Test 000-220: IBM Sterling Connect:Direct, Administration

The test contains five sections totalling 60 multiple-choice questions. The percentages after each section title reflect the approximate distribution of the total question set across the sections.  

Approximately 40% of the test questions are either platform-agnostics, or applicable to both UNIX and Windows platforms.  This exam does contain questions that are platform-specific.  To help you prepare, please note the following:

¹Questions in this objective cover some z/OS content

²Questions in this objective cover only UNIX content

³Questions in this objective cover only Windows content

Section 1 - Architecture and Planning (17%)

1. Understand the product functionalities and benefits of using Sterling Connect:Direct.
2. Describe basic architecture of Sterling Connect:Direct and its components.¹
3. Identify environment components that interact with Connect:Direct (e.g. load balancers, firewalls, database for Connect:Direct on Microsoft Windows).²
4. Identify system requirements using worksheets.³
5. Explain the different methods used by Sterling Connect:Direct to store configurations on each platform.
6. Apply TCP/IP concepts.¹
7. Solve a situation that has high availability requirements.

Section 2 - Installation and Configuration (25%)

1. Apply installation procedure.²
2. Configure initialization parameters.
3. Modify configuration files (e.g. API, functional authorities, translation tables).²
4. Configure remote nodes in the Network Map.
5. Configure local and remote user and proxy authentication.²
6. Verify installations.²
7. Deploy patches for maintenance.²
8. Identify Sterling Connect:Direct File Agent usage.
9. Perform silent installs and mass rollouts.³
10. Explain the use of checkpointing.
11. Explain the use of cyclic redundancy check (CRC).
12. Implement clustering or high availability.

Section 3 - Deployment Operations (Process Language Scripting) (17%)

1. Describe different methodologies to write processes (e.g. requestor, browser, text editor).¹
2. Explain Process Language statements and logic flow.²
3. Solve a situation using code pages.
4. List different ways to submit processes.
5. Understand the structure of SYSOPTS on different platforms.¹
6. Use binary and text transfers.¹
7. Solve a situation of moving data between disparate platforms.¹
8. Explain the use of Sterling Connect:Direct File Agent for automation.²

Section 4 - Administration (Monitoring, Maintenance and Tuning) (21%)

1. Use Connect:Direct Requestor.³
2. Use Command Line Interface (CLI).
3. Use ISPF interface (IUI). (for z/OS)¹
4. Determine the process completion.
5. Utilize and maintain statistics files or databases.²
6. Understand Sterling Connect:Direct utilities.¹
7. Determine trace options.
8. Manage and control Sterling Connect:Direct process queues.²
9. Identify tuning requirements.
10. Identify and apply the appropriate software patches.³

Section 5 - Security (20%)

1. Explain local authentication and user roles (e.g. admin versus general user).
2. Explain the different methods of remote user authentication (e.g. password, RACF, local versus proxy, snodeid, security exit).¹
3. Understand the process to create, request and validate x.509 certificates.
4. Implement the Sterling Connect:Direct Secure+ STS protocol.
5. Use different methods for maintaining security on Sterling Connect:Direct Secure+ (e.g. spadmin, SPCLI, Sterling Control Center).²
6. Troubleshoot x.509 certificate issues (e.g. Sterling Connect:Direct traces).
7. Implement Sterling External Authentication Server for Connect:Direct.³
8. Implement FIPS option.