Books
Here is a list of books I personally own and have read, or am in the middle of reading, that I can recommend. There is an increasing selection of newly released vSphere books from well known virtualization aficionados but these are the best I have found so far. Once read these particular books will continue to come in useful as references in your day to day life as either a VMware administrator, architect or similar.
And finally, I thoroughly recommend the following book for those of you new to VMware ESX. Although no longer 100% relevant to the ESX 4/vSphere product (with it being based around ESX 3.5) it contains large chunks of great content that still apply as it takes you through the nuts and bolts of how ESX hangs together and gives useful real-world tips on how to administer an ESX environment. If purely using this as a study aide for sitting your VCP4 exam I’d supplement it with a vSphere specific book to fill in the vSphere specific parts and differences.
VMware Certified Professional Test Prep by Merle Ilgenfritz
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My name is Simon Seagrave and I am a London (UK) based Technical Architect. 
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Do I read the requirements correctly, that to take the VCP test requires a mandatory 5500$ one-week class? How is this not pay-for-play buy-a-cert?
[Reply]
Kiwi Si Reply:
October 13th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Hi RC,
You can sit the VMware VCP exam without attending an authorised course though you won’t receive VCP certification status – which I personally don’t see the point in doing.
I wouldn’t say it is buy-a-cert as the course is just one part of gaining VCP accreditation. At least this way VMware can have some sort of control on the quality of what is taught to potential VCP’s.
If attending the offical course wasn’t necessary then there would be the age old argument, as is often seen with the likes of Microsoft’s certifications, that anyone can become a ‘paper’ VCP.
Although I appreciate that the course attendance could be seen as a money making exercise and is tough for those working for themselves or whose employer aren’t prepared to send them I personally would rather have it this way than without.
You’ve probably already seen this but here is VMware’s ‘Official’ line concerning attending the course for VCP certification:
“Participation in a VMware authorized training class is REQUIRED for VCP certification. Candidates who take the VCP exam without a class will NOT be certified or confirmed by VMware.”
All the best if you decide to start studying for your VCP and I hope you are in a position to attend one of the training courses.
Cheers,
Simon
[Reply]
The cost of training cards from EMC, for example, is quite high. The cost of the classes they cover are high as well. But all the cards I’ve seen issued are free by virtue of being included in the year’s storage renewal fees.
Do you have any idea what percentage of folks attending the VCP crash course are actually pay money for the class? If everyone is there by virtue of credit for ESX purchases, then I would argue that the 5500$ is only there as a way to minimize the number of outsiders who can attain certification.
I appreciate your good will, but I will be looking at Citrix or Xen certifications before I consider spending 5500$ with VMWare.
[Reply]