Learning VMware vSphere: Lay the foundations for data center virtualization using VMware vSphere 6 and strengthen your understanding of its power

Lay the foundation for data center virtualization using VMware vSphere 6 and understand its power

Key Features

• Learn how server virtualization is achieved and virtual infrastructure is built using VMware's products and solutions
• Create a scalable and responsive virtualization platform for hosting virtual machine workloads of a business
• Study server virtualization concepts with conceptual diagrams, flowcharts, and screen-captures

Book Description

Computer virtualization, the foundation of modern day data centers, entails running multiple application workloads on a single machine to reduce the number of physical machines in a data center and achieve scalability. What began as a technology to virtualize x86 architecture has now grown beyond the limits of a server's hardware and into the realm of storage and network virtualization. VMware is currently the market leader in developing data center virtualization solutions.

This book goes into the details of designing and implementing VMware solutions that form the foundation of a VMware infrastructure. The book begins by introducing you to server virtualization concepts followed by the installation and configuration of ESXi – Vmware's hypervisor. You'll learn how to manage a vSphere environment and configure vCenter's advanced management capabilities. As you advance, you'll cover vSphere networking, storage, ESXi clustering, resource management, and virtual machine management. You'll then be introduced to SSL certificate management and its use in a vSphere environment. Finally, you'll get to grips with lifecycle management of a vSphere environment by effectively monitoring, patching, and upgrading vSphere components using Update Manager.

By the end of the book, you'll have learned how to use VMware's vSphere suite of components to lay the foundation for a modern virtual infrastructure.

What you will learn

• Understand the hypervisor architecture and install, deploy, and configure ESXi hosts
• Find out what forms a VMware Virtual Machine can take and how to create and manage them
• Manage storage in a vSphere environment
• Create and manage software switching constructs such as the vNetwork Standard Switch and vNetwork Distributed Switches
• Monitor the performance of a vSphere environment using tools such as the vCenter performance graphs and ESXTOP
• Manage SSL certificates in a vSphere environment
• Upgrade and patch a vSphere environment using vSphere Update Manager

Who this book is for

If you're an experienced technologist new to the realm of data center virtualization, this book will help you get a head start in learning how to design, implement, and manage a modern day datacenter virtualized using VMware's core infrastructure solutions. It'll also serve as a comprehensive reference guide for infrastructure architects and system administrators.

Table of Contents

1. An Introduction to Server Virtualization Using VMware
2. The Hypervisor – ESXi
3. The Management Layer – VMware vCenter
4. vSphere Networking Concepts and Management
5. vSphere Storage Concepts and Management
6. Advanced vSphere Infrastructure Management
7. Understanding Host Profiles, Image Profiles, and Auto Deploy
8. Virtual Machines Concepts and Management
9. Monitoring Performance of a vSphere Environment
10. Certificate Management for a vSphere Environment
11. Securing a vSphere Environment
12. Life Cycle Management of a vSphere Environment

Abhilash G B (@abhilashgb) is a virtualization specialist, author, designer, and a VMware vExpert (2014 and 2015) who specializes in the areas of data center virtualization and cloud computing. He has been in the IT industry for more than a decade and has been working on VMware products and technologies since the start of 2007. He is a VMware Certified Advanced Professional in Data Center Administration (VCAP4 DCA and VCAP5-DCA). He also holds other VMware certifications including VCP3, VCP4, VCP5-DCV, and VCP-Cloud.

He is also the author of three other books published by Packt Publishing, "VMware vSphere 5.1 Cookbook"- July 2013,"Disaster Recovery using VMware vSphere Replication and vCenter Site Recovery Manager" - May 2014 and "VMware vSphere 5.5 Cookbook" - Feb 2015.

Rebecca Fitzhugh is an independent VMware consultant specializing in architecting vSphere, Horizon, and vCloud environments, along with delivering a variety of authorized VMware courses as VMware Certified Instructor (VCI). Prior to becoming a consultant and instructor, she served five years in the United States Marine Corps (2006-2011), where she assisted in the build out and administration of multiple enterprise networks residing on virtual infrastructure. Rebecca has written several white papers and articles for Global Knowledge and VMware Press, as well as previously authoring vSphere Virtual Machine Management (ISBN 9781782172185) for Packt Publishing.

Rebecca currently holds multiple IT industry certifications, including VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) in Data Center Design (DCD), Data Center Administration (DCA), and Cloud Infrastructure Administration (CIA). She has been selected as a vExpert three times (2014, 2015, and 2016). You can follow Rebecca on Twitter (@RebeccaFitzhugh) or contact her via LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/rmfitzhugh/).