Personal Thoughts on the VCDX Troubleshooting Removal

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Breath in…..breath out….okay now that we have all taken a breath I will start.  As I mentioned on twitter there is a lot of good changes coming to the VCDX program.  Like last year many of these changes are being done rapid fire in Q4 so we can institute them in 2016.  That being said I wanted to take a short moment to provide my personal thoughts on the latest announcement about the removal of the Troubleshooting scenario.

Yes, if you have not seen the blog post about 3 things were announced that will help the program.  All three of these things were discussed at length internally and with two different VCDX advisory council’s throughout the year.  The most shocking (to some), is the removal of the 15-minute troubleshooting section.  Personally I think this was a GREAT move.  Having been a panelists and now working closely with new and past panelists in my role, they all felt this was a great idea.  Having more time to spend on the design scenario in my opinion just allows more time for someone to succeed and do a little more design work.  I always felt that slamming through 15 minutes of troubleshooting was a little out of place and I think this is just awesome for candidates.

Secondly, for some time I have never understood why the cloud and desktop defenses were a different length than the others.  When I asked around most other people seemed to wonder the same thing…even ones that were part of the development.  It also seemed to make scheduling sort of a headache when one defense room was going longer than the others.  Logistically in my mind it seemed odd, and getting everything back in line just makes it easier to explain to people.  Couple that with the troubleshooting removal across the board, all 4 tracks are nice and neatly tied together logistically.  That to me is a good thing.

Lastly, I think this is a good shake up for the study groups and mock groups going into 2016.  They can now focus on the two areas that matter most and not worry about prepping for the other 15 minutes, that frankly blows by like a speed train.  This allows people to focus time almost evenly in the two main areas.

Change is a good thing….it’s what makes things better.  You have to accept change as a fact of life and expect it.  Things can never continue the same way forever it’s not how we get better, learn, and grow.  Seriously, change is like death and taxes….it’s inevitable.

About Chris Colotti

Chris is active on the VMUG and event speaking circuit and is available for many events if you want to reach out and ask. Previously to this he spent close to a decade working for VMware as a Principal Architect. Previous to his nine plus years at VMware, Chris was a System Administrator that evolved his career into a data center architect. Chris spends a lot of time mentoring co-workers and friends on the benefits of personal growth and professional development. Chris is also amongst the first VMware Certified Design Experts (VCDX#37), and author of multiple white papers. In his spare time he helps his wife Julie run her promotional products as the accountant, book keeper, and IT Support. Chris also believes in both a healthy body and healthy mind, and has become heavily involved with fitness as a Diamond Team Beachbody Coach using P90X and other Beachbody Programs. Although Technology is his day job, Chris is passionate about fitness after losing 60 pounds himself in the last few years.

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