**VMworld Session Reject Club 1st RULE: You do talk about Reject Club. **
Today VMware has sent out notifications to VMworld 2012 session submitters, with a yay or nay email. Of course, this sparked a lot of conversation on Twitter, and Scott Lowe published a blog post proposing a VMworld Unconference, and exploring several options:
A physical “unconference”
A virtual “unconference”
A series of 10-minute “flash talks” at VMworld 2012
I essence I agree with Scott, a combo of #2 and #3 would be great. #2 for people not attending VMworld, #3 for people attending, if VMware allows it.
The Thinapped vSphere Client has finally been updated to v5.0, and is readily available for download!
Sadly the new version is v5.0 only, and will only allow you to connect to vSphere v5 hosts and since the new release has replaced the old release on the VMware Fling website, you´re out of luck if you haven´t already got the 4.0 version stowed away in your own private locker.
I hope VMware decides to either make the 4.0 version available for download as well, even if 5.0 is the current release, or at least that they create a new download package for 5.0 that also includes the 4.0 and 4.1 versions.
Just like last year, I got up really early and caught a 06:40 am flight from Bergen to Oslo to attend the VMware Forum. A couple of things have changed since the last time, one of them being the venue.
This time around it was held at Ullevaal Business Class, and the venue itself worked great for a one day conference like this, divided into three sections, two for parallel sessions and one for the exhibitor area.
My little pet project VCDX Wannabe has now (finally) gone live. For now it´s mostly a collection of links and resources, but that will change over time.
So, if you want to see me (and possibly a few others) either go down in flames, kicking and screaming, or succeed obtaining the VCDX certification you now have the opportunity to do so.
Since the vCenter Client no longer is bundled with an ESXi host installation, I´ve compiled a quick list of direct download URLs for the most recent clients.
Update 17th September 2014: #
VMware has published the official list in knowledge base article KB2089791, use that as the official list going forward.
Remember, the client download URL is still available from the vCenter server, if you point your browser to it.
Another way of getting hold of the client is from the vCenter ISO file downloadable from vmware.com.
My VCP 5 exam experience
Like many others I was a VCP 4 and needed to upgrade to VCP 5 by Feb 29th to avoid a pricey class and possible ribbing from my peers. I was well aware of this deadline since mid December, however, I procrastinated on studying and was mostly flinging myself around the globe doing implementations and having an all around good time. When Feb 1st came I was sitting on a flight from Saigon to Frankfurt and that is when panic struck. I realized I had until the end of the month to finish the requirement. I instantly pulled out my iPad and began frantically combing thru the VCP 5 Blueprint and reading countless documents over the 12+ hour flight.
Now there is an ambitious post title if there ever was one, but it seems fitting as the next 12 months promises to be my most ambitious professional year to date.
Like Neil, I´ve started a journey that could either crash and burn, or end up with my very own personal moon landing.
Those of you that follow my antics on Twitter already know what I´m talking about, but I´ll spell it out once and for all:
I´ve mentioned this earlier, VMware hands-in labs going public in 2012, but finally it seems like something is happening in that regard!
Scott Sauer has announced the availability of “VMware Virtual Customer Labs” (vCL) where he walks us through the setup and delivery of the new vCL offering.
At the moment it´s only available to “selected customers”, supported by a VMware pre-sales engineer, and the number of labs are limited. It´s still a work in progress, and I´m sure great things will come out of this!
In a recent article, VCP 5 certification course deadline looms over VMware pros both vNinja.net contributors (Christian and Ed) are quoted in relation to the VCP 5 certification upgrade deadline of February 29th 2012.
While I can´t speak for Ed, I can clarify my own comments a bit. The following is a quote from VMware, taken from the article in question:
“That requirement is in place to maintain the integrity of the certification. If people could pass the VCP 5 without exposure to and hands-on experience with vSphere 5, it would devalue the certification,” a VMware spokesperson wrote in an email.
While I do see why VMware has that stance, and why they try to keep the exam “real”, my problem is that there is no way for anyone to do the VCP certification without classroom training. I don´t mind that VMware has a training requirement, and I don´t mind that you have to pay for it. What I do have a problem with is that I´m required to sit a 5 day training class. Why not offer an online VCP-prep course that you can complete in your own pace, complete with a pre-exam test that you can use to validate your skill set? That way VMware can still require a minimum of training pre-exam, get paid for it, and students can do their training in their own pace and when they have available time for it. Seems like a win-win (bingo!) situation to me?
Eric Siebert has opened up the voting for the top VMware & virtualization blogs. Head on over and cast your votes!
Votes for vNinja.net and vSoup.net would be greatly appreciated, but since we´re not affiliated with the Dutch vMaffia we promise that you will not have to wear concrete boots or wake up to a horses head in your bed if you don´t vote for us.
We think.
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