VMware has an advocacy recognition program called VMware vExpert.  The program’s goal is to recognize individuals who significantly contribute to the community of VMware users.  Such individuals include authors, bloggers, VMUG leaders, tool builders, and other IT professionals.

I waited until the last minute to submit my application because I debated if I was even qualified to apply.  This blog is very new.  I’m not the knowledge expert on VMware products like many of the other vExperts.  Heck, I don’t even have VCP (VMware Certified Professional) credentials. I’m one of the IT professionals out there buying the books that many of the other vExperts publish!  The VMware vExpert judges deemed me worthy of the recognition and I’m thrilled and proud to have been awarded it on Friday.

Although I’m not the pure VMware subject matter expert many are, I have and will continue to contribute my subject matter expertise with Oracle products on Linux under VMware.  My main client made the switch to running our Tier 1 production Oracle systems under VMware about 2 years ago.  I believe it was one of the best decisions we ever made, from both a technical and financial perspective.

Since then in addition to my main duties as Sr. Oracle Applications DBA and Sr. Linux Administrator, I’ve been learning and leveraging many of the features VMware virtualization buys us.  I’ve done many reference calls both for Oracle (my main client was one of the first companies in the world to run Oracle 11g database in Production), EMC (we utilize many EMC products in our environment) and VMware and will continue to in the future