70-284 Boredom...

Bored of this... I went and scheduled it for Sunday. I read the Sybex book and the videos from www.vtc.com. Realistically only been studying since mid October. But I've put a lot of time in the lab.

I figure with the second shot offer, it might just be fun.

The last of our clients are moving off Exchange 2003 I hear, so I need to jump on the 2007 bandwagon and not waste anymore time on the 70-284.

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rjbarlow

Good luck for Your exam and yes, also me I am finding this one very boring and really hope to take it prior to Christmas vacations. Let us know how it went.

Daniel333

Failed it, but it was close. I can honestly say the Sybex book was horrible, with very little resemblance to the exam. I'll be picking up the Microsoft Press book and a book on Exchange 5.5 before going back.

Also need to get a copy of Exchange 5.5 which I think I can snag from work.

I was rated stong in every catagory. Just some after thoughts here...

DNS - more DNS here than even in the 70-291.

Lotus Notes - There were at least 4 questions that asked about Lotus notes. You can probably get away with not setting up a Lotus connector, but I am not going to recommend it.

Firewalls - Internal and external, know every service and port for every possible role an Exchange server will use. I noticed about 10-15 different services you had to know on the Exam itself.

ISA Server - you will be asked some pretty intimimate specfics for ISA server.

Exchange 5.5 - Here is what I screwed myself, I tried to get away with not setting this up on some bum advice. But mistake, yuo MUST know Exchange 5.5 very well. Set it up, live it, breathe it.

Routing - If you don't have at least your CCNA level knowledge on routing you'll be in trouble.

Design - Although not a design exam, at least 20% of the questions were directly related to design and best practice. From having looked ahead at 70-285 I can see that these are very related.

Computer locked up 3 times. Gonna go drink a beer and take a week off and come back to this.

royal

Hey Daniel, sorry to hear you failed.

As for what you stated:

DNS - Yes there was quite a few DNS questions if I recall correctly.

Lotus Notes - I don't remember any lotus notes but it's been a while since I did the exam.

Firewalls - Yes, you need to know ports. Here are the 2 sites I have bookmarked for Exchange ports. One is for Exchange 2003 and one is for 2007. I'd bookmark both just for future reference.
Exchange 2003: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124075(EXCHG.65).aspx
Exchange 2007: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb331973.aspx

ISA - don't remember too much for ISA other than it is recommended to have FE inside internal network and use ISA to proxy to it.

Exchange 5.5 - Yes, this is a difficult topic for many doing the 284. When you run Setup for Exchange 2003, it'll provide you with guides on how to install Exchange 2003 into a 5.5 site. Key things to learn is how the Active Directory Connector (ADC) works and what the Site Replication Service (SRS) is.

Routing - Read some/all of the Exchange 2003 routing guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C092B7A7-9034-4401-949C-B29D47131622&displaylang=en

You'll get it next time, good luck!

Daniel333

thanks for the info Royal. I am sure I'll dominate it next time.

royal

Don't forget the webcast series on Exchange 2003 (14 part series):
http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/tnexchangeserver2003.aspx

rjbarlow

Sorry to hear You failed Daniel, but indeed this exam is very troublesome, I hope You booked it with the second shot offer, so You can retake it safely and slay it.

Royal, I would thank You for all the references You are able to indicate, are very precious.

Daniel333

Oh yeah, wouldn't have taken it if it wasn't for the second shot offer!

And those links are awesome for anyone taking this test.

jetfan

Daniel thanks for the heads up, I've been studying for this one for about 2 months nearly, can't wait to get it done and move on, good luck on you're retake.

rjbarlow

Failed me too yesterday for little (first time for me), I think for about 3 questions.
Must say that this exam tested me in a manner that I was not expecting at all, in fact I did not know what type of questions I would have had to face.
Many questions strictly related on designing Organizations and requesting a tricky knowledge about AD interaction with Exchange servers, DNS, routing, VPNs, NAT and more, often in the same question, other than Exchange components as connectors (for irony connectors are not covered in the MS-Press book).
DNS is tested, but not as the same manner as 291, only (if it can be said) in function on resolving problems of an Exchange Organization.
I do not forget even some questions on ISA server.
After all I thought to pass for a little, but instead was the inverse. See newly this typo next in the new year. I need to rest for a while.

blargoe

MS Press sucks for this test.

The stuff that tripped you up on this exam is what trips most people up. You'll get it next time.

b

Daniel333

I gotta say the Sybex book is no better either. I have my questions more or less scribbled down from after I failed the exams (don't ask me, I won't share them) and neither the Microsoft Press or Sybex book covered any of this.

I started in on the 70-285 video for the heck of it at www.vtc.com and I was shocked to see it there! A lot of the items that were plain not coved by Microsoft Press, Sybex and the CBTNugget series were in the next book.

So I am going through skimming the 70-285 for a few weeks and I'll go back and take the 284 again. Pretty sure I'll do alright now that I have seen the style of question I am up against. (look nothing like what is any major text book!)

The links posted adove are amazing! Probably more exam accurate information there, than in the texts.

rjbarlow

Daniel333 wrote:

I gotta say the Sybex book is no better either. I have my questions more or less scribbled down from after I failed the exams (don't ask me, I won't share them) and neither the Microsoft Press or Sybex book covered any of this.

Agree on what You said about the Sybex book, I must say anyway that never I asked You to share with me Your questions, such as: "if You tell me Your questions, I tell You the mine", just if You would like discussing with me some questions that we found in the respective exams. I never pointed to have Your questions, but over all discussing with one other person. If I wanted to know the questions anticipately I knew what to buy, do You know?
I think You could well answer to my p.m. instead of answering this way not very happy.

Bye bye.

rj