From: Alexandru Ionica > Is LPI taking into account the possibility to create a certification > comparable to > Red Hat's RHCA (http://www.redhat.com/training/certifications/rhca/) ? > I'm thinking that a similar strategy could be followed where if one is LPI > level 3 > certified + X ammount of specialities then he/she would get an extra > certification, > like let's say LPI Certified Architect .
I'll leave it to Matthew, Scott and others to decide if there is another title warranted. However, also remember that like "Engineer," "Architect" may be a reserved title in some locales. It's far less commonly an issue, and even Microsoft is still using the "Architect" (MCA) title, whereas they have dropped the "Engineer" (MCITP = IT Professional on 2008, MCSE = Solutions Expert on 2012). > For example some of LPI exams more or less correspond to some from RedHat's: > Lpi 301 (core) - Red Hat Enterprise Directory Services and Authentication > Expertise Exam (EX423) > Lpi 303 (security) - Red Hat Enterprise Security: Network Services Expertise > Exam (EX333) > Lpi 304 (clustering and high availablity) - Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization > (RHCVA) Exam > (EX318) or Red Hat Enterprise Clustering and Storage Management > Expertise Exam (EX436) Actually, that would probably be closer to either the ... Red Hat Certified Security Specialist (RHCSS) - EX423 Directory/Auth - EX333 Security - EX429 SELinux or the Red Certified Datacenter Specialist (RHCDS) - EX423 Directory/Auth or EX318 Virtualization - EX436 Clustering and Storate - EX401 Deployment and Management I'm all for LPI differentiating different LPIC-3 specialities into combined forms. But I wouldn't try to map them to RHCSS, RHCDS or RHCA. I would make them distinct from any other, like the LPI program has always differentiated itself. > It would be nice to have an alternative to RHCA Is that because employers are looking for RHCAs? And you want to see an equivalent offered? I've professionally found it's best to "educate" prospective employers, peers and others on the value of LPI and the LPI Certified (LPIC) program instead, including what the different levels cover. I don't try to define LPI in terms of Red Hat, that never does well. I define LPI in terms of its uniqueness in the industry. Understand some people and entities have their minds "made up" about Red Hat, because Red Hat is also unique. Unlike Cisco, Red Hat does 100% hands-on testing for 100% of its entire program. That sells a lot of mindshare, and the IDG studies have shown such. So focusing on how LPI is not just non-profit and vendor agnostic, not just well beyond the level of a typical CompTIA level, but is not out to make money on training, and focuses on peer mindshare -- that's how you sell LPI. So it becomes LPI & Red Hat, instead of LPI or Red Hat. > as it is really expensive to just take the exams ( around 4000$ if i'm not > mistaking, for 5 exams) Hands-on examination on real equipment programs runs >>$1,000/day. That is common to Cisco as well, not just Red Hat. Red Hat helps subsidize the exams by running training over the proceeding four (4) days. I.e., the reason Red Hat exams are under $500 a half-day or under $1,000 for a full day is because Red Hat uses such a pairing approach. Furthermore, the biggest complaint about the post-RHCE exams aren't the cost, it's the lack of offerings. They have to be given on specific dates, with the equipment by RHCX proctors. Although Red Hat is working on a new approach to allow other methods of examination, there are always going to be limitations with hands-on examination. Even Microsoft itself suffered a _chronic_fail_ with its 83 series -- remote virtualized system (real, running system -- which was the Novell SuSE/Xen Linux practicum engine (right down to the NTLM "click thru" trust and VNC picker). I sat the sole exam in this approach, 83-640, and it was not only slow, but it crashed on me and I lost 20 minutes (I still passed as I completed most of it). > and of course RHCA is focused only on RedHat. It's focused on open source add-ons and entitlements Red Hat ships, yes. The focus also allows certain depths as well. At the same time some Red Hat exams can be applied across a broad number of platforms, especially in the RHCSS, RHCDS and RHCA -- sans maybe RH401/EX401. For example, I always and highly recommend RH442 for anyone with left over training budgets, even if they don't have any RHCEs and don't believe in Red Hat certification. Passing the EX442 is only required in the RHCA track (no others), and it's the absolutely best course in my view in the Red Hat track. It was written by several Wall Street consultants and kernel developers (I know all of them), after there was sufficient interest in such knowledge transfer. Of course that's just my view, but much of the content is very applicable to many platforms, even if there is more of a 1-to-X mapping of courses to commonly deployed Red Hat add-on entitlements. -- bjs, LPIC-1/2**, RHCA **Inactive as of 2008, but re-taking 101, 102, 201, 202, plus sitting 301, next Tuesday. DISCLAIMER: My statements are only my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my associates, clients, employers, etc... -- Bryan J Smith - Professional, Technical Annoyance _______________________________________________ lpi-examdev mailing list [email protected] http://list.lpi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lpi-examdev
