Registrations Now Open for VMware vSphere 5 Certification

VMware recently announced that registrations for the new VCP5 certification (VMware Certified Professional on vSphere 5) are now open. If you already hold a VCP4 certification, you’re able to simply take the new exam to get certified for vSphere 5. However, if you hold an older certification or are not yet VCP certified, you’ll need to meet a few prerequisites in order to take the new exam. Here’s a graphic from VMware to help you map out your path to earning your VCP5 certification.

As you can see, if you already hold a VCP4 certification, you can simply take the “VMware vSphere: What’s New [V5]” course, which will prepare you for the changes made in the new VCP5 exam. If you do not currently hold a VMware certification, you can take the “VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage [V5]” course which will prepare you for the exam. Finally, if you’ve completed a VCP4 course, but have yet to take the VCP4 exam, you can continue on to take the “VMware vSphere: What’s New [V5]” course and take the VCP5 exam.

Of course, I always recommend using more than one method of studying and training for exams, so you might want to take a look at the TrainSignal vSphere 5 training that was recently released.

New MCPD Certification

Mobile app development and use is on the rise and Microsoft is looking to certify app developers who have what it takes to develop using their technology. The new Windows Phone Developer MCPD is now available. To earn the certification, you’ll be required to pass the following three exams:

• 70-506 – TS: Silverlight 4, Development
• 70-516 – TS: Accessing Data with Microsoft .NET Framework
• 70-599 – PRO: Designing and Developing Windows Phone Applications

There are a few important things to note while working towards the certification. First, as you’ll notice above, the 70-599 exam is still relatively new, so the scores may not be processed right away. Second, because this is a new certification, the title will not show up on your transcript until late September of 2011. Lastly, mobile technologies change quickly, so you’ll be expected to recertify every two years in order to keep up with the quickly evolving platforms.

New Microsoft Office Specialist Certification

SharePoint 2010 (77-886) has been added to the MOS 2010 line of certifications. According to Microsoft Learning, candidates for the exam are users who provide structure for information, extend out-of-the-box site features, solve business problems through composite applications, and facilitate collaboration with other site users. The following domains will be included in the exam (percentages are not provided):

• Creating and Formatting Content
• Managin SharePoint Site
• Participating in User Communities
• Configuring and Consuming Site Search Results
• Integrating SharePoint 2010 Services and Microsoft Office 2010 Applications

For more information on the exam, please visit the Microsoft Learning exam page.

New MCP Certification

The Microsoft Certified Professional exam, Designing and Developing Windows Phone Applications has been released and is now available in Prometric testing centers. According to Microsoft Learning, candidates for the 70-599 exam are typically independent software vendors or developers who design and develop applications for the Windows Phone platform. Candidates should also have knowledge of and experience with the following:

• Windows Phone 7
• Silverlight
• C# or Visual Basic
• Microsoft .NET
• Mobile Application Design and Development

For more information on the exam, please visit the Microsoft Learning website, and to register for the exam, visit the Prometric website.

Open Office Certifications Retired

After Oracle discontinued (official/commercial) development of the Open Office suite of applications following the creation of LibreOffice (a community-based project aimed at being open source and vendor-neutral), Open Office certifications became irrelevant. As such, all Open Office certifications have been listed as “Discontinued” on Oracle’s website. It is not yet clear if or when Oracle (or any other certification vendors) will create new certifications for the new community driven project.

It is important to remember, however, that neither of the two projects officially ended. Both may continue to release updates to their software. Oracle has simply discontinued commercial development and retired the certifications, but as it is open source, community driven updates are still likely.

Earning College Credit with a Microsoft Certification

Are you in college while looking to earn a Microsoft certification? You might be in luck. The American Council for Education (ACE) has recommended the allowance of college credits for earning select Microsoft certifications. While ACE maintains a large network of over 1,500 colleges and universities that have agreed to consider Microsoft certifications as college credit recommendations, it’s important to note that each college or university retains the right to accept (or deny) credit recommendations as they see fit. If you’re planning on earning a Microsoft certification, contact the institution you attend to find out about their policy on accepting certifications for college credits.

For more information on participating colleges and universities, you should visit the ACE website where you’ll find an alphabetical list of participating institutions. To acquire an ACE transcript, visit the Microsoft Learning website to enroll and submit your exams for verification. Finally, to find out what certifications will earn you college credit, you can view the full list here. Certification credit offerings range from one to six college credits per qualifying certification.

New 2011 CompTIA Security+ Exam

Back in November, I wrote about the new CompTIA Security+ exam objectives (2011, SY0-301) to be released this year. That time has come and the 2011 version of the exam is live and available at testing centers. As reported earlier, the topics in the new exam remain the same. You’ll notice an emphasis on threats and vulnerabilities, and there are plenty of new buzzwords and attack types to recognize when studying for the exam.

Here is a quick topics comparison between the 2008 and 2011 exams:

The official specifications for the new revision aren’t too different from before. There are 100 questions, with 90 minutes given to complete the test. You’ll need a score of 750 or higher (on a scale of 100-900) to earn the certification.

This is the first update to the exam since 2008, which is odd for a security-based certification. However, if you’ve been studying for the 2008 exam and aren’t ready to take the 2011 exam just yet, you will have until the end of the year to earn your Security+ certification through the 2008 version of the exam (SY0-201) before it’s fully retired.

You can read more about the update in CompTIA’s June press release: Updated CompTIA Security+ Exam Reflects Changes in IT Security Landscape.

Additionally, I’ve been informed that TrainSignal is in the process of developing a new version of Security+ training (available later this year) which will cover the new SY0-301 exam objectives.

Microsoft Exams Retiring

A lot of exams have been retired and refreshed this year, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. Microsoft has just announced the names of 18 exams to retire this year, and 4 exams to retire in early 2012.

The following is a list of discontinued exams according to the Microsoft Learning site:

Microsoft Exams Retiring on September 30, 2011:

• Exam 70-282: Planning, Deploying, and Managing a Network Solution for the Small and Medium-Sized Business
• Exam 70-403: TS: System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, Configuring
• Exam 70-652: TS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring
• Exam MB6-502: AX 4.0 Product Builder
• Exam MB6-503: AX 4.0 Installation and Configuration
• Exam MB6-504: AX 4.0 Project Series
• Exam MB6-506: AX 4.0 Questionnaire
• Exam MB6-507: AX 4.0 Financials
• Exam MB6-508: AX 4.0 Development Introduction
• Exam MB6-509: AX 4.0 Trade and Logistics
• Exam MB6-510: AX 4.0 Human Resource Management
• Exam MB6-511: AX 4.0 Production
• Exam MB6-512: AX 4.0 Enterprise Portal Development
• Exam MB6-513: AX 4.0 MorphX Solution Development

Microsoft Exams Retiring on October 31, 2011:

• Exam 74-924: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 – U.C. Voice Specialization

Microsoft Exams Retiring on December 31, 2011:

• Exam 74-544 (70-544): TS: Bing Maps Platform, Application Development
• Exam MB6-285: Axapta 3.0 Sales and Marketing
• Exam MB6-291: Axapta 3.0 Shop Floor Control

Microsoft Exams Retiring on May 31, 2012:

• Exam 74-404: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 – U.C. Voice Specialization

Microsoft Exams Retiring on June 30, 2012:

• Exam 70-579: TS: Windows Mobile 6.5, Configuring
• Exam 70-580: TS: Windows Mobile 6.5, Application Development
• Exam 70-625: Connected Home Integrator

For more information on discontinued Microsoft exams, as well as new and beta exams, see Microsoft Learning.

Cisco CCDE Practical Exam Registrations Underway

The Cisco Learning Network has started accepting registrations for the Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) practical exam and will continue to accept them until October 7th, 2011. The exam date will be Friday, October 21, 2011. The exam cost is $1,400 (USD) and you are required to have passed the CCDE qualification exam prior to registering for the Practical Exam. The Cisco CCDE certification exams are offered only a few times per year, so if you are planning to take the exam, you should probably register sooner rather than later.

For more information on the Cisco CCDE Practical Exam, please visit Cisco Learning Network and be sure to carefully look over the registration steps, prerequisites, and cancellation policies before registering. For more information on the CCDE certification see Cisco.com.

VMware Certified Professional 4 – Desktop Exam Open for Registrations

The VMware Certified Professional 4 – Desktop (VCP4-DT) is open for registration, and a $50 discount will be applied for those who register before September 1st, 2011. In order to qualify to take the exam, you must first attain the VCA4-DT and hold a current VCP certification. According to VMware, the exam is aimed at Virtualization Systems Engineers who are able to configure the vSphere environment, and who possess a deep understanding of VMware core components.

For more information on the VCP4-DT exam, requirements, and preparedness recommendations, please visit mylearn.vmware.com. For details on the new Desktop Virtualization Certifications from VMware take a look at this post from vExpert David Davis.

MCTS: Forefront Identity Manager 2010, Configuring Exam Now in Beta

Beta invitations have been announced for the new MCTS (71-158) Forefront Identity Manager 2010, Configuring exam and the tests are now available at Prometric testing centers. The beta exam period runs until August 4, 2011 and if passed, will be added to your transcript and you will not have to retake the exam when it is officially released.

It is important to note that there are no Microsoft-issued preparation materials at this time, so you should have quite a bit of hands-on experience using Microsoft Forefront Identity Manager 2010 (FIM 2010) before attempting the exam.

To view a list of skills measured and topics covered, visit the 70-158 exam page on the Microsoft Learning website. To register for the exam, you’ll need to visit the Prometric website or call (800) 755-3926.

CWNP Offers Free Exam Retakes

Following the success of last year’s free retakes, CWNP, Inc. recently announced the return of free retakes on all CWNP exams. The free retakes will be available until August 31st, 2011 should you fail to pass an exam before then. As long as you took the original exam before August 31st, you will be eligible to receive a free retake voucher.

For details on how to take advantage of this promotion, you can visit the Free Retake promo page at cwnp.com.

CompTIA Looking for Subject Matter Experts

CompTIA has expanded the request for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for not only the Storage+ certification, but also A+, Security+, Network+, and CDIA+ certifications.

SMEs are often called upon to ensure certifications remain up to date and relevant. As an SME, you’ll be called upon to work with the CompTIA staff to create and review exam items associated with the exam’s specific topics, skills needed, and best practices. According to the press release, those who participate are rewarded with a stipend, a CompTIA voucher, a CompTIA shirt, and breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner on some meeting days. However, these benefits may not all apply for those who participate in remote workshops.

The SME workshops currently scheduled are as follows:

• July 18-22 – CompTIA Network+ Workshop
• August 15-19 – CompTIA A+ Workshop (Job Task Analysis)
• September 12-16 – CompTIA Security+ Workshop
• September 19-23 – CompTIA A+ Workshop (Item Writing)
• October 3-7 – CompTIA CDIA+ Workshop
• October 17-21 – CompTIA Storage+ Powered by SNIA

For more information on becoming a CompTIA Subject Matter Expert, please visit CompTIA’s Exam Development page.

While this certification does take a large focus on the Orion NPM, it’s important to note that while holding this certificate may be beneficial in the hiring process if you’ll be working with the Orion NPM, it does not certify you on Orion products specifically. This certificate will however certify your knowledge and skills in network management fundamentals, planning, operations, fault troubleshooting, and performance troubleshooting.

Is the SCP Certification Right For You?

The SCP certification is not for everyone. While the exam is extremely streamlined and has very specific topics for study, it also bases questions and materials on the assumption of a high-level of experience and expertise. This exam is in no way an entry-level exam and should not be viewed as such, by both employers and candidates studying to take the exam. The SolarWinds site even goes as far as to note that most successful exam-takers already hold multiple industry-recognized certifications from networking hardware or software vendors (such as Cisco, for example.)

According to Josh Stephens, VP of Technology at SolarWinds, the SCP certification is aimed at validating the skills of Network Engineers and Network Managers. Furthermore, SolarWinds outlines typical successful candidates as IT professionals with several years experience in network management. Candidates should also have experience deploying and using Orion NPM on a corporate or government network. This means you would have a moderate to high level of expertise in being able to identify and resolve network issues and performance trends.

What Do You Need to Know to Get SCP Certified

The SCP exam covers five major topics; you’ll be tested on:

• network management fundamentals,
• network management planning,
• network management operations,
• network fault and performance troubleshooting,
• Orion NPM Administration, which includes pretty much every aspect of using Orion NPM.

The topics are a bit vague, but luckily, the SCP Exam Prep Guide goes over each topic in detail and gives you specific subjects you’ll need to study for the exam.

The exam itself is administered by Prometric. The cost of the exam varies based on your location, but for the United States and most other countries, a $150 charge to take the exam is typical. You can verify your county’s specific pricing on the SolarWinds page at the Prometric website.

The question formats are, for the most part, situational. In many cases, you’ll be presented with specific situations and circumstances, followed by a multiple-choice question. Here is an example of a question in the Network Management Fundamentals section of the exam.

A network engineer has been asked to monitor an Object Identifier (OID) using a custom poller. The custom poller does not seem to be working, so the engineer takes a packet capture from the router in question.

To best filter the capture data and determine if the router is sending information about that OID, what would the engineer filter on?

A. destination IP address of the network management system (NMS) and port 162
B. destination IP address of the router and port 161
C. destination IP address of the network management system (NMS) and port 161
D. destination IP address of the router and port 162

SolarWinds Certified Professional Exam Topics

Here’s an overview of everything the SCP exam covers, referenced directly from the SCP Exam Prep Guide v1.1.

Network Management Fundamentals

• Use and explain network management protocols (e.g. SNMP, SNMP Traps, Syslog, ICMP, NetFlow, etc.)
• Leverage MIBs, OIDs, and WMI performance counters to diagnose and troubleshoot network problems.

Network Management Planning

• Translate business requirements into monitoring needs, thresholds, and Orion NPM configurations.
• Design a reporting system that meets the needs of the various stakeholders.
• Determine monitoring scope and impact on the network.
• Determine the impact of network topology on monitoring.

Network Management Operations

• Enable devices for network management.
• Determine future capacity requirements.
• Define, monitor, and report on SLAs.

Network Fault & Performance Troubleshooting

• Detect and verify network faults.
• Determine the scope of the network fault.
• Collect and analyze network monitoring data to determine the cause of a network fault.
• Detect and verify performance issues.
• Determine the scope of the performance issue.
• Collect and analyze network monitoring data to determine the cause of the performance issue.

Orion NPM Administration

• Manage accounts in Orion NPM.
• Discover and manage network elements (e.g. nodes, interfaces, volumes) using Orion NPM.
• Configure and use the Orion NPM Universal Device Poller (UnDP).
• Create and run standard and customized Orion NPM reports.
• Configure an Orion NPM alert and verify the logic.
• Configure and manage Syslog and SNMP Traps.
• Customize Orion web console.
• Customize Orion NPM custom properties, views, and menu bars.
• Create and maintain Orion NPM maps.
• Scale Orion NPM and optimize its performance.
• Identify the ways in which Orion NPM can integrate with other management products.
• Explain the technical capabilities and limitations of each Orion module.
• Leverage the expertise and custom resources on thwack.

What Happens if You Don’t Pass the SCP Exam?

If you don’t pass the SCP exam on your first try, you must wait at least five business days before you can retake the exam. If you fail the exam three times, you must contact certifications@solarwinds.com before attempting another retake.

What Should You Use to Study for the SCP Exam?

There are quite a few ways you can prepare yourself for the SCP exam. First off, if you haven’t already done so, you’ll probably want to browse around the SolarWinds website and the associated SCP Program Summary. You can also visit the SolarWinds Learning Center, where you’ll find several webcasts on each major topic covered on the exam.

You’ll also want to join the Thwak community (registration is required to download study materials) where SolarWinds and other members upload educational materials, and most importantly, the SCP Preparation Guide, that I mentioned earlier.

Finally, you’ll want to get some hands-on experience with the Orion Network Performance Monitor (NPM) and you can do that with a free 30 day trail of the product available for download on the SolarWinds site.

If you have any questions or comments about the SCP program, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Thanks for reading, and good luck on becoming a SolarWinds Certified Professional!

We’ll also examine Microsoft’s new Virtual Academy site and CompTIA’s new certification resource site. Other news updates this month include price increases on Microsoft exams and an expiration date extension for 11 Oracle beta exams.

Price Increases Announced for Microsoft Certification Exams

If you’re planning to take any Microsoft exams in the near future, you might want to schedule them sooner rather than later. Microsoft recently announced that pricing on all exams will increase on July 1, 2011. Here are the new exam prices for US residents:

• Standard Pricing: From $125 to $150
• Student Pricing: From $60 to $83 (available to High School, College or University students enrolled in a degree or diploma program)

If you live in another country, you can use the pricing calculator to see the new exam prices in your area. Please note: The price changes in India are effective August 1, 2011.

According to Microsoft, the new fee structure reflects the significant value that certifications provide, as well as the new exam enhancements being adopted such as updates, exam security, new question types, etc.

It’s also important to note that all exam vouchers issued prior to July 1, 2011 will remain valid until their expiration date. So if you’d like to take advantage of the original pricing, it might be a good idea to purchase a voucher to use at a later date.

CompTIA CASP Certification Exam In Beta

Announced earlier this year, the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner exam is now in its beta stages and will be available to 400 lucky candidates. The exam is currently available for free to select qualified candidates. To get the exam voucher discount code, you’ll need to email casp@comptia.org.

Qualifications for the CASP exam include being a security professional with at least 10 years experience in IT administration and 5 years of hands-on technical security experience. If you’re interested in the exam, take a look at the CASP exam objectives and request a voucher as soon as possible in order to secure your beta spot.

New CompTIA Certification Resource Site

On May 2nd CompTIA announced the launch of a new resource site, certification.comptia.org. The site is a comprehensive source for IT related job-role information, career planning tools, social media elements, and expanded news and updates sections to host and announce new products and networking opportunities.

“We’ve expanded the careers section to help anyone interested in an IT job to plan their career goals and chart a path on how to get there. Employers can access information on how they can benefit by hiring certified IT pros.” said Terry Erdle, Executive Vice President, Skills Certifications at CompTIA.

To learn about the “virtual scavenger hunt” created to celebrate the new site, check out CompTIA’s press release.

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Hot on CompTIA’s education trail, (or possibly the other way around,) Microsoft has also released a new certification training and resource website. Microsoft Virtual Academy, which is currently free to join and use, is a resource site providing a variety of cloud certification-based training content. According to the new site’s FAQ, MVA will provide a virtual university-like experience, allowing users to select courses, study training material, and take self-assessment tests. In place of grades, users will collect points that will count towards on-site rankings (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum).

Learn more and sign up for Microsoft Virtual Academy.

New Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Exam

Also this month, Microsoft released a new entry-level exam based on the Installation and Deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 (Exam MB2-867). The exam’s topics cover planning, installation, deployment, configuration, upgrading, and redeploying Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 (including the Email Router and the Outlook client).

You can get more information about the MB2-867 exam on the official Microsoft Learning exam page: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Installation and Deployment.

Oracle Beta Exams Extended (But Ending Soon!)

As Oracle’s education site states, beta end dates are tentative and subject to change without notice. In this case, quite a few exams have had their end dates extended since last month’s certification update.

Here are the new end-dates announced by Oracle (exams already expired as scheduled or still in production are not included in this list):

• Database: 1Z1-529 Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Application Quality Management Essentials – Expiring June 4, 2011
• Database: 1Z1-058 Oracle Real Application Clusters 11g Release 2 and Grid Infrastructure Administration – Expiring June 11, 2011
• Java and Middleware: 1Z1-556 Oracle Life Sciences Data Hub 2 Essentials – Expiring May 28, 2011
• Java and Middleware: 1Z1-560 Oracle Unified Business Process Management Suite 11g Essentials – Expiring May 7, 2011
• Server and Storage Systems: 1Z1-552 Sun Flash Storage Essentials – Expiring May 21, 2011
• Server and Storage Systems: 1Z1-563 Sun Storage 6000 Arrays Essentials – Expiring May 21, 2011
• Applications: 1Z1-555 Oracle iStore 12 Essentials – Expiring June 4, 2011
• Applications: 1Z1-557 Oracle Insurance Policy Administration Configuration Essentials – Expiring May 28, 2011
• Applications: 1Z1-219 Siebel CRM 8 Business Analyst – Expiring May 14, 2011
• Applications: 1Z1-561 Oracle FLEXCUBE UBS 11 Basic Implementation Essentials – Expiring May 21, 2011
• Applications: 1Z1-562 Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing 2 Certified Implementation Specialist – Expiring May 14, 2011

Questions? Comments? Thoughts?

What do you think about the new Microsoft Virtual Academy and their ranking-based learning style? Will you be working your way up the ranks?

What are your thoughts on the price hike for Microsoft certifications? Are you less likely to consider getting Microsoft certified?

How about the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification? Do you plan on applying for the CompTIA CASP beta?

Let us know your thoughts, questions, or comments below. I hope you enjoyed this month’s certification update. Thanks for reading!

Azure is a platform that will allow businesses to “shift their focus from managing and maintaining physical servers to solving business problems and addressing customer needs online.”

Are Windows Azure Certifications Right for You?

So what does this mean for IT professionals?

As more organizations start to move their servers to “the cloud,” or more specifically, the Windows Azure platform, the skillset of IT professionals will need to change accordingly. Developers and administrators who once deployed and implemented services and applications on physical servers, will now need to refocus their abilities to designing, building, and/or deploying cloud-based applications to be hosted on the Windows Azure platform.

If you’re looking for a way to advance your career and become more marketable, Azure certification might be the right choice for you. Since the Azure certifications are fairly new they will help you distinguish yourself and show that you’re able to offer a unique skillset.

Windows Azure Certifications

There are currently three Windows Azure certification exams being offered by Microsoft that are focused on development:

• Exam 70-513: Windows Communication Foundation Development with Microsoft .NET Framework 4
• Exam 70-516: Accessing Data with Microsoft .NET Framework 4
• Exam 70-583: Designing and Developing Windows Azure Applications

Let’s take a look at each of these more closely.

The Windows Communication Foundation Development with Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (exam 70-513), is aimed at testing your knowledge and ability to develop applications using said software. According to Microsoft Learning, candidates for this exam are expected to have at least one year of experience developing WCF-based applications, and at least six months experience with .NET Framework 4.

When you pass the 70-513 exam, you’ll earn not only the MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Service Communication Applications certification, but you’ll also gain credit towards the following certifications:

1. Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Windows Developer 4
2. Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Web Developer 4

The Accessing Data with Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (exam 70-516) will test your knowledge and skills on accessing data sources using ADO.NET and the .NET Framework. According to Microsoft Learning, candidates for the exam should have a minimum of two to three years of experience developing application components that interact with a variety of data sources. You should also have one to two years of experience using a relational database management system.

Passing the 70-516 exam will earn you the MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Data Access certification. You’ll also gain credit towards the following certifications:

1. Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Windows Developer 4
2. Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Web Developer 4

The Designing and Developing Windows Azure Applications (exam 70-583) is a professional-level exam and is the final exam needed to earn your MCPD: Windows Azure Developer 4 certification, after successful completion of exams 70-513 and 70-516.

According to Microsoft, candidates for the 70-583 exam are individuals seeking to prove their skills and knowledge in designing and developing applications that will be hosted on the Windows Azure platform. Though I would add the recommendation of completing the other two exams first. The big difference between this and other exams is that you will be required to show your continued ability to perform in Windows Azure by taking a recertification exam every two years.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that once you’ve finished these exams and earned one or more Azure certifications, you may want to look into taking one or more of the MCPD exams you earned credit for.

Windows Azure Certification Training Options

Where can you get started on training for Windows Azure certifications?

There are a number of resources already available to help with training and preparing for the Windows Azure based exams. I’ll list a few of the options from the Microsoft Learning site below, though I’m sure you can find plenty of alternative resources should you choose to go another route.

1. Azure Learning Snacks — These are short, interactive training videos that Microsoft Learning experts created to help you in your certification education. At the time of writing, there are currently only a few learning snacks available for Azure, but more should be coming soon.
2. Azure Classroom Training — If you are interested in taking a Windows Azure instructor-led class near you, Microsoft is offering a class entitled Windows Azure Solutions with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 – Course 50466A.
3. Azure Learning Plans — Microsoft has released a great learning plan for exam 70-583: Designing and Developing Windows Azure Applications. The learning plan consists of a combination of learning snacks, articles, and videos that will help you prepare for the 70-583 exam.

Special Offers for Windows Azure Certification Candidates

There are a few offers on the Microsoft Learning website worth noting.

If you would like to get your hands dirty and get some first-hand experience using Windows Azure, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial pass.

There are two trial options for you to choose from:

1. Credit Card Required: this option requires your credit card for signup and you will be charged a standard rate for usage in excess of the “free” amounts. This special offer ends September 30, 2011. More info here: Azure free trial.
2. No Credit Card Required: this option allows you to sign up for the free 30 day trial without a credit card with the promo code MSL001 (available in US only, other countries might require a different promo code; contact Microsoft for more information).

If you’re getting certified, you may also want to take advantage of the Prometric/Microsoft Second Shot program. For 15% more than the exam’s original cost, you can secure a second shot at the exam in case you don’t manage to pass the exam on your first attempt. This offer is valid for Microsoft IT Professional, Developer, and Dynamics exams.

Why Use ACT

Windows deployments have always been very involved processes. Compatibility issues are a huge concern whenever an OS is refreshed or updated, and even more so in organizations that rely on critical third-party applications to conduct their day-to-day business. Because of this, a standardized testing program is necessary to ensure that minimal troubleshooting will be needed after a successful Windows deployment.

At its core, the Microsoft ACT allows you to verify compatibility between applications, devices, and system hardware with new versions of the Windows operating system (currently Windows 7). You are not limited to complete OS updates either, you can also assess and determine any compatibility risks involved in installing smaller Windows Updates.

The ACT also includes the Standard User Analyzer (SUA) tool to test applications for issues related to User Account Control (UAC). This is a great feature, as the UAC feature has been an issue (or caused issues) in the past since its release in Windows Vista, though it’s admittedly much better in Windows 7.

Finally, you’ll also have access to the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool. This tool, as the name suggests, allows you to test web applications and websites for compatibility with new releases and security updates to Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Common Compatibility Issues

So what kind of compatibility issues should you expect to find with the Application Compatibility Toolkit?

Microsoft has created a list of common compatibility issues. I’ll go over them briefly, but you can read about them in detail on Microsoft TechNet. The following technologies are most likely to have compatibility issues (and most have quick fixes available):

• UAC: While UAC adds an extra layer of security by minimizing administrator-level access to the computer, it also affects application installers, features, or updates that require Administrator permissions to run.
• Windows Resource Protection (WRP): Basically, when an application attempts to write to protected system files or registry locations, WRP kicks in and creates a temporary work area to allow the application to function as intended without modifying any protected areas. These attempts usually fail with an Access Denied error.
• Internet Explorer Protected Mode: This technology helps to protect your machine against elevation-of-privilege attacks by only allowing web sites or web applications to write to temporary Internet files.
• Deprecations, GINA, and Session 0: Windows 7’s framework changes have caused various issues with deprecated APIs or DLLs from Windows XP and Windows Vista. The Graphical Identification and Authentication DLL went through a big change in Windows Vista, therefore, older GINA DLLs are ignored. Finally, prior to Windows Vista, the first user who logged on to a computer ran in Session 0, the same session used by all system services. In Windows Vista, this has changed so that users and system services run on separate sessions (users now start in Session 1.)
• Windows Filtering Platform (WFP): WFP is an API used to interact with various networking stack filtering functions, applications using older versions of this API might experience failures when running network-scanning, antivirus programs or firewalls.
• Operating System Version Changes: Some application installers check for the OS version number to allow installation only on supported platforms. If an application that would otherwise work with Windows 7, only checks for previous OS version numbers, the application will fail to install.
• Windows Vista 64-bit: While most 32-bit applications can run perfectly fine using a built in emulation program, some 16-bit executables/installers, or applications that rely on 32-bit kernel drivers, may fail to start or function incorrectly.

ACT will allow you to quickly find applications that suffer from compatibility issues so you can better assess the impact on your organization, and come up with a solution to minimize or fix the issue alltogether. Finding out about these compatibility issues before deployment will save you and your organization from having to spend extra time (and money) troubleshooting and minimize downtime.

Verifying Application Compatibility

How will you know if an application is compatible with Windows 7?

ACT uses quite a few methods to find out if an application is compatible with Windows 7. The most valuable information, in my opinion, is the ACT community assessment rating. This rating is calculated by combining the ratings of other IT professionals who have gone through the deployment process and found issues (or no issues) in the software included in the deployment. Ratings are displayed graphically by five colored bars, ranging from red, to yellow, and finally green.

There are three available scores, based on the rating for an application.

• Works: If you vote that an application works, it is denoted as five green bars.
• Works with minor issues or has solutions: If you vote that an application has minor issues, it is denoted as three light green bars.
• Does not work If you vote that an application does not work, it is denoted as a single red bar.

How Can You Help Make ACT Better

Application ratings are based on combined ratings from Microsoft, the application vendors, and the ACT community. By joining the ACT community, all ratings you leave for applications will be included for others to refer to.

The following table describes the icons you’ll see for Microsoft and Vendor Assessments on the Analyze screen. This screenshot was taken directly from Microsoft TechNet.

Your assessment rating will be combined with other IT Professionals’ ratings to help aid future deployments. I highly recommend becoming an ACT community member, as assessment ratings are an invaluable tool for pre-deployments.

Resolving Compatibility Issues

The great thing about assessment ratings is that many come with solutions to fix the issues that come up. Some of these are in the form of updates, patches, or even simply user-submitted fixes that you can read up on to figure out which solution is right for you.

Many fixes are ACT patches such as “ForceAdminAccess, LocalMappedObject, VirtualizeHKCRLite, and ElevateCreateProcess”. Many of these can be quickly added to the application in question by just clicking on their respective check boxes. After testing that the fixes work, you can continue on with the deployment without worry.

Give ACT a Try

While there is much more to the Application Compatibility Toolkit, this should help start you off with understanding its major functions, and what benefits the Microsoft ACT can provide you and your organization during the Windows 7 deployment process.

Download the Application Compatibility Toolkit and give it a try.

If you have any questions or comments regarding Microsoft’s ACT, feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your Windows 7 deployment.

Cisco Exams Expiring

The final testing days have come for six Cisco exams, most of which already have or will soon be replaced with updated versions. Three exams were just removed, and another three are ending soon. If you’re planning on taking any of these exams, you’ll need to schedule an exam date before the expiration date.

The Cisco exams already removed are as follows:

• Cisco CCSP – 642-504 SNRS (Securing Networks with Cisco Routers and Switches)
• Cisco CCSP – 642-515 (Securing Networks with ASA Advanced)
• Cisco CCSP – 642-524 SNAF (Securing Networks with ASA Foundation)

The Cisco exams expiring soon include:

• Cisco CCDA – 640-863 DESGN (Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solution) – Last testing date: 4/30/2011
• Cisco CCDP – 642-873 ARCH (Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures) – Last testing date: 5/7/2011
• Cisco CCSP and IPS Specialist – 642-533/IPS v6 (Implementing Cisco Intrusion Prevention Systems) – Last testing date: 5/31/2011

For more information on the CCSP exams, take advantage of the CCSP exam certification tool which will help you determine which exams will count towards your cert and which exams you still need to complete.

For more information on the new DESGN and ARCH exams, take a look at this article from Cisco Learning Network.

Free TechNet Subscriptions for New Virtualization Professionals

Microsoft recently announced that any IT Professionals who pass a Microsoft Virtualization exam between March 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011 will receive a complimentary TechNet Subscription (valued at $199). The eligible Virtualization exams include:

• Exam 70-659: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
• Exam 70-669: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
• Exam 70-652: TS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring
• Exam 70-693: PRO: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator

To take advantage of this offer, you’ll need to register here, and only the first 1,000 will be eligible, so act fast!

Microsoft MCITP Lync Server 2010 Administrator Certification

Microsoft has announced a new MCITP cloud certification aimed at IT Professionals who deploy and configure Microsoft Lync Server 2010 (part of Microsoft’s Office 365 SaaS offering.) The certification is scheduled to become available in late April, 2011. You’ll need to pass the following exams:

1. Exam 70-664: TS: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring
2. Exam 70-665: PRO: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Administrator

Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Apps Certification in Beta

If you’re interested in becoming certified in designing and developing applications for Windows Phone 7, you might be in luck. Microsoft has just started allowing IT Professionals to register to take the exam in its beta stages from April 19th to May 4th.

If you register soon, you could receive an invitation to take the Designing and Developing Windows Phone 7 Applications Exam 71-599 early, giving you credit for the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Windows Phone 7, Developer certification once it is released. You can get more information and find out where to register at Born to Learn.

Google Offers Google Apps Certification

Google is planning to offer two Google Apps certifications conducted remotely by Kryterion. The certifications being released are the Google Apps Deployment Specialist and the Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer certification, which is aimed at professionals who provide training and support to schools that use Google Apps for Education.

The Google Apps Deployment Specialist exam will require a Kryterion Flexible Neck Webcam to remotely supervise the test-taking session. The exam itself will be comprised of 98 multiple-choice questions and will cost $100. You can view the study guide on Google’s Certification Program website.

The Google Apps for Education Certified Trainer certification exam is actually a two-step process. In order to become “qualified”, you will need to pass a total of 6 online exams within 90 days. The exams themselves cost $15 each. You can view the study guide for each of the exams on Google’s free online training site. The second step, which will make you a Certified Trainer, will require an application, references, sample materials you have created, and a short video which demonstrates your ability to teach and train the material in question.

Sun Certs Soon to Require Class Attendance

Beginning August 1, 2011, four Java and Oracle Solaris certification paths will require classroom-based training from an approved training provider (Oracle University Training Center, Oracle Authorized Education Center, Oracle Authorized Education Partner, Oracle Academy and approved programs, and the Oracle Workforce Development Program).

You can however, choose between instructor-led classroom courses, or instructor-led online courses, in case you don’t live near an approved training center. According to Oracle, “self study CD-Rom and knowledge center (including recorded web courses – RWC) courses are excellent study and reference tools but DO NOT meet the hands-on course requirement for certification.”

The Sun certification paths affected by this change include:

• Java Architect
• Java Developer
• Solaris System Administrator
• Solaris Security Administrator

For more information, take a look at this press release.

Oracle Betas in Closing Stages

Oracle has a few exams that have been going through their beta stages and have either ended or are ending soon. So far, six exams have ended and three are set to end in the next few weeks.

So far, the following exams have ended their beta testing:

• Oracle Enterprise Manager Application Quality Management 11g Essentials (1Z1-529)
• StorageTek Tape Libraries Essentials (1Z1-546)
• Sun Flash Storage Essentials (1Z1-552)
• Oracle iStore 12 Essentials (1Z1-555)
• Oracle Insurance Policy Administration Configuration Essentials (1Z1-557)
• Sun Storage 6000 Arrays Essentials (1Z1-563)

The following beta exams are set to end soon:

• Siebel CRM 8 Business Analyst (1Z1-219) – Ending April 16, 2011
• Oracle Live Sciences Data Hub 2 Essentials (1Z1-556) – Ending April 16, 2011
• Oracle Real Application Clusters 11g Release 2 and Grid Infrastructure Administration (1Z1-058) – Ending May 14, 2011

For more information on these exams and more, please visit the Oracle Certification Program Beta Exams page.

Oracle Database 11g Administrator Certified Master

While we’re on the topic of Oracle certifications, it’s worth mentioning that the Oracle Database 11g Administrator Certified Master exam is now available. While this exam definitely isn’t for everyone, those who are Oracle experts can sign up for the new 2-day, hands on exam for around $2,000. Visit Oracle to learn more or to register.

HP AIS StorageWorks Certification

HP recently released the new AIS StorageWorks Integration 2011 certification as an update and replacement to the older HP AIS StorageWorks 2008 certification. The new certification will require passing two new exams.

Unfortunately, because of the many changes involved, there is currently no upgrade or “fast track” path available to those who already hold the 2008 certification.

PMI Agile Certification

Much like the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional certification, the new Agile Certification focuses on teams and project management.

However, while the PMP certification is aimed more at leading and directing teams, the Agile Certification focuses more on the Agile principles and practices used to manage projects. The exam is scheduled for release sometime in the third quarter of 2011, and applications will be available in May.

Visit the PMI.org Agile Certification page for more information.

A few weeks ago, I registered for both the Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft .Net topics to see what the program was all about. Below is my review of the Test Your Knowledge program and what you need to know before trying it out for yourself.

Review of Microsoft’s Test Your Knowledge Program

As I mentioned above, currently only Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft .Net, and exams 70-640 and 70-536 are included in the program:

My guess is that these two are just the test topics and perhaps depending on the success of these two releases more exams will be included soon. The Windows Server 2008 section is aimed at IT professionals studying for the 70-640 exam (MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration.) Registering for this topic will result in 7 sets of exam questions and 6 videos being emailed to you on a weekly basis.

The next topic available is based on the Microsoft .NET Framework and is aimed at developers studying for the 70-536 exam (MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation.) Just like the first offering, you’ll receive 7 sets of exam questions and 6 videos on a weekly basis.

A Bit of Confusion

One thing that isn’t made completely clear, is exactly how many of these “sets of questions and videos” will actually be sent out. The site notes 7 sets of questions and 6 videos, which would mean the whole offering would last a total of 6 weeks; the first being just a question, sent immediately, and then 6 weeks of emails with new questions and follow up videos answering them.

In the emails sent out however, it is noted that you will receive the emails for “the next five weeks.” This means that only five sets of questions would be sent out, followed by five videos; the first question immediately, and then 5 weeks of videos after, leaving a bit of media unsent.

The wording used on the site and emails had me scratching my head, but after completing the series, I can confirm that there are a total of 7 emails: 6 questions and 6 videos. The first email contains only a question, and the final email only contains a video.

What You Can Expect

My experience so far has been a fairly good one. After receiving the first email with three practice questions, you’ll be given a week to answer them at your leisure. In the next email, you’ll be given a video that goes over the questions in detail, answers them, and more importantly (in my opinion), goes over the wrong answers to let you know why they are not the correct choices. I feel that this is a great way to help you better understand the concept or theory behind the question in case you answered incorrectly.

Here’s a sample practice question that I was sent through the Test Your Knowledge program:

The content in the videos was thorough, and in many instances the concepts in the questions were actually demonstrated through a screencast. This was a great addition, and made it feel less like someone reading the answers from a book. The screencast sections especially helped to better explain the answers, and helped me learn more about each subject. Screencasts are one of the things that I love about Train Signal training courses, and Microsoft pulls them off quite well. It is important to note however, that everyone has a different learning style, and as such, only you will know if this training method is right for you.

This is what the content featured in the weekly videos is like

Learning from Different Sources

Being a fairly picky student when going through IT training, or any training really, I wasn’t completely thrilled with the tone of some of the videos. At times the trainer sounded fairly slow and dull, however, Microsoft did a good job at choosing different IT professionals throughout the series so you get a variety of talents. Most of which did a great job at explaining the concepts thoroughly and in a friendly tone.

For me, this is extremely important, as I’ve noticed my mind tends to stray when the tone of the training is a bit too monotone. This all depends on the student, of course, but I was happy with their choice to feature different trainers throughout.

Here’s a shot of Dave Franklyn explaining some practice questions from exam 70-640:

What Else You Can Expect

While the practice questions and follow-up videos were definitely the main focus of the emails, there was a bit of extra content thrown in. On the right side of every video, you’ll get a list of related links that, while not necessarily groundbreaking, are helpful to have accessible. These links include prep guides, the Microsoft Learning site, and even a link to the MeasureUp IT job search portal.

Within each email, you’ll be presented with a “Tip of the Week.” Some of these tips are actually quite good; for example, the “Familiarize yourself with the application” tip for the 70-640 exam offers up a download link so you can download the Windows Server 2008 Evaluation build. However, most of the tips are aimed more at selling MeasureUp products than actually giving you a tip. For example, purchasing the full practice exam, purchasing the study guide, and paying for classroom training were all included as tips. While these are certainly good things to do, I feel that the tips could have been a bit more directed at the exam questions, while still allowing for the purchase links to be included somewhere else in the email. That being said, these are free resources and I do understand why they were included.

Here’s a sample “Tip of the Week” from the Test Your Knowledge program:

Conclusion

Overall, I think these emails were helpful, challenging, and a good learning experience, even for more advanced IT professionals. Whether you find the questions themselves easy or challenging, the overviews and explanations given are very insightful and reach far beyond just the answer to the question itself. Knowing the answer to a question isn’t always as important as knowing why it is the right answer, and the instructors did a great job of explaining just that.

I hope that more exams will be covered in the future, as they’re a nice (and free!) way to brush up on your skills in your spare time.

This month, we’ll be going over some Microsoft, VMWare, Cisco, and CompTIA’s latest certification offerings and announcements.

Microsoft Releases MCPD for Windows Azure Developers

A new Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCDP) certification was released on February 14, 2011 that focuses on designing and developing Windows Azure applications.

This certification is aimed at developers with at least six months experience developing in Windows Azure, including SQL Azure, AppFabric, IIS, etc.

To earn the MCPD: Windows Azure Developer certification, you must pass the following three exams:

• Exam 70-513 TS: Windows Communication Foundation Development with Microsoft .NET Framework 4
• Exam 70-516 TS: Accessing Data with Microsoft .NET Framework 4
• Exam 70-583 PRO: Designing and Developing Windows Azure Applications

Additionally, after earning your MCPD, you will be required to show your continuing ability to perform in this technology area by getting recertified every two years.

VMware Certified Associate 4 – Desktop

VMware will soon be offering the new VMware Certified Associate 4 – Desktop (VCA4-DT) exam to the public. The VCA Desktop certification is aimed at desktop system administrators who manage, monitor and troubleshoot desktop deployments and VMware View components and other related VMware solutions. There are no course requirements or prerequisites necessary to take the exam, but VMware Education recommends the following courses:

To learn more about the new VMware Certified Associate 4 – Desktop certification, visit the VMware education. The exact release date of the VCA4-DT exam is not yet known.

Cisco Introduces New Security Specialist Certifications

On February 2nd, Cisco introduced a few new Security Specialist certifications to better target specific job-roles in the tech security field.

Along with the IPS, NAC and ASA Specialist certifications, Cisco will be offering three more security certifications based on key technologies. The new Security Specialist Certifications are:

• Cisco IOS Security Specialist
• Cisco Firewall Security Specialist
• Cisco VPN Security Specialist

The new Cisco Security Specialist certifications are available now. Learn more about these three new certifications on the Cisco Learning Network.

New Cisco Virtual Classroom Instruction Specialist Certification

Looking to teach or train others online? Cisco will soon be offering a new certification aimed at those who plan to lead virtual classrooms. The interesting thing about this new training, is it’s not limited to just IT trainers, the vendor-neutral certification is aimed at anyone who uses virtual training technology.

To become Cisco VCS certified, you’ll first need to pass a 75-question, computer-based, multiple choice exam, and submit a 20-27 minute WebEx recording of yourself leading a virtual classroom session. The price for scoring your recorded session has not yet been set (although a release date of March, 2011 was noted), but the exam itself is already available for $150.

The Cisco VCS certification will be valid for three years. To recertify, you’ll need to pass the 642-132 LVCI written exam before your current certification’s expiration date.

For more information, or to register to take the VCS exam, please visit the certification’s official page on Cisco.com.

CompTIA Announces CTP+ Certification

In collaboration with Certification Partners, LLC, CompTIA is now offering a Convergence Technologies Professional certification (CTP+) aimed at IT professionals that would liked to validate their skills in convergence technologies. CompTIA describes convergence technologies as, “technology solutions that allow the distribution of data, voice and video over a single network.”

Some of the topics covered on the CTP+ exams are as follows:

• Planning IP networks
• Wireless networking
• Voice and telephony services, functions and technologies including protocols, and voice troubleshooting in digital and analog environments
• Identifying requirements for transporting text, voice, video, modem and fax through a converged solution
• Identifying security issues for converged networks

You can get more info on the CTP+ exam and certification by visiting CompTIA.org.

Microsoft Toughens Up Exams Using Extended Matching

Just recently, Microsoft released plans to include extended matching questions in their exams. Extended matching, an item type commonly used in medical licensure exams, ensures that the test-taker fully understands when certain actions are correct, and when they are not.

Essentially, you are given a list of answers, and a list of questions. Some answers may be used in multiple questions; other answers may not be used at all. For a more detailed write-up of how extended matching questions work, you can read Microsoft’s post on the Born to Learn blog.

Exams containing extended matching sections will begin appearing soon, and may eventually be included in all Microsoft exams.

Microsoft Announces Upcoming Cloud Certifications

In a recent news update, Microsoft announced not only a few new cloud certifications, but also an organized list of current certifications that relate to cloud-based career paths.

The cloud-based certifications featured in this overview are as follows:

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

• MCPD: Web Developer 4 (Available now)
• MCPD: Windows Developer 4 (Available now)
• MCPD: Windows Azure Developer (New – Available now)

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

• MCITP: Server Administrator (Available now)
• MCITP: Virtualization Administrator (Available now)

SaaS (Software as a Service)

• MCITP: Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2010 (Available Now – Updates coming soon)
• MCITP: SharePoint Administrator 2010 (Available Now – Updates coming soon)
• Dynamics CRM 2011 (Coming soon)
• MCITP: Lync Server 2010 Administrator (Coming soon)

For more information on how to earn each of these certifications, or when they will be released, you can refer to this cloud certifications overview chart released by Microsoft.

Windows 7 Deployment Options

You have four Windows 7 deployment strategy options to choose from:

• High-touch deployment with retail media
• High-touch deployment with standard image
• Lite-touch, high-volume deployment
• Zero-touch, high-volume deployment

The strategy that you’ll ultimately choose will most likely be based on skill level and the amount of computers you plan to deploy to, ranging from just a few, to over 500 computer systems. Once you go through all of your options and decide which strategy is best for you, you can refer to this guide to figure out what tools you’ll need so you can properly prepare yourself for the task at hand.

Think about your current situation, how many computers are involved, and what kinds of tools you’re already comfortable using. I would recommend putting all of the information you know about the deployment (or hypothetical deployment) on paper or even a mind-mapping program to better analyze your situation. I find that I am usually a lot more productive during the planning stages if I can put what I know down on paper to clear my mind for the actual planning process.

Let’s take a look at the different Windows 7 deployment strategies, and go over what they entail.

High-Touch Windows 7 Deployment (with Retail Media)

The high-touch with retail media option is the most common deployment strategy and is aimed towards deployments with fewer than 100 computer systems. For smaller businesses and organizations, this method makes the most sense as the IT on board will have to do the least amount of prep work, and focus on each system individually to ensure compatibility and functionality.

This strategy will take advantage of:

• Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
• A flash drive
• Retail Windows 7 media

While there are many different ways to perform a high-touch deployment, the easiest would be to use an “Unattend.xml” file or “answer file”. By creating and using an answer file, you eliminate the need for user input when manually installing/deploying Windows 7. You would still need to put the retail media in, but by using an answer file, the default settings (computer names, time zone, workgroup names, drivers, etc.) would automatically be inputted for you.

You should follow this path when using the high-touch with retail media deployment method:

1. Create an “Unattend.xml” file for Windows 7 using Windows System Image Manager. Be sure to include any drivers you plan to deploy with the image.
2. Copy the resulting file to your USB flash drive. Windows looks for this file in a variety of places, but storing it on a flash drive is the easiest to keep track of, update and transport.
3. Inset the USB flash drive and retail media into the PC, and either refresh or upgrade as required.
4. You can optionally use Windows Easy Transfer to restore the users’ documents and settings to the computer. This step is only necessary if you refreshed the computer with a new installation in the previous step. Upgrades will automatically keep all user settings and documents.
5. Complete the deployment by installing applications and configuring the computer as required.
6. Continue on to the next computer.

Learn more about this type of deployment on TechNet: High-Touch Deployment with retail media

High-Touch Windows 7 Deployment (with Standard Image)

The high-touch with standard image deployment strategy is most commonly used for deployments between 100 and 200 computer systems, but skilled IT staff can take advantage of this method for smaller deployments as well, to save time. The main benefit to this strategy is being able to include any applications and files within the image, so you don’t need to add them after each installation.

This strategy will take advantage of:

• Retail or volume-licensed media
• A Flash drive
• Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010
• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)

As an added benefit to this strategy, once the image has been created, businesses and organizations can provide the image to their original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) so that when a new computer is purchased, it will be ready to set up and connect to the network.

Although this is a great strategy to use for most organizations, it doesn’t scale well. Using an image prevents the ability to use the upgrade feature and restoring user data is harder for larger organizations. Also, because this is a high-touch deployment, a technician and flash drive are required to deploy out to each computer system, something that would be costly to do for larger organizations. Larger organizations with multiple departments may also run into issues, since each department might need a different set of applications, creating a need for multiple images.

You should follow this path when using this deployment method:

1. Optional, though recommended, you can use the Applications Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to prioritize applications, determine any compatibility issues that you might face, and consolidate applications.
2. Set up a client machine as the canvas for creating your first image. Install everything normally from the retail media or VL media. Microsoft recommends you “use an answer file (Unattend.xml) to install Windows on the reference computer to make this process consistent and reproducible.”
3. Install any applications, drivers, settings, and updates that you would like to include in the final image.
4. Run Sysprep to generalize the image for deployment.
5. Boot into the computer using the Windows Pre-installation Environment (Windows PE) and capture the image using ImageX.
6. Copy the image to flash drive, external hard drive, or network share.
7. Next, we need to prepare the installation media; there are two ways to go about this. First, you can create an answer file (Unattend.xml) and point it to the image you copied to the drive or network share. Alternatively, you can create a new installation media by replacing the Install.wim file with the image file you captured previously.
8. Optionally, you can use the Windows Easy Transfer wizard to save documents and settings from client computers.
9. Start deploying onto each client computer, either by using the answer file (Unattend.xml) or using the setup media you created.
10. If you completed Step 8, you can now use the Windows Easy Transfer wizard to restore users’ documents and settings.
11. Finally, the machines must be activated online.

Learn more about this type of deployment on TechNet: High-Touch deployment with standard image

Lite-Touch, High-Volume Deployment

The lite-touch, high-volume deployment strategy is aimed at much larger organizations with a skilled IT professional with deployment experience. Generally, organizations with 200-500 computer systems should use this strategy. Using standardized images and network access using pull automation, limited interaction is required at the beginning of the installation.

This strategy will take advantage of:

• A server configured with the Windows Deployment Services role
• Volume-licensed (VL) media
• Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010
• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAPT)
• Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

The lite-touch strategy is great for organizations within the range mentioned above since it offers limited interaction, lowering the time and costs required for deployment. Configurations are consistent across all computer systems, so less problems are likely to occur. MDT 2010 handles all application, driver, and update installations on its own. Not to mention easier maintenance options for updating applications, drivers, and software updates.

This is the path you should follow when using this deployment method:

1. Use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit to determine compatibility issues with a new operating system.
2. Use the Applications Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to prioritize applications, determine any compatibility issues that you might face, and consolidate applications.
3. Prepare the infrastructure for MDT 2010 by creating an answer file and optionally install the WDS role in Windows Server 2008 R2.
4. Install MDT 2010 on the file server along with additional components as required, including the User State Migration Tool.
5. Create a distribution share that contains operating systems, applications, drivers, and updates.
6. In MDT 2010, create and customize a task sequence for each configuration you will be deploying. Once complete, create and update a deployment point.
7. Create a device to start the Windows PE image by preparing a removable storage device with the images created by MDT 2010 when you update a deployment point. Optionally, you can add the Windows PE image to WDS to make starting the image a bit easier during deployment.
8. Finally, start each client computer by using the Windows PE image you created, and follow the instructions to connect to the shared resource, choose a task sequence, and install Windows 7.

Learn more about this type of deployment on TechNet: Lite-Touch, High-Volume

Zero-Touch, High-Volume Deployment

The zero-touch, high-volume deployment strategy is fully automated and generally only meant for large organizations with over 500 computer systems, and an IT professional with deployment and Configuration Manager 2007 R2 expertise. Using standardized images with network access using push automation, the deployment becomes completely automated. No interaction with client computers is necessary during the installation process.

The zero-touch strategy takes advantage of:

• A server configured with the Windows Deployment Services role
• Volume-licensed (VL) media
• Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010
• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAPT)
• Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
• Configuration Manager 2007 R2

You should follow this path when using this deployment method (Note: items in quotes are direct references to the Microsoft TechCenter guidelines):

1. Review the Planning and Process guide for deploying Windows 7 using the zero-touch strategy.
2. Use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit to figure out if your organization is ready for Windows 7.
3. Use the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to prioritize applications, determine any compatibility issues that you might face, and consolidate applications.
4. Prepare your organizations infrastructure with MDT 2010, “including installing and configuring Configuration Manager 2007 R2 and its prerequisites, creating the required user and service accounts, and configuring Active Directory Domain Services.”
5. “Install MDT 2010, and configure the Configuration Manager 2007 R2 integration. This process includes configuring how to define new computers in the site database and creating additional packages that Configuration Manager 2007 R2 requires during deployment (USMT package, Custom Settings package, and so on).”
6. “Optionally, create a custom master image by using Configuration Manager 2007 R2 to deploy Windows 7 to a master computer, customize the configuration, and then capture the custom image.”

Learn more about this type of deployment on TechNet: Zero-Touch, High-Volume Deployment

Windows 7 Deployment Resources

Here’s a couple of handy resources that will help you learn more about Windows 7 deployment:

• Windows 7 Deployment FAQ
• Deploying Windows 7 Essential Guidance
• Windows 7 Deployment Learning Portal
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Overview
• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Overview — coming soon
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit Overview — coming soon

I hope this guide helped you to better understand the Windows 7 deployment process, and to figure out which deployment method is right for you and your organization. If you have any questions about the deployment process, feel free to leave a comment below. Be sure to keep an eye on more articles on Windows 7 deployment. Thanks for reading!

The Ultimate Windows 7 Deployment Training

Master Windows 7 deployment with the help from Microsoft’s Setup and Deployment MVP, Rhonda Layfield. Rhonda’s new Windows 7 deployment training covers everything you need to know to plan and implement a successful deployment, whether you’re deploying to 5 or 5,000 PCs. See every deployment tool and technique that is available to you in action and prepare for the 70-681 MCTS exam to validate your Windows 7 deployment knowledge.

Learn more: Windows 7 Deployment Training

The exam is aimed towards IT professionals who deploy and maintain Windows 7 desktops equipped with Microsoft Office 2010 and who have a minimum of one year of experience managing Windows Desktop deployments, including Microsoft Office.

MCTS 70-681: Skills Measured

The 70-681 exam is split into four sections which are all fairly equal in value (or weight):

• Configuring a Deployment Infrastructure (24%)
• Creating and Configuring Images (25%)
• Deploying Windows 7 (27%)
• Configuring and Deploying Office 2010 (24%)

Let’s take a closer look at each of these four sections.

Configuring a Deployment Infrastructure

The Configuring a Deployment Infrastructure section mostly focuses on various configuration tools, especially the Microsoft Development Toolkit (MDT). Aside from the MDT, you’ll also be tested on network configuration, activation configuration in both Windows 7 and Office 2010 and the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager’s Operating System Deployment (OSD) environment.

Here is a more complete list of topics covered in this section, as listed on Microsoft Learning:

• Configure the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) environment — including deployment database, deployment share, task sequences, and creating deployment points
• Configure networking for deployment — including Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), IP Helper, Windows Deployment Services, PXE boot, and multicast
• Configure activation — which includes Key Management Service (KMS), Multiple Activation Key (MAK), Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
• Configure the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Operating System Deployment (OSD) environment — this includes SCCM and MDT integration, as well as building an operating system installation, a boot image and driver packages

Creating and Configuring Images

As you probably expected, this section is fairly self-explanatory. You’ll be tested on your knowledge in creating and capturing images, automating installation scripts, creating and customizing task sequences (especially for Office 2010), customizing standard operating system settings, adding applications to already existing images, and configuring for application compatibility.

Here is the detailed topic list from Microsoft Learning:

• Create and capture an image — modify a WIM file, modify a Windows PE boot image, and build a base image
• Create automated installation scripts — silent install scripts, unattended answer files, joining a domain, customizing user settings, and configuring auto-naming
• Create and customize task sequences — installation tasks for Office 2010 and additional applications
• Customize default operating system settings –environment settings, user settings, configuring local Group Policy, and Windows Internet Explorer settings
• Add applications to an image — modify or install on a base image
• Configure application compatibility — configuring applications for User Access Control (UAC) and creating and deploying shims

Deploying Windows 7

The next section deals with the different types of Windows 7 deployment methods, such as Lite Touch, Zero Touch, and possibly High Touch deployments (though High Touch deployments are not mentioned, it may be a good idea to read up on the method just in case.) Aside from the deployment methods themselves, you’ll also be tested on your ability to migrate user settings and data, configure security updates and other post-deployment tasks, and customize hardware settings like drivers, hardware-specific applications, and BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Here is the detailed list of topics for this section as listed on Microsoft Learning:

• Perform a Lite Touch Installation of Windows 7 — which includes staggered deployment and permissions
• Perform a Zero Touch Installation of Windows 7 — which includes permissions, configuring a task sequence and configuring scheduling
• Migrate user settings and data — including Windows Vista, Windows XP, local store vs. remote store
• Configure post–operating system deployment tasks — this includes configuring run-once scripts, identifying appropriate log files, as well as deploying language packs and security updates
• Customize hardware settings — including injecting drivers, installing hardware-specific applications, and configuring Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption

Configuring and Deploying Office 2010

At first, I thought this section was a bit simple and wondered why it took up a full 24% of the 70-681 exam. After going through the topics and reading up on Office deployment, I realized that it is actually quite involved.

This section includes configuring user-specific settings like languages and default locations, application-specific settings like add-ins, security settings, updates, and Key Management Services (KMS), and actual Office deployment. Office deployment is probably the most involved portion, since it includes not only clean installation deployment, but also upgrades.

Here is the detailed topic list from Microsoft Learning for this section:

• Configure Office 2010 user-specific settings — which includes configuring Microsoft Outlook settings, configuring Microsoft Office Communicator settings, setting display languages, editing languages, and setting default file locations
• Configure Office 2010 application-specific settings — which includes configuring compatibility settings, removing applications, adding language packs, configuring application add-ins, security settings, updates, and KMS
• Deploy Office 2010 — which includes clean install, Group Policy Startup script, installation package in SCCM, upgrading from Office 2003 and Office 2007 and migrating user settings

MCTS and MCITP Credit

Should you choose to take and pass this exam, you will earn credit towards two certifications. The first credit you’ll receive is for the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification, which will be granted to you upon successfully passing the 70-681 exam.

The second credit you’ll receive is for the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator, for which you will need to pass four additional exams to complete your MCITP certification; the exams include:

• Exam 70-640: Server 2008 Active Directory
• Exam 70-642: Server 2008 Network Infrastructure
• Exam 70-643: Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure
• Exam 70-647: Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator

Conclusion

This would be a great exam for someone who is looking to jump into a new career at a large business or corporation, or someone who already works for one and is planning to deploy Windows 7 and/or Office 2010 in a large-scale environment.  It’s also a great way to get started towards the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator certification.

When studying for the exam, be sure to include a few different training and practice methods. I always like to include at least two different methods of training for anything I research or train for to be sure I cover all of my bases. TrainSignal offers a great Windows 7 Deployment training course led by Rhonda Layfield that would compliment your exam preparation in a great way. Depending on what works best for you when training, you should also look in to exam-specific books, practice tests, or even actual classes to go along with the video trainings.

That’s all for now, good luck on your exam! (PS: Click here to check out the exam page on Microsoft Learning!)

So what’s the big deal about IE9? Why are so many people so interested in this new installment, and how does it stack up against Microsoft’s last release, IE8?

It All Comes Down to Speed

Internet Explorer 9 proves that, though a bit late in the race, Microsoft has been keeping a close eye on the current browser wars. With HTML5 and CSS3 quickly becoming the new widespread web standards, and with browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, and Opera battling it out to become the fastest web browser available, Microsoft has been hard at work behind the scenes with the newest installment of Internet Explorer.

So how fast is IE9?

To put it simply, it’s extremely fast. While the tests I tried do seem a bit biased in Microsoft’s favor, (the Internet Explorer Test Drive website) you can’t argue with the fact that all of the tests are standard HTML5 and CSS3 and therefore should work the same across all browsers. In my preliminary tests, IE9 easily outperformed not only IE8, but Firefox as well.

Compared to IE8, not only do all pages (old or new web standards) load faster, but the browser itself feels a lot more responsive. Starting the browser is a lot less of a waiting game than before, though at times can still take a bit. Once loaded, new tabs open instantly, and pages load within a second or two, depending on its content.

What’s New in IE9

When it comes to browsers, speed means a lot, but it definitely isn’t everything. Presentation, features, add-ons, and overall functionality all come into question when choosing a browser. With IE9, there have been quite a few changes made when it comes to both the user interface and functionality.

IE9 User Interface

This is a big one, IE9 just looks like a new browser. Moving away from the cluttered look of IE8, Microsoft took a minimalist approach to the user interface. For the most part, there is only one bar above the browsing area. The back and forward buttons are enlarged, followed by the address bar, tabs, and three small home, favorite, and option buttons. This makes for a very clean browsing experience.

New Download Manager in IE9

Downloads in IE9 run much like Google Chrome at first, with a download bar on the bottom of the page. When you open the “View Downloads” page however, you’ll notice a few new features. Along with the search functionality and the ability to pause and resume downloads, you’ll now be notified if a file may be malicious so you can protect yourself before your anti-virus kicks in. The downloads manager also does a better job at showing you where downloaded files are located on your machine, and makes changing this location easier as well.

Pinning Sites in IE9

One new feature that is an interesting addition to the browser is the new way to pin sites to the taskbar. Sure, before you could do the same with a shortcut, but the new method just seems more “application-like.”

Simply dragging the site’s icon from the top address bar to your task bar will pin the site. When you click the icon, the site will load up in IE9. What I like most about this, and partly why it feels more like an application, is that the back and forward buttons will change color depending on the icon color.

Gmail, with its red and white mail icon, will turn the buttons red. It seems like a small addition, but it really does feel more like a gmail “app.”

As an added bonus, these pinned sites support Windows 7 application shortcuts, so right-clicking on a pinned site (that takes advantage of this feature), will bring up links and options for that site.

Better Tabbed Browsing in IE9

Tabs got a bit of a makeover in a few ways in IE9. They now show up next to your address bar to save space, which actually works pretty well. Even with multiple tabs open, the smaller space still seems to provide enough viewing room to know what tabs are what. Unless the pages you visit don’t have icons, you shouldn’t have much trouble distinguishing between tabs.

Another added feature to the tabs system, is “tear-off tabs.” This feature, as seen in other browsers, lets you pull a tab out of the browser window so you can view two sites side-by-side.

Being a Windows 7 based browser, having tear-off tabs is almost a necessity. Pulling a tab out of IE9 and sliding it to the side of your screen to get the half-page auto-re-size just feels right. Though it may seem like a small feature, tear-off tabs is actually a great addition to IE9 and does wonders for productivity.

Opening a new tab also shows a “Popular Sites” page that displays your most-visited websites, much like you see in Google Chrome. Microsoft kept the page aesthetically pleasing by matching the site’s icon colors with a bar underneath that shows how much a certain site is used. This helps to better distinguish sites from one another.

IE9 Add-on Performance Advisor

When it comes to performance, even the fastest browsers will slow down dramatically if you have too many add-ons (or just a few resource-intensive add-ons). The new add-on performance advisor will let you know the load times of each add-on to help you decide which ones may need to be disabled. Knowing what may be slowing down your browser is pretty important, especially when it comes to third-party add-ons.

Conclusion

While I’m not 100% ready to make the switch from other browsers, I do believe that Microsoft has finally started addressing the major issues with previous versions of Internet Explorer. More importantly, they are not only embracing new standards, but they are listening to user feedback and developing accordingly.

I believe IE9 is a much needed improvement over IE8, and a real competitor to other current generation browsers. I also think that a lot more people will be interested in testing out IE9, even if they currently don’t use IE8.

IE 9 Resources

• Prevent automatic updates in IE9 with the Blocker Toolkit for Internet Explorer 9
• Get your IE9 questions answered with the IE9 FAQ for IT Professionals
• Learn about deploying IE 9 with the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 9

Today, we’ll be looking at a few of the changes to both IT certifications, and the IT certification process, including new training methods like Microsoft Learning’s new YouTube video trainings, and the new Windows Phone 7 certification drill apps. We’ll also look at a few changes in certifications, as well as completely new certifications such as the new CompTIA Healthcare IT certification, new security certifications by McAfee, a new Flash Storage Essentials certification by Oracle, and a recently released Silverlight 4 certification by Microsoft.

Microsoft Learning Training: Now Available on YouTube

While video training is not new (this IS the Train Signal blog after all), Microsoft extending their training to YouTube is definitely something novel. Not just because it’s a new outlet for them to offer valuable training, tips, and tricks, but also because YouTube is so vastly supported, that the service is available almost anywhere. With computers, smart phones, and even smart TVs and media centers supporting YouTube, you can literally get Microsoft’s training anywhere.

Microsoft isn’t new to video training either’ in the past, their training was offered in the form of “Learning Snacks” using Microsoft Silverlight to stream the videos, however, while Silverlight is a great technology, it isn’t yet supported on as many devices as YouTube is. Even devices like the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that don’t support Flash or Silverlight, still support YouTube. That means you can start your training at home, and continue on the go.

Currently, the YouTube channel has around 50 uploads, including playlists for Windows 7 and Exchange Server 2010 trainings, as well as a few Career Factor videos. Check out Microsoft Learning’s new YouTube channel and if you’re interested in more, take a look at their Learning Snacks.

Microsoft Releases Certification Drill Apps for Windows Phone 7

Preparing for a Microsoft certification exam? Own a Windows Phone 7? You might be interested to learn that Microsoft Learning has released a few certification drill apps in the Windows Marketplace to help you practice for your exams.

The apps currently feature two modes and 100 practice questions for each exam. In “Study Mode,” you are presented with the questions, as well as full explanations for the correct and incorrect answers. In “Quiz Mode,” you are asked questions one after the other until all have been answered, and then scored at the end. Incorrect responses are flagged so you can go back to study them later.

Currently there are apps for the following Microsoft certifications:

• MCTS (Exam 70-680): Configuring Windows 7
• MCITP (Exam 70-685): Windows 7 Enterprise Desktop Support Technician
• MCITP (Exam 70-686): Windows 7 Enterprise Desktop Administrator
• MCTS (Exam 70-662): Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
• MCTS (Exam 70-640): Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory

The Trial Version (with 20 questions) is free and the Full Version (with 100 questions) is reasonably priced at $4.99.

New CompTIA Healthcare IT Certification: Coming Soon

CompTIA Offers Healthcare IT Certification (Photo: saginawfuture on Flickr.)

CompTIA is currently looking for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the Healthcare IT field to help create a new Healthcare IT certification. Information is still limited, but the certification creation process is still in progress and should be released sometime this year. It was noted that some of the objectives from the old CompTIA CDIA+ (Certified Document Imaging Architect) certification would be present in the new Healthcare IT Certification. You can find more information about the new certification in the members area of CompTIA’s website.

New McAfee Security Certifications

McAfee has partnered with Prometrics to create two new security based certifications for IT professionals who work with or administrate McAfee products:

• McAfee Product Certification
• McAfee Assessment Certification

The McAfee Product Certification deals with installing, configuring, managing, basic architecture, and troubleshooting McAfee products. The McAfee Assessment Certification is designed for security professionals and includes profiling, inventory, vulnerability identification and exploitation, and expanding influence. McAfee notes that all candidates should have between one to three years experience with McAfee products.

On a side note, McAfee is also offering a discount for anyone taking the exam between now and February 28th, 2011. You can get certified for $99 by using the code MFE99.

Here’s more information on the McAffee Security Certifications and the early bird special.

Oracle Offers the Sun Flash Storage Essentials Beta Exam

Oracle’s Sun Flash Storage Certified Implementation Specialist certification validates candidate’s skills in implementing solutions based on Sun Flash Storage product line. The required exam is the Sun Flash Storage Essentials exam, which is currently in beta.

You can take the Flash Storage Essentials exam (1Z0-552) for $50, and get your results approximately eleven weeks after the close of the beta exam. The exam is approximately 2.5 – 3 hours long and includes the following topics:

• Flash Technology Overview
• Assessing Customer’s Problems and Flash Technology Fit
• Sun Solid State Drives
• Sun Flash Accelerator F20 PCIe Card
• F5100 Flash Array Overview
• F5100 Deployment Assessment
• F5100 Physical Installation
• F5100 Configuration
• Optimization, Tuning, and Testing

Passing the exam will also count towards the OPN (Oracle PartnerNetwork) Certified Specialist certification. You can learn more about the Sun Flash Storage Essentials Exam and view a detailed list of exam topics on Oracle’s education site.

Now Available: TS: Silverlight 4, Development Exam (70-506)

The MCTS 70-506 Silverlight exam is now available at all Prometric testing centers. According to Lisa Denbeste of Microsoft’s Born to Learn, the exam focuses not only on Silverlight 4, but also core Silverlight concepts.

Candidates for the exam are Silverlight developers who create and maintain “rich interactice applications (RIA)” using Silverlight 4. Here are the recommended qualifications:

• At least six months of experience with Silverlight development
• At least one year of experience with Microsoft .Net development
• Experience consuming data services

You can schedule your Silverlight exam by visiting the Prometric website.

Microsoft Certification Packs: Deadline Extended

Those who purchase a Microsoft certification pack and take their first exam before June 30th, 2011, will now have until December 21st, 2011 to take the rest of the exams (based on the pack purchased). This means you’ll have a lot more time to practice, study, and of course finish watching your Train Signal video training before finally taking your exam before the year ends. As with the original deadline, retakes are also still free if you don’t manage to pass on your first tries.

The current certification pack discounts are as follows:

• 2 or 3 Exams Pack – 15% Discount
• 4 or 5 Exams Pack – 20% Discount

You can get more information and purchase Microsoft’s exam packs at Microsoft Learning.

With Location Aware Printing, you can take some of the hassle out of managing multiple network based printers by setting up default printers based on what network you are connected to.

Imagine working at a school district, roaming between schools, each school having its own printer that you need to print to. Each school is on a different network, but all use the same model of printer. Imagine having to scroll through 5-15 different printers each time you wanted to print something. It’s kind of a pain, right?

Location Aware Printing deals with this issue in the easiest way possible. While it doesn’t offer as many options as I had hoped it would when I first heard of it, it does provide a simple and down-to-earth method of automatically choosing which printer to use based on what network you are on.

The Downside of Location Aware Printing in Windows 7

The one thing that I am not too excited about, is the fact that location aware printing will only work on laptops. Even if you are using the exact same version of Windows 7, if you are using a desktop computer system, there is no way to enable location aware printing.

So if you just picked up your new ultra-portable Atom based PC, or are big on moving your gaming PC around for LAN parties, you’re unfortunately out of luck. I have yet to find a way to enable location aware printing on a desktop machine, though if I do figure out a way to in the future, I’ll be sure to comment on this article and let you know.

Setting up Location Aware Printing in Windows 7

Here are the steps to setting up Location Aware Printing on your Windows 7 laptop. Thanks to Zach from Train Signal for the screenshots.

1. On your laptop, open “Devices and Printers” from within your Start menu. Or go into your Control Panel, click on “Hardware and Sound”, and then select “Devices and Printers,” though the first way is much faster.

2. Click on a printer and then click on “Manage default printers” on the toolbar

3. Click “Change my default printer when I change networks”

4. In the “Select network” list, choose the network you wish to set a default printer to

5. Select the printer you wish to use for that network

6. Click Add

7. Repeat steps 4-6 for each network location you connect to

That’s pretty much it! It’s really simple to set up default printers, and is a welcomed feature to Windows 7. If you no longer want to use location aware printing, simply choose “Always use the same printer as my default printer” in the “Manage Default Printers” window. From then on, when you click print, Windows 7 will automatically choose the correct printer for you.

Note: If you are just now setting up your machine, keep in mind that Wireless Networks will not show up in the list until they have been connected to at least once before.

Conclusion

While Location Aware Printing is a basic feature, it’s a very useful and often missed one. Hopefully in future revisions of Windows 7 (and beyond,) this feature will evolve to give more options for advanced network setups, and perhaps the ability to use it with desktop machines. Until then though, this is a nice addition that I’m sure many of us can make use of.

Officially named Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Designing and Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, the certification requires completion of the 70-663 exam, which will earn you the title of MCITP: Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2010.

Exchange Server 2010 MCITP

As Microsoft explains on their site, the Exchange MCITP candidate would be the third level of support between the Exchange Recipient Administrator and the Exchange Server Administrator. Furthermore, the candidate would be a senior administrator who acts as the technical lead over a team of administrators (as shown above.)

Being a fairly advanced exam, there are quite a few requirements (or recommendations) when it comes to experience. According to Microsoft Learning, candidates typically have the following experience:

• 2 Years – Administering, deploying, managing, monitoring, upgrading, migrating, and designing Exchange servers
• 2 Years – Working with Exchange Server
• 2 Years – Administering Windows Server (Including Server 2008)
• 2 Years – Working with Active Directory
• 2 Years – Working with name resolution and DNS
• 6 Months – Working with Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007
• Some experience working with certificates, including PKI certificates
• Some experience working with Windows PowerShell

Exam 70-663 Skills Measured

The 70-663 MCITP exam focuses on a wide range of tasks and situations in Exchange Server 2010 from planning and installation to deployment and security. The following are the categories that the exam is split into, along with the percentages of the exam they represent. You’ll notice that the sections are fairly equal in representation in the exam, so keep that in mind when training and studying.

• Planning the Exchange Server 2010 Infrastructure (20%)
• Deploying the Exchange Server 2010 Infrastructure (20%)
• Designing and Deploying Security for the Exchange Organization (20%)
• Designing and Deploying Exchange Server 2010 Availability and Recovery (21%)
• Designing and Deploying Messaging Compliance, System Monitoring, and Reporting (19%)

Now let’s go over each of these in more detail.

1. Planning the Exchange Server 2010 Infrastructure (20%)

The planning section of the exam is based on, as the title suggests, design and planning. You’ll need to understand how to design the installation, message routing, mailbox server roles, and client access. You will also go over planning for transition and coexistence which is something you’ll need to know for migrating from Exchange 2003 and 2007 to Exchange 2010; this includes consolidating existing exchange servers, message routing, public folders, etc.

Here are the specifics for this section, as listed on the Microsoft Learning website:

• Design the Exchange Server 2010 installation — define Exchange server physical locations, Exchange DNS requirements, SLA requirements, Active Directory site topologies as well as network topology, Exchange federation and more
• Design message routing — this includes inter-site and intra-site hub routing, coordinating messaging topics between Exchange departments, CIO, security, and LOB providers within the enterprise, developing connectors between Exchange and other messaging applications, designing and deploying hub mail flow, Edge connectors/scoping, and much more
• Design the mailbox server role — which includes knowing how to plan database sizing, design recipient, distribution group, and mailbox provisioning and deprovisioning policies, analyze and design ongoing infrastructure improvements due to increased capacity, performance, and requested features, etc
• Design client access — for example local vs. remote access, mobile access policies, Outlook Anywhere, Web services, OWA, storage requirements, as well as planning the location and configuration of Client Access servers, the AutoDiscover implementation, Federated Sharing and more
• Plan for transition and coexistence — which includes planning the consolidation of Exchange servers, intra-org and inter-org migration, decommission legacy environment, how to preserve the ability to reply to a message and more

2. Deploying the Exchange Server 2010 Infrastructure (20%)

This section focuses on actually deploying the planned setup. You’ll need to prove your ability to prepare the infrastructure for an Exchange 2010 deployment, and deploy the server itself. This includes the Edge transport, client access, hub transport, mailbox, and rules/roles for migration and coexistence. It is worth noting that you will need to be able to migrate from Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, 2007, and 2010.

Here are the specifics for this category, as found on the Microsoft Learning website:

• Prepare the infrastructure for Exchange Server 2010 deployment — which includes preparing schema, domain, Active Directory, legacy permissions, forest, forest functional level, domain controller versions, DNS and more
• Deploy Edge transport server role — this involves validating Exchange deployments, configuring transport agents, replacing perimeter e-mail gateway and configuring address rewriting
• Deploy client access server role — this includes deploying CAS hardware and protocols, mobile messaging services and connectivity, as well as validating client connectivity, client functionality, and more
• Deploy hub transport server role — which includes validate Exchange deployment; multi site/domain/forest; configure transport rules; accepted domains; remote domains; send connector configuration; message and recipient limits; deploy message flow to and from the Internet; deploy e-mail relay; configure the accepted domain; validate message transport
• Deploy mailbox server role — which involves database configuration and placement quota enforcement policies, deploying the mailbox server and storage, deploying the hardware configuration for mailbox servers, deploying the mailbox database, address lists and offline address books, validating mailbox server performance and access and more
• Deploy server roles for coexistence and migration — this includes coexistence with and migration from Exchange 2003, 2007, and 2010 and third-party mail systems, coexistence with namespaces and validating Exchange deployment, among others

3. Designing and Deploying Security for the Exchange Organization (20%)

The security section is probably one of the most important topics (percentage and presence aside) when it comes to Exchange Server. Even putting the exam aside, from a professional standpoint, you should pay careful attention to this section.

Going back to the exam, you’ll be tested on your ability to design and deploy messaging security, permission models, “message hygiene,” client access security, and object permissions. This encompasses everything from certificates to public folders.

Here are the specifics for this category:

• Design and deploy messaging security — besides securing relaying and defining message security requirements, planning is the key for this objective and includes planning SMTP connector security, secure routing between partner organizations, client-based message security, integration of Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) and Exchange Server 2010, ControlPoint Encryption and Outlook Protection Rules
• Design and deploy Exchange permissions model — which includes role-based access control (RBAC) assignments, scopes, and roles, Exchange Control Panel (ECP), modification of default RBAC roles, creation of custom RBAC roles, planning administrative permissions using the built-in management roles and custom management roles
• Design and deploy message hygiene — including Edge security, anti-spam and anti-virus solution for the messaging deployment, safe list aggregation, block lists, phishing confidence level (PCL), spam confidence level (SCL), sender reputation level (SRL) and more
• Design and deploy client access security — including ActiveSync policies, certificates for Exchange CAS, alternate authentication (such as smart cards, client certificates, time-based two-factor authentication tokens), authentication protocols (such as plain text, NTLM, forms based, Kerberos) and OWA segmentation
• Design and deploy Exchange object permissions — including public folder security, mailbox, resource security, distribution groups, and mailbox client access security (POP, IMAP, ActiveSync, OWA, MAPI)

Designing and Deploying Exchange Server 2010 Availability and Recovery (21%)

This section of the exam is given a 1% rise in importance, which although negligible when it comes to the actual test, should be taken into consideration when importance is factored in. Focusing on disaster recovery, this section tests your ability to bring an Exchange server back up in the event of a technical (or physical) disaster.

Here’s what you’ll need to know for this section of the 70-663 exam:

• Design and deploy high availability and disaster recovery for Exchange dependencies — which includes directory resiliency, network resiliency, DNS resiliency, storage hardware resiliency, site resiliency, as well as datacenter resiliency plan for updates and change management
• Design and deploy high availability and disaster recovery for CAS role — including backup and recovery, CAS array, multi-site CAS deployment, and DNS updates for client access during site failover
• Design and deploy high availability and disaster recovery for mailbox server role — which includes designing and deploying database scoping, public folder replication, backup and recovery, DNS record TTL, file share witness resiliency, activation preference and auto-activation and more
• Design and deploy high availability and disaster recovery for hub transport role — this includes backup and recovery, connector resiliency and scoping, Hub Transport Servers as well as deploying Exchange Server configurations that will mitigate the effect of a disaster and choosing and deploying an Exchange Server backup solution
• Design and deploy high availability and disaster recovery for Edge transport server role — including server placement, DNS load balancing, MX records, namespace changes, and more

Designing and Deploying Messaging Compliance, System Monitoring, and Reporting (19%)

The next section of the 70-663 exam focuses on auditing, archiving, working with transport rules for message compliance, monitoring, and reporting.

Here are the specifics for this section, as listed on Microsoft Learning:

• Design and deploy auditing and discovery — including audit logging, admin audit logging, permissions auditing, message tracking, protocol logging, RBAC (compliance role and scope), journaling or message record management (MRM) for discovery and more
• Design and deploy message archival — this includes dumpster 2.0, legal hold, retention policies (MRM), retention tags, long-term backup, managed folders, alternate mailboxes, retention policy and AutoTagging implementation, and more
• Design and deploy transport rules for message compliance — which involves RMS, ethical firewall, message journaling, disclaimers, and mail tips, such as notification for external recipients and recipient limits
• Design and deploy for monitoring and reporting — including message flow monitoring, client accessibility, SLA requirements, as well as analyze message usage, number of messages, message size and more

Exchange Server 2010 MCITP Training

Train Signal recently released their new Exchange Server 2010 Design and Deployment Training which includes complete coverage of the 70-663 exam. Taught by Microsoft MVP for Exchange, J. Peter Bruzzese, the training teaches you how to design and deploy Exchange 2010 infrastructure, security, high availability, and more.

There is also an Exchange Server 2010 MCITP Training Package available for those who still need to complete the 70-662 Exchange Server 2010 Configuring exam before going for the more advanced Exchange design route.

Conclusion

The Exchange Server 2010 MCITP 70-663 exam is geared towards high level, experienced IT professionals with a long background in Exchange Server. This is one of the more complex and “across the board” exams available from Microsoft, so training and an excess of study time will be an important factor in passing the exam. I usually recommend two or more types of training before taking any exam, however, being how in-depth this exam goes, I’d like to change that a bit by recommending a third option.

Your first two options should, of course, be video and book trainings, such as those offered by Train Signal and Microsoft Publishing partners. However, as a third option, Microsoft Learning offers 5-10 day trainings on this exam specifically. It’s important to note that even these trainings provided by Microsoft do not cover every aspect listed in the skills above, so maintaining multiple training sources will be your best bet.  Your experience, skills, and training together will bring you to success.

Good luck on your exam!

You may or may not use all of these tools in your particular methods, but it is important to know what they are and how to use them — and not just for the exam — you never know when you’ll come across an obscure problem that may require a certain tool to troubleshoot with.

So the more useful tools at your disposal, the more efficient and resourceful of a technician you can become.

Today we’ll take a look at multi-meters, power supply testers, cable testers, loopback plugs, extension magnets, anti-static mats and wrist straps.

Multi-Meters

A multi-meter is an electronic ohm/voltage measuring tool most commonly used in testing computer power supplies.

Is the motherboard not powering on? You may want to use a multi-meter to test the power connector going to the motherboard. Are USB devices not powering up? Use a multi-meter to ensure that you’re getting a full 5v from each USB port.

Multi-meters come with either digital or analog displays. Be sure to get a multi-meter that can measure within the proper range, as some multi-meters are made specifically to handle much higher voltages (for example, to test power in houses or businesses) and won’t be as accurate as those made for lower voltages.

Power Supply Testers

Power supply testers are very similar to multi-meters, except instead of giving you an ohm/voltage reading from a positive and negative pin, it gives you a green or red LED or a specific message on a small screen, such as an error code. While this takes some of the guesswork out of figuring out voltages, it also gives much less of a detailed reading.

Rather than using positive and negative pins, power supply testers allow you to actually plug in PSU connections. This makes testing power supplies much faster, and easier than having to find the correct pins.

Cable Testers

Cable testers do just what the name suggests. The most common type of cable testers found in a technician’s toolkit is an Ethernet cable tester. These come particularly handy when making custom sized Ethernet cables. We all know how easily a twisted pair can become… twisted.

It is generally good practice, and can save some troubleshooting time in the future, to run newly crimped Ethernet cables through a cable tester before putting them to use. They are also great for testing cables in the field.

Damage to Ethernet cables is especially hard to spot, since they are housed in a protective sleeve. Without visible external markings, you can rarely tell if a cable has been pinched or otherwise damaged. Using a cable tester to find these faults can save you hours of troubleshooting time.

Loopback Plugs

Loopback plugs are small devices used to perform loopback tests. To put it simply, you can plug in a device that is meant to transmit and receive data on a network, and the loopback test will verify that the device can both send and receive data well enough to work on said network.

It does this by sending a signal (or packet) addressed back to the same device. The test will let you know if the packet was sent, and if it was also received. This can be extremely useful for testing and troubleshooting malfunctioning network hardware.

Anti-Static Mats and Wrist Straps

Anti-static mats and wrist straps are used to ground yourself (usually to the computers case) so that static does not damage PC components while working inside of a computer system.

Many technicians that I know personally seem to argue the importance of using anti-static mats and wrist straps. Some technicians swear by them, others only use them to make their clients feel more comfortable and safe while the work is being done, and others never use them at all.

One thing is certain: static can harm electronics, including the many components within your computer system.

While I do own both anti-static mats and wrist straps, I too have been guilty of skipping this step on my personal machines. I have yet to damage a component, usually because I stay grounded by touching the computer’s case, but I do recognize that not using a form of anti-static grounding device can be dangerous to your (or your client’s) hardware.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide if you’ll use the mat (which is great for setting down loose components), the wrist strap (which is helpful so you can use both hands instead of using one to ground yourself to the case), or a different grounding method altogether.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that static does hurt electronics, and unless you practice some sort of grounding method, you run the risk of damaging a component or motherboard.

Extension Magnet

When working inside a computer system (be it a desktop or laptop) screws can get loose. This is where extension magnets come into play.

Extension magnets are thin, telescoping tools with a small magnet at the end (think telescoping like an old radio antenna.) You’ll want to find a really thin, low powered extension magnet for use in computer systems. High-powered magnets can wreak havoc on some components such as hard drives, so you won’t want to use a very powerful magnet. Find something small, and test it out on some case screws, the magnet should be just strong enough to pick them up.

Originally, I had written about using low-powered extension magnets inside of computer system. IT Professional Dave Levinter brought up a concern that made me decide to rewrite this section.

While low-powered extension magnets are acceptable in most cases, and many computer technicians use extension magnets or magnetized screwdrivers inside computer systems, saying that they’re safe isn’t exactly a safe statement in of itself. Magnets vary in power and some parts of computer systems, like the hard drive, can become damaged by stronger magnets. Anything more powerful than a standard magnetized screwdriver should only be used outside of a computer system. In fact, the CompTIA A+ Exam recommends using a pair of plastic tweezers instead, whenever possible.

More powerful magnets are still quite useful for IT Professionals, but for other uses. Finding dropped screws for example, or reaching screws or even tools dropped behind desks and furniture.

Conclusion

There are many other tools at a technician’s disposal, but these are some of the ones you’ll be required to know about on the 2009 CompTIA A+ exam. Keep an eye out for future articles where I’ll go over even more tools that you can add to your computer repair toolkit.

With more and more businesses moving to Windows 7, it’s important to ensure that technicians have the resources they need to successfully complete their deployments without a hitch. The Windows 7 Deployment Learning Portal is a great way to find out what you, as an IT professional, might need to brush up on before starting on your Windows 7 deployment.

Stephen Rose, Sr. Community Manager for Windows 7, notes that “the Springboard Windows 7 Learning Deployment Portal is designed to guide IT Pro’s deployment education by:

• Enabling individuals to measure their proficiency and knowledge against key benchmarks
• Identifying specific skills gaps or areas of weakness to address
• Create personalized learning plans through direction to resources based on the areas and scope of knowledge gaps
• Provide informal knowledge checks through learning and re-assess areas initially identified as knowledge gaps
• Recognizing critical Windows 7 deployment skills and helping to build IT Pro confidence to deploy Windows 7″

Aiming for a global audience, the Windows 7 Deployment Learning Portal is available in many different languages, including German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese (simplified and traditional).

Here’s what the portal looks like after you register/login (click on the image to enlarge):

Windows 7 Deployment Learning Portal Review

After first visiting the Windows 7 Deployment Portal, one thing you may notice is that it requires a separate registration, apart from Windows Live, (used by TechNet,) and notes that your data will be sent to The Test Factory, located in the UK. This most likely just means that your answers will be sent in order to get responses, but it’s important to note anyhow.

Once registered, you’ll be presented with a set of modules created for each stage of deployment. I found that this was really helpful, allowing you to see the entire course outline before you start. The presentation was very clear and to the point, and you’re informed right away about the estimated length of the modules, (a few minutes each,) and after starting a module, you’ll be informed of the pass percentage (usually 80%.)

Module Questions and Formatting

The module questions are presented very clearly and are multiple-choice in nature. (Either single-choice or multiple-answer.) Each module, consisting of 10 questions each, will offer up the ability to move forward and back through the questions freely, and allows you to mark questions for review. Once the test is complete, you’ll be given a chance to revisit questions that you marked for review (and even ones that you haven’t marked for review.)

What Happens After Each Module?

Once you have completed each module, you’ll be given a pass mark, (percentage,) and if applicable, answers and resources for any question you may have answered incorrectly.

Should you not pass a module, the site will note, “By examining your results we can suggest further learning materials tailored to your personal level of achievement. We recommend you review the following resources, and re-take the test with your new found knowledge.” These resources may include articles, videos, labs, and trainings within the TechNet Library.

These resources are organized in two ways. You can view them as-is, or click on “question specific resources” to see them organized by each question you missed. This helps to better associate what you’re looking to learn when using each resource. You are also given all 10 questions, along with associated resources, just in case you would like to brush up on a topic after answering the question correctly.

After you’ve completed each resource material, a check mark will come up next to said resource on the results page, noting your completion. After you’ve gone through all of the resources, you’ll be given the option to retake the test (and “pass with flying colors,” as they note,) or continue on to the next module.

What Modules Are Covered?

The modules cover a lot of ground; here are the names of each module so you can get a better feel of what is covered. In my opinion, the coverage is vast, especially with the resources provided after each test. The resources are spot on, and go over exactly what you need to know (and more) to answer the question correctly.

• Preparing your deployment
  • Windows 7 deployment methods and technologies
  • Prepare the environment for a Windows 7 deployment
• Configuring an Image
  • Create a Windows 7 image
  • Update a Windows 7 image
  • Deploy a Windows 7 image
• Migration
  • Migrate computers to Windows 7
• Compatibility testing
  • Configure and Manage Application Compatibility
• Deployment methods
  • Light Touch Installation using Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
  • Deploy using System Center Configuration Manager
  • Create and Manage Windows PE environment
  • Manage deployments with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed the portal for many reasons, the most important being: I learned a lot. There were some questions that I thought I knew the answer to, but was only partially right (or completely wrong.) The resources that followed helped me to improve myself as an IT professional, and ready myself should I need to complete a deployment, which is exactly what the portal was created to do.

This would be a great training resource for anyone looking to practice for an exam, brush up before a large deployment, or even test your newfound skills after taking a TrainSignal video course.

Want to Master Windows 7 Deployment?

Need more than what the Windows 7 Deployment Learning Portal has to offer? Check out Train Signal’s new Windows 7 Deployment Training created by Microsoft’s Setup and Deployment MVP, Rhonda Layfield. This is the most comprehensive Windows 7 deployment video training, covering every deployment tool and technique that’s available. It will help you master Windows 7 deployment and prepare you for the 70-681 MCTS exam.

Learn more: Windows 7 Deployment Training

We’ll go over the new Red Hat Certified System Administrator certification, the discontinuation of CompTIA’s lifetime certifications, CompTIA’s new Continuing Education program, the Lync Server 2010 beta exam, the extension of two Windows XP exams, a new upgrade exam from Windows XP to Windows 7, and finally, the retiring of 26 obsolete Microsoft exams. For those who are interested in virtualization and cloud computing, I’ll also briefly talk about the new certification programs from EMC.

CompTIA Lifetime Certifications Are No More

As of January 1st, 2011, passing the exams for CompTIA’s A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications will no longer earn you a lifetime certification. Instead, you will only earn a 3-year certification, which will need to be renewed when it expires.

Although a bit frustrating to those just earning their CompTIA certifications, this will hopefully add more credibility to those who hold CompTIA certifications in the future.

If you’re looking for CompTIA training, don’t forget Train Signal currently offers five CompTIA training courses.

CompTIA’s New Continuing Education Program

CompTIA has also created the CompTIA Continuing Education (CE) Program to provide those who hold a time-limited certifications (mainly, the A+, Network+ and Security+ certs) different ways to keep their certificates up-to-date by completing a variety of activities relevant to the industry.

These activities include things like work experience, attending presentations, teaching/training, participation in courses and events, and much more. For more information check out the full list of activities or the official press release which includes the CE Program FAQs.

New Red Hat CSA Exam to replace RHCT

Red Hat has created a new certification: the Red Hat Certified Systems Administrator (RHCSA, EX200) certification to replace and update the Red Hat Certified Technician certification. Red Hat notes, “the use of the tem ‘technician’ sells their skills short” and “with the launch of RHCSA, Red Hat will be offering a certification with a title that is far more aligned to usage in the marketplace and reflective of system administration skills.”

This new certification will also be a requirement for the Red Hat Certified Engineer certification. If you already hold the title of RHCT, you will need to pass a hands-on, lab-based exam in order to update your title to RHCSA.

For more information on the new RHCSA certification, read the press release from Red Hat.

Microsoft’s Lync Server 2010 Beta Exam In Progress

Microsoft opened up registrations to the beta exam for Lync Server 2010 (Technology Specialist) on December 13th, 2010. The exam is now in progress (as of December 22, 2010) and will continue through to January 14th, 2010.

Completing the exam (71-664: TS: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring) counts as credit towards both the MCTS certification, as well as the MCITP: Lync Server 2010 Administrator certification.

It is unclear if there are any spots still open, so if you were accepted, congratulations and good luck on your exam. If you have yet to register, I would give it a shot sooner rather than later. Once all spots have been filled, they will not be reopening the beta until its final release. For more information, read this Born to Learn post.

Two Windows XP Exam Retirement Dates Pushed Back

Originally scheduled for March 31st, 2011, two Windows XP-based exams will be retired on June 30th, 2011. Microsoft noted that while mainstream support ended for Windows XP in April of 2009, due to continual market use they have continued support and extended the availability of the two exams.

The exams in question are:

• 271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Windows XP Operating System
• 272: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System

New Upgrade Exam from Windows XP to Windows 7 Certifications

Want to earn two Windows 7 certs with a single exam?

With Exam 70-682: Pro: Upgrading to Windows 7 MCITP Enterprise Desktop Support Technician you can earn the MCTS: Windows 7, Configuration and MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician Windows 7.

If you passed both of the exams to achieve your MCDST certification you can qualify to take the 70-682 upgrade exam. The deadline for this upgrade is March 15, 2011; more information is available on Microsoft Learning.

26 Microsoft Exams Retiring on June 30, 2011

Back in October, I reported that Microsoft had scheduled to retire 10 certification exams in March of 2011. Well, it looks like that wasn’t all Microsoft had planned for the new year, as we now know of 26 more exams that are set to retire, this time in June, including the two Windows XP exams noted above.

I listed the soon-to-be retired exams below, but you can visit the Microsoft Certification Exam Development page for a complete list of past, and scheduled exam discontinuations.

1. Exam 70-235 TS: Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions by Using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006
2. Exam 70-241 TS: Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions by Using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2
3. Exam 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System
4. Exam 70-272: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System
5. Exam 70-431 TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 ‒ Implementation and Maintenance
6. Exam 70-441 PRO: Designing Database Solutions by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
7. Exam 70-442 PRO: Designing and Optimizing Data Access by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
8. Exam 70-443 PRO: Designing a Database Server Infrastructure by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
9. Exam 70-444 PRO: Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Administration Solution by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
10. Exam 70-445 TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Business Intelligence ‒ Development and Maintenance
11. Exam 70-446 PRO: Designing a Business Intelligence Solution by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
12. Exam 70-447 UPGRADE: MCDBA Skills to MCITP Database Administrator by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
13. Exam 70-526 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Windows-Based Client Development
14. Exam 70-528 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Web-Based Client Development
15. Exam 70-529 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Distributed Application Development
16. Exam 70-547 PRO: Designing and Developing Web-Based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
17. Exam 70-548 PRO: Designing and Developing Windows-Based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
18. Exam 70-549 PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
19. Exam 70-551 UPGRADE: MCAD Skills to MCPD Web Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
20. Exam 70-552 UPGRADE: MCAD Skills to MCPD Windows Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
21. Exam 70-553 UPGRADE: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 1
22. Exam 70-554 UPGRADE: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 2
23. Exam 70-558 UPGRADE: MCAD Skills to MCTS Windows Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
24. Exam 70-559 UPGRADE: MCAD Skills to MCTS Web Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
25. Exam 70-625 Connected Home Integrator
26. Exam 70-626 Consumer Sales Specialist

New Virtualization and Cloud Computing Certification Programs from EMC

Last month EMC announced two new new virtualization and cloud computing certification programs available through EMC Education Services. The new programs include the following certifications:

• EMC Cloud Architect (EMCCA) Virtualized Infrastructure certification
• EMC Cloud Architect (EMCCA) IT-as-a-Service certification
• EMC Data Center Architect (EMCDCA) certification

For more information, read the press release from EMC.

But how does social networking factor in? We all know that meeting someone in person is a great way to make your professional presence known, but is social networking just as valuable?

I believe it is.

Introduction vs. Profile

The main difference in meeting someone in person, or networking with him or her online is presentation.

Meeting someone in person gives you a few minutes to go over who you are, what you do, and how to get in contact with you. Your first impression means a lot; but there’s no way to go over everything during the first meeting.

That’s where social networking is different. Social networking is a much slower process. You’re able to set up a profile, on LinkedIn for example, that shows everything you would want someone to know on one page. It’s like giving them a virtual résumé the first time you meet. Not only that, but if they ask you a tough question, you don’t have to come up with an answer on the spot. You can take your time to formulate an appropriate response.

Not All Networks Are Built Alike

While LinkedIn can be a great way to meet other IT professionals, find groups, and even search for job postings, it’s definitely not the only social network that proves to be a valuable tool in your job search.  Twitter, Facebook, and Koda (and many others) are all valuable networking tools when used properly. Each social network has its own advantages and disadvantages. You’ll need to figure out which social networks will work best for you and your personal situation.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is probably the best way to network professionally and find a job online. You’re able to setup a professional résumé style profile, as opposed to a short description on other sites.

You can also join profession-based groups (and even webinars) to help others find you more easily. For example, if you are CCNA certified, you can find a group for Cisco Certified IT Professionals. Employers who are in need of a Cisco Certified employee will likely be networking there.

Be sure to participate in discussions and meet other professionals in your field, by doing so, you’ll be more visible to potential employers. You can also have previous employers and colleagues leave recommendations on your profile to further promote your skills and abilities.

Facebook

Facebook can be a great way to network with companies through professional groups, however, if you use it as your personal networking site, it could also have a very negative impact on your future career outlook. We’ve all read the horror stories about people losing their jobs or job opportunities because an acquaintance posted a derogatory or otherwise incriminating picture of them while they weren’t operating at their best, or mentioned something they wouldn’t want a professional contact to know.

If you are not 100% sure that the account will remain completely professional, it would be best to set up privacy settings to limit access to your account. It only takes one slip-up to turn someone off of you as a potential employee.

Twitter

Twitter is a nice way to network and (more importantly in this case) promote yourself. While it can suffer the same pitfalls and dangers as Facebook when it comes to keeping friends, family, and professional contacts separate, the difference here is that Twitter allows you to make multiple accounts. I, for example, have two accounts; one for my own personal use, and one for business use. Keeping these separate, and even blocking access to your personal account, is generally good practice.

The best way to use Twitter to your advantage is to find and follow professionals, interact with them, and promote yourself as best as possible. While LinkedIn may only let you connect with people you know or have worked with, Twitter allows you to connect with anyone, bringing in great marketing opportunities. For example, posting about your most recent certification or training might catch the eye of a potential employer who follows you. In fact, I started writing for Train Signal after connecting with Kasia Lorenc on Twitter.

Koda

Koda is a fascinating new website that merges the best social aspects of Facebook, and professional aspects of LinkedIn. While it’s still fairly new, it already has the blessing of hundreds of companies using it. With big names like NetSuite, HP, and many others, it seems well worth signing up for.

Koda allows you to post a similar profile to LinkedIn, but also allows you to post photos and videos that you can use to further promote yourself. Similarly, businesses can do the same. While it may not be as large of a network as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, finding a job is about quality, not quantity.

Marketing Yourself Online

Signing up to a social networks and setting up your profile is not enough to make yourself known to prospective employers, you need to market yourself and be active on these networks. Visit the sites often, respond to every message (should they warrant a response) and tell people you meet in person to connect with you. Every person you connect to opens up a world of possibilities by connecting you to their extended network of connections.

Also be sure to link to your profiles as much as possible. Put them on your website (if you have one) cross-link your social networks, put them on business cards, your résumé, your press kits, etc. Visibility is key.

Conclusion

While networking in person can be a great way to market yourself to potential employers, social networking has brought efficiency up a notch or two by allowing an easier flow of information between professionals and employers alike.

Take advantage of social networking in your job search and you’ll find yourself with greater flexibility and more options when considering and being considered for employment.

Objective 1.9 of the A+ 2009 exam goes over the types and functions of adapter cards, including:

• Video Cards (PCI, PCIe, and AGP)
• Multimedia Cards (Sound Cards, TV Tuner Cards, and Capture Cards)
• I/O Cards (SCSI, Serial, USB, and Parallel)
• Communications Cards (NICs and Modems)

Today we’ll go over each of these types of adapter cards and their functions to help you prepare for the 2009 A+ exam.

Video Cards

The first, and arguably one of the most important, types of adapter cards are video cards. Also known as graphics accelerators, graphics processors, display cards, or graphics cards; video cards do the heavy lifting in allowing you see and interface with what you are doing in your computer. Video cards generate the graphics to be shown and send the finished signal out to your monitor, screen or projector.

The first connector type listed on the exam is a PCI connector type. While PCI type video cards weren’t the first type out, there were definitely a standard and milestone in connections. PCI video cards replaced the EISA, ISA, MCA and VESA buses from 1993 onwards. PCI made it easier to use video cards as there were no manual adjustments, such as jumpers, that needed to be made. PCI slots allowed the video card to connect dynamically between devices. A PCI slot is a 32 to 64-bit bus set at 33MHz to 100MHz. PCI buses can handle up to 800MB/s of bandwidth.

Example of a Video Card. Photo by qwikrex.

Accelerated Graphics Ports (AGPs) were first used in 1997 and are arguably the most popular and long running graphics port up until about 2006 when PCI Express reached double the data-transfer rate of AGP. AGP Graphics cards come in four flavors. 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x. While all are 32-bits and rated at 66MHz, they are separated by their bandwidth ability. Starting at 264MB/s for 1x and going up to 528MB/s for 2x, 1000MB/s for 4x and 2000MB/s for 8x.

PCI Express (PCIe 1.0) cards have been standard since about 2006 and offer tremendous amounts of bandwidth and a much higher rate of speed. As of 2009, they have completely replaced AGP cards, as proved by the fact that the world’s two largest video card companies, ATI and nVidia, now create PCIe cards exclusively. While the highest clock rate seen before was up to 100MHz with PCI, PCIe is rated at 2,500-5,000MHz. PCIe video cards are the first to separate themselves from the standard Parallel interface, moving on to the Serial interface. PCIe also comes in four flavors differentiated by their bandwidth; PCIe x1 can support up to 500MB/s, PCIe x4 can support up to 1,000MB/s, PCIe x8 can support up to 4,000MB/s, and PCIe x16 can support up to 8,000MB/s.

While PCIe x16 2.0 is not on the 2009 A+ Bridge Exam, I feel it is important to cover as it is the latest technology set to replace PCI Express 1.0. PCI Express 3.0 is still in the works. PCIe x16 2.0 runs at up to 10,000MHz and supports up to 16,000MB/s of bandwidth. These specifications, which double todays high-end standard, set it apart from the rest in terms of high end computing, especially in terms of gaming, HD, and 3D development video cards.

Multimedia Cards

Aside from video cards, there are many other types of multimedia cards available and commonly used in computer systems.

One of the most common cards would have to be the sound card. Sound cards do exactly what you would expect; they generate sound signals to be sent to your speakers and sound systems. In most cases, they are also usually where you would find a microphone or input jack for recording. Sound cards are increasing in importance as new technologies like HD audio discs and Blu-Ray discs allow for high definition and multi-channel audio.

Standard or built in sound cards are usually not powerful enough to process the high end sound files, cannot send audio to more than two channels, and produce lower quality results. In the past, high end sound cards were generally only used in studio recording environments. Today, upgrading your sound card allows the average consumer to listen to high quality audio in music, games, and movies, and allows your computer system to be connected to surround sound systems taking advantage of all available sound channels.

8 Channel PCI Sound Card. Photo by whiskymac.

TV tuner cards are another type of multimedia adapter card. TV tuners are used to process coaxial and other types of video inputs to display on your computer system. TV tuners are able to differentiate different channels much like your TV does, essentially turning your computer system into a television and digital video recorder. Many TV tuners also function as AM/FM radio tuners, allowing you to listen to your favorite local radio stations right on your computer system.

Capture cards are much like TV tuners, except rather than focusing on its ability to tune into different channels of video, capture cards focus on pulling one stream of high quality video from an external source, such as a video camera. Capture cards are generally used to capture video inputs from digital sources like Firewire, and analog inputs like RCA and S-Video. While some capture cards do allow you to capture coaxial TV inputs as well, they are generally only used for single video input sources.

Example of a Capture Card. Photo by asvravi.

I/O Cards

Input/Output cards, also known as expansion cards, are simply cards that add extra functionality to your current motherboard. For example, if your motherboard does not have any USB 2.0 slots, you can connect a USB 2.0 I/O card into your PCI slot to add a few USB 2.0 slots to the back of your computer. There are four types of I/O cards that are mentioned in the 2009 A+ Bridge Exam, but they all essentially do the same thing.

Example of a USB Card. Photo by Sam_catch.

The first is a SCSI (commonly pronounced Scuzzy) expansion card. A SCSI expansion card allows you to connect internal and external SCSI hard drives to your computer system. Serial cards are also covered, since serial ports have been removed from most newer computer systems, serial expansion cards (usually connected through PCI) are an alternative way to connect serial devices to your computer system.

As noted above, USB expansion cards either add USB functionality, or add extra ports to your computer. Finally, parallel expansion cards add parallel ports to your computer system. Parallel ports were commonly used as printer ports, however, with USB and Ethernet replacing the printing interface, parallel ports are now mostly used for custom-made peripherals due to it’s architectural simplicity.

Communications

There are two types of communications cards used in computer systems today: Network Interface Cards (NIC) and Modem Cards. NIC cards are generally used to give you access to wired Ethernet networks between 10Mbit and 1Gbit connection speeds. Some NIC cards also include wireless networking as well. Modems are used for dial-up access to the internet, phone systems, and can also function as a FAX machine would.

Conclusion

While these are definitely not the only types of adapter cards available today, they are the most common and are required knowledge on the 2009 A+ Bridge Exam. I hope this exam preparation has helped you refresh your memory on some of the requirements. Best of luck on your exam!