Test 079: System x IBM Director 5.2 v1

Section 1. Overview and Installation (17%)

1. Characterize IBM Director's features and functions
2. Describe the different levels of IBM Director Agent
3. Demonstrate mastery of the installation options for each supported operating system
4. List the minimum system requirements for each IBM Director installation option # of managed options, which database would be used.
5. Select the correct components of IBM Director to install under described operating conditions
6. Select the correct procedure for an unattended installation of IBM Director Agent for Windows.
7. Analyze the changes from version to version of Hardware/OS Currency/Database Currency
8. Given an installation scenario gone wrong, select the correct procedure for remediation.
9. Describe the licensing requirements of IBM Director and its premium features (e.g., IBM Director Agents, Servers, Software Distribution, RDM, SupportLine).
10. Identify situations where components of the IBM Director are used (e.g., Capacity Manager, etc.).

Section 2. Installation Specifics (28%)

1. Identify minimum hardware/sw requirements for various platforms: x86 platforms.
2. Distinguish the features associated with installation on a Windows platform (including encryption, network drivers, database configs, core services, agent, and Firewall implications including Scenario 8.1 in Redbook "Director Agent on a Cloned windows system."
3. Distinguish the features associated with installation on a Linux platform: database configurations, post-install, Level 2 Agent, console
4. Assess scenarios and identify correct installation troublehsooting best practices for Windows installations. +Assess scenarios and identify correct installation troublehsooting best practices for Linux installations.
5. Given an installation and operating scenario, explain the promotion of Agents concept in IBM Director. . +Distinguish the destination ports and their appropriate connections for commony used categories of IBM Director
6. Identify terms and definitions equated with process and methods of the Discovery feature of IBM Director.
7. Describe/identify the concepts associated with securing and authenticating a system: IPC encryption, console/server security, user administration
8. During installation and given output from the twglstsr command, identify conclusions reached and next steps.
9. Using a given example, select the correct grouping strategy based upon Service Pack and Windows security patch level, static groups, dynamic groups, scenario for creating dynamic groups.
10. Describe an IBM Director Express Installation intended for SMB customers managing 10-20 servers.
11. Describe requirements and implementation surrounding Update Manager.Where to install it, how to make it work.

Section 3. Tasks (30%)

1. Identify true and false characteristics associated with Asset ID creating and applying profiles.
2. Given a scenario, characterize or construct plausible configurations requiring SNMP support, discovery, agent, browser MIBs' loading and compiling.
3. Create a simulation to test the creation of an Event Action Plan: 4-step process (good for 5.2).
4. Compare and contrast the criteria (simple events, duplication event, exclusion, and threshold) associated with event filters.
5. Articulate the capabilities of predefined Actions, including the Event Action Plan Wizard demonstrate the ability to create an Event Action Plan to generate the appropriate alerts
6. Identify issues (hardware and status) associated with Hardware alerting
7. Demonstrate and/or articulate the features associated with Inventory Management: collecting, queries, setup, notifications, and dynamic groups.
8. Differentiate the criteria associated with active, monitor, and suspend systems under the Remote Control feature.
9. Select an appropriate resolution for supporting a described Remote Session emphasizing SSH Support, different agent levels, and/or SNMP systems.
10. Identify situations whee resource monitors can effectively be used.
11. Express a thorough understanding of the theory and implementation of integrated provisioning service, including SSPT.
12. Classify the distribution of a software package under the streamed or redirected distribution method.
13. Ascertain facts associated with external application launches within the IBM Director console.
14. Demonstrate skills associated with establishing in-band and out-of-band communication.
15. Identify the characeristics, features, and functions IBM Director employs for storage managed object (SMO) and supported storage devices.
16. Set up IBM Director to monitor process monitors and process tasks.
17. Set up IBM Director to monitor resource thresholds.
18. Given a set of conditions, identify the process of creating status reports with DIRCLI.
19. Describe the uses of Remote Deployment Manager and IBM Director (built-in Software Distribution task), their methods of operation, and their infrastructure requirements.
20. Classify components of Rack Manager's scope and purpose.

Section 4. Linux and VMware ESX Systems Management (11%)

1. Identify major features of Linux Systems Management and what is NOT available (remote control to Linux Agent, Web-based access.)
2. Demonstrate thorough understanding of the Drivers needed to install and maintain IBM Director within a Linux environment.
3. Demonstrate understanding of VMWare ESX and Director Server support in a virtual machine.
4. Identify the multiple vendors and products that are supported by Virtual Machine Manager x.x.
5. Describe how VMM Components are analogous to IBM Director components. Include installation requirements.
6. Demonstrate understanding of configuration and troubleshooting of Virtualization Machine Manager tasks.

Section 5. Remote Supervisor Adapter II (RSA II) and Blade Center Management (10%)

1. Differentiate the correct resolution to issues related to managing RSA II
2. Given a scenario establishing an RSA II type of alert, select the proper method of handling.
3. Determine correct conditions under which you install and maintain server configuration manager.
4. Identify the different methods of monitoring and viewing system hardware event logs on Level 1 managed systems: locally and remotely.
5. Differentiate skills associated with out-of-band / in-band communication.
6. Define the features associated with IPMI Systems -- alertins (IPMI 2.0 support)
7. Demonstrate understanding of the relationships associated with configuring service processors using Management Processor Command Line Interface (MPCLI) including launching, logon, script creation, debugging, editing, component selection, and event handling.

Section 6. Security (5%)

1. Explore the requirements for the IBM Director service account.
2. Distinguish between the processes (Level-0, Level-1, and Level-2) by which the management server gains access to a managed system in IBM Director.
3. Describe the process by which intra-component IBM Director encryption is enabled including console-server and agent-server encryption, and SNMP acccess control.
4. User Administration -- define processes and steps to create both users to access Director and procedures granularly within the console.