VCF 5.2.1 on VxRail Administration

Learn an administrator to manage a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) on VxRail solution.

This course enables an administrator to manage a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) on VxRail solution.

It covers reviewing the management interfaces, managing users, roles, and passwords, managing certificates and licenses, managing the workload domains, deploying NSX-T Edge cluster, performing lifecycle management, configuring multi-instance management, and exploring troubleshooting and support options. Hands on labs and simulated interactions are included for practicing key administrative tasks.

This course assumes that the students are familiar with:

• Basic understanding of VMware Cloud Foundation
• Technical proficiency with VMware ESXi, vSphere and NSX-T components and user interfaces
• Experience of administering VxRail systems

The following training is recommended:

• VxRail Concepts
• VxRail Administration
• VMware Cloud Foundation Overview

Upon successful completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Describe the VCF on VxRail architecture
• Manage user accounts, roles and, passwords
• Manage VCF on VxRail components certificates and licenses
• Add and remove Tenant workload hosts
• Explore Developer Center
• Deploy NSX-T Edge cluster
• Describe VCF multi-instance management
• Perform lifecycle management
• Describe the prerequisites and the process to deploy vRealize Suite

This course is intended for customers, partners and Dell Technologies employees who are responsible for administering and managing a VCF on VxRail solution

Module 1: Describe the VCF on VxRail

• Overview of VCF on VxRail
• VCF on VxRail Architecture
• Supported storage and networking options
• High-level implementation steps for VCF on VxRail

Module 2: Use multiple UIs to identify system components

• Describe the various user interfaces and explain their uses Identify the cluster, hosts and storage for each domain in SDDC manager
• Lab: Identify the cluster, hosts and storage for the Management Domain and VI WLD in SDDC manager
• Identify the cluster, hosts, and storage for each WLD in the vSphere client
• Lab: Identify Mgmt. and VI WLD components using the vSphere Client
• Identify NSX components and segments for each WLD in NSX Manager
• Lab: Identify Mgmt. and VI WLD components using the NSX Manager

Module 3: Manage User Accounts and Roles SSO and identity sources

• Lab: Add Active Directory over LDAP external identity source to VCF
• VCF users and roles
• Lab: Assign roles to groups and test access

Module 4: Manage System Component Passwords Component password management options for VCF

• Lab: Change a password locally on a system component
• Lab: Use the Remediate action to update a component password in SDDC Manager
• Lab: Use the Update action to set a specific password for a VCF component
• Lab: Use the Rotate Now action to set a random password for a VCF component
• Lab: Use the Schedule Rotation action to set an automatic password change schedule
• Lab: Use the lookup_password utility to retrieve a component password

Module 5: Manage TLS Certificates Certificate management options for VCF

• Lab: Manage Certificates

Module 6: Manage Licenses How licensing works in SDDC manager

• Lab: Add a license to SDDC Manager
• Lab: Assign a new license from SDDC Manager

Module 7: Manage Workload Domain Hosts Overview of adding a VxRail host to a workload domain

• Lab: Add a VxRail host to a VxRail cluster using the vSphere client and VxRail plugin
• Lab: Add a VxRail host to a VI workload domain using SDDC Manager.
• Considerations for removing a VxRail host from an existing workload domain
• Lab: Remove a VxRail host from a VI workload domain using SDDC Manager.

Module 8: Use Developer Center to access and manage VCF VCF developer center and API capabilities

• Lab: Retrieve cluster information using developer center
• Lab: Create a service account using developer center

Module 9: Deploy NSX Edge cluster on a VI WLD using the API NSX networking for VI workload VMs

• Lab: Deploy an NSX Edge cluster using API
• Lab: Validate the NSX Edge cluster deployment using NSX Manager

Module 10: Configure SDDC Manager and NSX Manager Backups

• Various backup types and options for SDDC Manager and NSX Manager
• Lab: Configure an external SFTP server target in SDDC Manager
• Backup schedules for VCF
• Lab: Configure a backup schedule for SDDC Manager, NSX Manager and vCenter.

Module 11: Upgrade SDDC Manager

• VCF Lifecycle Management (LCM)
• Why and when to perform an update
• Lab: Validate that the correct upgrade bundle is available
• Lab: Perform a Precheck in SDDC Manager
• Lab: Perform an upgrade on SDDC Manager

Module 12: Deploy VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle

• Lab: Deploy VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle

Module 13: Support VCF

• Supportability and Serviceability (SoS) Utility
• Lab: Disable the ESXi SSH access for all ESXi hosts using the SOS utility
• Lab: Validate system health using the SOS utility
• Lab: Generate logs using the SOS utility and collect the logs
• Describe VCF log files uses and locations
• Describe how to troubleshoot a failed workflow