VCDX Boot Camp: Preparing for the VCDX Panel Defense

by John Arrasjid, Ben Lin, Mostafa Khalil

Overview

Prepare to succeed at your VCDX panel defense and gain world-class knowledge for designing complex VMware environments

VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) is the highest level of VMware certification, achieved by dedicated professionals who have demonstrated exceptional skill in VMware enterprise deployments. To earn a VCDX, professionals must create a complete enterprise VMware design and undergo an arduous defense at the hands of some of the world’s most sophisticated VMware experts.

Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive guide to VCDX defense: VCDX Boot Camp. Based on the legendary standing-room-only boot camps led by VCDX co-creator John Arrasjid, this guide captures the unsurpassed personal experience of three pioneering VCDX certification holders, program developers, and defense panelists.

John Arrasjid, Ben Lin, and Mostafa Khalil cover everything you need to know to prepare for certification. They demystify the entire VCDX defense process, clearly explain its format and prerequisites, and offer indispensable tips for maximizing your likelihood of success. Detailed chapters on both design and troubleshooting offer four complete scenarios explaining exactly what VCDX panelists will expect from your defense.

Learn how to think like a VCDX, discovering powerful insights and best practices for designing your own world-class virtualized environment.

Coverage includes

• Authoritative preparation guidance (including expert insights into scheduling your preparation and defense)

• Tips for conducting mock defenses, boot camps, and study sessions with your colleagues

• How to select, create, and document a superior, defensible design

• How to make design choices and incorporate design patterns that support the VCDX blueprint

• How to confidently defend your skills in architecture, designing new solutions, and troubleshooting design or implementation flaws

• Proven tips for responding to tough questions from panelists

• Detailed example defenses of designs incorporating VCDX-DCV, VCDX-Cloud, and VCDX-DT

vmwarepress.com

vmware.com/go/vcdx

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780321910592
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	05/09/2013
Series:	VMware Press Technology
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

John Y. Arrasjid, VCDX-001, is a Principal Architect at VMware, leading development of VMware Validated Architectures. He has been with VMware since 2003. He developed IP and software for

his first six years as a Consulting Architect and currently does so as a Principal Architect, VMware Ambassador, and vExpert. John regularly speaks at VMware conferences and related workshops and industry events, including VMworld, VMware Partner Exchange, VMware vForum, VMware User Groups (VMUG), and the USENIX LISA conference.

John has been the lead architect and chief product owner for the VMware vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT) since 2011. The latest release of vCAT 3.1 will be released through VMware Press in printed format; the online electronic version is accessible for free at http://www.vmware.com/go/vcat.

John’s publications include three books in the USENIX Association Short Topics in System Administration series: Deploying the VMware Infrastructure, Foundation for Cloud Computing with VMware vSphere 4, and Cloud Computing with VMware vCloud Director.

During his past ten years at VMware, John has developed multiple consulting engagement materials and conference tutorials that focus on security, performance, and availability of virtualized and cloud infrastructures. John’s earlier work at VMware included development of free backup (vmsnap) and recovery (vmres) tools for VMs using snapshot technology.

John participated in the initial development of the VCDX program and continues his support with online and onsite workshops (VCDX Tips, VCDX Boot Camp, #vBrownbag Boot Camp Live Online) and this book.

John is a member of the USENIX Association (and LISA SIG), where he serves as vice president of the Board of Directors. He can be followed on Twitter as @vcdx001 and can be seen playing guitar and ukulele with the VMware Elastic Sky band and at The Strawberry Music Festival.

Ben Lin, VCDX-045, is currently a Global Cloud Specialist and has been with VMware since 2008. He holds VCDX3/4/5 certifications and actively participates in VCDX panels and development activities. Ben graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Ben coauthored the book Cloud Computing with VMware vCloud Director and was closely involved with cloud designs and deployments since the inception of vCloud Director. He works with global customers in the Americas, providing thought leadership and expertise in designing cloud solutions.

Ben has been a lead architect for the VMware vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT) and has created numerous reference architectures, service kits, and whitepapers used by field and partners worldwide. He regularly presents at conferences such as VMworld, VMworld Europe, Partner Exchange, LISA, HotCloud, and vForum. Follow him on Twitter at @blin23.

Mostafa Khalil, VCDX-002, is a Technical Support Director on the Global Support Services team. He has been with VMware since 1999, at the top of the escalation ladder in support.

Mostafa specializes in storage-related technologies and holds VCDX3/4/5 certifications. He has published the book Storage Implementation in vSphere 5.0, Technology Deep Dive.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Introduction xvii

About the Authors xxi

About the Reviewers xxiii

Acknowledgments xxv

Chapter 1 Certifi cation Overview 1

VMware Certifi cation Program Framework 3

Certifi cation Tracks 5

VCDX for Datacenter Virtualization (VCDX-DCV) 7

VCDX for Desktop (VCDX-DT) 7

VCDX for Cloud (VCDX-Cloud) 8

The VCDX Process 9

Value Proposition 10

Review 11

Chapter 2 Preparation 13

Experience 14

What Demonstrates Design Expertise? 14

What Demonstrates a Lack of Design Experience? 15

The Application 16

Application Submission Process 17

VCDX Application 18

Creating a VCDX Study Group 21

Practice and Supporting Materials 21

VCDX Panelist Restrictions 21

Running a VCDX Panel Defense Boot Camp 22

Practice 22

Room Layout 23

Running the Defense Within a Set Timeline 24

Mock Defense Checklist 25

Review 25

Chapter 3 The Design 27

Assembling Your Design 28

VCDX Design Defense Blueprint 28

Method 32

Traceability 33

Resolving Confl icts 34

Sizes Matters Not 35

Design Artifacts 36

What Makes for a Good Design? 36

Conceptual Model 36

Logical Design 38

Physical Design 39

Justifi cation 39

Impact 39

Localization 39

Checklist: Design Selection and Content 40

Summary 40

Chapter 4 Defense Overview 43

The Interview Process 43

Before the Defense 44

Time Management 44

Panel Defense Participants 45

Environment 46

Panelists’ Perspective 46

Sitting in the Panelist Seat 46

Panelist Qualifi cations 47

Panelist Preparation 47

Panelist Expectations 47

Notifi cation of Results 47

Chapter 5 Design Defense 49

Design Overview Presentation 50

Example Presentation Slides 51

Reference Material 53

Know Your Design 54

Defense Strategy 54

Practice Leads to Success 55

Preparation Checklists 56

Review 58

Chapter 6 The Design Scenario 59

Showcase Your Skills 59

Panelist’s Perspective 61

Design Scenario Examples 62

Design Scenario 1 62

Design Scenario 2 66

Design Scenario 3 70

The Art of Explanations 73

Design Scenario 4 77

Review 78

Chapter 7 The Troubleshooting Scenario 81

Conducting the Troubleshooting Scenario 81

Thinking Aloud 82

Asking Questions 82

Using a Whiteboard or Paper 82

Troubleshooting Analysis 82

Example: Confl icting Information 83

Requirements Analysis 83

The Panelist Perspective 83

Example Scenarios 83

Example Troubleshooting Scenario #1 84

Example Troubleshooting Scenario #2 89

Example Troubleshooting Scenario #3 93

Example Troubleshooting Scenario #4 98

Review 102

Conclusion 103

References 105

Books and Links 105

Training Courses 106

Glossary 107

TOC, 9780321910592, 4/18/2013