VCP preperation and study guides, new to VMware

I see this thread on studying and tips = http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32173

Was wondering if anyone else had any other material not listed here or wanted to post things I should focus on before my class on monday. My first time working with VMware. Everyone I talk to says since I have a good background in networking I should be ok.

I worry alot and want to be sure I can pass this test next week after taking the course.

Any tips?

Thanks

v/r

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dynamik

Basically all the PDFs here: http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_35u2.html

Check out these flash cards as well: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=210387#210387

Stigmatas

dynamik wrote:

Basically all the PDFs here: http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_35u2.html

Check out these flash cards as well: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=210387#210387

Hey thanks dynamik.
Ill take a look at these flash cards when I get home. From the look of it here and my google searches.. it seems that once you take this mandatory class you should be good to go for the VCP with an extra 10-hours study time.

dynamik

I was hit with so many topics that were not covered in the class it wasn't funny. I'd like to hear some more recent reports of people's experiences because everything I read sounds like the same information you came across. They've really expanded it well beyond ESX and VC to include EVERYTHING in VI3 (i.e. all the conversion and reporting/planning tools). I don't think it's nearly as easy as it used to be.

bwcarty

dynamik wrote:

I was hit with so many topics that were not covered in the class it wasn't funny. I'd like to hear some more recent reports of people's experiences because everything I read sounds like the same information you came across. They've really expanded it well beyond ESX and VC to include EVERYTHING in VI3 (i.e. all the conversion and reporting/planning tools). I don't think it's nearly as easy as it used to be.

I took my VCP exam two months ago, and it included questions that dealt with VI3 as a whole. Anyone taking the exam now should know what Lab Manager, VDI, Site Recovery Manager, etc. do and how they relate to ESX & VCMS. The questions I saw about the optional components weren't in depth, but if you don't have a general understanding about them, you'll miss some points.

Questions about ESX can get into a level of detail that requires more rote memorization than practical use, so it really pays to go through the labs over and over. Don't just fill in the blanks on the various configuration screens - remember the details of each one. If a field mentions a unit of measurement (MB, kbps, etc.), remember it.

Minimum and maximum configuration items show up frequently. My I&C instructor (Jerry Davis) covered these pretty clearly throughout the class, but you'll definitely want to review them before the exam.

blargoe

dynamik wrote:

I was hit with so many topics that were not covered in the class it wasn't funny. I'd like to hear some more recent reports of people's experiences because everything I read sounds like the same information you came across. They've really expanded it well beyond ESX and VC to include EVERYTHING in VI3 (i.e. all the conversion and reporting/planning tools). I don't think it's nearly as easy as it used to be.

Great. I was hoping I'd be good with the class and a few months of hands on but I'm not currently using all of those fringe tools that are included in VI3. No matter, I'll do what is required, I really want this cert too!

Stigmatas

Day 1 of the class and it seems to be easy.
vcb vc esx and are what we have covered so far.
VIC seems pretty fun nothing hard about it.
I hope with all this "easiness" i'm not missing the critical info.

bwcarty

Stigmatas wrote:

Day 1 of the class and it seems to be easy.
vcb vc esx and are what we have covered so far.
VIC seems pretty fun nothing hard about it.
I hope with all this "easiness" i'm not missing the critical info.

The class isn't difficult. The topics flow together pretty well, and if you follow the labs like you're supposed to, you'll get good exposure to the components you need to get started with ESX and VCMS.

The test isn't that difficult from a technical standpoint, but you need to remember the details in that book. Minimum/maximum configuration items are big, issues that can affect performance of a VM, advantages/disadvantages and different requirements of running VCMS on a VM vs. a separate physical host, etc. Also, most of the questions are pretty straightforward in their wording - unlike Microsoft's.

The practice tests VMware has on their site are a good place to start if you want to know the style of questions to expect.

dynamik

The first day is pretty much just a sales pitch. There was nothing difficult about the class. The exam just covers a lot of detailed information, and you'll probably need to do some extra reading, depending on things like your familiarity with iSCSI and FC.

slinuxuzer

Is there much of a difference between the Class through VMware directly and Global knowledge? what kinds of equipment is each student given at the VMware clas

astorrs

slinuxuzer wrote:

Is there much of a difference between the Class through VMware directly and Global knowledge? what kinds of equipment is each student given at the VMware clas

Don't take any class that isn't listed on VMware's website. It won't count for credit towards the VCP and it won't use their courseware.

blargoe

I just had this conversation yesterday with someone... If GK's class is listed on VMWare's site so it should count... they just don't accept the prepaid "PSO" credits for payment. Assuming you're talking about the VI3 Install and Configure class.

GK in my area just started offering the official class and I tried to switch to their location for my training next month, but I have the PSO credits and they do not accept them.