VCP6-NV Exam

I just recently passed my VCP6-NV and wanted to take some time to blog about the experience and to gather together some resources for those that are looking to pursue this certification. 

For those you that may not know much about NSX I will start with a brief introduction and explain why I feel that you should pursue this certification for your company.

What is NSX? VMware NSX is the next evolution in software defined everything. It is VMware's network virtualization and security software platform that came from an acquisition of Nicira back in 2012. 
What does NSX do? NSX de-couples the network functions from the physical network devices in your data center, in a way that analogous to decoupling virtual servers from the physical. NSX natively creates the traditional network constructs in the virtual realm. These include ports, switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, etc.

I could write an entire blog just on the features of NSX and the integrations with other third party vendors, such as Palo Alto Networks and Trend Micro; oh wait I did. You can read that in my blog here. But, that is not what this blog is about so let's move on.

The VMware Certified Professional Network Virtualization exam, tests candidates on their knowledge and abilities to demonstrate basic virtualization networking skills such as vSwitch, vDistributed Switches, installation & configuration of NSX, and finally administration of NSX. In order to pass the exam you will need to have in depth understanding of these areas. Hands on with both NSX and vSphere are highly recommended. In fact, I believe that VMware recommends at least 6 months of hands-on.

I would recommend setting aside dedicated time to go over the following resources along with practicing packet walks and architecture design.

These are the resources that I used to study for the exam over a period of 6 months.

1. ​NSX 6.2 Design Guide
2. NSX Administration Guide
3. VCP-NV Blueprint along with the Community and Practice Exams which can all be found here
4. Brown Bags can be helpful too
5. VMware NSX Hands-on Labs​
6. Free NSX Training

Exam Objectives:
Section 1 – Define VMware NSX Technology and Architecture

• Describe the Benefits of a VMware NSX Implementation
• Describe VMware NSX Architecture
• Differentiate VMware Network and Security Technologies
• Contrast Physical and Virtual Network Technologies
• Explain VMware NSX Integration with Third-Party Products and Services
• Explain VMware NSX Integration with vCloud Automation Center (vCAC)

Section 2 – Plan and Configure vSphere Networking

• Define Benefits of Running VMware NSX on Physical Network Fabrics
• Describe Physical Infrastructure Requirements for a VMware NSX Implementation

Section 3 – Configure and Manage vSphere Networking

• Configure and Manage vSphere Standard Switches (vSS)
• Configure and Manage vSphere Distributed Switches (vDS)
• Configure and Manage vSS and vDS Policies

Section 4 – Install and Upgrade VMware NSX

• Configure Environment for Network Virtualization
• Deploy VMware NSX Components
• Upgrade Existing vCNS/NSX Implementation
• Expand Transport Zone to Include New Cluster(s)

Section 5 – Configure VMware NSX Virtual Networks

• Create and Administer Logical Switches
• Configure VXLAN
• Configure and Manage Layer 2 Bridging
• Configure and Manage Logical Routers

Section 6 – Configure and Manage NSX Network Services

• Configure and Manage Logical Load Balancing
• Configure and Manage Logical Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
• Configure and Manage DHCP/DNS/NAT
• Configure and Manage Edge Services High Availability

Section 7 – Configure and Administer Network Security

• Configure and Administer Logical Firewall Services
• Configure Distributed Firewall Services
• Configure and Manage Service Composer

Section 8 – Perform Operations Tasks in a VMware NSX Environment

• Configure Roles, Permissions, and Scopes
• Describe NSX Automation
• Monitor a VMware NSX Implementation
• Administer Logging
• Backup and Recover Configurations

Section 9 – Troubleshoot a VMware Network Virtualization Implementation

• Identify Tools Available for Troubleshooting
• Troubleshoot Common NSX Installation/Configuration Issues
• Troubleshoot Common NSX Component Issues
• Troubleshoot Common Connectivity Issues
• Troubleshoot Common vSphere Networking Issues

The test consists of 80+ questions in which you have approximately 1 minute per question, which doesn't seem like a lot of time but it is plenty. You can also mark questions for review.. I found that once I completed the exam I had enough time to go back through all the questions once more to check for anything I missed.

So, now that I have reviewed what NSX is and discussed the exam the next question is why should you take the exam? Besides certifications being a great way to show value to your company more importantly is that NSX is the next big wave in the virtual realm.

I chose to take this exam because I believe that NSX is the next step in virtualizing the datacenter and I wanted to be on the forefront to help lead the direction for my company and our customers. I have the same excitement with NSX that I felt when I first became engaged with ESX.

Since taking the exam, I have been between Buffalo and Albany NY, speaking to customers and white boarding their environments. This has lead to better engagements with customers and within VMUG (VMware User Group) where I lead three groups, Albany now Capital District, Syracuse and Rochester.

NSX will change the face of networking just as vSphere did for physical servers. If you want to help drive the future direction of your company and help them become more secure, agile and flexible or if your company, like many others, are in the process of developing their cloud strategy then NSX can play a large role in that. 

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