VMware vSAN and SRM Courses

Overview

During this four-day course, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and tools to plan and deploy a VMware vSAN™ cluster. You will learn about managing and operating vSAN. This course focuses on building the required skills for common Day-2 vSAN administrator tasks such as vSAN node management, cluster maintenance, security operations, troubleshooting and advanced vSAN cluster operations. You will learn these skills through the completion of instructor-led activities and hands-on lab exercises.

Product Alignment

VMware ESXi™ 8.0
VMware vCenter Server® 8.0
VMware vSAN 8.0

Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

Describe vSAN concepts
Detail the underlying vSAN architecture and components
Explain the key features and use cases for vSAN
Identify requirements and planning considerations for vSAN clusters
Explain the importance vSAN node hardware compatibility
Describe the different vSAN deployment options
Explain how to configure vSAN fault domains
Detail how to define and create a VM storage policy
Discuss the impact of vSAN storage policy changes
Detail vSAN resilience and data availability
Describe vSAN storage space efficiency
Explain how vSAN encryption works
Detail VMware HCI Mesh™ technology and architecture
Detail vSAN File Service architecture and configuration
Describe how to setup a stretched and a two-node vSAN cluster
Describe vSAN maintenance mode and data evacuation options
Define the steps to shut down a vSAN cluster for maintenance
Explain how to use proactive tests to check the integrity of a vSAN cluster
Use VMware Skyline Health™ for monitoring vSAN health
Use VMware Skyline Health to investigate and help determine failure conditions
Discuss vSAN troubleshooting best practices
Describe vSAN Express Storage ArchitectureTM concepts

Prerequisites

Equivalent knowledge or completion of the following course is required:

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage

Audience

Storage and virtual infrastructure consultants
Solution architects
Administrators who are responsible for production support and administration of VMware vSAN 8.0.

Outline

Course Introduction

Introduction and course logistics
Course objectives

Introduction to vSAN

Describe vSAN architecture
Describe the vSAN software components: CLOM, DOM, LSOM, CMMDS, and RDT
Identify vSAN objects and components
Describe the advantages of object-based storage
Describe the difference between All-Flash and Hybrid vSAN architecture
Explain the key features and use cases for vSAN
Discuss the vSAN integration and compatibility with other VMware technologies

Planning a vSAN Cluster
Identify requirements and planning considerations for vSAN clusters
Apply vSAN cluster planning and deployment best practices
Determine and plan for storage consumption by data growth and failure tolerance
Design vSAN hosts for operational needs
Identify vSAN networking features and requirements
Describe ways of controlling traffic in a vSAN environment
Recognize best practices for vSAN network configurations

Deploying a vSAN Cluster

Recognize the importance of hardware compatibility
Ensure the compatibility of driver and firmware versioning
Use tools to automate driver validation and installation
Apply host hardware settings for optimum performance
Use VMware vSphere® Lifecycle ManagerTM to perform upgrades
Deploy and configure a vSAN Cluster using the Cluster QuickStart wizard
Manually configure a vSAN Cluster using VMware vSphere® Client™
Explain and configure vSAN fault domains
Using VMware vSphere® High Availability with vSAN
Understand vSAN Cluster maintenance capabilities
Describe the difference between implicit and explicit fault domains
Create explicit fault domains

vSAN Storage Policies

Describe a vSAN object
Describe how objects are split into components
Explain the purpose of witness components
Explain how vSAN stores large objects
View object and component placement on the vSAN datastore
Explain how storage policies work with vSAN
Define and create a virtual machine storage policy
Apply and modify virtual machine storage policies
Change virtual machine storage policies dynamically
Identify virtual machine storage policy compliance status

vSAN Resilience and Data Availability

Describe and configure the Object Repair Timer advanced option
Plan disk replacement in a vSAN cluster
Plan maintenance tasks to avoid vSAN object failures
Recognize the importance of managing snapshot utilization in a vSAN cluster

Managing vSAN Storage Space Efficiency

Discuss deduplication and compression techniques
Understand deduplication and compression overhead
Discuss compression only mode
Configure erasure coding
Configure swap object thin provisioning
Discuss reclaiming storage space with SCSI UNMAP
Configure TRIM/UNMAP

vSAN Security Operations

Identify differences between VM encryption and vSAN encryption
Perform ongoing operations to maintain data security
Describe the workflow of data-in transit encryption
Identify the steps involved in replacing Key Management Server

vSAN HCI Mesh

Understand the purpose of vSAN HCI Mesh
Detail vSAN HCI Mesh technology and architecture
Perform mount and unmount of a remote datastore

vSAN File Service and iSCSI Target Service

Understand the purpose of vSAN File Services
Detail vSAN File Services architecture
Configure vSAN File Shares
Describe vSAN iSCSI Target Service

vSAN Stretched and Two Node Clusters

Describe the architecture and uses case for stretched clusters
Detail the deployment and replacement of a vSAN witness node
Describe the architecture and uses case for two-node clusters
Explain storage policies for vSAN stretched cluster

vSAN Cluster Maintenance

Perform typical vSAN maintenance operations
Describe vSAN maintenance modes and data evacuation options
Assess the impact on cluster objects of entering maintenance mode
Determine the specific data actions required after exiting maintenance mode
Define the steps to shut down and reboot hosts and vSAN clusters
Use best practices for boot devices
Replace vSAN nodes

vSAN Cluster Monitoring

Describe how the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) enables VMware to improve products and services
Use VMware Skyline Health for monitoring vSAN cluster health
Manage alerts, alarms, and notifications related to vSAN in VMware vSphere® Client™
Create and configure custom alarms to trigger vSAN health issues
Use IOInsight metrics for monitoring vSAN performance
Use a vSAN proactive test to detect and diagnose cluster issues

vSAN Troubleshooting

Use a structured approach to solve configuration and operational problems
Apply troubleshooting methodology to logically diagnose faults and optimize troubleshooting efficiency
Use VMware Skyline Health to investigate and help determine failure conditions
Explain which log files are useful for vSAN troubleshooting

vSAN Express Storage Architecture

Understand the purpose of vSAN Express Storage Architecture
Describe the vSAN Express Storage Architecture components
Identify Storage Policy differences
Understand compression and encryption operation differences

Course Overview

This two-day, hands-on training course provides you with the knowledge, skills, and tools to plan and deploy a VMware vSAN™ cluster. In this course, you are taught the many considerations that the end vSAN configuration has on the initial planning of the vSAN datastore. You also perform a fully manual configuration of a vSAN cluster.

Product Alignment

VMware vSAN 7.0 U1

Course Content

Course Introduction

Introductions and course logistics
Course objectives

Introduction to vSAN

Describe vSAN architecture
Identify vSAN objects and components
Describe the advantages of object-based storage
Describe the difference between All-Flash and Hybrid vSAN architecture
Explain the key features and use cases for vSAN
Discuss the vSAN integration and compatibility with other VMware technologies

Planning a vSAN Cluster

Identify requirements and planning considerations for vSAN clusters
Apply vSAN cluster planning and deployment best practices
Determine and plan for storage consumption by data growth and failure tolerance
Design vSAN hosts for operational needs
Identify vSAN networking features and requirements
Describe ways of controlling traffic in a vSAN environment
Recognize best practices for vSAN network configurations

Deploying a vSAN Cluster

Deploy and configure a vSAN cluster using the Cluster Quickstart wizard
Manually configure a vSAN cluster using vSphere Client
Explain and configure vSAN fault domains
Using VMware vSphere® High Availability with vSAN
Understand vSAN cluster maintenance capabilities
Describe the difference between implicit and explicit fault domains
Create explicit fault domains

vSAN Storage Policies

Describe a vSAN object
Describe how objects are split into components
Explain the purpose of witness components
Explain how vSAN stores large objects
View object and component placement on the vSAN datastore
Explain how storage policies work with vSAN
Define and create a virtual machine storage policy
Apply and modify virtual machine storage policies
Change virtual machine storage policies dynamically
Identify virtual machine storage policy compliance status

Introduction to Advanced vSAN Configurations

Define and configure compression and deduplication in the vSAN cluster
Define and configure encryption in the vSAN cluster
Understand the remote vSAN datastore topology
Identify the operations involved in managing the remote vSAN datastore
Understand the steps involved in creating the vSAN iSCSI target service

vSAN Stretched and Two-Node Clusters

Describe the architecture and use cases for stretched clusters
Detail the deployment and replacement of a vSAN witness node
Describe the architecture and uses case for two-node clusters
Explain the benefits of vSphere HA and vSphere Site Recovery Manager in a vSAN stretched cluster
Explain storage policies for vSAN stretched cluster

Who should attend

Experienced VMware vSphere® administrators

Prerequisites

You should have the following understanding or knowledge:
Understanding of concepts presented in the VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V7] (VSICM7) course
Knowledge of basic storage concepts
Experience using vSphere Client to perform administrative tasks on vSphere clusters

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:
Explain the key features and use cases for vSAN
Detail the underlying vSAN architecture and components
Describe the different vSAN deployment options
Detail vSAN cluster requirements and considerations
Apply recommended vSAN design considerations and capacity sizing practices
Determine and plan for storage consumption by data growth and failure tolerance
Design vSAN hosts for operational needs
Explain Maintenance Mode use and its impacts on vSAN
Apply best practices for vSAN network configurations
Manually configure a vSAN cluster using VMware vSphere® Client™
Explain and configure vSAN fault domains
Understand and apply vSAN storage policies
Define encryption in the vSAN cluster
Describe the architecture and use cases for stretched clusters
Describe the architecture and use cases for two-node clusters
Understand the steps involved in creating the vSAN iSCSI target services

Course Overview

In this three-day course, you learn about managing and operating VMware vSAN™ 7. This course focuses on building the required skills for common Day-2 vSAN administrator tasks such as, vSAN node management, cluster maintenance, security operations and advanced vSAN cluster operations. You also gain practical experience through the completion of instructor-led activities and hands-on lab exercises.

Product Alignment

VMware ESXi™ 7.0 U1
VMware vCenter Server® 7.0 U1
VMware vSAN 7.0 U1

Course Content

Course Introduction
vSAN Node Management
vSAN Resilience and Data Availability Operations
vSAN Cluster Maintenance
vSAN Storage Space Efficiency
vSAN Cluster Performance Monitoring
vSAN Security Operations
vSAN Direct
Remote vSAN
vSAN Native File Service
Manage Advanced vSAN Cluster Operations

Who should attend

Storage and virtual infrastructure administrators who are responsible for production support and administration of VMware vSAN 7.

Prerequisites

Completion of the following courses is required:
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V7] (VSICM7) or equivalent knowledge
VMware vSAN: Plan and Deploy [V7] (VSANPD7)

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:
Define the tasks involved in vSAN node management
Updating and upgrading vSAN using VMware vSphere Lifecycle Manager™
Explain vSAN resilience and data availability features
Reconfigure vSAN storage policies and observe the cluster-wide impact
Perform vSAN cluster scale-out and scale-up operations
Describe common vSAN cluster maintenance operations
Control vSAN resync operations
Configure vSAN storage efficiency and reclamation features
Use VMware Skyline™ Health to monitor cluster health, performance, and storage capacity
Describe vSAN security operations
Configure vSAN Direct for cloud native applications
Configure remote vSAN datastore and vSAN native file services
Manage two-node cluster and stretched cluster advance operations

Outline:

Course Introduction

Introductions and course logistics
Course objectives

vSAN Node Management

Recognize the importance of hardware compatibility
Ensure the compatibility of driver and firmware versioning
Use tools to automate driver validation and installation
Apply host hardware settings for optimum performance
Use vSphere Lifecycle Manager to perform upgrades

vSAN Resilience and Data Availability Operations

Describe vSAN storage policies
Recognize the impact of a vSAN storage policy change
Describe and configure the Object Repair Timer advanced option
Plan disk replacement in a vSAN cluster
Plan maintenance tasks to avoid vSAN object failures
Recognize the importance of managing snapshot utilization in a vSAN cluster
Configure the vSAN fault domains

vSAN Cluster Maintenance

Perform typical vSAN maintenance operations
Describe vSAN maintenance modes and data evacuation options
Assess the impact on cluster objects of entering maintenance mode
Determine the specific data actions required after exiting maintenance mode
Define the steps to shut down and reboot hosts and vSAN clusters
Use best practices for boot devices
Replace vSAN nodes

vSAN Storage Space Efficiency

Discuss deduplication and compression techniques
Understand deduplication and compression overhead
Discuss compression only mode
Configure erasure coding
Configure swap object thin provisioning
Discuss reclaiming storage space with SCSI UNMAP
Configure TRIM/UNMAP

vSAN Cluster Performance Monitoring

Describe how the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) enables VMware to improve products and services
Use vSphere Skyline Health for monitoring vSAN cluster health
Manage alerts, alarms, and notifications related to vSAN in VMware vSphere® Client™
Create and configure custom alarms to trigger vSAN health issues
Use IO Insight metrics for monitoring vSAN performance
Analyse vsantop performance metrics
Use a vSAN proactive test to detect and diagnose cluster issues

vSAN Security Operations

Identify differences between VM encryption and vSAN encryption
Perform ongoing operations to maintain data security
Describe the workflow of data-in transit encryption
Identify the steps involved in replacing Key Management Server (KMS)

vSAN Direct

Discuss the use cases for vSAN Direct
Understand the overall architecture of vSAN Direct
Describe the workflow of vSAN Direct datastore creation
Explore how vSAN Direct works with storage policy tagging

Remote vSAN

Discuss the use cases for remote vSAN
Understand the high-level architecture
Describe remote datastore operations
Discuss the network requirement
Interoperability between remote vSAN and VMware vSphere® High Availability

vSAN Native File Service

Discuss the use cases for vSAN file service
Understand the high-level architecture of vSAN file service
Discuss the authentication model
Configure file shares
Monitor file share health and capacity utilization

Manage Advanced vSAN Cluster Operations

Describe the architecture for stretched clusters and two-node clusters
Understand the importance of witness node
Describe how stretched cluster storage policies affect vSAN objects
Create and apply a vSAN stretched cluster policy to meet specific needs
Discuss stretched cluster failure scenarios and responses

Course Overview

This two-day, hands-on training course provides the knowledge to troubleshoot VMware vSAN™ clusters. In this course, you will learn the best practices to maintain a healthy vSAN environment and mitigate potential issues that may occur with operation of the software. You will learn the GUI and CLI vSAN monitoring and troubleshooting tools. The course provides a logical framework for a systematic troubleshooting approach. You will learn how to troubleshoot vSAN common issues with examples. The labs provided in the course simulate real-world problems to evaluate and enhance your troubleshooting skills.

Product Alignment

VMware ESXi™ 8.0
VMware vCenter Server® 8.0
VMware vSAN 8.0

Course Content

Course Introduction
Introductions and course logistics
Course objectives

vSAN Best Practice and Problems Prevention

Discuss the importance of vSAN planning and availability best practice
Discuss vSAN networking best practice
Discuss the importance of vSAN Data protection
Understand the Data protection best Practice
Discuss the importance of vSAN hardware compatibility
Learn how to check hardware compatibility for vSAN
List the factors that impact vSAN performance
Learn how to benchmark vSAN performance
Discuss the importance of Skyline Advisor
Learn how to use Skyline Advisor

vSAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting tools

Explain vSAN Skyline Health features
Discuss the other vSAN cluster-level monitoring in the VMware vSphere® client
Discuss vSAN host-level monitoring in the vSphere client
Discuss vSAN VM-level monitoring in the vSphere Client
Understand tasks and events views within the vSphere client
Describe vSphere Alarms
Learn how to use the CLI to find information about vSAN cluster

vSAN Best Practice and Problems Prevention

Discuss the importance of vSAN planning and availability best practice
Discuss vSAN networking best practice
Discuss the importance of vSAN Data protection
Understand the Data protection best Practice
Discuss the importance of vSAN hardware compatibility
Learn how to check hardware compatibility for vSAN
List the factors that impact vSAN performance
Learn how to benchmark vSAN performance
Discuss the importance of Skyline Advisor
Learn how to use Skyline Advisor

Troubleshooting Process

Learn the recommended vSAN troubleshooting process
Describe the PNOMA framework
Learn how to troubleshoot vSAN common issues
Getting Support
Discuss how to get further support from the community and the knowledge base articles
Learn how to effectively contact VMware technical support
Troubleshooting Labs
Enhance and test vSAN troubleshooting skills through labs

Who should attend

Experienced system vSAN administrators
Customers, cloud architects, systems engineers, data center administrators

Prerequisites

Before taking this course, you must complete at least one of the following courses:

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V8]
VMware vSAN: Install, Configure, Manage [V8]

You should also have understanding or knowledge of these technologies:

Good understanding of storage concepts
Good understanding of network concepts

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

Learn vSAN best practices for planning and availability
Outline vSAN networking best practices
Describe Skyline Advisor™ Pro
Learn about vSAN Skyline™ Health
Discuss vSAN monitoring and troubleshooting tools integrated within vSphere
Outline the common vSAN troubleshooting commands
Understand how to benchmark vSAN performance
Identify factors which may impact vSAN performance
Outline vSAN troubleshooting framework
List the most common vSAN issues
Learn how to troubleshoot vSAN common issues
Discuss how to get further support from the VMware community and knowledge base articles
Learn how to effectively contact VMware technical support
Enhance and test vSAN troubleshooting skills through labs

Course Overview

This two-day, hands-on training course gives experienced VMware vSphere® administrators the knowledge to install, configure, and manage VMware Site Recovery Manager™ 8.6. This course also shows you how to write and test disaster recovery plans that use Site Recovery Manager

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:
Summarize the components of Site Recovery Manager architecture
Deploy and configure the Site Recovery Manager appliance
Describe the principal disaster recovery topologies that are used with Site Recovery Manager
Configure inventory and resource mappings
Describe the storage replication options that are used with Site Recovery Manager
Configure Site Recovery Manager to leverage array-based replication
Describe VMware vSphere® Replication™ functionality
Describe the vSphere Replication architecture
Deploy and configure vSphere Replication for use with Site Recovery Manager
Build Site Recovery Manager array-based protection groups, protection groups based on vSphere Replication, and
Virtual Volumes protection groups.
Build, edit, execute, test, and remove a recovery plan
Perform a planned migration

Target Audience

vSphere administrators, architects, system engineers, and systems integrators who are responsible for the deployment or management of Site Recovery Manager

Prerequisites

Before taking this course, you should have completed one of the following course(s):
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage
VMware vSphere: Fast Track
VMware vSphere: What’s New
VMware vSphere: Troubleshooting
Or equivalent knowledge and administration experience with VMware ESXi™ and VMware vCenter Server™.

Product Alignment

VMware Site Recovery Manager [V8.6]

1. Course Introduction

Introductions and course logistics
Course objectives

2 Site Recovery Manager Architecture

Describe Site Recovery Manager architecture
Identify disaster recovery options with Site Recovery Manager
Evaluate how Site Recovery Manager integrates with VMware products
Describe Site Recovery Manager licensing options
List the disaster recovery topologies supported by Site Recovery Manager
Describe how VMware Site Recovery for VMware Cloud on AWS integrates with Site Recovery Manager

3 Deploying and Configuring Site Recovery Manager

Identify the vSphere and vCenter Server requirements for deploying Site Recovery Manager
Define Site Recovery Manager virtual appliance system requirements
Deploy the Site Recovery Manager appliance
Navigate the Site Recovery Manager configuration UI
Describe the process for registering Site Recovery Manager with vCenter Server
Describe how to start and stop services in Site Recovery Manager
Identify ways to perform updates to the Site Recovery Manager appliance
Describe the options for accessing the Site Recovery Manager
Describe the process for configuring site pairing
Describe how to import and export Site Recovery Manager configuration
Navigate the Site Recovery Manager configuration UI

Describe the process for registering Site Recovery Manager with vCenter Server
Describe how to start and stop services in Site Recovery Manager
Identify ways to perform updates to the Site Recovery Manager appliance
Describe the options for accessing the Site Recovery Manager
Describe the process for configuring site pairing
Describe how to import and export Site Recovery Manager configuration

4 Configuring Inventory Mappings

Explain the importance of inventory mappings
Identify configuration options for inventory mappings
Describe the importance of placeholder virtual machines and datastores
Describe the importance of the vSphere inventory changes for Site Recovery Manager operation

5 Using Array-Based Replication

Describe array-based replication
Describe Storage Replication Adapters and explain their role for the array-based replication
Describe the concept and configuration of array pairs
Describe datastore groups and the relationship between devices and datastore groups
Describe the role of consistency groups
Identify the advantages of array-based replication

6 vSphere Replication

Describe Site Recovery Manager with vSphere Replication Architecture
Discuss the role of vSphere Replication components
Discuss use cases for vSphere Replication
Discuss system requirements and operational limits of vSphere Replication
Determine how to calculate bandwidth requirements for vSphere Replication