CWUG Tonight in Chicago

Historically I’ve been pretty bad about announcing the CWUG here on PKGuild – Today is no exception!

Tonight is the CWUG in Chicago! 77W Wacker and all that goodness.
We’ll actually be kicking off with a tour of the MTC (Microsoft Technology Center) and all of the goodness which surrounds that. – Here is the information, which is also posted on our Portal

July Meeting
Monday, July 21st Microsoft Office, 77 West Wacker, downtown Chicago
Register Now!

4:30 p.m. MTC (Microsoft Technology Center) Tour!
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Dinner/Networking
Windows Vista Gadget Contest Submission Deadline
5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Room Introductions/Meeting Kick Off
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. First sessions
Session 1: Automating Windows Desktop Deployments with OSD360 – presented by CyniOS Technologies
Session 2: Windows Live – production software and a look at some of the betas
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Windows Home Server – PC backup and restore (Live demo!)

Hope to see you folks tonight!

Study Tips for SQL 2008 and BI Beta Exams (71-432, 71-448)

So, you’re planning to take the beta exams, but you want to have a LITTLE more hands-on to prepare yourself!

Well, look no further! (Well, do look further, but check this out as well)

Books! Read Read Read away!

SQL Server 2008 Books Online Release Candidate (RC0)

Virtual Labs – These are a wealth of information, labs and “live” systems to play with!
TechNet Virtual Labs: SQL Server 2008
TechNet Virtual Labs: Business Intelligence

Hopefully this gives you that headstart you’re looking for, outside of what you already know!

Microsoft SQL 2008 Beta Exams (Free Promotion Codes) – for SQL2008 Implementation/Maint, and SQL2008 BI Dev/Maint

Fairly straight to the point – SQL 2008 Beta exams until July 31st!
These beta exams are for 71-432 (70-432) and 71-448 (70-448)

TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-432.mspx

TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-448.mspx

71-432 – Promotion code: 943F6
71-448 – Promotion Code: B6543

Beta available until July 31st

Thanks GerryO!

MCTS: Hyper-V (70-652) [71-652] Study Guide

*Update – Be sure to check out the free Training Courses for 70-652! *

5 Free Virtualization Training Courses for the Holidays! (HyperV)

and

How much does Free Microsoft Learning Cost? (Hint: Free!)

Now continue to this old post :)

You’re signed up, you’re in the beta! with 12 days left to take the test!
You get out there, study study study… wait, what am I supposed to study?

Well, first of all you decide to check out that Microsoft E-Learning I mentioned before here:
https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=92459

And let me tell you, this E-learning is very useful, if you’ve never touched ESX, XenServer, or Hyper-V.
If you’ve played with Hyper-V at all, and read the help file you will find it isn’t ALL that useful.
I’m not saying don’t give it a whirl, give it a try… But do NOT expect that to be your keys to the kingdom. You’ll be lucky if it can be used as a dowsing rod to find the moat!
(Wait, do castles even have keys?!)

Okay, so what do I do now?

Here is the first and most important thing you should do.
Read this: Test Information and Support

If ever there was a time in your life to read something like this, read it, look at it, read it again.
Go line by line, if there is something you do not understand (WTF? winrm?!) Learn about it, read about it, study it. Because that little bit of guidance there is one of the first things you ought to do, as you’ll be on a tough road without it.

Now it is pertinent that you get face time, hardcore time spent playing with the following:

  • Hyper-V: Load it up, the console up and running, virtualize some machines.
  • Hyper-v on Core: Atleast know how to do it!
  • SCVMM: If you’ve never touched this, looked at it, give up now. Seriously, give up now!
  • SCOM: This isn’t as important, but atleast be familiar with how SCOM plays with Virtualization
  • MAPS: No, not that song from Rockband, The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solutions
  • 2008 Clusters: Seriously, Seriously Francine, these Clusters, Seriously. Yes, know the clusters!
  • Networking: Know the difference between the different networking types and when they apply.
  • Disks: Know inside and out all of the details of the different type of disk options.
  • Snapshots: Snapshots are your friend, and your enemy if you think you know them and don’t!
  • CPU Requirements: This cannot be stressed enough. This ISN’T VMware – It’s more like Xen.

    Check out Blogs and other things ofcourse.
    Definitely DO check out the SCVMM Videos (Thanks to Jeff Webb for mentioning the link)

    If by trial, jury and virtue – You wholly understand each of these concepts, ideas and have a grasp of Virtualization, you should be fine. Just by installing Hyper-V, you’ll be set for 25% of the questions. The same can be said of the installation of SCVMM as well.

    I’m not at liberty to share explicit details of the exam, which is why I reference back to the ‘study notes’, as these were more or less on the ball – Read each line if you don’t understand it, plan to do poorly on that question(s)!

    Good Luck!

  • Do you have what it takes to be a Master?

    That’s right! New Mastery in the form of a “Master” Cert.
    It is rumoured to be above the current MCITP, and equally above the old-school MCSE, yet below (and a pre-requisite) of the MCA (Architect).

    It will be offered in 3 varieties.

  • Exchange Server 2007
  • SQL Server 2008
  • Windows Server 2008
  • It is covered at an EXTREMELY high-level here at Microsoft Certified Master Program
    And also is briefly mentioned here on Trika’s Blog

    There is a little bit of depth to be found here:
    http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/master/products/default.mspx

    However, outside of these high-level ideas of it, and its very narrow focus on a set of core technologies (Hey, where is my MOSS Mastery?!)

    It appears to be just another Certification to join the pile – definitely a precursor to the MCA with these requirements:

    To achieve Master certification, candidates must fulfill the following training requirements:

  • Attendance of required sessions
  • Successful completion of all in-class (written and lab) exams
  • Successful completion of qualification lab exam
  • And if history has shown us anything, when you have ‘class attendance requirements’ that usually translates into “This is going to cost you some serious $$$” Not only from ‘attendance’ but also from your inability to be producing revenue or working as you’re going to classes.

    Perhaps this is trying to go the way of the “Masters” programs available within the ‘Educational’ community, but today you can phone that in, and the technology and extreme depth this is looking to promote is not something earned in the classroom – It’s earned in the trenches.

    Who knows how this will be implemented, we’ll certainly find out as time moves on – Adoption is key though – Look at the CCIE Program for Cisco…