Tell me about Linux/Unix Certifications

Ok, I work in Telecommunications and have been told that learning Unix would be beneficial to my career. I have played around with it in the past and have even taken a college course or two on it years back, but it has been way too long.

So, Solaris would by my optimal platform, but i would like to just generally learn unix/linux as it could not hurt.

So, could someone break down the different certifications for me? Please list the easiest to the hardest. I am just talking about learning the operating system, commands, possibly scripting. I am not concerned with programming.

Does anyone have input on this entry level exam through Sun?

"Sun Certified Solaris Associate"

Thanks guys! I know this is the best place to ask this question!

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Comments

sambuca69

I'm curious what people think about Sun... Do many places use it? I don't think its as distributed as it once was, but I could be wrong.

I was considering getting a SCSA, but I read passing score was 50% for the tests.... I kinda wonder what having the cert really does for you with such a low pass score.

NetworkingStudent

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Forsaken_GA

sambuca69 wrote: »

I'm curious what people think about Sun... Do many places use it? I don't think its as distributed as it once was, but I could be wrong.

I was considering getting a SCSA, but I read passing score was 50% for the tests.... I kinda wonder what having the cert really does for you with such a low pass score.

Solaris still has a pretty big presence, and it's only grown ever since Sun open sourced it. It's overall future is somewhat in flux with the acquisition by Oracle, but for the here and now, it's worth learning. It's also worth learning Linux and either NetBSD or FreeBSD. FreeBSD has always had a pretty big presence in the Unix world, and Linux's presence has been steadily growing ever since IBM got behind it.

For the most part, Unix is Unix, and you can functionally move between versions without much difficulty. Each implementation has it's quirks, and if you have to work with that platform, you'll have to do some research, but it's not like you'll need to learn everything from scratch. Usually the biggest issues between versions is in how they boot and how they update. Userland utilities are pretty standard across the board (take that with a grain of salt though, as there are differences... particularly in Solaris land.. some of it's commands do entirely different things than other Unix versions, and many of it's commandline switches/options are different, but even with that, it's not really that difficult to work with)

Everyone ends up with their favorite flavor of Unix one way or another. I, for example, am a big fan of Debian Linux, and it's primary derivative, Ubuntu

hypnotoad

I wish there was some kind of certification for Ubuntu-style (debian) linux -- there are about a million distributions based on debian. apt is, and always has been, far superior to rpm

Not that I want to start a huge war on that topic...

UnixGuy

Yes it's very beneficial for you to get into UNIX if you work in telcos, because almost all the backend applications run on UNIX, and you need to know your way around.

You will find Solaris and Linux a lot, and it's a skill sought after.

I didn't take the Associate Solaris certification, as it's new. I have SCSA and SCNA.

I recommend you take the official training offered by SUN, and I really can't recommend it enough. The books they give you are exactly what you will need in your job...

Find the trainings here:
System Administration Training (SCSA) | Sun Solaris Certification

You can order the material and try self-study if you have the necessary background though..

I recommend you prepare a practice machine..and preferably a SPARC machine (so you can play with OBP, very helpful for troubleshooting) if you have one at work..otherwise use a PC and install Solaris x86. Then practice each and every topic in the SCSA...I believe it has everything a Mid-level Admin need.

As for Linux...I don't have any certs yet, but I will soon. Most respected one is RHCE because it's lab-based. You can start with CompTIA Linux+.

LPI 1, 2, and 3 are really good certs, and the information in the books are priceless.

If you learn Solaris or Linux or any flavor of UNIX and got the chance to do enough hands-on work, then any UNIX flavor will be easy for you to learn. Getting the opportunity to get hands-on experience is not easy..

My recommendation is, you pick a certification, and start with it. Practice each and everything in the books. Practice means try all the options, break the machine and fix it.
You need this kind of experience, troubleshooting/administration experience.

Very often I meet UNIX Admins who get stuck in things that are part of the SCSA cert. I can't stress the topics there enough.

Good luck

filkenjitsu wrote: »

Ok, I work in Telecommunications and have been told that learning Unix would be beneficial to my career. I have played around with it in the past and have even taken a college course or two on it years back, but it has been way too long.

So, Solaris would by my optimal platform, but i would like to just generally learn unix/linux as it could not hurt.

So, could someone break down the different certifications for me? Please list the easiest to the hardest. I am just talking about learning the operating system, commands, possibly scripting. I am not concerned with programming.

Does anyone have input on this entry level exam through Sun?

"Sun Certified Solaris Associate"

Thanks guys! I know this is the best place to ask this question!

UnixGuy

sambuca69 wrote: »

...I'm curious what people think about Sun... Do many places use it? ...

Ideally you see Sun products in Telcos and financial services field.

A lot of Telco vendors like Motorola, Ericsson, and Nokia deploy their applications on Solaris. They also use HP-UX and AIX...but Solaris is heavily used. It's a huge market.

Sun storage is also coming in the picture now, after the successful mid range products (6140, 6540, 6580..etc).

You see Solaris with Oracle DB, and you should be seeing more of this in the future as Oracle acquired Sun now.

Solaris works well for heavy back-end DB applications.

I see more Linux in web applications, and web hosting. I also see more Linux than Solaris in Mail servers, ldap, and DNS servers.

sambuca69 wrote: »

....
I was considering getting a SCSA, but I read passing score was 50% for the tests.... I kinda wonder what having the cert really does for you with such a low pass score.

The problem is not with the low passing score, the problem is with those **** and pass without knowing rat arse about Solaris or IT.

The exam isn't easy, and it really tests your practical knowledge...but you get a lot of paper certified people..that's the real problem here ! I wish it was Lab-based like RHCE...

sambuca69

UnixGuy wrote: »

I recommend you prepare a practice machine..and preferably a SPARC machine (so you can play with OBP, very helpful for troubleshooting)

What kind of SPARC machine would you recommend, that can be found on ebay for a decent price?

UnixGuy

hypnotoad wrote: »

I wish there was some kind of certification for Ubuntu-style (debian) linux -- there are about a million distributions based on debian. apt is, and always has been, far superior to rpm

LPI-1, 2, and 3....

Ubuntu Certification Announced | Ubuntu

hypnotoad wrote: »

..
Not that I want to start a huge war on that topic...

We don't do huge wars here...only small wars :P

UnixGuy

sambuca69 wrote: »

What kind of SPARC machine would you recommend, that can be found on ebay for a decent price?

I really recommend any SPARC machines that takes more than 4 Hard drives, so you can practice Solaris Volume Manager (and Veritas Volume manager later, it's not part of the test). It's one of the most important topics.

I learned on "Sun Enterprise 450". It has everything you need. Make sure you request it with 4 hard drives of the same size.

Sun Enterprise 3500...all these obsolete machines are really heavy duty and can take more than 4 Hard drives.

you can also buy "Sun Blade 1000" or "Sun Blade 2000" with SCSI HBA, and buy SCSI Multi-pack storage so you can have more than 4 hard drives.

sambuca69

UnixGuy wrote: »

I really recommend any SPARC machines that takes more than 4 Hard drives, so you can practice Solaris Volume Manager (and Veritas Volume manager later, it's not part of the test). It's one of the most important topics.

I learned on "Sun Enterprise 450". It has everything you need. Make sure you request it with 4 hard drives of the same size.

Sun Enterprise 3500...all these obsolete machines are really heavy duty and can take more than 4 Hard drives.

you can also buy "Sun Blade 1000" or "Sun Blade 2000" with SCSI HBA, and buy SCSI Multi-pack storage so you can have more than 4 hard drives.

Wow, that's huge! Sun Microsystems Ultra Enterprise Model 450 Server - eBay (item 370272664787 end time Nov-08-09 12:32:47 PST)

The wife will love seeing that in the home office, lol. Thanks for the info.

UnixGuy

sambuca69 wrote: »

Wow, that's huge! Sun Microsystems Ultra Enterprise Model 450 Server - eBay (item 370272664787 end time Nov-08-09 12:32:47 PST)

The wife will love seeing that in the home office, lol. Thanks for the info.

I know !! and it got wheels LOL

it looks like a small fridge

veritas_libertas

UnixGuy wrote: »

I know !! and it got wheels LOL

it looks like a small fridge

We had one of those at the last place I worked. Guess who had to move it when it was replaced?

UnixGuy

veritas_libertas wrote: »

We had one of those at the last place I worked. Guess who had to move it when it was replaced?

Mu ugliest encounter with this machine was at one ISP. The SCSI controller failed and I had to replace it. I almost dissembled the whole machine and inhaled a mountain of dust !

After the torture of replacing the controller (which took 30 minutes !) it didn't start up LOL...I had to go all over again and re-seat everything, then it worked !

hypnotoad

Sun also offers hardware evaluation units if you qualify -- they'll ship you out a multi-thousand-dollar brand new server to use for 60 days

Turgon

UnixGuy wrote: »

I know !! and it got wheels LOL

it looks like a small fridge

hehehee...I removed Volume Manager on one of those back in the year 2000.

filkenjitsu

http://www.globalknowledge.nl/images/solaris_cert.gif

It seems to me this would be the best and easiest place to start:

Sun Certified Solaris Associate (SCSAS) (CX-310-105)

Details
Delivered at: Delivered at: Authorized Prometric Testing Centers
Prerequisites: None
Exam type: Multiple Choice
Number of questions: 52
Pass score: 50%
Time limit: 90 Minutes

Assignment Objectives

Section 1

View and Use Components of a Solaris System
Perform the login process using the command line and change the password
Use command-line features to construct and execute basic commands from the command line
Access online documentation and resources in the Solaris environment

Section 2

View Files and Directories
Use commands to create, move, copy, rename, and remove files and directories
Perform fundamental operations using the vi editor to edit files and customize a vi session
Use commands within the Shell, including metacharacters, and describe the Korn shell variables and the purpose of user initialization files
Given a scenario, view and change permissions on files and directories, determine file and directory access, and modify the default permissions
Explain access control lists, view, configure and delete access control lists on files and directories

Section 3

Search Files and Directories
Use commands to search for directories and files on the system, and search for content within files
Describe a process and perform basic process control, including view a process, search for a specific process, and terminate a process

Section 4

Advanced Shell Functionality
Perform advanced Korn shell functionality, including manage a job, use aliases and functions, configure the Shell environment and settings, and run shell scripts

Section 5

Archive Files and Remote Transfers
Use commands to create, view, and retrieve file archives
Use commands to compress, view, and uncompress files and perform remote file transfers
Perform remote connections to establish a remote login session, copy files and directories to and from another system, and transfer files between systems

filkenjitsu

Linux +

TEST DETAILS

Number of questions: 98

Length of test: 90 minutes

Passing score: 675 on a scale of 100-900

Recommended experience: CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications or equivalent knowledge

Languages: English, Japanese

Exam code: XK0-002

The CompTIA Linux+ (2009 Edition) certification is aimed at an IT administrator experienced in
Windows or other operating systems who also has at least 6-12 months as a Linux system administrator.
The exam assumes experience with command line utilities, common administrative tasks, and
troubleshooting.

1.0 Installation and Configuration
1.1 Compare and contrast installation sources
• Physical installation media
o CD-ROM
o DVD
• Network types
o HTTP
o FTP
o NFS
1.2 Implement partitioning schemes and filesystem layout using the following tools and practices
• LVM
• RAID
• fdisk
• parted
• mkfs
1.3 Explain the purpose for using each of the following filesystem types
• Local
o EXT2
o EXT3
o Reiser
o FAT
o NTFS
o VFAT
o ISO9660
• Network
o NFS
o SMBFS / CIFS
1.4 Conduct routine mount and unmount of filesystems
• mount
• umount
• /etc/fstab
1.5 Explain the advantages of having a separate partition or volume for any of the following
directories
• /boot
• /home
• /tmp
• /usr
• /var
• /opt
1.6 Explain the purpose of the following directories
• /
• /bin
• /dev
• /etc
• /mnt
• /proc
• /root
CompTIA Linux+ Objectives 3 of 13
Copyright © 2008 by the Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved.
The CompTIA Linux+ Objectives are subject to change without notice.
• /sbin
• /user/bin
• /usr/local
• /usr/lib
• /usr/lib64
• /usr/share
• /var/log

1.0 Installation and Configuration
1.1 Compare and contrast installation sources
• Physical installation media
o CD-ROM
o DVD
• Network types
o HTTP
o FTP
o NFS
1.2 Implement partitioning schemes and filesystem layout using the following tools and practices
• LVM
• RAID
• fdisk
• parted
• mkfs
1.3 Explain the purpose for using each of the following filesystem types
• Local
o EXT2
o EXT3
o Reiser
o FAT
o NTFS
o VFAT
o ISO9660
• Network
o NFS
o SMBFS / CIFS
1.4 Conduct routine mount and unmount of filesystems
• mount
• umount
• /etc/fstab
1.5 Explain the advantages of having a separate partition or volume for any of the following
directories
• /boot
• /home
• /tmp
• /usr
• /var
• /opt

filkenjitsu

http://www.comptia.org/Libraries/Exam_Objectives/2009_Linuxplus.sflb.ashx