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

Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines

Learner Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

  • Explain basic virtualization concepts
  • Describe how vSphere fits into the software-defined data center and the cloud infrastructure
  • Describe how to proactively manage your vSphere environment

Terminology

Virtualization is associated with several key concepts, products, and features.

Term Definition Examples
Operating system Software designed to allocate physical resources to applications Microsoft Windows, Linux

Application Software that runs on an operating system, Microsoft Office, Chrome consuming physical resources

Virtual machine Specialized application that abstracts hardware resources into software
Guest The operating system that runs in a VM (also called the guest operating system) Microsoft Windows, Linux
Hypervisor Specialized operating system designed to run VMs ESXi, Workstation, Fusion
Host Physical computer that provides resources to the ESXi hypervisor

Term Definition
vSphere Server virtualization product of VMware that combines the ESXi hypervisor and the vCenter Server management platform
Cluster Group of ESXi hosts whose resources are shared by VMs
vSphere vMotion Feature that supports the migration of powered-on VMs from host to host without service interruption
vSphere HA Cluster feature that protects against host hardware failures by restarting VMs on hosts that are running normally
vSphere DRS Cluster feature that uses vSphere vMotion to place VMs on hosts and ensure that each VM receives the resources that it needs

About Virtual Machines

A virtual machine (VM) is a software representation of a physical computer and its components. The virtualization software converts the physical machine and its components into files.

 

Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines

 

Virtual Machine Components

  • Guest operating system
  • VMware Tools
  • Virtual resources, such as:
    • CPU and memory
    • Network adapters
    • Disks and controllers
    • Parallel and serial ports

Benefits of Using Virtual Machines

Physical machines:

  • Difficult to move or copy
  • Bound to a specific set of hardware components
  • Often have a short life cycle
  • Require personal contact to upgrade hardware

 

Virtual machines:

  • Easy to move or copy
  • Independent of physical hardware because VMs are encapsulated into files
  • Isolated from other VMs running on same physical hardware
  • Insulated from physical hardware changes

Types of Virtualization

  • Virtualization is the process of creating a software-based representation of something physical, such as a server, desktop, network, or storage device.
  • Virtualization is the single most effective way to reduce IT expenses while boosting efficiency and agility for all business sizes.

About the Software-Defined Data Center

In a software-defined data center (SDDC), all infrastructure is virtualized, and the control of the data center is automated by software. vSphere is the foundation of the SDDC.

Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines

vSphere and Cloud Computing

Cloud computing exploits the efficient pooling of an on-demand, self-managed, and virtual infrastructure.   Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines

About VMware Skyline

VMware Skyline is a proactive support technology that provides predictive analysis and proactive recommendations to help you avoid problems. VMware Skyline provides the following benefits:

  • Issue avoidance: • Personalized recommendations:
    • —Proactively identifies potential issues
    • —Resolution is specific to your environment. based on environment-specific • No additional cost: configuration, details, and usage.
    • —You receive additional value with your —Resolves issues before they occur, current support subscription (Basic, improving environment reliability and Production, or Premier support). stability.
  • Shortens time to resolution:
    • —Environment-specific, data-driven analytics accelerate problem resolution.

VMware Skyline Family

The VMware Skyline family includes Skyline Health and Skyline Advisor.

Skyline Health

All VMware Customers Key capabilities:

  • vSphere and vSAN findings
  • Available in the vSphere Client
  • Supports vSphere 6.7 U1 and later

 

Skyline Advisor

Production and Premier Support Customers Key capabilities:

  • Supports vSphere, vSAN, NSX for vSphere, vRealize Operations Manager, and VMware Horizon
  • Supports vSphere 5.5 and later
  • Tags VMware Validated Design, VxRail, and VMware Cloud Foundation deployments
  • Automates log transfers with Log Assist
  • Uses cloud-based ID and access Premier Support Customers

Key capabilities:

  • Advanced findings and reporting
  • Tailored remediation plans

Review of Learner Objectives

After completing this lesson, Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

  • Explain basic virtualization concepts
  • Describe how vSphere fits into the software-defined data center and the cloud infrastructure
  • Describe how to proactively manage your vSphere environment
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