Course Overview

This fast-paced course, equivalent to five days of training, provides comprehensive training on how to install, configure, and manage a VMware NSX-T™ Data Center environment. This course covers key NSX-T Data Center features and functionality offered in the NSX-T Data Center 2.4 release, including the overall infrastructure, logical switching, logical routing, networking and security services, micro-segmentation and firewalls, and so on.

Access to a software-defined data center environment is provided through hands-on labs to reinforce the skills and concepts presented in the course.

Course Objectives

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

• Describe VMware Virtual Cloud Network and the NSX-T Data Center architecture
• Describe the NSX-T Data Center components and main functions
• Explain the NSX-T Data Center key features and benefits
• Deploy and configure NSX-T Data Center infrastructure
• Configure layer 2 logical switching and bridging
• Explain the tiered routing architecture and configure gateways
• Configure advanced services such as VPN and load balancing
• Describe the NSX-T Data Center security model with micro-segmentation
• Configure Distributed Firewall and Gateway Firewall to protect east-west and north-south traffic
• Explain advanced security enforcement with partner service insertion
• Integrate VMware Identity Manager™ with NSX-T Data Center and configure Role-Based Access Control
• Gather relevant information and perform basic troubleshooting with various tools

Target Audience

• Experienced system administrators or network administrators

Course Modules

1 Course Introduction
• Introductions and course logistics
• Overview of modules and course objectives

2 VMware Virtual Cloud Network and NSX-T Data Center
• Introduce VMware’s Virtual Cloud Network vision
• Discuss NSX-T Data Center solutions, use cases, and benefits
• Explain NSX-T Data Center architecture and components
• Describe VMware NSX® product portfolio and features
• Explain the management, control, data, and consumption planes and function

3 NSX-T Data Center Infrastructure Deployment
• Describe NSX Management Cluster
• Deploy VMware NSX® Manager™ nodes on VMware ESXi™ and KVM hypervisors
• Navigate through the NSX Manager UI
• Explain data plane components such as N-VDS, transport nodes, transport zones, profiles, and more
• Perform transport node preparation and establish the data center infrastructure
• Verify transport node status and connectivity

4 NSX-T Data Center Logical Switching
• Introduce key components and terminology in logical switching
• Describe the types of L2 segments and function
• Explain tunneling and the GENEVE encapsulation
• Configure logical segments and attach hosts using NSX Manager UI
• Describe the function and types of segment profiles
• Create segment profiles and apply them to segments and ports
• Explain the function of MAC, ARP, and TEP tables used in packet forwarding
• Demonstrate L2 unicast packet flow
• Explain ARP suppression and BUM traffic handling

5 NSX-T Data Center Logical Routing
• Describe the logical routing function and use cases
• Introduce the two-tier routing architecture, topologies, and components
• Explain the Tier-0 and Tier-1 Gateway functions
• Describe the logical router components: Service Router and Distributed Router
• Discuss the architecture and function of VMware NSX® Edge™ nodes
• Discuss deployment options of NSX Edge nodes
• Configure NSX Edge nodes and create NSX Edge clusters
• Configure Tier-0 and Tier-1 Gateways
• Examine the single-tier and multitier packet flow
• Configure static routing and dynamic routing
• Enable ECMP on Tier-0 Gateway
• Describe NSX Edge HA, failure detection, and failback modes

6 NSX-T Data Center Logical Bridging
• Describe the function of logical bridging
• Discuss the logical bridging use cases
• Compare routing and bridging solutions
• Explain the components of logical bridging
• Create bridge clusters and bridge profiles

7 NSX-T Data Center Services
• Describe NSX-T Data Center services
• Explain and configure Network Address Translation (NAT)
• Explain and configure DNS and DHCP services
• Describe the load-balancing function, topologies, components, and use cases
• Configure L4-L7 load balancing
• Discuss the IPSec VPN and L2 VPN function and use cases
• Configure IPSec VPN and L2 VPN using NSX Manager UI

8 NSX-T Data Center Security
• Introduce the NSX-T Data Center security approach and model
• Describe the micro-segmentation benefits and use cases
• Describe the Distributed Firewall architecture, components, and function
• Configure Distributed Firewall sections and rules
• Describe the Gateway Firewall architecture, components, and function
• Configure Gateway Firewall sections and rules
• Describe Network Introspection service insertion for east-west and north-south security
• Describe Endpoint Protection and use cases
• Discuss the integration and benefits of partner security solutions with NSX-T Data Center

9 User and Role Management
• Describe the function and benefits of VMware Identity Manager in NSX-T Data Center
• Integrate VMware Identity Manager with NSX-T Data Center
• Identify the various types of users, authentication policies, and permissions
• Use Role-Based Access Control to restrict user access
• Explain the built-in roles in VMware Identity Manager and role assignment to users

10 NSX-T Data Center Basic Troubleshooting
• Introduce the troubleshooting methodology and process
• Use various methods to collect local and remote log files
• Describe troubleshooting tools, such as IPFIX, Traceflow, Packet Capture, SPAN, and so on
• Solve basic problems related to installation, switching, routing, and firewalls
• Use CLI commands to verify the component configuration and status in NSX-T Data Center