Course Content
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage Content
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Course Introduction
Introduction to vSphere and the Software Defined Data Center
As a vSphere administrator, you must be familiar with the components on which vSphere is based. You must also understand the following concepts: Virtualization, the role of the ESXi hypervisor in virtualization and virtual machines Fundamental vSphere components and the use of vSphere in the software-defined data center Use of vSphere clients to administer and manage vSphere environments
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Overview of vSphere and Virtual Machines
vSphere Virtualization of Resources
vSphere User Interfaces
Overview of ESXi
Virtual Machines
You can create a virtual machine in several ways. Choosing the correct method can save you time and make the deployment process manageable and scalable.
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Creating Virtual Machines
Virtual Machine Hardware Deep Dive
Introduction to Containers
vCenter Server
vCenter Server helps you centrally manage multiple ESXi hosts and their virtual machines. If you do not properly deploy, configure, and manage vCenter Server Appliance, your environment might experience reduced administrative efficiency or ESXi host and virtual machine downtime.
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Centralized Management with vCenter Server
Deploying vCenter Server Appliance
vSphere Licensing
Managing the vCenter Server Inventory
vCenter Server Roles and Permissions
Monitoring vCenter Server Appliance
Backing Up and Restoring vCenter Server Appliance
vCenter Server High Availability
Configuring and Managing Virtual Networks
When you configure ESXi networking properly, virtual machines can communicate with other virtual, and physical, machines. In this way, remote host management and IP-based storage operate effectively.
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Introduction to vSphere Standard Switches
Configuring Standard Switch Policies
Configuring and Managing Virtual Storage
Understanding the available storage options helps you set up your storage according to your cost, performance, and manageability requirements. You can use shared storage for disaster recovery, high availability, and moving virtual machines between hosts.
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vSphere Storage Concepts
Fibre Channel Storage
iSCSI Storage
VMFS Datastores
NFS Datastores
vSAN Datastores
Virtual Machine Management
Virtual machines are the foundation of your virtual infrastructure. Managing VMs effectively requires skills in creating templates and clones, modifying VMs, migrating VMs, taking snapshots, and protecting the VMs through replication and backups.
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Creating Templates and Clones
Working with Content Libraries
Modifying Virtual Machines
Migrating VMs with vSphere vMotion
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility
Migrating VMs with vSphere Storage vMotion
Creating Virtual Machine Snapshots
vSphere Replication and Backup
Resource Management and Monitoring
Although the VMkernel works proactively to avoid resource contention, maximizing performance requires both analysis and ongoing monitoring. Developing skills in resource management, you can dynamically reallocate resources so that you can use available capacity more efficiently.
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Virtual CPU and Memory Concepts
vSphere Resource Controls
vSphere Resource Monitoring Tools
Monitoring Resource Use in vSphere
Using Alarms in vSphere
vSphere Clusters
Most organizations rely on computer-based services like email, databases, and web-based applications. The failure of any of these services can mean lost productivity and revenue. By understanding and using vSphere HA, you can configure highly available, computer-based services, which are important for an organization to remain competitive in contemporary business environments. And by developing skills in using vSphere DRS, you can improve service levels by guaranteeing appropriate resources to virtual machines.
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vSphere Clusters Overview
vSphere DRS
Introduction to vSphere HA
vSphere HA Architecture
Configuring vSphere HA
Introduction to vSphere Fault Tolerance
vSphere Lifecycle Management
Managing the life cycle of vSphere involves keeping vCenter Server and ESXi hosts up to date and integrated with other VMware and third-party solutions. To achieve these goals, you must understand how to use the new features provided by vSphere Lifecycle Manager, namely, clusterlevel management of ESXi hosts and the vCenter Server Update Planner.
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vCenter Server Update Planner
Overview of vSphere Lifecycle Manager
Working with Baselines
Working with Images
Managing the Life Cycle of VMware Tools and VM Hardware
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage
About Lesson

Introduction to vSphere Standard Switches

Learner Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

  • Identify virtual switch connection types
  • Configure and view standard switch configurations
  • Distinguish between the features of standard and distributed switches

About Virtual Switches

Virtual switches connect VMs to the physical network. They provide connectivity between VMs on the same ESXi host or on different ESXi hosts. They also support VMkernel services, such as vSphere vMotion migration, iSCSI, NFS, and access to the management network.

Types of Virtual Switch Connections

A virtual switch has specific connection types:

  • VM port groups
  • VMkernel port: For IP storage, vSphere vMotion migration, vSphere Fault Tolerance, vSAN, vSphere Replication, and the ESXi management network
  • Uplink ports

Virtual Switch Connection Examples

More than one network can coexist on the same virtual switch or on separate virtual switches.  

About VLANs

ESXi supports 802.1Q VLAN tagging. Virtual switch tagging is one of the supported tagging policies:

  • Frames from a VM are tagged as they exit the virtual switch.
  • Tagged frames arriving at a virtual switch are untagged before they are sent to the destination VM.
  • The effect on performance is minimal.

ESXi provides VLAN support by assigning a VLAN ID to a port group.

Types of Virtual Switches

A virtual network supports standard and distributed switches. Both switch types are elastic: Ports are created and removed automatically.

  • Standard switch:
    • Virtual switch that is configured for a single host
  • Distributed switch:
    • Virtual switch that is configured for an entire data center.
    • Up to 2,000 hosts can be attached to the same distributed switch.
    • The configuration is consistent across all attached hosts.
    • Hosts must either have an Enterprise Plus license or belong to a vSAN cluster.

Adding ESXi Networking

You can add new standard switches to an ESXi host or configure existing ones using the vSphere Client or VMware Host Client.

Viewing the Configuration of Standard Switches

In the vSphere Client, you can view a host’s standard switch configuration by selecting Virtual Switches on the Configure tab.

Network Adapter Properties

  • The Physical adapters pane shows adapter details such as speed, duplex, and MAC address settings.
  • Although the speed and duplex settings are configurable, the best practice is to leave the settings at autonegotiate.

Distributed Switch Architecture

 

vSphere Standard Switches

Standard and Distributed Switches: Shared Features

Standard and distributed switches have several features in common.

Feature Standard Switch Distributed Switch
Layer 2 switch Yes Yes
VLAN segmentation (802.1Q tagging) Yes Yes
IPv6 support Yes Yes
NIC teaming Yes Yes
Outbound traffic shaping Yes Yes
Cicso Discovery Protocol (CDP) Yes Yes

Additional Features of Distributed Switches

Distributed switches include several features that are not part of standard switches.

Feature Standard Switch Distributed Switch
Inbound traffic shaping No Yes
VM network port block No Yes
Private VLANs No Yes
Load-based teaming No Yes
Data center level management No Yes
vSphere vMotion migration of virtual networking state No Yes
Per-port policy settings No Yes
Port state monitoring of network statistics No Yes
NetFlow No Yes
Port mirroring No Yes
Access to NSX-T port groups No Yes
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) No Yes

Review of Learner Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

  • Identify virtual switch connection types
  • Configure and view standard switch configurations
  • Distinguish between the features of standard and distributed switches
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