VMware Cloud Foundation: Deploy, Configure, Manage [V5.0]

Course Objectives:

Upon completing this course, the learner will be able to meet these overall objectives:

• Plan a deployment for VMware Cloud Foundation
• Understand VMware Cloud Foundation and supporting architecture
• Configure VMware Cloud Foundation for VMware Cloud Connectivity
• Understand the VMware Cloud Foundation subscription licensing model
• Perform Day-Zero tasks
• Perform VMware Cloud Foundation platform onboarding
• Manage user credentials in VMware Cloud Foundation
• Configure NSX networking in VMware Cloud Foundation
• Deploy and manage Workload Domains
• Deploy vSphere with Tanzu on VMware Cloud Foundation
• Understand and implement storage solutions and related policies
• Perform maintenance tasks for the VMware Cloud Foundation platform
• Manage certificates for VMware Cloud Foundation and connected technologies
• Manage the lifecycle for VMware Cloud Foundation
• Engage with VMware Cloud Foundation Technical Support

Prerequisites:

The course material presumes that you have the following skills or experience:

• Operational capabilities with VMware vSphere processes and architecture
• Operational capabilities with VMware NSX
• Operational knowledge of vSAN

Course Outline

Module 1: Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives

Module 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

Module 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+

Module 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

Module 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

Module 6: VMware Cloud Foundation Networking with NSX

• Describe network virtualization with NSX
• Recognize 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
• Recognize 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 

Module 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

Module 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

Module 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

Module 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
• Recognize stretched cluster requirements in VMware Cloud Foundation
• Prepare and deploy a vSAN stretched cluster using APIs

Module 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

Module 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

Module 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