Course Content
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage Content
0/1
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
0/4
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.
0/3
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.
0/8
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.
0/2
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.
0/6
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.
0/8
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.
0/5
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.
0/6
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.
0/5
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

Monitoring vCenter Server Appliance

Learner Objectives

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

  • View vCenter Server logs and events
  • Manage vCenter Server services
  • Monitor vCenter Server Appliance for service and disk space usage
  • Use vSphere alarms for resource exhaustion and service failures

vCenter Server Events

The vCenter Server events and audit trails allow selectable retention periods in increments of 30 days:

  • User-action information includes the user’s account and specific event details.
  • All actions are reported, including file ID, file path, source of operation, operation name, and date and time of operation.
  • Events and alarms are displayed to alert the user to changes in the vCenter Server service health or when a service fails.

About Log Levels

You can set log levels to control the quantity and type of information logged. Examples of when to set log levels:

  • When troubleshooting complex issues, set the log level to verbose or trivia. Troubleshoot and set it back to info.
  • For controlling the amount of information being stored in the log files.
Option Description
None Turns off logging
Error (errors only) Displays only error log entries
Warning (errors and warnings) Displays warning and error log entries
Info (normal logging) Displays information, error, and warning log entries
Verbose Displays information, error, warning, and verbose log entries

Trivia (extended verbose) Displays information, error, warning, verbose, and trivia log entries

Setting Log Levels

You can configure the amount of detail that vCenter Server collects in log files:

  • You can edit the log levels in the vSphere Client.
  • More verbose logging requires more space on your vCenter Server system.

Forwarding vCenter Server Appliance Log Files to a Remote Host

vCenter Server and ESXi can stream their log information to a remote Syslog server:

  • You can enable this feature in the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface.
  • With this feature, you can further analyze vCenter Server Appliance log files with log analysis products, such as vRealize Log Insight.

vCenter Server Database Health

 

vCenter Server checks the status of the database every 15 minutes:

  • By default, database health warnings trigger an alarm when the space used reaches 80 percent.
  • The alarm changes from warning to error when the space used reaches 95 percent.
  • vCenter Server services shut down so that you can configure more disk space or remove unwanted content.

You can also monitor database space utilization using the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface.

Monitoring vCenter Server Appliance

The vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface has a built-in monitoring interface.  

Monitoring vCenter Server Appliance Services

You can use the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface to monitor the health and state of the vCenter Server Appliance services. You can restart, start, or stop services from this interface.

 

Monthly Patch Updates for vCenter Server Appliance

 

VMware provides monthly security patches for vCenter Server Appliance:

  • Critical vulnerability patches are delivered on a monthly release cycle.
  • Important and low vulnerabilities are delivered with the next available vCenter Server patch or update.

You can configure the vCenter Server Appliance to perform automatic checks for available patches in the configured repository URL at a regular interval.

Review of Learner Objectives

After completing this Monitoring vCenter Server Appliance lesson, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

  • View vCenter Server logs and events
  • Manage vCenter Server services
  • Monitor vCenter Server Appliance for service and disk space usage
  • Use vSphere alarms for resource exhaustion and service failures

Join the conversation
Previous
Next