System Administration Practice Exam

System administration refers to the management and maintenance of computer systems, including servers, networks, and hardware. A system administrator is responsible for ensuring the stability, security, and efficiency of an organization's IT infrastructure. This includes tasks such as installing and configuring software, managing user accounts, monitoring system performance, troubleshooting issues, performing backups, and ensuring data security. System administrators are key to ensuring that an organization's IT environment operates smoothly and efficiently.
Certification in System Administration is a formal credential awarded to professionals who demonstrate proficiency in managing and maintaining IT systems. This certification typically involves completing a series of training courses and passing exams that cover various aspects of system administration, including network management, security, server configuration, and troubleshooting. Achieving certification proves a system administrator’s competence and expertise, making them more attractive to employers in the competitive IT job market.
Why is System Administration certification important?

• Validates skills in managing and maintaining complex IT systems.
• Improves career prospects by demonstrating expertise in system administration to potential employers.
• Increases earning potential for professionals who hold a recognized certification.
• Enhances job security by proving a commitment to maintaining up-to-date skills in a constantly evolving field.
• Establishes credibility within the organization and among peers, fostering trust.
• Boosts confidence in troubleshooting, configuring, and securing systems.
• Improves marketability as a candidate for high-level IT roles.
• Ensures competence in industry standards and best practices for system administration.
• Aids in professional development, keeping administrators knowledgeable about new technologies.

Who should take the System Administration Exam?

• System Administrator
• Network Administrator
• IT Support Specialist
• Database Administrator
• IT Manager
• Security Administrator
• Cloud Administrator
• Help Desk Technician
• Systems Engineer
• Infrastructure Engineer
• DevOps Engineer
• Network Engineer

Skills Evaluated

Candidates taking the certification exam on the System Administration is evaluated for the following skills:

• System Configuration
• Network Management
• Security Practices
• Backup and Recovery
• System Monitoring and Optimization
• User Account Management
• Automation and Scripting
• Software Installation and Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• Cloud Computing
  

System Administration Certification Course Outline
The course outline for System Administration certification is as below -

Domain 1. Operating Systems

• Windows Server Administration

• Linux/Unix System Administration

• macOS Management

• OS installation and configuration

• File system structure and permissions

Domain 2. Networking

• IP addressing and subnetting

• TCP/IP stack and protocols

• DNS, DHCP, and VPN configuration

• Network troubleshooting

• Routing and switching fundamentals

Domain 3. Security

• User authentication and access control

• Firewall and security group configuration

• Encryption and data protection

• Security best practices and audits

• Security incident response

Domain 4. System Configuration and Maintenance

• Installation of OS and software packages

• Patching and updating systems

• Hardware management and configuration

• System resource management (memory, CPU, etc.)

• Disk and storage management

Domain 5. Backup and Disaster Recovery

• Backup solutions and strategies

• Disaster recovery planning

• Restoring from backups

• RAID and fault tolerance

• Cloud backup solutions

Domain 6. Virtualization and Cloud Computing

• Virtual machine setup and management

• Hypervisors (VMware, Hyper-V, etc.)

• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Cloud storage and compute management

• Virtualized network environments

Domain 7. Automation and Scripting

• Bash scripting for Linux/Unix systems

• PowerShell scripting for Windows systems

• Task automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet)

• Scheduling and job automation

• Configuring cron jobs

Domain 8. System Monitoring and Performance Tuning

• System monitoring tools (top, Task Manager, etc.)

• Analyzing system logs

• Resource utilization and load balancing

• Performance tuning techniques

• Troubleshooting system slowdowns

Domain 9. User Management

• Creating and managing user accounts

• Permissions and group policies

• Directory services (Active Directory, LDAP)

• User authentication (Kerberos, RADIUS)

• Auditing and logging user activities

Domain 10. IT Service Management (ITSM)

• Incident management and resolution

• Change management processes

• Service desk and ticketing systems

• ITIL framework overview

• Service-level agreements (SLAs)