Hi vAdmins, vArchitects, and vSupport engineers,
Following up on my previous training post, I have some exciting updates to share regarding our learning journey!
The VMware Cloud Foundation learning portal has expanded its Role-Based Framework with brand-new on-demand eLearning courses designed to elevate your technical expertise. Whether you are stepping into enterprise architecture, mastering full-stack configuration automation, or keeping up with the latest Kubernetes enhancements on vSphere, these new additions are built to take your skills to the next level.
Architectural Strategy and Design at Scale
For engineers and architects looking to design resilient, enterprise-scale environments, the newly added VMware Cloud Foundation Solution Architecture and Design [v9.1] course provides a comprehensive deep dive into foundational principles and design frameworks. Tailored specifically for the Architect role, this nearly 19-hour program—spanning 18 hours and 52 minutes—delivers a 5-day equivalent curriculum that bridges the gap between daily administration and high-level architectural strategy.
Rather than focusing on simple routine tasks, the curriculum guides you through the architectural concepts, design patterns, and operational considerations required to deploy VCF 9.1 at true enterprise scale. You will explore fundamental architectural constructs including VCF Fleets, Domains, and Clusters, while learning how to evaluate physical datacenters and host selection criteria. The course extensively covers virtual network and NSX design, as well as storage topologies across vSAN ESA, NFS, and Fibre Channel. Furthermore, it addresses Management and Workload Domain design, VCF Automation, VCF Operations, and multi-fleet designs spanning across multiple regions. To ensure these abstract concepts translate into practical skills, the training combines theoretical lectures and design diagrams with interactive hands-on workshops centered on the real-world Rainpole Financial Services case study.
Full-Stack Configuration Management and Automation
If your goal is to eliminate manual day-2 operations and achieve true desired-state enforcement across your entire infrastructure fleet, the VMware Salt: Deploy, Configure and Manage [V8.18] course delivers an extensive, hands-on learning path. Spanning 23 hours and 24 minutes, this track offers an end-to-end walkthrough of deploying, configuring, and managing VMware Salt across modern cloud environments.
Throughout this comprehensive course, you will learn how to build and secure Salt infrastructure, manage authentication and authorization mechanisms, and precisely target minions across your organization. The lessons walk you through executing remote jobs and authoring robust Salt states using Jinja and YAML. Beyond baseline configuration, you will dive into advanced operational topics like compliance management, vulnerability scanning, and multi-system workflow orchestration. The curriculum also highlights automated, event-driven responses leveraging beacons and reactors, alongside guidance for managing Windows endpoints, performing Salt system upgrades, and troubleshooting common operational challenges through lectures and practical lab exercises.
Bite-Sized Modern Applications Update
To help team members stay agile with modern container runtimes on core infrastructure without making a multi-day commitment, the portal now includes vSphere Kubernetes Service 3.7 – What’s New (VKSWN37). Serving as an optional track under the Modern Apps framework, this focused 85-minute (1 hour and 25 minutes) course offers a rapid delta update on container orchestration. It provides a quick and efficient overview of the newest features, developer tooling, and operational enhancements introduced in version 3.7, allowing administrators to rapidly stay current.
Ready to Level Up Your Skills?
There has never been a better time to expand your virtualization and cloud engineering skill set. Log into your learning portal today, select the role-based track that matches your career goals, and start building the next generation of resilient infrastructure.
Quick Tip: If you have an active VCF subscription, you already have full access to all of this premium learning content at no extra cost, so happy learning.
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Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed in this blog are solely my own and should be treated as personal opinions. This content does not hold any legal or authoritative standing.