VMware has been following the tick-tock model for its vSphere releases where it introduces a major release then follows it with a minor release a year later. So far the series is composed of vSphere 4.0 (2009), vSphere 4.1 (2010), vSphere 5.0 (2011) and vSphere 5.1 (2012).
Some vSphere 5.1 changes
One may expect that a minor release should not make a drastic change to the product as the name implies; some maximum values should increase, some minor features like backup/restore of distributed switch configuration get added, and some improvements to already available features like vSphere replication is normal.
However, vSphere 5.1 has changed and added much more than typically expected from a minor release. For example, changing the main interface to the web interface and not exposing any new features through the traditional windows based C# client is a major change to the way vSphere admins manage their infrastructures.
Shared-nothing vMotion, is a break from an age-old rule dictating that you need a shared storage to be able to perform vMotion, limiting SMBs that can’t afford or manage one. There’s also the introduction of the vCloud suite and including vSphere as base to this suite.
Yet, in my humble opinion the most critical change that affects any admin plans to upgrade to or deploy vSphere 5.1 is the introduction of single sign-on (SSO) as a separate components that need extra care while upgrading earlier versions, and special attention when deploying a highly available or a distributed vSphere infrastructure.
Did vSphere 5.1 change the VCP5 exam course requirement?
As you may already know, to become VCP certified, you need to attend an authorized VMware course. Although you can attend the course after passing the exam, it is recommended to take the exam after attending the course because the course is not just a course; it is a series of labs designed to make sure that you know how to setup and configure vSphere.
Also, there is no specific time constraint after attending the course to take the exam. It took me about two years with my VCP4, as I attended the first course delivered in my region immediately after the release of vSphere 4.0. When I felt ready to take the VCP4 exam vSphere 4.1 was already released and vSphere 5.0 was on its way. Yet, a 4.0 course was still accepted as a requirement to the VCP4 exam.
This rule still stands, and if you have taken a vSphere 5.0 course, it will be satisfy the requirement for the VCP5 exam even though the current version of the exam is updated to 5.1.
Maximum values that changed between vSphere 5.0 and 5.1
Many candidates waste a lot of time memorizing maximum values. VMware official “Maximums” documents are 9 pages full of numbers, yet as the nerds we are, we feel the need to memorize this PDF because a couple of questions out of 85 may ask about them!
But as discussed earlier a minor version increases some maximums which may cause some confusion about whether to memorize the values for vSphere 5.0 or 5.1. The answer is neither. You can rest assured that if a value has changed between vSphere 5.0 and vSphere 5.1, you will not be asked in the VCP5 exam because the exam was revised to be version neutral to avoid any confusion.
I know you may wonder what values have changed. By comparing the two maximums documents, I created the table below for you as a reference. Although you do not need to memorize them for the exam, I am sure that you may find them useful in practical life.
| Feature | vSphere 5.0 | vSphere 5.1 |
| Virtual Machine Maximums: | ||
| Virtual CPUs per virtual machine (Virtual SMP) | 32 | 64 |
| Video memory per virtual machine | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Networking Maximums: | ||
| Maximum active ports per host (VDS and VSS) | 1016 | 1050 |
| Distributed virtual network switch ports per vCenter | 30000 | 60000 |
| Static port groups per vCenter | 5000 | 10000 |
| Hosts per VDS | 350 | 500 |
| Distributed switches per vCenter | 32 | 128 |
| Cluster Maximums: | ||
| Virtual machines per cluster | 3000 | 4000 |
| vCloud Director Maximums: | ||
| Virtual machine count | 20000 | 30000 |
| Virtual machines per vApp | 64 | 128 |
| vApps per organization | 500 | 3000 |
| Number of networks | 7500 | 10000 |
| Catalogs | 1000 | 10000 |
| vCenter Orchestrator Maximums: | ||
| Connected vCenter Server systems | 10 | 20 |
| Connected ESXi instances | 100 | 1280 |
| Connected virtual machines | 15000 | 35000 |
| Concurrent running workflows | 150 | 300 |
So do I need to know about 5.1 features?
Yes, for sure you need to know all about 5.0 and 5.1 features to pass the exam, and more importantly to present yourself as a certified VCP5-DCV in any interview. The last thing you want is to look outdated and lacking the motivation to learn the latest developments in your area in the eyes of your potential or current employer.
In addition, the exam blueprint states under objective 1.5 that you must “Identify the various data center solutions that interact with vSphere (View, SRM, Lab Manager, etc).” This means that you need to know about both VMware Data Recovery (VDR) and VMware Data Protection (VDP) as an example.
This is exactly why there is a full course for VMware vSphere 5.0 and shorter vSphere 5.1 Features course. The first teaches you in details all the basics of what you need to know for the VCP5-DCV exam, while the later adds to it and explains changes specific to 5.1. You can sign up for a 3-day free trial to get access to the entire TrainSignal training library, including over 100 hundred courses.