Candidates with vendor-specific and general data storage certifications are in demand as enterprises deal with exponential data growth and the complexities of hybrid cloud environments. Credit: DC Studio / Shutterstock Enterprise data storage skills are in demand, and that means storage certifications can be more valuable to organizations looking for people with those qualifications. “As organizations grapple with exponential data growth and complex hybrid cloud environments, IT leaders and professionals who can effectively manage, optimize and secure data storage are indispensable,” says Gina Smith, research director at IDC and lead for its IT Skills for Digital Business practice. “From software-defined solutions to object storage and data protection strategies, the ability to navigate modern storage technologies can impact an organization’s competitiveness.” No longer are storage skills a niche specialty, Smith says. “They are now a fundamental requirement for driving digital transformation and innovation in the enterprise.” Both vendor-specific and general storage certifications are valuable, Smith says. “Their relative worth depends on a number of factors and will be different for different sectors, company sizes, regions and active job roles,” she says. Vendor-specific certifications typically are more valuable for specialized roles that work with particular storage technologies, Smith says. “They are especially useful for companies that partner with or resell specific storage vendor products,” she says. “Vendor certifications support the creation of in-depth knowledge of particular storage systems and solutions.” General storage certifications, by contrast, provide a broader understanding of storage concepts across different platforms, Smith notes. They typically are more valuable for roles that require versatility across multiple storage environments, she says, and they are beneficial for consultants or those in management positions overseeing diverse storage infrastructures. Here are some of the leading data storage certifications, along with information on cost, duration of the exam, skills acquired, and other details. Storage vendor certifications HPE ASE – Storage Solutions The HPE ASE – Storage Solutions certification validates that an individual can identify, recommend, and explain HPE Enterprise Storage Solutions architectures and technologies, and translate business requirements into storage solution designs that support applications and data across physical, virtual and cloud environments. It also demonstrates the ability to design HPE Backup Solutions including the right backup, recovery, and archive (BURA) strategies for customer scenarios. The certification validates that an individual can differentiate and apply enterprise storage architectures and technologies; identify enterprise storage and backup opportunities then plan, design, and size the right HPE Storage Solution; and design, identify, and recommend HPE Storage Enterprise and Backup Solutions including proof-of-concepts, Organization: HPE Skills acquired: Identify, recommend, and explain HPE Enterprise Storage Solutions architectures and technologies. Price: $145-$260 Exam duration: 120 minutes How to prepare: Typical candidates for this certification are IT professionals with at least one to three years of experience in storage technologies. HPE has a number of other storage-focused certifications. Read more about HPE’s storage training options here. NetApp Certified Data Administrator A NetApp Certified Data Administrator gains skills in managing and administering NetApp storage systems, specifically with the ONTAP operating system. The certification covers proficiency in configuring, maintaining, and optimizing storage environments for data protection, high availability, and efficient data management across multi-protocol environments, demonstrating a deep understanding of concepts such as data replication, snapshotting, and performance tuning. Organization: NetApp Skills acquired: Management and administration of NetApp storage systems, specifically with the ONTAP operating system. Proficiency in configuring, maintaining, and optimizing storage environments for data protection, high availability, and efficient data management across multi-protocol environments. Price: $150 Exam duration: 1.5 hours How to prepare: At least six to 12 months of field experience implementing and administering NetApp data storage solutions in multiprotocol environments. Knowledge of how to implement HA controller configurations, SyncMirror software for rapid data recovery, or ONTAP solutions with either single- or multi-node configurations. NetApp has many other storage-focused certifications. Read more about NetApp’s training and certification options here. Pure Storage Certified Data Storage Associate The Pure Storage Certified Data Storage Associate highlights a candidate’s knowledge of a complete multi-vendor enterprise storage solution. This includes demonstrating networking, virtualization, container, storage, cloud, data protection, and host knowledge to operate industry-recognized storage technology and solutions. Courses are currently available at no charge through the Pure Academy with a login ID and password. Organization: Pure Storage Skills acquired: Knowledge of a multi-vendor enterprise storage solution, including networking, virtualization, container, storage, cloud, data protection, and host. Price: No charge Exam duration: 120 minutes How to prepare: Minimum of six to 12 months of general IT and storage knowledge. The Pure Storage Certified Data Storage Associate Study Guide is a resource to help prepare for the exam. It includes recommended study resources and sample questions. Pure has a wide range of storage-focused certifications. Read more about Pure’s training and certification options here. SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SCSP) The Certified Storage Professional certification from the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) demonstrates a foundational understanding of storage networking concepts, including basic components, protocols, data protection methods, and best practices for managing storage systems across various vendor technologies. This makes them qualified for entry-level storage administration roles. The SNIA Certified Storage Professional certification is vendor-neutral, not tied to any specific storage solution. This allows it to be relevant across different storage environments. The exam primarily covers core storage networking concepts such as storage protocols, data protection techniques, and basic storage system management. Organization: Storage Networking Industry Association Skills acquired: Foundational understanding of storage networking concepts, including basic components, protocols, data protection methods, and best practices for managing storage systems. Price: $220 Exam duration: 90 minutes How to prepare: Study the fundamental concepts of storage networking, including components, protocols, data protection methods, capacity planning, and basic storage administration, primarily through the SNIA Storage Foundations course materials, practice exams, and recommended reading from the SNIA website. Hitachi Vantara Qualified Professional-Ops Center Automation Hitachi Vantara Qualified Professional-Ops Center Automation is mainly designed for Hitachi Vantara customers who use, administer, and operate Hitachi storage systems with Hitachi Ops Center. The test will validate that the successful candidate has knowledge of data center infrastructure management tasks automation using Hitachi Ops Center Automator. The test covers the user interface, creation and customization of tasks, REST API usage, and the Command Line Interface, according to Hitachi Vantara. Organization: Hitachi Vantara Skills acquired: Knowledge of data center infrastructure management tasks automation using Hitachi Ops Center Automator. Price: $100 Exam duration: 60 minutes How to prepare: Knowledge of all storage-related operations from an end-user perspective, including planning, allocating, and managing storage and architecting storage layouts. Read more about Hitachi Vantara’s training and certification options here. Certifications that bundle cloud, networking and storage skills AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification from leading cloud provider Amazon Web Services (AWS) helps individuals showcase advanced knowledge and skills in optimizing security, cost, and performance, and automating manual processes. The certification is a means for organizations to identify and develop talent with these skills for implementing cloud initiatives, according to AWS. The ideal candidate has the ability to evaluate cloud application requirements, make architectural recommendations for deployment of applications on AWS, and provide expert guidance on architectural design across multiple applications and projects within a complex organization, AWS says. Certified individuals report increased credibility with technical colleagues and customers as a result of earning this certification, it says. Organization: Amazon Web Services Skills acquired: Helps individuals showcase skills in optimizing security, cost, and performance, and automating manual processes Price: $300 Exam duration: 180 minutes How to prepare: The recommended experience prior to taking the exam is two or more years of experience in using AWS services to design and implement cloud solutions Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Data Center The Cisco CCIE Data Center certification enables individuals to demonstrate advanced skills to plan, design, deploy, operate, and optimize complex data center networks. They will gain comprehensive expertise in orchestrating data center infrastructure, focusing on seamless integration of networking, compute, and storage components. Other skills gained include building scalable, low-latency, high-performance networks that are optimized to support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) workloads; and the ability to use automated solutions, programming concepts, and automated tools for programmable data center fabrics. The program includes two required exams. Organization: Cisco Skills acquired: Plan, design, deploy, operate, and optimize complex data center networks Price: $400 for first exam, $1,600 for second Exam duration: 120 minutes for first, eight hours for second How to prepare: No formal prerequisites necessary Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate Candidates for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification should have subject matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an organization’s Azure environment, including, virtual networks, storage, compute, security, and governance. They should be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization. The program measures skills including management of Azure identities and governance, implementation and management of storage, deployment and management of Azure compute resources, implementation and management of virtual networking, and monitoring and maintaining of Azure resources. Organization: Microsoft Skills acquired: Management of Azure identities and governance, implementation and management of storage, deployment and management of Azure compute resources. Price: $165 Exam duration: 100 minutes How to prepare: Take training in implementing, managing, and monitoring an organization’s Azure environment, including, virtual networks, storage, compute, security, and governance. VMware Certified Data Center Virtualization The VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization 2024 [v2] (VCP-DCV 2024) certification validates an individual’s knowledge and skills with VMware vSphere solutions, including virtual machines, networking, and storage. Job roles associated with this certification include virtualization administrators, system engineers, and consultants. Organization: Broadcom Skills acquired: How to use VMware vSphere solutions, including virtual machines, networking, and storage. Price: $250 Exam duration: 130 minutes How to prepare: Gain experience with VMware’s vSphere 7.x or vSphere 8.x platforms. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe