VM /ETC » vcp http://vmetc.com Go Green with Virtualization. Go UGLY Green with vmetc.com. Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:54:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 VCP4 Upgrade Deadline Extended to January 31st, 2010. Second Shot Testing Program Extended Also. http://vmetc.com/2009/12/29/vcp4-upgrade-deadline-extended-to-january-31st-2010-second-shot-testing-program-extended-also/ http://vmetc.com/2009/12/29/vcp4-upgrade-deadline-extended-to-january-31st-2010-second-shot-testing-program-extended-also/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:26:26 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/2009/12/29/vcp4-upgrade-deadline-extended-to-january-31st-2010-second-shot-testing-program-extended-also/ VMware has extended it’s previous deadline for upgrading to VCP4 certification until the end of January 2010. Previosuly, VMware admins already holding VCP3 certification had until December 31, 2009 to upgrade to VCP4 without being required to sit (and pay for) an additional course on vSphere 4. In conjunction with the new deadline, VMware has also extended the 2 For 1 VCP-410 test re-take offer. Candidates who enroll in the Second Shot program with Pearson Vue and take their first exam before January 15, 2010 can take the exam again at no charge if needed.

The following information was taken from the VMware Certification page:

In order to accommodate participants that despite best efforts were unable to schedule their exam prior to the deadline, VMware will continue accepting the VCP3 certification as a qualification to take the VCP4 exam without requiring attending the ‘What’s New" class through January 31st 2010. We fully expect that the additional four weeks will allow remaining participants ample time to find a testing center with available seating, and will NOT be extending the deadline any further, so please take advantage of this opportunity! Regards, The VMware Technical Certification Team

Become a VCP4. Free 2nd Shot Opportunity!

VMware is allowing participating candidates who fail a VMware Certified Professional on vSphere 4 exam (exam code – VCP410) to have a free re-take. To participate you must enroll prior to taking your first attempt and no later than January 15th, 2010. You will receive a registration confirmation for a class. You will receive additional information on the date and at the time indicated in your registration. You should wait to register with Pearson VUE until you have received the additional information.

Click here to enroll in the 2nd Shot Program. Vouchers will only be sent to those who have completed the prerequisites for VCP4 (see below). Please direct any questions about this program to certification@vmware.com. You must take your first exam on or before January 22nd to allow for the 7 day wait between attempts.

Visit www.PearsonVUE.com/VMware/Upgrade for the full list of participation instructions. If you have previously enrolled in the 2nd Shot Program and already received your voucher, the expiration has been automatically extended.

Check out this previous VM /ETC post for a quick list of links to help you prepare for the VCP-410 exam.

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/12/29/vcp4-upgrade-deadline-extended-to-january-31st-2010-second-shot-testing-program-extended-also/feed/ 5 Get 2 Chances to Pass the VMware VCP410 Exam for the Price of 1 http://vmetc.com/2009/10/09/get-2-chances-to-pass-the-vmware-vcp410-exam-for-the-price-of-1/ http://vmetc.com/2009/10/09/get-2-chances-to-pass-the-vmware-vcp410-exam-for-the-price-of-1/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:39:21 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/2009/10/09/get-2-chances-to-pass-the-vmware-vcp410-exam-for-the-price-of-1/ VMware and Pearson VUE have combined to offer a free retake/second shot promotion for the VMware VCP4 certification exam. The details of the registration process are explained on the VMware Education Services page. Here’s the pertinent info from that page:
  • “Upgrade to VCP4!
    VMware is allowing participating candidates who fail a VMware Certified Professional on vSphere 4 exam (exam code – VCP410) to have a free re-take. Visit www.PearsonVUE.com/VMware/Upgrade for more details.

    Click Here to enroll in the 2nd Shot/Upgrade Program. Additional information will be emailed to those who enroll on the Friday following enrollment. Those who have not met the requirements for VCP4 (see below) are not eligible for this program.

  • VCP on vSphere Exam Now Availalable!
    The VCP4 exam is now available! For registration, please visit Pearson VUE’s website.”

The key to the process is getting the voucher emailed to you before you register for the exam with Pearson VUE. To do that use the “click here to enroll” link above.

Important details about the promotion are also found on Pearson VUE’s page:

“Both the full price and free “Upgrade” exams must be taken by December 31, 2009. Offer valid for the VMware Certified Professional on vSphere™ 4 (VCP4) exam only (exam code – VCP410). Only one (1) offer per person. Standard VMware retake policy rules apply.”

I was a bit confused when I registered this morning because VMware has you actually enroll for a class with a duration of 1 minute! See the following screen shot.

I’m still waiting for my email voucher. Hopefully I do not have to attend a 1 minute meeting on Saturday 10/10 at 3:00 PM EST. That’s prime time college football viewing, and in my experience I’ve learned this requires extreme concentration and dedication … :)

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/10/09/get-2-chances-to-pass-the-vmware-vcp410-exam-for-the-price-of-1/feed/ 5 Quick List Of VCP 4 Study Links Posts http://vmetc.com/2009/09/14/quick-list-of-vcp-4-study-links-posts/ http://vmetc.com/2009/09/14/quick-list-of-vcp-4-study-links-posts/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:46:35 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/?p=4631 There have been several posts in the v12n community providing study recommendations, materials, and practice exams to help prepare for VMware’s VCP 4 certification. This post is a quick list of blogs that provide posts with multiple certification preparation links. I’m publishing this mainly for my own future reference, but hopefully others can take advantage of it too.

Links to other’s study material lists:
Professional VMware -VCP4 Resource Page
ESX Virtualization – VMware vSphere 4 passing VCP Exam training links
The SLOG (SimonLong /blog) – VCP vSphere 4 Practice Exam
VMware Training and Certification Blog – Studying for the VCP on vSphere 4

Let me know of any other must visit sites to prepare for the VCP 4.

Thanks to the bloggers who put these posts together for all of us.

Check out the Paths To VCP on vSphere 4 Certification if you are not sure what prerequisites you need to meet before taking the VCP 4 exam.

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/09/14/quick-list-of-vcp-4-study-links-posts/feed/ 16 VMware VCP 4 Exam Registration Now Available http://vmetc.com/2009/08/26/vmware-vcp-4-exam-registration-now-available/ http://vmetc.com/2009/08/26/vmware-vcp-4-exam-registration-now-available/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:26:17 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/2009/08/26/vmware-vcp-4-exam-registration-now-available/ This post is just a quick update to inform that registration for the VMware VCP 4 Exam is now available. Go to the VMware Education Services web page for the full details, but here’s some brief info:
Certification News:
  • VCP on vSphere Exam Availability Update
    Registration for the VCP4 is available. The first available exam date August 31st. If the exam is launched sooner that August 31st, new dates will become available for registration. Please check this page regularly for updates. The exam code is VCP410.

  • VMware Certification Exams Available at VMworld 2009
    VMware will be offering certifications exams at VMworld 2009 in San Francisco.To register please visit Pearson VUE’s website.

Pearson VUE is offering a special exam price for those that are attending VMworld 2009 next week in San Francisco and pre-register before August 30. Go here to check out this deal.

Be sure that you have the VCP 4 certification requirements covered when planning to take the test. You can review the necessary paths to VCP 4 certification from either the VMware Education Services page linked above or by reviewing the flow chart slide in my previous post Paths To VCP on vSphere 4 Certification.

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/08/26/vmware-vcp-4-exam-registration-now-available/feed/ 1 vSphere Training Options Available For All Budgets http://vmetc.com/2009/06/16/vsphere-training-options-available-for-all-budgets/ http://vmetc.com/2009/06/16/vsphere-training-options-available-for-all-budgets/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:58:55 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/?p=4072 This post provides a summary of some of the known vSphere training options available now. Starting with a free series of online training sessions and ending with the official VMware courses needed for VCP certification (Yes, the VMware courses are still the only option if you want VCP status), vSphere training is available for all budgets.

Free VMware vSphere 4 QuickStart Series

For those that need some generic how to knowledge transfer and don’t have extra room in the budget for vSphere training, the vSphere QuickStart Series is a great introductory training option.

Although the first session, VMware vSphere 4 QuickStart Series Part 1: Install and Configure ESXi, was delivered yesterday (6.15.09), there are 3 remaining classes in the series.

  • VMware vSphere 4 QuickStart Series Part 2: VM Management with VMware vCenter Server – June 22nd 2009 09:00 AM PDT
  • VMware vSphere 4 QuickStart Series Part 3: Cluster Setup, Availability and Load Balancing – June 29th 2009 09:00 AM PDT
  • VMware vSphere 4 QuickStart Series Part 4: Monitoring, Availability, Back Up and Next Steps – July 6th 2009 09:00 AM PDT

Register for the remaining vSphere 4 QuickStart sessions here.

I sat in on Part 1 yesterday and I was impressed. The VMware instructor delivered a mix of presentation slides with live demos. The emphasis was definitely on informing about what it takes to stand up an ESXi server for use in your data center and covered the ESXi installation, virtual switch creation and network configuration, adding shared storage, and then creating a virtual machine.

For those that missed Part 1, we were told it was recorded would be available around 48 hrs from the end of the class.

VMware vSphere VCP4 Training
According to Scott Vessey’s VMware Training and Certification Blog, the first vSphere Install Configure Manage courses are being delivered this month (June). Vessey’s post vSphere Courses are Here! explains:

“Global Knowledge [is] offering the What’s New course NOW, and our first Install Configure Manage course is on the very first day that VMware will allow us to run it – 29th June.”

In a previous post Vessey provides more information about all the vSphere Courses.

“As the vSphere 4 courses begin to appear, I thought I’d create a specific post on the current VI3 course names and what the vSphere 4 equivalent courses will be.

VI3: Install & Configure > vSphere 4: Install Configure Manage
VI3: Deploy Secure & Analyze > vSphere4: ???? (name yet to be announced)
VI3: Fast Track > vSphere 4: Fast Track

The ICM will still be the standard 4-day class, suitable for the VCP on vSphere 4.
The DSA replacement will contain content on Scripting and Automation, Scalbility, Availability, Troubleshooting, and will also be 4-days. The FT will contain the ICM material, and the “DSA” material, in a 5-day accelerated class.”

As I’ve already posted before, Global Knowledge will be running all of these classes as soon as they are available. ICM delivery starts on 29th June, FT starts in August, and “DSA” should be available in September”

Vessey also provides a listing of VMware’s new role specific courses “designed to give individuals the chance to follow-up their foundation training on the product”. Go here to see courses grouped for the following roles:

  • Virtualization Generalist
  • Security Specialists
  • Performance Specialists
  • Virtual Desktop Administrators

Information on all the VMware courses available from Global Knowledge in the United States, including class dates and registration links, can be found on their Virtualization Training page. Change the region on their Home Page to find training in a different part of the world.

Go to VMware’s Education Services Page for other official course offerings including both traditional classroom as well as live on line classroom training offerings.

Video Training available soon

David Davis has told me that new vSphere training videos are in the works from Trainsignal too. I’ll post about this alternative for vSphere training when I know more.

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/06/16/vsphere-training-options-available-for-all-budgets/feed/ 4 Paths To VCP on vSphere 4 Certification http://vmetc.com/2009/05/01/paths-to-vcp-on-vsphere-4-certification/ http://vmetc.com/2009/05/01/paths-to-vcp-on-vsphere-4-certification/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 10:26:39 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/?p=3843 VMware has provided information about the VCP certification upgrade that will be necessary once VMware vSphere is generally available. Go to the VMware.com certification page for more details on courses and exam information, but the following flow chart on the upgrade paths to VCP on vSphere 4 sums up the certification upgrade options visually.

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/05/01/paths-to-vcp-on-vsphere-4-certification/feed/ 3 Learn VMware ESX, ESXi and Virtual Infrastructure with Train Signal’s Video Training http://vmetc.com/2009/04/02/learn-vmware-esx-esxi-and-virtual-infrastructure-with-train-signals-video-training/ http://vmetc.com/2009/04/02/learn-vmware-esx-esxi-and-virtual-infrastructure-with-train-signals-video-training/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:00:44 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/?p=3646 trainsignal.comWhether you are preparing for VCP certification or just need an introduction to VMware virtualization, if you are looking for cost effective VMware ESX, ESXi, and Virtual Infrastructure training check out Train Signal’s videos. In case you did not know already, Train Signal’s specialty is offering computer training to IT Professionals, and their VMware training video series hosted by vExpert David Davis is the perfect learn-at-your-own-pace alternative to the official VMware classes.

Here is some more information from Trainsignal.com:

When You Order Our Best-Selling VMware ESX Server Course, You’ll Receive:

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Over 17 Hours of VMware ESX Server Computer Training Videos on 3 Jam Packed DVDs!
(Total Running Time: 17hrs : 15mins : 17secs)

Multiple File Formats Make It Convenient for You To Learn Anywhere You Go! iPod Video, Mp3 Audio, .WMV & high quality .AVI video

PDF of Instructor Notes allow you to follow along with the videos and take more organized notes.

Personally, I’m really impressed with the multiple course formats. With so many options an administrator, sales rep, or consultant could easily learn while commuting to work or flying to the next project, for example.

To give you an idea of the quality of training you get from David and Train Signal’s video series check out this sample video on how to clone a VM in ESX Server:

Not only am I proud to have Train Signal as a new sponsor here on VM /ETC, but I also have my own copy of the Windows Server 2008 Application Infrastructure (70-643) videos to help me quickly get up to speed on the latest Server OS from Microsoft.

]]> http://vmetc.com/2009/04/02/learn-vmware-esx-esxi-and-virtual-infrastructure-with-train-signals-video-training/feed/ 3 Georgia Southern Information Technology Students Graduate with VCP Certification http://vmetc.com/2009/02/02/georgia-southern-information-technology-students-graduate-with-vcp-certification/ http://vmetc.com/2009/02/02/georgia-southern-information-technology-students-graduate-with-vcp-certification/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:12:15 +0000 Rich Brambley http://vmetc.com/?p=3190 gasouGeorgia Southern University, located southeast of Atlanta in Statesboro, GA, has introduced a program to teach VMware virtualization technology to the students of it’s College of Information Technology. As one of only 10 universities in the world designated as a VMware Academy, Georgia Southern is teaching it’s students official VMware courses and certifying students as VCPs (VMware Certified Professionals). The program was made possible by VMware and a donation of computer equipment valued at $126,000 from Norcross, GA based Corus360 and Canvas Systems.

Read more about the VMware Academy on the Georgia Southern University Advantage web page.

Corus Consulting and Canvas Systems are actually the “other half” of Softchoice Optimus Solutions, my employer, that was not aquired by Softchoice Corporation in January 2008. I congratulate and applaud Corus and Canvas


for their generous donation and commitment to advancing virtualization technology in the University System of Georgia and the greater South East U.S.

As a father planning for the future education of two sons, a graduate of the University of Georgia, and a VMware VCP myself, I take pride in knowing that if my boys decide to be a virtualization geek like their Dad they don’t have far to go to take advantage of a great program.

As close as Statesboro is to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savannah, and Hilton Head, how could any student considering a degree in I.T. and interested in virtualization not consider Georgia Southern? Then once finished with school, Atlanta’s not a bad town for a technology career either!

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