It’s official – I passed the ONF Certified SDN Associate exam. I’m OCSA #SDN10356!
If you’re interested in obtaining this certificate, I recommend you read through my short blog series covering the resources necessary on the blueprint.
ONF Certified SDN Associate (OCSA) – Part 1
ONF Certified SDN Associate (OCSA) – Part 2
ONF Certified SDN Associate (OCSA) – Part 3
ONF Certified SDN Associate (OCSA) – Part 4
ONF Certified SDN Associate (OCSA) – Part 5
And check out my blog post discussing some OpenFlow concepts and theory.
OpenFlow – Basic Concepts and Theory
I know I mention this a few times in the other blogs but definitely read through the OpenFlow documentation and resources available on the ONF site. If you’re looking for video instruction, I highly recommend the GNS3 SDN course by David Bombal. If you’re looking for ONF-approved training, check out Criterion Networks online course, which includes a virtual lab.
When you’re ready to take the test, you’ll need to buy a voucher through one of the ONF-approved partners. I chose Criterion Networks. The test will be delivered via ITpreneurs over the web. They’ll need your webcam and mic turned on, and you’ll need the ability to rotate around with your laptop to make sure there are no cheating materials anywhere. You’ll share your desktop and then start the exam. You have 60 minutes to complete it.
This is an associate-level exam, so it’s not terribly difficult, nor is it extraordinarily technical. I would say 70% of the content was worthwhile. The rest of the curriculum just isn’t too appealing to me (ecosystems, organizations, old projects, etc.), but it’s still interesting to see how expanse the open networking world really is.
All in all, I had fun studying for this, and I’m proud of it. If you’re going for the OCSA, I wish you the best of luck on the adventure!