Due to my being part of the VCAP5-DCA beta which is now closed, I  started making my way through the blueprint. Now that it has gone GA I hope to update it with a bit more information (time was tight for my beta prep) and finish off some of the objectives i didn’t have time to post about.

Due to the VCAP5-DCA Blueprint being 70% the same and due to Sean Cookston’s,Ed Grigson’s and Kendrick Coleman’s Blueprint Breaksdowns for the VCAP4 covering that 70% perfectly, I have started doing postings on each of the objectives as I’ve made my way through them and linking to the new portions of the blueprint and parts that have changed since vSphere 4. Below are all the objectives for the exam and after I post for each objective I will add the link here to make it easier for people to reference at them. *Warning* These links are not to replace the portions Sean,Ed and Kendrick have covered in theirs, this is in addition to what they have covered and I will still be going through all the resources mentioned on my VCAP5-DCA and DCD Page before the exam. Also if anyone thinks I’ve missed something please do tell me as I’m only human.

Section 1 – Implement and Manage Storage
VCAP5-DCA Objective 1.1 : Implement and Manage Complex Storage Solutions <- The vBrownbag has been done for Objective 1.1 by Hersey Cartwright which I would highly recommend here
VCAP5-DCA Objective 1.2 : Manage Storage Capacity in a vSphere Environment
VCAP5-DCA Objective 1.3 : Configure and manage Complex Multipathing and PSA Plug-ins
Section 2 – Implement and Manage Networking <- As well as the links below,Chris Wahl did a Brownbag webcast covering all of Objective 2 which I would highly recommend watching  bit.ly/vytQAX
VCAP5-DCA Objective 2.1 : Implement and Manage Complex Virtual Networks
VCAP5-DCA Objective 2.2 : Configure and Maintain VLANS, PVLANs, and VLAN Settings
VCAP5-DCA Objective 2.3 : Deploy and Maintain Scalable Virtual Networking
VCAP5-DCA Objective 2.4 : Administer vNetwork Distributed Switch Settings
Section 3 – Deploy DRS Clusters and manage Performance <- I covered the whole of Objective/Section 3 in my posting here
VCAP5-DCA Objective 3.1 : Tune and Optimize vSphere Performance
VCAP5-DCA Objective 3.2 : Optimize Virtual machine Resources
VCAP5-DCA Objective 3.3 : Implement and Maintain Complex DRS Solutions
VCAP5-DCA Objective 3.4 : Utilize Advanced vSphere Performance Monitoring Tools
Section 4 – Manage Business Continuity and Protect Data
VCAP5-DCA Objective 4.1 : Implement and Maintain Complex VMware HA Solutions
VCAP5-DCA Objective 4.2 : Deploy and Test VMware FT
Section 5 – Perform Operational Maintenance
VCAP5-DCA Objective 5.1 : Implement and Maintain Host Profiles
VCAP5-DCA Objective 5.2 : Deploy and Manage Complex Update Manager Environments
Section 6 – Perform Advanced Troubleshooting <- I covered all of Objective 6 in my posting here
VCAP5-DCA Objective 6.1 : Configure, Manage and Analyze vSphere Log Files
VCAP5-DCA Objective 6.2 : Troubleshoot CPU and Memory Performance
VCAP5-DCA Objective 6.3 : Troubleshoot Network Performance and Connectivity
VCAP5-DCA Objective 6.4 : Troubleshoot Storage Performance and Connectivity
VCAP5-DCA Objective 6.5 : Troubleshoot vCenter Server and ESXi Host Management
Section 7 – Secure a vSphere Environment <- The vBrownbag for objective 7 is now available for viewing here
VCAP5-DCA Objective 7.1 : Secure ESXi hosts
VCAP5-DCA Objective 7.2 : Configure and Maintain the ESXi Firewall
Section 8 – Perform Scripting and Automation
VCAP5-DCA Objective 8.1 : Execute VMware Cmdlets and Customize Scripts using PowerCLI
VCAP5-DCA Objective 8.2 : Administer vSphere Using the vSphere Management Assistant <- The vBrownbag for Objective 8.2 is now available for viewing here
Section 9 – Perform Advanced vSphere Installations and Configuration <- The vBrownbag for objective 9 is available for viewing here
VCAP5-DCA Objective 9.1 : Install ESXi Server with custom Settings
VCAP5-DCA Objective 9.2 :Install ESXi Hosts Using AutoDeploy

Good luck to all of those who are planning on writing the VCAP5-DCA. Let me know how you did 🙂

Gregg