Apr 01

Microsoft Certification Challenge – 180 days to Certification

Posted on by

New Microsoft option to get started with certification.

http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/goodstuff/p/certchallenge.aspx

I know, sometimes there are so many different options, programs, websites, it seems hard to keep track of it all. However, this new one seems like a good deal, expecially for someone new to Microsoft Microsoft180DayChallengeCertifiations. Essentially, you create an online profile where you get recommendations, training, tips and exam discounts.

This was actually announced a few months ago, so we can’t give Satya Nadella credit for this one!

DISCOUNTS include;

20% off SQL Server exams + Second Shot
20% off Windows Server and Client exams + Second Shot
20% off MTA exams + Second Shot
3-for-1 Developer exams + Second Shot

Feb 20

Passed VMware VCA-Cloud

Posted on by

I took and passed the VMware VCA-Cloud certification this week. It was new in 2013 and VMware offered discount vouchers and I had one so why not take the test. It is an online test that you can take at home. It is 50 questions in 75 minutes, I think it was. You do not have a bunch of spare time. It is a base cert, mainly around product knowledge on the cloud offerings. You can download the exam blueprint and get more information here; VMware VCA-Cloud.

VMware VCA-Cloud

VMware VCA-Cloud

The questions were as expected. The exam is a full blown, complete exam that will take the full time mentioned. Questions were multiple choice. 95% of the questions had one answer (radio buttons) and a few had multiple answers (checkboxes).

This certification (VCA-Cloud) is kind of unique. One of the most burdensome requirements of VMware certification is the mandatory training, which generally will cost you (or your employer) about $3,000 – $4,000 per week. This test, however, has the training provided online for FREE. True, this is not a “Professional” level cert, it’s only an “Associate” certification but that still could be considered a way to get started for minimal cost, and something you can control without employer involvement. To get started here would be the steps required;

  • set up a VMware “mylearn” account at https://mylearn.vmware.com. This is NOT your “myvmware” account. MyLearn = training, certification. MyVMware = support, licensing, communities.
  • Log into your MyLearn account and go to this VCA-Cloud training link. It states it takes three hours, but I think that might be per module, and there are three modules.
  • After you compltete this training, you can use it as the requirement to schedule the test at Pearson VUE.
  • Remember, the test scheduling process is a bit clumsy. You have to go into MyLearn, then, well nevermind. It’s so clunky they made a FAQ about how to schedule a VMware certification test. Actually, they are just making it a requirement that you have completed the training. If you don’t have the code from the training, you can’t schedule the test.
  • Originally, this test was FREE with vouchers, but now it’s $120.00 which is still much cheaper than the VCP series tests.
  • The VCA-Cloud is a NON-proctored test. I.E., you can take it online from anywhere, including your home. The VCP tests are proctored, onsite only.
  • As always, the VMware exam BLUEPRINT is critical; download it and be familiar with all topics in it.

 

The next steps on my training now are;

This is the next test I need to take for Server 2012 http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-417.aspx

The second shot (20% off, free second test if fail) is back, until May 31, 2014 http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/second-shot.aspx

70-417 links

This is the test I have the free voucher for; http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam.aspx?id=74-409

I think I could also pass the ITIL Foundations exam, so that’s in the mix somewhere.

Jan 23

What’s new in VMware vSphere 5.5

Posted on by

What’s new in VMware vSphere 5.5

With the release of vSphere 5.5 it might be time to take a quick look at what is new, and determine if there are compelling reasons to pursue 5.5.  vSphere 5.5 is being called vSphere 2x because many of the configuration maximums have doubled.

  • Increased Maximum RAM and vCPUs per Host
    • Increased maximum supported RAM from 2TB to 4TB
    • Increased logical CPUs per host from 160 to 320
  • Increased vCPU per host
    • Increased from 2,048 to 4,096
  • Increased VMDK file size
    • Increased from 2TB to 62TB for both VMS-5 and NFS

vmware-wallpaper

Other advancements include;

  • Increased NUMA support
  • Support for CPU C-States
  • Scalability Enhancements for the free vSphere Hypervisor
  • Improved network performance
  • Expanded GPU support
  • APP HA
  • Latency Sensitivity
  • vCenter SSO
  • BDE (Big Data Extensions) to allow deployment and management of Hadoop clusters. Yayy!
  • Traffic filtering enhancements

 

For more detail on these enhancements, please refer to the following links;
Summary of what’s new from VMware Blogs
Windows IT Pro – top 10 features
VMware KB on 5.5 – what’s new

 

Jan 22

New VCP5-DCV Exam Based on vSphere V5.5

Posted on by

VMware released a new exam to qualify candidates for the VMware Certified Professional 5 – Data Center virtualization (VCP5-DCV) Certification.  This new exam (exam code VCP550) is based on vSphere V5.5, whereas the existing exam (exam code VCP510) is based on vSphere V5.0/V5.1.  Passing either exam earns a VCP5-DCV certification.  The VCP550 also has a different EXAM BLUEPRINT, so make sure you are studying the correct one for the test you intend to take. There is also a SEPERATE “Install, Configure, Manage” training curriculum for each test now.

VCP5

Learn more about the two certification exams available for VCP5-DCV.

Oct 10

Thoughts on the VCP5

Posted on by

Some reactions on the VCP while it’s still fresh;

  • Preparation; I had taken the course as required. Then I studied for a couple more months. I had a lab. I studied the BLUEPRINT, and also ports and file names. I did not memorize them all, but had a good feel for what ones were real. I took the online VMware example test from their site, and could get 100% on it.
  • Scheduling the test is different from Microsoft. You have to go to your VMware training, and “submit” to take the test. They verify that you have the training, and then in about 15 min you get a certification code, which you use to schedule the exam.
  • The actual exam; it was 85 questions in 90 minutes. WOW.  You have to really keep moving. I never felt this short of time on a MS test.
  • You hear a lot about memorizing ports and filenames. I had zero questions about filenames and only 1 about ports.
  • You also hear and read a lot about once you submit a question, you can’t go back and review. This was NOT TRUE in my case. I could go back through the entire test, and update any answers I chose.
  • There were about 25% of the questions that had more than one answer; like “choose two of the following”
  • About 30% of the questions had “exhibits” where you had to open a graphic that showed you something.
  • Even though I had trained, worked hands on, labbed, studied, there were still some questions that I had NEVER heard a peep about. Like one about “persistant scratch” locations. What?  Here you go.
  • You have to have SOME knowledge of prior versions.vcp51
  • You have to have SOME knowledge of other VMware products (Workstation, for example)
  • When I started this test, within the first 10 minutes I was sure I was going to fail. I actually started to relax and kind go faster, but still trying to give good answers.
  • I used ALL of the time.
  • I PASSED in the end, so I guess all the study worked out.

 

Aug 02

Free Microsoft Training – Microsoft Virtual Academy

Posted on by

One of the best free training resources out there is the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA). It has a LOT of free training on all topics. A couple of weeks ago, I attended two sessions on “What’s new in R2” for Server 2012, which is a topic I would think most sysadmins would appreciate.

MVA

Now the recorded versions of those sessions have been posted online here; What’s New in Windows Server 2012 R2 Jump Start

You get “points” for attending training and can watch your ranking against other individuals.

 

Aug 01

Utilities used in VMware VCP5 Training

Posted on by

In the VMware VCP5 training, we used several utilities.

Some of these I had used before, but some of these were new to me so I put them all in a list.

VCP5

  1. BGinfo was on all of the lab servers to easily show the information about what box you were on.
  2. TrapReceiver was used to set up test SNMP traps. http://www.trapreceiver.com/
  3. IOmeter was used. I’ve used this before. It’s dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. It can fill up a drive with gigs of test data in seconds. CAUTION!  http://www.iometer.org/
  4. CPUbusy – you see this talked about in VMware forums and online. You might have to dig for this on Google but here are some links; http://www.four2.org/cpubusy/ and http://communities.vmware.com/thread/58218?start=0&tstart=0
  5. EXTPART – the Dell utility for quickly expanding volumes. http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/driverdetails?driverid=R64398
  6. NEWSID.exe
  7. Also, here is the authoritative (from VMware) list of acronyms and definitions.
Jul 24

Target – VCP 510

Posted on by

Targeting VCP 5.1 (510)

My resources are;

  1. Experience. I used 5.1 at ACCENT for about a year, and the design in place is mine.
  2. New Horizons training; I negotiated with my employer to pay for the previously purchased training at the corporate discount, paid out of my personal training budget. This is the class; Course Outline: VMware® vSphere Install, Configure, Manage v5.1. This is about a 3k class. You cannot sit for a VMware class without the classroom training. There is also a “boot camp” class of 5 days, but it costs 6k and qualifies you for the SAME TEST, so to me, I don’t see the point in that class if it’s my own money.
  3. I have the VMware books from the 5.0 class I bought them on eBay for about $200.00
  4. I will get the 5.1 books with the class above
  5. I also have the book “VCP5” from Brian Atkinson and like it a LOT.
  6. VCP practice tests – I’m not going to name any but they can help target weak spots.
  7. I have a very active profile on VMware user groups; http://www.vmware.com/my_vmware/overview.html, you can look up questions, see KB articles, and ask questions there.
  8. Also set up an account on http://mylearn.vmware.com which is their training site. From here  you can get free videos, free example tests, free downloads, etc. as well as tracking of your training history.
  9. Download and review the exam BLUEPRINT from the above training site.
  10. I’m in the training next week, so with the above resources I think I’ll be ready for the test.
  11. Oh, yeah, I have a stack of DL380 G5s in my basement running VMware 5.1 so that helps. I got most of them free, from disposed units. one I paid $150.00 for.

.

Jul 08

What to do in Ireland

Posted on by

I just had the opportunity to spend 10 days in Ireland. My wife, Ginger, works for a company in Dublin and I went along on vacation for the 10 days. Here are some tips and reflections on the trip.

Travel; I suppose most folks will not have the opportunity to fly First Class. It’s a lot better in 1st class (I did it both ways) but it is not that bad to fly over on coach. I have done coach as well.

  • Once you leave the USA, you’ll want to sleep. Be prepared to buy some drinks, or have some sleeping pills.
  • They’ll feed you (generally speaking, IDK about all carriers) and it’s not bad.
  • You don’t want stomach issues on the way, so I have suitable meds available like Pepto-Bismol or similar products.
  • Eat, drink, take a sleeping pill, and then try to sleep as much as you can.

When you land (Dublin);

  • You need EUROS; you can bring some with you from the USA (the east coast airports have currency exchanges) or you can get some out of the ATM at the airport. Most American debit/credit cards work all over Ireland.
  • Cabs are ALL OVER THE PLACE in Ireland. No problem getting one to downtown.
  • The buses are nice and safe and cheaper.
  • It’s about 15-20 min to city centre on taxi, 40 minutes on bus.
  • Taxi is about 20 Euros, bus is about 4 Euros (2014 prices)
  • You’ll have to go through customs; you’ll need a PASSPORT.  It’s pretty efficient and simple.  They don’t grill you too bad.
  • You pick up your baggage AFTER customs.  Once you get your luggage you can leave.

Lodging;

  • We stayed at the city centre O’Callighan Alexander Hotel; http://www.alexanderhotel.ie/
  • I liked it a lot.  You can walk to most of the city from here.  They have a restaurant and bar, and know how to pour Guinness properly.
  • There are several good hotels downtown, and several more up by the airport. However, traveling in from the airport every day would be a pain.
  • You can walk from here to Jameson’s (long walk), Guiness (long walk) Pearse Train Station (short), Temple Bar (short) and Grafton Street shopping (short)
  • Temple bar is basically between this hotel and the Jameson area.
  • Pearse Train station gets you to anywhere up north, or south along the coast.
  • The motels in generally are safe, secure, and pretty nice. They will have some US style plugins but you likely should bring some European power converters (1) to be safe or check first.
  • Air conditioning is not like the US, I couldn’t get my room really cold.

What to do

  • I ran a few times while there. If you’re a runner, I think the best place in the downtown area is to get over to the Grand Canal Docks, Ringsend Road, and Ringsend Park. There are quite a few runners in that area.
  • The tour buses are GREAT. These guys really know the history. If the passengers shut up and listen, you can learn a lot. We used PaddyWagon.  They pick you up at several locations downtown and then take you to see the sites. We took bus tours to; The Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, The Giant’s Causeway, Cork, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Belfast, the Blarney Castle (Blarney Stone) and more.
  • The Blarney Stone is pretty scary (to hang over and kiss it).
  • These buses are clean, safe, and the drivers are fantastic with a great knowledge of the history.
  • I really liked the history in Northern Ireland (Belfast), the Giants Causeway, the Blarney Castle, Cork, the Carrick-a-Rede.
  • Read the local newspapers. In Belfast, the local political undercurrents were very interesting.
  • Hop-on-Hop-off buses. These tour the city in a loop, stopping at the tourist stops. You buy a ticket for like 20 Euro and you can ride it for 24 hours. They are open top, double decker buses and a lot of fun. There are two; the RED ones and the GREEN ones. We rode the GREEN ones, although they are very similar but have a friendly competition. The bus stops are listed here. We rode this thing all over town.
  • Must do; Guinness I suppose. It’s HISTORY. There is some local feeling that they’re not a conglomerate owned bully, but you have to go to the tour and the Gravity Bar. The views and the history are incredible.
  • Jameson’s Distillery
  • Temple Bar – this is a bar, true, but it’s also a shopping/party district/area. It’s worth checking out; I had some fascinating discussions with Amnesty International right there. Also, a lot of other places try to keep tourists OUT of Temple Bar (competition) by saying it’s really expensive. Well, I don’t call $6.00 for a pint of Guinness expensive especially when it’s $5.00 anywhere else in the city. I had a Guinness and a Jameson’s for $12.00 euro. (2014)
  • Dublin and Ireland have a long history with beer and Irish Whiskey. I enjoyed this history, but if you don’t, you’ll want to skip that part.
  • Croke Park skyview; they take you on the top of the new stadium. I did not do this, but I wanted to. Looked really cool.

Misc notes;

  • There are convenience stores all over the place. SPAR is the most common, small store. A little larger are the Centra stores which have more deli, hot buffet type food, and some have liquor. For a larger grocery store try Tesco which will have more groceries. If you see any of these stop in, they are safe, have great food, and usually local deli and bakery stuff. In the suburbs, they have bigger ones, but I didn’t go there.
  • There are ALL KINDS OF restaurants. Literally. In a block area in downtown you’ll see Thai, seafood, Irish, steak, Japanese, falafel, burrito, etc. I don’t think you need to be scared of any of it. I wasn’t in any restaurant that concerned me. We ate at Jack the Thresher where the First Lady ate the week before we were there.
  • Cell phone; if you get yours turned on for International, coverage is pretty good. Most carriers have good plans.
  • The train up north and down south along the east coastline is cheap, easy and really fun. I rode it to Killiney, Dalkey down south. Killiney is where Bono lives. The beach there is the nicest beach I saw assuming the weather is good. I rode the train north to Howth (pronounced HO-th). You can also get on/off at different stops. Like, get off at Killiney, and walk north to Dalkey and then get back on to go back to Dublin. Again, these trains are clean, safe and cheap.

More soon….