SAGE certifications: By sysadmins for sysadmins
Erik Eckel Network+, MCP+I, MCSE
Published: 13 Sep 2002 10:32 BST
The self-proclaimed "premier international organisation dedicated to the support of system administration and the advancement of systems administration as a profession" isn't doing itself any favours by suggesting in advertisements that, well, your IT certification mimics a certain action most often associated with vacuum cleaners. Such statements do nothing to strengthen the upstart SAGE certification spawned by the System Administrators Guild (SAGE).
Before making bold statements, the organisation should complete the rollout of its certification programme. According to the SAGE Web site two weeks prior to this writing, the second level of SAGE certification is still under development. Only the first level, cSAGE, is currently available.
That's a shame, as SAGE certifications aim to embrace some smart concepts. For example:
- The certifications are built by system administrators for system administrators.
- The accreditations are vendor-neutral.
- The certifications target different levels of expertise based on actual experience.
The organisation deserves some credit for trying to address the skills and expertise that system administrators need for long-term success in the industry. One of the certification's goals is to demonstrate to employers that those earning SAGE certification have proven their understanding of day-to-day tasks. Toward that end, exam questions are based on real-world situations experienced and submitted by system administrators. Although the exams are traditional multiple-choice, single-answer questions, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who believes testing real-world expertise is a poor idea.
It's too bad that only the cSAGE accreditation is available. Here's what it encompasses.
cSAGE targets junior admins
When registering for exams, cSAGE candidates must attest to possessing experience as a system administrator serving in a paid position or in a student or volunteer capacity. A condition of this experience prerequisite is that the candidate must administer more than one computer and user.
To earn cSAGE certification, candidates must pass two exams. The first is the core cSAGE exam, which tests expertise in the following areas:
- Data management
- User support/help desk
- Network management
- Document management and workflow
- Process automation, performance, and server management
- Security Network-based services
The second exam is the cSAGE UNIX module test. It tests expertise in the same areas as the core exam, as well as these topics:
- Software system development, configuration, and management
- Network configuration
- Hardware installation and maintenance
- Peripheral and device management
- Internet services and electronic mail systems
Each exam costs $225 (£144). The core exam consists of 125 questions, and candidates have two hours to complete it. The UNIX module test consists of 58 questions, and candidates have 90 minutes to complete it.
mSAGE in development
mSAGE will be the next-level certification that candidates pursue after earning cSAGE accreditation. The mSAGE cert is targeted at Level III system administrators, or those with intermediate expertise and experience. Plans call for the mSAGE certification to consist of a core exam and two additional modules.
The two module exams will test tacit and causal expertise. Tacit knowledge to be tested includes OS, network administration, and task-oriented expertise. Causal expertise will be tested by requiring candidates to prove programming proficiency and other problem-solving capacities, according to the SAGE Web site.
Eckel's take
Every IT organisation, association, and vendor seems to be offering its own certification these days. Credibility comes with mass; the more IT professionals who pursue an accreditation, the better known and, hopefully, better respected a certification will become.
The competition for attention and notoriety is furious, though, which may explain the bold approach SAGE is taking to build its certification. SAGE runs the risk that its tactics may turn off some IT professionals, including many in the important corporate market, but the organisation deserves credit for taking the initiative to try to create a certification built by system administrators for system administrators.
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