This six-week study plan is designed to prepare candidates for the VMware 3V0-24.25 (VCAP – VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 and vSphere Kubernetes Service Design) examination through a structured, progressive, and highly practical learning approach. The plan aligns directly with the exam’s five core domains—IT Architectures, VMware Products and Solutions, Plan and Design, Installation and Administration, and Troubleshooting and Optimization—ensuring comprehensive coverage of both conceptual knowledge and applied architectural thinking.

Each week builds upon the previous one, transitioning from foundational architectural principles to platform-level understanding, design methodologies, operational procedures, and advanced troubleshooting techniques. The plan incorporates evidence-based study strategies, including the Pomodoro method, spaced repetition, scenario-driven learning, and output-based exercises such as diagramming, decision writing, and workflow creation.

By following this schedule, learners will progressively develop the analytical mindset, architectural reasoning, and practical proficiency required to evaluate complex environments, make design decisions under constraints, and succeed in a scenario-based expert-level VMware certification exam.

WEEK 1 STUDY PLAN

Core Theme: IT Architectures, Technologies, and Standards

Primary Goal: Establish a deep foundational understanding of enterprise IT architecture, virtualization components, storage, networking, and security as required for VMware Cloud Foundation and vSphere Kubernetes Service.

Learning Method Integration:
Pomodoro Technique: 6–8 Pomodoros per day (25 minutes study + 5 minutes break).
Spaced Repetition: Daily review assignments following Days 1, 3, 7 review intervals.

DAY 1 – Architectural Views (Conceptual, Logical, Physical, Solution)

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain complete clarity on four architectural view types.

2. Understand how these views translate into VCF and Kubernetes design.

3. Begin forming a structured architecture reference notebook.

Learning Content:
Conceptual Architecture
Logical Architecture
Physical Architecture
Solution Architecture

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write detailed definitions of each architectural view in your own words, including purpose and characteristics.

2. Create a four-column mapping table: Conceptual, Logical, Physical, Solution. Under each column, list at least five elements that correspond to VCF and VKS.

3. Draw a logical architecture diagram including SDDC Manager, vCenter, NSX, vSAN, Supervisor Cluster, and Workload Domain relationships.

4. Write a full explanation describing how a conceptual business requirement translates into logical and physical design steps.

5. Store all outputs into your Architecture Notebook.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Learn and document view definitions.
Pomodoro 3: Create mapping table.
Pomodoro 4: Draw logical architecture diagram.
Pomodoro 5: Write requirement transformation explanation.
Pomodoro 6: Consolidate notes.

Spaced Repetition:
Evening review: Re-read all definitions for 10 minutes.

DAY 2 – Architecture Patterns

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand key architectural patterns that influence cloud-native and VCF design.

2. Learn how N-Tier and microservices map to Kubernetes and VKS architecture.

3. Understand scale-out reasoning and infrastructure implications.

Learning Content:
N-Tier architectures
Microservices and cloud-native patterns
Cattle vs Pets
Scale-Up vs Scale-Out

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed description of N-Tier architecture and describe how each layer maps to Kubernetes (Ingress, Deployment, StatefulSet, Services).

2. Write an extended explanation of microservices architecture, including horizontal scaling, service discovery, and statelessness.

3. Describe two real-world examples showing how microservices influence infrastructure requirements in VCF and NSX.

4. Build a comparison table between Cattle and Pets, including examples from VMs, Pods, and databases.

5. Write a detailed explanation of why scale-out is mandatory for Kubernetes, and how VCF clusters support scalable infrastructure.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study N-Tier and microservices.
Pomodoro 3–4: Create comparison tables and write examples.
Pomodoro 5: Write scale-out reasoning.
Pomodoro 6: Organize outputs in notebook.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content for 10 minutes.

DAY 3 – Compute Virtualization (ESXi and Kubernetes Compute Models)

Learning Objectives:

1. Develop deep understanding of CPU and memory virtualization.

2. Understand performance characteristics and their relevance to VKS compute.

3. Understand differences between VM, PodVM, and TKC worker nodes.

Learning Content:
vCPU scheduling, pCPU binding
CPU Ready Time, Co-stop
NUMA, node locality
Memory techniques: ballooning, swapping, transparent page sharing
DRS and HA
PodVM, TKC worker VM scheduling

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed explanation of ESXi CPU scheduling and list all major causes of CPU Ready Time with examples.

2. Create a memory management reference sheet describing ballooning, swapping, and TPS, including when each is triggered and how they affect performance.

3. Write a comparison table between VM, PodVM, and TKC Worker Node covering isolation, scheduling, networking, and storage behavior.

4. Document the HA restart process in a sequence format describing detection, isolation, restart prioritization, and admission control influence.

5. Write a performance troubleshooting checklist for compute-related problems.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: CPU and memory topics.
Pomodoro 3–4: Create technical comparison.
Pomodoro 5: HA restart sequence.
Pomodoro 6: Troubleshooting checklist.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content.

DAY 4 – Storage Technologies (vSAN, Policies, Kubernetes Storage)

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain deep understanding of vSAN architectures and policy-based management.

2. Understand how Kubernetes PVCs map to vSphere First-Class Disks.

3. Understand how storage performance is influenced by policy design.

Learning Content:
vSAN ESA and OSA architecture
SPBM
vSAN datastore concepts
FCD
PV, PVC, StorageClass
vSAN performance characteristics

Detailed Tasks:

1. Draw ESA architecture and clearly label performance tier, capacity tier, caching behavior, and data path.

2. Write a detailed explanation describing how SPBM becomes StorageClass within Kubernetes.

3. Build a policy comparison table listing common policies and describing capacity overhead and suitable workloads.

4. Write a step-by-step description of the lifecycle of a PVC request from Kubernetes API to FCD provisioning on vSAN.

5. Create a performance optimization guide describing latency expectations, rebuild impacts, and network requirements such as MTU.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study and diagram architecture.
Pomodoro 3–4: SPBM mapping and policy table creation.
Pomodoro 5: PVC lifecycle explanation.
Pomodoro 6: Performance guide.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (third repetition).

DAY 5 – Network Technologies (vDS, NSX, Kubernetes Networking)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand virtual networking layers from ESXi to NSX to Kubernetes.

2. Understand overlay networking, routing, and service exposure paths.

3. Understand how NSX provides pod networking through CNI integration.

Learning Content:
vDS configuration
Teaming and uplink profiles
NSX Overlay and TEPs
Tier-0 and Tier-1 routing
Kubernetes networking model
ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer, Ingress

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed description of vDS components including port groups, uplinks, and teaming strategies.

2. Draw a full NSX overlay diagram including TEP communication and GENEVE encapsulation.

3. Write a complete packet-flow explanation describing traffic from an external client to a Pod, including routing through Tier-0 and Tier-1.

4. Make a comparison table of Kubernetes Service types specifying usage, traffic flow, and constraints.

5. Write a troubleshooting guide addressing MTU, VLAN, route advertisement, and CNI issues.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study vDS.
Pomodoro 3: Draw NSX overlay.
Pomodoro 4–5: Packet-flow and service comparison.
Pomodoro 6: Troubleshooting guide.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 3 content.

DAY 6 – Security Technologies and IT Standards

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how identity, encryption, network security, and compliance apply to VCF.

2. Understand major IT standards and frameworks relevant to VMware architectures.

Learning Content:
IAM: AD/LDAP, SSO, roles
NSX micro-segmentation
Kubernetes RBAC
Encryption at rest and in transit
Compliance frameworks: CIS, STIG
Networking standards: VLANs, LACP, BGP
Storage standards: NVMe, iSCSI, NFS

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed explanation of how IAM integrates across vSphere, NSX, and Kubernetes RBAC.

2. Describe how NSX Distributed Firewall enforces micro-segmentation for both VMs and Pods.

3. Create a compliance reference sheet summarizing CIS benchmarks, hardening guidelines, and relevant security controls in VCF.

4. Write explanations of the major networking and storage standards listed above and how each affects VCF design decisions.

5. Create a unified security model diagram showing IAM, NSX, and Kubernetes role enforcement.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study IAM and RBAC.
Pomodoro 3–4: Micro-segmentation and compliance sheet.
Pomodoro 5: Standards explanation.
Pomodoro 6: Diagram creation.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 4 content.

DAY 7 – Full Week Integration and Applied Architecture

Learning Objectives:

1. Integrate all Week 1 topics into a cohesive architecture understanding.

2. Practice creating architecture deliverables similar to exam expectations.

Learning Content:
Review of all architectural views, patterns, compute, storage, network, security, and standards.

Detailed Tasks:

1. From memory, redraw the VCF logical architecture diagram and compare it to your earlier version.

2. Create a conceptual-to-logical translation document showing how business requirements become architecture.

3. Create a complete Week 1 Architecture Summary covering:
   Architectural views
   Patterns
   Compute
   Storage
   Networking
   Security

4. Write three short case-based scenarios describing a business requirement and provide the matching conceptual and logical design.

5. Prepare a list of questions you still find unclear to be addressed in Week 2.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Redraw diagrams and document mappings.
Pomodoro 3–4: Write Week 1 summary.
Pomodoro 5: Create case scenarios.
Pomodoro 6: Final review and question preparation.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content (second repetition interval).

WEEK 2 STUDY PLAN

Core Theme: VMware Products and Solutions

Primary Goal: Build deep understanding of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and VKS/Tanzu components, with emphasis on platform behavior, interactions, and capabilities.

DAY 1 – VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.x

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand VCF architecture and its four major components: vSphere, vSAN, NSX, SDDC Manager.

2. Understand Management Domain and Workload Domain (WLD) functions.

3. Learn how Lifecycle Management works in VCF.

Learning Content:
VCF architecture overview
Management Domain vs Workload Domain
SDDC Manager services and automation
Full-stack lifecycle management concepts

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed explanation of what makes VCF an integrated Software-Defined Data Center platform. Include compute, storage, network, and LCM integration.

2. Create a diagram of the Management Domain showing SDDC Manager, vCenter, NSX Manager cluster, and supporting components such as NTP and DNS.

3. Create a diagram of a Workload Domain showing its vCenter, clusters, and optional NSX instance.

4. Write a comparison table between Management Domain and Workload Domain describing purpose, scale, dependencies, and lifecycle behavior.

5. Write a detailed explanation of VCF Lifecycle Management, including the concept of version interoperability and upgrade sequencing.

6. Document the steps for adding hosts and clusters to a Workload Domain using SDDC Manager.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study VCF architecture and write the platform explanation.
Pomodoro 3: Draw Management Domain diagram.
Pomodoro 4: Draw Workload Domain diagram.
Pomodoro 5: Create comparison table.
Pomodoro 6: Document LCM behavior and host commissioning steps.

Spaced Repetition:
Evening review of Day 1 material for 10 minutes.

DAY 2 – vSphere (ESXi, vCenter, Cluster Services)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand ESXi host architecture and its role in cluster services.

2. Learn vCenter Server functions and its importance in VCF.

3. Understand key features: HA, DRS, vMotion, Fault Tolerance.

Learning Content:
ESXi host architecture
vCenter services
DRS automation levels
HA restart logic
Resource pools and resource management

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create a written description of ESXi architecture, identifying hypervisor functions, VMkernel networking, and storage interfaces.

2. Write a structured explanation of vCenter’s role in VCF, focusing on inventory management, resource scheduling, and API integrations.

3. Write a detailed step-by-step sequence for a vMotion event, showing memory transfer, switch-over, and finalization.

4. Write a detailed description of the HA restart logic including master election, failure detection, restart prioritization, and host isolation response.

5. Create a resource management guide explaining reservations, limits, shares, and their effects on VM and PodVM performance.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study ESXi and vCenter.
Pomodoro 3: Write vMotion event sequence.
Pomodoro 4: Write HA restart logic.
Pomodoro 5: Produce resource management guide.
Pomodoro 6: Consolidate into notebook.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content.

DAY 3 – vSAN (HCI Storage, SPBM, ESA/OSA)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand vSAN architecture and its storage object model.

2. Understand ESA vs OSA differences and performance characteristics.

3. Learn how SPBM governs both VM and Kubernetes storage.

Learning Content:
vSAN datastore architecture
ESA vs OSA comparison
Storage Object layout
Failures-to-Tolerate
Stripe width, checksum, dedupe/compression
vSAN networking considerations

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed explanation of vSAN storage object architecture and how components, witnesses, and stripes are distributed across hosts.

2. Create a comparison table between ESA and OSA focusing on performance, hardware requirements, caching behavior, and recommended use cases.

3. Build three storage policies:
   Policy A: High performance
   Policy B: Capacity optimized
   Policy C: High availability
   Document FTT, RAID choice, stripe width, and expected overhead for each.

4. Write a networking explanation describing why MTU, NIC type, and packet loss significantly influence vSAN resync processes.

5. Document the relationship between SPBM, StorageClass, and PVC in Kubernetes.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study object architecture and write explanation.
Pomodoro 3: Create ESA vs OSA comparison.
Pomodoro 4: Build storage policies.
Pomodoro 5: Write vSAN networking explanation.
Pomodoro 6: Document SPBM → StorageClass mapping.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content.

DAY 4 – NSX (Networking and Security Virtualization)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand NSX architecture, including overlay networking and routing.

2. Learn how NSX supports pod networking for VKS.

3. Understand micro-segmentation and distributed firewall concepts.

Learning Content:
NSX Manager cluster
Transport Nodes and TEP
GENEVE overlay
Tier-0 and Tier-1 gateways
Distributed Firewall
Load Balancer

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a full explanation of NSX transport zones, TEP communication, and overlay tunneling using GENEVE.

2. Draw an NSX Tier-0 and Tier-1 topology, including north-south and east-west routing paths.

3. Write a detailed explanation of how NSX provides pod networking as a CNI for Supervisor and TKC clusters.

4. Document the Distributed Firewall rule evaluation order and describe how micro-segmentation applies to both VMs and Pods.

5. Write a scenario describing a routing failure and walk through a troubleshooting workflow using traceflow and edge diagnostics.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study TEP and overlay.
Pomodoro 3: Draw routing topology.
Pomodoro 4: Write NSX CNI explanation.
Pomodoro 5: Document DFW behavior.
Pomodoro 6: Troubleshooting scenario.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (second repetition interval).

DAY 5 – Tanzu and vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand Supervisor Cluster architecture.

2. Understand PodVMs, VM Service, and Tanzu Kubernetes Clusters.

3. Understand how Namespaces provide multi-tenant segmentation.

Learning Content:
Supervisor Cluster architecture
Spherelet
VM Service
PodVM lifecycle
Tanzu Kubernetes Cluster (TKC) lifecycle
Namespace policies and permissions

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed explanation of Supervisor Cluster architecture including how ESXi hosts run Kubernetes components.

2. Create a comparison table of PodVM, VM Service VM, and TKC Worker Node.

3. Write a detailed step-by-step description of how a TKC cluster is created, expanded, upgraded, and deleted.

4. Write a complete explanation of Namespaces, including resource limits, permissions, storage policy association, and network policy integration.

5. Document a namespace-based multi-tenant design suitable for three teams with different resource requirements.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study Supervisor architecture.
Pomodoro 3: Build comparison table.
Pomodoro 4: Document TKC lifecycle.
Pomodoro 5: Write namespace explanation.
Pomodoro 6: Produce multi-tenant design.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 3 content.

DAY 6 – Aria Suite, Backup, DR, and Supporting Products

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand Aria Operations, Aria Automation, and Aria Logs.

2. Understand the backup and DR ecosystem in VMware environments.

3. Learn how these products support operating VCF and Kubernetes environments.

Learning Content:
Aria Operations (monitoring and capacity)
Aria Automation (blueprints and governance)
Aria Logs (centralized logging)
VADP-based backup
Site Recovery Manager
Cloud DR options

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a description of how Aria Operations performs anomaly detection and capacity trending, including specific metrics relevant to VCF and VKS.

2. Explain how Aria Automation provides self-service provisioning using blueprints and policy enforcement.

3. Write a step-by-step backup workflow of a VM using a VADP-based solution.

4. Write a detailed description comparing SRM and Cloud DR solutions and when each should be used.

5. Document a monitoring and logging architecture for a VCF + VKS deployment, including which logs come from vSphere, NSX, and Kubernetes.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study Aria Operations.
Pomodoro 3: Study Aria Automation and document blueprint usage.
Pomodoro 4: Backup workflow creation.
Pomodoro 5: DR comparison document.
Pomodoro 6: Monitoring and logging architecture.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 4 content.

DAY 7 – Full Week Integration and System-Level Understanding

Learning Objectives:

1. Connect all VMware components into a unified architectural model.

2. Understand how each subsystem interacts in a full VCF deployment.

3. Prepare for deeper design work in Week 3.

Learning Content:
VCF component interactions
Dependency mapping across compute, storage, networking, Kubernetes
Platform behavior under load or failure

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create a unified diagram showing VCF Management Domain, Workload Domain, Supervisor Cluster, NSX components, vSAN datastore, and Kubernetes clusters.

2. Write an interaction map explaining how:
   vSphere depends on NSX and vSAN
   VKS depends on Supervisor
   NSX provides networking for VMs and Pods
   SDDC Manager manages lifecycle operations

3. Write three scenario analyses:
   Scenario 1: Cluster expansion
   Scenario 2: NSX upgrade
   Scenario 3: TKC version upgrade
   For each, describe required components and possible risks.

4. Rewrite all Week 2 notes into a structured summary that will be used for Week 3 design work.

5. Prepare a list of questions or unclear areas to explore in Week 3.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Build unified diagram.
Pomodoro 3–4: Write interaction map and scenarios.
Pomodoro 5–6: Produce Week 2 summary and prepare questions.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (third repetition).

WEEK 3 STUDY PLAN

Core Theme: Plan and Design

Primary Goal: Learn how to translate business requirements into conceptual, logical, and physical designs for VCF and VKS; make architectural decisions; analyze constraints and risks; and justify design choices.

DAY 1 – Requirements, Constraints, Assumptions, and Risks

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to capture and categorize requirements.

2. Understand the importance of constraints and assumptions in architecture design.

3. Develop the ability to identify risks and propose mitigation strategies.

Learning Content:
Functional vs non-functional requirements
Technical and business constraints
Assumptions in project planning
Risk identification and mitigation

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a structured explanation of what functional requirements are and list five examples relevant to VCF and VKS.

2. Write detailed descriptions of non-functional requirements for scalability, availability, security, manageability, and performance.

3. Write a list of realistic constraints for a sample enterprise, including budget, hardware vendor restrictions, network fabric limitations, and mandated identity provider usage.

4. Write out at least five assumptions that must be explicitly documented in VCF design, such as DNS availability or network team readiness.

5. Create a risk matrix listing at least six risks, their probability, impact, and mitigation strategies.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Requirements study and documentation.
Pomodoro 3: Constraints and assumptions documentation.
Pomodoro 4: Write risk matrix.
Pomodoro 5–6: Consolidate all into design notebook.

Spaced Repetition:
Evening review of Day 1 summaries.

DAY 2 – Conceptual Design

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how conceptual design represents high-level solution intent.

2. Learn how to define scope, major services, and platform capabilities without technical specifics.

3. Build a conceptual model for a multi-tenant VCF + VKS environment.

Learning Content:
Conceptual architecture scope
Definition of major services: compute, storage, networking, security, automation
Consumers: operations, developers, security, management
High-level capability statements

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a complete conceptual design statement for a VCF + VKS platform that supports both VM and Kubernetes workloads.

2. Identify all consumer groups (for example infra team, DevOps, application teams) and document their needs and expectations.

3. Write a high-level capability list describing:
   Multi-tenancy
   Centralized management
   Kubernetes as a service
   Observability and compliance

4. Draw a conceptual diagram showing broad abstractions without vendor or product names.

5. Write an explanation describing how conceptual design influences logical design decisions later.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study conceptual architecture and write conceptual statement.
Pomodoro 3: Identify consumer groups and capabilities.
Pomodoro 4: Draw conceptual diagram.
Pomodoro 5–6: Document all findings into notebook.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content.

DAY 3 – Logical Design: VCF Domains, Supervisor, and Namespace Hierarchy

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to structure Management and Workload Domains logically.

2. Understand how to logically model Supervisor Clusters.

3. Understand namespace hierarchy design for multi-tenancy.

Learning Content:
VCF logical domain structure
Namespace segmentation models
Supervisor resource requirements
Cluster selection

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create a detailed logical domain layout including:
   One Management Domain
   Multiple Workload Domains for production, non-production, and development environments

2. Document logical roles of vCenters, clusters, and NSX instances.

3. Write a logical description of which clusters will be enabled as Supervisor Clusters and why.

4. Create a namespace hierarchy for at least three teams, including resource limits, permission models, and storage policies.

5. Write a mapping explaining how logical domain decisions affect physical design later in Week 4.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Build domain layout.
Pomodoro 3: Document Supervisor logic.
Pomodoro 4: Build namespace hierarchy.
Pomodoro 5–6: Document mapping to physical design.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content.

DAY 4 – Logical Design: Tanzu Kubernetes Clusters (TKCs)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to design TKC control plane and worker node sizing.

2. Learn how to plan upgrade strategies and Kubernetes version management.

3. Understand ingress, load balancing, and networking requirements for TKC.

Learning Content:
TKC cluster sizing
Control plane HA
Node pools
Version strategy
Load balancer selection
Ingress patterns

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write recommended sizing for TKC control plane nodes, including CPU, memory, and storage.

2. Define worker node pools for three different workload types:
   General application workloads
   High performance workloads
   Stateful workloads

3. Write a version management strategy describing how Kubernetes upgrades will be planned, validated, and executed.

4. Document an ingress design explaining how traffic reaches TKC services through NSX load balancers.

5. Write a list of potential TKC design risks and propose mitigation steps.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: TKC control plane and worker pool sizing.
Pomodoro 3: Write version strategy.
Pomodoro 4: Document ingress design.
Pomodoro 5–6: Risk analysis and consolidation.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (second repetition interval).

DAY 5 – Logical Network Design

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to logically design management, vMotion, vSAN, overlay, and workload networks.

2. Understand NSX Tier-0 and Tier-1 design requirements.

3. Learn how to assign Pod and Service CIDRs without address conflicts.

Learning Content:
Network segments
CIDR planning
NSX routing model
Kubernetes network design

Detailed Tasks:

1. Define all required network segments:
   Management
   vMotion
   vSAN
   Overlay
   Workload and ingress networks

2. Write a complete CIDR allocation plan with no overlaps and with adequate address space for growth.

3. Draw an NSX Tier-0 and Tier-1 routing topology for the environment.

4. Map Pod CIDR and Service CIDR ranges and document how they avoid conflicts with corporate networks.

5. Write a logical network design summary that ties all segments and routing together.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Define network segments and CIDR plan.
Pomodoro 3: Draw routing topology.
Pomodoro 4: Document CIDR overlap avoidance.
Pomodoro 5–6: Finalize logical network summary.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 3 content.

DAY 6 – Design Decision Documentation

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to formally document architecture design decisions.

2. Understand how to justify a design choice and identify impacts and risks.

3. Build a reusable design decision framework.

Learning Content:
Decision format: Decision, Justification, Impacts, Risks
Trade-off analysis fundamentals
Documentation standards used in enterprise architecture

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write three design decisions for storage architecture (for example ESA vs OSA, FTT policy choices).

2. Write three design decisions for network architecture (for example Tier-0 active/active vs active/standby).

3. Write three design decisions for TKC architecture (for example node sizing, version strategy).

4. For each decision, complete all sections:
   Decision
   Justification
   Impacts
   Risks
   Mitigation

5. Create a design decision template for future use in Week 4 and Week 5.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Write storage decisions.
Pomodoro 3: Write network decisions.
Pomodoro 4: Write TKC decisions.
Pomodoro 5–6: Complete documentation and finalize template.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 4 content.

DAY 7 – Trade-Off Analysis and Full Week Integration

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to analyze competing architectural priorities.

2. Develop the ability to justify architectural choices in exam scenarios.

3. Integrate all Week 3 design work into a cohesive output.

Learning Content:
Trade-offs between isolation and operational complexity
Trade-offs between scaling up and scaling out
Workload Domain count decisions
Resource overcommit decisions

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a trade-off analysis comparing multiple small Workload Domains versus fewer large Workload Domains.

2. Write a trade-off analysis comparing strong workload isolation versus resource pooling efficiency.

3. Write a trade-off analysis comparing aggressive resource overcommit versus strict performance guarantees.

4. Consolidate all Week 3 outputs into a single conceptual and logical design draft document.

5. Write three exam-style design scenarios and produce design responses for each.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Write trade-off analyses.
Pomodoro 3–4: Consolidate Week 3 design draft.
Pomodoro 5–6: Create and answer scenario-based design exercises.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content (third repetition interval).

WEEK 4 STUDY PLAN

Core Theme: Physical Design

Primary Goal: Transform logical designs into concrete physical specifications including compute sizing, storage sizing, network physical topology, host configurations, cluster layouts, redundancy planning, and physical deployment decisions.

DAY 1 – Compute Sizing

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to convert logical resource requirements into host specifications.

2. Learn how CPU, memory, NUMA, and cluster-level capacity planning inform physical design.

3. Understand N+1/N+2 design for resilience.

Learning Content:
Host sizing methodology
NUMA node alignment
CPU overcommit guidelines
Memory overcommit considerations
Cluster size minimums for vSAN and HA

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a complete explanation of the methodology used to size ESXi hosts, including:
   Calculating total cluster CPU requirements
   Calculating memory requirements
   Applying overhead factors for ESXi and cluster services

2. Create sample host specifications for three workload categories:
   General VMs
   Kubernetes node pools
   High-performance workloads

3. Document how NUMA boundaries affect large VMs and TKC nodes.

4. Produce an N+1 and N+2 capacity planning calculation for a sample cluster.

5. Write a summary describing the minimum recommended number of hosts per cluster for vSAN ESA and how failure toleration impacts cluster size.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study host sizing fundamentals.
Pomodoro 3: Create sample host specs.
Pomodoro 4: Write NUMA impact document.
Pomodoro 5: Calculate N+1/N+2 plans.
Pomodoro 6: Consolidate into notebook.

Spaced Repetition:
Evening review of Day 1 content.

DAY 2 – Storage Design

Learning Objectives:

1. Develop the ability to design physical vSAN layouts including disk group structure, device selection, and policy effects.

2. Understand how storage growth, performance forecasting, and resilience requirements impact physical design.

3. Understand how storage choices affect both VMs and Kubernetes PVCs.

Learning Content:
vSAN OSA vs ESA hardware requirements
Disk tiering
IOPS calculations
Capacity projection
Policy mapping impact

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create a full vSAN ESA or OSA disk layout diagram including cache tier and capacity tier structures.

2. Write IOPS and throughput requirement calculations for a sample workload (VM + K8s mix).

3. Produce a capacity projection spreadsheet for 12, 24, and 36 months including:
   Raw capacity
   Usable capacity
   Policy overhead
   Growth factors

4. Write a guideline describing when to choose RAID-1, RAID-5, or RAID-6 based on resilience and performance.

5. Document how different storage policies translate into Kubernetes PVC behaviors.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study vSAN physical design architecture.
Pomodoro 3: Diagram disk layout.
Pomodoro 4: IOPS and capacity calculations.
Pomodoro 5: Policy mapping.
Pomodoro 6: Final documentation.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content.

DAY 3 – Network Physical Design

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand physical networking models used in VCF environments including leaf-spine architecture.

2. Learn how VLANs, MTU, link aggregation, and routing decisions impact cluster performance.

3. Understand physical redundancy and multipath strategies.

Learning Content:
Leaf–spine physical topology
ToR switch design
NIC capacity and uplink planning
MTU requirements for vSAN and NSX overlay
LACP and NIC teaming
Dual ToR redundancy models

Detailed Tasks:

1. Draw a physical network diagram showing:
   ESXi hosts
   Top-of-Rack switches
   Leaf-spine core
   Redundant uplinks

2. Document VLAN assignments for management, vMotion, vSAN, overlay networks, and workload traffic.

3. Write a full explanation of MTU requirements for vSAN and NSX overlay and describe how MTU mismatches cause packet fragmentation and performance issues.

4. Write a physical network redundancy plan describing:
   NIC teaming strategy
   LACP configuration decisions
   ToR switch redundancy design

5. Create a bandwidth planning worksheet showing expected consumption under normal and failover scenarios.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study physical network behaviors.
Pomodoro 3: Draw physical topology diagram.
Pomodoro 4: VLAN and MTU documentation.
Pomodoro 5: Redundancy strategy.
Pomodoro 6: Bandwidth worksheet creation.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content.

DAY 4 – Physical Design Integration: Compute, Storage, Network

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how different physical layers interact.

2. Ensure alignment across compute sizing, storage performance, and network bandwidth.

3. Validate that the physical design supports logical requirements.

Learning Content:
Cross-domain alignment
Bottleneck analysis
Scalability constraints
Interdependency mapping

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create an interaction matrix showing:
   How compute requirements influence storage and network
   How storage performance influences compute scheduling
   How network bandwidth influences vSAN and Kubernetes traffic

2. Write a cross-check analysis verifying that the physical design supports logical requirements from Week 3.

3. Document potential bottlenecks such as limited NIC bandwidth, insufficient cache tier capacity, or inadequate host memory.

4. Propose design adjustments to mitigate identified bottlenecks.

5. Prepare a consolidated physical design draft including host models, storage layout, and network topology.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Create interaction matrix.
Pomodoro 3: Perform requirement cross-check.
Pomodoro 4: Identify bottlenecks.
Pomodoro 5–6: Prepare consolidated physical design draft.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (second repetition).

DAY 5 – Availability, Resilience, and Failure Domain Design

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to design for availability at host, cluster, rack, and network levels.

2. Understand failure domains and how they apply to vSAN, NSX, and Kubernetes clusters.

3. Learn how redundancy strategies influence overall platform resilience.

Learning Content:
Host failure models
Rack awareness
vSAN fault domains
NSX Edge cluster redundancy
Kubernetes cluster HA behavior

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a description of vSAN fault domain requirements and design three variations:
   Single rack
   Multi-rack
   Multi-site

2. Create a diagram showing host placement across fault domains to ensure redundancy.

3. Document NSX Edge cluster design for high availability, including placement, routing mode, and failover behavior.

4. Write a failure scenario for each layer:
   Host down
   Rack failure
   Network path failure
   NSX Edge failure
   KB8 control plane failure
   Provide expected platform behavior and recovery steps for each.

5. Write a resilience strategy summarizing how physical design supports SLAs for availability and recovery.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study fault domains.
Pomodoro 3: Diagram host placement.
Pomodoro 4: Document NSX Edge HA architecture.
Pomodoro 5–6: Write failure scenarios and resilience strategy.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 3 content.

DAY 6 – Host Configuration and Physical Implementation Planning

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to convert physical designs into host-level configuration plans.

2. Understand BIOS, firmware, NIC, and storage controller settings.

3. Plan the physical deployment process from rack-and-stack to cluster formation.

Learning Content:
Host firmware standardization
BIOS settings for performance
NUMA optimization
NIC configuration
Disk group creation
SDDC initialization steps

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a complete ESXi host configuration checklist including BIOS settings, hyperthreading policy, power policy, and NIC configuration.

2. Document firmware and driver requirements for vSAN ESA or OSA, including supported HCL versions.

3. Create a disk device mapping plan for each host showing cache and capacity placements.

4. Write the physical implementation procedure:
   Rack and cabling
   Host imaging
   Network validation
   ESXi bootstrap
   Bringing hosts online for VCF commissioning

5. Prepare a physical build runbook suitable for an implementation team.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Build host configuration checklist.
Pomodoro 3: Firmware and driver specification work.
Pomodoro 4: Disk device mapping.
Pomodoro 5–6: Build the physical implementation runbook.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 4 content.

DAY 7 – Full Week Integration and Physical Design Validation

Learning Objectives:

1. Validate the entire physical design for completeness and alignment with earlier logical designs.

2. Build exam-style physical design documentation.

3. Identify improvements or alternative approaches.

Learning Content:
End-to-end integration
Design review methodology
Optimization opportunities

Detailed Tasks:

1. Rebuild the entire physical design from scratch using your notes:
   Compute
   Storage
   Network
   Host configuration

2. Compare this reconstructed design with earlier outputs and document discrepancies or corrections.

3. Write three physical design scenarios such as:
   Expanding a cluster
   Upgrading hardware
   Redistributing hosts across racks
   Provide expected constraints, decisions, and risks.

4. Create a Physical Design Summary Document integrating all Week 4 work.

5. Prepare your material for Week 5, which focuses on Installation, Configuration, and Administration.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Rebuild full design.
Pomodoro 3: Compare and refine.
Pomodoro 4–5: Write scenario analyses.
Pomodoro 6: Finalize Physical Design Summary.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (third repetition interval).

WEEK 5 STUDY PLAN

Core Theme: Installation, Configuration, Administration

Primary Goal: Learn how to deploy VCF, enable Supervisor Cluster, create Namespaces and TKCs, manage lifecycle operations, manage RBAC, and implement monitoring and logging.

DAY 1 – VCF Bring-Up: Hardware, Prerequisites, and Cloud Builder

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand all physical and logical prerequisites for VCF bring-up.

2. Learn the step-by-step workflow used by Cloud Builder.

3. Understand pre-check failures and how to validate infrastructure readiness.

Learning Content:
HCL validation
Network preparation (VLAN, MTU, routing, IP schema)
Core infrastructure services (DNS, NTP, PKI)
Cloud Builder config bundle
Bring-up workflow and validation checks

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create a hardware validation checklist including server model, CPU generation, NIC types, vSAN device types, and firmware versions.

2. Write a network readiness document including required VLAN IDs, subnet sizes, MTU requirements, routing needs, and test procedures for connectivity verification.

3. Build a sample IP allocation table for Management Domain components including vCenter, NSX Managers, SDDC Manager, ESXi hosts, and supporting services.

4. Write a step-by-step explanation of the Cloud Builder workflow from uploading the configuration bundle to successful deployment.

5. Write a troubleshooting document listing at least ten common bring-up failures (DNS resolution, NTP issues, MTU mismatch, hardware compatibility mismatch, host reachability failure) and the corresponding corrective actions.

6. Create a readiness validation runbook that an implementation team could execute before running Cloud Builder.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Prerequisite study and hardware checklist.
Pomodoro 3: Network readiness documentation.
Pomodoro 4: Create IP schema.
Pomodoro 5: Cloud Builder workflow explanation.
Pomodoro 6: Troubleshooting and readiness runbook.

Spaced Repetition:
Evening review of Day 1 contributions for 10 minutes.

DAY 2 – SDDC Manager and Domain Creation

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the purpose of SDDC Manager after bring-up.

2. Learn how to create Workload Domains (WLDs).

3. Understand host commissioning, cluster expansion, and domain lifecycle.

Learning Content:
SDDC Manager UI and API
Host commissioning
Workload Domain creation workflow
Cluster creation and expansion
vSAN and NSX configuration steps during domain creation

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed description of the capabilities of SDDC Manager including automation, lifecycle management, host operations, and integration with vCenter and NSX.

2. Document the host commissioning process including ESXi fingerprint validation, network checks, hardware verification, and prerequisites for adding hosts to SDDC Manager inventory.

3. Write a step-by-step workflow describing how to create a new Workload Domain including:
   Selecting host pool
   Creating vCenter
   Creating clusters
   Configuring vSAN
   Deploying NSX Manager (if dedicated)

4. Create two sample Workload Domain configurations:
   Production WLD with multiple clusters
   Development WLD with minimal resources

5. Document the cluster expansion procedure and write possible errors and resolution steps.

6. Produce an SDDC Manager operations reference sheet summarizing all Day 2 material.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study SDDC Manager capabilities.
Pomodoro 3: Host commissioning documentation.
Pomodoro 4: WLD creation workflow.
Pomodoro 5: Sample configurations.
Pomodoro 6: Cluster expansion and final summary.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content.

DAY 3 – Enabling Supervisor Cluster

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how vSphere clusters become Kubernetes-capable Supervisor Clusters.

2. Learn how to configure workload networks, control plane VIP, and storage for pods.

3. Learn operational expectations during Supervisor deployment.

Learning Content:
Workload Management enablement
Supervisor control plane VMs
Workload Network using NSX segments
Content Library configuration
Storage Classes for PodVMs

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write all prerequisites for enabling a Supervisor Cluster including cluster size, NSX readiness, network requirements, and licensing.

2. Document the configuration workflow for enabling Workload Management including setting the control plane endpoint, selecting the Workload Domain, and selecting NSX-based networking.

3. Create a full explanation of how Supervisor control plane VMs are deployed and how Spherelet integrates Kubernetes with ESXi.

4. Write a mapping between Storage Policies and Pod Storage Classes showing how PodVMs and PVCs consume resources.

5. Document expected network flows between Supervisor components and external networks.

6. Create a troubleshooting guide listing issues such as:
   Control plane VMs stuck in provisioning
   Workload Network configuration failures
   Content Library unavailability

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Prerequisite and enablement workflow study.
Pomodoro 3–4: Supervisor architecture documentation.
Pomodoro 5: Storage and network mapping.
Pomodoro 6: Troubleshooting guide.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content.

DAY 4 – Namespaces and Resource Policies

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to create and configure vSphere Namespaces.

2. Learn how to apply resource quotas, permissions, storage policies, and network policies.

3. Understand how Namespaces enforce multi-tenancy.

Learning Content:
Namespace creation workflow
Permission assignment
Resource quotas
Storage policies
Network policies via NSX
Developer service exposure

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a full explanation of how vSphere Namespaces map to Kubernetes namespaces.

2. Document the process of creating a Namespace including selecting a Supervisor Cluster, adding users or groups, applying resource quotas, and assigning storage policies.

3. Write a detailed explanation of how CPU, memory, and storage quotas control tenant consumption.

4. Create three sample Namespace configurations for three application teams, each with different resource and permission requirements.

5. Document network policies and how NSX enforces east–west traffic filtering for pods.

6. Create a Namespace operational reference guide describing day-2 expectations.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Review Namespace fundamentals.
Pomodoro 3: Document creation workflow.
Pomodoro 4: Quota and permission modeling.
Pomodoro 5: Namespace case examples.
Pomodoro 6: Operational reference guide.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 3 content.

DAY 5 – Tanzu Kubernetes Cluster (TKC) Deployment and Management

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the full lifecycle of deploying and operating TKCs.

2. Learn how to manage node pools, scaling, and upgrades.

3. Understand persistent storage, load balancing, and ingress for guest clusters.

Learning Content:
TKC YAML specifications
Control plane and worker node pools
Cluster autoscaling
Storage integration
Ingress and load balancer design

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a complete TKC YAML specification for a three-node control plane and two worker node pools of different sizes.

2. Write a cluster creation workflow describing each step from YAML submission to cluster readiness.

3. Document TKC scaling options, both vertical and horizontal, and describe recommendations for different workload profiles.

4. Create a TKC upgrade plan describing upgrade testing, sequencing, API compatibility considerations, and rollback strategies.

5. Document how persistent volumes are provisioned for TKC workloads using SPBM → StorageClass mapping.

6. Write a load balancing and ingress design for a TKC environment using NSX Advanced Load Balancer or NSX L4 LB.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study TKC definitions and YAML.
Pomodoro 3: Write cluster lifecycle workflows.
Pomodoro 4: Scaling and upgrade strategies.
Pomodoro 5: Storage integration documentation.
Pomodoro 6: Load balancing and ingress design.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 4 content.

DAY 6 – Lifecycle Management and Identity Management

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how SDDC Manager performs upgrades for vCenter, ESXi, NSX, and vSAN.

2. Understand compatibility enforcement.

3. Understand identity provider integration and RBAC mapping across components.

Learning Content:
VCF lifecycle management
Upgrade pre-checks
ESXi and NSX upgrade sequencing
Active Directory/LDAP integration
vSphere roles
NSX roles
Kubernetes RBAC

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a complete explanation of full-stack VCF lifecycle management including patch bundle import, pre-check execution, sequencing, and rollback behavior.

2. Document upgrade sequences for:
   vSphere (vCenter followed by ESXi)
   NSX Manager and Edge nodes
   vSAN

3. Write a troubleshooting list describing common upgrade failures and how to resolve them.

4. Write a complete identity integration workflow for Active Directory including SSO configuration, group mapping, and testing.

5. Create a combined RBAC model mapping:
   vSphere roles
   SDDC Manager roles
   NSX roles
   Kubernetes RBAC roles
   Document least privilege requirements.

6. Write a governance policy document describing separation of duties for Infra, Security, and DevOps teams.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study lifecycle management.
Pomodoro 3: NSX/vSphere upgrade sequences.
Pomodoro 4: Troubleshooting documentation.
Pomodoro 5: Identity provider integration workflow.
Pomodoro 6: RBAC model and governance policy.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 5 content.

DAY 7 – Monitoring, Logging, and Full Week Integration

Learning Objectives:

1. Build a complete monitoring and logging practice for VCF + VKS.

2. Understand which metrics and logs must be captured for stability, security, and compliance.

3. Integrate all Week 5 learning into an operational readiness package.

Learning Content:
Aria Operations metrics
Aria Logs (Log Insight)
NSX diagnostics
K8s logs and metrics (control plane and pods)
Operational alerting and thresholds

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a monitoring reference document listing key metrics for:
   ESXi hosts
   vCenter
   vSAN performance
   NSX transport nodes and edges
   Supervisor Cluster components
   TKC clusters

2. Create a logging architecture diagram showing how logs flow from vSphere, NSX, and Kubernetes to Aria Logs.

3. Document alerting thresholds and reactions for:
   CPU Ready
   Memory ballooning
   vSAN disk failure
   NSX node degradation
   K8s control plane not ready

4. Write a complete Operations Handbook integrating:
   Bring-up procedures
   Supervisor enablement
   Namespace and TKC creation
   Upgrade and patch workflows
   Monitoring and logging

5. Prepare a list of operational questions or gap areas to target during Week 6 troubleshooting studies.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Monitoring documentation.
Pomodoro 3: Logging architecture diagram.
Pomodoro 4–5: Alerting thresholds and handbook creation.
Pomodoro 6: Prepare questions for Week 6.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (third repetition interval).

WEEK 6 STUDY PLAN

Core Theme: Troubleshoot and Optimize the VMware Solution

Primary Goal: Build expert-level operational skill to diagnose failures, identify bottlenecks, optimize compute, storage, network, and Kubernetes layers, and respond to real exam scenarios that require multi-layer troubleshooting.

DAY 1 – Troubleshooting Methodology

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn a structured troubleshooting method applicable across physical, virtual, NSX, and Kubernetes layers.

2. Develop the ability to isolate problems using comparative, layered, and historical analysis.

3. Learn how to document troubleshooting steps at a professional level.

Learning Content:
Problem definition and scoping
Change-based troubleshooting
Layered troubleshooting model:
Physical → Virtual → OS/Node → Platform (VCF/K8s) → Application
Comparison analysis (“working vs broken”)

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a complete troubleshooting methodology document including problem identification, scoping, data collection, hypothesis testing, and verification.

2. Build a layered troubleshooting flowchart beginning from physical connectivity through to application-level issues.

3. Write three examples showing how “compare working vs broken” helps isolate failures (for example, two TKC clusters where only one pods fail to start).

4. Write a change-history analysis procedure describing how to evaluate recent upgrades, configuration changes, and infrastructure modifications.

5. Document a troubleshooting communication checklist for engaging multiple teams (network, storage, security).

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study methodology and write the full method.
Pomodoro 3: Create the troubleshooting flowchart.
Pomodoro 4: Write comparison examples.
Pomodoro 5: Document change-review procedures.
Pomodoro 6: Build communication checklist.

Spaced Repetition:
Evening review of Day 1 content.

DAY 2 – Compute Troubleshooting (vSphere and Kubernetes Nodes)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how compute problems present at VM, PodVM, and TKC node levels.

2. Learn how CPU, memory, DRS, and HA issues affect workload performance.

3. Learn practical troubleshooting steps for host failures and cluster instability.

Learning Content:
Host failures and PSOD
HA restart behavior
DRS constraints
CPU Ready, Co-stop, memory ballooning, swapping
Node NotReady state in Kubernetes

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a detailed explanation of all major compute-related symptoms including CPU Ready Time, Co-stop, ballooning, swapping, and memory reclamation.

2. Create a troubleshooting decision tree for diagnosing host-level failures including PSOD, HA restarts, and failed evacuations.

3. Document how DRS and affinity rules impact application performance and how misconfigured rules can cause performance degradation.

4. Write a step-by-step troubleshooting workflow for Kubernetes nodes entering NotReady or Unknown state, including node VM checks, ESXi host health validation, and network path verification.

5. Create a compute performance checklist suitable for rapid triage.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study CPU/memory issues.
Pomodoro 3: Host failure decision tree.
Pomodoro 4: DRS impact documentation.
Pomodoro 5: Node troubleshooting workflow.
Pomodoro 6: Performance checklist.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content.

DAY 3 – Storage Troubleshooting (vSAN + Kubernetes PVCs)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand vSAN health checks and how failures propagate to workloads.

2. Learn how storage policy failures affect VM and Pod volumes.

3. Understand PVC provisioning failures and performance bottlenecks.

Learning Content:
vSAN health service
Disk failures
Network issues affecting vSAN
Resync operations
Thin provisioning and space reclamation
PVC provisioning failures

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a vSAN troubleshooting guide documenting:
   Disk health checks
   vSAN object repair logic
   Resync behavior
   Network dependencies

2. Create a table listing common vSAN alarms and explain the most likely causes and actions.

3. Document how storage policies can fail to deploy due to insufficient hosts, FTT constraints, or capacity limitations.

4. Write a troubleshooting workflow for PVC provisioning failures including CSI logs, StorageClass mapping, and SPBM validation.

5. Write a performance analysis guide documenting how to identify storage latency problems, queue depth issues, and workload contention.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study vSAN troubleshooting.
Pomodoro 3: Build vSAN alarm table.
Pomodoro 4: Document policy deployment failures.
Pomodoro 5: PVC troubleshooting workflow.
Pomodoro 6: Storage performance guide.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 2 content.

DAY 4 – Network Troubleshooting (vSphere, NSX, Kubernetes Networking)

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to diagnose layer 2 and layer 3 issues affecting vMotion, vSAN, and workload traffic.

2. Understand NSX overlay behavior and routing failure modes.

3. Learn how Kubernetes CNI and Service failures present.

Learning Content:
vDS MTU and VLAN misconfigurations
NSX TEP connectivity
Edge node failures
BGP/OSPF issues
Kubernetes CNI problems
Ingress routing issues

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create a checklist to verify physical and virtual network configuration including MTU, VLAN tags, NIC team settings, and trunk configuration.

2. Write a step-by-step NSX overlay troubleshooting workflow including verifying TEP connectivity, checking GENEVE tunnels, and inspecting Edge routing state.

3. Write a troubleshooting document describing BGP advertisement failures and how they affect external access to workloads.

4. Document Kubernetes networking debugging procedures including:
   kubectl get events
   kubectl describe pod
   CNI logs
   Ingress controller logs

5. Write a full packet-loss analysis guide describing how to isolate MTU mismatches and asymmetric routing.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Study vDS and NSX troubleshooting.
Pomodoro 3: Build NSX workflow.
Pomodoro 4: Document routing issues.
Pomodoro 5: Kubernetes networking debugging.
Pomodoro 6: Packet-loss analysis.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 3 content.

DAY 5 – Kubernetes Troubleshooting (Supervisor and TKC)

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to troubleshoot Supervisor Cluster failures.

2. Understand how TKC nodes fail and how to diagnose workload-related issues.

3. Learn how resource issues, RBAC issues, and Namespace limits cause failures.

Learning Content:
Supervisor API issues
Control plane VM failures
TKC node lifecycle failures
Pods stuck in Pending or CrashLoopBackOff
Namespace resource quota problems
RBAC misconfiguration

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a Supervisor troubleshooting guide covering:
   API endpoint failures
   Certificate problems
   Control plane VM health
   Workload network failures

2. Create a TKC troubleshooting matrix listing failure symptoms such as:
   Nodes NotReady
   Cluster upgrade failures
   Autoscaler issues
   Image pull failures
   Provide likely causes and diagnostic steps.

3. Write troubleshooting procedures for pods stuck in Pending, including quota evaluation, PVC validation, and resource allocation.

4. Write troubleshooting steps for CrashLoopBackOff including logs, liveness/readiness probes, and container runtime checks.

5. Document a full RBAC troubleshooting workflow demonstrating how to identify permission denials across vSphere, NSX, and Kubernetes layers.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Supervisor troubleshooting.
Pomodoro 3: TKC troubleshooting matrix.
Pomodoro 4: Pod Pending workflow.
Pomodoro 5: CrashLoopBackOff workflow.
Pomodoro 6: RBAC troubleshooting.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 4 content.

DAY 6 – Performance Optimization (Compute, Storage, Network, Kubernetes)

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand optimization techniques for all infrastructure layers.

2. Learn how to adjust policies, resource allocations, and configurations to improve performance.

3. Build a reusable optimization framework.

Learning Content:
Compute optimization: vCPU sizing, NUMA alignment, DRS configuration
Storage optimization: vSAN policies, stripe width, caching, placement
Network optimization: MTU, load balancing, ECMP
Kubernetes optimization: resource requests, limits, HPA

Detailed Tasks:

1. Write a compute optimization guide describing:
   vCPU right-sizing techniques
   NUMA-aware VM and TKC placement
   DRS automation tuning

2. Write a storage optimization guide covering:
   Selecting appropriate policies
   Increasing stripe width
   Improving cache hit ratio
   Balancing workloads across nodes

3. Write a network optimization guide covering MTU settings, ECMP usage, and NSX Edge scaling considerations.

4. Write a Kubernetes optimization guide including proper request/limit ratios, autoscaling strategies, and scheduling hints.

5. Create a performance evaluation template that can be used by operations teams to conduct periodic reviews.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Compute optimization writing.
Pomodoro 3: Storage optimization.
Pomodoro 4: Network optimization.
Pomodoro 5: Kubernetes optimization.
Pomodoro 6: Evaluation template creation.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 5 content.

DAY 7 – Full Week Integration, Exam Scenarios, and Final Optimization Strategy

Learning Objectives:

1. Integrate troubleshooting and optimization knowledge into unified workflows.

2. Practice exam-style scenario analysis involving multi-layer failures.

3. Build final documentation to conclude the 6-week study plan.

Learning Content:
Cross-layer troubleshooting
Diagnosis under incomplete information
Design impact of troubleshooting findings

Detailed Tasks:

1. Create three multi-layer troubleshooting scenarios. Examples:
   Scenario 1: vSAN performance degradation caused by MTU mismatch.
   Scenario 2: TKC cluster deployment failure caused by Namespace quota exhaustion.
   Scenario 3: External traffic cannot reach Pods due to Tier-0 route advertisement failure.
   For each:
   Define symptoms
   Identify root cause
   Write step-by-step resolution

2. Create two optimization scenarios, for example:
   Improving latency-sensitive workload performance
   Optimizing a large-scale multi-tenant TKC environment

3. Build a unified troubleshooting and optimization playbook including:
   Methodology
   Decision trees
   Layered workflows
   Common pitfalls

4. Consolidate the entire 6-week study plan into a master knowledge document.

5. Write a list of final exam preparation tasks you will follow over the next week before taking the exam.

Pomodoro Plan:
Pomodoro 1–2: Scenario creation and analysis.
Pomodoro 3–4: Optimization scenarios and unified playbook.
Pomodoro 5–6: Master document creation and exam prep planning.

Spaced Repetition:
Review Day 1 content (third repetition interval).

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