Homelab

Setting EVC Level on a Cluster with a VCSA and no shared storage

Aug 30, 2016 · 4 min read · vmware esxi vcenter ·

Problem

A second host has been added to a one-node vSphere cluster which has no shared storage and EVC cannot be enabled.

Automated Deployment in the HomeLab- Part 1

Jun 21, 2016 · 3 min read · vmware esxi powercli homelab ·

I’m commencing a project with my HomeLab- I’m going to build a system whereby I can produce custom mini-lab environments by means of a script. There are off the shelf solutions to do this (see AutoLab as an example) but if I build this myself I get something tailored exactly to my needs (and available resources) and …

The Open HomeLab Project

May 10, 2016 · 2 min read · homelab vmware ·

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If you run a HomeLab, or have ever considered setting one up, you should check out the new Open HomeLab Project. This is a new wiki-based initiative to collect together information on the Home Lab ecosystem for newbies and hardened enthusiasts alike.
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ESXi Host Web Client

Mar 26, 2016 · 2 min read · vmware esxi xbox ·

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A few days ago I tweeted about managing my ESXi HomeLab from the Xbox. Whilst this is a bit of a novelty (I’m holding out for the Minecraft ESXi plugin fling), it highlights the management possibilities that the new HTML-based (rather than Flash or Windows based) client creates. In addition to working via the Edge …

Virtual Machine Backups with Veeam

Mar 21, 2016 · 4 min read · vmware veeam ·

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So, I’ve got my Home Lab on a NUC setup and running the VMware ESXi 6 Hypervisor. Before I get too carried away “experimenting” I want to be a good sysadmin and ensure that I can backup (and restore) my Virtual Machines.
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Home Lab Upgrade to 6.0u2

Mar 18, 2016 · 1 min read · vmware esxi powercli ·

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VMware have released vSphere 6.0 Update 2 - this brings with it many new features, but amongst the most exciting for my home lab was the host-based web client. I no longer need to rely on the functionality of the traditional Windows application to manage my virtual environment. Here’s how I installed it:
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Home Lab VPN Connection

Feb 15, 2016 · 3 min read · vmware openvpn esxi ·

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I wanted to be able to connect to my new home lab from off-premises (that’s a technical way of saying “when I’m not at home”). My solution to this was to setup an Ubuntu VM running OpenVPN, following the comprehensive instructions here and configuring my home broadband router to forward UDP port …
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Installing ESXi on the NUC

Feb 12, 2016 · 2 min read · intel nuc vmware esxi ·

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Welcome to Part 2 of my Home Lab series (it’s now twice as long!) where I install the Hypervisor. The 6th Generation Intel NUC hardware is all assembled and working, so now it’s time to put some software into the mix.
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New NUC Based Home Lab

Feb 12, 2016 · 2 min read · intel nuc ·

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Inspired by the folks at the London VMUG, I finally got round to starting on a proper home-lab for the bits of hands-on IT learning that I can’t do with a Virtual Machine on my laptop, VMware Hands on Labs and the like.
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New Media Centre Part 1

Jun 21, 2012 · 3 min read · xbmc ·

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I’m building a new home media centre to sit in my living room and play video and music through my TV. Today the hardware for my media centre arrived from Ebuyer.
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