VMware vRealize Automation: Advanced Features and Troubleshooting [V8.x]

Intended Audience

Experienced system administrators and system integrators responsible for using the advanced features of vRealize Automation in enterprise deployments.

Prerequisites

This course requires completion of the following course:

• VMware vRealize Install Configure Manage [V8.x]

Experience working at the command line is helpful.

This course requires that a student be able to perform the following tasks with no assistance or guidance before enrolling in this course:

• Create VMware vCenter Server® objects, such as data centers and folders
• Create a virtual machine using a wizard or a template
• Modify a virtual machine’s hardware
• Migrate a virtual machine with VMware vSphere® vMotion®
• Migrate a virtual machine with VMware vSphere® Storage vMotion®
• Configure and manage a VMware vSphere® DRS cluster with resource pools.
• Configure and manage a VMware vSphere® High Availability cluster.
• Create and deploy a simple blueprint in vRealize Automation 8.x
• Use cloudConfig in vRealize Automation blueprints
• Configure infrastructure in vRealize Automation 8.x

Outline

1. Course Introduction

• Introductions and course logistics
• Course objectives

2. Advanced Blueprints

• Use advanced YAML and cloudConfig to deploy a functioning 2-tier application with a phpMyAdmin front-end server and a MySQL database server
• Use troubleshooting techniques to debug problems in advanced YAML blueprints
• List the log files that can aid in troubleshooting blueprint deployment

3. Advanced Networking

• Use NSX-T advanced features in blueprints
• Interfacing to IPAMs
• Use NSX-T Data Center NAT in blueprints
• Use NSX-T Data Center routed networks
• Use NSX-T Data Center load balancers
• Use NSX-T Data Center security groups
• Use tags with NSX-T Data Center network profiles

4. Using vRealize Orchestrator Workflows for Extensibility

• Creating Day-2 Actions with vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Troubleshoot vRealize Orchestrator cluster issues
• Use vRealize Orchestrator to add computer objects to Active Directory when vRealize Automation deploys blueprints
• Use a tagging approach to vRealize Orchestrator workflows
• Use dynamic forms with vRealize Orchestrator

5. Using ABX Actions

• Determine when to use ABX and when to use vRealize Orchestrator
• Using ABX to create day-2 Actions
• Calling PowerShell from ABX

6. Kubernetes Administration

• Define basic Kubernetes terminologies such as pod, service, and deployment
• List various options to integrate vRealize Automation with Kubernetes
• Connect to an existing native Kubernetes cluster
• Integrate Kubernetes with VMware® Pivotal Container Service

7. Code Stream Administration

• Create and use CI/CD pipelines
• Use the Code Stream user interface
• Add states and tasks to a Code Stream pipeline

8. Integrating vRealize Automation with GitLab

• Define Git, GitLab, and GitHub
• Configure GitLab to support vRealize Automation blueprints
• Integrate vRealize Automation with GitLab
• Manage blueprints using GitLab source control

9. Configuration Management

• Describe the use case of Ansible and Ansible Tower
• Connect to Ansible Tower
• Use Ansible playbooks
• Use Puppet in configuration management

10. Clustered Deployment

• Use vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager in a clustered deployment
• Configure External Certificates
• Configure NSX-T Data Center load balancer
• Install or scale out VMware Identity Manager to support High Availability
• Install or scale vRealize Automation using clustered deployment

11. Clustered Deployment Architecture

• List of Kubernetes Pods
• The vRealize Automation Kubernetes architecture
• Relationship of Kubernetes pods to services
• Logs and their locations
• Blueprint deployment workflow with Kubernetes service interaction
• Backup strategies and potential problems

12. Troubleshooting vRealize Automation

• vracli commands and when to use them
• Check the status of Kubernetes pods and services
• Correct the state of pods and services
• Diagnose and solve vRealize Automation infrastructure problems
• Diagnose and solve vRealize Automation failures to deploy blueprints and services
• Use vRealize Log Insight to troubleshoot