VMUG Connect 2025 Recap: From Brewery Chats to Certification Success!

Just got back from VMUG Connect 2025 in Saint Louis, and what an incredible experience it was! From the moment I landed, the energy was buzzing, and kicking off the event at the pre-connect gathering in a Budweiser brewery set the perfect casual tone to network and catch up with friends and peers from around the globe.

The keynotes were truly inspiring. Pablos Holman, the hacker, inventor, and investor, delivered a fascinating talk about innovation, challenging us to rethink possibilities.

Meanwhile, Frank Denneman’s keynote on AI’s evolving role in technology had me scribbling down notes like crazy—exciting stuff ahead!

My favorite session had to be the PowerCLI Deep Dive. As someone who loves scripting and automation, it was packed with practical insights that I can’t wait to implement back at work.

Other standout sessions included:

The Art of Public Speaking
Technical Deep Dive into VCF Integration
Building Private Cloud with VCF
Simple Kubernetes
VMware Cloud Foundation – Edge
Hands-on Labs featuring VMware Live Recovery, Kubernetes, and NSX Networking
Corey Romero’s Jedi-level tips on how to become a vExpert

One session that particularly resonated with me was the HomeLab workshop. Being passionate about HomeLabs, this session provided fantastic ideas and tips on building efficient, powerful, and cost-effective lab environments at home. The discussions around hardware choices, networking setups, and virtualization best practices were incredibly valuable and left me inspired to upgrade and refine my own setup.

I also attended the big session with Weiguo He, “A Look Inside the Future of VMware Cloud Foundation“, which offered exciting insights into upcoming developments.

Exploring the vendor hall was another highlight. Interacting directly with solution providers offered valuable face-to-face discussions, giving insights into some great tools that I’ll definitely look into integrating into my workflow.

The event wrapped up with a fantastic fireside chat featuring Hock Tan and Chris McCain, offering thoughtful insights and discussions on the future direction of VMware.

One personal highlight was passing my VCP-VCF Administration exam during the event—what better way to celebrate than surrounded by the vibrant VMUG community?

Already looking forward to our VMUGCZ event on May 29… Stay tuned!

MyVMUG #VMUGConnect2025 #TechCommunity

My VMUG Leader Summit 2025 Experience in Saint Louis!

I recently had the fantastic opportunity to travel from the Czech Republic to Saint Louis, USA, for the 2025 VMUG Leader Summit. As a proud Czech Republic VMUG Leader, this journey was particularly exciting for me—filled with long flights, amazing people, and tons of great insights.

My trip began in Prague, with stopovers in Amsterdam and Minneapolis before finally landing in Saint Louis. Traveling halfway across the globe was an adventure itself, and despite the long hours, the excitement of attending the Summit made it more than worth it.

The Summit was held at the Hilton at the Ballpark, right in the heart of Saint Louis, which made it convenient to explore and attend the planned events. From the moment I arrived, it was clear that this was going to be a special experience. VMUG had everything meticulously organized—from airport transportation (thanks to handy Uber vouchers) to welcoming receptions at iconic local spot like the Cardinals Stadium.

The two days of the event were packed with insightful sessions, networking opportunities, and interactive workshops. The Workshops were highlights for me, providing practical ideas and tools that I’m excited to implement back home. It was incredibly inspiring to see VMUG leaders from six continents sharing their experiences, challenges, and visions for the future.

A standout part of the Summit was reconnecting with old friends and making new ones from all over the world. The community spirit was genuinely heartwarming. It reminded me once again why I’m passionate about VMUG—it’s more than just technology; it’s about the people and the impact we create together.

Another exciting part of the Summit was celebrating the outstanding achievements of our peers at the VMUG Service Awards. Congratulations again to all the winners:

Stephen Wagner (Calgary VMUG)- President’s Award
Alejandro Padilla (Ecuador VMUG)- President’s Award
Jens Klasen (Kaiserslautern VMUG)- Innovation in Leadership Award
Sweta Sharma (Bangalore VMUG)- Innovation in Leadership Award
Pedro Acosta (Myrtle Beach/Charlotte/Columbia VMUG)- Collaboration Excellence Award
Barcelona VMUG– Collaboration Excellence Award
Galicia VMUG- Collaboration Excellence Award
Vali Cyber- Partnership Award
Franky Barragan– Outstanding VMware Support Award
Joe Graziano (Philidelphia VMUG)- Newcomer Award

Plus, the city itself was vibrant, welcoming, and full of history and entertainment, making our stay even more enjoyable.

I returned home energized, motivated, and loaded with great ideas and insights.

Thanks to everyone who made this experience unforgettable. Until next time, keep connecting and growing! Cheers!

#VMUGLeaderSummit2025

VMUGCZ Event in Prague – 2024-05-23

A Day of Innovation and Networking

VMware User Group Czech Republic (VMUGCZ)

Yesterday’s VMUGCZ event in Prague was a fantastic success, bringing together professionals and enthusiasts for a day filled with insightful sessions, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities.

Agenda:

Welcome by VMUGCZ Leaders
The event began with a warm welcome from the VMUGCZ leaders, setting the stage for an exciting day ahead. They provided an overview of the agenda, highlighting the key topics and sessions that attendees could look forward to.

Keynote: VCF, AI, and Other Things
Joe Baguley from Broadcom kicked off the keynote with a deep dive into VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), the evolving role of AI, and other emerging technologies. His presentation was followed by a lively Q&A session led by Vlastimil Horák from VMware by Broadcom, allowing attendees to ask questions and engage directly with the experts.

Understanding NSX in VCF: Best Practices for VCF Networking
Karel Novak from VMware by Broadcom delivered a detailed session on understanding NSX within VCF. He shared best practices for optimizing VCF networking, providing practical insights and solutions for common challenges.

Coffee Break and Social Networking
The first coffee break offered a chance for attendees to mingle, discuss the morning sessions, and network with peers and industry experts. It was a great opportunity to build connections and share ideas.

The Future is Here: ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage
Piotr Łukasiewicz from ExaGrid Systems introduced the latest innovations in tiered backup storage. His presentation highlighted the benefits of ExaGrid’s solutions, emphasizing how they can enhance data protection and recovery strategies.

Ootbi by Object First – Best Storage for Veeam
Walter Berends from ObjectFirst discussed the optimal storage solutions for Veeam, focusing on the features and advantages of Ootbi by Object First. His insights were particularly valuable for those looking to improve their data storage and management practices.

Lunch Break
A delicious lunch provided a welcome break and another opportunity for attendees to network and discuss the day’s topics in a more informal setting.

Google Cloud VMware Engine: AI-Assisted Automation for Your Workloads
Agnieszka Koziorowska from Google presented on the integration of AI-assisted automation with VMware workloads on Google Cloud. Her session showcased practical applications and the significant benefits of this advanced technology.

AI for Accident Analysis and 3D Reconstruction
Enrico Pittini and Pavel Kučera from DataVision demonstrated the use of AI for accident analysis and 3D reconstruction. Their presentation highlighted real-world use cases and the technological advancements driving these innovations.

Coffee Break and Social Networking
Another coffee break allowed attendees to relax and continue their networking conversations, exchanging thoughts on the afternoon sessions.

Before Calling in the Backups
Boris Mittelmann from Veeam discussed the importance of preparedness in backup management. He shared strategies and best practices to ensure effective and efficient backup processes.

VCF aka Virtuální Cloudová Fantazie
A community session led by Martin Dimitrov, Libor Junek, and Josef Zach explored the capabilities of VMware Cloud Foundation. Titled “Virtuální Cloudová Fantazie” this session provided info from real-life VCF deployment.

Roundtable with VMUG Leaders and Speakers
The roundtable discussion offered an interactive platform for VMUG leaders and speakers to engage with the audience. Attendees had the chance to ask questions, share insights, and discuss various topics in an open forum.

Social Networking: Grill, Beer, and Hockey
The event concluded with a relaxed social networking session featuring a grill, beer, and watching the Hockey World Championship on big screen. (Czech Republic vs. USA. [1:0] ) It was a fun and enjoyable end to a day packed with learning and networking.

Overall, the VMUGCZ event in Prague was a resounding success, offering valuable insights, practical knowledge, and plenty of opportunities for professional growth and connection. Check out some photos from the event below!

Joe Baguley (VMware by Broadcom) Keynote

Karel Novak (VMware by Broadcom)

Piotr Lukasiewicz (ExaGrid Systems)

Martin Stetka (Object First)

Walter Berends (Object First)

Google Cloud

Pavel Kučera (DataVision)

Boris Mittelman (Veeam)

Libor Junek, Josef Zach, Martin Dimitrov (community session)

Social links:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7199790189827739648

VMware User Group Czech Republic – meeting – 4.12.2017

It’s almost a 2months back, but you know.. a lot of other stuff was more important.

Agenda:

Agenda:

8:00	8:50	Registration / Welcome tea/coffee
8:50	9:00	VMUGCZ Leader’s – Welcome…
9:00	9:45	Duncan Epping – “(r)Evolution of vSAN” – Keynote speaker
9:50	10:35	Andrey Zhelezko – Veeam and VMware Best Practices 2017 edition
10:35	10:55	Coffee break
10:55	11:40	Mark Brookfield – Moving Code from Dev to Prod using vRealize Automation and Code Stream
11:45	12:30	G2 server CZ – Michal Hampl (Chief Technology Officer), Martin Javorský (Infrastructure Director), Vojtěch Morávek (Chief Product Officer) – Jak děláme cloud v G2
12:30	13:30	LUNCH
13:30	14:15	David Pasek – CLI for VMware Distributed Switch (Community project)
14:20	15:05	HPE – presentation
15:10	15:55	Andrea Mauro – The dark side of stretched cluster
15:55	16:15	Coffee break
16:15	17:00	Runecast – presentation
17:05	17:50	Vladan Laxa – vSphere Automation

Speakers Experts:

Duncan Epping:

Chief Technologist @VMware | Author of http://Yellow-Bricks.com , Essential Virtual SAN, Clustering Deepdive | Hyper-Converged, Software-Defined Storage, vSphere
http://www.yellow-bricks.com/

Mark Brookfield:
PSO Consultant @VMware specialising in cloud infrastructure & management. vExpert, VCAP5-DCA/DCD, VCP-DT, MCITP, MCSE, CCNA, ITIL. Tweets are my own.
http://virtualhobbit.com/

Andrew Mauro
ITPro. Accreditations: vExpert 2010-17,MVP 2014-16,NTC.Some certifications: VCDX-DCV,VCAP-*,VCP-*, MCSA,MCSE,MCITP,CCA,NPP. VMUG IT Co-Founder and board member.
http://vinfrastructure.it/

David Pasek
An IT Pro specializing in next gen computing (virtualized compute/storage/networking). IT geek who knows he know nothing but everyday learns. VCP,VCAP,VCDX #200
http://www.vcdx200.com/

Vladan Laxa
virtualization enthusiast and opensource fan, VCP6.5-DCV
http://www.latraxa.cz/

Runecast
Automated VMware expertise – Proactively use VMware KBs, best practices and security hardening guidelines to protect your environment
http://www.runecast.biz/

Official agenda:

And some photos from event:

Duncan Epping – “(r)Evolution of vSAN” – Keynote speaker

Coffee break

Mark Brookfield – Moving Code from Dev to Prod using vRealize Automation and Code Stream

G2 server CZ – Michal Hampl (Chief Technology Officer), Martin Javorský (Infrastructure Director), Vojtěch Morávek (Chief Product Officer) – Jak děláme cloud v G2

David Pasek – CLI for VMware Distributed Switch (Community project)

HPE – presentation

Andrea Mauro – The dark side of stretched cluster

Runecast – presentation

And a lottery 🙂