How to kick-start scripts to automate VMware's ESXi installation via USB

Techrepublic | September 30, 2019

Rolling out hundreds of VMware's ESXi hypervisors is a time-consuming project with the chance for errors. Learn how to use a USB flash drive to automate the ESXi install. VMware is arguably the standard when it comes to virtualizing infrastructure, despite growing support for other virtualization models such as Docker, Amazon's AWS, and Microsoft's Azure. But the focus of this article isn't market share or what's the best solution for your organization—it's to share a simple, effective way to automate the installation of the ESXi hypervisor onto bare metal hardware in order to facilitate the virtual deployment of servers with as light a touch as possible on the part of the technicians/admins. One method that provides a self-contained and fully scripted process that is easy to replicate is via USB flash drive (UFD). Learn how to create a UFD that will install ESXi, apply basic network settings, and configure the host for remote management. Before we dive in, there are requirements necessary to make this work with little to no error.

Spotlight

Safecoder is here! VMware, partnering with Hugging Face, has brought their open source code LLM: Starcoder on-premises as the "Safecoder" solution. Safecoder lets customers provide a highly capable coding assistant to their development teams while maintaining control over proprietary data. Plus, Safecoder provides capabilities to fine-tune the underlying model on proprietary code to learn your coding style and guidelines.


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Virtual Desktop Tools, Virtual Server Infrastructure

MacStadium Secures Two Patents to Further Expand Innovation Across Apple Enterprise Cloud Deployments

businesswire | July 13, 2023

MacStadium, the industry-leading Mac private cloud and software-as-a-service provider enabling macOS workloads, today announced it has secured two patents: one for injection molded “helmets” providing keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) and precise power button control remotely, and one for a new rack shelving design with optimizing server density along with the KVM system. MacStadium’s helmets, which sit atop a Mac mini or Mac Studio, are specifically designed to retrofit the company’s current shelving offering. Leveraging 3D printing technology to rapidly prototype and refine the design, this innovation dramatically reduces time-to-market and yields very low cost per unit. While the helmets remain compatible with former shelving solutions, the new shelf design offers six times the server density of older Mac Pro racks and 50% more server density than existing Mac mini racks. Additionally, each Mac server is provisioned with an Apple-focused KVM device providing significant capabilities and advantages while slashing rack shelving costs by 50% or more. “These patents offer an exciting glimpse into how much we have grown and evolved our technology to better service our customers with scalability on-demand and faster deployment made possible via our enterprise hardware program,” said Paul Benati, MacStadium’s senior vice president and COO. “MacStadium has been and remains at the forefront of Apple enterprise innovation. As the first to market with new Apple servers, we continue to innovate, prioritizing reduced system friction, increased customer ease and satisfaction and decreased costs.” MacStadium’s proprietary helmet - which is currently in production - houses a temperature probe, LED light, OLED display and a servo, which allows for granular remote control of Apple devices’ power button. These KVM devices can remotely control the Apple devices to which they are connected, eliminating the need for customers to request server control and for IT teams to physically go to data centers to correct issues. With these remote control and self-service features, customers unlock new capabilities, including the ability to dynamically define the purpose of the Apple device, access to network storage and the long-awaited ability to run FileVault. The KVM system is securely accessed via SSL, SSO integration and authentication and authorization via lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP). The shelving system, which will soon begin production, is designed to hold 24 Mac minis and 24 Apple-focused KVM devices, increasing the capacity of a standard rack to 144 Mac minis. In addition to increased operational efficiencies and secure server access from anywhere in the world, the shelving design offers tremendous cost savings due to its injection molded manufacturing. Not only is this manufacturing offered globally by a multitude of vendors, but it also allows for reduced shipping costs and more server density per square foot due to the product’s reduced bulk and weight. These innovations provide a clear competitive advantage for customers and are just some of the foundational elements of MacStadium's offering, aimed at driving Mac compute to customers via self-service. The patents come after MacStadium announced Orka Workspace with Pulse, designed to enable high-definition audio and visual streaming on virtual Mac desktops via any HTML5-supported browser. In addition, the company recently made public its Orka Small Teams edition, a self-service purchase option, giving MacDevOps teams immediate access to the industry’s leading enterprise-grade macOS virtualization and orchestration tool. As tech companies look to streamline operations and maximize their resources, this automation is critical to remain competitive. About MacStadium Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Atlanta, MacStadium is a private Mac cloud provider delivering scalable and secure enterprise cloud solutions exclusively for macOS. The company’s suite of advanced software-enabled infrastructure, combined with its innovative technology, delivers the security, performance, reliability and flexibility its MacDevOps customers require for successful app development on Apple devices. Powered by MacStadium, Orka® (Orchestration with Kubernetes on Apple) Platform is the only virtualization layer available for Mac build infrastructure based on popular Docker and Kubernetes technology. MacStadium is a Summit Partners portfolio company with multi-site operations in the U.S. and EU.

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Server Hypervisors, Security

ePlus Achieves VMware Cross-Cloud Managed Service Provider Designation

prnewswire | August 23, 2023

ePlus inc. (NASDAQ NGS: PLUS–news)today announced that it has achieved the VMware Cross-Cloud Managed Service provider status. To attain this designation, ePlus passed a thorough independent audit of its VMware Cloud managed services technical expertise and operational excellence. Complementing this recognition and after a comprehensive service offering review, ePlus Cloud Disaster Recovery powered by VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery has also been recognized by VMware as a Validated Service Offering (VSO). VMware Cross-Cloud managed services are a set of prescriptive offers with enhanced partner and customer benefits that enable highly skilled partners to expand their managed services practices. The VMware Cross-Cloud Managed Service Provider designation signifies partners' experience with delivering VMware-validated managed services offerings and the achievement of the VMware Managed Services Specialization (MSS). "We are proud to be a launch partner for VMware Cross-Cloud managed services, as well as having our Cloud Managed Disaster Recovery offering validated by VMware," saidJustin Mescher, vice president of cloud and data center solutions at ePlus. "ePlus has been providing Cloud Hosted Infrastructure and Cloud Disaster Recovery for more than 10 years, and since migrating these services to VMware Cloud on AWS we have seen significantly increased customer interest and adoption. The capability for on-demand recovery with integrated ransomware detection and response, combined with ePlus' design expertise and failover services, are helping our clients increase confidence in their ability to recover in a cost-effective fashion." "ePlus has been at the forefront of delivering VMware-based managed services that help meet customers' most pressing challenges," saidAbhay Kumar, VP for Hyperscalers and Technology Partners, VMware. "With ePlus Cloud Disaster Recovery, ePlus is delivering an on-demand, easy-to-use service with cloud economicsthat enables business resiliency at scale. This will help deliver on the promise of VMware Cross-Cloud managed services." About ePlusinc. ePlus has an unwavering and relentless focus on leveraging technology to create inspired and transformative business outcomes for its customers. Offering a robust portfolio of solutions, as well as a broad range of consultative and managed services across the technology spectrum, ePlus has proudly achieved more than 30 years of success, carrying customers forward through adversity, rapidly changing environments, and other obstacles. ePlus is a trusted advisor, bringing expertise, credentials, talent and a thorough understanding of innovative technologies, spanning security, cloud, data center, networking, collaboration and emerging solutions, to organizations across all industry segments. With complete lifecycle management services and flexible payment solutions, ePlus' more than 1,850associates are focused on cultivating positive customer experiences and are dedicated to their craft, harnessing new knowledge while applying decades of proven experience. ePlus is headquartered inVirginia, with locations inthe United States, UK,Europe, and Asia‐Pacific.

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Virtual Desktop Tools, Virtual Server Infrastructure

Cybeats Signs Pilot Agreement for SBOM Studio with One of The Largest Global Telecom Technology Providers, and a Leader in 5G

prnewswire | July 12, 2023

Cybeats Technologies Corp. is pleased to report the signing of a pilot evaluation agreement with a global leader in telecom and 5G technology, for the SBOM Studio platform.1 "Cybeats has been experiencing tremendous traction in the telecom sector following recent regulations and pressure by governments causing it to become a key SBOM adopter. We are pleased to be engaging in a pilot evaluation for SBOM Studio with an international leader in telecom, and look forward to continuing to expand into the global telecom market vertical with a solution that has already been commercially validated with industry leaders from several other sectors," said Bob Lyle, CRO, Cybeats. Further to Cybeats' recent press release2 dated June 16, the Company announced its strategic direction to also include the global telecom sector as it is an accelerating Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) adopter. The Company has been continuing to strengthen its commercial pipeline which now includes over five prospective telecom clients in various stages, and several of which are among the largest Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Network Equipment providers by revenue globally. This pilot agreement is with a leading telecom network equipment provider that has a market capitalization of over 15 billion EUR and sells infrastructure, software, services, and technology for the telecommunications industry, including 5G equipment, and operates in more than 180 countries. Cybeats announced a pilot conversion rate of 75% in January 2023.3 SBOM management enables telecom giants to achieve software transparency and ensure compliance with government regulations. It provides valuable visibility into software components and dependencies, enabling telecom companies to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their software. Telecom and mobile device providers must adhere to specific regulations such as FCC regulations, NDAA provisions, the EU Cybersecurity Act, UK Telecommunications (Security) Act, and NIST guidelines. Complying with these regulations is crucial for ensuring software transparency and security in the rapidly evolving telecom industry. In addition, a push to open infrastructure, like Open Radio Access Network Infrastructure (O-RAN), further signals a trend towards greater interoperability and security, i.e. with O-RAN software components requiring SBOMs. SBOMs have emerged as a catalyst for transformation in cybersecurity across nearly all sectors to improve visibility and security of the software supply chain, yet organizations face challenges with widespread implementation of SBOM due to the scale of change and associated costs. SBOM Studio is specifically designed to automate SBOM management, accelerate vulnerability management, simplify SBOM implementation, and ultimately improve ROI by reducing the overhead required to embed SBOM management across an organization. About Cybeats Cybeats is a cybersecurity company providing SBOM management and software supply chain intelligence technology, helping organizations to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and secure their software from procurement to development and operation. Our platform gives customers comprehensive visibility and transparency into their software supply chain, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and increase revenue.

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Virtual Desktop Strategies, Backup and Disaster Recovery

Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE Recognized as a Leader in Zero Trust Edge Solutions

prnewswire | August 17, 2023

Palo Alto Networks,the global cybersecurity leader, announced today it has been positioned as a leader in the inaugural Forrester Wave™: Zero Trust Edge Solutions, Q3 2023 report. According to Forrester, Zero Trust Edge (ZTE), also known as secure access service edge (SASE), centralizes multiple networking and security capabilities — such as software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), cloud access security broker (CASB), Zero Trust network access (ZTNA), and secure web gateway (SWG) — into a unified solution. According to the evaluation: "[Palo Alto Networks'] outstanding strategy aligns strongly to ZTE and features AI and AIOps to increase detection and decrease the chance of misconfiguration. While its peers have digital experience management on their forward roadmaps, Palo Alto Networks delivers it now." The Forrester evaluation asserts the company "has one of the few unified, integrated management portals for both networking and security in this evaluation" and "has strong ZTNA capabilities and recently refactored its SWG to include an AI inspection layer." To learn more about Palo Alto Networks recognition in the 2023 Forrester Wave™for Zero Trust Edge Solutions, read ourblog. Palo Alto Networks was among 10 vendors Forrester evaluated for the report, based on 32 criteria. Palo Alto NetworksPrisma SASEreceived the highest possible scores in 19 criteria, including Vision, Innovation, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Secure Web Gateway (SWG) and more. Kumar Ramachandran, senior vice president of Products, SASE, Palo Alto Networks said: "We are proud to be recognized. To us, this acknowledgement is for our superior cloud-delivered ZTNA 2.0 security, next-generation SD-WAN, and AI-powered IT operations from a single unified platform. We believe this recognition is a testament to our comprehensive approach to SASE and Zero Trust, ensuring our customers are prepared to meet the scale, complexity, and speed of a highly distributed and cloud-first world." Organizations can lower their risk of a breach with an integrated SASE solution that protects against the latest network threats, while enabling full employee productivity and cloud adoption. Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE consolidates multiple capabilities, including ZTNA 2.0, Cloud SWG, NG-CASB, FWaaS, SD-WAN and ADEM, into a single integrated service, reducing network and security complexity while increasing organizational agility. Moreover it empowers organizations to harness the power of AI and unlock the full potential of data with a unified platform approach. In March, Palo Alto Networks announcedAI-powered SASE innovationsto enable organizations to automate their increasingly complex IT and network operations center (NOC) functions, including: AI-powered Autonomous Digital Experience Management (ADEM)to help organizations proactively remediate issues that can cause service interruption, through AI-based problem detection and predictive analytics, by discovering network anomalies and isolating issues simply and quickly through an easy-to-use query interface and single dashboard. SD-WAN innovations to extend Zero Trust to the branch of the future, like Prisma SD-WAN Command Center, enabling organizations to simplify management, get consistent visibility and leverage AI/ML for smarter decision-making. AI-powered phishing preventionwith Cloud Secure Web Gateway (SWG), leveraging agent-based explicit proxy support and first-of-its-kind phishing detections to help organizations stay ahead of threats. About Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks is the world's cybersecurity leader. We innovate to outpace cyberthreats, so organizations can embrace technology with confidence. We provide next-gen cybersecurity to thousands of customers globally, across all sectors. Our best-in-class cybersecurity platforms and services are backed by industry-leading threat intelligence and strengthened by state-of-the-art automation. Whether deploying our products to enable the Zero Trust Enterprise, responding to a security incident, or partnering to deliver better security outcomes through a world-class partner ecosystem, we're committed to helping ensure each day is safer than the one before. It's what makes us the cybersecurity partner of choice.

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Spotlight

Safecoder is here! VMware, partnering with Hugging Face, has brought their open source code LLM: Starcoder on-premises as the "Safecoder" solution. Safecoder lets customers provide a highly capable coding assistant to their development teams while maintaining control over proprietary data. Plus, Safecoder provides capabilities to fine-tune the underlying model on proprietary code to learn your coding style and guidelines.

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