vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage

Overview

Describe the software-defined data center

Deploy an ESXi host and create virtual machines

Describe vCenter Server architecture

Deploy a vCenter Server instance or VMware vCenter Server Appliance

Use vCenter Server to manage an ESXi host

Configure and manage vSphere infrastructure with VMware vSphere Client and VMware vSphere Web Client

Configure virtual networks with vSphere standard switches

Use vCenter Server to manage various types of host storage: VMware vSphere VMFS, NFS, virtual SAN, and Virtual Volumes

Manage virtual machines, templates, clones, and snapshots

Create a vApp

Describe and use the content library

Migrate virtual machines with VMware vSphere vMotion

Use VMware vSphere Storage vMotion to migrate virtual machine storage

Monitor resource usage and manage resource pools

Use VMware vRealize Operations Manager to identify and solve issues through analytics and alerts

Manage VMware vSphere High Availability and VMware vSphere Fault Tolerance

Use VMware vSphere Replication and VMware vSphere Data Protection to replicate virtual machines and perform data recovery

Use VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler clusters to improve host scalability

Use vSphere distributed switches to improve network scalability

Use VMware vSphere Update Manager to apply patches and perform basic troubleshooting of ESXi hosts, virtual machines, and vCenter Server operations

 


Course Details

Course Introduction

– Introductions and course logistics

– Course objectives

– References and resources

Software-Defined Data Center

– Introduce components of the software-defined data center

– Describe where vSphere fits into the cloud architecture

– Install and use vSphere Client

– Overview of ESXi

Creating Virtual Machines

– Introduce virtual machines, virtual machine hardware, and virtual machine files

– Create and work with virtual machines and templates

vCenter Server

– Introduce the vCenter Server architecture

– Deploy and configure vCenter Server Appliance

– Use vSphere Web Client

Manage vCenter Server inventory objects and licenses

Configuring and Managing Virtual Networks

– Describe, create, and manage standard switches

– Configure virtual switch security and load-balancing policies

– Create, configure, and manage vSphere distributed switches, network connections, and port groups

Configuring and Managing Virtual Storage

– Introduce storage protocols and storage device types

– Discuss ESXi hosts using iSCSI and NFS storage

– Create and manage VMFS and NFS datastores

– Introduce VMware Virtual SAN

– Introduce Virtual Volumes

Virtual Machine Management

– Use templates and cloning to deploy new virtual machines

– Modify and manage virtual machines

Perform vSphere vMotion and vSphere Storage vMotion migrations

– Create and manage virtual machine snapshots

– Create vApps

– Introduce the types of content libraries and how to deploy and use them

Resource Management and Monitoring

– Introduce virtual CPU and memory concepts

– Configure and manage resource pools

– Describe methods for optimizing CPU and memory usage

– Use various tools to monitor resource usage

– Create and use alarms to report certain conditions or events

– Identify and troubleshoot virtual machine resource issues

– Introduce vRealize Operations Manager for data center monitoring and management

vSphere HA and vSphere Fault Tolerance

– Explain the vSphere HA architecture

– Configure and manage a vSphere HA cluster

– Use vSphere HA advanced parameters

– Introduce vSphere Fault Tolerance

– Enable vSphere Fault Tolerance on virtual machines

– Introduce vSphere Replication

– Use vSphere Data Protection to back up and restore data

Host Scalability

– Describe the functions and benefits of a vSphere DRS cluster

– Configure and manage a vSphere DRS cluster

– Work with affinity and anti-affinity rules

– Use vSphere HA and vSphere DRS together for business continuity

vSphere Update Manager and Host Maintenance

– Use vSphere Update Manager to manage ESXi patching

– Install vSphere Update Manager and the vSphere Update Manager plug-in

– Create patch baselines

– Use host profiles to manage host configuration compliance

– Scan and remediate hosts

Installing vSphere Components

– Install ESXi

– Introduce vCenter Server deployment options

– Describe vCenter Server hardware, software, and database requirements

– Discuss installation of vCenter Server Appliance and a vCenter Server instance

– Demonstrate vCenter Server installation

 


Prerequisites

System administration experience on Microsoft Windows or Linux operating systems

Understanding of concepts presented in the VMware Data Center Virtualization Fundamentals course for VCA-DCV certification