Tag vExpert

Oh, well hey there! OMG ITS VMWORLD! Hey guys! I bet you’re wondering WTF I’m talking about! It’s okay. Some of you were expecting this, or are saying, “Finally… I mean, Cisco has validated Designs, and they’ve been doing those technical design guides for DECADES…” But I digress… I mean because VMware hasn’t been half shabby with their NUMEROUS whitepapers on every single topic under the sun for application supportability, capability, design, you name it!

OMG SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!

Alright, alright calm down…

The VMware Validated Designs now provide a Blue print for the whole data center instead of merely being an infinite series of reference architecture, Best Practices, and Guides based upon products in a bubble! 

How does this differ from a validated architecture like VSPEX?

How this differs from a validated architecture is that an architecture will often be presented as ‘IM A VENDOR BUY MY STUFF’ whereas a design basically sets the table that, “Here’s a design… buy whoseever stuff or whatever things you want! (obviously ensure its on the HCL :))”   I hear this come up a lot with friends, partners, colleagues, customers and the best initial comparison I can think of comes to having a house built, a design truly becomes the blueprint for your home.  You pay an architect to produce that and you can then take that deliverable anywhere and have it be built, whereas in the technical sense an validated architecture is like track housing.  You can have it look and feel any way you want, as long as its one of these THREE options.   So you can pick and choose which framework or model works best for you, they’re not mutually exclusive and you can layer the capabilities of one atop the other.   Also consider, HEY you can use this to apply the principles to your existing implementation to see what you might do to improve it!

OMG ARE YOU SAYING ITS WIN WIN?! Yes. I am. But I won’t use those words. You chose to use them. :)

Today there are a few VMware Validated Designs which have been released (with more to come)

• The VMware® Software-Defined Data Center Foundation
• Automated Provisioning with the VMware® Software-Defined Data Center – Single Region

And as an added bonus, VMware has ALSO just announced “Feature Walkthroughs”

What’s cool about the Walkthroughs is that it breaks down various business and technical elements of the VMware portfolio AND has direct links to take you to the hands on labs, so a little for the business and a little for the technical!  It’s a nice bit of fun all packaged up together! :)

For deeper insight into VMware Validated Designs, check out Felicia Jadczak’s post on the CTO Forum,  Introducing VMware Validated Designs

Enjoy! This is just a SMALL portion of things to be announced this week at #VMworld! <3

Wow, scream much mr mc screamy?

Hey what can I say, I’m excited… For you, the potential win ners of this contest! And Yes, yes I did apply to this contest too, but hey I’m not some evil bastard who is going to hoard something just so I minimize my odds, you should share it too!   So what’s the deal?

Well, you know how every year various companies which are integral to virtualization tend to give away free passes to VMworld?  This year, we kick it off with VMTurbo providing not one, not two, but THREE possibilities to win, not one, but TWO passes! Wow that’s a lot of math!

OMG WHEN ARE THE DRAWINGS?!

The drawings are MAY 29th, JUNE 19th, and JULY 10TH!!!

This is only for VMworld San Francisco, and of course go read the rules, but click the picture above, the drawings, THIS LINK, there’s a lot of places to ensure that you are ENTERED!

Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute, wait just one minute. What what?!   Yea, that’s right! You can finally start buying EMC’s VSPEX BLUE! Awesome right?!  Also if you remember from my last blog post on this subject,  EMC announces Sapphire on Rails! Err… I mean VSPEX BLUE a VMware EVO:RAILS Solution! I stated that this is only available “Through Channel Partners” So an extra ounce of awesome to that is… OMG WE’RE ONE OF THE CHANNEL PARTNERS! <3 <3 <3

EMC has officially announced a channel distribution model for the EMC VSPEX BLUE but in addition to that, they selected ten partners throughout the US to kick things off with this ‘beta program’ of the EMC Storefront.  Interesting stuff…

I know some of you are of the position, “Wow, I just like to walk into a store, order what I want and just go with this” this essentially lets you do that in so many terms.   If you’re not sure whether VSPEX BLUE is a good fit for you, or whether any EVO:RAIL Solution is the right approach for your organization be sure to check out my previous post (mentioned above) to get the long and short, and the respective skinny on whether it is indeed a good fit.

And hell, if it is a good fit… and the EMC Solution in particular is the flag you want to wave, head on over to the Xiologix EMC Store Front and ‘put in an order’ so to speak ;)  I’ll personally say hi and tell you why it’s either a good or horrible idea. (Well, I’m not going to stop guiding, steering and consulting just because something shiny and Blue comes along, right? :))

Though seriously, check it out… A lot of effort went into putting this out there, so why not? Otherwise, good times and start catching the blues! <3

Wait, what what what?! Are you just trolling? What the hell is this post supposed to mean?!

Interesting point, I’ve gotten some (justifiably) upset emails from some people who had read one of my previous posts; The VCP-NV is your ticket to escaping the VCP “Class requirement” for VCP-DCV!

For those who haven’t read it, the gist is (or well, was) If you have a valid VCP credential you’re eligible to take ANY OTHER VCP Certification without being required to have the expensive (time and cost) classroom requirement.   That’s pretty awesome, especially for people who already had their CCNA/CCNP and were invested in the ‘family’ but didn’t want to pursue the classroom because your employer wouldn’t pay for it, or give you up for the time required to take the class (A common issue which plagues MANY)  Thus (until 28FEB2015) this was an awesome opportunity that VMware had left available for people to pursue!

Apparently this wasn’t an opportunity!

I mean, I haven’t seen VMware directly come out and SAY this but we’ll assume for the moment this was a ‘loophole’ or an opportunity they presented without realizing that OMG WE’RE CUTTING OFF ALL OF THIS CLASS REVENUE BY PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR ADVANCEMENT. Yea. Thanks VMware Education or whoever we have to thank for introducing THIS little gem. And just to give you a little context… I’ll quote some elements from the VCP-DCV Certification page…

BAM! Right there it says, if you have a valid VCP Certification* – You can just go on ahead, request authorization and take your exam! Bam, done! No problem!  This is very similar to what it was back in November, minus the *.

Scroll on down to the * section though, and lo and behold this beautiful little IN YOUR FACE NETWORK PEOPLE rears its ugly head.

I’m sorry, but WHAAAAATT???!

So, let me get this straight. I can take the VCP-DCV without requiring a Classroom requirement IF I have a valid VCP Certification, and I could have gotten my VCP-NV without a classroom requirement (until 28FEB2015) if I had an existing CCNA/CCNP, yet of all of the VCP’s available, the VCP-NV suddenly isn’t a “Valid Certification” ?  AM I BEING PUNKED?!?   I mean, let’s be honest here, this isn’t the first time that VMware Education has done something which is perceived and rightly so by the community to screw us over, so I doubt this will be the last time.

That said, I do apologize for those who (Post Asterisk) pursued their VCP-NV via the CCNA path (which was only available for a few months) and found themselves screwed by VMware here.  Having known several people who pursued their VCP-DCV through the Network Virtualization path, I know it to be a reality and for them I’m glad they got it before the ‘man’ has abruptly put us down.

It just goes to show, we can’t have nice things.

So, Corey Romero @vCommunityGuy recently put out this gem of a blog post vExpert 2015 applications are open which if you’re a previous vExpert or you think you’re the next up and coming vExpert, OR if you’d like to nominate someone you think absolutely rocks? Well, This is the post!

To sum up some of the key points from Corey’s post;

• Applications will be accepted until December 12th at midnight PST
• Applications received after the December 12th deadline will roll into the next nomination & voting process
• vExpert 2015 announcement will be on February 5th 2015.

And of course the ever so important links in the event that you don’t click on Corey’s post! :)

• 2014 vExperts: Fastrack application
• New vExperts: 2015 vExpert application
• Recommendation:  Recommend a colleague to apply for 2015 vExpert
• (They will still need to fill out the full application)

If you’re not sure whether you should be vExpert material, or what it really takes to apply… Feel free to check out my post from 2012!

The Non-definitive guide to the VMware vExpert Program, Tips, Tricks, How to become a vExpert!

So existing vExperts, go fill out your Fastrack application, new vExpert hopefuls, go get your application rocking out, and get those nominations in for the lesser known vExpert who don’t realize that they truly are a vExpert…’’