Bob Left. Now Nobody Can Build That Dev VM.
Your VM setup knowledge walks out the door every time someone leaves. Dev and test environments become mysteries.
Common knowledge loss scenarios
Teams everywhere face these documentation challenges
Tech Startup
Founder left
Core systems undocumented
Healthcare
20-year veteran retired
VM setup knowledge gone
Financial
Production delay
Couldn't recreate test env
Manufacturing
3-month delay
Lost server configurations
Tech Startup
Founder left
Core systems undocumented
Healthcare
20-year veteran retired
VM setup knowledge gone
The Pattern
Every organization hits the same wall: Manual VM provisioning doesn't scale. What starts as "just a few VMs" becomes a full-time job, blocking your team from actual work.
Ready to preserve your VM knowledge?
Transform tribal knowledge into permanent assets
Where VM knowledge disappears
Critical expertise trapped in people's heads
Undocumented Steps
"Oh, you also need to disable that service..."
→ Builds fail mysteriously
Tribal Rituals
Everyone knows to reboot twice, but why?
→ Cargo cult infrastructure
Setup Sequences
Must install X before Y, configure Z after
→ Wrong order breaks everything
Hidden Dependencies
That registry key nobody documented
→ Hours of debugging
Personal Scripts
PowerShell scripts on someone's desktop
→ Lost when they leave
Version Mysteries
Why exactly .NET 4.5.2, not 4.6?
→ Incompatibility surprises
Undocumented Steps
"Oh, you also need to disable that service..."
→ Builds fail mysteriously
Turn expertise into reusable infrastructure
Capture VM knowledge in genes that evolve with your team
Groundhog Day
- ✗Same VM, built from scratch
- ✗Senior admin's secret recipe
- ✗Copy settings from OneNote
- ✗Forget a step? Start over
- ✗New hire? Train for weeks
- ✗Inconsistent every time
Evolution at Work
- Inherit from proven base
- Expertise captured in genes
- YAML files in Git repo
- Automated and repeatable
- New hire productive day 1
- Consistent by default
Groundhog Day
- ✗Same VM, built from scratch
- ✗Senior admin's secret recipe
- ✗Copy settings from OneNote
- ✗Forget a step? Start over
- ✗New hire? Train for weeks
- ✗Inconsistent every time
Evolution at Work
- Inherit from proven base
- Expertise captured in genes
- YAML files in Git repo
- Automated and repeatable
- New hire productive day 1
- Consistent by default
How the gene system works
1. Start with a gene
Choose a proven template from the genepool or create your own
2. Add what's different
Inherit base configs, customize only what you need
3. Deploy in minutes
Your improvements become new genes others can inherit
Example: Build on proven bases
# Perfect for test environments
name: qa-test-vm
parent: dbosoft/winsrv2022-standard/latest
# Layer your organization's genes
fodder:
- source: gene:myorg/windows-base
- source: gene:myorg/qa-tools
- source: gene:myorg/test-data
variables:
- name: dataset
value: regression-suite-2024
# Test environment inherited and ready
How eryph preserves knowledge
Transform your expertise into code
Preserve Your VM Knowledge
Transform dev/test setup knowledge into version-controlled, inheritable patterns. No per-VM licensing.