I have written (ranted) before about how I like management tools that are focused on helping me do my job, rather than showing me how much data they gather. I get the feeling that the team at Runecast have the same desire for management tools. I know they built the tool that they wanted in their previous life looking after a lot of production vSphere
The basic premise for Runecast is simple. Most vSphere problems are caused by issues that are already known. The issues are usually documented in the VMware knowledgebase. Usually, the KB has a resolution or mitigation recommendation. If customers knew every KB and checked their environment for every issue, then there would be less unplanned downtime. What is needed is a tool that automatically does the analysis. Enter Runecast.
The little virtual appliance connects to your vCenter and receives logs from your ESXi servers. The appliance then analyses the configuration and log data to see whether there are any known issues. Along with the VMware Knowledgebase, the appliance also knows the security hardening guides and best practices around vSphere configuration. A dashboard displays any latent issues and contains information about the remediation actions. Log scanning happens in real time and configurations on a periodic scan basis, with a configurable schedule. All analysis is completed on-premises, within the appliance. The appliance will need to be updated as VMware release new and updated KB articles. Updates can be scheduled, or manually initiated. Updates can even be downloaded and brought to a dark site for secured vSphere deployments.
I’m very impressed with Runecast. With very little effort you can be advised of latent issues in your environment and able to prevent downtime, rather than respond to failures. There is a free trial, so you can see how you stand today and prove out the value Runecast brings. It looks very easy to deploy and start using. They also have some great plans for future development.
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