30+ Vmware Administrator Interview Questions and Answers

All path down is a condition where all paths to a storage device become unavailable. Permanent device loss refers to a situation where a storage device is permanently inaccessible.

• All path down occurs when all paths to a storage device fail, resulting in loss of connectivity.

• Permanent device loss happens when a storage device becomes permanently inaccessible due to hardware failure or other issues.

• To troubleshoot all path down, check the host logs for any error messages relat...read more

FSMO role in Windows Server, cloud types, resource allocation, VM creation, utilization check, VSAN, hybrid and all-flash explained.

• FSMO (Flexible Single Master Operations) role is a set of 5 operations master roles in Windows Server

• Public cloud is owned by a third-party provider, private cloud is owned by the organization, hybrid cloud is a mix of both

• Resource allocation can be done through vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client

• VMware VMs can be created through vSphere Client ...read more

To troubleshoot ESXi in a not responding & disconnected state, check network connectivity, reboot the host, and verify hardware.

• Check network connectivity to ensure the host is reachable

• Reboot the host to clear any hung processes

• Verify hardware to ensure there are no underlying issues causing the disconnect

• Check logs for any errors or warnings that may indicate the cause of the issue

DRS Affinity/Anti-affinity rules are used to control VM placement on hosts in a cluster.

• Affinity rules ensure that VMs are placed on the same host

• Anti-affinity rules ensure that VMs are placed on different hosts

• Must rules enforce the rule strictly, while should rules try to enforce the rule but allow exceptions

• Use cases include ensuring high availability, separating workloads, and optimizing resource utilization

VMware is a virtualization and cloud computing software provider. SV motion and v-motion are features that enable live migration of virtual machines. HA stands for High Availability and DR stands for Disaster Recovery.

• VMware is a software company that provides virtualization and cloud computing solutions.

• SV motion is a feature in VMware that allows live migration of virtual machines between storage devices.

• V-motion is a feature in VMware that enables live migration of virtual...read more

Snapshot background process involves creating a point-in-time copy of a virtual machine's disk file.

• Snapshots are created to capture the current state of a virtual machine's disk file

• When a snapshot is initiated through vCenter or ESXi host, a background process is triggered to create the snapshot

• The background process involves freezing the virtual machine's disk file, creating a delta disk to store changes, and redirecting write operations to the delta disk

Thick provisioned eager and lazy zero are types of disk provisioning in VMware.

• Thick provisioned eager zeroed: allocates all the space for a virtual disk at the time of creation and zeros out the disk blocks immediately.

• Thick provisioned lazy zeroed: allocates all the space for a virtual disk at the time of creation but does not zero out the disk blocks until data is written to them.

Protocols used for Storage include iSCSI, Fibre Channel, NFS, and SMB.

• iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface)

• Fibre Channel

• NFS (Network File System)

• SMB (Server Message Block)

Lockdown technology in VMware restricts access to the ESXi host directly, allowing only authorized users to perform specific actions.

• Lockdown mode can be enabled to prevent direct access to the ESXi host

• Only users with specific permissions can perform actions on the host

• Helps enhance security by limiting access to the host

• Can be configured through the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client

VSS is a virtual switch that operates at the host level, while Distributed Switch is a single switch that spans multiple hosts.

• VSS is specific to each host, while Distributed Switch is shared across multiple hosts.

• VSS is managed at the host level, while Distributed Switch is managed centrally.

• Distributed Switch allows for centralized network configuration and monitoring.

• VSS is limited to the host's physical NICs, while Distributed Switch can utilize multiple physical NICs acr...read more

ESXi OS upgrade and rollback procedures involve careful planning and execution to ensure system stability.

• Before upgrading, ensure compatibility with hardware and software requirements

• Take backups of important data and configurations

• Use VMware Update Manager or command line interface for upgrade process

• Monitor upgrade progress and resolve any issues that may arise

• For rollback, restore from backups taken before upgrade or use snapshot feature

Check for underlying issues, restart services, verify network connectivity, review logs, escalate if necessary.

• Check for any underlying issues that may have caused the cluster to go down

• Restart the necessary services related to the cluster

• Verify network connectivity between the cluster nodes

• Review logs for any error messages or warnings

• Escalate the issue to higher level support if necessary

Standard switches are local to a host, while distributed switches span multiple hosts.

• Standard switches are specific to a single host, while distributed switches can be used across multiple hosts in a datacenter.

• Standard switches are managed on a per-host basis, while distributed switches are managed centrally.

• Distributed switches offer more advanced features like Network I/O Control and LACP compared to standard switches.

• Standard switches are suitable for smaller environment...read more

PSOD stands for Purple Screen of Death. It is a critical error in VMware that requires troubleshooting to fix.

• Check for hardware issues such as faulty memory or CPU

• Review system logs for any error messages leading up to the PSOD

• Update VMware ESXi to the latest version

• Check for compatibility issues with hardware or software

• Contact VMware support for further assistance

Affinity and anti-affinity rules are used in VMware to control the placement of virtual machines on hosts.

• Affinity rules specify that certain virtual machines should run on the same host

• Anti-affinity rules specify that certain virtual machines should not run on the same host

• These rules help optimize performance, availability, and resource utilization

• Examples: Affinity rule for a web server and database server to run on the same host, Anti-affinity rule for redundant virtual m...read more

Snapshots can cause performance issues, take up storage space, and may not capture all changes.

• Snapshots can impact VM performance as they introduce additional overhead.

• Snapshots can quickly consume storage space, especially if multiple snapshots are taken.

• Snapshots may not capture all changes if there are active processes or open files during the snapshot creation.

• Snapshots are not a substitute for regular backups and should not be relied upon as the sole backup solution.

Admission control is a feature in Vmware that ensures resources are available for virtual machines during failover or migration.

• Admission control prevents virtual machines from being powered on if it would violate resource constraints

• It helps maintain high availability by ensuring that there are enough resources available for failover

• Admission control policies include slot policy, dedicated failover hosts, and resource pools

Memory ballooning is a memory reclamation technique used in virtualization to reclaim memory from virtual machines.

• Memory ballooning is a technique used by hypervisors to reclaim memory from virtual machines by inflating or 'ballooning' a balloon driver inside the guest OS.

• The hypervisor can then allocate this reclaimed memory to other virtual machines that need it more.

• Memory ballooning is typically used when the host is under memory pressure and needs to reclaim memory from...read more

TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module, a hardware-based security feature that stores cryptographic keys and provides secure boot capabilities.

• TPM is a microchip that is typically installed on the motherboard of a computer or server.

• It provides hardware-based security functions such as secure boot, key storage, and encryption.

• TPM helps ensure the integrity of the system by verifying that it has not been tampered with.

• It is commonly used in conjunction with encryption software...read more

The purpose of VMware is to provide virtualization solutions for businesses to optimize their IT infrastructure.

• VMware allows businesses to create virtual machines, which are software-based replicas of physical servers, storage devices, and networks.

• It helps in reducing hardware costs by consolidating multiple virtual machines on a single physical server.

• VMware enables businesses to improve efficiency, flexibility, and scalability of their IT infrastructure.

• It also provides f...read more

Template is a master copy used to create multiple identical VMs, while Clone is a copy of an existing VM.

• Template is a blueprint for creating VMs, while Clone is a duplicate of an existing VM.

• Templates are used for deploying multiple VMs with the same configuration, while Clones are used for creating copies of specific VMs.

• Templates are typically read-only, while Clones can be modified independently.

• Clones retain the same configuration and settings as the original VM, while T...read more

Thin provisioning allocates storage space on demand, while thick provisioning allocates all space upfront.

• Thin provisioning only uses space as data is written, maximizing storage efficiency.

• Thick provisioning allocates all space upfront, ensuring immediate availability but potentially wasting space.

• Thin provisioning is more flexible and allows for overcommitting storage resources.

• Thick provisioning is more suitable for performance-sensitive applications.

• Example: Thin provisio...read more

Orphaned status means the virtual machine is no longer associated with its parent resource pool or host.

• Orphaned virtual machines can occur when a host fails or when a VM is manually removed from a resource pool.

• Orphaned VMs can still consume resources and may need to be manually removed from the inventory.

• To resolve orphaned status, the VM can be re-registered with a host or resource pool.

Virtualisation is the creation of a virtual version of something, such as an operating system, a server, a storage device, or network resources.

• Virtualisation allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine

• It enables better utilization of hardware resources

• It provides flexibility and scalability to IT infrastructure

• Examples include VMware, Hyper-V, and VirtualBox

The Vm kernel is a Unix-like operating system that runs on the physical hardware and manages the virtual machines on a VMware host.

• It is a thin layer of software that runs directly on the host hardware to enable multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server.

• It is responsible for managing the physical resources of the host machine and providing a platform for virtual machines to run.

• The Vm kernel is highly optimized for virtualization and provides features like...read more

WMI filter is a feature in Windows that allows you to apply different Group Policy settings based on specific criteria.

• WMI filters can be used to target Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to specific computers or users based on attributes like operating system version, hardware model, etc.

• They are written in WMI Query Language (WQL) and evaluate to true or false.

• For example, you can create a WMI filter to apply a GPO only to computers running Windows 10.

VMware is a virtualization and cloud computing software provider.

• VMware provides virtualization software that allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server.

• It also offers cloud computing solutions for businesses to manage their IT infrastructure more efficiently.

• Popular VMware products include vSphere, ESXi, and vCenter Server.

Virtual machine may be inaccessible due to various reasons such as network issues, configuration errors, or resource constraints.

• Check network connectivity to the virtual machine

• Verify that the virtual machine is powered on

• Ensure that the virtual machine's configuration is correct

• Check for resource constraints such as CPU or memory usage

• Review logs for any error messages or warnings

Vm migration issue can occur due to compatibility issues, network problems, or insufficient resources.

• Check for compatibility issues between source and target environments

• Ensure network connectivity and bandwidth are sufficient for migration

• Verify that there are enough resources (CPU, memory, storage) available for the migration

• Consider using migration tools like VMware vMotion or Storage vMotion

• Troubleshoot any errors or warnings during the migration process

VMware provides virtualization technology that offers benefits such as cost savings, increased efficiency, flexibility, and scalability.

• Cost savings by reducing hardware and energy costs

• Increased efficiency through centralized management and automation

• Flexibility to easily move workloads between servers

• Scalability to quickly adjust resources based on demand

• Improved disaster recovery and business continuity