VMware Data Center Automation with vRealize Orchestrator and vSphere PowerCLI

Intended Audience

Experienced vSphere administrators who want to use available tools to automate day-to-day tasks

Prerequisites

Completion of the following courses, or equivalent experience with vSphere deployments:

• VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage

Outline

1 Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives

2 Automation in vSphere

• Identify the tools available to vSphere administrators for automation
• Understand the benefits of automation
• Understand the function of black boxes in programming

3 vSphere Web Services API

• Identify the function of an API
• Recognize the components of the vSphere Web Services API
• Understand how the vSphere Web Services API is used by automation tools
• Understand object-oriented terminology relevant to the vSphere Web Services API
• Use the MOB to explore the vSphere object model and invoke methods

4 vSphere PowerCLI Basics

• Describe features of vSphere PowerCLI
• List common tasks to perform with vSphere PowerCLI
• Connect vSphere PowerCLI to vCenter Server and VMware ESXi™ hosts
• Define variables to use in vSphere PowerCLI
• Use basic vSphere PowerCLI cmdlets
• Describe features of the command pipeline
• Examine vSphere PowerCLI objects
• View vSphere PowerCLI object properties
• Invoke vSphere PowerCLI object methods

5 vSphere PowerCLI Use Cases

• Perform day-to-day management tasks
• Manage clusters, hosts, and virtual machines
• Display performance metrics

6 Advanced vSphere PowerCLI Concepts

• Examine View objects with the Get-View cmdlet
• Convert View objects to VIObjects
• Invoke vSphere Web Services API methods

7 vRealize Orchestrator Overview

• Describe the vRealize Orchestrator architecture and interfaces
• Describe the components of a workflow

8 vRealize Orchestrator Basics

• Understand inputs, outputs, and variables in workflows
• Describe variable types: string, number, and more
• Create variables in workflows
• Implement variable binding in workflows

9 Invoking Scheme Elements

• Invoke JavaScript from workflows
• Invoke a workflow from workflows
• Invoke an action from workflows
• Manage user workflow inputs on the input form
• Invoke a user interaction element from workflows

10 Branching and Looping

• Use decision elements in workflows
• Use switch elements in workflows
• Create decision loops in workflows
• Use a for-each loop in workflows

11 vRealize Orchestrator Advanced

• Handle exceptions in workflows
• Perform logging in workflows
• Debug workflows

12 vRealize Orchestrator Assets

• Use configuration elements in workflows
• Use resource elements in workflows
• Create, import, and export vRealize Orchestrator packages

13 vRealize Orchestrator PowerShell Plug-In

• Add PowerShell hosts to the vCenter Server inventory
• Invoke scripts on PowerShell hosts
• Create custom workflows using the PowerShell plug-in

14 Guest Operations with vRealize Orchestrator and vSphere PowerCLI

• Understand the architecture of virtual machine guest operations
• Identify the requirements for using guest operations
• Perform guest operations with vRealize Orchestrator and vSphere PowerCLI

15 Leveraging vSphere Client Code Capture

• Understand how to capture code in the vSphere Client
• Use that code in a vRealize Orchestrator workflow or vSphere PowerCLI script