Four Easy Steps to Become A Virtualization Pro

Virtualization is growing faster than ever. This constantly changing track means that there are always new ideas or concepts to be grasped.
There are many ways to become a virtualization expert, but we have one path that will make your virtualization journey a success. Here are four steps you can take to improve your skills and become a virtualization pro.
1. Start at the beginning.
You will need to be proficient in a variety of IT disciplines to become a virtualization master. Although a basic setup is not difficult, as you add more virtual infrastructure, it will become more complex. It’s not a good idea to struggle to remember Linux commands or how to fix a Windows server which won’t start. It will be a great benefit to spend time in the admin trenches.
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It can be difficult to start trainingNetworking in particular can get very complicated. CompTIA Network+ training will remind that a well-built virtual environment will include multiple VLANs and subnets for segmentation, running a management network for physical hosts, and a storage networking to communicate with shared storage. You can also have multiple networks for virtual servers, as required for security. If we take out the abstraction of VLANS you will find that there are many physical ports on each server to support each network. All of these must be correctly configured on both the switch and the host. Otherwise communication won’t occur.
It all ends at 3 a.m. You should have solid networking skills.
2. Start small
Have an old server that is no longer in use? Perfect! It’s easy to grab it and load up a free copy of VMware or Microsoft Hyper-V.
What do you mean, ask? We aren’t telling. It’s up to you to figure it out.
You’re an IT guy/gal! You live to tinker with new things. It would take a whole week of blog posts to cover all of it. You will encounter snags and cryptic Kills. The only way to learn and be more knowledgeable is to hammer at the problem.
After you’re done, you will have a sandbox in which to play. You will need to build a Windows server. Add an IIS server for office dogs pictures. Add a Linux box. Install a syslog application or any other technology you like. It shouldn’t contain any information about your production network. This is a 12-year-old server that has suffered two failed disks and frequent random reboots.
3. Select a platform and master it.
We already mentioned Hyper-V and VMware earlier. Both hypervisors are software layers that abstract your physical host’s RAM, CPU, storage, and storage so virtual machines can use these resources. There are many hypervisors, but the most popular are Microsoft’s Hyper-V and VMware’s vSphere.
Both are mature products and together they hold the majority of market share. Both are worthwhile learning, but it is best to focus on one platform. Hyper-V is the best choice if you own a Microsoft shop. It comes standard with every Windows Server version since 2008. vSphere is a great option if you have Linux servers or are open for non-Microsoft products.
SPOTO can help you with all your training needs. Microsoft covers Hyper-V extensively in its MCSA and MCSE Server track certifications. VMware’s VCP–DCV certification provides a deep dive into vSphere.
4. You can take it to the next level.
You have the skills, platform, and certs to become a virtualization pro. High availability will be the most important feature of your hypervisor as you build out your virtual infrastructure. This allows for automatic failover between virtual machines on different physical hosts when one goes offline.
There is always a cost to everything, and that starts with the redundant hardware. Spend more.