How I obtained the status of NCDA (NetApp Certified Data Administrator, Clustered Data ONTAP 8.3)
This year I decided that I must try to write on Habr.
By the nature of my work, I’m a little involved in virtualization systems and, as a companion, in data storage systems where virtual machines live on. Accordingly, there was little experience in setting up SAN networks and some HP storage systems.
But there were two more magic pairs of NetApp controllers operating in 7-Mode in my department. I was engaged exclusively in their support, the allocation of LUN and had a basic understanding of how it all works from the inside.
Somewhere in the middle of last year, I was told the wonderful news that I was going to a course dedicated to the administration of NetApp storage systems version 8.2, working in Cluster Mode, and with subsequent certification for this version.
')
Naturally, I did not want to hit the face with dirt, showing huge gaps in the knowledge of the subject area, I began to read about what was to come. I read enough information here on Habré, especially the posts of the user bbk (for which he was very grateful), as well as a number of instructive videos on youtube helped.
Armed with at least some knowledge of how the NetApp cluster works, I went to the courses. To say that I was impressed by the amount of knowledge that fell on me - to say nothing. As I went through the courses, I began to prepare for the NS0-156 exam, and here the first surprises began.
The NS0-156 exam implies passing on Data ONTAP version 8.2, in which I took the corresponding course. However, it is precisely on these days that the NS0-156 exam was abolished and replaced by a more recent one, according to Data ONTAP 8.3, NS0-157. Here I would like to express my gratitude to the teacher, who at the end of the course was not too lazy and told about the innovations in 8.3, as well as about the fact that he can meet on the exam.
After completing the course, I felt certain confidence that I could pass the exam, which was scheduled a week later at the local center, where there was an opportunity to pass exams through Pearson VUE.
During the week I was preparing for the exam solely on the materials of the course, simultaneously looking at laboratory work and trying to keep everything in my head. That was my mistake. The exam turned out to be somewhat more difficult than I had hoped for, and without having reached 5 points up to 70 passes, I went home without NCDA status.
Deciding not to give up, I issued a re-retake exam in a month and this time decided to take hold of the mind.
The first thing to do is to take this exam, if possible, to take a course of Clustered Data ONTAP Administration on the most recent version of the system. That alone was not enough for me.
Follow the link on the NetApp website for a list of topics that are likely to meet on the exam:
After the first passing of the exam, I took advantage of the fact that in listing my exam results there was a percentage near each of these topics, which made it possible to pull up tails where necessary.
To roughly understand the contents of the exam, enough to pass this test.
But besides the test for the NS0-157 exam, I would recommend passing the NCIE-SAN (NS0-506) , NCIE-Dataprot (NS0-511) certification tests . To pass these tests need more in-depth knowledge, but in any case they will not be superfluous.
In addition, if you independently try to find answers to the questions of these exams, knowledge in your head should be added.
But, these tests can be left last. I began my training by downloading a huge amount of documentation on all of the sections and reading from cover to cover. These documents are slightly renamed for more convenient orientation. But finding them in the search engine is not difficult.
I will give a list:
This list was mastered by me for a month. Along the way, I collected a separate file, which made particularly interesting points that would be worth repeating before the exam.
To the question of dumps. Of course, to rely on the fact that they will have the right answers, I categorically do not advise. But in order to once again understand the nature of the questions and try to find the answer yourself will not be superfluous.
After reading the collected file, as well as the material of the previously completed course for the last time, the next day I went to the exam. At this time, knowledge was enough for me to pass the exam in 40 minutes out of 120 set.
The exam itself consists of 60 questions of different complexity, somewhere you need to know exactly, and somewhere you can guess just from the operating experience of other systems. The exam is very similar in nature to the VMware exams. The passing ball, at the moment when I passed the exam, was 70, at the moment it can be changed.
Thanks for attention. I hope that thanks to this record, you will be able to pass the exam the first time, and not like me. In the future, I plan to pass NCIE-SAN and will definitely share my experience.
By the nature of my work, I’m a little involved in virtualization systems and, as a companion, in data storage systems where virtual machines live on. Accordingly, there was little experience in setting up SAN networks and some HP storage systems.
But there were two more magic pairs of NetApp controllers operating in 7-Mode in my department. I was engaged exclusively in their support, the allocation of LUN and had a basic understanding of how it all works from the inside.
Somewhere in the middle of last year, I was told the wonderful news that I was going to a course dedicated to the administration of NetApp storage systems version 8.2, working in Cluster Mode, and with subsequent certification for this version.
')
Naturally, I did not want to hit the face with dirt, showing huge gaps in the knowledge of the subject area, I began to read about what was to come. I read enough information here on Habré, especially the posts of the user bbk (for which he was very grateful), as well as a number of instructive videos on youtube helped.
Armed with at least some knowledge of how the NetApp cluster works, I went to the courses. To say that I was impressed by the amount of knowledge that fell on me - to say nothing. As I went through the courses, I began to prepare for the NS0-156 exam, and here the first surprises began.
The NS0-156 exam implies passing on Data ONTAP version 8.2, in which I took the corresponding course. However, it is precisely on these days that the NS0-156 exam was abolished and replaced by a more recent one, according to Data ONTAP 8.3, NS0-157. Here I would like to express my gratitude to the teacher, who at the end of the course was not too lazy and told about the innovations in 8.3, as well as about the fact that he can meet on the exam.
After completing the course, I felt certain confidence that I could pass the exam, which was scheduled a week later at the local center, where there was an opportunity to pass exams through Pearson VUE.
During the week I was preparing for the exam solely on the materials of the course, simultaneously looking at laboratory work and trying to keep everything in my head. That was my mistake. The exam turned out to be somewhat more difficult than I had hoped for, and without having reached 5 points up to 70 passes, I went home without NCDA status.
Deciding not to give up, I issued a re-retake exam in a month and this time decided to take hold of the mind.
The first thing to do is to take this exam, if possible, to take a course of Clustered Data ONTAP Administration on the most recent version of the system. That alone was not enough for me.
Follow the link on the NetApp website for a list of topics that are likely to meet on the exam:
- Architecture. NetApp common architecture, supported hardware, etc.
- Core clustered Data ONTAP. The concept of how the cluster itself works.
- High Availability. Fault tolerance.
- Protocol Administration. Administration of SAN and NAS protocols.
- Networking. Network management
- Storage. Management of aggregates, volumes. Disk shelves.
- Performance. System performance
- Security. System security management.
- Data Protection. Data security Technologies SnapMirror, SnapVault, Metrocluster.
After the first passing of the exam, I took advantage of the fact that in listing my exam results there was a percentage near each of these topics, which made it possible to pull up tails where necessary.
To roughly understand the contents of the exam, enough to pass this test.
But besides the test for the NS0-157 exam, I would recommend passing the NCIE-SAN (NS0-506) , NCIE-Dataprot (NS0-511) certification tests . To pass these tests need more in-depth knowledge, but in any case they will not be superfluous.
In addition, if you independently try to find answers to the questions of these exams, knowledge in your head should be added.
But, these tests can be left last. I began my training by downloading a huge amount of documentation on all of the sections and reading from cover to cover. These documents are slightly renamed for more convenient orientation. But finding them in the search engine is not difficult.
I will give a list:
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_Release_Notes (Major innovations in version 8.3)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_System_Administration_CLUSTER (Cluster administration, control of controllers, SVM, access, monitoring, etc.)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_System_Administration_SVM (Administration SVM / VServer)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_Data_Protection_Guide (Technology Description Snapshot, SnapMirror, SnapVault)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_HighAvailability (HA cluster configuration, takeover procedures, giveback)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_Logical_Storage (FlexVolume volume management, compression, deduplication)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_Physical_Storage (Disk ownership, array LUNs, aggregate management)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_Network_Management_Guide (Using IPspaces, broadcast domains, subnets. Creating and managing LIF)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_Commands_Manual_Page (Data ONTAP 8.3 Command Reference)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_SAN_Administration_Guide (Manage FC and iSCSI on NetApp)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_File_Access_Management_NFS (NFS Configuration and Management)
- Clustered_Data_ONTAP_83_File_Access_Management_CIFS (CIFS Configuration and Management)
This list was mastered by me for a month. Along the way, I collected a separate file, which made particularly interesting points that would be worth repeating before the exam.
To the question of dumps. Of course, to rely on the fact that they will have the right answers, I categorically do not advise. But in order to once again understand the nature of the questions and try to find the answer yourself will not be superfluous.
After reading the collected file, as well as the material of the previously completed course for the last time, the next day I went to the exam. At this time, knowledge was enough for me to pass the exam in 40 minutes out of 120 set.
The exam itself consists of 60 questions of different complexity, somewhere you need to know exactly, and somewhere you can guess just from the operating experience of other systems. The exam is very similar in nature to the VMware exams. The passing ball, at the moment when I passed the exam, was 70, at the moment it can be changed.
Thanks for attention. I hope that thanks to this record, you will be able to pass the exam the first time, and not like me. In the future, I plan to pass NCIE-SAN and will definitely share my experience.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/275573/
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