Punching Clouds

Alright here it is.. for all of you vSphere PowerCLI fans out there, VMware education has a new two day instructor led class based on vSphere automation with PowerCLI. Many of you in the community have had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the very active, and proficient PowerCLI experts like LucD, Duncan, and others, now you’ll have an opportunity to learn how to get down and dirty with the vSphere PowerCLI. The class will help you fine tune your know knowledge and skill on the vSphere PowerShell framework in order to improve efficiency, manageability, and flexibility in your vSphere environments.

The class introduces the use of PowerCLI, and procedures to automate vSphere 4 functions and tasks. With the constant and rapid growth of virtual datacenters it’s always a good idea to know and understand how to use the tools that can help improve the efficiency required to manage this type of demand as well as manageability, availability, and flexibility. The target audience is vSphere 4 platform systems administrators. system architects, and also IT managers. Having experience with Windows, Linux operating systems, as well as scripting experience with Windows PowerShell, VBScript, Perl, UNIX shell, Python, and any other language with variables and control structures will be helpful.

The objectives are to provide a scenario where attendee will understand how to use PowerCLI to automate server management, configuration and other task as listed below:

• Automate VMware ESX configurations
• Automate the provisioning  of virtual machines
• Automate changes to virtual machine configurations
• Automate cluster operations
• Automate reporting

The listed tasks are functions which take a great deal of management efforts that can now be simplified, and executed with more efficiency.

VMware vSphere: Automation with vSphere PowerCLI Course Outline

Introduction to vSphere PowerCLI

• Define the main vSphere PowerCLI object
• Define the main commandlets in vSphere PowerCLI
• Connect to vSphere infrastructure
• Get help for commandlets

Automating ESX Host Configurations

• Automate creating of virtual switches on ESX hosts
• Automate configuration of datastores on ESX hosts

Virtual Machine Provisioning, Configuration, and Protection

• Automate creation of virtual machines
• Change virtual machines settings programmatically
• Run vSphere PowerCLI scripts in virtual machines
• Automate virtual machine protection

Automating Cluster Operations

• Automate virtual machines storage migrations
• Automate VMware vMotion
• Create a VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler/VMware High Availability cluster
• Automate cluster configuration
• Automate resource pool creation and configuration

Automating Reporting

• Automating reporting about virtual machines
• Automating reporting about ESX Hosts
• Automating reporting about clusters

You’ll spend about 60% of the class in a hands-on lab environment learning how to do all of the listed tasks. The class will definably get you thinking about many more task that you would like to automate, and now you’ll have a base understanding to get you started. Shout outs to the lead instructor of the class, who’s been involved with the development and pushing PowerShell for as long as I can remember, Joe Christie, AKA ” Gandalf the Grey”.  For Schedules and availability checkout the forever active VMware Education site.

Ok Folks, I’m finally back! I been kind a busy lately, and haven’t been able to get post some new material and for some time even the site was down due to some database issues. Now for those of you that are system administrators, application administrators, and/or solutions architects with interest in the VDI,  and application virtualization environments with VMware View, and ThinApp, VMware just release training to satisfy your hunger. The new class Application Virtualization with ThinApp is a one day instructor led training with over 60% of the class focus on hands on labs. The course is targeted for administrators with the skills to virtualize Windows applications with VMware ThinApp application.

The Course objectives are to get the attendees to understand the operations major components, and architecture of ThinApp. This will provide knowledge on how to modify Package.ini parameters to increase the variety and complexity of virtualized applications. Make use of the Application Link to dynamically link application components such as Microsoft.NET to multiple applications, and Application Sync to update applications deployed from centralized servers. The class is not targeted for total rookies as there is a certain level of knowledge required on VMware View, and ThinApp. Take a look at the VMware Education site for more detain information.

Application Virtualization with ThinApp Course Outline

VMware ThinApp Architecture

• Architecture that supports a virtualized application
• Relationships between the ThinApp runtime, the virtual file system and the virtual registry

Packaging Applications

• Capturing and virtualizing an application

Modify Package.ini Parameters

• entry point, access control, and isolation parameters
• the sandbox folder and the sbmerge.exe utility

Building Applications with Application Link

• Application Link features
• Application Link parameters in the Package.ini file

Deploying and Updating Applications

• EXE files versus MSI files for local application deployment
• Streaming applications from servers
• Using the versioning model to update applications
• Using Application Sync to update applications

Performance and Troubleshooting

• Performance considerations
• Troubleshooting ThinApp packages

I can tell you all that there is a great deal of focus on VDI, and application virtualization and getting it done right will drive the use and stability of your deployments. If you use VMware View and ThinApp or were considering them as a possible or future solution,  one day of training on the material wont hurt.

Continuing with the education trend for 2010, VMware Education is about to debut  yet another valuable class for the vSphere platform. For those contemplating perusing the VCDX certification, this is one class that would be beneficial to have in your arsenal, though it is not a requirement for the current or future VCDX Certification track.  The VMware vSphere Design Workshop class will expose you to the design methodology and criteria needed in designing vSphere architecture.

The class is targeted to professionals involved in pre and post technical sales as well as infrastructure design. Prerequisites include extensive vSphere administration knowledge.

The course outline includes the following topics:

Module 1: Course Introduction

• Provide a general overview of the course

Module 2: Design Process Overview

• Discuss the design methodology,criteria,and approach

• Introduce an example five-step design process

Module 3: ESX/ESXi Host Design

• Identify useful information for making host design decisions
• Analyze best practices and host design alternatives

Module 4: vSphere Virtual Datacenter Design

• Identify useful information for making vCenter Server,database, cluster, and resource pool design decisions
• Analyze best practices and vCenter Server,database,cluster,and resource pool design alternatives

Module 5: vSphere Network Design

• Identify useful information for making network design decisions
• Analyze best practices and network design alternatives

Module 6: vSphere Storage Design

• Identify useful information for making storage design decisions
• Analyze best practices and storage design alternatives

Module 7: Virtual Machine Design

• Identify useful information for making virtual machine design decisions
• Analyze best practices and virtual machine design alternatives

Module 8: Management and Monitoring Design

• Identify useful information for making management and monitoring design decisions
• Analyze best practices and management and monitoring design alternatives Design Workshop
• Small group case study workshop to practice using the methodology, criteria, and approach required to design a vSphere virtual datacenter

Design Workshop

• Small group case study workshop to practice using the methodology, criteria, and approach required to design a vSphere virtual datacenter

This is definitely on of my favorite classes, as it takes a different approach to every aspect of the virtual infrastructure. I recommend it!.

For more information about this class, and schedule go to the VMware Education site.   Enjoy! : )

Alright folks, here is another class from VMware Education. vSphere Manage for Performance. The much anticipated, and needed class that will teach attendees how to manage, and monitor performance in the vSphere environments. This class is categorized as an advanced class as there is a certain level of knowledge, and expertise expected  from all attendees. The completion, and or equal knowledge of the topic covered in the courses listed below are require as well as a fair amount of administration experience of ESX/ESXi and vCenter Servers.

• VMware vSphere 4: Install, Configure, Manage
• VMware vSphere: Fast Track
• VMware vSphere 4: What’s New

There will be a great deal of time spend in the Service Console, and Console like utilities in this class, so if you’re command line junky, this is right for you. The targeted audience are system administrators, systems engineers, and consultants that are responsible to monitoring performance of vSphere installations.

Course Objectives

• Explain the performance impact of using different monitor modes
• Use vSphere tools to monitor the performance of ESX/ESXi hosts
• Diagnose performance problems relating to CPU, memory, network,and storage on an ESX/ESXi host
• Discuss how to achieve an optimal virtual machine configuration Discuss guide lines for monitoring application performance

For more information about this class, and schedule go to the VMware Education site.

VMware Education keeps pumping out new training for the vSphere platform. A new class which focuses on virtual machine management, and configuration called Skills for Operators will be available to anyone interested. This two day instructor led class is targeted towards systems administrators who’s focus is to deal virtual machines up keep, performance monitoring, and maintenance. The vSphere platform introduces a great deal of new features for virtual machines including new virtual machine hardware type. The new hardware type version 7 provides much greater resource capacities than previous versions. Learning about how to monitor, maintain, and deploy this new types of virtual machines is very beneficial to any virtualized environment.

Course Objectives

• Create, deploy, and manage virtual machines
• Use vCenter Server to monitor virtual machines resource usage
• Use VMware vCenter Update Manager to apply patches to virtual machines
• Use VMware vMotion and Storage vMotion to migrate virtual machines
• Troubleshoot problems with virtual machines configurations

For more information about this class, and schedule go to the VMware Education site.