I want to tell you about something I built over the last few months. It’s not finished — but the story behind it might resonate, and I could use your help to make it better.
I’m a VMware Technical Consultant studying for my VCF certifications. To do that properly I needed a working nested lab — VyOS for routing, a domain controller, nested ESXi hosts, vCenter, vSAN, the works. The goal was to get everything deployed with minimum effort so I could focus on actually learning VCF rather than spending weeks just getting the environment ready.
There was another problem. A nerve issue in my right hand means I have to limit how much I type. So building and rebuilding a lab manually, writing PowerShell scripts from scratch every time, wasn’t really an option. I needed a better way.
A couple of people also asked if they could use the scripts I’d put together. The problem was they were my scripts — my IP addresses, my domain names, my assumptions baked in. They worked for me but not for anyone else.
So I built something different. Using Claude Code, and mostly by talking rather than typing, I built Zero to Hero Lab.
What Zero to Hero Lab does
It’s a browser-based wizard that helps you design and deploy a nested vSphere or VCF home lab. You don’t need to write a single line of PowerShell. You just need a physical server with ESXi installed. The wizard asks about your hardware, your network, what you want to achieve —
— and generates customised deployment scripts, a design document explaining every decision, and a network diagram showing what you’re building.
It’s not just for certification prep either. You can use it to deploy a straightforward homelab with no VCF ambitions at all. The wizard adapts to what you tell it — basic vSphere, NSX learning, vSAN, or the full VCF stack. A prerequisites checklist up front makes sure you’ve got what you need before you start.
Hidden troubleshooting mode
Once your lab is running, there’s a hidden troubleshooting mode. It presents real customer-style fault scenarios — not “here’s a broken config, fix it” but “hi, some of our VMs lost internet access this morning.” You diagnose the problem the way you would on a real customer call. Progressive hints unlock if you get stuck. The scenarios are mapped to Broadcom certification objectives, so your practice counts toward your VCP, VCAP or VCF exam prep.
Going public
I shared it with William Lam who gave me honest and constructive feedback — some positive, some critical. That feedback has shaped what I’m working on next. There are rough edges. The deployment scripts are still being refined. But the concept is solid enough to share.
Which is why I’m making it public today.
It’s free for personal and community use. William Lam‘s nested ESXi OVAs are central to how it deploys labs, and his VIS appliance is now supported as an infrastructure option too.
If you try it, tell me what breaks. If you have troubleshooting scenarios from your own war stories, submit them to the scenario library. If you have opinions on what a lab tool should do, I want to hear them.
We’re just getting started.
Jon
CloudITBlog.com
VMware Technical Consultant