Introduced in Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) is Microsoft’s new software-defined storage solution that allows enterprises to create logically defined storage volumes across hosts using locally attached storage. With the release of Windows Server 2019, it has continued to mature and is an even more powerful solution. … Read More
5 Best Practices in deploying VMware vSAN the Right Way.
Software-defined technologies have gained tremendous momentum in the enterprise datacenter. In fact, most organizations when looking at storage refreshes today are considering software-defined technologies as a replacement for traditional storage architectures such as iSCSI and Fibre Channel SAN, NFS, and others. The predominant leader in this space is VMware vSAN. … Read More
The Complete Windows 10 Migration Checklist!
In this article Microsoft Windows IT Pro MVP, Rory Monaghan details his Windows 10 migration checklist. He details the steps you need to consider and the tools he recommends to help you complete a successful migration. Before structuring a Windows 10 project, you must first define your minimal viable product. … Read More
Desktop Support and Desktops – Have We Made Them Too Complicated?
Once upon a time, desktop support was the entry-level echelon of the IT infrastructure ladder. The mapping of drives, checking of cables, and maintenance of printers was considered to be the perfect area for junior staff to cut their information technology teeth. Career progression moved you further towards the “back” … Read More
Is Application Virtualization Now a Necessity?
Microsoft’s move to Windows 10 and Server 2016 puts enterprises into a state of “perpetual migration” that brings a whole raft of challenges to enterprise IT departments, including taking into account whether Application Virtualization is now a necessity. In a previous article, I discussed this state, and some of the … Read More
Checking the size of your VMware core dump Partition ESXi 5.5 and 6.0
The other day I had both my VMware 5.5 U2 host servers that were part of a VMware HA cluster –CRASH- with a PSOD at nearly the same exact time. Luckily it happened on a weekend and the outage wasn’t even noticed by users. My first steps in figuring out … Read More
Simplifying business operations with server virtualization
Organizations can gain numerous financial and operational benefits by employing a thoughtful server virtualization strategy. Today, we will focus on just a few of those benefits. It wasn’t too long ago that many people looked at virtualizing servers in the production environment with great trepidation. There were legitimate fears over … Read More
How to upgrade VMware tools and hardware for Cisco virtual servers
In this article we look at how to upgrade VMware Tools and Virtual Hardware for Cisco CM, PLM, and UC virtual servers. Upgrade your VMware vSphere environment if applicable (outside the scope of this guide) Once your VMware vSphere environment is upgraded, logon to your VMware vSphere Web Client and … Read More
How to Convert VMware VMDK Files Into Hyper-V VHD Files
I use a MacBook Pro in the field daily and find myself needing to spin-up some home-brewed Windows and Linux virtual machines quickly. To accomplish this, I prefer to build and maintain several VM’s utilizing VMware Fusion Pro on my Mac. Granted; VMware Fusion is “I believe” an inferior product … Read More