VMworld Blog

Eat, Drink, Network and Relax

2011-10-07T08:01:21Z

VMworld offers several powerful networking opportunities with industry-leading Knowledge Experts, peers and technology partners throughout the week. Here are just some of the special events you can take advantage of while in Copenhagen.

Welcome Reception
Tuesday, 18 October, 17.30 - 19.30
Solutions Exchange
Start your time at the conference with good food and good conversation. Catch up with colleagues, talk to technology partners, bump into Knowledge Experts and just enjoy some down time with professionals in your field.

Hall Crawl
Wednesday, 19 October, 16.00 - 18.00
Solutions Exchange
Enjoy a refreshing beverage while you see the latest products and services from over 125 exhibitors in the Solutions Exchange.

VMworld 2011 Party
Wednesday, 19 October, 20.00 - 24.00
Tap 1, Ny Carlsberg Vej 91, 1799 Copenhagen
You’ll be ready to party after two packed days of education and networking. This is a great time to get to know other IT professionals in a relaxed, informal setting with delicious food, activities and entertainment. Take a break and enjoy the fun!

For other official and unofficial gatherings organized by VMware, sponsors/exhibitors, attendees and user groups. View our Twitter feed for gatherings, tweetups and parties

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Knowledge Expert Program - Get Individualized Information

2011-10-05T08:01:21Z

The VMworld Knowledge Experts program are VMware employees who specialize on one specific topic (Technical or Non-Technical) and are available to attendees in One-on-One meetings, Group Discussions or during Breakout Sessions.

Group Discussions allow VMworld attendees to meet with Knowledge Experts in an informative and interactive session to gain insight from like-minded colleagues in similar industries. Topics include: Cloud Security, Storage, Memory Management, Data Protection, Applications Management and Network.

Schedule 15 minute One-on-One Meetings with an expert of your choice in an open dialogue based on your specific questions.

Knowledge Experts include:

Charu Chaubal: Compliance
Kit Colbert: Memory
Chris Colotti: vCloud
Lee Dilworth: Site Recovery Manager
Ford Donald: vCloud and vSEL
George Gerchow: Compliance/vCenter Configuration Manager
Cormac Hogan: Storage
Andrew Johnson: Horizon
Ravi Kumar: Security
Matthew Lodge: Cloud Computing
Kannon Mani: Virtualizing Oracle on VMware
Dave McCrory: Cloud Foundry
David Overbeek: vCenter Operations and vCenter Configuration Manager
Massimo Re Ferre: vSphere and vCloud Director
John Robb: Zimbra
Tom Stephens: vSphere HA and FT
Thomas Walker: VMware View and ThinApp

Don't miss this opportunity by registering for VMworld today.

Don't Miss These Key Sessions at VMworld Copenhagen

2011-10-03T08:01:21Z

With so many things taking place at VMworld Copenhagen, including 200+ sessions, over 20 Hands-on Labs and more than 125 sponsors and exhibitors in the Solutions Exchange we wanted to make sure you didn't forget about these important sessions.

VMworld General Sessions will help you get a view of where VMware is going for the coming year and what the latest product launches mean to your organization.

First off hear from VMware CTO and SVP of R&D Steve Herrod on Tuesday, October 18 and get a look into the technologies underpinning the cloud. You will also receive an insider's tour of the industry's first comprehensive cloud infrastructure suite, including vSphere 5's most advanced features and capabilities.

Raghu Raghuram, VMware's Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Cloud Platforms, will speak on Wednesday, October 19 about The Software-Driven Datacenter focusing on industry trends that will move forward a more dynamic, flexible and automated datacenter environment based on the increasing role of virtualization across the datacenter.

On Thursday, October 20, VMware CEO, Paul Maritz will provide an inside look at the forces shaping Cloud Computing and the next generation of IT. See the latest in the world's most advanced cloud infrastructure technologies and get real-world perspective from the CIOs of some of the globe's largest and most respected brands.

Finally, do not miss special VMware Super Sessions on Tuesday, October 18 where you will learn about the latest products and solutions. These sessions will also provide you a roadmap of other key sessions and activities taking place the rest of the week to maximize your time.

• The Biggest VMware Management Launch Ever! – Find out What’s New & What’s Next in Virtualization and Cloud Management
• Transitioning to ESXi
• Securing your Cloud
• The End-User Computing Revolution Starts Now with VMware View

If you have not yet registered for VMworld Europe, don't hesitate as we are two weeks out from the event. Register Today.

Once registered, do not forget to build your schedule with Schedule Builder. You MUST pre-register for the sessions you want to attend this year to reserve a seat.

VMworld Europe Schedule Builder Live

2011-09-08T20:58:24Z

New this year, attendees must pre-register for sessions. Without pre-registration, you will not be given access to any breakout sessions.

If you are registered for VMworld Europe, view a full listing of sessions, organize your days, and sign-up for the sessions you want to attend. Most sessions will be repeated at least once and we will be adding additional sessions based on popularity, so if it is full, check back.

If you are not yet registered, what are you waiting for? Register now and build out your schedule.

During VMworld, you will be able to add a session to your schedule up to 30 minutes prior to the start. Session rooms will open approximately 25 minutes before the start of a session and close 3 minutes to the start of the session. Only attendees who have pre-registered for the session will be allowed in the room. There will be NO stand-by line, so please make sure to register for the sessions you plan on attending.

Hands-on Labs will be available on-demand and can be taken at any time throughout the event. You can add Lab time to your personal schedule, but will need to visit the Labs at VMworld to sign-up.

Lab Hours:
Tuesday   09.00 – 14.30
Wednesday   10.30 – 18.00
Thursday   10.30 – 16.30

Hands-on Labs Fast Pass and Lab Stats

2011-08-31T16:13:27Z

Hands-on Labs continue to push for new records of VM's created and labs completed. We have started handing out Fast Passes to people who have completed more than 4 labs. (photo shown)

Last year’s "labs completed" leader, Ron Davis (Landmark Healthcare), is again leading the pack of top lab takers with over 15 labs already completed, but closely followed by Natalie Lind (Landmark Healthcare) and Michael Forner (Regional Transportation District).

Here is a look at the top labs completed (as of Tues afternoon):

Here is a look at labs with most VMs created (as of Tues afternoon):

One of the most notable parts to our labs this year is the passion shared by lab attendees. As Steve Herrod, VMware CTO, mentioned in Tuesday's general session, it's not always about the technology -- it's about the people. Several lab participants are jumping into the labs at the 7am hour just to be able to share the experience with others who share the same passion.

See you at the Labs!

The VMworld 2011 Demo Cloud

2011-08-29T01:04:22Z

This year we wanted to make things even more exciting by hosting our Product and Solution Demos on our internal VMware cloud – VSEL.

Why a Demo Cloud?
The Key benefits for moving our demos to the cloud:
- Scalable, repeatable demos allowing our world wide employees to leverage the Demos created for VMworld – (Demos are published in our Internal Catalog)
- Lower our production costs by not having to ship servers around the world (Shipping a fully loaded kit to Copenhagen can cost up $35K)
- Fun thing to do using our latest products!

About the Architecture
The VMworld Booth Demos are running from our internal clouds using embedded ESXi, vCloud Director 1.5, View 5.0 and vShield Edge to name a few products.

Some stats on our Demo Cloud
- 120 UCS Blades running 4 core processors each
- ½ Petabyte VNX Storage (thanks EMC)
- 520 Virtual Machines
- 10G backend

How the Products work together….

1. VMware View - Provides a working desktop for users. This is the entrance to vSEL environment and can be accessed from both the Corporate Network and Internet, using PCoIP protocol.

2. VMware Cloud Director 1.5 Provides the lab environment for individual users to log into their own regional private cloud peer communities and work with vPods, which are vApps that leverage embedded virtualization environment consisting of vCenter, ESXi, and datacenter services needed to run an infrastructure.

3. Embedded Virtualization - ESXi is run within a virtual machine, resulting in multiple virtual ESX Servers (vESX) running on a single physical ESXi Server (pESX). "Virtual Virtual Machines" (vVMS) are run within these vESX Servers.

vPODs: vApp within vCD combined with embedded virtualization results in a completely self contained working unit known as the "vPod". In other words, a vPod is simply a vApp that uses embedded virtualization, vESX servers and vVMs, to create a single working "virtual virtual data center" that can be mapped to a single user.

Want to learn more?

1. Visit us at the VMware Booth: Come and see the VSEL infrastructure hard at work.
2. Attend Ford Donald’s Session: Virtual SE Lab (vSEL) Building the VMware Hybrid Cloud CIM 1436 (twitter #cim1436) to learn all about the architecture powering the VMworld Demos and enabling VMware SEs. Great reason to wake up at 8:00 AM

Special Thanks to all the people that have made this project come to life !

~ Pablo Roesch
Group Manager Cloud Infrastructure Technical Marketing

Hands-on Labs Ready to Rock

2011-08-27T23:48:31Z

Get ready to set records at VMworld 2011!

With 50 hours of labs this year, we challenge you to finish as many labs as possible with extended lab hours. Complete the most labs and be entered to win a FREE full conference pass to VMworld 2012!

- Geographically distributed Public Cloud model
- 480 lab seats, 50 lab hours, 24,000 lab seat hours

Sign-in and browse the content catalog for a full schedule of topics. And don't forget to share your experiences and comments on Twitter. Visit our Sessions & Labs hashtag page for details on how to tweet about each lab or view postings from others.

Hands-on Lab Days	Hands-on Lab Hours
Sunday, Aug. 28th	2pm - 8pm
Monday, Aug. 29th	7am - 3pm and 5pm - 8pm
Tuesday, Aug. 30th	10am - 10pm
Wednesday, Aug. 31st	7am - 7pm
Thursday, Sept. 1st	7am - 4pm

Take VMworld with You on the Go

2011-08-25T22:28:19Z

Make sure you have VMworld with you while at the conference with the official VMworld 2011 mobile application. It is a show program, breakout session schedule builder and Solutions Exchange guide for attendees of the VMworld conference. The application is synced to email stations throughout the event and is compatible with iPhone, BlackBerry, and all other smartphones.

With the mobile application, you can:
- View sessions by day and track
- Schedule Breakout Sessions
- View Hands-on Labs
- Browse exhibitor listings by name
- Find your way around the expo
- Create a personal agenda containing the Breakout Sessions you pre-registered for
- Complete session surveys
- Follow the event’s Twitter stream
- Receive the latest conference news

Visit www.vmworld.com/mobile on your phone to download and install the official VMworld mobile application.

Follow VMworld on:

Facebook

Twitter

VMworld 2011 Social Media Survival Guide

2011-08-25T21:05:36Z

Are you a Social Media influencer/follower, a VMware community member, a virtualization/cloud expert, or just a VMworld conference fan? For all of these and all others attending or following the VMworld 2011 Conference, here is the guide you must view or download.

VMworld 2011 Social Media
"Survival Guide"

http://vmware.com/go/vmworld-socialmedia

Enough said... see you there or online!

Special Events and Space at VMworld

2011-08-24T21:55:26Z

There are some great events and locations for attendees to take advantage of at VMworld. Here are just a few of the special activities taking place, plus a location for you to lay back and relax during your time in Las Vegas.

Welcome Reception
Monday, August 29, 5:00pm - 7:30pm
Start your time at the conference with good food and good conversation. Catch up with colleagues, talk to technology partners, bump into Knowledge Experts and enjoy some down time with professionals in your field in the Solutions Exchange. Plus, don't miss Elastic Sky in the Hang Space from 4:30pm - 5:30pm.

Hall Crawl
Tuesday, August 30, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Enjoy a refreshing beverage while you see the latest products and services from over 250 exhibitors in the Solutions Exchange.

VMworld 2011 Party
Wednesday, August 31, 7:00pm - 11:00pm
This year’s party is so big we have to hold it in 3 Locations - Hall A, Hang Space, and The Pools at Venetian and Palazzo! Start the evening in the Hang Space, enjoying a variety of great food, complimented with wine, beer and cocktails. Wander into Hall A, the rock party, complete with lighted teepees, roving entertainment, and an opening act that will set the tone for the rest of the evening. At 8:00, our special guests take the stage in what will be a sound, light and sensory experience you won’t believe. But the night isn’t over after the concert. Head up to the pools at the Venetian and Palazzo at 9:00pm where signature drinks and world-renowned DJs and VJs close out a night you won’t forget!

Hang Space
Take a break from the VMworld action for a bit in the Hang Space, just in front of the Solutions Exchange (Halls B & C). We will create a truly relaxing park, complete with trees, plants, benches and fun diversions. Play a game of volleyball, chill out with a snack on a blanket on the grass (that’s right, we said grass!), or socialize with friends. It’s like being outside without leaving the building! You will also find stations to send email, recharge your cell phones, and be as productive as you like, all in a relaxed atmosphere.

Follow VMworld on:
Facebook
Twitter

#VMworld 2011 Twitter Hashtags

2011-08-24T00:54:27Z

VMworld 2011 will be rocking the Twitter social streams over the next couple weeks. If you are not on Twitter already, be sure to tune in during VMworld to observe how viral and explosive Twitter can be. You can literally follow the entire show through tweets from attendees.

Main hashtag to use and search for is... #vmworld

View a feed of ALL VMworld mentions OR tweets from Twitter contributors

Don't Miss Hands-on Labs

2011-08-23T15:36:42Z

The VMworld Hands-On Labs (HOLs) are yet again taking a leap forward to provide a user experience greater than any other in the industry with 24,000 lab hours being made available to conference attendees during VMworld. The HOLs will be serviced by a globally distributed public cloud which stretches across our Sponsor Datacenters; Switch in Las Vegas, Terremark in Miami, and COLT in Amsterdam all powered by vSphere 5.0 and vCloud Director 1.5.

New this year - The Labs have been designed around typical customer use case and business scenarios. This will allow conference attendees to have a hands-on experience exercising workflows that relate to real-world scenarios. There will be 27 distinct labs available; two of which will have manuals available in German and Japanese along with the default English. We will also be offering three partner labs this year from Cisco, EMC and NetApp. For the full list of labs being offered please refer to the U.S. Content Catalog.

Join us and take one of the HOLs to get more in-depth knowledge into the technologies you want to learn more about; at a time that best fits with your schedule.

Hands-on Labs Hours:

Sunday, Aug. 28           2:00pm - 8:00pm
Monday, Aug. 29           7:00am - 3:00pm
Monday, Aug. 29           5:00pm - 8:00pm
Tuesday, Aug. 30          10:00am - 10:00pm
Wednesday, Aug. 31     7:00am - 7:00pm
Thursday, Sept. 1          7:00am - 4:00pm

VMworld 2011 - Are You Connected?

2011-08-19T19:16:17Z

VMworld 2011 is only days away -- are you connected?

Contributor Lists/Schedules (Las Vegas only)
- Twitter Contributors (add yourself if covering VMworld)
- Bloggers (add yourself if providing VMworld blog coverage)
- Community Lounge Meetups (propose a #vMeetup)
- VMware Community TV & Podcasting (propose a video or podcast)
- Gatherings, Tweetups & Parties (add your events)
- Solution Exchange/Booth Presentations (add your presentations)
- Promotions, Games & Contests (add your offerings)

Twitter
- Use the #vmworld Twitter hashtag in all your tweets
- Search #vmworld in your own client/browser/device for coverage
- VMworld 2011 Las Vegas Twitter Contributors (add yourself if covering VMworld)
- Official list on Twitter for VMworld 2011 U.S. (follow this Twitter list)
- VMworld Twitter feeds page on VMworld.com (follow tweets on VMworld, contributors and sessions)
- View all VMware accounts on Twitter (follow these accounts for year-round highlights)
Note: Twitter @handles will be on VMworld attendee badges this year (field from registration form)

Blogs
- VMworld Blog (subscribe to the RSS feed)
- VMworld 2011 Las Vegas Blogger List (add yourself if covering VMworld)
- VMworld Bloggers page on VMworld.com (provides feed of contributor blog posts + other blogs)
- View all VMware Blogs (subscribe to the RSS feed for each blog for year-round highlights)

Discussion Forums
- VMworld 2011 Discussion Forum and Documents/Wikis (subscribe to the RSS feed)
- VMware Community Discussion Forums (VMTN)

YouTube
- VMworld.com videos page (YouTube, VMworld Live Streaming, TheCUBE reporting)
- VMworld TV (subscribe to our channel for the latest videos)
- View all VMware playlists on YouTube

Facebook
- VMworld.com Facebook page (follow the VMworld feed)
- VMworld Facebook Wall (post questions, comments, photos -- or respond to other postings)
- View all VMware pages on Facebook ("Like" these accounts for year-round highlights)

Photos
- Post photos on our Facebook wall
- Post your photos into a Flickr account or group (be sure to tag all photos with "vmworld")
- Twitpic, Yfrog or Instagram (be sure to tag w/ "vmworld" or include #vmworld in all postings)
- VMworld.com Photos page (sign-in and post photos from the conference)

To be launched next week: "Experience VMworld 2011 Online" -- an online shared experience for the show following a daily agenda covering many of the events and activity via Twitter, Blogs, Video, Photos and more (no session access). This is offered to provide an online show experience for anyone who can not attend the conference. It is also a great way for attendees to view more of the show content online that they miss in person.

VMworld 2011 (Las Vegas) Gatherings, Tweetups & Parties

2011-08-10T20:03:06Z

If you've signed up for VMworld 2011 Las Vegas, there no doubt you've started planning your schedules around sessions, meetings and networking. NOW, here is an "unofficial" guide to (ultimately) the most important part of your schedule... the parties & gatherings!

VMworld Expo Only Pass Now Live

2011-08-08T19:22:53Z

Were you wanting to attend VMworld, but couldn’t get the budget for a full conference rate approved; don’t worry as we just launched our Expo Only pass for the Las Vegas event. This pass provides you access to the Solutions Exchange, attend General Sessions and network with thousands of peers during the 4-day event.

The Solutions Exchange features more than 250 companies showcasing the latest virtualization and cloud infrastructure products, services and solutions. You'll be able to talk with experts from the leading companies in the virtualization industry and get hands on experience with the newest tools and technologies. It's the perfect place to network, learn and explore. The Solutions Exchange hours are:
Monday, August 29 - 5:00pm-7:30pm
Tuesday, August 30 – 9:30am-5:30pm
Wednesday, August 31 - 9:00am-4:00pm
Thursday, September 1 – 10:00am-2:00pm

General Sessions are a great opportunity to get inspired by speakers who are changing the future of how we interact with computers. VMworld offers a great line-up that will set a clear vision for where the technologies of virtualization and cloud computing can take us today and where they will go in the future. General Sessions will be held:
Monday, August 29 – 3:30pm-5:00pm
Tuesday, August 30 – 8:00am-9:30am
Thursday, September 1 – 9:00am-10:00am

Take advantage of special 5% airline discounts:
American Airlines
Promo Code: 3881BV
Valid for travel dates between August 20 – September 8
www.aa.com

Virgin America
Promo Code: VXVMWARE
Valid Dates: August 26 – September 4
Off all Main Cabin Nonrefundable fares
www.virginamerica.com

We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas.

---The VMworld Team---

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