VMware Cloud Foundation: Deploy, Configure, Manage

Course subjects

1. Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics

• Course objectives

2. VMware cloud foundation overview

• Describe the VMware Cloud Foundation solution

• Describe VMware Cloud Foundation architecture

• Identify VMware Cloud Foundation components

• Describe the VMware Cloud Foundation topology

3. VMware Cloud Foundation+ and VMware Cloud Connectivity

• Describe the VMware Cloud Foundation+ architecture

• Identify the pre-requisites for VMware Cloud Foundation+

• Describe VMware Cloud Foundation+ value added features

• Configure subscription-based licensing parameters

• Describe the vCenter Cloud Gateway functionality

• Identify the vCenter Cloud Gateway components

• Describe the vCenter Cloud Gateway architecture

• Connect the vCenter Cloud Gateway to VMware Cloud

• Describe the VMware Cloud platform

• Describe the VMware vSphere+ services used in VMware Cloud Foundation+

• Demonstrate the capabilities of the VMware Cloud user interface for VMware Cloud Foundation+

4. Day Zero Tasks

• Identify the requirements for deploying VMware Cloud Foundation

• Describe the VMware Cloud Foundation bring-up process

• Identify the information required for the Planning and Preparation Workbook

• Complete the Deployment Parameter Workbook

• Describe how VMware Cloud Builder automates the deployment process

• Identify the configuration validation process performed by VMware Cloud Builder

• Describe the deployment of the management domain

5. Post-Deployment Operations

• Complete the Onboarding Wizard

• Understand VMware Cloud Foundation integration with VMware Single Sign-On

• Configure user access to VMware Cloud Foundation

• Describe the importance of user roles in vSphere

• Configure identity sources for VMware Cloud Foundation

• Perform the SDDC Manager backup and restore process

• Identify steps in the NSX backup and restore process

• Manage passwords in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Explain the importance of using VMware Cloud Foundation to manage passwords for vSphere components

• Manage and secure a primary password list

• Describe the process for rotating passwords not managed by VMware Cloud Foundation

6. VMware Cloud Foundation Networking with NSX

• Describe network virtualisation with NSX

• Recognise NSX operational planes

• Identify NSX components

• Describe logical switching

• Describe NSX Data Center deployment in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Explain how logical routing works in NSX

• Identify NSX Edge functions

• Describe data plane preparation for NSX Edge nodes in a workload domain

• Recognise Tier-0 and Tier-1 gateway topologies

• Define application virtual networks

• Describe management domain rack options

• List NSX Edge cluster requirements for vSphere with Tanzu

• Discuss NSX Edge cluster placement considerations

7. Managing Workload Domains

• Define workload domains

• List the types of workload domains

• Identify workload domain prerequisites

• Understand the scalability limits for workload domains

• Identify use cases for multiple clusters in a workload domain

• Create network pools

• Size network pools

• Commission hosts with SDDC Manager

• Create workload domains

• Scale workload domains

• Decommission hosts from a workload domain

• Remove workload domains

• Describe distinctive design decisions for VMware Cloud Foundation components

8. vSphere with Tanzu in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Explain vSphere with Tanzu

• Define the role of the Spherelet

• Describe the supervisor cluster control plane

• Create vSphere with Tanzu namespaces

• Describe the role of NSX networking components in vSphere with Tanzu

• Discuss vSphere with Tanzu networking topology

• Describe control plane VM management networking requirements

• Plan appropriate IP address ranges for pod, ingress, and egress networking

• Describe prerequisites for vSphere with Tanzu cluster compatibility

• Deploy vSphere with Kubernetes

• Create a vSphere namespace

• Configure limits and permissions for a vSphere namespace

9. VMware Cloud Foundation Storage Management

• Identify storage use cases in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Determine the most appropriate storage option for a workload domain

• Describe different vSphere-native storage design options

• Identify vSAN architecture and components

• Describe vSAN requirements for the management and workload domains

• Configure deduplication and compression

• Discuss how to scale vSAN clusters in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Configure storage policies for vSAN

• Explain storage policy failure tolerance rules

• Identify a virtual machine storage policy compliance status

• Explain how vSAN storage policies protect VMware Cloud Foundation components

10. Availability and Business Continuity

• Explain the importance of external service availability

• Describe availability options native to VMware vSphere

• Identify stretched cluster use cases

• Identify stretched cluster components

• Recognise stretched cluster requirements in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Prepare and deploy a vSAN stretched cluster using APIs

11. VMware Cloud Foundation Certificate Management

• Learn the basics of public key infrastructure (PKI)

• Describe the purpose of certificate signing requests (CSRs)

• Describe available options in SDDC Manager for certificate authorities

• View certificates for VMware Cloud Foundation components

• Install and replace certificates for VMware Cloud Foundation components

• Configure the integrated Certificate Authorities in SDDC Manager

• Configure a certificate template in Microsoft Certificate Authority server

• Configure the OpenSSL certificate authority in SDDC Manager

• Install certificates issued by Microsoft, OpenSSL, and third-party certificate authorities

12. VMware Cloud Foundation Lifecycle Management

• Describe VMware Cloud Foundation Life Cycle Management

• List the products managed by VMware Cloud Foundation Lifecycle management

• Use online and offline bundle downloads using VMware Cloud Foundation Lifecycle management

• Understand the role of vSphere Lifecycle Management in VMware Cloud Foundation

• Understand vSphere Lifecycle Manager features

• Understand how and when to use cluster images

• Describe the importance of Hardware Support Managers

• Describe the upgrade prerequisites

• Outline the upgrade precheck process

• Describe the order of upgrade for VMware Cloud Foundation components

13. VMware Cloud Foundation Troubleshooting

• Use the SoS command-line tool to create log bundles, perform health checks, and check password validity

• List VMware Cloud Foundation services

• Identify VMware Cloud Foundation log files

• Use token IDs to troubleshoot failed workflows