Monthly Archives: May 2019

AWS Config Best Practices for Compliance

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Use AWS Config the Right Way for Successful Compliance

It’s well-known that AWS Config is a powerful service for monitoring all changes across your resources. As AWS Config has constantly evolved and improved over the years, it has transformed into a true powerhouse for monitoring your deployment’s compliance. Monitoring for compliance — whether for HIPAA, CIS, internal auditors, etc. — is a detailed and complicated process, and it’s of utmost importance to provide a clear history of all actions so that auditors can easily assess and approve your organization. With that in mind, let’s check out the following three best practices to use AWS Config for Compliance.

Joe Nemer posted a great blog about Compliance best practices on AWS config. Read his blog article here for more info and details.

AWS Config Best Practices for Compliance

 

AWS Architecture Icons

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Architecture diagrams are a great way to communicate your design, deployment, and topology. AWS has published an official collection of AWS Architecture Icons (formerly Simple Icons) that contain AWS product icons, resources, and other tools to help you build diagrams.

Customers and partners are permitted by AWS to use the resources below to create architecture diagrams. The icons are designed to be simple so that you can easily incorporate them in your diagrams and put them in your whitepapers, presentations, datasheets, posters, or any technical material.

Toolkits

Get started with one of these toolkits.

 

Microsoft PowerPoint
Compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 and newer (.pptx format).

Download PPTx for Dark Backgrounds 

Download PPTx for Light Backgrounds 

 

Compatible with legacy Microsoft PowerPoint versions (.ppt format).

Download PPT for Dark Backgrounds 

Download PPT for Light Backgrounds 

 

Microsoft Visio

Download Visio toolkit 

Assets

Import an asset package into your favorite diagramming tool.

EPS PNG SVG 

Official VMware Visio Stencils & Icons for 2019

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What makes this so good is that they were the same ones as used in the official VMware Validated Design Documentation!

What’s new?

These are screenshots of what is included in the new Visio files. Keep in mind that these are SDDC focused so you will find Compute, Network and Storage icons with a strong focus on the SDDC within the set.

Stencils-Image

Shapes-Text

Templates

 

So how do you get hold of the Visio files?

Simply go to the direct link on the VMTN forums here. Read the instructions on the page from Ryan, as these will make using the icons much easier! – Don’t forget to like the page if you find them useful.

Also, be sure to check out the VMware Validated Design Documentation to give you an idea of how they should be displayed.

Download visio files here

 

New VMware Releases

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VMware has released Site Recovery Manager 8.2, vSphere Replication 8.2, Workstation 15.1.0 and Fusion 11.1.0.

Site Recovery Manager 8.2

What’s new:

  • VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 adds compatibility with VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 2.
  • Simplified management and increased security with Photon OS-based Site Recovery Manager virtual appliance.
    Reduce layers of complexity associated with Windows Server by leveraging a new operating system, purpose-built for only disaster recovery functions. Streamline deployment by installing the Site Recovery Manager virtual appliance directly from vCenter Server.
  • Enhancements to the Site Recovery Manager HTML-5 User Interface:
    • VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 Configuration Import/Export Tool is now available in Site Recovery Manager User Interface.
    • With Site Recovery Manager 8.2, you can change the color schemes in the Site Recovery Manager HTML-5 User Interface to display the interface in a dark theme.
    • Ability to display capacity information in the Protection Groups Datastores tab.
    • Ability to provide in-product feedback with the Site Recovery User Interface.
  • Enhancements to Site Recovery Manager public API. Site Recovery Manager 8.2 introduces new methods in the product’s Public API:
    • Listing Array Managers information
    • Listing replicated RDMs
      For information about Site Recovery Manager public APIs and more extensive product automation, see Site Recovery Manager API Developer’s Guide.
  • vRealize Operations Management Pack for Site Recovery Manager 8.2. For information about the management pack, see the VMware vRealize Operations Management Pack for Site Recovery Manager 8.2 Release Notes.
  • vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2. For information about the new workflows, see the VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 Release Notes.
  • Ability to send Site Recovery Manager logs to a remote syslog server.

See the full release notes here

vSphere Replication 8.2

What’s new:

  • VMware vSphere Replication 8.2 adds compatibility with VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 2.
  • Support for VM encryption: You can replicate encrypted virtual machines if you are using VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 1 or later.
  • Minimize security risks by enabling network encryption: You can enable encryption of replication data transfer in VMware vSphere Replication 8.2, if you are using VMware vSphere 6.0 or later.
  • Enhancements to the Site Recovery user interface: With vSphere Replication 8.2, you can monitor target datastores in the replication details pane of the Site Recovery user interface, and use vSphere Replication reports that display transferred bytes per virtual machine and per hour.
  • vRealize Operations Management Pack: The new vRealize Operations Management Pack for vSphere Replication 8.2 provides increased visibility into the status of your vSphere Replication environment, RPO violations and other details. For more information, see VMware vRealize Operations Management Pack for vSphere Replication 8.2 Release Notes.
  • vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.2. For information about new workflows, see VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.2 Release Notes.

See the full release notes here

Workstation 15.1.0

What’s new:

  • Support for new guest operating systems:
    • Windows 10 19H1
    • Ubuntu 19.04
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0
    • Fedora 30
    • ESXi 6.7 Update 2
  • Stretch guest display: This feature is now extended to support all guests running on Windows hosts.
    In Workstation 15.0.x, stretch guest for Windows was supported only for versions earlier than Windows 7. This limitation has been removed in Workstation 15.1.

See the full release notes here

Fusion 11.1.0

What’s new:

  • Support for the following operating systems as guest.
    • Windows 10 19H1
    • Ubuntu 19.04
    • RHEL 8.0
    • Fedora 30
    • ESXi 6.7 U2
  • Bug fixes and security updates

See the full release notes here

VMware Cloud on AWS is Now Available to…

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VMware Cloud on AWS is Now Available to…

Customer momentum for VMware Cloud on AWS continues to accelerate with AWS and VMware delivering major new capabilities every month. With a new purchase agreement in place, customers can now buy VMware Cloud on AWS directly through AWS and APN Partners in the AWS Solution Provider Program. Through..

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