Dell VxRail Administration

This course is intended for customers, partners, and Dell employees who are responsible for managing and supporting VxRail systems.

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

• Describe the VxRail system architecture and components.
• Manage a VxRail cluster resources using the VxRail Plugin for vCenter.
• Monitor system status, health, and performance.
• Maintain the system and troubleshoot basic system issues.
  

The content of this course is designed to support the course objectives.

1- Describe VxRail Cluster Architecture and Deployment Options

• VxRail Architecture Overview - Hardware Components
• VxRail Architecture Overview - Software Components
• vCenter Deployment Option 1: Use the VxRail-managed vCenter Server
• vCenter Deployment Option 2: Join an Existing vCenter Server
• VxRail Networking Architecture – Physical
• VxRail Networking Architecture – Virtual
• VMware VDS Deployment Options
• VxRail VDS Predefined Network Profile Configuration
• Post-Deployment Network Modifications

2- Manage VxRail Using the VxRail Plugin for vCenter Server

• VxRail Manager Functionality
• VxRail Integration With vCenter Server
• Verify Deployment Status of VxRail Plugin
• Use the VxRail Dashboard To View System Health and Access VxRail Resources
• VxRail Plugin Management Functionalities – System, Compliance, Backup, Hosts, Managed Folders, Updates, Security, and Settings
• Lab: Explore the Management Functionality of the VxRail Plugin
• Configure Dell Support Account
• Enable Remote Support Connectivity
• Monitor the VxRail Cluster with the Physical View
• Monitor a VxRail Host with the Physical View
• Host Physical View – Disk, NIC, and Power Supply
• Lab: Monitor the VxRail Cluster and Hosts using the VxRail Plugin

3- Explain the vSAN Configuration of a VxRail Cluster

• Introduction to VMware vSAN
• vSAN Storage Architecture
• vSAN Objects and Components
• vSAN Storage Policy-Based Management
• vSAN Failure Tolerance
• vSAN Services Overview
• vSAN OSA Versus ESA Comparison Summary
• Lab: Validate the VxRail vSAN Cluster Configuration

4- Monitor the vSAN Health, Capacity, and Performance

• Monitor VxRail Cluster Using vSAN Skyline Health
• Monitor vSAN Virtual Objects
• Monitor vSAN Resyncing Objects
• Monitor vSAN Capacity
• Monitor vSAN Cluster Level Performance
• Monitor vSAN Host Level Performance
• Monitor vSAN VM Level Performance
• Lab: Monitor the vSAN Health, Capacity, and Performance of the VxRail Cluster

5- Configure vSAN Services and Storage Policies

• VMware vSAN Space Efficiency Overview
• VMware vSAN Space Efficiency Options
• VMware Recommendations - Space Efficiency Verifying Space Savings from Deduplication and Compression
• Lab: Configure Space Efficiency
• vSAN Encryption
• Key Provider Requirement
• Enable vSAN Encryption
• Simulation: Configure Native Key Provider and Enable vSAN Encryption
• Reserved Capacity Overview
• Configure Capacity Reserve
• vSAN Automatic Rebalance
• Monitor vSAN Disk Balance
• Lab: Enable vSAN Automatic Rebalance

6- Manage vSAN Storage Policies

• VM Storage Policies Overview
• Create a VM Storage Policy With vSAN Specific Attributes
• Manage vSAN Storage Policy
• Change vSAN Datastore Default Storage Policy
• vSAN ESA Auto Policy Management
• Deploy Virtual Machines with vSAN Storage Policies
• VM Storage Policy Compliance and Modification
• Lab: Create and Use vSAN Storage Policies

7- Manage vSAN HCI Mesh

• Explain vSAN HCI Mesh (Cross-Cluster Capacity Sharing) Concepts
• Mount Remote vSAN Datastore
• Remote Datastores - Server View
• Use Remote vSAN Datastore
• VM Object Placement With vSAN HCI Mesh
• vSAN HCI Mesh Considerations
• Simulation: vSAN HCI Mesh - Mount and Use a Remote vSAN Datastore

8- Manage vSAN Cluster Availability

• vSAN Object Component States
• Object Components Failure State
• vSAN Object Repair Timer
• Overriding vSAN Object Repair Timer
• vSAN Fault Domains
• Number of vSAN Fault Domains
• Create vSAN Fault Domains
• VxRail Cluster With vSAN Fault Domains Configured
• VM Object Placement With vSAN Fault Domains Configured
• Simulation: Configure vSAN Fault Domains
• Host Maintenance Mode
• Maintenance Mode vSAN Data Migration Pre-Check
• Ensure Accessibility - Component Migration
• Lab: Place a Node in Maintenance Mode

9- Generate VxRail Procedures with SolVe

• Dell Technologies SolVe
• SolVe Online - VxRail Connectivity and Install Procedures
• SolVe Online - VxRail Upgrade Procedures
• Solve Online - VxRail Hardware Replacement and Miscellaneous Procedures
• Example of Generating VxRail Procedure for Disk Replacement
• Lab: Generate VxRail SolVe Procedures

10- Perform VxRail Cluster and Capacity Expansion

• VxRail Cluster Expansion Considerations
• Cluster Expansion - Layer 2 Add Node Procedure
• Using the VxRail Plugin To Add a Node
• Add VxRail Hosts Wizard
• Node Added Successfully
• Multirack VxRail Cluster Expansion
• VxRail Cluster Expansion Over Layer 3 - Proxy Node
• Lab: Expand VxRail Cluster - Add Node

11- Perform VxRail Node Capacity Expansion

• VxRail Node - Storage Capacity Expansion
• Add Disks to an Existing Disk Group
• Lab: Add Disks to a VxRail Node

12- Perform VxRail Manager File-based Backup

• VxRail Manager File-Based Backup and Restore – Overview
• VxRail Manager Backup and Restore Script
• Manual Backup
• Scheduled Backup
• Copy Recovery Bundle to vSAN Datastore
• VxRail vSAN Datastore - VxRail Backup Folder
• VxRail Integrated Backup
• Lab: Perform VxRail Manager Backup Using the Backup Script
• Lab: Perform VxRail Manager Backup Using the VxRail Plugin

13- Perform VxRail Software Upgrade

• VxRail Software Upgrade Overview
• Lifecycle Management Options Comparison
• Enabling vLCM on VxRail
• VxRail Software Upgrade Considerations
• Generate Update Advisor Reports
• VxRail Software Upgrade High-Level Process
• Run VxVerify
• VxRail Software Upgrade Using Local Updates
• Simulation: Run VxVerify
• Simulation: Perform VxRail Software Upgrade

14- Manage VxRail Licensing

• VxRail Licensing
• Add and Assign Perpetual License
• Simulation: Review and Replace Expiring vSAN and vSphere Perpetual Licenses
• Manage VxRail Networking
• Modify VxRail Networking
• Enable NIC Redundancy Across Integrated NIC and PCIe Ports
• High-Level Steps to Enable NIC Redundancy
• NIC Redundancy Across Integrated NIC and PCIe Ports Enabled
• Enabling NIC Teaming With Link Aggregation
• Modify Teaming and Failover Policies – Example
• Two VDS for VxRail Network Traffic
• Deploy Second VDS for VxRail Network Traffic
• Lab: Create and Configure a Second VDS for vSAN Traffic

15- Manage a Stretched Cluster

• vSAN Stretched Cluster Overview
• vSAN Stretched Cluster Requirements and Considerations
• VxRail vSAN Stretched Cluster Example
• vSAN Storage Policy Rules for Stretched Clusters
• Stretched Cluster Storage Policy Example - Site Mirroring and RAID 5 at Each Site
• Stretched Cluster Storage Policy Example - RAID 5 at Preferred Site Only
• VM-Host Affinity Rules for vSAN Stretched Clusters
• Create a VM Group
• Manage VM-Host Affinity Rules
• Simulation: Manage Storage Policies and Affinity Rules in a vSAN Stretched Cluster

16- Manage VxRail Manager Certificate

• VxRail Manager Certificate Overview
• Updating VxRail Manager Self-Signed Certificate
• Replacing VxRail Manager Self-Signed Certificate
• Simulation: Replace VxRail Manager Self-Signed TLS Certificate with a Trusted CA-Signed Certificate
• Import New VMware vSphere Certificates to VxRail Manager
• Automatic Installation and Renewal of VxRail Manager Trusted CA-Signed Certificate
• Simulation: Configure Automatic Renewal of Trusted CASigned VxRail Manager TLS Certificate

17- Remove a VxRail Node from a Cluster

• Remove a Node From a VxRail Cluster
• Lab: Remove a Node From a VxRail Cluster

18- Perform VxRail Basic Troubleshooting

• VxRail Knowledgebase Articles
• Searching a Knowledgebase Article
• VxRail Advisories
• VxRail Advisories Sign Up
• VxRail Log Collection
• Create Log Bundle From VxRail Plugin
• Download Log Bundle From VxRail Plugin
• VxRail Manager - Log Collection Using CLI
• Log Collection for vCenter Server and ESXi Using the vSphere Client
• Lab: Perform Log Collection
• vSAN Troubleshooting Resources
• VxRail Cluster - All Issues
• Investigate vSAN Alarms in Skyline Health
• Investigate VXR Event Codes
• vSAN Proactive Tests
• Investigate vSAN Health Using CLI

19- Manage Passwords

• Managing Mystic and Root Account Passwords
• Simulation: Reset mystic User Account
• Update the VxRail Management Account Password
• Change the ESXi Management Password
• Sync Password With VxRail Manager
• Simulation: Change the VxRail Management Account Password
• Simulation: Change the ESXi Management Account Password
• Change the iDRAC Root Account Password Using VxRail Manager
• imulation: Change the iDRAC Root Account Password Using VxRail Manager

20- Perform Power Control Operations on a VxRail Cluster

• Shut Down a VxRail Cluster
• Steps To Shut Down a VxRail Cluster
• Power up a VxRail Cluster After a Scheduled Shut Down
• Simulation: Shut Down a VxRail Cluste

This course assumes that the students are familiar with:

• Basic understanding of hyperconverged infrastructure and VxRail
• Configuration and management of VMware vSphere environment
• Knowledge of Layer-2 networking