Foreword

In my role as VMware’s Chief Technology Officer for more than 11 years, and in my new role as Managing Director at General Catalyst, I see education as important throughout one’s life, especially in advancing one’s career. I had the pleasure of attending Stanford University in the early 1990s, and there I met the founders of VMware and worked on a project that would become the foundation of our company. This education-centric environment was the perfect Petri dish for the growth of this amazing company. Such environments require you to step back and gain perspective before jumping into something new. They also provide a burst of can-do spirit that helps you take on problems that might otherwise be far too daunting. This combination of education and confidence helped launch our company. I see that same great combination in the VMware VCDX program.

I’d like to welcome you to this enablement tool that teaches the VMware Architecture Design principles and methods embodied in the VCDX program. These same VCDX principals and methods were used in developing the industry-recognized vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT) to enable architects, administrators, and consumers of Cloud to realize the full potential of this revolutionary technology. For this reason, VCDX holders are considered a hot commodity; they are recognized as thought leaders in a dynamic industry with almost unlimited growth potential. Joining this elite group is a journey that does not end with achieving the VCDX credential. It requires continuous education, the ability to learn from your experiences, and a structured approach to addressing customer needs in your designs. It is not easy to become a VCDX, but it is certainly easier if you have a mentor—or, better yet, three—to help you begin the journey.

Having worked with John and Mostafa for more than 10 years, I trust that their guidance will absolutely meet your high expectations. I’ve been watching John play in Elastic Sky, VMware’s house band, since 2004, including when the band opened for Foreigner, INXS, the Killers, and John Bon Jovi. Mostafa I’ve also know for a long time: He was one of our very early employees and is an industry-recognized storage expert in virtualization; his signature is on an I-beam in our corporate Promontory building complex. Ben continues to actively work on cloud solutions as a specialist. I have supported the work that he, John, and Mostafa have done both inside and outside VMware.

John started development work on the VCDX Boot Camp back in 2008. At the same time, he started the VCDX tips series on Twitter, which thousands of aspiring virtualization architects follow. Both the VCDX boot camps and the VCDX tips were successful that readers asked for a compendium of these tips, to help peel back the curtain of mystery that seems to surround the certification. In this book, John, Ben, and Mostafa have worked to cover the important details that can help you successfully develop designs as you work toward the ultimate goal of achieving VCDX.

The VMware Certification Program began early in the history of VMware, when x86 virtualization was revolutionary and the program focused on our original Workstation, GSX, and ESX products. Because the technology was new, there was a requirement to educate end users and practitioners and to validate expertise to employers and customers. Since that time, VMware has continued to grow and innovate. The company has revolutionized End User Computing and introduced the world to Cloud and the Software-Defined Data Center. The certification program has evolved and now includes the Professional (VCP), Advanced Professional (VCAP), and Expert (VCDX) levels, each with several areas of specialization.

VCDX now covers data center virtualization with VCDX-DV, desktop with VCDX-DT, and cloud computing with VCDX-Cloud. This supports the specialized architecture design skills required to serve the growing needs of our customers (internal, external, big business, small business), partners, and internal teams.

The team has provided a history of the VCDX program, best practices and tips for success, and actual scenarios that you can use in running your own boot camps, study sessions, or mock defenses. In your daily work life, you can reference this book to help you take a VCDX-style approach for design success. This book will help you understand this highly sought-after certification with supporting material to help improve your scoring potential. It provides details that remove some of the mysteries and mystique behind the program, including the in-person design defense. If you are a VCP- or VCAP-certified individual, you can learn more about the practices VCDX-holders use in developing robust, complex, computing environments with VMware and related technologies.

The VCDX program is now in its sixth year. It differentiates individuals by requiring them to prove certain skills in front of a panel of VCDX, in much the same way a Master’s or PhD defense is done. The process demands significant time and effort, but everyone can benefit from going through it. As I’ve said to VMware employees, the VCDX is VMware’s PhD equivalent.

Have fun with this process—running a boot camp is similar to hosting a mystery dinner event. We encourage you to learn from the process. These boot camps are fun and educational.

I believe that success in developing technology, services, and solutions and using these in customer solutions requires a solid base of expert-level architecture skills, with VCDX at the top. The benefits to an architect might appear obvious, but others who learn the VCDX design method also reap benefits. This can include understanding how to review designs others have created.

It’s been an amazing ride at VMware for so many reasons, including the great products, legendary customer success stories, and a whole new partner ecosystem around virtualization. But the reason I’ve enjoyed the ride the most has been my fellow employees and their amazing work. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who exemplifies the VMware spirit like John, Mostafa, and Ben. Guys, congratulations on a great book, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in action again at VMworld. And to all the readers, I wish you the best on your journey as an architect!

Dr. Stephen Herrod, PhD
General Catalyst, Managing Director
March 2013