Tuesday 30 June 2009

VMotion across the WAN?

VMware have just published a new article on their Networking blog around the subject of using VMotion between DataCenters - it's something that has been on the wish-list of VMware administrators for as long as I've been "doing" VMware:

http://blogs.vmware.com/networking/2009/06/vmotion-between-data-centersa-vmware-and-cisco-proof-of-concept.html

It's currently a "proof of concept" between VMware and Cisco, and some of the details are sketchy at best, hopefully they will either release more information on the link speed/quality/latency between the 2 locations, or perhaps this will turn into a fully-supported configuration.

I've delivered a series of VMware VI3 Fast Track courses to a variety of Cisco techies over the last year or so, and VMotion not being supported across sites, even though technically it is possible, has been a discussion I've had with Cisco techies many times.

VMotion itself is an amazing piece of technology, even within a single location, the concept of relocating an entire workload across onto another x86 system allows administrators so much more flexibility. Taking that same technology out of the datacentre opens up masses of other possibilities in the longer term.

It might not be too far into the future that organisations really start using both their internal IT and external IT as a single entity, all regardless of geographical boundaries - maybe "The Cloud" will happen, and in the way that organisations want it to, after all.

UPDATE: VMware have now announced official support for VMotion up to a maximum distance of 200 kilometres: http://erikzandboer.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/long-distance-vmotion-a-fact/

Friday 19 June 2009

Virtualisation training - the key to success?

The British Computer Society have just published an article on the demand and value in virtualization training, you can find it here:
http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.26713

One of the contributors is Janet Way, who is the Sales and Marketing Director of Global Knowledge UK, as she mentions we offer training on VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft virtualization technologies.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

VCDX Design Defence

The first holders of the VCDX certification have now appeared. The initial batch are all VMware employees, as they went through each step of the process when each step was in beta.

One of them was Duncan Epping, a Senior PSO Consultant for VMware in the Netherlands. Duncan was VCDX number 7, and is well-known in the VMware community. He is a regular contributor to the VMware community forums, and runs his own blog, Yellow Bricks.

Duncan has just posted this thoughts on the final element of the VCDX, the Design Defence. This is as much information as I've yet seen around this element, so I thought I'd post it here too.

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/06/16/vcdx-defense-the-blog-article/

Tuesday 16 June 2009

vSphere Courses are Here!

Last week I received my Instructor manual for vSphere 4: What's New, and yesterday I got my vSphere 4: Install Configure Manage manual.

Let the fun begin!

Global Knowledge are 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.

My colleague Mark Elliott has been busy designing our labs, he's done a superb job with the What's New lab - a 6 hour process when completed manually is all done in under 45 minutes thanks to much scripting and automation.

The What's New lab manual assumes that all of the following is already in place for each lab team:

1. ESX 3.5 Update 3 host, complete with virtual switch configuration for VMs and the VMkernel, connection to an NFS datastore, and 2 Windows VMs running.

2. VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3, along with Update Manager.

Good job Mark. We pride ourselves at Global Knowledge for having VMware training labs which are the best in the business, ours are easier to access and easier to use than any other I've used - even VMware's own labs :-)

Mark is now busy building the lab for Install Configure Manage ready for the 29th, and on top of that he still has to support running classes, and is also in the middle of adding another rack of kit to our ever-growing labs!

Monday 8 June 2009

VI3 and vSphere Course Names

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: http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com/2009/05/availability-of-official-vsphere-4.html

It may be that attending the "DSA" and FT will be the only way of being trained on the "DSA" topics (as above), or they may be available as shorter, modular classes. There will also be a set of "Design" classes too, see this post for details: http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com/2009/06/role-specific-vsphere-training.html

Don't forget, if you already know VI3 you could attend the vSphere 4: What's New class from 15th June, as I've posted about previously.

Scott.

Friday 5 June 2009

Global Knowledge running early vSphere 4 courses

Global Knowledge UK will be running their first vSphere 4: Install Configure Manage course on 29th June, the first delivery outside of VMware. A full schedule of dates has already been created, events are available around the UK:
http://www.globalknowledge.co.uk/Default.aspx?page=461&coursecode=VSICM

Eric Sloof is running an event for Global Knowledge Netherlands on 6th July:
http://www.ntpro.nl/blog/archives/1141-Join-me-at-the-vSphere-ICM-training-in-Nieuwegein.html

The full schedule of courses in the Netherlands is available at:
http://www.globalknowledge.nl/Default.aspx?page=461&coursecode=VSICM

Thursday 4 June 2009

GK wins Cisco Awards

OK, I know this has nothing to do with VMware, but it's great news for the company:

Global Knowledge have won 3 Cisco awards:


  • Global Learning Partner of the Year - GK Worldwide
  • Channel Excellence in Acceleration (for emerging markets) - GK MEA team
  • Excellence in Collaboration - GK Europe

It's a fantastic achievement. Here's the press release:
http://www.globalknowledge.co.uk/whats%20new/news/global%20learning%20partner%20award.aspx

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Twitter

I've joined Twitter!

Find me at http://twitter.com/vmtraining

Find Global Knowledge UK at http://twitter.com/GKUnitedKingdom

I've just added a Twitter gadget on the right of this page too.

Monday 1 June 2009

Role-specific vSphere Training

VMware are grouping the selection of training courses for vSphere 4 to match the job roles of individuals who work with and around the product. Each of the following programs is designed to give individuals the chance to follow-up their foundation training on the product with role-specific courses.

Virtualization Generalist
Standard
VMware vSphere: Install Configure Manage
VMware vSphere: Script & Automate *
VMware vSphere: Manage Scalability *
VMware vSphere: Manage Availbility *
VMware vSphere: Troubleshooting *
VMware vSphere: Design

* These courses will be available separately, and as a bundle

Accelerated Learning
VMware vSphere: Fast Track
VMware vSphere: Design

Security Specialists
VMware vSphere: Install Configure Manage
VMware vSphere: Manage and Design for Security

Performance Specialists
VMware vSphere: Install Configure Manage
VMware vSphere: Manage and Design for Performance

Virtual Desktop Administrators
VMware vSphere: Install Configure Manage OR VI3: Install & Configure
VMware View: Install Configure Manage
VMware View: Design

Availability Specialists
VMware vSphere: Install Configure Manage OR VI3: Install & Configure
VMware vSphere: Manage Availbility OR VMware Site Recovery Manager: Install Configure Test
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery: Design

Will the above programs also lead to role-specific certifications? That's yet to be seen, but I hope they do. We in the VATC community are now waiting to get started with delivering the above as soon as the material is available.

I full expect that Global Knowledge will look to offer as broad a portfolio of the above courses as we possibly can. I should also mention that some of the above names are still to be finalised.

Scott.