I have no problem making it clear I’m relatively new to the virtual world. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn fast.
Here are a few tools I’ve used to become a better VI Administrator:
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Training. Pros: Certified knowledge from the source. We hosted a VMware Jumpstart, and that training is without a doubt my catalyst into the rest of the virtual world. Training teaches you how to talk the talk so that other sources of knowledge are useful. Cons: Cost (not just upfront $$, but time cost).
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Web Sites to Search. Once you take on the new role, you need to do a considerable amount of reading. Pros: Low cost (aside from time) and can have a particularly high benefit. Cons: Lots of noise. Trouble distinguishing between good and bad sources.
- VMTN
- Google Reader and Planet V12n - I may have to write a separate post about my thoughts on V12n, but for the most part it is useful
- VMware Knowledge Base
- Google and FoxItReader - VMware’s website can be tedious to use, so using some operators in Google makes it a little more bearable for instance… site:vmware.com filetype:pdf. FoxItReader makes those PDF’s tolerable compared to Adobe Reader - and it has tabs!
- Free VMworld Videos from 2007 which are still applicable today
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“Social” Media. I’m not including VMTN because I rarely post to it. The items below have been useful from an interactive standpoint – not just one sided conversations. There are similar pros and cons to this as websites – e.g., low cost vs. information overload and finding a reputable source.
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VMware Gold Support Pros: Very thorough, certified support. I am very happy with the support we’ve received from VMware. After I’ve exhausted Google, Social Media, etc., VMware Support has come through for us several times. Cons: Cost. Time being on hold and turnaround times.