Exam Profile: VMware VCP-510

Date: Mar 12, 2012

The VCP-510 Exam is the only test that you must pass to become a VMware Certified Professional for vSphere 5.0 (VCP5). This profiles discusses how to go about pursuing this certification.

The VCP510 Exam is the only test that you must pass to become a VMware Certified Professional for vSphere 5.0 (VCP5).

To obtain your certification, in addition to passing the VCP510 Exam, VMware requires that you attend a class with a VMware Certified Instructor for vSphere 5.0 (VCI5), certified courseware, and certified lab gear. You can obtain more information about this class requirement at vmware.com/certification.

Exam Details

Types of Questions: The exam consists completely of multiple choice questions. Some questions have only one correct answer; and are indicated as such. Other questions have more than one correct answer but the question clearly indicates how many answers are correct. There are no “choose all that apply” questions on the test. There are no simulations or “drag and drop” questions.
Number of Questions: There are 85 test questions and a short pre-exam survey consisting of only 8 questions.
Passing Score: Pass/Fail. The passing score is based on a scale from 100-500, where 300 or above is passing.

A candidate who fails the exam must wait 10 business days before retaking the exam.

Time Limit: You have 90 minutes for the exam with 15 additional minutes to complete the survey questions and agreements. Candidates who take the exam in a country in which English is not a primary language will be given another 30 minutes. For these purposes, the countries in which English is considered a primary language are Australia, Belize, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, The United Kingdom, and The United States of America.
Cost: $225.00 (Costs may vary due to exchange rates and local taxes (VAT, GST))
How to Register: http://www.vue.com/vmware

Trouble Spots

At your first glance, it may look easy. After all, it’s just a multiple choice test and you only need to get a “low D” to pass! Well, don’t be lulled into a sense of false security; this is not an easy exam to pass! In my opinion, the main factor that makes this test difficult is the “somewhat diabolical psychology” used by the people who write the test questions. Since there are no simulations or “drag and drop” questions, the test makers have to devise another way to determine whether you really understand the key concepts and don’t just have rote knowledge of the facts.

To test your understanding, they build questions that are really “a question twisted within another question,” and they are very good at it! Because of this, your success in passing the test relies on very carefully reading what they are really asking you and then understanding the key concepts well enough to “untwist the question” in your mind and obtain the correct response. Their assumption is that if you can do this, you have a true working knowledge of VMware vSphere 5.0 key concepts.

Preparation Hints

My first recommendation is to schedule the test now! I know what you’re thinking: “But I haven’t even begun to study yet!” Fine; begin to study, but have a “guidepost” out there and a “looming deadline.” Don’t leave it to chance that you will have enough time to work it in one day and then schedule the test when you are ready. You will study more, and study better, after you have scheduled the test.

My second recommendation is, whenever you look at any study material; focus on five key areas, which are the following:

Configuration maximums (for anything!)
Any new feature on vSphere 5.0
Ports (they love ports!)
Tables (anything that you find in a table)
Dialog boxes (spend time so that you know what’s on each dialog box in the GUI tools of vSphere...and what’s not on them)

Recommended Study Resources

Since you will have to take a certified class with a VCI5, I highly recommend that you use him or her for your first resource. Pick that instructor’s brain while you’re in class! You will be glad that you did when you take the test.

Next, you should compare the knowledge that you have gained with the knowledge that is expected for the exam. You can do this by carefully reviewing the VCP510 Exam Blueprint. It’s available at vmware.com/certification, but I have also copied it at the bottom of this exam profile for your easy reference. In addition, The Official VCP5 Certification Guide follows the VCP510 Exam Blueprint “to the letter.”

Finally, VMware uses a special account called a MyLearn account to help you track your progress. You will need to use your MyLearn login ID, or create one, in order to see the Exam Blueprint in pdf format on the VMware website. On the same site, there is a Mock Exam that you can take to test your knowledge. You only get 25-30 questions per exam from a pool of hundreds of questions. You can take the Mock Exam as many times as you like with your MyLearn login ID associated with your email address; UNTIL you get a perfect score. My recommendation is, “Don’t get a perfect score, at least not until you’ve taken the Mock Exam a few dozen times”! Enough said?

The following study references are also recommended:

The Official VCP5 Certification Guide by Bill Ferguson
The vSphere 5 Documentation Center
Configuration Maximums for VMware vSphere 5.0

Exam Objectives

The following information provides general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.

VCP510 Exam Blueprint

Section 1—Plan, Install, Configure and Upgrade vCenter Server and VMware ESXi

Objective 1.1—Install and Configure vCenter Server

Identify available vCenter Server editions
Deploy the vCenter Appliance
Install vCenter Server into a virtual machine
Size the vCenter Server database
Install additional vCenter Server components
Install/Remove vSphere Client plug-ins
Enable/Disable vSphere Client plug-ins
License vCenter Server
Determine availability requirements for a vCenter Server in a given vSphere implementation
Determine use case for vSphere Client and Web Client

Objective 1.2—Install and Configure VMware ESXi

Perform an interactive installation of ESXi
Deploy an ESXi host using Auto Deploy
Configure NTP on an ESXi Host
Configure DNS and Routing on an ESXi Host
Enable/Configure/Disable hyperthreading
Enable/Size/Disable memory compression cache
License an ESXi host

Objective 1.3—Plan and Perform Upgrades of vCenter Server and VMware ESXi

Identify upgrade requirements for ESXi hosts
Identify steps required to upgrade a vSphere implementation
Upgrade a vNetwork Distributed Switch
Upgrade from VMFS3 to VMFS5
Upgrade VMware Tools
Upgrade Virtual Machine hardware
Upgrade an ESXi Host using vCenter Update Manager
Determine whether an in-place upgrade is appropriate in a given upgrade scenario

Objective 1.4—Secure vCenter Server and ESXi

Identify common vCenter Server privileges and roles
Describe how permissions are applied and inherited in vCenter Server
Configure and administer the ESXi firewall
Enable/Configure/Disable services in the ESXi firewall
Enable Lockdown Mode
Configure network security policies
View/Sort/Export user and group lists
Add/Modify/Remove permissions for users and groups on vCenter Server inventory objects
Create/Clone/Edit vCenter Server Roles
Add an ESXi Host to a directory service
Apply permissions to ESXi Hosts using Host Profiles
Determine the appropriate set of privileges for common tasks in vCenter Server

Objective 1.5—Identify vSphere Architecture and Solutions

Identify available vSphere editions and features
Explain ESXi and vCenter Server architectures
Explain Private/Public/Hybrid cloud concepts
Determine appropriate vSphere edition based on customer requirements

Section 2—Plan and Configure vSphere Networking

OObjective 2.1—Configure vNetwork Standard Switches

Identify vNetwork Standard Switch (vSS) capabilities
Create/Delete a vNetwork Standard Switch
Add/Configure/Remove vmnics on a vNetwork Standard Switch
Configure vmkernel ports for network services
Add/Edit/Remove port groups on a vNetwork Standard Switch
Determine use case for a vNetwork Standard Switch

Objective 2.2—Configure vNetwork Distributed Switches

Identify vNetwork Distributed Switch (vDS) capabilities
Create/Delete a vNetwork Distributed Switch
Add/Remove ESXi hosts from a vNetwork Distributed Switch
Add/Configure/Remove dvPort groups
Add/Remove uplink adapters to dvUplink groups
Create/Configure/Remove virtual adapters
Migrate virtual adapters to/from a vNetwork Standard Switch
Migrate virtual machines to/from a vNetwork Distributed Switch
Determine use case for a vNetwork Distributed Switch

Objective 2.3—Configure vSS and vDS Policies

Identify common vSS and vDS policies
Configure dvPort group blocking policies
Configure load balancing and failover policies
Configure VLAN settings
Configure traffic shaping policies
Enable TCP Segmentation Offload support for a virtual machine
Enable Jumbo Frames support on appropriate components
Determine appropriate VLAN configuration for a vSphere implementation

Section 3—Plan and Configure vSphere Storage

Objective 3.1—Configure Shared Storage for vSphere

Identify storage adapters and devices
Identify storage naming conventions
Identify hardware/dependent hardware/software iSCSI initiator requirements
Compare and contrast array thin provisioning and virtual disk thin provisioning
Describe zoning and LUN masking practices
Scan/Rescan storage
Identify use cases for FCoE
Create an NFS share for use with vSphere
Connect to a NAS device
Enable/Configure/Disable vCenter Server storage filters
Configure/Edit hardware/dependent hardware initiators
Enable/Disable software iSCSI initiator
Configure/Edit software iSCSI initiator settings
Configure iSCSI port binding
Enable/Configure/Disable iSCSI CHAP
Determine use case for hardware/dependent hardware/software iSCSI initiator
Determine use case for and configure array thin provisioning

Objective 3.2—Configure the Storage Virtual Appliance for vSphere

Define Storage Virtual Appliance (SVA) architecture
Configure ESXi hosts as SVA hosts
Configure the storage network for the SVA
Deploy/Configure the SVA Manager
Administer SVA storage resources
Determine use case for deploying the SVA
Determine appropriate ESXi host resources for the SVA

Objective 3.3—Create and Configure VMFS and NFS Datastores

Identify VMFS and NFS Datastore properties
Identify VMFS5 capabilities
Create/Rename/Delete/Unmount a VMFS Datastore
Mount/Unmount an NFS Datastore
Extend/Expand VMFS Datastores
Upgrade a VMFS3 Datastore to VMFS5
Place a VMFS Datastore in Maintenance Mode
Select the Preferred Path for a VMFS Datastore
Disable a path to a VMFS Datastore
Determine use case for multiple VMFS/NFS Datastores
Determine appropriate Path Selection Policy for a given VMFS Datastore

Section 4—Deploy and Administer Virtual Machines and vApps

Objective 4.1—Create and Deploy Virtual Machines

Identify capabilities of virtual machine hardware versions
Identify VMware Tools device drivers
Identify methods to access and use a virtual machine console
Identify virtual machine storage resources
Place virtual machines in selected ESXi hosts/Clusters/Resource Pools
Configure and deploy a Guest OS into a new virtual machine
Configure/Modify disk controller for virtual disks
Configure appropriate virtual disk type for a virtual machine
Create/Convert thin/thick provisioned virtual disks
Configure disk shares
Install/Upgrade/Update VMware Tools
Configure virtual machine time synchronization
Convert a physical machine using VMware Converter
Import a supported virtual machine source using VMware Converter
Modify virtual hardware settings using VMware Converter
Configure/Modify virtual CPU and Memory resources according to OS and application requirements
Configure/Modify virtual NIC adapter and connect virtual machines to appropriate network resources
Determine appropriate datastore locations for virtual machines based on application workloads

Objective 4.2—Create and Deploy vApps

Identify vApp settings
Create/Clone/Export a vApp
Add objects to an existing vApp
Edit vApp settings
Configure IP pools
Suspend/Resume a vApp
Determine when a tiered application should be deployed as a vApp

Objective 4.3—Manage Virtual Machine Clones and Templates

Identify the vCenter Server managed ESXi hosts and Virtual Machine maximums
Identify Cloning and Template options
Clone an existing virtual machine
Create a template from an existing virtual machine
Deploy a virtual machine from a template
Update existing virtual machine templates
Deploy virtual appliances and/or vApps from an OVF template
Import and/or Export an OVF template
Determine the appropriate deployment methodology for a given virtual machine application

Objective 4. —Administer Virtual Machines and vApps

Identify files used by virtual machines
Identify locations for virtual machine configuration files and virtual disks
Identify common practices for securing virtual machines
Hot Extend a virtual disk
Configure virtual machine options
Configure virtual machine power settings
Configure virtual machine boot options
Configure virtual machine troubleshooting options
Assign a Storage Policy to a virtual machine
Verify Storage Policy compliance for virtual machines
Determine when an advanced virtual machine parameter is required
Adjust virtual machine resources (shares, limits and reservations) based on virtual machine workloads

Section 5—Establish and Maintain Service Levels

Objective 5.1—Create and Configure VMware Clusters

Describe DRS virtual machine entitlement
Create/Delete a DRS/HA Cluster
Add/Remove ESXi Hosts from a DRS/HA Cluster
Add/Remove virtual machines from a DRS/HA Cluster
Configure Storage DRS
Configure Enhanced vMotion Compatibility
Monitor a DRS/HA Cluster
Configure migration thresholds for DRS and virtual machines
Configure automation levels for DRS and virtual machines
Create VM-Host and VM-VM affinity rules
Enable/Disable Host Monitoring
Enable/Configure/Disable virtual machine and application monitoring
Configure admission control for HA and virtual machines
Determine appropriate failover methodology and required resources for an HA implementation

Objective 5.2—Plan and Implement VMware Fault Tolerance

Identify VMware Fault Tolerance requirements
Configure VMware Fault Tolerance networking
Enable/Disable VMware Fault Tolerance on a virtual machine
Test an FT configuration
Determine use case for enabling VMware Fault Tolerance on a virtual machine

Objective 5.3—Create and Administer Resource Pools

Describe the Resource Pool hierarchy
Define the Expandable Reservation parameter
Create/Remove a Resource Pool
Configure Resource Pool attributes
Add/Remove virtual machines from a Resource Pool
Determine Resource Pool requirements for a given vSphere implementation
Evaluate appropriate shares, reservations and limits for a Resource Pool based on virtual machine workloads
Clone a vApp

Objective 5.4—Migrate Virtual Machines

Identify ESXi host and virtual machine requirements for vMotion and Storage vMotion
Identify Enhanced vMotion Compatibility CPU requirements
Identify snapshot requirements for vMotion/Storage vMotion migration
Migrate virtual machines using vMotion/Storage vMotion
Configure virtual machine swap file location
Migrate a powered-off or suspended virtual machine
Utilize Storage vMotion techniques (changing virtual disk type, renaming virtual machines, etc.)

Objective 5.5—Backup and Restore Virtual Machines

Identify snapshot requirements
Create/Delete/Consolidate virtual machine snapshots
Install and Configure VMware Data Recovery
Create a backup job with VMware Date Recovery
Perform a test and live full/file-level restore with VMware Data Recovery
Determine appropriate backup solution for a given vSphere implementation

Objective 5.6—Patch and Update ESXi and Virtual Machines

Identify patching requirements for ESXi hosts and virtual machine hardware/tools
Create/Edit/Remove a Host Profile from an ESXi host
Attach/Apply a Host Profile to an ESXi host or cluster
Perform compliance scanning and remediation of an ESXi host using Host Profiles
Install and Configure vCenter Update Manager
Configure patch download options
Create/Edit/Delete an Update Manager baseline
Attach an Update Manager baseline to an ESXi host or cluster
Scan and remediate ESXi hosts and virtual machine hardware/tools using Update Manager
Stage ESXi host updates

Section 6—Perform Basic Troubleshooting

Objective 6.1—Perform Basic Troubleshooting for ESXi Hosts

Identify general ESXi host troubleshooting guidelines
Troubleshoot common installation issues
Monitor ESXi system health
Export diagnostic information

Objective 6.2—Perform Basic vSphere Network Troubleshooting

Verify network configuration
Verify a given virtual machine is configured with the correct network resources
Troubleshoot virtual switch and port group configuration issues
Troubleshoot physical network adapter configuration issues
Identify the root cause of a network issue based on troubleshooting information

Objective 6.3—Perform Basic vSphere Storage Troubleshooting

Verify storage configuration
Troubleshoot storage contention issues
Troubleshoot storage over-commitment issues
Troubleshoot iSCSI software initiator configuration issues
Troubleshoot Storage Reports and Storage Maps
Identify the root cause of a storage issue based on troubleshooting information

Objective 6.4—Perform Basic Troubleshooting for HA/DRS Clusters and vMotion/Storage vMotion

Identify HA/DRS and vMotion requirements
Verify vMotion/Storage vMotion configuration
Verify HA network configuration
Verify HA/DRS cluster configuration
Troubleshoot HA capacity issues
Troubleshoot HA redundancy issues
Interpret the DRS Resource Distribution Graph and Target/Current Host Load Deviation
Troubleshoot DRS load imbalance issues
Troubleshoot vMotion/Storage vMotion migration issues
Interpret vMotion Resource Maps
Identify the root cause of a DRS/HA cluster or migration issue based on troubleshooting information

Section 7—Monitor a vSphere Implementation and Manage vCenter Server Alarms

Objective 7.1—Monitor ESXi, vCenter Server and Virtual Machines

Describe how Tasks and Events are viewed in vCenter Server
Identify critical performance metrics
Explain common memory metrics
Explain common CPU metrics
Explain common network metrics
Explain common storage metrics
Compare and contrast Overview and Advanced Charts
Configure SNMP for vCenter Server
Configure Active Directory and SMTP settings for vCenter Server
Configure vCenter Server logging options
Create a log bundle
Create/Edit/Delete a Scheduled Task
Configure/View/Print/Export resource maps
Start/Stop/Verify vCenter Server service status
Start/Stop/Verify ESXi host agent status
Configure vCenter Server timeout settings
Monitor/Administer vCenter Server connections
Create an Advanced Chart
Determine host performance using resxtop and guest Perfmon
Given performance data, identify the affected vSphere resource

Objective 7.2—Create and Administer vCenter Server Alarms

List vCenter default utilization alarms
List vCenter default connectivity alarms
List possible actions for utilization and connectivity alarms
Create a vCenter utilization alarm
Create a vCenter connectivity alarm
Configure alarm triggers
Configure alarm actions
For a given alarm, identify the affected resource in a vSphere implementation

Where to Go from Here

The VCP5 is a very prestigious and recognized certification; and by passing this exam you are on a path that leads to more specialized certifications such as the VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) or VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX).

There are numerous resources for VMware certification on the Internet; and a good place to start is vmware.com/certification.

Remember that a good study plan, along with some hands-on practice, is the key to your success on the exam. I wish you all the best!