2V0-16.25 · Domain 1 of 2

2V0-16.25 Domain 1: VMware vSphere Foundation Fundamentals

Section 2 of the 2V0-16.25 blueprint: virtualization principles, deploying vCenter and ESX, clusters, virtual machines, content libraries, encryption, vSphere and vSAN storage, and the networking components of VMware vSphere Foundation 9.0.

Exam weight estimate
Not published
Official objectives
17
Estimated questions estimate
~22
Suggested study time estimate
25–35 hrs

About 21 min read Reviewed October 2026

Overview

This domain maps to Section 2 of the Broadcom exam guide, VMware vSphere Foundation Fundamentals. It holds 17 objectives in four groups: virtualization fundamentals (2.1), compute (2.2), storage (2.3) and networking (2.4). The compute group covers vCenter and ESX deployment, vSphere clusters with DRS and HA, virtual machine creation and management, Day 2 operations, content libraries and encryption. The storage group covers datastores, vSAN Express Storage Architecture versus Original Storage Architecture, vSAN cluster deployment, storage policies, resilience and space efficiency.

The 2V0-16.25 exam is current as of October 2026 and tests VMware vSphere Foundation 9.0; no retirement or replacement had been announced. Broadcom's guide lists five sections, but Sections 1, 3 and 5 carry no testable objectives, so this study guide covers the two testable sections as two domains. Broadcom publishes no section weights, and the guide lists objectives as unnumbered bullets.

How it's tested

Domain 1 items read like an administrator's ticket: a cluster has a certain number of hosts and disks, a VM must survive a failure, or a remote office needs templates. You choose the feature, policy or setting that fits. Watch numbers closely, because host counts, failures to tolerate and disk types decide many answers.

  • Size the vSAN layout

    A host count and a resilience goal are given, and you choose RAID-1, RAID-5 or RAID-6 with the right failures to tolerate setting, or spot an impossible combination.

  • Pick the cluster feature

    A requirement such as automatic load balancing, restart after host loss or zero-downtime protection is described, and you map it to DRS, HA, vMotion or Fault Tolerance.

  • Match the object to the task

    You decide between a template, clone, snapshot, content library item or OVF export for a stated provisioning or recovery need.

Reasoning it through

A four-host vSAN ESA cluster needs a policy that survives one host failure while using less capacity than mirroring. RAID-1 works but doubles consumption. RAID-6 needs at least six hosts, so it is out. RAID-5 with failures to tolerate set to 1 fits, and on ESA the adaptive 2+1 layout applies at this cluster size, so RAID-5 is the expected answer.

Objectives 17

Official objectives from the Broadcom (VMware) outline, in outline order.

2.1.1 Describe the principles of VirtualizationHow a hypervisor abstracts hardware into virtual machines.
What it means
Virtualization places a hypervisor between physical hardware and operating systems so that several isolated virtual machines share one server. ESX is a type 1, bare-metal hypervisor that schedules CPU, memory, storage and network access for each VM.
What to understand
Know the core properties: partitioning (many VMs per host), isolation (a fault in one VM stays there), encapsulation (a VM is a set of files) and hardware independence (a VM can move between hosts with compatible CPUs). Understand that each VM sees virtual hardware defined by its compatibility level, and that the VMkernel handles resource scheduling and overcommitment.
How it shows up
Expect definition items that ask which property allows a VM to be copied as files or moved to different hardware.
Common confusion
Confusing type 1 hypervisors such as ESX with type 2 products that run on a host operating system.
2.1.2 Identify the use cases for VirtualizationWhere virtualization solves real infrastructure problems.
What it means
This objective covers the situations where virtualization is the right tool, such as server consolidation, test and development labs, disaster recovery, legacy application hosting, virtual desktops and running containers alongside VMs.
What to understand
Tie each use case to the feature behind it: consolidation relies on resource sharing, recovery relies on encapsulation and replication, test labs rely on cloning and snapshots, and modern application platforms rely on vSphere Supervisor. Recognise when a workload is a poor fit, for example hardware that needs a dongle or specialised device without passthrough support.
How it shows up
A short scenario describes a business need and asks which virtualization use case or benefit it represents.
Common confusion
Treating snapshots as a disaster recovery use case; recovery depends on backups or replication, not snapshots.
2.1.3 Identify the value proposition for VirtualizationThe business benefits that justify a virtualized platform.
What it means
The value proposition explains why organisations virtualize: higher hardware utilisation, fewer physical servers, lower power and cooling cost, faster provisioning, better availability and simpler management from one console.
What to understand
Express benefits in business terms. Consolidation cuts capital and facility cost; templates and content libraries cut provisioning time from days to minutes; HA and vMotion reduce downtime for failures and maintenance; a single vCenter reduces operational effort. VVF adds operations tooling through VCF Operations, which supports capacity planning and cost visibility.
How it shows up
Items may list several benefits and ask which one addresses a stated pain point, such as idle servers or slow provisioning.
Common confusion
Assuming virtualization removes the need for backups or capacity planning.
2.2.1 Given a scenario, deploy and configure VVF compute components (vCenter and ESX)Installing ESX hosts and the vCenter appliance and joining them together.
What it means
This objective covers installing ESX on physical servers, deploying the vCenter Server appliance, creating the inventory hierarchy and adding hosts so that vCenter can manage them.
What to understand
ESX installs from an ISO or through scripted or automated methods, then is configured through the Direct Console User Interface for management networking, DNS and root password. vCenter is deployed as an appliance, either by the installer or as part of a VVF deployment with the VCF Installer. Forward and reverse DNS, NTP and a correct FQDN are prerequisites that cause many failures. After deployment, build data centers, clusters and folders, then add hosts by FQDN.
How it shows up
Look for prerequisite questions: which missing item, such as DNS resolution or time synchronisation, causes a failed deployment.
Common confusion
Thinking vCenter must run on separate physical hardware; it is an appliance VM that normally runs inside the environment it manages.
2.2.2 Given a scenario, configure a vSphere ClusterSetting up DRS, HA and related cluster services.
What it means
A vSphere cluster groups ESX hosts so their CPU and memory act as a pool. Cluster features include vSphere DRS for placement and balancing, vSphere HA for restarting VMs after failures, EVC for vMotion compatibility, and vSAN for shared storage.
What to understand
Learn DRS automation levels (manual, partially automated, fully automated), the migration threshold and affinity or anti-affinity rules for VMs and hosts. For HA, know host failure response, admission control policies (cluster resource percentage, slot policy, dedicated failover hosts), heartbeat datastores, and responses to all paths down and permanent device loss. Know that Quickstart can configure a new cluster in guided steps and that cluster images are managed by vSphere Lifecycle Manager.
How it shows up
Scenarios ask which setting meets a goal, such as keeping two VMs on separate hosts or reserving capacity for one host failure.
Common confusion
Mixing DRS and HA roles; DRS balances running workloads, while HA restarts VMs after a host failure.
2.2.3 Given a scenario, deploy and configure virtual machinesCreating VMs, sizing virtual hardware and installing guest tools.
What it means
This objective covers creating new VMs, choosing compatibility level, guest OS type, vCPU, memory, disks, controllers and network adapters, then installing the guest OS and VMware Tools.
What to understand
Choose VMXNET3 for network performance and paravirtual SCSI or NVMe controllers for demanding storage. Know disk provisioning types: thin, thick lazy zeroed and thick eager zeroed, and which features need eager zeroed disks. Understand CPU and memory hot add, vTPM requirements, and why VMware Tools matters for drivers, graceful shutdown, time sync and heartbeats used by HA VM monitoring.
How it shows up
Expect questions asking which virtual hardware choice or disk format fits a performance or capacity requirement.
Common confusion
Assuming more vCPUs always improve performance; oversized VMs can wait longer for CPU scheduling.
2.2.4 Given a scenario, manage a virtual machine through vCenterEveryday VM tasks such as migration, snapshots and resource settings.
What it means
Managing a VM through vCenter includes powering, editing settings, migrating with vMotion or Storage vMotion, taking and consolidating snapshots, cloning, and applying shares, reservations and limits.
What to understand
Know the migration types: compute only, storage only, both, and cross-vCenter. Snapshots capture state through delta disks; long chains hurt performance and are not backups. Resource controls work at VM and resource pool level: reservations guarantee, limits cap, shares matter only during contention. Expandable reservations let a pool borrow from its parent.
How it shows up
Scenario items ask which migration or resource control solves a stated problem without downtime.
Common confusion
Believing shares guarantee resources; only reservations guarantee, and shares apply only under contention.
2.2.5 Given a scenario, perform Day 2 Operations within VMware vCenter.Ongoing tasks after deployment: maintenance, monitoring, backup and patching.
What it means
Day 2 operations are the recurring work that keeps the environment healthy: placing hosts in maintenance mode, monitoring alarms and events, backing up the vCenter appliance, adjusting resources, managing tags and scheduled tasks, and keeping hosts compliant.
What to understand
Maintenance mode evacuates VMs with DRS before host work; on vSAN you also choose a data migration option such as ensure accessibility or full data migration. vCenter file-based backup through the appliance management interface protects configuration. Alarms, tags, custom attributes and scheduled tasks reduce manual effort. Know where to look: the vSphere Client for inventory and the appliance management interface for vCenter itself.
How it shows up
Look for questions about safe maintenance of a host or protecting vCenter configuration.
Common confusion
Thinking a VM snapshot of vCenter replaces file-based backup of the appliance configuration.
2.2.6 Given a scenario, configure Content Libraries to manage resources.Sharing templates, ISOs and OVF packages across vCenter instances.
What it means
Content libraries store and distribute VM templates, OVF templates, ISO images and other files. A local library holds content for one vCenter; it can be published so that subscribed libraries elsewhere synchronise from it.
What to understand
Subscribed libraries can download all content immediately or only when needed, which saves storage at remote sites. VM templates in a library support check-out and check-in versioning, while OVF templates are portable packages. Libraries back VM images used by the Supervisor VM Service and VMware Kubernetes Service. Know publish settings, authentication on published libraries and how synchronisation is triggered.
How it shows up
Scenarios describe several sites that must stay in sync with a central template set, and you choose publish and subscribe options.
Common confusion
Expecting edits in a subscribed library to sync back; subscribed libraries are read-only copies of the publisher.
2.2.7 Given a scenario, secure workloads and infrastructure using encryption.VM encryption, vSAN encryption, key providers and vTPM.
What it means
Encryption in vSphere protects data at rest and in motion. It covers VM encryption through storage policy, encrypted vMotion, vSAN data-at-rest and data-in-transit encryption, and virtual TPM devices, all relying on a configured key provider.
What to understand
Know the three key provider types: a standard key provider that uses an external KMS over KMIP, the vSphere Native Key Provider built into vCenter, and the Trusted Key Provider used with vSphere Trust Authority. A vTPM requires a key provider. VM encryption is applied with an encryption storage policy, while vSAN encryption is enabled for the whole cluster. Understand that encrypting VMs needs specific cryptographic privileges.
How it shows up
Expect items asking what must exist before adding a vTPM or encrypting a VM in a site without an external KMS.
Common confusion
Assuming vSAN encryption and VM encryption are the same; one is cluster-wide on the datastore, the other is per VM.
2.3.1 Given a scenario, configure vSphere storageDatastores, protocols, multipathing and storage policies outside vSAN.
What it means
This objective covers presenting storage to ESX hosts: VMFS datastores on Fibre Channel, iSCSI or NVMe over Fabrics, NFS datastores, and the related adapters, multipathing and storage policy settings.
What to understand
Know when to use VMFS versus NFS, the difference between NFS 3 and NFS 4.1 (Kerberos and session trunking in 4.1), and how software iSCSI uses VMkernel port binding. Path selection policies include Most Recently Used, Fixed and Round Robin. Storage DRS balances datastore clusters, and Storage I/O Control manages contention. Broadcom announced vVols deprecation with 9.0, so prefer current options in design answers.
How it shows up
Look for protocol or multipathing items where a requirement such as authentication or link aggregation points to one choice.
Common confusion
Mixing NFS 3 and 4.1 datastores to the same share across hosts; the protocols must not be combined for one export.
2.3.2 Given a scenario, describe the use cases for VMware vSAN ESA or VMware vSAN OSAChoosing between Express Storage Architecture and Original Storage Architecture.
What it means
vSAN offers two architectures. Express Storage Architecture uses a single tier of NVMe flash devices in a storage pool. Original Storage Architecture uses disk groups, each with a cache device and capacity devices, and supports hybrid and all-flash configurations.
What to understand
ESA requires certified NVMe hardware and higher network bandwidth, and delivers RAID-5 and RAID-6 at RAID-1 performance, per-policy compression and more efficient snapshots. OSA suits existing hardware, SAS or SATA devices and hybrid disks. The choice is made when the cluster is created; you do not convert a cluster in place.
How it shows up
A scenario lists hardware such as NVMe-only ReadyNodes or existing SSD and HDD disks, and asks which architecture applies.
Common confusion
Thinking ESA still uses cache-tier disk groups; ESA has no separate cache tier.
2.3.3 Given a scenario, deploy a VMware vSAN clusterEnabling vSAN, networking, disk claiming and health checks.
What it means
Deploying vSAN means preparing hosts, configuring vSAN VMkernel networking, enabling vSAN on the cluster, claiming disks and validating with vSAN health checks. Variants include standard clusters, two-node clusters and stretched clusters with a witness.
What to understand
Each host needs a VMkernel adapter tagged for vSAN traffic and enough bandwidth for the architecture. Use the compatibility guide for controllers and devices. Two-node and stretched clusters need a witness host in a third site. Fault domains spread data across racks. Know that vSAN storage clusters can share a datastore with compute-only clusters.
How it shows up
Expect questions about the missing step when vSAN shows network partition or disks are not claimed.
Common confusion
Placing the witness appliance inside the cluster it protects instead of at a separate site.
2.3.4 Given a scenario, configure vSAN Storage policiesUsing storage policy rules to set protection and performance.
What it means
vSAN storage policies tell vSAN how to place each object. Rules include failures to tolerate, failure tolerance method (mirroring or erasure coding), number of disk stripes, object space reservation, IOPS limits and, on ESA, compression settings.
What to understand
Policies apply per VM or per disk and can change without downtime, though changes may resync data. Learn host minimums: RAID-1 with one failure needs three hosts, RAID-5 needs four on OSA, RAID-6 needs six, and RAID-1 with two failures needs five. ESA uses adaptive RAID-5 layouts based on host count. The default policy applies when no policy is assigned.
How it shows up
Scenarios give a host count and a protection goal, then ask which policy is valid or which VM becomes non-compliant.
Common confusion
Assuming a policy is accepted when the cluster lacks enough hosts; objects become non-compliant instead.
2.3.5 Given a scenario, identify the options for Resilience and Data Availability in VMware vSANFault domains, stretched clusters, maintenance options and rebuilds.
What it means
This objective covers how vSAN keeps data available: replica and parity placement across hosts, fault domains, stretched clusters across two sites, two-node clusters, maintenance mode data options and automatic rebuild after failures.
What to understand
Fault domains let vSAN treat a rack as one failure unit. Stretched clusters mirror data across sites with a witness and can add local protection within each site. Maintenance mode offers ensure accessibility, full data migration or no data migration. Absent components rebuild after a delay timer, while degraded devices rebuild immediately.
How it shows up
Look for questions on which maintenance option fits a short reboot versus permanent host removal.
Common confusion
Choosing full data migration for a quick patch reboot, which wastes time and capacity.
2.3.6 Given a scenario, describe the purpose of vSAN Space EfficiencyDeduplication, compression, erasure coding, thin provisioning and TRIM/UNMAP.
What it means
Space efficiency features reduce raw capacity consumed. They include deduplication and compression on all-flash OSA, compression on ESA, erasure coding in place of mirroring, thin provisioning and guest TRIM/UNMAP reclamation.
What to understand
On OSA, deduplication and compression are cluster-wide and need all-flash disk groups; compression-only is an alternative. On ESA, compression is set in policy and happens before data is written to devices. RAID-5 and RAID-6 consume less overhead than RAID-1. TRIM/UNMAP returns freed guest blocks to the datastore. Track savings and slack space in the vSAN capacity view.
How it shows up
Expect items asking which feature lowers capacity overhead for a given architecture or disk type.
Common confusion
Assuming deduplication is available on hybrid OSA clusters; it requires all-flash.
2.4.1 Given a scenario, differentiate between VVF networking componentsStandard and distributed switches, port groups, VMkernel adapters and uplinks.
What it means
VVF networking is built from vSphere Standard Switches, configured per host, and vSphere Distributed Switches, configured once in vCenter and pushed to hosts. Port groups attach VMs, VMkernel adapters carry host services, and uplinks connect to physical NICs.
What to understand
The distributed switch adds Network I/O Control, LACP, port mirroring, NetFlow, private VLANs and ingress traffic shaping, and is needed for Supervisor networking. VMkernel adapters are tagged for management, vMotion, vSAN, provisioning, Fault Tolerance logging or replication. Know teaming policies such as route based on originating port ID and route based on physical NIC load, which needs a distributed switch.
How it shows up
Scenarios ask which switch type or VMkernel service is needed for a feature such as LACP or vSAN traffic.
Common confusion
Thinking a standard switch can be managed centrally from vCenter like a distributed switch.

High-yield concepts

The terms, rules and formulas this domain turns into questions most often.

  • vSphere DRS

    Balances VM placement and load across cluster hosts using vMotion.

    Remember
    Automation levels are manual, partially automated and fully automated.
    Tested as
    Appears in cluster configuration and maintenance scenarios.
    Trap
    Expecting DRS to restart VMs after host failure, which is HA.

  • vSphere HA admission control

    Reserves cluster capacity so VMs can restart after host failures.

    Remember
    Cluster resource percentage is the default and most flexible policy.
    Tested as
    Questions ask how to guarantee restart capacity for a set number of failures.
    Trap
    Disabling admission control to power on more VMs, then losing restart capacity.

  • vSAN ESA

    Single-tier NVMe architecture with a storage pool and no cache disks.

    Remember
    Needs certified NVMe devices; RAID-5/6 perform like RAID-1.
    Tested as
    Drives architecture choice items based on hardware lists.
    Trap
    Describing ESA with disk groups.

  • vSAN OSA

    Disk-group architecture with one cache device and capacity devices per group.

    Remember
    Supports hybrid and all-flash; deduplication needs all-flash.
    Tested as
    Fits scenarios that reuse SAS or SATA hardware.
    Trap
    Assuming OSA cache capacity adds to usable datastore space.

  • Failures to tolerate

    Policy rule setting how many host or device failures an object survives.

    Remember
    RAID-1 FTT=1 needs 3 hosts; RAID-6 FTT=2 needs 6 hosts.
    Tested as
    Central to policy and host-count questions.
    Trap
    Forgetting the extra host recommended for rebuild capacity.

  • Content library subscription

    Subscribed libraries sync from a published library.

    Remember
    Download immediately or only when needed; subscribers are read-only.
    Tested as
    Used in multi-site template distribution items.
    Trap
    Trying to upload items into a subscribed library.

  • Key providers

    Standard (external KMS over KMIP), Native Key Provider and Trusted Key Provider.

    Remember
    vTPM and VM encryption need a configured key provider.
    Tested as
    Prerequisite questions for encryption and vTPM.
    Trap
    Thinking Native Key Provider needs an external KMS.

  • vSphere Distributed Switch

    Central switch defined in vCenter and applied to hosts.

    Remember
    Adds NIOC, LACP, private VLANs and port mirroring.
    Tested as
    Required for Supervisor and many advanced features.
    Trap
    Expecting LACP on a standard switch.

  • VMkernel adapter services

    Host interfaces tagged for management, vMotion, vSAN and other traffic.

    Remember
    Each service is enabled per adapter; vSAN needs its own tagged adapter.
    Tested as
    Troubleshooting items often hinge on a missing tag.
    Trap
    Assuming the management adapter carries vSAN traffic automatically.

  • Snapshots

    Point-in-time VM state using delta disks.

    Remember
    Not a backup; long chains reduce performance.
    Tested as
    Day 2 and VM management items.
    Trap
    Keeping snapshots for weeks as a recovery plan.

  • Maintenance mode data options

    Ensure accessibility, full data migration or no data migration on vSAN hosts.

    Remember
    Ensure accessibility suits short reboots; full migration suits removal.
    Tested as
    Resilience and Day 2 scenarios.
    Trap
    Choosing no data migration on a cluster with FTT=0 objects.

  • vSAN compression on ESA

    Compression controlled through storage policy rather than a cluster switch.

    Remember
    Applied before data is written to the devices.
    Tested as
    Space efficiency items compare ESA and OSA behaviour.
    Trap
    Looking for a cluster-wide dedup toggle on ESA.

Side by side

Concepts candidates mix up, compared on the point that decides the answer.

vSAN ESA vs OSA

ConceptMeaningKey differenceCommon trap
Device layout ESA uses a single NVMe storage pool; OSA uses disk groups. OSA reserves a cache device per group. Counting cache devices toward capacity.
Erasure coding ESA delivers RAID-5/6 without the usual write penalty; OSA erasure coding costs more I/O. ESA makes RAID-5/6 the normal choice. Assuming RAID-1 is always faster on ESA.
Space efficiency ESA compression is set per policy; OSA dedup and compression are cluster-wide on all-flash. Granularity differs: policy versus cluster. Enabling OSA dedup on hybrid disks.

DRS vs HA vs Fault Tolerance

ConceptMeaningKey differenceCommon trap
vSphere DRS Places and balances running VMs. Needs vMotion; no failure recovery. Picking DRS for host failure recovery.
vSphere HA Restarts VMs on surviving hosts after failure. Short outage while VMs restart. Expecting zero downtime from HA.
Fault Tolerance Keeps a live secondary VM in lockstep. No downtime, but vCPU and resource limits apply. Enabling FT for every large VM.

Standard vs Distributed switch

ConceptMeaningKey differenceCommon trap
vSphere Standard Switch Configured on each host separately. No central management or LACP. Expecting vCenter to sync it across hosts.
vSphere Distributed Switch Defined once in vCenter, applied to many hosts. Adds NIOC, LACP and Supervisor support. Forgetting it depends on vCenter for changes.

Exam traps

Each trap is an answer that looks right. Learn the clue that should change your mind.

  1. RAID-6 on a five-host cluster

    What candidates pick
    RAID-6 because it offers the most protection
    Why it looks right
    Higher protection sounds safer
    Why it's wrong
    RAID-6 needs at least six hosts, so a five-host cluster cannot satisfy that policy.

    Clue to watch for Count hosts in the stem before choosing a layout.

  2. Encrypting a VM without a key provider

    What candidates pick
    Edit the VM and enable encryption directly
    Why it looks right
    The option appears in the VM settings
    Why it's wrong
    Encryption and vTPM need a configured key provider in vCenter first, such as the Native Key Provider.

    Clue to watch for Phrases like no external KMS available.

  3. Expecting edits to sync from a subscriber

    What candidates pick
    Update the template in the subscribed library
    Why it looks right
    The subscriber is where the remote team works
    Why it's wrong
    Subscribed libraries are read-only; changes must be made in the published library.

    Clue to watch for Mentions of a central publisher and remote sites.

  4. Shares as a guarantee

    What candidates pick
    Set high shares to guarantee memory
    Why it looks right
    High shares sound like high priority
    Why it's wrong
    Shares only matter under contention; a reservation is what guarantees capacity.

    Clue to watch for Words like must always receive or minimum.

  5. LACP on a standard switch

    What candidates pick
    Configure a LAG on the standard switch
    Why it looks right
    Teaming exists on both switch types
    Why it's wrong
    LACP link aggregation groups are a distributed switch feature.

    Clue to watch for Requirement for dynamic link aggregation.

  6. Full data migration for a reboot

    What candidates pick
    Full data migration to be safe
    Why it looks right
    It sounds like the most cautious option
    Why it's wrong
    Full migration copies all data and takes long; ensure accessibility suits short planned work.

    Clue to watch for Short maintenance window or quick patch.

Answer framework

Use these steps when a Domain 1 scenario asks for a vSphere or vSAN configuration choice.

  1. Identify the object in scope, such as a host, cluster, VM, library, datastore or switch, and note which vCenter instance manages it.
  2. Write down every number in the stem, including host count, failures to tolerate, disk type, network speed and maintenance window length.
  3. Translate the requirement into a feature: balancing to DRS, restart to HA, zero downtime to FT, shared templates to libraries.
  4. Check prerequisites such as a key provider, a distributed switch, a vSAN-tagged VMkernel adapter, all-flash disks or certified NVMe hardware before accepting an answer.
  5. Reject answers that break 9.0 behaviour or published minimums, then pick the option that meets the stated goal with the least effort and capacity overhead.

Practice question

An administrator is building a new six-host vSAN cluster on certified NVMe ReadyNodes. VMs must survive two simultaneous host failures while keeping capacity overhead as low as possible. Which configuration should the administrator choose?

Want more like this? The 2V0-16.25 practice test has questions for every domain.

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Study strategy

Start with a lab. A nested environment with three or four ESX hosts and one vCenter appliance is enough to practise most of Section 2. Install ESX, deploy vCenter, build a cluster with Quickstart, turn on DRS and HA, then create VMs, templates and a content library. Each time you set something, note the requirement it solves, because exam stems are written as requirements.

Next, spend focused time on vSAN, which supplies six of the seventeen objectives. Build a table of policies against host minimums for ESA and OSA and practise it until you can answer instantly. Read the vSAN space efficiency and resilience documentation for 9.0 rather than older versions, since ESA changed several defaults.

Finish with encryption and networking. Configure a Native Key Provider, encrypt a VM and add a vTPM. Build a distributed switch with port groups, VMkernel adapters for vMotion and vSAN, and Network I/O Control. Then take timed practice questions on this domain and review every miss against the 9.0 documentation before moving to Domain 2.

FAQ

How much of the 2V0-16.25 exam is Domain 1, VMware vSphere Foundation Fundamentals?

Broadcom does not publish weights. Section 2 holds 17 of the 47 distinct testable objectives, so a planning estimate is about 22 of the 60 items.

Are Sections 1, 3 and 5 tested?

No. The exam guide states that Sections 1, 3 and 5 have no testable objectives in this version, so only Sections 2 and 4 are covered.

Do I need to know both vSAN ESA and OSA?

Yes. Objective 2.3.2 asks you to describe use cases for each, and policy and space efficiency questions often depend on which architecture is in the scenario.

Is ESXi still the name used on the exam?

VMware Cloud Foundation and vSphere Foundation 9.0 documentation refers to the hypervisor as ESX, and the exam guide uses ESX as well.

Which encryption features should I study?

Key provider types, VM encryption through storage policy, encrypted vMotion, vSAN data-at-rest and data-in-transit encryption, and vTPM requirements.

How much networking does Domain 1 include?

One objective, 2.4.1, which focuses on telling standard switches, distributed switches, port groups, VMkernel adapters and uplinks apart.

What hands-on practice helps most for this domain?

Building a small nested lab with vCenter, a vSAN cluster and a distributed switch, then repeating cluster, policy and library tasks until they are routine.

Other Cloud Computing certifications

Where the same subject shows up in other exams. Cards marked "Same subject" open the matching domain.

Test your Domain 1 knowledge

Check your grasp of clusters, vSAN policies, content libraries and encryption with scenario questions written for the VVF 9.0 Administrator blueprint.

Take the 2V0-16.25 practice test Check your 2V0-16.25 readiness

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