VM /ETC

Posts Tagged ‘events’

I’m headed to New Orleans, LA for Microsoft TechEd 2010 the first half of the week. I’m there to work the Veeam booth and help show how companies can manage VMware infrastructure with Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager using the nworks Management Pack. I’m not sure whether I’ll get to attend the keynotes or any sessions, but I’ll do my best to cover the virtualization news and Cloud buzz in the Ernest N Morial Convention Center as I experience it.

I’ve decided to use Cover It Live to hopefully help me provide more real time, live and mobile coverage as the conference unfolds. The embedded event player at the end of this post will be collecting all my tweets (@rbrambley) as I travel today when I include the #teched hashtag. I’ll log into the event broadcast console from time to time too. I’ll be sure to announce/tweet when I’m live so join me by adding comments and live interaction during those times.

I previously used Cover it Live to live blog from HP’s Blade Day Event in Houston, TX. I really like that all the tweets, comments, and coverage are recorded for full playback in the future (see the results at the link provided).

I’m still learning how to take full advantage of Cover It Live when covering an event, so thanks Microsoft for allowing me to practice so more with TechEd 2010, and, of course, thanks Veeam for sending me to New Orleans!

Live Coverage

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Along with others yesterday, I received email notice from VMware’s @jtroyer that I was designated a vExpert for 2010. I was thrilled to win the award in 2009, VMware’s inaugural year of the program, and I’m just as thrilled to be named again this year. But being named a vExpert is now more to me than just winning an award. It’s a virtualization community honor with a responsibility.

First, let’s be honest.

vExpert is not a certification. VCDX is the badge for the VMware technically elite. Those that have endured the study, passed the tests, and triumphed in the design defense have earned the rare status of true VMware guru. There are many VCDXs that are also vExperts, but do not confuse the two. A vExpert should always stand at attention, salute, and then listen closely when a VCDX enters the room and speaks. They are the battle proven Generals. They’ve walked the walk.

Second, let’s be real.

Not all VCDXs are vExperts today, and I would suspect that as more are certified the ratio of VCDXs that will not get recognized for community contributions will rise. That’s not a negative. Let’s call this the “Epping Curse”. For example, when you are that good you end up working for VMware and you can’t win the vExpert award. It’s a problem to have in my opinion. Then there will always be some VCDXs who do not contribute to the community at all. Nothing wrong with that either.

Third, let’s recognize the effort and the honor.

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Mike Laverick

VMware needs feedback from SRM (Site Recovery Manager) customers. The SRM product team is asking that customers take a 15 minute survey about their deployments. In return, the first 1000 to participate will receive a free PDF copy of Mike Laverick’s SRM 4.0 book, and VMware will donate $10 to charity. Laverick indicated in an email the chosen charity is UNICEF.

Here’s the VMware Communities: Survey for SRM customers – please … original post from May 27:

Hello SRM users,

The VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager (SRM) product team is looking for product feedback on SRM deployments. If you have purchased SRM, we would like to hear from you. Your participation will be very valuable to us and the information you provide will be used to improve the SRM product going forward.

You can provide your feedback by completing the survey

The survey should take no longer than 15 minutes and will expire on June 10, 2010. Please note that this survey is for SRM customers only.

Upon completion of the survey, if you are among the 1st 1000 respondents, VMware will donate $10 per response to charity. You will also receive a link to download the electronic copy of Mike Laverick’s book "Administering VMware Site Recovery Manager 4.0" upon completion of the survey.

We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your valuable feedback.

Thank you,

The VMware SRM Team

Check out Laverick’s post on this survey as well:

SRM Customer? Complete this survey, and VMware will donate $10 to UNICEF

The week of June 7 through June 11 is going to be five fun days for me spread across two events in the South East US. If any VM /ETC readers or VIRTUMANIA listeners will be attending either Microsoft TechEd 2010 or the Charlotte VMUG’s annual Carolina VMware Users Summit 2010 please stop by the Veeam booth and say "Hi".

Here’s a quick summary of what I’ll be doing at each event.

Managing VMware At TechEd?

No we are not advocating the first square off between VMware and Microsoft of the conference season. On the contrary, The Veeam nworks Management Pack helps those who use Systems Center Operations Manager (SCOM) better monitor, manage, and report on their VMware Infrastructure. We actually help VMware admins and Microsoft Operations teams get along!

I’ll be in the booth with @vmdoug, @dsiles, and others from @veeam. If you’ll be in New Orleans Monday June 7 through Weds June 9 so please stop by.

Charlotte VMUG Summit vExpert Panel

On Thursday that week I’ll be jetting back to Charlotte,NC for the VMUG Summit on Friday June 11. As a Gold Sponsor Veeam will obviously have a table / booth in the vendor area in which I’ll be working, but we will also be presenting in our own 1:30 pm “Image-Level Backups You Can Count On” session.

The high light for the VMUG Summit will definitely be the vExpert Panel at 2:30 pm. We are still ironing out the exact topics to cover, but the panel will feature Scott Lowe, Chad Sakac, Vaughn Stewart, Mike Laverick, and possibly others in a open discussion on virtualization and storage. I’m honored to be invited as a moderator for this discussion, and it’s sure to be an informative and entertaining session.

Register for the Carolina VMUG Summit here.

Here are links to other posts from the panel members on the Charlotte VMUG Summit

• Carolina VMware Users Summit 2010 (scottlowe.org)
• Charlotte VMUG – will be a doozy… (virtualgeek)
• Charlotte VMUG Annual Conference – a mini VMworld? (virtualstorageguy)

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing everyone in New Orleans and Charlotte in a few weeks!

GestaltIT LLC Acquires Infosmack and Virtumania Podcasts

This evening during a press conference at the Holiday Inn Select Cleveland-Cty Ctr in Cleveland, OH,  Stephen Foskett of GestaltIT.com made some exciting announcements I’d like to pass along.

Foskett first introduced that starting in 2011 the first ever GestaltIT Tech Spring Break Conference will be held in Panama City, FL at the world famous Holiday Inn Resort. Although Specific Conference dates are not yet available, Foskett suggested watching both GestaltIT.com and the Holiday Inn Resort’s web page for future notices about conference sponsors, vendors and attendee registration information.

Foskett also announced the acquisition of the Infosmack Productions family of podcasts by GestaltIT LLC. Infosmack and Virtumania are independent podcasts addressing the news and technologies of IT decision makers and administrators on the topics of storage, networking, and server and desktop virtualization. Foskett explained that both the Infosmack and Virtumania podcast will be features of future GestaltIT Tech Day Events as well as the Tech Spring Break Conference.

GestaltIT LLC will now partner with Greg Knieriemen, Marc Farley, and me to deliver Tech Field Day and Tech Spring Break audio and video content along with other GestaltIT.com storage and virtualization-related site content. Marc and I will both maintain our current blogs. Farley’s blog is storagerap.com and, of course my blog is vmetc.com.

“We are excited to add these Infosmack guys permanently to the GestaltIT event lineup.  They crack us up each week with their antics, and their podcast content ain’t too bad either” said Foskett.  When asked about Infosmack being acquired Marc Farley commented “Hey Now”. Virtumania regular Rick Vanover added during the press conference “I can’t wait for the Tech Spring Break Conference Party at Club La Vela.” Sean Clark wondered “why not have the Conference in Iowa?”

What are my thoughts about permanently joining the GestaltIT event family as a podcaster and blogger? “Here Goes Nothing!”

GestaltIT has a started a new web page for the Tech Spring Break Conference. Check here for more info both now and in the future.

Tuesday afternoon before we all returned home from HP StorageWorks Tech Day in Houston vExpert Rodney Haywood (@rodos) interviewed me on camera about the Virtumania podcast. We talked about how we came up with Virtumania for the name, what’s the theme of the show, and what to look forward to in future episodes.

I’m embedding the video here, but be sure to check out Rodney’s blog, Musings of Rodos, and the rest of his videos on his Rodos Vimeo Page.

As in the past, I have started a Picasa photo album for the images I have captured during the event. Go to my web album to see the full size versions or watch the embedded slideshow here.

I will be adding images from Day 2 of HP StorageWorks Tech Day 2010 both today and tomorrow. So, check back for more!