Overview of Red Hat Certifications: RHCT, RHCE, RHCA

Red Hat offers the most recognized, acclaimed, and valuable certifications in the Linux space. Red Hat certifications use performance-based testing methods designed to provce competence at real world challenges, ensuring long term success for the individual and organization.

Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) proves core system administrator skills. An RHCT can install, and configure a new Linux system and attach it to the corporate network. Installation and core system administration concepts, tools, and troubleshooting are explored in depth.

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) demonstrates senior system administrator skills. An RHCE has RHCT skills plus the ability to configure network services and security. An RHCE can make decisions about which services should be deployed on the corporate network and how. DNS, NFS, Samba, Sendmail, Postfix, Apache, and the key security capabilities are all covered in detail.

Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) establishes architect skills. An RHCA has RHCE skills plus deeper and additional skills needed to deploy and manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux throughout the enterprise in numerous and varied applications. The curriculum emphasizes technology and processes for software deployment and systems management, directory services and authentication, storage management, system monitoring, performance tuning, and advanced network services and security. The RHCA exam is delivered using multiple systems and hardware typically found in enterprise computing environments.

Many enterprises are now requiring their IT staffs to earn at least RHCT or RHCE certification if they are setting up and managing Linux systems. RHCEs provide the technical leadership for managing Linux servers and network services, as well as escalation of issues from the larger group of RHCTs. A smaller number of RHCAs provide leadership for technical planning, design and integration of an organization's worldwide open source architecture.

Benefits at each level are numerous, for both individuals and their organizations: increased confidence, responsibility, and productivity, better skills, and lower organizational risk. Management can be assured of the competency at all levels of technical roles for enterprise Linux comptuing. Your targeted certification and specific course path depends entirely on your existing skill set. Click on any of the three certifications above for further information, then pinpoint the course that's right for you with our automated pre-assessment tests!