Question VMware training...

[Scouse]

So, I've used VM's before, built VM servers and the like but my general knowledge of VMware including supporting and developing a VM infrastructure is weak - and it shouldn't be.

Anyone done any VMware training? If so, what's the best route, any tips etc?

I'm about to hit the VMware site but I'd appreciate someone who's actually done it professionally's perspective

Cheers!

 

[soze]

A couple of the guys i work with have gone though them and the one thing they all came back with is that the tests are very hard, it is not just related to VMware but also SAN and Blade set ups ect. Both said the exam is nearly impossible to just Brain Dump you really do need practical experience.

 

[Scouse]

Yeah. Sounds worthwhile tbfh. Unlike the Microsoft certs which are a doddle.

Anyone got any good VMWare sites/tips (other than the obvious)

 

[TdC]

I did a customized vSphere course the other day and it was very interesting. Too bad the instructor had the didactic skills of a brick :/

 

[Scouse]

I did a customized vSphere course the other day and it was very interesting. Too bad the instructor had the didactic skills of a brick :/

Lol

How much was the course? I'm presuming you didn't pay for it yourself...

 

[TdC]

prolly something in the odds of 2 or 3000 euros for a week :/
I wouldn't know, I didn't pay for it

 

[Cyradix]

The VMware vSphere (v4) Install, Configure and Manage course (4 days) was 2800 euro here....

 

[TdC]

ooo so I was right? amazing!

 

[Scouse]

Fucking expensive, basically

Ah well. I've just installed VSphere4 on a virtual machine and am fucking about with it. I'll create a few vm's and watch a few training vids instead - I've not got time to fit a course in before new job starts anyway

 

[TdC]

your database thingy needs lots of ram. ours does

 

[Moriath]

vmware is bad it causes me lots of problems ... leave it and dont darken the forum with its name again M'kay

 

[Bodhi]

VMware > everything.


Ever.

 

[Moriath]

unless you try to license things ontop of it that dont recognise its partitioning then its a pita

 

[soze]

I love VMWare our boss here loves just pulling the blades out when he is showing the tech to customers. Just yanks one out and shows them how it just mounts the server on a different blade with very little downtime.

 

[logic7]

I took training for VSphere. I still have to take the test for my VCP cert.

It's worth it to get the cert, and the only way to be able to take the test is to take the training.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Vmware is pretty awesome. Vsphere is the mutts nuts. I'm aiming to get a HP ML150 so I can run ESX at home for my test lab and put my test domains onto it. My current hardware creaks too much to allow the setup I want to create.

You can do most of your training regarding building VMs themselves on VMware Workstation if you're hardware isn't compatible or if you're messing around with it while you get together the hardware and software. VMs created in Workstation can be migrated to ESX. One thing to be careful of is that ESX is very picky about what it can run on and if you're putting together a server for this make sure to do your homework.

And as Logic7 says, watch out for this little sneaky:

the only way to be able to take the test is to take the training.

You don't get VMware certified without doing their (very expensive) training course(s).

 

[logic7]

Vmware is pretty awesome. Vsphere is the mutts nuts. I'm aiming to get a HP ML150 so I can run ESX at home for my test lab and put my test domains onto it. My current hardware creaks too much to allow the setup I want to create.

You can do most of your training regarding building VMs themselves on VMware Workstation if you're hardware isn't compatible or if you're messing around with it while you get together the hardware and software. VMs created in Workstation can be migrated to ESX. One thing to be careful of is that ESX is very picky about what it can run on and if you're putting together a server for this make sure to do your homework.

true. One horrible gotcha with ESX/VSphere is that VM's created on an Intel box will NOT run on an AMD box and vice versa. I've already run into this problem going from one lab to another.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Fingers crossed, I'll be ordering my ML150 on Monday \o/

 

[Bodhi]

I'm currently running ESXi u4.0 under VMware Workstation.


Because I am just that l33t.

 

[Tay]

I've not found a box that cant run ESXi atm, I mix and match the VM's all the time, you can edit some of the configs so you can use intel stuff on a AMD but its risky.

My current ESX box is a 3.2Ghz PentiumD with 4GB ram, works fine for 4-5 VM's all caning the box. the processor is a VT jobby of course.

I've still not got round to getting my dual CPU 12GB Dell 2850 running yet so thats the next bad boy but it'll have to live in the garage

The only real hassle I had/have is mixing my Mac Fusion VM's with the Windows ones and vice versa.

One box is running a dual core's and the other is using dual quad Xeons. I have to remember to make changes before I migrate them.

VMware is much like windows, if it aint broke, dont fix it!.