Oracle Magazine - November/December 2010

DBA | Certification

The New Master
Introducing the Oracle Certified Master credential for
Oracle Database 11g
ORACLE DATABASE 11g

The Oracle Certified Master creden- tial is designed for Oracle Certified Professionals with advanced training and at least three to four years of professional, enterprise-level experience with Oracle Database. This column introduces two Oracle Database 11 g Oracle Certified Master exams, provides details on the target candidates and focus areas of each exam, and describes a few sample tasks that are similar to those in the exams.

ABOUT THE ORACLE CERTIFIED
MAS TER EXAMS

Obtaining the Oracle Certified Master credential requires passing an onsite practical exam—conducted in an Oracle University classroom—that tests candidates on their ability to perform database administration tasks in a live database environment. To become an Oracle Certified Master, a candidate must complete two required advanced DBA courses from Oracle University in addition to passing an Oracle Certified Master exam.

All candidates must complete a
certain number of “skillsets” that test
their ability to perform complex tech-
nical tasks. They are required to complete
the tasks with either the command-line
interface or Oracle Enterprise Manager,
and because the exams are based on the
Oracle Enterprise Linux platform, working
knowledge of Linux commands is essential.
Candidates also need to be prepared to
work with the following tools while com-
pleting the skillsets:
Oracle Recovery Manager (Oracle RMAN) •
utility
Oracle Network Manager •

Oracle Net Configuration Assistant • Oracle Database Configuration Assistant • Oracle Enterprise Manager •

Oracle Listener Utility •

Oracle Management Service •

Oracle Password Utility •

Oracle Data Guard command-line •
interface
As shown in the diagram in Figure 1,
each Oracle Certified Master candidate par-
ticipating in the practical exam is provided
with two machines: a database server and a
management server. Both servers are pro-
vided with Oracle Enterprise Linux Release
5. 2 and Oracle Database 11 g installed. The
database server hosts the production data-
base the candidate uses to perform various
database administration tasks. The man-
agement server hosts Oracle Management
Repository, which the candidate uses to
perform Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid
Control tasks.

Depending on a candidate’s current
certification, that person needs to take and
pass one of the following exams to become
an Oracle Certified Master on Oracle
Database 11 g:
Oracle Database 11 • g Certified Master
Upgrade Exam
Oracle Database 11 • g Certified Master Exam

ORACLE DATABASE 11 g CERTIFIED
MAS TER UPGRADE EXAM

This exam provides a path for Oracle Certified Masters on Oracle9i Database or Oracle Database 10g to upgrade their certification to Oracle Database 11 g Certified Master. Candidates need not upgrade the OCP certification; they will instead be granted 11g OCP certification along with 11 g master certification when they pass this exam. The exam is based on Oracle Database 11 g Release 1.

This one-day practicum tests candidates
on four primary areas:
Oracle Database, Oracle RMAN, Oracle •
Enterprise Manager, and network
configuration
Oracle Data Guard •

Data and data warehouse management • Performance management • ORACLE DATABASE 11 g CERTIFIED MAS TER EXAM Candidates need to be Oracle Certified Professionals on Oracle Database 11g before signing up for this exam. The exam is based