Certification overview
The IBM certified System Administrator – DB2 10 for z/OS is mainly for those who plan to have a career with respect to system administration. System administrator is a technical consultant who is responsible for set up and maintenance of the system or server. They are responsible for structuring the user policy for security, management of password and management of identity. They also plan for the outages and other issues in the system. System administrators are also liable for any malfunction in the hardware of the system, installation of software, network issues and all the physical issues related to the system.
Who can do this certification?
This certification could be taken by candidates who are professional in of system administration of DB2 and perform all the end to end activities. Candidate must have hands on experience in installation, securing, tuning and managing the DB2 for the z/OS environmental structure. It would be easy for those who have intensive knowledge on all the various features of the z/OS technology and the design architecture. The professional should do the task by themselves without seeking help from the peers and also should be able to work in a team environment.
Benefits
By getting certified with this certification you will surely be recognized on the expertise you posses on the technical aspects of the requirements. You will be more visible in the market which is full of competitive environment. Many people do not possess the right knowledge being expected by the organization. Mostly it happens in such a way that the company will first recruit and then train for their needs. But when you hold a certification the organization rely on your level of knowledge and directly place you on the projects. Thus this will boost the opportunities for an individual career very steeply.
Associated Exam
The exam C2090-617 - DB2 10 System Administrator for z/OS requires two exams to be to cleared.
- C2090-730 or C2090-610
- C2090-617 - DB2 10 System Administrator for z/OS
Appearing for any of the certifications would require some intense preparation and those information are give below.
Prerequisites
There are some mandatory prerequisite defined by IBM before taking up this certification. It is that there is some rigorous knowledge required on the administration of the system capacity in the DB2 z/OS environment, extensive sill set in the usage of DSNZPARMs, knowledge in using the concept of SMPE, knowledge on the environment of data sharing, detailed skill in the architecture of the DB2 z/OS and supporting the z/OS environment vehemently. Apart from the fundamentals listed there are various other concepts that have to be known in deep and they are listed below in the topics section. You may also have a visit to the appropriate website for more information.
Examination Overview
The IBM certified System Administrator – DB2 10 for z/OS has the following concepts to be studied in advance.
- Planning the Installation plan and Migration plan process of DB2 10 for z/OS and executing them properly.
- Setting of the DSNZPARM and identification of necessary environments additionally (RACF, WLM and etc.)
- Performing the audit and security on how to protect the resources and systems of DB2 by enforcing the security level.
- Advantages and disadvantages of the security with is role based.
- Database tuning and performance by monitoring using the traces, memory management and how to use if efficiently.
- RUNSTATS (manual and automated)
- Planning for recovering a database from disaster and backing it up for further usage.
- Knowledge on how to troubleshoot the database, resolving the problems that rise due to the sharing of data and usage of utilities.
The certification will check your knowledge on how you monitor the system of DB2 using z/OS and you will definitely get benefited big time since you will learn all the technicalities pertaining to the technology. Every corner of the subject is covered in this exam.
I will contain 63 questions on which 38 questions must be rightly chosen from the given set of answers. You will be given 90 minutes to complete the exam and you may attempt the exam either in English/Japanese.
Validity of the Certification
The IBM exams will not expire for life time. Still you may have to keep an eye on the advancement of the versions of the database and software and make sure that you take the exam again for holding the certification. It is up to the individual for redoing the exam but is it suggested that if you take up the exam, you may have all the latest development in the concepts.
Expert Review
Those who have an aim to pursue their career in the system administration area, this is the right exam. This give you in and out details of the certification and makes you feel confident in handling the problems that are raised in the project. There would not be assistance required if you meticulously prepare for this exam and clear it. It made a topsy turvy in my career and I have grown to the levels that I have not imagined of in a short span of time. All the best!!
Tessa Huang, Senior planner, HTC
Montreal, Canada
