VMware Cloud Foundation: Solution Architecture and Design [9.0] — Lesson 3: NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements

Learning Objectives

• Translate a realistic infrastructure or application requirement into an executable approach for NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements.
• Use network-and-storage design decision log to verify configuration, connectivity, security, and expected behavior.
• Explain how to recover safely when a storage policy satisfying capacity needs but not the required fault tolerance occurs.

Detailed Topics

• NSX routing
• Segmentation
• Load balancing dependencies
• VSAN architecture
• Storage policies
• Data protection
• Performance
• And network underlay requirements
• Decision ownership, prerequisites, and acceptance evidence for NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements
• Relevant access, security, capacity, dependency, performance, recovery, and support considerations

Instructor Demonstration

The instructor builds a representative scenario for NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements, narrating each decision and showing how it contributes to a defensible VCF 9.0 solution design that converts business requirements into resilient management, compute, networking, storage, security, and lifecycle decisions. The demonstration records network-and-storage design decision log so learners can compare design intent with observable behavior.

Hands-On Exercise

Configure and test NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements with representative infrastructure or application data. Use “a storage policy satisfying capacity needs but not the required fault tolerance” as the troubleshooting challenge, compare hypotheses, retest the affected path, and complete network-and-storage design decision log for review.

1. Define the requirement and identify dependencies before changing the environment.
2. Create a baseline result that can be compared with later changes.
3. Reproduce the exception and test one hypothesis at a time.
4. Complete the evidence record and obtain peer or instructor review.

Scenario Analysis

• Clarify the service trigger, affected components and roles, prerequisites, and acceptable result for NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements.
• Compare at least two implementation or correction choices and identify which evidence would distinguish them.
• Decide how network-and-storage design decision log should be reviewed, approved, retained, and handed to the next owner.

Troubleshooting Guidance

Avoid changing multiple settings at once while troubleshooting NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements. Preserve the failing example, review network-and-storage design decision log, and verify whether “a storage policy satisfying capacity needs but not the required fault tolerance” is the root cause. After remediation, confirm downstream effects and add a monitoring action.

Validation Checklist

• The scope of NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements is clear, including what is deliberately excluded from the test.
• Evidence in network-and-storage design decision log supports each material decision and outcome.
• A negative test demonstrates that controls reject or expose an invalid condition.
• Open risks, owners, due actions, and production safeguards are documented.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can apply NSX routing, segmentation, load balancing dependencies, vSAN architecture, storage policies, data protection, performance, and network underlay requirements, explain the decisions made, and defend the result with network-and-storage design decision log.