Virtualization with VMware ESX and VirtualCenter SMB to Enterprise (5-day) Training in Cambridge

Enroll in or hire us to teach our Virtualization with VMware ESX and VirtualCenter SMB to Enterprise (5-day) class in Cambridge, Massachusetts by calling us @303.377.6176. Like all HSG classes, Virtualization with VMware ESX and VirtualCenter SMB to Enterprise (5-day) may be offered either onsite or via instructor led virtual training. Consider looking at our public training schedule to see if it is scheduled: Public Training Classes
Provided there are enough attendees, Virtualization with VMware ESX and VirtualCenter SMB to Enterprise (5-day) may be taught at one of our local training facilities.
We offer private customized training for groups of 3 or more attendees.

Course Description

 
This class is an intense, five-day introduction to virtualization using VMware's immensely popular Virtual Infrastructure suite including VMware ESX 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5. Assuming no prior virtualization experience, this class starts with the basics and rapidly progresses to more advanced topics. Up to 40% of class time is devoted to labs so concepts and skills are reinforced. Initial labs focus on installation and configuration of stand-alone ESX servers. As the class progresses, shared storage, networking and centralized management are introduced. The class then continues on to more advanced topics including resource balancing, high availability, back up and recovery, troubleshooting and more. Disaster recovery, rapid deployment, hot migration and workload consolidation are also covered. By the end of the class, attendees will have learned the benefits, mechanics and best practices of virtualization. Attendees will be able to design, implement, deploy, configure, monitor, manage, troubleshoot and secure virtual infrastructure.
Course Length: 5 Days
Course Tuition: $2850 (US)

Prerequisites

User, operator, or administrator experience on common operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, UNIX or other platforms. Experience installing, configuring and managing operating systems, storage systems and or networks is useful but not required. We assume that all attendees have a basic familiarity with PC server hardware, disk partitioning, IP addressing, O/S installation, etc. No Linux command line skills are assumed or required.

Course Outline

 

Virtualization Infrastructure
Introduction to Virtual Infrastructure (VI)
Problems & Opportunities
OS, Applications Tied to Server
Physical Resource Utilization
Utilization Solutions
Datacenter Issues
OS, Application Imaging
New Workload Deployment
Back Up & Recovery
Sever Refresh
Hardware Maintenance
High Operating System Costs
Disaster Recovery
Test, Development & QA
Server Capacity Management
IT Technical Career Benefits
Virtual Infrastructure Software
VMware ESX
VMware ESXi
VMware ESX Editions
VMware Server vs. ESX
Licensing Recommendations
Best Bang for Buck!
VMware VirtualCenter
Single Host Deployment
Multiple ESX Hosts
Multiple ESX, Shared Storage
Full Virtual Infrastructure

VMware ESX
Problems & Opportunities
ESX Block Diagram
Typical ESX Server
ESX Server + SAN
ESX Server Hardware
X86 Partitions
HP Smart Array Disk Partitions
Standard Disk Partitions
Partition Mount Points
ESX Default Partition Table
ESX Install Steps
ESX Boot Screen
Media Integrity Test
Initial Steps
Installer Hardware Scan
Unreadable Partitions
Select Installation Volume
Last Chance Before Format
Review, Edit Partition Table
Review Bootloader Configuration
Network Configurations
PCI NIC Addressing
Select Time Zone
Review & Install
Installer Progress
Completed Install
ESX Ready for Service
Download and Install VI Client
Virtual Infrastructure Client
Login to ESX with VI Client
Security Warning
VI Client – Getting Started
VI Client – Configuration Tab
Licensing ESX
Host License File
Network Time Protocol
ESX Users & Groups
Common Network Issues
Common Boot Issues
Sizing ESX CPU, Memory
Sizing ESX Storage, NICs

Virtual Networking
Problems & Opportunities
Physical Networking
Virtual Networking
ESX Networking
Isolated Virtual Networking
Outbound Virtual Networking
Outbound Team Networking
vSwitch Properties
Multi-homes Networking
High Performance Networking
vSwitch Properties
vSwitch Connection Types
Port Groups
Current Network Configuration
Add Network Wizard
Physical Network Adapters
vmnic# to Physical NIC Roster
vSwitch Rules

Network Attached Storage and Network File System
Problems & Opportunities
Network Attached Storage
NAS Options
Network File System
NAS/NFS Uses
NAS Components
Defining NFS Shares on Linux
NFS VMkernel Port
Define an NFS Share
NFS Share in Storage Roster
NAS/NFS Trade-offs
Troubleshooting NFS

Virtual Hardware and Virtual Machines
Problems & Opportunities
Virtual Machines
VM Naming Rules
Virtual Hardware
Powered Off VMs
Datastore Browser
VM File Copy
VMX File Contents
New Virtual Machine Wizard
Base Virtual Machine HW
VM Wizard – CPUs
VM Wizard – Memory
VM Wizard – Disk
Virtual Disk Snapshots
Complete the Virtual Machine
Remote Console
Virtual Machine BIOS
Install Guest OS
VM Running with Stock Drivers
VMware Tools
VMware Tools – Time Sync
VMware Tools – Connections
VMware Tools – Scripts
Supported Guest OS
VM and VC Web Access
Virtual Machine Web Access
Log in to Web Access
Web to ESX
Web Access to ESX Host

VirtualCenter
Problems & Opportunities
VirtualCenter
VirtualCenter Base Features
Licensed Add On Features
VirtualCenter Block Diagram
VirtualCenter Deployment
VirtualCenter HW Requirements
Supported Databases
MS SQL Express
MS SQL Databases
VI License Server
Windows Services
Remote VI Management
VC is a Management Proxy
When Using VirtualCenter
Database Size Estimates
VirtualCenter Install Sequence
VirtualCenter Modules
Recovering VirtualCenter
Host Greyed Out
VirtualCenter Crash
VirtualCenter Host Issues
Restart VirtualCenter

VirtualCenter Views
Problems & Opportunities
VirtualCenter Uses 4 Views
Start with Datacenters
Folders Organize Datacenters
Folders in Datacenters
Folders can Organize Hosts
VMs run on Clusters
Primary Inventory Views
Network, Datastore Views
Enhanced Features
View Active VC Sessions
Resource Maps
Schedule Tasks
View Past Events
View System Logs
VI Client Plugin Manager
VI Client Connection Settings
VI Licensing

Rapid Deployment with VM Templates, Clones
Need to Cut Deployment Time
Template Theory
Template Benefits
Templates
Disk Formats
Select Template Disk Format
Creating a New Template
Template Properties
Convert Template to VM
Hosts & Clusters – Templates
Deploy VM from Template
Clone a VM
Clone a Template
Windows VM Customization
Linux, Solaris OS Customization
Pre-Built Virtual Machines
Virtual Appliance Pros and Cons
Import/Export Virtual Appliances
Editing and Adding Virtual Hardware
Powered ON VMs
Hot Add Virtual Disk
Raw Disk Map (RDM)
After Hot Add, Rescan Disks

Virtual Infrastructure Security and Permission Model
Managing Access to VI
Permissions – Privileges
Permissions – Roles
Permissions – Users
Assigned Permissions
Determining Permissions
Privilege Hierarchy
Inventory Object Permissions
Role Assignments
Work with Roles
Edit e Role
VirtualCenter Users, Groups
Checking Permissions
View VC Base Permissions
ESX Users, Groups
View ESX Default Permissions
Permissions Best Practices

Advanced Virtual Networking
Problems & Opportunities
Resizing vSwitch Ports
Physical Adapter Properties
Adjust Link Properties

Advanced vSwitch Properties
vSwitch Security
Traffic Shaping
Traffic Shaping Settings
NIC Team Settings
Load Balancing Policies
Originating Port Forwarding
Forward Based on MAC Hash
Forward Based on IP Hash
IP Hash Forwarding
Network Failure
Resilient Network Configuration
Notify Switches
Active and Standby NICs
VLANing
vSwitch Guidelines

Fibre and iSCSI SAN Shared Storage
Problems & Opportunities
Fibre Storage Area Networks
Fibre SAN Block Diagram
World Wide Names
Hardware Paths
Fibre HBAs
Storage Volumes
Add Storage Wizard
Fibre SAN Review
iSCSI
iSCSI Redundancy Options
iSCSI Motivation
iSCSI Capabilities
iSCSI Block Diagram
iSCSI Qualified Names
LUN Discovery Options
iSCSI CHAP Authentication
iSCSI Hardware Initiators
iSCSI Software Initiators
SC Port iSCSI CHAP
SC iSCSI Firewall Update
Enable iSCSI SW Adapter
Change iSCSI SW Adapter IQN
Enter IP Address of SAN SPs
iSCSI SP Correctly Added
Enter Your iSCSI Credentials
Scan iSCSI SAN
New iSCSI LUNs
iSCSI Trade-offs
Troubleshooting iSCSI
Boot From SAN

VMware File System (VMFS)
Shared Storage
VMFS Uses, Limits
VMFS Features
Using a VMFS
Building a VMFS
VMFS Settings
New VMFS
VMFS Details
VMFS Capacity Management
LUN Span – Before and After
To Add an Extent
Spanned LUNs – FYI
Multipathing
Fibre SAN Multi-pathing
iSCSI SAN Multi-pathing
Adjusting Path Preferences

Resource Management and Resource Pools
Resource Delegation
CPU Resource Tunables
Physical to Virtual CPU Service
CPU Resource Tunables
Memory Resource Tunables
VM Memory Tunables
Shares
Resource Pool
Resource Pool Settings
Why Use Resource Pools?
CPU Resource Allocations
Memory Resource Allocations
Virtual Hardware Resources
Expandable Reservations

Virtual Machine Cold and Hot Migration
Problems & Opportunities
Cold Migration
Why Cold Migrate
Storage VMotions
Storage VMotion Scenarios
Storage VMotion Experience
VMotion Migration
VMotion Benefits
VMotion Requirements
VMotion Initiate
Memory – Pre-Copy
Progress is Monitored
VM is Descsheduled
VM Context is Transferred
Switch Over
VM Scheduled to Run
Housekeeping
VMotin Experience
Failed Validation
Validation Warnings
Host Compatibility
CPU Compatibility
CPUY Identification Utility

Distributed Resource Scheduler
DRS Goals
DRS Clusters
Resource Management
DRS Functions
DRS Automation Levels
Migration Thresholds
Affinity, Anti-Affinity Rules
Per-VM Overrides
Distributed Power Management
Adopting DRS
DRS Best Practices

VMware High Availability Clusters
Problems & Opportunities
HA VM Requirements
HA Cluster Heartbeat
Enabling HA Fail Over
VMware HA Host Failures
Host Failures Allowed
HA Reserve Resources
HA Restart Priority
HA Isolation Response
How Isolation Response Works
Service Console NIC Failure
VM Powered Off When Isolated
Move, Power on VM
Adding a Host to a Cluster
Maintenance Mode
Resolving HA Problems
HA and DRS
Isolation Response Issues
Best Practices

ESX and VM Backup Strategies
VM Backup Challenge
Traditional Network Backup
Reduce Backup Stress
Service Console Backup
VMware Consolidated Backup
VCB Layout
VCB – Initiate Backup
VCB VMDK Image Backup
VCB + 3rd Party Backup App
Completing a VCB VM Backup
VCB File & Directory Restore
VM Image Restore

VMware Converter Enterprise
Physical to Virtual Migrations
Clone & Update Disks
Install & Enable Converter
Manage Plugins
Converter Steps
Prepare for Conversion
Profile Physical Machine
Clone Physical Disk(s)
Create the New Virtual Machine
VM Reconfiguration
Guest OS Customization
Converter Housekeeping
New VM Housekeeping
Launch Converter Enterprise
Selecting Volumes to Import
Copying Disk Volumes
Converter Caveats
USB Protected Apps
Trouble Spots

Performance Analysis
Describe Problems
ESX CPU Usage Strategy
Active VM CPU Scheduling
Physical to Virtual CPU
Sequential vs. Concurrent Tasks
Idle VM CPU Scheduling
CPU Over Commit
Physical Memory
Virtual Machine Memory
VM Memory Over Commit
Physical RAM to VM Allocation
Transparent Page Sharing
Memory Ballooning
VMkernel Swap
Ballooning vs. VMkernel Swap
Memory Management Review
Disk I/O Bandwidth Contention
Performance Chart Options
Performance Graphs
Performance Problems
Tracking VM CPU Ready Time
CPU Ready VM Experience
To Resolve CPU Over Commit
Monitoring Memory Stress
Page Faults in Task Manager
VM CPU, Memory Consumption
Best Practices

Performance & Resource Alarms
Resource Tracking and Alerting
VirtualCenter Alarms
Adding an Alarm
Alarm Settings
ESX Host Alarms
Virtual Machine Alarms
Alarm Reporting
Set Alarm Action
Default Alarms
Set E-Mail Properties
Set SNMP Properties

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