Pass Your Microsoft MCSE 70-247 Exam Easy!

Microsoft 70-247 (Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud with System Center 2012) exam dumps vce, practice test questions, study guide & video training course to study and pass quickly and easily. Microsoft 70-247 Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud with System Center 2012 exam dumps & practice test questions and answers. You need avanset vce exam simulator in order to study the Microsoft MCSE 70-247 certification exam dumps & Microsoft MCSE 70-247 practice test questions in vce format.

An Introduction to the 70-247 Exam: Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud

The Microsoft 70-247 exam, officially titled Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud, is a critical component for IT professionals seeking to validate their expertise in managing a cloud environment using System Center 2012 R2. This examination is designed for individuals who are responsible for the design, installation, and configuration of a private cloud infrastructure. Passing this test demonstrates that a candidate possesses the necessary skills to implement and manage services on this platform, making it a valuable credential for cloud administrators, infrastructure engineers, and systems architects. The focus is heavily practical, testing real-world application of System Center components.

Successfully passing the 70-247 exam contributes towards earning the prestigious Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Private Cloud certification. This certification is a benchmark in the industry, signifying a deep level of knowledge in cloud technologies and data center management. The exam assumes a candidate already has foundational knowledge equivalent to a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2012 certification. Therefore, candidates should have a strong background in Windows Server, Active Directory, networking, and virtualization concepts before attempting this advanced examination. It serves as a bridge between server administration and cloud architecture.

The core audience for the 70-247 exam includes datacenter administrators who are tasked with deploying and configuring a private cloud. Their responsibilities often involve setting up the underlying fabric, which includes compute, storage, and networking resources. Furthermore, they are expected to manage and deploy cloud services, configure robust monitoring solutions, and implement automation to streamline operations. The exam questions are structured to reflect these job roles, presenting scenarios that require a candidate to apply their knowledge of System Center to solve complex problems. A thorough understanding of the entire System Center suite is paramount for success.

Preparing for the 70-247 exam requires a combination of theoretical study and extensive hands-on experience. Relying solely on book knowledge is insufficient, as the exam tests the ability to configure and troubleshoot intricate systems. Candidates must be comfortable navigating the various consoles of System Center components, especially Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), Operations Manager (SCOM), and Orchestrator. The exam is not just a test of memory but a true assessment of a professional's ability to operate a sophisticated private cloud environment. This practical emphasis ensures that certified individuals are genuinely capable of handling the demands of a modern data center.

Core Skills Measured in the Exam

The 70-247 exam is structured around several key objective domains that cover the entire lifecycle of a private cloud deployment. The first major area is designing and deploying System Center. This involves planning the architecture of the System Center components themselves, including high availability and scalability considerations. Candidates must know how to install and configure Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), which serves as the heart of the private cloud management solution. This section tests foundational planning skills, ensuring that the cloud infrastructure is built on a solid and well-designed base.

Another critical skill area is the configuration of the System Center infrastructure. This delves into the specifics of setting up the cloud fabric. Candidates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in configuring storage resources, such as storage classifications, pools, and LUNs. They must also be adept at configuring the network fabric, which includes creating logical networks, IP address pools, and virtual switch extensions. The ability to properly configure and integrate these fabric components is essential for creating a stable and performant cloud environment that can support various workloads and services effectively.

The exam also places a strong emphasis on configuring and deploying virtual machines and services. This goes beyond simply creating a single virtual machine. Candidates need to master the creation of VM templates, service templates for multi-tier applications, and managing the VMM library where these resources are stored. This objective domain tests a candidate's ability to standardize deployments and provide self-service capabilities to end-users. It is about transforming the virtualized infrastructure into a true cloud service delivery platform, enabling agility and efficiency in application deployment through automation and standardization.

Finally, the 70-247 exam covers monitoring and operating the private cloud. This involves using System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) to monitor the health and performance of the cloud fabric and the services running on it. Candidates must know how to deploy agents, configure management packs, and set up alerts and notifications. Additionally, this domain touches upon automation using System Center Orchestrator and data protection using Data Protection Manager (DPM). A comprehensive understanding of these operational tools is crucial for maintaining a healthy, reliable, and efficient private cloud infrastructure over the long term.

Designing and Deploying System Center

The design and deployment phase tested in the 70-247 exam is fundamental to a successful private cloud implementation. This process begins with a thorough design of the System Center architecture. Candidates must consider factors like scale, fault tolerance, and security. This includes determining the number of VMM servers required, planning for a clustered VMM deployment for high availability, and designing the database strategy for all System Center components. A poorly designed foundation will lead to performance bottlenecks and management challenges down the road, so this initial planning stage is absolutely critical.

When deploying Virtual Machine Manager, several key steps must be executed correctly. The installation itself is straightforward, but the configuration requires careful attention to detail. This includes connecting VMM to the Active Directory domain, configuring service accounts with the principle of least privilege, and setting up the VMM library. The library is a central repository for all resources used to create virtual machines and services, such as virtual hard disk files, ISO images, and templates. Properly structuring and managing the VMM library is a key skill assessed in the 70-247 exam.

Integrating other System Center components with VMM is another important aspect of the deployment process. For a fully functional private cloud, VMM must be connected to Operations Manager for monitoring, Orchestrator for automation, and potentially Service Manager for IT service management integration. The 70-247 exam requires candidates to understand how to establish these connections and configure the necessary credentials and connectors. This integration is what transforms a collection of individual management tools into a cohesive and powerful private cloud management suite, enabling seamless operations and automation.

The design must also account for the physical infrastructure that will host the private cloud. This includes the Hyper-V hosts, storage arrays, and network switches. While VMM abstracts these resources, their initial design and configuration are vital. Candidates should be able to plan for host group structures within VMM, design a logical network topology that maps to the physical network, and plan a storage strategy that aligns with the performance and capacity requirements of the expected workloads. The 70-247 exam ensures that administrators can bridge the gap between physical infrastructure planning and virtualized cloud management.

Configuring System Center Infrastructure

Configuring the System Center infrastructure, a core topic of the 70-247 exam, revolves around building the fabric of the private cloud. The storage fabric is one of the first components to configure. This involves integrating your storage arrays with Virtual Machine Manager. Candidates must be proficient in discovering and classifying storage, creating storage pools from available capacity, and provisioning logical units (LUNs) directly from the VMM console. This integration allows for streamlined provisioning of storage to Hyper-V hosts and clusters, making the management of storage resources much more efficient and automated.

The network fabric is equally important and is a complex area covered in the 70-247 exam. A candidate must understand how to create and manage logical networks, which are abstractions of the physical network infrastructure. This includes defining network sites, associating them with host groups, and creating IP address pools to automate the allocation of IP addresses to virtual machines. Furthermore, proficiency in configuring uplink port profiles and virtual port profiles is necessary to standardize network settings across Hyper-V hosts, ensuring consistency and reducing configuration errors.

Another key part of the network fabric is the implementation of logical switches. A logical switch in VMM provides a consistent way to connect hosts and virtual machines to the network. It acts as a container for virtual switch settings, including extensions, port profiles, and port classifications. The 70-247 exam tests the ability to design and deploy these logical switches to enforce network policies and simplify the process of adding new hosts to the cloud infrastructure. Mastery of logical switches is essential for building a scalable and manageable network fabric that supports advanced features like network virtualization.

Finally, the compute fabric, which consists of the Hyper-V hosts and clusters, must be properly configured. This involves adding hosts and clusters to VMM management, organizing them into logical host groups, and configuring their properties. Candidates should understand how to manage host updates through VMM integration with a Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server. They also need to be familiar with dynamic optimization and power optimization settings to ensure that the compute resources are used efficiently and that virtual machine workloads are balanced appropriately across the available hosts in the cluster.

The Importance of a Private Cloud Strategy

Developing a private cloud strategy is the underlying business driver for the technical skills tested in the 70-247 exam. A private cloud provides an organization with the benefits of cloud computing, such as self-service, agility, and scalability, while maintaining control over the infrastructure and data within its own data center. This is particularly important for organizations with strict security, compliance, or data sovereignty requirements. The ability to offer Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) internally can dramatically accelerate project timelines and improve the efficiency of IT operations by empowering developers and business units.

The skills validated by the 70-247 exam are crucial for implementing this strategy successfully. An administrator who can configure and deploy a private cloud using System Center is enabling their organization to transform its IT department from a cost center to a strategic service provider. By automating the provisioning of virtual machines and multi-tier services, the IT team can respond to business needs much more quickly. This agility allows the organization to innovate faster and compete more effectively in the marketplace. The private cloud becomes a platform for growth and efficiency.

Furthermore, a well-managed private cloud can lead to significant cost savings. By standardizing hardware and software configurations, automating routine tasks, and providing tools for capacity planning and chargeback, organizations can optimize the use of their resources. The monitoring capabilities provided by System Center Operations Manager, a key topic in the 70-247 exam, help to proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact business operations, reducing downtime and its associated costs. Efficient resource management ensures that the investment in data center hardware is fully utilized, maximizing return on investment.

Ultimately, the 70-247 exam prepares IT professionals to build and manage a cloud that is tailored to the specific needs of their business. Unlike a one-size-fits-all public cloud solution, a private cloud can be designed with specific performance, security, and integration requirements in mind. This allows organizations to run their most critical and sensitive workloads in a highly controlled environment while still leveraging the benefits of a cloud operating model. The certified professional becomes an essential asset in executing this strategic IT transformation for the business.

Preparing Your Lab for the 70-247 Exam

Hands-on experience is non-negotiable for passing the 70-247 exam, and building a dedicated lab environment is the most effective way to gain this experience. A lab allows you to practice every objective covered in the exam without impacting a production environment. Your lab setup should, at a minimum, consist of a domain controller, a SQL Server instance to host the System Center databases, and several servers to act as Hyper-V hosts. You will also need machines to install the various System Center 2012 R2 components, including VMM, SCOM, Orchestrator, and DPM.

The hardware requirements for a comprehensive 70-247 exam lab can be significant, but they are not insurmountable. A single powerful physical server with ample RAM (at least 64GB, but 128GB is better) and a modern multi-core processor can host all the necessary virtual machines. Using nested virtualization, where you run Hyper-V inside a virtual machine, is a viable option for creating your Hyper-V hosts if you are limited on physical hardware. Fast storage, such as SSDs, is also highly recommended to ensure the lab performs well and doesn't become a source of frustration during your study sessions.

When setting up your lab, try to mirror the architecture of a real-world private cloud as closely as possible. This means creating a Hyper-V cluster for your compute fabric and using shared storage, which can be simulated with an iSCSI target running on a Windows Server VM. Configure multiple networks to practice the networking concepts from the 70-247 exam, such as creating logical networks for management, live migration, and VM traffic. The goal is to create an environment where you can build, break, and fix things, solidifying your understanding of how all the components work together.

Do not underestimate the time it will take to build and configure your lab. This process itself is a valuable learning experience. As you install and configure each component, from Active Directory to the last System Center product, you will be gaining practical skills that are directly applicable to the 70-247 exam. Document your steps, troubleshoot issues as they arise, and don't be afraid to tear down and rebuild parts of your lab to test different configurations. The confidence you gain from working in your own environment will be invaluable when you face the complex scenarios presented in the exam.

Key Components of System Center 2012 R2

A deep understanding of the individual System Center 2012 R2 components is a prerequisite for the 70-247 exam. The central piece of the private cloud puzzle is Virtual Machine Manager (VMM). VMM provides a unified management solution for your entire virtualized infrastructure. It is used to configure and manage the compute, storage, and network fabric. It also handles the deployment of virtual machines and services, the management of the VMM library, and the creation of private clouds for self-service consumption. VMM is the orchestrator that brings all the fabric resources together into a cohesive whole.

System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) is the monitoring arm of the suite. For the 70-247 exam, you must know how to deploy SCOM and integrate it with VMM to provide comprehensive health and performance monitoring for your private cloud. This includes monitoring the Hyper-V hosts, the virtual machines, and the VMM services themselves. SCOM uses management packs to define what to monitor and how to respond to issues. A key skill is the ability to tune these management packs, configure alerts, and use the performance data to proactively manage the cloud environment.

System Center Orchestrator provides the automation capabilities for the private cloud. Orchestrator uses a graphical interface to create powerful automation workflows called runbooks. These runbooks can automate complex tasks that would otherwise require significant manual effort, such as provisioning a new virtual machine, applying software updates, or performing a disaster recovery failover. The 70-247 exam expects candidates to understand how to build basic runbooks and integrate Orchestrator with VMM and other System Center components to trigger automation based on events or alerts.

Although covered in less depth than VMM and SCOM, Data Protection Manager (DPM) and Service Manager are also relevant to the 70-247 exam. DPM is the backup and recovery solution for the private cloud, used to protect Hyper-V hosts, virtual machines, and application data. Service Manager provides a platform for implementing IT Service Management (ITSM) processes, such as incident and change management. While you won't need to be an expert in these products, you should understand their roles in the private cloud and how they integrate with VMM to provide a complete data center management solution.

Configuring the Fabric for the 70-247 Exam

A deep understanding of fabric configuration is at the heart of the 70-247 exam. The fabric represents the collection of all underlying infrastructure resources, including compute, networking, and storage, that VMM manages to deliver private cloud services. Properly configuring this fabric is the first step toward building a stable, scalable, and efficient cloud. The compute fabric consists of your Hyper-V hosts and host clusters. Candidates must be proficient in adding these resources to VMM, organizing them into host groups based on criteria like physical location or hardware type, and managing their properties.

The configuration of Hyper-V host clusters is a particularly important topic. The 70-247 exam requires a thorough knowledge of how to create and manage failover clusters that provide high availability for virtualized workloads. This includes understanding the requirements for clustered storage, networking configurations for cluster communication and live migration, and the process of performing a rolling upgrade of a cluster. VMM simplifies many of these tasks, but a candidate must grasp the underlying Windows Server Failover Clustering concepts to effectively troubleshoot and manage the compute fabric.

Beyond the initial setup, managing the compute fabric involves ongoing tasks such as resource optimization. VMM provides features like Dynamic Optimization and Power Optimization to automatically balance virtual machine workloads across the hosts in a cluster. Candidates preparing for the 70-247 exam must know how to configure the aggressiveness of these features and how to set power policies to reduce energy consumption during periods of low demand. This demonstrates an ability to not only build the cloud but also to operate it efficiently, which is a key skill for any cloud administrator.

Another critical aspect of the compute fabric is managing host updates. VMM can integrate with a Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server to automate the patching and updating of Hyper-V hosts. A candidate must be able to configure this integration, create update baselines, scan hosts for compliance, and orchestrate the remediation process. This involves placing hosts into maintenance mode one by one to apply updates without causing downtime for the virtual machines. This skill is vital for maintaining the security and stability of the entire private cloud infrastructure.

Managing Storage and Network Resources

Effective management of storage and network resources is a cornerstone of the skills tested in the 70-247 exam. For storage, VMM provides a powerful abstraction layer over the physical storage hardware. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in integrating their storage area networks (SANs) with VMM using SMI-S providers or SMP providers. This allows for the discovery, classification, and allocation of storage directly from the VMM console. Creating storage classifications, such as Gold, Silver, and Bronze, allows administrators to map storage capabilities to service tiers, a key concept in cloud service delivery.

Once storage is discovered, it must be allocated to the compute fabric. The 70-247 exam requires candidates to know how to create logical units (LUNs) from storage pools and present them to Hyper-V hosts or clusters. This includes understanding the different methods for provisioning, such as thin and thick provisioning, and the implications of each. The ability to manage file shares, including Scale-Out File Server (SOFS) clusters, as storage for Hyper-V is also a critical skill. This demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the various storage options available for a private cloud environment.

On the networking side, logical networks are the fundamental building block. A candidate for the 70-247 exam must be able to design and create logical networks that accurately model the physical network topology. This includes creating network sites to represent different physical locations or subnets and associating them with specific host groups. The creation of static IP address pools for these logical networks is also essential, as it allows VMM to automatically assign IP addresses to virtual machines, eliminating a common source of manual configuration errors and administrative overhead.

Building on logical networks, the exam delves into more advanced concepts like logical switches and network virtualization. A logical switch standardizes the virtual switch configuration across all Hyper-V hosts, ensuring consistency and simplifying management. Candidates must be able to create logical switches, configure uplink port profiles, and add virtual switch extensions for enhanced functionality. Furthermore, understanding how to implement Hyper-V Network Virtualization (HNV) to enable multi-tenancy and isolate tenant network traffic is a key differentiator for an advanced cloud administrator and a significant topic within the 70-247 exam.

Deploying and Managing Virtual Machines

While fabric configuration is the foundation, the ultimate purpose of a private cloud is to deploy and run workloads. Therefore, the 70-247 exam thoroughly tests a candidate's ability to deploy and manage virtual machines and services. This starts with creating standardized building blocks. Candidates must be masters of creating virtual machine templates. A VM template is more than just a virtual hard disk; it is a complete definition of a virtual machine, including its hardware profile, operating system configuration, and even the applications to be installed. Using templates ensures rapid, consistent, and error-free VM deployments.

The VMM library is the repository for all these building blocks. A significant portion of the 70-247 exam focuses on managing the library. This includes setting up library shares, adding resources like VHDs, ISOs, and scripts, and understanding how objects are indexed and replicated. A well-organized library is crucial for an efficient private cloud. Candidates need to be familiar with concepts like equivalent objects, which allow VMM to use identical files from the nearest library server to optimize deployments across different physical locations, thereby saving bandwidth and time.

Beyond single virtual machines, a private cloud must be able to deploy complex, multi-tier applications. This is where service templates come in. A service template is a powerful feature in VMM that allows an administrator to define all the components of a multi-tier application, such as web servers, application servers, and database servers, as a single, deployable unit. The 70-247 exam requires candidates to be able to design, create, and deploy these service templates. This includes configuring the different tiers, defining their networking properties, and setting up scaling and upgrade rules.

Once virtual machines and services are deployed, they need to be managed throughout their lifecycle. This includes tasks like migrating VMs between hosts (live migration), moving their storage (storage migration), and creating checkpoints. Candidates for the 70-247 exam must understand the different types of migrations and when to use them. They also need to know how to use VMM to manage checkpoints, which are useful for development and testing scenarios. A comprehensive understanding of the entire VM lifecycle, from creation to decommissioning, is essential for success on the exam.

Implementing Service Templates

Service templates are one of the most powerful and complex features in Virtual Machine Manager, and a dedicated focus on them is crucial for the 70-247 exam. A service template allows an administrator to model a multi-tier application as a single, manageable entity. Instead of deploying individual virtual machines for a web tier, a business logic tier, and a data tier, you can define the entire service in a template and deploy it in one operation. This capability is what truly transforms a virtualized environment into a cloud platform that delivers services, not just servers.

Creating a service template involves using the VMM Service Template Designer, a graphical tool that allows you to drag and drop virtual machine templates onto a canvas and connect them. For the 70-247 exam, you must be proficient with this tool. This includes adding VM templates to represent the different tiers of the service, configuring the properties of each tier, such as the number of instances to deploy, and defining the network connections between them. You can also specify custom scripts to run at different stages of the deployment process to configure applications or roles inside the VMs.

One of the key features of service templates is the ability to scale out a tier. When designing the template, you can define a tier as scalable, setting minimum and maximum instance counts. During deployment or after, an administrator can easily add or remove virtual machines from that tier to adjust to changing workload demands. The 70-247 exam expects you to understand how to configure these scaling settings and how they work in practice. This is a fundamental concept in cloud computing, providing the elasticity that businesses require from their infrastructure.

Another advanced feature tested in the 70-247 exam is the ability to service or upgrade a deployed service. VMM allows you to create a new version of a service template and apply it to an existing deployment. This process, known as an in-place upgrade, can be used to update the operating system, apply application patches, or change the configuration of the service. You must understand how to create upgrade domains and configure the upgrade process to minimize downtime. Mastering service templates demonstrates a high level of expertise in private cloud automation and service delivery.

Configuring and Managing the VMM Library

The VMM library is the cornerstone of standardization and automation in a private cloud, and its management is a key skill tested on the 70-247 exam. The library serves as a catalog of all the resources needed to build and deploy virtual machines and services. This includes virtual hard disks (VHD and VHDX), ISO images, scripts, driver files, and application packages. A well-structured library is essential for enabling self-service and ensuring that all deployments are consistent and comply with company standards. Candidates must know how to set up and manage library servers and shares.

A critical concept for the 70-247 exam is the use of profiles. VMM uses profiles to standardize the configuration of different components. Hardware profiles define the virtual hardware settings for a VM, such as CPU, memory, and network adapters. Guest OS profiles define the operating system settings, including the local administrator password, domain join information, and features to be installed. Application profiles can be used with Server App-V to deploy applications. By combining these profiles in a virtual machine template, you can create a highly standardized and reusable building block for your cloud.

Managing the physical resources within the library is also important. As the library grows, it can consume a significant amount of storage. Candidates should understand how VMM handles file-based resources. When you import a resource into the library, VMM indexes it but doesn't store the file in its database. Instead, it manages the file on the library share. The 70-247 exam requires knowledge of how to add and remove library servers, how to replicate resources between them for high availability or geographical distribution, and how to use the concept of equivalent objects to optimize deployments.

The library also stores the templates themselves. Virtual machine templates and service templates are the culmination of all the other library resources. They bring together hardware profiles, guest OS profiles, virtual hard disks, and application packages into a single, deployable unit. A candidate for the 70-247 exam must be able to create, modify, and manage these templates effectively. A deep understanding of how to leverage the VMM library to its full potential is a hallmark of a proficient private cloud administrator and a key to success on the exam.

Integrating App Controller and VMM

While VMM is the administrator's tool for building and managing the cloud fabric, App Controller provides a simplified, web-based interface for cloud consumers. Understanding the role of App Controller and how it integrates with VMM is an important topic for the 70-247 exam. App Controller allows administrators to delegate control over cloud resources to application owners or business units without giving them full access to the VMM console. This is the foundation of a true self-service private cloud, empowering users while maintaining administrative control.

The integration between App Controller and VMM is straightforward but must be configured correctly. Candidates need to know how to connect App Controller to a VMM instance and how user roles configured in VMM are reflected in App Controller. A key concept here is the creation of private clouds within VMM. A private cloud is a logical unit of compute, storage, and network resources with defined capacity and user roles. When a user logs into App Controller, they only see the clouds and resources to which they have been granted access, providing a secure, multi-tenant experience.

Using App Controller, a delegated user can perform a range of tasks without administrator intervention. They can deploy virtual machines and services from templates that have been made available to their user role. They can start, stop, and connect to their virtual machines. They can also view resource utilization and, if configured, information about the cost of their consumed services. The 70-247 exam tests a candidate's ability to configure this self-service experience, which involves setting up the private clouds and user roles in VMM and understanding the user experience in App Controller.

App Controller also has the unique ability to connect to and manage services running in Windows Azure (now Microsoft Azure). While the 70-247 exam focuses on the private cloud, understanding this hybrid cloud capability is beneficial. It demonstrates how System Center can be used as a single pane of glass to manage resources across both private and public clouds. For the exam, the primary focus remains on its role as the self-service portal for the VMM-managed private cloud, enabling the agility and empowerment that are key drivers for cloud adoption.

Configuring System Center Operations Manager for Cloud Monitoring

A key domain of the 70-247 exam is the ability to monitor the private cloud, and System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) is the primary tool for this task. Before you can monitor anything, SCOM itself must be properly installed and configured. This involves deploying the various SCOM roles, such as the management server, the operations database, the data warehouse, and the reporting services. The exam requires an understanding of the SCOM architecture and how to deploy it in a way that is both scalable and highly available to support a mission-critical private cloud environment.

Once SCOM is deployed, the crucial next step is to integrate it with Virtual Machine Manager. This integration is what provides deep visibility into the health and performance of the private cloud fabric. Candidates for the 70-247 exam must know how to establish the connection between SCOM and VMM. This process enables Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO), a feature that allows SCOM to trigger remedial actions in VMM based on performance alerts. For example, if a host is under heavy load, a PRO tip can trigger VMM to live migrate a virtual machine to a less-utilized host.

Configuring SCOM for cloud monitoring also involves deploying agents to the systems you want to monitor. This includes the Hyper-V hosts, the VMM management server, the SQL servers, and even the virtual machines running within the cloud. The 70-247 exam tests a candidate's knowledge of the different methods for deploying agents, including manual installation, discovery from the SCOM console, and even embedding the agent into virtual machine templates for automated deployment. Managing the health of these agents is also a critical operational task for a SCOM administrator.

The foundation of SCOM's monitoring capabilities lies in management packs. A management pack is a sealed file that contains the monitoring logic for a specific application or technology, such as Windows Server, SQL Server, or Hyper-V. Candidates must be proficient in importing and configuring the necessary management packs for a private cloud environment. This includes the VMM management pack, which provides detailed monitoring of all VMM components and the cloud fabric it manages. Understanding how to work with management packs is fundamental to leveraging SCOM effectively.

Implementing Monitoring for Fabric and VMs

After setting up SCOM and integrating it with VMM, the next step tested in the 70-247 exam is implementing detailed monitoring for the cloud fabric and the virtual machines. This is achieved primarily through the use of management packs. The Hyper-V management pack, for instance, provides a wealth of monitors and rules to track the health of your virtualization hosts. It can alert on issues such as low disk space on cluster shared volumes, problems with live migration networks, or performance degradation of the Hyper-V services themselves.

A critical skill for any SCOM administrator is the ability to tune management packs using overrides. Out of the box, a management pack may generate a lot of alerts, some of which may not be relevant to your specific environment. The 70-247 exam expects candidates to know how to create overrides to disable specific rules or monitors, or to adjust their thresholds to reduce alert noise. This ensures that operators are only notified of actionable issues, making the monitoring system more effective. Overrides can be targeted at specific groups of computers, providing granular control over the monitoring configuration.

Monitoring doesn't just stop at the fabric level; it extends to the virtual machines and the applications running inside them. Using SCOM, you can monitor the performance of guest operating systems, track the availability of services running within a VM, and even get deep application-level insights with management packs for applications like SQL Server or Exchange. The 70-247 exam requires an understanding of how to configure this in-guest monitoring, which often involves deploying agents inside the virtual machines and ensuring the necessary firewall ports are open for communication.

SCOM also provides powerful reporting and dashboard capabilities. Candidates should be familiar with creating custom dashboards to visualize the health of the private cloud at a glance. This might include a dashboard showing the overall health of all host clusters, the performance of key virtual machines, or the capacity utilization of storage resources. The ability to generate reports on availability, performance, and alert trends is also important for capacity planning and for demonstrating the value of the private cloud to business stakeholders. These skills are essential for operating, not just building, the cloud.

Integrating SCOM with VMM and DPM

The true power of the System Center suite, and a key theme of the 70-247 exam, comes from the integration of its components. The integration between SCOM and VMM is particularly vital for private cloud operations. As mentioned earlier, this connection enables Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO), which allows for automated or manual responses in VMM based on SCOM alerts. A candidate must understand how to configure PRO settings, including which alerts will generate PRO tips and whether the resulting actions should be automatic or require administrator approval. This integration creates a self-healing aspect to the cloud infrastructure.

Beyond PRO, the SCOM and VMM integration provides a unified view of health and performance directly within the VMM console. When the two are connected, VMM can display health states and diagrams for the fabric components that are derived from SCOM. This means an administrator can troubleshoot issues without constantly switching between different consoles. The 70-247 exam requires you to know how to enable and interpret these diagram views, which provide a visual representation of the relationships and health status of your hosts, clusters, storage, and networking components.

Integration also extends to System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM). When DPM is used to back up the private cloud environment, it can be monitored by SCOM. The DPM management pack provides alerts for backup failures, issues with the DPM server itself, and problems with storage pool capacity. A centralized monitoring strategy requires that all critical infrastructure components, including the backup system, report their health status to SCOM. The 70-247 exam expects a candidate to understand the importance of this and the basic steps to implement it.

This holistic approach to monitoring ensures that the cloud administrator has a single pane of glass for all operational alerts. Whether an issue is with a physical host, a virtual machine, a network switch, or a failed backup job, the alert will be generated and managed within SCOM. This simplifies operations, reduces the time to resolution for incidents, and provides a comprehensive view of the overall health of the private cloud service. Mastering this integrated monitoring strategy is a critical competency for anyone preparing for the 70-247 exam.

Configuring System Center Data Protection Manager

While monitoring ensures the health of the cloud, data protection ensures its resilience. The 70-247 exam includes objectives related to configuring and using System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) to back up and restore the private cloud. The first step is the deployment of DPM itself. This includes installing the DPM server, configuring its storage pool (a dedicated set of disks for storing backups), and deploying DPM protection agents to the servers and virtual machines you intend to protect. Candidates should be familiar with the DPM architecture and installation process.

The core of DPM configuration is the creation of protection groups. A protection group is a collection of data sources, such as Hyper-V hosts, virtual machines, or SQL databases, that share the same backup configuration. When creating a protection group, you define what you want to protect, how long you want to retain the backups (retention range), and how frequently you want to create recovery points (synchronization frequency). The 70-247 exam requires a deep understanding of how to configure protection groups to meet different service level agreements (SLAs) for data recovery.

Protecting a Hyper-V environment with DPM has specific considerations. DPM is cluster-aware and can protect virtual machines running on a Hyper-V failover cluster. It supports both host-level backups (where the agent is on the Hyper-V host) and guest-level backups (where the agent is inside the VM). Candidates need to understand the difference between these methods and when to use each. For example, host-level backup is generally more efficient and is the preferred method for protecting entire VMs, especially if they are part of a cluster that might migrate between hosts.

Recovery is the other half of the data protection story. A backup is only useful if it can be restored. The 70-247 exam tests a candidate's ability to perform various recovery scenarios using DPM. This includes restoring an entire virtual machine, performing an item-level recovery to restore a single file from within a VM's backup, and restoring application data like SQL databases or SharePoint items. A proficient cloud administrator must be confident in their ability to use DPM to quickly and reliably recover from data loss or system failure.

Backup and Recovery Strategies for the Private Cloud

Implementing a robust backup and recovery strategy is a critical operational task for any private cloud administrator and a key topic for the 70-247 exam. This strategy must go beyond simply installing DPM and creating protection groups. It requires careful planning to ensure that recovery point objectives (RPOs) and recovery time objectives (RTOs) can be met for different workloads. For a critical production database, you might need an RPO of 15 minutes, while for a less critical file server, an RPO of 24 hours might be acceptable.

The strategy must encompass the entire private cloud stack. This includes protecting the management infrastructure itself. The VMM database, the SCOM databases, and the DPM database are all critical components that must be backed up regularly. If the VMM database is lost, you lose the ability to manage your cloud. The 70-247 exam expects candidates to know how to protect these System Center components. DPM even includes a specific feature to back up the DPM server's own database, which is crucial for disaster recovery of the backup system itself.

For the workloads running in the cloud, the strategy should leverage DPM's capabilities for Hyper-V. DPM's integration with the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) on Hyper-V hosts allows it to create application-consistent backups of virtual machines without taking them offline. Candidates preparing for the 70-247 exam should understand how this process works. They should also know how to configure protection for virtual machines that are live migrating, ensuring that backups are not interrupted as workloads move between hosts in a cluster.

Disaster recovery is the ultimate test of a backup strategy. This involves not only restoring data but potentially recovering an entire site. DPM supports secondary protection, where one DPM server can back up the data from another DPM server, typically located at a different physical site. This provides a disaster recovery copy of your backups. While a full disaster recovery plan is a broad topic, the 70-247 exam requires you to understand the DPM features that enable it, such as secondary protection and the ability to restore data to an alternate location.

Automating Processes with Orchestrator

Automation is a core tenet of cloud computing, and System Center Orchestrator is the tool that enables it within the Microsoft private cloud. The 70-247 exam requires candidates to have a solid understanding of how to use Orchestrator to automate operational tasks. The fundamental concept in Orchestrator is the runbook. A runbook is a graphical representation of an automated workflow, built by linking together activities from integration packs. Each activity performs a specific action, such as creating a VM, running a script, or sending an email.

To be successful on the 70-247 exam, you must be comfortable with the Orchestrator Runbook Designer. This is the tool used to create and test runbooks. You need to understand the different types of standard activities, such as those for monitoring, file management, and system utilities. You should also be familiar with the concept of the databus, which is how data is passed from one activity to the next within a runbook. A simple runbook might monitor a folder for a file, read the contents of the file, and then use that information to create a new virtual machine in VMM.

The power of Orchestrator is greatly extended through integration packs (IPs). An integration pack contains a set of activities for a specific product or technology. There are integration packs for all the System Center components, for Active Directory, and for many third-party products. The 70-247 exam focuses on the IPs for System Center. For example, the VMM integration pack contains activities to create VMs, manage checkpoints, and move storage. The SCOM IP allows you to create and update alerts automatically. A candidate must know how to install and configure these IPs.

While Orchestrator is a powerful tool, it's important to start with simple, high-value automation tasks. A common use case is automating the provisioning process for new virtual machines. A runbook could be created to take a request from a user, get the necessary approvals, create the VM in VMM according to standard specifications, update the configuration management database (CMDB), and notify the user when their VM is ready. Understanding how to build such end-to-end automation workflows is a key skill for a private cloud administrator and is thoroughly tested on the 70-247 exam.

Configuring and Deploying Services

The 70-247 exam elevates the concept of deployment from single virtual machines to complete, multi-tier services. This is a crucial distinction that separates basic virtualization management from true private cloud administration. As discussed previously, this is accomplished through the use of service templates in VMM. A candidate must demonstrate mastery in not just using pre-built templates, but in authoring them from scratch to model real-world applications. This involves a deep understanding of how to configure networking, load balancing, and application settings within the template itself.

Advanced service template authoring, a key topic for the 70-247 exam, includes the ability to incorporate application deployment and configuration. This can be achieved using several technologies. For example, you can use application profiles to deploy Server App-V packages, or you can leverage Web Deploy packages for web applications. For more complex configuration, you can include scripts (PowerShell, for example) that run inside the virtual machines after they are deployed. A proficient administrator must be able to choose the right application deployment method for a given scenario and configure it correctly within the service template.

Another advanced concept is the configuration of service settings. This includes setting up availability sets to ensure that multiple instances of a service tier are not running on the same physical host, thereby increasing fault tolerance. It also involves configuring upgrade domains, which allow for rolling upgrades of a service with minimal downtime. The 70-247 exam will present scenarios where you need to design a service template that meets specific availability and serviceability requirements. This requires a thorough understanding of these advanced features and how they are configured in the service template designer.

Once a service is deployed, VMM provides tools to manage it as a single entity. You can view the overall health of the service, start and stop the entire service, and scale out individual tiers by adding more virtual machine instances. The exam requires you to be familiar with these service management tasks. The ability to decommission a service, which involves gracefully removing all of its associated virtual machines and resources, is also an important part of the service lifecycle. Mastering the full lifecycle of services, from design to deployment to decommissioning, is essential for the 70-247 exam.

Conclusion

For organizations that want to offer their private cloud services to external customers or to internal business units in a multi-tenant fashion, Service Provider Foundation (SPF) is a critical component. SPF is a web service that exposes the capabilities of VMM through a RESTful OData API. It is the bridge that allows hosting providers and large enterprises to build their own self-service portals and automation tools on top of the System Center private cloud. While it's an advanced topic, the 70-247 exam requires a foundational understanding of what SPF is and the role it plays.

The primary use case for SPF is to enable multi-tenancy. It works in conjunction with other components, like the Windows Azure Pack, to provide isolated environments for different tenants (or customers). Each tenant can have their own administrators, networks, and virtual machines, all running on a shared infrastructure but logically separated from each other. A candidate for the 70-247 exam should understand this architecture and how SPF facilitates it by acting as a secure gateway to the VMM infrastructure, enforcing tenant boundaries.

Installing and configuring SPF is a specific skill that may be tested. This includes understanding the prerequisites, such as installing the required web server roles and features, and the process of registering SPF with VMM. Configuration involves setting up the different web services (Admin, VMM, and Provider) and configuring the security settings, such as which security groups are authorized to use the API. While you may not need to be an expert developer who consumes the API, you need to be the administrator who can deploy and maintain the SPF infrastructure.

In the context of the 70-247 exam, it is important to understand where SPF fits into the overall System Center private cloud architecture. It is the key enabler for building large-scale, multi-tenant clouds that can be managed and consumed through programmatic interfaces. It allows for integration with billing systems, custom portals, and other management tools. While App Controller provides a simple, out-of-the-box self-service portal, SPF provides the powerful, flexible API needed to build highly customized and scalable cloud service delivery platforms for a service provider or a large enterprise.

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