Top 30+ VMware Interview Questions and Answers

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VMware is a US-based software company founded in 1998 by Diane Greene and her team. It introduced virtualization to the world, allowing one physical machine to run multiple operating systems. This made IT systems faster and more efficient. Today, VMware is widely used in cloud computing, data centers, and enterprise networks. Many companies hire VMware admins, engineers, and cloud specialists. If you are aiming for one of these roles, you need to prepare well. That’s why we have listed the top VMware interview questions to help you get started.

Fun Fact: According to 6sense.com, more than 376,000 companies use virtualization tools. VMware is the most used, with over 155,000 customers and a 41.33% share of the market.

Note: All answers are based on VMware vSphere 8 and ESXi 8 as of 2025.

Basic VMware Interview Questions

Here are some commonly asked VMware interview questions and answers to help you build a strong foundation.

1. What is VMware and how does it work?

VMware is a company that builds software for virtualization and cloud computing. It lets one physical machine run many virtual machines (VMs) by using a layer called a hypervisor. Each VM runs its own operating system and apps, separate from others.

2. What are the different types of virtualization in VMware?

There are five main types:

• Server virtualization: Multiple VMs on one physical server.
• Network virtualization: Combines network hardware into one virtual network.
• Storage virtualization: Pools storage devices into one.
• Desktop virtualization: Runs multiple OS environments from a central server.
• Application virtualization: Runs apps remotely without installing them locally.

3. What is the difference between a Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisor?

Here is a simple comparison table for Type 1 vs Type 2 Hypervisor:

Feature	Type 1 Hypervisor	Type 2 Hypervisor
Installation Level	Runs directly on hardware (bare-metal)	Runs on top of an existing OS
Example Products	VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V	VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox
Performance	Higher, more efficient	Lower, depends on host OS
Security	More secure	Less secure due to dependency on host OS
Use Case	Production environments	Testing, development, personal use
Operating System Required	No	Yes

4. What are the benefits of using virtualization in an enterprise?

It cuts down hardware use, saves power, and lowers costs. It also allows faster deployment, better uptime, and simpler backups.

5. What is VMkernel and why is it important?

VMkernel is VMware’s core operating system for ESXi. It handles CPU, memory, storage, and VM traffic. Without it, VMs can’t talk to hardware.

6. What is the use of a VMware port group?

A port group connects VMs to a specific network. It also applies settings like VLAN IDs.

7. What is the purpose of vMotion?

vMotion lets you move a running VM from one host to another without downtime. It keeps services available.

VMware Interview Questions for Freshers

Here are simple VMware interview questions and answers specially picked for freshers starting their career in virtualization.

8. What is the difference between VMFS and NFS datastores?

VMFS is a block-level file system designed by VMware. It allows multiple ESXi hosts to read and write to the same datastore.

NFS is a file-level storage protocol. It is easier to set up and managed from the storage side, not VMware.

9. What are the components of VMware infrastructure?

Key components include:

• ESXi Server – runs virtual machines
• vCenter Server – manages multiple ESXi hosts
• VMFS – stores VM files
• vMotion and Storage vMotion – for live migration
• DRS and HA – resource balancing and failover
• VMware Tools – improves VM performance

10. What is the role of VMware ESXi?

ESXi is a bare-metal hypervisor. It runs directly on physical servers and hosts virtual machines. It is secure, small, and doesn’t need a general-purpose OS.

11. What is desktop virtualization and how is it used?

Desktop virtualization lets users access a virtual desktop from any device. The OS runs on a server, not on local machines. This is useful for remote work and easier desktop management.

12. What is a .vmdk file?

A .vmdk file stores the data of a virtual machine’s hard disk. It contains the OS, apps, and user data. Think of it like a full copy of a computer’s hard drive.

13. What is a virtual switch (vSwitch) in VMware?

A vSwitch connects VMs to each other or to the outside network. It works like a physical switch, but inside the ESXi host.

VMware Interview Questions for Experienced

Let’s go through some VMware interview questions and answers for experienced professionals to help you crack senior-level roles.

14. How does VMware HA differ from VMware FT?

VMware HA (High Availability) restarts a VM on another host if the original host fails.

VMware FT (Fault Tolerance) runs a secondary VM in real time, ready to take over instantly.

HA has a short downtime. FT avoids any downtime at all.

15. What happens if vMotion fails during migration?

If vMotion fails, the VM stays on the source host. This can happen if the target host lacks memory or if there is a network issue. You can fix it by freeing up memory or checking vMotion settings.

16. What is multipathing and why is it important?

Multipathing gives multiple physical paths from the ESXi host to storage. If one path fails, another takes over. This keeps storage access available and stable.

17. What is VMware vSphere and how does it compare to vCenter?

vSphere is VMware’s full virtualization platform. It includes ESXi, vCenter, and other tools.

vCenter is a part of vSphere. It manages multiple ESXi hosts and VMs from one place.

18. What is a Virtual Volume (VVol) and how does it work?

VVol is a storage feature in vSphere that maps each VM disk directly to the storage array. Instead of one large datastore, each VM has its own virtual volume. It allows better control, policy-based management, and more efficient snapshots.

VMware L1 Interview Questions 

Here are important VMware L1 interview questions and answers to help you prepare for entry-level support and administration roles.

19. What are the system requirements for installing VMware ESXi?

To install ESXi 8.0, you need a 64-bit x86 processor with at least two cores, 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended), a 32 GB boot device, and supported NICs and storage controllers. Hardware must be on the VMware Compatibility Guide.

20. How do you create and manage virtual machines in vSphere?

Log in to vSphere Client, select a host or cluster, click Create/Register VM, follow the wizard, assign storage and network, then finish. To manage, use the VM summary tab to power on/off, edit settings, or view performance.

21. What are the different types of VMkernel ports and their uses?

• Management: Handles ESXi host management traffic
• vMotion: Transfers VMs between hosts
• Fault Tolerance: Syncs data for FT
• vSAN: Used for storage clustering
• iSCSI/NFS: For storage communication

22. What is the default number of ports on a virtual switch?

By default, a vSwitch comes with 128 ports. You can increase it if needed during configuration.

VMware Interview Questions for L2

These VMware interview questions and answers for L2 will help you get ready for mid-level roles involving deeper troubleshooting and system management.

23. How do you troubleshoot a failed VM migration?

First, check vMotion network connectivity and host compatibility. Verify CPU compatibility and VM resource reservations. I usually check logs in vCenter or ESXi host for detailed errors.

24. What is the difference between Standard vSwitch and Distributed vSwitch?

A Standard vSwitch is created per host and managed individually.

A Distributed vSwitch is managed centrally via vCenter, spans multiple hosts, and supports advanced features like NetFlow and port mirroring.

25. How do you monitor storage performance in VMware?

I use vSphere performance charts or vCenter’s IOPS, latency, and throughput stats. For deeper insight, I may check datastore performance metrics or use vSAN performance service if enabled.

26. How do you perform cold and hot migrations?

Cold migration moves powered-off VMs between hosts or datastores.
Hot migration (vMotion) moves running VMs between hosts with no downtime. Both are done using vSphere Client.

VMware Scenario Based Interview Questions 

This section covers VMware scenario based interview questions and answers to test your problem-solving and hands-on skills.

27. A VM is running slow – how do you diagnose the issue?

I first check CPU and memory usage from the VM and host side. Then I look at disk latency, storage IOPS, and network usage. I also verify if the VM has limits or high reservations set.

28. vMotion is failing intermittently. What steps will you take to troubleshoot?

I check if vMotion NICs are up and on the correct VLAN. Then I test host compatibility, check DRS settings, and confirm that DNS and vMotion VMkernel adapters are working. Logs also help narrow it down.

29. A host in a cluster has crashed. How will HA handle it?

VMware HA detects the failure and restarts affected VMs on other available hosts in the cluster. There is a short downtime, but service resumes automatically.

30. Storage DRS is disabled for a VM. How do you manage its disks manually?

I check datastore usage manually and migrate disks to balance space or performance. This can be done using Migrate Storage from vSphere Client and selecting the target datastore manually.

Interview Questions for VMware Admin

Here are some common interview questions for VMware administrator roles to help you prepare for day-to-day tasks and system management duties.

31. How do you manage vCenter in a multi-host environment?

I group hosts into clusters. vCenter lets me apply settings, templates, and policies to all at once. DRS, HA, and resource pools help maintain balance.

32. What are your steps for upgrading ESXi hosts?

I first check hardware compatibility. Then I back up the host configuration. I use vSphere Lifecycle Manager to apply patches or upgrades, one host at a time to avoid impact.

33. How do you backup and restore a VM in VMware?

I use native tools or third-party backup solutions like Veeam or Nakivo. For restore, I select the VM version and bring it back to the required point-in-time.

34. How do you handle VM snapshots in a production environment?

I avoid keeping snapshots long-term. I use them for patching or testing, then delete them after use. Long snapshots slow performance and risk disk space issues.

Other Important VMware Interview Questions

Here are some extra VMware interview questions that don’t fit into one category but are still useful for interview preparation.

Windows VMware Interview Questions

These windows and VMware interview questions will help you prepare for roles that involve managing both Windows systems and VMware environments.

1. How do you install VMware Tools on a Windows VM?
2. How do you integrate VMware with Active Directory?
3. How do you troubleshoot a Windows VM that won’t boot?
4. How do you assign static IPs to VMs in a Windows environment?
5. How do you handle Windows patching in a VMware environment?

Interview Questions on VMware vSphere

1. What are the key features of VMware vSphere?
2. How does DRS work in vSphere?
3. What is vSphere Replication and how is it used?
4. How do you manage VM snapshots in vSphere?
5. How do you upgrade VMware vSphere?

VMware ESXI Interview Questions

1. What is the difference between ESX and ESXi?
2. How do you check hardware compatibility for ESXi?
3. What logs are important when troubleshooting ESXi?
4. How do you install patches on ESXi hosts?
5. What are the boot options available for ESXi installation?

vCenter Interview Questions

1. What are the core services of vCenter Server?
2. How does vCenter handle role-based access control?
3. What is the purpose of vCenter Single Sign-On (SSO)?
4. How do you perform vCenter upgrades or migrations?
5. What are the backup and restore options for vCenter?

VMware MCQs

Now let’s take a look at some VMware MCQs to test your knowledge and interview readiness.

1. Which VMware product manages multiple ESXi hosts?

a) vSphere
b) vCenter Server
c) NSX
d) vSAN

Answer: b) vCenter Server

2. What is the primary function of VMware vSphere?

a) Desktop virtualization
b) Server virtualization
c) Network virtualization
d) Application virtualization

Answer: b) Server virtualization

3. What is the role of ESXi in a virtual environment?

a) Acts as a hypervisor to create and manage VMs
b) Manages storage resources
c) Provides networking functionalities
d) Enables disaster recovery

Answer: a) Acts as a hypervisor to create and manage VMs

4. Which feature balances workloads across hosts?

a) vMotion
b) HA (High Availability)
c) DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler)
d) FT (Fault Tolerance)

Answer: c) DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler)

5. What does vMotion do in VMware?

a) Moves a running VM from one host to another
b) Converts a physical machine into a virtual machine
c) Manages VM snapshots
d) Backs up VMs to a remote site

Answer: a) Moves a running VM from one host to another

6. What is a datastore used for?

a) A configuration file for ESXi hosts
b) A virtual machine’s operating system
c) A storage location for VM files
d) A network switch for VMs

Answer: c) A storage location for VM files

7. What is VMware vSAN known for?

a) Network virtualization
b) Storage virtualization
c) Application virtualization
d) Desktop management

Answer: b) Storage virtualization

8. What is a key feature of VMware NSX?

a) Software-defined networking
b) VM performance monitoring
c) Backup and restore
d) Storage replication

Answer: a) Software-defined networking

9. What does VMware HA do?

a) Restores VMs to a previous snapshot
b) Restarts VMs on another host in case of failure
c) Monitors VM network performance
d) Balances network traffic

Answer: b) Restarts VMs on another host in case of failure

10. Which tool automates VMware deployments?

a) VMware Fusion
b) VMware Orchestrator
c) VMware Workstation
d) VMware Converter

Answer: b) VMware Orchestrator

How to Prepare for VMware Interview?

Here are some helpful tips to get ready for a VMware interview:

• Learn VMware basics like ESXi, vSphere and vCenter
• Practice creating and managing VMs in a home lab
• Understand networking, storage and virtualization terms
• Read official VMware docs and use Hands-on Labs
• Prepare for scenario-based and troubleshooting questions
• Review logs and common error fixes
• Stay calm and explain your thinking clearly during answers

Wrapping Up

So, these are the 30+ VMware interview questions and answers to help you get ready for your next role. Go through them, practice, and build confidence. These topics are useful for freshers and experienced professionals aiming for VMware roles.

Looking for IT jobs, including VMware job roles? Check out Hirist for the latest job openings in tech.

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FAQs

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Based on 4.9k salaries • Updated: 1 Aug 2025
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