Hypervisor-based Virtualization: Concepts, Tools, and Best Practices

Target Audience:

This training is designed for IT professionals who already have a basic understanding of virtualization and want to take their skills to the next level.

Training Goals

• Understand how hypervisor-based virtualization works and its core architecture.
• Differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, including their pros and cons.
• Explore key features and practical use cases of leading hypervisors: VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM.
• Install, configure, and manage virtual machines on each hypervisor platform.
• Grasp the fundamentals of performance tuning, high availability, and virtualization security.
• Apply industry best practices and avoid common pitfalls in virtualized environments.

Course Overview:

Module 1: Introduction to Virtualization

• Virtualization concepts (brief refresher)
• Benefits of virtualization
• Types of virtualizations (focus on server virtualization)
• Hypervisor types: Type 1 vs Type 2

Module 2: Hypervisor Architecture and Components

• Host vs Guest OS
• Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)
• Resource allocation: CPU, RAM, Storage, Network
• Hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT-x, AMD-V)

Module 3: Hypervisors Overview

• VMware ESXi
• Overview and ecosystem (vSphere, vCenter)
• Installation and initial setup
• Overview of licensing options.
• Microsoft Hyper-V
• Overview (Windows Server and standalone Hyper-V)
• Management tools (Hyper-V Manager, SCVMM)
• Integration with Windows ecosystem
• KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
• Overview (Linux-based)
• Libvirt and Virt-Manager
• Command-line vs GUI management

Module 4: High Availability and Scaling

• Live migration (vMotion, Live Migration, etc.)
• Clustering basics
• Storage considerations (SAN, NAS, local storage)
• Backup and disaster recovery approaches

Module 5: Security and Compliance

• Isolation and hardening of VMs
• Patch management for hypervisors
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Logging and auditing

Module 6: Best Practices and Real-world Use Cases

• Capacity planning
• Choosing the right hypervisor for your needs
• Cost vs features
• Common mistakes and troubleshooting tips