Thoughts from the data center: blog about various technologies, concepts, and ideas
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July 2026 Windows Patching and RC4 Issues and Resolution
As of this writing, July 2026 Windows Server patching has raised concerns for many administrators and organizations. The reason is the fact that this patch may cause issues with RC4 with no rollback capability. If you work for an environment that has a lot of legacy service accounts and systems, some possibly going back to…
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VMware Explore 2026 – My Top Session Picks
Each year, VMware Explore has so many great sessions, it is hard to pick which ones to attend. This can be important, because there have been times in the past where there was an announcement about a new feature or function, and one of the sessions after the keynote was built on this announcement. This…
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First Impression of Microsoft’s 2025 Hyper-V and Web Virtualization Manager
I must admit, I have never been a big fan of Hyper-V. Especially, having been deep in the VMware virtualization platform for over 15 years. I wanted to like it, but really struggled in getting it deployed and connected. If the server had the full Windows Server operating system installed, it was easy enough. However,…
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Have Good Backup Practices Been Lost in the Age of Cloud and AI?
I am what you might call an OG backup and recovery professional. For nearly 25 of my 35 years working in the Information Technology industry, I have had primary responsibility for managing and overseeing the backup and recovery solution. This goes all the way back to tapes and tape libraries up to more modern cloud-based…
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VMware Explore 2026 Registration is Open! Here is why I am attending, and you should too!
In case you were not aware, registration has now opened for this year’s VMware by Broadcom’s Explore conference. Now is the time to register to qualify for the “early bird” discount. I look forward to attending this conference every year for several reasons. These are just a few of the major reasons you do not…
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VMware Explore 2026 Call for Proposals Open – Apply Now!
Each year, Broadcom opens up the Call for Proposal period for the VMware Explore 2026 conference. If you are unfamiliar with the purpose of this period, it is for individuals and organizations to submit various topics for the presentations. If you have ever thought about speaking or presenting at a conference, now is the time…
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Ignite Conference: Day Four Highlights and Takeaways
Thursday marked the final full day of the Ignite conference. While a handful of sessions remained on Friday morning, the event was clearly winding down. It was also the last day the Hub was open, with sponsors and partners available for conversations and networking—making Thursday the final opportunity to absorb as much knowledge as possible.…
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Day 3 of Microsoft Ignite 2025 Sessions and Events
On Wednesday, while officially day 2, having participated in the pre-event sessions, this was my third day at the Ignite conference. The first session of the day was on Advanced Capabilities and Innovation of Azure Storage Solutions. This session covered all of the improvements and advancements of Azure storage. Here are the key insights from…
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Microsoft Ignite Purview and AI Innovation Sessions
Driving AI Innovation and Security: Microsoft’s Vision for the Future Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, and Microsoft is at the forefront of this transformation. From powering frontier workloads with cutting-edge infrastructure to ensuring robust data security and governance, Microsoft’s approach combines performance, scalability, and trust. At Ignite, two major themes emerged:…
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My Path to VMware Cloud Foundation Administrator Certification
Having previously held VMware Certified Professional (VCP) data center certifications for previous versions of the product, I decided to pursue the newer VMware Cloud Foundation Administration Certification. Having deployed, managed, and upgraded an VMware Cloud Foundation environment, I felt very confident in my ability to pass this certification. However, obtaining the certification was not as…