MCITP Books and Training Materials

Dashik

Dashik

Dashik

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OK, as a follow up to my post on server hardware.

I'm doing my training myself at home with appropriate hardware and Virtualisation. Its significantly cheaper and I get more for my money than some cookie cutter production line course. I also get to control what I learn and can spend as much or as little time as required to gain a solid understanding of the topics required.

I'm thinking of buying the Microsoft Press MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, 70-647): Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Adminstrator Core Requirements Book/CD/DVD ... Core Requirements (PRO-Certification)

and adding the MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-646): Windows Server 2008 Administration so I can do Server Administrator first.

The Enterprise bundle has 2 books from the Server Administrator bundle and represents a better way of buying the books then getting the Server Administrator kit and then the Enterprise bundle and having 2 duplicate books.

So I gather that the books are ok but that I will need the ebook updates to cover R2. Has anyone any used the Microsoft press books for their MCIPT Server Administrator/Enterprise Administrator certifications? If so can you comment on how good they were? Or can you recommend any alternative/additional materials that may be useful?

Thanks for your time :D

James.
 
I normally use the Microsoft Training manuals like these 70-640 and 70-680 and buy them as and when I need them as the duration between my exams can vary.

Like you I've set up my own vm environment which helps when you deviate from the course material and stops work complaining every time you take their system down :o

What's your background/knowledge like ?

There are 2 versions of the MCITP, kind of like the MCSA and MCSE

MCITP Server Administrator Core (Exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-646)

MCITP Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Adminstrator Core (Exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, 70-647)


MW
 
I have the books (as in the second post) for the 70-680, 70-647 and 70-649 as I'm upgrading from MCSE 2003. I found them quite good and I've passed two of the exmas (only the 70-680 to go) so they can't be to bad.



M.
 
Ok thanks for that guys. Looks like best value is to buy the Enterprise Admin kit and then the kits for 70-646 and 70-680. You get the lot for £155 delivered and that covers both the Enterprise Administrator and the Server Administrator exams.

I'll go look into the CBT Video's :)
 
Should also note that there is a voucher in the back for 20% of each exam so thats about £20 of per exam.

So get the books before taking or booking the exams :)


M.
 
Going to order the books tomorrow :D So yes I'll certainty be using the vouchers.

Its just a pity that I need them now lol, The new 2nd editions are out in a month or so. Still I'm more of a hands on guy than a just read the books learner, so 2008R2 and a VM Server will solve that in conjunction with the pdf updates.
 
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Ok well I bought the following.

MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, 70-647)
MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-646)
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-680)

So that covers the Server Administrator and Enterprise Administrator exams :D

Buying hardware tomorrow.

Call me a Geek but I'm actually quite excited at the prospect of these arriving and getting started :D
 
It's quite interesting how much you actually pick up by going through the books and exam materials. I've been using Windows 2008 for years but found some useful stuff.



M.
 
Dashik said:
Call me a Geek but I'm actually quite excited at the prospect of these arriving and getting started :D
Click to expand...

I do too and then when you get them you realise you've actually got to read them :D

m4cc45 said:
It's quite interesting how much you actually pick up by going through the books and exam materials. I've been using Windows 2008 for years but found some useful stuff..
Click to expand...

This is why I can't understand why people say studying is worthless

MW
 
Ok Amazon have shipped the books :D so tomorrow or Friday hopefully which will tie in nicely with rearranging my computer set up now that the Server is here :D
 
OK so amazingly the Books arrived about 5pm this evening D: Looks like a fair bit of reading ;)

Got vouchers for 15% off each exam and evaluation copies of the 2008R2 server software.

Start properly on Monday once I find a home for all the crap I cleared out of my computer corner :D
 
I suspect I will need to do the Win 7 stuff as well. But getting the server setup and started on the basics of the server admin then see where I go from there :D
 
I know my next (and final exam for MCITP: EA) exam is 70-680 which is Windows 7 Configuration. I'd suggest doing them in a relative order (so I'd go with Client first) as the books will make more sense and it's easier to do that way around as there's crossovers into the server book which will make sense then when you go onto the server exams.

I just saw your post about the 70-680 books which makes perfect sense. Start there and good luck.




M.
 
70-680 - Windows 7
70-640 - Active Directory
70-642 - Windows 2008 Networking
70-643 - Windows 2008 Application
70-646 - Windows 2008 Server Administrator
70-647 - Windows 2008 Enterprise Administrator

That's how I would do it - I admit that I did mine slightly differently as I was on an upgrade from MCSE 2003. But if, god forbid, I was to start again thats the route I'd go. You will, doing the Windows 7 stuff, touch on DNS, Domains, etc. so you might as well have a Windows 2008 server up at the same time if you want to see it for yourself.

It's a massive project to get qualified so just take it a book and exam at a time. Nothing quite prepares you for how evil some of the questions are in the exam and some of the formats. There may be two right answers for example but one will be the Microsoft way of doing it rather than your way. Doing the revising via the books helps a lot. In short I'd say use the first exam as research as well so you know what they're looking for.


M.
 
Indeed it is, I looked into it before I bought the hardware and books. And this is just the start of the project. I reckon I'll need some CCNA stuff as well and then there's the VCP program later on.

So all in a huge project :D

Like I said I need to certify to consolidate old skills and once I've got the first few of these I'm going to try and see if there's a few contracts setting up new pc's and new servers on a role out to gain current experiance and then go from there. Almost would do it for free initially to get current lol.


I'd love to end up doing virtualisation in some form or other. I suspect that practicalities of the local job environment will mean I'll end up in server Admin, Exchange with VOIP, but thats ok too :D. I think the key is to stay flexible :D
 
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