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Microsoft Certification Updates: New Certs, Reverts and More

Kasia Grabowska — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:22:27 +0000

There’s a lot going on in the certification world today. Cisco is introducing a new CCNP path next month, the Linux Professional Institute has recently formed new partnerships with CompTIA and Novell offering some nice certification benefits for Linux candidates, and let’s not forget about the two new wireless networking certs that CWNP is planning to launch later this year.

But that’s not all! While at TechEd I learned about a few new Microsoft certification updates that I thought were worth mentioning including new exams, and a two changes to current exams and certifications:

Exam 83-640 Reverts Back to 70-640
MCAS Reverts Back to MOS
New MCTS: Bing Maps Certification
New MCTS: Deploying Windows 7 + Office 2010 Certification
Second Shot Ends in June … and Maybe Forever?

Exam 83-640 Reverts Back to 70-640

Because of some technical difficulties the 83-640 performance based exam is temporarily suspended and replaced by it’s predecessor, Exam 70-640.

The two exams are essentially the same, covering the same objectives and will earn you the same certification: MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring. The main difference between the two exams is the format — Exam 83-640 is a performance based or lab based exam, whereas Exam 70-640 is a traditional multiple-choice type exams. The Transcender blog has a great article about the difference between the two exams.

So what does all of this mean for those who are registered for the 83-640 exam?

Born to Learn says that all current registrations from 83-640 will automatically change to 70-640 with no required action on your part. Your exam will still be at the same time and location but you will be taking the 70-640 exam instead. You do however have the choice to reschedule your time and location through Prometric if you need to.

MCAS Reverts Back to MOS

Does anyone remember the MOS certification? The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification was used with the Office 2000, Office XP and Office 2003 versions of Office. With Office 2007 the Microsoft Certified Applications Specialist (MCAS) credential was introduced along with some confusion about the Office certifications.

Starting this month, the MCAS is no more and the MOS designation is now valid for all versions of Office, from 2000 to 2010, including Office 2007.

What does this mean for individuals who earned the MCAS?

MCAS certified individuals are now MOS certified for Office 2007. Born to Learn points out that “your certification is still relevant and valued in the marketplace” and that this change “does not affect your credential.” You can now view and print your updated transcript with the MOS logo and make appropriate changes to your virtual business cards at Microsoft Learning.

New MCTS: Bing Maps Certification

The most surprising certification update I learned about last week is the introduction of the new Bing Maps certification. As you know, Bing is Microsoft’s new search engine which includes the Bing Maps feature.

The new Bing Maps exam (70-544) validates skills such as retrieving, analyzing, and displaying location data, administering location platforms and manipulating the map. The certification is designed for application developers working with Visual Studio 2008 interested in creating solutions environments using Bing Maps. Exam 70-544 will earn you the credential of MCTS: Bing Maps Platform, Application Development.

More information on the new Bing Maps certification can be found at Microsoft Learning.

New MCTS: Deploying Windows 7 + Office 2010 Certification

Although not officially out yet, an upcoming MCTS certification exam will focus on Windows 7 and Office 2010 deployment. The exam numbered 70-681 will go into beta soon.

No word yet on when the exam will be available to the public, but a recent Born to Learn post does confirm that the exam will be available for subject matter experts to participate in beta.

Second Shot Ends in June … and Maybe Forever?

The popular Second Shot offer ends June 30th and this time it might be gone forever, or so I heard. At the moment it’s just a rumor, so please don’t quote me on this, but I’ve heard from a number of individuals that this might be the last second shot offer. Why? I have no idea… so hopefully this is just a rumor and second shot will come back next year.

So… What Else Is New?

What did you learn this week? Got any exciting exam or certification news to share?

Save on Your CompTIA A+, Net+, Security+ Exam Retake

Kasia Grabowska — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:51:50 +0000

CompTIA and Prometric testing centers are offering a 25% discount on A+, Network+ and Security+ retake exams.

The promotion, called “Reboot,” is available until June 30, 2010 and only for those candidates who failed their exams on the first try and need to complete a retake to certify.

For more information and to take advantage of the 20% off, visit: prometric.com/comptia/Reboot

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification

Abhinav Kaiser — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:00:37 +0000

Today, more and more IT projects that are coming in are maintenance projects. Development projects have gone down steeply owing to a number of factors surrounding cutting of costs and reusing available solutions rather than reinventing the wheel.

Moreover, all the developed projects need to be maintained, and hence the demand for professionals in the service sector. The art of managing the service sector in the IT field is most commonly referred to as IT Service Management.

On the field, a set of technicians and software engineers by themselves cannot run maintenance projects which involve services and systems. There is a need to bring the whole process under a strong governance that integrates all functions together under professionals who are well versed in the field of service management.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is one of the most popular governance models and its certification is conferred on individuals who possess minimum understanding of the ITIL model.

In this post, I hope to throw some light on the ITIL certification and provide ample proof that the certification is the way forward and owning one will move you to a position of strength in obtaining your dream IT job.

Today you’ll learn:

What is ITIL?
What are the jobs opportunities for ITIL certified professionals?
Are there any alternatives to ITIL?
What are the ITIL certification exams?
How to get ITIL certified?

Introduction to ITIL

ITIL is an IT service management governance model. It provides the set of best practices in the industry for managing IT services, and running IT operations.

The library provides a structure for an organization to run cost effective operations, improve performance on a continuous basis, and to control the activities through multi-layers.

In the eighties, a number of service projects were under the hammer as the practices followed and the outputs delivered varied significantly. At this point in time, the British government, under its Office of Government Commerce (OGC) brought forth a set of best practices, and was christened Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

The first version of ITIL (v1) came out in 1989, and was voluminous with over 30 books. Although the framework was tedious, it was in vigor for over a decade.

In 2000, their most popular version, ITIL v2 was launched. It basically had two volumes for IT service management and was supplemented by a further six volumes which offered specific guidance for different segments in the IT industry.

The latest installment, ITIL v3, was launched in 2007 and it consists of five volumes. This version covers the entire life cycle of service management, which is probably fitting and the need of the hour for today’s industry.

Although v3 is the latest and updated ITIL version, many industry experts, including me, believe that ITIL v2 suffices for the most part, especially for professionals working in junior and mid levels. The v3 version will come in handy for service managers and delivery managers who have a holistic view into all the processes in the lifecycle.

Jobs Opportunities for ITIL Certified Professionals

The ITIL environment not only provides jobs for technicians and software engineers, but there are a number of ITIL professionals required to run the processes, at junior, mid and higher levels of service management.

The junior level jobs include coordinator roles mainly responsible for coordinating between technicians, managers, customers and suppliers, reporting, running meetings amongst other level one activities.

For those with at least five years of experience, the mid level offers job opportunities that make them functional managers who are accountable for the deliverables. They will have powers to authorize technicians and software professionals to address problematic situation on hand.

The people who take decisions sit on the top. They need to have significant exposure to ITIL practices to ensure best performance using the available resources and at a minimum cost. Apart from this, ITIL mandates continuous improvement, which falls directly under higher level managers’ objectives.

I have mentioned the various levels of jobs one could undertake depending on experience just to prove that ITIL professionals have unparalleled career growth. They perhaps take over management roles much earlier than those working in development environments. And, with the number of maintenance projects on the rise, it is evident that the future is looking bright for ITIL professionals.

I have been an ITIL professional for a number of years now. I am in charge of operations for a number of clients in a particular geography. I have the power to take decisions which also includes managing people.

Not too long ago, I started out as a coordinator managing deliverables, getting inputs from technical teams and ensuring timely delivery of outputs. I moved up the ladder as a service manager where I managed a number of services for a particular client. After a successful stint, I was handed a promotion and given wider responsibilities to handle multiple clients, and the power to chop and change things to increase performance and reduce costs.

All in all, I do believe that my ride up the ladder has been swift, compared to my comrades who are in the development industry.

Alternatives to ITIL

ITIL has somewhat monopolized the industry, leaving others way behind.

The closest contender is Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (CobiT), another governance model that has made quite a name for itself.

However, unlike ITIL, CobiT is a certification for organizations and not for individuals.

ITIL v3 Certification Exams

ITIL offers four levels of certifications, aimed at professionals at different stages of their career:

ITIL Foundation Level
ITIL Intermediate Level
ITIL Expert Certificate
ITIL Master Qualification

The ones getting started in the maintenance projects will want to undergo the ITIL v3 Foundation Certification, which is perhaps the most popular of the four.

Other exams include ITIL intermediate level certification meant for managers responsible for making decisions.

Higher up the ladder are the expert and master certifications which test the knowledge through case studies on specific ITIL topics.

The foundation certification should suffice for the most part, even for those seeking managerial berth. A basic understanding of ITIL coupled with industry experience will deem the individuals invaluable.

ITIL v3 Foundation Certification Essentials

There are several accredited examination institutes around the world. Go with the one that is relevant to your geography. Most examination institutes have tied up with Prometric to conduct proctored exams EXIN is the exam institute of my choice.

To register for ITIL v3 foundation certification examination, you need to head over to the Prometric website to register. The examination will be listed under your examination institute. It costs $174 in the United States and this could vary depending on the geography.

The examination has a total of 40 questions and you are expected to score at least 26 to pass it.

You have a total of 60 minutes to finish the examination. In my opinion, you should be able to answer all the forty questions within the first 45 minutes and utilize the remaining time to review your answers.

If you are writing the exam in a language other than your native language, you will get an additional 15 minutes along with a dictionary to aid you.

ITIL has published five volumes for v3, however I don’t recommend that you study them for your foundation examination, it is way too much information.

Passing your ITIL foundation exam: the official study aid by Christian Nissen is a good book, it simplifies all of the concepts for rookies and the material offered is succinct and apt for the examination.

Self study should be sufficient to pass the foundation certification examination but if you need more help, there are plenty of training options out there as well.

How to make sure IT certifications actually matter

J. Peter Bruzzese — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:37:44 +0000

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.

SBS 2008, Configuring (Exam 70-653) Certification Overview

Abhinav Kaiser — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:00:57 +0000

The Small Business Server 2008 package by Microsoft is a boon for a number of startup and small to medium sized businesses.

The needs of these businesses are similar in all aspects to that of enterprises. The messaging, collaboration, secure file storage and databases are just some of the must-have features that all companies vie for, on a day to day basis.

However, smaller businesses find it hard to fund and maintain the server base that is needed to run these solutions. The answer is SBS which fills the void; the package contains heart lines of businesses such as MS Exchange, SQL Database and Sharepoint Services.

All these packages which normally require a server of its own are bundled together in SBS, and the latest offering is SBS 2008.

But while SBS is an economical solution for businesses, it isn’t sufficient unless we have trained professionals behind the wheel. Microsoft offers a certification for SBS 2008 in Exam 70-653, and this article is aimed towards providing you the information which you need to prepare, schedule and pass the SBS 2008, Configuring exam.

Interesting Read: Why Small Businesses Use Windows Small Business Server

Overview of Exam 70-653 SBS 2008, Configuring

The SBS 2008 is a multi-package bundle. To master this solution, you are required to know each of the packages in detail, which can be rendered as a blessing in disguise from your career perspective. Knowing each of the individual packages in the bundle in good detail will give you wider choices while you search for a job.

The TS: Windows Small Business Server 2008, Configuring (Exam 70-653) will test your knowledge on the SBS 2008 solution. The exam gets into technical intricacies of:

Exchange 2007 Standard,
Windows Server Update Services,
and SharePoint Services 3.0.

Prerequisites for Exam 70-653

To be eligible to take the 70-653 exam, you should have prior experience in deploying and managing network solutions in a company that has under 75 devices such as routers, switches and servers amongst others. Also, Microsoft specifies that the company network must have internet connectivity and an option for users to work from a remote location.

You will be asked to declare your experience during the registration process, and a small percentage of the total applicants will be audited and asked to provide proofs for their claims.

SBS 2008 Exam Topics

The questions on the 70-653 exam cover both the functionalities present in Standard and Premium editions of Small Business Server 2008. It includes installation of the bundle on servers, migrating from SBS 2003 to 2008 and messaging configuration along with a number of other activities.

Here’s the list of sections that appear on the exam along with the weights they carry:

Deploying Hardware and Software for SBS Servers – 10%

Migrating to SBS 2008 – 16%

Deploying Hardware and Software for Computers on the Network – 9%

Maintaining Systems and Services Availability – 16%

Maintaining Remote Access – 10%

Maintaining Users and Computers – 11%

Maintaining Collaboration – 11%

Maintaining Messaging – 17%

Study Materials for Exam 70-653

It has been over a year since the certification exam was announced and the number of books on the subject is numerous. A particular book worthy of mention is the MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-653): Configuring Windows Small Business Server 2008 by Beatrice Mulzer, Walter Glenn, and Scott Lowe.

It includes the official Microsoft study guide and comes with a good set of practice questions.

A preferred method to prepare for an exam such as this, where plenty of hands-on experience is required, is the traditional classroom training. However, not all cities around the world have the comfort of such trainings, and a better alternative is a virtual classroom and video training.

Train Signal has recently released a video training for SBS 2008 certification which is packed with 17 hours of hands-on experience. It covers all the topics that will crop up on exam 70-653, and will be your handy guide to master SBS 2008, and a guide for your certification exam.

The training is currently priced at $397 and includes multiple file format for convenience.

Study Tips for Exam 70-653: SBS 2008, Configuring

Prior knowledge of SBS 2003 coupled with SBS 2008 working knowledge will brighten your chances of clearing this examination with least effort. Any know-how of Windows server will also help immensely.

To prepare for this exam, I would advise you to give yourself one month at the very least. Book well in advance to give yourself the seriousness of taking a professional examination.

Install SBS 2008 on your PC at least a couple times to familiarize yourself with the process, and at some point, you need to put SBS 2003 and migrate over to SBS 2008. Learning things practically beats theory, hands down!

The ten step learning course on Microsoft’s website for configuring SBS 2008 is a key resource along with the TechNet library. The migration document from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 is useful too.

70-653 Exam Logistics

If you have taken Microsoft exams before, you will be familiar with the logistics.

All Microsoft exams are outsourced to Prometric, and you are required to register for the exam directly on Prometric’s website.

Currently this exam is priced at $125.

70-653 Examination

If you have taken Exam 70-283 (SBS 2003), this one is nothing like it.

You will have 50 multiple choice questions to answer within 140 minutes. You are required to score a minimum of 700 points on a possible 1000 points to pass the examination. Questions normally carry weights based on the complexity, and from what i have heard, the questions posed in the exam are hardly menacing.

From reading up on the forums I found that a number of exam takers were able to finish it in under an hour and scored over 900. If they can do it, you can too! What are you waiting for?

How to Obtain Your Project Management Professional (PMP) Cert

Abhinav Kaiser — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:22 +0000

The overwhelming majority of IT professionals that I have met or interacted with want to reach a level in their careers which engages in managing projects, resources or services.

Management has become the ultimate pinnacle of most career oriented workers today. One way to reserve a chair at the management table is through business schools; the alternative and more professional approach is to obtain management certificates.

As NetworkWorld.com pointed out a couple of weeks ago, project management certifications do matter. The article states “more and more CIOs believe in the importance of project management certifications” and the PMP credential is in high demand.

Today I’m going to discuss the very popular and reputable option — Project Management Professional (PMP) certification which is soon catching up as the arrow in the quiver that all managers dream of.

Overview of PMP Certification

Let’s start by defining a project. A project is a set of activities that are grouped together to achieve a specific goal. It has a specific start date and an end date, which implies temporary endeavor.

A project goes through various stages to achieve the purpose of its existence, and there is one person who owns the project from the beginning until completion.

This person is the Project Manager.

The PMP certification is a formal recognition implying that the individual understands the art of managing projects through various stages of development.

PMP is internationally recognized and respected. It is one of the most sought after certifications in the IT field. It empowers professionals in bagging crucial high profile project manager roles across the globe.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a nonprofit organization responsible for handing over PMP certifications and better project management practices for the community.

Pre-Requisites for the PMP Exam

You need to have several ducks in a row to be eligible to take up the PMP certification.

If you have a bachelor degree and above, you are required to have 4,500 hours of project experience and should have worked in projects for at least 3 years. Things get worse if you don’t hold a bachelor’s degree; for those with associate degrees and high school diplomas, 7,500 hours of project experience is sought with at least 5 years of project experience.

Apart from the long and exhausting project experience, you are required to take up a PMP training course from one of the PMI certified trainers. At the end of the training session followed by a quiz, you will receive 35 contact hours; provided you pass the quiz.

PMP Application Process

The PMP application process is rather tedious. I would rather apply for a Master’s examination and clear it rather than applying for the PMP exam. Just kidding!

For sure, it takes a good four hours to complete the application process.

You are required to enter your work experience based on different stages of project management; it includes listing the exact hours you worked on certain aspects of project management along with the contact details of your managers, which is required to verify your claims.

This is followed by details of the PMP training that you have undertaken and the number of contact hours it amounts to.
After you hit a final submit on the application process, it will take a maximum of five business days for the application to be reviewed.

15% of the total applications go under the hammer, in other words, get audited. If your application is audited, you are asked to provide material evidences of your experience which includes signatures from your managers and supervisors under whom you have performed for the activities that are listed on the application.

These attested copies are to be sealed in an envelope and mailed to your regional PMI office after which you will receive a response within 5 business days. The auditing part is extremely energy sapping and I am fortunate that I was spared from it.

Looking at the Economics of PMP

There are two different pricing cycles to apply for the PMP exam.

The first is rather a straightforward approach, where you pay the exam fees – $555 and take the exam. Else, the cheaper option is to become a member with the PMI organization by paying $129 and taking the exam for $405, which totals to $534 — $21 cheaper than the former alternative.

Why not save while we can? Plus, you have other advantages with the membership like obtaining a free copy of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) guide, the bible that is instrumental for the salvation of PMP certification.

If you fail to clear the PMP examination, the retake fee is $375 for non-members and $275 for members of PMI, which points to additional savings for PMI members.

I would also advise you to become a member of the local PMP chapter by paying $10, which is a great way to meet other project managers in your area, and goes towards activities that are required for you to undertake post certification.

Tips for Passing the PMP Exam

I would strongly advise you to read the PMBOK — Project Management Body of Knowledge at least 3 times in detail. And this time, I’m not joking.

All of the exam questions will be based on this guide. All other commercially available resources are a filtered copy of the original, and in some cases, a derivative of the author’s opinions, which may be useful but not for the exam.

Another book that is worth investing in is the PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy. This book extracts portions of the PMBOK and simplifies some of the hard-to-understand concepts. In addition, it contains practice exams for each of the chapters and a full length exam. I personally felt that the questions in the exam were a grade or two higher than the full length quiz provided in this book.

To clear the PMP examination, you will need at least fifteen days of undivided attention with at least 12 hours of preparation per day to be confident of passing. That being said, I know people who have prepared for ten days, and are PMP certified. But, why take the risk when you can help yourself by giving the extra time and confidence?

I gave myself one and a half months before I took up the exam. During this time, I worked full time and sacrificed my social life by immersing in PMBOK and PMP Exam Prep books. I even utilized the time I drove to office by listening to a few podcasts relating to the PMP exam. I took time off from work during the last ten days, and was working at it for 10-12 hours a day. I felt that I had over prepared at times, but it is far better than the other way around. During the entire period, I had read the PMBOK three times, PMP Exam Prep twice and had taken around 700 practice questions, including three full length quizzes.

The PMP Examination

The PMP exam consists of 200 questions and you have four hours to complete it. Of the 200 questions, 25 are dud questions, and will not be considered for scoring purposes. You will not know the dud questions, before and even after the exam.

The total number of questions that you need to answer successfully to pass the exam is a mystery. But, experts feel that the magic number is 106, and you need to get 106+25=131 questions right to be absolutely sure you have passed the exam.

The questions are fairly straightforward. As mentioned earlier, all the questions will be picked from the PMBOK. So make sure to prepare well; give yourself enough time and study with passion.

Learn more the PMP Certification Process at www.pmi.org.

Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician (Exam 70-685)

Mike Rodriguez — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:00:59 +0000

Exam 70-685 is the last Windows 7 exam on our list. We have already covered:

• Exam 70-680: Windows 7, Configuring,
• Exam 70-683: Windows 7, Preinstalling for OEMs,
• Exam 70-686: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator,

along with a general Windows 7 Certification Overview. Let’s get started on exam 70-685!

Windows 7 Exam 70-685: Overview

The Enterprise Desktop Support Technician exam was designed to assess an individual’s experience and ability to support and maintain computer systems on an enterprise level.

While the Enterprise Desktop Administrator exam is similar, it is based more on software, deployment, upgrading, and managing an enterprise sized network of computer systems, this exam is based on software and hardware troubleshooting and general technical support skills, much like the A+ exam, except on a much larger scale.

You should have at least 3 years experience supporting and troubleshooting computer systems on a medium to large scale as well as knowledge of good support practices in the field. After successfully completing the exam, you will have earned credit towards becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician).

Windows 7 Exam 70-685: Skills Measured

This exam focuses on the technical support and troubleshooting side of enterprise management. Microsoft has noted the percentages that each objective is worth on the exam. The exam measures the following skills:

Identifying the cause of and resolving desktop application issues
Identifying the cause of and resolving networking issues
Managing and maintaining systems that run the Windows 7 client
Supporting mobile users
And identifying the cause of and resolving security issues.

Now let’s go over these in more detail.

• Identifying the Cause of and Resolving Desktop Application Issues

As you can probably tell, this section involves being able to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve software issues. This objective weighs in at 20% of the total exam.

You will need to have experience with identifying and software installation issues such as installation permissions, local administrator requirements, licensing restrictions, and digital signing. You will need to be able to identify and resolve software configuration issues as well, such as enabling and disabling features, advanced settings, pointing to a network resource, and changing the default settings on the image.

Finally, you will need to be able to identify the cause of and be able to resolve software failures. This includes checking logs, checking whether the application runs in safe mode, running the application in a previous version of Windows, repairing the installation, checking recently installed programs, and restoring or reimaging the system.

• Identifying the Cause of and Resolving Network Issues

This section takes up about 23% of the exam and focuses primarily on troubleshooting networking and connectivity issues.

You will need to be able to identify and resolve logon issues such as hardware and network issues, password expiration, trust relationships with machine accounts, logon context, and logon hours compliance. You will also need some experience with identifying and resolving network connectivity issues such as determining the scope of the issue, whether it’s the local PC or a network issue, TCP/IP configuration issues, hardware and cabling issues, proxy issues, or issues with the default gateway.

You should also be able to identify and resolve name resolution issues such as checking which Domain Name System (DNS) is assigned, flushing the DNS cache, using NSLookup (a command-line tool for testing and troubleshooting DNS servers,) to check the DNS server, and checking the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) scopes.

Finally, you will need to be able to identify and resolve network printer issues ranging from hardware failures, to server issues, printer failures, network issues, and driver issues.

• Managing and Maintaining Systems That Run the Windows 7 Client

Although shorter in terms of items you’ll need to remember, this objective still accounts for a whole 21% of the exam. Since this section is so short and accounts for such a large part of the exam, I would highly recommend spending some extra time just to be sure you ace this part of the exam.

The first thing you’ll need to know is how to identify and resolve performance issues by analyzing the system and application logs, analyzing started services, setting up power management, checking hard drive space, and optimizing virtual memory.

The second and final topic you’ll need to study, is being able to identify and resolve hardware failure issues by identifying bad sectors, diagnosing memory issues, recommending replacement hardware, updating the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS,) and determining which component has failed or is malfunctioning.

• Supporting Mobile Users

This is another short objective and although it is only worth 18%, it goes over some more complex and relatively less common technologies.

For example, you will need to identify and resolve wireless connectivity issues including signal strength, encryption types, encryption keys, wireless profiles, and mobile devices in general. You will also need to identify and resolve remote access issues such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client not connecting, IPv6 support, and problems accessing and authenticating network resources.

• Identifying Cause of and Resolving Security Issues

This is the final section, and though it is worth only 18%, it goes over a lot of information. This objective primarily focuses on security troubleshooting.

First off, you will need to have experience identifying and resolving Internet Explorer security issues such as adding trusted sites, modifying advanced settings, installing plug-ins, identifying group policy restrictions, and dealing with certificates.

Next on the list is the ability to identify and resolve issues due to malicious software by analyzing services, programs, processes, browser helper add-ons, and configuring User Account Controls (UACs.)

Next in security issues is a test to your ability to identify and resolve general encryption issues, this means knowing the requirements for installing forms of encryption, recovering encryption keys, and working with key management.

Finally, you will need to be able to identify and resolve software update issues. This may include identifying software update levels, checking whether a client is receiving regularly scheduled updates, identifying incompatibility of updates with other applications before installing and/or troubleshooting after.

MCITP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician

The title of a Microsoft Certified IT Professional is well sought after by both IT Professionals and hiring businesses alike.

With the recommended three years of experience and the right training and study materials, including this overview, you should be on the fast track to becoming certified.

Good luck on your exam!

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Related posts:
Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator (Exam 70-686)

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Windows 7, Configuring (Exam 70-680)

Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator (Exam 70-686)

Mike Rodriguez — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:00:45 +0000

Now that you’ve read a general Windows 7 certification overview, and you know what’s needed for the exam 70-680 and the exam 70-683, let’s move on to exam 70-686.

Windows 7 Exam 70-686: Overview

The Enterprise Desktop Administrator for Windows 7 exam was created to measure an individual’s ability to support Windows 7 computing environments on an Enterprise level.

Candidates must have at least three years experience supporting the infrastructure and applications within the computing environment and managing the systems as a whole.

Microsoft also states that candidates should have at least three years of experience installing, configuring, and administering clients in a networked environment and have experience deploying Windows operating systems and applications. They should be familiar with client administration capabilities of Windows Server and with management tools such as the System Center suite of products.

Once you have successfully completed this exam, you will earn credit towards becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator.) To fully earn this credential, you will need to take the Windows 7, Configuring exam 70-680 in addition to the 70-686.

After you have successfully completed both of the exams, you will have earned your title of Microsoft Certified IT Professional.

Windows 7 Exam 70-686: Skills Measured

You will be measured on a variety of skills on the 70-686 exam, most of which are related to imaging and maintaining computer systems. I’ll go over all of the skills listed on the exam to help give you a better idea of what you’ll be up against when taking the exam.

Although percentages are not listed, most of the sections are usually of equal sizes, so I’ll go over each section individually.

Remember, each of these sections is in depth, but not all items listed will be on the exam. These are simply guidelines to make sure you are ready for anything the exam throws at you.

• Planning and Maintaining a Client Life Cycle Strategy

This first section is mostly based on the very first steps to setting up an Enterprise network of computer systems.

For example, you may be tested on your ability to manage client licensing and software activations for applications and operating systems. This includes the activation method, licensing infrastructure, compliance and inventory audits, choosing a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU,) and the benefits of Key Management Service (KMS,) vs. Multiple Activation Keys (MAK.)

You will also have questions about planning, evaluating, approving, and managing software updates. This includes application and operating system updates. You will also need to be able to design an update strategy, be able to choose an update tool, plan and deploy a service pack update, schedule and network considerations, test updates, and audit for security compliance.

Finally, you will need to plan and manage a physical hardware and virtualization strategy. This means you will need to analyze an existing hardware environment, be able to determine if a computer system meets the minimum requirements for all software, figure in the tradeoffs between physical and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments. You will also need to know when and how to choose between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

• Designing a Standard Image

The main focus of this section is simply to be able to figure out what is needed in your image.

You’ll need to be able to design an image creation strategy. What this means is you should be able to identify the operating system and enterprise applications that will be included in the image, you should be able to choose between thick, thin, or hybrid images, and you should be able to choose between role-based or geographic-based images vs. single core images, as well as image localization. This step is basically just planning how to roll out the image, and what should be on it.

Next you’ll need to be able to design a custom image. This includes much of what is required in the first section, choosing applications to be installed, figuring out what features, settings, and components need to be enabled or disabled, and testing the customized image.

You will also need to have some experience defining an image update strategy. How will you keep up performance? Will you be able to keep it all secure a month after the image has been rolled out? What about updates and efficiency?

This section is all about keeping the image maintained. You’ll be asked about the benefits of offline servicing (Media based, or otherwise,) vs. online or post-image updates (Network or web based.) So essentially, you’ll be asked about procedures both re-capturing an image, and recreating an image for updates.

• Designing Client Configurations

This section is all about configuring. You will be asked about configuring the standard system settings. Not just the old control panel though, you’ll be asked about things with a little more depth, including logon scripts, startup scripts, group policies, error reporting, and auditing policies.

There may be a few items on the exam about basic preferential settings, but most will be based on backend scripting for use with imaging. You will also be asked to define Internet Explorer settings, such as security zones, cache locations, branding, private mode, restricting or allowing plug-ins, add-ons, privacy policy, and browser protected mode.

You will also need to define client security standards such as application control policies, encryption, firewall rules, anti-malware settings, changes to Kerberos (Network Authentication protocol software) and the NT LAN Manager (NTLM,) user rights, User Access Control (UAC) policies, security templates for system lockdowns, and security standards for removable storage.

• Designing a Windows 7 Client Deployment

You will need to go over deployment methods within the exam. This includes being able to choose an appropriate deployment method such as lite-touch, zero-touch, and local installs. Your decisions to choose between these methods will be based on capacity, scale, and required changes to the infrastructure.

• Designing Application Packages for Deployment

In this section you will be asked about what needs to be checked before deploying applications, as well as what sort of applications will be used in a sense of virtualized vs. local deployment. For example, deploying a new application via a centralized server, or staggered deployment between wings of a building.

You will need to be able to weight the differences between deployments such as virtualized, Remote Desktop Services (RDS,) group policies, or software distribution. You will also need to know the difference between server-based and client-based installs. The exam will also cover scheduling considerations, staggered deployment, networking considerations, and package creation standards.

• Identifying and Resolving Deployment and Client Configuration Issues

This last section is essentially just troubleshooting after deployment. The main things you’ll need to know how to troubleshoot are Internet Explorer issues, Group Policy issues, networking issues, and authentication/authorization issues.

MCITP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator

While this is a lot of information to take in, with the recommended three years of experience and the right training behind it, you should be able to get through the 70-686 exam with relative ease.

Remember, this is only one half of the requirements for becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional. You will want to look into the Configuring Windows 7 exam (70-680) to complete the requirements.

Good luck on your credentials!

Windows 7, Preinstalling for OEMs (Exam 70-683)

Mike Rodriguez — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:00:43 +0000

Recently I posted a quick overview of Windows 7 certifications where I discussed the difference between MCTS and MCITP certs and briefly introduced all of the current Windows 7 exams.

I also posted a more in-depth article on the Windows 7, Configuring Exam 70-680.

Today we’ll move on to Windows 7, Preinstalling for OEMs — Exam 70-683.

Windows 7 Exam 70-683: Overview

Exam 70-683 is created to measure an individual’s ability and experience in preinstalling Windows 7 for OEM machines. Individuals interested in this exam should have experience using the Microsoft OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK), imaging tools, deployment tools, etc. They should also have at least one year of experience working with and troubleshooting desktop image deployments and installations.

After passing this exam, you will have earned the title of Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MCT) in Preinstalling Windows 7 for OEMs.

Windows 7 Exam 70-683: Skills Measured

The 70-683 exam measures various skill sets. These skill sets are divided into four groups, including:

Preparing the OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) Environment,
Creating a Base Image,
Configuring the Image for Deployment,
and Deploying and Updating the Image.

This exam is fairly small in terms of skills measured compared to other Windows 7 exams in its category, such as the Configuring Windows 7 exam. I’ll go over each of these skill sets in detail and outline the topics Microsoft expects you to know when you take the exam.

• Preparing the OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) Environment

The Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit is a set of tools that support the automated installation and customization of Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008.

The 70-683 exam tests your ability and knowledge of preparing the tech computer for OEM Preinstallation Kit installation. This includes verifying and fulfilling hardware and software requirements, configuring the network environment, and installing necessary services such as the Microsoft .NET Framework.

You will also need to know how to install and configure the OEM Preinstallation Kit’s tool set and configure the reference computer. Configuring the reference computer includes installing Windows 7 and configuring the network environment.

• Creating a Base Image

This objective is fairly self explanatory. You’ll need to know how to configure a base image by applying OEM-specific content such as logos, support, information, help files, contact information, and recovery programs. This also includes configuring an answer file, which entails automating installation and post-installation tasks such as configuring desktop settings, user preference folders, time zones, scripting, and verifying licensing.

Finally, you’ll need to know how to prepare and install applications and devices for use in the base image. This includes applying drivers and software such as peripheral devices, installing system updates, command-line scripts, hot fixes, and preparing post-deployment software.

• Configuring the Image for Deployment

The third objective includes configuring users, finalizing the image, auditing the image, and capturing the image. Let’s start out with configuring users. First off, you’ll need to be able to add additional users to the image, configure user settings and user-specific applications, and apply group policy.

The next subsection is about finalizing the image. Finalizing the image basically means modifying default preferences such as logos, folder locations, wallpaper, and screensavers. Essentially, you are just making sure everything looks and works correctly. It also goes over verifying all other settings you have configured.

Next is auditing the image. This includes using SysPrep, a tool used to prepare an operating system for disk cloning and restoration, and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. The Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool is an all in one tool that replaces the older applications like PkgMgr (Used to install, remove, or update Windows packages,) PEImg (The windows Preinstallation environment,) and IntlConfg (Used to configure international settings such as language and locale settings,) which are all now retired.

• Deploying and Updating the Image

This final section covers deploying an image for installation, updating an image, and modifying the answer file.

Deploying the image entails selecting a deployment method and which tools you plan to use, configuring network settings, and preparing the installation source. Updating the image includes updating software and applying patches within an image. Finally, modifying the answer file includes similar content listed above such as adding file content and changing existing file content.

MCTS: Windows 7, Preinstalling OEMs

As a brand new exam (released in November of 2009), this is a great way to expand your credentials with a new certification. Completing the 70-683 exam will earn you the title of Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for Windows 7, Preinstalling OEMs.

While at first you may not see this exam as something that would have a huge market outside of OEM manufacturing, the certification actually proves to businesses that you can handle professional deployment, configuration, and maintenance of a large sized network of computer systems.

Much like the Enterprise Desktop Administrator certification, this exam proves your skills on many different levels, which can be seen as extremely valuable to employers even out of the OEM market. If you are interested in becoming certified, this certification exam is a great route to go.

So study hard, and good luck!

Windows 7, Configuring (Exam 70-680)

Mike Rodriguez — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:00:05 +0000

Last week I posted a quick overview of the Windows 7 Certifications, defining the difference between MCTS and MCITP and briefly introducing each of the Windows 7 exams.

Today I will cover the Windows 7, Configuring exam in depth so that you can get a better understanding of what skills the exams covers and what you need to know in order to prepare for the exam.

Windows 7 Exam 70-680: Overview

The Configuring Windows 7 exam is designed for individuals with at least one year of experience in the IT field implementing and administering the Windows operating system in a networked environment. However, if you don’t have a year of experience with the OS, any recent Windows 7 experience will help and might be enough for you to take the exam.

The 70-680 exam measures various skill sets including:

Installing, upgrading, and migrating to Windows 7
Deploying Windows 7
Configuring hardware and applications
Configuring network connectivity
Configuring access to resources
Configuring mobile computing
Monitoring and maintaining systems that run Windows 7
And configuring backup and recovery options.

As I mentioned in my previous article, simply passing the 70-680 exam will earn you the title of a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (Windows 7, Configuring) and earn you credit towards becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional.

There are three choices after taking this exam in terms of becoming a Certified IT Professional. You can become an Enterprise Administrator, an Enterprise Desktop Administrator 7, and/or an Enterprise Desktop Support Technician 7.

Windows 7 Exam 70-680: Skills Measured

The 70-680 exam measures your ability to accomplish certain technical tasks. Microsoft has written out these categories along with a percentage to each one, representing the weight they have within the exam.

Below I’ll go over each one of these sections in detail, to help you get an understanding of what will be expected of you when taking the exam.

• Installing, Upgrading, and Migrating to Windows 7

This section weighs in at about 14% of the exam and covers topics such as performing a clean installation, upgrading to Windows 7 from previous versions of Windows, and migrating user profiles.

You will need to be able to identify hardware requirements and installation methods. You are also expected to have some experience working with dual-boot setups, and actual installations and upgrades. For example knowing how to boot from the source of installation, and preparing the installation source.

As for user profiles, you will need to have some knowledge of migrating a user profile from one machine to another, as well as migrating from previous versions of Windows. Methods of migration include ‘side-by-side’ and ‘wipe and load.’

• Deploying Windows 7

This section takes up 13% of the exam and covers topics such as capturing/creating a system image, preparing said image for deployment, the actual deployment, and configuring a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD.) For capturing a system image, the main items you need to know are how to prepare the system, and how to capture the image itself through Windows Imaging Format (WIM.)

Preparing a system image for deployment is fairly straightforward. You’ll need to be able to insert an application, driver, and update directly into the image, as well as be able to configure tasks to run after deployment.

• Configuring Windows 7 Hardware and Applications

Taking up 14% of the exam, this section will go over and test your ability to configure devices and Internet Explorer. It will also cover your ability to configure application compatibility and restrictions. You will need to know how to update, disable, and uninstall device drivers and signed drivers. You should be able to troubleshoot conflicts between drivers and configure the driver’s settings.

You should also be familiar with configuring Internet Explorer. While I recommend practicing with all Internet Explorer settings, Microsoft states that you should be able to configure the following:

Compatibility view
Add-ons
InPrivate mode
Security settings
Providers
And certificates for secure web sites.

You should also be familiar with application restrictions. Similar to the requirements for Internet Explorer, you should be able to set software restriction policies as well as be able to set up control policies through group policies or local security policies.

• Configuring Network Connectivity in Windows 7

This section takes up 14% of the exam and involves various network settings, including IPv4 and IPv6, Windows Firewall, and Remote Management. This section isn’t too in-depth, but should still be taken seriously.

You’ll need to know the differences between configuring for IPv4 and IPv6. This includes name resolutions, connecting to a network, setting up said connection, network locations, and troubleshooting and resolving connectivity issues. For IPv4, you’ll need to know about Automatic Private IP Addressing (IPIPA,) and for IPv6 you’ll need to know about linking local multicast name resolutions.

Windows Firewall and Remote Management are two big parts of the network connectivity section as well. You should be able to configure rules for multiple profiles in regards to allowing/denying applications, configuring notifications, and authenticated exceptions. The objective may also include using remote management methods, configuring remote management tools, and using PowerShell commands.

You should also have a good grasp on general networking practices such as adding a wired or wireless device, connecting to a wireless network, configuring security settings on the connected client, setting preferred wireless networks, configuring network adapters, and location-aware printing.

• Configuring Access to Resources in Windows 7

While this objective only takes up 13% of the exam, it covers a lot of grounds. You’ll need to be able to configure shared resources, file and folder access, User Account Control (UAC,) authentication and authorization, and BranchCache.

For the configuring end of things, you’ll want to take into consideration folder virtualization, shared folder permissions, printers/queues, HomeGroup settings, file/folder encryption using the Encrypting File System (EFS,) NTFS permissions, and file/folder access permissions.

You’ll also work with configuring the local security policy, configuring the admin and standard user group prompt behaviors, and configuring Secure Desktop. You may also be asked about BranchCache, which allows content from servers to be cached at a local branch office over a Wide Area Network (WAN.)

• Configuring Mobile Computing in Windows 7

This section takes up 10% and deals with configuring mobility options and remote connections, as well as using and configuring BitLocker (and BitLocker To Go,) and Direct Access. You will need to know how to configure offline file policies, transparent caching, creating and migrating power policies, establishing Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections, enabling VPN reconnect, advanced security auditing, Network Access Protection (NAP) quarantine remediation, dial-up connections, remote desktop, and published applications.

With BitLocker and BitLocker To Go, you’ll need to know how to configure their policies, manage the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Personal Identification Numbers (PINs,) configure startup key storage, and be able to support the data recovery agent.

As for DirectAccess, you’ll need to be able to configure the client side of the application, authentication, and all of the network infrastructure requirements.

• Monitoring and Maintaining Systems that Run Windows 7

This objective is about 11% of the exam and covers various details about configuring updates to Windows 7, such as determining the source of updates, configuring update policies, reviewing update history, checking for new updates, and rolling back updates.

You should also be able to Manage Disk volumes, system file fragmentation, configure Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) setups, and configure removable device policies. You should also be familiar with monitoring systems through event logging, event subscriptions, data collector sets, and system diagnostics reports.

Finally, you should be able to configure performance settings. This included page files, hard drive cache, updating drivers, network performance, power plans, processor scheduling, desktop environments, services/programs to resolve performance issues, and mobile computing performance issues.

• Configuring Backup and Recovery Options in Windows 7

This section is fairly short in terms of details, but will take up the final 11% of the exam. In this objective, you will need to be able to configure a backup through system recovery disks, file/folder backups onto a server, CD, or other medium. You should be familiar with full system backups and scheduled backups.

This objective also deals with system recovery and file recovery options. This includes system restore points, system settings restoration, last known good configuration startup recovery, complete restores, driver rollbacks, and shadow copies.

MCTS: Windows 7, Configuring

The 70-680 Windows 7 exam targets IT professionals with at least a year of experience in the field. Factor in the right training and you’re on your way to becoming certified.

I highly recommend taking the Configuring Windows 7 exam as it not only makes you a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist after passing, but it also gives you one half of the requirements to becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional, both of which are highly respected titles.

Also, considering that this is a brand new certification, it will likely do wonders for IT Professionals wanting to showcase their skills in the current job market.

CompTIA Network+ 2009 Certification Information

Kasia Grabowska — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:00:35 +0000

The CompTIA Network+ certification has been around for a decade and is used to measure the knowledge and skills of entry level networking technicians. The newest revision of the cert is the Network+ 2009, which was released earlier this year.

Covering topics like network hardware, installation, maintenance and troubleshooting, the Network+ is a widely recognized certification partly because it is vendor neutral and recognized around the world.

The Network+ validates the knowledge and skills of networking professionals and demonstrates competency in managing, maintaining, troubleshooting, installing and configuring basic network infrastructures.

The Network+ cert is also considered a steppingstone to more advanced, vendor specific certifications including Microsoft, Novell, Cisco and HP who recognize Network+ as part of their certification tracks.

CompTIA Network+ 2009

An updated version of the CompTIA Network+ certification was launched in early 2009 and you can obtain it by passing the N10-004 Network+ 2009 exam.

Although the Network+ is an entry level cert, CompTIA recommends that candidates complete the A+ certification and have at least 9 months of experience performing networking tasks before taking the exam.

However, these are not requirements and in order to obtain the Network+ 2009 certification you only need to pass a single exam.

The Network+ exam is 90 minutes long, has a total of 100 questions and you need a passing score of 720 on a scale of 100-900.

To learn about what’s covered in the new Network+ 2009 exam you can download the new exam objectives.

As with any CompTIA exams, the Network+ is available through Prometric and Pearson Vue testing centers, although currently the exams are only available in English, Spanish and German.

CompTIA Network+ 2009 Bridge Exam

If you have previously obtained the Network+ cert and want to update it to the new version, you have the option of taking the bridge exam which covers only the new objectives.

The bridge exam (code BR0-002) is a bit shorter, at only 60 minutes and has only 50 questions. The passing score for the bridge exam is 500 on a scale of 100-900.

So if you passed the previous Network+ certification exam, the bridge exam is the way to go. Keep in mind though, that only those who passed the Network+ 2005 exam are eligible for the bridge exam.

Network+ Certification: A Good Start to a Successful Networking Career

Earning the Network+ certification not only proves you have the right networking skills and knowledge, but also the commitment and dedication to your career in IT.

As I mentioned above, a useful thing to keep in mind about both the CompTIA’s A+ and Network+ certifications is that they can be used as an elective for some vendor specific certifications. So if you’re considering more specialized certifications, the A+ and Network+ certifications might be a good place to start.

Windows 7 Certification Overview

Mike Rodriguez — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:00:23 +0000

With Windows 7 released, IT Professionals can now start looking into a new wave of Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification exams based on the new operating system.

In this article I will outline the basics of each Windows 7 exam, along with what certifications or certification credit you will be able to receive by completing them.

Before we go over the exams themselves, let’s look into the certifications first, as they are, of course, the end goal of taking Microsoft exams.

MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists

The Microsoft Technology Specialist Certifications are created to show specializations in certain specific technologies. Unlike the CompTIA A+ exam, which shows you are able to work professionally and knowledgeably as a computer technician, Microsoft Technology Specialist Certifications show your depth of knowledge in one specific area.

Microsoft Technology Specialists are described as having “one or more years of experience implementing, troubleshooting, and debugging a specific technology.” Microsoft Technology Specialist Certifications are also stepping stones to earning your Microsoft Certified IT Professional credential.

MCITP: Microsoft Certified IT Professional

The Microsoft Certified IT Professional credential was created to show a comprehensive understanding of various technologies and skill sets. Unlike Technology Specialist certifications where it is possible to get certificated with just one exam, Microsoft Certified IT Professionals need to earn one or more Technology Specialist certifications to become Certified IT Professionals.

Microsoft Certified IT Professionals are described as individuals who have “two or more years of experience as an IT professional.” This is directly in line with the one year of experience expected for Microsoft Technology Specialists.

Windows 7 Certifications

Currently, there are five certification exams that relate to Windows 7:

Windows 7, Configuring (Exam 70-680)
Windows 7, Preinstalling for OEMs (Exam 70-683)
Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator (Exam 70-686)
Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician (Exam 70-685)

Windows 7, Configuring (Exam 70-680)

The Configuring Windows 7 exam is meant for individuals with at least one year of experience in the IT field implementing and administering the Windows operating system (any, though recent Windows 7 experience will obviously help,) in a networked environment.

The exam measures various skill sets including:

Installing, upgrading, and migrating to Windows 7
Deploying Windows 7
Configuring hardware and applications
Configuring network connectivity
Configuring access to resources
Configuring mobile computing
Monitoring and maintaining systems that run Windows 7
and configuring backup and recovery options.

Simply passing the exam will earn you the title of a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) in Windows 7, Configuring and earn you credit towards becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional.

–> Learn more about Windows 7, Configuring (Exam 70-680) Certification

Windows 7, Preinstalling for OEMs (Exam 70-683)

The Preinstalling for OEMs exam is created to measure an individual’s ability and experience in preinstalling Windows 7 for OEM machines.

Individuals interested in this exam should have experience using the Microsoft OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK,) imaging tools, deployment tools, etc. They should also have at least one year of experience working with and troubleshooting desktop image deployments and installations.

The exam measures various skill sets including:

Preparing the OEM Preinstallation Kit Environment
Creating a base image
Configuring the image for deployment
and deploying and updating the image.

After passing this exam, you will have earned the title of Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MCITP) in Preinstalling Windows 7 for OEMs.

–> Learn more about Windows 7, Preinstalling for OEMs (Exam 70-683) Certification

Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator (Exam 70-686)

While this exam is currently not available due to technical difficulties, it should be available by the end of 2009 or sometime in the first quarter of 2010.

The Enterprise Desktop Administrator for Windows 7 exam is created to measure an individual’s ability to support Windows 7 computing environments on an Enterprise level. Candidates must have at least three years experience supporting the infrastructure and applications within the computing environment and managing the systems as a whole.

The exam measures the following skills:

Planning and managing a client life cycle strategy
Designing a standard image
Designing client configurations
Designing a Windows 7 client deployment
Designing application packages for deployment
and identifying and resolving deployment and client configuration issues.

Once you have successfully completed this exam, you will earn credit towards becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator). To fully earn this credential, you will need to take the exam we first went over, Windows 7, Configuring.

After you have successfully completed both exams 70-680 and 70-686, you will have earned your title of Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

–> Learn more about Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator (Exam 70-686) Certification

Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician (Exam 70-685)

The Enterprise Desktop Support Technician exam was designed to assess an individual’s experience and ability to support and maintain computer systems on an enterprise level.

While the Enterprise Desktop Administrator exam is similar, it is based more on software, deployment, upgrading, and managing an enterprise sized network of computer systems; this exam is based on software and hardware troubleshooting and general technical support skills, much like the CompTIA A+ exam, except on a much larger scale.

The exam measures the following skills:

Identifying the cause of and resolving desktop application issues
Identifying the cause of and resolving networking issues
Managing and maintaining systems that run the Windows 7 client
Supporting mobile users
and identifying the cause of and resolving security issues.

You should have at least 3 years experience supporting and troubleshooting computer systems on a medium to large scale as well as knowledge of good support practices in the field.

After successfully completing the exam, you will have earned credit towards becoming a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician.)

How to Get Windows 7 Certified?

After you decide which path to Windows 7 certifications and/or credentials is right for you, you will want to look into each exams’ requirements individually.

You can view the exam requirements on the Microsoft Learning website.

You should also look out for my next few articles, as I will be writing an in depth look at each of these exams individually to help further guide you towards your next certification.

Good luck!

CompTIA A+ 2009 Certification Information

Kasia Grabowska — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:04 +0000

The CompTIA A+ is one of the most popular entry level IT certifications today.

The A+ certification is an international, vendor neutral certification which means that it covers different technologies and operating systems including Microsoft, Apple and Linux and is recognized around the world.

By achieving it you demonstrate competency in tasks such as installation, troubleshooting, maintenance, networking and security.

The A+ cert also helps to show your current or prospective employer that you are a competent computer support technician who is familiar with the current technologies and possesses the latest IT skills.

CompTIA A+ 2009

The updated version of the A+ certification was launched in August and consists of two exams:

CompTIA A+ Essentials (exam 220-701)
CompTIA A+ Practical Application (exam 220-702)

You must pass both of the exams to become A+ certified.

CompTIA A+ 2009 Essentials exam

The Essentials exam focuses on the fundamentals of computers, networking and security.

The exam also measures communication skills and professionalism, which is really a necessity for all IT professionals.

CompTIA also recommends that A+ candidates have at least 500 hours of hands-on experience with the different technologies, whether in a lab environment or the real world.

CompTIA A+ 2009 Practical Application exam

The Practical Application exam is the hands-on component of the certification, where you will use your troubleshooting skills and tools to resolve different sets of problems.

This part of the exam will help prove that you know how to use the technologies in addition to understanding how they work.

A useful thing to keep in mind is that CompTIA’s A+ and Network+ certifications can be used as an elective for Microsoft’s MCSA and MCSE certifications. So if you’re considering Microsoft’s Server 2003 certifications, the A+ and Network+ certs might be a good place to start.

To learn about what’s covered in each of the two A+ 2009 exams you can download the new exam objectives.

Both of the exams are available worldwide through Prometric and Pearson Vue testing centers, although currently they’re only available in English and Spanish.

CompTIA A+ 2009 Bridge Exam

For currently certified A+ professionals who are interested in updating their certifications to the new 2009 version of the exam there is a bridge exam option, however it is only available for those who hold the 2006 A+ certification.

So if you’re A+ 2006 certified, you can upgrade to the 2009 version by taking a single bridge exam (exam BR0-003) instead of the two exams that everyone else will have to take.

The A+ 2009 bridge exam focuses on the new objectives. It is comprised of 85 questions and you get 90 minutes to complete the exam. The passing score is 500 on a scale of 100-900. Currently it is available only in English and the exam code is BR0-003.

If you hold an older A+ certification and would like to update to the current version, you will need to take the two A+ 2009 exams.

Say Goodbye to CompTIA A+ 2006

The CompTIA A+ 2006 certification exams are currently still available and will be until 2010.

The English version of the exam in US, Canada and South Africa will retire on February 28, 2010. The A+ 2006 in all other languages and translations will retire on August 31, 2010.

The Best Way to Prepare For and Pass Your CCNA Exam

Stelios Antoniou — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:18:55 +0000

I recently wrote an article for GoCertify outlining the best way to prepare for and pass your CCNA exam and I thought I’d share it with you here.

The article has three basic aims:

1. To guide you in choosing the appropriate training materials from which you will benefit the most based on the content structure and level.

2. To show you what it takes to move one step beyond the boundaries of the exam level. This will not only help you get CCNA certified, but will prepare you for the real world. Acquiring the knowledge and expertise to be able to handle real life situations, the ones that are not included in your exam preparation — this is what will help you succeed in your career.

3. To help you put everything together so you can successfully complete your CCNA exam and be prepared for your career as a Cisco Certified Networking Associate.

Check out the rest of the article and let me know what you think!

3 Entry Level Certifications to Help You Launch Your IT Career

Jason Zandri — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:26:45 +0000

So you want to showcase your knowledge and skills but you’re not quite sure which certification would serve you best.

Whether you’re looking to launch your career in the IT field, or perhaps get promoted at your current job — getting certified is a great way to market yourself.

This guide will introduce you to the top 3 entry level certification that you can earn quickly and that will remain valuable to you for a lifetime.

Top 3 Entry Level IT Certs

The 3 certifications that are listed below are all widely accepted in most organizations and are general and broad enough to be appealing to the majority of employers. So I won’t be focusing on any niche certifications or programs that are limited in scope.

Instead, these certifications are common, widely recognized and useful in many different IT positions. They’re not the be all or end all, and depending on your work environment, skills and needs they might not be right for you — so please keep this in mind.

1. CompTIA A+ Certification

Considered by some to be THE entry level exam to validate your IT skills, the CompTIA A+ Certification is a vendor neutral cert that authenticates the IT professional’s skills as being up to date and relevant for supporting base hardware and software computer needs for organizations.

Passing the A+ allows you to verify that you have the knowledge and skill level for:

system installation of both hardware components and supporting software
system configuration — again both on the hardware and software side
diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware performance issues
software installation and configuration
configuring systems for standalone use and in a basic networking configuration

There are two parts to the CompTIA A+ exam which include:

Exam 220-601 — CompTIA A+ Essentials (100 questions)
One of the following three exams:
- Exam 220-602 — IT Technician (90 questions)
- Exam 220-603 — Remote Support Technician (90 questions)
- Exam 220-604 — Depot Technician (90 questions)

Here are the minimum final scores you must have in order to pass a given exam:

220-601 — CompTIA A+ Essentials — 675
220-602 — IT Technician — 700
220-603 — Remote Support Technician — 700
220-604 — Depot Technician — 700

Other important things to keep in mind:

Once you’re A+ certified you’re A+ certified for life, you don’t need to retake the exam when a new version comes out, although you can do so if you want to.

Also you don’t have to take the exams in any particular order or within a certain time frame. Although it is recommended that you take the Essentials exam first and since there’s a lot of overlap, it only makes sense to take them back to back.

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] – WAY back in the day the CompTIA +A certification was a single exam. You passed that one test and you were granted the A+ certification for life.

When I took the exams back in 1998 the exams were designated as the CompTIA Core / Hardware exam and the second exam was DOS/Windows; both were required to earn the certification.

If I remember correctly the numerical designations were 220-101 and 220-102. There were some minor changes made in the exams for releases 220-121 and 220-122 and larger certification objective changes were introduced in 2003 and again in 2006.

Despite the changes in the exams themselves and in hardware and software over the years, all technicians that passed these prior exams are still considered certified today.

CompTIA A+ Links

CompTIA A+ page — more details about the certification
CompTIA A+ Certification Overview — outlines the details with respect to the exam
CompTIA Exam Policies — conduct, retake policies and some additional information
CompTIA A+ General Info –background history on the certification and other info

2. CompTIA Network+ Certification

A natural progression from A+ is the Network+ certification. Part of the A+ exam’s domain of study includes an intro to networking, so it only makes sense that Net+ be a solid consideration for IT professionals with at least nine months of on the job/practical experience.

That is however only the suggested recommended experience level for the exam and not a requirement. And you don’t have to be A+ certified to be Network+ certified.

The Network+ exam was first offered in 1999 and since then more than 235,000 professionals have passed it according to CompTIA. And just as with A+, once you pass the exam you will have the Network+ credential for life.

Currently there are 2 Network+ exams available:

Network+ 2007 exam

exam code: N10-003
launched in 2005
actively offered until July 31, 2009 when it is officially retired
single exam
90 questions
graded on a scale of 100 – 900 with a minimum passing score of 554

Network+ 2009 exam

exam code: N10-004
launched January 9, 2009
expected to remain through 2012
single exam
100 questions
graded on a scale of 100 – 900 with a minimum passing score of 720

At present both exams are being offered so if you feel that past and present networking information is more of your strong suit and something you understand better, then you’d be more inclined to take N10-003 — Net+ 2007.

On the other hand, if present and emerging networking technologies are more your style then N10-004 — Net+ 2009 may be the best fit for you.

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] – Keep in mind that passing either N10-003 or N10-004 will earn you the Network+ certification. Passing N10-004 doesn’t give you anything over a N10-003 certification holder.

That being said, sometimes it’s the presentation to a prospective employer and their understanding of the certification (or lack thereof) that makes a difference.

A hiring manager’s line of thinking may be “this candidate is certified on the most recent revision of the exam and it must mean they have a firmer grasp on up and coming technologies” (or something to that effect).

This might very well be far from the truth however; the end result is that many things are how they are presented rather than the fact of what they are.

As is this because passing N10-003 or N10-004 both grant the Network+ certification at an equal level.

CompTIA Network+ Links

CompTIA Network+ page — more details about the certification
CompTIA exam objectives — detailed exam objectives that can be downloaded
CompTIA Exam Policies — conduct, retake policies and some additional information
Network+ Certification Preparation page — study and practice test options and CAQC training materials

Just so you’re aware, the CompTIA Approved Quality Curriculum (CAQC) training materials go through a validation process verifying that all exam objectives are included. Train Signal’s very own CompTIA Network+ 2007 Training Package has received the CAQC approval and the updated training for Network+ 2009 will be released in May.

You can also sample a few videos from the training and learn about network components.

3. CompTIA Security+ Certification

Another valuable certification that will help you launch your IT career is the CompTIA Security+ Certification.

It was a tossup for me to decide this over the Server+ Certification as both are nearly equal in starting value to the training candidate in terms of immediate and short term impact on their careers. The deciding factor for me was which one offered the larger leap point going forward (more miles to the gallon if you will) and Security+ won.

My comments are not to diminish Server+ at all and if there was room for an honorable mention Server+ would win it hands down. So feel free to review the details of the Server+ Certification if you’re interested.

The Security+ exam was developed in 2002 to address the rise of security issues and validate the foundational knowledge of security professionals.

As with Net+, there are 2 Security+ exams currently being offered:

Security+ SY0-101

exam code: SY0-101
set to retire July 31, 2009
single exam
100 questions
90 minutes total for the exam
graded on a scale of 100 – 900 with a minimum passing score of 764

Security+ SY0-201

exam code: SY0-201
single exam
100 questions
90 minutes total for the exam
graded on a scale of 100 – 900 with a minimum passing score of 750

CompTIA Security+ Bridge Exam

There is also a CompTIA Security+ Bridge Exam that is available to examinees who want to remain current on their Security+ certification with respect to the assessment of their skills. The SY0-101 certification itself is not be retired, only the exam is.

Professionals who are already CompTIA Security+ certified are eligible to become certified on the updated track by taking the CompTIA Security+ bridge exam.

The Security+ bridge exam (BR0-001) only measures the differences between the 2002 exam objectives and the 2008 exam objectives.

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] – If you become Security+ certified under SY0-101 you will not be de-certified when the exam retires.

It is optional for candidates who hold the SY0-101 certification to take the bridge exam (BR0-001) or the new exam (SY0-201) to get certified on 2008 skills — it is not a requirement.

CompTIA Security+ Links

CompTIA Security+ page — more details about the certification
Security+ Certification Overview — details about the 2 exams

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and I am looking forward to any feedback you have on it. Additionally, I would welcome any topics of interest that you would like to see and based on demand and column space I’ll do what I can to deliver them to you.

Best of luck in your studies.

Sweet Friday Link Love — IT Exams & Certifications

Kasia Grabowska — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:48:51 +0000

Last week I talked about career tips for IT professionals and listed some great resources for IT job interviews, resume building, and how to build your career in the IT field during a recession.

This week I want to share a few great resources for IT exam and certification information. After all, passing your exams and getting certified is crucial to a successful career in IT.

IT Exam & Certification Resources

I’m going to start with a shameless plug and tell you about our Certification 101 page first. It’s a great place to start if you’re just getting into the IT field or want to learn the basics about CompTIA, Cisco and Microsoft certifications.

The Certification 101 section was created by our instructors so if you have any questions about anything don’t hesitate to email us or leave a comment below.

Another handy reference tool is Tim Warner’s Glossary of IT Certification Terms which will help you master the important certification acronyms. This is also a good place to start getting used to all of the acronyms that flood the IT field. What are we at now, a million or something?

Glossary of IT Certification Terms

And if you’re totally new to the IT field and you’ve never taken an exam before check out Tim’s helpful video on how to register for an IT exam:

How to Register for Your IT Certification Exams

A great way to stay up to date on certification and exam information is through blogs and sites that focus on nothing else by that. Here are my favorites for keeping up with exam and certification news and updates:

Feel free to share your favorite exam and certification resources in the comments and check out our exam and certification articles.

2 Most Common Mistakes People Make on IT Exams

Jason Zandri — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:00:18 +0000

You’ve decided that you’re going to embark on getting that certification. Good for you!

You’ve been working with the technology for a while and definitely longer than the recommended or suggested amount of experience that is listed on the skills page for the certification, so you’re feeling pretty confident there.

You’re just trying to figure out if you’re missing anything else but you’re not really sure.

This article will help you a bit with that as I talk about two common mistakes people make on IT exams.

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] – Two things are probably coming to mind right now: how would I know what the mistakes are if I’ve personally made them how reputable could I be? That and maybe: are there only these two common ones?

I’ll answer that last one first. There are quite a few different mistakes that people make but I wanted to try to focus on what I think are the ones at the top. As with anything there are dozens of ways to slip yourself up but when you look at them all sometimes a few are rooted together. One example set — not studying enough, not taking enough practice exams, etc would all funnel up to not being properly prepared.

As to the first part, I haven’t made a ton of mistakes taking exams personally but I’ve had close calls with some screw ups on my part and I’ve had many friends blow exams and when I’ve caught up with them later and we’ve discussed the results I’ve heard a lot of familiar comments and common elements.

So without further ado, here are the two common mistakes people make on IT exams (in no particular order).

Being Under Prepared

This is basically a simple one and the issue’s root really depends on the person. Some people assume because they work with Active Directory all day that they really don’t need to study much reading material or review any test prep questions because what could be on an exam that they don’t see every day or at least once it a while?

Plenty. For any IT exam you need to make sure that you are familiar with ALL of the skills being measured and not just all the ones you do day in or day out. Those questions you might smoke right through on the exam. Other items that you never deal with regularly (or at all) could burn you.

The main issue here is that the exams expect the test take to submit the best answer available as would be done following best practices. The problem is that many people in their day to day work don’t do this.

It might be that they learned a different way to do something that does work in their environment and may not even cause any issue but it does not follow suggested best practices. It might be that due to business rules that certain things must follow a procedure outside of conventional thinking or processes.

On the job experience may not be everything you need especially if you do not test well or are very used to only one way to get a job done. If you’re used to the command line and the question calls for you to use the GUI (or the other way around) you’re going to blow an answer that you’d otherwise know how to do if another way to do it was offered.

These are a few things I keep in mind when I am preparing for the exam in an effort to make sure I am not under-prepared:

Do I know what the best practices are
Do I know which ones we follow and which we don’t
Do I understand why we do something one way and why another way is the best practice
Am I aware of all of the skills being measured for the exam
Am I strong in all of these areas

Being Over Prepared

Is there such a thing? Technically yes and you’ll probably pass with a really high score for being over prepared which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is a mistake of sorts to spend more time than you really need on something.

There was a time when I was a beta tester for exams (I would do it now but I just don’ have the time). Basically, as a beta tester you are taking an exam as provided by the credential and certification owner before it is available for public release.

The pool of testers take many of the questions that will be on the actual certification exam when it goes live. Often they may have many more questions in total than what will be on the actual exam. (Example, the beta exam would have 120 questions where the final exam might have a pool of 55).

It is from these questions that the beta examinees review and are scored on that the final decisions on which questions to include and which to remove are made. In these scenarios you are drawing ONLY from on the job experience; since the certification is not even available yet there is nothing really to study from (no books, no practice exams, etc).

Once the final counts of which questions are included and which are thrown out are decided the examinees results are given back pass / fail to the candidates. If you fail the beta exam you can take it when it goes live. If you get a passing score you are granted the certification.

I took the very first Server+ exam in beta and missed by one or two questions (not exactly sure of the number but I was a smidgen under a passing score). I wanted to pass that exam on the beat but I figured I gave it my best effort and I would try it again.

I really didn’t like to fail exams because I really felt like I know a lot of the material but I also wasn’t sure how much the exam questions and the domain materials might have changed from beta to live so I bought two Server+ books and read them cover to cover over two months and took the practice exams in the books until I got perfect scores. Only then did I reschedule the exam.

I passed with a nearly perfect score.

I had felt half way through the first book that I might have figured out the couple of questions that I was on the fence with respect to answers I gave but you can never really be sure so I kept hammering away and I could have saved myself some study time and could have been doing other things.

These are a few things I keep in mind when I am preparing for the exam in an effort to make sure I am not over prepared:

Am I already fairly confident of my knowledge of the skills being measured
Am I already fairly competent at work in all of the skills being measured
Do I understand where my weakness are and can I focus on just those
Can I go to the back of the chapter and answer more than 80% of the practice questions correctly
Do I need to do more than scan a chapter on the topic

The Advice

As with anything in life, achieving balance is the best way to succeed. Make sure you strike this balance when preparing for your next IT exam by not being under or over prepared.

Best of luck in your studies.

Certification Series: Exam 70-622 Vista Support & Troubleshoot

Jason Zandri — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:43:55 +0000

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Certification Series!

Last week I posted an introduction to Exam 70-620 Configuring Vista Client where we looked at the details and skills needed for the exam and some certification information.

I’ll be posting more detailed information on the skills needed for that exam sometime in the near future, but today we’re switching gears by taking a close look at another Vista exam.

Exam 70-622 Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians was first released in June of 2007 and today we’ll take a look at:

details of the 70-622 exam
the profile of the skills you need to pass the exam (both practical and theory)
the credit towards certification that is granted for passing the 70-622 exam

Please note that there will be some overlap between exam 70-622 and some other Vista exams (70-620 and 70-621) simply because the topics are similar. A skill such as “Prepare a system for clean installation or upgrade” is required for all three exams. Also note that this information is not a substitute for study before taking the exam.

Overview of Exam 70-622 Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians

If you’re interested in taking exam 70-622 you should have at least three to five years of experience as a tier 2 desktop support technician in a mid-sized corporate environment (and larger).

While hands on experience is always best, there is some wiggle room in the suggested guidelines based on your own learning capacity, training approach, and additional time you’ve worked with Vista in a lab, testing, and training environments. Your experience with Vista should include:

deploying the operating system (clean installs, upgrades and migrations)
managing security
troubleshooting network-related issues
understanding all of the different versions of Vista
knowledge of the base operating system functionality and it’s configuration
customization of the client OS
problem troubleshooting (all types)
dealing with customers (customer service)
understanding business needs (enterprise readiness)

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] — I often get the question “Why do I need to know information pertaining to Windows XP Home, Windows Vista Home Premium, etc for Enterprise level exams? These desktop operating systems are generally not used in a corporate environment.”

The reason for the inclusion in the exams is due to the fact that you may very well run into these systems in the enterprise in rare instances. You might have a kiosk that was intentionally set up in a lobby on a guest network for customer use. You might have a situation where an executive is using their own laptop for work use and will need assistance getting into business resources.

The fact of the matter is, if it can be installed onto a work asset it is expected to be managed and you may need to know a few basic things about it.

Achieving Your MCITP Certification

When you pass exam 70-622 you earn credit toward the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Support Technician certification.

Here’s where you can get additional details on Exam 70-622 beyond what I’m going to supply in this overview.

To achieve the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician certification you must pass:

Exam 70-620: TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client
Exam 70-622: PRO: Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians

Here’s where you can learn more about the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician credential.

Passing the 70-622 exam does not count towards credit for any other exams other than Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Support Technician.

If you are already a Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), you can leverage the upgrade by completing only one exam — Exam 70-621: PRO: Upgrading Your MCDST Certification to MCITP Enterprise Support.

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] — The MCDST credential is a prerequisite for taking the upgrade exam to earn the MCITP certification. If you are not an MCDST and you take the 70-621 exam your transcript will show that you passed the exam but you will not have earned the MCITP.

If you do have your MCDST and pass the 70-621 exam you will also earn your MCTS: Windows Vista – Configuration certification as well.

More information:

Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Support Technician

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Vista – Configuration

Additionally, exam 70-621 can be used as credit for any certification requiring exam 70-620 as a required or elective exam.

Exam 70-622 – Profile of Skills Needed

Every certification track, Microsoft or otherwise, has a body of knowledge that you must have a solid understanding of in order to have the best chance of passing the exam. These will often be termed as skills to be measured, prerequisite knowledge, profile of skills or something to that effect but it means the same thing — these topics are what’s needed to measure your ability to accomplish the technical tasks that are aligned with the exam and the certification.

Outlined below are the prerequisites for 70-622 as defined at Microsoft Learning:

Deploying Windows Vista

Analyze the business environment and select an appropriate deployment method
Prepare a system for clean installation or upgrade
Deploy Windows Vista from a custom image
Perform post-installation tasks
Troubleshoot deployment issues

Managing Windows Vista Security

Configure and troubleshoot security for Windows Internet Explorer 7
Troubleshoot security configuration issues
Troubleshoot Windows Firewall issues
Troubleshoot Windows Defender issues
Apply security updates
Configure and troubleshoot access to resources
Troubleshoot authentication issues
Configure and troubleshoot User Account Control

Managing and Maintaining Systems That Run Windows Vista

Troubleshoot policy settings
Configure and manage the Task Scheduler
Configure and troubleshoot Event Forwarding
Apply and troubleshoot updates
Troubleshoot performance and reliability issues

Configuring and Troubleshooting Networking

Configure and troubleshoot network protocols
Configure and troubleshoot network services at the client level
Configure and troubleshoot remote access
Troubleshoot connectivity issues
Configure and troubleshoot wireless networking
Configure network security
Troubleshoot access to network resources

Supporting and Maintaining Desktop Applications

Support deployed applications
Troubleshoot software restrictions
Maintain desktop applications

Next time we’ll get into some details regarding the skills that are needed for the exam which include analyzing the business environment and select an appropriate deployment method and preparing a system for clean installation or upgrade.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and I am looking forward to any feedback you have on it as I work on additional sections in this series and on other topics. I would like to try to continue to build out different series of articles on different technologies so your input would be welcomed. Please feel free to contact me and let me know your thoughts.

Best of luck in your studies.

Certification Series: Exam 70-620 Configuring Vista Client

Jason Zandri — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:34:26 +0000

Hello everyone and welcome to the Certification Series!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting articles pertaining to some of the new certification exams that are available from Microsoft and the newer certifications that have released as part of the Vista and Windows Server 2008 learning tracks.

I’ll provide you with a mainstream overview of the exams, the audience profile and an overview to the topics and the skills being tested (at a really high level).

I’ll also be outlining the certifications that particular exams give direct credit for, and in the situation where the exam counts toward another credential, I’ll offer that information as well.

Today we’ll focus on 70-620 Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client which was first released in January of 2007. Here’s what we’ll be looking at:

The details of the 70-620:Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client exam
The profile of the skills you need to pass the exam (both practical and theory)
The credit towards certification that is granted for passing the 70-620 exam

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] -– We’ll go beyond the 100,000 foot level of information that is generally out there — but this is not a substitute for study before taking the exam.

When I deliver technical training and a student asks “how much should I study” or “how will I know when I’ve reviewed enough” or “how can I be sure I’ve reviewed the correct material that will be on the exam” I will generally respond that every person is different.

Some people remember facts and figures and test well and others don’t. And there is no “silver bullet” of material to focus on as you never know what questions you might get on the official exam.

I usually say that if you learn the product and understand the technology (what does what and why) then you have a fair chance to pass the exam.

You might only need:

to work with the product to get the needed level of understanding

to read a study guide

a professionally taught class

or a combination of some or all

It really depends on the individual and their aptitude to learn.

The Overview of Exam 70-620: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client

If you’re looking to take the 70-620: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client exam you should have at least 1 year of experience in the IT field (or the equivalent) working directly with the different versions of Vista. Your experience should include:

Base operating system functionality and configuration
Customization of the client OS
All types of problem troubleshooting
Dealing with customers
Understanding business needs (aka enterprise readiness)

This would generally include networked environments with at least a few machines that you’re directly responsible for, like a small professional office, or a larger environment such as a corporate enterprise where your responsibility is shared with other technology professionals.

You should also be skilled and experienced at offering both phone support (often referred to as tier 1) as well as remote session or desk side direct support (often referred to as tier 2).

[NOTES FROM THE FIELD] — Note that having the suggested amount of practical experience “or the equivalent” is relative to the person.

I studied for my 70-073 Windows NT Workstation 4 exam while working in a Windows 95 shop. I studied for three months by reading two books and taking two different practice exams and passed without really using the operating system outside of my own lab environment.

Also, it may matter what type of work environment you’re employed in. If you’re working in a highly structured and/or in a specialized role, it may be that even over a couple of years you may not have had enough detailed exposure to all of the skills being measured in the exam.

Achieving Your MCTS Cert and Beyond

When you pass Exam 70-620: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client you meet the requirements for Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Vista – Configuration and earn the certification.

Here’s where you can get additional details on the MCTS: Vista Configuration Certification.

Passing the exam and earning this certification counts towards additional certification tracks as well:

• MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician

Exam 70-620 counts as the prerequisite MCTS certification towards Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Support Technician. The additional exam you’ll need is 70-622 PRO: Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians.

More info and details on Exam 70-622

• MCITP: Consumer Support Technician

Exam 70-620 counts as the prerequisite MCTS certification towards Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Consumer Support Technician. The additional exam you’ll need is 70-623 PRO: Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Consumer Support Technicians.

More info and details on Exam 70-623

• MCITP: Enterprise Administrator

Exam 70-620 counts as one of the required MCTS exams for the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) Enterprise Administrator certification. You need either 70-620 TS: Windows Vista, Configuring or 70-624: TS: Deploying and Maintaining Windows Vista Client and 2007 Microsoft Office System Desktops.

In addition to either of these exams, you would also need to take and pass:

Exam 70-640 TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring which earns MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration
Exam 70-642 TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring which earns MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration
Exam 70-643 TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuring which earns MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Configuration

You would also need to take and pass Exam 70-647 PRO: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator.

• MCSA & MCSE

Exam 70-620 also counts towards Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certifications on the Windows 2003 tracks.

It can be used as one of the core exams for the client operating systems prerequisites for Windows Server 2003, for both of the tracks.

Exam 70-620 — Profile of Skills Needed

Every certification track, Microsoft or otherwise, has a body of knowledge that you must have a solid understanding of in order to have the best chance of passing the exam.

These will often be termed as “skills to be measured,” “prerequisite knowledge,” “profile of skills” or something to that effect but it means the same thing — these topics are the needed knowledge to measure your ability to accomplish the technical tasks that are aligned with the exam and the certification.

Outlined below are the prerequisites for 70-620 as defined at Microsoft Learning:

Installing and upgrading Windows Vista

Identify hardware requirements
Perform a clean installation
Upgrade to Windows Vista from previous versions of Windows
Upgrade from one edition of Windows Vista to another edition
Troubleshoot Windows Vista installation issues
Install and configure Windows Vista drivers

Configuring and troubleshooting Post-installation system settings

Troubleshoot post-installation configuration issues
Configure and troubleshoot Windows Aero
Configure and troubleshoot parental controls
Configure Microsoft Internet Explorer

Configuring Windows security features

Configure and troubleshoot User Account Control
Configure Windows Defender
Configure Dynamic Security for Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
Configure security settings in Windows Firewall

Configuring network connectivity

Configuring networking by using the Network and Sharing Center
Troubleshoot connectivity issues
Configure remote access

Configuring applications included with Windows Vista

Configure and troubleshoot media applications
Configure Windows Mail
Configure Windows Meeting Space
Configure Windows Calendar
Configure Windows Fax and Scan
Configure Windows Sidebar

Maintaining and optimizing systems that run Windows Vista

Troubleshoot performance issues
Troubleshoot reliability issues by using built-in diagnostic tools
Configure Windows Update
Configure data protection

Configuring and troubleshooting mobile computing

Configure mobile display settings
Configure mobile devices
Configure Tablet PC software
Configure power options

Next time we’ll take a look at some of the details regarding the first two subsections of skills that are needed for the exam which include identifying hardware requirements and performing a clean installation.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and I am looking forward to any feedback you have on it as I work on additional sections in this series and on other topics.

I would like to try to continue to build out different series of articles on different technologies so your input is welcomed. Please feel free to contact me and let me know your thoughts.

Best of luck in your studies.

Continue Learning about Vista Exam 70-620:

70-620 MCTS Exam Prep: How to Install & Upgrade Vista

70-620 MCTS Exam Prep: Mastering Vista OS Installation

How To Become MCITP Certified Server Administrator

Kasia Grabowska — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:39:42 +0000

There are over 5,000 MCITP Server Administrators worldwide. To be more precise, there were exactly 5,079 as of January 9th this year (Don’t believe me? See for yourself.)

Are you ready to be number 5,080?

Ready to take your career to the next level?

Ready to prove your Server 2008 leadership and problem solving skills?

Great! Now let’s see what you’ll need to become a MCITP certified Server Administrator.

MCITP: Server Administrator

The MCITP Server Administrator certification will help you develop and demonstrate your knowledge and skills in working with Server 2008 and prepare you for several different roles including:

Windows Server Administrator
Server Systems Administrator
Monitoring Operator
Network Administrator

The MCITP certification builds on a combination of MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) prerequisites that will allow you to develop your technical skills and knowledge and prepare you for your role as a Server Administrator.

In preparation for your MCITP you will learn how to:

handle day to day management of the server os, file structure and directory services
handle software distribution and updates
monitor servers
troubleshoot servers
configure the server
implement an auditing policy
peform scheduled vulnerability assessment scans

How to Earn Your MCITP: Server Administrator Certification

There are three exam requirements for the MCITP Server Administrator certification:

The first two exams are MCTS prerequisite exams that I mentioned above and the third is a Professional Series exam.

How to Upgrade to the MCITP: Server Administration Certification from MCSA or MCSE

If you have your Windows Server 2003 MCSA or MCSE certification, you can choose an upgrade path instead and take two exams instead of three.

To upgrade your Server 2003 MCSA you will need to pass:

To upgrade your Server 2003 MCSE you will need to pass:

By taking the first exam (either 70-648 or 70-649) you will be able to earn multiple MCTS certifications on Windows Server 2008 (shown in the diagrams above) and be only one exam away from your MCITP Server Administrator Certification.

Learn more about upgrading your Server 2003 MCSA and MCSE to Windows Server 2008 here.

Introducing:

Windows Server 2008 MCITP Server Administrator Training

To help you achieve your MCITP Server Administrator Certification we have developed this hands-on training that will prepare you for your 70-646 MCITP exam. You will master:

Server installations and upgrades (on Server 2008 and Server Core)
Simplifying installations using WDS
Using Group Policy to simplify network administration
Setting up a file, print and VPN server
Using Active Directory Certificate Services
Virtualization and Hyper-V installation
And much more!

For a limited time save $50 off the regular price by entering the coupon code: TSTSA at checkout.

Get the details about our brand new Server 2008 MCITP Server Administrator Training and earn your MCITP certification!

~ And ~

Windows Server 2008 MCITP Server Administrator Training Package

If you haven’t started on your prerequisite MCTS exams yet, then take a look at this complete MCITP Server Administration package that includes 3 courses to help you prepare for your:

Exam 70-642 Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
Exam 70-640 Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
Exam 70-646 Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator

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