Introduction to VMware and Computer Virtualization Technology

Course Description

CET2544 — Introduction to VMware (commonly offered in the Florida College System as Computer Virtualization Technology, CET 2544C) is a course in the Computer Engineering Technology taxonomy. The course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of VMware vSphere as a leading virtualization product. In addition to learning how to install and configure vSphere architecture, students learn how to apply virtualization technology to set up virtual networks, provide for disaster recovery, create high availability solutions with clustering, improve security and performance, and use management software to administer virtual data centers.

The course typically combines lecture with extensive hands-on lab work, often delivered through NDG NETLAB+ or the VMware IT Academy program. NETLAB+ is a remote access solution that allows academic organizations to host real IT equipment, virtual machines (VMs) and curriculum content; using VMware vSphere, NETLAB+ provides an environment through which learners may schedule and complete lab exercises for a variety of VMware Education courses.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe core virtualization concepts, the role of the hypervisor, and the architecture of VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter Server).
• Install and configure ESXi and vCenter Server.
• Configure and manage ESXi networking and storage.
• Create, configure, migrate, manage, convert, and monitor virtual machines and virtual appliances.
• Manage user access to the virtual infrastructure.
• Use vCenter Server to monitor resource usage.
• Scale the vSphere virtual infrastructure.
• Implement business continuity solutions.
• Manage changes to the vSphere environment.

Optional Outcomes

• Use a command-line interface (CLI / PowerCLI / ESXCLI) to manage vSphere.
• Use vSphere Auto Deploy to provision ESXi hosts.
• Configure VMware Workstation as a desktop/Type-2 hypervisor for development and testing.
• Compare VMware solutions to alternative virtualization platforms (Hyper-V, KVM, Xen).
• Explore introductory VMware cloud and software-defined data center (SDDC) concepts.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Introduction to Virtualization — hypervisors, Type 1 vs. Type 2, benefits and use cases
• VMware vSphere Architecture — ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, the vSphere Client
• Installation and Configuration of ESXi and vCenter Server
• Virtual Networking — standard switches, port groups, VLANs, and vmkernel adapters
• Virtual Storage — datastores, VMFS, NFS, iSCSI, and storage policies
• Virtual Machine Management — creation, templates, clones, snapshots, and migration (vMotion / Storage vMotion)
• Resource Management and Monitoring — CPU/memory allocation, resource pools, performance charts
• High Availability and Business Continuity — vSphere HA, Fault Tolerance, backup, and disaster recovery
• Security — roles, permissions, host hardening, and authentication

Optional Topics

• Distributed virtual switches (vDS) and advanced networking
• vSphere DRS clusters and load balancing
• Patch management with vSphere Lifecycle Manager / Update Manager
• Automation with PowerCLI and host profiles
• Auto Deploy and stateless ESXi provisioning
• Introduction to VMware NSX, vSAN, or Horizon (VDI)
• Preparation for VMware Certified Professional (VCP-DCV) exam objectives

Resources & Tools

• VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter Server) — current academic release
• VMware Workstation Pro / Player for desktop labs
• VMware IT Academy resources, including instructor training, certification-aligned curriculum, VMware academic software licenses, access to labs, certification vouchers and badges.
• NDG NETLAB+ remote-access lab platform, which provides an environment through which learners may schedule and complete lab exercises for VMware Education courses.
• Learning Management System (Canvas or Blackboard) for course delivery and assessments
• Official VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage (ICM) courseware (aligned to current vSphere version)

Career Pathways

This course supports careers in IT infrastructure, data center operations, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. Typical job roles include:

• Virtualization Administrator / VMware Administrator
• Systems Administrator / Systems Engineer
• Data Center Technician
• Cloud Infrastructure Technician
• Network Operations Center (NOC) Analyst
• Help Desk / Tier 2 Support transitioning to infrastructure roles

Credit earned in this course typically applies to A.S. degrees in Network Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering Technology, and Cybersecurity, and to related college credit certificates within the Florida College System.

Special Information — Certification Preparation

The course is commonly used to prepare students for industry certifications. The lab/course material follows the same format as VMware's official Install, Configure, and Manage vSphere training, and successful completion of the ICM-aligned curriculum through a VMware IT Academy meets the requirements to obtain the VCP (VMware Certified Professional) certification.

Relevant certification targets include:

• VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV)
• VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA) — entry-level
• Foundational support for CompTIA Cloud+ and CompTIA Server+ objectives related to virtualization

VMware Certified Professional (VCP) is designed for IT professionals who install, configure, manage, and optimize VMware solutions. Students should verify the current VMware (Broadcom) certification requirements, as exam codes and prerequisites are updated regularly.