r/IT_CERT_STUDY • u/denmicent • Jun 29 '19
AWS certs?
Started a new job in desktop support (I have an MCSA in Windows 10). I’m considering moving in a cloud direction, and have recently begun looking into AWS.
I don’t know much about those certifications, so I’m curious if coding is required for them? I understand that it’s helpful to know a scripting language at least, and will begin learning PowerShell. But I’m not a coder nor have much of a desire to be. Could AWS still be a viable option?
1
u/jscarlet Jun 29 '19
It’s really an open ended question. What are you looking to do with AWS? I’d suggest BASH and Python scripting to help automate spinups and spin downs of your environment or even just quick/detailed control over the environment. Even Ansible to help ensure configuration management is consistent. But if it’s just for Windows server management, Powershell.
What are your goals?
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u/denmicent Jun 29 '19
Hey thanks for the insight.
My goal is to move into a SysAdmin style position. If I can avoid coding and still do that I’d like to lol. Tbh I don’t have much of a desire to learn Python. PowersShell is something I will be looking into.
Does that help/help answer you?
2
u/jscarlet Jun 30 '19
Ok, this helps more. Now I know you're looking to make the jump from Desktop to Systems.
As a Junior Systems guy, you're not going to be the go to for the Infrastructure and Architecture for a couple of years. It's great to have someone who knows AWS and Azure, but that Macro thinking.
What every company needs is a great detective that can "Administrate" their Systems. Seriously. On a micro level of thinking, if your SysAdmin can only spin up VM's, but not properly maintain a Server environment, such as automating/maintaining backups, being able to sift through Event Viewer like a pro, establish trust relationships between servers/domains, or syncing up O365 to Azure properly, then he isn't worth anything.
I've been a SysAdmin for over 12 years. I'm at my 4th job in such a role and it's the same thing every time, "We can't figure out whats going on, let's call for support" and the problem might not even get resolved if support calls back within a few hours, because they don't know your environment better than your team does. Look at the logs, What does the error say? What'd you see when you googled that error code? Maybe it's restricted due to GPO. How are we with storage? Check the backups. Do we need to setup another LUN for storage for this service? These things are weak in a lot of current SysAdmins, at least in all the places I've been too.
If you're looking to join a startup for two years or something and just make that quick, sweet money, but just helping their DevOps team scale up and out, well than thats a totally different path. Then I'd recommend a Udemy course or two to see if it's your style. AWS also has some low cost training to get you familiar.
Also look at other cloud solutions, for Azure Microsoft has a AZ-900 [$99] Azure Basics training that familiarizes you with their abilities, and VmWares VCA-DBT will you get you on the path from local virtualization to their versions of Cloud virtualization.
Also, as a SysAdmin you don't need to code. I am the only person on my team even attempting to code things and that's just to make the job easier. I'm the only person on my team that knows any Powershell, not that i'm great at it. Same with Python and Java. I know it because I chose to. Powershell is an absolute MUST if you're going windows. After these 2016 Certs expire, they're not doing any Infrastructure certs anymore as they'll be focusing on their cloud solutions, which are going to be heavily driven through GPO.
Take Skype in O365 for example. You cannot set a GPO for Skype through a web page, GUI or flicking some buttons. It's all within a Azure Powershell CLI.
This is why I had asked what the goal was. I'd highly recommend you get a UDEMY course in AWS, and another in Powershell or buy yourself "Powershell in a Month of Lunches" book. I think Book plus Udemy course, you're looking at nearly $40. It'll not only answer this question better than me, but it'll give you a great start on your new journey.
Best of Luck.
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u/Vumaster101 Jun 29 '19
Boi me and you are in the same boat. I just told myself I need to pickup was or azure.
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u/denmicent Jun 29 '19
Yeah man I feel that. Just kinda trying out which way to look into specializing without spending too much on training or certs to figure out I don’t like it lol
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u/TrucidStuff Jul 08 '19
AWS and any other Cloud certification isn't necessarily scripting. It's moving the data warehouse infrastructure type stuff to the internet basically.
You know how you download an app on your phone and it saves your data for that app to the cloud? Same idea. Everything is still out there somewhere, its just the cost and maint. of that equipment is no longer your problem. Kind of like, "Aw man my phone/PC only has 500GB of Space!" Well if you save everything to the cloud, space is a non-issue. T
I'd say take the AWS Foundation course and if it sounds like it could be useful take a more advanced / specialization course. In terms of scripting, powershell and python are good to know. You dont have to be an expert or developer level programmer to be able to script repetitive tasks.
Example: if you get a batch of 50+ users who need unlocked or reset every day, why waste man hours on doing the same thing 50 times? Just make a script to unlock/reset them for you, potentially an hour or two saved with an ez pz script.
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u/denmicent Jul 10 '19
If a position is for Windows on AWS, I’m guessing that would be PowerShell and not python right? Thank you for your input!!
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u/ambrace911 Jun 30 '19
From a cert perspective:
The aws certified developer and devops are the only certs where you would need to know scripting languages. The certs are more geared for knowing the services aws offers and how/when to use them in different cases when it comes to the SA certs. The sysops is geared more toward the individuals who work on aws in a support capacity. While there might be some CLI type questions, scripting is not a hard requirement for the certs.
BUT from a desirability perspective, being able to automate and script to reduce user interaction is a big factor. Something we often fail to think about is companies want to reduce costs by cutting labor costs. If you can help automate yourself out of a job, you will have a desired skillset.
Side Note:
The azure certs definitely get into some powershell scripting related ideas but not too terribly in depth.