I invite you to the II All-Russian Linux Administration Olympiad

Participants of the last Olympiad

November 6 will begin the second All-Russian Olympiad on administering Linux. First there will be two remote qualifying rounds, and then the final in Moscow. Last year, for example, there were about 700 participants. I have been organizing such administrative olympiads for six years already (the Linux profile is the second year), and I will give a couple of tips on how to go on.

For whom is this Olympiad?

For students, graduate students and young professionals - all who are not yet 26 years old. The main goal is to promote Linux and the ability to test your knowledge. However, quite a few participants in our educational programs, including the Olympiad, work at CROC.
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Course of the Olympiad

• November 6 - qualifying round. Remote testing with questions about both Linux and general technical issues. Participants with the results of the TOP-100 level pass to the next round. With equal points, the advantage of those who completed the test faster.
• November 8th is a theoretical tour. Also carried out remotely, the format is the same, but the questions are mostly open and more complex. Among those who answered correctly there was an advantage for those who most fully and competently substantiated their answers. 30 best participants of this tour pass to the following stage.
• November 18-19 - practical tour. It will be held in our office in Moscow on Volochaevskaya 5, building 1. Nonresident participants we pay for tickets and accommodation. Within the framework of the final, only practical tasks in a virtual environment, the goal is to build a working complex with specified characteristics from various components. By tradition, participants will be expected and surprises - problems, arranged by the organizers.

Prize pool:

• First place - 100 000 rubles;
• Second place - 70 000 rubles;
• Third place - 50 000 rubles.

What are the tasks?

Last year, our Olympiad was similar to the Red Hat exams: not enough time and a lot of uncomplicated and not very related tasks. Participants could experience the spirit of the RHCE exam. Now there will be a dozen of tasks, united by a common project, as in the real life of a system integrator.

An example is to set up a complex to work under a high load, but still provide fault tolerance, security and install backup.

Examples of the most difficult tasks of the second round and a report on how the Olympics were held last year can be found here in the report . Here are some more examples in PDF .

Tips

In the qualifying round of time there will be almost no search. Or you know or do not know. But do not leave incomprehensible questions unanswered. Try going by the exception method. In the second round, provide a rationale for the answer to an open-ended question, and answer in such a way that it is easy for the examiner to understand your thought. Remember that you need comprehensive answers: he, for example, who applies not only the formula, but also the final value (which you just need to calculate) has an advantage over who applies only the description of how to get it.

The tasks of the practical tour can be done in several ways. For example, you can choose between iptables or tcp wrappers. The task check will be functional - it works or not. It is better to choose the most simple and functional option, but first read all the tasks first, suddenly it will turn out later that your method will become significantly more complicated.

Do not give up before malfunctions. It is unlikely that the organizers intervened in the code (although this can also be verified). Most likely, the case will be in fairly simple settings. In the practical tour there will be time for searching, but not very much: it is impossible to remember everything. The main value of knowledge is a dry residue, when a person knows about what happens and where to look at it quickly.

Should I participate?

Yes, the only way to quickly check your level. Even if you do not take a prize, you will benefit from participation with interest. In the conditions of lack of time and passions, progress goes very quickly. As one of the previous participants said: “For today, I had to do so much for the first time, which I learned more than in all of last year.” And then, the Linux administrator is highly appreciated: either you take a high place and you will be hunted by a bunch of companies (there have already been examples), or you will simply understand what you are missing for a new cool job.

Where to register?

Registration is open until 18:00 on November 5 here at the link .
Attention! The first round will be held on November 6 from 18 to 22 hours Moscow time. Participants must log in to the test system during this interval. Plan your time, especially if you are in a different time zone. Get enough sleep. We will send detailed instructions to the post-registration mail.