This article sums up with perception into getting ready for taking certification exams from people who has efficiently taken over 100 of them. There is no such thing as such factor as just studying an ebook and passing a Citrix certification examination. It is advisable to have some practical expertise with Citrix products to pass the certification exams.
There are 5 main things you will need to consider for Citrix exams:
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Citrix examination prep guide
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Computer lab
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Citrix product documentation
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Expertise utilizing the product
Citrix Examination Prep Guide
To be able to perceive what it is advisable to know to take an examination, Citrix has out there an Examination Prep Guide for each certification examination. Go to Citrix and search by Product and or Certification to seek out the suitable information. For instance, seek for the Product XenApp and click on the hyperlink for Examination A05. In the screen of the bottom of the display screen below More Data: you will notice the A05 Examination Prep Guide. The Information is a PDF file that incorporates all the knowledge that you must know concerning the certification examination. In every information you will see info on:
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Purpose of the examination (i.e. what expertise are being examined)
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Passing score
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The number of questions
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Time limit
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Preparatory recommendations for the examination
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Sources used to develop the examination
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Format of questions on the examination (i.e. multiple choice, drag and drop, simulations, and so forth)
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Examination objectives
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Follow questions
My advice is to focus on these three sections:
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Preparatory suggestions for the examination
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Sources used to develop the examination
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Examination objectives
By completely studying and understanding these three sections, it is best to perceive what you'll want to work on in your lab. Utilizing the A05 Examination Prep Guide, for example, let’s take a look at these three sections.
Part 1: Preparatory Suggestions for the Examination:
Recommended Knowledge and Skills:
Candidates ought to have the required knowledge and expertise prior to taking this examination:
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Administration of customers’ permissions and rights in Microsoft Active Listing 2003
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Basic configuration of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and 2003
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The flexibility to create shares and access entry to shared folders/information
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Intermediate administration expertise, together with:
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An understanding of protocols (TCP)
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An understanding of firewall ideas
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An understanding of email administration and account creation
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An understanding of Terminal Services policies and profiles
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Data of primary database ideas
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This part offers you the minimal expertise that Citrix believes you need to have earlier than taking this examination.
Part 2: Examination Goals:
This part provides you a concept of what areas the examination developers will check you on throughout the examination. Utilizing the assets from Part 5.3, take a look at the Targets column and attempt to give you your individual examination questions as you might be studying.
Part 3: Resources Used to Develop the Examination:
This part provides you with an inventory of supplies that Citrix used to provide you with examination questions. I like to recommend studying each useful resource listed.
Computer Lab
An amazing computer lab is just not crucial to check for many Citrix exams. A primary laptop computer with 2GB of RAM will suffice for many of the Administrator degree exams. Many free and industrial virtualization products can be utilized:
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VMware Workstation
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XenServer (free)
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VMware ESXi (free)
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Microsoft Virtual Server (free)
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Microsoft Virtual PC (free)
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Microsoft Hyper-V (free if in case you have entry to Server 2008 R2, 2012 or 2012 R2)
There are numerous virtualization products to pick out from. Constructing lab surroundings that will help you be taught the merchandise shouldn't be onerous.
Microsoft and Citrix make products out there for trial use. Most Microsoft server products can be found for 180-day evaluations. Utilizing the trial version of Server 2012 R2 is simply fine for a fundamental lab setup. Citrix additionally provides trial certified for many products after you create a MyCitrix account. Microsoft additionally presents the Action Pack Subscription plan to present you the usage of a software program that isn't restricted to 180 days.
Bottom line: There may be nothing to maintain you from constructing an easy lab and acquiring the software program it's essential to be taught the products and put together for the exams.
Study Materials
There are 4 principal kinds of study materials obtainable to you:
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Citrix Official Courseware
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Books
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Third-party unofficial coaching
Citrix provides each Self-paced Online (SPO) and Instructor-led Training(ILT). I've taken both and like ILT if the trainer has the expertise to move on within the classroom. Not everybody can afford ILT from a value or time perspective, so the identical courseware is used for the SPO training. The Citrix Training crew places loads of pleasure and energy into the official courseware so you may be effectively served whichever training technique you employ. In the event you take an official Citrix course, now you can buy extra lab time for the course. Citrix Practice Labs are perfect for you Citrix certification preparation.
One of the best e-book ever on any model of Citrix MetaFrame/XenApp/Presentation Server is Madden’s Citrix MetaFrame XP, Advanced Technical Design Preparation Guide. While the e-book could also be outdated, the knowledge on the internal workings of what's now XenApp is beyond comparison. I'm unhappy to say however most books that cowl Citrix products and certification usually are not worth spending your money on. It could be better to spend your money printing out the product documentation and having it certain at your favorite workplace provide retailer.
VMExam.com is the one professional website online I do know of that provides authorized examine guides and examination preparation questions and solutions. The group at VMExam.com places numerous effort into producing supplies that may assist you to on the examination prep path. Each different website is an unlawful mind dump and utilizing that materials can get you in bother with Citrix and also you run the chance of dropping your certifications.
Citrix Product Documentation
Together with the sources checklist in Part 5.3 of the Examination Prep Guide, it's best to learn all of the associated product documentation obtainable within the numerous PDF records data or now on eDocs. When taking an examination for XenApp, you need to perceive the varied elements which might be included with XenApp. For instance:
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Publishing applications
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Load Balancing
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Installation Supervisor
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Citrix policies
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Client software
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Application Streaming
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Licensing
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Citrix Secure Gateway
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Edgesight
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Zones
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Web Interface
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Data Collectors
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Data Store
Database sorts that can be utilized for the Information Retailer
All the varied parts of every Citrix product will be fair game for inclusion on a certification examination. It's your job as an Administrator/Engineer/Architect to understand how the varied elements are used and the way they'll match collectively in a setting. You need to be conversant in the documentation for every product and part.
Expertise Utilizing the Product
Upon constructing your lab, know what can be lined on an examination, have the product documentation out there and hopefully taken some product training, you at the moment are able to get the all vital hands-on expertise.
One of the easiest ways to be taught any product is to make use of it and attempt to use as many options as doable. In your lab, be taught to put in the product, mess it up, repair it, delete record data, get better out of your accidents and stretch your data of the product. Go to the Citrix help boards, Brian Madden’s boards and or Consultants Alternate and attempt to reply different people's questions. Even for those who can’t reply a query, are you able to attempt to recreate the issue and be taught one thing from the problem?
For those who use the products from VMExam.com, show the solutions to the questions. By no means take a solution as appropriate. Show the reply both from the product documentation or out of your lab.
Conclusion
You now have the sources essential to get began in your Citrix certification journey. In this sequence, I will provide you with some private observations to your certification journey.