On Thursday 15 June 2006 14:45, Alan McKinnon wrote: > These are very valid points and in real life a Samba admin must know > Windows networking well. Hopefully the market will understand this > and know to look for evidence of competency in both fields. But as I > said elsewhere, I can't see how testing those Windows competencies > falls within LPI's mandate.
How can we demonstrate that the LPI-3-Samba certification will have any value to the person to whom it is granted? Will we at best be able to say: "Well, good old George knows how to configure Samba - but he may not be able to do anything of value with his ability." I would not like us to be a part of a process that can not assure a prospective employer that George will be of value. > As a solution we could work off the assumption that an LPIC3 candidate > already knows Windows networking, and create items based on that > assumption. If the candidate doesn't know his Windows, he is unlikely > to be able to answer the item correctly. This is somewhat similar to > the assumption in LPIC2 that the candidate has/can successfully pass > LPIC1. What level of due diligence is enough? Who can quantify the real value of LPI certification when at it the heart of it we make gross assumptions that may not have any substance? Can you give me an example Samba exam question that demonstates the point made? Can you define what it means to "know Windows"? If we set that as a prerequirement for LPI certification, how will LPI validate that the delegate has met the requirement? > The LPI promotional materials/web site can explicitly state "we > recommend that this certificate be supplemented with a suitable > certification in Windows networking as provided by that vendor". Sure! That should always be the case - even when basic Windows networking knowledge has been established. Microsoft Windows networking certification does little to help you to understand how MS Windows networking protocols function. Where in the current Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional certification is NT4 technology fully covered? Samba-3 is NT4-based. It knows enough ADS to permit Samba-3 to be an ADS client, but does the Linux admin know anything about either of these (NT4 and Non-Windows ADS clients)? If not, where does he go to obtain that knowledge? Who certifies that knowledge today? So if LPI will not take essential knowledge seriously - who will? Then why have a Samba exam? I fully support LPI, and thus I am a little protective of its value. If there is to be a Samba related exam, it has to have real value - like the rest of LPI certification. There is no room for unfounded assumptions, and there is certainly no room for short-cuts that will undermine what LPI stands for. I am sure you agree fully with this. What I do not see from the thread so far, is the value and assurance that should be built into the LPIC3-Samba certificate. - John T. _______________________________________________ lpi-examdev mailing list [email protected] http://list.lpi.org/mailman/listinfo/lpi-examdev
