Category : Certification
Written by Christopher Lewis on November 22, 2021 .
Introduction
ICYMI, I will be speaking (virtually) at the UKVMUG on 25th November 2021. I’ll be talking about my one of my favourite topics (no not myself), Certifications!
In addition to my day job at VMware and the working with the HOL Team, I have spent the last 18 months was an Education SME for the VMware Education Team. It has been very rewarding but hardwork. During this time I have contributed to 13 different exams (at various levels) across the VMware SDDC technology domain. Chances are if you are taking a VMware exam this year, my name maybe on the blueprint. Add that to the 30+ exams I have taken since I started my career 20 years ago and I think it is safe to say I know a little bit about taking exams.
Written by Christopher Lewis on July 24, 2019 .
TL:DR - Achievements/Goals are like buses it seems
There have been a few Achievements / Goals Unlocked in the last few months. So rather than multiple individual posts I thought I would capture them here:
- Learn more about vRealize Operations Manager.
- Speak at a Tech Conference.
- Obtain vExpert Cloud Management designation.
- Retain vExpert NSX designation.
- Pass the VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC Management 2019 Exam.
- Pass the vRealize Operations 7.5 Specialist exam.
Let us dive a little deeper into each one!
VMware VMware Cloud on AWS VMware EMpower vRealize Operations Cloud Management
Written by Christopher Lewis on February 28, 2019 .
Introduction
I truly believe there is a not-so-exact science behind taking exams. In this post I’m going to share with you the tips and strategies I use to ensure maximum success when taking multiple-choice exams.
Note: This post is NOT about minimising study effort, it is about maximising effectiveness on the day of the exam. Every good (400+) score I have achieved has a foundation of hard work and sacrifice attached to it. There is no substitute for that.
Written by Christopher Lewis on February 26, 2019 .
TL;DR Yesterday morning (Monday 25th) I took the VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) 6.5 - Data Center Virtualization (DCV) Design Exam (3V0-624) at my local approved Pearson Vue Exam Centre. I’m disappointed with the score but I managed a pass. What this pass does mean, is that I also get the shiny new VMware Certified Implementation Expert 6.5 – Data Center Virtualization (VCIX-DCV) digital badge!
Exam Preparation
I have been putting this exam off for the last 12 months due to various reasons. That meant, apart from a few hours the day before, I did little or no real study for this exam. In fact I tried to move the exam on Sunday (for the 6th time) but was too late to do so. This meant I had no choice, I could either become a #**NoShow **or just take it. I have never purposefully been a #NoShow, so I decided to suck it up and just take it. The benefit being that I was using one of the free exam vouchers I had from VMware following some issues with other VCAP exams in 2018. So I wasn’t going to be out of pocket.
Written by Christopher Lewis on November 27, 2017 .
Skills and Abilities
Objective 4.1 - Configure and Manage Logical Firewall Services
- Configure Edge and Distributed Firewall rules according to a deployment plan:
- Create/configure Firewall rule sections for specific departments
- Create/configure Identity-based firewall (IDFW) for specific users/groups
- Configure SpoofGuard policies to enhance security
- Filter firewall rules to narrow a scope
Objective Prerequisites
The following prerequisites are assumed for this Objective:
- A working VMware vSphere 6.x environment.
- A working VMware NSX 6.x environment.
Objective Breakdown
Create a Distributed Firewall Rule
Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!
Written by Christopher Lewis on November 20, 2017 .
Skills and Abilities
Objective 6.3 - Configure and Manage Universal Logical Security Objects
- Configure Universal MAC Sets
- Configure Universal IP Sets
- Configure Universal Security Groups
- Configure Universal Services and Service Groups
- Configure Universal Firewall Rules
Objective Prerequisites
The following prerequisites are assumed for this Objective:
- A working VMware vSphere 6.x environment with 2 vCenter Servers and 2 Platform Services linked in ELM.
- A working VMware NSX 6.x environment configured for cross-vCenter NSX.
Objective Breakdown
Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!
Written by Christopher Lewis on October 13, 2017 .
Skills and Abilities
Objective 6.2 - Configure and Manage Universal Logical Network Objects
- Create/configure Universal Logical Switches
- Create/configure Universal Distributed Logical Routers
- Configure local egress
Objective Prerequisites
The following prerequisites are assumed for this Objective:
- A working VMware vSphere 6.x environment.
- A working VMware NSX 6.x environment configured for Cross-vCenter NSX
Objective Breakdown
Create Universal Logical Switches
This is essentially the same as the creation of NSX Logical Switches (which is covered in Objective 2.1 ) except that you connect them to the Universal Transport Zone rather than a local Transport Zone. However, we’ll cover the steps again below.
Written by Christopher Lewis on October 12, 2017 .
Skills and Abilities
Objective 6.1 - Configure Cross vCenter VMware NSX infrastructure components
- Configure NSX manager roles (Primary, Secondary, Standalone, Transit) according to a deployment plan:
- Assign Primary role to specified NSX Manager
- Assign Secondary role to specified NSX Manager(s)
- Deploy/Configure Universal Controller Cluster
- Configure Universal segment ID pools
- Create/Manage Universal transport zones
Objective Prerequisites
The following prerequisites are assumed for this Objective:
- A working VMware vSphere 6.x environment with 2 vCenters, 2 PSC configured in ELM configuration.
- A working VMware NSX 6.x Manager deployed to both sites.
Objective Breakdown
Assign Primary role to specified NSX Manager
Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!
Written by Christopher Lewis on October 4, 2017 .
In my constant strive to learn new technologies I have decided to create an unofficial study guide containing my notes for the VMware Specialist: vSAN Digital Badge exam.
The Study Guide can be found here .
Written by Christopher Lewis on September 25, 2017 .
I have worked in “the industry” for the last 17+ years, so picking up new technologies and learning as much as I can (or at least as much I need to know to be dangerous) has become second nature to me.
If I was just starting out in IT today, I’m not sure where I would start. I know when I started back in the day with software packaging with WISE Package Studio, Networking was a dark art. Still today, some of its intricacies are a mystery to me and thats not because it is particularly difficult, its because there is only so much time in the day and so much you can know.
- Operating a Private Cloud - Part 3: Creating a Pricing Card in VMware Aria Automation
- Operating a Private Cloud - Part 2: Creating a Pricing Card in VMware Aria Operations
- Operating a Private Cloud - Part 1: Understanding Pricing Cards in VMware Aria
- Zero2Hero - Using Aria Automation to Deploy Multiple Machines with Multiple Disks - Part 5
- Zero2Hero - Using Aria Automation to Deploy Multiple Machines with Multiple Disks - Part 4