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Xsan 2 Certification test

 
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katie
JBOD
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Joined: 23 Apr 2008
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:55 pm    Post subject: Xsan 2 Certification test Reply with quote

Hello,
A few of us at work were looking to get Xsan certified and read the Xsan 2 Administration book. Our local Prometric center does not seem to carry the test though. Does anyone know what the procedure is for taking the test? Are you required to go to an Apple training center, or take the training course in order to take the exam?

Thank you!
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abstractrude
Xsan Master
Xsan Master


Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 881

PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

they have them around. go to training.apple.com

in my opinion the xsan cert is kind of useless. just isnt in depth and it doesn't take into account what xsan is like in production. everything is academic.
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CitraMalus
Been around the blocks
Been around the blocks


Joined: 19 Mar 2008
Posts: 23

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Xsan 2 certification can be taken only from an Apple Authorized Training Centre, as per Apple. Not any other Authorised Prometric Centres offer this Exam.
You will be able to find the AATC list @ http://training.apple.com/locations

Hope this helps !!!
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morphenine
Xsan Master
Xsan Master


Joined: 22 Dec 2008
Posts: 126

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
in my opinion the xsan cert is kind of useless. just isnt in depth and it doesn't take into account what xsan is like in production. everything is academic.


The test is geared toward what you learn in the class. The class is pretty much all about setup. You get 90% setup, 10% troubleshooting. (I agree that the class didn't teach enough real world information about how to deal once you have it set up) So most of the test is about "Apple best practices" during the initial setup of your xsan. It just means that you can set one up, doesn't mean that you can keep it running.

However, the upside of the cert is give you yet another acronym to throw on your resume and those always look impressive.
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abstractrude
Xsan Master
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Joined: 13 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

agreed. i took it after doing xsan for 4 years. I was just dissapointed it taught how to setup and not how it works. Like it would be awesome to have learned about how the controllers actually manage reads and writes. how cvfsck works. clobbering inodes. advanced stuff you know.
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aaron
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Joined: 19 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I failed my first Xsan 1 test because I knew the right answers, not the correct answers. But I do think it is useful to know the "Apple Way" to do things. Learn the rules before you break them.
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djidji
Been around the blocks
Been around the blocks


Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe the comments above are true for most IT certs - not only for the Apple sonspored. Still the xsan cert is a way to get a differentiation for your skills as an xsan admin and as such I'm quite disappointed I can't take the xsan 2 exam in a prometric test center (like 6 in my home city) but only in an AATC. There are no AATCs in my country so I guess for the time being I'm stuck with my xsan 1.1 cert. Sad
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katie
JBOD
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Joined: 23 Apr 2008
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CitraMalus wrote:
The Xsan 2 certification can be taken only from an Apple Authorized Training Centre, as per Apple. Not any other Authorised Prometric Centres offer this Exam.
You will be able to find the AATC list @ http://training.apple.com/locations

Hope this helps !!!


Thanks that was what I wanted to know. Guess I gotta find an Apple Training center.
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katie
JBOD
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Joined: 23 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

abstractrude wrote:
they have them around. go to training.apple.com

in my opinion the xsan cert is kind of useless. just isnt in depth and it doesn't take into account what xsan is like in production. everything is academic.




Thats the problem with most of the Apple training books. It all looks good on paper and in theory but never quite works out in the real world. Still, some of the info is quite useful and can at least point you in the right direction when troubleshooting. But I did find myself shaking my head alot when I was going through the Xsan book and saying to myself " that doesn't exactly work like that in real life!"

I figure since I got through the book I should just as well take the test. In the least I'll feel accomplished Cool
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ravi
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Joined: 06 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In defense of Apple, let me just say that the audience the training and certification aims at is quite different from some of the experienced admins participating in this forum. It does what it is supposed to do: explain the fundamental concepts, setup, installation etc.
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cedge318
Could work for Apple
Could work for Apple


Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:15 am    Post subject: Xsan Certification Reply with quote

aaron wrote:
I failed my first Xsan 1 test because I knew the right answers, not the correct answers. But I do think it is useful to know the "Apple Way" to do things. Learn the rules before you break them.


I agree with Aaron on this. Most problems I see with Xsans is that they were setup wrong. That's not to say that you have to set it up per Apple's best practices every time, but when you veer from "best practices" you need to make an informed decision to do so and have a compelling reason. I didn't take the class, but the book gives a good starting point for setting up an Xsan and I would assume the class just covers more ground than the book.
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