It always surprises me how few customers are aware of the Hands-on Labs. The labs are full installations of VMware software running in VMware’s cloud, accessible from any browser and completely free for anyone to use.
Each self-paced lab is guided with a step-by-step lab manual. You can follow the manual from start to finish for a complete look at the specific software product. Alternatively, you can focus on specific learning areas due to the modular structure of the lab manual. You can even ignore the manual completely and use the lab as a playground for self-directed study.
You can give the labs a try here: http://labs.hol.vmware.com/