London VMUG - LonVMUG
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London VMUG – 13th July 2023

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Ask anyone. They’ll tell you the same, ‘That Gareth chap loves a VMUG event!’ They’d be correct too.

I’ve been a member of the VMware User Group for some time now, a group of technologists eager to share their thoughts and passion for VMware products. However, the vCommunity (as we put it) can also help as a sounding board for your technical issues, etc., so what better way to meet up with like-minded individuals than at these fantastic VMUG events? A fantastic day catching up with fellow VMUG members as well as a few fellow vExperts and vExpertPROs!

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UK VMUG UserCon 2022

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It’s been a few years since I was able to venture to Leicester for the UK VMUG UserCon, the national VMUG event here in the UK. After Covid laid wasted to the previous two years, there was certainly excitement from all attendees, and it was fantastic to see such a great turnout at this year’s event on Thursday, 17th November 2022.

Yes, the technical content at VMUGs is always fantastic, with customer-driven challenges/stories/fixes, complementing VMware sessions, however, the main thing I love about these events is that they give attendees the ability to catch up with members of the community and to discuss their challenges within a safe and informal forum. They are also a great way to catch up with customers, partners, and friends over a coffee.

So, after a two-year hiatus of the UK VMUG UserCon, the ‘in-person’ community is very much alive!

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London VMUG - LonVMUG
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London VMUG – 15th July 2021

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Earlier this month, I was honoured to have been able to present at the London VMware User Group. My session focussed on a discussion and demonstration around how we can leverage VMware vRealize Network Insight (vRNI) to visualise applications, their dependencies, and their application traffic flows to effectively micro-segment an application using the VMware NSX-T Distributed Firewall (DFW).

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North East VMUG 2019 - Gareth-Lewis
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North East England VMUG – 26th September 2019

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That didn’t disappoint! I’ve wanted to visit the North East England VMUG for sometime, so being asked to present at the user group made it all the more special. As I sit here in Newcastle International Airport waiting for my flight home, I thought I’d summarise the event for those who’ve never been to a VMUG event, are thinking of doing so in the future, or are thinking of speaking at a local VMUG.

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North East England VMware User Group VMUG
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North East England VMUG – 26th September 2019

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The next North East England VMUG will be taking place on Thursday 26th September at the Royal Station Hotel, Newcastle, and I’m excited to be presenting alongside so many fantastic individuals from throughout the vCommunity.

My session will be covering VMware NSX Data Centre for vSphere (NSX-V) and, more specifically, a real world look at micro-segmentation and the implementation of a zero-trust environment. NSX makes this fairly easy thanks to a number of built-in tools, and we’ll explore how we can use the NSX Application Rule Manager to visualise application dependencies in order to start fleshing-out our Distributed Firewall rules.

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20190320 VMUG Presentation Welcome Slide
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South West UK VMUG – March 2019 – VMware NSX and Micro-Segmentation from the Field

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That was a blast! On Wednesday 20th March I had the pleasure of speaking at the South West UK VMUG, held at the Bristol and Bath Science Park. My biggest thanks to VMUG Leaders Jeremy Bowman, Simon Eady, Barry Coombs, and Megan Warren for such a great opportunity, and to all who attended my session. This was my first time speaking at a VMUG, and despite the nerves, I really enjoyed it.

Focusing on VMware NSX Data Centre for vSphere and, more specifically, the micro-segmentation of applications with the aid of the NSX Application Rule Manager (based around my previous article). I opted not to perform a live demo during my very first speaking slot, but instead produced a live recording, for which I walked the group through how to utilise the NSX Application Rule Manager to identify application dependencies, endpoints, and service/ports/protocols when implementing a zero-trust environment.

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South West UK VMUG – 20th March 2019

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The first South West UK VMUG will be taking place on Wednesday 20th March 2019 at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, an event which also marks my first time presenting at a VMUG. No pressure, but I will be following a session by fellow vExpert, Chris Lewis (no relation).

My session will be covering VMware NSX Data Centre for vSphere (NSX-V) and, more specifically, the reality of managing a zero-trust environment for true micro-segmentation of services. NSX itself makes this fairly easy thanks to a number of tools (Application Rule Manager being just one), however, there are always a number of human variables which need to be acknowledged and identified along the way.

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VMworld 2018 Europe – Customer Panel on NSX Data Center (NET3042PE)

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At this year’s VMworld Europe in Barcelona I was invited to take part in a Customer Panel session which saw me detailing my story with VMware NSX Data Centre. Myself and two other panellists covered three very different use cases and stories, and I loved hearing their challenges, why they chose to implement NSX Data Centre, and of course, their implementation road-map, hurdles and successes.

Despite a few nerves, I’m quite happy with my story, and it was a load of fun! A huge thanks to all who attended the session, as well as to those who stayed behind afterwards to discuss their own NSX challenges with me (next time I might need a whiteboard). It was great speaking to you all, and I hope you all took something away from the session.

That was a blast! Thanks for having me, VMworld!

To replay the session, simply visit  Customer Panel on NSX Data Center (NET3042PE). To view the full range of on-demand videos, simply visit https://videos.vmworld.com/global/2018.

VMworld 2018 NSX Data Centre Panel - Members

VMworld Europe 2018 - Gareth Lewis

VMworld 2018 NSX Data Centre Panel - Members

VMworld Europe 2018
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VMworld 2018 Europe – Customer Panel on NSX Data Center (NET3042PE)

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Not only will this year mark my first ever visit to VMworld Europe, I’ll also be taking part in a Customer Panel session.

If you are interested in hearing my VMware NSX Data Center journey, how we implemented and operationalised NSX; how NSX continues to increase security and application performance, while simplifying troubleshooting and improving network provisioning time, then join me on Thursday, 8th November at 12:00-13:00 to hear more.

To register for the session, simply visit the VMworld 2018 Europe Content Catalogue – Customer Panel on NSX Data Center (NET3042PE).

VMworld Europe 2018