VCA4-DT Exam Blueprint Guide 1 3

VMware Certified Associate - Desktop
Exam Blueprint

VCA4-DT Exam Exam Blueprint Version 1.3 24 August 2011 2011 Disclaimer: This blueprint is intended to provide information about the objectives covered by this exam, related resources, and recommended courses. The material contained within this blueprint is not intended to guarantee that a passing score will be achieved on the exam. VMware recommends that a candidate thoroughly understands the objectives described in this guide and utilizes the resources and courses recommended in this guide where needed to gain that understanding. Blueprint Authors: Russ Henmi, Senior Technical Certification Developer, VMware, Inc. Randy Becraft, Senior Program Manager Contributors: Linus Bourque, Technical Trainer Andrew Johnson, Senior Systems Engineer Jonathan Miller, Systems Engineer Kenneth Polakowski, Senior Consultant Brian Rice, Group Product Manager David Young, Senior Systems Engineer Russel Wilkinson, Senior Desktop Business Strategist 1
VMware, Inc. All rights reserved 2011. Use of any VMware Certified logo is restricted to individuals who have achieved the respective certification.
Table of Contents
Section 1: The Exam .............................................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Purpose of Exam .......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Number of Questions .................................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Passing Score ............................................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 How Objectives Relate to Questions on the Exam ...................................................................................... 3 1.5 Languages .................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Time Limit .................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.7 Scheduling and Taking the Exam ................................................................................................................. 4 1.8 Certification Tracks ...................................................................................................................................... 4 1.9 Retake Policy ............................................................................................................................................... 4 1.10 Exam Security ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Section 2: Intended Audience ............................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Intended Audience ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Section 3: Objectives covered in the VCA4-DT Exam ............................................................................................ 5 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 5 3.2 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Section 4: VCA4-DT Path and Course Recommendations ................................................................................... 15 4.1 VCA4-DT Path ............................................................................................................................................ 15 4.2 Course Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 15 Section 5: Additional Resources ......................................................................................................................... 17 5.1 Mock Exam ................................................................................................................................................ 17 5.2 VCA4-DT Community ................................................................................................................................. 17 5.3 Building a vSphere Test Environment ........................................................................................................ 17
Section 1: The Exam

1.1 Purpose of Exam The VCA410-DT VMware Certified exam tests potential VMware Certified Associate 4 - Desktop (VCA4-DT) candidates on their skills and abilities monitoring and managing a View 4.x environment. Successful candidates demonstrate mastery of these skills and abilities. 1.2 Number of Questions The VCA410-DT exam consists of 70 questions and a short pre-exam survey consisting of 7 questions. 1.3 Passing Score The passing score for this exam is 300, using a scaled scoring method. The scale is from 100-500. Scaled scores are calculated using a mathematical formula that considers a variety of factors, including the number and type of exam questions included in a specific version of the exam. Because this combination may vary in different versions of the same examination, scaled scores provide a fair score for each individual based on the version of the exam taken. 1.4 How Objectives Relate to Questions on the Exam Objectives summarize what the test is designed to measure. Objectives are developed by Exam Developers and subject matter experts (SMEs) based on identified tasks that relate to the job of administering a VMware View environment. Once the initial development process is complete, these objectives are verified using an external group of individuals in the actual job role. The external survey determines the number of questions for each objective, which relates directly to the criticality of the task in the job role. 1.5 Languages The exam is available in English. VMware, Inc. All rights reserved 2011. Use of any VMware Certified logo is restricted to individuals who have achieved the respective certification. 3
1.6 Time Limit The time limit for the exam is 90 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes to complete the survey questions and agreements. Candidates who take the VCA410-DT exam in a country where English is not a primary language will have an additional 30 minutes added to the exam time. This time extension is automatic, no additional action is required from the candidate. For the purposes of this exam, countries where English is considered one of the primary languages include Australia, New Zealand, Belize, South Africa, Bermuda, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and Ireland. 1.7 Scheduling and Taking the Exam This exam is administered through Pearson VUE. For details on the rules and procedures associated with registering for and taking the exam, which exams are available, latest certification news and more, please visit the VMware page on Pearson VUEs website at http://www.pearsonvue.com/vmware . Pearson VUEs website can also be used to locate a testing center in your area, schedule a VMware exam, and review exam history information. 1.8 Certification Tracks The VCA410-DT exam is the core component of the VCA4-DT certification. The certification requires a passing score on the exam. There is no course requirement for this certification. The VCA4-DT certification is not a requirement for the other desktop certification tracks: the VMware Certified Professional Desktop (VCP4-DT) and the VMware Certified Advanced Professional: Desktop (VCAP-DT). 1.9 Retake Policy If a candidate fails an exam on the first attempt, he or she must wait 7 calendar days from their original appointment time before he or she can register to retake the exam. There is no limit to the number of retakes a candidate can attempt, but the same waiting period applies after each failed attempt. Once the exam is passed, a candidate may not make any further attempts. VMware, Inc. All rights reserved 2011. Use of any VMware Certified logo is restricted to individuals who have achieved the respective certification. 4
1.10 Exam Security VMware reserves the right to refuse certifying a candidate who violates exam security policies. This includes copying and redistribution of exam material, using any type of study material during the exam itself, attempting to photograph exam items and taking an exam using a false identity. VUE testing centers will take you photo and capture your digital signature upon arrival to take the exam.
Section 2: Intended Audience

2.1 Intended Audience A candidate for the VCA4-DT Certification has approximately six months experience with the VMware View product. Candidates are typically junior-level personnel with IT experience but not necessarily virtualization experience. The successful candidate will likely have experience administering Windows Desktop systems.
Section 3: Objectives covered in the VCA4-DT Exam

3.1 Introduction It is recommended that candidates have the knowledge and skills necessary to administer a VMware View environment before taking the VCA410-DT exam. It is also suggested that the candidate complete the recommended courses prior to attempting the exam. 3.2 Objectives Prior to taking this exam, candidates should understand each of the following objectives. Each objective is listed below; along with related tools the candidate should have experience with, and related documentation that contains information relevant to the objective. All objectives may also be referenced in other product documentation not specifically highlighted below. The candidate should be familiar with all relevant product documentation or have an equivalent skill set.

VCA4-DT Section 1 Monitor VMware View Environment Objective 1.1 -- Monitor Desktop Sessions (remote and local) Knowledge Tools Objective 1.2 Monitoring events and system health Knowledge Understand View Administrator Dashboard o Understand alerts and level of alerts o Acquire details of components under Dashboard o Filter and identify specific events in the Events database o Identify common Desktop states VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide Identify session users Identify pool usage and availability Identify Desktop statistics o Identify connection state o Identify Agent status
Tools Objective 1.3 Monitor provisioning operations Knowledge Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide 6 Understand status terminology under Desktop view Identify pool status VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide
VCA4-DT Section 2 Maintain pools and desktop resources Objective 2.1 Maintain and update image set associated with the Desktop pool Knowledge Describe pool types and Desktop sources Understand common Desktop maintenance actions o Refresh o Recompose o Rebalance Maintain standalone templates Maintain standalone images
Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide
Objective 2.2 Determine user persona implementation based on pool characteristics Knowledge Define persona, where its stored, and how to remediate issues around persistent disks Differential between Attached and Detached disks Recreate desktop option when appropriate
Objective 2.3 Maintain and manage local mode users and pools Knowledge Define architecture and functionality of local mode Describe how functionality of View Clients with local mode works Identify OS and hardware requirements for running local mode 7
Tools Objective 2.4 Maintain and manage kiosk mode users and pools Knowledge Define architecture and functionality of kiosk mode Describe auto logon functions of kiosk mode VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Architecture Planning Guide VMware View Installation Guide
Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Architecture Planning Guide VMware View Installation Guide
VCA4-DT Section 3 Manage ThinApp entitlements Objective 3.1 Entitle ThinApp application to pool/Desktop Knowledge Describe streaming ThinApp packages Describe full package installation Identify ThinApp assignment status Describe the function of a ThinApp template
Objective 3.2 Revoke entitlement to pool/Desktop Knowledge Identify assigned pools/Desktops Perform steps to revoke entitlement Force exit of in-use application
VCA4-DT Section 4 Support and Troubleshooting Objective 4.1 Troubleshoot client connection problems Knowledge Describe connection process for tunnel connections Describe connection process for direction connections Describe connection ports and protocols Identify connection-specific log messages Identify client/connection server version mismatch
Tools Objective 4.2 Troubleshoot user issues Knowledge Describe connection process Describe application deployment process Describe RSA/SmartCard authentication process Describe linked cloning process Describe application virtualization isolation model 9 VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Client VMware Knowledge Base
Tools Objective 4.3 Troubleshoot Desktop pool issues Knowledge Tools Objective 4.4 Troubleshoot View components Knowledge Determine component status Identify error messages Identify restart procedures Identify the specific services associated with each component VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Architecture Planning Guide VMware View Installation Guide VMware Knowledge Base Determine error states Determine pool states Determine entitlement states VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Architecture Planning Guide VMware View Installation Guide
Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Architecture Planning Guide VMware View Installation Guide VMware Knowledge Base
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Objective 4.5 Generate log bundle for VMware Support Knowledge Identify connection server log bundle creation process Export Events database Identify log locations of all View components Perform client and zero client log bundles Perform VMware Composer log bundle
Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Client VMware View Agent VMware View Composer
VCA4-DT Section 5 End User Support Objective 5.1 Add and remove ThinApp Entitlements Knowledge Perform a ThinApp assignment to a Desktop or pool Scan for new ThinApp applications Verify ThinApp assignment state
Objective 5.2 Assign users/groups to pools Knowledge Assign a user or group to a pool Assign a user or group to a Desktop 11
Tools Objective 5.3 Disconnect/reset a user Knowledge Verify the existing session state Performa disconnect session process Perform a logoff session process Perform a reset of a virtual machine from the VMware View Administrator Console Perform a reset of a virtual machine from the VMware View client VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide
Tools Objective 5.4 Change the number of available Desktops in a pool Knowledge Identify Desktop pool type (manual or automated) Add a Desktop to a manual pool Modify an automated pools provisioning settings to change its desktop count Enable or disable a pools provisioning status VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide
Objective 5.5 Persistent and temporary disk management Knowledge Describe the relationship between persistent, replica, OS (delta), and temporary disks for linked clone pools Detach and attach persistent disks (local mode/datacenter) Archive a persistent disk Import a persistent disk 12
VCA4-DT Section 6 Component features and functions Objective 6.1 Describe and differentiate between component functions and features for: o o o o o o o o o o o Knowledge Describe View architecture Describe View products Composer Connection broker Transfer Server Security Server RDP PCoIP ThinApp Local mode Kiosk mode View Client, View Client with local mode, Apple OSX, thin client View Agent
Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide VMware View Architecture Planning Guide VMware View Installation Guide Product Documentation
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Objective 6.2 Describe licensing features of View Knowledge Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide Identify correct the connection licensing model Identify current and highest active user counts Identify enabled features Describe differences between Enterprise and Premium licenses
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Section 4: VCA4-DT Path and Course Recommendations

4.1 VCA4-DT Path
4.2 Course Recommendations In order to obtain the VCA4-DT Certification, no VMware courses are required. However, there are suggested courses: VMware View 4.5 Fundamentals This four-hour e-learning course covers the main features and components in the VMware View solution and how to install and configure VMware View. The course consists of five modules: 1. Introducing VMware View discusses the View architecture and key benefits and features of the View solution. 2. Installing and Configuring Key Components of View describes the main steps for deploying VMware View, how to install View Composer, and how to install and configure the View Connection Server. 3. VMware View Desktops explains the steps for configuring virtual machines as desktops, the tasks for preparing virtual desktops before installing View Agent, how to install View Agent, the steps to prepare virtual machines for a linked-clone deployment, and how to deploy a linked-clone automated desktop pool using the Add Pool wizard in View Administrator. 4. VMware View Client Options describes how to install and configure VMware View Client, how to configure View for use on Thin Clients, how to set up and configure virtual printing, and how to set up and configure View Client with Local Mode. 5. Working with View Administrator covers how to how to log in and navigate the View Administrator interface, how to manage users and groups, how to use the Add Pool wizard to create automated pools, how to use role-based administration, and how to use the ThinApp assignment feature to assign ThinApp applications to View desktops.

This course covers a majority of the objectives on the VCA4-DT exam and is recommended for individuals who want to gain a better understanding of the objectives represented in the VCA4-DT exam. VMware, Inc. All rights reserved 2011. Use of any VMware Certified logo is restricted to individuals who have achieved the respective certification. 15
VMware View: Desktop Fast Track This fast-paced, extended-hour training course includes the content of the following courses: VMware View: Install, Configure, Manage Application Virtualization with VMware ThinApp VMware View: Design Best Practices
This hands-on training course builds your skills in the VMware View suite of products: VMware View Manager, VMware View Composer, and VMware ThinApp. It will provide applications-oriented administrators with the knowledge and skills to virtualize Windows applications with ThinApp and to choose the best deployment and updating processes for their environment. The course will also present a methodology for analyzing and designing a View solution for the VMware vSphere infrastructure. At the end of the course, you should understand the features and operation of View, View design principles, and ThinApp operation. You should be able to do the following: Install and configure View components Create and manage dedicated and floating desktop pools Deploy and manage linked-clone virtual desktops Configure and manage desktops that run in local mode Configure secure access to desktops through a public network Use ThinApp to package applications
This course covers a majority of the objectives on the VCP410-DT exam and is recommended for individuals who want to gain a better understanding of the objectives represented in the VCP410-DT exam. The course includes a prepaid voucher for the VMware Certified Associate 4 Desktop examination. VMware View: Install, Configure, Manage [V4.5] This four-day, hands-on training course builds your skills in the VMware View suite of products: VMware View Manager, VMware View Composer, and VMware ThinApp. This course is based on the View 4.5 and ThinApp 4.6 releases. This course requires experience with VMware vSphere At the end of the course, you should understand the features and operation of View and be able to: VMware, Inc. All rights reserved 2011. Use of any VMware Certified logo is restricted to individuals who have achieved the respective certification. 16 Install and configure View components Create and manage dedicated and floating desktop pools Deploy and manage linked-clone virtual desktops Configure and manage desktops that run in local mode Configure secure access to desktops through a public network Use ThinApp to package applications
This course covers a majority of the objectives on the VCA4-DT exam, as well as additional learning objectives that are not a part of the exam. It is recommended for individuals who want to gain a better understanding of the objectives represented on the VCA4-DT exam which learning additional View and vSphere topics.
Section 5: Additional Resources

5.1 Mock Exam VMware provides a mock exam for VCA4-DT. The mock exam contains sample questions, along with explanation for incorrect responses. The mock exam presents 15 questions, drawn from a larger pool. The mock exam pass score is set to 100%, and a candidate can retake the mock exam as many times as desired until the 100% score is achieved. Please be advised that the pass score for the mock exam is unrelated to the pass score for the actual exam. Refer to section 1.3 for the scoring information for the VCA410-DT exam. The mock exam is located at http://mylearn.vmware.com/quiz.cfm?item=23551&ui=www_cert 5.2 VCA4-DT Community VMware provides an online community for VCA4-DT candidates. This community contains valuable information from other candidates and senior Desktop professionals, and is moderated by VMware certification staff. The community is located at: http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/certedu/certification/desktop_certifications/vca-dt 5.3 Building a vSphere Test Environment All VMware products, including View 4 and vSphere 4, can be downloaded and evaluated for 60 days. If you have the equipment to install a copy of ESX/ESXi 4.x, you can install ESX in a VM. This would allow you to install multiple copies of ESX and a copy of vCenter Server. For shared storage, obtain a virtual appliance that contains an iSCSI target. Several of these are available on the appliance marketplace.
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VMware Certified Associate - Desktop

Section 1: The Exam

Section 2: Intended Audience

Section 3: Objectives covered in the VCA4-DT Exam

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Tools VMware View Administrator VMware View Administration Guide

Section 4: VCA4-DT Path and Course Recommendations

Section 5: Additional Resources

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