Course Content
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage Content
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Course Introduction
Introduction to vSphere and the Software Defined Data Center
As a vSphere administrator, you must be familiar with the components on which vSphere is based. You must also understand the following concepts: Virtualization, the role of the ESXi hypervisor in virtualization and virtual machines Fundamental vSphere components and the use of vSphere in the software-defined data center Use of vSphere clients to administer and manage vSphere environments
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Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines
vSphere Virtualization of Resources
vSphere User Interfaces
Overview of ESXi
Virtual Machines
You can create a virtual machine in several ways. Choosing the correct method can save you time and make the deployment process manageable and scalable.
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Creating Virtual Machines
Virtual Machine Hardware Deep Dive
Introduction to Containers
vCenter Server
vCenter Server helps you centrally manage multiple ESXi hosts and their virtual machines. If you do not properly deploy, configure, and manage vCenter Server Appliance, your environment might experience reduced administrative efficiency or ESXi host and virtual machine downtime.
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Centralized Management with vCenter Server
Deploying vCenter Server Appliance
vSphere Licensing
Managing the vCenter Server Inventory
vCenter Server Roles and Permissions
Monitoring vCenter Server Appliance
Backing Up and Restoring vCenter Server Appliance
vCenter Server High Availability
Configuring and Managing Virtual Networks
When you configure ESXi networking properly, virtual machines can communicate with other virtual, and physical, machines. In this way, remote host management and IP-based storage operate effectively.
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Introduction to vSphere Standard Switches
Configuring Standard Switch Policies
Configuring and Managing Virtual Storage
Understanding the available storage options helps you set up your storage according to your cost, performance, and manageability requirements. You can use shared storage for disaster recovery, high availability, and moving virtual machines between hosts.
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vSphere Storage Concepts
Fibre Channel Storage
iSCSI Storage
VMFS Datastores
NFS Datastores
vSAN Datastores
Virtual Machine Management
Virtual machines are the foundation of your virtual infrastructure. Managing VMs effectively requires skills in creating templates and clones, modifying VMs, migrating VMs, taking snapshots, and protecting the VMs through replication and backups.
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Creating Templates and Clones
Working with Content Libraries
Modifying Virtual Machines
Migrating VMs with vSphere vMotion
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility
Migrating VMs with vSphere Storage vMotion
Creating Virtual Machine Snapshots
vSphere Replication and Backup
Resource Management and Monitoring
Although the VMkernel works proactively to avoid resource contention, maximizing performance requires both analysis and ongoing monitoring. Developing skills in resource management, you can dynamically reallocate resources so that you can use available capacity more efficiently.
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Virtual CPU and Memory Concepts
vSphere Resource Controls
vSphere Resource Monitoring Tools
Monitoring Resource Use in vSphere
Using Alarms in vSphere
vSphere Clusters
Most organizations rely on computer-based services like email, databases, and web-based applications. The failure of any of these services can mean lost productivity and revenue. By understanding and using vSphere HA, you can configure highly available, computer-based services, which are important for an organization to remain competitive in contemporary business environments. And by developing skills in using vSphere DRS, you can improve service levels by guaranteeing appropriate resources to virtual machines.
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vSphere Clusters Overview
vSphere DRS
Introduction to vSphere HA
vSphere HA Architecture
Configuring vSphere HA
Introduction to vSphere Fault Tolerance
vSphere Lifecycle Management
Managing the life cycle of vSphere involves keeping vCenter Server and ESXi hosts up to date and integrated with other VMware and third-party solutions. To achieve these goals, you must understand how to use the new features provided by vSphere Lifecycle Manager, namely, clusterlevel management of ESXi hosts and the vCenter Server Update Planner.
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vCenter Server Update Planner
Overview of vSphere Lifecycle Manager
Working with Baselines
Working with Images
Managing the Life Cycle of VMware Tools and VM Hardware
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage
About Lesson

Managing the Life Cycle of VMware Tools and VM Hardware

Learner Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to meet the following objective: • Use vSphere Lifecycle Manager to upgrade VMware Tools and VM hardware

Keeping VMware Tools Up To Date

With each release of ESXi, VMware provides a new release of VMware Tools. New releases include:

  • Bug fixes
  • Security patches
  • New driver support for ESXi enhancements
  • Performance enhancements for virtual devices

Keeping VMware Tools up to date is an important part of ongoing data center maintenance.

Upgrading VMware Tools (1)

From a host or cluster’s Updates tab, select VMware Tools to manage the life cycle of VMware Tools. Step 1: Check the status of VMware Tools running in your VMs. A VM has one of the following status values:

  • Upgrade Available
  • Guest Managed
  • Not Installed
  • Unknown
  • Up to Date

Upgrading VMware Tools (2)

Select the VMs that use VMware Tools whose version you want to upgrade to a newer version. Step 2: Click UPGRADE TO MATCH HOST.

  1. Select the VMs to upgrade.
  2. Schedule the upgrade.

Plan the upgrade during your maintenance window.

  1. Select rollback options.

Keeping VM Hardware Up To Date

With each subsequent release of ESXi, VMware provides a new release of VM hardware. As ESXi improves its hardware support, VMware often carries that support into its VMs. New releases include:

  • Greater configuration maximums
  • New types of hardware (for example, vGPU, vNVMe, vSGX, vTPM, and so on) Consider upgrading VM hardware only when new features are required.

Upgrading VM Hardware (1)

Select VM Hardware to upgrade your VMs’ hardware. Step 1: Check the status of the VM hardware running in your VMs. A VM has one of the following status values:

  • Upgrade Available: You can choose to upgrade VM hardware to match the current version available for your ESXi hosts.
  • Up to Date: The version of VM hardware running in the VM matches the latest available version for the ESXi host.

Upgrading VM Hardware (2)

Select the VMs whose hardware version you want to upgrade to the latest version available on the ESXi host on which they run. Step 2: Click UPGRADE TO MATCH HOST.

  1. Select the VMs to upgrade.
  2. Schedule the upgrade.

Plan the upgrade during your maintenance window.

  1. Select rollback options.

Review of Learner Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to meet the following objective: • Use vSphere Lifecycle Manager to upgrade VMware Tools and VM hardware

Virtual Beans: Conclusion

By developing vSphere knowledge and skills and helping to create a modern data center at Virtual Beans, you help the company meet its expanding business demands. Your manager recognizes your competence and assigns you as the lead vSphere administrator. Thinking of the continuous company growth, your manager considers you for cross-training and additional responsibilities. You think to yourself, “Now I must get that VMware certification!” VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization: https://www.vmware.com/education-services/certification/vcp-dcv.html

Key Points

  • With the Update Planner feature, you can perform prechecks to verify that your vCenter Server system meets the minimum requirements for a successful upgrade.
  • vSphere Lifecycle Manager centralizes automated patch and version management for clusters, ESXi, drivers and firmware, VM hardware, and VMware Tools.
  • In vSphere Lifecycle Manager, you can manage ESXi hosts by using baselines, or you can manage a cluster of ESXi hosts by using images.
  • Keeping VMware Tools up to date is an important part of ongoing data center maintenance.
  • Consider upgrading VM hardware only when new features are required.
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