More free tests (Check Free Test Archive) and insanity!

I’ve been insanely busy lately!

  • Finished up a 10 month project.  
  • Our new kitchen is in! (mostly)
  • I just reloaded Vista on my laptop – good times
  • Food Poisoning… on the weekend?!
  • I won a Zune!

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I just noticed there is a mannequin in my bedroom… WTF?

 

 

 

 

 

Especially – I posted several new beta exams in the Free Test Archive! Be sure to check them out!  SQL, SBS… more SQL?!

So, keep your eyes out for new and interesting things, as soon as my cycles come back I can deliver on the slew of backlog… but there’ll be mysteries of the mind… more certifications… and mannequins.. grin

CWUG Olympics this Monday!!! (In Downers Grove!)

That’s right! I’m actually telling you about the CWUG when it ISNT the day of the event!

And lo and behold, there will be some great things going on this Monday in Downers Grove!

We bring you the CWUG Geek Olympics, with prizes of sorts, food as always and more Points to help secure your place in winning the Laptop at the end of the year!

I’d highly encourage you to register for this event, but don’t hesitate to email or call me if you find that registration is full… I might be able to pull some strings! ;)

This will be a very special event, with beasts! …definitely Geek Trivia, Competition and Prizes!

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Don’t wait! Sign up now! (And most importantly, show up)

Agenda:

Monday

5PM-6PM – Food, Networking, etc
6PM-9PM – Competition, Trivia, Prizes, Education, Technology, insanity!

So, come on down! I’ll seeeeeeee you there!

70-113 Post Mortem: TS Windows Server 2008 (Performance|Pilot)

Let me start off with a warning about this exam.

This test is not available everywhere, and for good reason.   It is a complicated exam which launches a Real Virtual Lab environment which is run off of a server across the Internet.

The key word there being "Internet", which this often implies not having Routing issues, connection problems, speed, latency (Lag) and other client to server remote connection issues.

Lets just say, I ran into some of those issues – And you might as well.   I went in with an expectation to potentially have some problems.  Exam launched, Click connect to visit the lab and BAM – no connection.   3 hours later of them ‘resetting the exam‘ I was then able to connect into the server.   Sadly I did not have the amount of time to fully take advantage of the exam, but I did have the opportunity to read, review and comment.

The labs are interesting, it’s a true server (help files and all) and command line and other decisions and exploitations and choices you’d make on a server host.   But beware.

I encountered all that I mentioned, lag, connection issues, delay, and a slew of other ‘technical’ issues which can happen to anyone.   Great exam for what it is worth (and I commented away based upon the content and delivery) But do approach this Pilot with an expectation that you MAY encounter issues.   Prometric CAN work them out, but the Helpdesk will likely have no idea what is going on and what to do (Hopefully this 3 hour ‘lesson’ will prepare them for the next person who takes it)

Good luck, and Good Testing!

71-654 Post Mortem: TS EBS 2008 (re: very morbid)

Well, if you recall the last time I took a test, I reported it was "Amazing", though I cannot declare the same feelings for this particular exam.

On the surface, there was nothing wrong with this exam, yet in the same gesture there was also nothing right about it.  I’m not judging the content as it was delivered free of most complaints I typically comment about on exams.    No, this was something different, something else.   The kind of something only that of an infrastructure, architectural geek wouldn’t get.

The Server Unleashed

Two weeks in the trenches working with EBS and this particular exam will be a godsend to you.  You’ll be prepared, ready and set to deliver.   The same could be said though of someone who has never touched anything else outside of EBS.

http://www.geekologie.com/2008/03/25/killer-robot.jpg

 

But opening the doorway to SBS, if you’ve ever touched a "real server", and happen to be a command line guy, you’ll find SBS, EBS and this particular exam to be considerably frustrating.  Now don’t get me wrong! I’m not knocking EBS, or SBS.  I’m just letting you know, if you’re not that guy, this is not the test for you.

Know your product, know the in’s, the out’s and you’ll do fine.   But this is not an exam to think outside the box.

 You’ve been warned!

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack Charter! (70-656)

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Take the MDOP Challenge!

We’ve been challenged to charter ourselves to take, pass and Win!

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Pass the Exam & Get the Goods!

How do you join the MDOP Charter Membership Program? It’s easy! All you have to do is take and pass the 70-656 Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, Configuring Exam…but there’s a catch…

…only the first 200 IT Pros who pass the 70-656 Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, Configuring Exam will be MDOP Charter Members who receive the exclusive MDOP Charter Member jacket and award!

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The MDOP Charter Membership program is open to any IT Professional – so you better move FAST if you want to be the first to get Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) insider updates, exclusive content, and great MDOP Charter Member SWAG.

Plus, the exam is FREE for the first 500 IT Pros who take the exam through Prometric. Just enter “MDOP” as a promotion code when you register on the Prometric Web site.

Special thanks to Dan Rey for raising the flare about this, and our good friends at the MDOP Charter Program!

Visit the MDOP Charter Program site for details, including Training plans!