Linux Foundation Certified SysAdmin (LFCS) Exam
The Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) exam validates your fundamental skills in administering Linux systems. Earning this certification demonstrates your ability to perform essential tasks like user and group management, package installation, basic security practices, and working with the command line.
Who Should Take This Exam?
The LFCS certification is ideal for:
- IT Professionals: New to Linux administration or seeking to validate their basic Linux sysadmin skills.
- Help Desk Technicians: Expanding their skillset to troubleshoot and support Linux systems.
- Anyone seeking to: Launch a career in Linux administration or gain practical Linux skills for their current role.
Course Outline
The Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator LFCS exam covers the following topics:
1. Operations Deployment25%
- Configure kernel parameters, persistent and non-persistent
- Diagnose, identify, manage, and troubleshoot processes and services
- Manage or schedule jobs for executing commands
- Search for, install, validate, and maintain software packages or repositories
- Recover from hardware, operating system, or filesystem failures
- Manage Virtual Machines (libvirt)
- Configure container engines, create and manage containers
- Create and enforce MAC using SELinux
2. Networking 25%
- Configure IPv4 and IPv6 networking and hostname resolution
- Set and synchronize system time using time servers
- Monitor and troubleshoot networking
- Configure the OpenSSH server and client
- Configure packet filtering, port redirection, and NAT
- Configure static routing
- Configure bridge and bonding devices
- Implement reverse proxies and load balancers
3. Storage 20%
- Configure and manage LVM storage
- Manage and configure the virtual file system
- Create, manage, and troubleshoot filesystems
- Use remote filesystems and network block devices
- Configure and manage swap space
- Configure filesystem automounters
- Monitor storage performance
4. Essential Commands 20%
- Basic Git Operations
- Create, configure, and troubleshoot services
- Monitor and troubleshoot system performance and services
- Determine application and service specific constraints
- Troubleshoot diskspace issues
- Work with SSL certificates
5. Users and Groups 10%
- Create and manage local user and group accounts
- Manage personal and system-wide environment profiles
- Configure user resource limits
- Configure and manage ACLs
- Configure the system to use LDAP user and group accounts
Linux Foundation Certified SysAdmin (LFCS) Exam FAQs
What are the identification requirements?
Exams are proctored remotely and include a check-in process with the proctor prior to an exam being launched. Watch this video to learn about the proctoring process.
What if I have internet issues during the exam? How do I reconnect?
It is ultimately the responsibility of the candidate to ensure they have an internet connection that is of high-enough bandwidth, as well as stable and reliable enough to sustain a connection to the exam for the duration of the exam. (It's the only way we're able to deliver online, remotely-proctored exams that can be taken anytime, anywhere.) If your network or internet is experiencing issues during an exam session and causes you to lose your connection to the exam temporarily, you can contact PSI support to find out how to reconnect to the exam. (You can contact PSI Support via the online chat or the Support menu item on http://www.examslocal.com/linuxfoundation.) You may also be able to ask the proctor for added time in cases where your internet connection is interrupted. However, please note that it's ultimately the proctor's discretion as to whether to honor such request and it will be based on what they observe during the exam. For this reason, we recommend that candidates test from the most robust network possible.
Where do I go and what do I need to take an exam?
Exams are delivered online and can be taken from anywhere in the world. Candidates need to make sure they meet system and identification requirements.
What are the system requirements? How can I test my machine?
Candidates are expected to provide:
Front-end hardware (e.g. laptop or desktop) with Chrome or Chromium browser installed*
Stable and high-speed internet access
A webcam and microphone.
Where do I upload or provide my ID for the exam?
The certification exams are proctored remotely via webcam and desktop streaming. During the check-in process for the exam, the proctor will ask you to present your ID in order to confirm your identity.
What is the format for the exam?
The Linux Foundation Certification exams are performance-based** and require all work to be done on the command-line. A server is provisioned for the candidate’s use during the exam, the candidate does not need to setup their own server. The server will be made available to the candidate within a web-based exam console. This exam console can be accessed from either a Chrome or Chromium web browser (please review the system requirements). For exam security, candidates are monitored by a proctor during the exam session via streaming audio, video, and screensharing feeds. The screensharing feed allows proctors to view candidates’ desktops (including all monitors). The audio, video, and screensharing feeds will be stored for a limited period of time in the event that there is a subsequent need for review.
Are there any exam pre-requisites?
There are no prerequisites to take our certification exams with the exception of our Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) exam. Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) candidates must have taken and passed the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam prior to attempting the CKS exam.
How are exams scored and how soon will I get my results?
Exam scores will be made available via email and My Portal within 36 hours of the Exam being completed. Do note that it’s 36 hours from time the exam was completed, not started. Exams are scored automatically and are graded for results. There may be more than one way to perform an objective on an Exam and unless otherwise specified, the Candidate can pick any available path to perform the objective as long as it produces the correct result. Exam items have different point-values. For example, some questions may be multi-part and so tend to be worth more in points. Additionally, some questions will involve tasks or skills that are considered more difficult and/or more time-intensive; such questions will be weighted more than a question that is simpler and/or involves basic skills only to complete.
How can I renew my certification and keep it active?
Candidates may keep Certification valid by completing one of the renewal requirement options below. Renewal requirements must be completed prior to the expiration of the Certification.
Retake the exam. Candidates have the option to retake and pass the same exam to keep their Certification valid. The Certification will become valid for 3 years starting on the date the exam is retaken and passed.
Achieve a higher-level Certification. On the date that a Candidate with an active LFCS Certification achieves LFCE Certification, their LFCS Certification will be renewed for 3 years so that both their LFCE and LFCS Certifications expire on the same date. For example, a Candidate holds an active LFCS Certification expiring on August 20, 2019. The Candidate achieves LFCE Certification on March 1, 2019. Their lower-level LFCS Certification will be extended for 3 years effective March 1, 2019 and both their newly achieved LFCE and renewed LFCS Certifications will have the same expiration date of March 1, 2022.
How do I change my name for the exam?
If you are looking to confirm or to make a change to the name that will be used for the exam, please login to the portal (trainingportal.linuxfoundation.org) and click the Start/Resume button for your certification. This will open a page with your Exam Checklist. Please use the Verify Name step in that checklist to confirm or make changes to the name listed for your exam. You'll want to make sure it matches the name on your government photo ID. Please also note that if you make a change to your name in the Verify Name field, the change submission will be logged right away on the back-end, but the exam checklist interface takes up to 15 minutes to show the recorded change. Verify Name is a required step that all candidates must complete before taking the exam. During the check-in process for the exam, the proctor will ask you to present your gov't photo ID to them via the webcam so that they may confirm your identity against the name on your Exam Checklist. Your name will need to match what's listed on the ID that you present. The ID you present must be government-issued and bear your name and photo. It must not be expired.