VMware vSphere: Optimize and Scale

Experienced system administrators, system engineers, and system integrators

After completing this course you should be able to:

• Configure and manage vSphere networking and storage for a large and sophisticated enterprise
• Use VMware vSphere® Client™ to manage certificates
• Use Identity Federation to configure VMware vCenter Server® to use external identity sources
• Use VMware vSphere® Trust Authority™ to secure the infrastructure for encrypted VMs
• Use host profiles to manage VMware ESXi™ host compliance
• Create and manage a content library for deploying virtual machines
• Manage VM resource usage with resource pools
•  Monitor and analyze key performance indicators for compute, storage, and networking resources for ESXi hosts
• Optimize the performance in the vSphere environment, including vCenter Server

Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives

Network Scalability

• Configure and manage vSphere distributed switches
• Describe how VMware vSphere® Network I/O Control enhances performance
• Explain distributed switch features such as port mirroring and NetFlow

Storage Scalability

• Explain why VMware vSphere® VMFS is a high-performance, scalable file system
• Explain VMware vSphere® Storage APIs - Array Integration, VMware vSphere® API for Storage Awareness™, and vSphere APIs for I/O filtering
• Configure and assign virtual machine storage policies
• Create VMware vSAN™ storage policies
• Recognize components of the VMware vSphere® Virtual Volumes™ architecture
• Configure VMware vSphere® Storage DRS™ and VMware vSphere® Storage I/O Control

Host and Management Scalability

• Use the vSphere Client to manage vSphere certificates
• Describe identity federation and recognize its use cases
• Configure identity federation to allow vCenter Server to use external identity provider
• Describe the benefits and use cases of vSphere Trust Authority
• Configure vSphere Trust Authority
• Use host profiles to manage ESXi configuration compliance
• Create a local content library and subscribe to a published content library
• Deploy VMs from a content library
• Create and manage resource pools in a cluster
• Describe how scalable shares work

CPU Optimization

• Explain the CPU scheduler operation and other features that affect CPU performance
• Explain NUMA and vNUMA support
• Use esxtop to monitor key CPU performance metrics

Memory Optimization

• Explain ballooning, memory compression, transparent page sharing, and host-swapping techniques for memory reclamation when memory is overcommitted
• Use esxtop to monitor key memory performance metrics

Storage Optimization

• Describe storage queue types and other factors that affect storage performance
• Discuss vSphere support for NVMe and iSER technologies
• Use esxtop to monitor key storage performance metrics

Network Optimization

• Explain performance features of network adapters
• Explain the performance features of vSphere networking
• Use esxtop to monitor key network performance metrics

vCenter Server Performance Optimization

• Describe the factors that influence vCenter Server performance
• Use VMware vCenter® Server Appliance™ tools to monitor resource use

Supplemental Content

Appendix A: vSphere Auto Deploy

• Explain the purpose of VMware vSphere® ESXi ™ Image Builder CLI
• Explain the purpose of VMware vSphere® Auto Deploy™
• Describe how an autodeployed ESXi host boots
• Configure a vSphere Auto Deploy environment

Appendix B: vSphere Security

• Configure ESXi Host Access and Authentication
• Recognize strategies for securing vSphere components, such as vCenter Server, ESXi hosts, and virtual machines
• Describe vSphere support for security standards and protocols
• Describe virtual machine security features
• Describe the components of a VM encryption architecture
• Create, manage, and migrate encrypted VMs
• Encrypt core dumps
• List VM encryption events and alarms

You must complete one of the following:

• Understanding of concepts presented in the VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage course
• Equivalent knowledge and administration experience with ESXi and vCenter Server

• VSICM - VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage

Recommended as preparation for the following exams:

• VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV)

• VSD - VMware vSphere: Design