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Lab Assignment: Design Your Ideal Virtual Data Center

Video cast of class room instruction on how to do this assignment:

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How to submit this Lab:

Make a Google Site Web Site.

Make a Google Doc to contain all your research.

Make

peter@petersigurdson.net⁠

an Editor of your Google Doc.

⁠

Now you have done Lab 1: Which is the Case Studies of how other companies have created and use Virtual Data Centers →

Step 2 is to design your own virtual data center.

The purpose of this evolution of training tasks which you are performing here is — For you to build a real (small scale, MVP) in-the-cloud-hosted VIRTUAL DATA CENTER.

Narrative:

Imagine you're part of a team of IT professionals tasked with setting up a new virtual data center for a growing tech company.

You've been given access to a state-of-the-art facility with the latest hardware, but it's up to you to create the virtual infrastructure that will power the company's operations. To support the company’s IT Operations.

As you enter the server room, you feel a sense of excitement mixed with a touch of nervousness.

The hum of the equipment is soothing, reminding you of the stable foundation you're building upon. You take a deep breath, grounding yourself in the present moment.

Your first task is to install and configure VMware ESXi on the physical servers.

As you work through the process, you visualize the hypervisor as a sturdy platform, creating a safe and controlled environment for the virtual machines you'll soon create.

With each step, you feel more confident and at ease.

Next, you deploy vCenter Server.

As you navigate through the familiar vSphere Client interface, you feel a sense of comfort, like settling into a well-worn chair. You create your first virtual machines, and as they come to life, you experience a sense of accomplishment and control.

As you progress through configuring virtual networks and storage, you imagine yourself as an architect, carefully designing and building a digital city.

Each network connection is like a road, and each storage device is like a warehouse, all working together in harmony.

When you set up your first vSphere cluster, you feel a sense of community and support.

The idea of high availability and distributed resource scheduling gives you comfort, knowing that the system you're building is resilient and efficient.

Throughout the process, you and your team collaborate, sharing knowledge and supporting each other. This sense of camaraderie reinforces your feeling of belonging and competence in the virtual environment.

As you complete each task - from setting up virtual machines to configuring advanced features like vSphere Fault Tolerance - you feel a growing sense of mastery. The virtual world becomes a comfortable space where you can explore, create, and problem-solve with confidence.

By the end of the project, as you look at the fully functional virtual data center you've created, you feel a deep sense of satisfaction and comfort.

You've not only built a robust virtual infrastructure but also developed a strong, intuitive understanding of virtual system administration.

This narrative incorporates elements from various modules in the course outline, including working with VMware vSphere, configuring virtual networks and storage, managing virtual machines, and setting up vSphere clusters.

Our goal in this business simulation is to create a sense of comfort by framing the tasks as a collaborative, step-by-step adventure, emphasizing feelings of control, accomplishment, and growing mastery throughout the process.

Lab Assignment: Design Your Ideal Virtual Data Center

Objective: Working in groups, research and design an ideal virtual data center for a growing tech company. You'll apply concepts from the course, including VMware vSphere, virtual networking, storage management, and high availability.

Instructions:

Form groups of 3-4 students.

Imagine you're designing a virtual data center for a tech startup that expects rapid growth over the next 5 years.

Research and plan your virtual data center, considering:

Hardware requirements

Virtualization platform (e.g., VMware vSphere)

Network design

Storage solutions

High availability and disaster recovery

Scalability for future growth

Security measures

Create a detailed design document using Google Docs.

Your document should include:

Executive summary

Infrastructure overview

Detailed descriptions of each component

Network and storage diagrams

Justification for your choices

Implementation plan

Cost estimates

Future scalability considerations

Prepare a 15-minute presentation of your design.

Have a title page with all team members’ names/ student IDs.

Include a table of contents.

Add citations for your research sources.

Sample Otio.ai Queries:

"What are the key components of a modern virtual data center?"

"Compare VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM for enterprise virtualization."

"Explain the concept of software-defined networking in virtual data centers."

"What are best practices for storage management in virtual environments?"

"How can high availability be implemented in a VMware vSphere environment?"

"Describe the benefits and challenges of implementing a hyper-converged infrastructure."

"What security measures are essential for protecting a virtual data center?"

"How can containerization be integrated into a virtual data center design?"

"Explain the concept of vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) and its benefits."

"What considerations should be made for disaster recovery in a virtual data center?"

Use these queries to gather information and insights for your design. Remember to critically evaluate the information and adapt it to your specific design scenario.

Submission:

TEAM Google documen with your complete design

In Your Google Doc: Make

peter@petersigurdson.net⁠

an Editor. (I will get a notification).

Brief reflection on the group work process and lessons learned (500 words max)

Evaluation will be based on the comprehensiveness of your design, the quality of your research, the clarity of your presentation, and your ability to justify your design choices.

Virtual Data Center Design Project Grading Rubric

Research and Technical Depth (30 points)

Comprehensive understanding of virtual data center components (0-10)

Appropriate use of course concepts (e.g., VMware vSphere, networking, storage) (0-10)

Evidence of additional research beyond course materials (0-10)

Design Quality (30 points)

Coherence and feasibility of overall design (0-10)

Appropriate hardware and software choices (0-5)

Effective network and storage design (0-5)

Consideration of scalability and future growth (0-5)

Security measures and disaster recovery planning (0-5)

Google Doc (20 points)

Proper use of formatting and structure (0-5)

Clarity and organization of content (0-5)

Quality of diagrams and visual aids (0-5)

Proper citations and references (0-5)

Presentation (15 points)

Clear and engaging delivery (0-5)

Effective use of your Google Site.

Ability to answer questions and defend design choices (0-5)

Group Reflection (5 points)

Thoughtful analysis of group work process (0-3)

Identification of key lessons learned (0-2)

Total: 100 points

Grading Scale: 90-100:

Excellent 80-89:

Good 70-79:

Satisfactory 60-69:

Needs Improvement

Below 60: Unsatisfactory

This rubric covers the key aspects of the assignment, including the technical content, the quality of the design, the use of Google Docs for documentation, the presentation skills, and the group's reflection on the process.

It allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the students' work while emphasizing the importance of both technical knowledge and practical application.omplishment, and growing mastery throughout the process.

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