Certification Profile: VMware Certified Design Expert for Cloud (VCDX-Cloud)
Date: May 15, 2013
VMware Certified Design Expert for Cloud (VCDX-Cloud) validates design skills for cloud architects designing the next generation of VMware-based clouds. Cloud computing drastically expands the scope of the traditional architecture design. Now virtualization is merely an integral cog of a larger initiative to automate key business processes. While the focus shifts to designing cohesive solutions leveraging cloud management systems (CMS) from the vCloud Suite, strong data center virtualization skills are still required.
VCDX-Cloud is a reflection of the evolution of the datacenter and provides industry-recognized credibility for cloud architects.
Prerequisites
There are several exams you must pass in order to submit an application to defend.
You must hold at least one of these VCP level certifications:
- VMware Certified Professional—Cloud (VCP-Cloud)
- VMware Certified Professional 5—Data Center Virtualization (VCP5-DCV)
- VMware Certified Professional—Desktop (VCP-DT)
You must also hold the following VCAP level certifications:
- VMware Certified Advanced Professional—Cloud Infrastructure Administration (VCAP-CIA)
- VMware Certified Advanced Professional—Cloud Infrastructure Design (VCAP-CID)
Existing VCDX-DCV holders will have a migration path that allows them to bypass the oral defense stage. More details will be announced at a later date.
While the number of requirements may seem daunting, set dates for goals and attempt them in a systematic way. Associate with other candidates to form study groups, motivate each other, and share ideas. Even if you are just at the VCP stage, work towards the VCAP exams, and develop your design submission during your spare time. By actively working on it, it becomes a tangible goal that becomes attainable with the right amount of desire and effort.
Certification Details
- Number of Questions: N/A
- Type(s) of questions: Oral defense
- Passing Score: N/A
- Time Limit: Design Defense (75 minutes), Design Scenario (45 minutes), Troubleshooting Scenario (30 minutes)
- How to register: http://vmware.com/go/vcdx (defense dates are posted; register for the dates that you are interested in)
Trouble Spots
Cloud computing is a nebulous term that means different things to different customers. One certainty is increased complexity for existing environments. For instance, a customer’s provisioning process may include multiple external systems and various actions that require automation.
Half the battle is getting an application accepted to defend. Don’t shortchange the application submission; allocate as much time as possible to refine the final submission. Submitting a solid cloud design not only gets you in the door, but also sets you up for success in the actual defense.
For consultants who frequently take on customer engagements, this is a matter of picking a particularly interesting design then elaborating on it in the application. If you are not in a consulting role, don’t be discouraged. With the right experience and motivation, you can be successful.
Fictitious or partially fictitious designs are acceptable but have their own pitfalls. Too often we review fictitious designs that are completely overengineered due to lack of constraints. It’s akin to throwing expensive ingredients into a blender without regard to flavor combinations and recipes. If you do a fictitious design, ask a peer to give you a set of requirements so that it’s grounded in reality.
Be sure to display your understanding of requirements, constraints, assumptions, risks, and how they link to the decisions made during the design. Awareness of technology implemented is also important—cloud introduces new abstractions and concepts that must be mapped back to the requirements.
While navigating through all the components in a cloud design, time management is essential, especially in the design scenario. Understand the objectives of each scenario and prioritize your time accordingly.
Preparation Hints
While having a solid design grants you the opportunity to defend, your performance in the oral defense is what matters. I’ve seen experienced candidates with artful designs succumb to the pressure and fall apart in the defense. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised when candidates with garden-variety designs excel and demonstrate strong design skills.
Practice makes permanent. Increase your comfort level and odds of passing by building experience in the same types of settings. Take every opportunity to put yourself in similar situations, whether in front of a customer or in front of peers in a mock defense. Focus on preparing succinct and accurate explanations to anticipated questions. I’ve seen many cases where an insufficient explanation led to follow up questions, consuming time off the clock.
An appropriate design hinges on the overall customer’s business objectives and use cases. Every design consideration needs to reflect this. We are no longer in a world where building expensive architectures with the latest widgets is acceptable to customers. Creating efficient cloud systems for end-user consumption requires focusing on what capabilities are truly needed. Designs that are innovative typically have unusual constraints that force the architect to think outside the box.
Do a mock defense to get used to the time constraints. Have a systematic method for working through both scenarios. Hone in on the objectives presented and make sure you address them. Panelists are interested in your thought process and approach—it’s about the journey, not the destination.
Lastly, don’t overthink it. Pass or fail, it’s a great learning experience. If you don’t pass, reflect on the experience, enhance specific skills, and try again.
Recommended Study Resources
The VMware vCloud Architecture Toolkit (vCAT) is a publically available set of collateral stemming from work that the original VMware Cloud Practice team produced. That team designed and implemented many of the initial vCloud deployments. I admit to being somewhat biased, having been one of the key contributors over the past two iterations.
vCAT provides a wealth of information on architecting cloud solutions. Focus on the Architecting a VMware vCloud and Service Definitions documents, but also peruse the Operating a VMware vCloud document for operational guidance. The Services Definitions documents outlines a sample set of requirements, while Architecting a VMware vCloud provides design considerations and patterns. For those preferring a hardcopy, it will also be available on Amazon.
For instructor-led classes, VMware education offers a VMware vCloud: Design Best Practices course which walks students through the design considerations for vCloud environments.
For an inside view of what occurs during the defense, VCDX Boot Camp is a book I co-authored with John Arrasjid and Mostafa Khalil. In this book, we distill our insights gleaned from conducting numerous defense panels and workshops. Tips and methods are offered for structuring your VCDX approach.
Lastly, for any of the written tests, make sure you download and follow the test blueprint. The blueprints are invaluable in that they specify the test topics and associated documents where the test materials are derived from. If you prepare by reading and understanding all the listed documentation, chances are you’ll do fine.
Exam Objectives
The oral defense will be evaluated based on the following:
- Design Judgment and Technique—Throughout the defense, show how selections were made among reasonable alternatives, as well as how the final design met requirements and constraints. Identify assumptions. If improper design decisions were made, explain why and how they could have been improved. If typical best practices were contravened, justify the decisions to do so.
- Successful Interactive Design Exercise—Respond interactively to a presentation of requirements and constraints to show the ability to produce a design which satisfies a customer’s needs.
- Successful Interactive Troubleshooting Exercise—Respond interactively to a presentation of a customer problem to show analytical skills and deep product knowledge, especially an understanding of how the components work and interact.
For more details, visit the VCDX website and download the VCDX-Cloud Defense Blueprint.
Where to Go from Here
In 2010, when I achieved VCDX-DCV, it felt like the culmination of an arduous quest. Little did I know that it merely marked the beginning of a broader journey towards higher understanding. The more knowledge you attain, the more you realize there is to learn. Sitting on panels, reviewing designs, working with customers reinforces that point. Technology changes so quickly, every two years there is a new set of buzzwords such as SDN or VXLAN. Being able to weather the storm requires an adaptive mental model.
Attaining the certification undoubtedly unlocks a floodgate of job opportunities. Choose opportunities wisely, factoring in where you want to be in 3-5 years and the areas that you are passionate about.
The introduction of VCDX-Cloud and VCDX-Desktop brings more opportunities to further establish your credentials. As a member of the VCDX club, I encourage you to work with other individuals to help them achieve the same. By sharing and teaching, you’ll gain even greater insight into your own thinking.