My VCAP5-DCA is coming soon , Please HELP !!!

[elegipcio]

Hello everyone ,,,

My Exam in less than two weeks , I have to travel driving 450 KM as there is no place to have it where I am, it will be disappointing to fail , so I need your advice here please.

** Questions of type:

  -Explain DRS / storage DRS affinity and anti-affinity rules

  -Analyze Virtual Machine workload to determine optimum slot size

  -Analyze HA cluster capacity to determine optimum cluster size

What I have to do exactly practically with them , I do understand them but what questions should ask when it is all about LAB questions ?!

** What I can do with PowerCli / esxcli  I can not do with GUI ? (other than creating 1000 VMs or Objects with specific parameters)

** Can I ignore learning more about (vMA) commands ? as I am relying totally on powercli & esxcli ?

** Some people advice to go through the exam questions , divide them (using note) to A:administration  C: configuration require Actions and more time ,, How much it is true ? is questions fast to forward on and back so I can have overview and categorize them ?

**For the Objective: -Analyze performance metrics to calculate host failure requirements

How could I memorize all metrics ? as I can not find them even in KB.vmware ,or documentation only in 3rd party , how to review them while in exam ?

** Is only kb.vmware.com & documentations mentioned in blueprint available or I can access the communities.vmware.com as well ?

** Please advice about tricks for time management!

** SO far I study like that, So tell me what I am missing here ?

>> I did read: VMware.Press.VCAP5-DCA.Official.Cert.Guide.pdf

I keep scenarios and each chapter task for final review on hand

>> I am watching: TrainSignal - VMware vSphere Optimize and Scale (VCAP5-DCA) I go through what is not clear to test it or at least to visit it once.

>> I depend on WAHL Network Study sheet, but I redesigned it to fit my way, so I go through each objective one by one.

So I open the 2 below guides side by side , review same objective and even google if I didnt understand.

The-Unofficial-Official-VCAP5-DCA-Study-Guide.pdf

vdca550-study-guide-complete-20150131-Paul Grevink..pdf

I practice some objectives , other I have nothing to practice it is about understanding or analyzing like my above question

I appreciate if someone can advise Please.

Regards ,,

Ahmad Sabry

[jkowalenko]

I just wrote (and Passed) the exam a few days ago, so I will try to help you with some of your questions.

Time is the biggest factor. I skipped 2 full questions because I didn't have time to complete them. Make sure you manage your time very efficiently and if you don't know how to do something, move on. Sometimes you will be waiting for tasks to complete and it might be wise to skip ahead and begin the next question. You need to be able to multitask. Make sure to watch the VMware VCAP exam UI demo video (https://mylearn.vmware.com/courseware/82526/VCAPDCA_Tutorial.swf) so you know what the environment will look like.

There are certain tasks you must complete in PowerCLI, ESXCLI and vMA, so make sure you know them all. There are also certain tasks that can only be done via the web client, so know what those are too.

You have access to PDF documents only, so ensure you know where to look for information or how to search multiple documents. This process is SLOW so don't rely on it to help you with something you don't know how to do.

Build a Lab environment (ie. AutoLab) or have an environment at your disposal that you can practice each and every objective.

I used the same study material as you listed. I created my own copy of the Wahl study sheet with my own notes for each topic and made sure I could perform each task as many ways as possible (ESXCLI, PowerCLI, vMA, Web Client, Thick Client, etc). Also consider watching some of the PowerCLI videos on PluralSight / Trainsignal as well as vSphere Advanced Networking.

I thought it was a great test. You have to know what you are doing to pass, and you must be efficient at it. If you know your stuff you will do fine.

[JoshuaAndrewsVM]

>What I have to do exactly practically with them , I do understand them but what questions should ask when it is all about LAB questions ?!

You remotely connect to the exam environment using RDP and execute the scenarios presented to you

>** What I can do with PowerCli / esxcli  I can not do with GUI ? (other than creating 1000 VMs or Objects with specific parameters)

Run commands only available in PowerCLI/esxcli

Write/repair/run PowerCLI scripts

>** Can I ignore learning more about (vMA) commands ? as I am relying totally on powercli & esxcli ?

vMA exists in the environment as a management platform but not as an exam requirement. 

>** Some people advice to go through the exam questions , divide them (using note) to A:administration  C: configuration require Actions and more time ,, How much it is true ? is questions fast to forward on and back so I can have overview and categorize them ?

Don't do that.  Waste of time.  Tackle the items one by one in order.  If you get to one you don't know how to do, mark it on your paper (Item #5 : Create HA cluster.) and come back to it at the very end.

>**For the Objective: -Analyze performance metrics to calculate host failure requirements

>How could I memorize all metrics ? as I can not find them even in KB.vmware ,or documentation only in 3rd party , how to review them while in exam ?

Just basic HA admission control stuff I believe, plus checking VM performance vs host capacity

>** Is only kb.vmware.com & documentations mentioned in blueprint available or I can access the communities.vmware.com as well ?

Pubs.vmware.com and kb.vmware.com only. also, all PDFs for vSphere 5.5

>** Please advice about tricks for time management!

Don't spend over 10 minutes on any item unless you are *sure* know the solution.  Mark it and come back.

If you open an RDP, telnet  or PowerCLI close it when you are done.  the time savings to open it again if you need it does not outweigh the performance hit of leaving it open.

Read carefully, don't go too fast.  Make sure all requirements and bullets are addressed.

Getting all points on many items > getting some points on most items.

** SO far I study like that, So tell me what I am missing here ?

VCAP5-DCA Practice environment – Test Track v.550 – Lab on a Laptop II | SOSTech

[scotland81]

Dear jkowalenko you say "You have access to PDF documents only, so ensure you know where to ..."

Can you confirm that? Because blueprint says also web docs are available...

Thanks

[JoshuaAndrewsVM]

PDFs are there also, the basic ones available from pubs.vmware.com for the topics covered.

I believe the docs available are listed in the blueprint.

[scotland81]

Blueprint v3.3 says:

Documentation on the products covered by the VCAP5-DCA are available during the exam and can be used at any point without penalty. The exam environment includes http links to the vSphere 5.5 documentation as well as the VMware Knowledge Base. Also included in the kit are the following documentation files:

vCenter Orchestrator v5.5 Developers Guide vCenter Orchestrator v5.5 Install and Configuration Guide vCenter Orchestrator v5.5 Using the Client Guide vSphere Management Assistant Guide v5.5 VMware KB Creating and using a Service Principal Account in vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 Configuring and Troubleshooting N-Port ID Virtualization VMware vSphere PowerCLI User's Guide vSphere Single Host Management Guide v5.5 vSphere Availability Guide v5.5 vSphere Command-Line Interface Concepts and Examples v5.5 Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces v5.5 Command-Line Management in vSphere 5 for Service Console Users v5.5 vCenter Server and Host Management Guide v5.5 vSphere Host Profiles v5.5 vSphere Installation and Setup Guide v5.5 vSphere Monitoring and Performance Guide v5.5 vSphere Networking Guide v5.5 vSphere Resource Management Guide v5.5 vSphere Security Guide v5.5 vSphere Storage Guide v5.5 vSphere Troubleshooting Guide v5.5 vSphere Upgrade Guide v5.5 vSphere Virtual Machine Administration Guide v5.5 VMware vSphere Replication Administration Guide v5.5 Installing and Administering VMware vSphere Update Manager v5.5 Reconfiguring VMware vSphere Update Manager v5.5

[elegipcio]

Really that Test Tracker idea is amazing , it get you familiar about Exam , the way it would be not the way you imagine.

I think it will not be direct , there will be issues to fix to get it done.

but I have some concerns about TT and not worry if I face them in the exam,,,

- How I know that I am free to delete a DataStore or to freely change some configuration where I am in Question 1 ,,, and not sure it would be used in question 18 for example ?

some times the English expression is weird to me so I can not understand doe they need me to keep the configuration or change them.

- do you think it getting all system details for 5 minutes deserve the time spent ? so I can notice things like missing redundant vmotion or management ?

- Can I get backup at first from current configuration using host profile ? so just in case I am not screwed up ?

Thank you Joshua

[scott28tt]

Only do the things that you are asked to do:

• Don't delete datastores you haven't been told to delete
• Only setup vMotion networking if it's not already present and configured correctly and you are asked to migrate a VM....
• Only use host profiles if instructed to use them for a particular task

Keep the lab environment as "clean" as you can, just focus on the tasks you are asked to complete.