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Virtualization Africa: Workshop underway, we're watching movies all the time

We're third day into the workshop. Things are moving real fast and the project members are learning stuff all the time. So what is so exciting about this workshop?

  • Did you watch the movie?: All the stuff that I train, I make movies with the VMware Workstation 6.0.1 (yeah, latest version, Hon!) and the candidates don't have to come up to me all the time, "Watch them movies!", I tell them. I am also using Microsoft's OneNote (which I neat, I must admit, it gets the job done) to instruct the candidates and then upload the vids on the NFS so they can play them.
  • Complete VI3 on the WorkStation 6.0.1: No I'm not nuts! We've covered all the virtualization aspects and next week I'll be demo'ing the ESX server (2 ESX Servers, Virtual center and Openfiler, all of them on my laptop!). Ain't it cool?
  • Virtual Appliances all the way: We're playing with Virtual Appliances like OTRS, openQRM, Vyatta, Sakai (All of them I built thanks to my friends out there)
  • Desktop Virtualization: We'll be covering that as well, next week. I'd love to have heard from the PanoLogic guys, but that doesn't stop us. Here we will talk about security and policy management, we will quickly use the ACE as a tool to demonstrate the portability (Mobile Virtual USB such as portable ACE) and yet secure Virtual Appliance.
  • Security: We'll be covering Virtualshield (from Bluelane) and other security aspects. We will also cover other security offerings (I time permits, that is). I did apply for PPP with VMware so I could get the latest info on it's Determina offerings, on powerpoint to start with at least, but like I said, that won't stop us.
  • Press Conference: My "Green Grid Template" is done and I'll be presenting it next week as well. Press statement is (almost) done as well.
On personal side:

After a hectic day, I pump iron at the gym in the Hotel and I'm all charged up for the next day!

Are you traveling to Africa? Then I've got some checklist for you:
  • Got yellow fever doc/booklet?
  • Don't carry US dollar bills dated 1996! They don't accept them, apparently in 1996 loads of forged US dollar bills floated in Africa. Make sure they're dated 2003 or later!
  • Carry and eat Malaria tablets every day!
  • Some countries, like Uganda, you buy visa at arrival, funny huh? It costs $50 per person.
  • Water: drink bottled all the time
  • Carry some fiber diet, you won't get much out there. I carried my own brown bread snacks, I have them every morning!
  • Eat bananas, helps keep the running stomach intact.
  • Improvise: That's how it works here ;-)
More later.

Comments

  1. Hi Tarry. I think your blog is awesome!.

    Just one question. How do you get that VI3 labs in your laptop? does it work all right?? I mean, you dont lose communications between your virtual machines?? what are the specs of your laptop?

    hope you could write me

    Best regards from Mexico

    Jose Ruelas
    jbruelasdgo@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Jose,

    Thanks!

    On that question of yours: MY laptop is a HP Mobile workstation nw9440.
    Dual core CPU T7600 @2.33Ghz
    RAM= 4Gb (Hate the fact that my graphics card takes 600Mb out of it, but still its enough for my VI3)
    Disk = 100G @7200RPM

    Both ESX Servers have 1G RAM, VC has 256Mb, ADS 2.0 DC 192Mb, Openfiler 384Mb and I can still give some RAM for the Bluelane's Virtual Appliance (VirtualShield 4)to have a complete and security enabled Virtual Infrastructure.

    PS: Cannot afford to leave security out of Virtualization workshops anymore! We ought to train people to start identifying security as a "default resident" in our Virtual Infra.

    PS2: I've mailed it to you as well ;)

    Tarry

    ReplyDelete

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