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

Thanks Kurt Shintaku for the heads up!

Code should be valid now!

Also be sure to check out – Microsoft Learning Free stuff! How much does Free Microsoft Learning Cost? (Hint: Free!)

TRAINING: FREE Microsoft Virtualization Courses – “Configuring Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008”

Are you interested in learning Microsoft’s Virtualization technologies… for free?

Prepare for Exam 70-652 for Free (US$159.99 value)
This collection of five 2-hour online courses helps you develop the skills necessary for implementing and managing Hyper-V in an IT environment, as well as, creating and managing virtual machines and hosts in a virtual environment.

The courses within the collection include the following topics:

  • An overview of the Hyper-V technology
  • Creating a virtual environment
  • Deploying systems in a virtual environment
  • Configuring high availability in a virtual environment
  • Administering a virtual environment with SCVMM

This collection helps you prepare for exam 70-652 TS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring
This collection requires that students meet the following prerequisites:

  • At least a year and a half of experience working in Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 environments as system administrators
  • Familiarity with virtualization products and technologies

The package includes all the content from the following 5 online virtualization training courses:

How to register for free:

  1. Go to the following site:
    Collection 6319: Configuring Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008
    http://co1piltwb.partners.extranet.microsoft.com/mcoeredir/mcoeredirect.aspx?linkId=11062521&s1=3b30899e-0181-e332-5c10-46f4e257ae4a
  2. Register using the following promo code:
    9350-Y2W6-3676
  3. The course may be revisited for a period of 18 months after registration.

Get Your Virtual On! (MS Virtualization Launch)

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Microsoft Virtualization launch

Attend the Microsoft® Virtualization Readiness Launch and Take Home the Latest Software*

Register Now

Get hands-on with virtualization—on us.
Attend the event that lets you touch, talk about, and experience Microsoft® virtualization solutions. Hear from Microsoft virtualization experts on how Microsoft uses virtualization in its own data centers. Dive into robust hands-on labs and gain a technical understanding of the Microsoft virtualization strategy. Then, take home a valuable set of free products and readiness-focused giveaways to help get you started:*

 

Find out all about Microsoft virtualization.
Spend a day learning how a well-designed virtualization strategy can help you control costs, improve service levels, and drive business agility. See solutions built on the Windows Server® 2008 operating system with Hyper-V™ technology, System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007, and Microsoft Desktop and Application Virtualization. And learn how you can leverage end-to-end virtualization to unlock benefits from the data center to the desktop.
The day’s agenda is simple.

  • Begin your day with 300-level technical seminars:
    • Session I: Server Virtualization and Management
    • Session II: How Microsoft Builds Dynamic Data Centers
    • Session III: Understanding Virtualization at the Desktop Level
  • Spend the afternoon with experts and technology partners in our Solutions Pavilion, and experience Microsoft virtualization via hands-on labs.
  • Go home with the knowledge and products you need to start putting Microsoft virtualization into place in your organization.*

*Free Microsoft evaluation software for all event attendees! You’ll take home an evaluation kit with versions of the latest virtualization products. The Microsoft Virtualization Evaluation Kit is available only for attendees of 2008 Microsoft Virtualization Launch event.
**Registered attendees must be an IT Professional or IT Decision Maker and 18 years old by September 8, 2008 to attend this event. Limit one kit per person. All kits must be claimed at the event. This offer is non-transferrable and expires on December 31, 2008 while supplies last. Offer is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient.

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And ofcourse, the fair Platinum Sponsors of the event! Oh, look there’s NetApp and Citrix! :)

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!

  • FreElearning! (Microsoft Free Voucher for training) Prep for 71-652!

    So, you’re saying “Man, I don’t want to take a test for something I’m not prepared for… I don’t care that it is free!?” After you get past that little story, wait, a free beta exam AND a free voucher for Microsoft E-Learning? Where do I sign up!??!

    Just visit this site: Get your skills up with Official Microsoft E-Learning!
    This offer is good until June 30th, so act fast!

    And after acting (fast) take another action in your benefit and go sign up for the:
    Hyper-V E-Learning training!

    At this point, you’ll be on the way to success in preparing yourself in ways you otherwise didn’t even think possible! After which point you’ll be on the road to success to becoming an MCTS in Microsoft Hyper-V Virtualization!

    71-652 Hyper-V Beta Exam (FAQ of sorts) Promo Code of 652HV ?!

    So, for those interested in the Microsoft Hyper-V Virtualization Exam (71-652) which will eventually become (70-652). Here are some answers to some general questions I’ve been seeing.

    Q: What do you mean I have to pay $125.00 for this exam?

    A: So long as the voucher still has entries open, it is FREE!!! (For a period there, the voucher wasn’t working but it appears to be working again) – And that Promotional Code is 652HV

    Q: How do I sign up for this exam?

    A: If you do not have a Prometric account, you need to go to www.prometric.com and sign up! Register, etc!

    Q: How do I prepare or study for this exam? I don’t know anything about Hyper-V?!

    A: This is one of the best questions out there. For those of you who have experience with Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, that part of the exam is taken care of. For those of you with Storage experience, that part is also taken care of. But the key differentiator is actually working with and playing with Hyper-V and the interfaces, building Virtual machines, etc!
    There are a number of options available to you.

    Online Training (E-Learning for a price $39.99 it looks like)
    https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=84700
    https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=92459

    Read blogs about Hyper-V and Virtualization

    Virtual PC guy’s Blog
    Microsoft Virtualization Team’s Blog
    Virtual Varia
    John Howard – Hyper-V Team Lead
    Mike’s Virtual Blog!
    This blog as I document some of the details and the crazy In’s and Out’s in my spare time

    And anywhere else as applicable.

    So, I encourage you to sign up, give it a try, get out there and test! You’ll definitely have a better angle on what the future holds if you see what the exam is like, and see if this is something you want to pursue!