Server+

mokaiba

Is the CompTIA Server+ certification worth getting if you plan on doing Network Administration/Security/Networking IT fields?

Also, is it also worth it to get the CompTIA Storage+ Powered by SNIA certification?

Asif Dasl

Server+ is full of server hardware topics as you might imagine.. CCNA is more useful if you are going the Net Admin route.

Storage+ has continuing education requirements, so unless you are going to go a route with storage then it's probably not all that useful to you. Even then because of the CE requirements I would probably pick up the book and skip the exam. Maybe useful information to have but the ROI is awful.

TylerBarrett

No one in my area that I have seen requires Server+ and from what I've gathered it's a relatively unimportant exam. It hasn't been updated in years. I have it because I grilled my manager for what exams I could take that would give me an increase in pay and they said this one. That is the only reason I have taken it.

srabiee

Server+ never expires and is relatively easy to study for. (took me about a week)
It's probably not going to help you land a job, but then again not many CompTIA certs will. If you can knock it out quickly, then go for it.

However at this point, going by the certs that you already have, I think it's time you move away from CompTIA and work on something like Cisco certs or Microsoft certs. CompTIA are generally regarded as entry-level have have a low to non-existent ROI.

Storage+ is vendor-neutral. I learned quite a bit studying for it, but it's not going to land you a job. As far as storage administration goes, businesses are going to look for vendor-specific experts. EMC, NetApp, etc. You will need to obtain certs in specific brands/technologies if that's the career path you choose.

mokaiba

I wonder if CompTIA added them to CompTIA Career Pathways just to make more money.

srabiee

CompTIA is supposedly non-profit. The problem with most of the CompTIA certs is that they are entry-level and have a low ROI. If you can bang them out quickly and the cost isn't a concern, then there's nothing wrong with taking them. But most of them do expire after 3 years which is a pain in the rear for entry-level stuff.

The A+ can help newbies land an entry-level position. And the Linux+ can help Linux Admins get a position (Linux+ is actually a really good cert to have). Everything else is meh. I have read that Security+ and possibly even CASP are required for certain security-related positions, however. Just depends on what you want to do and what the jobs in your area typically require.

The sooner you are capable of moving away from CompTIA and to vendor-specific certs, the better. (Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, etc)

abramsgunner

I can tell you that Server+ is a prerequisite for being certified to do warranty repair work on IBM xSeries servers and Lenovo ThinkServers.. along with the IBM and Lenovo coursework. (seems like you need the A+ as well, but that may not be true)

SojuBrewMaster

Hello Everyone,

Are there any resources that you guys could recommend at this point? The other threads seem to reference books that are like a decade old If this is the route to take which resources should I use?

kriscamaro68

I would say bypass this cert as I have never seen anyone ask for it. If you must take it then you can basically look up the topics online and get everything you need to pass this exam.

daviddws

There are some government contracting agencies that will take this certification to satisfy IT positions.

N2IT

I have it, it was cool a few years ago when I had knowledge gaps with servers. I thought it was A+ for servers basically. In fact I thought the exam was easier than A+.

[Deleted User]

Storage networking isn't going away any time soon. EMCISA is great for storage networking. The book for this is almost the same topics for the CompTIA Storage+. I plan on doing my Storage+ for my CE program for renewing my certifications.