vSphere 5.0 & 5.1 – Licenses After End of Support?

Posted on by Craig

vSphere 5.0 5.1It’s well documented on the VMware Product Lifecycle Matrix that on 24th August 2016 vSphere 5.0 and 5.1 general support will end, moving into technical guidance.

Way back on 21st May 2014 VMware moved vSphere 4.x into ‘end of general support’.  Then a few months later on 15th August 2014, VMware removed the ability to download, downgrade or generate new license keys for vSphere 4.x see VMware KB2039567.  This essentially meant that you couldn’t expand your unsupported hypervisor environment.

So the question is how long until VMware remove the ability to download or generate vSphere 5.0 and 5.1 licenses?

No Singapore/Frimley VCDX Workshops – Vote to Change

Posted on by Craig

White Clouds SmallVMware released the VCDX 2015 defence dates on 7th January 2015 see my blog post here.  VMware have decided to organise three defence locations at Palo Alto (USA), Frimley (UK) and Singapore (Asia).

It would seem logical then to have VCDX Workshops in these three locations as they are chosen for the defences.  However this is not the case and Chris Colitti @ccolotti and Karl Childs @karlchilds has released the 2015 VCDX Workshop Dates and out of the thirteen dates announced, only two are outside the US which are

  • Toronto
  • Netherlands

I understand that the VCDX Workshops are take time, effort and expense to run.  However, I would like to use this blog post as a conduit to raise awareness to Chris Colitti and Karl Childs understand the demand for these types of workshops in the UK and Singapore.

So if you are interested in a VCDX workshop in one of these locations, please vote below so we can track the data and share with VMware.

**Update 1**

Thank you to Chris Colotti for the responses below and for his blog post VCDX Workshops & VCDX Prep Class that provides details on the extra resources available to VCDX candidates.

**Update 2**

Chris Colotti has since announced the first VCDX Workshop which will take place on Friday 13th March 2015 at 14:00 UK time.  To register for the event follow the link here.

vExpert – New Awardees, Free Stuff & How To Obtain The Title

Posted on by Craig

vmw_logo_vmware-expertThe vExpert 2015 Announcement has been made by VMware and I’m pleased be to say that I have been nominated for the third year.

A big thank you to @vCommunityGuy for all his hard work and efforts compiling the list and vetting the people who apply.

Why Do It?

Let’s be honest blogging takes time and effort especially on a consistent basis with relevant things that haven’t already been covered hundreds of times.  So why do we put ourselves through the ‘mill’ to create content?  The answer is to give back.  How many times have you been grateful to that ‘unsung hero’ who created an article, that resolved the problem you were having.

Take a moment and say thank you, bloggers like and appreciate comments/feedback

The main part is giving back but I use VMFocus.com as a repository for my general day to day work, I have forgotten how many times I refer back to my own articles to point me in the right direction on a topic or on an installation.

What Did I Do To Obtain vExpert 2015?

When I wasn’t a vExpert I always wanted to know what was required to become one, I’m sure some people awarded the title do more and some less.

On top of this I ran the VCDX EMEA Study Group for people who defended in July 2014 and contribute on a regular basis to Twitter about all things VMware.

Free Stuff

Strange as it may sound you don’t really get anything from VMware apart from the title (which to me is more than enough).  You get access to some vSphere NFR’s put most of us have these via work anyway.  The interesting items come from vendors who recognise the vExpert contribution to the community and as such want to reward it.

A number of blogs have lists of things you can register for, the ones I normally refer to are:

Newly Minted vExpert

To add yourself to the vExpert Directory, first of all login to VMTN and make sure that your handle has the vE symbol beside it

VMTN

Then go back to the vExpert Directory and click on Create new vExpert Entry

VMTN 2

Fill out your details and if you want a vExpert Appreciation Gift, give the box a tick!

Attention All New vExperts

Posted on by Craig

So you have become a vExpert for the first time and you are basking in your awesomeness, but what happens now?

Well the answer to that is I’m not 100% sure, I think are meant to receive an email from John Troyer @jtroyer team at VMware at some point, but in the meantime, you can do a few things to get your name on the ‘list’.

I was catching up on my twitter feed late last night and I saw a couple of tweets by Larry Gonzalez @virtualizecr in relation to the vExpert program.  You may or may not be aware that their is a vExpert Directory.

To add yourself to the vExpert Directory, first of all login to VMTN and make sure that your handle has the vE symbol beside it

VMTN

Then go back to the vExpert Directory and click on Create new vExpert Entry

VMTN 2

Fill out your details and if you want a vExpert Appreciation Gift, give the box a tick!

Once again, thanks to Larry Gonzalez @virtualizecr for this information.

But wait we have more, a number of awesome companies are giving away free gifts or exclusive access to vExperts, these are the ones I currently know about:

vExpert 2013

Posted on by Craig

vmw-vexpert

A little over a year ago, I decided to start a blog and vmfocus.com was born.  The purpose of the blog was two fold, one to have a place for my notes when I was learning a new technical subject matter and also to give back to the community the odd issue that I managed to resolve.

I stumbled upon this award called vExpert after seeing some cool Tintri shirts in VMworld Barcelona 2012 and wondered what it was.  A quick google later revealed that VMware had the same kind of program as Microsoft for the MVP.

The annual VMware vExpert title is given to individuals who have significantly contributed to the community of VMware users over the past year. The title is awarded to individuals (not employers) for their commitment to sharing their knowledge and passion for VMware technology above and beyond their job requirements.

VMware announced the vExpert awards for 2013 and I’m excited to say that I featured among 580 individuals who received the title.  Tintri have carried on the tradition and if you are a vExpert you can claim your free shirt for being a vRockstar!

With anything you do, having a little ‘pat on the back’ is always great to make sure you are on the right track.

We have a great community within VMware and a special well done goes to the London VMUG vExperts 2013 (some of who I have and haven’t had chance to meet yet).

Alaric Davies @alaricdavies

Alex Galbraith @alexgalbraith

Chris Dearden @ChrisDearden

Darren Woollard @dawoo

Ed Grigson @egrigson

Gregg Robertson @greggrobertson5

Jane Rimmer @Rimmergram

Jeremy Bowman @jeremyjbowman

Julian Wood @julian_wood

Michael Poore @mpoore

Ricky El-Qasem @rickyelqasem

Rynardt Spies @rynardtspies

Sam McGeown @sammcgeown

Simon Davies @EV_Simon

Simon Gallagher @vinf_net

Simon Long @simonlong_

Simon Seagrave @Kiwi_Si

Steve Bruck @vColossus

Stuart McHugh @stu_mchugh

If I have missed anyone please let me know via twitter @vmfcraig