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VMware vSphere 4: Fast Track (VS4FT) v4 5 days Lecture/lab
Course outline

Module 1. Introduction to VMware Virtualization

  • Virtualization and vSphere components
  • What virtualization is and how it works
  • Benefits of using a virtual machine
  • vSphere components
  • Scenarios for using virtualization

Module 2. Configuring VMware ESX/ESXi

  • Overview of ESX/ESXi
    • Features and versions of ESX/ESXi
    • ESX/ESXi architecture
  • Configuring ESX/ESXi
    • Accessing ESX/ESXi
    • Configuring ESX/ESXi settings:
    • Processor and memory configuration
    • Licensing
    • NTP client
    • DNS and routing
    • User account best practices
    • Viewing ESX/ESXi system logs

Module 3. Installing and Using VMware vCenter Server

  • Installing vCenter Server
    • vSphere Server architecture and components
    • Installing vSphere Server
    • Installing vSphere Client
    • Installing a vSphere Server additional module
  • Using vCenter Server
    • Using the vSphere Client
    • vSphere Server inventory objects
    • Adding license keys to vCenter Server
    • Viewing logs and events
    • Creating a vCenter Server administrator
  • Installing vSphere Management Assistant
    • Accessing vSphere Command Line Interface (vCLI)
    • Installing vCLI or vSphere Management Assistant (vMA)
    • Entering commands and authentication parameters

Module 4. Networking

  • vNetwork Standard Switches
    • Components of a vNetwork standard switch
    • vNetwork connection types
    • vNetwork standard switch configuration
  • vSphere CLI Network Management
    • Using vCLI to configure networking for an ESX/ESXi host
    • Using the command line to configure networking for an ESX/ESXi host
  • vNetwork Distributed Switches
    • Benefits of using vNetwork distributed switches
    • vNetwork distributed switch architecture
    • Creating a vNetwork distributed switch
    • Managing a vNetwork distributed switch using the vSphere Client
  • Modifying Virtual Switch Properties
    • Properties of a distributed switch
    • Properties and policies of a distributed port group

Module 5. Storage

  • Storage Concepts
    • vSphere storage technologies and datastores
    • Various ways to view storage information
    • Storage device naming convention
  • Fibre Channel SAN Storage
    • Uses of Fibre Channel with ESX/ESXi
    • Fibre Channel components and addressing
    • Accessing Fibre Channel storage
    • Viewing Fibre Channel storage information
  • iSCSI Stoage
    • Uses of iSCSI storage with ESX/ESXi
    • iSCSI components and addressing
    • Configuring iSCSI initiators
    • Viewing iSCSI storage information
  • VMFS Datastores
    • Creating, growing, and deleting a VMFS datastore
  • NAS Storage and NFS Datastores
    • NFS components and addressing
    • Creating an NFS datastore
    • Viewing the contents of a datastore
    • Unmounting an NFS Datastore
  • vSphere CLI Storage Management
    • Using the command line to configure storage for an ESX/ESXi host

Module 6. Virtual Machines

  • Virtual Machine Concepts
    • What is a virtual machine?
    • Virtual machine hardware and files
  • Creating a Virtual Machine
    • Positioning a virtual machine
    • Importing a virtual appliance
  • Creating Templates and Clones
    • Creating a template and deploying a virtual machine
    • Cloning a virtual machine
    • Allowing guest operating system customization by vCenter Server
  • VMware vCenter Converter
    • Capabilities of vCenter Converter
    • Importing a system into vCenter Server
    • Hot and cold cloning
  • Modifying Virtual Machines
    • Virtual machine settings and options
    • Adding a hot-pluggable device
    • Increasing the size of a virtual disk using hot extend feature
    • Adding an RDM
  • Managing Virtual Machines
    • Virtual Machine snapshots
    • Removing a virtual machine
    • Different types of migration
    • Migration using VMware Storage VMotion

Module 7. Access Control

  • Roles and Permissions
    • Define and create a permission
    • Rules for applying permissions
    • Creating a custom role
    • Benefits of using VMware vSphere Web Access
    • Tasks that can be performed in vSphere Web Access

Module 8. Resource Monitoring

  • Virtual CPU and Memory Concepts
    • Different methods used by the VMkernel for optimizing CPU and memory usage
  • Monitoring Resource Usage
    • CPU
    • Memory
    • Disk
    • Network bandwidth
  • Resource Monitoring with vSphere CLI
    • Using the command line to retrieve performance data for an ESX/ESXi host
    • Using commands: resxtop and vm-support
  • Using Alarms
    • Creating alarms with condition-based triggers
    • Creating alarms with event-based triggers
    • Viewing and acknowledging triggered alarms

Module 9. Scalability

  • Scaling CPU and Memory Management
    • CPU and memory resource allocation settings
    • What is a resource pool?
    • Creating a resource pool
    • Viewing resource allocation
  • Scaling VMFS Datastore Usage
    • Thin provisioning
    • Creating thin-provisioned virtual machines
    • Virtual machine disk format
    • Converting thin-provisioned disks to thick
    • Virtual disk storage allocation and usage
    • Risks associated with thin provisioning
    • Monitoring VMware vStorage VMFS datastore usage
    • Disk usage and disk over allocation alarms
  • Managing Multiple vCenter Server Inventories
    • VMware vCenter Linked Mode components and operation
    • Benefits and requirements of vCenter Linked Mode
    • Joining a vCenter Server system to a Linked Mode group
    • vCenter Server inventories in a Linked Mode group
    • Isolating a vCenter Server system from a Linked Mode group
  • VMware VMotion Migration
    • Importance of VMware VMotion
    • VMotion requirements: Virtual machine and host
    • Performing a VMotion migration
  • VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler
    • Functions of a DRS cluster
    • Benefits of EVC
    • Creating and viewing a DRS cluster
    • Removing a host from a DRS cluster
  • VMware Distributed Power Management
    • VMware DPM operation
    • Comparing Intel SpeedStep and AMD PowerNow! to VMware DPM
    • Wake protocols
    • Configuring VMware DPM

Module 10. High Availability and Data Protection

  • High Availability (HA)
    • vSphere features that support HA
    • VMware HA functionality
    • Enabling VMware HA in a VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) cluster
    • Configuring VMware HA settings
    • Admission control policies
  • Troubleshooting VMware HA
    • Operation of VMware HA with redundant networks
    • Configuring redundant heartbeat networks and isolation test addresses
    • Testing redundant HA networks
    • Troubleshooting common VMware HA configuration issues
    • Best practices when configuring VMware HA clusters
  • Fault Tolerance
    • Benefits of VMware Fault Tolerance
    • FT prerequisites
    • FT operation and interoperability with other products
    • FT best practices
    • Configuring ESX fault-tolerance logging
    • Configuring, monitoring, and testing a fault-tolerant virtual machine
  • VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
    • Benefits and components of vCenter Server Heartbeat
    • vCenter Server Heartbeat operation
    • Installing, configuring, and monitoring a vCenter Server Heartbeat
    • Performing a vCenter Server switchover
  • Data Protection
    • Backing up ESX/ESXi hosts and virtual machines
    • VMware data-protection solutions: VCB and data recovery
    • Backing up a virtual machine using Data Recovery

Module 11. Configuration Management

  • Host Profiles
    • Host Profiles components and operation
    • Host Profiles benefits
    • Managing ESX/ESXi configuration compliance using a host profile
  • VMware vCenter Update Manager
    • Update Manager capabilities and components
    • Installing Update Manager
    • Using Update Manager to create, attach, and remediate baselines

Module 12. Installing VMware ESX and ESXi

  • ESX and ESXi Installation
    • Choosing between ESX and ESXi
    • Installing ESXi
    • Installing ESX
  • ESX Scripted Installation
    • ESX host installation methods
    • Benefits of scripted installation
    • Scripted installation components and operation
    • Creating a kickstart file
    • Performing a scripted installation
Course labs

Lab 1: Configuring ESX

  • Log in to the ESX host using the vSphere client
  • View information about your host's hardware
  • View information about your virtual machine
  • Configure the ESX host as an NTP client
  • Add DNS server and default gateway information to an ESX host
  • Export the host's system logs

Lab 2: Installing VMware vCenter Server

  • Access your vCenter Server system
  • Configure a SQL Server ODBC connection to a preconfigured database
  • Install vCenter Server
  • Install the vCenter Client
  • Check the vCenter Server installation
  • Install an additional vCenter Server module: vCenter Converter
  • Install and enable a plug-in: Converter plug-in

Lab 3: Using VMware vCenter Server

  • Add container objects to the Host and Clusters inventory view
  • Add your ESX host to the Hosts and Clusters inventory view and display general host information
  • Add folder objects to the VMs and Templates inventory view
  • Add vCenter Server and ESX host license keys

Lab 4: Installing vSphere Management Assistant

  • Import the vMA
  • Run the vMA virtual machine and log in to vMA
  • Verify that the vMA can connect to your ESX host

Lab 5: Configuring Network Using the Command Line

  • Log in to vMA and create a session file
  • Create a virtual switch
  • Add a port group to an existing virtual switch
  • Edit the VLAN settings
  • Delete a port group
  • Delete a virtual switch
  • Log out of vMA

Lab 6: Standard and Distributed Switches

  • Identify the capabilities of distributed and standard switches
  • View the default vNetwork standard switch configuration
  • Create a vNetwork distributed switch for the virtual machine network
  • Verify that your virtual machine has proper access to the Production Network
  • Create a distributed switch for the VMotion network
  • Identify uplink abstraction

Lab 7: Designing a Network Configuration

  • Analyze the requirements
  • Design virtual switches and physical connections

Lab 8: iSCSI Datastore

  • Create a VMkernel port on the standard switch, vSwitch0
  • Configure the iSCSI software adapter
  • View iSCSI storage information

Lab 9: VMFS Datastores

  • Display information about shared storage
  • View information about existing VMFS datastores
  • Change the name of a local datastore
  • Create a VMFS database
  • Grow an existing VMFS datastore
  • Add an extent to a VMFS datastore
  • Remove and extent by removing the entire VMFS datastore
  • Recreate the VMFS datastore without the additional extent

Lab 10: NFS Datastore

  • Verify that a VMkernal port exists for NFS access
  • Create an NFS datastore

Lab 11: (Optional) Configuring Storage Using the Command Line

  • Log in to vMA and create a session file
  • Configure NFS (Optional)
  • Configure the iSCSI software initiator (Optional)
  • Use the vSphere Client to examine storage devices on an ESX host
  • Use the command line to examine storage devices on an ESX host
  • Log out of vMA

Lab 12: Creating a Virtual Machine

  • Create a virtual machine
  • Install a guest operating system in a virtual machine
  • Create a virtual machine on an iSCSI VMFS datastore
  • Import a virtual machine into the inventory
  • Install VMware Tools into a Windows guest operating system
  • Enable time synchronization between the virtual machine and the host
  • Copy files to a virtual machine

Lab 13: Using Templates and Clones

  • Configure guest operating system customization on vCenter Server system
  • Create a template
  • Deploy a virtual machine from a template
  • Clone a virtual machine that is powered on

Lab 14: VMware vCenter Converter

  • Prepare a system for hot cloning
  • Hot-clone a system

Lab 15: Modifying a Virtual Machine

  • Modify a virtual machine's disk, memory, and name
  • Add a raw LUN to an existing virtual machine and verify that the guest operating system sees the new disk

Lab 16: Managing Virtual Machines

  • Remove a virtual machine from the vCenter Server inventory
  • Re-add the virtual machine and verify that it appears in the inventory
  • Delete a virtual machine from the disk and verify that it can no longer be accessed
  • Take snapshots of a virtual machine
  • Revert to a snapshot
  • Migrate a virtual machine using Storage VMotion

Lab 17: Access Control

  • Create a Windows account on the vCenter Server system
  • Create the Virtual Machine Creator role
  • Assign the role to a user
  • Verify that the user can create a virtual machine
  • Restrict virtual machine creation to the local datastore only
  • Create a role named Template Deployer (Optional)

Lab 18: Monitoring Virtual Machine Performance

  • Monitor CPU utilization using vCenter Server
  • Run a CPU-intensive application
  • Undo changes made to your virtual machine for this lab

Lab 19: Viewing Performance Data Using the Command Line

  • Use resxtop to retrieve performance metrics on CPU, networking, and memory
  • Log out of vMA

Lab 20: Using Alarms

  • Create a virtual machine alarm
  • Trigger the virtual machine alarm then acknowledge it
  • Disable a virtual machine alarm

Lab 21: Resource Pools

  • Create resource pools
  • Verify resource pool functionality

Lab 22: Thin Provisioning

  • Prepare a VMFS volume
  • Configure datastore alarms
  • Create thin-provisioned virtual machines
  • Deploy a thick-provisioned virtual machine from template
  • Grow a VMFS volume
  • Inflate a thin-provisioned virtual disk
  • Determine the virtual machine disk format

Lab 23: VMware vCenter Linked Mode

  • Enable vCenter Linked Mode
  • Perform a combined query from a Linked Mode group
  • Execute Administration operations in a Linked Mode group
  • Isolate a vCenter Server instance from a Linked Mode group

Lab 24: Migrating Virtual Machines

  • Add a second ESX host to the datacenter
  • Add a second ESX host to the VMotion distributed switch
  • Create a VMkernal port for your host on the VMotion distributed switch
  • Verify that your virtual machines' settings meet VMotion requirements
  • Verify that your ESX host meets VMotion requirements
  • Connect virtual machines to the Production network of the lower-numbered ESX host
  • Perform a VMotion migration of your virtual machine

Lab 25: VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler Clusters

  • Create a DSR cluster
  • Populate the DRS cluster
  • Verify DRS cluster functionality
  • Create, test, and remove anti-affinity rules
  • Create, test, and remove affinity rules

Lab 26: VMware Distributed Power Management

  • Configure IPMI/iLO as the VMware DPM wake protocol
  • Test the IPMI/iLO configuration
  • Configure VMware DPM

Lab 27: Using VMware High Availability

  • Modify the cluster to add VMware HA functionality
  • Verify VMware HA functionality
  • Identify Available Resources with the Resource Allocation tab
  • Manage VMware HA slot size
  • Restrict admission in the VMware HA cluster

Lab 28: Configuring VMware High Availability Network Redundancy

  • Configure and test VMware HA failure detection time
  • Configure an alternative heartbeat network for VMware HA
  • Configure isolation addresses
  • Verify heartbeat network functionality

Lab 29: Configuring VMware Fault Tolerance

  • Enable FT logging
  • Activate FT
  • Test FT

Lab 30: Installing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat (Optional)

  • Configure a virtual machine for the lab
  • Prepare the primary vCenter Server system
  • Create and configure the secondary server
  • Install the primary vCenter Server system
  • Install the secondary vCenter Server system

Lab 31: Configuring and Testing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat (Optional)

  • Explore the Configure Server wizard
  • Connect to the vCenter Server Heartbeat console
  • Test failover

Lab 32: VMware Data Recovery

  • Install the Data Recover plug-in
  • Modify the Data Recovery virtual machine
  • Perform initial setup of the Data Recover appliance
  • Create a backup job
  • Create a restore job

Lab 33: Working with Host Profiles

  • Create disparate configurations
  • Create a host profile
  • Attach, check, and apply a host profile

Lab 34: VMware vCenter Update Manager

  • Create a folder and add a virtual machine template
  • List all patches installed on your virtual machine and template
  • Create a patch baseline
  • Scan for updates
  • Remediate the virtual machine and template

Lab 35: Installing ESX (VDC)

  • Install ESX software
  • Access the installed ESX host using the vSphere client

Lab 36: Installing ESX (DVD)

  • Install ESX software
  • Access the installed ESX host using the vSphere client

Lab 37: Scripted Installation (VDC)

  • Edit an installation script
  • Upload the installation script to an NFS repository
  • Complete a scripted installation of an ESX host

Lab 38: Scripted Installation

  • Edit an installation script
  • Upload the installation script to an NFS repository
  • Complete a scripted installation of an ESX host

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