SQL Server 2008 is used in many fields and has opened up many certification opportunities. If you choose to become certified in SQL Server 2008, you have a few career choices.

The SQL Server 2008 certification paths allow you to become:

  •   Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist,
  •   Microsoft Certified IT Professional,
  •   Microsoft Certified Architect, or
  •   Microsoft Certified Master.

The MCITP and MCTS certifications each come in three flavors. I’ll quickly go over each of these paths to help you decide which route is right for you.

Keep an eye out for my next few articles where I will go over each path in detail, to help you better prepare for the exams.

Before going into the exam paths, it is important to note, if you wish to become a Microsoft Certified Master or Microsoft Certified Architect, you will need to take two full specific certification paths. You will need to become a MCITP Database Administrator, and a MCITP Database Developer.

If you choose to take the MCITP Business Intelligence Developer path, you will not be able to use that towards becoming a Microsoft Certified Master and will need to take the other two paths in full.

Why Become a SQL Server Professional?

Database Administration and Development Professionals, especially those with SQL Server 2008 experience are in high demand. CareerBuilder and CNN listed DBAs as the second most promising job for 2010. And SimplyHired listed SQL Server 2008 DBA salaries at $82,000 this month. So if you’re looking for a career change or a direction, this might just be the right path for you.

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Do IT certifications have any modern-day relevance? Some claim that “experience is the key … not multiple choice questions.” So is it worth getting certified in today’s economy?

These are the questions I tackle in my latest InfoWorld article on how to make sure IT certifications actually matter.

If you’re interested in learning how to choose a certification path that’s right for you and how to prepare for exam victory, check out the article. And if you’re the one making the hiring decisions, see how to make sure that your certified candidates really know their stuff.

As a follow-up to my dynamips article, this article has been put together in order to help those utilizing the dynamips tools available.

This article shows a number of sample labs which can be used with the dynamips tools in order to get started utilizing these tools as quickly as possible.

You can download the individual files for each lab, or get them all in one download here: 7 Sample Cisco Labs.

Keep in mind that a little modification is required in order to meet your specific setup. The GNS3 files must have the working directory parameter modified to a valid location on your system. Both the GNS3 and Dynagen files must also have valid paths to an IOS image, in these labs an image for a 7200 series is used.

1. Simple Frame Relay-Ethernet Lab

Now the following is a very simple two router lab which allows a number of simple introductory level tasks. As the two routers are connected via Frame Relay and Ethernet many different situations can be simulated without using that many resources.

Download Files:

• GNS3 — Simple Frame Relay-Ethernet Lab
• Dynagen — Simple Frame Relay-Ethernet Lab

Simple Frame Relay-Ethernet Lab – 1

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It’s a known fact that maintaining a complex, cross platform information technology architecture is not a task for the timid.

Between staying current with the never-ending update cycle to exploring new features in the latest software releases, simply keeping an environment running takes time, effort and talent.

On top of that, many IT groups need to ensure that all IT services stay available on a 24/7 basis and meet strict service level agreements, necessitating the need for a comprehensive end-to-end service management solution that can track individual SLAs, notify administrators when a server or service goes awry and provide ways to take immediate corrective action.

Enter Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2

System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 is Microsoft’s answer to the service management challenge and takes the form of a ground-up rewrite of the product formerly known as Microsoft Operations Manager.

With Operations Manager 2007 R2, organizations can take advantage of an extensive, extensible product framework that provides powerful, heterogeneous monitoring all in a single-pane administrative interface, complete with multichannel notification options, a myriad of alerting options and powerful reporting tools.

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Windows Virtual PC is an optional download for Windows 7. It currently works on the following Windows 7 editions: Ultimate, Professional, and Enterprise.

Windows XP Mode is simply a repackaged Virtual PC designed for Windows 7.

In order to activate Windows Virtual PC, you must have hardware-assisted virtualization (INTEL VT) or (AMD-V) available and enabled in the bios. Microsoft has a tool available for download to check your PC for compatibility.

Installing Windows Virtual PC

In order to configure Windows Virtual PC, you must download two files. One file enables Windows Virtual PC and the other file installs a licensed copy of Windows XP SP3 for you to use for legacy applications (Windows XP Mode).

Browse to the Windows XP Mode configuration page. You should have already performed Step 1 and Step 2 on this page, which involve checking your PC for compatibility.

Select your Operating System (OS) in Step 3 and your language. Download Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode to your desktop and install.

Once you have installed the application, reboot your computer.

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With VMware vSphere 4 came a powerful new feature — distributed virtual switches (dvSwitch) — and the option to add on a 3rd party switch (the Cisco Nexus 1000V).

With the Nexus 1000V (N1KV), you get the Cisco IOS command line (actually NX-OS) for your virtual infrastructure, policies, QoS, security, and many other Cisco switch features that you (or your network admin) are used to using. 

VMware’s dvSwitch and the Cisco Nexus 1000V make a powerful team but you must also know how to install it, add ESX hosts to the new switch, and create port profiles.

The video below is part of our VMware vSphere Pro Vol 1 Video Training and the lessons covering the Nexus 1000V are taught by VMware vExpert, VCP4, and VCDX Rick Scherer of VMwareTips.com.

In the video below, Rick has already created the Cisco VSM (virtual supervisor module) and VEM (virtual ethernet module) and now must add an ESX host to the new Nexus 1000V switch. However, as Rick points out, there is more to this than just an ESX host and VM than just “adding you to the switch”.

After showing the correct way to add an ESX host to a switch, Rick also shows you how to create port profiles.

Checkout Rick’s video below and learn everything you need to know about the Nexus 1000V in our Cisco Nexus 1000-V training course.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a general Linux Certification Overview that listed all of the different Linux certification options that are available today. I also posted a more in-depth overview of the LPIC Certification.

Today we continue our examination of Linux professional certification options with CompTIA’s Linux+.

Most of you may be familiar with CompTIA’s A+ or Network+ certifications. This certification leader has also added their own distribution-neutral certification similar to the LPIC path.

Linux+ Overview

Linux+ covers Linux basics and is targeted toward entry level professionals, with a minimum of six to twelve months of Linux and/or Windows experience.

There is no prerequisite for the the exam, but candidates should be familiar with the subject matter covered in CompTIA A+ and Network+.

From a Linux perspective, you should have broad experience with the Linux command line, general administration and troubleshooting skills.

According to CompTIA’s website, both Oracle and Novell recognize Linux+ in their own certification paths.

The Linux+ Exam

The 98 question exam must be completed in 90 minutes and covers five domain areas, weighted as indicated below:

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