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The Small
Human Cloud
Blog articles, news and useful information on VMware Cloud Foundation, automation and PowerShell — all from the home lab, where everything gets broken and rebuilt first.
- Blog posts
- 78
- vExpert since
- 2020
- In IT since
- 2008
- Days since I broke the lab
- 20
Deploying VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) 9.1 in a Lab
Guest post · James Tiffany
When it comes to installing your VVF environment you have two options available. The first, and most common, is to use the VCF Installer. Don't let the name faze you, the same installer that deploys VCF will also deploy VVF for you. The great thing about doing it this way is the level of automation you get, this process will deploy vCenter, VCFMS, VCF Operations and the License server...
Installing and Activating VMware Intelligent Assist in VCF Operations
So last week during VMware Explore in Las Vegas, a new feature was announced, VMware Intelligent Assist!
Latest News from the Web
A quiet Sunday before KubeCon, and how VCF 9.1 backs up its own management stack
- Keep the Brotli workaround on SDDC Manager, and get the ESX logging fix in before Wednesday. VMSA-2026-0008.1 still shows "Patch pending" for every SDDC Manager version, so KB 460732 on 9.1.1 (or KB 460734 on 5.2.x, 9.0.x and 9.1.0) is what's protecting you. Press reports put the US federal deadlines at 10 November for the Brotli flaw and 11 November for ESX CVE-2026-41709, whose fixed builds are in the VMSA-2026-0006 matrix.
- Set up and test an external SFTP backup target before your next VCF 9.1.1 patch run. Broadcom's backup target and schedules page describes the SFTP target in VCF Operations as a prerequisite for patching or upgrading the VCF management services. Run a backup on demand and check the files arrive; KB 456587 shows how a short-of-space SFTP server makes the first backups fail.
- If you run vSphere Standard or Enterprise Plus 8 in the EEA, get the extended-support terms in writing before you count on 2028. Broadcom's portfolio post keeps both editions on sale to 31 October 2027 with extended support until the earlier of your subscription end or 31 October 2028, but doesn't say what extended support covers. Everyone else is still working to the 11 October 2027 end of general support in KB 459135.
- Security No new VMSA
- Releases & KBs All quiet
- Terraform & Packer Nothing new
- Next deadline 10 Nov
Code Projects
VMware Explore 2024 Hackathon Winning team
Project and code from the Las Vegas hackathon at VMware Explore 2024.
Simplify VCF Deployment & Operations with Terraform
Session code with examples for deploying VCF and common post-bring-up tasks.
Automating VCF Day 1 Operations
Session code covering Day 1 actions via the API and PowerVCF.
Presentations
Every slide deck and demo from the events I've been lucky enough to present at.