vExpert HashiCorp Vault KV v2 Lookups from Ansible AWX This post explains how to perform HashiCorp Vault KV v2 secret lookups from Ansible AWX
vExpert SSL Validation in Python Virtual Environments for HashiCorp Vault lookups in Ansible AWX When using a Python virtual environment (venv) and HVAC to perform HashiCorp Vault lookups from Ansible, you may run in to SSL verification errors.
VMware Cloudbase-Init with vRealize Automation and vSphere - No CD Drive! This article explains how to use Cloudbase-Init with vRealize Automation and vSphere without requiring a CD drive in every Windows VM.
HashiCorp Automating the installation of Cloudbase-Init in Windows templates using Packer A brief post that provides some PowerShell commands to install Cloudbase-Init in a Windows Server image produced by Packer
AWS How to Migrate Vault Auto-Unseal to AWS KMS With an AWS KMS key defined, migrating an existing Vault installation from using Shamir keys to AWS KMS auto-unseal requires only a few steps to complete.
Vault How to Configure AWS KMS for Vault Auto-Unseal Rather than manually unsealing Vault in the homelab every time updates are applied, it'd be preferable to have it auto-unseal using an AWS Key Management Server. This is how to setup the AWS part.
HashiCorp Preparing Vault for integration with vRA Before vRA / vRO can automate Vault and create high-entropy passwords for new workloads, Vault must be prepared. This post explains the steps taken.
vRA Featured Creating unique passwords in Vault for new vRA workloads Generate and secure unique complex passwords in HashiCorp Vault for new workloads provisioned by VMware vRealize Automation
vExpert Integrating VMware Code Stream and Packer Not content to build vSphere templates periodically, this introduction shows how VMware Code Stream and Packer can be combined to trigger builds from Git updates.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 7) - Further plans The final (short) post in this series. Now that vSphere templates can be built repeatably, it's time to think about the next steps to take things further.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 6) - CentOS Having created a Windows template, in Part 6 of this series it's now time to make one for Linux using my go-to distro, CentOS 8.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 5) - Windows templates Armed with some vSphere variables, it's now time to create a Windows template. In post 5 of this series that process is described.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 4) - vSphere variables In part 4 of this series it's finally time to introduce some JSON. The variables that I re-use in every template for telling Packer where to provision machines.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 3) - Variables, builders and provisioners In part 3 of this series I cover some of the configuration and terminology required to get going with builds and that will be used in the rest of the series.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 2) - Preparation Now Packer is introduced, it's time to prepare for using it to create some vSphere templates. This is part 2 of a series.
Packer Creating vSphere VM templates with Packer (part 1) - Introduction Bored of hand-rolling vSphere templates? I was! This is part 1 of a series that documents creating vSphere templates using Packer.
