Red Hat certifications and training

The first version of Red Hat Linux was launched in 1994, and the company’s training and certification program followed suit in 1999. Just as the Open Source Software (OSS) community has grown and flourished over the last fifteen years, so has Red Hat’s certification program.

Types of certifications offered by Red Hat

Red Hat currently offers a large number of certifications for its various products, based around the following information technology (IT) industry job role categories:

  • System Administrators, Engineers, and Architects
  • Enterprise Developers and Application Administrators
  • Cloud and Virtualization Administrators

Some certifications are actually add-on certificates for other certifications in the program. And certain Red Hat certifications can only be earned by achieving multiple certifications or certificates.

List of Red Hat certifications

This is a list of the current Red Hat certifications, organized by their IT industry job role categories.

System Administrators, Engineers and Architects

  • Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) — for experienced Red Hat Enterprise Linux system admins, and for students who have taken the necessary training
  • Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) — more advanced than the RHCSA, it incorporates more complex knowledge of network design and configuration topics
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Deployment and Systems Management — an add-on to the RHCE, it deals with managing large installations of Red Hat Enterprise Linux with Red Hat Satellite, a set of network management tools
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Clustering and Storage Management — a RHCE add-on certificate, based on creating high-availability services using Cluster Suite and Global File System
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Performance Tuning — another RHCE add-on certificate that focuses on fine-tuning network performance
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Server Hardening — a RHCE add-on certificate, it deals with securing Red Hat Enterprise Linux networks against attacks or unauthorized access
  • Red Hat Certified JBoss Administrator (RHCJA) — aimed at IT pros who can install, configure and manage the Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
  • Red Hat Certified Datacenter Specialist (RHCDS) — requires multiple Red Hat certifications, and meant for experts who know how to create and manage data centers
  • Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) — the highest designation a Red Hat Certified Engineer can earn, requiring the achievement of one of a number of designated combinations of certifications and certificates

Enterprise Developers and Application Administrators

  • Red Hat Certified JBoss Developer (RHCJD) — for software developers building Java Enterprise Edition applications
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Enterprise Service Bus –– for enterprise application developers who can get unrelated applications to “talk to each other” using the Enterprise Service Bus
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Camel Development — aimed at developers responsible for creating and maintaining enterprise integration services based on Red Hat JBoss Fuse and Apache Camel application program interfaces (APIs)
  • Red Hat Certified JBoss Administrator (RHCJA) — covers the Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, including how to deploy applications on this platform

Cloud and Virtualization Administrators

  • Red Hat Certified Virtualization Administrator (RHCVA) — for system administrators who deploy and manage virtualization solutions based on Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Hybrid Cloud Storage — covering how to create and manage robust storage solutions for local and hybrid clouds
  • Red Hat Certified System Administrator in Red Hat OpenStack — focuses on how to create and manage private clouds using Red Hat’s OpenStack Platform
  • Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Platform-as-a-Service — based on creating and managing a cloud application platform with OpenShift Enterprise

Information about examinations

Red Hat certification exams can contain both multiple-choice questions and “performance-based” questions. Performance-based questions require candidates to perform actual tasks in a simulated computing environment.

Red Hat exams are offered through Individual Exam Session locations. The list of locations is available from the Red Hat website www.redhat.com.

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)

Red Hat Linux originated in 1994 and has evolved a great deal over the last fifteen years. The same can be said for Red Hat’s training and certification program, through which professionals can validate their knowledge and skills. One certification type is the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA).

Overview of RHCSA Certification

Candidates for the RHCSA are often system administrators experienced with Red Hat Enterprise Linux or students who have taken the appropriate level of training in the product in preparation for the RHCSA certification exam.

According to Red Hat, RHCSA-certified individuals can typically perform the following functions:

  • Understand and use necessary tools for handling directories, documentation, files, and command-line environments.
  • Develop and configure file systems and system attributes, such as encryption and network file systems.
  • Deploy, construct, and maintain systems, including software installations, updates, and core services.
  • Operate running systems, including identifying processes, booting into different run levels, controlling services, and starting and stopping virtual machines.
  • Configure local storage using logical volumes and partitions.
  • Oversee security, including basic firewall and SELinux configuration.
  • Manage users and groups and be able to use a centralized directory for authentication.

To earn the RHCSA designation, candidates must pass the RHCSA exam (exam number: EX200). In order to qualify for the exam, candidates must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Complete the Red Hat System Administration I and II courses, or have the equivalent professional experience.
  • Complete the Red Hat RHCSA Rapid Track course, or have the equivalent professional experience.

More information about the RHCSA certification can be found on the RHCSA page on the Red Hat website.

The RHCSA Examination

The RHCSA examination is only available directly through Red Hat or a Red Hat Certified Training Partner. Valid testing locations exist in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

The RHCSA exam consists of “performance-based” questions, which require test-takers to complete one or more tasks similar to what they might do while on the job. Individuals are scored based on whether they meet certain objectives while performing their tasks.

Candidates have 2.5 hours to complete the RHCSA exam. They may not bring any outside items into the examination room. The documentation that ships with Red Hat Enterprise Linux is usually available to candidates during the exam.

Red Hat Certification Central typically sends candidates their exam scores within three U.S. business days.

For more information about the RHCSA exam, visit the RHCSA Exam Objectives page on the Red Hat website.

Renewing the RHCSA Certification

The RHCSA certification is valid for three years, once awarded by Red Hat. If an RHCSA-certified individual goes on to achieve the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification, or if they earn any Red Hat Certificate of Expertise, they are considered to be current for three years from when the RHCE or Certificate of Expertise is earned.

Professionals with an RHCSA certification can not only gain industry and employer recognition with their designation, but they can also gain access to an online network of Red Hat Certified Professionals.

Sources:

Exam Objectives – RHCSA, Red Hat, http://ca.redhat.com/training/courses/ex200/examobjective

Recertification policies, Red Hat, http://ca.redhat.com/training/certifications/recertification.html

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) Exam (EX200), Red Hat, http://ca.redhat.com/training/courses/ex200/

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat, http://www.redhat.com/training/certifications/rhcsa/

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

Red Hat’s training and certification program is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2014. The program is a way for Red Hat Linux professionals to earn proof of their skills and knowledge. Red Hat offers numerous certifications, one of which is the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) designation. The RHCE certification is an accreditation for Linux system administrators looking to earn industry recognition.

Overview of RHCE Certification

The RHCE is aimed at Linux system administrators who have hands-on experience configuring and administrating networks that run Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Here are some tasks that certified engineers typically perform:

  • Configure system logging.
  • Create reports on system utilization.
  • Configure an Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) initiator.
  • Configure packet filtering, static routes and network address translation (NAT).
  • Utilize shell scripts to automate system maintenance tasks.
  • Set kernel runtime parameters.
  • Configure common networking services, including HTTP/HTTPS, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and others.

Before earning the RHCE certification, candidates must earn the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) designation. Technically, the RHCE exam can be taken before the RHCSA exam, but the RHCE will not be awarded by Red Hat until the candidate has earned their RHCSA certification.

For more general information about the RHCE, visit the RHCE page on the Red Hat website.

RHCE Certification Exam Details

Candidates can book their exam via Red Hat Certification and take it in one of many authorized centers. Exams, or “Individual Exam Sessions,” as Red Hat calls them, are offered across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Candidates can request further information on Individual Exam Sessions locations from Red Hat Certification.

Individuals must pass the RHCE exam (exam number: EX300) to earn the RHCE. The exam is comprised of a number of performance-based questions, which require candidates to complete hands-on tasks in a simulated networking environment. Exam takers have two hours to complete the RHCE exam.

Exam objectives can be broken down into the following major categories:

  • Understanding and Using Essential Tools
  • Operating Running Systems
  • Configuring Local Storage
  • Creating and Configuring File Systems
  • Deploying, Configuring and Maintaining Systems
  • Managing Users and Groups
  • Managing Security

For more detailed information about exam objectives, visit the RHCE Exam page on the Red Hat website.

Candidates may not bring any external materials into the examination room. However, the documentation shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux is available during the exam.

Exam results are sent to candidates by Red Hat Certification within three U.S. business days.

Renewing the RHCE Certification

The RHCE certification is valid for three years. Professionals must retake the exam in order to renew their certification. Alternatively, if an RHCE owner goes on to earn a Red Hat Certificate of Expertise (these are individual Red Hat designations based on different job roles and product specializations), the RHCE certification period is extended for three years from when the person earns the Certificate of Expertise.

By earning an RHCE designation, certification holders can help validate their expertise to potential employers and expand their professional network through various RHCP online communities.

Sources:

Exam objectives – RHCE, Red Hat, http://www.redhat.com/training/courses/ex300/examobjective

Recertification policies, Red Hat, http://www.redhat.com/training/certifications/recertification.html

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) Exam (EX300), Red Hat, http://www.redhat.com/training/courses/ex300/

Red Hat Certified Engineer, Red Hat, http://www.redhat.com/training/certifications/rhce/

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