table of contents · vrealize operations is integrated with vmware identity manager which we will...

Table of ContentsLab Overview - HOL-2001-02-CMP - vRealize Operations - Optimize the Performance ofYour vSphere Environment................................................................................................ 2

Lab Guidance .......................................................................................................... 3Module 1 - Optimize Workloads Based on Business or Operational Intent (60 minutes) ...9

Introduction........................................................................................................... 10Log in to the vRealize Operations Live Instance.................................................... 11Optimize Performance based on Workload............................................................ 15Cluster Based Business Intent............................................................................... 41Host Based Business Intent................................................................................... 63Automating Performance Optimization ................................................................. 81Conclusion............................................................................................................. 87

Module 2 - Rightsize the Configuration of Oversized or Undersized VMs (15 minutes) ...88Introduction........................................................................................................... 89Log in to the vRealize Operations HVM Instance................................................... 90Optimize Performance - Rightsizing Dashboard Overview ....................................93Using Views to Identify Undersized and Oversized VMs ......................................106Conclusion........................................................................................................... 114

Module 3 - vSphere Optimization Recommendations (15 minutes) ..............................115Introduction......................................................................................................... 116Log in to the vRealize Operations HVM Instance................................................. 117vSphere Optimization Recommendations ........................................................... 120Conclusion........................................................................................................... 131

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Lab Overview -HOL-2001-02-CMP -

vRealize Operations -Optimize the Performance

of Your vSphereEnvironment

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Lab GuidanceUsing vRealize Operations 7.5, we are going to take you through the optimizationcontent for a vSphere environment. The modules will take you through the assessmentof vSphere performance, balancing workloads across clusters, Cluster and Host BasedBusiness Intent, and right-sizing under-utilized and over-utilized virtual machines.

After completing the lab modules, you will be better prepared to navigate the vRealizeOperations console when evaluating performance.

Lab Module List:

• Module 1 - Optimize Workloads Based on Business or Operational Intent(60 minutes)

• Module 2 - Rightsize the Configuration of Oversized or Undersized VMs(15 minutes)

• Module 3 - vSphere Optimization Recommendations (15 minutes)

Lab Captains:

• Modules 1-3 - Ian Smith, Sr. Cloud Management Specialist SE, USA

This lab manual can be downloaded from the Hands-on Labs Document site found here:

http://docs.hol.vmware.com

This lab may be available in other languages. To set your language preference and havea localized manual deployed with your lab, you may utilize this document to help guideyou through the process:

http://docs.hol.vmware.com/announcements/nee-default-language.pdf

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http://docs.hol.vmware.com/

http://docs.hol.vmware.com/announcements/nee-default-language.pdf

Location of the Main Console

1. The area in the RED box contains the Main Console. The Lab Manual is on the tabto the Right of the Main Console.

2. A particular lab may have additional consoles found on separate tabs in the upperleft. You will be directed to open another specific console if needed.

3. Your lab starts with 90 minutes on the timer. The lab can not be saved. All yourwork must be done during the lab session. But you can click the EXTEND toincrease your time. If you are at a VMware event, you can extend your lab timetwice, for up to 30 minutes. Each click gives you an additional 15 minutes.Outside of VMware events, you can extend your lab time up to 9 hours and 30

minutes. Each click gives you an additional hour.

Alternate Methods of Keyboard Data Entry

During this module, you will input text into the Main Console. Besides directly typing itin, there are two very helpful methods of entering data which make it easier to entercomplex data.

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Click and Drag Lab Manual Content Into Console ActiveWindow

You can also click and drag text and Command Line Interface (CLI) commands directlyfrom the Lab Manual into the active window in the Main Console.

Accessing the Online International Keyboard

You can also use the Online International Keyboard found in the Main Console.

1. Click on the Keyboard Icon found on the Windows Quick Launch Task Bar.

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Click once in active console window

In this example, you will use the Online Keyboard to enter the "@" sign used in emailaddresses. The "@" sign is Shift-2 on US keyboard layouts.

1. Click once in the active console window.2. Click on the Shift key.

Click on the @ key

1. Click on the "@ key".

Notice the @ sign entered in the active console window.

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Activation Prompt or Watermark

When you first start your lab, you may notice a watermark on the desktop indicatingthat Windows is not activated.

One of the major benefits of virtualization is that virtual machines can be moved andrun on any platform. The Hands-on Labs utilizes this benefit and we are able to run thelabs out of multiple datacenters. However, these datacenters may not have identicalprocessors, which triggers a Microsoft activation check through the Internet.

Rest assured, VMware and the Hands-on Labs are in full compliance with Microsoftlicensing requirements. The lab that you are using is a self-contained pod and does nothave full access to the Internet, which is required for Windows to verify the activation.Without full access to the Internet, this automated process fails and you see this

watermark.

This cosmetic issue has no effect on your lab.

Look at the lower right portion of the screen

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Please check to see that your lab is finished all the startup routines and is ready for youto start. If you see anything other than "Ready", please wait a few minutes. If after 5minutes your lab has not changed to "Ready", please ask for assistance.

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Module 1 - OptimizeWorkloads Based on

Business or OperationalIntent (60 minutes)

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IntroductionThis module will take us through Workload Optimization. Workload Optimization is themain component of your self-driving datacenter. The idea behind a self-drivingdatacenter is you just define your business and operational intent and then take yourhands off the wheel and let vRealize Operations drive. It will monitor the environmentand, when the datacenter deviates from its optimal state, it can quickly make changesto your environment that optimize your resources all while honoring your business andoperational intent. Simple and hassle free!

Business Intent allows you to define zones of infrastructure within cluster boundaries.For example, you can ensure that during workload optimization actions, Windows VMsare moved only to Windows-licensed clusters and Oracle VMs are moved only to Oracle-licensed clusters. Alternatively, you can create categories and tags based on VM-to-host relationships.

Operational Intent allows you to define your utilization objective. The indicates themain attribute of your current automation policy settings. Values are moderate,consolidate, or balance.

In this module we will go through the following during the scenario:

• Configuring Workload Optimization• Viewing DRS Summaries• Using Workload Optimization• Operational Intent• Cluster Based and Host Based Business Intent• Workload Automation Policy Settings• Managing Optimization Schedules

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Log in to the vRealize Operations LiveInstanceThis lab environment is running two different instances of vRealize Operations and oneinstance of vRealize Log Insight. We have the different vRealize Operations instances inorder to be able to work through different use cases that have unique requirements. Thelab instances are as follows:

• Live Instance: Connected to the small running vSphere environment in the lab.There isn't a large inventory of objects in this instance but it allows us to interactwith vCenter Server.

• Historical View Mode (HVM) Instance: Running a time loop of data that wascaptured in the past. This instance has a much larger inventory of objects but,since it is not currently connected to a vCenter Server, we cannot perform anyactions here.

In this lesson we will be using the live Instance of vRealize Operations.

If you are not currently logged into any instance of vRealize Operations, continue to thenext page.

If you are already logged into the live (not historical) instance of vRealize Operations,click to skip ahead.

Open the Chrome Browser from Windows Quick LaunchTask Bar

If your browser isn't already open, launch Google Chrome

1. Click the Chrome icon on the Windows Quick Launch Task Bar

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Open the vRealize Operations - Live Instance Tab

The browser home page has links to the different instances of vRealize Operations thatare running in the lab.

1. Click the vRealize Operations - Live Instance link to open the vRealizeOperations UI in a new browser tab

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Log in to vRealize Operations

vRealize Operations is integrated with VMware Identity Manager which we will use foruser authentication in this lab.

VMware Identity Manager should be pre-selected as the identity source. However, if it isnot you will choose it.

1. Click the drop-down arrow2. Select VMware Identity Manager3. Click REDIRECT to take you to the authentication page

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VMware Identity Manager Login

For this vRealize Operations instance, the lab uses VMware Idenity Manager as theauthentication provider. This allows for seamless integration with vRealize Log Insight.

The user and password information should already be filled in. However, if needed typethem in.

username: holuser

password: VMware1!

1. Click Sign in

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Optimize Performance based onWorkloadIn this lesson we will work our way through Workload Optimization. WorkloadOptimization allows virtual compute resources and their file systems to movedynamically across datastore clusters within a data center or custom data center.

Using Workload Optimization, you can rebalance virtual machines and storage acrossclusters, relieving demand on an overloaded individual cluster and maintaining orimproving cluster performance. You can also set your automated rebalancing policies toemphasize VM consolidation, which potentially frees up hosts and reduces resourcedemand.

Workload Optimization further enables you potentially to automate a significant portionof your data center compute and storage optimization efforts. With properly definedpolicies determining the threshold at which resource contention automatically runs anaction, a data center performs at optimum.

Go to Home

You should be on the 'Home' tab which will show you the vRealize Operations QuickStart page. The Quick Start page provides an overview of key areas of vRealizeOperations Manager. If you are not on this page:

1. Click on Home

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Workload Optimization

Under Optimize Performance:

1. Click Workload Optimization

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Datacenter Selection

On this screen we can see our list of datacenters. In our case, we only have onedatacenter listed called 'Regional Datacenter'. We can immediately see that it currentlyshows as 'Not Optimized'.

1. Click on Not Optimized to open the Workload Optimization details for thisDatacenter

Optimization Recommendation

The first of the 3 widgets we see on the screen is entitled ‘OptimizationRecommendation’, the status is ‘Not Optimized’ and we’re given the recommendation toset DRS to fully automated.

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We require DRS to be enabled to allow clusters to be more optimized. WorkloadOptimization works across multiple clusters, and as of vRealize Operations 7.5 it caneven optimize across vCenters!

The widget below ‘Optimization Recommendation’ is where we can configure the DRSsettings per cluster which we'll do in the next step.

Refresh Button

1. Just a note before going further. For the upcoming instructions, we may need toperform a refresh. Use the circular arrow as identified above to refresh thecontent on the display.

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Clusters to configure

Scroll down to view the DRS settings.

We can see in the DRS Settings that Cluster-02 is configured to ‘Manual’ with aMigration Threshold set to ‘Default’

1. Expand the column if necessary to view the entire cluster name as shown in thescreenshot above.

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Set DRS Automation

1. Select the first row for Cluster-022. Click on SET DRS AUTOMATION

Set Automation Level

In order to set the DRS automation level to Fully Automated:

1. Click the drop-down arrow and select Fully Automated2. Click BEGIN ACTION

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Task ID

You will see a pop up window with the Task ID. Your ID will be different than the onedisplayed.

1. Click on the Task ID link to go view the details of the Task ID.

The Task

You are now in the ‘Recent task’ view where you can inspect the process you justinitiated. You should see that the task has completed and the result is a success. Youmay need to click on the refresh icon at the top right of the vRealize Operationsinterface to refresh the display.

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1. Verify that status shows completed.2. Click the vRealize Operations BACK button.

Optimize Now

With both clusters set to ‘Fully Automated’ and ‘Default’ Migration threshold, the‘Optimization Recommendation’ will let us know that we can optimize our Datacenter bymoving workloads. You may need to click on the refresh icon at the top right of thevRealize Operations interface to refresh the display.

1. Click OPTIMIZE NOW

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Before and After

The ‘Optimize Placement’ process will take a little bit of time so allow it to complete.Once completed, you will see before and after results. Pay attention to the CPU and

Memory workloads in the before and after values. This gives us an indication of theresource utilization once the optimization is complete.

In this screenshot, the memory is not balanced before the optimization. After theoptimization is completed, memory will be more balanced between the two clusters.

Note: After we click NEXT, on the next screen we will review the data and then cancel tomake some further changes.

1. Click NEXT

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Review Moves

On the next screen, we see the moves that are about to happen. Before we make anychanges, we are going to go back and change the Migration Threshold settings for DRSso we can see how those changes might affect the optimization placement results.

Note, your screen may list 2 machines that will be moved. When the HOL Environmentstarts up, the cluster usage is higher than usual due to all the starting VMs and services.As we make our way through the the next few steps, it will allow the cluster usage to

get back down to a normal level.

1. Click CANCEL.

Migration Threshold

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For the previous setting, we were using the default migration threshold for DRS. Let'stake a look at the results with a higher migration threshold setting. For the DRSSettings, change the Migration Threshold from ‘Default’ to ‘Aggressive’.

For each cluster listed, select one at a time and set the DRS Automation level.

1. Select one of the clusters2. Click SET DRS AUTOMATION

Aggressive Migration Threshold

1. Change the Migration Threshold to ‘Aggressive’.2. Click BEGIN ACTION.

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Another Task ID

1. Click on the Task ID link to review the Task progress.

Task Details

You may need to refresh the browser to see the process update.

1. Verify that status shows Completed,2. Click the vRealize Operations BACK button.

NOTE: Remember to configure the same Aggressive Migration Thresholdsetting for the other cluster.

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Once the second cluster is modified, watch the Task like we did earlier toconfirm the process has completed. Again, use the circular arrow in the top-right to refresh the display.

DRS Settings Updated

The DRS setting for both clusters should now match the graphic (Fully Automated andAggressive). If they do not, may need to use the circular arrow in the top-right to refreshthe display.

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Operational Intent

In the center of the Workload Optimization screen, you will see ‘Operational Intent’

In ‘Operational Intent’ we can configure how workload placement occurs across multipleclusters. In this widget, we show three clusters. Above the clusters, we see themessage ‘Utilization Objective: Balance.’ For the current setting, workload optimizationwill attempt to keep all clusters in the datacenter as equally utilized as possible.

1. Click EDIT on the Operational Intent Widget.

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Workload Automation Policy Settings

In the ‘Workload Automation Policy Settings’ window, there are 2 categories:

• Workload Optimization• Cluster Headroom

We will go through each of these settings. You may need to unlock the settings.

1. Click on the lock icon to toggle between locked and unlocked.

Make sure each are unlocked.

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By sliding the Workload Optimization setting to the right, we can configure workloadplacement to be more aggressive in its consolidation. This will place the workloads intoas few clusters as possible.

By sliding it to the middle setting, we can set it to minimize performance issues bymaking only the required changes to minimize contention, but it will not attempt tomove workloads to achieve greater balance or consolidation. This setting will reduce therequired number of workload vMotions in your environment.

Sliding the lever to the left will configure workload optimization to be more balanced.This will better ensure that each cluster in the selected datacenter has a more equal

workload to the other clusters.

1. Slide the lever to the middle 'Moderate' setting.

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Cluster Headroom

Cluster headroom can be configured to allow for a buffer in clusters. A zero setting tellsthe configuration that it can use all the resources in the cluster. Sliding the lever to theright will increase the amount of space to save as a buffer. In our case, since we'reworking in a small environment, we'll leave the headroom at zero.

1. Click SAVE

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Optimize Now

Now that both clusters are Fully Automated with an Aggressive Migration Threshold andwe have set our desired Utilization Objective to Moderate, we will run the optimizationprocess again.

1. Click OPTIMIZE NOW

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Before and After

Examine the Before and After results. Notice our clusters are nearly the same as before.

Even though we have made changes to DRS, each cluster still has the same utilization.DRS is working within the cluster and not across multiple clusters. The settings we

have modified will ensure that each cluster will work to stay more balanced. Withworkload optimization, we will allow the virtual machines to be placed in differentclusters allowing for better resource utilization.

1. Click NEXT

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Review Moves

Examine the moves that will be performed if we accept the optimization settings. In thiscase, only one VM will be moved from Cluster-02 to Cluster-01 to reduce the memorydemand on Cluster-02.

1. Click BEGIN ACTION to begin the Workload Optimization.

Another Task ID

1. Click on the Task ID link to review the Task progress

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Task Details

You may need to refresh the browser to see the process update.

1. Verify that status shows Completed,2. Click the vRealize Operations BACK button.

Open vCenter Client to Review the Changes

Now we can open the vSphere client and review the changes that have been made.

1. Click on the Hands On Labs Launch Page tab

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Open vCenter Client

From the Hands On Labs Launch Page:

1. Click vSphere Client

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Login to vCenter

The vSphere Client will open in a new Chrome Browser tab.

1. Click the checkbox to select "Use Windows session authentication"2. Click Login

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Expand Recent Tasks

1. At the bottom of the screen, click 'Recent Tasks' to expand the Recent TasksWindow.

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Review Moves in vSphere Client

Looking in our vSphere Client, we can see the changes that were made during thevRealize Operations Workload Optimization.

1. We can see in the recent tasks, that the VM vMotion was performed andcompleted successfully.

2. Notice the location of VM web-01a, previously it was on Cluster-02 but has nowbeen relocated to Cluster-01 to balance the clusters.

Lesson End

If there is any work to do, you will see the before and after recommendations screen. Ifthe datacenter is balanced based on the settings, you will see that the selectedcontainers are Optimized and cannot be improved.

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It is possible to create custom Datacenters, assign selected clusters to that customDatacenter and perform workload optimization specific to that object.

It is also possible to automate the Workload Optimization process. We'll coverAutomating Performance Optimization later in this module.

This is a very powerful and agile tool. The ability to have an environment where virtualmachines can run where the resources exist. End users don't care where their resourcescome from. This gives an administrator the ability to fully utilize hosts and possiblyremove under-utilized hosts from contracts or service.

Next we will look at how to configure both Cluster and Host Based Business Intent.

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Cluster Based Business IntentIn this lesson, we will go over how to Optimize Workloads based on Cluster BasedBusiness Intent in vRealize Operations 7.5. You can use vCenter Server tagging to tagVMs and associated clusters, respectively, with specific tags. These tags define - for agiven cluster - the set of VMs that is placed within that cluster and remains within thecluster. When the system runs an optimization action, it uses VM-to-cluster tagmatching to ensure that VMs are moved to - or stay with - the appropriate cluster.

The tagging approach enables you to define zones of infrastructure within clusterboundaries. For example, you can ensure that during workload optimization actions,Windows VMs are moved only to Windows-licensed clusters and Oracle VMs are movedonly to Oracle-licensed clusters. Similarly, you can enable tiers of service in anapplication, where "Tier 1" VMs are moved only to Tier 1 clusters running business-critical applications. Other examples include separating VMs according to OS, orcreating network boundaries.

VMs and clusters can be tagged with more than one tag. VMs with multiple tags areplaced only on clusters with all matching tags.

To begin this lesson, let's go confirm our settings in vCenter.

Open vCenter

Before we configure Cluster Based Intent in vRealize Operations, let's review the tagswe have set in vCenter and what we will be testing in this module.

1. If you are not currently in vCenter, Click the vSphere Client tab to return to theclient

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If you are not completing the Lab modules in order you may not have this tab. If you donot have this tab open, return to the Hands On Labs Launch Page Tab or open a new taband click the link in the bookmarks bar for "vSphere Client".

Login to vCenter

Log back in to vCenter if your previous session has expired or you opened a new tab.


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View Tags

Once you are logged into vCenter server, we will examine some tags that we havealready created for this exercise.

1. Click on Menu2. Click Tags & Custom Attributes

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Performance Tier Tags

For this lesson, we have already created four tags. You should see Windows and Linuxtags in the OS Licensing category. We also have the Performance Tier category withtags Gold and Silver. For this lesson we are going to use the Performance Tier tags.

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Hosts and Clusters

Navigate to the Hosts and Clusters section

1. Click on Menu2. Click on Hosts and Clusters

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Cluster Tags - Cluster-01

We have assigned tags to both clusters Cluster-01 and Cluster-02. Here we will see thetags associated with Cluster-01.

1. Click on Cluster-012. In the Tags widget on the right hand side you will see the tags Gold and Silver in

the Category Performance Tier

Cluster Tags - Cluster-02

Now let's see the tags associated with Cluster-02.

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1. Click on Cluster-022. In the Tags widget on the right hand side you will see the tag Silver in the

Category Performance Tier

To review, we see that Cluster-01 is tagged with Performance Tier = Silver AND Gold.Cluster-02 is only tagged only with Silver. For this lesson we will assume that Cluster-01is running on better hardware and therefore all critical (Gold) workloads should runthere. Cluster-01 can also run non-critical (Silver) workloads if it has capacity to do so.Cluster-02 should only be running non-critical (Silver) workloads.

Virtual Machine Tags

1. Click on the VM core-A2. Scroll down to the bottom of the Summary page in the right pane and view the

assigned Performance Tier tag is Gold

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Review vSphere Tags

For reference here is a table of the workloads with associated Performance Tier tags. Asyou can see in the highlighted row and as we saw in vCenter, the VM 'core-A' is a goldtagged workload on a Silver tier cluster. Also note that the VM 'web-servers' is nottagged at all, we'll revisit this later in the lesson.

Additionally, it's important to note that if the Cluster-01 cluster was to experiencecontention, the Silver tagged workload (web-01a) would be moved to Cluster-02 first toensure service levels for that cluster.

Now let's return to vRealize Operations to configure our Cluster Based Business Intent.

Return to vRealize Operations

1. Click on the vRealize Operations tab to return to the vRealize Operationsconsole

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Return to Home

1. If you are not on the vRealize Operations Home Screen, click the Home Tab.


1. Click Workload Optimization.

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Edit Business Intent

1. Notice that our Datacenter is showing as Optimized (If it's not, you may need torefresh the screen)

2. Select EDIT under Business Intent

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Configure Business Intent

Now let's configure our Cluster Based Business Intent. Notice we also have the option toconfigure Host Based Business Intent, we'll cover that in next lesson.

vRealize Operations provides several preset categories at the Business IntentWorkspace: Operating System, Environment, Tier, Network, and Other. Thesecategories represent potential business intent in gathering VMs into variousassociations. You are free to remove a category or add a new one that works for yourenvironment.

For this lesson, we'll be using the Tier category.

1. Select Clusters radio dot

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2. Open Tier Category

Workload Tier Grouping

Now let's select our Silver and Gold Performance Tier Tags and include them in thepolicy.

1. Select Performance Tier in the drop down category2. Select Silver in the tag dropdown3. Select INCLUDE TAG4. Select the Gold tag and INCLUDE TAG again

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Enable Movement Prioritization

1. Select Enable Prioritization2. Note how the Tag groupings now have a number next to them. The tag with the

higher priority moves last. In this use-case we actually want to move the goldworkloads first.

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Change Tag Priority

1. Select Tier - Gold and drag it on top of Tier - Silver so it looks like thescreenshot above

2. Click Save

See Violations

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As a result of the Business Intent on Tier workloads, we can see the tag violations easilyby selecting 'See violations'. Notice we see 2 violations, one violation for the GoldPerformance Tier tag and one for the Silver Performance Tier tag.

1. Select See Violations

View Violated Tags

Now let's review the tags and VMs that are triggering these 2 violations. Notice we seeour VM 'core-A' that we examined earlier, this is the Gold Tagged VM that is currentlyresiding on a SIlver Tagged Cluster.

Also notice that Cluster Based Business Intent is showing a Tag Violation because of anuntagged VM. It's important to note that when using Cluster Based Business Intent, anyuntagged VMs would be moved to Clusters that are also untagged. In this case, theviolation is telling us that we have an untagged VM residing on a Silver Tagged Cluster.

Since we don't have an untagged cluster for this 'web-servers' VM to be moved to, let'sadd a Performance Tier Tag to this VM to clear this violation.

1. You may need to expand the column to see all the violated tags.

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Return to vCenter

1. Click the vSphere Client tab to return to the client

Virtual Machine Tags

1. Click on the VM web-servers2. Scroll down to the bottom of the Summary page in the right pane and view the

Tags window

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3. Click Assign

Add Missing Virtual Machine Tag

The VM 'web-servers' is residing on Cluster-02 which if you remember from above, was aSilver Tagged Cluster. So let's assign the Silver Performance Tier Tag to this VM.

1. Select the Performance Tier - Silver tag2. Click ASSIGN


Now that we've corrected the untagged VM violation, let's return to vRealize Operationsto continue configuring our Cluster Based Business Intent.

1. Click back on the vRealize Operations tab in Chrome

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Optimize Now

1. Select Optimize Now

If the Optimize Now button is greyed out, you may have to refresh the page.

Before And After

Here we can see the before and after optimization summary.

1. Select Next

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Review Moves

1. Now we can see what moves are occurring and why under the Reason column2. Select Begin Action

Optimize Clusters Message

1. Select OK

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Refresh vRealize Operations

1. Select the refresh button

Note that it may take a minute or 2 for the datacenter to show the updated status ofOptimized.

Review Optimization Changes

Review the following areas to better understand Workload Optimization Status

1. Now we have an Optimized Datacenter2. We are moving workloads to other clusters based on our Utilization Objective and

Tier Business Intent3. The Green Mark indicates this policy is configured and active4. In this area we see the new workload % in each cluster

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Review Optimization History

1. Select History to review the Workload Optimization Moves

WLP Process History

In this History screen we can review the time of the Workload Placement. On the lowerright you can see a dot where the moves occurred.

1. Click the dot to review the details

WLP Process Detail

Here we can see where the Start of the moves occurs and how many workloads weremoved. Note how this also indicates that this is not an automated process. This history

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screen would be a valuable screen to review once you turn on automation for WorkloadPlacement.

Lesson End

This concludes the process of learning how to configure and use Cluster Based BusinessIntent.

Thank You

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Host Based Business IntentIn addition to Cluster Based Business Intent which we covered in the last lesson, we alsohave the capability to apply business intent rules to an individual or group of hosts. Thiseffectively allows you to systematically apply vCenter affinity rules with business intenttags at scale! Use host-based VM placement to tie your VMs more closely to yourinfrastructure. By using vCenter Server to tag hosts and VMs with specific tags, youmake certain that when the system runs an optimization, it uses VM-to-host tagmatching to ensure that VMs are moved to - or stay with - the appropriate host.

The tagging approach enables you to define zones of infrastructure within clusterboundaries. VM-to-host tagging, for example, allows you to tag VMs and hosts to assurethat Windows VMs are moved only to Windows-licensed hosts and Oracle VMs aremoved only to Oracle-licensed hosts.

To begin this lesson, let's go confirm our settings in vCenter.

Open vCenter

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If you completed the last lesson, you should still have vCenter open in a separate tab. Ifnot,

1. We can open vCenter by using the vSphere Client link on the HOL-2001 LabLinks Page

2. Or we can use the vSphere Client link in the bookmarks bar.

Login to vCenter


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Review VM Settings

1. Select the VM core-B2. Note which host this VM is placed on3. Scroll down to view the VM properties

Review VM Tags

See here how we have two assigned tags. For this lesson, we are focusing on the OSLicensing Tag Category, and we can see the assigned tag is Linux.

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Review Host Tags

1. Select esx-02a.corp.local since core-B is currently on that host2. Note that on the Summary page this host is a Windows Tagged host

This is a violation of licensing on this host! Now we will make changes in vRealizeOperations to ensure Linux tagged VM(s) do not reside on Windows tagged host(s).

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Review Existing Affinity Rules

Now lets review the existing affinity rules that is placing core-B on theesx-02a.corp.local server. This affinity rule was prebuilt in the lab so we can havevRealize Operations override it and place the workload on the correct server based onour licensing table.

1. Select Cluster-01 Cluster2. Select Configure3. Select VM/Host Rules4. Select Rule 2 - Before vROPs5. Notice how the VM core-B is set to run on host esx-02a

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Review vSphere Tags

For reference here is a table of the hosts and workloads with associated OS Licensingtags. As you can see in the highlighted row and as we saw in vCenter, the VM 'core-B' istagged as a Linux workload running on 'esx02a' which is a Windows tagged host. Alsonotice that again our VM 'web-servers' does not have an existing 'OS Licensing' Tag.

Now let's return to vRealize Operations to configure our Host Based Business Intent.


1. Select the vRealize Operations tab to return to vRealize Operations

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Go to Home

1. Click on Home

Select Workload Optimization

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1. Select Workload Optimization from the Quick Start page

Business Intent

1. Select EDIT under Business Intent

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Disable Cluster Based Business Intent

In the earlier lesson we had configured Cluster Based Business Intent, let's disable thatand look at Host Based Business Intent.

1. Click the slider to turn off current Placement Settings2. Click SAVE

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Business Intent

Now that we have disabled Cluster Based Business Intent, let's configure Host BasedBusiness Intent.

1. Under Business Intent, Click EDIT

Host Based Business Intent

1. Select Hosts radio button for host based business intent

Business Intent Use Case

For this use-case we have a small cluster but we want to segment workloads byOperating System to save money on OS licensing. In this two server cluster, esx-01a islicensed for Linux workloads, and esx-02a is licensed for Windows.

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Applying Business Intent Rules

Just like we saw in the previous lesson, vRealize Operations provides several presetcategories at the Business Intent Workspace: Operating System, Environment, Tier,Network, and Other. These categories represent potential business intent in gatheringVMs into various associations. You are free to remove a category or add a new one thatworks for your environment.

For this lesson, we'll be using the 'Operating System' category.

1. Select the Operating System drop down.2. Select the tag category drop down and select OS Licensing.3. Select the tag drop down and select Linux.4. Select Include Tag.

Add Additional Intent Rule

Let's also add the Windows Tag.

1. Select Windows in the drop down

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2. Select Include Tag

Scroll Down

1. Scroll Down to see DRS affinity rule information

This identifies that any prior affinity rules that conflict with the settings we apply invRealize Operations will need to be disabled.

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View Conflicting DRS Rules

1. Select VIEW CONFLICTING DRS RULES

Save Business Intent

1. Open Cluster-01 to review the violation2. Note how the Affinity Rule 2 - Before vROPs will be disabled3. Click the checkmark indicating that you understand the risks

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4. Click SAVE

If you choose host-based placement in the Business Intent pane, the system - aftergetting confirmation from you - disables conflicting user-created affinity rules. Then, asyou define host-VM tagging relationships in the Business Intent pane, vRealizeOperations Manager automatically creates the required affinity rules, saving you themanual effort. So, for example, suppose you configure a tag in the Business Intent panethat requires VM1 to remain with Host1. If there exists a user-configured affinity rulekeeping VM1 with Host2, the system disables the rule. However, if another user-configured affinity rule dictates that VM2 remains with Host2, the system does notchange that rule.

Confirm Business Intent is Active

We can confirm that our Business Intent has been saved and is active by using the dotin the Business Intent Window.

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1. This dot indicates the status of the Business Intent configuration. Green meansthat it is configured and active.

2. You may need to hit refresh as this may take a few seconds to activate.

Switch back to vSphere Client Tab

1. Select vSphere Client tab in Google Chrome

Select core-B Workload

1. Select core-B workload2. Confirm the VM is on the correct host now based on the new workload placement

rule

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Review Affinity Rules

1. Select Cluster-01 Cluster2. Select Configure3. Select VM/Host Rules4. In the VM/Host rules we see 4 lines of configuration. The first 2 are the Affinity

Rules we disabled earlier in vRealize Operations when we applied our Host BasedIntent, and the third and fourth are the new Affinity rules based on Tags.

5. Here we can see which VM's align with which hosts

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Review New Affinity Rules

1. Select the last affinity rule which is the new Linux OS Licensing rule.2. Note how in this new rule, we now have core-B paired with esx-01a

Select vRealize Operations Tab

1. Select the vRealize Operations tab again

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Review Workload Optimization

One thing to keep in mind here is workload optimization does not have to be enabled orran for Host Based Business Intent. Since Affinity Rules are still managed at thevSphere level, there is no need to turn on or run workload optimization. vRealizeOperations is helping to create and manage the affinity rules dynamically as newworkloads are provisioned.

Note that if we were to disable Host Based Business Intent, vRealize Operations wouldautomatically remove the 2 new affinity rules that it added earlier and it wouldreactivate the previously existing rules in vCenter.

Also, remember that we had the 'web-servers' VM that was untagged? We did not getalerted about that in this lesson because Host Based Intent treats untagged VMsdifferently than Cluster Based Intent did in the previous lesson. With Host Based Intent,a tagless VM can be sent to any host, even a tagged Host.

Lesson End

This concludes the process of learning how to configure and use Host Based BusinessIntent.

Thank You

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Automating Performance OptimizationIn this lesson, we will demonstrate the ability to automate performance optimization.We have the ability to run on a schedule as well as setting the optimizations to be anautomated process.

Home

Make sure we are on the home screen and navigate to Workload Optimization.

1. Click HOME2. Click Workload Optimization

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Schedule Workload Optimization

Once we feel comfortable with the Workload Placement moves, we can now schedulethis placement at a specific interval.

1. Select Optimization Status2. Select Schedule

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Manage Rebalance Schedules

The first option to automate workload optimization is with a schedule. We will create aschedule with the following parameters:

1. Schedule Name: Optimize Daily2. Time Zone: Host3. Recurrence: Daily4. Start on: <Choose any time> /Repeat every day5. Expire after 10 runs6. Click SAVE

With these settings, the workload optimization will run for the next 10 days at the timespecified. The settings for the optimization were completed in the previous lesson.Those settings will be applied for each of these runs.

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Workload Optimization is Scheduled

After you save the schedule you can now see the calendar icon beside the current statusto indicate that an optimization schedule is currently set. Hovering over the icon willdisplay the message 'Workload Optimization is scheduled'.

Automate Optimization

You can also have vRealize Operations automatically optimize workloads whenimbalance is detected.

1. Select Automate

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Turn On Automation

Now we can easily turn on automated workload optimization. In the previous steps wehad set an optimization schedule, notice on the screenshot that turning on automationwill disable any scheduled optimizations that were previously set.

1. Select Automate

Automate Optimization Message

Now you can see that vRealize Operations displays a different icon that indicates it islooking for optimization opportunities automatically. This should be your goal in your

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datacenter(s) to drive self-driving operations coupled with operational and businessIntent.

Lesson End

This concludes this lesson on Automating Performance Optimization.

Thank You.

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ConclusionThis module covered the following scenario's.

• Configuring Workload Optimization• Using Workload Optimization• Manage Optimization Schedules• Workload Automation Policy Settings• View DRS Summary• Optimize Schedules• Optimize Placement

You've Finished Module 1

Congratulations on completing module 1.

If you are looking for additional information on vRealize Operations, you can start here:https://www.vmware.com/products/vrealize-suite.html

You may proceed to the next module by advancing to the next page. If you want to jumpto a particular module, follow one of the links below.

Lab Module List:

• Module 2 - Rightsize the Configuration or Oversized or Undersized VMs(15 minutes)


Or if you want to end your lab,

1. Click on the END button at the top of the page.

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https://www.vmware.com/products/vrealize-suite.html

Module 2 - Rightsize theConfiguration of

Oversized or UndersizedVMs (15 minutes)

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IntroductionThis Module contains the following lessons:

• Optimize Performance - Rightsizing Dashboard Overview• Using Views to identify Undersized and Oversized VMs

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Log in to the vRealize Operations HVMInstanceThis lab environment is running two different instances of vRealize Operations and oneinstance of vRealize Log Insight. We have the different vRealize Operations instances inorder to be able to work through different use cases that have unique requirements. Thelab vRealize Operations instances are as follows:


• Historical View Mode (HVM) Instance: Running a time loop of data that wascaptured in the past. This instance has a much larger inventory of objects butsince it is not currently connected to a vCenter Server, we cannot perform anyactions here.

In this lesson we will be using the HVM instance of vRealize Operations.

If you are already logged into the HVM (not live) instance of vRealize Operations, clickhere to skip ahead.




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Open the vRealize Operations - HVM Instance Tab


1. Click the vRealize Operations - Historical Instance link to open the vRealizeOperations UI in a new browser tab

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username: admin

password: VMware1!

1. Click LOG IN

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Optimize Performance - RightsizingDashboard OverviewIn this lesson, we are going to examine the 'Optimize Performance - Rightsizing'dashboard.

The Capacity Optimization and Rightsizing features are tightly integrated functions thatenable you to assess workload status and resource usage in data centers across yourenvironment. With these functions, you can change CPU size and memory values foroversized and undersized virtual machines to achieve optimum system performance.

The Rightsizing dashboard gives us insight to the virtual machines that are undersizedand oversized. We have the ability to take actions from this dashboard and resizeresources that need it most. With Undersized resources, it's obvious that rightsizingthem will allow them to perform better. With Oversized resources, it may not be asobvious that rightsizing them may improve their performance as well as theperformance of other resources in the environment. When a VM is over allocated withCPUs, it can create contention and increased wait times for the hypervisor.

Home Screen

You should be at the the Home screen.

1. Click on Home if necessary

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Navigate to the Optimize Performance - RightsizingOverview

1. Click Rightsize

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Rightsizing Datacenter Selection

Now we have to select the scope of our rightsizing efforts. We can select All Clusters togive us an overall view of everything connected to this vRealize Operations instance, orwe can select specific datacenters.

1. For this lesson, click on datacenter 'sc2dc02'

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Rightsizing Datacenter Overview

At the top of the screen, we can now see that our selected datacenter 'sc2dc02' is thedatacenter currently being examined.

In the middle of the screen, we can see a summary for both Oversized and UndersizedVMs. This summary shows us the number of machines in the 'sc2dc02' datacenter thatcan be rightsized and the amount of CPU and Memory that could be added or removed.

Then at the bottom of the screen, we can see the details of which VMs can be rightsized.

Oversized VMs

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1. In the window at the bottom of the screen, click on the chevron beside the'Production_West' Cluster to show a list of VMs in that cluster that can berightsized.

Selecting a Virtual Machine

Under the 'Production_West' cluster we see one vm named 'phoenix-ovr-app-785493'.

We can see the VM is currently configured with 2 vCPUs and 4 GB of RAM and vRealizeOperations is recommending a memory reduction of 2 GB.


1. Click the checkbox beside the VM 'phoenix-ovr-app-785493'2. Click RESIZE VM(S)

Note that we could select multiple machines to rightsize if we had more than one VM inthis list. We'll see an example of this later in the lesson. Also note that there is a buttonfor EXCLUDE VM(S). We'll review this later in the lesson as well.

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Action Settings

Now we can see a summary of the changes to be made to rightsize the VM(s). Note thatby clicking the pencil icons, we could override the vRealize Operations suggestions andmanually specify how much we want to reduce the number of vCPUs and/or amount ofMemory that will be allocated to this virtual machine.

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Taking Action

Note that the RESIZE VM(S) button is not available until we acknowledge that weunderstand that the VM(s) will need to be restarted to decrease the amount of RAMallocated to the VM(s).

1. Click on the checkbox to acknowledge that the VM(s) will be restarted.2. Click on CANCEL to exit this screen.

Note, depending on the screen resolution, we may have to scroll down in our browser tosee the CANCEL and RESIZE VM(S) buttons.

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Undersized VMs

1. Select Undersized VMs2. Click on the arrow beside the 'Host Licensing Cluster 02' Cluster to show a list

of VMs in that cluster that can be rightsized.


Under the 'Host Licensing Cluster 02' cluster we see 3 VMs; 'VM-MSFT100-104', 'VM-LINUX100-02', and 'VM-LINUX100-01'.

We can see that all 3 VMs are currently configured with 1 vCPU and 2 GB of RAM andvRealize Operations is recommending a CPU increase of 1 vCPU for each server.

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Selecting multiple Virtual Machines

1. Click the checkbox beside the 'VM Name' column to select all 3 VMs2. Click RESIZE VM(S)

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Action Settings

Now we can see a summary of the changes to be made to rightsize the VM(s). Likebefore, notice that we could override the vRealize Operations suggestions and manuallyspecify how much we want to increase the number of vCPUs and/or amount of Memorythat will be allocated to this virtual machine.

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Take Action

Note that the RESIZE VM(S) button is not available until we acknowledge that weunderstand that the VM(s) will need to be restarted to decrease the amount of RAMallocated to the VM(s).

1. Click on the checkbox to acknowledge that the VM(s) will be restarted.2. Click on CANCEL to exit this screen.

Note, depending on the screen resolution, we may have to scroll down in our browser tosee the CANCEL and RESIZE VM(S) buttons.

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Exclude VMs

In addition to making changes to our resources, there are times when we need toexclude VMs from the rules. We provide for these exceptions with the 'EXCLUDE VM(S)'button.

1. Click EXCLUDE VM(S)

Confirmation

The pop-up window gives us a warning message about what we are going to do.

1. Click EXCLUDE VM(S)

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Show Excluded VMs

We've now excluded a few VMs that were once considered Oversized. Notice that the'Host Licensing Cluster 02' is no longer listed under 'Undersized VMs'.

Scroll to the bottom of the dashboard.

1. Click SHOW EXCLUDED VMS

Include VMs

1. Select the box to the left of 'VM Name' to select all of the VMs2. Click INCLUDE VM(S)

Lesson Completed

You have concluded this section of the lab.

Thank you.

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Using Views to Identify Undersized andOversized VMsIn this lesson, we are going to examine how to use Views in Realize Operations toidentify Undersized and Oversized VMs.

Go to Environment

1. Click Environment

Navigate to vSphere Hosts and Clusters

1. Click vSphere Hosts and Clusters

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Select a vCenter Server

1. Expand vSphere World2. Select SC2VC023. Click ‘more…’

View Details

1. Click ‘Details’2. Enter ‘size’ in Quick Filter and press the enter key on your keyboard

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Undersized Virtual Machines

1. In the list of views, single click on Undersized Virtual Machines

Remediation

In the ‘Undersized Virtual Machines’ list, every VM managed by SC2VC02 that isundersized is displayed in the list. The reason for being undersized is either CPU,Memory, or both.

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Select the first three virtual machines. This is done by single clicking on the first VM,then hold down the shift key on the keyboard and single click on the last VM.

A gear in the toolbar above the VM list is now visible.

1. Click the gear icon to show the available list of actions

Select an Action

1. When the action list is populated, click ‘Set CPU count and Memory for VM.’

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Action parameters

Each VM that was selected is now listed in the pop-up window. Each has its suggestedvCPU count and recommended memory. Note that these suggestions can be modified.

Use the TAB key to navigate through each item if you need to change values.

You will also have columns for Power Off Allowed and Snapshot. Clicking the Power OffAllowed tells the script to power down the VM during the resizing process. TheSnapshot check box will tell the script to take a snapshot of the selected VM beforemaking any changes.

1. Click CANCEL

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View Oversized VMs

1. In the view list, single click Oversized Virtual Machines.

Remediation

1. Select any VM in the list with a single click. (Click in the area to the right ofthe links. Be sure not to click one of the hyperlinks).

2. Click the gear icon in the toolbar above the listed VMs.

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Take an Action

1. Click ‘Set CPU Count and Memory for VM’

Action Parameters

We see the same pop-up windows we seen for the undersized list, with the samecapabilities.

1. Click CANCEL.

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Lesson End

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ConclusionThis Module was a introduction to the following topics:

• Optimize Capacity - Reclaim Dashboard Overview• Using Views to identify Undersized and Oversized VMs

You've finished module 2



You may proceed to the next module by advancing to the next page. If you want to jumpto a particular module, follow one of the links below.

• Module 1 - Optimize Workloads Based on Business or Operational Intent (60minutes)




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Module 3 - vSphereOptimization

Recommendations (15minutes)

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IntroductionThis Module contains the following lessons:

• vSphere Optimization Recommendations◦ We take you through the 'Recommended Actions' dashboard. This

dashboard will allow an administrator to better optimize an environment.

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Log in to the vRealize Operations HVMInstanceThis lab environment is running two different instances of vRealize Operations and oneinstance of vRealize Log Insight. We have the different vRealize Operations instances inorder to be able to work through different use cases that have unique requirements. Thelab vRealize Operations instances are as follows:


• Historical View Mode (HVM) Instance: Running a time loop of data that wascaptured in the past. This instance has a much larger inventory of objects butsince it is not currently connected to a vCenter Server, we cannot perform anyactions here.

In this lesson we will be using the HVM instance of vRealize Operations.

If you are not currently logged into any instance of vRealize Operations, continue to thenext page.

If you are already logged into the HVM (not live) instance of vRealize Operations, clickto skip ahead.




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Open the vRealize Operations - HVM Instance Tab


1. Click the vRealize Operations - Historical Instance link to open the vRealizeOperations UI in a new browser tab

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username: admin

password: VMware1!

1. Click LOG IN

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vSphere OptimizationRecommendationsThe recommended actions dashboard provides us with the ability to see resources,related alerts, and number of objects. The alerts are separated by Object Type as wellas the badge type (Health, Risk, and Efficiency). We will go through the process ofselecting object types, examining the alerts, and showing how to take action on thealert.

Navigate to Home

Return to the Home page in vRealize Operations

1. click Home

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Navigate to Recommendations

1. Click Recommendations

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Select a vCenter Server

The 'Recommended Actions' content gives us a perspective through the environment. Itcan provide information on 'Health', 'Risk', and 'Efficiency' alerts. We'll explain those aswe move through the content. At the top-left of the Recommended Actions screen, youwill see the drop-down list for Scope.

By default, the scope is empty and everything is included.

To limit our scope:

1. click the drop-down list2. select SC2VC01

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Health Alerts

On the top-right area of the dashboard, we see three small icons.

The first one on the left is selected. We see that with the darker squared background onthe image. The icon represents alerts that have been classified as Health. With 'Health'selected, we will see recommendations that are related to health.

To better explain this, when an alert is created in vRealize Operations, the alert and itssymptom(s) are categorized as Health, Risk, or Efficiency. For a deeper understandingon Alerts, please visit the Hands On Lab for 2001-05 Module 3.

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VM Recommendations

At the top of the dashboard, navigate to the Virtual Machine recommendations:

1. Click on the Greater than sign ('>') near the top-right side to scroll right2. Click on Virtual Machine

We can see there is an alert for 'CMBU-SC2-vCenter' for 'One or more virtual machineguest file systems are running out of disk space.'

Immediately we know the affected resource (CMBU-SC2-vCenter) and the alert for thatresource. When a Virtual Machine is running out of resources like disk space, weprobably take this more serious than we would something like a snapshot. For thisreason, something in the Health category may have more impact that the other alertcategories.

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VM Risks

On the top-right of the dashboard,

1. switch to Risk2. add a filter for vrops75main-12318850 (As you type the name, a pop-up will

appear. Click on the VM name to finish selecting the appropriate resource)3. select the VM in the drop-down list that appears as you type.

Taking Action

We should see an alert for 'Virtual machine is running on snapshots for more than 2days.' We can tell that this alert has an action that has been associated to it becausewe see a 'RUN' button under the action column. A Virtual Machine with snapshots maynot be as critical as a Virtual Machine running out of resources like we saw in theprevious alert. For that reason, this alert has been classified as a risk.

1. Click the RUN button in the Action column

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Action Settings

You will see a pop-up screen that allows us to run the action to 'Delete UnusedSnapshots for VM.'

The Days Old column can be adjusted to find snapshots greater than X days. If you clickthe Next button, the script will search for snapshots X days old and then give you anoption to remove them. For now, we are going to cancel the process.

1. Click CANCEL to return to the recommended actions dashboard.

View Alert

1. Click the link for the alert 'Virtual machine is running on snapshots formore than 2 days'.

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Alert Action

You now see the alert in its entirety. Like all alerts, we see the cause, therecommendations, symptoms, and other alert information.

In this particular alert, we see the 'RUN ACTION' button.

1. Click on RUN ACTION

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Action Settings

We see the same action as we have seen previously. We simply took a differentapproach to get here.

1. Click CANCEL

Back

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1. Click the vRealize Operations BACK button.

Alert Management

You should be seeing the Virtual Machine section of the recommended actions. Thefilter we used has been cleaned up.

1. Click 'Risk' category.2. Click on the first alert in the list. (Click in the area to the right of the links.

Be sure not to click one of the hyperlinks).

Alert Options

By choosing the row, we now have the options to cancel the alert and suspend the alert.If you cancel the alert and it's still active, the alert will return on the next cycle. If you

suspend the alert, it will be suspended for the minutes specified. After the specified

HOL-2001-02-CMP

HOL-2001-02-CMP

time entered, the alert will become active again. Click on each of the icons to see theprocess if you like.

Lesson End

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HOL-2001-02-CMP

ConclusionThis Module introduced the following topics:

• vSphere Optimization Recommendations

You've finished Module 3



If you want to jump to a particular module, follow one of the links below.

• Module 1 - Optimize Workloads Based on Business or Operational Intent(60 minutes)

• Module 2 - Rightsize the Configuration or Oversized or Undersized VMs(15 minutes)



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HOL-2001-02-CMP


ConclusionThank you for participating in the VMware Hands-on Labs. Be sure to visithttp://hol.vmware.com/ to continue your lab experience online.

Lab SKU: HOL-2001-02-CMP

Version: 20191127-184924

HOL-2001-02-CMP

HOL-2001-02-CMP

http://hol.vmware.com/

table of contents · vrealize operations is integrated with vmware identity manager which we will...

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