This five day Microsoft 20246 training course describes how to monitor and operate a cloud with Microsoft System Center 2012 R2. This course focuses on how to manage and administer a cloud environment, and it describes how you can monitor key infrastructure elements and applications that run within a cloud. It does not discuss planning and implementation, which is covered in 20247: Configuring and Deploying a Cloud with System Center.
Target Audience:
The primary audience for this course includes cloud administrators who are responsible for monitoring and protecting the cloud infrastructure. It is also intended for solution architects who are responsible for designing cloud architectures and extending existing cloud solutions. The primary audience for this course is administrators who create service requests. The secondary audience includes datacenter administrators—who are responsible for providing provisioning for applications to include configuring and deploying—application/service business owners, and administrators who implement service requests. In addition, the secondary audience includes people who need to learn the required material in order to take the Microsoft exam 70-246: Monitoring and Operating a Cloud with Microsoft System Center.
Pre-requisites:
This course describes how to monitor and operate a cloud with System Center 2012 R2. Because this is an extensive technical domain that includes several individual products and technologies, it is strongly recommended administrators have prerequisite knowledge in the following areas:
Windows Server 2012 experience
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) knowledge
Networking experience
Working knowledge of previous versions of System Center products
Knowledge of configuration of Microsoft SharePoint
Hyper-V knowledge
Microsoft Windows Azure
Knowledge of cloud and data center management processes
This module explains the key business and technical requirements behind choosing a cloud model and the elements it contains. The module also shows how to use Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 to monitor and operate clouds, ensuring that it is configured correctly and running in a healthy state. Finally, you will use System Center to verify cloud infrastructure for the cloud environment.
Lessons
Overview of the Cloud Computing Model
Requirements for a Private Cloud
Requirements for a Public or Hybrid Cloud
Operating a Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure with System Center
Maintaining the Health of a Cloud
Integrating System Center Components
Lab : Verifying the Private Cloud Infrastructure
Verify the Infrastructure
Verifying System Center Components
After completing this module, students will be able to:
The features of a cloud computing model.
The requirements for a private cloud.
The requirements for a public cloud.
How you can use System Center to monitor and manage a hybrid cloud.
How to maintain the health of a hybrid cloud infrastructure.
How to integrate System Center components.
Module 2: Configuring a Private Cloud Environment
This module examines how Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 - Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) plays a pivotal role in the private cloud. The module first provides an overview of Virtual Machine Manager, and will then show how it is used to manage a virtual environment. Additionally, this module explains how to create private clouds by using Virtual Machine Manager. In the lab, you will create a private cloud and then optimiSe it so that is ready for production use.
Lessons
Overview of System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager
Managing the Virtual Environment with Virtual Machine Manager
Creating Clouds
Lab : Configuring and Optimising a Microsoft Private Cloud
Configuring Network Resources
Creating a Cloud
Create a VM Network using Software Defined Networks Isolation
Creating the Contoso Cloud Tenant for StockTrader Production
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe the core components, key features, architecture, and security features of Virtual Machine Manager, and the role that it plays in a cloud environment.
Use Virtual Machine Manager to manage cloud infrastructure.
Build and configure resources and security for a private cloud.
Module 3: Deploying Cloud Services
This module reviews the key elements that form a service in VMM and how the service is deployed to the private cloud.
Lessons
Overview of Service Templates
VMM Profiles
Web Deploy Packages
Overview of Server App-V
Data-Tier Application Packages
Deploying Services through App Controller
Lab : Importing and Deploying the StockTrader Application
Deploying a Single Tier Service
Configuring Prerequisites
Preparing the StockTrader Service Template
Deploying the Service Template
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Create service templates in VMM by using the Service Template Designer.
Create VMM machine profiles.
create Web Deploy packages.
Sequencing applications by using Server App-V.
Create data-tier application packages.
Deploy services by using App Controller.
Module 4: Monitoring Cloud Based Applications
When you provide services in a cloud, performance and availability of the service must be monitored and maintained. Monitoring of the service should be proactive and should provide detailed information, including alert notifications and reports to let you know when potential issues are about to occur in the environment that the service is running in. When issues do occur, you should have the ability to automatically take action and remediate where appropriate, which helps keep the service available and provides the performance and usability that end users expect. This module shows how Operations Manager is used to monitor the services deployed in a cloud.
Lessons
Overview of System Center 2012 R2 Operations Manager
Agent Deployment in Operations Manager
Configuring Custom Monitoring
Monitoring the Network Infrastructure
Monitoring Distributed Applications
Lab : Monitoring Private Cloud Services
Deploying an Agent
Configuring Custom Monitoring
Creating a Distributed Application Model
Detecting and Recovering From a Failure
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe what Operations Manager is, including the architecture, key features, and security.
Deploy Operations Manager agents to application servers.
Configure custom monitoring for applications and services in the cloud.
Monitor the networking infrastructure that applications and services rely upon.
This module explains how to configure APM to monitor the performance and availability of a .NET application. Additionally, it discusses how Operations Manager 2012 R2 detects and reports failure of these monitors with its alerting and diagnostics tools.
Lessons
Application Performance Monitoring
Advanced Monitoring in APM
Viewing Application Performance Data in Operations Manager
Configuring Basic Monitoring in Application Performance Monitoring
Customising the Performance Thresholds
Validating Monitoring
Creating a Distributed Application Model for the DinnerNow Application
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe the core components in APM and the best practices when implementing them.
Implement advanced monitoring features that are available in APM.
View application performance in Operations Manager.
Module 6: Operating and Extending Service Management in the Private Cloud
This module covers the core features of Service Manager and the security model that supports it. It also covers how to map critical IT processes to Service Manager, and how to use the features of Service Manager to administer these processes. Additionally, the module describes methods to create and manage change requests, incidents, and release records.
Lessons
Overview of Service Manager
Configuring Security and User Roles
Configuring Work Items
Configuring Incident Queues
Configuring Service Offerings for a Cloud
Lab : Operating and Extending Service Management in a Cloud
Configuring Security Roles
Configuring Notifications
Publish an Incident Service Offering
Raising an Incident
Creating a Change Request
Creating a Release Record
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe Service Manager.
Configure security and user roles.
Configure work items.
Configure incident queues.
Configure service offerings.
Module 7: Automating Incident Creation, Remediation, and Change Requests
This module describes Orchestrator, reviews the integration features that are available through the installation of the System Center Integration Packs, and explains the processes to follow in setting up automation between Operations Manager and Service Manager.
Lessons
Overview of System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator
Integrating Orchestrator with Operations Manager and Service Manager
Lab : Automating Incident Creation, Remediation and Change Requests
Configuring the Incident Template
Configuring Incidents that affect the StockTrader Service
Automatic Incident remediation and Change Requests
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe the Orchestrator components and the available Integration Packs.
Integrate Orchestrator with Operations Manager and Service Manager.
Module 8: Problem Management in the Private Cloud
This module explains how a defined set of processes can help reduce the time to resolve problems. It also reviews how incidents and problems are managed within Service Manager. Additionally, this module explains how the integration of Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Service Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator, and System Center 2012 R2 Operations Manager can provide an automated method of generating problem records in Service Manager.
Lessons
Overview of Problem Management
Creating Custom Rules
Lab : Automating Problem Management in the Private Cloud
Manually Creating a Problem Record
Creating a Custom Event Rule in Operations Manager
Configuring Automated Problem Record Creation
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe problem management.
Create custom rules in Operations Manager.
Module 9: Automating Self-Service Provisioning
The process of managing public or private clouds involves many processes, activities, and functions. To provide services through a public or private cloud, you should perform many data center activities, such as provisioning the virtual machines, network, and storage. Once the service is deployed, you need to manage and maintain it, which involves a different set of processes and activities. This module introduces the Microsoft System Center 2012 Cloud Services Process Pack that delivers many of the functions and processes that are required to deliver services to a private cloud.
Additionally, this module explains how to install and configure the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack, including integrating it with other System Center 2012 R2 components.
Lessons
Installing and Configuring the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack
Cloud Services Configuration Items
Cloud Services Request Items
Lab : Automating Self-Service Provisioning
Completing the Prerequisites for the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack
Installing the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack
Configuring the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack
Deploying a Virtual Machine for StockTrader by Using the Cloud Services Process Pack
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Install and configure the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack.
Describe the various Cloud Services configuration items that make up the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack.
Describe the various Cloud Services request items that are included in the System Center Cloud Services Process Pack.
Module 10: Operating a Self-Service, Multi-tenant Cloud with Windows Azure Pack
In this module you will learn how the Windows Azure Pack can be used to provide a self-service portal for tenants and administrators, and a multi-tenant framework for onboarding users. You will also learn how to provision web site, virtual machine and service bus clouds as well as looking at providing database services and automation.
Lessons
Windows Azure Pack Key Concepts
Administer Windows Azure Pack
Windows Azure Pack Providers
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe the core components, key features, architecture and security features of Windows Azure Pack.
Describe the Windows Azure Pack concepts.
Provision and Configure services in the Windows Azure Pack.
Module 11: High Availability, Protection, and Recovery for the Cloud
This module explains how to manage a highly available cloud Infrastructure using SQL Server 2012 Always-On, Hyper-V Replica and Azure Cloud Recovery. This module also details how to use Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 - Data Protection Manager (DPM) to provide data protection for a cloud.
Lessons
High Availability for a Cloud
Protecting Data in the Private Cloud
Recovering Data in the Private Cloud
Lab : Cloud Protection and Recovery
Configuring Manual Protection and Recovery of Key Service Data
Configuring Automatic Protection and Recovery of Key Service Data
Monitoring Protection Status
After completing this module, students will be able to:
High availability for a cloud.
Data protection for a cloud.
Data recovery for a cloud.
Module 12: Optimising Your Cloud Infrastructure
It is important that your cloud infrastructure is managed and maintained at all times to ensure it is operating at optimum levels. To facilitate this you should ensure that the cloud infrastructure is kept current with the most recent security and application updates. Virtual Machines hosted in the cloud infrastructure should also be kept up to date. In this module you will learn how Virtual Machine Manager can be used to keep your cloud infrastructure up to date.
Lessons
Using Virtual Machine Manager to Keep the Cloud infrastructure Up-To-Date
Using Configuration Manager to Keep Virtual Machines Up-To-Date
Using System Center Advisor to Optimise Cloud infrastructure
Using Pro-Tips to Optimise Cloud infrastructure
Lab : Optimising Your Cloud Infrastructure
Configuring Update Baselines
Configuring Pro-Tips
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Apply security updates to the host infrastructure with Virtual Machine Manager.
Apply security updates to the host and guest infrastructure with Configuration Manager.
Optimise your platform with System Center Advisor.
Optimise your virtual machine workloads with Pro-Tips.
Module 13: Configuring SLAs, Dashboards, and Widgets
As an IT operations toolset, Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 produces and collects a vast array of data. The challenge for IT organisations as a whole is to gather this information and present it in a meaningful way to the relevant stakeholders. This module explains the various available methodologies within System Center to collect, measure, and scorecard the performance and availability of the private cloud infrastructure.
Lessons
Service Level Tracking
Configuring and Deploying Widgets and Dashboards
Publishing Real-Time State with Microsoft Visio Snap-in
System Center Analytics
Using Excel and SSRS to View Data
Configuring Service Reporting
Lab : Configuring SLAs, Dashboards, and Widgets
Configuring Service Level Tracking
Configuring Service Level Management for a cloud
Configuring Microsoft Excel Analytics
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe Service Level Tracking in Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 - Operations Manager.
Configure and deploy widgets and dashboards.
Describe publishing in real-time state with Microsoft Visio.
Describe using System Center analytics.
View data with Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
Install, configure and use Service Reporting to create chargeback reports.
CODE:C-C-MSM20246-ILT
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