Going for the MCSE: Data Management and Analytics

adam9870

@Zorodzai
@nachodba
Thank you.
I'm studying for the 70-463 exam from several weeks.
I starting read the official training kit, but the non-working examples discouraged me.
During the reading of training kit, I spent a lot of time on dealing with additional topics such as partitioning of tables.
Sometimes I learn in the morning (4-5 a.m), sometimes in the evenings.
Now I reading "SQL Server 2017 Integration Services Cookbook" and I'm just completing the test environment.
In the meantime, I'm blogging every monday.
Except that, in May, I plan to go to training from a data warehouse during the SQLDay conference in Poland.
I will probably want to get MCSA and MCSE by passing the following exams\
70-463 Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2014
70-767 Implementing a Data Warehouse using SQL

adam9870

It was difficult for me to find the right book. In the end, I found book named "Knight's Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Integration Services 24-Hour Trainer". I'm going slowly with her. I have read 24 chapters. Each chapter includes several pages of theory and a practical task. Practical tasks are also shown in the video materials at Knight's Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Integration Services 24-Hour Trainer - Wrox

adam9870

I still reading Knight's MS SQL Server 2012 Integration Services 24-Hour Trainer. Some topics are incomprehensible for me, so I am looking for other sources on the internet. I found two good article about Lookup transformation in SSIS.


https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/sql/ssis/implementing-lookup-logic-in-sql-server-integration-services/


SSIS Lookup Transformation with example step by step : Learn MSBI Tutorials

adam9870

Recently I was a bit busy with business matters, especially the GDPR. I devoted a good two months to it. It's time to get back to the exam preparation.


My current plan is that I want to read until the 15 September tutorials from this page https://www.tutorialgateway.org/how-to-learn-ssis-in-28-days/ and book: The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Definitive Guide to Dimensional Modeling 3rd Edition (https://www.amazon.com/Data-Warehouse-Toolkit-Definitive-Dimensional/dp/1118530802). Next, in October, at the latest in November I want to pass 70-463. I plan to spend full time on weekends and in the evenings or in the morning (before work, when the mind is fresh) for preparing for 70-463 exam.


In May, in the form of notes, I recorded a few films about SSIS and published them on my blog.

herath

I would suggest you to go through CBT Nuggets. You can buy their videos on eBay for like $10.

adam9870

I am happy to write that every day I learn SSIS from month. I've already processed almost all of the Data Flow Tasks. I make video notes and gradually (once a week) publish on my blog. Some topics looks hard but really not hard (for example lookup transform). On 21-23 November I join to the conference about SQL Server. I think that I will pass 70-463 this year and maybe by the way 70-767. If I would pass 70-768 later then I would have 2 x MCSA and 1 x MCSE.

adam9870

2-3 weeken ago I back to reading "Knights Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Integration Services 24 hour trainer". I'm doing pretty well. I was have read 300 pages out of 500. I read and practice in the lab every day (more on weekends). I'm making video notes. In this year I want to pass 70-463. I feel that I understand SSIS more than half a year ago.

adam9870

Links to two good articles about SSIS package deployment which descripting this in friendly way


https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4810/setup-environment-variables-in-sql-server-integration-services/
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1405/sql-server-integration-services-ssis-package-configuration/

adam9870

Today, I finished reading of "Knight's Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Integration Services 24-Hour Trainer". It is best book about SSIS with really working examples in contrast with other books. My next steps is:
1. Read "Part V Building Data Quality Solutions" of 70-463 Trainkig Kit.
2. Soft repeat of the material before exam
3. Passing the exam 70-463. (in 2018 )

Zorodzai

Quick update: I passed 70-761 today after putting it off way too many times. My score was 700 on the dot lol but I definitely think I could have done better had I put in more work; unfortunately had a major project at work so study plans have been very haphazard. Now on to 70-762

Zorodzai

Another update: just passed 70-762 ! Odd enough I got a higher mark than on 70-761 but I definitely found it harder. No trick questions or anything like that but it definitely helped a lot that I read through the study guide twice and looked up all the things I didn't understand. Now on to 70-464 and MCSE by end of year