InterSystems IRIS System Administration Specialist

The InterSystems IRIS System Administration Specialist exam is designed to validate core skills for system and database administrators who install, configure, manage and monitor, and secure InterSystems IRIS server software.

Purchase Certification Exam
 

An IT professional who does all of the following:

• Installs, manages, and monitors InterSystems IRIS environments
• Ensures data security, integrity, and high availability

• At least 1 - 2 years of experience managing InterSystems IRIS data platform version 2019.1 or higher

• Classroom course: Managing InterSystems Servers (5 days)
• Online learning resources:
  
  • InterSystems IRIS Management Basics (learning path, 10h)
  • Performing Common InterSystems IRIS Management Tasks (exercise, 1h)
  • Securing the Management Portal (video, 45m)
  • InterSystems Security Basics (course, 1h)
• Review the InterSystems Documentation on platform management.
• Review the set of practice questions.

Number of questions: 72
Exam time limit: 2.5 hours
Passing score: 65%
Language offered: English

This exam includes access to InterSystems Platform Management Documentation as a look-up resource available during the entire exam.

The exam contains question items that cover the areas for the stated role as shown in the KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) chart immediately below. The question items are presented in multiple formats including multiple choice, multiple response, etc.

TOPIC	SUBTOPIC	KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES
T41 Installs and configures InterSystems IRIS	T41.1 Installs and upgrades instances	Installs development, client, server, and custom instances; Performs different security installs of InterSystems IRIS; Identifies structure and contents of folders in the Installation directory; Starts, stops, and lists instances from the command line; Upgrades existing instances
	T41.2 Configures namespaces, databases, memory, and other system parameters	Creates, views, and deletes namespaces and databases; Identifies contents and characteristics of default databases; Maps and manages globals, routines, and packages; Determines when it is necessary to directly edit the iris.cpf and when it is inadvisable; Determines appropriate size of global buffers and routine buffers, and tunes them as needed; Determines appropriate journal states, database size, and maximum size for database; Determines disk space requirements for installation and operation; Determines memory requirements for installation and operation; Determines appropriate values for generic memory heap settings; Increases lock-table sizes
	T41.3 Manages licenses	Activates and reviews licenses; Configures license servers
T42 Manages and monitors InterSystems IRIS	T42.1 Manages databases	Mounts, dismounts, and expands databases; Compacts, truncates, and defrags databases; Checks database integrity; Manages data; Manages routines
	T42.2 Manages user and system processes	Performs process operations: suspend, resume, terminate; Inspects processes; Manages process locks; Uses Task Manager to view, schedule, execute, manage, and automate tasks
	T42.3 Manages journaling	Configures journal settings and locations; Uses journaling; Identifies the importance of enabling the "Freeze on error" option for data integrity; Differentiates between WIJ and journal functions; Uses Journal Profile utility; Restores journals; Purges journal files
	T42.4 Diagnoses and troubleshoots problems	Accesses and configures system logs; Identifies and interprets errors stored in system logs; Runs IRISHung/Diagnostic Report; Identifies and terminates stuck/looping processes; Inhibits access; Gains emergency access to configuration
	T42.5 Monitors system	Uses ^PERFMON to monitor system; Determines which monitoring tools are appropriate for different performance issues such as journal profiles, ^BLKCOL, and ^SystemPerformance; Runs the ^SystemPerformance utility; Determines global sizes
T43 Implements system continuity	T43.1 Implements mirroring	Identifies requirements to set-up mirroring; Identifies mirror members and describes mirror communication; Configures mirroring; Determines failover possibilities; Adds databases to mirrors
	T43.2 Implements ECP	Uses ECP; Configures ECP data and application servers; Monitors and controls ECP connections
	T43.3 Manages backups and recoveries	Plans backup strategies including frequency required, journal file retention, and considers OS level vs InterSystems online backups; Identifies contents included in backups; Uses the FREEZE and THAW APIs for snapshot backups; Verifies backups; Restores system
T44 Implements system security	T44.1 Uses audit log to track user and system events	Enables and disables audit events; Views audit entries and audit event properties; Identifies the root cause of common audit events; Manages audit database
	T44.2 Manages security	Creates users and roles; Assigns roles and privileges; Grants permissions to resources; Enables and disables services; Protects applications and resources within applications; Implements database and data element encryption; Encrypts journals; Manages system-wide security settings; Imports/Exports security settings; Reduces attack surface; Implements two-factor authentication; Identifies the multiple layers involved in configuring and troubleshooting the Web Gateway (including connecting an external web server to InterSystems IRIS)