How VEDP labs prepare engineers for real-world pressure

VEDP courses provide cloud engineers with hands-on training. Find out how they can prepare staff for the real thing.



What makes a good cloud engineer? As in any other profession, the answer is multifaceted.

For one, they need deep technical skills – skills in platforms, automation, coding, containerisation, virtualisation, database management and more.

But like so many things in life, technique can only get you so far. Working as a cloud engineer is not unlike working in a restaurant kitchen. Your skills are only beneficial to the business if you can cope with pressure.

Yes, there's no escaping the fact that cloud engineers face pressure from multiple directions. There's the pressure of working in a fast-paced field that's constantly changing – and where change usually means more complexity. There's the need to balance work and life and avoid burnout.

But above all, there's the constant need to maintain complex systems – systems that are as essential to the successful running of a business as electricity and water.

This isn't to say, however, that cloud engineers will inevitably bow under this pressure. With the right training and the right support in the workplace, these pressures can be successfully overcome.

So, where do VEDP labs fit into this? First, let's establish what they are.

What are VEDP labs?

VEDP training labs are virtual, online sandbox environments used for training and certification programmes for VMware's virtualisation software.

These allow trainees to explore VMware products in a safe, simulated environment. Systems can be tested and problems solved without presenting any risk to real-world systems that have real-world consequences.

VEDP courses are offered by VMware-authorised third parties called VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs). They cover the whole suite of VMware products.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting for VEDP providers. They provide the training and we provide the sandboxes.

The business benefits are clear. VEDP labs are cost-effective, scalable and available. Unlike older forms of training, VEDP courses can be accessed at any time from any device in any location. And like the best kinds of modern training, they provide risk-free, hands-on training for niche technical skills.

So, how can they help cloud engineers deal with pressure specifically? In our view, there are three main benefits. VEDP labs increase confidence, increase speed and reduce risks. Let's take a look at these one by one.

1. They increase confidence

IT is a niche – and cloud computing is a niche within a niche. What's more, it's a niche within a niche that's constantly changing.

Containerisation. AI integration. DevOps. Hybrid and multi-cloud management. These are all relatively recent advances in cloud computing that continue to sprout heads.

This rate of change is part of what makes cloud computing such an exciting field to work in. But only the brainiest of brainboxes wouldn't admit that it can occasionally lead to a crisis in confidence – or at least a wobble.

VEDP labs help increase cloud engineer confidence by providing them with up-to-date models that can be used again and again. Everything from core skills to edge cases can be experimented with until procedures are deeply ingrained.

By supplementing their expertise with experience, VEDP labs encourage cloud engineers to keep their cool in the event of an IT disaster.

2. They increase speed

One of the biggest pressures cloud engineers face is the pressure to achieve results quickly.

This is understandable. In our cloud-based age, cloud environments aren't a fancy add-on to business operations. More often than not, they comprise a significant chunk of those business operations. If your cloud environment goes down, your revenue is likely to go down with it.

This means cloud engineers must be able to respond quickly and effectively to problems as they arise.

By providing trainees with virtual guardrails, VEDP labs give cloud engineers a safe environment to practise their skills until they can execute them quickly and accurately.

The return on investment is clear. Giving cloud engineers a safe space to deepen their skills means they're able to act decisively when real life comes calling.

The result? Cloud environments that are fine-tuned for high performance – and above all, available around the clock. 

3. They reduce risks

What makes one situation pressurised and another footloose and fancy-free? One answer to this question is that a pressurised situation is one where the stakes are high.

In a business context, there are fewer stakes higher than business continuity. After all, your availability directly correlates to your ability to do business. No cloud, no clout.

VEDP labs don't just make cloud engineers quicker and more confident. They also reduce the risks they run when faced with a real-world cloud crisis. This lowering of the stakes means they can identify and zap the problem with more experience and less pressure.

This is especially true for multi-cloud and hybrid environments. VEDP labs give cloud engineers the chance to explore these infrastructures in all their complexity. In the event of a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud calamity, they can go under the hood with far fewer risks in store.

The same goes for cloud security. GDPR, after all, is no laughing matter. If your system goes down and your data goes on the rampage, you could face a substantial fine – not to mention a reputational kicking when clients find out.

VEDP labs equip cloud engineers with hands-on knowledge of compliance and security issues. This means the risks are lower when it comes to tackling a real-world problem.

How we can help

If your organisation is built on VMware products, VEDP labs are a valuable investment, producing quick, confident cloud engineers operating in a low-risk cloud environment.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide secure, scalable lab hosting environments for VEDP partners. If you need a cost-effective virtual sandbox to bring your training to life, get in touch with our experts today. We'd love to help you engage your learners and boost business outcomes.