Exam Server+ Certification, Vendor Server+, CompTIA Status Went live in February 2001. Reviewer's Rating "Nothing beats on-the-job experience for taking a test like this one. Still, some of the questions are fairly obscure." Test Information Multiple-choice exam. Cost: $190 (non-members). Who Should Take This Exam? Server hardware technologists with 18 months of hands-on experience Test Objectives URL Click here

I decided to look at the Server+ certification first. Based on the objectives for this cert (you can download the PDF from CompTIA's Web site from the link on the right), I thought it would be a good one to start with. I've certainly had my share of experiences with servers, and I consider myself a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in this area.

According to CompTIA, this certification is designed for IT professionals with one to two years of experience. My take on this is that someone with this amount of experience should be able to walk in to the testing center, sit down at a computer and pass the test—no studying, no test prep or any other specific preparation. So that's exactly what I did.

All I knew about this exam were the objectives—I had never even seen a sample question. But I was confident nonetheless, especially since this exam was vendor-neutral, written by working IT professionals (see a great article about one exam contributor's experience here).

First off, you're expected to know about server room issues, from securing equipment to protecting it from environmental damages. Then, the exam tests your knowledge of RAID and SCSI. And then more RAID and SCSI. And then a little more. I was surprised at how arcane some of these questions were. I mean, who ever uses RAID 3? And make sure you know SCSI, in all its flavors, as well as interoperability between SCSI formats.

Other topics on the objectives include disaster recovery, tape backup, performance tuning, SNMP configuration and troubleshooting. I was a bit annoyed with some of the disaster recovery material; many of the questions on this topic were quite subjective, with no clear-cut answer. It's bad enough when vendors do this on their exams, but I'd like to think that a vendor-neutral organization such as CompTIA would steer clear of this approach. I tried to ascertain what the "theoretically correct" response should be for these questions, but I'm sure I didn't always succeed.

Another interesting aspect finding its way into much of the exam was the attention to procedures. Again, for some of these, I chose the answer I thought they wanted; not necessarily what I'd do in real life.

Although the test was vendor-neutral, you still need to know some basics about the major server operating systems out there, including Unix, Windows NT/2000, Novell, and even OS/2. If you know the key differentiating factors between these products, you should be OK.

There wasn't anything vendor-specific on the hardware side, however. I was expecting some material on Compaq, Dell, HP and IBM—after all, they account for almost all the brand-name server market. From the perspective of an IT professional seeking certification, I suppose this a good thing -- less subject matter one needs to know to pass the exam. But looking at it from a potential employer's point of view, I think it would be more beneficial if the certification included vendor-specific hardware issues.

OK, so let's summarize what you need to know to pass this thing. First, bone up on SCSI and RAID. Make sure you know all the configurations, and understand why you would use one version over another. Also know the different media types.

Next, know the various backup schemes that are being used. Do you know the difference between a full and differential backup? Can you describe how the Grandfather/Father/Son backup tape rotation works?

Third, understand the elements of disaster recovery. We're talking more than just the technical issues here. You need to have a good grasp on how disaster recovery relates to business processes (or, more specifically, the interruption of business processes).

Finally, make sure you understand the physical aspects of server administration. I'm talking racks, power conditioning, server room access control, and other related issues.

Of course, nothing beats on-the-job experience for taking a test like this one. If you haven't done it in the real world, you are at a definite disadvantage as far as passing this exam is concerned. But on the flip side, it wouldn't hurt to check out the available study material and cram a bit.

But the real point is, does Server+ mean anything? If I were looking to hire an IT professional, would the Server+ certification make much of a difference to me? All other things being equal, I suppose it might offer a little influence. But would I hire a Server+ certified candidate with very little experience? Probably not. But that doesn't mean the certification has no value. It certainly validates experience already obtained. And it demonstrates a solid understanding of proven IT procedures. And who knows, as the certification itself matures and gets more well-known, it may help you get that job you've been wanting!

Oh, you want to know how I did on the test? I suppose I can't leave you without sharing how I fared. I passed. Barely. But I passed. So, when do I start work?

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