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May
16thVMworld 2011 : One lonely sessionI haven’t got to post this because of the EMC World madness. But, I did submit one single session for VMworld 2011. It is “Top 10 Ways to Become a Cloud Innovator Using VMware Technology”. This time around I really wanted to focus on delivering something unique as a session. I have been the last year trying hard to come up with thought provoking way to innovate with VMware tech and this session will cover how I approach innovation. I think this session should really be title: “Why Nick isn’t as smart as he looks” or maybe “Seriously, this stuff is easy. Let me show you how.”. Either way, my goal is to enable and encourage the audience to take the creative ideas and solutions I know they have and turn it into something both relevant and eye-opening. So if this sounds interesting to you, then toss a vote my way: Title: Top 10 Ways to Become a Cloud Innovator Using VMware Technology Abstract: This session will walk the listener through an interactive example of ten different ways to innovate using VMware Technology. Topics will include using new methods of interaction, new methods to orchestrate, and illustrations of possible opportunities within your own position. This will also cover walkthroughs on how the speaker built the Interactive Cloud (Kinect-based control of vSphere) and Virtual Selection (Evolving VM’s) featured on his blog. Thanks, .nick
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Sep
17thVMworld 2010 : It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad VMworld
What a week. I’ll remember VMworld 2010 as something that went by like a blur. I still think back and think to myself: “Did that really happen?” This post is a good two weeks after the end but I wanted to write about my experiences. This was definitely a strange mixture of hard work, fear, and fun. I think my experiences at VMworld are a testament to how IT is still a pretty fun gig even in this day and age. So of all the big things that went down at VMworld 2010, the vSpecialist’s Delight rap video was probably the most visible I was involved in. Fred Nix and I had been working for months on getting this little video done. It started as a different kind of video and because of legal, PR, and logistical hurdles; it morphed into the final product. This literally started as me pitching what I thought was both a crazy and impossible idea to Fred. Fred, being the crazy guy that he is, called me back a week later and told me: “Dude, it is on…” I still can’t believe all the things that fell into place. From the great talent at PatchWerk Studios to the special roles each of the team members involved in the video shoot performed. My VMworld started off the Friday before. I had to fly in and make a mad dash for the video rental office before they closed. I told the taxi driver I would give him [...]
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Sep
13thSelfish Self Promotion : Vote For Me!
I don’t usually do this. I prefer for the fruits of my labor to speak for themselves. I didn’t really promote my VMworld session for this reason. My theory was, if people want to see my session they will come if not they probably should be in Chad’s or Scott’s anyways And all the plugins, virtual storage appliance, coding, and work for the community I do because I like to. Out of this I have made a great number of friends and have been having the time of my life. I say all this because Eric Siebert has now officially opened voting for Top 25 Virtualization Blogs. This is something that I have used back before I knew anyone to find all the great virtualization peeps out there. So all I ask is this: If something I have contributed from this site has benefited you in some way consider giving me a vote. Whether the vSphere Mini Monitor, Celerra UBER VSA’s, vSphere WordPress Plugin, or blog articles about my job any consideration is appreciated. It would be really cool to show up somewhere in the final vote. Maybe not top 25 but top 50 would be awesome. And I promise to take every vote as a sign I am helping and also promise some extremely cool stuff/posts in the near future. So there is my selfish request, now back to creating stuff. And even if you don’t vote a single one for me. GO VOTE. Feedback is the key to [...]
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Aug
30thVMworld 2010 Rap : vSpecialist’s Delight
Both Fred Nix and I have been hinting about our *secret project* for weeks now. Well, I am excited to finally present you with the completed work. Without further ado, vSpecialist’s Delight This project was a ton of fun and a ton of work. I wanted to give a special thanks to Travers Nicholas, Paula Cuddy, John Avery, Ed Saipetch, Clint Kitson, Chris Birdwell, and Ryan Melton. I also want to thank Marlen and Curtis at PatchWerk Studios for helping us so much. But, most of all I want to thank Fred Nix for making this project a reality. He took an idea I shared with him over a beer and made it not only possible but absolutely amazing. Fred jumped legal, financial, logistical, and human barriers with patience and style. The guy is a rockstar and a good friend. *update* Here is a video from the premier at the vGeek party: .nick *update* Here are the lyrics for the song for those that asked: I’m with Chad’s Army on the virtual patrolGotta make sure that my cloud is goldAnalysts say we hit it onn the noseYou from the IT department, Im tha C.I.O.Adding Ram for your JAVA codeWe be celebrating the budget had enough doughCAP-EX, OP-EX is outa control..Tweetin’ banana bread because Wade said soWe got beef with security, they don’t use RSAThey don’t know ‘bout no S.L.A. SO!Tier-1 apps running on my assetsvSphere saves ‘em cash for tech refresh,We don’t know what you take us as,Or understand the [...]
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Aug
31stVCP 4 & VMworld – First to Pass!So on a whim I decided to take the VCP 4 test at VMworld in the Marriot. My new Senior guy, Justin, had studied and was booked. So I decided to follow him up to the table. I asked the girls if I could go ahead and register to give it a shot. They said sure and a few minutes later I was in front of the exam. Well, long story short, I passed it, and was the first one to have passed it at VMworld 2009. I definitely wasn’t the highest scoring of the bunch (Justin passed with quite a bit higher score). But, I did pass without studying. I haven’t had time to really study for it since I am working on the CCNP (thanks again Train Signal!) and Microsoft EA exams. So I kind of feel like the lucky guy who gets to the blog post and writes “First”. True I am first, but there were better men and women behind me. There was some interesting swag: A cool hat, a pair of led flashing glasses, and a cool little “Hello Certification” button. Here is a video of the glasses in action: *disclaimer: I am not the first VCP4. Just the first at VMworld. There are bunch of smart VCP4 beta testers who passed way before me*
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Aug
30thMy first plane to VMworldHere is my first plane to VMworld:
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