DCAT case studies
DCAT · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The DCAT (Data Center Associate Technician) credential is an entry-level certification for people who want to work hands-on in data center operations: racking and cabling servers, swapping components, checking power and cooling, and doing first-line troubleshooting. It suits career changers, trade-school and community-college students, help-desk staff moving toward infrastructure work, and new hires who need a common baseline before vendor-specific training. The exam samples broadly rather than deeply. Expect questions on data center fundamentals and physical infrastructure, server hardware components and architecture, storage systems, data center networking, power and cooling, installation and hardware replacement procedures, monitoring and diagnostics, and safety, security, and compliance. Topics on this exam: Data Center Fundamentals and Infrastructure, Server Hardware Components and Architecture, Storage Systems and Technologies, Networking in the Data Center, Power, Cooling, and Environmental Management, Installation, Cabling, and Hardware Replacement Procedures, Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Troubleshooting, and Safety, Security, and Compliance. The DCAT case studies are 5 cases and about 3,590 words.
1The Overloaded Rack Row
You are the facilities engineer for a 40-rack row in a colocation hall. The row was originally designed for 4 kW per rack with a raised floor plenum of 18 inches and perforated tiles at roughly 30% open area.
810 words, about 4 min2The Failing Drive in a RAID Set
A storage array holds 24 SAS drives in a RAID 6 set (two parity drives). It has been running for four years.
756 words, about 4 min3The New Server Won't Boot After Racking
A technician racks a new 2U server in a colo cage. The server has dual redundant 1600W power supplies.
649 words, about 3 min4The Intermittent Link Flap
A top-of-rack switch connects to a server via a 10GbE DAC cable. For three weeks, the link has flapped roughly twice a day.
699 words, about 3 min5The Compliance Audit and the Missing Logs
A data center operator is preparing for a compliance audit. The auditor requests 90 days of access-control logs for the server hall.
676 words, about 3 min