Troubleshooting in VMware: how simulations save real systems

Cloud engineers need to learn from their mistakes. Find out how this can be done safely with simulated lab environments.



Educators the world over will tell you the importance of learning from your mistakes. Learning the right way to do something is all well and good. But without trying, failing and trying again, theory is, well, just theory.

And it's not just pedagogues who believe in the power of experiential learning. Most of us subscribe to a similar belief, whether we call it "earned wisdom", "the school of hard knocks" or something else entirely.

Learning from mistakes is an easy philosophy to implement when learning Spanish verbs, say, or how to cook an omelette. But what if you're learning how to use a real system with real-world consequences?

This is true in all sorts of activities, endeavours and industries – from cave diving to nuclear power, from keyhole surgery to cloud environments.

In cases like these, on-the-job learning is difficult, if not impossible. In the case of cloud administration, a slip-up could result in downtime for a business – and downtime means losing money.

This is why more and more businesses rely on simulated environments for training purposes. These provide a risk-free, cost-effective sandbox where cloud architects and administrators can deepen their skills – all without putting business operations at risk.

Want to know more? Here are six ways simulated environments can save real systems.

1. Risk mitigation

Let's start with the most essential function of a simulated environment. This is a simulation, not the real thing.

Real systems, you see, are fraught with risks. They're practically risk machines. If you incorrectly deploy, manage or scale a cloud environment, the problem isn't merely technical. It has ramifications for business operations – and budgets.

This is where simulated environments come into their own. They let cloud engineers, architects and administrators learn from their mistakes without putting real-world systems at risk. With simulated environments, mitigation is the name of the game.

2. Saving time when time is money

Closely related to the question of risk mitigation is the question of time and money. If you let IT try things out for the first time in the real world, you could be looking at disruptions to your day-to-day operations. The same goes for the time set aside to practise cloud skills on your actual system.

Simulations, by contrast, enable you to build and test multiple systems – systems that can be tweaked and scaled with ease.

Simulated environments save time and money in another way, too. Once upon a time, training involved travelling to a specific location to complete tasks on a specific piece of hardware.

Today, remote training is the norm, not the exception. This means training can be accessed on any device in any location and snugly fitted into the working day. The result? Less money on travel and training, and less disruption to core IT tasks.

3. The power of "what if?"

From one perspective, IT is all about answering the question "what if?" Every problem can be solved in a range of ways. Choosing the most cost-effective and time-effective method means answering those what-if questions.

But familiarity with these hypothetical scenarios can't safely be achieved on the job. Simulated environments, by contrast, offer a sandbox where specific variables can be isolated, manipulated and observed.

These variables can cover everything from commonplace cases to edge cases that are hard to replicate in the real world.

And best of all, these variables can be played with again and again and again. This means your IT staff end up with a comprehensive knowledge of what-ifs – an invaluable tool when faced with real-world troubleshooting.

4. Increasing confidence

Any experienced system administrator will tell you that knowledge alone isn't enough. You also need the confidence to make decisions.

In life, confidence mostly comes from experience. This is a general truth that applies to everything from speaking up in the workplace to juggling satsumas. And it most certainly applies to deploying, configuring and managing cloud environments.

As we've noted, however, experience with cloud administration can't be safely learnt on the job. Simulated environments deepen trainee confidence as well as skills – a combination that will drastically reduce errors when it's time to operate real systems.

5. Better systems for better engineers

Simulated environments don't just produce better engineers – they also produce better systems.

This is because simulations allow cloud architects to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies and other gremlins. These can be solved in theory before they're implemented in practice. As with training, this saves time and money and reduces errors in the real world.

So, if you want to ensure that real-world configurations are consistently effective, road-testing simulated environments could be just what your business needs.

6. Staying on the right side of compliance

Ah, compliance. Let's face it – this essential fact of business life is not what you went into business for. So, how can you make sure you're compliant without wasting time and shredding money?

In the context of cloud architecture, simulated environments can help. Cloud-based software can be thoroughly tested and validated against specifications and regulatory requirements.

The advantage is the same as using simulated environments to improve operational efficiency. Compliance is done ahead of time – so when your cloud environment is up and running, you know it's in line with industry regulations.

How we can help

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we don't just help businesses migrate their workloads to the cloud. We also provide lab hosting services for VMware Education Delivery Partner (VEDP) courses.

Our labs are secure, scalable and cost-effective. They provide the perfect infrastructure for course providers to bring their learning to life. And like all good simulated environments, they produce better systems, better engineers and better outcomes for your business.

So, if you're looking for lab hosting services for VEDP courses, don't hesitate to get in touch with our VMware experts at Ascend Cloud Solutions today.