Challenge Labs VMware Collection - Exam VCP: Professional VMware vSphere 7.x (2V0-21.20). (LODS-CL-COL-DCV)

Challenge Lab Content

Getting Started

• Getting Started with Data Center Virtualization - Series 1 [Getting Started]
  • In this lab, you will build and manage a VMware vSphere infrastructure. First, you will install VMware ESXi hosts, and then you will configure management connectivity. Next, you will configure a VMware vCenter server to manage your vSphere environment, and then you will configure a network by using standard and distributed virtual switches. Finally, you will configure access to Network Filesystem Storage (NFS) and iSCSI storage devices.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.

Guided

• Certificates and Trust Authority [Guided]
  • This challenge is in development. Details coming soon.
• Clone Virtual Machines and Manage Templates [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will clone virtual machines and manage templates. First, you will clone a running virtual machine, and then you will convert the cloned virtual machine to a template. Next, you will create a customization specification. Finally, you will deploy a virtual machine by using the Open Virtual Appliance (OVA) template file and the customization specification that you created. Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure a Distributed Virtual Switch [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure a distributed virtual switch to allow network configurations to be shared across multiple VMware ESXi hosts. First, you will create a distributed virtual switch, and then you will add ESXi hosts to the switch. Next, you will migrate virtual machines from the default standard virtual switch to the distributed virtual switch, and then you will add additional hosts and port groups to the distributed virtual switch. Finally, you will back up a distributed virtual switch, and then you will restore the switch.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure a Standard Virtual Switch [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure standard virtual switches to enable network connectivity. First, you will remove the default virtual machine port group from an existing switch, and then you will create a new virtual switch that has a virtual machine port group. Next, you will add an additional virtual machine port group to the switch, and then you will modify the active and standby network interface cards (NICs) for a single port group. Finally, you will create a new switch that has a VMkernel port configured for VMware vSphere; vMotion.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure a vCenter Server [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure a server running VMware vCenter Server to manage your VMware ESXi hosts. First you will create a virtual datacenter, and then you will add the ESXi hosts to be managed. Next, you will create a folder to organize the hosts, and then you will move the hosts into the folder. Finally, you will configure VMware vSphere and vCenter Server licensing , and then you will enable lockdown mode and join a vCenter server to an Active Directory domain.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure High Availability for a VMware vSphere Cluster [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure high availability for a vSphere cluster. First, you will configure redundancy for the management network on the VMware ESXi hosts. Next, you will create a cluster, and then you will add hosts to the cluster. Finally, you will configure high availability on the cluster, and then you will evaluate the failover actions taken by vSphere when failures occur.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure I/O Controls [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage storage and network I/O resources. First, you will establish a storage I/O performance baseline, and then you will enable vSphere Storage I/O Control on a datastore. Next, you will create VM storage policies, and then you will assign the VM storage policies. Finally, you will enable vSphere Network I/O Control on a distributed virtual switch, and then you will configure network resource pools.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure iSCSI Storage in vSphere [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure iSCSI storage on a VMware ESXi host. First, you will configure a new virtual switch that contains a VMkernel port for iSCSI storage traffic, and then you will add a software iSCSI adapter to a host. Next, you will bind a VMkernel port to the software iSCSI adapter. Finally, you will configure multipathing to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy for the storage traffic.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure NFS Storage in vSphere [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure Network Filesystem Storage (NFS) storage on your vSphere hosts. First, you will configure a new virtual switch for NFS storage traffic, and then you will add an NFS datastore to a host. Next, you will mount an ISO image from the NFS datastore on a virtual machine, and then you will access the files. Finally, you will add an additional host to the existing NFS datastore, and then you will unmount an NFS datastore from a host.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure Storage DRS on a Datastore Cluster [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage virtual machine storage by using datastore clusters. First, you will create a datastore cluster that contains three datastores, and then you will enable Storage DRS. Next, you will check for recommendations, and then you will configure Storage DRS anti-affinity rules. Finally, you will automate Storage DRS, and then you will remove a datastore from a datastore cluster.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure vCenter Server Permissions [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure restricted permissions that allow to perform specific management tasks. First, you will add an Active Directory domain as an identity source, and then you will add Active Directory user accounts to the vCenter Server Administrators group. Next, you will create a custom role, and the you will assign permissions to the custom role. Finally, you will assign permissions to an Active Directory user, and then you will verify access for the user.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure vLANs on a Virtual Switch [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure a virtual LAN (VLAN) to isolate traffic on your virtual switches. First, you will create a virtual switch that has two port groups, and then you will migrate virtual machines to the port groups. Next, you will test connectivity to verify that all of the virtual machines can communicate with each other, and then you will assign a different VLAN to each port group. Finally, you will test connectivity again to verify that only the virtual machines in the same VLAN can communicate with each other. Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will create and configure a cluster that uses VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS). First, you will create a cluster, and then you will add the VMware ESXi hosts. Next, you will configure DRS on a cluster, and then you will configure the placement of the virtual machines. Finally, you will review DRS recommendations, and then you will configure DRS rules.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Configure vSphere Monitoring and Alarms [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will monitor resource usage and alarms. First, you will monitor the CPU load caused by virtual machines, and then you will monitor the disk load. Next, you will create a custom alarm. Finally, you will modify the alarm settings, and then you will configure alarm actions.Note: Once you begin the challenge lab, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge lab. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge lab before you start.
• Create a New Virtual Machine in VMware vSphere [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will create a new virtual machine. First, you will create a new virtual machine, and then you will install Windows 10 as a guest operating system. Next, you will install VMware Tools. Finally, you will synchronize the time on the virtual machine with the VMware ESXi host.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Create a vSAN Cluster [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will create a vSAN cluster. First, you will configure vSAN networking by creating VMKernel network adapters on your VMware ESXi hosts, and then you will enable vSAN on a cluster. Next, you will configure disk groups, and then you will configure vSAN licensing. Finally, you will create and implement a vSAN storage policy, and then you will remove a host from a vSAN cluster.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Create and Manage VMFS Datastores [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will create and manage vSphere Virtual Machine File Share (VMFS) datastores. First, you will create a VMFS 6 datastore on a local hard drive, and then you will create a VMFS 6 datastore by using an iSCSI LUN. Next, you will create a VMFS datastore that only uses a portion of the total disk space on a LUN, and then you will expand a datastore to increase the available space and extend a datastore to span across multiple LUNs. Finally, you will delete an older VMFS 5 datastore that is no longer needed, and then you will upload an ISO file to a VMFS 6 datastore.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Create and Publish a Content Library [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will create a content library to store objects and synchronize them to other sites. First, you will create a local content library that has publishing enabled, and then you will create a template that is stored in a content library. Next, you will subscribe to the content library from another site, and then you will deploy a virtual machine by using the template. Finally, you will import an ISO file, and then you will synchronize the file between content libraries. Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Implement vSphere Replication [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will replicate virtual machines between locations. First, you will deploy a vSphere Replication appliance in multiple sites, and then you will register the appliance in each site with the vCenter server in each site. Next, you will create a site pair between two vCenter servers, and then you will configure a virtual machine replication job. Finally, you will perform a virtual machine recovery by using a replica.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Install and Configure ESXi [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will install vSphere ESXi on a new server and configure the management network for remotes access. First, you will install ESXi, and then you will configure the management network by using the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI). Next, you will connect to the newly installed ESXi host by using a web browser, and then you will assign a license to the host. Finally, you will configure a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, and then you will enable SSH and join the host to an Active Directory domain.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Manage a vCenter Server Appliance [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will configure a VMware vCenter Server Appliance. First, you will create a file-based backup of the vCenter server, and then you will configure the vCenter server to forward logs to a remote syslog server. Next, you will configure the vCenter server to synchronize time settings with a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, and then you will configure the password expiration settings. Finally, you will enable SSH connectivity to a vCenter server, and then you will test the connection.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Manage Host Profiles [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage host profiles to simplify the configuration of your hosts. First, you will create a host profile, and then you will assign the host profile to multiple hosts. Next, you will introduce configuration changes to the host profile, and then you will check the hosts for compliance and remediate them. Finally, you will introduce a configuration change that requires customization for each host, and then you will bring the hosts into compliance with the host profile.Note: Once you begin the challenge lab, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge lab. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge lab before you start.
• Manage Tags and Storage Policies [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage datastores by using tags and storage policies. First, you will create categories and tags, and then you will assign them to virtual machines. Next, you will assign tags to datastores, and then you will create a storage policy to manage the placement of your virtual machines. Finally, you will ensure that your virtual machine storage complies with your storage policy.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Manage Virtual Machine Resources [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage virtual machine resources. First, you will configure CPU Scheduling Affinity to cause contention for CPU resources between multiple virtual machines, and then you will evaluate the CPU performance of the virtual machines. Next, you will adjust the CPU shares to prioritize one virtual machine over another. Finally, you will manage access to the CPU resources by using resource pools instead of configuring each virtual machine individually.Note: Once you begin the challenge, you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your challenge. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Manage Virtual Machine Snapshots [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage virtual machine snapshots in your vSphere environment. First, you will create a snapshot of a running virtual machine that includes the virtual machine’s memory, and then you will create a snapshot of a running virtual machine that does not include the virtual machine’s memory. Next, you will modify the hardware on a virtual machine by using a snapshot. Finally, you will manage multiple snapshots on a single virtual machine, and then you will delete a snapshot. Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Manage vSphere by Using Command-Line Tools [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage and monitor a vCenter Server environment by using command-line tools. First, you will monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization by using the esxtop utility. Next, you will manage a vCenter server by using VMware vSphere PowerCLI cmdlets. Finally, you will create a log bundle.Note: Once you begin the challenge lab, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge lab. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge lab before you start.
• Manage vSphere Security [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will manage vSphere security. First, you will configure VMware vCenter Server to communicate with a Key Management Server (KMS), and then you will generate a request for a new SSL certificate for the vCenter server. Next, you will submit the request to a certificate authority (CA), and then you will save the newly generated certificate. Finally, you will replace the self-signed certificate in vCenter Server with the new SSL certificate, and then you will encrypt a virtual machine.Note: Once you begin the challenge lab, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge lab. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge lab before you start.
• Migrate a VMware Virtual Machine [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will migrate virtual machines. First, you will create a VMkernel port that is enabled for vSphere vMotion on each host, and then you will perform a cold migration of a virtual machine. Next, you will perform a vMotion migration, and then you will perform a storage vMotion migration. Finally, you will perform a shared-nothing vMotion migration, and then you will perform a cross vCenter Server export migration.Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Modify a Virtual Machine [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will modify virtual machines in your vSphere environment. First, you will increase the size of the hard disk on a virtual machine, and then you will mount an existing hard disk on a virtual machine. Next, you will modify the hardware on a virtual machine, and then you will mount a raw device mapping (RDM) disk. Finally, you will add an additional network adapter to a virtual machine. Note: Once you begin a challenge you will not be able to pause, save, or return to your progress. Please ensure you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge before you start.
• Update vSphere Software Components [Guided]
  • In this challenge, you will update your vSphere software components. First, you will import updates into a vSphere Lifecycle Manager depot. Next, you will configure a cluster to be managed by a single image, and then you will remediate the VMware ESXi hosts to bring them into compliance with the image. Finally, you will upgrade VMware tools on multiple virtual machines, and then you will update a vCenter Server.Note: Once you begin the challenge lab, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge lab. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge lab before you start.

Advanced

• Can You Manage Security and Host Profiles in a vSphere Environment? [Advanced]
  • In this challenge, you will manage security and host profiles in your vSphere environment. First, you will configure VMware vCenter Server to communicate with a Key Management Server (KMS), and then you will encrypt a virtual machine. Next, you will configure host customizations for a host profile, and then you will import updates into VMware vCenter Lifecycle Manager. Finally, you will remediate hosts that use a single Lifestyle Manager image in a cluster, and then you will configure a VMware Tools product locker.Note: Once you begin the challenge lab, you will not be able to pause, save, or exit and then return to your challenge lab. Please ensure that you have set aside enough time to complete the challenge lab before you start.