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Starting out, it can seem difficult to build an environment in which you can learn by implementing the exercises and practices detailed in this book. It is possible to build a practice lab with minimal hardware, and I encourage you to follow along with the book. If you’re just starting, I recommend building a nested virtual lab on your laptop or desktop computer. Head to www.labguides.com for details on AutoLab, a nested vSphere automation tool. It needs VMware Workstation or Fusion installed and 16 GB of RAM. Be sure to read Chapters 2 and 3 before you attempt to construct any type of environment for development purposes.

For the purpose of writing this book, I used multiple hardware configurations. When I was on the road I spun up a simple nested lab on my laptop using AutoLab, but at home I used a decent setup with a number of servers and storage that I change around when needed. I keep an updated list of recommended lab component details with multiple price options at www.labguides.com/guides/hardware/.

It’s not impossible to set yourself up with a nice lab to follow along. But for some, this is not the sort of environment to which they have access. For entry-level NFS and iSCSI testing, a number of vendors, including EMC, HP, and NetApp, offer virtual storage appliances or simulators that you can use to gain some familiarity with shared storage concepts and that specific vendor’s products. I encourage you to use these sorts of tools where applicable in your learning process.