by Duncan Epping
Just to let you guys know… VCDX defense panels are being scheduled. The invites for Melbourne went out this week and the ones for VMworld SF will follow soon I guess.
Defense interviews will be held during the following days:
- July 5-9, Melbourne, Australia
- August 23-27, San Francisco, CA
- October 11-15, Copenhagen, Denmark
- November (dates TBD), Boston, MA
Completed applications will be scheduled in the order received.
After the VCDX defenses last week in Munich and the defense sessions we had during VMware PEX I want to stress the following from my VCDX Defense blog article:
Next two are role-play based. The panel is the customer and you are the architect. By asking questions, white boarding, discussions you will need to solve an issue or come to a specific solution for the customer. This is something you can not really prepare. Although you may think you will have more than enough time, you will not have time enough. Time flies when the pressure is on. Keep in mind that it’s not the end result that counts for these scenarios, it’s your thought process! (source)
Please read the underlined section several times, it is about showing your skills as an architect/consultant. We do not expect you to to craft a full design in 30 minutes, we expect you to gather requirements and based on the info start crafting a high level overview/design. Or as John stated in his VCDX tips:
Keep in mind that during the scenarios the panellists are working through a scoring rubric, and have prescreened apps and have specific questions that they need answered in order to score effectively. So ask questions and LISTEN to the answers!
John Arrasjid just tweeted that the VCDX Workshop has been approved and will take place on Sunday 7th of February at 13:00 – 15:00 during VMware Partner Exchange in Las Vegas.
Source
VCDX Tips: The VCDX Preparation Workshop has been approved for Partner Exchange ’10. Sunday from 1-3pm, February 7th.
If you happen to go to PEX and are working towards VCDX make sure you attend this workshop it will give you a better understanding of the process.
The vSphere Quick Start Guide has not even been officially published yet(But it will be within 3 weeks, that’s a promise!) and I am already working on a “new” book. Well “new” it’s not actually brand new, it’s an update of “Deploying the VMware Infrastructure” published in 2008 by SAGE/Usenix. I wrote a short article about it back in 2008 when John Arrasjid(@vcdx001) mailed me a copy of the book for reviewing. There’s more info to be found on the previous book at SAGE.
This book is not a technical deepdive. It’s an overview of the VMware product line and where each of these products fit in. We are on extreme short deadlines and will be trying to update the contents of the book before the end of November so we can get it out asap with the help of SAGE/Usenix. I’m very excited I can work with both Steve Kaplan(@roidude) and John Arrasjid on this book as I highly respect both individuals and think they are thought leaders in their respective field of expertise. More info to follow hopefully soon…
I want to stress something that not everyone seems to be aware of. Below is the “roadmap” to becoming a VCDX. Please take notice of the section on when the defense take place all the way at the bottom of the roadmap. “Interview for design defense are usually hosted at VMware events.” This means: VMworld(US / Europe), Partner Exchange etc. Keep in mind that this also means that it’s not possible to take it every month of the year. There are only a few opportunities per year to get certified, make sure you are ready!
