EXAM GUIDE

VMware vSAN Specialist v2

Exam Details (Last Updated: 02/01/2022)

The VMware vSAN Specialist v2 Exam (5V0-22.23), which leads to the VMware Certified Specialist – vSAN specialist
certification, is a 76-item exam with a passing score of 300 using a scaled method. Exam time is 125 minutes.
Exam Delivery
This is a proctored exam delivered through Pearson VUE. For more information, visit the Pearson VUE website.
Certification Information
For details and a complete list of requirements and recommendations for attainment, please reference the VMware
Education Services – Certification website.

Minimally Qualified Candidate

The minimally qualified candidate (MQC) must have earned a VCP/ VCAP/ VCIX / VCDX 2021 or newer. It is
recommended the MQC have 6-12 months hands-on experience configuring, managing and designing vSphere and
vSAN. The MQC is also experienced in deployment and administration of VMs using Storage Policy-Based Management
and has basic knowledge of: storage, networking, hardware, security, and monitoring and troubleshooting. The MQC
should possess the majority of the knowledge of the objectives shown in the exam sections in this guide.

Exam Sections
VMware exam blueprint sections are now standardized to the seven sections below, some of which may NOT be included
in the final exam blueprint depending on the exam objectives.

Section 1 – Architecture and Technologies

Section 2 – Products and Solutions
Section 3 – Planning and Designing
Section 4 – Installing, Configuring, and Setup
Section 5 – Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades
Section 6 – Troubleshooting and Repairing
Section 7 – Administrative and Operational Tasks

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If a section does not have testable objectives in this version of the exam, it will be noted below, accordingly. The objective
numbering may be referenced in your score report at the end of your testing event for further preparation should a retake
of the exam be necessary.
Sections Included in this Exam
Section 1- Architecture and Technologies
Objective 1.1: Identify vSAN requirements
bjective 1.2: Identify how vSAN stores and protects data
Objective 1.3: Identify vSAN space efficiency features
Objective 1.4: Given a scenario, identify the architectural requirements of a standard vSAN cluster, vSAN 2-node
cluster, and a vSAN stretched cluster
Objective 1.5: Identify vSAN data services requirements
Objective 1.6: Identify requirements for vSAN ESA
Section 2 - Products and Solutions
Objective 2.1: Removed - Given a scenario, identify when and how to use vSphere Replication in combination with
vSAN
Objective 2.2: Removed - Identify how to monitor vSAN with vRealize Operations
Objective 2.3: Identify which VMware solutions integrate with vSAN
Objective 2.4: Removed - Identify Data Persistence platform (DPp) deployment options
Section 3- Planning and Designing
Objective 3.1: Given a scenario, identify vSAN design considerations
Objective 3.2: Given a scenario, identify how to design a vSAN cluster
Objective 3.3: Given a scenario, identify how to use vSAN design and sizing tools
Objective 3.4: Given a scenario, identify interoperability with other vSphere features
Objective 3.5: Given a scenario, identify how VMware solutions integrate with vSAN
Objective 3.6: Given a scenario, identify when to use HCI Mesh
Section 4- Installing, Configuring, and Setup
Objective 4.1: Identify how to create and manage vSAN cluster configurations
Objective 4.2: Identify how to configure a vSAN cluster
Objective 4.3: Given a scenario, identify how to configure vSAN storage policies
Objective 4.4: Given a scenario, identify how to configure vSAN cluster services
Objective 4.5: Identify how to configure vSAN stretched cluster and 2-node configurations
Objective 4.6: Removed - Identify how to configure Cloud Native storage (CNS) with appropriate policies
Objective 4.7: Identify how to configure vSAN HCI Mesh
Objective 4.8: Identify the interoperability of HCI mesh with vSAN
Objective 4.9: Identify how to validate a vSAN deployment

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Section 5 - Performance-tuning, Optimization, and Upgrades

Objective 5.1: Given a scenario, identify how to apply patches using vSphere Lifecycle Manager (LCM)
Objective 5.2: Given a scenario, identify how to upgrade an HCI environment using vSphere Lifecycle Manager
(vLCM)
Objective 5.3: Given a scenario, identify how to add and remove hosts from a vSAN cluster
Objective 5.4: Given a scenario, identify how to create, expand, reconfigure, and remove disk groups and storage
pools
Objective 5.5: Given a scenario, identify how to create and remove vSAN Direct Configuration
Objective 5.6: Given a scenario, identify how to manage firmware and driver versions using Skyline Health,
vSphere Lifecycle Manager (LCM), and Compatibility Guide
Objective 5.7: Identify how to set vSphere Lifecycle Manager (LCM) desired image
Objective 5.8: Given a scenario, identify when to use component striping
Section 6- Troubleshooting and Repairing
Objective 6.1: Given a scenario, identify the impact of the vSAN failure
Objective 6.2: Given a vSAN scenario, interpret Skyline Health warnings
Objective 6.3: Identify how to determine vSAN health using the UI or ESXCLI
Objective 6.4: Identify how to gather vSAN performance information in the UI or using vsantop
Objective 6.5: Identify how to manage vSAN hardware lifecycle
Objective 6.6: Identify how to monitor resync impact
Objective 6.7: Removed - Identify how to remove unassociated vSAN objects to reclaim capacity
Objective 6.8: Identify the significance of durability components
Objective 6.9: Identify how to resolve capacity issues using storage policies
Objective 6.10: Identify how to resolve vSAN object compliance issues
Section 7- Administrative and Operational Task
Objective 7.1: Identify how to create, update, and modify vSAN storage policies and apply to objects
Objective 7.2: Identify vSAN data placement changes
Objective 7.3: Identify how to interpret vSAN storage capacity
Objective 7.4: Given a scenario, evaluate vSAN performance metrics
Objective 7.5: Identify effects of maintenance mode options
Objective 7.6: Given a scenario, identify how to add capacity to a vSAN cluster
Objective 7.7: Given a scenario, identify how to patch a vSAN cluster
Objective 7.8: Identify the operational characteristics/differences between standard vSAN cluster, vSAN 2-node
architecture and vSAN stretched cluster
Objective 7.9: Identify the characteristics of the different types of encryption
Objective 7.10: Identify how to utilize TRIM and UNMAP from vSAN and guest OS perspective

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Objective 7.11: Given a scenario, evaluate vSAN performance metrics

Objective 7.12: Given a scenario, identify the effects of maintenance mode options
Objective 7.13: Identify how to monitor vSAN storage policy compliance
Objective 7.14: Given a scenario, interpret the results of Skyline Health Check
Objective 7.15: Identify the impact of vSAN storage policy changes
Objective 7.16: Identify how to use Skyline health check to maintain a healthy status of a vSAN cluster
Objective 7.17: Given a scenario, identify how to start up and shut down a vSAN cluster
Objective 7.12 – Configure alarms

Recommended Courses
VMware vSAN: Install, Configure, Manage [v8]

Certification Requirements
VCP/ VCAP / VCDX / VCIX 2021 or newer

References
In addition to the recommended courses, item writers used the following references for information when writing exam
questions. It is recommended that you study the reference content as you prepare to take the exam, in addition to the
recommended training.

VMware vSAN: Install, Configure, Manage [v8] course

VMware vSAN Administration Guide

VMware vSAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting

vSAN Frequently Asked Questions

*Content in this exam is based on vSAN v8. Review all 8.0 release notes and material for features and function.

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Exam Content Contributors

Abdullah Abdullah
Adam Sweetser
Bart Peeters
Christian Mohn
Joey Ketels
Laurens van Dujin
Maciej Losek
Manfred Hofer
Marc van de Logt
Paul McSharry
Pawel Piotrowski
Rudi Martisen
Sjaak Bakker

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REV. 10/2023