alex jamison

I have a CS/MBA background and have been doing java development for ~6 years. I am trying to get my OCPJP 7 since it is free. I dont want to be a developer in the future but a "technical manager" role. Naturally a lot of companies have different definitions but IMO some of the criteria i have seen are around design, understanding technology components, managing teams and seeing the "big picture".  I feel a lot of the tech companies now has web technology in one form or another, with some using much more (amazon, google, etc.).

With that said, what are some recommended certifications i should get to bolster my knowledge in those areas with a non-developer in mind? I would think something that requires multiple system interaction of sorts?
Thanks!

Pete Letkeman wrote:if you look at the OCP wall of Fame https://coderanch.com/wiki/659976/Ocpjp-Wall-Fame you can see that people go many different directions after getting their OCP certification.

You mentioned that you have your OCA for Java 7 you could also go for your Java 8 certifications.
It's my understanding that not too much has changed between the OCA Java 8 and Java 7 exams and you can even use of the Java 7 OCA study guides for Java 8 OCA.
However people such as Jeanne Boyarsky have stated that the OCP Java 8 exam is rather difficult and you cannot use Java 7 OCP books for the Java 8 OCP exam.

You can also go from OCA Java 7 to OCP Java 7 to OCP Java 8. But it is easier to go from OCA Java 7 to OCA Java 8 to OCP Java 8.
It's the same number of exams, but OCA exams are easier to pass.

There is also the question of Java 9 certification. You may not be aware of this, but Java 9 was released in Sept 2017.
There are many questions regarding how, where, and when Oracle will eventually mention this certification.
It's been speculated that Oracle may start with the Java 9 beta exams sometime in the fourth quarter of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019.
You can give yourself a head start by starting to learn Java 9 as there are a number of books out there regarding this topic which have been released in the last six months.
Not only that there are some people on this site who are actively learning Java 9 and I'm sure that they could help you out with your Java 9 questions.

What you do next also depends on what you want to do.
For example if you are interested in Android development then you may want to look into Kotlin (no certification available).
Or maybe you want to get into big data systems like Hadoop or SAP Hana, both of which your Java experience will be an asset and have certifications.

Thanks for the information! I took a look at the wall of fame, it seems the majority of the next steps are "EE" related certs, which makes sense given the oracle site for next steps. I agree that the topics vary drastically among EE certs.

Couple of additional Qs:
1. i am not sure i can get the funding to do an upgrade to OCA8 then OCP8. Will OCP7 not be that valuable at all?
2. I think with current tech market, i am more interested in the "web technology", Amazon, google and few other companies i am interested in are big in those space. Any suggestions? I am not looking to be a coder but to be technical enough to discuss architecture design and be the bridge between pure technical and pure business (something i am doing now)

I have OCA 7 from a year ago and am thinking of going through the OCPJP 7. My question is, what's next?
I am not a developer currently but i was before, and I dont have desire to be a pure developer in the future BUT i want to be proficient enough to understand things technically and maybe eventually be involved in architecture designs etc.  
Should I go for one of the EE java cert developer certs and then maybe the Master? Some tips would be hugely appreciated!

I have a Sun SCJP 5.0 around 2006ish and am thinking of upgrading. I am a bit pressed for time and am wondering which exam is "easier"? I understand the 1Z0-805 has content that only appears after 5 right? thanks!

K. Tsang wrote:For the architect cert, you do need to know a vast area of knowledge from architecture to web/EJB tiers to security and patterns

There are a few study guides out there but I personally don't rely on them for the architect cert. Instead read a book in that particular topic will get you more depth than actually needed for the architect MC exam because no API is needed.

All in all the architect MC exam (anyway) is testing the following:
what this tech/API is
when to use such and such technology
pros and cons of tech
NOT how to use it, yet knowing this do help

To start you off you the references I used during my prep was:
Head First Servlets & JSP 2e
EJB3 in action
Head First Design Pattens
Design Patterns (GOF)
Core J2EE Patterns 2e
Web Services Up and Running
Java Security 2e
JMS 2e
JSF in action



As for the training, it's mandatory and Oracle won't give you the cert unless you do training.

Purpose of training is just to demonstrate you have hands-on training. The course does not need to relate to architecture per se. As long as those courses is in that list Oracle provides.

Hmm from what you have listed I think I would need to read most of them with couple of topics I could skim over. In terms of the design piece, I would imagine it to be much more difficult since I would need to know the ins and outs of the different technologies or is Part 1 the exam harder? The essay seems to be tied to the solution for part 2...


I am still in the "exploratory" phase since I don't know if my company will sponsor it (seems to be ~1k all said and done) but it would definitely look good on my resume - just not sure if it will add any short term value to it to be on my priority list. Is there anything else I could do to see if I should take this? Would it just be basically reading all those books you mentioned and try some mock exams and see how I feel about it? Basically "prep" for the exam without registering?
Thanks!

chinta prakash wrote:Thanks Sergio, As of now i haven't planned anything. I need to take the mandatory course to get the certificate.

Wishing you all the best for your exam.

congrats! Did you use any study guides/resources? I am looking into the exam now and the only decent book I found on it is the one from Oracle...

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:There's no coding on the Architect exam so you definitely don't need experience scripting.

How difficult you'll find it depends on your experience. Have you done an system design before?

I did some but not a lot. I do have experience with UML design with class diagrams sequence diagrams etc. But if it is a whole system not too much.
BTW I also read the SCEA FAQ as well. I have never really taken live classes for my certs before (unless required) - how important is taking a live class for this one or it is mostly depending on the experience? Any other pointers in terms of resources to use etc? thanks. It seems the only decent book out there is the Bambara one?

In addition to that, how much detail should I know about other oracle technologies associated with this exam - JSF, Structs etc.? Is it more general knowledge I can learn from the study guide and it will be "good enough" or I need some in depth knowledge?

K. Tsang wrote:

alex jamison wrote:for the architect, do you mean Oracle certified master J2EE 5/6 enterprise architect? It is up to 6 months and seems quite time consuming. It does seem very interesting though.

Yes the architect cert is the OCMJEA. Given your background, the architect seems the route.

The architect is a 3-step process, 4 steps if you include training.
1) MC exam
2) design project (UML)
3) essay

The project and essay together need to be done in 6 months, which isn't that long ... time flies especially you got full time job.

If you want to learn the tech, the architect is good. The only difference is you "may" not need to know all the low-level details like a coder. But able to implement what you design is good. (eg you know what you are talking about)

how difficult is it? I read some saying it is entire system needing experience with scripting, servers and others. it is a challenge for sure but kinda wanna know what I will be getting myself into...

for the architect, do you mean Oracle certified master J2EE 5/6 enterprise architect? It is up to 6 months and seems quite time consuming. It does seem very interesting though.

K. Tsang wrote:Since you already have SCJP, you can do any developer certs. Of course you can also do upgrade JP first

For JP upgrade, you can consider going for v7 or v8 (depending what version of JP you have). JP8 upgrade for SCJP6 or before cover more material than the JP8 upgrade for JP7.

What cert to do depends on your interest. Oracle practically covers all areas of java certs:
web = web component developer
EJB = EJB developer
JPA/persistence = JPA developer
web services = web services developer
mobile Java ME = mobile app developer
desktop gui (swing) = java developer (require mandatory training)
architect = enterprise architect (no prereq and require mandatory training)

Thanks for the informative reply! I am pretty sure my SCIP was V5 - so do I pretty much need to upgrade to V8/V7 before taking any other tests - or I can do some self study without spending money to get another cert?
As for SCJD, I guess the model really changed from Sun's because I recall the SCJD was another level up then the specific interest areas expand(but then again it is ~10 years ago..).
In terms of my experience I have exposure to Web, EJB, Persistence, Web services, Swing - which of these area is "easy" to knock off?

Also to add some more context to my current position - I am more of a consultant now than a "coder" - I don't really code for my job anymore BUT I am working with developers and java designs and such so being more knowledgeable in Java world is something I desire. In that vein, are there any certs that kind of matches what I am currently doing and will be doing in the future? The Architect *seems* to make sense, maybe web services? If you can maybe rank the top 3 certs I should get for personal/professional that would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

Hi all,
I received my SCJP from 2005/2006 and I have about 5-6 years experience in Java development. Recently I am thinking of getting some Java certifications under my belt and I am wondering what is the best route for it now? The oracle site was a bit overwhelming but I think I need an upgrade test first? And I am assuming I can't skip levels right? thanks!

So i used wsdl2java to generate some java classes for my service calls. i put in a cert into the keystore with its public and private parts but when i run this i get the "unrecoverable key" exception... it happens when i use the generated code to invoke a call... any pointers on how to fix this or what the problem might be - generated code, config of cert/keystore etc?


System.setProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStore","C:\\Program Files\\Java\\jdk1.6.0_07\\lib\\security\\keystore");
System.setProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword","changeit");
URL endpoint = new java.net.URL("https://foo.bar/services/ingest);
ingestSoapBindingStub ingest = new ingestSoapBindingStub(endpoint,null);

/***********auto generated from wsdl2java************/
org.apache.axis.client.Call _call = createCall();
_call.setOperation(_operations[0]);
_call.setUseSOAPAction(true);
_call.setSOAPActionURI("ingest");
_call.setSOAPVersion(org.apache.axis.soap.SOAPConstants.SOAP11_CONSTANTS);
_call.setOperationName(new javax.xml.namespace.QName("http://ingest.webservice.foobar.com", "ingest"));
setRequestHeaders(_call);
setAttachments(_call);

try {
java.lang.Object _resp = _call.invoke(new java.lang.Object[] {header}); //this call is causing error
.....}

I get the following error:

faultCode: {http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/}Server.userException
faultSubcode:
faultString: java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)
faultActor:
faultNode:
faultDetail:
{http://xml.apache.org/axis/}stackTrace:java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)
at javax.net.ssl.DefaultSSLSocketFactory.throwException(Unknown Source)
at javax.net.ssl.DefaultSSLSocketFactory.createSocket(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.axis.components.net.JSSESocketFactory.create(JSSESocketFactory.java:92) .....

Caused by: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)
at java.security.Provider$Service.newInstance(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.jca.GetInstance.getInstance(Unknown Source)
at org.apache.axis.components.net.JSSESocketFactory.create(JSSESocketFactory.java:79)
... 45 more
Caused by: java.security.UnrecoverableKeyException: Cannot recover key
at sun.security.provider.KeyProtector.recover(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.provider.JavaKeyStore.engineGetKey(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.provider.JavaKeyStore$JKS.engineGetKey(Unknown Source)
at java.security.KeyStore.getKey(Unknown Source)
... 53 more

{http://xml.apache.org/axis/}hostname:foo-bar

java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)
at org.apache.axis.AxisFault.makeFault(AxisFault.java:101)
at org.apache.axis.transport.http.HTTPSender.invoke(HTTPSender.java:154)
at org.apache.axis.strategies.InvocationStrategy.visit(InvocationStrategy.java:32)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)
at javax.net.ssl.DefaultSSLSocketFactory.throwException(Unknown Source)
... 42 more
Caused by: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)
at java.security.Provider$Service.newInstance(Unknown Source)
... 45 more
Caused by: java.security.UnrecoverableKeyException: Cannot recover key
at sun.security.provider.KeyProtector.recover(Unknown Source)
at sun.security.provider.JavaKeyStore.engineGetKey(Unknown Source)

... 53 more

ok, i got the certs in and setup and i dont get those errors anymore but i got new one:
faultCode: {http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/}Server.userException
faultSubcode:
faultString: java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation
{http://xml.apache.org/axis/}stackTrace:java.net.SocketException: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)

Caused by: java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException: Error constructing implementation (algorithm: Default, provider: SunJSSE, class: com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.DefaultSSLContextImpl)

Caused by: java.security.UnrecoverableKeyException: Cannot recover key

any takers?

Ok, I have a wsdl2java generated package and I am trying to run it. I call the methods like:

URL endpoint = new java.net.URL("https://foobar/ingest");
service = new org.apache.axis.client.Service();
IngestSoapBindingStub ingest = new ingestSoapBindingStub(endpoint,service);
ingest.ingest(header);

ingest(Header header) {
org.apache.axis.client.Call _call = createCall();
_call.setOperation(_operations[0]);
_call.setUseSOAPAction(true);
_call.setSOAPActionURI("ingest");
_call.setSOAPVersion(org.apache.axis.soap.SOAPConstants.SOAP11_CONSTANTS);
_call.setOperationName(new javax.xml.namespace.QName("http://ingest.fooservice.foo.bar.com", "ingest"));
setRequestHeaders(_call);
setAttachments(_call);
java.lang.Object _resp = _call.invoke(new java.lang.Object[] {header}); //this call is causing error

the last call is where it seems to cause the error from my logs.

the error displayed is:
faultCode: {http://xml.apache.org/axis/}HTTP
faultSubcode:
faultString: (403)Forbidden
faultActor:
faultNode:
faultDetail:
{}:return code: 403
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>The page requires a client certificate</TITLE>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" Content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<STYLE type="text/css">


The page requires a client certificate
The page you are attempting to access requires your browser to have a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) client certificate that the Web server will recognize. The client certificate is used for identifying you as a valid user of the resource.
etc...

Basically looks like the error one would get from firefox when accessing a link without cert. I have the personal cert and loaded them into my IE/FF and they work fine. I used keytool to import it into my jdk directory as well. I am not sure how to get pass this step... the java code generated "seems" to work as it is trying to access the https site thus giving me the error... any help please? should i put the cert in code or send it during the calls? thanks