VMware vSphere: how to create tags - Part II with PowerCLI

On the Part I post we learn how to add a Tag and a Category trough the GUI interface with vSphere Web Client, now, let´s take a look about how to do it with PowerCLI.

Remember that Tags are a new feature available from vSphere 5.1 and the cmdlets are available from PowerCLI 5.5, so, we need at least a vCenter on vSphere 5.1 and the PowerCLI 5.5 installed but much better use las version PowerCLI 6 (not all cmdlets are present in PowerCLI 5.5 initial release)

Use this to verify the version you have installed: 

PowerCLI C:\> Get-VIToolkitVersion

Now with the New-Tag we can review the Tags configured, and with "New-TagCategory" create a Category and after with "New-Tag" the Tag

Now, we are ready to assign Tags to objects, in this case to Virtual Machine:

It´s time to verify it trough Web Client:

Something i didn´t mention jet, is that you can assign multiple Tags to an objet in vSphere , in our case to a Virtual Machine. It means that you can for example tag a VM with the "DDBB_tag" because it´s a SQL DDBB, and Tag it with "Cluster_tag" because it´s a Microsoft Cluster, or with another tag like "Test_tag" because it´s a DDBB SQL Cluster from the Lab Environment.

Why multiple Tags? For vROps it will be useful to create custom groups using different Tags criteria and fix different policies if its a VM from DDBB servers, or if its a VM from Lan Environment..... one VM could be placed in different Custom Groups at the same time :-)

First Part of this post: VMware vSphere: how to create tags - Part I

http://virtualshocks.blogspot.com.es/2015/04/vmware-vsphere-how-to-create-tags-part-i.html

VMware vSphere: how to create tags - Part I

What is a tag?

A tag is a label that you can apply to objects in the vSphere inventory. Tags allow you to attach metadata to objects to make them more sortable and searchable.

Tags are grouped into categories, which define how the tags can be applied to inventory objects.

What is a category?

A category groups together related tags in the vCenter Server inventory.

When you create a category, you specify whether multiple tags in that category can be assigned to a given object at one time, or whether only one tag can be assigned to an object at a time. For example, a category called Priority might contain the tags High, Medium, and Low, and be configured to allow only one tag in the category to be applied to an object at a time.

You also specify whether tags in a category can be applied to all objects, or only to specific object types, such as hosts or datastores.

...yes, this is just a Copy&Paste from the original explanation from tags and categories on the VMware documentation....but i´m sure that no one read it...or at least...just a few docu-addicts :-)

Once we have a crystal clear the idea about what Tags and Category are....let´s show how to create them:

continue reading....

vExpert 2015 ....my second year :-)

The vExperts 2015 list was published the last month and this is the second year for me :-)

"...Each of these vExperts have demonstrated significant contributions to the community and a willingness to share their expertise with others. Contributing is not always blogging or Twitter as there are many public speakers, book authors, script writers, VMUG leaders, VMTN community moderators and internal champions among this group.

     I want to personally thank everyone who applied and point out that a “vExpert” is not a technical certification or even a general measure of VMware expertise. The judges selected people who were particularly engaged with their community and who had developed a substantial personal platform of influence in those communities. If you feel like you were not selected in error, that’s entirely possible."

You can find the whole list on this link:

http://blogs.vmware.com/vmtn/2015/02/vexpert-2014-announcement-2.html

First time as a VMware vExpert 2014

I’m pleased to announce that this year i was nominated as a vExpert.

You can review all the vexperts in this oficial VMware link: http://blogs.vmware.com/vmtn/2014/04/vexpert-2014-announcement.html

FREE Licenses of Backup Exec V-Ray Edition for VMware vExperts, VCP...

Eres vExpert? ...tal vez VCP? ....si quieres probar Symantec Backup Exec V-Ray aqui tienes el enlace ...y es FREE :-)   http://goo.gl/RMVWr

...porque no solo de Veeam vive el hombre ;-)