Key FeaturesLearn how server virtualization is achieved and how a virtual infrastructure is built using VMwares products and solutions.Design to create a scalable and responsive virtualization platform for hosting the virtual machine workloads of a business. Manage compute, network and storage resources of a virtual infrastructure.Relevant conceptual diagrams, flowcharts and screen-captures enable in-depth comprehension of the concepts. Also, the concise writing style makes this book a very easy read.Book DescriptionComputer virtualization is a method to enable the running of multiple application workloads on a machine to achieve efficient utilization and reduce the number of physical machines in a data center. This has now become the foundation of many modern day data centers. What began as a technology to virtualize x86 architecture has now grown beyond the limits of a servers hardware and into the realm of storage and network virtualization. VMware is currently the market leader in developing data center virtualization solutions.This book goes into the details of designing and implementing VMware solutions that form the foundation of a VMware infrastructure.The book begins by introducing you to the concepts of server virtualization followed by the architecture of VMwares hypervisor – ESXi and then by its installation and configuration. You then learn what is required to manage a vSphere environment and configure advanced management capabilities of vCenter. Next you are taken through topics on vSphere Networking, Storage, ESXi Clustering, Resource Management and Virtual Machine Management. You will then be introduced to SSL Certificate Management and its use in a vSphere environment. Finally, you will learn about the lifecycle management of a vSphere environment by effectively monitoring, patching and upgrading vSphere components using Update Manager.By the end of the book, you will know how to use VMwares vSphere suite of components to lay the foundation of a modern day virtual infrastructure.What you will learnUnderstand the architecture of the hypervisor and learn how to install deploy and configure ESXi hostsFind out what forms a VMware Virtual Machine can take and also learn how to create and manage themFamiliarize yourself with the concepts of vSphere Storage and learn how to present and manage storage in a vSphere environmentCreate and manage software switching constructs such as the vNetwork Standard Switch and vNetwork Distributed SwitchesMonitor the performance of a vSphere environment using tools such as the vCenter Performance Graphs and esxtopManage SSL certificates in a vSphere environmentUpgrade and patch a vSphere environment using vSphere Update ManagerAbout the AuthorAbhilash G B (@abhilashgb) is a virtualization specialist, author, designer, and VMware vExpert (2014, 2015, and 2016) specializing in the areas of data center virtualization and cloud computing.He has been in the IT industry for more than a decade and has been working on VMware products and technologies since the start of 2007. He currently works as a senior VMware consultant for one of largest information technology and services company in the world.He holds several VMware certifications, including VCP3, VCP4, VCP5-DCV, and VCPCloud. He also holds advanced certifications such as VCAP4-DCA and VCAP5-DCA.He is also the author of three other books by Packt Publishing: VMware vSphere 5.1 Cookbook (ISBN 9781849684026) in July 2013, Disaster Recovery using VMware vSphere Replication and vCenter Site Recovery Manager (ISBN 9781782176442) in May 2014, and VMware vSphere 5.5 Cookbook (ISBN 9781782172857) in February 2015.Rebecca Fitzhugh is an independent VMware consultant specializing in architecting vSphere, Horizon, and vCloud environments, along with delivering a variety of authorized VMware courses as VMware Certified Instructor (VCI). Prior to becoming a consultant and instructor, she served 5 years in the United States Marine Corps (2006-2011), where she assisted in the build out and administration of multiple enterprise networks residing on virtual infrastructure. Rebecca has written several white papers and articles for Global Knowledge and VMware Press, as along with previously authoring vSphere Virtual Machine Management (ISBN 9781782172185) for Packt Publishing.Rebecca currently holds multiple IT industry certifications, including VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) in Data Center Design (DCD), Data Center Administration (DCA), and Cloud Infrastructure Administration (CIA). She has been selected as a vExpert three times (2014, 2015, and 2016). You can follow Rebecca on Twitter (@RebeccaFitzhugh) or contact her via LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/rmfitzhugh/).Table of ContentsAn Introduction to Server Virtualization Using VMwareThe Hypervisor – ESXiThe Management Layer – VMware vCentervSphere Networking Concepts and ManagementvSphere Storage Concepts and ManagementAdvanced vSphere Infrastructure ManagementUnderstanding Host Profiles, Image Profiles, and Auto DeployVirtual Machines Concepts and ManagementMonitoring Performance of a vSphere EnvironmentCertificate Management for a vSphere EnvironmentSecuring a vSphere EnvironmentLife Cycle Management of a vSphere Environment