What IT pros need to know about Citrix certifications
Citrix offers a slew of certifications that prove how well an IT pro knows a certain technology. To earn a certification, IT pros must pass exams that Citrix issues.
Whether they are to Citrix technologies or to use certification paths to gain incentive increases or promotions within their organizations, IT professionals should know the ins and outs of Citrix certifications.
Citrix certifications, which IT pros earn by taking exams, prove that an IT pro knows how to work with a specific technology. The certifications span the cloud, desktop virtualization, enterprise mobility management, networking and more.
The decision of which Citrix certifications to pursue depends on several factors, including an IT pro's long-term career aspirations and the technologies he is most interested in. The right exams should help an IT pro further his career within the organization he already works for and provide him with incentives to prove his technical abilities.
Cloud-oriented Citrix certifications
IT pros today must decide whether or not to move resources to the cloud. Citrix has its Citrix Cloud offering on Microsoft Azure.
IT pros can also use online resources to do self-directed study if they do not want to take the courses.
Because Citrix Cloud is relatively , many IT pros are just looking at what it means to adopt this technology. If they are interested in this technology, there are two Citrix certifications for them to look into.
XenApp and XenDesktop Service on Citrix Cloud Certified. This certification proves that an IT pro has the ability to deploy and move XenApp and XenDesktop workloads to the cloud. Citrix offers two courses IT pros can take to help them prepare for the exam -- CXD-252: Moving to the XenApp and XenDesktop Service on Citrix Cloud and Microsoft Azure and CXD-250: Moving to the XenApp and XenDesktop Service on Citrix Cloud.
XenApp and XenDesktop Service Integration with Microsoft Azure Certified. This certification proves that an IT pro has the ability to use Citrix Cloud running on Azure. To prepare for the certification exam, IT pros can take either CXD-252: Moving to the XenApp and XenDesktop Service on Citrix Cloud and Microsoft Azure or CXD-251: Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop Service on Microsoft Azure. This certification exam focuses on an IT pro's Citrix and Azure skills, which can help him kill two birds with one stone by learning more than one specialty.
If an IT pro can only take one course, CXD-252 may be the most valuable option because it can prepare him for both exams. IT pros can also use online resources to do self-directed study if they do not want to take the courses.
Other Citrix certifications
IT pros deploying and supporting on-premises Citrix technologies, including Citrix XenApp, XenDesktop, NetScaler or XenMobile, have plenty of certification options to choose from to advance their careers.
Virtualization certifications
Citrix Certified Associate -- Virtualization (CCA-V). This certification is the step in the XenApp or XenDesktop certification journey. It ensures proficiency in XenApp and XenDesktop administration, including working with Citrix Director and StoreFront.
Citrix Certified Professional -- Virtualization. This certification takes what IT pros learned and proved with the CCA-V certification to the next level by deepening their knowledge and understanding of Citrix virtualization technologies. It certifies that they have advanced administration skills and knowledge of tools such as Citrix App Layering.
Citrix Certified Expert -- Virtualization. This certification is for the IT pro who wants to show off his deep technical knowledge about Citrix. As a Citrix Certified Expert, an IT pro can prove his knowledge of assessment, design and advanced configurations within XenApp and XenDesktop.
Mobility. IT pros interested in XenMobile can pursue a certification exam called the Citrix Certified Professional -- Mobility. The exam tests an IT pro's ability to build, implement and administer a XenMobile deployment.
Citrix SD-WAN Certified is the most basic and shows an IT pro's ability to increase WAN throughput and reliability. A Citrix Certified Associate -- Networking recipient is proficient in using Citrix Gateway to access desktops, apps and data remotely. A Citrix Certified Professional -- Networking recipient can flex his security muscles by showing he can use both Citrix Web Application Firewall and Citrix Application Delivery Management. Finally, a Citrix Certified Expert can build an entire Citrix-based networking deployment.
Recertification on a newer version. IT pros who have already earned certifications on previous versions of Citrix products can take a series of exams to update their skill sets to the latest versions, as well.
