There’s a reason firefighters stay fit.
When a building is in flames and the red lights are flashing, firefighters rely on their strength, smarts and skills to pull through a crisis. Before disaster hits they train, they test equipment, they learn from each other.
Our instructors and students are a lot like firefighters running virtual drills — they’re building vMuscle — especially after completing the advanced vSphere: Troubleshooting Workshop [5.5] from VMware. Based on VMware ESXi 5.5 and VMware vCenter Server 5.5, this advanced five-day intensive builds the knowledge, skills and vMuscle you need to troubleshoot even the most complex VMware vSphere environment.
Just ask Bryan O’Connor, a Newcastle, UK-based VMware Certified Instructor (VCI) and vExpert. Bryan has amassed his vMuscle through dozens of VMware training courses over the years. “I teach all of the VMware tracks and have been involved with VMware training for nearly 7 years. What I liked the most about this course is having to think for myself, but knowing [an expert] was available if things did go wrong.”
VMware Certified Instructor and vExpert, Bryan O’Connor, flexes his vMuscles!
Hone and tone with hands-on exercises
Running drills builds skills, but this VMware course requires a serious analytical mindset. Expert trainers will work with you to hone, tone and tighten up your troubleshooting thought processes using our lean new vSphere Web Client. You will challenge your mind using the command line interface and log files to analyze, diagnose and correct problems on the fly in the vSphere environment.
Jeff Petersen, Network Engineer from the US Railroad Retirement Board in Chicago, talks a lot like a veteran firefighter. “I’ve been through a couple of upgrades. I’ve rebuilt environments from the ground up and in our Disaster Recovery and test environments in our Data Center. I took the [vSphere] Optimize & Scale course and asked the instructor for an even more advanced class. Now was the time for Troubleshooting.”
Recruits be aware! Not everyone can be a firefighter and not everyone should take the Troubleshooting Workshop. This is advanced training is for IT Pros only – you must qualify with one of the following pre-requisites and experience working with the command-line interface is highly recommended:
• VMware Certified Professional 5 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP5-DCV)
• VMware vSphere: Fast Track [V5.1]
• VMware vSphere: Optimize and Scale [V5.1]
• Equivalent knowledge and administration experience with ESXi and vCenter Server
“There is a lot more to this upgrade than there has been since the last few,” continues Jeff who used the Troubleshooting course to plan for issues before they happened. “The certificates and single-sign on, I really learned what I needed. There were some significant changes in using the Web Client than the fat client interface. It helped to have instructors side-by-side troubleshooting with you.”
vSphere Web Client and Single Sign On (SSO) interface
Troubleshoot and train your way! Online or In-person courses.
Some firefighters lift weights. Others climb the pole or run to build strength. The same is true for IT training. Whether you prefer online or in-person courses, VMware offers both. It is your choice and they’re equally effective.
Both Kevin and Jeff took their Troubleshooting Workshop in-person – one in Chicago, one in the UK, through VMware’s extensive network of authorized training centers. “I much prefer an instructor-led class,” says Jeff. “I feel like you get more in the immersive teaching environment with less distractions.” Kevin agrees, “I would rather have face-to-face contact in a classroom environment…it helps me focus on what’s going on.”
Bryan on the other hand had a different reality, “I took the course online, the decision was made for me, I live in the UK and the only way I could have taken the course in-person would have been to visit the States. Let’s be honest, one of the advantages of virtualization is the ability to telecommute!”
VMUG = Our own community of expert Firefighters!
Even a fully qualified VMware Certified Professional (VCP) like Kevin Gosney can use a spotter during training and later when the sirens sound. “I am pushing myself to have a full set of skills in VMware.” Kevin is a Systems Engineer at Thermo Fisher Scientific in the UK. He has strong multi-country management experience having supported environments in Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and others. “I have registered with VMUG & VMware Forums.” This is how Kevin stays connected to the experts in our community.
Kevin Gosney of Thermo Fisher Scientific UK
Bryan also keeps his skills fresh through the VMware VCI community. “I’ve been a vExpert for the past three years, I subscribe to the vExpert forum, and I’m also a member of the North East of England VMUGs.”
No matter where or how they train, everyone likes a little recognition – a chance to show off their vMuscles. “There’s a course completion certificate that you get with all these classes. Mine is framed and posted on the wall. But I didn’t update my LinkedIn profile yet…that will come when I actually perform the upgrade. You can’t go bragging about something you haven’t done!” offered Jeff.
Bryan took a more public route; he shared his experiences on his own blog vbry21.wordpress.com — via Twitter @bryanoconnor21 — and no doubt with his fellow VMUG members.
So how did Bryan O’Connor celebrate after completing the vSphere Troubleshooting [5.5] Workshop?
“I went to the gym.” said Bryan.
Of course you did Bryan…keep flexing those vMuscles!
For more on VMware vSphere: Troubleshooting Workshop [V5.5] and to check the various class formats, visit the course page.
