About this Course

During the VMware Virtual SAN: Deploy and Manage three-day course, you will focus on deploying and managing a software-defined storage solution with VMware Virtual SAN 6.2. You will learn how Virtual SAN functions as an important component in the VMware software-defined data center (SDDC). You will gain practical experience with Virtual SAN concepts through the completion of hands-on lab exercises.

Audience Profile

• Storage and virtual infrastructure administrators who want to use software-defined storage with Virtual SAN

At Course Completion

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the Virtual SAN architecture and use cases
• Configure Virtual SAN networking components
• Configure a Virtual SAN cluster
• Deploy virtual machines on a Virtual SAN datastore
• Configure virtual machine storage policies
• Perform ongoing Virtual SAN management tasks
• Outline the tasks for upgrading from Virtual SAN 5 to Virtual SAN 6.2
• Describe Virtual SAN interoperability with VMware vSphere features and other products
• Use the Virtual SAN health service to monitor Virtual SAN health and performance
• Use the command line to monitor Virtual SAN
• Configure a stretched cluster and observe failover scenarios
• Plan and design a Virtual SAN cluster

Prerequisites

Before attending this course, you must have the following:

• Storage administration experience on block or file storage devices
• Understanding of concepts presented in the VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V6] course
• Experience with working at the command line is helpful

Course Outline

Module 1: Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives
• Describe the software-defined data center

Module 2: Storage Fundamentals

• Define common storage technologies
• Identify common SAN architectures
• Identify characteristics of storage devices: magnetic and flash-based devices
• Identify and explain the differences between file, block, and object-oriented storage architectures
• Identify SAN performance factors
• Compare and contrast local, centralized, and distributed storage architectures

Module 3: Introduction to Virtual SAN

• Describe the Virtual SAN architecture and components
• Describe the differences between the Virtual SAN hybrid and all-flash architectures
• Describe the space efficiency features of Virtual SAN

Module 4: Virtual SAN Configuration

• Identify physical network configuration requirements
• Configure Virtual SAN networking
• Configure a Virtual SAN cluster
• Test and validate the Virtual SAN configuration and functionality

Module 5: Virtual SAN Policies and Virtual Machines

• Explain how storage policies work with Virtual SAN
• Define and create a virtual machine storage policy
• Apply and modify virtual machine storage policies
• Explain the considerations for vsanSparse snapshots
• Discuss the vsanSparse snapshot format

Module 6: Managing and Operating Virtual SAN

• Manage hardware storage devices
• Manage hardware device failures
• Identify vCenter Server alarms for Virtual SAN events
• Configure fault domains
• Upgrade from Virtual SAN 5.5 to Virtual SAN 6.2

Module 7: Interoperability with vSphere Features

• Identify vSphere features and VMware products that interoperate with Virtual SAN
• Describe how Virtual SAN interoperates with VMware vSphere Enterprise Edition features
• Describe how Virtual SAN interoperates with third party products and solutions

Module 8: Monitoring and Troubleshooting Virtual SAN

• Identify tools to troubleshoot Virtual SAN
• Use the Virtual SAN health service to monitor health and performance
• Monitor Virtual SAN with VMware vRealize Operations Manager
• Monitor Virtual SAN with Ruby vSphere Console and Virtual SAN Observer

Module 9: Stretched Clustering and Two-Node Models

• Compare a stretched cluster and a two-node cluster configuration
• Configure a stretched cluster using a two-node configuration
• Demonstrate stretched cluster failover scenarios

Module 10: Designing a Virtual SAN Deployment

• Understand the Virtual SAN design basics
• Plan and design Virtual SAN clusters
• Consider the Virtual SAN hybrid and all-flash designs
• Describe the Virtual SAN use case design considerations
• Identify the design and sizing tools for Virtual SAN