring consistent security policies and simplifying the process across multiple instances. ...

The vCenter Server acts as the central nervous system for VMware vSphere environments, providing crucial management capabilities. As with any critical component of your infrastructure, ensuring the vCenter Server is secured is paramount. The firewall settings play a vital role in protecting your vCenter Server against unauthorized access. This blog post dives into how you can programmatically change the firewall settings on the vCenter Server using PowerShell, and how to scale this automation across multiple vCenter servers efficiently. ...

In the rapidly evolving landscape of VMware’s Cloud Foundation, security management is a cornerstone for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the software-defined data center (SDDC). The SDDC Manager, a critical component of VMware’s Cloud Foundation, offers a comprehensive suite of APIs for managing various aspects of the SDDC, including credentials management. This blog post delves into the specifics of leveraging the /v1/credentials API in SDDC Manager, offering a detailed guide for VMware professionals to enhance their security posture through efficient credentials management. ...