Linux Certification Options for IT Professionals

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Category: Featured

Published on Monday, 25 July 2011 08:21

To certify, or not certify? That is the question! Do you need Linux Certification to boost your IT career prospects? There are now an excellent range of flexible training options available but is it really necessary, and if it is, then which of the many options is appropriate for you?

IT professionals, especially those who specialise in the realm of Systems Administration, are in a constant state of training and up-skilling when it comes to upgrades in versions of the platform in which they work, and the Linux domain is no different. More and more, the IT world demands a high level of proficiency in an ever-evolving, dynamic, technical setting. Vendors of operating systems refine their products and issue service packs, or complete new versions, leaving IT professionals to research and train in order to come up to speed and manage and optimise the new systems.

As an IT professional, certification provides an opportunity to invest in your ongoing professional training. Undergoing the process of becoming certified in your field enables you to demonstrate that your knowledge is sound and that you’re abreast of the current technology regarding your niche area of speciality. In effect, certification says: “I have undergone extensive training and have demonstrated my understanding by successfully sitting a gruelling exam”.

If you’re an IT professional specialising in Microsoft technologies, then certification is an essential part of being competitive in the job searching arena. Microsoft certification has become an industry accepted benchmark of a system administrators’ worth. While experience is also highly regarded by employees, many advertisements for positions will list certification as an essential criterion.

The Linux certification process is a developing one which is slowly picking up momentum in the industry. A number of years ago, there was reported scepticism among recruiters and employers regarding the value of Linux certification. Some claimed that if a resume contained a Linux certification, the recruiter would be sceptical regarding the candidate’s real world experience and knowledge.

The Linux certification providers have since tweaked their programs to ensure they test the candidate’s experience before accepting them into the program. The exams themselves are often hands on and practical, where the candidate needs to successfully carry out key administration functions and troubleshooting in order to gain certification. Overall, with today’s Linux certification programs, prospective employers can have confidence that if you’ve achieved Linux certification, you should be able to capably manage and optimise their Linux environment.

Certification itself, however, is not necessarily the panacea, especially in the Linux world. An analysis of all the Linux based jobs current listed on the LinuxCareer website, show that a mere 4% actually listed some form of Linux certification as a requirement. In every one of the listed ads however, the call was for people with solid demonstrated Linux experience. Experience speaks volumes and is even a prerequisite to being enrolled in many recognised Linux certification courses. Most recognised Linux certification programs require a minimum of 2 years Linux administration experience before an applicant for the program is considered.

Which certification program will best suit your circumstances? There are a number of Linux certification programs existing in the marketplace today, focusing on varying levels of Systems Administration expertise. Linux Certification is also available for the administration of systems security on a Linux platform. The following provides a snapshot of all the major Linux certification programs available in the market today with a description that will help you make the right choice for your needs.

Certification through the following Linux industry associations offers a vendor neutral training which isn’t specific to any particular vendor distribution of Linux:

• CompTIA offers Linux+ powered by LPI certification
• Linux Professional Institute (LPI) offers LPIC1, LPIC2, LPIC3 certification
• System Administration, Networking and Security Institute (SANS) offers the GCUX certification (GIAC Certified Unix Security Administrator)

Other certification programs are available through the following vendors. These programs prepare the systems administrator to manage the specifics of the vendors’ own version of the Linux platform.

• Novell certifies for the SUSE distribution of Linux and offers Certified Linux Administrator (CLA), CLP (Professional), CLE (Engineer), CLDA (Desktop Administrator). In 2010, Novell aligned itself with LPI in order to standardise its CLA program against the LPIC1 baseline.
• Red Hat certifies for the Red Hat (RH) distribution of Linux and offers RHCE (Certified Engineer), RHCT (Certified Systems Administrator). RHCA (Certified Architect) and RHCSS (Certified Security Specialist)
• Oracle also offers certification for systems administrators who are working with Oracle running on Linux. Oracle offers the OCA (Oracle Certified Associate), OCE (Oracle Certified Expert) and the GCUX (GIAC Certified Unix Security Administrator)

Another factor of note, the LPI has partnered with CompTIA and Novell and come to an arrangement that has set the LPIC1 certification as the baseline for the Linux + and the CLA certifications. Can this be the start of an emergent single standard for gaining Linux certification? Let’s hope so. And in the future, as more professional alliances are formed, and the Linux industry comes to terms with the need of a unified approach to training Linux professionals, it may lead to a situation where certification becomes a key feature of a Linux professional’s bag of tricks.

The following matrix outlines some key features of each certification program. All of these certifications can be obtained either by carrying out a self study program, or by entering into a formal on-line or face to face training arrangement. As the training cost can vary depending on your approach, it hasn’t been analysed below.

Currently, whether or not you choose to take on the certification path for Linux career choices, only a very small percentage of employers are seeking specific certification. The most popular certification sought by employers today is the Red Hat certification. So it seems that today, lack of certification under your belt is not a deal breaker for most Linux jobs on the market. However, the movements in the Linux certification arena suggest formal certification is likely to become more of a necessity in the years to come.

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