Microsoft products are a ubiquitous part of the modern digital world. Even if you are working as a network system administrator in a UNIX environment, you will still interface with Windows systems. That ubiquity has spawned vast certifications based on the Microsoft ecosystem. However, the sheer variety of certifications and how they evolve can be confusing, as can how they work within the day-to-day life of a network system administrator. For example, the Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate (MCWSHAA) often comes up in discussions of essential certifications for network system administrators.
What is the MCWSHAA?
In generalized terms, you can think of the MCWSHAA as roughly equivalent to what one would learn after working in a professional networking position for about a year. This is enough to handle most of the day-to-day operations within a position focused on networking. One of the best examples is a position focused on acting as a go-between for employees and the data center. For example, the network systems administrator translates complex networking subjects into something non-technical coworkers could understand.
The term experience often comes up when discussing the MCWSHAA. As previously mentioned, it is generally seen as a sign that the holder has at least an amount of experience equivalent to one year on the job. But that does not mean they have worked in related positions for that long.
Someone can qualify for the position due to previous knowledge rather than professional experience.
What is the Difference Between MCWSHAA and CCNA?
The other certification typically associated with MCWSHAA is Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). The most readily apparent difference is that the MCWSHAA is from Microsoft, and the CCNA is from Cisco. As you would expect, each one tends to focus on the products and solutions from its respective company. For example, the MCWSHAA’s database skills target using Microsoft SQL Server. However, the flip side with Cisco is not so straightforward. While Cisco’s certification does work with Cisco’s products, the CCNA is generally more about the techniques and technologies implemented within those products than the products themselves.
In this sense, the MCWSHAA is product-focused and the CCNA is role-focused. The CCNA examines wireless networking, security, databases, and more. Likewise, the MCWSHAA also deals with those subjects. However, the MCWSHAA examines the subjects under the lens of Microsoft products, while the CCNA usually bypasses the specific tools to examine the subject matter in exclusion of anything else.
Neither certification provides an objective right or wrong way to approach those subjects. Many people earn the CCNA and MCWSHAA as part of their career path. Both are synergistic with each other. Learning the skills involved with one of the certifications will ensure that you can perform better with the skills you know for the other.
MCWSHAA’s Importance Within the Role of a Network Systems Administrator
Now that you have seen some of the academic elements of the MCWSHAA, you might be wondering about the more practical real-world impact. So, how does the MCWSHAA impact your performance as a network system administrator?
Shapes the Work Environment
One of the less talked about but most crucial elements of the MCWSHAA is how it shapes your work environment. So far, you have seen how the MCWSHAA rates experience to be at or above what you would expect from someone who has been on the job for one or more years. That might seem more like trivia than essential information until you consider how it works with team building and hiring.
Help with Hiring
Think about how the hiring or team selection process functions. An applicant is hired based on a combination of perceived experience and ability to communicate their skills. However, there is a tremendous amount of subjectivity involved in the process. It is tough to determine exactly what someone knows and their baseline level simply through that level of cursory examination. What the MCWSHAA does is remove a considerable measure of subjectivity.
Concrete Proof of Knowledge
Can someone manage all the potential issues involved with the daily administration of a Windows server? That is hard to answer by simply speaking to someone. But it is easy to answer if they have earned an MCWSHAA. If someone has this certification, then an accredited body has tested and confirmed that the individual has proven his competency with all those skills. Likewise, the certification provides a solid metric to judge related skills.
IT Team Creation Prerequisites
For example, consider a company adopting a new mobile app as part of its business plan. The IT department needs to put together a troubleshooting team to monitor the backend and suggest areas for improvement, likewise, implementing real-time fixes when applicable.
Putting a team together would be challenging in most circumstances due to the number of different skills and the need to shift between tasks. However, if someone has the MCWSHAA, they have demonstrated their ability to handle specific elements. This could allow for easy team development. If all team members have an MCWSHAA, they are automatically confirmed as able to shift between different tasks. For example, there would not need to be any prolonged discussion or tutelage to decide whether someone monitoring the load balancing could investigate the database performance.
The fact that all the team members had MCWSHAA certification would show that they were equally capable of making that switch. Likewise, MCWSHAA certification is an effective way to identify individuals who are continuing to grow. If someone has an MCWSHAA and is working to expand on it, then it shows where they intend to go with their career. This can help departments synergize with an individual’s path to benefit both parties.
How Does the MCWSHAA Impact the Role of a Network Systems Administrator?
This significantly impacts the most practical elements of day-to-day life as a network system administrator. An IT environment is an inherently complex environment. Even the most basic computer melds multiple technologies together into a singular whole. The servers and computational systems are far from basic in an IT environment. You will often need to deal with various technologies, protocols, hardware, and operating systems.
On the most fundamental level, a network systems administrator will perform any of the duties needed to keep servers online and operating optimally. Likewise, they will serve as a middleman to help coworkers use the services associated with the server. For example, someone with an MCWSHAA will have a solid understanding of how the account management on a server operates. If coworkers are having trouble with their accounts, then this means being able to offer help. Likewise, if there is evidence of an underlying issue causing the problem, the MCWSHAA shows that you are prepared to track down and fix the problem. Or, if the problem is more complex, escalate the issue to the next level of support.
Classifying the nature of a problem might not seem like a very technical skill at first. However, consider how non-technical people typically talk about their issues. It is usually vague, like saying their computer does not work. What does “not working” mean? Decoding the underlying meaning in a support ticket, acting on it, or escalating the issue requires a wide range of understanding. You typically need to know about both the system you are most familiar with and the various subsystems it connects to. The MCWSHAA is essentially shorthand, which says you have those skills and more.
Eager to Learn More?
This Networking System Administrator program offers students technical training and a basic foundation for designing, installing, configuring, and supporting a computer network. Our graduates are ready to get entry-level positions as System Administrators, Network Administrators, LAN Administrators, and Help Desk Support. The program also includes a fifteen-credit-hour component of General Education/Liberal Arts courses and offers the foundation necessary to continue onto a bachelor’s degree.
If you are interested in Information Technology, let Florida National University answer any questions you may have. Contact us today to learn more about our associate degree programs.
