Resource Library

Take your VMware vSphere training to the next level—set up your own training lab environment. This paper is broken down into three major sections: the hardware required, the VMware Workstation configuration, and installing vSphere and vCenter (vC).

The methods we have used in the past to secure our networks won’t work for tomorrow’s networks. Cloud-based applications and multi-tenant environments require greater scalability, agility and control. Software-defined networking (SDN), such as that provided by VMware NSX, can deliver a new platform that transforms networking and provides for much more specific control of the security of your data and networked applications.  In this white paper, author Bill Ferguson describes the microsegmentation of security and illustrates how you can use NSX to provide security that works on today’s and tomorrow’s networks.

Learn how Cisco FabricPath combines the benefits of Layer 2 Switching and Layer 3 Routing, allowing for the scalability and flexibility of Layer 2 while supporting traditional Layer 3 components such as optimal paths, equal cost multipath routing and a Time to Live (TTL) field.

With the release of vSphere 6, there are big changes that allow for zero downtime with data access and recovery. The new features enable live migrations across long distances with enhanced vMotion features, datastore backup capabilities around Fault Tolerance upgrades and a new Content Library. These advances help you keep up to date with the latest in server virtualization.

This paper explains uplink strategies for traffic coming in and out of a Cisco Unified Computing Solution (UCS) chassis. An uplink can be Ethernet, Fibre Channel, or FCoE and is a physical connection on the FI that leaves the UCS domain directed away from the B Chassis.

Cisco Unified Computing Solution (UCS) is a very popular and powerful solution. Cisco continues to provide updated UCS management options for the full range of data center installations.

While there are differences between the IP Multicast configuration in the IOS and the Nexus OS, the Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) protocol remains fundamentally the same. If you feel comfortable configuring Multicast in the IOS, you should be able to acclimate fairly easily to the changes in the Nexus OS.

Multicast Sparse Mode and its derivatives are supported in the Nexus OS. This white paper explains how it has been implemented in the Nexus platform to provide optimum performance in both virtual PortChannel and FabricPath environments.

Virtual storage area network (VSAN) and VMware View can offer cost savings and performance benefits compared to traditional SAN implementations for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). If you are starting a new desktop virtualization project, it would be wise for you to take the time to explore your options and compare VSAN to other options.

There are two types of virtual switches available using vSphere, the vSphere Standard Switch and the vSphere Distributed Switch. The vSphere Standard Switch (vSwitch or vSS) resides in and is manually configured and administered on each ESXi host. The vSphere Distributed Switch (dvSwitch or vDS) provides similar functionality but is centralized to vCenter Server and is more featured. This white paper will cover the vDS architecture as well as an overview of many of the different features that are exclusive to the vSphere Distributed Switch.