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Playing with Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) in vSphere 9.1 using an ASUS NUC

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Introduced in VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.1, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) is the next evolution of Auto Deploy. Like Auto Deploy, it automates both ESX installation and host configuration. Instead of relying on the traditional PXE/TFTP boot process and Host Profiles, ZTP uses modern UEFI HTTP Boot along with vSphere Configuration Profiles (VCP) to provision a fully configured ESX host that automatically registers itself into the desired vSphere Cluster.

While ESX has supported UEFI HTTP Boot for some time, adoption has been gradual as organizations continue to rely on existing PXE/TFTP-based deployment infrastructure. At the same time, the hardware ecosystem has steadily transitioned from legacy BIOS firmware to UEFI, making UEFI HTTP Boot more broadly available. Auto Deploy's iPXE implementation was a nice bridge to support traditional PXE/TFTP infrastructure while still getting the benefits of HTTP boot, especially when it comes to installing ESX over the network compared to a TFTP-based approach.

While cleaning out some old lab hardware, I came across a spare ASUS NUC 15 Pro that I was no longer using and wondered whether it supported UEFI HTTP Boot and could be repurposed for ZTP testing? 🤔

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VCF 9.1 - Auditing vCenter Server Connections using the Connection Utilization API

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vCenter Server has had the ability to audit vSphere logins, whether through the API or UI, for nearly two decades using vSphere Events, which provide detailed information on who connected, when the login occurred and the client IP address associated with the session.

While looking up something in the latest vSphere 9.1 Automation REST API, I came across a new Connection Utilization API that provides visibility into all HTTP and HTTPS connections established with vCenter Server.

While most organizations deploy vCenter Server on a dedicated management network as a best practice, it does not eliminate the possibility of unexpected or unauthorized connections. Having additional visibility into those connections and the ability to audit them can help organizations quickly identify and investigate suspicious activity.

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