Mastering VMware vSphere 6.5 : leverage the power of vSphere for effective virtualization, administration, management and monitoring of data centers

Cover Title Page Copyright Credits About the Authors About the Reviewers www.PacktPub.com Customer Feedback Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1: Evolution of VMware vSphere Suite VMware and vSphere background VMware vSphere as a Cloud Foundation Virtual Machine (VM) versus containers VMware vSphere as an infrastructure foundation Storage platform Network and security platform Cloud platform End-user computing platform Container platform Other VMware products complementary to vSphere What's new on vSphere 6.5 and vSphere limits? What's new in 6.5? What's new with vSphere 6.5 Update 1? Configuration maximums VM Host ESXi 6.5 vCenter Server 6.5 Why you should upgrade to vSphere 6.5 and why not? Why upgrade? Why shouldn't you upgrade? Features and editions of vSphere 6.5 Summary Chapter 2: Design and Plan a Virtualization Infrastructure Plan a virtual infrastructure project Assess Requirements, constraints, and assumptions Design Conceptual design Logical design Service dependencies Physical design ESXi host vCenter Services Building blocks How to provide good documentation Design areas and technologies Best practices Reference architecture VVD VMware Solution Enablement Toolkits (SETs) Different scenarios Enterprise Business requirements Possible constraints Main risks Some design decisions Small or Mid-Sized Business (SMB) Business requirements Possible constraints Main risks Some design decisions Remote offices and branch offices (ROBO) Business requirements Possible constraints Main risks Some design decisions Summary Chapter 3: Analysis and Assessment of an Existing Environment Analyzing a physical environment before virtualizing Useful metrics from a physical environment Processor metrics Memory metrics Disk metrics Network metrics Are all workloads good candidates to be virtualized? Existing tools to analyze a physical environment Capacity Planner DPACK Assessment of an existing virtual environment Discovery and inventory Health check Existing tools for analyzing a virtual environment RVTools VOA VMware vSphere Health Check Summary Chapter 4: Deployment Workflow and Component Installation vSphere components and workflow ESXi deployment plan Choosing the hardware platform Identification of the storage architecture Defining the network configuration ESXi installation Where to install ESXi? Preparing for deployment Interactive installation Unattended installation Auto Deploy installation How Auto Deploy works Configuring DHCP Configuring TFTP Creating an image profile Creating deployment rules Auto Deploy modes Stateless installation Stateless caching installation Stateful installation vCenter Server components PSC Where to install – physical or virtual? vCenter Server deployment Choosing the database Configuring a Microsoft SQL Server database Configuring ODBC DSN Installing vCenter Server for Windows vCSA deployment Why deploy vCSA instead of the Windows version? Installing the vCSA PSC Installing the vCSA vCenter Summary Chapter 5: Configuring and Managing vSphere 6.5 VMware vSphere HTML5 client ESXi configuration Management console configuration Enabling SSH access Configuring NTP ESXi 6.5 partition layout Boot banks Scratch partition vCSA configuration Basic setup using vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface (VAMI) Modifying the IP address and DNS Exporting a support bundle Configuring time synchronization Changing the vCSA password Licensing Roles and permissions AD integration Configuring a host with AD authentication Installing the VMware Enhanced Authentication plugin vCSA and PSC Repointing the vCSA to another external PSC Pointing the vCSA with an embedded PSC to an external PSC Resetting the SSO password Managing data centers, clusters, and hosts Creating a data center Adding a host to vCenter Server Disconnecting a host from vCenter Server Removing a host from vCenter Server Creating a cluster Removing a host from a cluster Managing hosts Using tags Tasks Scheduling tasks Managing host profiles vCenter Server in Enhanced Linked mode (ELM) Automating tasks with scripts Automating with PowerCLI PowerCLI script examples Using vCLI Installing vCLI on Windows vCenter REST API Summary Chapter 6: Advanced Network Management Basic overview OSI model Encapsulation and de-encapsulation Broadcasting, unicasting, and multicasting MAC tables and MAC learning process Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) Virtual LAN (VLAN) Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) versus User Datagram Protocol (UDP) IPv6 Virtual networking vSS vDS Managing vSS VMkernel adapters Physical adapters TCP/IP stacks Managing vDS Properties Topology Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) Private VLAN NetFlow Port mirroring Health check Network I/O Control (NIOC) Network protocol profiles Ports, hosts, VMs, and networks Introduction to NSX NSX components Management plane Control plane Data plane NSX installation Network Functions Virtualization (NVF) Summary Chapter 7: Advanced Storage Management Storage basics The evolution of the storage world Spinning disks Flash devices Storage array Converged networks VMware vSphere storage types Storage types at the VM logical level Storage types at the VM physical level Storage types at the ESXi logical level Storage types at the ESXi physical level VMware vSphere storage configuration Storage FC FCoE Storage iSCSI Storage NFS Storage features VM snapshots Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) 6 Hot-extend for jumbo VMDK Automatic space reclaim Instant clones versus linked clones Storage DRS versus storage tiering Storage I/O Control (SIOC) Storage integration VMware vSphere Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM) Pluggable Storage Architecture (PSA) Multipathing Storage masking and filtering VMware VAAI VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering (VAIO) VMware vCenter plugins VASA VVols Storage design VM storage layout VM snapshot limits Datastore layout Permanent Device Loss (PDL) and All-Paths-Down (APD) VVols dependencies Introduction to HCI and vSAN VMware vSAN Caching with vSphere Flash Read Cache Other solutions Summary Chapter 8: Advanced VM and Resource Management VM components Virtual hardware vCPUs Memory Network adapter Virtual disks Storage controller File structure Changing the default file position VMware Tools Open VM Tools (OVT) Deploying VMs Creating a new VM Hardware version Setting the default hardware version Installing the OS Installing VMware Tools Deploying a VM from a template Cloning a VM Deploying Open Virtual Format (OVF) and Open Virtual Appliance (OVA) templates Creating a Content Library Managing VMs Adding or registering an existing VM Removing or deleting a VM Managing the power state of a VM Managing VM snapshots Creating a snapshot Committing changes Snapshot consolidation Resource management Memory resources CPU resources Resource pools Managing resource pools Creating a DRS cluster Virtual network-aware DRS Managing DRS rules VM-VM affinity rule VM-Host affinity rule Managing power resources Managing storage and network resources VM migration vMotion without shared storage Converting VMs P2V V2V Summary Chapter 9: Monitoring, Optimizing, and Troubleshooting What is troubleshooting? Monitoring a virtual environment CLI usage ESXCLI commands ESXCFG- vSphere Management Assistant Ruby vSphere console VIM-CMD VCSA – CLI PowerCLI Logs ESXi host logs GUI Tools vRealize Operations Manager Troubleshooting Troubleshooting the vCenter Server TRBL with ESXi host Troubleshooting cluster HA or DRS Troubleshooting virtual network Troubleshooting storage Troubleshooting VMs Summary Chapter 10: Securing and Protecting Your Environment Regulations and compliance Security and hardening concepts in vSphere Hardening vSphere Host hardening Lockdown Mode Networking Transparent Page Sharing (TPS) VIB acceptance levels VM hardening VMware vCenter hardening Authentication and identity Password management AD authentication Multi-factor authentication (MFA) Smart cards RSA SecurID Other security aspects Log management Monitoring protocols Certification management New security options in vSphere 6.5 VMware vCenter federations Protecting the data at rest VM encryption Protecting data in motion Encrypted vMotion Secure boot ESXi secure boot VM secure boot Enhanced logging Summary Chapter 11: Lifecycle Management, Patching, and Upgrading Updating or patching ESXi hosts and vCSAs Updating or patching ESXi hosts through the command line Updating hosts using vSphere Client Updating the vCSA through the command line Staging and remediating patches Updating the vCSA with VAMI VUM Configuring VUM Working with baselines Baseline groups Attaching or detaching baselines Scanning VMs and hosts Staging and remediating patches Upgrading hosts with VUM Upgrading VM hardware Upgrading VMware Tools Upgrading and migrating to vSphere 6.5 Why migrate to version 6.5? Upgrading the workflow and procedure Step 1 – Pre-migration Step 2 – Migration Step 3 – Validation Migrating from previous releases Troubleshooting Summary Chapter 12: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery BC concepts BC metrics Business impact analysis (BIA) Business continuity standard Common mistakes Disaster recovery (DR) DR of a virtual data center DR versus disaster avoidance DR versus stretched cluster VMware solutions VM Replication Stretched cluster Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Summary Chapter 13: Advanced Availability in vSphere 6.5 VMware vSphere HA Virtual Machine Component Protection (VMCP) Proactive HA Admission control VM restart and monitoring VMware vSphere FT VMware vCenter High Availability (VCHA) VMware vSphere Replication and Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Summary Chapter 14: Data and Workloads Protection Backup technologies Backup host configuration Restoring the host configuration File-based backup of the vCSA Restoring the vCSA from a file-based backup Protecting the workloads Transport modes VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP) Backup solutions for VMware vSphere Veeam Backup & Replication NAKIVO Backup & Replication Altaro VM Backup Vembu VMBackup Micro Focus VM Explorer Deduplication appliances Hyper-scale solutions Cohesity Rubrik Summary Index Deliver great business value by adopting the virtualization platform VMware vSphere 6.5, from design to deployment Key Features This new edition is based on vSphere 6.5 and covers new features in different areas, including management, security, scalability, availability and more Design, deploy and manage VMware datacenters Implement monitoring and security of VMware workloads with ease Book Description VMware vSphere 6.5 provides a powerful, flexible and secure foundation for next generation applications which helps you create effective digital transformation. This book is based on VMware vSphere 6.5 which empowers you to virtualize complex applications with ease. You'll begin by getting an overview of all the products, solutions and features of the vSphere 6.5 suite, comparing any changes with previous releases. Next, you'll design and plan a virtualization infrastructure to drive planning and performance analysis. Following this, you'll proceed with workflow and installation of components. New network trends are also covered which will help you in optimally designing the vSphere environment. You will also learn the practices and procedures involved in configuring and managing virtual machines in a vSphere infrastructure. With vSphere 6.5, you'll make use of significantly more powerful capabilities for patching, upgrading, and managing the configuration of the virtual environment. Next we'll focus on specific availability and resiliency solutions in vSphere. Towards the end of the book you'll discover how to save your configuration, data and workload from your virtual infrastructure. By the end of the book you'll have learnt about VMware vSphere 6.5 right from design through to deployment and management. What you will learn Get a deep understanding of vSphere 6.5 functionalities Design and plan a virtualization environment based on vSphere 6.5 Manage and administer a vSphere 6.5 environment and resources Get tips for the VCP6DCV and VCIX6DCV exams (along with use of the vSphere 6 documentation) Implement different migration techniques to move your workload across different environments Save your configuration, data and workload from your virtual infrastructure Who This Book Is For If you're an administrator, infrastructure engineer, IT architect, or an IT consultant and analyst who already has basic knowledge of VMware vSphere and now want to master it, then this book is for you. Table of Contents Evolution of VMware vSphere Suite Design and Plan a Virtualization Infrastructure Analysis and Assessment of an Existing Environment Deployment Workflow and Component Installation Configuring and Managing vSphere 6.5 Advanced Network Management Advanced Storage Management Advanced VM and Resource Management Monitoring, Optimizing, and Troubleshooting Securing and Protecting Your Environment Lifecycle Management, Patching, and Upgrading Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Advanced Availability in vSphere 6.5 Data and Workloads Protection Annotation Deliver great business value by adopting the virtualization platform VMware vSphere 6.5, from the design to the deploymentAbout This Book* This new edition is based on vSphere 6.5 and has described new features in different areas, including management, security, scalability, availability and so on.* Design, deploy and manage VMware datacenters* Implement monitoring and security of VMware workloads with ease. Who This Book Is ForIf you are an administrator, infrastructure engineer, IT architect, or an IT consultant and analyst who has basic knowledge of VMware vSphere and now wants to master it, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn* Get a deep understanding of vSphere 6.5 functionalities* Design and plan a virtualization environment based on vSphere 6.5* Manage and administer a vSphere 6.5 environment and resources* Get tips for the VCP6-DCV and VCIX6-DCV exams (along with use of the vSphere 6 documentation)* Implement different migration techniques to move your workload across different environments.* Save your configuration, data and workload from your virtual infrastructure. In DetailVMware vSphere 6.5 provides a powerful, flexible and secure foundation for next-generation applications which helps you create an effective digital transformation. This book will be based on VMware vSphere 6.5 which empowers you to virtualize any complex application with ease. You'll begin by getting an overview of all the products, solutions and features of the vSphere 6.5 suite, comparing the evolutions with the previous releases. Next, you'll design and plan a virtualization infrastructure to drive planning and performance analysis. Following this, you will be proceeding with workflow and installation of components. New network trends are also covered which will help you in optimally designing the vSphere environment. You will also learn the practices and procedures involved in configuring and managing virtual machines in a vSphere infrastructure. With vSphere 6.5, you'll make use of significantly more powerful capabilities for patching, upgrading, and managing the configuration of the virtual environment. Next we'll focus on specific availability and resiliency solutions in vSphere. Towards the end of the book you will get information on how to save your configuration, data and workload from your virtual infrastructure. By the end of the book you'll learn about VMware vSphere 6.5 right from design to deployment and management. Style and ApproachThis book acts as a reference guide providing real-world scenarios and a possible baseline for each virtualization project based on VMware vSphere Deliver great business value by adopting the virtualization platform VMware vSphere 6.5, from the design to the deployment About This Book This new edition is based on vSphere 6.5 and has described new features in different areas, including management, security, scalability, availability and so on. Design, deploy and manage VMware datacenters Implement monitoring and security of VMware workloads with ease. Who This Book Is For If you are an administrator, infrastructure engineer, IT architect, or an IT consultant and analyst who has basic knowledge of VMware vSphere and now wants to master it, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn Get a deep understanding of vSphere 6.5 functionalities Design and plan a virtualization environment based on vSphere 6.5 Manage and administer a vSphere 6.5 environment and resources Get tips for the VCP6-DCV and VCIX6-DCV exams (along with use of the vSphere 6 documentation) Implement different migration techniques to move your workload across different environments. Save your configuration, data and workload from your virtual infrastructure. In Detail VMware vSphere 6.5 provides a powerful, flexible and secure foundation for next-generation applications which helps you create an effective digital transformation. This book will be based on VMware vSphere 6.5 which empowers you to virtualize any complex application with ease. You'll begin by getting an overview of all the products, solutions and features of the vSphere 6.5 suite, comparing the evolutions with the previous releases. Next ,you'll design and plan a virtualization infrastructure to drive planning and performance analysis. Following this , you will be proceeding with workflow and installation of components. New network trends are also covered which will help you in optimally designing the vSphere environment. You will also learn the practices and procedures involved in configuring and managing virtual machines in a vSphere infrastructure. With vSphere 6.5, you'll make use of significantly more powerful capabilities for patching, upgrading, and managing the configuration of the virtual environment. Next we'll focus on specific availability and resiliency solutions in vSphere. Towards the end of the book you will get information on how to save your configuration, data and workload from your virtual infrastructure. By the end of the book you'll learn about VMware vSphere 6.5 right from design to deployment and management. Style and Approach This bo..