The self-proclaimed "premier international organisation dedicated to the support of system administration and the advancement of systems administration as a profession" isn't doing itself any favours by suggesting in advertisements that, well, your IT certification mimics a certain action most often associated with vacuum cleaners. Such statements do nothing to strengthen the upstart SAGE certification spawned by the System Administrators Guild (SAGE). Before making bold statements, the organisation should complete the rollout of its certification programme. According to the SAGE Web site two weeks prior to this writing, the second level of SAGE certification is still under development. Only the first level, cSAGE, is currently available. That's a shame, as SAGE certifications aim to embrace some smart concepts. For example:
- The certifications are built by system administrators for system administrators.
- The accreditations are vendor-neutral.
- The certifications target different levels of expertise based on actual experience.
When registering for exams, cSAGE candidates must attest to possessing experience as a system administrator serving in a paid position or in a student or volunteer capacity. A condition of this experience prerequisite is that the candidate must administer more than one computer and user. To earn cSAGE certification, candidates must pass two exams. The first is the core cSAGE exam, which tests expertise in the following areas:
- Data management
- User support/help desk
- Network management
- Document management and workflow
- Process automation, performance, and server management
- Security Network-based services
- Software system development, configuration, and management
- Network configuration
- Hardware installation and maintenance
- Peripheral and device management
- Internet services and electronic mail systems
mSAGE will be the next-level certification that candidates pursue after earning cSAGE accreditation. The mSAGE cert is targeted at Level III system administrators, or those with intermediate expertise and experience. Plans call for the mSAGE certification to consist of a core exam and two additional modules. The two module exams will test tacit and causal expertise. Tacit knowledge to be tested includes OS, network administration, and task-oriented expertise. Causal expertise will be tested by requiring candidates to prove programming proficiency and other problem-solving capacities, according to the SAGE Web site. Eckel's take
Every IT organisation, association, and vendor seems to be offering its own certification these days. Credibility comes with mass; the more IT professionals who pursue an accreditation, the better known and, hopefully, better respected a certification will become. The competition for attention and notoriety is furious, though, which may explain the bold approach SAGE is taking to build its certification. SAGE runs the risk that its tactics may turn off some IT professionals, including many in the important corporate market, but the organisation deserves credit for taking the initiative to try to create a certification built by system administrators for system administrators. TechRepublic is the online community and information resource for all IT professionals, from support staff to executives. We offer in-depth technical articles written for IT professionals by IT professionals. In addition to articles on everything from Windows to email to fire walls, we offer IT industry analysis, downloads, management tips, discussion forums, and e-newsletters.
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