New to Red Hat products

[Bitsi]

Hi there..

I'm new to Red Hat and I would like to know the best way to learn and obtain Red Hat Cert (RHCSA) EX200

I have a basic knowledge of Linux, I have worked with Ubuntu, deployed a Cloud server which I use to manage my  clients wifi network, implemented Unifi ubiquiti.

Please advise on the best steps to RHCSA.

Regards,

[SteveLibonati]

I've taken and passed this exam (not on the first try). I would say https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh134-red-hat-system-administration-ii would be the best resource to prepare for the exam. 

[DrMancuernas]

Hi @Bitsi 

You can take the course
Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) and Red Hat System Administration II (RH134) or the RHCSA Rapid Track course (RH199) that combines those courses.

Greetings from Mexico.

[BenFrancisco]

Hi

You need xo have experience with Administration linux tasks and i recommended you the course Red Hat System Administration I (RH124)

[johnpolanob]

Good day,  @Bitsi

To become RHCSA certified, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the exam objectives, study official Red Hat material, practice in aHEL environment, use additional resources such as books and videos, join study groups and online communities, take practice exams, and schedule the exam at an authorized center.

By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to earning your RHCSA certification - good luck with your preparation and on the exam!

[AbhishekDubey2]

Hi @Bitsi 

RHCSA course is targeted at system administrators with a non-Linux background or those who need to expand their existing Linux skills. Some concepts are entry-level, while others are more specialized. The content provides a solid foundation.

The RHCSA topics cover command line basics, storage, service management, fundamental security, SSH, networking, basic scripting, and an introduction to containers. The content is spread out over two weeks, except for the accelerated Fast Track course, which is typically one week.

Red Hat's RHCSA prep courses include training at a standard pace and an accelerated course. Those with experience should certainly consider the Rapid Track course. It covers the same content in a condensed format.

RHCSA courses:

RH124 Red Hat System Administration I
RH134 Red Hat System Administration II

or

RH199 RHCSA Rapid Track

Red Hat Skills Assessment Tool

I recommend that you use the Red Hat Skills Assessment Tool to help evaluate your current level of knowledge on RHEL. There is no point in wasting time or money by ending up in the wrong training course. The assessment asks a series of questions and provides guidance based on your answers. You can find the assessment tool here. It's free—give it a shot after you finish reading this article.

Prepare for class

With the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually all training is provided online. I know there are many differing opinions on the effectiveness of online training. I consider online training success to be a function of three things: The instructor, the online classroom, and the student. Obviously, you have the most control over the "student" aspect. Your approach and attitude dictate much of your success. If you are attentive, ask questions, do the labs, and want to learn, you will.

Here are a few basic tricks to get the most out of your learning opportunity:

• Avoid distractions. Avoid Facebook, LinkedIn, the news, etc.
• Use dual monitors if possible. Put the online book on one monitor and the lab/virtual classroom on the other.
• Print the exam objectives and use them as a guide through the training. If the instructor doesn't cover an objective, ask them about it.
• The training company should provide a lab environment. The environment may be available after the course concludes. Be sure to do every lab at least once.
• Don't be afraid to experiment in the lab environment.
• Pay attention to the hands-on opportunities in class—recall that the Red Hat sysadmin exams are entirely practical.

There are many ways to get official Red Hat training, so look for options that fit your needs. You can also find information on testing options.

[Manasa_S_N]

Hi @Bitsi,

• You can get trained either by Classroom training [or] Virtual training. Based on your interest you can proceed further.
  
  1. If you are interested in classroom training you need to get in touch with your regional training team and have a discussion. Purchasing and scheduling exams will be taken care of by the training team itself.
  
  2. If you want to study online then you can take a Redhat subscription and do self learning. You will have access to a lab environment to practise lab exercises. Make sure you will stop the lab setup once you are done with practice. You will have an option to watch the tutorial as well.
  
  If you are interested in virtual training then you can go for it. Duration will be 5 days [4 days training and on 5th day you will have your exam]. You can refer to the below link and choose the suitable days for you.
  
  
• https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh124-red-hat-system-administration-i
• https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh134-red-hat-system-administration-ii 

      * To start with redhat certifications you need to create a redhat login-id from https://www.redhat.com/en 
        You need to use this redhat login to login and take redhat exams.

• You can refer to the EX200 exam objectives link below :
  https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/ex200-red-hat- certified-system-administrator-rhcsa-exam... 
  
  * Once you are prepared for the exam you can choose your Location and click on Get started to purchase an exam.
  
  * Once you have purchased an exam you need to wait for few hours then you will be able to schedule an exam using below link
  https://rhtapps.redhat.com/individualexamscheduler/services/externaluser/login 
  
  While scheduling an exam you will have an option to choose either testing center [Individual exam] or remote exam [remotely].
  Once you schedule an exam you will receive a confirmation email from Redhat with all the details.
  
  * If you are facing any issues with purchasing or scheduling exam you can send an email to 'certification-team@redhat.com' . 
  
  * RHCSA certification will play a very important role when you plan for other certifications. After RHCSA you can plan for RHCE [EX294 - Red Hat Certified Engineer]. 

• Once you have done these basic certifications you can concentrate on becoming an RHCA. Please refer to the link below for more details on the RHCA path.
  https://www.redhat.com/en/services/certification/rhca 

[Matthee]

@Bitsi 

The following steps can be used if you're new to Red Hat and wish to learn more about the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification (EX200):

1. Understand the RHCSA exam objectives by becoming familiar with them. The abilities and knowledge you must possess to pass the test are described in these objectives. On the Red Hat website, you may access the official exam objectives.
2. Obtain Study Materials: Red Hat offers certified training programs that are intended to help you get certified. Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) and Red Hat System Administration II (RH134) are two courses you might want to take. The topics included in the RHCSA test are covered in these courses, which also offer practical instruction.
3. Create a Lab Setting: Having a lab setting where you can put the concepts and abilities you acquire into practice is essential. To practice the activities and exercises covered in your study materials, install Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) on a virtual computer or set up a physical machine.
4. Practice Practical Exercises: The RHCSA test is performance-based, thus you must show off your abilities by performing practical activities on a working system. Create your own scenarios and put the hands-on exercises you learn in the training materials to use to solidify your comprehension.
5. Utilize Online Resources: Numerous online resources are accessible to augment your study in addition to the formal training programs. You may get more information and get answers to any queries or questions you may have by checking out Red Hat's official forums, online communities, and documentation.

6. Take practice exams to get a feel for the format of the real thing, gauge your preparation, and pinpoint your areas of weakness. Red Hat provides a few sample questions and practice tests that can.

7. Join Study Groups or Forums: Engage with other individuals preparing for the RHCSA exam by joining study groups or online forums. These platforms allow you to collaborate, discuss concepts, and learn from others' experiences.

8. Schedule and Take the Exam: Once you feel confident in your skills and have thoroughly prepared, schedule your RHCSA exam with a Red Hat authorized training partner or testing center. Follow the instructions provided for the exam and give yourself enough time to complete all the tasks.

Remember that passing the RHCSA exam requires practice and practical experience. It's crucial to gain a firm grasp of the ideas and feel at ease using Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Wishing you luck as you pursue Red Hat Certified System Administrator status!

[srisley]

I've found home labbing to be valuable tool as well as the courses others have mentioned. I'm running a few RHEL VMs in my lab at home so I can have some hands on experience with more flexibility than what I get at work. You can run it on some old hardware with your hypervisor of choice.

[otaviokr]

Hi @Bitsi 

I agree with the other answers here - take the introduction trainings, do the exercises, repeat until feel comfortable with RHEL and then take the tests.

Make it sure you understand what is happening when you run a command, and that you can explain the important concepts (what is the difference between a copy command and a move comand? Why the "magical" number 600 to block access to a file by everybody but the root?). You won't need to explain those concepts during the tests, but understanding them are very important to know what you need to do to achieve the goals of the exercises.

Also, remember Ubuntu is Linux, but is not RHEL. You could say they are brothers, but not twins Knowing another distro is a good starting point, but don't try to skip any step of the learning process; the differences between both systems may be small, but they are relevant. Also, RHEL is part of a bigger context and ignoring how all of them are connected may impact your final grade.

One final hint: Red Hat has a no-cost license for individuals that allows one to have a RHEL installation on your personal computer. You can find more details here: https://developers.redhat.com/articles/faqs-no-cost-red-hat-enterprise-linux# Like I said before, it is important to be comfortable using the system, so this is a great oportunity!

[Marnord]

Hello,

most people already pointed out the possible courses. I would just like to recommend the RH199 training (https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh199-red-hat-certified-system-administrator-rapid-track...).

If you already have been working with Linux it will be more cost and time effective for you.

Of course, the most important part of preparation is repeating the labs until you can solve all tasks without looking at the solution.

The best tips are to set up your own RHEL lab (you can simply download the official ISO and test it even without a licence, since you don't need support/updates just to learn the basics) and learn to use man effectively. This means finding the answers very quickly. Grep is your friend (and it's powerful, not just in this context).