Just about an hour ago VMware lifted the NDA on VMware vSphere 4.1 and made available all of the information on this latest release as well as the bits for download available to the public.

I will be covering a more in-depth review on this latest release really soon but I did want my readers to know that the bits are available for download from the VMware website.

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_vsphere_4/4

The upgrade to ESX(i) 4.1 should be relatively easy by using traditional update methods such as VMware Update Manager (VUM).  However, the upgrade to vCenter Server 4.1 is more of a migration since it will only support a full 64-bit environment. Still don’t fret, a vCenter server migration is pretty simple just make sure you have a FULL backup of your vCenter Server database.

Also a little FYI….rumor has it that this will be the final build containing a full ESX install (Service Console). Today might be a good day to start planning that migration to ESXi.

Posted under vCenter, vSphere

Sorry this took so long to get out, my new position at EMC has proven to be extremely demanding…which I LOVE! I love going out and evangelizing about what great things we’re doing in the virtualization space. Anyways, back to the review…

Two weeks ago (June 9th) I took the VCAP4-DCA Beta Exam at the Pearson Vue office in Anaheim, CA. The overall process was the same as taking any other VMware exam, you sign-in and verify your identity then they log you into a workstation where the exam awaits.

What’s immediately different about the DCA exam is that it is 100% lab based, no multiple choice questions on this one. Once the Vue administrator signs you into the exam you accept a few disclosures then a RDP-style connection is made with a system probably located at VMware HQ. You switch between the questions and the desktop session using a button located on the screen, you do use the same session for the entire test.

Without breaking NDA it is difficult to explain what’s covered in the exam, but I can say that you will need as much hands-on experience as you can possibly get. It covers many different areas including Installation, Firewall management, NMP management and even some of the add-ons like vShield Zones.

For the beta you get 4 hours to basically get through as much as you can,  I was able to get through about 40 of the questions. I personally haven’t heard how long the exam will be when it goes GA nor how many questions it will have but the one great thing about this exam and the entire VCAP certification is that it will definitely separate the book cramers and good exam takers from the true experienced administrators.

Posted under Certification

EMC is running a webcast hosted by Chad Sakac next Thursday and the topic should be of an interest to any VMware or Storage administrator.  If you haven’t heard about VAAI and it’s great offloading capabilities I strongly urge you to register for this webcast.

Thursday, June 24, 2010, 11:00 am ET

Host: Chad Sakac, VP VMware Technology Alliance, EMC

Register Now by Clicking Here

During this discussion, you can learn about vStorage API for Array Integration (VAAI). There are some functions that your storage system can handle more efficiently than your virtual servers and their hosts can. VAAI are a set of APIs that allows VMware vSphere to offload specific operations to the storage system improving VMware performance and freeing up resources on your virtual servers by leveraging more efficient array-based operations as an alternative to VMware host-based operations.

Join EMC Virtual Geek, Chad Sakac on June 24 to get key updates and honest answers to your most demanding questions.

Register Now by Clicking Here

Posted under EMC, Storage, vSphere

VMware, EMC, Cisco, VCE, Intel, Acadia….whew! what does it all mean?! 

VMware, Cisco and EMC created a new marketing ploy called VCE (Virtual Compute Environment), this will provide technical innovations as well as integrated pre-sales services and support.

What is the product? vBlock.  Think of vBlock as the plug and play data-center solution, it will consist of Cisco UCS/Nexus/MDS, EMC Storage and VMware Virtualization all within a pre-designed and built rack solution - simply drop it in your data-center, plug it in and deploy virtual machines.  This is not really any different than purchasing HP Servers, NetApp Storage and VMware licenses separately. Ultimately it is the same solution, but now with a single SKU that partners will be able to sell.

I can’t say that VCE is really innovative, but it is brilliant from a business standpoint.  It will allow partners to sell a single source solution quickly and easily - no longer will VARs need to bring in multiple vendors to sell the entire design.

Click Here to Learn more about VCE from the CEO’s of Cisco, EMC and VMware.

OK, so where does Intel come into this? Well with some venture capital from Cisco, EMC and Intel a new organization called Acadia is being formed.  Acadia will bring the vCloud into the private data-center.  In a phone conversation today, Chad Sakac informed me that Acadia will provide a pay by usage solution for Enterprise users that aren’t ready for the public cloud. The solution will be completely supported and provided by Acadia and the customer will only be billed for what they use.  Pretty much a vBlock will be dropped into the customers data-center, the end-user will have a self-provisioning utility to create virtual machines and then they’ll receive a bill for actual utilization.  So no capital expense at all, your data-center now turns into a full 100% operating expense.

I didn’t plan on writing a full explanation on who/how/why. Chad Sakac covers all of these topics extremely well on his blog and I invite you to check out the following links;

VCE-An Insiders Take

VCE-Technology Innovations

VCE-Integrated Sales/Service/Support

VCE-Acadia

VCE-Partner Ecosystem

Posted under Good Reading

It’s really that simple, sign-up for the VMware Customer Program between now and September 30th, 2009, and you will be entered into a raffle to win a MacBook!  The winner will be announced on the Customer Program web-site the week of October 5th, 2009.

The VMware® Customer Program is looking for customers who are willing to share their VMware experience with their peers. If you are interested in becoming a reference for other customers or prospects, please visit the Customer Program site for information on how to join.

VMware Customer Program Overview

The VMware Customer Program is open to all VMware customers willing to share their VMware experience with their peers. It’s easy to join. Simply fill out the registration form and you’re in! In joining, we ask you to share information about your VMware environment, and to share your best practices and experiences with other customers.

As a member, you will receive the following benefits:

• Early registration for VMworld and Lab Sessions
• Access to members-only VIP Lounge at VMworld
• Eligible for members-only contests and opportunities to win vmworld.com subscriptions (a $699 value)
• Access to other members of the program through the online community
• Reports and statistics regarding trends within the membership base
• Opportunities to raise your profile as a thought leader through media and analyst coverage

How to Join

• Complete the VMware Customer Program membership form.
• All members must be willing to accept sales reference calls. Candidates for reference requests will be selected based on the information provided in their profiles.
• Member profiles must be updated annually.

View or print the PDF program flyer.

Apply today!

Posted under VMware

If you haven’t already, go check out the new VMware Download Center.  This new website makes it a lot easier to find the product download you’re looking for. Also be sure to look for the new VMware logo on the upper left portion of the website!

Posted under VMware

Get ready for a new VMware logo, this logo will shed the infamous “3 Boxes” and also include a slight typographical change which in my opinion is a little easier on the eyes.

VMware will start rolling this new logo out in a phase approach to keep costs down, however those of you at VMworld 2009 have already started to see this new logo pop up!

For comparison, here is what the old logo looked like. I wonder when we’ll start seeing new icons!?

Thanks to Eric Gray for posting the new logo, I couldn’t find it anywhere!

Posted under VMware

Just a little note telling all of my readers to register and listen to my session on how The City of San Diego utilizes Virtualization for Consolidation and Application Deployment, tomorrow morning during the VMware Online Virtualization Forum. You can register online right now, FOR FREE, just visit this link.

Attend this free virtual event, right from your browser!

VMware virtual events are highly interactive events conducted online using only a web browser. They include all of the areas that you may find at a physical event, including an exhibit hall, auditorium, resource center and networking lounge.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about vSphere™ 4—The Next Generation of VMware’s market leading virtualization products!

Come see how companies within different industries like the Public Sector, Education, Healthcare and Technology are simplifying IT and increasing flexibility while cutting IT costs by 50%.

8:00am – 9:00am
Customer Spotlight: City of San Diego Uses Virtualization for Consolidation and Application Deployment

Attend the Online Virtualization Forum on June 9th and 10th. Don’t miss this opportunity to:

• Network with VMware product experts, customers, partners and other IT Professionals.
• Attend 30-minute presentations and get the latest info on VMware solutions, products and industry trends.
• Access real-time information from industry leaders without the hassle or expense of travel.
• Create a multi-media resource kit, including white papers, videos and podcasts.

Posted under Conferences, vForum

Most of you know that I was the featured guest on a Live TechTalk last week, NetApp has furnished me with the transcripts from the Q&A of the event - for those of you that submitted questions but were unable to get a response - the transcript below should have your answer.   I’m extremely excited to say that this transcript will only be available on VMwareTips.com and NetApp will even be sending the link to their customers, hopefully this will increase the traffic on the site.

If you have any additional questions in regards to the TechTalk event, please feel free to submit a comment to this post - or email me at rick (at) vmwaretips (dot) com.

Read More…

Posted under Conferences, NetApp, VMware

Join me on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 11:00am Pacific Time for a discussion on Virtualizing SQL on VMware with Confidence.

Virtualize SQL on VMware with Confidence
What You Should Know and How to Get Started

Join us for a live Webcast and hear how Rick Scherer from San Diego Data Processing Corporation overcame server sprawl by successfully implementing SQL Server® on VMware®.

> Register Now

In addition, experts from NetApp and VMware will host an interactive discussion on best practices that will help you weigh your deployment options. You’ll learn how virtualization solutions can help you:

• Gain performance advantages when virtualizing SQL.
• Optimize storage utilization without impacting performance.
• Implement centralized and cost-effective backup and disaster recovery.

Posted under Conferences