VMware Recertification - What You Need To Know

Every professional knows that continuing education is required to excel in his or her field. Everyone, from lawyers to doctors and medical professionals, must stay up to date on the latest developments in order to succeed in their career. This is exceptionally true for the rapidly changing world of information technology, and even more for virtualization technologies. 

In order to address the rapid changes in the world of virtualization, VMware has instituted a recertification policy to ensure that VMware certification holders stay up to date on the latest developments in virtualization technologies. The new recertification policy is designed to give employers confidence that the IT professionals they hire are up to date and have the required skills to manage and implement the most recent, and most effective VMware methodologies.

VMware’s software releases have taken on a faster development cycle, leading to updates and new releases being pushed out faster. This has led VMware to institute their recertification policy. The new policy is similar to that of other IT certifications, such as CompTIA.

From VMware:

“VCP holders must recertify by taking a VCP level exam or advancing to VCAP or VCDX level certification within two years of earning their most recent VCP certification. Prerequisite course requirements are waived, but the exam and exam cost are the same as those required for initial certification. Failure to recertify by the required date will result in revocation of your certification.”

There are several ways to fulfill the requirements and guidelines set forth by the new VMware certification policy. These include:

• Retake the same exam for your current certification - If you have VCP3 certification in the Datacenter virtualization, you can take the VCP5 – Data Center exam to keep your current credentials.
   
• Earn a different certification at the same level – For those holding VCP certification, they can keep their VMware certified status by taking ANY VCP exam and earning that certification. A VCP3 – Data Center certified professional could earn the VCP5-Cloud certification and fulfill recertification requirements.
  
  
• Earn a higher level certification – VMware also allows recertification by earning a more advanced certification. VCP3 holders can get certified at the VMware Advanced Professional or VMware Design Expert level and retain VMware certified status.

You can learn more about the VMware recertification policy from VMware’s site.

No matter which certification path you choose, VMware Certification Marketplace is here to help – with exam vouchers, practice exams, learning resources and everything else you need to stay up to date on the newest VMware programs and procedures!

VMware Partner Exchange 2014

The VMware Partner Exchange 2014 has taken place in beautiful San Francisco, CA; running from February 10th to the14th. Throughout the year, VMware has several partner exchanges allowing professionals of the virtualization world to get together and explore the latest concepts in virtualization technology.

VMware offers insider information about new products and services, as well as boot camps, keynotes, networking events and more. The Solutions Exchange features 93 sponsors and exhibitors showcasing the latest virtualization consulting, design and administration services as well as VMware platform hardware. The VMware Partner Exchange also features VMware Design Expert defenses, where those looking to obtain the highest level of virtualization certification present revolutionary concepts in virtualization and must defend their projects to a panel of the world’s foremost VMware experts.

Among the topics highlighted at the February Partner Exchange is the use of Software Defined Datacenter technologies on the VMware platform. VMware’s new Virtual SAN technology allows service providers to accommodate the $30 billion enterprise storage market, allowing providers to expand storage and offer a lower ownership cost to customers. VMware service providers can expand their footprint in existing customer environments, and offer more complete data storage and disaster recovery solutions through the use of VMware toolsets.

Other topics of interest at the February 2014 Partner Exchange include:

• Hybrid Cloud - Combing VMware’s SAN services with traditional on-site data storage solutions to create effective enterprise data storage architectures. This includes the new vCloud Hybrid Service, offering powerful data management tools and a new level of security with better data recovery procedures.
  
• Public Cloud - Exploring how academic institutions, government departments and public companies can utilize cloud technologies to share data and applications more seamlessly with the use of the VMware platform
   
• Desktop-As-A-Service - Those with VMware certification already know the abilities of VMware to deliver applications and data from a cloud server to the desktop. VMware now offers the ability to run desktop-as-a-service technology, offering additional user control and better application reliability.

VMware Partner Exchange offers virtualization professionals the change to converge, network, and share knowledge while learning the latest in VMware technologies and techniques several times per year. If you’re interested in learning about this Partner Exchange or upcoming Exchanges, visit VMware Partner Exchange Blog for more information.

Implementing VMware Site Recovery

Data and disaster recovery is a critical component of any business’ contingency plan and something that’s integrated into the planning of their server systems. By being prepared and having the correct data recovery procedures in place, businesses ensure that they can quickly and safely recover data and get servers back to functioning quicker. Particularly at the enterprise level, a disaster recovery plan is critical to the continued operation and success of a business. From natural disasters to malicious activity, there are plenty of reasons servers and mission-critical systems crash.  Because of this, businesses look for professionals in the IT world with the skills needed to mitigate disaster, restore servers and applications, and allow their business to continue operating smoothly.

Virtualization platforms face unique practices when it comes to disaster recovery. The flexibility of a virtualization platform means that if the correct practices are in place, applications and data can be easily replicated and moved to new servers. Virtual server disaster recovery is simplified by the powerful recovery tools included in most virtualization platforms. VMware offers several software tools such as Site Recovery Manager, which manage and automate many components of site recovery including vSphere Replication and storage replication. 

Data and site recovery is a critical component of working with a VMware platform. It is something that every professional who administrates a VMware environment should be knowledgeable about. At VMware Certification Marketplace, we offer a range of learning materials encompassing all areas of VMware; including a complete and comprehensive guide to Administrating VMware Site Recovery Manager 5.0.

This guide to VMware data recovery and site restoration is written by Mike Laverick, certified vExpert. It covers everything virtualization professionals need to know for effective site recovery – from installing Site Recovery Manager 5.0 and understanding the features, to configuring vSphere Replication for fast replication of applications and storage devices. It even defines custom site recovery plans.

If you’re an IT professional who’s administrating a virtualization system, don’t wait until your site crashes. Be prepared, mitigate risk, decrease downtime, and protect critical data with this comprehensive guide to VMware Site Recovery Manager.