Solaris 7 System Administrator Exam Cram
Authors: Darrell L. Ambro
Venue:  (2000)

From the Book:Welcome to Solaris 7 System Administrator Exam Cram. This book will help you get ready to takeand passthe two exams required to obtain the Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris 7 certification. In this Introduction, I talk about Suns certification program in general and how the Exam Cram series can help you prepare for the Solaris 7 certification exams. Exam Cram books help you understand and appreciate the subjects and materials you need to pass Solaris certification exams. The books are aimed strictly at test preparation and review. They do not teach you everything you need to know about a topic. Instead, I present and dissect the questions and problems that youre likely to encounter on a test. Nevertheless, to completely prepare yourself for any Solaris test, I recommend that you begin by taking the Self-Assessment included in this book immediately following this Introduction. This tool will help you evaluate your knowledge base against the requirements for a Solaris 7 System Administrator under both ideal and real circumstances. Based on what you learn from that exercise, you might decide to begin your studies with some classroom training or by reading one of the many system administration guides available from Sun and third-party vendors. I also strongly recommend that you install, configure, and fool around with Solaris 7 and other software that youll be tested on, because nothing beats hands-on experience and familiarity when it comes to understanding the questions youre likely to encounter on a certification test. Book learning is essential, but hands-on experience is the best teacher of all!The Sun Certified System Administrator For Solaris 7 The certification program currently includes two separate tests. A brief description of each test follows: Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris 7, Part 1 (Exam 310-009)The first exam (Part 1) covers basic system administration. Knowledge tested includes installing the operating system, software package administration, patches, the boot process, system security and file permissions, account administration, disk and file system management, backup, and recovery, along with using and managing the LP Print Service. Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris 7, Part 2 (Exam 310-010)The second exam (Part 2) covers advanced topics and several add-on software packages that are used to enhance system administration capabilities. Knowledge tested includes the Solaris 7 network environment and network clients; device administration; virtual disk management systems; Network File System (NFS), along with automounting and caching; naming services such as DNS, NIS, and NIS+; automated installation using JumpStart; and configuring the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). To become a certified system administrator, an individual must pass both exams. You do not have to take the tests in any particular order. However, it is usually better to take the examinations in order because the knowledge tested builds from the first exam to the second. Its not uncommon for the entire process to take a year or so, and many individuals find that they must take a test more than once to pass. The primary goal of the Exam Cram series is to make it possible, given proper study and preparation, to pass both of the exams on the first try. Because certification is associated with a particular version of the Solaris operating system, there is no requirement to ever recertify. However, once a Solaris version becomes obsolete, being certified on that version will have very little value. It would be in your best interest to work on the certification for the next version of Solaris. In the past, Sun has used the certification requirements and test objectives from the previous version as a starting point for the next version. Therefore, once certified on a version of Solaris, you should be very familiar with most of the test objectives for certification in the next version of Solaris. I estimate that about 20 percent of the test objectives changed between Solaris 2.6 and Solaris 7. The best place to keep tabs on Suns certification program is on the Sun Web site. The current URL for Suns System Administrator program is at http://suned.sun.com/certification/solarismain.html. Suns certification Web site changes frequently, so if this URL doesnt work, try using the Search tool on Suns site (www.sun.com) with either "certification" or the quoted phrase "certified system administrator" as the search string. This will help you find the latest and most accurate information about the companys certification programs. Taking A Certification Exam Alas, testing is not free. Youll be charged $150 for each test you take, whether you pass or fail. In the United States and Canada, tests are administered by Sylvan Prometric. First, you must purchase an examination voucher from Sun Educational Services. In the U.S., it can be contacted at 1-800-422-8020. This requires the use of a credit card. The voucher can be used for up to one year from the date of purchase. Next, contact Sylvan Prometric to register for the exam. In the U.S., their number is 1-800-795-3926. You can also use the Sylvan Web site (www.2test.com). To schedule an exam, call at least one day in advance. To cancel or reschedule an exam, you must call at least one day before the scheduled test time (or you may be charged the $150 fee). When calling Sylvan Prometric, please have the following information ready for the telesales staffer who handles your call: Your name, organization, mailing address, and social security number. The name of the exam you want to take. The number of the Sun voucher. (This information may not be needed, because the Sylvan Prometric staffer may already have it.) An appointment confirmation will be sent to you by mail if you register more than five days before an exam, or will be sent by fax if less than five days before the exam. A Candidate Agreement letter, which you must sign to take the examination, will also be provided. On the day of the test, try to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time slot. You must supply two forms of identification, one of which must be a photo ID. All exams are completely closed book. In fact, you will not be permitted to take anything with you into the testing area. I suggest that you review the most critical information about the test youre taking just before the test. (Exam Cram books provide a brief referenceThe Cram Sheet, located inside the front of this bookthat lists the essential information from the book in distilled form.) You will have some time to compose yourself, to mentally review this critical information, and even to take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. I suggest you take the orientation test before taking your first exam; theyre all more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, so you probably wont need to do this more than once. When you complete a Solaris 7 certification exam, the testing software will tell you whether youve passed or failed. Results are broken into several topical areas. Whether you pass or fail, I suggest you ask forand keepthe detailed report that the test administrator prints for you. You can use the report to help you prepare for another go-round, if necessary, and even if you pass, the report shows areas you may need to review to keep your edge. If you need to retake an exam, youll have to call Sylvan Prometric, schedule a new test date, and pay another $150. Tracking Certification Status Sun maintains a database that indicates the exams you have passed and your corresponding test scores. This database is accessible at www.galton.com/~sun. After you pass both exams, youll be certified as a System Administrator for Solaris 7. Official certification normally takes anywhere from four to six weeks (generally within 30 days), so dont expect to get your certificate overnight. Once certified, you will receive a package with a Welcome Kit that contains a number of elements: A System Administrator for Solaris 7 certificate, suitable for framing A logo sheet, which includes camera-ready artwork, for use on letterhead, business cards, etc. A Sun Certified System Administrator lapel pin Many people believe that the benefits of certification go well beyond the perks that Sun provides to newly anointed members of this elite group. I am starting to see more job listings that request or require applicants to have a Solaris certification, and many individuals who complete the program can qualify for increases in pay and/or responsibility. As an official recognition of hard work and broad knowledge, Solaris certification is a badge of honor in many IT organizations. How To Prepare For An Exam At a minimum, preparing for Solaris 7 exams requires that you obtain and study the following materials: The Solaris 7 documentation in printed form, on CD-ROM as delivered with Solaris 7 (AnswerBook2), or on the Web at docs.sun.com. The exam test objectives and sample questions on the Sun certification page (http://suneducation.sun.com/certification/solarismain.html). This Exam Cram book. Its the first and last thing you should read before taking the exam. In addition, youll probably find any or all of the following materials useful in your quest for Solaris 7 system administration expertise: Classroom TrainingSun offers classroom and computer-based training that you will find useful to help you prepare for the exam. But a word of warning: These classes are fairly expensive (in the range of $440 per day of training). However, they do offer a condensed form of learning to help you "brush up" on your Solaris knowledge. The tests are closely tied to the classroom training provided by Sun, so I would suggest taking the classes to get the Solaris-specific (and classroom-specific) terminology under your belt. Other PublicationsYoull find direct references to other publications and resources in this book, and theres no shortage of materials available about Solaris; however, many are not written specifically for Solaris 7. For that reason, I have not referenced a large number of these publications. To help you sift through some of the publications out there, I end each chapter with a "Need To Know More?" section that provides pointers to more complete and exhaustive resources covering the chapters subject matter. This section tells you where to look for further details. These required and recommended materials represent a nonpareil collection of sources and resources for Solaris 7 System Administrator topics and software. In the section that follows, I explain how this book works and give you some good reasons why this book should also be on your required and recommended materials list. About This Book Each topical Exam Cram chapter follows a regular structure, along with graphical cues about especially important or useful material. Heres the structure of a typical chapter: Opening HotlistsEach chapter begins with lists of the terms, tools, and techniques that you must learn and understand before you can be fully conversant with the chapters subject matter. I follow the hotlists with one or two introductory paragraphs to set the stage for the rest of the chapter. Topical CoverageAfter the opening hotlists, each chapter covers a series of topics related to the chapters subject. Throughout this section, I highlight material most likely to appear on a test using a special Exam Alert layout, like this: This is what an Exam Alert looks like. Normally, an Exam Alert stresses concepts, terms, software, or activities that will most likely appear in one or more certification test questions. For that reason, any information found offset in Exam Alert format is worthy of unusual attentiveness on your part. Indeed, most of the facts appearing in The Cram Sheet appear as Exam Alerts within the text. Even if material isnt flagged as an Exam Alert, all the contents of this book are associated, at least tangentially, to something test-related. This book is tightly focused for quick test preparation, so youll find that what appears in the meat of each chapter is critical knowledge. I have also provided tips that will help build a better foundation of system administration knowledge. Although the information may not be on the exam, it is highly relevant and will help you become a better test-taker. This is how tips are formatted. Keep your eyes open for these, and youll become a test guru in no time! Practice QuestionsThis section presents a series of mock test questions and explanations of both correct and incorrect answers. Details And ResourcesEvery chapter ends with a section titled "Need To Know More?". This section provides direct pointers to Sun and third-party resources that offer further details on the chapters subject matter. In addition, this section tries to rate the quality and thoroughness of each topics coverage. If you find a resource you like in this collection, use it; but dont feel compelled to use all these resources. On the other hand, I recommend only resources I use on a regular basis, so none of my recommendations will be a waste of your time or money. The bulk of the book follows this chapter structure slavishly, but there are a few other elements that I would like to point out. Chapters 11 and 23 include sample tests that provide a good review of the material presented throughout the book to ensure youre ready for the exam. Chapters 12 and 24 provide answer keys to the sample tests. Additionally, youll find an appendix on configuration files and formats; two Glossaries, which explain terms and commmands; and an index that you can use to track down terms as they appear in the text. Finally, look for The Cram Sheet, which appears inside the front of this Exam Cram book. It is a valuable tool that represents a condensed and compiled collection of facts, figures, and tips that I think you should memorize before taking the test. Because you can dump this information out of your head onto a piece of paper before answering any exam questions, you can master this information by brute forceyou need to remember it only long enough to write it down when you walk into the test room. You might even want to look at it in the car or in the lobby of the testing center just before you walk in to take the test. How To Use This Book If youre prepping for a first-time test, Ive structured the topics in this book to build on one another. Therefore, some topics in later chapters make more sense after youve read earlier chapters. Thats why I suggest you read this book from front to back for your initial test preparation. If you need to brush up on a topic or you have to bone up for a second try, use the index or table of contents to go straight to the topics and questions that you need to study. Beyond the tests, I think youll find this book useful as a tightly focused reference to some of the most important aspects of topics associated with being a system administrator, as implemented under Solaris 7. Given all the books elements and its specialized focus, Ive tried to create a tool that you can use to prepare forand passboth of the Solaris 7 System Administrator examinations. Please share your feedback on the book with me, especially if you have ideas about how I can improve it for future test-takers. Ill consider everything you say carefully, and I try to respond to all suggestions. You can reach me via email at solaris@unixcert.net. Or you can send your questions or comments to cipq@coriolis.com. Please remember to include the title of the book in your message; otherwise, Ill be forced to guess which book of mine youre making a suggestion about. For up-to-date information on certification, online discussion forums, sample tests, content updates, and more, visit the Certification Insider Press Web site at www.certificationinsider.com. Thanks, and enjoy the book!