Category: VMware

vCenter 5.5 Upgrade with Windows Server 2012 R2 – Part 2 – OS Build

This is part 2 of the vCenter 5.1 to 5.5 Update 1c upgrade, detailing the Windows Server 2012 R2 OS installation and configuration.

Continue reading vCenter 5.5 Upgrade with Windows Server 2012 R2 – Part 2 – OS Build

vCenter 5.5 Upgrade with Windows Server 2012 R2 – Part 1 – Preparation

This Upgrade Guide details the step-by-step process for upgrading your vCenter Server from 5.1 to 5.5 Update 1c.  Also included is the build of a new Windows Server 2012 R2 OS for the vCenter 5.5 services whilst maintaining a separate SQL Server 2008 R2 Database.

Continue reading vCenter 5.5 Upgrade with Windows Server 2012 R2 – Part 1 – Preparation

Enterprise NAS with vSphere 5.1, EMC VNX VG8 & Symmetrix VMAX 20K

This article builds upon my previous post, plus the existing white papers and blogs listed below, to provide a VCDX-style guide to the design decisions that need to be considered for Enterprise-level Network Attached Storage (NAS) with vSphere 5.1 and the EMC Symmetrix VMAX 20K with VNX VG8 NAS Gateways. Continue reading Enterprise NAS with vSphere 5.1, EMC VNX VG8 & Symmetrix VMAX 20K

PCI-DSS Compliance with vSphere

What is PCI DSS?  The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) is a standard that any organisation that maintains a business relationship with Europay, MasterCard or Visa must adhere to.  The standard is about securing and protecting Cardholder data (eg. Primary Account Number – PAN, Cardholder Name, Service code, Expiry Date) and identifies any system that stores, transmits or processes Cardholder data as a “PCI Asset”.  If you work for a bank, financial organisation or retail chain, then you will be well aware of the PCI Data Security Standard. Continue reading PCI-DSS Compliance with vSphere