Vcix: Nv

Essendon

Booked in for the 25th of May. Been labbing up in the HOLs like a madman. Resources used so far:

• Martijn Smit's VCIX guide
• VMware HOLs (introduction and advanced)
• Official VMware documentation
• Various blogs out there, notable ones - wahlnetwork.com, networkinferno.net, stretch-cloud.info/nsx/, virtualpatel.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/vcix-nv-resources-and-lab-latency.html etc etc

If anyone's wondering, I don't have any commercial experience with NSX, I'm doing this solely because I wanted a new challenge and to fulfill that craving for more knowledge. Other incentive to pass this before June 2 is I'd get 4 certifications (VCIX:NV, VCIX6:NV, VCP6:NV and VCP:NV)for the effort of one and renew my VCP. I know, I know.. the four certifications is actually just 2, but I'd have 4 show up in the transcript (this is what I've read in multiple places)

dave330i

GL. It shouldn't be that hard for you.

Essendon

Thanks Dave. Quick question - the actual test is on par with the DCA wrt difficulty?

dave330i

I thought it was easier than DCA, but I took an older version. You're catching up to my VMware cert collection.

Essendon

You'll still have one more

How's the VCDX coming along?

dave330i

I've started writing it. Hoping to get it done by end of May. You?

Essendon

Derailed by work (all non-vSphere stuff for the past several months) and family life (6 month old twins). Doing the VCIX to get back in the swing of things.

dave330i

Slacker. Kids are fun, aren't they?

Essendon

With twins, the trouble's double! They sure are a lot of fun, no doubt about it.

Essendon

Yesterday's deepdive session with the NSX SE team in Melbourne sure helped with prep, cleared off several questions. Hitting the HOLs over and over, playing over my own scenarios. Podcasts ringing in my ears on the commute to/from work, in the shower, while feeding my bubs. All in..

On to the home stretch now. 3 weeks to go.

TacoRocket

Essendon wrote: »

Booked in for the 25th of May. Been labbing up in the HOLs like a madman. Resources used so far:

• Martijn Smit's VCIX guide
• VMware HOLs (introduction and advanced)
• Official VMware documentation
• Various blogs out there, notable ones - wahlnetwork.com, networkinferno.net, stretch-cloud.info/nsx/, virtualpatel.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/vcix-nv-resources-and-lab-latency.html etc etc

If anyone's wondering, I don't have any commercial experience with NSX, I'm doing this solely because I wanted a new challenge and to fulfill that craving for more knowledge. Other incentive to pass this before June 2 is I'd get 4 certifications (VCIX:NV, VCIX6:NV, VCP6:NV and VCP:NV)for the effort of one and renew my VCP. I know, I know.. the four certifications is actually just 2, but I'd have 4 show up in the transcript (this is what I've read in multiple places)

Do you have a link to the VCIX guide? That is if it is free. I don't know. If it is not do you have the link where to buy it?

Essendon

Here you go > VCIX-NV Study Guide | Lostdomain.org

Essendon

Going through design guides, whitepapers and my notes. One week to go.

Deathmage

Good luck Manny. Been dark on here for about a month, been working down near Franklin street in the financial district in NYC for the past 2 months. Lovin' it!

Yet another explosive job experience event for me, at some point I'll write it up, right now too much fun. But finally over the 200k mark, it so high up they explictly told me not to mention it on Linkedin for a good year so I can get my security clearance.

Taking the CISSP next month.

Essendon

Good work mate! Learn, learn, learn! (and dont experiment on the prod n/w! )

Iristheangel

Deathmage wrote: »

Good luck Manny. Been dark on here for about a month, been working down near Franklin street in the financial district in NYC for the past 2 months. Lovin' it!

Yet another explosive job experience event for me, at some point I'll write it up, right now too much fun. But finally over the 200k mark, it so high up they explictly told me not to mention it on Linkedin for a good year so I can get my security clearance.

Taking the CISSP next month.

Wait... what? Over $200k? Security clearance for a bank gig. Maybe bonded which is what BofA and Wells Fargo made me do but security clearance? And you can't post on Linkedin about the job? Oh man....

dave330i

Iristheangel wrote: »

Wait... what? Over $200k? Security clearance for a bank gig. Maybe bonded which is what BofA and Wells Fargo made me do but security clearance? And you can't post on Linkedin about the job? Oh man....

You're just jelly of his success Iris.

How was the exam Manny?

Iristheangel

Totes. :P I'm wearing a cisco shirt today. Cross your fingers for me

Essendon

The lab was busted. Slow as, VMs wouldnt power on, for the first 15 mins the NSX Manager didnt show up in the Web Client, router adjacency couldnt be established etc etc.. They gave me a retake voucher, rescheduled for this Saturday.

jibbajabba

Sigh .. why can't they get this sorted. They have issues since he existence of VCAPs.

dave330i

Essendon wrote: »

The lab was busted. Slow as, VMs wouldnt power on, for the first 15 mins the NSX Manager didnt show up in the Web Client, router adjacency couldnt be established etc etc.. They gave me a retake voucher, rescheduled for this Saturday.

That's too bad. On the plus side you got to see what the exam looked like and can better prepare.

ITSpectre

Iristheangel wrote: »

Wait... what? Over $200k? Security clearance for a bank gig. Maybe bonded which is what BofA and Wells Fargo made me do but security clearance? And you can't post on Linkedin about the job? Oh man....

to DeathMage......

Huh? Ive been through the process and im pretty sure LinkedIn has nothing to do with a clearance. Also the job is listed somewhere on their website anyway so I don't see the connection....

BTW prepare to have stuff brought up about your past that you have NO recollection of.... the Secret goes back 10+ years and the TS goes back 15years..... Don't worry about family being contacted.... They don't do that. (trust me I asked people that I put on the sf-86 form). They will look at your financial history from when you were 18 and it should not take that long to get one.... unless they find something then it will take longer.

The hardest part is the long interview you have to do with the investigator then the waiting period before you are granted the full clearance.

Essendon

And it's a pass! Longer review later but I had way more disconnections than last time but overall I did better. Some machines still didnt power on, some issues with the routers again, but a pass is a pass and I'll take it!

TheProf

Congrats buddy! Well deserved!

slinuxuzer

Congrats, I am working on this one right now, do you know anything about the exam code changing? And when? I thought it was changing over in early June, but it looks like it is still the original flavor of the exam?

alias454

Congrats

Essendon

Yeah they were intending to retire the current (original) flavour of the exam but due to the community backlash it's still the only one you can take for now. Read more here > VCAP5 Exam Retirements Suspended . Going by this link, there's no end-by date. I do suggest waiting for the 6.2.x version to be available so hopefully some of the issues will have been ironed out. Check twitter for #VCIX-NV and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Thanks too!

dave330i

Congrats! I still have 1 more.

slinuxuzer

well looks like the version six exams hit today in beta form, I may give the beta a whirl next week since it's only 100$, going to think it over though

Essendon

I hate you Dave and you can have that mantle all you like

I wont be taking any more advanced exams for the foreseeable future or till they've fixed the lab's issues. But who knows, I may get the itch again and take a stab at the DCV Deploy/Design beta at VMworld.

Essendon

slinuxuzer wrote: »

well looks like the version six exams hit today in beta form, I may give the beta a whirl next week since it's only 100$, going to think it over though

Steve, I'd read up about the new environment before heading in mate. For example, the backspace key doesn't work anymore neither does the ctrl + alt combo. So if you clicked inside a VM's console, that'd be it - once in, there's no coming out till the time for the exam runs out. People have done blog posts about their experience, do read up.