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Citrix Education is hosting the following 1-hour virtual sessions to scope the next generation of XenServer training:
- For Citrix customers: Tuesday, November 17, 1:00pm Eastern/10:00 Pacific
- For Citrix partners: Wednesday, November 18, 1:00pm Eastern/10:00 Pacific
If you would like to participate in one of these sessions, then email me at mark.carter@citrix.com for registration information. In your email, state whether you are a customer or a partner and what level of XenServer experience you have.
Each session is limited to 5 participants, so don't delay!
Also, feel free to email me if you would like to participate in this discussion but cannot attend one of the scheduled sessions. Citrix Education will look to schedule additional sessions depending on interest and availability of participants.
Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to hearing your input.
Free, online training course CEV-100-2W Getting Started with Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V, has been updated to include Windows Server 2008 R2 features and enhancements. Updates include:
- Integration with Windows Hyper‐V R2
- Enhanced support and integration with Microsoft's System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008
- Site recovery used to protect your virtual machine deployment with a replicated failover site in the event of a catastrophic event
- Improved virtual machine template management, and other ease of use improvements
Get started at http://www.citrix.com/ehvtraining
Hey, everyone. I have posted a new how-to video on configuring cookie consistency using the Application Firewall feature of Citrix NetScaler.
I based my tutorial on a lab exercise that I took from the recently released CNS-300-21 Advanced Administration for Citrix NetScaler 9.0 Platinum Edition instructor-led training course. Click here if you like the video and are ready to take your NetScaler skills and knowledge to the next level.
Have you ever wanted to take a peek inside a training manual before registering for an instructor-led training course? You now have the opportunity with the our new Courseware Peek Inside online feature. This feature is currently available for the new CNS-300 Advanced Administration for Citrix Netscaler 9.0 Platinum Edition. Click here to check it out, and stay tuned as we roll this feature out for our other instructor-led training courses!
As previously announced, three legacy Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator™ (CCEA) and Citrix Certified Integration Architect™ (CCIA) certifications will expire on June 30, 2010. After this date, these credentials will no longer be current and will be listed as "expired" on Certification Manager transcripts. These certifications are:
- CCEA for MetaFrame XP Presentation Server
- CCEA for MetaFrame Access Suite3.0
- CCIA for MetaFrame XP Presentation Server
So how do you update or keep your certification valid if you hold one of the above?
Before Expiration Date of June 30, 2010
- You may take advantage of update paths* for the new Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer™ (CCEE) and CCIA for Virtualization, available in January 2010. With the update path, only one exam is required for updating to CCEE and one additional (two total) exams are required for CCIA. To learn more about the update paths, visit www.citrix.com/CCEEupdate or www.citrix.com/CCIAupdate
After Expiration Date of June 30, 2010
- If you have achieved three or more requirements towards the Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) for Citrix XenApp (Presentation Server 4), complete the track. Doing so will extend the validity of your CCEA and enable you to take advantage of the CCEE and CCIA update paths.
- If you have not made any progress towards updating your CCEA or CCIA, begin completing requirements for the new CCEE for Virtualization. The new, streamlined requirements consist of a total of five exams, and if you possess any of the recent Citrix Certified Administrator™ (CCA) or Citrix Certified Advanced Administrator™ (CCAA) certifications, you may have already fulfilled part of the requirements.
*PLEASE NOTE: The update path is recommended for seasoned professionals who possess knowledge of, or hands-on experience in, Citrix virtualization technologies. For those without experience in these technologies, following the complete CCEE and CCIA paths is recommended. Please note that individuals with versions of the CCEA and CCIA for XP expired in 2005 are not eligible to use the update path and are encouraged to take one of the two courses of action indicated above now. Visit Certification Manager to confirm your certification status.
If you have any questions about this expiration notice, or about how to maintain your certification status, contact training@citrix.com.
At Citrix Education, we are often asked the following question:
What is the difference between CXA-201-2I Implementing Citrix XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2008 and CTX-1259BI Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 and XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2003?
The easiest answer to this is simply, the operating system. CTX-1259BI applies to XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2003 and CXA-201-2I applies to XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2008. However, the more complicated answer is...a lot of smaller differences, like features.
During the development of courseware, Citrix products, including XenApp, continue to evolve and change. We manage this constant change in two primary ways:
- We plan an update/maintenance cycle
- We include features late in development (if they have been announced)
These two approaches, while capturing most changes, cannot reflect all changes to the product. That's why you may see a difference between what the courseware describes and what you can actually view in the live product. This, essentially, is the other fundamental difference between CXA-201 and CTX-1259. They each represent XenApp (on a different OS) at different times in XenApp evolution.
CXA-201-2I, available October 2, 2009, is the latest full course update on Citrix XenApp. It contains the most current and complete picture of XenApp on Windows Server 2008. CXA-201-1I, was the first release for the WS 2008 platform, and released in May of 2009. The features included in that course reflected XenApp 5 and nothing that has happened since...clearly, it was time for an update! Learn more about the delta between CXA-201-1I and CXA-201-2I (document also posted below).
In November 2009, we will release an update to CTX-1259BI. It will contain information including Feature Pack 2. Because it is available after the release of CXA-201-2I, it will become the course with the most current feature set of XenApp (WS 2003). Learn more about the delta between CTX-1259BI and CTX-1259CI (document also posted below).
In short, the main difference is the OS. The best choice for which class to take should be based on the OS on which you wish to learn. Or, if you are preparing for a platform migration from 2003 to 2008, we recommend CXA-201. To stay up to the minute current on new XenApp features, you can always reference the XenApp product pages.
If you have any questions or suggestions for the next release of XenApp courseware, please send them to training@citrix.com. We want to hear from you!
If you currently manage a Platinum appliance, or are considering migrating to this platform in the future, it is recommended that you take the next step towards optimal Web application delivery with advanced NetScaler training: CNS-300-1I Advanced Administration for Citrix NetScaler 9.0 Platinum Edition
Upon successful completion of this course, you will have the expert knowledge required to:
- Identify common Web attacks and vulnerabilities
- Write PERL compatible regular expressions
- Configure Citrix Application Firewall 9.0 to protect Web applications
- Troubleshoot Citrix Application Firewall 9.0
- Install and configure Citrix EdgeSight for NetScaler to monitor Web application performance
- Install, configure and use Citrix Command Center to manage NetScaler devices
- Configure and use additional advanced features of NetScaler 9.0 including NetScaler Web
- Logging, HTTP Callout and AAA authentication for Web applications
Register Now
Cost: $4,995 USD
Duration: 5 days
Upcoming Q4 2009 Dates: November 2-6 (San Francisco, CA); November 2-6 (Instructor-led Online); December 14-18 (Instructor-led Online)
Questions? Contact a Citrix Education training specialist at 866-714-1260 or e-mail americaseducation@citrix.com
Looking for a clear way to get up to speed on Citrix desktop virtualization? Check out the Learning Path for Desktop Virtualization - a guide to help you determine the training you need, based on your key virtual desktop learning objectives. This learning path includes the hypervisor, provisioning/delivering desktops and delivering apps on-demand, as well as advanced virtualization solution training. Learn more
The Citrix XenDesktop 4 announcement has already generated plenty of positive buzz about the product and its exciting new capabilities. If you're ready to learn more and delve deeper into the technology, check out free training course CXD-100-1W: Citrix XenDesktop 4 Technology Overview.
In less than an hour, you'll learn about key product features, editions, strengths, and how XenDesktop 4 addresses traditional desktop management challenges. Also covered are the key aspects of FlexCast delivery, architectural diagrams and the steps to move to desktop virtualization.
Visit www.citrix.com/xdtraining to get started on this free training today! For more XenDesktop learning, including the learning path for desktop virtualization, click here.
Citrix Education would like to invite you to participate in a workshop to scope the next generation of XenServer curriculum. This workshop is a great opportunity for you to help shape the XenServer courses and exams for 2010 based on your own experiences and needs.
The workshop will be held October 20-21, 2009, at Citrix Silicon Valley Headquarters in Santa Clara, CA. The workshop will have the following objectives:
- Discuss/review key new product features
- Brainstorm topics to be taught and tested
- Identify topics and scenarios for hands-on practice exercises
- Discuss and document best practices
If you are an experienced XenServer administrator and would like to participate in this workshop, then please respond to:
- Mark Carter
- Courseware Development Lead
- Citrix Education
- Email: mark.carter@citrix.com
Someone from Citrix Education team will then reach out to you to discuss next steps.
As an incentive for participating in the workshop, customers and partners will receive:
- Preview of upcoming features for Essentials for XenServer, Platinum Edition
- A voucher for a Citrix Certified Administrator exam of their choice
- A Citrix courseware manual of their choice
- A guaranteed spot in a 2010 beta class
Don't miss out on this great networking opportunity and a chance to help shape new Citrix training offerings!
Citrix training courses provide the foundation to effectively implement and support Citrix solutions. Check out these upcoming training classes in Australia:
Course Name: CXA-202-1I Implementing Citrix XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2008 Skills Update
Date/Location: November 2-4, 2009 at Dimension Data Learning Solution, Sydney Australia
November 4-6, 2009 Dimension Data Learning Solution, Melbourne Australia
Description: This course is for experienced Presentation Server 4.5 users looking update their skills to XenApp 5.0. Students will gain the foundation necessary to effectively implement, deploy and administer Citrix XenApp 5.0 and its components, including Web Interface, application streaming and Secure Gateway. Learners will receive hands-on training for installing Citrix XenApp for Windows Server 2008 and Plug-ins and for using the various administrative consoles to configure policies, individual server and server farm settings, isolation environments, streaming applications and much more. This course is the recommended training for Citrix exam A05, the requirement for the Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) for Citrix XenApp 5.
Register here or call DDLS on 13 12 01
Course Name: CTX-1264AI Citrix XenApp (Presentation Server 4.5): Support
Date: November 23-25, 2009
Location: Dimension Data Learning Solution, Melbourne Australia
Description: This course provides learners with the skills needed to monitor, maintain and troubleshoot network environments running Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 and XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2003 software. Learners are introduced to the tools used to monitor the Presentation Server farm, record farm activity and generate reports. In addition, learners take away the skills needed to maintain data and server integrity and to scale, optimize and troubleshoot the XenApp (Presentation Server) farm. This training is recommended for Citrix exam 264, a requirement for the Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) for XenApp 4.*
Register here or call DDLS on 13 12 01
Course Name: CTX-1456AI Citrix Access Suite4.0: Build/Test Workshop
Date: November 26-27, 2009
Location: Dimension Data Learning Solution, Sydney Australia
Description: This workshop-style course provides learners with valuable experience building and testing designs for Citrix Access Suite™ 4.0. Over 80% of the class is conducted through hands-on exercises. Students will gain the knowledge and skills required to build an enterprise environment in which all components of the Citrix Access Suite 4 are implemented. This course will prepare you for exam 456, a requirement for the CCEA certification.*
Register here or call DDLS on 13 12 01
*Individuals holding a CCEA can easily update to the upcoming Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE) by passing just one exam. Those without a CCEA must pass five exams to earn a CCEE.
Before I head off for a two-week vacation, I wanted to share a NetScaler VPX how-to video on compression that I posted to Citrix TV.
This video shows how configuring a virtual NetScaler system is very similar to configuring a physical system. If this video piques your interest, then be sure to check out our CNS-200-1I Basic Administration for Citrix NetScaler 9.0 5-day instructor-led training course, which is a great way to prepare yourself to administer any NetScaler implementation. Click here for more information.
I also wanted to let everyone know that we are still on target to release the updated CNS-300-2I Advanced Administration for Citrix NetScaler 9.0 Platinum Edition five-day instructor-led training class in Q4 2009. This course is a great way for experienced NetScaler administrators who have already taken our basic NetScaler administration to enhance their knowledge and skills further. Check out my last blog for more information.
Talk to you in two weeks!
If you currently hold a Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) or Citrix Certified Integration Architect (CCIA) certification, did you know that update paths are available for both the upcoming CCEE (Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer) and CCIA for Virtualization? These update paths give seasoned Citrix pros the opportunity to update their credentials without taking five or six exams. The idea behind these update paths is to test candidates on new required skills, not on skills they already possess through previous certification.
To find out more and how you can prepare, go to www.citrix.com/CCEEupdate or www.citrix.com/CCIAupdate
This blog was written by Alejandra Amador-Garcia. She is currently out on maternity leave but wrote this just before she left. I hope it provides our test takers with further insights into our testing world.
The views expressed here are mine alone and have not been authorized by, and do not necessarily reflect the views of, Citrix.
As one of the senior exam developers for Citrix, I sometimes get contacted by exam candidates who want to know more about how their exam was scored or because they think their exam should be reviewed. It seems the scoring of Citrix exams is an accidentally kept secret. I hope that this post will divulge those secrets.
Currently, all Citrix exams are scored automatically by a computer, so you don't have to worry that your particular exam answers were incorrectly entered by some intern somewhere. Most Citrix exam questions are worth 1 point each. This includes questions that have multiple correct responses. In the case of multiple correct response questions, you will earn 1 point for selecting ALL the correct responses or 0 points for missing any or all of the correct responses.
In certain exams, such as the 456 and 614 exams, complex questions (like simulations) may be worth more than 1 point. If an exam contains these types of questions, the Exam Prep Guide will let you know how scoring for those questions works.
Sometimes, exams include questions that are not reflected in your score called un-scored questions. These questions are included on an exam to beta test them. If a question is deemed "good" it will be added to the exam as a regularly scored question in the future. A question is deemed to be "good" based on how it performs statistically. If an exam contains un-scored questions, the Exam Prep Guide will include a notice of this. The most important thing to note is these questions do not count against the final score a candidate receives on an exam.
Unlike many exams in the academic world, Citrix exams do NOT penalize you for guessing. An incorrect answer will NOT result in you getting points deducted (e.g. -1 for each incorrect answer); however, an incorrect response would not result in one gaining any points. So how does Citrix ensure that those who pass didn't just get lucky by guessing? The questions are written using a probability equation so that guessing on the entire exam would not score you enough points to pass.
Many candidates are confused about section weights and their relevance to their exam score - really, there is no reason to consider them when thinking about your score, but here is a quick explanation of their function just incase you don't believe me:
Section weights correlate directly to the number of questions on the exam. For example, if an exam has 60 questions, and section 1 is weighted as 50%, then section 1 will consist of 30 questions (60*50% = 30). Section weights are NOT used to calculate your exam score. Section weights are meant to indicate the percentage of the exam that covers certain content, for example, installation, configuration, etc.. Because some questions may have different point values assigned to them, section weights and exam scores do not always have a one to one correlation. For example, in the table below, two sections with questions that have different point values are shown.
| # of Questions in Section | Point Value per Section | Number Correct | Weighting | Total Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 50% | 2 | |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 50% | 4 |
As illustrated in the table above, getting a section weight of 5% could mean 4 points or 2 points. The total points you get is much more important than the percentage you get for a particular section. Your score is calculated using the points you get, NOT the section weights.
Another common request from exam candidates mystified by the exam scoring process here at Citrix is to have their exam re-scored. Most likely, your Citrix exam result would never need to be re-scored. Since exams are scored automatically based on a pre-defined answer key that undergoes a very thorough analysis, there is no human error that would accidently change your score. Essentially, each question on your exam is compared to the programmed answer key and awarded points accordingly. Requesting a re-score for such an exam result would be like asking that 1+1 be recalculated to ensure that it still equals 2.
In the past, some exams have had to be rescored due to very unique circumstances that resulted in odd errors during the exam administration. Most candidates that report issues of errors and lag times during an exam administration find that all their exam information was correctly logged. Citrix Exams are also tested to ensure that exam information is maintained in the event of a power outage or computer malfunction.
Another common request I get is to review the questions that a candidate got wrong on the exam revealing why they got specific questions wrong. The answer to this request is almost always, "No." To maintain the confidentiality of the questions on an exam, I can't discuss the questions of the exams or the results with candidates. This also ensures that I don't inadvertently reveal the answers to the exam.
I have now divulged all the scoring 'secrets' for Citrix exams. Hopefully this has given you the insight you need to understand your score or determine if you really need your last exam attempt reviewed for scoring.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact training@citrix.com or respond to this blog.
The Citrix Certified Architect (CCIA) and Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) certifications made it to the Q209 Foote Partners Hot List, which ranks IT skills and certifications with strong growth and high pay. The CCIA ranked as the certification earning the highest pay premium for the systems administration and engineering/networking category. Additionally, the pay trend for the CCIA has increased by 9% in the past six months - not bad during a recession.
The CCIA validates the highest level of Citrix expertise and certifies a candidate's ability to analyze, design and build IT environments that solve key business and technical challenges.
Learn more about advanced Citrix certifications and new upcoming versions in Q409.
So far, over 4,400 customers, partners and Citrites have checked out the free CEX-100-1W Citrix Essentials for XenServer 5.5 training! It's no wonder - with this course offered at no cost (for a limited time), users can download XenServer 5.5 AND obtain the proper training for free.
Offered in a self-paced online format, course CEX-100-1W Citrix Essentials for XenServer 5.5 introduces learners to XenServer 5.5 and Essentials for XenServer 5.5, and teaches them to install and configure key product features. In addition, students gain insight to various capabilities such as StorageLink, Workload Balancing and LifeCycle Management.
Not ready to take the course? You can still lock in this promotional offer by registering now and adding the course to your learning transcript for future access.
If you're on your way to earning your Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator™ (CCEA) for Citrix XenApp™ 4, you may be interested in this opportunity to prepare for CCEA exam 456 Citrix Access Suite 4.0: Build/Test:
Course Name: CTX-1456AI Citrix Access Suite4.0: Build/Test Workshop
Date: September 21-22, 2009
Where: New Horizons of Minnesota (Class also available remotely)
Format: Instructor-led or Virtual Instructor-led
Description:
This workshop-style course will provide you with valuable experience building and testing designs for Citrix Access Suite™ 4.0. Over 80% of the class is conducted through hands-on exercises. You will gain the knowledge and skills required to build an enterprise environment in which all components of the Citrix Access Suite 4 are implemented. This course will prepare you for exam 456, a requirement for the CCEA certification.
Benefits of CCEA Certification
A CCEA certification demonstrates your Citrix expertise to employers and is consistently ranked as a top-earning certification in salary surveys. Plus, completing your CCEA certification will enable you to easily update to the upcoming Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer™ (CCEE) certification with just one exam or the new Citrix Certified Integration Architect™ (CCIA) with just two exams. Those without a CCEA certification will be required to take 5-6 exams to earn the CCEE or CCIA, respectively.
If you have any questions, please visit http://www.citrixtraining.com/ or e-mail training@citrix.com
For a limited time, Citrix Education is offering training for Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V at no cost!
If you haven't registered yet, enroll now. Registration fees are waived at the time of registration.
This self-paced online course, CEV-100-1W Getting Started with Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V, introduces students to Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V and helps them gain the proper knowledge and skills needed to perform basic installation and configuration tasks. Through online simulations, students will install and configure key features and explore product capabilities, such as virtual storage management, provisioning services, lifecycle management and workflow studio.
Learn more and register at http://www.citrix.com/ehvtraining
Validate your knowledge of XenDesktop with the latest Citrix certification - the Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) for Citrix XenDesktop 3. This certification demonstrates the ability to implement and manage a XenDesktop environment. Get certified today and gain the skills and confidence to perform well, while demonstrating your value to an employer.
CCA for Citrix XenDesktop 3 certification
- Certification requirement: Exam A14 Implementing Citrix XenDesktop 3
- Recommended training (instructor-led or self-paced online):
- CXD-200-1I Implementing Citrix XenDesktop 3 (instructor-led training)
- CXD-200-1W Implementing Citrix XenDesktop 3 (self-paced online training)
Learn more about the CCA for Citrix XenDesktop 3
Hi, everyone. I am a courseware development lead for Citrix Education, based in Santa Clara, CA. This blog entry is my first, and I am eager to start giving everyone in the Citrix blogosphere a behind-the-scenes look at what we in Citrix Education do and to solicit customer and partner input on new training in development.
We just completed the beta delivery of the new CNS-300-2I Advanced NetScaler 9.0 for Citrix NetScaler 9.0 Platinum Edition five-day instructor-led training class. As the "2I" denotes, this course is the second release of the currently offered CNS-300-1I course. We had a great turnout of customers, partner and Citrites, with students coming as far away as the UK and Argentina. Todd Hurst of Layer8 Training was our instructor. Todd is an experienced NetScaler instructor and helped developed the course for its initial release. We also had a number of NetScaler subject-matter experts popping in and out of the beta class to provide additional insight and commentary on key topics.
The CNS-300 course is the logical next step for experienced NetScaler administrators who have completed the basic NetScaler administration course and are looking to deepen their skills and knowledge further. The CNS-300 course covers the following topics:
-
- Advanced Troubleshooting
- Application Firewall, including:
- Feature Overview
- Policies and Profiles
- Regular Expressions
- Attacks and Protections
- Application Firewall Troubleshooting
- Connection Tuning and Queuing
- HTTP Service Callouts
- AAA
- EdgeSight for NetScaler
- Command Center
- NetScaler Web Logging
The course also includes content on the new NetScaler 9.1 release, in particular nCore and VPX. Course lecture is interspersed with hands-on labs, in which students administer fully functioning NetScaler systems based on real-life scenarios. Furthermore, the course ends with an extended practicum giving students additional opportunity to show what they know with minimal guidance.
As I write this, Citrix Education is busy incorporating all the great student and instructor feedback we received during the beta delivery. Look for the "2I" release of the CNS-300 course to occur in Q4 2009.