Red Hat Remote Exam Preparation

 EVERYTHING THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RED HAT’S NEW REMOTE EXAMS

System Requirements

Computer:​ You will need a computer with a single active monitor. Red Hat Supports many Intel compatible X86_64-bit architecture computers.

USB:​ One USB Drive (2.0 or higher) with at least 8 GB capacity.

NOTE: The entire disk will be overwritten, so make sure you have saved any contents you may have on the disk before following the procedure for creating thelive exam environment.

USB Hub​: ​One wired USB hub is allowed if a hub is needed to accommodate permitted peripheral devices as described below.

Hard Drive:​ A hard drive with free storage capacity of at least 4 GB (for Live USB creation only).

Mouse:​ A wired ​mouse is optional but recommended.​ A wireless mouse is not allowed. A wired mouse is required if you use a laptop in a closed and docked mode as described below.

Keyboard: Only one keyboard is allowed for the exam. If you wish to use an external, wired keyboard with your laptop, you will have to use the laptop closed and docked. This will require the use of an external monitor and wired mouse as well. Wireless keyboards are not permitted.

Webcam:​ One external webcam with at least a 1m cable.

Monitors:​ Only one physical display will be allowed for the exam.

Connecting an external monitor to a laptop: you are only allowed to use one monitor, one keyboard and one external mouse. If you chose to connect an external monitor to your laptop, the laptop lid must be closed throughout the duration of the exam session. You will be required to use a wired keyboard and a wired mouse.

Sound and microphone:​ A working microphone is required. Verify that the audio and microphone are not set on mute prior to the exam.

Operating system:​ N/A

Firewalls:​ Firewalls that allow normal web activities will typically work. More restrictive firewalls that limit outgoing access and that require additional authentication may cause problems. Most firewall issues will show up when you run the compatibility test.

RAM:​ Minimum 4GB of RAM are required.

Internet connection speed:​ Download speed requirements are 768Kbps and upload speed requirements are 512Kbps.

Network connection:​ Unless it is physically not possible, a wired network connection should be used, not wireless, to ensure the most reliable delivery of your exam.

Laptop battery:​ If using a laptop, please ensure that the built-in battery is fully charged just in case there is an interruption of power. Do not rely on the battery as the principal power source.

Power:​ Recommended to use an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for your computer, external monitor (if used) and networking equipment to maintain internet connectivity during power outages.

The 2 important steps for Red Hat Remote exams, explained in detail

Step 1

1. Create a Remote Exam Bootable Live USB

Download the Remote Exam Bootable Live USB​ from ​here > https://static.redhat.com/downloads/training-certification/rhrexboot.iso and save it in the local hard drive.

2. Connect the USB drive​ intended for creation of Live USB

3. Go ​here​ > http://s.bl-1.com/h/cRvkm70t?url=https://getfedora.org/en/workstation/download/ to download ​ and install Fedora Media Writer

4. Use the Fedora Media Writer​ to write the downloaded .iso file to your USB drive.

a. Launch Fedora Media Writer from the list of installed programs

b. Select Custom Image.

c. Navigate to the bootable live usb image (.iso) stored in your computer, click on Open’ and bring up the ‘Write Custom Image’ window.

If you have a USB drive connected to your computer, Fedora Media Writer will display that as the target device to create a bootable image. ​ Note:​ Fedora Media Writer destroys all data on the USB stick while creating a Live USB media. We recommend you back up the contents of your USB drive beforehand.

d.  Select ‘Write To Disk’ to initiate the Live USB creation process. The ‘Write Custom Image’ window should identify the connected USB drive.

5. Close the window​ once the writing process is completed

6. Boot to the Remote Exam Bootable Live USB​

7. For other Linux Distributions please use image writing app like Etcher > https://www.balena.io/etcher/ and follow the steps to make your USB Stick bootable.

Step 2

Booting to the Remote Exam Live USB image

1. Restart your computer/Mac and go to the Boot Menu.​ Select your boot device as USB Flash Drive.

1.Note: Depending on your hardware, the keystroke to enter the boot menu may differ. The typical keys used for various hardware are, but not limited to ‘delete’, ‘enter’, F2, F4, F10 and F12. Look at the splash screen when the computer starts to know the key to enter startup or modify boot order.

2. For Mac, press and hold the Option key to access the startup manager and select the boot device

2. Boot order selection screen -​ will differ on various systems, a typical screen given below:

3.Wait for the exam to load.

4.Click OK at the welcome screen

5. Use the Settings page to make changes​ such as mouse and touchpad speed, region/language, sound levels etc. The hamburger button next to ‘Settings’ provides a list of available keyboard shortcuts

​
6. Go to Network​ and make sure that your wired internet connection is recognized. Wifi compatibility with the Remote Exam Live USB cannot be guaranteed on all makes of hardware. Wifi may not be listed if the wireless adapter is not recognized by the image. If the Wifi adapter in your computer is recognized, you may be able to connect to a wireless router with the router password. Additional credentials may be needed to connect to your Internet Service Provider. Please note that network performance and stability will depend on various aspects such as the distance between your computer and the wifi router, bandwidth shared with other connected devices etc.

7. After connecting to the internet, close the settings window to connect to the Red Hat Individual Exam Scheduler page

8.Login using your redhat.com account username and password.​ Ensure that this is the same that was used to purchase the exam. 

9.Once inside the Live Environment, run the Compatibility Check​ to verify that your system requirements are met.

10. Raise a live chat with support​ if you have questions during the compatibility test.

11. Return to the main section​ and press the power button of your computer briefly to get the prompt to shut the machine down.

12. Your Exams section​ will display your scheduled exams within the next 24 hours. Please click on this section next to the compatibility check to proceed if you are going to start your exam.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hardware and Bootable Media

Why does it take a very long time to download the Remote Exam Live USB image?

The Remote Exam Live USB image is approximately 2 GB in size. Download speeds can vary depending on a variety of factors such as the available bandwidth and download speed of your internet connection at the time of downloading, number of users connected to the same router, distance from your wifi router, hardware specifications etc.

Fedora Media Writer throws errors while creating a Live USB on Windows 10

There are a few errors seen occasionally when Fedora Media Writer is used to create a Live USB from an iso file in Windows 10. Some of the screenshots given below.

1.The Remote Exam image size is at the borderline of 4GB and hence using an old 4GB thumb drive will cause the above error as the actual size of the image exceeds 4000 Megabytes. Use a drive that is 8 GB or larger in size.

2.Fedora Media Writer saves the ISO to your USB and then reads it back to verify that it gets the same data back as it wrote. If the read does not match the write, FMW will show an error saying ‘Your Disk is Probably Damaged’. This is a very stark message which actually means “Warning – there are inconsistencies between what was written and what was read back”. There are many possible reasons why the read might not match the write and it doesn’t always necessarily mean that the write failed or that the USB will not work. You can ignore this message on an otherwise known good USB and continue using the same.

Click on ‘Cancel’ to exit Fedora Media Writer, reboot your system and try to boot from the USB drive. If it boots successfully to the Remote Exam image, the USB drive and the image on it is fine and can be used for your exam.

1.Clicking on the Retry button and re-attempting the write process may fix the error

2.The above error may also appear if there is an existing Live USB in the disk already. The presence of a Live USB will be detected by FMW and a ‘Restore’ option will be available to format the drive. Click on Restore, finish the format process and reattempt the process of creating a Live USB.

After the exam, how do I reformat my USB drive?

Using Fedora Media Writer: Connect the USB drive to your computer and start Fedora Media Writer. ​You will see a prompt to restore the USB drive to “Factory Settings”: Follow the instructions to restore your USB drive to the Factory Settings

**Note to Windows Users: “Factory Settings” would most likely imply that your USB drive is formatted in the FAT32 file system. FAT32 does not allow transfer of files larger than 4GB and hence most Windows users prefer NTFS.

exFAT handles larger files and is Windows and Mac OS compatible. Hence, you will need to use an additional level of formatting using the Windows format utility.

Can I use a wireless internet connection?

Wifi is not advised. Wherever possible, use a wired internet connection for stability and compatibility. Wifi speeds can vary based on a variety of factors which may have an impact on your exam. The Remote Exam Live USB may not detect all wireless network adapters. If the wifi adapter of your computer is not detected by the Remote Exam Live USB image, then wired internet will be the only option.

How many free USB ports should be available for use during the exam?

You should ideally have a minimum of two USB ports available in a laptop for a bootable USB drive and an external web camera. In the case of a desktop computer, the requirement would be four ports for the following devices: One external webcam, USB drive, keyboard and mouse.

I am unable to download the Remote Exam Live USB image

Your computer and the network you are connecting from must have the necessary privileges and permissions to download files from a third party source. The operating system used must have administrative (Windows) or root/sudo privilege (Linux/Mac). Firewalls and Security restrictions on your network setup might block such downloads. Try a personal computer and/or home network to perform these tasks.

Can I boot to the exam environment using a virtual machine rather than a USB drive?

No. The Remote Exam image must be loaded on a USB drive. Booting off a Virtual Machine is not allowed.

Can I create a bootable live USB by keeping my existing data in the same USB drive?

No. The process of live USB creation will wipe out any existing data and reformat your USB drive as needed.

Is a desktop computer allowed?

Yes

Is an iMac allowed?

Compatibility cannot be guaranteed. If your pre-exam test by booting in to the Remote Exam Live USB works fine, then you can proceed. A few things to note:

iMacs come with wireless keyboard and mouse. Wireless devices may not work.

Detection and stable performance of wifi internet is NOT guaranteed.

Using a wired keyboard and mouse and a wired internet on an iMac should work fine subject to successful pre-exam testing.

One external webcam with at least 1m cable and 90 degree field of view or more is required. The webcam must be focusable from 10 cm to 2 m.

Top 10 reasons why we should use Linux

Linux is different from other operating systems in many important ways. It has become one of the most adopted systems by many users in and around the world. Whether you want to use it for business or any other home operations, Linux offers the most reliable system to adopt.  Most of the world’s largest data centers across the globe use Linux. There are various reasons that answer why should we use Linux, out of which lets see the top ten reasons.

1. Linux is free of charge

Main reason behind Linux power and popularity is its open source nature. The code used to create Linux is free and available to the public to view, edit and for users with the appropriate skills- to contribute to.

2. Linux is more secure

Virus and malware are alien to Linux world. Linux community offers the security fixes for any technical or security threat that encounters. Moreover, Linux users also offer regular kernel updates and regular security patches. In this regard, it is not mandatory for you to have an anti-virus program for your system. Switching to Linux will save you some more as you won’t have to buy an antivirus.

3. Easy to Operate

Ideally, there is no need for intensive training to know how to use the Linux operating system. Besides, it has all the functionality that you look for in Windows. If you are looking for a system that is reliable and can be used by anyone in your business, then this could be the best system to adopt.

4. Compatible with lower end hardware

Most of the other servers do constraint you with a lot of features. Windows 7, 8 and 10 require at least 1GB of RAM. Running Windows 7/8/10 on the minimum configuration will be a real painful experience as it will be extremely slow and almost unusable.

However, Linux is such a lightweight operating system and hence does not constrain you in terms of a memory capacity of your system. It can thus be used by any of your systems.

5. It comes inclusive of drivers

A Windows user must have struggled with drivers. Finding the correct driver for your system is a difficult task. But with Linux, most of these drivers are supported directly by the Linux kernel. This means it is more like plug and play for Linux. And it saves you money as well.

6. Easy Updating Process

Updating windows can be very challenging and stressful. But in Linux you will be regularly notified that updates are available. And these updates include not just system and security updates but available updates for different applications installed. Unlike Windows, you won’t have to wait at shutdown or start time. Updating in desktop Linux is a matter of one click.

7. Software repository

Most of the desktop Linux OS have their own ‘app store’ or ‘software repository’. You can look for any kind of application, libraries at one single place without the need of Googling all over the internet for it. Moreover, the software thus installed will be safe, compatible with your OS and will be getting automatic updates.

8. Linux is speedy

Since Linux is lightweight, it is therefore far much speedy compared to any other operating system. In any business operation or gaming experience, time is the most crucial factor. Linux is the best system to adopt as windows get slower days after days.

9. Linux has a community support

Probably the best thing about Linux is the Linux community. You have a platform where you can share everything with fellow users. If you drop any question you have, you will definitely get its answer from someone. Such is the support of Linux community.

10. Linux features a powerful word processing program

The word processing program in Linux is Libre Office. You can use it for free in editing, opening and send Microsoft documents. You, therefore, save more and more money you could spend buying such a program.

ABOUT AUTHOR:

Naveena K.S. is B.Tech Graduate in Electronics and Communication. She has done her professional studies from College of Engineering Cherthala. Though her specialization is in Electronics and Communication she has a strong liking towards IT. She is very active in technical forums and Medias learning and sharing her views with community. Currently she is doing RHCE programme from IPSR.

Hybrid Cloud a solution for new digital business

Hybrid cloud deals with mixture of private computing and public computing environment. By allowing workloads to move between private and public clouds as computing needs and costs change, hybrid cloud gives businesses greater flexibility and more data deployment options. Hybrid cloud is attractive because it enables cloud service customers to address their business needs by leveraging the wide ranging capabilities of public cloud service providers – in particular, the low cost and leading-edge functionality available – and at the same time using private cloud deployment for more sensitive applications and data. Interlinking cloud-deployed applications and data with traditional non-cloud enterprise applications and data is also an important part of hybrid cloud deployments.

For designers and developers some of the critical success factors related to hybrid cloud include:

Flexibility: Repartition/deploy elements of a solution based on changing technology services or improved capabilities.

Speed: Quickly leverage new capabilities in their solutions no matter where they are available in the hybrid cloud.

Capacity: Quickly leverage the capacity of off-premises clouds to provide peak support for on-premises systems.

Consistency: Support continuous delivery of applications across the hybrid cloud leveraging common tools and processes.

Agility: Design and develop solutions in such a manner that where they are deployed across a hybrid cloud can be adjusted in a seamless manner.

In terms of IT, businesses today operate at multiple speeds. To meet the challenges of competition and the rapidly evolving market place, businesses need to be agile and innovative, particularly for mobile and web applications used by customers. At the same time, the stable processes and systems that keep the business running cannot be replaced easily and instead evolve at a slower pace. This is two speed IT. One part, the steady speed, delivers enterprise-strength IT services, and the other part, fast speed, enables exploitation of new digital business opportunities. However, success comes through optimizing support for both types of IT. Hybrid cloud can help provide a solution to this need.

About Author:

Prajitha P is a M.Tech student doing her Post Graduate in Signal Processing from Govt. College of Engineering Cherthela. She has a keen interest in mastering latest technologies and is is very active in technical forum and blog writing. Currently she is also doing RHCE along with her Post Graduation.

100% pass for CL210 certification examination

Congratulations for a 100% pass rate for CL210 Red Hat Open Stack Administration certification exam held at IPSR Cochin International Center on 14th Feb 2017.
A special appreciation to the training faculty members for their efforts in making this possible.


CL210 course teaches system administrators how to implement a cloud-computing environment using Red Hat® OpenStack® Platform, including installation, configuration, and maintenance.

100% pass for CL210 certification examination

Congratulations for a 100% pass for CL210 held at IPSR Thiruvanathapuram on 23rd Jan 2017. 

Applause to Chandu Rajan who is a System Engineer at Al Falak System Consulting and Solutions in the UAE and Vipin Kumar who is a System Administrator for IPSR Solutions for getting full marks in the exam.  A commendable performance by all participants for scoring above 94% in the exam and a special appreciation to the training faculty members for their efforts in making this possible.

CL210 course teaches system administrators how to implement a cloud-computing environment using Red Hat® OpenStack® Platform, including installation, configuration, and maintenance.

DevOps: the movement revolutionizing the Software Industry

In the current market scenario, DevOps, a term which can be described as a mix of Development and Operations, isn’t exactly unheard of  in the world of Software Development (It’s been around for 7 years).  It can be described as an approach  that lays stress on collaboration between the development and operations wings of an organization,  adopted to optimize the delivery of software and also improving the production cycle rate.

As a term it was coined by Patrick Deboise, a system administrator, during the “DevOpsDays” events organized by him in Belgium in 2009. In the same year, John Allspaw’s made a presentation on “10+ Deploys per Day: Dev and Ops Cooperation”       at the Velocity 2009 conference.        Eric Ries’ work “The Lean Startup”, the 451 Group’s report “The Rise of DevOps” in 2010 and various other mentions eventually made this methodology popular. This approach emphasizes closer cooperation between the Development and Operations departments. Though it bears some semblance  to the Agile Software Development model, they are not the same. The usage of DevOps will help an organization to produce higher quality software faster. Automation plays a major role in DevOps, and this, aids in the target of faster delivery of the product, as well as ensuring its quality.

Through this method of cooperation, an organization gains continous, faster delivery of products or services. DevOps can also be considered not just as an approach but also a movement which can have various attributes such as a culture, an emphasis on automation, which is a necessary pre-requisite to obtain an immediate response and ways to share new, innovative thinking and strategies.  It can be seen as an improvement to the existing agile methodology of software development. One result was that the operations unit of a technological organization functioned as a seperate unit while the programming,testing along with the business units were brought in line. In DevOps, with its increased focus on operations, Agile methods are to be applied on this unit.

DevOps has grown popular as a result of the software industry’s frustration with the existing software delivery process which are becoming expensive with errors being part of the process. This unproductivity has led to its adoption. Apart from its collaborative aspect, DevOps also depends on continuous feedback for better quality of products at every stage of software development. Automation in product builds and testing are more emphasized than ever. Technologies such as cloud and development on the mobile platform are also well-known for adopting this approach.

RedHat in its whitepaper “Accelerate Your Business with DevOps” by Gordon Haff has made a thrust for the adoption of DevOps, ‘citing the speed and flexibility with which new features are delivered’.  The whitepaper talks of DevOps as instilling a “culture of collaboration”, automation for accelerating application delivery and the building of a dynamic software platform. The whitepaper also stresses on the aspect of automation as well .

Red Hat also, as part of its focus on DevOps, offers a RHCA certification based on it namely Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA): DevOps, with Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or Red Hat Certified Developer as necessary prerequisites. Red Hat’s website defines it as someone “who has attained Red Hat’s highest level of certification, proving their skills and knowledge in technologies and practices that can accelerate the process of moving applications and updates from development through the build and test processes and on to production”.  

About Author:

Mr. Thomas Mathew is an IT professional with MSc IT from Amritha School of Arts & Science Cochin. He has a deep passion in system administration. Mr. Thomas is very active in technical forums and blog and love sharing information and views in the media. At present he is doing RHCE (Fast Track) from IPSR.

100% pass on CL210 Red Hat Open Stack Administration Exam

Congratulations, yet again for a cracking 100% Pass rate by the participants who took the EX210 Exam on 09 Dec 2016 at IPSR International Center Cochin. Hats off to the training faculty team for their continuous efforts.

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IPSR hits another 100% Pass Rate in EX318

Congratulations to all candidates who passed the EX318 held on 03 Dec 2016 at IPSR International Center Cochin giving the course a 100% pass rate. A special salute to the training faculty team which put in their effort to get the excellent result.

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Red Hat Open Shift administration (DO 280) @ IPSR

Red Hat Open Shift administration (DO 280) led by Mr. Daleep Bais trainer with Red Hat progresses at IPSR international centre. For more details read