What to know before taking VCP course!

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SkuLLy|RT

Limp Gawd
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My employer has decided that it's time for me to go out and learn about VMware. Next month they are sending me to a 2 week crash course that should (hopefully) lead me to VCP certification.

The problem is I'm not certified in anything and I have never touched a VMware product.

I got to speak briefly with the instructor of the course and he mentioned that most people take a network security basics course and are familiar with UNIX before they take his VCP course. I've got UNIX down pretty well (all of my past programming classes were in UNIX) and I'm reading Network+ and Security+ books right now. Is there anything else I should familiarize myself with before hopping into this class?
 
Online or in person? I just finished VMware vSphere: Advanced Fast Track [V4.x] [92275]. It was a great course, online for 5 days.
 
There is a ton of documentation pertaining to the VCP on the VMware learning portal. I would start with the VCP Blueprint. Unfortunately..it's not like it's all wrapped up into a nice book..if that's your thing, it's certainly mine, you can get Scott Lowe's Mastering VMware vSphere 4 which really is a great book. Having said that, there have been several updates to vSphere..etc that the Blueprint can provide.

You can find this at amazon..etc.
 
NetJunkie said:
Which two week course are you taking?
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Sent you a PM. :)

O2Flow said:
Online or in person? I just finished VMware vSphere: Advanced Fast Track [V4.x] [92275]. It was a great course, online for 5 days.
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In person, looks like 5 hour sessions. Think I may have to load up on coffee for this, lol.

Vader said:
There is a ton of documentation pertaining to the VCP on the VMware learning portal. I would start with the VCP Blueprint. Unfortunately..it's not like it's all wrapped up into a nice book..if that's your thing, it's certainly mine, you can get Scott Lowe's Mastering VMware vSphere 4 which really is a great book. Having said that, there have been several updates to vSphere..etc that the Blueprint can provide.

You can find this at amazon..etc.
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I will definitely take a look for that book! I was told at some point this week I'll be receiving the text(s) we're using, maybe it'll be the same book you were talking about.

I'm basically worried about going into the first class and our instructor throwing around a bunch of terms that I'm not familiar with. Last week someone was talking about iSCSI in relation to VMware and I had no idea what the "i" stood for. :eek:
 
I wish my work place would send me on these courses. I have to pay for them myself!
 
Reason I asked was you mentioned VCP. You can only become a VCP if you take an official VMware course...not a third party course. Is it an official VMware course?

As for what you need to know...general server/network/storage/security stuff. Nothing too specific, if it's a VCP level class. VLANs, trunking, portchannels, SSL, NFS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, etc. You don't need to be an expert in any of it but you should know what they all are.
 
Jay_oasis said:
I wish my work place would send me on these courses. I have to pay for them myself!
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Build a home lab and buy some books. The vSphere books like Scott's Mastering vSphere is excellent and better than most instructors. If you hit a problem ask in here.
 
I too was planning on taking this test in a couple of months, thanks for the tip on the book. Quick question, would it be better to wait a bit with vsphere 5 on the way?
 
Up to you. You'll be able to upgrade for a good while. If you've taken a vSphere 4 class go ahead and take the exam.
 
SkuLLy|RT said:
Sent you a PM. :)



In person, looks like 5 hour sessions. Think I may have to load up on coffee for this, lol.
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Online it was 10hr days with 50min for lunch :O but that's because it was a fasttrack course. Just wish we got printed materials...LockLizard, FML.
 
All I will say here, is that the VCP4 was much more difficult than just taking the class. Much of what was on the exam was _NOT_ covered during the class. I took the install, configure, manage class (which was a SNORE for me). I also had a lot of real world experience, but there was obscure detail like specifics of min / maxes from the vDR appliance that are only available by reading the pdfs on the blueprint. Those particular details aren't even in the main configuration maximums document... you HAVE to read the vDR appliance documenation. I did well on the exam, but I just knew from what others had said to go through the blueprint and memorize it... and they were right. This is a memory exam if I ever saw one.
 
A coworker of mine just took the test. Went in to take it all cocky.. and failed. He thought because we've been using ESX in a production environment for 3 years he had it handled.

He's been taking online practice tests from Simon Long's blog and a few other areas and said the VCP was nothing like those tests. He had maybe 1 min/max question and everything else was "procedural" questions.
 
I got well over 400 pts out of the 500 possible. I thought some of the questions were really stupid, but I can understand it is difficult to come up with questions for a test when everyone's environment differs. Some people use iSCSI, some people use something else, so they level the playing field with the blueprint. Just study that! I know many VCPs who cheated (I can't stand them), and I know people who are great who have never even taken the class. VCP is a great certification to have IF you have the experience to go with it. If you get the VCP without cheating, then I think you deserve recognition for it. I busted my ass for weeks and weeks studying the blueprint. It paid off.
 
Honestly these tests are a joke.

I would say 90% of people cram for these multiple choice obscure questions and forget the material (because most of it isn't practical) within the next 3 months of passing the test.

The only true IT certifications worth merit are hands on, know your shit or don't. Much like the RHCE or CCIE.
 
Which is why we now have VCA-DCA (live lab questions), VCAP-DCD (can't really cram), and the big boy...the VCDX.
 
I didn't know it was possible to take the VCP without taking the class(refering to defuseme2k).

I would love to take the VCP exam, but I can't afford the class and have no employer/etc willing to pay for me :(
 
Chilly said:
I didn't know it was possible to take the VCP without taking the class(refering to defuseme2k).

I would love to take the VCP exam, but I can't afford the class and have no employer/etc willing to pay for me :(
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I didn't mean to imply it was possible to be a VCP without the class. You can take the exam without the class, but you won't be awarded the certification. They verify it afterward based on your email address registered with pearson vue and the email address you use to login to their education portal.

I meant to say I know very talented VMware admins who haven't ever had the class, and in turn they do not have the certification.
 
I'm taking the test next Friday, and can't go to the class until August. From what i'm seeing here and other blogs..etc..if you have solid hands on experience, and study the blueprints..and other material, you shouldn't need the class to pass the test. I've also heard that the class, doesn't really offer much in the way of assisting with the test anyway...I guess i'll find out on Friday..lol.:)
 
I've known several people to pass it and then go take the class later to meet their requirements for VCP. Make sure and know the Maximums document before going in...then forget it and reference it as needed. :)
 
On my way out of the office yesterday I was handed a 3-book bundle; VMware IT Academy - vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage. I was also told to have the first book finished by the start of classes on Monday. So far the book reads a lot better than most Microsoft books that I've gone through, so that's a plus lol.

I appreciate the advice that everyone has offered in this thread. Hopefully I'll be able to come back in two weeks and say that I've got a decent idea of how vSphere works and maybe have an idea about when I'd actually want to take the VCP exam. :)
 
Ok..well I have a question..i'm getting conflicting information about what specific versions will be covered on the test. I'm hearing that you should know the maximums..etc as it pertains to vSphere 4 and not 4.1..etc. I was under the impression that I had to know this information of the latest blueprint which is based on 4.1....?
 
The blueprint is the bible. Notice that the blueprint is updated for 4.1, so IF there are maximums questions, it will be 4.1 questions. Although I noticed during the test, that they avoided incremental version specific question changes. My suspicion is that IF you see a maximums question it will be from the 4.1 document, but it will probably be a maximum that hasn't changed since the release of vSphere originally :).

And just so it gets said... I only had 1 question about minimums / maximums on my VCP exam.
 
Yeah...what defuseme2k said. The VCAP-DCD was based on 4.1 as there were mentions of 4.1-only features.

If the bible is on 4.1, the test will be on 4.1.
 
Passed..VCP410....was pretty hard....but then again, I hate tests that are all about memorizing facts that you'll forget a few days after the test anyway..that's why I thought the CCNA was a bit easier, don't get me wrong..there is memorization in the CCNA, but at least there are realworld simulations..etc.
 
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