Exam
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Linux Performance Tuning («EX442»)
This exam tests candidates' ability to use standard system tools to analyze the performance of Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® and its applications.
Duration
4 hours
Price
550.–
IMPORTANT:
Please note that ordered Red Hat exams cannot be canceled.
Course facts
Content
Red Hat recommends that candidates become a Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) before attempting this exam but neither is required.
To help you prepare, the exam objectives highlight the task areas you can expect to see covered in the exam. Red Hat reserves the right to add, modify, and remove exam objectives. Such changes will be made public in advance.
Candidates should be able to perform the tasks listed below:
- Using utilities such as vmstat, iostat, mpstat, sar, gnome-system-monitor, top, powertop and others to analyze and report system and application behavior
- Configuring systems to provide performance metrics using utilities such as Performance Co-Pilot (PCP)
- Using the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) mechanism to implement restrictions on critical system resources
- Using /proc/sys, sysctl and /sys to examine and modify and set kernel run-time parameters
- Using utilities such as dmesg, dmidecode, x86info, sosreport etc. to profile system hardware configurations
- Analyzing system and application behavior using tools such as ps, strace, top and Valgrind
- Configuring systems to run SystemTap scripts
- Altering process priorities of both new and existing processes
- Configuring systems to support alternate page sizes for applications that use large amounts of memory
- Given multiple versions of applications that perform the same or similar tasks, choosing which version of the application to run on a system based on its observed performance characteristics
- Configuring disk subsystems for optimal performance using mechanisms such as swap partition placement, I/O scheduling algorithm selection, file system layout and others
- Configuring kernel behavior by altering module parameters
- Calculating network buffer sizes based on known quantities such as bandwidth and round-trip time and setting system buffer sizes based on those calculations
- Selecting and configuring tuned profiles
- Managing system resource usage using control groups
As with all Red Hat performance-based exams, configurations must persist after reboot without intervention.
Methodology & didactics
This exam is a performance-based evaluation of system administration skills and knowledge. Candidates perform a number of routine system administration tasks and are evaluated on whether they have met specific objective criteria. Performance-based testing means that candidates must perform tasks similar to what they perform on the job.
Prospective employers of a Red Hat Certified Specialist in Linux Performance Tuning should verify any and all claims by people claiming to hold this credential by requesting their certificate number and verifying it using the Red Hat certification verification tool.
This exam consists of one section lasting 4 hours.
Target audience
- Experienced Linux system administrators responsible for maximizing resource utilization through performance tuning
- An RHCE interested in becoming a Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)
Requirements
- Be a RHCSA or have comparable work experience and skills (RHCE would be even better)
- Participating in the following course or having extensive work experience in performance tuning
- Review the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Linux Performance Tuning exam (EX442) objectives
Certification
Official scores for exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification Central. Red Hat does not authorize examiners or training partners to report results to candidates directly. Scores on the exam are usually reported within 3 U.S. business days.
Exam results are reported as section scores. Red Hat does not report performance on individual items, nor will it provide additional information upon request.
Additional information
Red Hat encourages all candidates for the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Linux Performance Tuning exam (EX442) to consider taking the Red Hat Enterprise Performance Tuning (RH442) training course. Attendance in this class is not required, so one can choose to take just the exam. Many successful candidates who have come to class already possessing substantial skills and knowledge have reported that the class made a positive difference for them.
While attending Red Hat classes can be an important part of one's preparation to take this exam, attending class does not guarantee success on the exam. Previous experience, practice, and native aptitude are also important determinants of success.
Many books and other resources on system administration for Red Hat's products are available. Red Hat does not officially endorse any as preparation guides for its exam. Nevertheless, you may find additional reading deepens understanding and can prove helpful.
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