Exam retirements - September 2016

VMware have now set a final retirement date for these 3 exams:

Exam VDCA550 for VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 — Data Center Administration (VCAP5-DCA)

Exam VDCD550 for VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 — Data Center Design (VCAP5-DCD)

Exam VCXN610 for VMware Certified Implementation Expert — Network Virtualization (VCIX-NV)

If you still want to attempt these exams before they retire, the last date for making a booking is October 31st 2016, and the end date for scheduling/taking the exams is November 30th 2016.

Each retiring exam now has an equivalent newer exam/certification available:

VCAP5-DCA > VCAP6-DCV Deployment

VCAP5-DCD > VCAP6-DCV Design

VCIX-NV > VCAP6-NV Deployment

VCAP5 exam retirements suspended

VMware have suspended the retirement of the VCAP5-DCA, VCAP5-DCD, and VCIX-NV exams as I mentioned in this previous post.

The new retirement dates will be set when the new VCAP6 exams are released, and from that point you'll have about 30 days til the VCAP5 exams will be killed off.

Note that there's no mention of the VCPC550 exam for VCP-Cloud in this new announcement, so I assume that's still retiring on June 24th as previously announced.

Read the announcement on this VMware education/certification blog post.

UPDATE: The retirement of the exams has now been confirmed - the deadline for booking a retiring exam is October 31st 2016, and the last day for scheduling/taking a retiring exam is November 30th 2016.

Exam Retirements in June 2016

UPDATE: The exam retirements for VCAP5-DCA, VCAP5-DCD, and VCIX-NV have been suspended - read more here.

VMware have announced the retirement of 4 exams related to the older version 5 certifications:

June 2, 2016
VDCA550 for VCAP5-DCA (retirement suspended)
VCXN610 for VCIX-NV (retirement suspended)

June 24, 2016
VDCD550 for VCAP5-DCD (retirement suspended)
VCPC550 for VCP-Cloud

You won't be able to schedule any of these exams beyond those dates, so if you want to achieve those certifications you should act now!

If you already hold the certifications, or achieve them by the dates above, they won't be taken away from you. (VCP-Cloud falls under the VCP recertification guidelines/timing)

Each of the certifications above now has a newer version equivalent:

VCAP5-DCA > VCAP6-DCV Deploy
VCIX-NV > VCIX6-NV
VCAP5-DCD > VCAP6-DCV Design
VCP-Cloud > VCP6-CMA

The exams for the newer versions are either already available, or they will be before the retirement dates for the older version exams as above.

Version 5 Certifications

Here's my archive of version 5 VMware certification pages:

Data Center Virtualisation
VCP5-DCV
VCAP5-DCA
VCAP5-DCD
VCDX-DCV

Cloud
VCP-Cloud
VCAP-Cloud - now fully retired
VCDX-Cloud

Desktop
VCP5-DT - now fully retired
VCAP5-DT - now fully retired
VCDX5-DT

Network Virtualisation
NSX Training and Certifications

vSphere 5.0/5.1 exams for VCAP certifications are retiring

VMware have announced that the vSphere 5.0/5.1 exams for VCAP5-DCA and VCAP5-DCD certifications will retire on January 31st 2015.

So, from February 2015 only the vSphere 5.5 versions of these exams will be available.

Read more here: VMware Education and Certification blog page

VCAP5-DCA - New vSphere 5.5 exam version available

Today sees the launch of a new exam for the VCAP5-DCA certification, VDCA550 which is based on vSphere 5.5.

The original VCDA510 exam based on vSphere 5.0/5.1 remains available, so be careful when you book the exam to make sure you're registering for the one that matches the software versions you've used during your preparations.

This is the same approach as VMware took for VCP5-DCV back in January: http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/vcp5-dcv-now-updated-for-vsphere-55.html

Passing either of the exam will meet the requirement to become VCAP5-DCA certified, the pre-requisite certifications remain the same.

The recommended training class vSphere: Optimize & Scale was also recently updated for the 5.5 release: http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrreg/courses.cfm?ui=www_edu&a=one&id_subject=46566

You can read more about the new exam and access the blueprint for both the VCDA550 and VCDA510 exams here: http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=47316&ui=www_cert

Josh Andrews from the VMware Certification team has created a post on his blog describing the new lab environment and blueprint changes: http://sostechblog.com/2014/04/07/vcap5-dca-update-for-vsphere-5-5/

VCAP5-DCA - Registration is now OPEN!

VMware have advised that registration is now open for the VCAP5-DCA live lab exam.

Here's the official VCAP5-DCA page with links to the blueprint, a video demo of the user interface, and a list of testing centres where you can take the exam:

http://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=30483&ui=www_cert

This is a vSphere 5 update to the VCAP4-DCA exam, and there are some changes to the vSphere features tested on in the exam - Ed Grigson did a great job of interpreting the exam blueprint (based on the beta exam) here so you don't have to:

VCAP5-DCA - What's New?

One additional thing that's been confirmed is that those who are already VCP4/VCAP4-DCA who pass the VCAP5-DCA exam until October 9th will also be awarded the VCP5 certification - after that date you will only be able to take VCAP5-DCA if you are already a VCP5.

In terms of preparation for the exam, well anyone that's taken the VCAP4-DCA exam will tell you to build a lab and practice, practice, practice!

There is an official instructor-led training class that aligns closely to the exam blueprint items - vSphere: Optimize and Scale [v5.0] - it is not mandatory to take the training but is an excellent class as well as giving you a chance to learn and practice the topics in the exam.

vSphere 5 training that will help towards VCAP5-DCA

The VCAP5-DCA exam is expected to be released in the next 2-3 months.

The beta version of the exam blueprint suggests two recommended official training courses:

vSphere: Fast Track [v5] - available now

vSphere: Optimize and Scale [v5] - due in the summer of 2012

This training won't be compulsory in order to qualify for the VCAP5-DCA certification, but having seen the beta exam blueprint, and knowing the Fast Track content and the Optimize and Scale topics, the training courses will definitely be useful!

Useful VCAP5-DCA blog links

The beta version of the VCAP5-DCA exam will be available to take shortly, I have had to decline the invitation to participate but those that have accepted have been issued the beta version of the exam blueprint.

A number of bloggers are amongst those who will be taking the VCAP5-DCA beta exam in the coming weeks, some have been given permission by VMware to blog ahead of the beta exam:

Ed Grigson

Gregg Robertson

This post contains a downloadable checklist, based on the exam blueprint, get preparing and get those boxes ticked:

Chris Wahl

Here's some other useful blog links for VCAP5-DCA:

The Foglite
VirtualLanger
Thinking Loud on Cloud

Beta exam experiences:

Patrick Kremer

I will update this post over time as I discover blog posts from those that have take the beta exam.

VCAP5-DCA exam blueprint - what's new?

The beta process for the VCAP5-DCA exam begins shortly, I received a pre-invitation from VMware a week or so ago - but as I've just started a new role I have had to decline the opportunity to take the exam.

I found Ed Grigson's vExperienced blog incredibly useful for the VCAP4-DCA exam, Ed has been given approval by VMware to publish the current beta exam blueprint, and he's also highlighted the changes to the VCAP5-DCA blueprint compared to VCAP4-DCA.

http://www.vexperienced.co.uk/2012/04/12/vcap5-dca-whats-new/

If you're thinking about taking the VCAP5-DCA exam when it is released, Ed's blog post will really help you!

VCAP5-DCA information and preparation

This page contains links to some of the key posts on this blog related to VCAP5-DCA.

General Information
VCAP5-DCA - Registration is now OPEN!
VCAP5-DCA exam blueprint - what's new?
VCAP5-DCA - New vSphere 5.5 exam version available
vSphere 5.0/5.1 exams for VCAP certifications are retiring

Preparation
vSphere 5 training that will help towards VCAP5-DCA
Useful VCAP5-DCA blog links

Updating to VCAP5-DCA
VCAP5-DCA - Registration is now OPEN!

Blog posts related to vSphere 5 release

I've added NINE new posts to this blog related to the vSphere 5 release:

1. How does a VCP3 holder update to VCP5?
2. Is it worth doing vSphere 4 certifications?
3. New certification - VCP5
4. New vSphere 5 training courses
5. New vCloud Director 1.5 courses
6. New VMware official curriculum
7. Update your VCP4 to VCP5
8. Gaining VCP4 and VCP5

Feel free to email me if you have any questions: vmtraining.blog@gmail.com

Scott.

Building a vSphere home lab for VCP/VCAP-DCA preparation

From talking to many individuals who are wishing to achieve VMware certifications such as VCP or VCAP-DCA, most people have to prepare for exams in their own time. One of the important elements of both these exams, particularly the live-lab VCAP-DCA, is to use a vSphere environment to practice using the various administrative tools and interfaces in readiness for the exams.

Some people are lucky enough to have access to a lab environment at their workplace that they can "play" on, but many inviduals end up trying to build their own home lab. This can be done either be using a number of separate physical machines, or building a vSphere lab in virtual machines on products like VMware Player or Workstation, or even the free edition of ESXi.

Whether physical or virtual, generally there are four systems required:
2 x ESXi servers (ESX can be used instead)
1 x Windows server running vCenter Server, SQL Express, and the vSphere Client
1 x shared storage server running FreeNAS, OpenFiler, or similar

There are already many blog articles out there on how to build a virtual vSphere lab:
http://www.simple-talk.com/sysadmin/virtualization/vmware-lab-setup---a-virtualized-lab-for-testing-ha-and-drs/
http://vinf.net/2010/02/25/8-node-esxi-cluster-running-60-virtual-machines-all-running-from-a-single-500gbp-physical-server/
http://www.vmwarevideos.com/video-my-home-vmware-vsphere-lab
http://www.techhead.co.uk/tell-us-about-your-server-lab
http://www.vm-help.com/

Here's a very useful site that deals with the software/build process and offers a recommendation on hardware too:
http://www.labguides.com/autolab/

One of my students this week has just told me about an amazing deal for building a virtual home lab system, it's a HP ProLiant MicroServer on sale from EBuyer, with a £100 cashback offer - as of today the effective price you pay is only £137.99: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/253305

You will need to upgrade the RAM to 8GB in order to run the required virtual machines, but that's only going to cost an extra £64: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/229102

Of course, you might want to upgrade the hard disk to something like an SSD drive for better performance, but that's up to you - the 250GB built-in disk should easily be big enough to accomodate all your vSphere VMs.