Virtualization Tips » Training

New VMware Certifications coming soon

Brian — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:14:09 +0000

There has been rumblings for awhile now about some new intermediate certifications coming from VMware. Today Scott Vessey is confirming the names of the new Certifications. He also goes on to say that there should be a formal announcement coming in a few weeks. I look forward towards several of these and what the paths will look like for achieving them. One immediate question that comes to mind would be how these new certifications work with the VCDX. For example while working towards the VCDX you are required to pass a Enterprise Admin and then a Design exam. Would these be also the steps to earn these new certifications and provide a higher level of recognition to Admins that do not wish to progress all the way to the VCDX? Hopefully these details are cleared up in the coming weeks.

Enterprise Administrator Certification (Final name may differ)
Design Administrator Certification (Final name may differ)
VMware Certified Design Expert on vSphere 4 (VCDX4)

About Brian

Brian is a Technical Architect for a VMware partner and owner of this website. He is active in the VMware community and is helps lead the Chicago VMUG group. This blog Virtualize Tips was started to document and remember things that I come across while working with tech.

Mail | Web | Twitter | LinkedIn | More Posts (170)

VMware vSphere Design Workshop new training class is announced

Brian — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:12:24 +0000

Looks like VMware is continuing its push to create more specialized training classes. There has been demand from the community for a long time for advanced troubleshooting classes. Now to go along with it’s VCDX certification VMware has created the vSphere Design Workshop, while this is not just geared towards someone seeking their VCDX it is sure to be a big help along the way.

The curriculum for this class was designed in part by the infamous Duncan Epping a VMware consultant. According to Duncan the class is a real workshop and it is all about discussing design considerations with your peers and crafting a design based on specific requirements and constraints.

The class schedule can be seen here and they are available starting in April around the world. The cost for the class is around $1800 and is a 3 day long session. There is a course outline listed below. The class is around 19 hours of instructor led training that breaks down to be 60% lecture and 40% lab time.

Course Outline
Module 1: Course Introduction
• Provide a general overview of the course
Module 2: Design Process Overview
• Discuss the design methodology, criteria, and approach
• Introduce an example five-step design process
Module 3: ESX/ESXi Host Design
• Identify useful information for making host design decisions
• Analyze best practices and host design alternatives
Module 4: vSphere Virtual Datacenter Design
• Identify useful information for making vCenter Server, database, cluster, and resource pool design decisions
• Analyze best practices and vCenter Server, database, cluster, and resource pool design alternatives
Module 5: vSphere Network Design
• Identify useful information for making network design decisions
• Analyze best practices and network design alternatives
Module 6: vSphere Storage Design
• Identify useful information for making storage design decisions
• Analyze best practices and storage design alternatives
Module 7: Virtual Machine Design
• Identify useful information for making virtual machine design decisions
• Analyze best practices and virtual machine design alternatives
Module 8: Management and Monitoring Design
• Identify useful information for making management and monitoring design decisions
• Analyze best practices and management and monitoring design alternatives
Design Workshop
• Small group case study workshop to practice using the methodology, criteria, and approach required to design a vSphere virtual datacenter

About Brian

Mail | Web | Twitter | LinkedIn | More Posts (170)

VMware vSphere Manage for Performance class coming soon

Brian — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:48:31 +0000

It has been suggested by many and is going to be available to the public very soon. Thanks to the hard work and persistence of Scott Drummonds the class is going through the Train the Trainer process currently. Once the trainers are up to speed the class will become available to the general public.

You can see the Course description, schedule and datasheet here.

Course Description: This hands-on training course explores the management of performance in a VMware vSphere™ environment. It provides the knowledge and skills necessary to make fundamental design decisions that enhance performance and to meet performance goals in an already-deployed vSphere installation. The course is based on VMware® ESX™ 4.0, ESXi 4.0, and vCenter™ Server 4.0.

Module Outline:
Module 1: Course Introduction
Module 2: Performance in a Virtualized Environment
•  Discuss the vSphere performance troubleshooting methodology
•  Discuss software and hardware virtualization techniques and their impact on performance
•  Monitor performance using vCenter Server performance charts and the ESX/ESXi resxtop command
Module 3: CPU Performance
•  Discuss the CPU scheduler and other features that have an impact on CPU performance•  Monitor key CPU performance metrics
•  Troubleshoot common CPU performance problems
Module 4: Memory Performance
•  Discuss memory reclamation techniques and memory overcommitment
•  Monitor key memory performance metrics
•  Troubleshoot common memory performance problems
Module 5: Guidelines for DRS and Resource Controls•  Discuss performance guidelines for DRS clusters, resource pools, and resource allocation settings
Module 6: Network Performance
•  Discuss the performance features of modern network adapters
•  Monitor key network performance metrics•  Troubleshoot common network performance problems
Module 7: Storage Performance
•  Discuss how storage protocols, VMware vStorage VMFS configuration, load balancing, and queuing affect performance
•  Monitor key storage performance metrics
•  Troubleshoot common storage performance problems
Module 8: Virtual Machine Performance•  Discuss guidelines for configuring a virtual machine for optimal performance
Module 9: Application Performance
•  Discuss tools and guidelines for application performance

About Brian

Mail | Web | Twitter | LinkedIn | More Posts (170)