NetApp Certifications Guide: Overview and Career Path

NetApp is one of the leading providers of cloud-data services for successfully running applications and managing data efficiently across hybrid as well as multi-cloud environments. NetApp offers an impressive range of products and services for cloud data management, data organization software, data infrastructure management, data access and recovery, ONTAP data protection and migration. Nowadays, storage certifications are getting very popular among IT professionals as they help to validate their skills as a NetApp professional.

NetApp offers a wide variety of credentials that are specially designed for beginners and professionals to help them improve their skills in NetApp-based storage operations. Through NetApp certifications, you can learn all about different NetApp tools and storage systems and contribute effectively to your organization.

Netapp Certifications and Training

NetApp offers an extensive storage certification program. The NetApp certification program consists of 14 certifications. They are further divided into the following levels:

Netapp Associate-Level Certifications

Under this level, NetApp offers the NCSA-HC certification. It is designed for beginners and mid -level IT experts who operate data storage and management systems using NetApp tools and services.

Netapp Specialist Certifications

NetApp specialist certifications are for those experienced IT experts whoexcel in either of the NetApp domains; platform or topical.

This level consists of the following certifications:

• SAN Specialist certifications
• Data Protection Specialist (NCIE) Certification
• Cisco and NetApp FlexPod  Design Specialist 
• Cisco and NetApp FlexPod Implementation and Administration Specialist

Netapp Professional Certifications

NetApp Professional certifications are for advanced-level storage experts who are responsible for installing and operating NetApp storage systems. This level includes the following certifications:

• NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA) certification
• NetApp Certified Support Engineer
• Clustered Data ONTAP certification
• NetApp Certified Storage Installation Engineer ONTAP (NCSIE ONTAP)

NetApp Certified Storage Associate – Hybrid Cloud (NCSA-HC)

Here is a detailed explanation of this certification. The NetApp Certified Storage Associate – Hybrid Cloud (NCSA-HC) is designed to provide knowledge about the fundamentals of NetApp storage systems and ONTAP data management. After completing this course, you can either work as a network administrator, engineer or technician. Through this certification, you will learn how to operate the NetApp ONTAP operating system software.

Cisco And Netapp Flexpod Specialist Certifications: Flexpod Design Specialist And Flexpod Implementation And Administration Specialist

Both of these are multi-vendor certifications and are designed for IT professionals who want to learn the fundamentals of Flexpod implementation and administration. Both certifications have no prerequisites. However, it is recommended you have a minimum of 6 months of professional experience working with FlexPod data center solutions.

NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA)

This certification is designed for those IT professionals who are responsible for managing the functioning of data storage operators of NetApp running the operating system of ONTAP in multiprotocol space of Windows Common Internet File System, (CIFS) as well as Network File System(NFS). To be eligible to apply for this certification, you are also required to have a minimum of six months of practical experience in conducting multiprotocol data storage operations.

Netapp Certified Support Engineer – ONTAP Specialist

The NetApp Certified Support ONTAP Specialist certification is for those professionals who can perform network troubleshooting, scrutinizing, as well as finding solutions and fixing errors on NetApp storage platform. By completing this certification, you can either work as a storage engineer, or system administrator.

Netapp Certified Storage Installation Engineer, ONTAP

In order to obtain this certification, you are required to have a minimum of 6 months of NetApp training in the installation, troubleshooting, and configuration of NetApp storage systems. To easily prepare for this certification, it is better to first opt for the NCDA certification.

Data Protection Specialist (NCIE) Certification

To qualify for this certification, you are required to have some years of experience in determining the storage needs of your clients and performing system recovery operations using NetApp solutions. There are no prerequisites to qualify for this certification. Nevertheless, it is better if you have around 12 months of prior experience in performing data recovery and security operations using recovery software.

NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer–SAN specialist

If you opt to acquire the NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer–SAN specialist certification, you need to have the required skill set to perform utilizing various operating systems such as ESX, UNIX, Windows and LINUX and applications, plus Fibre Channel Switched Fabrics (FC-SW), ONTAP Storage area networks (SAN), Ethernet  Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI)/ Fibre Channel over Ethernet(FCoE) solutions.

For preparing for this certification, it is advised to have at least 6 months’ experience in performing Storage Area Network (SAN) storage solutions in Fibre Channel (FC) as well as Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) space. It is highly preferred if you hold prior experience in Storage Area Network (SAN)utilization in virtual space as well as within multiple server environments. It is also recommended to first clear the NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA) certification although it is not a prerequisite. To prepare for the NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer–SAN, E-Series certification, you need to have around a years’ professional training in operating E-Series storage systems in different SAN environments.

NetApp Certification Career Paths

NetApp training and certifications provide the necessary skills to manage NetApp storage systems and devices. As an experienced Implementation Engineer, you are in charge of planning, formulating as well as applying solutions of NetApp for deployment, along with problems related to provisioning as well as integration.

If you are dealing with data storage management, then you are supposed to look over and supervise the management as well as smooth operations of the data storage systems of NetApp, which include NAS as well as SAN. Both storage systems have their own advantages, and NetApp initiated the combined storage system of SAN and NAS. While dealing with data storage management, you will also analyse SAN and NAS performance in storage and filing of data.

In case you are working as a Support Engineer, you need to conduct node configuration handling, documentation, replacement of hardware, firmware updating as well as software upgrading for storage systems of NetApp operating the enterprise’s Data ONTAP operating system within multiprotocol space of Windows Common Internet File System, (CIFS) as well as Network File System (NFS).

A more superior level post is that of an Installation Engineer. If you are employed in the capacity of an Installation Engineer at your organization, then you are responsible for arranging clustered server NetApp architecture during deployments of system as well as while upcoming build-outs and succeeding reformations and upgrading. Within converged architecture, you are responsible for dealing with and managing multiple environments as well as support space of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI).