This blog, about VMware virtualization (and occasionally other adjacent tech topics), will be run and maintained by me — Christopher McNeil.
I’ve worked with VMware technologies for over 20 years and currently serve as a Senior Consultant for a Broadcom partner, delivering professional services to enterprise and government customers. Most of my work centers on VMware Cloud Foundation, vSphere, NSX, Aria/vRealize products, automation, architecture design, migrations, and operational optimization.
My journey with VMware really began around 2007 while I was serving in the United States Marine Corps as a Tactical Data Systems Operator — essentially a sysadmin in austere and sometimes high-pressure environments. Virtualization quickly became more than just another tool; it became the backbone for how we delivered resilient, scalable infrastructure in the field. I continued working heavily with VMware throughout my military career until retiring in 2023.
Since leaving active duty, I’ve supported multiple government and enterprise environments as a virtualization and systems engineer before moving into my current consulting role. That path has exposed me to everything from greenfield deployments and complex NSX migrations to operational firefighting, architecture design reviews, and helping customers translate business requirements into practical technical solutions.
The goal of this blog is simple:
- Share real-world VMware knowledge — not just theory or marketing slides
- Document lessons learned from the field (including mistakes — because those teach the most)
- Provide practical guidance engineers can actually use
- Help bridge the gap between architecture, operations, and implementation
- Occasionally explore adjacent areas like networking, automation, security, and career growth in enterprise IT
You’ll see a mix of deep technical walkthroughs, architectural perspectives, troubleshooting notes, exam prep insights, and sometimes opinion pieces based on what I’m seeing across the industry.
If you work with VMware regularly, are studying for certifications, designing infrastructure, or just enjoy digging into how these platforms really work under the hood — you’re in the right place.
Thanks for stopping by.
— Christopher
CMac Virtualization 