Nicolette Carklin
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Learn How to Master VMware Technology through VCP Certification

VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification is essential for IT professionals who want to prove their expertise in VMware technologies such as the VMware vSphere platform. To attain VCP certification, candidates must have demonstrable experience with VMware technologies, enroll in a required VMware training course and take a required foundational exam in their chosen area of expertise. While not required, they also have the option to choose an elective course and pass its corresponding exam.

What Is VCP Certification?

VCP certification is designed for engineers and administrators and comes after the entry-level VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA) certification for network operators. However, the latter is not required for VCP certification.

IT infrastructure-related VMware certifications, including the more advanced ones that come after VCP, are divided into five tracks, namely:

All tracks require those seeking certification to attend the required course and foundational exam. Prior to achieving VCP certification, they may also opt to take an elective course and pass its corresponding exam.

There’s a security-related VCP-Sec certification that is related to security in VMware technologies. This certification stands on its own and does not fall under any of the tracks in the infrastructure-related VMware certifications.

Another VMware certification track is VMware Application Modernization, but it is designed for Java architects and developers, not administrators and engineers.

What Are the Benefits of Earning a VCP Certificate?

Getting a VCP certification can be a long and arduous process, taking up to three or more months to complete (six or more months if you decide to proceed to the Advanced Professional Certification and 18 or more months for the Design Expert Certification).

Due to the intensive requirements, it can be expensive to get certified. However, there are benefits to earning a VCP certificate. These include:

What Are Some Job Expectations for VMware Certified Professionals?

Systems administration and engineering roles in companies using VMware technologies are often filled with those holding VCP certifications if there are any in the applicant pool. This is because a VCP certification is often considered as proof of the applicant’s expertise.

Systems administrators are involved primarily in provisioning servers, and operating and maintaining hardware, software and the entire IT infrastructure. These experts are also tasked with monitoring systems, reviewing application and system logs, and tuning, optimizing, patching and upgrading servers. They also are primarily responsible for troubleshooting issues, and backing up and restoring systems.

On the other hand, systems engineers are primarily responsible for designing optimal solutions involving VMware technologies. They evaluate, analyze, design and integrate systems. They’re also involved in the planning, design, development and testing phases when implementing and deploying enterprise-wide VMware systems.

What Are Other Levels of Certifications?

As mentioned previously, while VCP certification comes after the entry-level VCTA certification, candidates don’t need to be a VCTA to attain the VCP certificate. VCTA certification is designed for newcomers to VMware who are interested in getting an operator role tasked with assisting administrators in daily operations.

After gaining your VCP certificate, you can go ahead to the next levels in the recommended VMware certification path, namely, the VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) and VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) certifications. These other levels have the same certification tracks as VCP.

VCAP is an advanced-level certification for anyone interested in designing and building VMware solutions (VCAP Design) and managing and optimizing VMware solutions (VCAP Deployment). Anyone who passes this certification can take on system architect roles, aside from the aforementioned administrator and engineer roles.

VCDX is the highest certification level from VMware. Regardless of track, VCDX requires applicants to design a VMware solution that can be deployed in a real-world scenario. To be awarded the VCDX, the applicant needs to present and successfully defend the design before a panel composed of VCDX-certified experts.

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