Where can I take the VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V4.1] (affordable)

MentholMoose

ChooseLife wrote: »

Asking because I'm planning to take the course in April-July, and wondering whether I can squeeze some vacation-travel time in

I heard back from the professor. The lectures are all pre-recorded and the labs do not have specific due dates. However, there is a midterm and a final with fixed due dates, and you have a week to complete them.

One nice thing is that you get VPN access to your own dedicated hardware (including two hosts) for doing all labs on your own. When I took the class (not at UCSC), students only had one host, and thus you needed a lab partner. The upcoming semester will use vSphere 4.1.

ChooseLife

MentholMoose wrote: »

I heard back from the professor. The lectures are all pre-recorded and the labs do not have specific due dates. However, there is a midterm and a final with fixed due dates, and you have a week to complete them.

Awesome, thank you much for finding that out!

MentholMoose wrote: »

One nice thing is that you get VPN access to your own dedicated hardware (including two hosts) for doing all labs on your own. When I took the class (not at UCSC), students only had one host, and thus you needed a lab partner. The upcoming semester will use vSphere 4.1.

Wow... The latest curriculum, dedicated lab environment for every student with VPN access... I can only wish all education was like that.

toptek

Apparantly this course is full now but they have another one starting July 7th to Sept 22nd. I put myself on the waitlist in case anyone cancels.

OoteR

Sorry, haven't been on these forums lately.

We have our own 'host' which is really a vm.. that you.. create vm's on. It is self-paced in that you could do everything as soon as you have your lab credentials, BUT you have two tests that are given during specific times. Basically you get a week to complete each test, with a start date and an end date.

BroadcastStorm

The cost for online training is 927 $ I tried calling local community college participants, but it looks like they didn't know what I was referring to, ughh frustrating...

BroadcastStorm

Finding a local college that offers VCP training is like going through a painful health insurance process/coverage :P hehe...

If anyone lives around LA/OC area and able to find a local college, please let us know...

MentholMoose

I've heard that Coastline Community College was trying to get their existing vSphere course authorized as officially counting for the VCP. I checked their online bookstore and the course (CST C111) uses the official course materials, so it probably got authorized.

Also, I was told a while ago that Irvine Valley College was trying to get a course available for Spring 2011. It looks like it didn't happen, but maybe they are still working on it.

masterUniverse

I have known the teacher for a while, actually he ask me to post his email address "ucsc.edu" here in case if anybody got question, so they can email him directly. Not sure what is the policy here on this forum to post an email address.

KeepAlive

Anybody know if they offer this course in San Diego?

According to the the site:

Participants

The San Diego Community College District is a participant, but cannot find what location they're offering it at.

Thanks.

MentholMoose

Try contacting someone there and let us know what you find out. Coleman University in San Diego has offered the course in the past.

Zentraedi

toptek wrote: »

Apparantly this course is full now but they have another one starting July 7th to Sept 22nd. I put myself on the waitlist in case anyone cancels.

The summer course is already full???

powerfool

I talked to them about a month ago and they indicated that they just don't have enough systems for folks to use. They dedicated a VMWare cluster to each student for the duration of the course. I may ask if they can just let me do the labs and such on my own... I have two servers that I installed ESXi 3.5 on over a year ago that I haven't turned on in a long time. And honestly, I am only taking the course to satisfy the requirement.

scott28tt

Another option to qualify for VCP if you already know a lot of the material covered in the Install Configure Manage class, is the official Troubleshooting class. It's a 4-day instructor-led course, and is available as live-online event - VMware run it themselves weekly:
VMware vSphere: Troubleshooting [V4.x]

Obviously it will cost you more than a course with an academic partner, but will teach you things the academic partner course won't, and you'll get that qualification for the VCP at the end of the 4 days...

Scott.

blargoe

scott28tt wrote: »

Another option to qualify for VCP if you already know a lot of the material covered in the Install Configure Manage class, is the official Troubleshooting class. It's a 4-day instructor-led course, and is available as live-online event - VMware run it themselves weekly:
VMware vSphere: Troubleshooting [V4.x]

Obviously it will cost you more than a course with an academic partner, but will teach you things the academic partner course won't, and you'll get that qualification for the VCP at the end of the 4 days...

Scott.

+10000

The troubleshooting course is fantastic.

MentholMoose

VAP participants can actually offer the Troubleshooting course, and several others besides ICM (see Offerings). So far I've only seen the ICM course being offered, though.

nhan.ng

Successfully registered at Coastline Community College today Total cost was $96 something dollars

Starke

I agree with what everyone else has said, finding a college that offers it is a huge PITA. My local technical community college that is listed on the site has no mention of VMware on their site and no one will get back to me. I'm interested in the ICM for my coworkers but I'm interested in troubleshooting for myself to prepare for the VCAP. MM if you find anyone that does the troubleshooting post up, thanks.

MentholMoose wrote: »

VAP participants can actually offer the Troubleshooting course, and several others besides ICM (see Offerings). So far I've only seen the ICM course being offered, though.

KeepAlive

nhan.ng wrote: »

Successfully registered at Coastline Community College today Total cost was $96 something dollars

Tried to get into Coastline, but got added to the waitlist and it was a no go for the summer... I'm on the waitlist for the Santa Cruz. It's been a real PITA to try and get into an official course at a decent price since my employer won't cover the cost due to budget.

So I'm still looking for other options both online, and local to SoCal. The prices at vmware educational services are too much.

MentholMoose

If you show up on the first day, maybe you can get in if someone doesn't show up.

nhan.ng

Yup. If you show up, you may be able to get in. A few pple just dropped

Zartanasaurus

Went through about half that list trying to find other colleges offering that program online. Navigating them is a nightmare sometimes.

Caldwell Community College: $500 + books
http://www.cccti.edu/VMware/VMware7214.html

tbgree00

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

Went through about half that list trying to find other colleges offering that program online. Navigating them is a nightmare sometimes.

Caldwell Community College: $500 + books
http://www.cccti.edu/VMware/VMware7214.html

That's a pretty intense class. You have to show up two hours every day, 12pm - 2pm if you want credit. I wish my job would agree to let me but I think they'd rather send me off for a whole week. I have a vacation day in the July class. My supervisor doesn't really like the online format so he doesn't really believe in it.

I'm not sure if the intensive class is going to be a good way for me to actually learn the material. I have free reign over our production environment, workstation to lab with and also a server at home. I've also been reading the Sybex 4.0 book.

tbgree00

Sorry for a double post but does anyone know the system requirements for the UCSA class? Is it flash, java, or just video files? Also which week is the midterm? Is it just a paper or is it more intense?

ChooseLife

tbgree00 wrote: »

Sorry for a double post but does anyone know the system requirements for the UCSA class? Is it flash, java, or just video files? Also which week is the midterm? Is it just a paper or is it more intense?

If you mean UCSC:
Video lessons are Flash. I haven't noticed Java anywhere.
You need to be have VPN client to connect to the lab.
Midterm is week 5, final - week 10. Both are paper-based (no lab tasks), short open questions with short answers.

HTH

tbgree00

ChooseLife wrote: »

If you mean UCSC:
Video lessons are Flash. I haven't noticed Java anywhere.
You need to be have VPN client to connect to the lab.
Midterm is week 5, final - week 10. Both are paper-based (no lab tasks), short open questions with short answers.

HTH

Thanks for the info! Yeah, I meant UCSC, I just mistyped or something I guess.

The way I think I'm going to have to do it is use a VM to connect since I don't know if I can put a different VPN on my work PC and there isn't a native vSphere Client for Mac. It's good to know those details though.

ChooseLife

Yeah, no worries, let me know if you have other questions about the course.

tbgree00 wrote: »

The way I think I'm going to have to do it is use a VM to connect since I don't know if I can put a different VPN on my work PC and there isn't a native vSphere Client for Mac.

That's certainly an option. Oh, and one other thing about their VPN - it has tunnel-splitting disabled, which means all your Internet traffic goes through the UCSC network while you're connected to the lab. So no online banking while labbing

powerfool

Does anyone have any feedback on the UCSC course? I am scheduled to begin on October 2nd. Thanks.

forestgiant

@Powerfool, did you take the class? if so, how was it?

unfortunately it looked like UCSC is no longer offering this class. Does anyone know of any other reasonable course offering to prep for the VCP exam?

azjag

Look under the Linux Programming and Administration link. It appears to be offered next year. Seems like there is a problem with the link for Information Technology.

forestgiant

@azjag, got it, thanks. The actual link of the vm course at UCSC Extension for anyone interested.

I recall the course used to be $950, then $1050. Now it's $1200.