Study Plan for 2V0-18.25 Exam — VMware vSphere Foundation Support
This study plan for 2V0-18.25 the VMware Certified Professional - VMware vSphere Foundation Support exam is designed to build exam-ready reasoning rather than isolated memorization. The four-week structure deliberately mirrors how VMware vSphere Foundation environments are planned, deployed, operated, and troubleshot in real scenarios, ensuring that your preparation aligns with the way questions are framed in the actual exam.
Week 1 focuses on establishing clear mental models—architecture layers, storage and networking variants, VVF component responsibilities, and design prerequisites—so you can quickly classify symptoms and avoid common traps. Week 2 converts those models into repeatable day-0/day-1/day-2 operational workflows, emphasizing gated execution and “what good looks like” verification. Week 3 sharpens troubleshooting skills by subsystem and lifecycle event, training you to consistently identify the first failing hop and select the highest-value next step. Week 4 integrates full scenarios, timed drills, and targeted remediation to consolidate speed, accuracy, and confidence under exam conditions.
Throughout the plan, learning follows a disciplined loop: Plan → Learn (Base/Deep) → Practice → Review mistakes → Adjust. This structure ensures that every concept is reinforced through application, evidence-based verification, and spaced retrieval, helping you develop the decision patterns required to succeed on advanced, scenario-driven VMware certification exams.
Daily Workload
Daily target: 4 pomodoros (30 minutes focus + 5 minutes break)
Pomodoro mapping: 2 for Learn/TEACH notes, 1 for a mini-lab or verification drill, 1 for retrieval + spaced review
Daily outputs: 1 diagram or checklist + 5–10 flashcards + 1 “best-next-step” decision note
Spaced review cadence: D+1, D+3, D+7 (use the same flashcards/checklists; track misses)
Week 1 — Foundations and mental models
Week 1 Theme
You will build the core “support engineer” mental models (control plane vs data plane, dependency chains, variant-driven first checks, and readiness gates) and convert them into short diagrams and checklists you can reuse when a scenario question feels noisy or ambiguous.
Day 1 — vSphere Foundation Architecture: control plane vs data plane
Study Content
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — vSphere Foundation Architecture: management control plane vs workload data plane
Failure propagation map: identity/time → control plane → data plane
Evidence locations: what you expect to confirm in vCenter Server vs ESX Host vs VCF Operations/Logs (conceptually)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Draw the “three-layer” architecture map
Create a one-page diagram that separates identity/time, management control plane, and workload data plane.
Deliverable: a single-page diagram in your notes (image or markdown). Verification: you can point to each symptom and say which layer it belongs to in <60 seconds.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a 10-line “first failing hop” checklist
Write a checklist that starts with “name/time/trust” and ends with “subsystem specifics” and includes 3–5 high-signal symptom keywords.
Deliverable: a 10-line checklist. Verification: for three made-up symptoms, you can choose the first check without hesitation.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create flashcards for plane classification
Make 8 flashcards: 4 control-plane symptoms and 4 data-plane symptoms (include at least one that looks misleading).
Deliverable: 8 Q/A cards. Verification: you answer all 8 correctly twice in a row.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1 setup)
Review yesterday’s baseline notes (or, if starting fresh, review today’s cards after a short break).
Deliverable: a “miss list” of any cards you got wrong. Verification: the miss list shrinks on the second pass.
Day 2 — Storage and Network Technologies: variants that change first checks
Study Content
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — Storage and Network Technologies: vSAN-backed vs external storage-backed mental model
Switching model: VSS vs VDS (drift vs blast radius thinking)
Network consistency basics: VLAN/MTU/uplink symmetry and “traffic-type” failures (management vs vMotion vs storage/vSAN)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Build a “variant switch” decision table
Create a 2x2 table: vSAN vs external storage, VSS vs VDS; for each quadrant list the top 3 “first checks.”
Deliverable: a 2x2 table. Verification: given a storage symptom, you can choose the correct quadrant and first check.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write an MTU/VLAN/uplink triage micro-runbook
Write a micro-runbook that starts with “which traffic type is failing?” and ends with “which hop is inconsistent?”
Deliverable: a 12–15 line runbook. Verification: you can apply it to a scenario where “management works but vMotion fails.”
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 6 trap-focused flashcards
Make 6 cards where the obvious layer is wrong (e.g., “storage alarm” but the fix is networking consistency).
Deliverable: 6 Q/A cards. Verification: you explain why the “obvious” option is wrong in one sentence.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 1 cards and notes using retrieval (no looking first), then correct misses.
Deliverable: updated miss list. Verification: you reduce misses by at least 30% vs Day 1.
Day 3 — VVF Solution Fundamentals: component responsibility map
Study Content
VMware by Broadcom Solution — VVF Solution Fundamentals: component responsibilities (vCenter Server, ESX Host, VMware vSAN, VCF Operations, VCF Operations for Logs, VCF Operations Orchestrator)
“Where truth lives vs where symptoms appear” (owner mapping)
Basic integration chain: sources → collectors/agents/creds → dashboards/search (conceptual)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Make a “who owns this symptom?” mapping sheet
Create a mapping sheet with 10 symptom examples and the most likely owner (vCenter/host/vSAN/ops/logs/orchestrator).
Deliverable: a 10-row mapping sheet. Verification: for each row you can name one evidence source you would check.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a 6-line observability dependency chain
Write the chain (sources → creds/collectors → time → ingestion → UI) and one failure signature per link.
Deliverable: a 6-line chain note. Verification: you can explain why “no data” might be time/ingestion, not “no events.”
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 8 flashcards on component roles
Make 8 cards (one per major component + 2 integration cards).
Deliverable: 8 Q/A cards. Verification: you can answer all 8 without peeking, twice.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 2 cards and re-run the 2x2 decision table from memory, then compare to your notes.
Deliverable: corrected table if needed. Verification: you can reproduce the table with no major omissions.
Day 4 — Licensing and Entitlements: three-layer model and discriminators
Study Content
VMware by Broadcom Solution — Licensing and Entitlements: entitlement vs license artifact vs assignment/compliance
Classifier: licensing vs RBAC vs connectivity/time/name based on scope + keywords
Lifecycle triggers: adding hosts, upgrades, renewals/account changes (scenario framing)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Write the “three-layer licensing” one-pager
Summarize entitlement/artifact/assignment with one example symptom and one verification step per layer.
Deliverable: a one-page note. Verification: you can classify 5 short stem snippets into the correct layer.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Build a discriminator checklist (RBAC vs licensing vs connectivity)
Create a checklist that starts with “scope (one user vs all users)” and includes 6 keyword cues.
Deliverable: a 10–12 line checklist. Verification: for 3 mixed stems, you select the correct first verification step.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 6 lifecycle-trigger flashcards
Make 6 cards that start with “After adding hosts…” / “After upgrade…” / “After renewal…” and ask “best next step?”.
Deliverable: 6 Q/A cards. Verification: answers include an explicit verification cue (what proves it’s fixed).
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 3 cards; then do a 5-minute “teach-back” aloud of the component responsibility map.
Deliverable: a short self-recorded summary or bullet transcript. Verification: you can say “owner + evidence” for 8/10 symptoms.
Day 5 — Deployment Planning: readiness gates and failure signatures
Study Content
Plan and Design the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Deployment Planning: readiness gates (DNS, NTP, trust/name, reachability, MTU, RBAC)
Failure signature mapping: trust/token vs timeout/reachability vs permission boundaries
“Best next step” selection: pick upstream dependency that explains multiple symptoms
Tasks
Task 1: (2 pomodoros) Build the pre-flight checklist with failure signatures
Create a pre-flight checklist with at least 6 prerequisites and a “what it looks like when broken” line for each.
Deliverable: a checklist + failure signatures table. Verification: you can map 6 failure messages to the correct prerequisite.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a “first failing hop” walkthrough for a deployment story
Write a short walkthrough: step fails → classify (trust/reach/permission) → verify from source perspective → prove fix with downstream check.
Deliverable: a 12–15 line walkthrough. Verification: it includes one explicit post-fix proof step.
Task 3: (0.5 pomodoro) Create 5 flashcards for prerequisites
Make 5 cards that ask “which prerequisite is most likely?” based on error wording.
Deliverable: 5 Q/A cards. Verification: you can justify each answer with one keyword cue.
Task 4: (0.5 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 4 cards quickly and update any weak discriminator cues.
Deliverable: updated discriminator checklist. Verification: you can classify 3 new stems correctly on the first try.
Day 6 — Design Considerations: drift vs blast radius, and model-based fixes
Study Content
Plan and Design the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Design Considerations: management placement/separation trade-offs
Drift vs blast radius: VSS vs VDS inference from scope and timing
Storage model coupling: vSAN “storage symptom may be network” vs external storage pathing-first
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create a “design choice → failure mode” table
Pick 4 design choices (mgmt placement, VSS/VDS, vSAN/external storage, single-site/multi-site) and write: what it simplifies + how it fails.
Deliverable: a 4-row table. Verification: each row includes one exam-style symptom clue.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a rollback-oriented change checklist
Write a checklist for safe networking/storage changes: pre-check → change → post-check → rollback trigger.
Deliverable: a change checklist. Verification: it contains at least 2 explicit “stop and roll back if…” conditions.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 6 scenario stems and classify them
Write 6 mini-stems (2 drift, 2 blast radius, 2 multi-site dependency) and classify best next step.
Deliverable: 6 stems + answers. Verification: for each, you name the plane (identity/control/data) and the first check.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 5 checklist by retrieval: recreate it from memory, then compare and fix gaps.
Deliverable: recreated checklist + marked differences. Verification: fewer than 3 missing prerequisites.
Day 7 — Week 1 consolidation: integrated mini-scenarios and retrieval
Study Content
Cross-domain linkage: identity/time issues that masquerade as network or licensing symptoms
End-to-end reasoning: scope → wording → plane → first failing hop → proof step
Preparation for Week 2: turn mental models into operational checklists (day-0/day-1/day-2)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Do a 20-minute timed mixed drill (self-made)
Answer 10 short “best next step” prompts using only your checklists (no notes), then review misses.
Deliverable: 10 prompts + chosen answers + miss reasons. Verification: you can explain each miss as a wrong bucket/plane/assumption.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Create the “Week 1 cheat sheet”
Combine your three most useful artifacts into one page: plane map, variant switch table, and pre-flight checklist.
Deliverable: a single-page cheat sheet. Verification: you can solve 3 mixed stems using only this page.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Update flashcards from miss list
Turn every miss from Task 1 into a flashcard (minimum 5).
Deliverable: 5+ new flashcards. Verification: you answer all new cards correctly twice.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+7 planning)
Schedule D+7 reviews for Days 1–6 (calendar or checklist tick-box), and do a short retrieval run on the oldest cards.
Deliverable: a scheduled review plan. Verification: you can show a dated list of planned reviews and complete today’s retrieval run.
Week 2 — Installation, configuration, and day-2 administration
Week 2 Theme
You will translate Week 1 mental models into repeatable execution: a gated install/config baseline, meaningful “what good looks like” validations, day-2 drift control, and safe change workflows (add hosts, switching changes, storage enablement), while constantly practicing RBAC vs licensing vs connectivity classification and preserving evidence (metrics/logs) as part of every workflow.
Day 1 — Installation pipeline: identity and control-plane gates
Study Content
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Installation and Configuration: gate sequence (identity → reachability → baseline invariants)
Plan and Design the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Deployment Planning: prerequisite failure signatures (trust/token vs timeout vs permission)
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — vSphere Foundation Architecture: first failing hop mapping to control plane
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Write the “Gate A + Gate B” pre-install checklist
Draft a checklist for identity readiness (DNS/NTP/authoritative FQDN) and control-plane reachability (workflow engine ↔ vCenter Server ↔ ESX Host).
Deliverable: a 1-page checklist with 8–12 lines. Verification: for each line, you can state what failure signature you’d expect if it’s broken.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Create a deployment failure classifier card set
Create 6 flashcards that start with an error phrasing (trust/token, timeout, permission denied) and ask “which gate first?”
Deliverable: 6 Q/A cards. Verification: each answer includes one concrete verification cue (what proves the gate is passing).
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build a “post-fix proof” template
Write a template: failed step → fix → re-test smallest validation → run one downstream proof check → capture baseline note.
Deliverable: a reusable template (10–12 lines). Verification: you can fill it out for a sample “registration fails” story in <5 minutes.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Week 1 plane map and pre-flight checklist from memory first, then compare and patch gaps.
Deliverable: a marked-up diff list of missing items. Verification: you can recreate both artifacts with fewer than 3 major omissions.
Day 2 — Baseline networking: VSS vs VDS and traffic-type validations
Study Content
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — Storage and Network Technologies: traffic-type failures (management vs vMotion vs storage/vSAN)
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Installation and Configuration: baseline switching invariants and rollback thinking
Plan and Design the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Design Considerations: drift vs blast radius inference (VSS vs VDS)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create a traffic-type validation checklist
Write three mini-checklists: management, vMotion (if used), storage/vSAN (if used), each with 3–5 checks.
Deliverable: 3 mini-checklists on one page. Verification: you can explain why “ping works” is insufficient for two of the three traffic types.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a VSS vs VDS “risk and rollback” note
Summarize drift risk vs blast radius risk and list 3 safe-change rules for switching changes.
Deliverable: a 12–15 line note. Verification: it includes 2 explicit “stop and roll back if…” conditions.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build 5 “best next step” stems for network issues
Write 5 short scenario stems (at least 2 that are MTU/VLAN traps) and answer them with the first check and proof step.
Deliverable: 5 stems + answers. Verification: each answer names the traffic type and the first failing hop.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 1 classifier flashcards using retrieval only, then fix any cards you missed.
Deliverable: updated cards + miss list. Verification: second pass is 100% correct.
Day 3 — Storage baseline: vSAN-backed vs external storage-backed workflows
Study Content
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — Storage and Network Technologies: vSAN-backed vs external storage-backed “first checks”
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Installation and Configuration: storage invariants as a baseline checkpoint
Plan and Design the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Design Considerations: storage coupling and symptom-to-layer mapping
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Write two storage “first checks” runbooks
Create one runbook for vSAN-backed symptoms (network consistency first) and one for external storage-backed symptoms (pathing/access first).
Deliverable: two 10–12 line runbooks. Verification: you can pick the correct runbook from a 2-sentence stem and justify why.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Build a “storage symptom → layer” mapping sheet
Create a mapping sheet with 8 symptom phrases and the most likely layer (network vs disk/device vs pathing vs policy/health).
Deliverable: an 8-row mapping sheet. Verification: each row includes one evidence source you’d check (control plane vs data plane).
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 6 trap flashcards (storage vs network confusion)
Write 6 flashcards where the symptom says “storage” but the best next step is a network consistency validation (and vice versa).
Deliverable: 6 Q/A cards. Verification: each explanation includes the discriminating clue from the stem.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 2 traffic-type checklists; recreate them from memory and compare.
Deliverable: corrected checklists if needed. Verification: you can reproduce each checklist without missing the key validation step.
Day 4 — Day-2 administration: drift control, evidence readiness, and hygiene
Study Content
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: drift control and post-change verification gates
VMware by Broadcom Solution — VVF Solution Fundamentals: component responsibility map (where truth lives)
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) - VCF Operations: evidence chain basics
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create the “daily admin health scan” checklist
Write a daily scan checklist that covers control plane health, cluster health, storage health, and evidence availability (logs/metrics).
Deliverable: a 12–15 line checklist. Verification: it includes at least one “if this is missing, fix evidence first” rule.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a drift detection plan (per-host vs centralized)
List 6 common drift points and label each as per-host drift-prone or centralized blast-radius-prone.
Deliverable: a 6-item plan. Verification: for each item you can name the likely symptom scope (one host vs many).
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create a “post-change proof” checklist (generic)
Draft a generic post-change proof checklist: re-validate the impacted plane + one downstream check + capture evidence.
Deliverable: a 10-line checklist. Verification: you can apply it to adding an ESX Host in <3 minutes.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 3 runbooks and mapping sheet using retrieval, then patch errors.
Deliverable: updated runbooks. Verification: you can choose the right storage model and first check on the first try.
Day 5 — RBAC vs licensing vs connectivity: operational classification drills
Study Content
VMware by Broadcom Solution — Licensing and Entitlements: three-layer model (entitlement/artifact/assignment)
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: boundary clarity for day-2 issues
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) Deployment - License Management: linkage patterns
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Build a 12-stem classification drill set
Write 12 stems: 4 RBAC, 4 licensing/compliance, 4 connectivity/time/name; for each, pick the first verification step.
Deliverable: 12 stems + answers. Verification: each answer includes scope + keyword cue + one proof step.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Create a “bucket discriminator” one-pager
Summarize scope rules (one user vs all users) and the top 8 keyword cues that separate RBAC/licensing/connectivity.
Deliverable: a one-page discriminator sheet. Verification: you can classify 6 new stems in under 6 minutes.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Turn misses into flashcards
Convert any wrong classifications from Task 1 into flashcards (minimum 6).
Deliverable: 6+ new flashcards. Verification: you answer all new cards correctly twice.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Week 1 licensing flashcards and update any ambiguous cues.
Deliverable: revised cues list. Verification: no cue conflicts (each cue points clearly to one bucket).
Day 6 — Controlled change workflows: add host, expand cluster, and validate outcomes
Study Content
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: gated change workflow (pre-check → change → post-check → rollback)
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) - Clusters: drift vs shared dependency framing
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — vSphere Foundation Architecture: control plane vs data plane proof steps
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Write an “add ESX Host” checklist with gates
Include pre-check baseline, invariants for the new host, join/verify steps, and a rollback trigger.
Deliverable: a 1-page checklist. Verification: it includes one control-plane proof and one data-plane proof.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Create a “scope escalation” decision note
Write a decision note: when to treat an issue as single-host drift vs cluster-wide dependency.
Deliverable: a 10–12 line note. Verification: you can apply it to two stems and justify the scope choice.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build 5 mini-scenarios for post-change failures
Write 5 mini-scenarios (“after adding host…”, “after switching…”, “after enabling…”); answer with the first failing hop and the proof step.
Deliverable: 5 scenarios + answers. Verification: each answer names the plane and the exact verification you’d perform.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 5 classification drill flashcards and re-test any previously missed items.
Deliverable: updated miss list. Verification: second pass is 100% correct.
Day 7 — Week 2 consolidation: baseline-to-operations handoff and retrieval
Study Content
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Installation and Configuration: “what good looks like” baseline proofs
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: day-2 hygiene + evidence readiness
Cross-domain linkage: prerequisites and design choices that shape troubleshooting outcomes
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create the “Week 2 operations binder” (single page)
Combine: gate pipeline, traffic-type validations, storage model runbooks, and RBAC/licensing/connectivity discriminator.
Deliverable: a single-page binder sheet. Verification: you can solve 5 mixed stems using only this page.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Do a timed mixed drill (20–25 minutes)
Answer 12 best-next-step questions (self-made or from Practice later), then annotate why each wrong answer was wrong.
Deliverable: 12 answers + miss reasons. Verification: every miss is labeled as wrong bucket/plane/scope/assumption.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Patch weak checklists
Update any checklist/runbook where you hesitated during Task 2, and add one clearer proof step.
Deliverable: revised artifacts. Verification: rerun 3 missed stems and answer correctly.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+7 setup)
Schedule D+7 reviews for Week 2 artifacts and do a short retrieval run on Week 1 cards.
Deliverable: dated review plan + completion tick for today. Verification: you can show the scheduled items and complete the retrieval run.
Week 3 — Troubleshooting by subsystem and lifecycle events
Week 3 Theme
You will drill a disciplined troubleshooting workflow—classify the symptom (bucket + plane + scope), identify the first failing hop, choose the highest-leverage verification, and prove the fix with a downstream check—while practicing the most common exam framings: “after a change,” “only one host/site,” “feature missing,” and “monitoring/automation failed.”
Day 1 — Deployment troubleshooting: first failing hop and prerequisite signatures
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting the Deployment of VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) Solution: trust vs reachability vs RBAC taxonomy
Plan and Design the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Deployment Planning: prerequisite-to-failure signature mapping
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — vSphere Foundation Architecture: identity/time → control plane → data plane propagation
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Build the deployment “first failing hop” flowchart
Create a flowchart that starts from symptom keywords (handshake/token/timeout/permission) and ends at the first verification check.
Deliverable: one flowchart page. Verification: you can route 6 sample error lines to a first check in under 30 seconds each.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write 8 deployment stems with correct “best next step”
Write 8 short stems; for each, choose the best next step and state the proof step (downstream validation).
Deliverable: 8 stems + answers. Verification: every answer includes (bucket + plane + proof) explicitly.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create a “post-fix proof” checklist for deployment
Draft a checklist: re-test failed step → run one downstream action → capture evidence note (what/where/when).
Deliverable: 10–12 line checklist. Verification: you can apply it to a “registration failed” story without adding new steps.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Week 2 gate pipeline notes and the pre-flight checklist by retrieval, then patch gaps.
Deliverable: updated pre-flight checklist. Verification: fewer than 2 missing prerequisites and all failure signatures still match.
Day 2 — Upgrade troubleshooting: precheck vs mid-upgrade vs post-upgrade
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting the Deployment of VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) - VVF Upgrade: failure taxonomy
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: resume vs rollback thinking and verification gates
VMware by Broadcom Solution — VVF Solution Fundamentals: owner mapping (workflow engine vs endpoint)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create the upgrade failure classification sheet
Make a sheet with 3 columns (precheck, mid-upgrade, post-upgrade) and list 4 symptoms + first action per column.
Deliverable: a 12-row sheet. Verification: you can classify 9 mixed symptoms correctly on first pass.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write a “resume vs rollback” decision note
Write a note with 5 rules that decide whether to resume or roll back, including one rule about management-plane stability.
Deliverable: a 10–12 line note. Verification: each rule has a verification cue (“how to prove it’s safe”).
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build 6 upgrade stems with proof steps
Write 6 stems starting with “Upgrade failed at step…” and answer: classification bucket + best next step + proof check.
Deliverable: 6 stems + answers. Verification: each answer includes one upstream dependency and one downstream proof.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 1 flowchart and stems; convert all misses into flashcards (minimum 5).
Deliverable: 5+ flashcards. Verification: you answer all new cards correctly twice.
Day 3 — Cluster troubleshooting: drift vs shared dependency and service boundaries
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) - Clusters: drift vs blast radius inference
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — Storage and Network Technologies: VSS vs VDS and traffic-type failures
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: post-change verification gates
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create the “scope escalation” ladder for clusters
Draft a ladder: single host → subset → whole cluster; list 2 checks per rung and what scope implies.
Deliverable: a 3-rung ladder note. Verification: you can place 6 scenario stems on the right rung quickly.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Write 6 drift-focused stems (one host) and 6 shared-dependency stems (many hosts)
For each stem, pick the first check and the evidence source you’d consult (control vs data plane).
Deliverable: 12 stems + answers. Verification: at least 10/12 answers clearly match scope and plane.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build a cluster “proof pack” checklist
Create a checklist of 6 proofs: two control-plane proofs, two traffic-type proofs, two storage/health proofs (as applicable).
Deliverable: a 6-proof checklist. Verification: you can explain why each proof is high-signal in one sentence.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Week 1 variant switch table and Week 2 traffic-type validations using retrieval, then correct.
Deliverable: patched artifacts. Verification: no contradictions between “variant choice” and “first checks.”
Day 4 — License management troubleshooting: licensing vs RBAC vs connectivity
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) Deployment - License Management: linkage patterns
VMware by Broadcom Solution — Licensing and Entitlements: three-layer model + lifecycle triggers
Install, Configure, Administrate the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Administration: boundary clarity in day-2 issues
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create a 15-stem discriminator drill
Write 15 stems: 5 RBAC, 5 licensing/compliance, 5 connectivity/time/name; answer with first verification step.
Deliverable: 15 stems + answers. Verification: you score at least 13/15 on first attempt.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Build a “symptom keywords → bucket” cheat card
Create a cheat card with 12 keywords/phrases and the most likely bucket, plus one scope rule per bucket.
Deliverable: a one-page cheat card. Verification: you can classify 6 unseen stems in under 5 minutes.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Turn misses into flashcards + proof steps
Convert every miss from Task 1 into a flashcard that forces you to include a proof step.
Deliverable: flashcards for all misses. Verification: second attempt hits 100% with proof steps included.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review the Week 2 discriminator sheet; refine any keyword cue that felt ambiguous.
Deliverable: revised discriminator sheet. Verification: each cue maps to only one bucket.
Day 5 — Compute and Storage troubleshooting: model-first triage
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) Deployment - Compute: contention vs misconfig vs host state boundaries
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) Deployment - Storage: vSAN-backed vs external storage-backed first checks
IT Architectures, Technologies, Standards — Storage and Network Technologies: symptom-to-layer mapping (network vs disk/device vs pathing)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Build a compute triage sheet (scope + plane)
Create a triage sheet with 8 compute symptoms and the first check, labeled control plane vs data plane.
Deliverable: 8-row sheet. Verification: each row includes a “what proves it” cue.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Build a storage model switch + first checks sheet
Create a sheet with two sections: vSAN-backed and external storage-backed; list 5 first checks each.
Deliverable: a two-section sheet. Verification: you can pick the right section from a 2-sentence stem instantly.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Write 10 mixed compute/storage stems (timed)
Do a 25-minute timed drill: answer 10 stems with bucket + first check + proof step.
Deliverable: 10 answers + timing notes. Verification: you finish in time and every answer has a proof step.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Days 3–4 flashcards and redo any that you missed twice.
Deliverable: a short miss trend note. Verification: the repeated-miss count decreases vs yesterday.
Day 6 — Network, Operations, and Orchestrator troubleshooting: restore evidence and map step failures
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) Deployment - Networks: traffic-type isolation and MTU/VLAN/uplink symmetry
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) - VCF Operations: evidence-chain restoration
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution — Troubleshooting a VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF) - VCF Operations Orchestrator: step failure → prerequisite mapping
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Create the network isolation micro-runbook
Write a micro-runbook: identify failing traffic type → isolate hop → validate MTU/VLAN/uplink symmetry → proof test.
Deliverable: a 12–15 line runbook. Verification: it includes one test per traffic type and a proof step.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Create an “evidence chain health” checklist
Write a checklist for VCF Operations/Logs evidence chain: sources → creds/collectors → time → ingestion freshness → UI consistency.
Deliverable: a 10–12 line checklist. Verification: you can explain which link is broken from three “no data/stale data” stems.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build an Orchestrator step-failure mapping sheet
Create a sheet that maps failed step types to prerequisites: endpoint reachability, permissions, target health, object state preconditions.
Deliverable: a 4-category mapping sheet with examples. Verification: you can map 6 job failures to a prerequisite category.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 5 mixed drill misses and write one “anti-trap rule” per miss (minimum 5).
Deliverable: 5+ anti-trap rules. Verification: each rule includes the discriminating clue you missed.
Day 7 — Week 3 consolidation: full triage loop and exam-speed decision making
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware by Broadcom Solution: end-to-end troubleshooting loop (bucket → plane → scope → first failing hop → proof)
Cross-domain trap patterns: “after change,” “only one host/site,” “feature missing,” “monitoring wrong/stale,” “workflow step failed”
Preparation for Week 4: integrated scenarios and timed sets across all Registry domains
Tasks
Task 1: (2 pomodoros) Timed integrated set (30–40 minutes)
Answer 16 mixed “best next step” questions spanning deployment/upgrade/cluster/licensing/compute/storage/network/ops/orchestrator.
Deliverable: 16 answers + a one-line justification each. Verification: you finish within the time limit and each justification names bucket + first proof.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Root-cause your misses using the “four labels”
For each miss, label it as wrong bucket, wrong plane, wrong scope, or wrong assumption (keyword/trigger).
Deliverable: a miss analysis table. Verification: every miss has exactly one primary label and one corrective action.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Build the “Week 3 troubleshooting cheat sheet”
Combine: first failing hop flowchart, upgrade taxonomy, scope ladder, and evidence-chain checklist into one page.
Deliverable: a single-page cheat sheet. Verification: you can solve 5 mixed stems using only this page.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+7 setup)
Schedule D+7 reviews for Week 3 artifacts and do a short retrieval run on the oldest flashcards (Week 1).
Deliverable: a dated review plan + completion tick for today’s retrieval. Verification: you can show the scheduled list and complete the retrieval run.
Week 4 — Integrated scenarios, timed practice, and final review
Week 4 Theme
You will shift from learning to performance: do timed mixed sets, practice full scenario reasoning (bucket → plane → scope → first failing hop → proof), aggressively fix weak areas using your miss labels, and consolidate a final “exam-day toolkit” of checklists, trap rules, and proof steps that you can apply quickly under time pressure.
Day 1 — Mixed integration: bucket + plane + scope under time pressure
Study Content
Cross-domain integration across all Parents: architecture, planning/design, install/admin, troubleshooting buckets
Troubleshoot loop: bucket → plane → scope → first failing hop → proof step
Trap patterns: “after change,” “only one host/site,” “feature missing,” “monitoring stale,” “workflow step failed”
Tasks
Task 1: (2 pomodoros) Timed mixed set (30–40 minutes)
Answer 20 mixed “best next step” prompts (self-made now; replace later with Practice set) across all domains.
Deliverable: 20 answers with one-line justification each. Verification: each justification explicitly names bucket + first proof step and you finish within the time limit.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Miss labeling with the four labels
For every wrong answer, label the miss as wrong bucket, wrong plane, wrong scope, or wrong assumption (keyword/trigger).
Deliverable: a miss table with labels and corrective actions. Verification: every miss has exactly one primary label and one concrete correction.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 10 “anti-trap” flashcards
Turn the top 10 misses into flashcards that force you to state the discriminating clue and proof step.
Deliverable: 10 flashcards. Verification: you answer all 10 correctly twice, including the clue and proof in your answer.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3/D+7)
Review the Week 3 troubleshooting cheat sheet and redo any cards missed twice in earlier weeks.
Deliverable: updated miss trend note. Verification: repeated-miss count decreases compared to last review.
Day 2 — Targeted remediation: fix your top two weak buckets
Study Content
Choose two weakest buckets from Day 1 (e.g., licensing vs RBAC vs connectivity; or network vs storage coupling; or upgrade taxonomy)
Use Deep “decision patterns” and your checklists to rebuild discriminators
Proof-first habits: upstream fix + downstream validation
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Rebuild the discriminator/checklist for Weak Area #1
Rewrite the checklist or decision table that would have prevented your Day 1 misses in this bucket.
Deliverable: revised checklist/table. Verification: it resolves at least 80% of the Day 1 misses in that bucket when reattempted.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Rebuild the discriminator/checklist for Weak Area #2
Repeat for your second weakest bucket; prioritize clearer keyword cues and scope rules.
Deliverable: revised checklist/table. Verification: it resolves at least 80% of the Day 1 misses in that bucket when reattempted.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Focused drill (12 questions)
Do a focused set of 12 questions only from the two weak buckets; require bucket + proof step in every answer.
Deliverable: 12 answers + proof steps. Verification: at least 10/12 correct and every answer contains a proof step.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1)
Review Day 1 anti-trap flashcards and your Week 2 “operations binder” page by retrieval, then patch gaps.
Deliverable: patched binder page. Verification: you can solve 3 weak-bucket stems using only the binder.
Day 3 — Operational toolchain: evidence restoration and automation step failures
Study Content
Troubleshoot and Optimize: VCF Operations evidence-chain (sources → creds/collectors → time → ingestion → UI)
Troubleshoot and Optimize: Orchestrator step failure → prerequisite mapping (reachability/permissions/target health/state)
VMware by Broadcom Solution: component responsibility map (owner + evidence)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Evidence-chain “health proof” checklist
Write a checklist that proves evidence is trustworthy (fresh ingestion + correct timestamps + correct scope).
Deliverable: a 10–12 line checklist. Verification: you can diagnose which link is broken from three “no data/stale data” stems.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Orchestrator step-failure mapping drill
Write 8 failed-step mini-stems and classify each to prerequisite category + first check + proof step.
Deliverable: 8 stems + answers. Verification: at least 7/8 correct and each includes the correct prerequisite category.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Create 6 “restore evidence before fixing incident” flashcards
Make 6 flashcards that force you to choose evidence-restoration as the best next step when it’s the real blocker.
Deliverable: 6 flashcards. Verification: you can cite the discriminating clue (stale/missing data) and the proof (fresh ingestion) in one sentence.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+3)
Review the Day 2 revised checklists and redo the focused drill misses without looking at notes first.
Deliverable: updated miss list. Verification: second attempt is 100% correct for previously missed items.
Day 4 — Design & planning revisited: prerequisites, blast radius, and rollback thinking
Study Content
Plan and Design: readiness gates and failure signatures (DNS/NTP/name/trust/MTU/RBAC)
Design considerations: drift vs blast radius (VSS vs VDS) and storage model coupling (vSAN vs external)
Install/Admin: gated change workflow with rollback triggers and post-change proofs
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Rewrite the pre-flight checklist as an exam-speed “top 10”
Compress your pre-flight checklist to the top 10 items that explain most failures, with one signature cue each.
Deliverable: a top-10 list. Verification: you can map 8 error lines to the correct item in under 2 minutes.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Create a “rollback trigger” library
Write 8 rollback triggers tied to high-risk changes (switching, MTU/VLAN changes, enabling storage features, adding hosts).
Deliverable: 8 triggers. Verification: each trigger includes a concrete post-change proof that must pass to continue.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Timed design-to-symptom drill (10 questions)
Answer 10 questions where you infer drift vs blast radius vs shared dependency from scope/timing clues.
Deliverable: 10 answers with scope reasoning. Verification: at least 8/10 correct and each answer names the clue that drove the inference.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1)
Review Week 1 cheat sheet by retrieval; recreate the variant switch table and compare.
Deliverable: recreated table + diffs. Verification: no missing quadrant “first checks.”
Day 5 — Full mock: exam-style pacing and justification discipline
Study Content
Full-length mixed coverage across all Parents and Children
Justification discipline: pick best next step + one-line proof, don’t overfit
Time management: skip/return strategy and “constraint spotting”
Tasks
Task 1: (3 pomodoros) Full mock set (timed)
Do a full mock: 35–45 mixed questions (self-made now; replace with Practice/online practice later).
Deliverable: answers + timestamps. Verification: you finish within the target time and maintain an average pace per question.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Post-mock miss analysis (four labels + correction)
Label every miss and write a single correction: the cue you missed and the proof step you should have chosen.
Deliverable: miss analysis table. Verification: every miss has a cue + corrected proof step.
Task 3: (0.5 pomodoro) Create “constraint spotting” rules
Write 6 rules for spotting hidden constraints (scope, “after change,” “only one site,” “stale data,” “one user”).
Deliverable: 6 rules. Verification: you can apply each rule to one example from the mock.
Task 4: (0.5 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+7)
Schedule D+7 reviews for your newest flashcards and redo the oldest (Week 1) cards once.
Deliverable: dated schedule + completion tick. Verification: you complete the retrieval run and note any repeated misses.
Day 6 — Repair day: close the last gaps and lock in proof steps
Study Content
Your top 3 miss clusters from the full mock
Proof-step library: upstream dependency + downstream validation patterns
Consolidation of final binder pages (checklists + anti-trap rules)
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Build a “proof-step library” page
Create a page of 12 proof steps (e.g., trust fixed → confirm stable auth; network fixed → verify traffic-type path; licensing fixed → verify compliance and feature availability).
Deliverable: a 12-item proof library. Verification: each proof is tied to a bucket and a plane.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) Redo 15 missed or uncertain questions
Re-answer 15 misses/uncertain items from Day 5 using only your binder/proof library (no other notes).
Deliverable: 15 revised answers. Verification: at least 13/15 correct with clear proof steps.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Patch the exam-day toolkit
Update the single-page binder with any new anti-trap rules, clarified cues, and the proof library highlights.
Deliverable: updated binder page. Verification: you can solve 5 mixed stems using only this page.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1/D+3)
Review Day 5–6 new flashcards and re-test any card missed once immediately.
Deliverable: updated card set. Verification: second pass is 100% correct.
Day 7 — Final review: calm, fast, and consistent
Study Content
Rapid pass across all domains (Parents and key Children)
Exam technique: eliminate options, validate assumptions, don’t chase deep fixes before classification
Readiness check: confidence on bucket/plane/scope/proof loop
Tasks
Task 1: (1 pomodoro) Final rapid domain sweep
Do a rapid sweep: for each Parent, speak/write 5 bullets: what it covers + top 2 traps + top 2 proofs.
Deliverable: 5 bullets per Parent (5 Parents total). Verification: you complete within the pomodoro and avoid vague statements.
Task 2: (1 pomodoro) 20-question lightning round
Answer 20 “best next step” prompts in 20 minutes; require bucket + proof in each answer.
Deliverable: 20 answers + proof steps. Verification: at least 17/20 correct and you keep a steady pace.
Task 3: (1 pomodoro) Fix the last weak cues
For any missed items, rewrite the cue as a short rule (“If you see X + scope Y, do Z first”).
Deliverable: updated cue rules (minimum 5 if any misses exist). Verification: you can apply each rule to a fresh stem.
Task 4: (1 pomodoro) Spaced review (D+1 plan)
Do a final retrieval run of the most-missed flashcards and schedule tomorrow’s quick D+1 review.
Deliverable: a short “tomorrow plan” + completion tick. Verification: you can show the scheduled items and your current repeated-miss list is minimal.