VCP-VVF Admin (2V0-16.25) study plan
VCP-VVF Admin (2V0-16.25) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
vSphere and ESXi Host Configuration and Maintenance
Install two ESXi hosts in a nested lab and configure hostname, DNS, NTP, and licensing, then verify each setting from both the vSphere Client and ESXCLI
Add, disconnect, reconnect, and remove the hosts from vCenter inventory, and place a host in and out of maintenance mode while recording the task results
Configure host storage adapters and create a VMFS datastore, then confirm the path state and multipathing claim for each device
Attach a Host Profile, run a compliance check, and remediate at least three intentional drift items on one host
Document the advanced settings and claim rules you changed and explain in writing why each change was required
Your checkpoint
A host-build runbook covering both lab hosts, including a verification table of 20 host settings with confirmed values and the Host Profile compliance result before and after remediation.
vCenter Server and Identity Management
Deploy a vCenter Server Appliance with the CLI installer using an embedded database and a non-default SSO domain
Configure an AD identity source and SSO policies for password complexity, lockout, and token lifetime, then test a lockout
Add AD users and groups and assign a global permission, then verify effective permissions from a second account
Schedule a VCSA file-based backup to a server and restore the appliance, confirming inventory and SSO logins survive
Map the vCenter services and the ports they use, and confirm which service each inventory operation depends on
Your checkpoint
An identity design table mapping at least four AD groups to vCenter roles and scopes, plus a completed backup-and-restore test with the restore start and end times recorded.
Virtual Machine and Template Management
Create VMs from scratch and from OVF/OVA, setting CPU, memory, disk format, controller type, and NIC adapter type deliberately
Convert a configured VM to a template, create a Guest OS Customization specification, and deploy a customized VM from it
Perform full and linked clones and manage a snapshot chain, including consolidating an orphaned snapshot disk
Create a local content library, publish it, subscribe a second library, and deploy a VM from a library item
Configure VM advanced options for CPU/memory reservations, shares, latency sensitivity, and boot delay, then verify the effect on the resource allocation tab
Your checkpoint
A template workflow document plus one golden template, one customization spec, and a deployed VM verified against a 10-item configuration checklist.
vSphere Networking
Build a standard switch with VMkernel adapters for management, vMotion, and IP storage, and validate connectivity with vmkping on each
Create a distributed switch with port groups and migrate VM and VMkernel networking to it without downtime
Configure and compare NIC teaming and failover policies, including explicit failover order, load-based teaming, and route based on physical NIC load
Apply Network I/O Control shares and a traffic shaping policy on a distributed port group and measure the effect
Diagnose a deliberately misconfigured VLAN by comparing trunk, virtual guest tagging, and access-port tagging across standard and distributed switches
Your checkpoint
A network diagram of the lab with every vSwitch, port group, VLAN ID, uplink, and teaming policy labeled, plus a 40-question timed practice set on domains 1 through 4 scored at 80% or higher.
vSphere Storage and vSAN
Configure iSCSI and NFS datastores and verify multipathing by inspecting SATP and PSP claims for each device
Enable vSAN on a three-host cluster, claim disks, create a storage policy with a defined failures-to-tolerate setting, and confirm VM compliance
Interpret every vSAN health check and explain the remediation for any failing check
Expand a VMFS datastore and grow a virtual disk, then confirm the guest sees the new capacity
Configure Storage I/O Control and a datastore cluster with Storage DRS, and explain when each is appropriate
Your checkpoint
A storage design sheet listing four datastores (VMFS, NFS, iSCSI, vSAN) with their sizing and policy choices, plus a vSAN health summary that lists each check and its status.
Cluster, Resource, and Availability Management
Configure vSphere HA admission control under both percentage-based and slot policies and compare the resulting headroom
Enable fully automated DRS, create VM-VM and VM-host affinity rules, and confirm the rules are honored during a rebalance
Configure EVC on the cluster and explain which CPU features are masked and why
Tune resource pools, shares, and reservations, then demonstrate the effect of a reservation on admission control
Run a host-failure test and record HA restart behavior and DRS remediation actions
Your checkpoint
A failover test report documenting a pulled host in a three-node cluster, with HA restart time, DRS actions taken, and admission-control headroom before and after.
Security, Permissions, and Certificates
Design and implement a role-based permission model with propagated and non-propagated assignments at datacenter, cluster, folder, and VM levels
Configure ESXi lockdown mode and tighten firewall rule sets, then verify the impact on client access
Replace vCenter and ESXi certificates and confirm that all services restart cleanly and trust is re-established
Configure VM encryption with a key management server and an encryption storage policy, then verify an encrypted VM powers on
Forward host and vCenter logs to a remote syslog collector and export an audit trail of privileged actions
Check hosts against the vSphere hardening baseline and record which items are non-compliant
Your checkpoint
A permission matrix covering five roles across four inventory levels, plus a certificate replacement procedure validated in the lab by confirming clean service restarts.
Monitoring, Lifecycle, and Troubleshooting
Create custom vCenter alarms from triggers and symptom definitions and route them to an email action
Build a cluster image in vSphere Lifecycle Manager, run a compliance scan, introduce drift, and remediate it
Collect a support bundle and diagnose a host-disconnect event using esxcli, vmkernel.log, and vpxd.log
Read performance charts for CPU ready, memory ballooning and swapping, and disk latency to identify a contention bottleneck
Complete a 60-question timed mock exam and review the rationale for every missed item
Your checkpoint
A troubleshooting runbook with three documented incidents (host disconnect, storage all-paths-down, snapshot consolidation failure) each with symptom, root cause, and fix, plus a mock exam score log of 85% or higher.
Milestones
Week 2: Lab has a working VCSA with an AD identity source, a scheduled backup, and one successful full restore; you can state which services depend on SSO.
Week 4: Two ESXi hosts, one VCSA, one distributed switch, and three VMkernel services are running, and a 40-question timed set on domains 1 through 4 scores 80% or higher.
Week 6: A three-node cluster with HA, DRS, EVC, and vSAN has survived a deliberate host failure, with the restart time and DRS actions written down.
Week 8: A 60-question timed mock exam scores 85% or higher, and every missed item traces to a specific runbook section or lab exercise you have since completed.