I am speaking at the #NLVMUG 2019 with 2 talks this year!

I am very proud and grateful to again be allowed to speak at the largest VMware user conference in the world. With 100 sessions, it really is turning into a small European mini-VMworld.

The 2019 NLVMUG will take place on Thursday 21st of March, in a new location: 'De Fabrique', Utrecht

For the last 3 years I concentrated on spreading practical knowledge of NSX Microsegmentation to the #vCommunity, based on my experience @Redlogic
This year I am changing gears somewhat into a more 'DevOps' type of direction. I am presenting 2 'lightning talks' (20-25 min) on the subject of PowerCLI with Docker, and the vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager

See the entire schedule here: https://nlvmugusercon2019.sched.com/

Take Control of PowerCLI with Docker - using PowerCLICore
11:55 - 12:15 , Room: 'Postkamer'

Since I was first introduced to the concepts of containers and Docker, I have been super exited about this technology. It really is going to, and in many places already is revolutionizing how software is developed, managed, staged, deployed and run.
But its usefulness goes way beyond just being a technology for developers.
The first talk I submitted is an example how Docker can be used to make a powercli environment highly portable and easily updatable, thus eliminating a lot of the classic frustrations of having to manage scripts and environments all over disparate places.

Session Link: https://nlvmugusercon2019.sched.com/event/LLD0/take-control-of-powercli-with-docker-using-powerclicore

Session Text:

Using a combination of source-control, automated building, and execution as a container using Docker, this session demonstrates the advantages of using PowerCLICore as a method of running PowerCLI scripts in a highly controlled and managed way. 

This session:
* Will introduce the basic concept of containers and its advantages
* Will explain how Powershell scripts can be run while Powershell runtime resides inside a container, instead of locally installed. 
* Will explain and demonstrate (automatic) build pipline of the container image from source-control and uploading to Docker Image Repository. 
* Will demonstrate how container can be used to run both built-in and external powerCLI scripts in different environments using the same source image. 
* Will summarize advantages/disadvantages using this approach compared to classic way of installing and running PowerCLI and its dependencies

Get DEVOPSy with Lifecycle Manager - Deploy and manage VMware vRealize products AND their content!
11:25 - 11:45 , Room: 'Kalvermelk 2c'

VMware has some excellent products for (private) cloud management. These are all bundled under the 'vRealize' brandname. For a while there has been a little-known appliance that has pulled the management of these products together. The 'vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager' (vRSLCM or LCM).
In Q3 last year, this tool got a major update with the 2.0 release, and added some pretty powerful features. If you are deploying and managing the VMware SDDC stack today, including vRealize products such as Operations Manager, LogInsight, NetworkInsight and vRealize Automation, then this tool is definitely worth looking very closely at.

At CAM IT, its value is obvious, as we are in the business of deploying these products to multiple customers over and over, and keeping them up to-date.
But the biggest value-add in my opinion, is the ability that LCM gives you to easily (for non developers!) export and import content from vRealize products as pure code. This is what I find the single most exiting feature and one I wanted to demo.

I am also using the opportunity to introduce a colleague to the world of event-speaking for the first time. I will be joined by Danny van de Sande, who is our main Devopsy code-monkey at CAM.

Session Link:

https://nlvmugusercon2019.sched.com/event/LLCr/get-devopsy-with-lifecycle-manager-deploy-and-manage-vmware-vrealize-products-and-their-content

Session Text:

The purpose of this talk is to introduce the audience to the vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager product, and to demonstrate its use. 

The vRealize Suite Lifecycle manager is a new part of the VMware vRealize family. It acts as the spider in the web of the entire suite of vRealize products. 
You can easily and centrally control the lifecycle (deployment, patching, upgrading, certificates, etc) of vROPS, vRA, vRO Loginsight and Network Insight. 
All configuration is saved and exportable as code, making the infrastructure-as-code dream a reality. 
But beyond this, you can actually manage the CONTENT of these products. 
Create an amazingly useful new vROPS Dashboard, or vRO workflow? Export it as code, manage it with source-controle, and de-deploy it to a different environment. The Lifecycle manager makes this all super simple. 

In this talk, I will cover the basics of the Lifecycle manager; its history, how to deploy it, what it can do for you.
I will then demonstrate some key functions - Deployment of a vRealize Suite product from inside the Lifecycle Manager. 
I will also demonstrate content control; exporting from one environment, managing the content in source-control, and then redeploying it to a new endpoint.