Creating Lifelines and Preventing Downtime: the Never-Ending Value of Nutanix User Groups

My work as a systems administrator means I’m constantly solving problems, and that’s the way I like it. I’ve always gravitated toward the infrastructure side of the wheelhouse, and I’ve always said my greatest strength is making disparate systems work together in the most efficient way possible.

But individual systems are the least of my concerns. Zero-day exploits have turned into zero-hour or even zero-minute attacks. The bad guys use AI just like the rest of us, so there’s a lot more prevalence of compromises from release to implementation. The timeline for all this is very minimal, so it’s important to keep disparate systems safe, secure, and operational. It’s something that keeps me up at night—because as the threat matrix evolves, my tools and resources must evolve with it.

The biggest weapon I’ve acquired in this fight isn’t a security tool or solution. Instead, it’s having lifelines—access to intelligent, insightful peers I’ve met through my Nutanix User Group (NUG).

A little nudge led to a big opportunity  

I started working at Moda Health at the beginning of 2019, and my work on VDI became a top priority at the onset of the pandemic. I quickly moved our VDI onto a Nutanix cluster, which earned me the reputation of being the “go-to Nutanix guy.” I spent more time with the technology than anyone else on the team and went the extra mile to complete further training and certifications.

It wasn’t long before our success engineer (SE) Gary Foster reached out about a potential opportunity. There was no NUG chapter in our area of Portland, and he thought I’d be perfect to lead it.

My first thought was that I’m a stereotypical IT guy—getting in front of people isn’t my thing and I don’t have a lot of free time. But Gary and I got along really well, and if he thought I could do it, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Highlighting topics that matter the most

I’ve been leading a Portland NUG for roughly five years now. Each NUG chapter meets quarterly and is driven and organized by the group members. While we sometimes invite people from Nutanix to offer support, our members set the cadence and decide what to see, hear, and discuss.

We’ve covered all sorts of topics over the years. We might have conversations about the latest feature set, or welcome Nutanix experts to do demos. One of our most recent meetings highlighted the process of migrating from one hypervisor to another. Because it’s for and about user interests, it’s a great place to exchange the information that matters most to us.

As I spoke with more people, I discovered how much I didn’t know about Nutanix. Despite being the “go-to Nutanix guy,” I learned about things we weren’t doing that we should’ve done (and vice versa). Along with my growing book knowledge through certifications and exams, the NUG has helped me gain practical knowledge for frontline use. 

Peers offer the greatest value

What I didn’t expect when I joined a NUG was such strong fellowship and camaraderie between other IT professionals. More than anything else, that’s where I’ve found the most value. 

All members benefit from:

• Having access to a close-knit group. One of the biggest benefits of NUG is collaboration with like-minded individuals. Since many of us are using similar products and solutions (Nutanix or not), it’s helpful to come together and swap ideas, insights, and opinions. Our 25–50-member Portland NUG has become my lifeline in times of need. Whenever I see an issue, rather than digging through a knowledge base, all I have to do is send a message in the forum. 
• Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Nutanix support is great, of course, but it makes a difference when friends can help you work through an issue. Your peers are likely more open and honest about any solution, and there’s an inherent level of trust from someone who has walked in your shoes. You can also get thoughts, feedback, and suggestions without opening a support case or waiting on a ticket.
• Faster responses. NUG groups foster faster time-to-resolution since so many people work on the frontlines with the technology. Someone is bound to catch a bug in advance or discover some solution they want to share with the group.

These benefits all help to prevent downtime. Our NUG has a dedicated Slack channel where people ask questions, get answers, and share bug reports. This has proven to be an invaluable solution—both for our members and for Moda Health.

For example, we’re running VMware on top of Nutanix. A few years ago, a bug in a new ESXi release caused some systems to crash. But because someone posted about the issue on our forums the same morning of the release, we didn’t have to discover this problem ourselves (or endure the hundreds of hours of lost production that downtime would've caused).

Unplanned downtime means lost money, and when dealing with critical systems within healthcare, the outcomes of downtime could be worse than monetary. My NUG saved my organization from having to manage that crisis.

Support at every level

All our members benefit from being in a peer-led group, but there are also specific benefits relative to specific career stages.

For example, we have a member who’s a C-suite exec. He’s not in the weeds on a daily basis, but he likes to stay on top of trends because most of his staff deal with Nutanix customers. Relying on the knowledge and expertise within the group, he gathers new information to pass along to his staff so they can better serve the company and its customers.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have entry- and mid-level IT professionals who don’t manage teams. They like to learn about new technology, but their primary purpose is to network, gain feedback, and have fun.

We recently hosted a Go-Kart racing event, and a Nutanix team member came dressed as Mario (complete with overalls and mustache). After the event, “Mario” joined a group of members for drinks and engaged in a lively conversation with a brand-new member who was eagerly asking questions.

The contrast highlights a genuine benefit. Members can have fun and network with other members in formal and informal environments while getting practical advice and support at any stage of their career.

Moda Health has been very supportive throughout my time as a NUG Champion. My expertise has grown more than 100X than it would have otherwise, and I’ve brought that back to the business. I’m now mentoring someone else on the team as they learn about Nutanix technology. It feels like it’s all come full circle.

Connecting the best in the business

Despite my initial hesitation, I’m grateful that Gary sent me down this path. I recently gained a co-Champion to help lead our chapter as it continues to grow.

For everything I’ve put into NUG, I’ve received so much more. I’ve developed genuine friendships, have a lifeline of support, and feel comfortable asking questions I wouldn’t have wanted to ask the SE. And while certifications are great for increasing your financial worth and demonstrating expertise, nothing compares to building new connections or having the ability to bounce ideas off someone else.

There are so many smart people, but finding them can sometimes be difficult. Being a part of a NUG puts those people within arm’s reach. In a career that’s about solving problems, these are the lifelines I value most.