Vmware Vsphere For Dummies

This guide shows you exactly how to create a virtual system using the VMware vSphere environment. Here's what you need to understand, design, and deploy one without drowning in details, plus plenty of maintenance and troubleshooting tips to keep it running smoothly.

Start here — learn what's in vSphere, how to plan what size your initial deployment should be, and everything you'll need for the project

See what's new— explore vSphere 4.1 upgrades, including more RAM, vCPUs, and guest OSs

Serve up your server — choose a system to run VMware vCenter? Server and establish a command center for your host farm

Getting up to speed see how vSphere 4.1 compares to previous versions

Size up storage options — find out whether local storage, fibre channel, Internet SCSI, or network-attached storage best fits your needs

Profile of the ideal host — discover the advantages of using host profiles even when your number of ESX hosts is small

Perfect timing — find easy ways to keep your server clocks synchronized

Open the book and find:

Enhancements and upgrades to vSphere 4.1

How to roll out vSphere effectively

Cool improvements to ESX

How vApps make management easier

Optimal specs for a machine to host vCenter Server

Troubleshooting tips

Advice on creating and cloning VM templates

Ten tools to make vSphere management easier

Dan Mitchell is Technical Director for dynamicOps and founder of www.StartsWithV.com, a Web site and blog focused on virtualization technology and the surrounding industry.
Tom keegan has been working with VMware products for ten years and is certified as a VMware VCP and a Certified Advanced Professional on vSphere 4-Datacenter Design. He is a Technical Director at Fresenius Medical Care.