Articles — Page 8

Current update: This March 2025 article is retained as historical context. Its original version incorrectly said patches were not yet available, but Broadcom’s initial advisory already included fixed versions. Use VMSA-2025-0004: Current Remediation and Fixed Versions for current, remediation-first guidance. Broadcom released VMSA-2025-0004 on March 4, 2025. The advisory covers serious vulnerabilities in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion, plus products that consume ESXi such as VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware Telco Cloud Platform. Fixed versions were available in the advisory’s response matrix at publication. ...

This walkthrough records an Aria Operations upgrade with a .pak file and the checks I use to verify the cluster afterward. If you manage your environment with Lifecycle Manager instead, I covered upgrading Aria Operations to 8.18.3 via Aria Suite Lifecycle separately. Preparing for the Upgrade 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 (Master, Cloud proxies, and any other nodes). ...

If you’re a system administrator or IT professional working with VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager, you might have hit a roadblock when trying to import a VMware Aria Operations for Networks instance. The error in question? LCMVRNICONFIG90115. Here’s what it looks like: Error Code: LCMVRNICONFIG90115 Invalid credentials provided for Console user. Please retry with correct console password. Invalid credentials provided for Console user. Please retry with correct console password. On the surface, this error screams “wrong password!” But even if you’re certain the credentials are spot-on, the issue might persist. Spoiler alert: the fix lies in enabling FIPS mode on the Aria Suite Lifecycle appliance. In this blog post, I’ll break down why this error happens, how FIPS mode resolves it, and provide a step-by-step guide to get you back on track. ...

In today’s fast-paced IT landscape, managing infrastructure efficiently is a top priority. Configuration management tools like SaltStack Config and Ansible Tower empower IT teams to automate server provisioning, software deployment, and system maintenance. But how do these two solutions compare, and which one is the best fit for your organization? In this detailed comparison of SaltStack Config vs Ansible Tower, we’ll explore their key features, use cases, strengths, and weaknesses. Whether you’re searching for scalability, ease of use, or seamless integrations, this guide will help you decide which tool aligns with your automation needs. ...

SaltStack and Terraform solve different layers of infrastructure work. SaltStack manages configuration on servers, while Terraform provisions infrastructure. This comparison covers their architectures, use cases, and how the two tools can work together. What is SaltStack? SaltStack, commonly known as Salt, is a configuration management tool designed to automate the setup, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of servers. It thrives in environments where consistency and control over server states are paramount. Salt operates on a master-minion architecture, where a central master server orchestrates commands and configurations across multiple minion servers in real time. ...

In today’s blog, we’re diving into the world of storage solutions, specifically comparing VMware’s vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA) with traditional storage systems like SAN (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network Attached Storage). If you’re wondering which storage solution is right for your environment, this post is for you. We’ll explore the key differences in architecture, performance, scalability, cost, management, and use cases to help you make an informed decision. ...

I often find myself fielding questions about how to effectively manage and monitor licensing in VMware Aria Automation. Licensing is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring compliance, optimizing resource usage, and maintaining operational efficiency in your automation environment. Recently, I was asked about tracking licensed assets, and I’m excited to share a practical approach using the powerful vracli command-line interface (CLI), specifically the vracli license usage command. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to leverage this tool to gain visibility into your licensed assets, why it matters, and some actionable insights for managing your Aria Automation deployment. ...

Are you looking to streamline configuration management in your VMware by Broadcom Aria Automation environment? SaltStack Config 8.17, integrated into Aria Automation 8.18, offers powerful tools for automating and securing your infrastructure. In this guide, I’ll walk you through deploying SaltStack Config 8.17 using VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle Manager in an existing Aria Automation 8.18 setup. Whether you’re a solutions architect or IT administrator, this step-by-step tutorial will help you get started efficiently. ...

SaltStack Config and Ansible Open Source both automate configuration management, but their execution models and operating requirements differ. This comparison looks at architecture, scale, administration, and the situations where each tool fits. What is Configuration Management? Configuration management is the process of automating the setup, maintenance, and deployment of servers and applications across an IT infrastructure. Tools like SaltStack and Ansible enable teams to manage infrastructure as code, ensuring consistency, minimizing manual errors, and accelerating deployments. But how do these two tools stack up against each other? Let’s dive in. ...

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. ...