Another "OMG 70-410" thread

Xenomeow

Hi everyone,

First post here and I have to say this site is so far fantastic! Lots of great reading to be had for many levels of certs. Well I managed to score basically my dream job. I am a Jr technician in a data center, my bosses hired me on with the expectation that i will be spending most of my time at work studying for my certification exams as well as doing basic daily tasks that are relevant to my current skill level. My work is going to be reimbursing me for any certifications I pass as well as reimbursing me for training materials. Honestly I am on cloud nine to have found this position, especially when i only had a 6 months tech support on my resume.


So with that being said, my boss has tasked me to start my MCSA/MCSE for server 2012 r2. As i said realer I have about six months tech support (inbound internet technical support call center for an ISP) and I just finished studying for my a+ (will be writing it next pay). As far as other background goes I have been repairing home PC's for friends and family for about the last 10 years, all within a windows environment. I have little to no direct windows server experience aside from the 10-15 installs I have done VIA Vmware.

Now I know 70-410 is going to be hard and I am fine with that. My boss is willing to give me the time I need to study and has also setup and poweredge r510 with 32gb of ram/ 4tb of hdd space for me to lab on. If there is any other hardware I need added to the lab as I go he is more then willing to throw it in the rack.

Given all that I am curious what books I should look in to on the 70-410? I have read that the mastering windows server 2012 r2 by Mark Minasi is a great book to get, if a little huge. I have also heard it covers all three MCSA exams at once, but with the overlap in all three exams it can be beneficial. I was also considering grabbing the microsoft press exam ref and training guide for server 2012 r2. But I have heard many mixed reviews on those books. saying they are a bit open ended and will not (alone) fully prepare you for the exam. There is also the wiley course book and the official microsoft course book. So many choices and all come with mixed reviews. I fully understand much of my time studying is going to be spent on technet and labing, but i would like a book (or four) to compliment my studies. Any of the books ideally should have as much labbing examples as possible, from what i have read about the exams is they are very "what do you do in this situation" vs theory. So given the background and my want for extensive lab examples, which books would you suggest?


Also of note, I have been looking in to CBT nuggets premium, which minus the crazy start up cost I see as a huge value for multiple certs. I mean a full course and the included practice tests pay for them selves after a couple exams.

mjnk77

Xen,

Welcome to the forum. As for books, I do not recommend using the Wiley book. I took mcsa classes at the local college, we used that book for 410 and it wasn't worth the $130+. The director and instructor changed the books for 411 to Training Guide Administering Windows Server 2012 R2 (MCSA). We enjoyed the book much more. We also used the cbt nuggets and trainsignal videos. For 412 Training Guide Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 R2 Services (MCSA).

As for you lab, I think you should be fine with the current hardware. You don't have the option to receive emails. When you do, I can send you some info. GL!

Xenomeow

Mjnk77,

Thanks for the welcome. After that first post i looked in to the wiley book, seems you are not the only one who did not like it. In the past i was taking pre health sciences in college and used wiley books for all my texts. Needless to say they left a lot to be desired so I was curious if that held true to the 70-410 stuff as well.

So all in would you say the training guides are useful for people with limited windows server background? I have heard the exam ref guides are great if you have experience with windows server (and also as a last week or two exam cram).

Tonight I am going to grab the mastering windows server 2012 r2 book (sadly the only one I can find local) and talk to my boss about ordering the others over the next couple days. Figure the lab should hold out quite nicely. Thinking I may deploy a VM in vmware with 12gb of ram so i can use that as my hyperv launch pad with out having to run a dual boot vmware/hyper v on my lab. I would go bare metal to hyper v but we use VMware through out the data center and I doubt my boss will change to hyper v.

I turned on emails also, I look forward to the info. Have a good night.

EDIT: Just spoke to my boss, he is ordering me in the test guide, exam ref and mastering 2012 r2 off amazon, I will have them in a couple days

mjnk77

Message sent.

Xenomeow

Hmm some odd reason I have not received the message. Should it be going to my email inbox or my techexams inbox?

ed_003

Xenomeow wrote: »

Mjnk77,

Thanks for the welcome. After that first post i looked in to the wiley book, seems you are not the only one who did not like it. In the past i was taking pre health sciences in college and used wiley books for all my texts. Needless to say they left a lot to be desired so I was curious if that held true to the 70-410 stuff as well.


So all in would you say the training guides are useful for people with limited windows server background? I have heard the exam ref guides are great if you have experience with windows server (and also as a last week or two exam cram).

Tonight I am going to grab the mastering windows server 2012 r2 book (sadly the only one I can find local) and talk to my boss about ordering the others over the next couple days. Figure the lab should hold out quite nicely. Thinking I may deploy a VM in vmware with 12gb of ram so i can use that as my hyperv launch pad with out having to run a dual boot vmware/hyper v on my lab. I would go bare metal to hyper v but we use VMware through out the data center and I doubt my boss will change to hyper v.

I turned on emails also, I look forward to the info. Have a good night.

EDIT: Just spoke to my boss, he is ordering me in the test guide, exam ref and mastering 2012 r2 off amazon, I will have them in a couple days

What test guide are u going to use ?

Xenomeow

ed_003 wrote: »

What test guide are u going to use ?

[h=2]Training Guide Installing And Configuring Windows Server 2012 R2 (mcsa): Mcsa 70-410
[/h]by Mitch Tulloch

Louie1277

have you received the book and how does it look so far the training guide one?

Xenomeow

They should arrive at some point today, I will update after I jump in to them.

mjnk77

Sorry, don't know why you didn't get the message. Let me try again.

mjnk77

You should have the message now.