Tag: Server

Addressing Edge Server Issues in VCF 9.0 after a Shutdown

After shutting down the VCF 9.0 environment completely, I had 2 strange things.

I followed the shutdown order for the management domain.

Edge servers lost from NIC 2 and NIC 3 the network configuration
Edge Servers did not start, not correctly

Afbeelding met schermopname, tekst, software, MultimediasoftwareDoor AI gegenereerde inhoud is mogelijk onjuist.

Afbeelding met Multimediasoftware, software, tekst, schermopnameDoor AI gegenereerde inhoud is mogelijk onjuist.

I deployed a third edge server. Two new distributed port groups were created.

These are missing for the edge01a and edge01b servers. These should not be deleted/missing after shutdown.

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Create a distributed port group with a VLAN trunk

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Set NIC 2 and 3 to this network.
Afbeelding met tekst, schermopname, software, nummerDoor AI gegenereerde inhoud is mogelijk onjuist.

Edge Nodes’ Edge Cluster is running fine again 😊

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Afbeelding met tekst, schermopname, software, MultimediasoftwareDoor AI gegenereerde inhoud is mogelijk onjuist.

I found this on the Daniel Kruger Blog: https://sdn-warrior.org/posts/vcf9-ms-a2-special/

This is a known issue with VCF 9.0.0: When an edge is created by the Setup Network Connectivity UI, the system-created dvpg consumed by the edge gets deleted when the edge is powered on after 24 hrs. The port group assigned to the NSX Edge uplink has disappeared, making it impossible to use the network through NSX Edge. You can find the release notes here.

Build my lab nested, but not enough resources to do a full upgrade to 9.0.1.
So I build the lab again, but physically. More about that later!

I love testing things; you learn so much!

How to update standalone ESX(i) server

 Sometimes I write stuff for myself and publish it as a archive piece, so as this one.

For 8.0U3

 esxcli software sources profile list -d https://dl.broadcom.com/<Your_Broadcom_Download_Token>/PROD/COMP/ESX_HOST/main/vmw-depot-index.xml | grep -i ESXi-8.0U3

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For ESX(i) 9

esxcli software sources profile list -d https://dl.broadcom.com/<Your_Broadcom_Download_Token>/PROD/COMP/ESX_HOST/main/vmw-depot-index.xml | grep -i ESXi-9

If you got a memory error run the following commands

If you do not get a list of versions run the following commands :

esxcli system settings advanced set -o /VisorFS/VisorFSPristineTardisk -i 0
cp /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software.bak
sed -i ‘s/mem=300/mem=500/g’ /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software.bak
mv /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software.bak /usr/lib/vmware/esxcli-software -f
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /VisorFS/VisorFSPristineTardisk -i 1

Source: https://williamlam.com/2024/03/quick-tip-using-esxcli-to-upgrade-esxi-8-x-throws-memoryerror-or-got-no-data-from-process.html

Install latest Update (ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-standard)

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-8.0U3g-24859861-standard -d https://dl.broadcom.com/<Your_Broadcom_Download_Token>/PROD/COMP/ESX_HOST/main/vmw-depot-index.xml

Benefits of the Ubiquiti Flex 2.5G in a Home Lab

For my home lab I used for many years the Netgear GS108 unmanaged switch.

I works great.

Gigabit Unmanaged Switch-serie - GS108 | NETGEAR

Because the rest of my home work exist of Ubiquity devices I’ve wanted for a long timo to replace my netgear switch’s with a managed one. But the question was which one?

I used the Flex Mini behind the TV and for my PC and NAS. But not for my “server”.

With the release of the Flex 2.5G Switch it will make my homelab a little futher proof.

I have bought in de past the Synology DS723+ which support 2.5G en 10G with a optinal adapter. I wrote about it here

I have the luck that I don’t need to consult with the WAF ☺ Sow the decision was made quickly

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now I can really use VLANs within the various virtualization solutions and keep things separate from each other

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My labs are even more realistic because of this upgrade!

Easy Script to Create DNS Records in VCF Lab

When you build your VCF Lab environment you want to create your DNS records automatically. I use for DNS a Windows Server.

The Script:

function ConvertTo-DecimalIP {
param ([string]$ip)
$parts = $ip.Split(‘.’) | ForEach-Object { [int]$_ }
return ($parts[0] -shl 24) + ($parts[1] -shl 16) + ($parts[2] -shl 8) + $parts[3]
}

function ConvertTo-DottedIP {
param ([int]$intIP)
$part1 = ($intIP -shr 24) -band 0xFF
$part2 = ($intIP -shr 16) -band 0xFF
$part3 = ($intIP -shr 8) -band 0xFF
$part4 = $intIP -band 0xFF
return “$part1.$part2.$part3.$part4”
}

$zone = “testlab.nl”
$startip = “192.168.200.10”

$dnsrecords = “vcf-m01-cb01″,”vcf-m01-sddcm01″,”vcf-m01-esx01″,”vcf-m01-esx02″,”vcf-m01-esx03″,”vcf-m01-esx04″,”vcf-w01-esx02″,”vcf-w01-esx03″,”vcf-w01-esx04″,”vcf-w01-esx04″,”vcf-m01-nsx01a”,”vcf-m01-nsx01b”,”vcf-m01-nsx01c”,”vcf-m01-nsx01″,”vcf-w01-nsx01a”,”vcf-w01-nsx01b”,”vcf-w01-nsx01c”,”vcf-w01-nsx01″,”vcf-m01-vc01″,”vcf-w01-vc01″
$count = $dnsrecords.count

# Convert start IP to decimal

$decimalIP = ConvertTo-DecimalIP $startIP
$i = 0

# Loop and print incremented IPs

foreach ($dnsrecord in $dnsrecords) {
$i -lt
$count;
$i++
$currentDecimalIP = $decimalIP + $i
$currentIP = ConvertTo-DottedIP $currentDecimalIP
Add-DnsServerResourceRecordA -Name $dnsrecord -ZoneName $zone -AllowUpdateAny -IPv4Address $currentIP -CreatePtr
Write-Output “DNS record $dnsrecord in $zone with $currentIP is created” -ForegroundColor Green

Simplified DNS Zone Commands for Windows

     

To very handy command’s when you are building your labs multiple times when using a Windows Server as a DNS Server

I wanted to do it through Powershell but i think this is the easiest way to do.

dnscmd /zoneexport “wardvissers.nl” “wardvissers.nl”

dnscmd /zoneadd “wardhomelab.nl” /primary /file wardhomelab2.nl.dns /load

Get LDAPS Certificates: A Guide with OpenSSL

Using OpenSSL on Any Platform to get the LDAPS Certificate from the AD Server

Using OpenSSL should work with any Active Directory Server platform. (Windows, Linux etc.). I use Windows in my case

Requirements:

  • Openssl
  • FQDN or IP of the Active Directory Server
  • LDAPS certificate installed in the Active Directory Server certificate store

Steps:

  1. Run the following command from your local computer:
    openssl s_client -showcerts -connect <ip or fqdn of your active directory server>:636
  2. In the output, copy the certificate portion of the output to a text file

rtal

3. Save the text file as my_ldaps_cert.pem.

The saved certificate can be installed into any software that needs to connect to your Active Directory using LDAPS.

My HomeLab anno 2024

My home lab is manly used for testing new stuff released by VMware (70%) en Microsoft (20%) other stuff (10%)

For the Base I use my Home PC

Intel i5 12600k
128 GB Memory
2 x 2TB Samsung 980 and 990 Pro SSD.
Windows 11 Pro
VMware Workstation Pro

On my Home PC running
Server 2022 (Eval for DC)
ESXi801 (16 GB) (NSX Demo Cluster)
ESXi802 (16 GB) (NSX Demo Cluster)
ESXi803 (64 GB) (General Cluster) )
ESXi804 (64 GB) (General Cluster)
ESXi805 (24 GB) (Single Node vSAN Cluster)
ESXi806 (16 GB) (4 Node vSAN Cluster)
ESXi807 (16 GB) (4 Node vSAN Cluster)
ESXi808 (16 GB) (4 Node vSAN Cluster)
ESXi809 (16 GB) (4 Node vSAN Cluster)

ESXi701 (24GB) (General Cluster)
ESXi702 (24GB) (General Cluster)

In general cluster there a running the most VM’s. Also here I am testing Packer and Terraform.

Afbeelding met tekst, schermopname, software, LettertypeAutomatisch gegenereerde beschrijving

For a while I used a 2TB Samsung SSD a Storage for ESXi Server through Truenas
But I wanted a larger storage for all my VM’s.

After reading on William Liam blog Synology DS723+ in Homelab and Synology NFS VAAI Plug-in support for vSphere 8.0

So I did a nice upgrade. Afbeelding met tekst, schermopname, software, nummerAutomatisch gegenereerde beschrijving

I used not the original Synology Parts. Following parts works fine.
Kingston 16 GB DDR4-3200 notebook memory
WD Red SN700, 500 GB SSD
WD Red Pro, 8 TB

* For Read-Write caching you need 2 SSD devices.

For mouting the NFS shared I created a little powercli script.

https://github.com/WardVissers/VMware-Powercli-Public/blob/main/Add%20NFS%20DataStore%20Github.ps1

Updated ouut-of-band (OOB) updates are released for March 2024 for Windows Server Domain Controllers

Microsoft has identified an issue that affects Windows Server domain controllers (DCs), and has expedited a resolution that can be applied to affected devices. Out-of-band (OOB) updates have been released for some versions of Windows today, March 22, 2024, to addresses this issue related to a memory leak in the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS). This occurs when on-premises and cloud-based Active Directory domain controllers service Kerberos authentication requests.

This issue is not expected to impact Home users, as it is only observed in some versions of Windows Server. Domain controllers are not commonly used in personal and home devices.

Updates are available on the Microsoft Update Catalog only. These are cumulative updates, so you do not need to apply any previous update before installing them, and they supersede all previous updates for affected versions. If your organization uses the affected server platforms as DCs and you haven’t deployed the March 2024 security updated yet, we recommend you apply this OOB update instead. For more information and instructions on how to install this update on your device, consult the below resources for your version of Windows:

  • Windows Server 2022: KB5037422
  • Windows Server 2019: Available soon
  • Windows Server 2016: KB5037423
  • Windows Server 2012 R2: KB5037426

Note: The OOB release for Windows Server 2019 will be released in near term.

Windows Server 2025 “Preview” deployment with Packer

As Windows Server 2025 Preview is officially released, I wanted to test a  automated build of the Windows Server 2025 Preview release. So that I can deploy this in my home lab and going to test the new features if I can find the time….

About Hashicorp Packer

Hashicorp Packer is a self-contained executable producing quick and easy operating system builds across multiple platforms. Using Packer and a couple of HCL2 files, you can quickly create fully automated template(s) with latest Windows Updates en VMware Tools. When you schedule a fresh builds after patch Tuesday  you have always an up-to-date and fully secured template.

When using VMware customization tools. You can spin up vm’s in minutes.

Automated Windows Server 2025 “Preview” Build

Files you need?
The files and versions I am using at the time of this writing are as follows:

Outside of downloading both Packer and Windows Server 2022 Preview build, you will need the following files:

  • windowsserver2025.auto.pkrvars.hcl – houses the variable values you want to define.
  • windows2025.json.pkr.hcl – the Packer build file
  • Answer file – Generated with Windows System Image Manager (SIM) you can download the file below
  • Custom script file(s) – optional

Other considerations and tasks you will need to complete:

  • Copy the Windows Server 2025 ISO file to a vSphere datastore

Windows Server 2025 unattend Answer file for the automated Packer Build

Like other automated approaches to installing Windows Server, the automated Windows Server 2025 Packer build requires an answer file to provide answers to the GUI automatically and other installation prompts that you normally see in a manual installation of Windows Server.

You will find the scripts here: https://github.com/WardVissers/Packer-Win2025

The only problem that I had was: Switching from Nic from Public to Private

# Set network connections profile to Private mode.

Write-Output ‘Setting the network connection profiles to Private…’

do {

    $connectionProfile = Get-NetConnectionProfile

    Start-Sleep -Seconds 10

} while ($connectionProfile.Name -eq ‘Identifying…’)

Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name $connectionProfile.Name -NetworkCategory Private

Windows Server 2025 Preview (Build: Canary 26052)

I had some time to check out the new version of Server 2025.

For the full upcomming features check: https://ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/sessions/f3901190-1154-45e3-9726-d2498c26c2c9?source=sessions

Download Server 2025 Preview: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewserver

Server 2025 will come with a lot of features (My Top 20+):

  • General – Server 2022 upgrade to .vNext (Controled bij GPO)
  • Hot Patching (Arc Enabled, Monthly Subscription)
  • Active Directory – 32k page
  • Active Directory – Numa
  • Active Directory – LDAP TLS 1.3
  • Active Directory – Improved Security for Confidential Attributes
  • Active Directory – Active Directory LDAP prefers Encryption bij Default
  • Active Directory – Kerberos Support for AES/SHA256/384
  • Active Directory – Changes to Default behavior of legacy SAM RPC Spassword change methods
  • Active Directory – Kerberos en KPINT Support cryptographic agility
  • Active Directory – New AD Forest en Domein Level (Minimal Server 2016 requirement)
  • Storage – NVME 70%/90% peformance increase
  • File Server – SMB over Internet (Quick Protocol)
  • File Server – More Control over SLTM
  • File Server – SMB Limitor (Enabeld bij Default)
  • File Server – Signing by Default
  • File Server – Minimum version SMB
  • File Server – More Secure Bij Default (Netbios disabled bij default)
  • RDS – M365 Apps stil supported for every Windows Server release 2-3 years
  • Finance – General support and Pay-as-you-go Support

Need to find some time to dig in

Handy link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-server-insiders/announcing-windows-server-preview-build-26040/m-p/4040858

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