Red Hat Certified Specialist in Services Management and Automation exam (EX358)

In addition to the objectives listed below, candidates for the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Services Management and Automation exam should consult the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam objectives and be capable of RHCE-level tasks, as some of these skills may be required in order to meet the objectives for this exam.

Red Hat Certified Specialist in Services Management and Automation candidates should be able to accomplish the following without assistance. Candidates should be prepared to perform these tasks both manually and using Ansible automation.

Manage Network Services

• Configure network clients to use either a dynamically or statically assigned address
• Work with both IPv4 and IPv6

Manage Firewall Services

• Configure system firewalls to allow access to specific services or ports
• Configure system firewalls to allow or deny access from only specific network domains or IP subnets

Manage SELinux

• Configure SELinux booleans for a given service
• Configure a file or directory's SELinux context

Manage system processes

• Configure system processes to start on boot
• Prevent a system process from starting

Manage Link Aggregation

• Create a network team interface consisting of two network interfaces
• Make a network team interface persistent across boots
• Assign a network address to a network team interface
• Configure a teamd runner

Manage DNS

• Configure a caching nameserver
• Configure an authoritative nameserver using a partially completed zone file
• Configure forward and reverse lookups for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses

Manage DHCP

• Configure address assignment within a specified address range
• Configure a specific address assignment to a designated host
• Configure address assignments for both IPv4 and IPv6

Manage printers

• Create and manage a printer queue for a network printer
• Manage existing printer queues

Manage Email services

• Configure an email server to forward email to an outbound mail relay
• Use mail clients to read or send email

Manage a MariaDB database server

• Install and configure a basic MariaDB service
• Restrict access to a MariaDB server to specific network addresses
• Create a MariaDB database
• Manage MariaDB database users and access rights
• Add records to an existing MariaDB database
• Issue simple SQL queries against a MariaDB database
• Create a MariaDB backup
• Import a MariaDB database from a backup

Manage HTTPD web access

• Install and configure Apache
• Install and configure NGINX
• Configure an alternate document root
• Configure an alternate web access port
• Configure name-based virtual hosts
• Configure a secure web server (HTTPS)
• Provide a static cache to speed up HTTP response time
• Configure an HTTP HAProxy load balancer
• Terminate HTTPS Connections

Manage iSCSI

Provide and configure iSCSI targets Configure iSCSI initiators to connect persistently to iSCSI targets Restrict access to iSCSI services to specific clients and networks

Manage NFS

• Configure persistent NFS exports
• Configure an NFS client to mount an NFS export persistently
• Restrict access to NFS exports to specific clients and networks

Manage SMB

• Configure SMB shares
• Create and manage SMB users
• Create SMB only users
• Restrict access to SMB shares
• Mount a SMB share
• Perform a multiuser SMB mount

Use Ansible to Configure Standard Services

• Create and modify playbooks
• Understand and utilize inventory files
• Use variables in playbooks
• Work with RHEL System Roles

As with all Red Hat performance-based exams, configurations must persist after reboot without intervention.

Exam format

The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Services Management and Automation exam is a hands-on, practical exam that requires you to undertake real-world tasks. Internet access is not provided during the exam, and you will not be permitted to bring any hard copy or electronic documentation into the exam. This prohibition includes notes, books, or any other materials. For most exams, the documentation that ships with the product is available during the exam.

Scores and reporting

Official scores for exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification Central. Red Hat does not authorize examiners or training partners to report results to candidates directly. Scores on the exam are usually reported within 3 U.S. business days.

Exam results are reported as total scores. Red Hat does not report performance on individual items, nor will it provide additional information upon request.

Recommended next exam or course

• !Advanced Automation: Ansible Best Practices (DO447)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Diagnostics and Troubleshooting (RH342)