Using automation provides a powerful way to ensure your virtual machines, containers, and hosts are configured and managed across the environment consistently, seamlessly, and securely. We take a look at using home lab automation tools to keep VMs and home lab infrastructure updated, configured, and using it to deploy new templates and virtual machines.

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Introduction to home lab automation tools I use - 0:00
Hashicorp Packer - what it is and what it does - 1:05
Looking at Packer and a demo of running the command - 1:46
Talking about Packer and how it fully automates operating system installation - 2:20
Introduction to Terraform, what it does, and how you use it - 2:54
Looking at executing Terraform, state files, and configuration - 3:53
Introduction to PowerShell, background, and what it does - 5:08
Introduction to PowerCLI module for PowerShell and how PowerShell is extensible - 5:44
Looking at installing the PowerCLI module - 6:14
Using PowerShell and PowerCLI with Visual Studio Code - 7:04
Introduction to Ansible and configuration management with Playbooks - 7:37
Looking at an inventory file, the Ansible ping command - 8:46
Running an Ansible Playbook to update Linux VMs - 8:56
Wrapping up and thoughts on automation tools in the home lab - 9:20


Building an Ubuntu 22.04 template with Packer:

https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2022/04/packer-build-ubuntu-22-04-for-vmware-vsphere/

Automated Windows Server 2022 Packer Build:

https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2021/06/automated-windows-server-2022-packer-build/

Terraform vSphere tutorial - Linux Virtual Machine Clone:

https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2021/05/terraform-vsphere-tutorial-linux-virtual-machine-clone/

Ansible provisioning VMware VMs:

https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2021/01/ansible-provisioning-vmware-with-vmware_guest-example/