"V" for Virtualization

VMware Certified Advanced Professional Datacenter Administration Exam Blueprint v1.6

Useful Resources

• http://www.vexperienced.co.uk/
• http://www.seancrookston.com/ 
• http://professionalvmware.com/

Books

• Mastering VMware vSphere 4 – Scot Lowe
• VMware vSphere 4 Implementation – Mike Laverick
• VMware ESXi: Planning, Implementation and Security – Dave Mishchenko
• Storage Networking Protocol Fundamentals – James Long

Blueprint Subjects

VDCA410 Section 1 – Implement and Manage Storage

Objective 1.1 – Implement and Manage Complex Storage Solutions

Knowledge

• Identify RAID levels
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_RAID_levels
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nested_RAID_levels
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-standard_RAID_levels
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID
• Identify supported HBA types
  • Storage/SAN Compatibility Guide
• Identify virtual disk format types
  • http://www.douglaspsmith.com/2010/07/identify-virtual-disk-format-types/
  • http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1022242

Skills and Abilities

• Determine use cases for and configure VMware DirectPath I/O
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/vsp_4_vmdirectpath_host.pdf
  • http://www.petri.co.il/vmware-esxi4-vmdirectpath.htm
  • http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1010789
  • http://blogs.vmware.com/performance/2010/12/performance-and-use-cases-of-vmware-directpath-io-for-networking.html
• Determine requirements for and configure NPIV
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • http://www.simonlong.co.uk/blog/2009/07/27/npiv-support-in-vmware-esx4/
  • http://www.boche.net/blog/index.php/2008/10/28/n_port-id-virtualization-npiv-and-vmware-virtual-infrastructure/
  • Configuring and Troubleshooting N-Port ID Virtualization
  • Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2010/11/23/vstorage-apis-for-array-integration-aka-vaai/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YellowBricks+%28Yellow+Bricks%29
• Determine appropriate RAID level for various Virtual Machine workloads
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/12/23/iops/
  • http://vsphere-land.com/tag/virtual-disks
  • http://www.definethecloud.net/redundancy-1-raid-levels
  • IOPS , RAID Penalty and Workload Characterization
• Apply VMware storage best practices
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • VMware Virtual Machine File System: Technical Overview and Best Practices
  • Storage Best Practices from EMC
  • http://www.vmware.com/technical-resources/virtual-storage/best-practices.html
  • Performance Best Practices for VMware vSphere 4.1
  • http://www.vmware.com/technical-resources/virtual-storage/resources.html
  • http://vsphere-land.com/tag/virtual-disks
  • Recomendations for Aligning VMFS Partitions
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2010/04/08/aligning-your-vms-virtual-harddisks/
  • http://blogs.netapp.com/virtualstorageguy/2010/04/raising-awareness-around-the-misalignment-of-data.html
  • http://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2010/06/so-why-all-the-fuss-about-alignment.html
• Understand use cases for Raw Device Mapping
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • http://www.virtualizationteam.com/virtualization-vmware/vmware-vi3-virtualization-vmware/dont-use-vmware-raw-device-mapping-rdm-for-performance-but.html
  • http://www.douglaspsmith.com/2010/07/understand-use-cases-for-raw-device-mapping/
  • Performance Characterization of VMFS and RDM Using a SAN
  • Performance Characteristics of VMFS and RDM
  • http://www.virtuallifestyle.nl/2010/01/recommended-detailed-material-on-rdms/
  • http://vsphere-land.com/tag/virtual-disks
  • ESX Configuration Guide
• Configure vCenter Server storage filters
  • http://www.douglaspsmith.com/2010/07/configure-vcenter-server-storage-filters/
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2010/08/11/storage-filters/
  • http://pubs.vmware.com/vsp40u1/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm#context=server_config&file=r_vcenter_filtering.html
  • ESX Configuration Guide
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
• Understand and apply VMFS resignaturing
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1011387
  • http://www.douglaspsmith.com/2010/07/understand-and-apply-vmfs-resignaturing/
  • http://pubs.vmware.com/vi301/san_cfg/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=san_cfg&file=esx_san_cfg_manage.8.50.html
  • http://pubs.vmware.com/vi301/san_cfg/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=san_cfg&file=esx_san_cfg_manage.8.47.html
  • http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=9453805
  • http://pubs.vmware.com/vi35/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=iscsi_san_config&file=esx_san_cfg_manage.7.47.html
  • http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vmfs_resig.pdf
• Understand and apply LUN masking using PSA‐related commands
  • http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1009449
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/08/18/objective-6-4-troubleshoot-storage-performance-and-connectivity/
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2010/02/05/storage-masking/
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-1-implement-and-manage-complex-storage-solutions-2/
  • http://virtuallanger.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/understand-and-apply-lun-masking-using-psa-related-commands/
  • http://www.punchingclouds.com/?p=965
• Analyze I/O workloads to determine storage performance requirements
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/08/18/objective-6-4-troubleshoot-storage-performance-and-connectivity/
  • http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/academic/vpact-workloads.pdf
  • http://vmtoday.com/2009/12/storage-basics-part-i-intro/
  • http://vmtoday.com/2009/12/storage-basics-part-ii-iops/
  • http://vmtoday.com/2010/01/storage-basics-part-iii-raid/
  • http://vmtoday.com/2010/01/storage-basics-part-iv-interface/
  • http://vmtoday.com/2010/03/storage-basics-part-v-controllers-cache-and-coalescing/
  • http://vmtoday.com/2010/04/storage-basics-part-vi-storage-workload-characterization/
  • http://vmtoday.com/2010/06/storage-basics-part-vii-storage-alignment/
  • http://blogs.sun.com/BestPerf/entry/storage_performance_and_workload_analysis
  • VMware vSphere 4 Performance with Extreme I/O Workloads
  • http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/iiswc_2007_distribute.pdf
  • http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsp_4_thinprov_perf.pdf

Tools

• Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide
• iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide
• ESX Configuration Guide
• ESXi Configuration Guide
• vSphere Command‐Line Interface Installation and Scripting Guide
• Product Documentation
• vSphere Client
• vscsiStats
  • http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-10095
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/12/17/vscsistats/
  • http://voiceforvirtual.com/2010/11/30/how-cool-is-vscsistats-part-i/
  • http://voiceforvirtual.com/2010/12/06/vscsistats/
• vSphere CLI
  • vicfg-*
    • http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/esx_3i_rcli/3i_rcli_guide.php
    • http://virtualrw.blogspot.com/2008/07/vmware-rcli-commands-for-esx-i.html
  • vifs
    • http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/esx_3i_rcli/vifs.php
    • http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1017022
  • vmkfstools
    • http://pubs.vmware.com/vi35/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=server_config&file=sc_appb.21.1.html
    • http://www.jume.nl/esx4man/man1/vmkfstools.1.html
  • esxtop/resxtop
    • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/esxtop/
    • http://www.virtu-al.net/2010/11/10/vmware-session-4-advanced-performance-troubleshooting-using-esxtop/
    • http://consultingblogs.emc.com/greggrobertson/archive/2010/06/18/understanding-and-using-esxtop-resxtop.aspx
    • http://www.simonlong.co.uk/blog/2010/03/24/using-esxtop-with-vmware-esxi/

Objective 1.2 – Manage Storage Capacity in a vSphere Environment

Knowledge

• Identify storage provisioning methods
• Identify available storage monitoring tools, metrics and alarms

Skills and Abilities

• Apply space utilization data to manage storage resources
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-2-manage-storage-capacity-in-a-vsphere-environment-2/
• Provision and manage storage resources according to Virtual Machine requirements
  • http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/partners/academic/vpact-workloads.pdf
  • http://www.simple-talk.com/sysadmin/virtualization/virtual-machine-storage-provisioning-and-best-practises/
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-2-manage-storage-capacity-in-a-vsphere-environment-2/
• Understand interactions between virtual storage provisioning and physical storage provisioning
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-2-manage-storage-capacity-in-a-vsphere-environment-2/
• Apply VMware storage best practices
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-2-manage-storage-capacity-in-a-vsphere-environment-2/
• Configure datastore alarms
  • http://jeremywaldrop.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/vmware-vsphere-vcenter-storage-alarms/
  • http://searchvmware.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid179_gci1515539,00.html
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-2-manage-storage-capacity-in-a-vsphere-environment-2/
• Analyze datastore alarms and errors to determine space availability
  • http://www.vfail.net/2010/09/12/vcap-dca-objective-1-2-manage-storage-capacity-in-a-vsphere-environment-2/

Tools

• vSphere Datacenter Administration Guide
• Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide
• iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide
• vSphere Command‐Line Interface Installation and Scripting Guide
• Product Documentation
• vSphere Client
• vSphere CLI
  • vmkfstools
    • http://pubs.vmware.com/vi35/server_config/sc_appb.21.1.html
    • http://www.jume.nl/esx4man/man1/vmkfstools.1.html

Objective 1.3 – Configure and Manage Complex Multipathing and PSA Plug‐ins

Knowledge

• Explain the Pluggable Storage Architecture (PSA) layout
  • What Is New in VMware vSphere 4: Storage
  • http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/03/19/pluggable-storage-architecture-exploring-the-next-version-of-esxvcenter/

Skills and Abilities

• Install and Configure PSA plug‐ins
  • http://blog.ntgconsult.dk/2010/02/vsphere4-esx4-how-to-configure-iscsi-software-initiator-on-esx4-against-a-hp-msa-iscsi-storage.html
• Understand different multipathing policy functionalities
  • http://virtualausterity.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-vmware-psa-is-helping-me-to-save.html
  • http://virtualausterity.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-vmware-psa-is-helping-me-to-save_13.html
• Perform command line configuration of multipathing options
  • http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003973
• Change a multipath policy
  • http://blogs.vmware.com/storage/2009/10/vstorage-multi-paths-options-in-vsphere.html
• Configure Software iSCSI port binding
  • http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1009450

Tools

• Fibre Channel SAN Configuration Guide
• iSCSI SAN Configuration Guide
• ESX Configuration Guide
• ESXi Configuration Guide
• vSphere Command‐Line Interface Installation and Scripting Guide
• Product Documentation
• vSphere Client
• vSphere CLI
  • esxcli
    • http://www.ntsysv.com/index.php/vmware-esx-management-configuration-troubleshooting-command-line