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This week I was able to attend to a Veeam VMCA training (Veeam Backup & Replication V11: Architecture and Design) held by @poulpreben.

VMCA Introduction

Some words on the VMCA: The VMCA is the Veeam Certificied Architect, the second and highest Veeam certification after the VMCE. While the VMCE is more focused on technical topics, the VMCA is all about designing the backup solution and learning the "Veeam Architecture Methodology".

We already have great posts about the VMCA, both the course and the exam, here in the community, so I'll won't go too deep and link to the corresponding posts:

  • VMCA2022 anouncment from @MicoolPaul:

  • VMCA2022 review from @Chris.Childerhose:

  • VMCA2022 EXAM review from @Michael Melter :

 

VMCA Course

Directly from the beginning of the course, we could notice how different this training is going to be compared to others.
Preben explained to us, that there's no lab part and that we won't work with a Veeam console. Instead there were team exercises, where we work together on a scenario, discussed our findings and presented them to the other participants. I liked this concept, as the whole course was very dynamically because of those exercies. Also there often wasn't a single solution for a certain problem or requirement, so we've sometimes had interesting discussions and got different views. And if we were unsure or needed more information, we could ask Preben who took the customer role.:sweat_smile:

Through the course the overall topic has been the "Veeam Architecture Methodology".
It stands for the process or phases, a Veeam Solution Architect follows while designing a Veeam backup environment:

Discovery → Conceptual design →  Logical design →  Physical/tangible design →  Implementation and Governance →  Validation and Iteration


Through these steps you learn (in short) how to:
    • capture the existing environment, requirements, risks, etc and evaluate them
    • ask the right questions ;)
    • create a high level concept, elaborate it and convert it to the final physical design
    • let the final solution get implemented and validated
    
While the training is focused on Veeam, a big part of it was about general backup/design questions. Of course at some part you start mapping the right Veeam features and sizing the components, but until than you could apply the learned to almost any other solution.
I wasn't sure if I would get overwelmed by all the theory, but through the whole course it never got boring. Not only because of the material itself, but also because of Preben, who is a great trainer. The last two days really have been fun :smile:

I only have to admit that the calculation part with its formulas will need some further revision from my side :nerd:

 

Target Audience

As the name says, the target audience are Architects. So anyone who is regularly designing backup solutions or reworking existing ones, can and will benefit from this course. But if you "just" want to gain more technical knowledge about Veeam Backup and master your own environment, then I'm not sure it will be any help to you (this should not sound negatively :wink: ).

 

Summary

I can fully recommend this training, if you're in the target audience mentioned above. Even if you can only apply 75% of this course, it will be valuable and useful to you. There were many times during the last two days, where I've noticed what I could improve in my current process or where I’ve received new ideas.
The VMCA was one of my long-term goals and with the completion of the course, I'm almost there. Besides the calculations I will go over everything again, read the exam reviews here and will do some further study, but I plan to write the exam soon.

 

Interested in the VMCA course/certification? I have attached the course details to this post. For further information visit the training page on veeam.com: https://www.veeam.com/vmce-training.html?ad=menu-resources

 

 

Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!


Our instructor Chris shared this link and I think you guys will benefit from this short video (refresher) too 

 


Great to hear you enjoyed the course and thanks for the mention.  I know when I took it back in October it was one of the best courses I have done in recent years.  Nice to see all the posts about it and everyone having positive things to say.


Our instructor Chris shared this link and I think you guys will benefit from this short video (refresher) too 

 

Yes that is Rasmus's video he did when doing the Canada VUG back in September. 😁


@Chris.Childerhose That's really true, it doesn't compare to any other training I've had 👍

@gulzarshaikhveeam Hey teammate 👋😄


Litereally awesome!! You were very lucky to be able to take such a course!!


It was definitively one of the best courses I have taken so far. It has very much theory included but everything is useful and interesting. And as @regnor said, I got many ideas how to improve my existing environments and my future designs, too. I am sorting and reflecting all this information at the moment and I think this will take some more days… 😁😁😁

Two very productive days. 😎 Thanks again to Veeam for sponsoring this course for us.


I second to what @regnor said. It was packed with fun and group discussions. One of the best trainings I ever attended. 


Seconded! Big thanks to @Rick Vanover, @Kseniya and #Veeam for making this possible.


Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!

Congratulations. Kindly share your experience with us


Congratulations @Geoff Burke 👏 If I could only be as brave as you wäre and write the exam directly after the training...😅

@JMeixner I haven't received one either so I thought it will take its time. Or it got stuck in the customs process 😉


Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!

So Legends/Vanguard got VMCA/VMCE training and exam voucher?? :drooling_face:

Yes, a VMCA course… for these who did not had it already….


Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!

Congratulations @Geoff Burke 

You got your voucher already? Have I missed something? :joy::joy::joy: Probably I have short term memory issues, too…..


@JMeixner 

it will come. I don‘t have it yet like you


Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!

So Legends/Vanguard got VMCA/VMCE training and exam voucher?? :drooling_face:


Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!

So Legends/Vanguard got VMCA/VMCE training and exam voucher?? :drooling_face:

Yes, a VMCA course… for these who did not had it already….

Best Santa present ever, after Playstation 1 back in 1999.


@JMeixner

it will come. I don‘t have it yet like you

@JMeixner @regnor 

vouchers for our group were delivered 30 min ago :-)


@JMeixner

it will come. I don‘t have it yet like you

@JMeixner @regnor 

vouchers for our group were delivered 30 min ago :-)

I've also received it 😃


Thanks @Kseniya and @Rick Vanover @NikolaPejkova for the training and exam voucher. I just passed the exam today. I went to a testing center for the first time in…. ages. Alas there was someone else taking another exam further down the empty rows. That meant I had to keep my mask on and do the old strategically place glasses just on the nose tip so they would not fog up trick. However every once in while out of habit I would push them back and the annoying fog would follow. Then they guy doing his exam,  which was old school analogue i.e.  open book exam which means he had the monster of a binder would start angrily turning the pages over and over again. The exam place gave me ear plugs and I laughed at first but when this guy started blasting back and forth through the binder’s pages and swearing (do I hear.. did not study enough!!! 🙂 ) I decided to use them since this was one of those ‘must concentrate’ exams. Anyways, I made it through and got the passing score. Left the exam place and remembered how I needed to order new glasses. My thoughts wandered to the aging process when I noticed that my hearing was not to good. In the subway I could barely hear the announcements. I thought “Darn.. bad enough losing your eye sight when getting older but this is ridiculous”. The thought of such a sudden decline brought in that little devil in my head.. what if the Astra Zeneca????? 😞 . Well I thought the rumors were about impotency so I figured that while losing hearing was not pleasant at least….. then I remembered that I had forgotten to take out the ear plugs… Now my concern has turned to short term memory issues 🙂 !!!!!!

Congratulations. Kindly share your experience with us

As for the exam itself I think the main thing is to read the requirements and even jot down in point form the main points ( the test center gives you a pad to write on). So remove all the long wording that makes it hard to find stuff. Then read each question very carefully and go back to the requirements etc and double check. It can be tempting to jump and answer but I found it very important to go back and check. I think the big difference here with the VMCA compared to VMCE is that here you can have many right answers but.. which one is the best for what this given customer wants and what they have or are willing to buy etc...


Congratulations @Geoff Burke 👏 If I could only be as brave as you wäre and write the exam directly after the training...😅

@JMeixnerI haven't received one either so I thought it will take its time. Or it got stuck in the customs process 😉

Yes, this is probably the problem - German customs :joy:

Up to now the course isn’t registered in my Veeam account, too.So I wouldn’t be allowed to take the exam anyway. :grin: Let’s wait, study and then hopefully master the exam at the beginning of 2022….


Congratulations Geoff. 

Is it based on case study, the way we studies in the training? Or just some MCQ. Did the practice exam help you?

I think not everyone received the voucher including me. May be it will take some time. 


Congratulations Geoff. 

Is it based on case study, the way we studies in the training? Or just some MCQ. Did the practice exam help you?

I think not everyone received the voucher including me. May be it will take some time. 

Yes Case study. So you basically do what you did during the training in your mini group. 


Here is a brief training and certification review from me “Veeam Certified Architect: A review of the VMCA Training and Certification”.


Great Review @Iams3le! And thanks for mentioning my post.


Best Santa present ever, after Playstation 1 back in 1999.

Yes, it was :sunglasses:


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