Tag: VMUG

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After 20 years, I am returning to my roots.

Life, and professional life too, occasionally takes interesting turns. Over 20 years ago, a door opened and launched me on a career in IT. I turned my back on my field of research and focused from then on on bits and bytes instead of amino acids and gene sequences. What followed was an amazing time of disruptive technological change. I was able to witness the triumph of virtualization from the very beginning and was a VMware fan from the beginning. I still remember very clearly the first migration of a VM with vMotion. It was a kind of magic and would fascinate me for the next 20 years.

Over the past year, profound changes in the world as we know it have once again become apparent. We are once again witnessing a radical transformation in the world of data centers. The market and technology leader of the last two decades is strategically realigning itself and the cards are being reshuffled. Many customers are no longer willing to go down this new path, or simply cannot afford to do so. I’m not talking about small customers here, but about upper mid-sized companies with up to 100 hosts and several thousand VMs. It’s time to recognize the iceberg on the horizon and make another course correction.

After two decades of intensive work as a freelance IT consultant, virtualization architect, and passionate trainer, I am starting a new chapter. In January 2026, I will take up a position at the Center for Organismal Studies (COS) at Heidelberg University—marking a return to my scientific roots.

A review

Over a period of more than 20 years, I have built up my expertise in the field of IT infrastructure and VMware virtualization and, as a freelancer, have supported numerous companies in setting up and modernizing their data centers, implementing cloud strategies, and operating hybrid environments.

VMware vExpert

The vExpert program not only opened the door to one of the friendliest global IT communities, but also boosted my reach and networking opportunities. For a long time, I considered my blog to be rather insignificant. It was only the encouragement of others that prompted me to join the program. Since my first application in 2017, I have been awarded the vExpert designation nine times in a row in several disciplines.

vExpertPro

The vExpert Pro initiative was launched to pave the way for new talents to join the vExpert community. Like me before, many potential candidates lacked external encouragement. A vExpert Pro is a mentor who prepares interested parties for their application and helps them maintain their status.

VMware Certified Instructor (VCI)

It is not only my passion to discover new things, but also to pass on the knowledge I have gained. That is why I have been a certified VMware trainer since 2018. It is a passion that I have pursued with particular joy. Being a trainer also meant always having to (and being allowed to) deal with the latest technologies. I considered it a privilege to come into contact with technological innovations very early on and (after an agreed embargo period) to write about them.

VMUG Germany

The VMware User Group (VMUG) is a community of VMware customers and users for direct exchange of experiences.

Together with my two fellow leaders Markus Gehm and Jens Klasen, I head up the VMUG group in Kaiserslautern and organize regular vCommunity meetings there. Regardless of my move, this will not change in the foreseeable future.

Continue reading “After 20 years, I am returning to my roots.”
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VMware Certified Professional – VMware Cloud Foundation Administrator 2024

Not just another badge on the CV, but a key role with far-reaching consequences.

Until recently, members of the VMware vExpert Program had access to a wide range of VMware trial licenses. This ensured that these specialists could gain practical experience with VMware software and pass on this knowledge in the form of blogs, lectures or video tutorials.
This still applies, but with one restriction:
VMware’s core product VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is excluded from this.
In order to obtain test licenses for this product, vExperts must also be qualified as VMware Certified Professioanl (VCP) for VCF.
The same applies to holders of VMUG Adavantage membership.
Here, too, VCF licenses will only be available in future against proof of VCP-VCF certification (2V0-11.24 or later).
As a VMware trainer, there is another implication. One of the (many) requirements to be allowed to teach VCF courses in the future is also the VCP-VCF.

To learn the basics, Broadcom offers on-demand training.

But this training and certification is not only important in terms of licenses.
Everyone who will be working with this product in the future will gain basic knowledge of the VCF architecture, deployment and Day-2-Operations.

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VMware Explore EMEA 2023 – Know before you go

In a few days, VMware Explore 2023 EMEA will open its doors in Barcelona at the Fira Gran Via. For all those attending for the first time, this should be a small guide to help you find your way around. I had already published a small survival guide for this in 2018, which is still largely accurate. Even though the event is now being held for the second time with the name VMware Explore instead of the original name VMworld.

From the Airport to the City

There are regular shuttle buses from the airport to the city center. The Aerobus lines T1 and T2 start at Terminal 1 and 2 and both go via Placa Espana to the Placa Catalunya station near the old town. The prices have increased slightly, but are still a cheap and fast way to get to the city center. A return ticket costs €11.65 per person.

If you stay near the Fira, you can also take the L9 metro from the airport to Fira.

Getting to the Fira

The public transport network in Barcelon is well organized. No matter where you live, the nearest metro station is usually no more than 2 blocks away. Trains run very frequently. The destination station is either Europa/Fira, with a 10-minute walk to VMwareExplore, or you can change trains again to Fira station from where it’s just a 5 minute walk.

The public transport company TMB offers a 10-trip ticket. 10 journeys throughout the city for just under €12.

Pro tip: Ask for a Metro Ticket when registering for VMware Explore. The above-mentioned 10-ticket was only issued to participants on request.

Activities beyond VMware Explore

VMware Explore will challenge you physically. Lots of talks, technical deep dives, interesting sessions and, above all, long distances. During the course of the day, you will walk many steps to get from the trade fair (Expo) to the presentations or to lunch. If you still have energy left, you can plunge into the nightlife. There are numerous parties and vBeers all over the city. My friend and vExpert colleague Fred Hofer (vBrain.info) has collected the most important events in his blog post “VMware Explore 2023 Barcelona – Parties and Gatherings“.

Particularly noteworthy is the traditional vBreakfast on Tuesday mornings between 7:00 and 8:30 before the General Session. This is where the part of the community that makes it out of bed so early meets. Even though the event is generously sponsored by Runecast, it has nothing in common with an promotional event. This is a meeting place for bloggers, VMUG leaders or simply people interested in the community. Even if you don’t know anyone yet – you’ll know a lot of interesting people afterwards. Guaranteed!

Community

Aside from the technical content of the presentations, it is of course all about making contacts, networking and maintaining friendships. I didn’t know anyone when I attended VMworld for the first time. To my surprise, I was quickly welcomed by well-connected members. I still count many of these first acquaintances among my circle of friends today and look forward to meeting them again every year.

Dresscode

Rule number 1: leave the office clothes in the wardrobe. Put on comfortable shoes that you can easily walk around in all day.

Nobody expects a jacket and shirt here. On the other hand, T-shirts from a past VMware or VMUG event are always good conversation starters.

Registration

When you register for VMware Explore, you will receive your exhibition badge, which gives you access to the exhibition site and the sponsored evening events.

Registration is open on all days of the fair. If you arrive early, you can pick up your badge on Sunday from 3 pm.