Post on 18-Jun-2020
transcript
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2019 VCDX Workshop
Presenter
Agenda
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Part 1 – Program Updates
Part 2 – Program and Process
Part 3 – Design Scenario
Part 4 – Mock Panels
Next Steps
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VCDX Program Updates
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In 2016 several methods of how to handle additional VCDX’s were piloted
Final policy is as follows:• Submit design for review. Upon a successful review, a defense will be scheduled• It is still a defense, condensed to 1 hour without scenario
– Treat the panel Q&A as similar to your first defense– This is to show us you know the track applied for
• Still requires presentation, should only be 5-10 mins long– Executive level overview– Focus on track and design defending
• In person no longer available, remote only defenses only– Scalability of the program– Pilot proved in person has no benefit to candidate
• More scheduling options• Lower T&E for candidate
VCDX process for additional VCDX beyond first
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Program and Process
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What is the VCDX certification?
VCDX is the highest tier of VMware®
technical certification.
• To validate your capability to plan and design on VMware Technologies
• To increase your value to customers and employers
• Provides competitive advantage in marketplace
• Community recognition
• VCDX focuses on architectural design skills– Beyond VMware Certified Associate (VCA)
certification– Beyond VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
certification– Beyond VMware Certified Advanced Professional
(VCAP/VCIX) certifications
• We now offer four tracks for VCDX:– Datacenter Virtualization (VMware vSphere based)– Desktop (VMware Horizon based…can also support
Workspace ONE designs)– Cloud (VMware vCloud Director OR vRealize
Automation based)– Network Virtualization (VMware NSX)
Why should you pursue VCDX certification?
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Now all VCDX’s are also vExperts! If you apply!
DESIGN EXPERT vEXPERT
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Certification program structure
VCA6-DCV VCP6-DCV
VCAP6-DCV Design
VCIX6-DCVEarned by achieving
both VCAPsVCDX6-DCV
VMware Certified Associate (VCA)
VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)
VMware Certified Implementation Expert (VCIX)
VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
LEVEL
EXPERTASSOCIATE
DATA CENTER VIRTUALIZATION (DCV)
VCAP6-DCV Deploy
VCAP6-CMA Deploy
VCA6-CMA
VCP6-CMA
VCAP6-CMA Design
VCIX6-CMAEarned by achieving
both VCAPsVCDX6-CMA
VMware Certified Associate (VCA)
VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)
VMware Certified Implementation Expert (VCIX)
VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
LEVEL
EXPERTASSOCIATE
CLOUD MANAGEMENT AND AUTOMATION (CMA)
VCA6-HC
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Certification program structure
VCA6-DTM VCP6-DTM
VCAP6-DTM Design
VCIX6-DTMEarned by achieving
both VCAPsVCDX6-DTM
VMware Certified Associate (VCA)
VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)
VMware Certified Implementation Expert (VCIX)
VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
LEVEL
EXPERTASSOCIATE
DESKTOP AND MOBILITY (DTM)
VCAP6-DTM Deploy
VCAP6-NV Deploy
VCA6-NV VCP6-NV
VCAP6-NV Design
VCIX6-NVEarned by achieving
both VCAPsVCDX6-NV
VMware Certified Associate (VCA)
VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)
VMware Certified Implementation Expert (VCIX)
VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
LEVEL
EXPERTASSOCIATE
NETWORK VIRTUALIZATION (NV)
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“Bolt On” or build the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors onto the foundation• Desktop/EUC• Automation / Cloud• Network Virtualization
Grow the design from the base foundation• Maintain version consistency• Over long period foundation design might need
updates
Submit original design with changes for add-ons• Clearly show new documentation• Follow multiple process without re-defense
Why do 4 completely different designs from scratch?
How do I achieve multiple VCDX’s?Start with DCV Design as foundation and defend on DCV for base infrastructure
Ground floor
FLOORS OF A HOUSE
First floor
British English
American English
First floor Second floor
basement
roof
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Multiple VCDX attainment workflow
VCDX-DCVVCDX-DTMVCDX-CMAVCDX-NV
VCDX-DCVVCDX-DTMVCDX-CMAVCDX-NV
TOSubmit Design
Granted Additional
VCDX
Phone InterviewDefensePass/Fail
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The Road to your VCDX
* Your mileage may vary
Review/Study Blueprint and Handbook ~2-5 Hours
Attend the VCDX Defense Prep Training ~3 Days (N/A for now)
Prepare/Practice your VCDX Interview ~20 Hours
Application accepted
Prepare/Submit application & design~90 to 150 Hours
Attend Design Defense~3-4 Hours
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The DNA of a successful VCDX candidate
“The VMware Certified Design Architect”
• Self-motivated and driven• Applies critical thinking• Organized and methodical• Process oriented• Confident and adaptable
Traits• Innovative and Insightful• Inquisitive and proactive• Customer focused• Continuous learner• Shows clarity of thought
Does not ask what needs to be done, they actively seek out solutions when problems present themselves
Some real world experience in designing, architecting, presenting, and implementing solutions
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The S.M.A.R.T goal method
Specific
State exactly what you want to achieve such as who, what, where, why
How will you demonstrate when the goal is met?
Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-Bound
Stretch and challenge yourself within ability to achieve the outcome
Does the goal tie into your key responsibilities?
Set one or more target dates to guide you to your goal
S M A R T
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The S.M.A.R.T goal method
Specific
S
State exactly what you want to achieve such as who, what, where, why
1. Ask yourself “Why do I want to get my VCDX?” The answers may surprise you
2. What’s your long term specific goal for the VCDX tracks?
• VCDX-DCV?
• VCDX-DTM?
• VCDX-CMA?
• VCDX-NV
• All of the above?!
3. Who are you going to ask for help in your journey?4. What specific actions and resources are you going
to leverage?
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The S.M.A.R.T goal method
Achievable
A
Stretch and challenge yourself within ability to achieve the outcome
1. Be honest with yourself about your expertise and state of mind
2. Leverage some kind of skills assessment to help guide you
3. You are here because you already achieved your goal of VCIX
4. It’s okay, this may not be for everyone, but it is for many
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The S.M.A.R.T goal method
Time-Bound
T
Set one or more target dates to guide you to your goal
1. This is the source for all upcoming dates…..pick one!
2. Know the submission deadline for the defense week you pick
3. Attend a VCDX workshop, those will be listed here too
4. Set reminders for yourself at certain date intervals
http://vcdx.vmware.com/calendar
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This is not a bad problem to have. You are ahead of the game!
Best to start with an existing design if possible
Ask yourself:• Is this interesting to talk about for 2 hours?
• Did this have unique aspects to it?
• Was there anything innovative done?
• Were there odd use cases and requirements?
• Did we have to customize a lot of things?
If you answer yes to one or more, it might be a good choice
Start checking skill gaps from the blueprint• Figure out what you will need to work on
I have so many designs to choose from!
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VMware validated designs
The VVD cannot be used as a submission for a VCDX!
• This means you cannot download the VVD and submit as is
• You may only submit a design were the VVD architecture was used for reference only
• You must note that you used the VVD as a reference
VMware Validated Designs (VVD) are designs to be used to help build a foundational level of the SDDC
• Download and information on the VVD at http://bit.ly/2micGEV
• Excellent example for format and content of a VCDX document
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Complexity is arbitrary• Number of pages does
not matter
• It could be both…– Too small
– Too big
• Focus on the business requirements
Design complexity and privacy
Your design is never shared outside the program
• If it’s a real customer check with them first
• Scrub sensitive information and change names
Only Panelists and program team will see documents
• If you have a concern…..ask
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Break time
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Demonstrating Design Experience & VCDX Tips
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What demonstrates design expertise?
Demonstrate mastery of design considerations and rationales by:
• Identifying and understanding business requirements• Identifying constraints and risks• Understanding different architecture strategies• Making and justifying sound decisions• Understanding design choice impact• Understanding all design aspects, including inherent risks
During your design defense you should be able:• To provide a complete solution that addresses all requirements,
constraints, and risks• To answer all questions about your design and defend your design
decisions• To effectively manage your time
– Demonstrate your ability to work effectively in customer design meetings
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What demonstrates a lack of design expertise
Insufficient mastery of design skills is demonstrated by:
• A design primarily focused on delivery from templates without addressing business requirements or design rationale
• A candidate that cannot articulate design strategies
– The candidate cannot understand or consider major aspects of a design
– The candidate cannot logically defend questions pertaining to a design decision
• A candidate that cannot start a design process in front of a customer
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The design you submit must be for an infrastructure… • Where business requirements drive design and implementation decisions • Suited for mission-critical applications
The design you submit may be partially fictitious• You must defend fictitious components as if they were real• Designs are assumed to be either implemented or implementable.• If your design was not implemented it still needs to meet all the
requirements.
If your design is based on an actual project, you must have played an architect role in that project
• But not necessarily the sole architect
The primary design component will be based on the VCDX path chosen
VCDX application – selection of a design
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Out of scope or next phase
In the real world it is common for a piece of a design to be out of scope or in the next phase
There is nothing wrong with a portion of a design to be missing due to this
• If this is the case, include how you would have done it
• If you do not include it, expect for it to be asked
• During the defense, this does waste time for other lines of questioning
All points of the blueprint need to be addressed in a design
• Saying backup was not in scope and not including just means you missed a scoring opportunity
Do not use something out of scope of next phase as a crutch
• Treat it as you would in a real design• Design and plan it out, understanding
what impact it has on the rest of the design
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The VCDX design components
Architectural Design
Functional Technical
RequirementsConstraints
AssumptionsRisks
Out-of-scope
Conceptual DesignLogical DesignPhysical Design
Design ConsiderationsDiagrams and Tables
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Architectural design feeds supporting documents
Architectural Design
Installation Guide
Implementation Plan
Validation Plan
Operating Procedures
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• Collect customer requirements/constraints/assumptions
• Map the above into one or more infrastructure design qualities
– Availability– Manageability– Performance– Recoverability– Security– Risk Management
• Map decisions back to requirements and constraints
– Show how decisions were specifically affected by certain conceptual aspects
VCDX design – what we’re looking forFrom conceptual requirements to logical mode
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• Propose detailed specifications for the technology stack
• Show the components mapping to the entities in the logical design.
– Virtual Machines• Including backup/recovery
– Compute Resources• Including hosts and clusters
– Storage Resources• Considerations of backup/recovery or replication
methods of VMs and hosts– Network Resources– Virtual Infrastructure Management
VCDX design – what we’re looking forFrom logical design to physical design
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VCDX design – what we’re looking forCandidate characteristics
At all times, show a mastery of:
1. Implementation Guidance
2.Risk identification and risk mitigation
3.Complete, clear, organized technical communication
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Ensure that your submission is
free of technical inconsistencies!
Ensure that your submission is in
PDF format!
Suggestion: Separate
documentation
• Submit everything as one single package− ZIP file or other using the submission link
• Point out the places where information is kept− Use a document map if needed
• Always Remember…− Completed Application Form− Signed Attestation and Statement of Conduct− Can the receiver build this with what’s supplied− Registration Fee
• Measure Twice and Cut Once− Check, double-check, check again before you hit submit− Have someone else check your submission package
Your final submission package
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VCDX process
Candidate submits application
Candidate passes Candidate doesn’t passApplication is rejected
Complete and well formed?
Candidate pays application fee
VMware performs technical review
Candidate defends
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
All work by others in application credited?
Material chance of success at defense?
Candidate fully knows and understands application?
Candidate can explain pros/cons and tradeoffs?
Candidate’s technical understanding matches
application?
Candidate reveals skills in all blueprint areas?
Candidate invited to defend and pays fees
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Timeline
Application Results Notice of defense time
Defense Results
~6 weeks
~1 week
3-4weeks
Tuesday following defenses
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• 3 strikes requires new design
• Submission = Defense
• Different than design submissions
• 3 defenses on same design
• Submit at the same time for the same track or risk refusal
• Maximum 3 people
Submission retries and group submissions
Maximum Number of Design Submissions
Maximum Number of Re-Defenses
Shared Design Submission
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Defense Day
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The VCDX Defense (75 minutes)– Deliver a short (~10 minute) presentation that introduces your design
– Answer questions from panelists about the design you submitted
– Provide further insight into your design decisions and rationales
The Design Scenario (45 minutes)– Demonstrate that you can begin to work through design issues in a
methodical and logical manner
– Answer questions or respond to design parameters introduced by the panel– Additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the required areas
Approved applicants are invited to interviewThe interview is an on-site meeting with a panel of VCDX certified architects
The interview process consists of two parts
VCDX interview day
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Environment• Room with whiteboard, 1-2
projectors, and presentation laptop– Personal laptops or PDAs not
permitted in room– Bags stored in secured area
• Timer (only pauses between sections)
Panel• 3 Panelists – VCDX certified,
interact with candidate, record scores
• 1 Facilitator – ensures rules and timelines are adhered to
• Observers – VCDX certified, learning how to conduct defense, no interaction with candidate
The VCDX defense – format
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Room Setup
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Format is up to you
PPT 101• This is intended to be high level• “Executive level overview”
Example Deck• You• Project overview• Requirements, constraints, assumptions
– List Key ones only• Risk management• Compute• Storage• Networking
Presentation deck
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At any time during Design Defense and Design Scenario:• Structure your thoughts, giving clear and concise answers
– When answering a question, nothing wrong with taking a moment to contemplate an answer
• Respect time constraints– Keep answers clear and to the point
– If you clearly understand a concept, be succinct in your explanations– Listen to the panelists and answer the questions they ask
• Think critically about your design– Don’t assume if a panelist asks a question on your design you are
wrong, justify it to them
• Treat at as a conversation with your peers– We are here to discuss your design, educate us on why you did things
the way you did them
• Show your understanding of risks and impact of various decisions– Every decision carries some level of impact and potential risk, show your
mastery of thinking on that level
• Show your passion and your confidence
VCDX defense tips – what panelists look for
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You should not do any of these during a defense:• Don’t bring props (like posters)
• Don’t bring gifts for the panelists
• Don’t “Name Drop”
• Don’t swoon over your panelists if you know them from the community
• Don’t quote blogs– If you are going to quote one, be able to justify it
• Don’t say “We used it because it was a cool feature”– Every decision should have a reason for it being done against one or more
requirements
• Don’t make stuff up– If you don’t know, just say ”I don’t know”
• Don’t be cocky or argumentative
• Don’t dominate the room
– Panelists need time to ask questions
• Don’t think or act as if our questions are malicious in intent
VCDX defense tips – what not to do
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Before your defense session…• Make a commitment and budget prep time (total time can be in
the hundreds of hours)
• Practice your presentation, be able to start and stop without issue
– Display your confidence about your design and how well you know it
– Practice explaining your design in English
• Know your design thoroughly!
– Review your design beforehand so that it is fresh on your mind
During your defense session…• Use your time wisely and allow for time in all design areas
• Listen carefully to your panelists questions
• Describe why you did things the way you did them
VCDX defense – final tips
Talk and think out loud
Use diagrams frequently
Have fun with it!!!
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Break time
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Design Scenario
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Understand the business goals and use cases. What is the problem we are trying to solve?
Think about the following for design scenario
1. Identify requirements and constraints
2. Prioritize requirements− Which on is the most important? − How do they relate to or impact our goals?
3. Ask questions to clarify gaps− LISTEN TO AND USE THE ANSWERS!− Take notes
4. Diagram proposed solutions for design− Validate and adapt proposed solutions
5. Use the whiteboard and think out loud
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Design exercise role play• You will be given a situation/scenario that requires
you to begin to architect a design• During the scenario, the panelists are your customers• The focus is on the journey to the solution, not the finished
design− Think out-loud. Talk through the process to let the panelists see
you work the problem− Ask questions to gather additional information for consideration− LISTEN to the responses and use the information given!− Go through the steps to demonstrate your strategy and thought
process− Follow a thread to build your design on and Use diagrams− You are NOT expected to complete the design in the allotted
time
VCDX design scenario – format
Duration
45minutes
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Walk through the topology for the design on a whiteboard.
• What is your strategy?• What information do you need? What clarification?• Is risk mitigation required due to some of the business requirements?
• Do I have all the information needed? • What are the requirements, constraints, assumptions, and risks? • Am I meeting all the business requirements?
Don’t be silent as you work on the design.
VCDX design scenario – tips
Sketch your ideas
Do: Ask questions!
Think
Don’t: Be silent
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VCDX design scenario – sample
The following slides consist of a sample design scenario
• Your actual design scenario will be different
• Not all information is automatically provided
– You must ask questions
This will be a role play for attendees
• You will participate as a VCDX candidate
• We will ask you what you might think a VCDX panelist might do
• You can ask questions on any aspect of the Design Scenario
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Design Scenario #1VCDX-DCV Example
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• Service Provider with multiple sites is looking for a vSphere Design, for their management systems (vCenter, DNS, AD, monitoring, etc).
• Due to past experiences with mixed environments, they have requested for a 100% virtualized design.
• This design will focus on one data center currently, but should be easily scaled to other locations with minimal changes.
Scenario 1
YOUR TASK:Provide a logical design that meets customer requirements and addresses their application concerns
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• 99.9% uptime for critical monitoring applications
• Minimize software license costs
• Easily replicated at other sites
• Machine to machine traffic should be limited to those machines requiring such traffic
Scenario 1 additional information
The application team has some requirements that must be met:
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• Ask initial qualifying questions that can have bearing on any design
– Determine budget and time frame requirements.
• Determine additional needs for topics not listed that should be addressed
– Are there any security requirements?– What are the recoverability needs?
RTO/RPO?– What are the performance expectations?
Determine Additional Requirements / Constraints
Further Define Existing Requirements / Constraints
Scenario 1 question examples
• What were the past experiences that are driving the 100% virtualization requirement
– Further defining the listed requirements could potentially yield usable and/or the motive for the requirement. Allowing you to possibly suggest a different solution.
• What are the ”critical monitoring applications”
– Uptime requirement for other applications
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• Management cluster and hosts
• Applications
• Networking
• Storage
• Any risks noted over session, with potential mitigations
• Any assumptions made
• Address scalability of design over other sites
Scenario 1 logical topology
What to include in logical drawing Additional items to note Other areas to cover
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Design Scenario #2VCDX-NV Example
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• Air Airlines is operating Datacenters in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Miami. Virtualization ratio is 60%. The company is looking for a solution to virtualize the backend servers hosting their check in and baggage claim applications.
• Due to past experiences with mixed environments, they have requested for a 100% virtualized design.
• Availability is absolute top priority for Air Airlines. Downtimes must be reduced as much as possible (planned and unplanned).
• Two datacenters in the Bay area have been chosen for housing the backend servers. Distance is approx. 10km / 6 miles. During the first phase only a single data center will house the new virtualized environment.
• The two applications share a single web front end. Each application has its own application tier and database tier.
Scenario 2
YOUR TASK:Provide a logical design that meets customer requirements and addresses their application concerns
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• 99.9% uptime for the backend service, even in case of a disaster
• Applications must scale easily
• Due to air traffic security restrictions, access to the infrastructure must be very restricted and secured
• Reduce network hardware costs at next hardware refresh
• Design needs to be server and network vendor agnostic
Scenario 2 additional information
The backend service team has some requirements that must be met:
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• Ask initial qualifying questions that can have bearing on any design
– Determine budget and time frame requirements.
• Determine additional needs for topics not listed that should be addressed
– What are the recoverability needs? RTO/RPO?
– What are the performance expectations?
– Latency between the data centers?
• Questions on applications– Details of architecture of the application
and how it functions• What are the uptime expectations
– What is current? What is the expectation? Application or Infrastructure, or both? Planned and unplanned
• Refine security requirements as stated to detailed requirements
– Certain standard that must be followed?
Determine Additional Requirements / Constraints
Further Define Existing Requirements / Constraints
Scenario 2 question examples
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• Clusters and hosts
• Applications
• Physical Networking with VXLAN
• Virtual Networking
• Load balancers
• Any risks noted over session, with potential mitigations
• Any assumptions made
• Address scalability of design over other sites
Scenario 2 logical topology
What to include in logical drawing Additional items to note Other areas to cover
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Mock Defenses and Study Sessions
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Community based volunteer program• Listed in the VCDX Directory
It’s up to you to reach out and ask for help
Some Rules of Engagement• Panelists cannot be mentors• Mentors should be
– Helping with the overall process– Giving honest feedback– Help develop communication skills
• Mentors should NOT be– Helping build the design– Adding/removing specifics to the design– Over committing
• Twitter HashTag #VCDX
Find a community mentor
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Study Sessions• Identify other candidates• Study sessions focus on design content,
design defense, and scenario– Review designs for alignment with VCDX
blueprints– Candidates present the defense
presentation– Q&A on design areas
• Note: VCDX panelists are not permitted to review or comment on designs outside of VCDX defense reviews or as part of their work assignments
Planning study sessions and a mock defense
Mock defense• Use similar environment (white board and
projector) and timing• Have one person manage the clock and
simulate the moderator• Have three people (if possible) act as
panelists– Ask open ended questions, don’t just
hammer technology, Force Critical Thought– Ask people from other professions to be
your panelists, knowing to ask the question of “why”
• No time extensions. Focus on questions tied to design and VCDX blueprint
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Review & Resources
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VMware Certification Site on VCDX• https://vcdx.vmware.com/ - Handbook & Application, Program
Overview, VCDX Process Flowchart for Candidates, Design Defense Blueprint, VCDX Candidate Tips, VCDX Application & Defense Process, VCDX Boot Camp Slide Deck, VCDX Community, VCDX Study Guides & Books, VCDX Boot Camp Book, VCDX Boot Camp Videos, Exam Language Options
VCDX Boot Camp series and other prep videos• https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareLearning/
1. VCDX Bootcamp – Part 1: Defending your design2. VCDX Bootcamp – Part 2: Design Scenario3. VCDX Bootcamp – Part 3: Troubleshooting Scenario4. VCDX Defense Preparation: Defending your Design5. VCDX Defense Preparation: Design Scenario Examples6. VCDX Defense Preparation: Troubleshooting Scenario Examples7. VCDX Defense Preparation: What Not to Say!
Supporting material
Books• VCDX Boot Camp: Preparing
for the VCDX Defense -http://bit.ly/10rg0gZ
Community Mentoring• Find and reach out to mentors• vcdxprepgroup.slack.com
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VMware Press book (2013)• VCDX Panel Defense, A Virtual Boot Camp• Based on this VCDX boot camp including:
– Sample Scenarios (VCDX-DCV, VCDX-DT, VCDX-Cloud) w/analysis
vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT)• Reference Architecture material for cloud design• Created by team of >40% VCDX• Learn the VCDX approach by reviewing the Implementation Examples• Sample design under the vCAT 2.0.1 release section• Available at www.vmware.com/go/vcat
VMware Design Classes
ITAS: Foundation in the Art of Infrastructure Design• http://itaseries.com/books-in-ita-series/itas-foundation-in-the-art-of-
infrastructure-design/
Resources
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Resources
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The VCDX Podcasthttp://www.simonlong.co.uk/blog/category/vcdxpodcast/
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Next Steps
Read the blueprint(s)
Prepare your design
Find a community mentor
Get into a study group
Prepare your application
Prepare your presentation deck
Run a mock defense
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Thank You