A correct configuration of the vSphere components ensures business continuity and improves performance.

We discussed the ESXi installation procedures, where settings such as NTP and IP address should be configured to avoid authentication issues and accessibility problems. We also explained the scratch partition used for storing temporary data, including logs and diagnostic information. Configuring the vCSA accordingly, roles and permissions can be assigned to users or groups to manage the infrastructure on different levels and the integration with AD provides domain users with the capability to manage vSphere based on assigned roles.

The management of vSphere objects was another topic covered in the chapter, describing virtual objects to be created in vCenter Server to define a logical structure and to better organize the inventory—data centers, clusters, and resource pools. To simplify the host configuration, the vSphere Host Profile feature ensures all hosts have the same configuration settings.

The chapter ended by showing how to speed up and avoid repetitive tasks, using the PowerShell, vCLI, and REST API tools to automate some tasks using scripts or command-line commands.

The next chapter will go deep into the specific configurations related to the network infrastructure.