1. Exam Information
2. Section 1 Plan, Install, Configure and Upgrade vCenter Server and VMware ESXi
   1. Objective 1.1 Install and Configure vCenter Server
      1. Identify available vCenter editions
      2. Deploy the vCenter appliance
      3. Install vCenter server into a virtual machine
      4. Size the vCenter server database
      5. Install additional vCenter server components
      6. Enable/Disable vSphere client plug-ins
      7. Install/Remove vSphere client plug-ins
      8. License vCenter server
      9. Determine availability in a given vSphere implementation
   2. Objective 1.2 Install and Configure VMware ESXi
      1. Perform an interactive installation of ESXi
      2. Deploy an ESXi host using Auto Deploy
      3. Configure NTP on an ESXi host
      4. Configure DNS and Routing on an ESXi host
      5. Enable/Size/Disable memory compression cache
      6. Enable/Configure/Disable hyperthreading
      7. License an ESXi hot
   3. Objective 1.3 Plan and Perform Upgrades of vCenter Server and VMware ESXi
      1. Identify upgrade requirements for ESXi hosts
      2. Identify steps required to upgrade a vSphere implementation
      3. Upgrade a vNetwork Distributed Switch
      4. Upgrade from VMFS3 to VMFS5
      5. Upgrade VMware Tools
      6. Upgrade virtual machine hardware
      7. Upgrade an ESXi host using vCenter Update Manager
      8. Determine whether an in-place upgrade is appropriate in a given scenario
   4. Objective 1.4 Secure vCenter Server and ESXi
      1. Identify common vCenter Server privileges and roles
      2. Describe how permissions are applied and inherited in vCenter server
      3. Configure and administer the ESXi firewall
      4. Enable/Configure/Disable services in the ESXi firewall
      5. Enable lockdown mode
      6. Configure network security profiles
      7. View/Sort/Export user and group lists
      8. Add/Modify/Remove permissions for users and groups on vCenter server inventory objects
      9. Create/Clone/Edit vCenter Server roles
      10. Add an ESXi host to a directory service
      11. Apply permissions to ESXi hosts using Host Profiles
      12. Determine the appropriate set of privileges for common tasks in vCenter Server
   5. Objective 1.5 Identify vSphere Architecture and Solutions
      1. Identify available vSphere editions and features
      2. Explain ESXi and vCenter Server architectures
      3. Explain Private/Public/Hybrid cloud concepts
      4. Determine appropriate vSphere edition based on customer requirement
3. Section 2 Plan and Configure vSphere Networking
   1. Objective 2.1 Configure vSS
      1. Identify vSS capabilities
      2. Create/Delete a vSS
      3. Add/Configure/Remove vmnics on a vSS
      4. Configure vmkernel port groups on a vSS
      5. Add/Edit/Remove port groups on a vSS
      6. Determine use case for a vSS
   2. Objective 2.2 Configure vDS
      1. Identify vDS capabilities
      2. Create/Delete a vDS
      3. Add/Remove ESXi hosts from a vDS
      4. Add/Configure/Remove dvPorts
      5. Add/Remove uplink adapters to dvUplink groups
      6. Create/Configure/Remove virtual adapters
      7. Migrate virtual adapters to/from a vSS
      8. Migrate virtual adapters to/from a vDS
      9. Determine use case for a vDS
   3. Objective 2.3 Configure vSS and vDS Policies
      1. Identify common vSS and vDS policies
      2. Configure dvPort group blocking policies
      3. Configure load balancing and failover policies
      4. Configure VLAN settings
      5. Configure traffic shaping policies
      6. Enable TCP offload support for a virtual machine
      7. Enable jumbo frames support on appropriate components
      8. Determine appropriate VLAN configuration for a vSphere implementation
4. Section 3 Plan and Configure vSphere Storage
   1. Objective 3.1 Configure Shared Storage for vSphere
      1. Identify storage adapters and devices
      2. Identify storage naming conventions
      3. Identify hardware/dependent hardware/software iSCSI initiator requirements
      4. Compare and contrast array thin provisioning and virtual disk thin provisioning
      5. Describe zoning and LUN masking practises
      6. Scan/Rescan storage
      7. Identify use cases for FCoE
      8. Create an NFS share for use with vSphere
      9. Connect to a NAS device
      10. Enable/Configure/Disable vCenter Server storage filters
      11. Configure/Edit software iSCSI initiator
      12. Enable/Disable software iSCSI initiator
      13. Configure iSCSI port binding
      14. Enable/Configure/Disable iSCSI CHAP
      15. Determine use case for hardware/dependent hardware/software iSCSI initiator
      16. Determine use case for and configure array thin provisioning
   2. Objective 3.2 Configure the Storage Virtual Appliance for vSphere
      1. Define SVA architecture
      2. Configure ESXi hosts as SVA hosts
      3. Configure the storage network for SVA
      4. Deploy/Configure the SVA manager
      5. Administer SVA storage resources
      6. Determine use cases for deploying the SVA
      7. Determine appropriate ESXi host resources for SVA
   3. Objective 3.3 Create and Configure VMFS and NFS Datastores
      1. Identify VMFS and NFS datastore properties
      2. Identify VMFS5 capabilities
      3. Create/Rename/Delete/Unmount a VMFS datastore
      4. Mount/Unmount an NFS datastore
      5. Extend/Expand VMFS datastores
      6. Upgrade a VMFS3 datastore to VMFS5
      7. Place a VMFS datastore in maintenance mode
      8. Select the Preferred Path for a VMFS datastore
      9. Disable a path to a VMFS datastore
      10. Determine use cases for multiple VMFS/NFS datastores
      11. Determine appropriate PSP for a given VMFS datastore
5. Section 4 Deploy and Administer Virtual Machines and vAPPs
   1. Objective 4.1 Create and Deploy Virtual Machines and vAPPs
      1. Identify capabilities of virtual machine hardware versions
      2. Identify VMware Tools device drivers
      3. Identify methods to access and use a virtual machine console
      4. Identify virtual machine storage resources
      5. Place virtual machines in selected ESXi hosts/Clusters/Resource Pools
      6. Configure and deploy a Guest OS into a new virtual machine
      7. Configure/Modify disk controller for virtual disks
      8. Configure appropriate virtual disk type for a virtual machine
      9. Create/Convert thin/thick provisioned virtual disks
   2. Objective 4.2 Create and Deploy vAPPs
      1. Identify vApp settings
      2. Create/Clone//Export a vAPP
      3. Add objects to an existing vAPP
      4. Edit vAPP settings
      5. Configure IP pools
      6. Suspend/Resume a vAPP
      7. Determine when a tiered application should be deployed as a vAPP
   3. Objective 4.3 Manage Virtual Machine Templates and Clones
      1. Identify the vCenter Server managed ESXi hosts and Virtual Machine maximums
      2. Identify Cloning and Template options
      3. Clone an existing virtual machine
      4. Create a template from an existing virtual machine
      5. Deploy a virtual machine from a template
      6. Update existing virtual machine templates
      7. Deploy virtual appliances and/or vAPPs from an OVF template
      8. Import and/or Export an OVF template
      9. Determine the appropriate deployment methodology for a given virtual machine application
   4. Objective 4.4 Administer Virtual Machines and vAPPs
      1. Identify files used by virtual machines
      2. Identify locations for virtual machine configuration files and virtual disks
      3. Identify common practises for securing virtual machines
      4. Hot Extend a virtual disk
      5. Configure virtual machine options
      6. Configure virtual machine power options
      7. Configure virtual machine boot options
      8. Configure virtual machine troubleshooting options
      9. Assign a Storage Policy to a virtual machine
      10. Verify Storage Policy compliance for virtual machines
      11. Determine when an advanced virtual machine parameter is required
      12. Adjust virtual machine resources (share, limits and reservations) based on virtual machine workloads
6. Section 5 Establish and Maintain Service Levels
   1. Objective 5.1 Create and Configure VMware Clusters
      1. Describe DRS virtual machine entitlement
      2. Create/Delete a DRS/HA Cluster
      3. Add/Remove ESXi hosts from a DRS/HA Cluster
      4. Add/Remove virtual machines from a DRS/HA Cluster
      5. Configure Storage DRS
      6. Configure Enhanced vMotion Compatibility
      7. Monitor a HA/DRS Cluster
      8. Configure migration thresholds for DRS and virtual machines
      9. Configure automation levels for DRS and virtual machines
      10. Create VM-Host and VM-VM affinity rules
      11. Enable/Disable Host Monitoring
      12. Enable/Configure/Disable virtual machine and application monitoring
      13. Configure admission control for HA and virtual machines
      14. Determine appropriate failover methodology and required resources for an HA implementation
   2. Objective 5.2 Plan and Implement VMware Fault Tolerance
      1. Identify FT requirements
      2. Configure FT networking
      3. Test an FT configuration
      4. Enable/Disable FT on a virtual machine
      5. Determine use case for enabling FT on a virtual machine
   3. Objective 5.3 Create and Administer Resource Pools
      1. Describe the Resource Pool hierarchy
      2. Define the Expandable Reservation parameter
      3. Create/Remove a Resource Pool
      4. Configure Resource Pool attributes
      5. Add/Remove virtual machines from a Resource Pool
      6. Determine Resource Pool requirements for a given vSphere implementation
      7. Evaluate appropriate shares, reservations and limits for a Resource Pool based on virtual machine workloads
      8. Clone a vAPP
   4. Objective 5.4 Migrate Virtual Machines
      1. Identify ESXi host and virtual machine requirements for vMotion and Storage vMotion
      2. Identify EVC CPU requirements
      3. Identify snapshot requirements for vMotion/Storage vMotion migration
      4. Configure virtual machine swap file location
      5. Migrate a powered-off or suspended virtual machine
      6. Utilize Storage vMotion techniques (changing virtual disk type, renaming virtual machines, etc.)
   5. Objective 5.5 Backup and Restore Virtual Machines
      1. Identify snapshot requirements
      2. Create/Delete/Consolidate virtual machine snapshots
      3. Install and Configure VMware Data Recovery
      4. Create a backup job with VMware Data Recovery
      5. Perform a test and live full/file-level restore with VMware Data Recovery
      6. Determine appropriate backup solution for a given vSphere implementation
   6. Objective 5.6 Patch and Update ESXi and Virtual Machines
      1. Identify patching requirements for ESXi hosts and virtual machines hardware/tools
      2. Create/Edit/Remove a Host Profile from an ESXi Host
      3. Attach/Apply a Host Profile to an ESXi Host or Cluster
      4. Perform compliance scanning and remediation of an ESXi Host using Host Profiles
      5. Install and Configure vCenter Update Manager
      6. Configure patch download options
      7. Create/Edit/Delete an Update Manager baseline
      8. Attach an Update Manager baseline to an ESXi Host or Cluster
      9. Scan and remediate ESXi hosts and virtual machine hardware/tools using Update Manager
      10. Stage ESXi host updates
7. Section 6 Perform Basic Troubleshooting
   1. Objective 6.1 Perform Basic Troubleshooting of ESXi Hosts
      1. Identify general ESXi host troubleshooting guidelines
      2. Troubleshooting common installation issues
      3. Monitor ESXi system health
      4. Export diagnostic information
   2. Objective 6.2 Perform Basic vSphere Network Troubleshooting
      1. Verify network configuration
      2. Verify a given virtual machine is configured with the correct network resources
      3. Troubleshoot virtual switch and port group configuration issues
      4. Troubleshoot physical network adapter configuration issues
      5. Identify the root cause of a network issue based on troublshooting information
   3. Objective 6.3 Perform Basic vSphere Storage Troubleshooting
      1. Verify storage configuration
      2. Troubleshoot storage contention issues
      3. Troubleshoot storage over-commitment issues
      4. Troubleshoot iSCSI software initiator configuration issues
      5. Identify root cause of a storage issue based on troubleshooting information
   4. Objective 6.4 Perform Basic Troubleshooting for HA/DRS Clusters and vMotion/Storage vMotion
      1. Identify HA/DRS and vMotion requirements
      2. Verify vMotion/Storage vMotion configuration
      3. Verify HA network configuration
      4. Verify HA/DRS cluster configuration
      5. Troubleshoot HA capacity issues
      6. Troubleshoot HA redundancy issues
      7. Interpret the DRS Resource Distribution Graph and Target/Current Host Load Deviation
      8. Troubleshoot DRS load imbalance issues
      9. Troubleshoot vMotion/Storage vMotion migration issues
      10. Interpret vMotion Resource Maps
      11. Identify the root cause of a DRS/HA cluster or migration issue based on troubleshooting information
8. Section 7 Monitor a vSphere Implementation and Manage vCenter Alarms
   1. Objective 7.1 Monitor ESXi, vCenter Server and Virtual Machines
      1. Describe how Tasks and Events are viewed in vCenter Server
      2. Identify critical performance metrics
      3. Explain common memory metrics
      4. Explain common CPU metrics
      5. Explain common network metrics
      6. Explain common storage metrics
      7. Compare and contrast Overview and Advanced Charts
      8. Configure SNMP for vCenter Server
      9. Configure Active Directory and SMTP setting for vCenter Server
      10. Configure vCenter Server logging options
      11. Create a log bundle
      12. Create/Edit/Delete a Scheduled Task
      13. Configure/View/Print/Export resource maps
      14. Start/Stop/Verify vCenter Server service status
      15. Start/Stop/Verify ESXi host agent status
      16. Configure vCenter Server timeout settings
      17. Monitor/Administer vCenter Server connections
      18. Create an Advanced Chart
      19. Determine host performance using resxtop and guest Perfmon
      20. Given performance data, identify the affected vSphere resource
   2. Objective 7.2 Create and Administer vCenter Alarms
      1. List vCenter default utilization alarms
      2. List vCenter default connectivity alarms
      3. List possible actions for utilization and connectivity alarms
      4. Create a vCenter utilization alarm
      5. Create a vCenter connectivity alarm
      6. Configure alarm triggers
      7. Configure alarm actions
      8. For a given alarm, identify the affected resource in a vSphere implementation