macOS 10.13 High Sierra on ESXi 6.5

December 31, 2017/ 1 Comment

Hello all! This is just a quick follow up to my previous guide on running macOS 10.12 Sierra on ESXi 6.x, where I have now successfully updated the VM to macOS 10.13 High Sierra. If you simply try to run the upgrade via a self-made ISO, or via the Mac App Store, the final image […]

Achievement Unlocked! VCP6-DCV!

December 31, 2017/ No Comments

This is an extremely long overdue post, but I have had such a busy year that I really haven’t been able to find much time to write and publish material that I have been meaning to get out. So, as I attempt to get back into the groove, I wanted to publish this quick post […]

Fixing A Corrupt Domain Controller – Stop Code 0x00002e2

November 12, 2017/ No Comments

Yesterday morning I discovered that my Synology NAS had an unexpected shutdown in the middle of the night while my homelab VMs/workloads were still running. This caused both of my Domain Controllers databases to become corrupt resulting in being unable to boot those machines. When attempting to boot them, they would get stuck in a BSOD […]

Upgrading VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP)

March 27, 2017/ No Comments

Having a backup solution is imperative in any IT environment, whether it be Production or a simple Home Lab like I have. There are many different brands and companies that offer backup solutions, such as Veeam or Nakivo, to name a few. But I personally like to stick with the VMware product line so that I […]

Deploying OpenVPN on ESXi

February 12, 2017/ 2 Comments

Have you ever wondered to yourself, “What is OpenVPN and what is it used for?” I know I have! I currently leverage OpenDNS’s servers in my network, and when I saw that they offer an Open-Source VPN solution, I figured I had to give it a whirl! While I have used VPN’s before for connecting […]

Home Lab 2017 – Part 1 (Network and Lab Overhaul)

February 12, 2017/ 2 Comments

For the last 6+ months, I haven’t had much time to dedicate to my home lab and overall home network. Between holidays, transitioning to a new employer/role, and everyday life getting in the way, I found that I had to put everything on the back burner for a bit…so I inevitably shutdown by home lab. […]

Create a macOS/OS X VM on VMware ESXi 6.5 & VMware Workstation 12.x

February 12, 2017/ 37 Comments

Create a macOS/OS X VM on VMware ESXi 6.5 & VMware Workstation 12.5.2 Pro Running a MacOS/ OS X virtual machine is not anything new and has been supported for quite some time, as long as you are running said VM on a supported hypervisor with Apple Hardware. But many of the “Non-Apple” users in […]

Achievement Unlocked! vExpert 2017!

February 8, 2017/ No Comments

Earlier today, I got the notification and I am honored that I’ve been awarded the VMware vExpert 2017 title! The current vExpert count is 1,472 people and this marks my 2nd consecutive year (2016-2017) that I’ve been awarded with the title. I could not be more grateful and humbled! It takes effort, passion, and dedication to […]

How To: Create A VMFS5 Datastore On A USB Drive

August 14, 2016/ No Comments

Create A VMFS5 Datastore On A USB Drive Ever wondered if it was possible to use a USB Drive as a VMFS5 datastore in VMware vSphere 6.0? I sure know that I have! Not that I would like to run any VM’s on said datastore, as I’m sure performance would not be optimal, but instead […]

PernixData FVP Freedom Woes With Missing Supermicro System UUID

August 6, 2016/ No Comments

PernixData FVP Freedom Woes With Missing System UUID Recently, I’ve been wanting to give PernixData FVP Freedom a run in my HomeLab Datacenter to better familiarize myself with the product and see how much of a performance improvement I’d get if any at all. I’ve heard from so many people how much they love the product so […]