Becoming a VMware Certified Design Expert

The VCDX is the pinnacle of VMware's certifications. A VCDX certification validates an architect's ability to design, implement, test, document, present, and defend the design of complex, enterprise solutions based on VMware products. Earning the certification ultimately comes down to two things: creating a design, and defending your design in front of a panel of VCDX veterans. 

Before attempting the VCDX certification, an architect usually has experience designing the same level of advanced, vSphere designs that the VCDX defense panel is looking for. Before designing such solutions, a VCDX candidate also usually has experience implementing and administering complex vSphere designs. While these experiences are not hard requirements, it is a natural progression that sets the candidate up for success and gives them the best chance of succeeding in the VCDX process. The only other prerequisites to attempt the VCDX6 is to hold either a VMware Certified Professional 6-Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV) or VCP6.5-DCV, and earn the VCIX6-DCV or VCIX6.5-DCV badge.

This section discusses the VCDX6-DCV that is based on vSphere 6.x designs, but there are other current tracks that lead to VCDX and include the following:

• VCDX6: Network Virtualization (VCDX6-NV)—this certification is focused on both vSphere and NSX 6.x
• VCDX7: Cloud Management and Automation (VCDX7-CMA)—this certification is based on vRealize Automation 7.x
• VCDX6: Desktop and Mobility (VCDX6-DTM)—this certification is based on the Horizon Suite

No matter which track is chosen, understand the VCDX certification process well. VMware has published two documents for most tracks that cover this information: the blueprint and the handbook. The blueprint describes the rules of the VCDX process, including things such as what format the process uses, time limits, and the language in which the process is held. It also covers the objectives of the specific test format used and explains what the VCDX panelists are looking for in a VCDX candidate.

The handbook offers some details on how to choose a good design on which to base a VCDX defense, VMware's policy on teamwork in the VCDX process, and finally, what to expect during the live defense portion of the defense. Becoming familiar with the contents of each document will help focus a candidate's time and effort while progressing through the VCDX process.

How to do it…

After meeting the prerequisites, there are only two more steps to becoming a VCDX. The fees have changed over time, so be sure to check VMware's website for up-to-date costs. You must do the following:

• Submit a VCDX design application with an application fee of $995
• If successful, defend your design, live, in front of a panel of current VCDXs, and pay a defense fee of $3,000

Getting your VCDX application accepted, however, is a lot of work and a big hurdle to overcome. If your application is accepted, the VCDX program is telling you that the documentation, by itself, is of expert quality, and the only thing left to do is prove to them during the live defense panel that you are, indeed, an expert.

The VCDX application consists of a set of documents. Aside from the application itself, you must create a documentation bundle that could follow this order:

1. Create the design document: This will be the main document of your submission, where you'll likely spend the most time. This is where you'll document requirements, constraints, assumptions, and risks, and map them to the vSphere components of compute, storage, network, management, and the virtual machine, and ensure that the design qualities of availability, manageability, performance, recoverability, and security are addressed for each component.
2. Create an installation and configuration document: This document includes step-by-step instructions on how to install and configure the infrastructure described in the design document. This document is written in such a way that it could be handed off to someone with VCP-level knowledge and they could execute it.
3. Create the implementation document: This document describes the implementation at a high-level, to include who is participating, what tasks will be performed and when, and prerequisites for implementation, such as racks that may need to be installed, and redundant power that needs to exist in those racks. This is a common document used in projects run by a project manager.
4. Create a test plan: The VCDX candidate will need to be able to prove that the implemented design meets the requirements by describing the tests that need to be passed, as shown in this document.

5. Create the operations document: This document is also called the standard operating procedures. It describes common operational tasks that result from maintaining the implemented design over time. Common examples of tasks to include here are how to put a host in maintenance mode, how to deploy a virtual machine from a template, or how to view logs.
6. Build the bill of materials: An architect must also be able to describe all the hardware and software needed to implement their design. This is usually shown in a bill of materials document.

Once the VCDX application is submitted and the fee paid, a current VCDX will review the application for completeness and content. Incompleteness is cause for immediate application denial. If it's complete, however, the reviewer will look to see proof of design expertise through thoughtful application of design principles with an emphasis on justifying design decisions and how those decisions impact the design. If your application is sufficient, you'll be invited to defend your design live and in-person at a VMware office. Locations typically include Palo Alto, California; Broomfield, Colorado; Staines, United Kingdom; and Sydney, Australia.

The VCDX has evolved over the years and no longer includes a troubleshooting section. Instead, the defense has two parts: the oral design defense, and the ad hoc design. During the oral design defense, the candidate has 75 minutes to present the design and answer questions from the panelists. VMware recommends the initial presentation take no more than 15 minutes, leaving roughly 60 minutes for the panelists to ask questions that allow the candidate to demonstrate how their design meets the requirements and why they made certain design decisions. Most VCDX certification holders will agree that the most important aspect of this part of the defense is to be able to communicate the why of each design decision. If you can justify each decision and make it tie into a customer requirement, you're going to do well.

In the ad hoc design portion, the candidate has 45 minutes to demonstrate their design skills by going through an initial design process in front of the panel. The panelists will pretend to be customers and you, as the virtualization architect, will need to be able to gather their requirements, constraints, make assumptions, identify risks, and begin to build a design based on those inputs. The panel doesn't expect you to create a whole design in 45 minutes; rather, they're trying to assess your design method. To do this, the panel recommends the candidate think out loud and make use of the whiteboard as much as possible. You should try to give the panelists a window into your mind while engaged in your design process.

After finishing both sections of the defense, you'll make the long trip back home. If all went well, you'll receive an email within 10 days stating that you have passed, and welcoming you to the elite VCDX club.

There's more…

The VCDX certification is well known these days, and because of that, there are many more resources online to help you. Your first stop should be the blueprint that can be found at https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/certification/vmw-vcdx6-dcv-blueprint.pdf. You'll also want to review the handbook that can be found at https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/certification/vmw-vcdx6-dcv-handbook.pdf.

Beyond the official documents linked previously, the boot IT Architect: Foundation in the Art of Infrastructure Design: A Practical Guide for IT Architects by VCDX-001, John Arrasjid, is a good book to read. You can find it on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/Architect-Foundation-Infrastructure-Practical-Architects/dp/0996647708/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543255581&sr=8-2&keywords=the+it+architect.

VMware also offers VCDX workshops, held monthly, that educate candidates on the VCDX process and helps to prepare them for the application and defense. The best resources, however, will be VMware community members who are going through the same experiences as the VCDX candidate. You should use Twitter and the VMware Technology Network forums to connect with like-minded technologists who share the same goal of becoming a VCDX and work with them to review your documentation and application and hold mock defenses. Many successful VCDX holders will say that mock defenses helped them to achieve VCDX status.