vMA on the VCAP5-DCA Exam

[dyvmw]

I'm wondering how much vMA experience is required for the VCAP5-DCA exam?  Is extensive knowledge of Perl and using the vMA appliance required to get through the exam or can PowerCLI be the method of choice to complete the command line objectives?  I imagine in the cases of troubleshooting issues on a host that they may not allow direct console access to it so is that where they bring vMA into it?

[npadmani]

You should be comfortable enough with vMA.

in my person opinion, Extensive knowledge of perl not required, but you should be able to use esxcli, vicfg-*, esxtop/resxtop, vm-support etc during the exam depending upon need.

if you are very conformable doing things from powercli, as long as question is asking you to do something, mostly choice remains with you, how you do it.

you will also face couple of questions regarding powercli script in the exam.

Needless to say, try to meet all the objectives listed in Exam Blueprint before you sit for the exam.

[elegipcio]

I didnt make it 3 months back , as per VMware Blue print , it is no more listed , but you gonna find vMA on the exam , I believe you will need it somehow, I waste some time to know how to work on it while in exam , I believe I would pass if I didnt waste it.

I am going to my 2nd attempt in 2 days , I believe all what I need is:

Adding ESXi Hosts to vMA "vMware Management Assistant"

Like:

vi-admin@localhost:~> vifp addserver 192.168.35.31 --username root --password P@ssw0rd

removing  a host:

vi-admin@localhost:~> vifp removeserver 192.168.35.31

switch to the required host to execute my commands:

vifptarget --set 192.168.35.31

IMHO , I don't believe I will need more , the rest I should be able to do same as I am on the ESXi host itself, below is wonderful KB about most (not all) what you can do "or will need"

	PowerCLI	vMA	cli
Register a VM	New-VM –vmfilepath “[datastore]path_to_vmx_on_datastore” –vmhostesxhost	vmware-cmd --server esxhost –s register path_to_vmx_file vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost –s register path_to_vmx_file	vim-cmd solo/registervmpath_to_vmx_file
Unregister a VM	Remove-VM vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhost –s unregister path_to_vmx_file vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost –s unregisterpath_to_vmx_file	vim-cmd vmsvc/unregister vmid
Delete a VM	Remove-VM vm_name -deletepermanently	vmware-cmd --server esxhost –s unregister path_to_vmx_file vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost –s unregisterpath_to_vmx_file vifs --serveresxhost --rm “[datastore]path_to_vmx_on_datastore”	vim-cmd vmsvc/destroy vmid
Get a listing of VMs on a host	Get-VM –location esxhost	vmware-cmd –-server esxhost –-username root –l vmware-cmd --server vcenter –-vihost esxhost -l	esxcli vm process list vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms
Determine if a VM has a snapshot	Get-VM –name vm_name | Get-Snapshot	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file hassnapshot vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file hassnapshot	vim-cmd vmsvc/get.snapshotvmid
Take a snapshot of a VM	Get-VM –name vm_name | New-Snapshot –name snapshot_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file createsnapshotsnapshot_name vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_filecreatesnapshot snapshot_name	vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.create vmidsnapshot_name
Remove a snapshot of a VM	Get-VM –name vm_name | Get-Snapshot –name snapshot_name | Remove-Snapshot	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file removesnapshots vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_fileremovesnapshots	vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.remove vmid
Get the current power state of a VM	Get-VM –name vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file getstate vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file getstate	vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate vmid
Get the uptime for a VM	Get-Stat -entity vm_name -stat sys.uptime.latest -MaxSamples 1	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file getuptime vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file getuptime	vim-cmd vmsvc/get.summaryvmid |grep uptimeSeconds
Power on a VM	Start-VM –vm vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file start vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file start	vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on vmid
Shutdown a VM	Shutdown-VMGuest –vm vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file stop soft vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file stop soft	vim-cmd vmsvc/power.shutdown vmid
Power off a VM	Stop-VM –vm vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file stop hard vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file stop hard	esxcli vm process kill –wworld_id vim-cmd vmsvc/power.offvmid
Reboot a VM	Restart-VMGuest –vm vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file reset soft vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file reset soft	vim-cmd vmsvc/power.rebootvmid
Reset a VM	Restart-VM –vm vm_name	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file reset hard vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file reset hard	vim-cmd vmsvc/power.resetvmid
Upgrade VMware Tools in a VM	Update-Tools –vm vm_name	N/A	vim-cmd vmsvc/tools.upgradevmid
Display the IP address of a VM	Get-VMGuestNetworkInterface –vmvm_name -guestuserguest_admin_user -guestpasswordguest_admin_password	vmware-cmd --server esxhostpath_to_vmx_file getguestinfo ip vmware-cmd --server vcenter --vihostesxhost path_to_vmx_file getguestinfo ip	vim-cmd vmsvc/get.guestvmid |grep -m 1 "ipAddress = \""

[Dan_Johnson]

The vMA isnt on the VCAP5.5 blueprint.

I passed the 5.5 VCAP exam having had very little exposure to the vMA & no pearl knowledge, I exclusive used PowerCLI.

Hope that helps