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Enabling new vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) Cluster Management for VCF Automation (VCFA)

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As of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0.1, users can now manage the full lifecycle of their vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) Clusters, including backup and restore, using the new vSphere Kubernetes Service Cluster Management (VKSM) capability, natively integrated into VCF Automation (VCFA).


This is definitely a must have capability for users managing dozen or even hundreds of VKS Clusters across different versions, VKSM provides the easy button for platform operators!

I figured before going on PTO next week and shutting down my lab, this would be the perfect time to get this deployed in my lab ... what could go wrong, right!? 😅

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Quick Tip - VCF 9.0.1 upgrade files now available on Broadcom Support Portal (BSP)

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When VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0.1 was initially released, some of the upgrade binary files were not published on the Broadcom Support Portal (BSP), but they were available when using the VCF Download Tool (VCFDT). For users that wish to manually download the VCF 9.0.1 installation and/or upgrade files from the BSP, they can now be accessed on the VCF 9.0.1 download section.


Note: VCFDT is the recommended method for downloading VCF software binaries and metadata, which will automatically build the required VCF software depot structure. If you manually download the binaries, ensure you also download the vcf-9.0.1.0-offline-depot-metadata.zip and place all binaries in the respective folders as outlined in my recent VCF Software Depot Structure Deep Dive for Installation & Upgrades. This method can also be used for VMUG Advantage users who have obtained their VCF Certification until 11/24, which is when we expect the new VCF licensing and download token generation to be available for VMUG Advantage users, which mirror the exact same experience as users with VCF entitlements.


In addition, to help users quickly identify the required VCF upgrade files, I have listed them below along with the direct download link from BSP for your convenience.

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Capturing Kasa Smart Plug Power Metrics using VCF Operations Management Pack Builder

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VCF Operations has long supported the ingestion of custom metrics and data through custom management packs, typically created by 3rd party vendors. While users can build their own custom management packs, it was a non-starter for many due to the development background required.

The newly integrated VCF Operations Management Pack Builder provides a no-code solution that can connect to any REST-based API endpoint, making it trivial to bring in custom metrics and associating that with existing or new objects within VCF Operations.


My recent purchase of a Kasa Smart Plug for energy monitoring gave me the perfect opportunity to use the VCF Operations Management Pack Builder!

Long story short, Kasa does not provide any public APIs to access their smart devices, but the open-source community has reversed engineer their protocol and built a python library called python-kasa allowing users to interact with their Kasa smart devices.

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