About

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Info
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are strictly my own and do not reflect the views and opinions of my employer. I Blog about Subjects and Products that I find interesting and will hopefully help someone get started on their Automation, Monitoring and Logging journey by providing some tips | tricks | processes | code needed.

  • My focus is Automation, Monitoring and Logging. When I was a VMware customer I created an IaC (Infrastructure as Code) Environment. I used VMware vRealize Automation and SaltStack Config to complete server builds, software installs, schedule VM snap shots, Microsoft 365 automation, Citrix Management, Automate Data Center Flips, Server Decommissions, and many other Day 2 processes… For monitoring I used vRealize Operations for the “Single Pane of Glass” experience. I also used vRealize Log Insight for logging and LCM (Life Cycle Manager) for installing all the vRealize Products.

  • Almost all the code I write to complete the Automation that I create is done with PowerShell. The reason I choose to use PowerShell is because to do Automation with VMware products, VMware has a PowerShell module named PowerCLI. There hasn’t been anything that I wanted to Automate that I haven’t been able to do with PowerShell.

  • I have also done Automation with Azure. I am using PowerShell to create VMs and SaltStack Config to complete the configuration management, install software and maintain state.

"Your thought process is the most powerful automation tool you’ll ever have!" - Cody De Arkland
vCommunity
  • I have learned a lot from the vCommunity, Powershell and PowerCLI web sites. I want to use this Blog Site as a way for me to give back. If one person finds anything I post helpful, I will consider my efforts successful.

  • The code that I have shared on this Blog Site is code that I use with vRealize Automation Cloud Templates/Catalog Items and everyday VMware Admin functions. Everyday I learn something new. If I think it should be shared I will write a blog about it. Check back often to see what I am doing next.

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do, We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” - Steve Jobs
Thanks!
  • The Cloud Solution Architects team I am currently a part of is highly rated and renowned for its innovation and expertise. Over the past few years, several members of this team have become role models for me. I anticipate gaining significant knowledge from their expertise and, in turn, give back to the team.

  • I have worked with a great group of people at VMware, past and present. I would like to thank the following people for all their support in no particular order: Steve Leiberson, Marshall Cline, Brock Peterson, Christopher Kusek, Ariel Sanchez, Karl Hauck, Cosmin Trif, Tom Szabo, Daniel Thomas, Marcus Roberts, Ken Jordan, Eric Pennente, Kevin Holland and others.

  • Special Thanks to David Kruse for getting me started with vRA.

  • Special Thanks to Vincent Riccio for allowing me to do SaltStack Config Presentations with you at VMworld 21 and SaltConf 21.

  • Special Thanks to my first manager at VMware: Alex Musicante. You believed in me and my passion/skills/knowledge of the VMware Products. You gave me a career opportunity that no one else did.

  • Special Thanks to some past and present co-workers, SEs, TAMs, HVC Members that I learned a lot from: Robert Mitchell, Dan Grove, Steve Holmes, Steve Pittenger, Anton Wesztergom (Opened my eyes to vRA Day 2), Ryan Palmer, Megan Koss, Josh Demcher, IIona Sirotinin.

  • Special Thanks to my VMware Explore 2023 Hackathon Team, Madison Welsch, Wes Milliron, Tina Krogull, Viviana Miranda, and Edgar Sanchez.

  • Special Thanks to the person that gave me my first Job in IT: David Cornelius

  • List of Bloggers that I follow and have learned a lot by them “Giving Back”: Cody De Arkland, Luc Dekens, Kyle Ruddy, William Lam, Nathen Bennett, Vince Wood, Alan Renouf.

  • and anyone else that helped me in my journey called my career…

Experience
  • VMware Aria

  • VMware Aria Automation | VMware Aria Automation Config

  • VMware Aria Operations | VMware Aria Operations for Logs

  • VMware vCenter | VMware vSphere

  • vRealize Automation | vRealize SaltStack Config | vRealize Operations | vRealize Log Insight

  • PowerShell | PowerCLI | Python

  • Windows Servers | Linux Servers | macOS

  • Salt | Ansible

  • SQL Server

  • more…

"9 - 5 pays the bills, 5 - 10 advances your career" - Author Unknown
vCommunity Activities
  • VMware vExpert | 2020 - Present

  • VMware vExpert - Cloud Management | 2021 - Present

  • VMware Explore 2023 Presentation | Use VMware Aria to Create/Manage/Monitor Windows Servers (on-prem/cloud) [CODE2501LV]

  • Hackathon Team Captain (Finished in 2nd Place) | VMware Explore 2023

  • SaltConf Session - 2021 | Managing Windows with SaltStack Config

  • VMworld Session - 2021 | Manage Windows Workloads Through vRealize Automation SaltStack Config [MCL1895]

  • TECH BYTES - 2024 | VMware Aria Operations with ServiceNow Management Pack (MP) | How to keep your ServiceNow CMDB up to date

  • Philly VMUG - 2023 | VMware Aria Automation and Operations

  • Central PA VMUG - 2022 | VMware Explore 2022

  • VMware PowerBlock - 2021 | Customer Showcase - VM Right Sizing

  • VMware PowerBlock - 2020 | vRealize Operations, your monitoring “Single Pane of Glass

  • vBrownbag session for VMworld - 2020 | vRealize Operations, your monitoring “Single Pane of Glass

Info
  • I like to wear Crocs and I like VMware Products. So what better name than www.vCROCS.info for my Blog

If you found this Blog article useful and it helped you, Buy me a coffee to start my day.