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Tag Archives: vExpert

vExpert 2018 Award Announcement

First we would like to say thank you to everyone who applied for the 2018 vExpert program. I’m pleased to announce the list of 2018 vExperts. Each of these vExperts have demonstrated significant contributions to the community and a willingness to share their expertise with others. Contributing is not always blogging or Twitter as there are many public speakers, book authors, CloudCred task writers, script writers, VMUG leaders, VMTN community moderators and internal champions among this group.

I want to personally thank everyone who applied and point out that a “vExpert” is not a technical certification or even a general measure of VMware expertise. The judges selected people who were particularly engaged with their community and who had developed a substantial personal platform of influence in those communities. If you feel like you were not selected in error, that’s entirely possible.

The judges may have overlooked or misinterpreted what you wrote in your application. Email us at vexpert@vmware.com and we can discuss your situation as well as provide feedback and guidance on what you can do to receive the award. We looked at all of the 2017 activities to determine the voting results. We will open the second half 2018 applications around May / June which will only allow for two voting periods this year.

If you were selected as a vExpert 2018, we will be conducting the on-boarding throughout the next few weeks so hold tight and expect future communication from us soon. Congratulations to all the vExperts, new and returning and we’re looking forward to working with you.

Head to the official vExpert Directory on the new vExpert App and Command + F away and find your name if you can’t wait for the welcome email. The 2018 vExpert email with access to the vExpert private community will go out shortly.

Thank You,

The VMware Social Media & Community Team

Congratulations to Community Warrior, @daphnissov

Submit a nomination for the next VMTN Community Warrior. In 2018, this program will continue recognizing users who commit time and energy to engaging with peers in the VMTN community. Learn more.

VMware Technology Network’s newest Community Warrior, @daphnissov, captures the meaning of community in his actions every day and it’s a privilege to honor him for his contributions.

Any VMware user who has been on communities since 2015 has likely interacted with the newest Community Warrior, @daphnissov, and left the forums better for it. Rather than try to capture the value he adds, I will let the Community Warrior nomination submitted by another user do the talking:

“For a vRA installation, he spent his own time troubleshooting my issue and trying to replicate a rather specific error within his own environment. Seeing that this was my first post as well as interaction with another forum member, I can only say that other places are hard pressed and should be lucky to find one as him/her/it (AI or something)”

Thank you for all that you do @daphnissov – we are lucky to have you contributing to VMTN!

Learn a little bit more about @daphnissov…

Which VMware communities are you involved in?

I am involved with many of the VMTN Communities on an almost daily basis including vSphere, ESXi, vCenter, vRealize Automation, vRealize Orchestrator, vRealize Operations Manager, vRealize Log Insight, vSAN, VMware Workstation, and VMware Fusion. Although I’ve been on the communities for a number of years, I came to the realization (sometime earlier) that it’s fairly unsportsmanlike conduct of me to always be the beneficiary of others’ generosity and knowledge without ever reciprocating, and so I ramped up my contributions over the past year.

I think I speak for all of VMTN when I say we’re glad you did! Tell me, how do you work with VMware day-to-day?

 Well, my day-to-day can be very VMware filled, but I am currently a Senior Solutions Architect for Sovereign Systems, a VMware partner, where I architect, design, and then implement the full SDDC stack of solutions, so everything from vSphere up to cloud management platforms and all things in between. I have the privilege of working with an awesome team who, in turn, get to help and guide customers of all sizes through their virtualization and cloud journeys.

After that, I can often be found in my home lab where I tinker with (and sometimes break) more VMware products and find interesting ways to solve real-world problems with them. And, of course, assisting others on the VMTN Communities is a daily hobby as well.

Wow – that’s fantastic. Can you tell me the most rewarding thread you’ve helped to answer in the forums?

That’s tough since I get a lot of reward just knowing that I was able to make a difference in any thread, but also difficult in just finding posts since I have a hillock of discussions to which I’ve contributed (I’ve always wanted to use that word in a sentence). This one was rewarding to see resolved, however.

What is the most difficult thread you’ve helped to answer?

That’s also tough as there have been some real head-scratchers. Generally, whenever there are any discussions which necessitate a full environment be deployed it’s got to be pretty interesting. This one was a good candidate.

You are clearly a VMware expert. What advice would you give to community members on learning more and becoming a better professional?

The first thing is to get involved in the communities. Let the problems experienced by others be your problems and, in turn, let the solutions build your knowledge. Do one thing each week which scares you by taking you out of your comfort zone. Never hesitate to state the obvious. Shun no knowledge, regardless of what it may be. And never be afraid to admit ignorance on a subject—the beginning of all wisdom starts with the phrase, “I do not know.” Your struggles as you attempt to find those answers will result in tremendous personal and professional growth.

Are you working on any projects you think the VMTN community would be interested in?

I’m always working on at least three things at once, it seems. Blogs are constantly in the works and some of the ones forthcoming include things like LACP use in vSphere; for the automation folks I’m continuing my exploration of the SovLabs extensibility modules for vRealize Automation; and for those more operations-centric I’ll be diving into vIDM usage with vROps and vRLI soon. I am also trying to finish up a fairly substantial article that covers any and every form of vSphere migration type which I hope to expand into a book at some point. I’m also working towards my VCDX.

I’ll look out for updates… How can people follow you or get in touch?

I’m fairly accessible over either Twitter (@chipzoller), LinkedIn (Chip Zoller), or send me a private message through the VMTN Communities.

Thanks @daphnissov!

Do you see someone frequently answering questions in your favorite forums? Did someone provide support to you recently at a VMUG or over Twitter? Any community involvement counts. Head to the Community Warrior page to nominate a user, or email katieb@vmware.com.

The Community Pulse – Top VMTN Content in October 2017

The Community Pulse is a blog delivering the most trafficked threads from the past month, to help you stay up to date with relevant technical content from VMware community members around the world. The VMTN forums are a learning tool unlike any other. Read through these threads to explore how other IT professionals are administrating, optimizing, and supporting their unique environments.

10 top viewed threads, created in October:

  1. VMware workstation player 14 does not start in Workstation Player. In progress resolution by @bluefirestorm
  2. Windows 10: Fall Creators Build 1709 Experiences in VMware Horizon. Resolution by @angelage1
  3. Workstation Pro 14 upgrade from ver 12 production blank screen when running existing VMs in Workstation Pro. Resolution by @xindayu
  4. Not enough physical memory is available in Workstation Pro. Resolution by @continuum
  5. vSphere 6.0 web client causing flash to crash in browsers in VMware vCenter. Resolution by @daphnissov
  6. VMware Fusion 10.0.1 doesn’t see USB devices anymore in VMware Fusion (for Mac). Resolution by multiple contributors delivering multiple solutions.
  7. Shockwave flash has crashed issue in Chrome in vCenter Server. Resolution by multiple contributors delivering multiple solutions.
  8. VMware player 14 does not start on Ubuntu 17.10 in Workstation Player. Resolution by @daphnissov
  9. 500 Internal Server Error after 2.12 to 2.13 upgrade in VMware App Volumes. Resolution by Raymond_W
  10. Upgraded from 7.0.1 to 7.3.1, getting “You cannot access your applications or desktops”… error in VMware View. Resolution by @steveromine

Top 10 communities, based on thread and reply creation in October:

  1. ESXi
  2. PowerCLI
  3. Workstation Pro
  4. VMware Fusion (for Mac)
  5. VMware vCenter
  6. VMware Horizon
  7. vRealize Automation Tools
  8. VMware NSX
  9. vRealize Orchestrator
  10. VMware vSphere

To get real time updates on content being created within the forums, you can:

  1. Subscribe to a communities RSS Feed. Feeds are available for each community on the right-hand side, in the Actions box.
  2. Opt in to “Follow” a community. This option is available on the right-hand side, parallel with the community name. Any community you choose to follow will appear in your “My Communities” list, accessible through the tap navigation. To receive email notifications around communities that you follow, confirm in your preferences that you have opted in to email.
  3. Bookmark a community thread to receive notifications on the progress. This is only available at thread level. It is on the right-hand side, under the Actions box.

Questions on the Community Pulse? Please reach out to the VMware Community Manager, at katieb@vmware.com

Congratulations to VMTN Community Warrior, @rcporto

Submit a nomination for the next VMTN Community Warrior. In 2017, this program will be recognizing users who commit time and energy to engaging in the VMTN community. Learn more.

This week’s Community Warrior burst into the VMware Technology Network community program from left field at the end of last year, and has made his mark. Congratulations to the newest Community Warrior, @rcporto!

@rcporto originally joined communities in 2011, became a vExpert in 2014, and came to my attention late last year, when he won a prize in the CloudCred VMTN Challenge. This was a raffle around the VMTN Badge on VMware’s gamification platform, CloudCred.

Not a month later, he reached out with interest in becoming a VMTN Community Moderator. Today @rcporto is not only a User Moderator, he’s a global moderator, who owns and manages the Brazilian Portuguese community.

Thank you for all that you do @rcporto. VMTN would not be the same without your commitment.

Learn a little bit more about @rcporto…

What was the first VMware product you ever used, where and when?

The first VMware product that I used was the vSphere ESXi 3.5, back in 2009, to virtualize some workloads for a client of my company.

What inspired you to become a VMTN Community Moderator recently?

The VMTN community had a lot of great moderators doing a wonderful job to keep the threads clean and in the correct location, but I noticed that a lot of messages, mainly from other languages, like Brazilian Portuguese, do not get the same attention from moderators. I decided to become a moderator to keep my eyes mainly on Brazilian Portuguese messages, since this is my native language, but I spread my attention to English threads as well.

You sure do… Check it out.

How do you work with VMware day-to-day?

I work for a VMware partner, and my main role in my job is to implement, administer and troubleshoot VMware vSphere environments, the vRealize suite products and vCenter Site Recovery Manager, as well as others.

Although I am very experienced with VMware, becoming active in VMTN by replying to user’s threads contributed a lot to my knowledge on real world issues and best practices. I’ve found the VMware KBs and documentation are awesome, and if you search correctly, there is a good chance you’ll find the answer to your problem. Many times when I reply, I don’t know the solution, but since I am familiar with these resources, I can search a solution and reply to the user.

Are you working on any projects you think the VMTN community would be interested in?

Right now, I am busy with my full-time job tasks, but my personal project regarding the VMTN community is to achieve the Guru status in the next six months, so I would like to invite VMTN users to post your questions. It would be my pleasure to try to answer them.

How can people follow/get in touch (Twitter,etc)?

Twitter: @richardsonporto | VMTN: @rcporto

Thanks @rcporto!

This is wise advice from a hard working community warrior: answer questions and ask questions to become a better professional. Get involved and get to know your resources.

Do you see someone frequently answering questions in your favorite forums? Did someone provide support to you recently at a VMUG or over Twitter? Any community involvement counts. Head to the Community Warrior page to nominate a user, or email katieb@vmware.com.

 

Congratulations to #VMTN Community Warrior, @sreec

Submit a nomination for the next VMTN Community Warrior. In 2017, this program will be recognizing and rewarding users who commit time and energy to engaging in the VMTN community. Learn more.

The VMTN Community Warrior program is back and better than ever after a brief break during what may go down in history as the best, and busiest, VMworld season of all time. Thank you to our last Warrior, @firestartah, for keeping the throne warm.

 

Congratulations to @sreec – our newest community warrior!

What makes @sreec a community warrior?

  • He is on the top participants list for three communities on VMTN: vCloud Director, NSX, vCloud Networking and Security.
  • He has achieved vExpert and vExpert-NSX based on community contributions, like the NSX book he wrote and published in 2016.

The list goes on from there… Thanks for all that you do, @sreec.

Needless to say, with NSX adoption growing every day it was exciting to be able to ask this Community Warrior to weigh in on what drew him to network virtualization, VMTN, and his upcoming projects.

Check out what @sreec had to say….

How did you get involved with VMTN?

When I was working with VMware from 2011-2016 I focused on a wide range of VMware products like vRealize Configuration Manager, vSphere, vCloud Director, vCloud Networking and Security, vCloud Connector, NSX, and more.

VCD is one of the products which I worked extensively with, and that’s where I started liking network virtualization. Considering the complexity of troubleshooting in VCD, I used VCD labs and I started looking at vCloud Director communities to better understand customer queries and then contributing to them as much as I could.

Over a period of time, I realized VMTN is by far one of the best technical hubs for VMware technologies and every day I spend 1-2 hours and follow the NSX & VCD communities.

Why are you passionate about NSX?

VMware NSX is at the forefront of the software-defined networking revolution. I come from a storage background and I switched my job to the virtualization field. I knew this was the right track to focus on and the last 8 years have been truly remarkable for me. I worked with the vCloud Network Security solution during its early days and I liked the concept of network virtualization.

My immediate focus was to clear VCAP-CIA and I achieved it very shortly followed by VCAP-DCA & DCD. I’m a strong believer of learning a technology in a way that makes people understand it very easily. If one cannot explain a feature/design, that shows a lack of knowledge in that area.

After spending a lot of hours in labs and reading blogs/books, I started training candidates on VCD, VCNS & NSX. For me this is where my passion for software-defined networking started. A few months back, I cleared VCAP6-NV and achieved VCIX track.

Having seen the technology transform all the way from VCNS to NSX for all types of workload all I want to say is NSX is a cherry on top of VMware product portfolio. It’s because of the large ecosystem, coupled with the fact that customers can leverage NSX in Private/Public and build a true network hybrid platform. We don’t need to chase a use case for implementing NSX. This product fits in extremely well for all types of workloads & environments and that is why I’m passionate about this technology.

Are you working on any projects you think the VMTN community would be interested in? 

Having learned a few things about NSX, I decided I should give something back to the community. My first contribution was the NSX book – VMware NSX Network Essentials. The focus is on core components of NSX, how to deploy, and manage it effectively.

Thank you for the time, wise words, and great community contributions.

To connect with @sreec for regular updates, follow him here:

Twitter: @sreeec ; VMTN: @sreec ; LinkedIn

Do you see someone frequently answering questions in your favorite forums? Did someone provide server saving support to you recently at a VMUG or over Twitter? Any community involvement counts. Head to the Community Warrior page to nominate a user, or email katieb@vmware.com.

VMworld: 8 VMTN Community Opportunities You Don’t Want to Miss

To recognize VMTN Community contributors, there are going to be 8 fantastic programs running at VMworld – including some for those who cannot attend the event. Get excited and get signed up for the following:

For the Folks at Home:

  1. Beams (VMworld US only):
  • 3 Beams at the VMTN Community Area.
  • Beams are video conferencing tools which provide the freedom to explore VMvillage from the comfort of your own home.
  • Sign up now!
  1. VMTN Homepage Takeover
  • Featuring: livestream videos, VMworld social, live podcasts, blogs, {code}fest updates, and links to the forums with information on the latest VMware announcements.
  • Bookmark this page to Stay Connected.

For the Show-Goers:

  1. vBrownBag TechTalks – A VMTN Member

  1. Closed Booths Available for Podcast, Vlog, or even Webinar creation
  1. Blogger Program
  • Blogger tables will be set-up to provide a space for bloggers to write, charge, and network.
  • VMware Blogger Program Manager, Elsa Mayer, will be manning this area in the US and Europe to introduce her plans for the program and hand-out SWAG do nothing else… Don’t miss the opportunity to stop by.
  1. {code}fest
  • Come visit VMware {code} program manager, Tim Bonnemann, at his VMware {code} in the VMTN Community Area to learn about the program, sign-up, and get more SWAG do nothing else.
  • {code}fest sessions available for registration in the VMworld US and Europe.
  • Sign up for the {code} fest Hackathon on Monday night at VMworld U.S. and VMworld Europe.
  • Amazon Echos will be given away at the VMware {code} booth, at Hackathon Training Sessions, and at the Hackathon.
  1. CloudCred
  • CloudCred will support the VMware Hands-On Labs by running the CloudCred, Hands-On Labs Challenge.
  • Each lab and workshop will have its own unique, corresponding task on the CloudCred website.
  • Every day, CloudCred & the Labs will award Amazon Echoes, along with other prizes to those people landing in the top spots on the CloudCred, Labs Leaderboard
  • Visit CloudCred community manager, Noell Grier, in the Hands-on Labs area at VMworld US or Europe, to learn more.
  1. vExpert Party
  • Each year, vExpert Advocacy Manager, Corey Romero, hosts all of the vExperts for an after-hours event at a fantastic location near VMworld. Inside-scoop: this years US party will be held at the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame.
  • If you are a vExpert, watch your email for invitations to both the US and Europe parties.

And that’s a wrap! I will see you folks either virtually, or in person at the VMTN Community Area in VMvillage in just over a month.

For further information or questions around these programs, email the VMTN Community Manager, katieb@vmware.com.

VMTN Gets virtuallyGhetto: Community Warrior #4

With the below announcement, nominations are now open for winner #5

It is my pleasure to announce the newest VMware Technology Network Community Warrior Badge is being awarded to one of VMware’s very own, William Lam.

Lam 1

Congratulations William! @Lamw is well-known for his blog, virtuallyGhetto, but has also been actively contributing to VMTN for almost 10 years. He has earned nearly 25,000 points in this time and attained the Guru badge, consistently supporting others in their endeavors to achieve automation. He has been instrumental in helping the VMware {code} developer program take-off, presents at VMUGs all over the world, and has been a vExpert since the start of the program.

In exploring his online presence, and reading the wonderful nominations I received for him from @LucD, @arielsanchezmor, and @Nscuola, who described William’s following as “cult-like,” I decided I needed to find out more about the man behind the scripts first-hand.

I had the chance to ask him a few questions…

K:   William, you are a very decorated community member, you were just named one of the Top 50 Overall VMware Influencers this year, and you’ve been a vExpert for all 8 years – why and how did you start as a VMware evangelist?

W: The evangelism was really a by-product of the work I had been doing over the years rather than a specific goal I had in mind. Like many in the VMware Community, my career started out as a regular Systems Administrator and at the time, I was supporting a mix of Linux/UNIX and VMware-based infrastructures. Having worked for several large Enterprises, I was exposed to a multitude of challenges which gave me a great opportunity to learn about news things and solve some really hard problems.
I am a huge believer in sharing what you have learned so that others can build on top of that knowledge and do even greater things. This constant learning and sharing of VMware knowledge has always been something I enjoyed and as I mentioned earlier, the evangelism for VMware and their solutions just sort of happened naturally.

K: Very cool! I’m sure a lot of our readers can relate. How did you get to where you are today – with almost 17,000 followers on Twitter and one of the most popular blogs in the community?

W: To be perfectly honest, I still ask myself that every day. I think for me personally; I have always enjoyed learning about new things and sharing that back with the community whether that is explaining a complex topic or building creative solutions to solve real customer problems. I think being passionate about what you do really helps, regardless if you are the #1 blogger or 2,013th blogger. Find that one thing you really love and just keep at it, you may not see it right away, but it will pay dividends in the future in ways you cannot even imagine.

K: That’s great advice. What has your passion led you to lately… What are you currently working on?

W: I had just recently finished a fun little project with my good friend Alan Renouf called USB to SDDC which we also got to present for the first time in public at both the Sydney and Melbourne VMUG a couple of weeks ago. The idea is quite simple, how cool would it be if you could simply plug in a USB key into a server and have automatically provision and configure ESXi, the vCenter Server Appliance and vSAN without any additional user interaction? That is what Project USB to SDDC is all about. You can find more details in this blog post here: http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2017/04/project-usb-to-sddc-part-1.html

lam2

Do you have questions for William?  Reach out to him:

Over Twitter: @lamw

On VMTN: @lamw

Check out his blog: http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/

And for fun, his video of a 109-mile bike ride for charity he participated in: https://vimeo.com/106775852

Then be sure to submit your nominations for Community Warrior #5. Who has stood out in your favorite community lately? What warrior has been knocking down questions left and right? Contact the Community Manager @KTbradley on VMTN or through email at katieb@vmware.com to nominate.

Coming December 19: CloudCred vExpert Badges

Coming December 19, 2016 to CloudCredibility.com:

Three vExpert Badges – vExpert Engagement 2017, vExpert Readiness 2017, & vExpert 2017.

Each CloudCred badge has a different goal, with the overall purpose of helping players move toward vExpert status.

Engagement: Tasks included within the vExpert Engagement badge require players to engage with vExperts & vExpert content in the community. Engagement can be achieved by consuming the resources of current vExperts, by becoming active on Twitter, by taking part of Forums, and by sharing your knowledge back to the community. Completing the vExpert Engagement badge means a player has a good overview and understanding of the vExpert program. He or she understands whether vExpert status is something he wants to pursue.

Readiness: Tasks included within the vExpert Readiness badge require players to produce technical content in line with what is required of vExperts, to assume leadership roles in line with what is required of vExperts, and to complete the current vExpert application. Once a player has completed these tasks, they are then ready to apply for vExpert.

  • Content Creation & contribution, in the form of blog posts, public speaking, forum posts, videos, books, podcasts, magazine articles and so on.
  • Leadership, including VMUG leadership.
  • Application, requiring a completed application for vExpert status.

Once a player has earned the vExpert Readiness badge, he or she should be ready to apply for vExpert.

vExpert 2017: This is a one-task badge, and cannot be completed and earned without vExpert status, awarded through the traditional application process. Once vExpert status is confirmed, the final CloudCred badge is awarded.

Look for these badge sets of tasks beginning Monday, December 19 at CloudCredibility.com.

vExpert 2014 applications are open

Applications for the 2014 vExpert program are now open. Applications will be accepted up until March 6th at midnight PST. Applications received after the March 6th deadline will roll into the Q2 nomination & voting process. 

VMware vExpert 2014

Each year, we bring together in the vExpert Program the people who have made some of the most important contributions to the VMware community. These are the bloggers, book authors, VMUG leaders, speakers, tool builders, community leaders and general enthusiasts. They work as IT admins and architects for VMware customers, they act as trusted advisors and implementors for VMware partners or as independent consultants, and some work for VMware itself. All of them have the passion and enthusiasm for technology and applying technology to solve problems. They have contributed to the success of us all by sharing their knowledge and expertise over their days, nights, and weekends.

vExperts who participate in the program have access to private betas, free licenses, early access briefings, exclusive events, free access to VMworld conference materials online, and other opportunities to interact with VMware product teams. They also get access to a private community and networking opportunities.

Changes for the 2014 vExpert Program
This year we are implementing two new changes to the vExpert program. The first change is fast track current vExperts into the 2014 program. If you are a current 2013 vExpert, your 2014 application process has been shortened. Since you are a proven vExpert all we want to know is what you have been doing since the May 2013 vExpert announcement. Simple, right?

The second change is quarterly nominations into the 2014 vExpert program. We will leave the application open year round and at the end of each quarter we will begin the voting process for new vExperts from the previous quarter. So even if you are not picked to become a vExpert 2014 right away, we will allow for quarterly voting and nominations.

Evangelist Path
The Evangelist Path includes book authors, bloggers, tool builders, public speakers, VMTN contributors, and other IT professionals who share their knowledge and passion with others with the leverage of a personal public platform to reach many people. Employees of VMware can also apply via the Evangelist path. A VMware employee reference is recommended if your activities weren’t all in public or were in a language other than English.

Customer Path
The Customer Path is for leaders from VMware customer organizations. They have been internal champions in their organizations, or worked with VMware to build success stories, act as customer references, given public interviews, spoken at conferences, or were VMUG leaders. A VMware employee reference is recommended if your activities weren’t all in public.

VPN (VMware Partner Network) Path
The VPN Path is for employees of our partner companies who lead with passion and by example, who are committed to continuous learning through accreditations and certifications and to making their technical knowledge and expertise available to many. This can take shape of event participation, video, IP generation, as well as public speaking engagements. A VMware employee reference is required for VPN Path candidates.

Apply for vExpert 2014
Current 2013 vExperts use the 2014 vExpert Fast Track application: http://bit.ly/1ikZ8hi
2014 vExpert application: http://bit.ly/LMJqB5
Recommend a colleague to apply for 2014 vExpert: http://bit.ly/1bobFfF

Questions & Updates

For questions about the application process or the vExpert Program, please send email to  vexpert@vmware.com. Be sure to follow @vExpert for updates on the 2014 vExpert program.

Thank you to all who have participated in years past,
Corey Romero & the vExpert Team