Information technology professionals looking to expand their skill sets in cloud computing and network virtualization might benefit from Citrix certification. The entry level certification for all Citrix products is the Citrix Certified Administrator, or CCA. Offered by a company that creates many software products, these certifications are geared to professionals in fields that use the products offered, particularly cloud computing and virtualization. Citrix Systems, Inc. is a software industry company that specializes in products including network, software-as-a-service, cloud computing, and server and desktop virtualization. Popular products fall into the following areas:
For IT professionals interested in proving their ability to use Citrix products and implement the efficiencies they offer for potential employers, the corporation offers training and certification on the following levels: Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA or CCAA), Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE), Citrix Certified Integration Architect (CCIA), and Citrix Certified Instructor (CCI). Each certification is broken out by the level of advancement required, and is available across many different Citrix products. Certification exams are administered by an online testing center, and typically are available in several languages, including English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
- Citrix Certified Administrator: Offered specifically in desktop virtualization, data center/cloud, and networking products, the Citrix Certified Administrator level is for IT workers looking to validate their ability to implement a Citrix technology. For example, the CCA in Citrix XenDesktop 5 tests the skills need to install, administer, manage and troubleshoot a workplace environment using XenDesktop.
- Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer: Intended for more experienced IT professionals, the CCEE certification tests the ability to implement and integrate products successfully. To gain the certification, it is necessary to attain CCA status in all the products being used.
- Citrix Certified Integration Architect: The top-most professional certification available for Citrix products, the CCIA is the only level that explicitly requires workplace experience in its training steps.
- Citrix Certified Instructor: After completing the Citrix Certified Instructor program, it is possible to teach courses on Citrix products. Professionals hoping to gain CCI status must first complete all requirements for CCEE, as well as pass several other requirements, including earning a Microsoft certification, attending a “Train-the-trainer” course.
Certifications at the Administrator level typically require one exam. In a few Citrix products, it is possible to receive an Advanced Administrator (CCAA) certification; these certifications add to the base formed by the CCA training, and test such advanced topics as monitoring, optimizing, and troubleshooting. For each exam track, Citrix offers a training course that covers each of the topics tested. These training courses typically include coursework and lab activities, and are available in an instructor-led format or in a virtual learning environment. At this level of certification, most of the courses are labeled at the “technical” level with a focus on basic product administering. The main skills taught in these courses generally include implementation, configuration, security, optimization and troubleshooting related to a particular Citrix product. This entry level of certification is available in many Citrix products. On the desktop virtualization side, CCA labels are available in XenDesktop and XenApp products; data center certification is available on XenServer; and networking certification is available on NetScaler and Access Gateway.