Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)

What is the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)?

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) was a certification program provided by Microsoft, tailored for individuals seeking entry-level positions in the information technology field. It replaced the now-discontinued Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certification and served as a prerequisite for pursuing more advanced Microsoft certifications.

However, the MCSA certification was officially retired on January 31, 2021, aligning with Microsoft's shift away from product-specific qualifications towards certifications more closely aligned with common job roles. Some of these roles include Azure Developer Associate, DevOps Engineer Expert, and Azure Security Engineer Associate.

The MCSA certification allowed IT professionals to validate and showcase their knowledge of Microsoft products. As an entry-level certification, it did not specify any particular eligibility criteria for individuals pursuing it. Furthermore, those who earned the MCSA credential were eligible to pursue higher-level and more complex Microsoft certifications, including the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification.

Individuals holding the MCSA certificate typically held IT job titles such as:

• Desktop support specialist.
• Network administrator.
• Microsoft systems administrator.
• Entry-level database administrator.
• Computer network architect.

Syllabus and Course Content

The MCSA course syllabus covered a range of topics to equip individuals with industry-based skills for entry-level jobs in the information technology environment. The curriculum included:

1. Deploying and Managing Windows Server 2012
2. Implementing IPv4 and IPv6
3. Implementing Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
4. Implementing Domain Name System (DNS)
5. Implementing Local Storage
6. Implementing File and Print Services
7. Implementing Group Policy
8. Implementing Server Virtualization with Hyper-V
9. Administering Windows Server 2012
10. Implementing Advanced Network Services
11. Implementing Advanced File Services
12. Implementing Dynamic Access Control
13. Implementing Network Load Balancing (NLB)
14. Implementing Failover Clustering
15. Implementing Disaster Recovery
16. Implementing Distributed AD DS Deployments
17. Implementing Active Directory Certificate Services
18. Implementing Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)
19. Implementing Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

This comprehensive curriculum covered key areas such as server management, networking, security, and disaster recovery.

(Note: Due to the extensive nature of the content, only a portion of the syllabus is provided here.)