Need Advice

rock360

Ok, i've been studying for this for quite a long time and i dont think my book (thomson course technology, 70-290:blah blah) is in depth enough to make me able to pass the test without any real world experience managing a server. Im wondering whats the cheapest book i can get to help me out. I just took CertBlasters test and got a 40% and ive gotten that on my measure up tests too. Most questions im really close but just not quite there ya know? this test sucks bad imo.

Im think i should get the exam cram book.

Everlife

I'd recommend you purchase the Microsoft Press book. It's a bit on the expensive side, but it comes with tons of practice questions from MeasureUp, as well as a trial edition of Server 2003 R2. Without any experience on the OS, it's doubtful you'll be able to pass. Even if you did, are you really going to try to sell the fact you have you're certified in an OS you've never touched? Memorizing commands in your head for an exam is one thing, putting those commands to use in a production environment is another thing completely.

I would suggest you do a Google search for Virtual Server and download it. Configure yourself two trial versions of Server 2003 R2. You don't need an amazing computer for this, as it doesn't take much resources-wise. Save up a bit of cash, and purchase the Microsoft Press 70-290 book. Take a few months and get to know the OS you are attempting to get certified in.

dynamik

I agree. Hands-on in a virtual environment with the MS Press book. I didn't feel like the MS Press book had all the information I needed for the exam, so you should probably use another resource or two, but the walk-through exercises are great.

If you don't want to buy the book, do what I do, and sign up at http://safari.oreilly.com/ The plan I'm on is $40/month for unlimited access, but you can get cheaper plans if you just want to have access to a few books at once. You get access to any book from MS Press, Cisco Press, O'Reilly, and many other publishers. I threw out over $2k of out-dated tech books I'd acquired over the last 5 years; it made me sick. I couldn't even get libraries to take them.

rock360

I did have server 03 on this computer but the class moved on and installed vista and ubuntu. And now i just have ubuntu since the activation period ran out on vista. I think maybe i should just go ahead and install server again, i'll probably do that today maybe, do you think it would work if i just deleted the vista partition and installed server there, have it show up in grub correctly?

Anyways, i dont have much money, i have probably 300 or so and no job and im going to new york next week for Business professionals of america. I expect to get killed there, i qualified in ms server administration, cisco, and networking (like net+) and ive only been studying MS, for obvious reasons...(already have net+, ciscos too big and i'll get beat anyway) so that money will probably be spent on food because my teacher likes going to nice restaurants. I'll probably just continue my studying into the summer when i should have a job and everything.

I dunno, i need to do something in class..other than go through this crappy book again.

dynamik

I believe installing Server 2003 will overwrite grub, and you won't be able to access your Linux partition. Worse case, you'll have to reinstall linux, but there may be a way to repair it. Just make sure you back up anything important before playing around with that.

Virtual PC is free, and you can download a 180-day trial of Server 2003. If you don't activate it, you can use it for 30 (maybe 60) days and then just reinstall. That should be plenty of time to work through any exercises. The book is on sale at amazon.com for $35 http://www.amazon.com/MCSA-MCSE-Self-Paced-Training-70-290/dp/0735622892/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2704706-3087809?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177688767&sr=8-1

The only downside of Virtual PC is that you will need a Windows host machine to run it. The server version may not have this requirement though. I use VMWare, so I'm not that familiar with Virtual PC's capabilities.

rock360

well i dont have anything really on this computer i need to save, I think i would probably just install that at home though anyways. if i were to buy it. $35 aint too bad i might have to get it.

Everlife

dynamik wrote:

I believe installing Server 2003 will overwrite grub, and you won't be able to access your Linux partition. Worse case, you'll have to reinstall linux, but there may be a way to repair it. Just make sure you back up anything important before playing around with that.

Virtual PC is free, and you can download a 180-day trial of Server 2003. If you don't activate it, you can use it for 30 (maybe 60) days and then just reinstall. That should be plenty of time to work through any exercises. The book is on sale at amazon.com for $35 http://www.amazon.com/MCSA-MCSE-Self-Paced-Training-70-290/dp/0735622892/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2704706-3087809?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177688767&sr=8-1

The only downside of Virtual PC is that you will need a Windows host machine to run it. The server version may not have this requirement though. I use VMWare, so I'm not that familiar with Virtual PC's capabilities.

Great posts Dynamik. Yes, you would need a Windows box to run Virtual Server.

rock360

yea thanks

Turkenzar

It was kind of touched on, but just wanted to add\clarify that VMware has a free server edition as well - you can download that and get Windows flavors running on it within Ubuntu. I haven't gotten very deep experimenting with VMserver on ubuntu, but it will at least let you set up a virtual Windows box with NAT or with a bridged IP.

royal

Turkenzar wrote:

It was kind of touched on, but just wanted to add\clarify that VMware has a free server edition as well - you can download that and get Windows flavors running on it within Ubuntu. I haven't gotten very deep experimenting with VMserver on ubuntu, but it will at least let you set up a virtual Windows box with NAT or with a bridged IP.

The annoying this is you can't run the free edition with a Windows Vista host. You need Vmware Workstation to do that; which is not free.

Turkenzar

I prefer using a Linux host if possible, but it can be more work to set up. When I used a Windows host I think I just used the free version of Virtual PC and didn't bother with VMware.

My current Ubuntu\Linux with free Vmware server does everything I need it to - actually prefer it to using VPC on Windows, but then again I only use it for basic OS tests.