CompTIA Server+
1 Server Hardware
1-1 Server Types
1-1 1 Rack Servers
1-1 2 Tower Servers
1-1 3 Blade Servers
1-1 4 Micro Servers
1-1 5 Hyper-converged Infrastructure
1-1 6 Virtual Servers
1-2 Server Components
1-2 1 CPUs
1-2 2 Memory (RAM)
1-2 3 Storage Devices
1-2 4 Power Supply Units (PSUs)
1-2 5 Cooling Systems
1-2 6 Network Interface Cards (NICs)
1-2 7 Batteries and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
1-2 8 Chassis and Enclosures
1-3 Server Form Factors
1-3 1 ATX
1-3 2 EATX
1-3 3 MicroATX
1-3 4 Mini-ITX
1-3 5-1U, 2U, 4U
1-4 Server Management
1-4 1 Remote Management Interfaces
1-4 2 Out-of-Band Management
1-4 3 In-Band Management
1-4 4 KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) Switches
1-4 5 Serial Console
2 Server Virtualization
2-1 Virtualization Concepts
2-1 1 Hypervisors
2-1 2 Type 1 Hypervisors
2-1 3 Type 2 Hypervisors
2-1 4 Virtual Machines (VMs)
2-1 5 Virtual Disks
2-1 6 Virtual Networking
2-2 Virtualization Platforms
2-2 1 VMware vSphere
2-2 2 Microsoft Hyper-V
2-2 3 Citrix XenServer
2-2 4 KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
2-3 Virtual Machine Management
2-3 1 VM Creation
2-3 2 VM Configuration
2-3 3 VM Migration
2-3 4 VM Cloning
2-3 5 VM Snapshots
2-4 Resource Management
2-4 1 CPU Allocation
2-4 2 Memory Allocation
2-4 3 Storage Allocation
2-4 4 Network Allocation
3 Server Storage
3-1 Storage Technologies
3-1 1 Direct-Attached Storage (DAS)
3-1 2 Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
3-1 3 Storage Area Network (SAN)
3-1 4 Object Storage
3-1 5 Cloud Storage
3-2 Storage Protocols
3-2 1 SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
3-2 2 SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)
3-2 3 SAS (Serial Attached SCSI)
3-2 4 iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface)
3-2 5 Fibre Channel
3-2 6 NFS (Network File System)
3-2 7 SMBCIFS (Server Message BlockCommon Internet File System)
3-3 RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
3-3 1 RAID 0
3-3 2 RAID 1
3-3 3 RAID 5
3-3 4 RAID 6
3-3 5 RAID 10
3-3 6 RAID Levels Comparison
3-4 Storage Management
3-4 1 Disk Partitioning
3-4 2 File Systems
3-4 3 Volume Management
3-4 4 Backup and Recovery
3-4 5 Data Deduplication
4 Server Networking
4-1 Network Protocols
4-1 1 TCPIP
4-1 2 DNS (Domain Name System)
4-1 3 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
4-1 4 HTTPHTTPS
4-1 5 FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
4-1 6 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
4-1 7 SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
4-2 Network Configuration
4-2 1 IP Addressing
4-2 2 Subnetting
4-2 3 VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks)
4-2 4 Routing
4-2 5 Firewall Configuration
4-3 Network Services
4-3 1 Web Servers
4-3 2 Mail Servers
4-3 3 File Servers
4-3 4 Print Servers
4-3 5 Database Servers
4-4 Network Security
4-4 1 Encryption
4-4 2 Authentication
4-4 3 Access Control
4-4 4 Intrusion Detection and Prevention
4-4 5 VPN (Virtual Private Network)
5 Server Maintenance and Troubleshooting
5-1 Hardware Maintenance
5-1 1 Component Replacement
5-1 2 Firmware Updates
5-1 3 Driver Updates
5-1 4 Regular Cleaning
5-2 Software Maintenance
5-2 1 Operating System Updates
5-2 2 Application Updates
5-2 3 Patch Management
5-2 4 Backup Procedures
5-3 Troubleshooting Techniques
5-3 1 Diagnostic Tools
5-3 2 Error Logs
5-3 3 System Monitoring
5-3 4 Performance Tuning
5-4 Disaster Recovery
5-4 1 Backup Strategies
5-4 2 Restore Procedures
5-4 3 Failover and Failback
5-4 4 Business Continuity Planning
6 Server Security
6-1 Security Concepts
6-1 1 Confidentiality
6-1 2 Integrity
6-1 3 Availability
6-2 Security Measures
6-2 1 Physical Security
6-2 2 Network Security
6-2 3 Data Encryption
6-2 4 User Authentication
6-2 5 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
6-3 Security Protocols
6-3 1 SSLTLS
6-3 2 SSH (Secure Shell)
6-3 3 IPSec
6-3 4 Kerberos
6-4 Security Best Practices
6-4 1 Regular Audits
6-4 2 Security Policies
6-4 3 Incident Response
6-4 4 Compliance
7 Server Administration
7-1 User Management
7-1 1 User Accounts
7-1 2 Group Management
7-1 3 Permissions and Access Rights
7-1 4 Password Policies
7-2 System Configuration
7-2 1 Time and Date Settings
7-2 2 Network Configuration
7-2 3 Resource Allocation
7-2 4 Service Management
7-3 Monitoring and Reporting
7-3 1 Performance Monitoring
7-3 2 Resource Utilization
7-3 3 Event Logs
7-3 4 Reporting Tools
7-4 Automation and Scripting
7-4 1 Task Automation
7-4 2 Scripting Languages
7-4 3 Configuration Management Tools
8 Server Compliance and Standards
8-1 Industry Standards
8-1 1 ISO Standards
8-1 2 ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
8-1 3 COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies)
8-2 Regulatory Compliance
8-2 1 GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
8-2 2 HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
8-2 3 PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
8-3 Best Practices
8-3 1 Documentation
8-3 2 Change Management
8-3 3 Risk Management
8-3 4 Continuous Improvement
2-3 Virtual Machine Management Explained

2-3 Virtual Machine Management Explained

Key Concepts

Virtual Machine Management

Virtual Machine Management involves the creation, configuration, and maintenance of virtual machines (VMs) within a virtualization environment. It includes tasks such as deploying new VMs, allocating resources, monitoring performance, and ensuring security and compliance.

Resource Allocation

Resource Allocation is the process of assigning physical resources such as CPU, memory, storage, and network bandwidth to virtual machines. Effective resource allocation ensures that each VM receives the necessary performance without overloading the physical server. Tools like VMware vSphere's Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) automate this process, balancing workloads across multiple hosts.

Performance Monitoring

Performance Monitoring involves tracking the performance metrics of virtual machines to ensure they are operating efficiently. Key metrics include CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, and network throughput. Monitoring tools provide real-time data and alerts, allowing administrators to identify and resolve performance issues promptly.

Backup and Recovery

Backup and Recovery are critical components of virtual machine management. Regular backups ensure that data can be restored in case of failure or data loss. Recovery plans outline the steps to restore VMs to a working state, minimizing downtime. Tools like VMware vSphere's vSphere Data Protection (VDP) automate the backup process, ensuring data integrity and quick recovery.

Security and Compliance

Security and Compliance involve implementing measures to protect virtual machines from threats and ensure they meet regulatory requirements. This includes securing access to VMs, encrypting data, and monitoring for suspicious activities. Compliance with standards such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI-DSS is essential for industries with sensitive data.

Examples and Analogies

Think of virtual machine management as managing a fleet of cars. Resource allocation is like ensuring each car has enough fuel and maintenance. Performance monitoring is akin to checking the engine's health regularly. Backup and recovery are like having a spare car ready in case of breakdown. Security and compliance are like installing alarms and following traffic rules to protect the fleet.

Another analogy is a classroom of students. Resource allocation is like assigning seats and materials. Performance monitoring is checking if students are engaged and learning. Backup and recovery are like having extra supplies and lesson plans. Security and compliance are like ensuring a safe and orderly environment.