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

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

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

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

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

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

Interesting Read: Why Small Businesses Use Windows Small Business Server

Overview of Exam 70-653 SBS 2008, Configuring

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

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

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

Prerequisites for Exam 70-653

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

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

SBS 2008 Exam Topics

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

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

• Deploying Hardware and Software for SBS Servers – 10%
• Migrating to SBS 2008 – 16%
• Deploying Hardware and Software for Computers on the Network – 9%
• Maintaining Systems and Services Availability – 16%
• Maintaining Remote Access – 10%
• Maintaining Users and Computers – 11%
• Maintaining Collaboration – 11%
• Maintaining Messaging – 17%

Study Materials for Exam 70-653

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

70-653 Exam Logistics

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

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

Currently this exam is priced at $125.

70-653 Examination

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

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

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

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