This morning we woke to a couple of announcements from VMWare, first VMware on AWS is available on a By-The-Hour basis and also the new AppDefense security offering. At the main session, Pat welcomes a crowd of 20k+ participants and takes a minute to ask for help in any way to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Every day across everything we do, touch, and see technology is changing the way we experience our surroundings. Changes in technology aim to create higher value jobs, not about bringing old jobs back. VMware’s vision of any device, any application, any cloud spans across all aspects of our life is now more pertinent with things like IoT, and it tries to get the users and apps closer and closer by delivering those apps in a simple but secure way. When listening to Capital One

By listening to Capital One, we can confirm that most companies now technology companies. That their business could be banking, food or marketing, but every company has to be a technology company to be able to reach the users in more efficient ways.  From VMware’s https://cloud.vmware.com/vmc-aws we get what is VMware Cloud on AWS: “VMware Cloud on AWS is an on-demand service that enables you to run applications across vSphere-based cloud environments with access to a broad range of AWS services.” Some of the use cases for this new offering are:

1. Test and Development: without a massive capital investment you can start working in little time on new projects.
2. Migrate applications on-prem to off-prem and back, use this to grow only when needed and pay only for that time.

The pricing at this stage is as On Demand and pay only for what you use, later more offerings will be available.

The new security offering, AppDefense, is based on the NSX software defined networking platform. A new approach is needed to protect the apps and data. AppDefense is application focused, and it will identify and capture the behavior of the application, in this way it will be able to determine problems with it. After detecting anomalies, it will also be able to take actions (automated) depending on what is happening. This process is called “Capture Good”. One neat topic that came up is Cyber Hygiene. VMware published a new paper on it, and these are what VMware calls the five pillars:

1. Least Privilege
2. Micro-Segmentation
3. Encryption
4. Multi-Factor Authentication
5. Patching

You can find the paper here.

NSX is the key that glues it all together. I’ve been coming to VMworld for three years now, and every year I meet more and more people with NSX as part of their environments. It all answers to the need of agility and rapid growth. I’ve heard this too many times now: go fast or it will pass by you.

One on the most important gains at VMware Partner Exchange is learning how to approach a client to help them achieve their goals and solve their problems. We all know that we should lead with a solution and not a product, but to design the right solution we need a good understanding of their environment and a clear view of the need. With an assessment of the customer’s environment, we will have a better view of their system and may even find things that they are not aware of.

Leading the sales with an assessment means using tools, health checks, observations, and interviews to enable the sale of a solution.

Let me summarize why we should lead with an assessment.

1. Shortens the sales cycle by removing the objections to the solution that the client may think will not apply to their environment.
2. Increase your value as a trusted advisor by providing insight into the customer’s system that sometimes not even themselves know about.
3. Demonstrate the value of the solution with actual data and not just hypothetical cases.
4. Quantifies the benefits of the solution and amplifies the potential deal size.

Two examples of assessments that I use are:

• VMware Health Check
• vRealize Network Insight from VMware
• SysTrack Desktop Assessment

It is important that the process is one in which all stakeholders are part of the assessment. The technical operations personnel will provide the devices and will facilitate the installation, and all executive level people will provide the budget.

VMworld 2017 here we go! I am so happy to be back this year, flying in on Friday this time to sit on the PEX Workshops. I am refreshing all my NSX knowledge this Saturday.

As a technology enthusiast, I like to write about what I do, the things I design, implement and especially those problems that I find and that there is no official documentation on how to solve them.
Here I have a few study guides, some tricks of the trade and from time to time I share my opinion on current topics. When I learned that VMware had a program called VMware vExpert, I decided to apply. This program helps me sharing my knowledge and multiplies my effort in contributing back to the community.

The VMware community is something special; you can request assistance from a lot of great engineers out there. There is a certain camaraderie among all the users, vExperts, employees and everyone that in some form is related to VMware that feed the community and brings it all together. One of my favorites is the vBrownBag (https://vbrownbag.com/) community that meets weekly and is a great contributor during VMworld each year.

For me, VMworld provides a stage to grow as a professional. Each year I select the sessions that will provide me and ABS the most advantage taking into consideration our current client base, my knowledge gaps and what we think is the direction and possible adoption of new technology.

The VMware vExpert program supports the community by providing access to the software via evaluation licenses. It helps with private channels and forums, and honestly, it is cool to have a group that gives you the feeling that you belong and that you are giving something back. The program provides a lot of training not only about VMware products but also about the integration with everything the different companies use every day on to of their vSphere environment.

To apply to be a vExpert the most notable feat is to have a hunger for learning and sharing. If you feel awesome when you write a blog about the things that you do then in your heart you are good prospects.

It is voting time! Eric Siebert (find him at vSphereland) has this annual vBlog survey and for the first time, my site is listed this year. If you think that my blog has benefitted you (even to help you go to sleep) please take a minute to cast your vote. Find vWannabe.com (Javier Rodriguez) in the Top 50 and Top Independent categories. Thanks!

Here we go again, is that time of the year when thousands of IT wizards get together in one of the most intense conferences about virtualization, cloud and all the technologies that are shaping our world. You still have time to register: VMworld 2017. I wanted to write a quick few lines to help you get the most out of this event. In my experience, this is a great opportunity to grow as a professional and enjoy everything Las Vegas has to offer.

Tip #1: Partner Workshops

If you work for a partner and you are planning on participating in both the general conference and the partner activities, then plan to arrive on Friday. The cost of the flight is even less than arriving Saturday or Sunday and the hotel is so inexpensive that it’s worth it. By arriving Friday you’ll have the opportunity to participate in one of the forty partner workshops offered during Saturday.

Tip#2: Engage the Experts

There will be several opportunities to get one on one with VMware employees that work on a daily basis with different technologies like EUC, Automation, Software Defined, you name it. Make the most out of this time, it is like free money! The time spent here will benefit your solutions and plans for your IT department and organization.

Tip#3: Hands on Labs

If you don’t participate on these it would be like visiting Universal Studios, FL and not going into the Harry Potter rides. The trick with these is to schedule your labs and workshops the day the registration opens because the available seats are limited. In any case, don’t give up and go get signed on the waiting lists when you get there because some people like to drink and gamble too much and never show up.

Tip#4: Plan your sessions

There is so much to learn that it can be overwhelming. Take time to schedule the sessions base on your technical level and interests. Pay attention to the more prominent presenters, like Duncan, because these sessions fill really fast.

Tip#5: Solutions Exchange

Bring one extra duffle bag to take back home all the goodies. There are a lot of prices, some are really nice like the raspberry pie I got last year from Datrium.

Tip#6: Don’t Worry about the food

There is food everywhere and the scheduled meals are awesome.

Tip#7: Let the party start!

In my opinion, VEAM has a great party and make sure you don’t miss the VMware’s customer appreciation event. If you are a vExpert please stop by the reception to meet VMware’s CEO and other important leaders. Remember to work out your social schedule, there is a lot going on at night.

Tip#8: Enjoy!

Three years ago I was participating in VMworld, VMware’s yearly event, and when the question came up about how many people were using NSX, just a few hands raised. One year later more than half of the people present at VMworld were raising their hands. Then and there, that was the moment when I realized that my lifelong avoidance of the network part of the Datacenter was over.

In the old days, I decided that I could stay on one side of my imaginary (and simplistic) view of the Datacenter. You could be part of the Operating Systems, Database, Servers, Storage, or Networking team, maybe two of them, but that was it. If you tried to cover too much ground you would become a Jack of all trades and master of none.

Fast forward to 2017 and we are talking about convergence and hyper-converge. We are virtualizing the storage, the network, the clouds, even your pets (just Google it). With that view in sight, my theory of silos in terms of the knowledge I needed is defeated. I need to learn network design and architecture, but I don’t want to do it the old way, I want to get on board with the new wave, I want to do it with virtualization and including the cloud. Taking this into consideration there is no better way to do it than with VMware’s NSX Virtualization Platform.

When I presented the test for my VCP-DCV, it was a different time. The IT industry was just coming out of the .com bubble and they were worried about technologies that promised a lot and may not achieve much. Now with the VCP-NV I have twice the experience and I really don’t want to get into another race to the bottom, so I certainly think that it is very promising.

But everything is not peaches and cream, with the VCP-NV certification comes the network. It is not just another VMware product, this is real network design and architecture. You will have to understand the different layers, routing protocols, and edge services. There is some serious studying to be done, and some of the knowledge needed to achieve this certification comes with experience.

This VMware certification will give you an edge over your competitors. You just can’t keep ignoring the way the market is going, but don’t forget that it is not the end, network virtualization is only a way of getting the stumbling blocks out of the way of your applications.

We find ourselves in the midst of a market where technologies are converging and the requirement to provide a complete data center solution always includes multiple disciplines. Furthermore, we used to address the data center through silos in terms of network, storage, servers, virtualization and operating systems, but now the same team must manage most of these skills. This question applies to other technology silos outside of the data center as well. Is it better to have one resource with a wide range of knowledge or is it better to have a specialist for each vertical? Furthermore, how do we solve this dilemma?

Culture:  I prefer to take a holistic approach to problem-solving which ultimately provides a better experience for my clients. Personally, I believe for a team to be able to execute upon this idea together, this lies in the hands of leadership and the capacity of a few individuals to empower others to provide a complete solution or service to clients. Thus, I have chosen to be a part of an engineering team that spans multiple technologies and our leadership provides the inspiration and vision to support them. This enables the team to present a unified approach with the expertise needed to help clients reach their goals and solve their business challenges. It’s easy to see that a culture which fosters the idea that engineers should cross lanes into other technologies will continue to become more and more of a necessity in the IT industry moving forward.

Certifications:  To support this mentality, engineers should not only maintain a constant pulse on innovations across the industry, but they should also invest the time to pursue certifications across various technologies. Technical certifications provide clients assurance that an individual or the company that is executing work is qualified. It also allows engineers to apply multiple perspectives throughout the process of addressing a client’s needs. Achieving multiple certifications is also important because it shows your employer that you care enough about clients, your profession and your future growth that you were willing to spend the time, money and effort on furthering your education.

Where Do You Begin?  Once the culture has been addressed (if needed) setting out to pursue certifications can seem daunting. There are hundreds of certifications, ranging from professional certifications that take years to achieve to online certificates that you can complete in 30 minutes. Some are product specific while others focus on a specific technology. In my 20 years of experience, I’ve had quite a few certifications; I make this little joke about how I am an “expert” in so many things nobody uses anymore. What mostly motivated me to achieve them was the direction my company was going and the solutions we provided to our clients. I realized that there was something new out there that I had to get on board with or I would be left behind and my current expertise would become obsolete. For me, this technology was virtualization – specifically with vSphere from VMware. It was like an epiphany. When I experienced the way you could consolidate and move workloads across physical environments without any downtime, I knew that there was no way back, that this would be a disruptive technology with huge momentum. I can say now, after investing ten years of my time, it was the right decision but not my last as I continue to maintain a pulse on new technologies as I continuously search for the next new thing to invest my time in.

In order to make the decisions to pursue education of various silos of technology for the betterment of myself and to provide better client services, I needed to be well-versed as to what was occurring in the industry to stay ahead of the curve, remain open-minded to learning new things, a part of culture that fosters cross-technology education, and of course, I needed to possess the willingness to put in the work. I’m convinced that focusing on this throughout my career has served me very well, but more importantly, it has served my clients well as I have been able to provide a holistic approach to solving business challenges from a technology perspective for decades.