TS: Configuring Exchange 70-236

Mr.Bobster

Hi,
With regards to 70-236, Ive read on the forums that EMS commands are tested quite thouroughly(pardon the spelling), what might be the best way of studying how to use EMS commands (without possibility of making my exchange server blow up or something to that effect)?
I just dont know any alternatives apart from executing those in EMS but the prospect of stuffing the server up seems to get in the way for studying this, good thing there isnt a Destory-ExchangeServer cmdlet.

Anyways, I've looked at the EMS Quick Reference but the contents in that seems to be more or less trivial like Get-blah, New-blah, -Identity <blah>

Also, on the http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-236.mspx guide, it doesnt explicitly list any details on Unified Messaging, is it safe to assume that UM won't exist in 236 (or at least until its changed)?

I still have time to study for it as its being scheduled on the 22nd Jan so I probably need to spend most of it looking at EMS commands.

Thanks
Jason

hypnotoad

Microsoft offers a free VHD (Virtual Hard Drive) image of Exchange 07 for use with (free) Virtual Server. I have never used it though and I'm unsure of how it would have to be integrated with Active Directory.

CoryS

You are correct on the UM part... I had no questions related to that role.

From what I can remember on this test (took early in december) was that the EMS questions were understanding the syntax of the semi-common cmdlets.. something like get-mailboxstatistics -(make sure this part was accurate)... A lot of these questions can be deduced by logic as the syntax typically follows steps that we would perceive as something like 1 + 2 + 3 = 4

I would make sure and play around with policy cmdlets, and everything in regards to new user mailbox stuff..

.. I honestly think my pass originated from me setting up a lab and just going through each setting in EMC and then reviewing cmdlets that reflected the questions I had in my head in regards to adding more granular control over that which was in the EMC

My resources.
Exchange 2007 VM with HT, CAS, MB
Edge box, setup edge-sync got familiar with the whole process (easy)
Technet articles/msexchange team blox

... after I passed I bought Henrik Walthers book on "How to **** at Configuring Exchange 2007", which is an awesome book for those who are new to the game and would have probably really helped in me passing with a higher score.

dynamik

Mr.Bobster wrote:

thouroughly(pardon the spelling)

Firefox 2 has spell-check. You're not using... IE. Are you?

Mr.Bobster

Hmm, come to think of it, I have never thought about virtualisation for this, I might give it a try and hopefully will only blow up the VM or something.
Thanks

dynamik wrote:

Mr.Bobster wrote:

thouroughly(pardon the spelling)

Firefox 2 has spell-check. You're not using... IE. Are you?

Yes, I am using the infamous IE 7 I personally just can't stand Firefox

Mr.Bobster

I knew I'd blow something up in the process of studying for this exam lol

WARNING: Failed to update recipient "litwareinc.com/OUs/Users/HelpDesk/Anna
Bedecs". The following exception occurred: A proxy generator DLL on server
dc1.litwareinc.com could not be found or failed to initialize.  Proxy addresses
 for the current recipient cannot be calculated.  Please ensure that all the
proxy address generator DLLs have been installed on the target server..

And that message appears many many times for each recipient in the VHD's installation

CoryS

For what its worth, I used that VHD a while ago and I stopped using it in like 15 minutes.. Really if you have the hardware I would setup 3 VMs using VMServer from VMware. Setup one as a dc, one as Exchange, one as your Edge box. Use your WinXP Pro machine as the client and rock out, considering you can get the Trial software for the server part you shouldnt have to much of a problem there, its with the hardware. The VHD for virtualpc was a huge headache for me as well.

hypnotoad

Are you guys doing your training on 64 bit machines or just running the 32 bit version?

Mr.Bobster

Well, I do have the 64bit hardware available, I've had bad experiences with VMWare in the past, but i suppose that I can always give it a shot again, and maybe deploy 4 and set up clustering as well to see how that works. Hopefully, I wont mess anything up this time

dynamik

nlabelle wrote:

Are you guys doing your training on 64 bit machines or just running the 32 bit version?

I completely forgot the retail product is 64-bit only. That makes things interesting...

Has anyone tried the 32-bit test/lab version? Anyone know how to get access to it? It's apparently not available as a Technet subscriber download.

Mr.Bobster

The 32bit Exchange 2007 isnt in the Technet Subscriber Downloads (least as far as I can see) but I think you can get it as the evaluation from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=44C66AD6-F185-4A1D-A9AB-473C1188954C&displaylang=en but you may need to sign in with Windows Live ID thingy/Passport

As for the diaster recovery objective in exam, I've just practiced it on "proper" deployment not used for testing, it came as Exchange SP1 failed to install with various errors and I couldnt roll back nor go forward. One thing to remember, BACK UP your data (I forgot about it for some reason, but luckily, that was actually a new deployment without important data)

Hopefully, I can get some more practice with EMS and sit the exam on Tuesday well. Would they test on minor typos? Such as spelling -Identity wrong or something to that effect?

CoryS

spelling it wrong no, but similar wording (get-mailbox, as opposed to get-mailboxstatistics) something along those lines... its been a while already, but I think as long as you kind of run through them on your lab and do a get-help on the cmdlets that seem relevant as it relates to the exam topics then you will be good to go... Honestly it wasnt super hard as long as you just try and logically step by step read the answers they give you and determine which one actually reads right. The 238 is really the one to strap your boots on for

Mr.Bobster

Well, even if I pass 236, Im still not sure how to find time for 237,238 since I am a full time student and semester starts around March and I dont want all of my holidays spent studying.

I am totally stuck in a last-minute type panic/worry. I just don't know what to look at now that the exam is less than 24 hours away and that its been about half a year since my last MS exam to upgrade my MCDST

Mr.Bobster

Well, it seems that I failed
Although, after taking the exam, imo, I dont think there were that many questions on EMS (either that or I got lucky/unlucky as I mostly focused for EMS)

I got 643, and 700 (as usual) is needed to pass >.< I just don't know what to do now, and looking at the sectional results doesn't seem to help too much.

CoryS

damn dude, sorry to hear that, hopefully you can still apply the second shot thing and take it again for free? You are really really close to passing with that score, any ideas on where you went wrong? (i know those score sheets blow to interpret sometimes).... in any case, good luck on your next try!

Mr.Bobster

I'd say that I didnt expect those "Select from this list and place in order type questions" which I am still stunned by as it came as my first question and it froze me there for a minute in panic.

I didnt use the second shot (is this the Exam Insurance thing) but I've been using the Exam vouchers sent because of when there were "Substantial Delays" with the delivery of welcome kits, so the exam that I failed and the reschedule (possibly thursday if I can get off work) will be on the 2 vouchers received (one for my TS:Vista config, and one for my ITP: Enterprise Support Tech). So, the only expenses made for this exam so far is the bus fare to testing centre and the MS Press book

I can only hope I wont get sidetracked by playing CS Source as I do normally at home.
Back to studying this nasty piece of work

dynamik

Mr.Bobster wrote:

I'd say that I didnt expect those "Select from this list and place in order type questions" which I am still stunned by as it came as my first question and it froze me there for a minute in panic.

You might want to give Transcender a shot. They actually have these types of questions, along with sims, in their practice tests. You get a better feel for the exam than you do with the multiple choice questions in the books.

Mr.Bobster

With those questions, its not that Ive never seen them before, its just that it unexepectedly appeared, I have seen those exams and done simulations for my MCSA 2003 but its appearance in this exam has taken me by surprise. I've been using the nuggets and the MS Press study kit which has not failed me in previous exams.

I feel like "The Lone Server" now sigh.
But yea, I shall keep that in mind for the resources.
Thanks

Mr.Bobster

I've just been looking in this forum about Exchange 2003 and AD, it seems that in general, knowledge of AD seems to help with Exchange 2003 exams, now I know that Exchange 2007 is a lot more based on AD, and I have not done 294 or any of the other exams for MCSE as I stopped when I got MCSA.

I might schedule this one again for Friday (is 3 days for re-study too short? I know about MS's 14day retake policy after failing it twice)

Is not having such a deep knowledge of AD going to make a heavy impact on Exchange 2007 exams?
Edit:
Also, on the MeasureUp practice tests with the MS Press book CD, I am getting about 85% Pass on them, would that be suitable for taking the actual exam (again)? Just for comparison, I went to the exam with an average of about 77% on those tests.

Sorry for posting so much, I am just really frustrated about that failure.