Learn VMware Cloud Foundation, one step at a time
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Key
0 Start here: foundations For someone who has never touched VMware.
0.1 What virtualization is 3 reads · docs · lab 0.2 Linux and network basics 3 reads · docs 0.3 Storage basics 2 reads · docs 0.4 On-prem vs cloud 3 reads · docs
1.1 ESX, the hypervisor 1 read · docs · lab 1.2 vCenter 1 read · docs · lab 1.3 Virtual machines 3 reads · docs · lab 1.4 Virtual networking 2 reads · docs · lab 1.5 vMotion 2 reads · docs · lab 1.6 HA and DRS 2 reads · docs · lab 1.7 Resource management 1 read · docs · lab 1.8 Backups vs snapshots 2 reads · docs 1.9 Build a home lab 3 reads · lab
2.1 What VCF 9 is 4 reads · docs · lab 2.2 Fleet, instances and domains 4 reads · docs · lab 2.3 Licensing 3 reads · docs · lab
3.1 Planning and prerequisites 4 reads · docs · lab 3.2 Network design 3 reads · docs · lab 3.3 VCF Installer and management domain 4 reads · docs · lab 3.4 Management services and licence server 1 read · docs · lab 3.5 Workload domains 2 reads · docs · lab 3.6 Bring existing vSphere into VCF 6 reads · docs · lab
4.1 vSAN ESA vs OSA 3 reads · docs · lab 4.2 External storage 1 read · docs · lab
5.1 What NSX is 3 reads · docs · lab 5.2 Design and host preparation 3 reads · docs · lab 5.3 Edges and routing 4 reads · docs · lab 5.4 Segments and gateway services 2 reads · docs · lab 5.5 Security and the distributed firewall 5 reads · docs · lab 5.6 Load balancing (Avi) 3 reads · docs · lab 5.7 VPCs and multi-tenancy 1 read · docs · lab 5.8 Operations and troubleshooting 4 reads · docs · lab 5.9 Multi-site and Federation 2 reads · docs · lab
6.1 Day-2 operating model 2 reads · docs · lab 6.2 Hosts and clusters 4 reads · docs · lab 6.3 Certificates 2 reads · docs · lab 6.4 Passwords, accounts and identity 3 reads · docs · lab 6.5 Backup and restore 4 reads · docs · lab 6.6 Patching and depots 3 reads · docs · lab 6.7 Upgrading to 9.1 5 reads · docs · lab 6.8 Troubleshooting VCF 1 read · docs · lab
7
VCF Operations (monitoring)
7.1 What VCF Operations is 4 reads · docs · lab 7.2 Dashboards and alerts 3 reads · docs · lab 7.3 Capacity and cost 3 reads · docs · lab 7.4 Performance troubleshooting 2 reads · docs · lab 7.5 Logs and network insight 3 reads · docs · lab 7.6 Compliance and hardening 2 reads · docs · lab
8.1 APIs and the toolchain 4 reads · docs · lab 8.2 What VCF Automation is 4 reads · docs · lab 8.3 Tenants and projects 4 reads · docs · lab 8.4 Templates and catalog 4 reads · docs · lab 8.5 Extensibility 3 reads · docs · lab 8.6 Infrastructure as code 2 reads · docs
9.1 Kubernetes basics 3 reads · docs 9.2 What VKS is 3 reads · docs · lab 9.3 Enable the Supervisor 3 reads · docs · lab 9.4 VKS networking and load balancing 3 reads · docs · lab 9.5 VKS storage 2 reads · docs · lab 9.6 Provision and size clusters 2 reads · docs · lab 9.7 Harbor and registries 3 reads · docs · lab 9.8 Day-2 and troubleshooting 5 reads · docs · lab
10
Resilience and security
10.1 DR vs backup, RPO and RTO 2 reads · docs 10.2 VMware Live Recovery 5 reads · docs · lab 10.3 Stretched clusters and multi-site 3 reads · docs · lab 10.4 Ransomware recovery 1 read · docs · lab 10.5 Zero trust security 1 read · docs · lab
11
Migrate workloads into VCF
11.1 HCX and vMotion migration 2 reads · docs · lab 11.2 Older VCF to VCF 9 3 reads · docs
B1 Private AI Foundation 5 reads · docs · lab B2 TKGI to VKS migration 4 reads · lab B3 TKGI to OpenShift 3 reads B4 Hybrid cloud and VMware on AWS 3 reads · lab B5 Data Services Manager 3 reads · docs · lab
C1 VCF Architect (2V0-13.25) 1 read · docs C2 VCAP-VCF Administrator (3V0-11.26) 1 read · docs · lab C3 VCAP-VCF Architect (3V0-12.26) 1 read · docs · lab C4 VCAP-VKS (3V0-24.25) 2 reads · docs · lab C5 Getting your first VMware job 1 read
0.1 · Start here: foundations
What virtualization is Why companies run many virtual machines on one physical server.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What virtualization is, and why every company runs on it (VMware for Beginners, Part 1) Physical server or virtual machine: what really changes (VMware for Beginners, Part 2) Where VMware fits in 2026: still everywhere, now subscription-only (VMware for Beginners, Part 16) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
0.2 · Start here: foundations
Linux and network basics The command line, IP addresses, VLANs and how traffic moves.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Learn the Linux Command Line That Runs Every DevOps Tool (DevOps for Beginners, Part 4) What Really Happens When You Load a Website (DevOps for Beginners, Part 6) Virtual networking basics: vSwitch, port groups and VLANs (VMware for Beginners, Part 7) Official docs (Broadcom) 0.3 · Start here: foundations
Storage basics Block, file and object storage, and where VM disks live.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Datastores and storage basics: where your VMs actually live (VMware for Beginners, Part 6) Cloud Storage Explained: Object, Block and File (Cloud for Beginners, Part 6) Official docs (Broadcom) 0.4 · Start here: foundations
On-prem vs cloud Where private cloud fits next to AWS, Azure and GCP.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order On-Premises vs Cloud: What Actually Changes (Cloud for Beginners, Part 3) IaaS, PaaS and SaaS Explained in Plain English (Cloud for Beginners, Part 4) Public, Private, Hybrid and Multicloud Explained (Cloud for Beginners, Part 16) Official docs (Broadcom) 1.1 · vSphere core
ESX, the hypervisor The software installed on each server that runs VMs.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order ESXi, the hypervisor that runs your VMs (VMware for Beginners, Part 3) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
1.2 · vSphere core
vCenter The central console that manages all hosts and VMs.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What vCenter actually does (VMware for Beginners, Part 4) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
1.3 · vSphere core
Virtual machines vCPU, memory, disk, NIC; creating and managing a VM.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Anatomy of a virtual machine: vCPU, vRAM, disk and NIC (VMware for Beginners, Part 5) Create and manage a virtual machine in vSphere, step by step (VMware for Beginners, Part 13) Templates, clones and snapshots in VMware, made simple (VMware for Beginners, Part 8) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
1.4 · vSphere core
Virtual networking Standard and distributed switches, port groups, VLANs, MTU.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Virtual networking basics: vSwitch, port groups and VLANs (VMware for Beginners, Part 7) Where Do You Actually Set MTU in VCF 9? A Plain-English Guide to Jumbo Frames Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 1.5 · vSphere core
vMotion Moving a running VM between hosts with no downtime.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order vMotion: moving a running VM with zero downtime (VMware for Beginners, Part 9) Zero Downtime for AI Workloads: How VCF 9 Transforms vMotion for AI/ML Environments Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
1.6 · vSphere core
HA and DRS Restarting VMs when a host dies; balancing load across a cluster.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order vSphere HA: what happens when an ESXi host dies (VMware for Beginners, Part 10) vSphere DRS: how a cluster balances its own load (VMware for Beginners, Part 11) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
1.7 · vSphere core
Resource management Shares, limits and reservations.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Resource management in vSphere: shares, limits and reservations (VMware for Beginners, Part 12) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 1.8 · vSphere core
Backups vs snapshots Why a snapshot is not a backup, and common beginner mistakes.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VMware backups vs snapshots: what freshers get wrong (VMware for Beginners, Part 14) Common VMware mistakes beginners make, and how to avoid them (VMware for Beginners, Part 15) Official docs (Broadcom) 1.9 · vSphere core
Build a home lab Practise everything on a laptop or spare server.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Build a free VMware home lab: ESXi, vCenter and nested labs (VMware for Beginners, Part 17) VMware Cloud Foundation 9 Lab Workbook: A Beginner's End-to-End Hands-On Task List How I am turning my one laptop into a full AI and Kubernetes lab, layer by layer Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
2.1 · VCF 9 concepts
What VCF 9 is The full private cloud stack in one product.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VMware Cloud Foundation 9 Explained: The Unified Private Cloud Platform (VCF 9 Series, Part 1) What’s New in VMware Cloud Foundation 9: A Unified Leap in Private Cloud Infrastructure VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 vs 9.1: What Actually Changed What Is New in VCF 9.1 and the Case for Upgrading (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 1) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
2.2 · VCF 9 concepts
Fleet, instances and domains How VCF 9 is organised: fleet, instance, management and workload domains.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VMware Cloud Foundation 9 Architecture: Fleet, Instances and Domains Explained (VCF 9 Series, Part 2) VCF 9 Reference Architecture: Sizing, Topology and Design Trade-offs (VCF 9 Series, Part 7) VCF Design Diagrams Cheatsheet for VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 VCF 9 Multi-Instance Fleet Management Explained: One Operations Plane, Many Instances (VCF 9 Series, Part 31) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
2.3 · VCF 9 concepts
Licensing Core counting, the vSAN TiB entitlement and add-ons.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Licensing Explained: Core Counting, the vSAN TiB Entitlement and 5 Costly Mistakes (VCF 9 Series, Part 3) NSX 9 Licensing and Editions: VCF vs Standalone and the vDefend Trap (NSX Series, Part 3) VCF Automation Licensing: What the VCF Subscription Includes and What It Does Not (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 5) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 3.1 · Plan and deploy VCF
Planning and prerequisites Sizing, hardware checks and the readiness checklist.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Planning and Prerequisites: Sizing, Networking and the Readiness Checklist (VCF 9 Series, Part 4) VCF 9.x Pre-Installation Checklist: What to Verify Before You Start the VCF Installer VCF 9.1 Deployment Prerequisites and Readiness Checklist (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 2) VCF 9 Hardware: The Compatibility Traps That Stall Bring-Up (VCF 9 Series, Part 29) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
3.2 · Plan and deploy VCF
Network design VLANs, MTU, DNS and NTP, and the mistakes that break bring-up.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Network Design: 7 Mistakes That Break Your Deployment (VCF 9 Series, Part 5) VCF 9.1 Network, DNS and NTP Setup (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 3) Where Do You Actually Set MTU in VCF 9? A Plain-English Guide to Jumbo Frames Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 3.3 · Plan and deploy VCF
VCF Installer and management domain Deploying the installer and bringing up the first domain.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9.1 Deployment Overview and Component Checklist (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 1) How to Deploy the VCF Installer Appliance (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 4) How to Deploy the VCF 9.1 Management Domain (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 5) VCF 9 Management Domain Bring-Up with the VCF Installer (VCF 9 Series, Part 8) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
3.4 · Plan and deploy VCF
Management services and licence server The shared services every instance needs.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Deploy VCF Management Services and the License Server (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 6) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 3.5 · Plan and deploy VCF
Workload domains Creating separate domains for business workloads.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Create a VI Workload Domain in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 10) Deploy a VI Workload Domain in VCF 9 with VCF Operations (VCF 9 Series, Part 9) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 3.6 · Plan and deploy VCF
Bring existing vSphere into VCF Converge, import or start fresh.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Adoption Paths: When to Converge, Import or Start Fresh (VCF 9 Series, Part 12) How to Convert vSphere to VCF 9 with the Converge Workflow (VCF 9 Series, Part 13) How to Converge an Existing vSphere Environment to VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 20) How to Import a Brownfield vSphere, vSAN and NSX Environment (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 21) How to Convert an Existing vSphere 8 Environment to VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 22) Bringing Existing vSAN and NSX Under VCF 9: The Brownfield Import Requirements (VCF 9 Series, Part 14) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
4.1 · Storage (vSAN)
vSAN ESA vs OSA The two vSAN architectures and when to pick each.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order vSAN ESA vs OSA in VCF 9: Storage Design and When to Choose Which (VCF 9 Series, Part 6) How vSAN ESA Global Deduplication in VCF 9 Cuts Storage TCO by 34%? How to Expand vSAN Storage and Use vSAN ESA in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 15) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
4.2 · Storage (vSAN)
External storage Adding FC, NFS or iSCSI storage to a workload domain.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Add External Storage to a Workload Domain in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 16) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 5.1 · Networking (NSX)
What NSX is Software networking and security built into VCF.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What VMware NSX 9 Is and Where It Fits in VCF 9 (NSX Series, Part 1) NSX 9 Architecture: Management, Control and Data Planes (NSX Series, Part 2) NSX in VCF 9 Explained: Transit Gateways, VPCs and the Distributed Firewall (VCF 9 Series, Part 10) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
5.2 · Networking (NSX)
Design and host preparation Transport zones, TEPs, MTU and preparing hosts.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Design and Planning: Transport Zones, MTU, TEP Pools and EDP (NSX Series, Part 4) NSX 9 Manager Deployment and Cluster Bring-Up in VCF 9 (NSX Series, Part 5) NSX 9 Host Transport Node Prep: VDS, EDP and Verifying It Worked (NSX Series, Part 6) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 5.3 · Networking (NSX)
Edges and routing Edge clusters, Tier-0 and Tier-1 gateways, BGP.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Edge Transport Nodes and Edge Clusters: VM vs Bare-Metal (NSX Series, Part 7) NSX 9 Tier-0 Gateways and North-South Routing: BGP, ECMP and VRF (NSX Series, Part 9) NSX 9 Tier-1 Gateways and East-West Routing: DR, SR and the Hairpin Trap (NSX Series, Part 10) How to Deploy NSX Edge Clusters in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 11) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
5.4 · Networking (NSX)
Segments and gateway services Logical switches, NAT, DHCP and DNS.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Segments and Logical Switching: Overlay, VLAN and the Profiles That Bite (NSX Series, Part 8) NSX 9 NAT, DHCP and DNS Forwarder: The Gateway Services That Need the Edge (NSX Series, Part 11) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 5.5 · Networking (NSX)
Security and the distributed firewall Groups, tags, DFW rules, IDS/IPS and micro-segmentation.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Distributed Firewall Fundamentals: Categories, Applied-To and Zero Trust (NSX Series, Part 12) NSX 9 Security Groups, Tags and Dynamic Membership: Policy That Follows the Workload (NSX Series, Part 13) NSX 9 Gateway Firewall and Perimeter Policy: North-South Security at the Edge (NSX Series, Part 14) NSX 9 Micro-segmentation Design: A Zero Trust Methodology That Actually Ships (NSX Series, Part 21) How to Deploy vDefend Distributed Firewall in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 13) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
5.6 · Networking (NSX)
Load balancing (Avi) NSX native vs Avi, and deploying Avi.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Avi Load Balancer vs NSX Native Load Balancing in VCF 9: Which to Choose (VCF 9 Series, Part 11) NSX 9 Advanced Load Balancer (Avi): Architecture and How It Plugs Into NSX (NSX Series, Part 16) How to Deploy Avi Load Balancer in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 12) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
5.7 · Networking (NSX)
VPCs and multi-tenancy Projects and VPCs for self-service networking.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Multi-Tenancy: Projects vs VPCs and the Design That Holds Up (NSX Series, Part 22) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
5.8 · Networking (NSX)
Operations and troubleshooting Traceflow, alarms, overlay and DFW problems, backups.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Monitoring and Operations: Traceflow, Alarms and Operations for Networks (NSX Series, Part 18) Troubleshooting NSX 9 Connectivity and Overlay: GENEVE, MTU and the Tunnel That Will Not Come Up (NSX Series, Part 29) Troubleshooting NSX 9 DFW and Security Policy: Applied-To, Realized Rules and the Default-Rule Trap (NSX Series, Part 30) NSX 9 Backup and Restore: Config Protection, SFTP Targets and the Passphrase Trap (NSX Series, Part 19) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 5.9 · Networking (NSX)
Multi-site and Federation Stretching networks across sites.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order NSX 9 Federation and Multi-Site: Global Manager, Stretched Networking and the Latency Budget (NSX Series, Part 23) How to Configure NSX Federation Across VCF 9.1 Instances (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 20) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
6.1 · Day-2 lifecycle
Day-2 operating model Who does what, and how often.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Overview and Operating Model (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 1) Build a Day-2 Operations Runbook for VCF Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 16) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
6.2 · Day-2 lifecycle
Hosts and clusters Add, replace and remove hosts, clusters and domains.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Add ESXi Hosts to a Cluster in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 12) How to Add a Cluster to a Workload Domain in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 13) How to Replace a Failed ESXi Host in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 17) How to Decommission a Cluster or Workload Domain in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 14) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 6.3 · Day-2 lifecycle
Certificates Generating, replacing and auto-renewing certificates.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Generating Certificates End to End in VCF 9: From CSR to Auto-Renewal (VCF 9 Series, Part 36) How to Rotate Certificates in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 5) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
6.4 · Day-2 lifecycle
Passwords, accounts and identity Which account does what, password rotation, AD/SSO.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Login Accounts: Which User ID for Which Component, and What For How to Rotate Passwords and Manage Credentials in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 6) How to Integrate Active Directory and Identity Providers in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 7) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
6.5 · Day-2 lifecycle
Backup and restore Backing up SDDC Manager, vCenter and NSX, and restoring.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Configure SDDC Manager and Fleet Backups in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 8) How to Back Up vCenter and NSX Manager in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 9) How to Restore VCF 9.1 Components from Backup (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 10) VCF 9 Certificate, Identity and Backup Failures and How to Fix Them (VCF 9 Series, Part 22) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 6.6 · Day-2 lifecycle
Patching and depots Online and offline depots, async patches.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Set Up an Offline Depot for VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 4) How to Apply Async Patches and Hotfixes in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 3) VCF 9 Bundle Download Failed in SDDC Manager: Causes and Fixes Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 6.7 · Day-2 lifecycle
Upgrading to 9.1 Upgrade order, prechecks, rollback plan and troubleshooting.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9.1 Upgrade Sequence End to End and Why the Order Matters (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 7) VCF 9.1 Upgrade Prechecks and Readiness: Fixing What They Flag (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 5) VCF 9.1 Upgrade Backups and Rollback Plan Before You Touch Anything (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 6) How to Upgrade VCF 9.0 to VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 2) Troubleshooting a Stalled VCF 9.1 Upgrade and Rolling Back (VCF 9.1 Upgrade Series, Part 14) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
6.8 · Day-2 lifecycle
Troubleshooting VCF Stuck workflows, locks and where the logs are.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Troubleshooting: The Stuck Workflows, Locks and Log Trails That Actually Bite (VCF 9 Series, Part 34) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 7.1 · VCF Operations (monitoring)
What VCF Operations is The Day-2 console: data model and how to connect it.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What VCF Operations Is in VCF 9: The Day-2 Console That Replaced Aria Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 1) The VCF Operations Data Model: Objects, Metrics, Properties and Relationships (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 2) Deploying and Connecting VCF Operations: Adapters, Cloud Proxies and Data Sources (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 3) How to Set Up VCF Operations in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 7) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
7.2 · VCF Operations (monitoring)
Dashboards and alerts Useful dashboards and alerts without alert fatigue.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Dashboards in VCF Operations That Actually Get Used (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 4) Alerts and Symptoms in VCF Operations Without the Alert Fatigue (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 5) Build Custom Dashboards, Views and Reports in VCF Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 12) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
7.3 · VCF Operations (monitoring)
Capacity and cost Running-out-of-capacity, rightsizing and showback.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What Does Running Out of Capacity Mean in VCF Operations? (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 6) Rightsizing and Reclamation in VCF Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 9) Set Up Cost Visibility and Showback in VCF Operations (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 8) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
7.4 · VCF Operations (monitoring)
Performance troubleshooting Chasing contention, not utilisation.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Performance Troubleshooting in VCF Operations: Chase Contention, Not Utilization (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 7) VCF 9 Performance Tuning vs Cost Optimization: Where to Spend Your Effort (VCF 9 Series, Part 35) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
7.5 · VCF Operations (monitoring)
Logs and network insight Operations for Logs and Operations for Networks.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF Operations for Logs in the Day-2 Troubleshooting Workflow (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 11) How to Deploy VCF Operations for Logs in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 8) How to Deploy VCF Operations for Networks in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 9) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
7.6 · VCF Operations (monitoring)
Compliance and hardening Configuration drift and security baselines.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Configuration Compliance and Drift in VCF Operations: Catching Drift Before the Auditor Does (VCF 9 Operations Series, Part 10) How to Harden VCF 9.1 to Security Baselines (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 19) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
8.1 · Automation
APIs and the toolchain REST API, PowerCLI, Terraform, Ansible and tokens.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Why Automate VCF 9: The API-First Shift and What Actually Changed (Automating VCF Series, Part 1) The VCF 9 Automation Toolchain: REST API, SDK, PowerCLI, Terraform and Ansible (Automating VCF Series, Part 2) VCF 9 API Authentication: Tokens, Refresh, Service Accounts and RBAC (Automating VCF Series, Part 3) VCF 9 Automation and the API-First Stack: A Practical Runbook (VCF 9 Series, Part 32) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
8.2 · Automation
What VCF Automation is The self-service portal formerly called vRealize/Aria Automation.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What VCF Automation Is: The Product Formerly Known as vRealize Automation, in VCF 9 (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 1) VCF Automation 9 Architecture: Assembler, Service Broker, Orchestrator and How a Request Becomes a Deployment (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 2) VM Apps vs All Apps Organizations in VCF Automation: Which Model to Choose (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 3) How to Deploy VCF Automation in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 14) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
8.3 · Automation
Tenants and projects Provider org, tenant orgs and projects.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Setting Up the VCF Automation Provider Organization: Regions, IP Spaces and the Provider Gateway (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 6) Tenant Organizations in VCF Automation: Creating and Scoping Tenants (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 7) Projects in VCF Automation: Members, Roles, Resource Limits and Constraints (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 8) Multi-Tenancy at Scale in VCF Automation: Provider, Tenant and Project Design Patterns (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 24) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
8.4 · Automation
Templates and catalog Cloud templates, catalog items, forms and policies.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Writing VMware Cloud Templates in VCF Automation: Inputs, Resources and the YAML (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 12) Publishing Catalog Items with Automation Service Broker in VCF Automation (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 14) Custom Forms and Request Customization in VCF Automation (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 15) Approval, Lease and Day-2 Policies in VCF Automation: Governing the Catalog (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 16) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 8.5 · Automation
Extensibility Orchestrator workflows, ABX actions and event subscriptions.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF Operations Orchestrator in VCF Automation: Workflows for Extensibility (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 17) ABX Actions in VCF Automation: Action Based Extensibility and When to Use It (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 18) Event Broker Subscriptions in VCF Automation: Blocking, Conditions and Extensibility Patterns (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 19) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 8.6 · Automation
Infrastructure as code Terraform providers for VCF Automation and NSX.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Infrastructure as Code in VCF Automation: The vmware/vcfa Terraform Provider (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 21) NSX 9 Automation and API: The Policy API, the Hierarchical Tree and Terraform (NSX Series, Part 28) Official docs (Broadcom) 9.1 · Kubernetes (VKS)
Kubernetes basics Containers, pods and why Kubernetes exists.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Containers and Kubernetes Explained Simply (Cloud for Beginners, Part 11) What Does Kubernetes Actually Do, and When Do You Need It? (DevOps for Beginners, Part 9) Kubernetes Architecture, Networking, Storage, Service Mesh and Helm (VCAP-VKS Exam Series, Part 3) Official docs (Broadcom) 9.2 · Kubernetes (VKS)
What VKS is Supervisor, namespaces and workload clusters.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What vSphere Kubernetes Service Is and Why It Replaced TKG (VKS Series, Part 1) VKS Architecture: Supervisor, Namespaces and Workload Clusters (VKS Series, Part 2) vSphere Supervisor and VKS Architecture in VCF 9: The Reference Design (VCF 9 Series, Part 24) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
9.3 · Kubernetes (VKS)
Enable the Supervisor Turning on Kubernetes in VCF and what blocks it.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Enabling vSphere Supervisor and the VKS Runtime in VCF 9 (VKS Series, Part 3) How to Enable vSphere Supervisor and VKS in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 16) 5 Things That Block vSphere Supervisor Enablement in VCF 9 (and How to Fix Each) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
9.4 · Kubernetes (VKS)
VKS networking and load balancing NSX, VPCs, CNI and ingress choices.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VKS Networking: NSX, VPCs and the CNI Options (VKS Series, Part 6) Load Balancing and Ingress for VKS: NSX Native vs Avi (VKS Series, Part 7) Supervisor Networking with VDS, NSX Segments or VPCs and Load Balancing (VCAP-VKS Exam Series, Part 6) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
9.5 · Kubernetes (VKS)
VKS storage vSphere CSI, storage policies and persistent volumes.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VKS Storage: vSphere CSI, Storage Policies and Persistent Volumes (VKS Series, Part 8) VKS Storage Strategies with Dynamic and Static Persistent Volumes (VCAP-VKS Exam Series, Part 26) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 9.6 · Kubernetes (VKS)
Provision and size clusters ClusterClass, VM classes and node pools.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Provisioning VKS Clusters: ClusterClass and the Cluster API Workflow (VKS Series, Part 4) VKS Cluster Sizing: VM Classes, Node Pools and Control-Plane Topology (VKS Series, Part 5) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
9.7 · Kubernetes (VKS)
Harbor and registries Running a private container registry.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Harbor for Beginners, Part 1: Getting Started Harbor for Beginners, Part 3: Push Your First Image Harbor Supervisor Service and external-dns Add-on Lifecycle (VCAP-VKS Exam Series, Part 19) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 9.8 · Kubernetes (VKS)
Day-2 and troubleshooting Upgrades, GitOps, backup and failure modes.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Upgrading VKS: Kubernetes Versions, the Service and Rolling Node Replacement (VKS Series, Part 12) Deploying Applications on VKS with GitOps: Argo CD, Flux and Helm (VKS Series, Part 13) VKS Day-2 Operations: Backup, Multi-Tenancy and Capacity (VKS Series, Part 16) Troubleshooting VKS: The Failure Modes That Actually Bite (VKS Series, Part 15) Why Your VKS Cluster Upgrade Is Stuck: 5 Failure Modes in VCF 9 (and How to Unblock Them) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 10.1 · Resilience and security
DR vs backup, RPO and RTO What each protects you from and how to set targets.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Disaster Recovery vs Backup in VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 1) How Do RPO and RTO Drive Your VCF 9 Disaster Recovery Design? (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 2) Official docs (Broadcom) 10.2 · Resilience and security
VMware Live Recovery Replication, protection groups, recovery plans and DR tests.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order The VMware Live Recovery Family for VCF 9 Disaster Recovery (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 3) Set Up vSphere Replication in VCF 9 Without Wrecking Your RPO (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 4) Build Protection Groups and Recovery Plans in VCF 9 That Hold Up at Failover (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 6) Run Non-Disruptive DR Tests in VCF 9 Without Touching Production (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 8) How to Protect Workloads with VMware Live Recovery in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Day-2 Operations Step by Step Guide, Part 11) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
10.3 · Resilience and security
Stretched clusters and multi-site Two sites acting as one, and when to use DR instead.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Stretched Clusters and Multi-Site Design: Topology, Witness and the Latency Budget (VCF 9 Series, Part 30) Stretched Cluster vs Site Recovery in VCF 9: Choosing Your DR Architecture (VCF 9 Series, Part 28) How to Configure a Stretched Cluster in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 19) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 10.4 · Resilience and security
Ransomware recovery The isolated recovery environment.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Ransomware Recovery and the Isolated Recovery Environment in VCF 9 (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 10) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
10.5 · Resilience and security
Zero trust security Identity, segmentation and platform integrity.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Zero Trust Security Architecture: Identity, Segmentation and Platform Integrity (VCF 9 Series, Part 27) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) 11.1 · Migrate workloads into VCF
HCX and vMotion migration Moving VMs from old environments into VCF 9.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to Migrate Workloads into VCF 9 with HCX and vMotion (VCF 9 Series, Part 16) How to Deploy VMware HCX in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 18) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
11.2 · Migrate workloads into VCF
Older VCF to VCF 9 Upgrading in place vs a parallel new instance.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order Migrating Older VCF to VCF 9: 7 Things That Bite You in the Upgrade (VCF 9 Series, Part 15) VCF-to-VCF Migration: The Parallel-Instance Reference Architecture for VCF 9 (VCF 9 Series, Part 17) VCF 9 Cutover and Decommission: The Teardown Failures That Actually Bite (VCF 9 Series, Part 18) Official docs (Broadcom) B1 · Optional branches
Private AI Foundation Running GPUs and AI models on VCF. (30-part series)
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA Actually Is (Private AI Series, Part 1) VMware Private AI Foundation Architecture and Components, Layer by Layer (Private AI Series, Part 2) VMware Private AI Foundation Planning and Prerequisites: GPU Hosts, Drivers and Readiness (Private AI Series, Part 4) How to Deploy Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA on VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 17) GPU Partitioning for VMware Private AI: Choosing Between vGPU, MIG and Passthrough (Private AI Series, Part 6) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
B2 · Optional branches
TKGI to VKS migration Moving a TKGI estate to VKS. (26-part series)
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What VKS Is and Why TKGI Is Winding Down (TKGI to VKS Series, Part 1) TKGI to VKS Is a Migration, Not an Upgrade (TKGI to VKS Series, Part 3) Target Reference Architecture for VKS on VCF 9 (TKGI to VKS Series, Part 11) VKS Pilot Migration, One Non-Prod Cluster End to End (TKGI to VKS Series, Part 22) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
B3 · Optional branches
TKGI to OpenShift The alternative path off TKGI. (26-part series)
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What OpenShift Offers a TKGI Estate, and Why TKGI Is Winding Down (TKGI to OpenShift Series, Part 1) Why This Is a Migration, Not an Upgrade (TKGI to OpenShift Series, Part 3) Target Reference Architecture, OpenShift 4 on vSphere (TKGI to OpenShift Series, Part 11) B4 · Optional branches
Hybrid cloud and VMware on AWS Extending VCF to the hyperscalers.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCF 9 Hybrid Cloud Architecture: Extending the Private Cloud to the Hyperscalers (VCF 9 Series, Part 33) VMware on AWS in 2026: What Your Options Actually Are Should VCF 9 Disaster Recovery Run to the Cloud? (VMware Live Recovery for VCF 9, Part 11) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
B5 · Optional branches
Data Services Manager Database-as-a-service on VCF.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order What is VMware Data Services Manager (DSM) in VCF 9? How to Deploy Data Services Manager in VCF 9.1 (VCF 9.1 Deployment Step by Step Guide, Part 15) Database Self-Service in VCF Automation with Data Services Manager (VCF Automation 9 Series, Part 31) Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
C1 · Certification track
VCF Architect (2V0-13.25) Professional-level design exam.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order My VCF 9 Architect (2V0-13.25) Exam Experience Official docs (Broadcom) C2 · Certification track
VCAP-VCF Administrator (3V0-11.26) 262 hands-on lab tasks.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order 262 Hands-On Lab Tasks for the VCAP-VCF Administrator Exam (3V0-11.26) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) C3 · Certification track
VCAP-VCF Architect (3V0-12.26) 146 design exercises.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order 146 Design Exercises for the VCAP-VCF Architect Exam (3V0-12.26) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) C4 · Certification track
VCAP-VKS (3V0-24.25) Blueprint, study plan and 170 lab tasks.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order VCAP-VKS Exam Blueprint, Scoring and a Study Plan (VCAP-VKS Exam Series, Part 1) 170 Hands-On Lab Tasks for the VCAP-VKS Exam 3V0-24.25 (VCAP-VKS Exam Series, Part 35) Practise it Official docs (Broadcom) Free hands-on lab VMware Hands-on Labs are free with a Broadcom account. Search the catalog for the lab code.
C5 · Certification track
Getting your first VMware job Certs, interviews and the first role.
Read on drpranayjha.com, in this order How to break into a VMware career: certs, interviews and your first job (VMware for Beginners, Part 18)