Mastering Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2: Review

earweed

I'll be entering a few posts here as I go through tha book and entering my opinion as I go. So far it really looks like it has been put together not as a certification study guide but for someone who needs to learn Server 2008 R2 for work (which is probaly a good thing)
I've read the first 2 chapters and have gone through the detailed Table of Contents to better gage how the book is put together. A lot of the chapters which should be grouped together are seperated for some reason Example Remote Desktop Services are dealt with in Chapter 14 and chapter 25, Active Directory subjects are spread throughout the book.
Another thing that is missing (which is going to be covered on the 2008 R2 exam) is Sharepoint Foundation. The book covers Sharepoint 3.0 and does a much better job of explaining it than the MS Press for Server 2008 does.
Storage which I can tell you is going to be covered on the exam to a greater extent than the MS Press Training kit covered it is mentioned in different sections of the book.
The book, from what I can tell so far, gives a really good amount of space to Hyper-V and what can be done with it.
That's all for now, I'll be making more comments as I do my 2-3 week remediation journey to retake the exam.

EDIT: From the looks of it this book will really benefit those people who use it for the 70-640 and 70-642 a lot more than for the 70-643.
Also looking forward to reading the chapters that Darril Gibson Contributed to the book. Those that are of my main interest are the 2 Remote Desktop Services chapters. He contributed Chapters 6,10, 13,14,17, 20-22, 25.

EDIT***** This review will be very 70-643 Centric since that is what I am using it for **************

###### Anyone wishing to add whatever opinions they have of the book are more than welcome##########

earweed

First entry: Deploying Servers

Deployment - the book put about 20 pages dealing with deployment and nothing really amazingly different from the MS Press Training kit for Server 2K8.
It doesn't cover areas of the skills measured: Capture Windows deployment Services Images, dynamic driver provisioning; PXE provider; multicasting; VHD deployment
The unleashed book does a better job withh this but I still recommend using the MS Press Book as the primary source for deployment.


Configure Microsoft Windows activation: Not in one centralized location. Best to use the MS Press Training kit or Sybex for this area of study. Not covered very well in the unleashed book either.

Configure Windows Server Hyper-V and virtual machines: Chapter 29 does a fairly good job with this. Does a good job of explaining Virtual networking. Also provides (a little, not thoroughly explained) what storage to use and why. Probably better suited while studying for the 70-646/647.
The unleashed book does a really good job on this area.

Configure High availability: Not covered real well. Gives some info in the Hyper-V chapter.
Covered really well in the unleashed book.


Configure Storage: Not covered real well. Gives some info in the Hyper-V chapter. The unleashed book doesn't give a lot of coverage to this except intertwined with the high availability chapter. Covered more thoroughly than the Mastering R2 book.

earweed

Second Entry: Configuring Remote Desktop Services

I had this all prepared to show how the book covered the individual pieces but after reading it discovered that all the pieces fit together. The book does a good job in explaining RDS and how all the pieces fit together. It put what you can do with the individual parts and explained how you would utilize them in the real world not just in a lab setting and not just as disjointed pieces like the MS Press book portrays it.
One thing I wish the author (TE Member Darril Gibson wrote the RDS chapters) had gone into more was RD Virtualization Host which is a totally new role service to R2 and is something which I feel is going to be utilized a great deal in the future.

earweed

Configuring a Web Services Infrastructure
The book still does a good job of showing what is new in IIS 7.5 and still covers 7.0 quite a bit while specifying the changes.
The chapter starts out as if you are a complete novice (which many may be) and tells you how to script a static html web page. It goes well into the new features of Server 2008 as well as 2008 R2 so this is a really good study for IIS for the new tests. It extensively specifies the changes to IIS and even includes a very large section on how to use server core as your web server. Very good from start to finish.
Thus far I highly recommend getting this book not only as a supplement to the MS Press book but f(or the experienced Admin who needs to learn 2008 R2) as a replacement.

Network Application services:

First off it doesn't cover streaming services at all so be sure you have perused the links of Claymoore for added knowledge of streaming media. The MS book barely prepared me for this section of the exm and the Sybex was useless.
The new exam does state that we are using Sharepoint Foundation 2010 and this book doesn't cover it. There isn't a lot really new with Sharepoint though. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ee518670.aspx

BlueEyedSamurai

Just curious if anyone has read (Amazon.com: Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed (9780672330926): Rand Morimoto, Michael Noel, Omar Droubi, Ross Mistry, Chris Amaris: Books) and the one Earweed is reviewing and could compare the two?

I am currently reading Windows Server 2008 (Amazon.com: Windows Server 2008 Unleashed (9780672329302): Rand Morimoto, Michael Noel, Omar Droubi, Ross Mistry, Chris Amaris: Books) and really think it was well done.

-Samurai

Bl8ckr0uter

I am actually going to order this book in the coming weeks. I am glad you are writing about it since my first MS exam is likely to be 640

earweed

I'm thinking about getting the Unleashed book in a week or 2. From the detailed TOC it looks like it'll be pretty good. It looks like it'll have a slightly different approach to the material than the mastering book does.

Bl8ckr0uter

earweed wrote: »

I'm thinking about getting the Unleashed book in a week or 2. From the detailed TOC it looks like it'll be pretty good. It looks like it'll have a slightly different approach to the material than the mastering book does.

What did do you use for 640?

earweed

The MS press training kit, Sybex, and Labsim

erpadmin

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I am actually going to order this book in the coming weeks. I am glad you are writing about it since my first MS exam is likely to be 640

You should do the 642 first, as you have a networking background/understanding thanks to your CCNA. If you can knock the 70-642 out first, the 640 will be even more cake for you.

Bl8ckr0uter

erpadmin wrote: »

You should do the 642 first, as you have a networking background/understanding thanks to your CCNA. If you can knock the 70-642 out first, the 640 will be even more cake for you.

I was just thinking about doing 640 first because it matches exactly what I am going. I took my test ESXI server home from work and I am going to build a test domain later today. Then I am going to use this book to help me go and build some a test gp for windows 7:

Amazon.com: Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security, and the Managed Desktop (978047058185: Jeremy Moskowitz: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

earweed

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I was just thinking about doing 640 first because it matches exactly what I am going. I took my test ESXI server home from work and I am going to build a test domain later today. Then I am going to use this book to help me go and build some a test gp for windows 7:

Amazon.com: Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security, and the Managed Desktop (978047058185: Jeremy Moskowitz: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

That should be a good book as Group policy is big on the 640. I took the 83-640 so your test, if you take it, will have more questions. The 640 will also give you some practice with Certificate services too.

Bl8ckr0uter

earweed wrote: »

that should be a good book as group policy is big on the 640. I took the 83-640 so your test, if you take it, will have more questions. The 640 will also give you some practice with certificate services too.

83-640? Oh I see. That test was "suspended"

za3bour

earweed wrote: »

I'm thinking about getting the Unleashed book in a week or 2. From the detailed TOC it looks like it'll be pretty good. It looks like it'll have a slightly different approach to the material than the mastering book does.

I have it finally, it arrived yesterday and I've been reading it since. I love it it's full of details very big though (more than 1600 pages)

RobertKaucher

BlueEyedSamurai wrote: »

Just curious if anyone has read (Amazon.com: Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed (9780672330926): Rand Morimoto, Michael Noel, Omar Droubi, Ross Mistry, Chris Amaris: Books) and the one Earweed is reviewing and could compare the two?

I am currently reading Windows Server 2008 (Amazon.com: Windows Server 2008 Unleashed (9780672329302): Rand Morimoto, Michael Noel, Omar Droubi, Ross Mistry, Chris Amaris: Books) and really think it was well done.

-Samurai

When I took the MCITP Server Admin exams it was March of 2008 and the exams had just gone live. There were literally 3 books on Server 2008 and I used the Unleashed book as my entire print study material. It was excellent. I can only imagine the update for R2 is just as awesome.

earweed

RobertKaucher wrote: »

. I was excellent.

And so modest...j/k

RobertKaucher

earweed wrote: »

And so modest...j/k

Sheeeets. I fixed it.

crrussell3

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I was just thinking about doing 640 first because it matches exactly what I am going. I took my test ESXI server home from work and I am going to build a test domain later today. Then I am going to use this book to help me go and build some a test gp for windows 7:

Amazon.com: Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security, and the Managed Desktop (978047058185: Jeremy Moskowitz: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

Thats a pretty good book. I just picked it up and started reading it today. Already about 200 pages in. Depending on your skill level, these first are pretty much review, but still worth a good skim and read in certain parts.

Bl8ckr0uter

crrussell3 wrote: »

Thats a pretty good book. I just picked it up and started reading it today. Already about 200 pages in. Depending on your skill level, these first are pretty much review, but still worth a good skim and read in certain parts.

My skill level is noob level so hopefully it will help me design a gpo scheme for our windows 7 machines.

earweed

Just bumping this up as I added comments about the IIS coverage.
The book is really good but is lacking labs/exercises so the old MS Press and Sybex books will have to do for those but lab with R2 so you can note the differences. Then after reading this book make your own labs.
Maybe someone here on TE could come up with some good labs for R2.

RobertKaucher

earweed wrote: »

Maybe someone here on TE could come up with some good labs for R2.

I think it is a good idea to use your testprep software in creating labs. Each question has a scenario that you can build on. In fact each answer within the question could potentially be a mini-lab.

earweed

I actually used transcender to help me lab Server core as it was so command line centric.
Don't have much time this week as I'm participating in a PC rollout. That is actually some hard work, but I enjoyed it and got some new experience.

[Deleted User]

I've been enjoying this post quite a bit. I just began reading this book a couple of days ago. I've only finished the Introductory chapter and the installing chapter. I really love the writing style of this book, it is very real world. I feel like I'm going to learn A LOT from reading this book alone. I am also glad that I am diving into it before I get into the nitty gritty with the MSPress books. +1 on the stuff you've posted thus far if I could do that.. apparently I have a liking for the comments of many people here. We need more contributors on this site so I can rep everyone more often!

erpadmin

I too have enjoyed this thread as well as comments by all. I am inspired to get my first MS exam taken (and passed) by either next month or December. (The first MS exam ever in my over 13 years of IT experience....it's about time. ). I was debating with myself whether to get the reviewed book in Kindle format or hardcopy (one would be free, the other not-so-much, until I wait for my free Amazon gift card). I have gone with the Kindle, but I won't get it until I'm done with the last English class.

My own thread (EA experiences) will be started this week as it looks like I'll be done with my English component of WGU. I would like to go the za3bour route of doing each MS exam once a month. Personally, that may not happen, but I will give it a legitimate shot. But he did inspire me to try as do many others on TE. One thing I keep telling myself is that this is not a race, but I would like to keep my deadline of being done with the EA cert by 2011 and be degreed by 2012.

The review is pretty awesome, EW. Keep doing what you're doing. I will continue reading with great interest!

[Deleted User]

No test today?

za3bour

erpadmin wrote: »

]. I would like to go the za3bour route of doing each MS exam once a month. Personally, that may not happen, but I will give it a legitimate shot. But he did inspire me to try as do many others on TE. One thing I keep telling myself is that this is not a race, but I would like to keep my deadline of being done with the EA cert by 2011 and be degreed by 2012.

Appreciate this, my next exam is next Thursday I haven't found it hard to study and it's been indeed less than a month. I'm currently in a 3 days vacation no study just fun already finished the MS book. I'm now playing with Windows 2008 R2 unleached book and doing some final review.

I hope no surprises for this exam (643) if passed I'm planning to finish 647 ASAP , If I could finish it in Nov that would be awesome.

Will take December a full break then back in January probably for a Exchange series or if I did travel to KSA (to start a new job) then some very new plans will be on the way.

If you just organized your plan I'm sure you can do it in the time frame you set.

earweed

Just ordered the unleashed book to go along with this book. I'll have it Tuesday so I'll be commenting on that book as well.

earweed

Just got the unleashed book. So far I know that this book covers Sharepoint 3.0 just like the Mastering book does and doesn't cover the newer Sharepoint Foundations 2010. The unleashed book does do a good job explaining Windows Media Services.
The unleashed book doesn't cover IIS 7.5 at all.

za3bour

earweed wrote: »

Just got the unleashed book. So far I know that this book covers Sharepoint 3.0 just like the Mastering book does and doesn't cover the newer Sharepoint Foundations 2010. The unleashed book does do a good job explaining Windows Media Services.
The unleashed book doesn't cover IIS 7.5 at all.

Oh man it does look under Part III Networking Services -->Internet Information Services as for Sharepoint Foundations I think it was released in May so it's not easy to find books about it.

earweed

za3bour wrote: »

Oh man it does look under Part III Networking Services -->Internet Information Services as for Sharepoint Foundations I think it was released in May so it's not easy to find books about it.

Thanks, I totally missed it. I hope it does a better job than the Mastering book with explaining it.
For the Sharepoint Foundation 2010 everyone just has to rely on the technet articles for info.

erpadmin

earweed wrote: »

Thanks, I totally missed it. I hope it does a better job than the Mastering book with explaining it.
For the Sharepoint Foundation 2010 everyone just has to rely on the technet articles for info.

There can't be that much difference between 3.0 and 2010 that would stop you from trudging along, IMHO.

I am sure that if you are trying to test some sort of functionality, the 3.0 stuff would still be valid and if for some reason you couldn't Technet could explain it.

Foundations 2010 just came out (a few months ago) so it wouldn't be widely adopted in Sharepoint shops. (Not many are early adopters....)

I am sure you'll be fine, buddy.