VMware vSphere What's New v6.7 to v7

In this little series of blogs we're going to introduce the new courses coming to enable people to learn and get to grips with the New version of vSphere that was announced March 2020

The first course is the

VMware vSphere: What's New v6.7 to v7

In this three-day, hands-on training course, you will learn the new features and enhancements in VMware vCenter Server 7 and VMware ESXi 7.

Real-world use-case deployment scenarios, hands-on lab exercises, and lectures teach you the skills that you need to effectively implement and configure VMware vSphere 7.

This course is recommended for delegates who want to deploy vSphere 7 in their existing vSphere environment.

Is is expected that you will either have attended previous version training on VMware vSphere, or you will have the necessary experience of install, designing, and maintaining the previous versions of  VMware vSphere

On this course you will cover

• List and describe the importance of key features and enhancements in vSphere 6.7 update releases and vSphere 7
• Determine the proper upgrade path for a vCenter Server instance and upgrade VMware vCenter Server Appliance to version 7
• Migrate a Windows vCenter Server system to vCenter Server Appliance 7
• Manage and update VM templates located in content libraries
• Use Identity Federation to configure vCenter Server to use Microsoft ADFS
• Use the VMware vSphere Client to manage certificates
• Describe vCenter Server, VMware ESXi, storage, network, virtual machine, and security enhancements in vSphere 7
• Use VMware vSphere Trust Authority to secure the infrastructure for encrypted VMs
• Demonstrate the Quickstart feature of the ESXi cluster
• Recognize improvements to VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler
• Use vSphere Lifecycle Manager to manage vSphere deployments, updates, and configurations
• Discuss the purpose and capabilities of VMware vSphere® with Kubernetes and how it fits into the VMware Tanzu portfolio

For an overview of what's covered on the course, watch Joe Coopers video.

VMware vSphere 7 courses are on there way

As a VMware Certified Instructor (VCI), I am please to announce that VMware are releasing dates and information about their vSphere 7 course offerings.

Join them on April 7 for a sneak-peek into the NEW VMware vSphere 7 training.

Chat with the experts behind this (and other vSphere 7 courses) and learn more about how they will help you grow your skills and enable you to take advantage of all the new key capabilities of vSphere 7.

Learn more and register for a time that’s convenient for you:

For all live events visit the VMware Learning Zone for more information and to register for the events.

Stay safe 

VMware vSphere 7 with Kubernetes

As a VMware Instructor and also VMware support professional I talk to a lot of people who are or will be moving towards Modern Applications, and also multi-cloud.

For a lot of these companies, they wish to retain and also develop their existing talent, their also want to build on the investment they have with their existing IT services, but also need to become more competitive in their IT models.

I am a sysops type of IT professional, I work with developers and we want different things, I want an efficient, easy to manage platform, my developer colleagues want a system that is highly flexible and also want the ability to create and deploy applications within their agile methodology.  

With Kubernetes, we have the ability to quickly create and deploy these modern run anywhere apps that will give us that competitive advantage that will drive our companies towards a long and successful future.

As always VMware have given us the resources to learn about not only how these services work, but also why these services may work to our advantage.

Thanks to VMware for producing this 10 page white paper, just click on the link to learn more

VMware vSphere 7 with Kubernetes

vExpert 2020

The VMware vExpert program is VMware's global evangelism and advocacy program. The program is designed to put VMware's marketing resources towards your advocacy efforts.

Promotion of your articles, exposure at our global events, co-op advertising, traffic analysis, and early access to beta programs and VMware's roadmap.

The awards are for individuals, not companies, and last for one year. Employees of both customers and partners can receive the awards. In the application, we consider various community activities from the previous year as well as the current year's activities in determining who gets awards.

We look to see that not only were you active but are still active in the path you chose to apply for.

We are looking for IT Professionals who are sharing their VMware knowledge and contributing that back to the community. The term "giving back" is defined as going above and beyond your day job.

I myself have worked with VMware products for approaching 20 years, I am employed as a VMware Certified Instructor, and also Microsoft and CompTIA, and honestly the product that I enjoy most is VMware.

I have been honoured to be awarded the vExpert designation for 2020 and look forward to many more years sharing my thoughts, experience, and teaching people about the wide array of VMware products.

Finally, I wish to offer my sincere thanks to the vExpert judges, and also to my fellow 2020 vExperts across the globe, it is an amazing community who will go above and beyond to help the VMware community.

All the best for the year ahead.

Explore The Benefits of vSphere 6.5 & 6.7 Webinar

VMware vSphere 6.0 End of Support

The End of General Support for vSphere 6.0 is March 12, 2020.

To maintain your full level of Support and Subscription Services, VMware recommends upgrading to vSphere 6.5 or vSphere 6.7.

VMware has extended the general support for vSphere 6.5 to a full five years from date of release, which means the general support for vSphere 6.5 will end on November 15, 2021.

The End of General support for vSphere 6.7 will also be on November 15, 2021.

At VMworld 2019 a lot of the sessions spoke about vSphere.next and hopefully we will see that soon.

In the meantime, users of vSphere 6.0 can upgrade to vSphere version 6.5 or 6.7, if you’re not aware of what vSphere 6.0 or 6.7 can offer, I will be hosting/running a free webinar on the features of those versions.

The webinar will run GMT Monday February 17^th 2020 via our QA On-Line Virtual Centre  

For more information and to sign up for this “FREE” webinar please visit the registration page at QA Training, and hopefully see you there (virtually)

Follow on from VMware Starting Certifications - 2020 designations now in place

Last year I wrote a brief introduction into the VMware starter and professional certifications.

VMware have now upgraded the certification titles with the new 2020 designations.

If you're new to the certification trail, any exams you now sit will lead towards the new certification, VMware are currently working on their upgrade paths, and I'll post information as I find it.

If you are a VCP-x2019 VMware have said that their system has logic to realise you're a VCP-x and that the 2019 designation will lead to VCAP-x2020s

The new certification designations 2020 for the starter courses and the VCP are as follows.

The VMware Certified Associate

This certificate is aimed at providing a good overall knowledge of the VMware products and why they are used.

The VMware Certified Professional tracks are as follows.

Data Centre Virtualisation (DCV Track)

 This track focuses on the birth of VMware and their VM hypervisor product.

  

Network Virtualisation (NV) Track

This track focuses on the VMware NSX products, and now prioritises the VMware NSX-T product.

Cloud Management and Automation (CMA) Track

This track focuses on the vRealize suite of products, these products can be used in a truly multi-cloud environment

Desktop and Mobility (DTM) Track

This track focuses on VMware Horizon, which in its simplest form provides a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

  

Digital Workspace (DW) Track

This track focuses on the VMware WorkspaceONE and Digital workspace solutions, this provides and extensive set of endpoint management technologies.

For more information visit the VMware Certification website

For more information on QA’s VMware training solutions visit QA

VMware Starting Certifications

VMware Certification Tracks, an overview

As with most major software and cloud vendors, VMware have a range of certifications that map to all levels of expertise and experience of their products, this blog takes a look at those certifications and the VMware authorised courses that can help achieve those certifications.

VMware Certification tracks

VMware have broken down their certifications into tracks, as with most things in life technology can be complicated and as such, VMware feel that breaking their certifications into a career focused set of tracks, this in turn will allow IT professionals to concentrate on a career track and then build on this track as their experience of the product evolves.

The tracks are as follows.

Data Centre Virtualisation (DCV Track)

This track focuses on the birth of VMware and their VM hypervisor product.

Network Virtualisation (NV) Track

This track focuses on the VMware NSX products, and now prioritises the VMware NSX-T product.

Cloud Management and Automation (CMA) Track

This track focuses on the vRealize suite of products, these products can be used in a truly multi-cloud environment

Desktop and Mobility (DTM) Track

This track focuses on VMware Horizon, which in its simplest form provides a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Digital Workspace (DW) Track

This track focuses on the VMware WorkspaceONE and Digital workspace solutions, this provides and extensive set of endpoint management technologies.

For a handy poster to track a progress through each of the certification tracks , visit the VMware certification site for the free download

VMware Certifications

VMware break down their journey to certification into a number of levels, and at each level their recommend certain training.

The following are the certifications for beginning the journey to VMware Certification.

VMware Certified Associate – Digital Business Transformation

For Administrators, Architects & Executives

This entry level certification is ideal for new IT professionals as well as executives making decisions about VMware solutions.

The recommended training for this certification is available via the VMware Learning Zone

This certification is a useful entry point for the DCV, NV, CMA, and DTM track.

VMware Certified Professional

For Administrators & Engineers

This level is designed for IT professionals who install, configure, manage, and optimize VMware solutions.

There are five different VCP tracks to follow, and these are:

VMware Certified Professional-Data Centre Virtualisation 2019

The VCP-DCV 2019 certification validates candidate skills to implement, manage, and troubleshoot a vSphere V6.7 infrastructure, using best practices to provide a powerful, flexible, and secure foundation for business agility that can accelerate the transformation to cloud computing.

This certification requires passing both a Foundation exam and then passing one of the professional data centre virtualisation exams

The recommended training for this certification is as follows

Core course               - VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [6.7]

Elective course          - VMware vSphere: Optimise and Scale [6.7]

VMware Certified Professional - Network Virtualization 2019

The VCP-NV 2019 certification proves you can transform the economics of network and security operations for your company. VCP-NV 2019 certification validates your ability to install, configure, and administer NSX virtual networking implementations, regardless of the underlying physical architecture.

Prospective professionals can choose either:

NSX-V, and this would require passing a foundation exam and then passing the network virtualisation exam

or

NSX-T, and this only requires passing the professional network virtualisation exam

The recommended training for this certification is as follows

Core course                           - VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [6.7]

Elective course NSX-T          - VMware NSX-T: Install Configure, and Manage [v2.4]

Elective course NSX-V          - VMware NSX-V: Install, Configure, and Manage [v6.4]

VMware Certified Professional - Cloud Management and Automation 2019

Earning this certification validates your understanding of virtualization concepts and how they drive an enterprise’s digital agenda. It proves that you are familiar with the VMware products and technologies that support VMware Cloud Foundation and Cross-Cloud Architecture solutions including vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and the vRealize Suite.

This certification requires passing both a Foundation exam and then passing one of the professional cloud management and automation exams

The recommended training for this certification is as follows

Core course               - VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [6.7]

Elective course          - VMware vRealize Automation: Install, Configure, Manage [7.3]

VMware Certified Professional - Desktop and Mobility 2019 

VMware Desktop and Mobility certifications are designed to gauge your level of skill designing, installing, and managing a VMware Horizon with View environment deployed on a VMware vSphere implementation. The VCP-DTM 2019 certification validates a candidate’s skills in performing in-depth configuration and management of VMware Horizon 7.5 environments. This industry leading certification proves that VCP-DTM 2019 earners can securely deliver personalized virtual desktops, applications, and online services to end-users.

This certification requires passing both a Foundation exam and then passing one of the professional desktop and mobility exams.

The recommended training for this certification is as follows

Core course               - VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [6.7]

Elective course          - VMware Horizon 7: Install, Configure, Manage [7.7]

VMware Certified Professional - Digital Workspace 2019

The VCP-DW 2019 certification validates that a badge earner can configure, deploy, manage, maintain, optimize, and perform basic troubleshooting of VMware Workspace ONE and related solutions, as well as properly identify and differentiate any needed supporting products and components.

This certification requires passing the Professional Digital Workspace exam.

The recommended training for this certification is as follows

Core course   - VMware Workspace ONE: Deploy and Manage [v19.x]

Where Next

Once the VCP tracks have been covered, progression moves into the VMware Certified Advanced professional certifications, and then culminate in the VMware Certified Design Expert Certifications and these will be outlined in later articles.

For now however, this should give prospective VMware professionals a good starting point.