VMware HCX: Deploy, Configure, Manage

By the end of the course, you should be able to meet the following objectives:

• Describe the workload mobility challenges that VMware HCX addresses
• Recognize uses cases for VMware HCX
• Describe the HCX management plane and data plane components
• Describe the services provided by HCX and recognize the HCX appliances deployed to support each service
• Deploy HCX Cloud and HCX Connector and configure site-pairing
• Use network and compute profiles to deploy the HCX Service Mesh
• Explain the use cases and benefits of HCX+
• Perform site onboarding and configuration on HCX+
• Describe and configure HCX Network Extension
• Describe the Traffic Engineering and WAN Optimization capabilities of HCX
• Differentiate between HCX migration types and their use cases
• Use VMware HCX to implement a business continuity strategy
• Manage the lifecycle of VMware HCX

The course has the following required prerequisites:

• VMware NSX: Install, Configure, Manage [V4.0] or equivalent strong networking experience.
• VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V8]
• Disaster recovery and business continuity fundamentals.

1 Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives

2 Introduction to VMware HCX

• Describe the workload mobility challenges that VMware HCX addresses
• Recognize uses cases for VMware HCX
• Describe the VMware HCX uses cases related to application migration, upgrades or re-platforms, workload rebalancing, and business continuity and protection

3 HCX Architecture

• Describe the HCX management plane and data plane components
• Distinguish between the types of HCX Manager deployments
• Explain the role of HCX Cloud and HCX Connector
• Describe site-pairing at the management plane level
• Describe the services provided by HCX
• Recognize the HCX appliances deployed to support each HCX service
• Explain HCX Service Mesh and its benefits

4 HCX Deployment

• Identify the type of environments that can be interconnected in HCX
• Explain the different deployment topologies for HCX
• Deploy HCX Cloud on SDDC and on the public cloud
• Deploy HCX Connector on-premises
• Establish site pairing between the source and destination sites
• Troubleshoot common HCX Manager deployment and site pairing problems

5 Service Mesh Deployment

• Use network and compute profiles to deploy the HCX Service Mesh
• Recognize different types of Service Mesh topologies
• Identify and troubleshoot common issues with Service Mesh deployments

6 HCX+

• Explain the use cases and benefits of HCX+
• Perform site onboarding and configuration on HCX+

7 HCX Network Extension

• Explain the functionality, benefits and use cases of HCX Network Extension
• Compare HCX Network Extension with other L2 extension solutions
• Distinguish between HCX Network Extension topologies
• Describe the benefits of HCX Network Extension High Availability
• Create a network extension and validate its configuration
• Describe the benefits of Mobility Optimized Networking (MON)
• Configure a HCX Network Extension with MON
• Identify and troubleshoot common issues with HCX Network Extension and MON

8 Traffic Engineering and WAN Optimization

• Describe the benefits and used cases of Traffic Engineering and WAN Optimization
• Configure Traffic Engineering and WAN Optimization

9 Workload Mobility

• Identify the different phases of an HCX migration
• Differentiate between HCX migration types and their use cases
• Describe the workflow for HCX Cold and vMotion migrations.
• Explain the considerations and limitations of HCX Cold and vMotion migrations
• Perform HCX Cold and vMotion migrations
• Describe the workflow for Bulk Migrations and Replication Assisted vMotion migrations
• Explain the considerations and limitations of Bulk Migrations and Replication Assisted vMotion migrations
• Perform Bulk Migrations and Replication Assisted vMotion migrations
• Describe the workflow for HCX OS Assisted migrations
• Explain the considerations and limitations of HCX OS Assisted migrations
• Perform HCX OS Assisted migrations
• Identify and troubleshoot common issues with HCX migrations

10 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

• Explain disaster recovery concepts and considerations
• Use VMware HCX to implement a business continuity strategy
• Identify and troubleshoot common issues with HCX Disaster Recovery

11 HCX Lifecycle Management

• Backup and restore the HCX Manager
• Upgrade HCX components