my way to MCITP: EA

hackmer

Hello everybody. In this thread I will try to keep a diary about my way to MCITP:EA
I've begun with 70-643(Application Infrastructure) Why? May be application side more closer to me)
For preparation I've read:
"70-643 - Configuring Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure. Self Paced Training Kit"
"Mastering Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2"(Only that was necessary for exam)
"Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed"(Only that was necessary for exam) besides
"Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services Resource Kit"(has not read up)
"Internet Information Services(IIS)7.0 Resource Kit"has not read up)

earweed

Good luck on your journey and welcome to TE.
Have you already taken the 643 or just getting ready to take it? your cert list says you already have it but your post looks like you're studying for it. Looks like you chose to start with the hardest of the bunch. The 643 took me 4 tries to pass.

hackmer

don't know why, but i have a little problems with replying here (my Mozilla don't wanna open reply window:D)
I have started to write the previous message in the yesterday's morning, before going on examination.
And now I'm already done my 643 with 768/1000 (55 questions, 2h 20m)
Many questions were from storage and virtualization(disk management in particular).
technet.microsoft.com veeery-very helped me in my preparation
I know that I love IIS(and all application infrastructure together):)
Next is 642 exam(March)
Sorry for my bad English, guys

earweed

Congrats on getting that done first try. It's a tough test. I had zero experience with everything on it except for what I labbed on my server I built for labbing. The 642 is probably the easiest of the first 3 IMO so you should be OK with that one.
I really hated IIS and that was my main weak point on the tests.

cisco_nerd

Congrats on getting 643! and Welcome to the forums!

What are you using as your lab? im looking at starting my EA journey some time this year aswell and at the moment looking into what equipment i may need to buy or upgrade..

hackmer

cisco_nerd wrote: »

Congrats on getting 643! and Welcome to the forums!

What are you using as your lab? im looking at starting my EA journey some time this year aswell and at the moment looking into what equipment i may need to buy or upgrade..

my PC is:
AMD Athlon X64 5000+ and only 2Gb of RAM. I could run only 1 VM, but for labs I used my second PC in LAN.
I don't think that you must have too much machines for this exam(643).
2 PCs is enough. Yeah, for every changed settings of IIS/RDS/WDS you must check it anew.
The more machines - the better.
For example, for 1 web site you apply SSL,for 2th only with digest auth, third form auth and etc.
Now if you have only 1 VM, to check all of auth forms you can create 3 user account in AD and check all features. There is one problem - logon as first user, log off, logon as second user, log off etc.
Now I prepare to 642(In plans to pass exam to the middle of March).
p.s.
I'm a student and can't buy expensive hardware
But now I have 4Gb RAM:D
Once again I'm sorry for my English
p.s.s.
By the way, after this exam I have good ideas(IT infrastructure automation), but they could not be realised in a place where I live

hackmer

Ok, after 2 month from my first exam I schedule 73-642 to 7th of April.
For prep I use :
"70-642 Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure" (J.C Mackin and Tony Northrup) Self-Placed Training Kit;
"Windows Server 2008 Networking and Network Access Protection (NAP)" (Joseph Davies and Tony Northrup);
CBT Nuggets;
technet.microsoft.com;
Certification Review: Microsoft Network Infrastructure MCTS / MCITP Certification
For subnetting I used:
Subnetting a Class B network address | TechRepublic (really not assured, that 642 contain question about subnetting like this (how many subnets/hosts,broadcast addressess etc). But it is good one for me (after EA I'm going to CCNA).
-
P.S.
Oh, STUDENTS! Get a FREE Microsoft Certification Exam
642 will be my free exam (with second shot)

P.S.S
After 2 weeks from my first exam prometric sent to me my free exam retake voucher
I love this guys...

hackmer

Pass 642 with 866 this morning:)
It was not so difficult as I thought.
Anybody know, is it very-very big mistake, if in my first exam my last name was Smith (for example), but on second exam - Smit?
And how can I correct it?
P.S.
By the way, I was mistaken about subnetting.
Had 5 questions, something like:
"Which mask must you use if your organization must have 100 addresses?"
"Your org have 3 segment, segA-30 PCs, segB-180PCs, etc."
etc.

earweed

Congrats on the great score!

spd3432

hackmer wrote: »

Pass 642 with 866 this morning:)
It was not so difficult as I thought.
Anybody know, is it very-very big mistake, if in my first exam my last name was Smith (for example), but on second exam - Smit?
And how can I correct it?
P.S.
By the way, I was mistaken about subnetting.
Had 5 questions, something like:
"Which mask must you use if your organization must have 100 addresses?"
"Your org have 3 segment, segA-30 PCs, segB-180PCs, etc."
etc.

Hackmer,

Congrats on the pass!

To correct the name generally means a call to Prometric client support team. If the ID number was the same on both sessions, then it'll be easier for them. I had similar issue a year or so back. Wasn't able to schedule online and had to call testing center. Person I spoke with didn't understand me and didn't find my existing record so created a new one. I showed up to test, we contacted Prometric, I tested under the new record, then they did a record merge that night. Next time I tested, when I was at the testing site, they pulled my record up and only the one record with all tests was listed.

Sean

PS -- I had similar subnetting questions to those, but since I'd seen so many of that type before, I never gave them a second thought, knowing I'd at least gotten them right.

hackmer

Unfortunately IDs different. But thank you. I'll try to contact with prometric support.
Thank you, guys!

ITVince

thanks for the free exam voucher link I still have my @edu account

TimTheEnchantor

Isn't the Academic exams not counted toward MCITP? Or did I just read it for MCSE/MCSA?

Example: http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcsa-mcse-windows-2003-general/22005-072-series-exams.html

Still not very specific.

Edit: Just checked Prometric's website, they have equiv MCITP tracks. I guess it does work, but mix and match 070->072? Not sure.

hackmer

You can take one 72, one 73, and three 70 prefix exams and after all Microsoft just give you your EA
Difference only in price. For students there are discounts.

hackmer

MCPHelp@microsoft. com have helped me, and my profile will be corrected in two days.
Thank's to all!

MickQ

Nice one Hackmer! Keep on rolling like that!

To answer your subnetting question:
think in powers of 2 (2^2=4, 2^8=256)

for 100PCs on one subnet, you need at least 2^7=128.
power:....7 .....6 .....5 .....4 .....3 .....2 .....1 .....0
binary:....1 ......0 .....0 .....0 .....0 ....0 .....0 ......0
dinary:..128 ...64 ...32 ..16 .....8 ....4 .....2 ......1
mask:.. 128 .192 ..224 .240 .248 .252 .254 .255
slash:..../25 ../26 ../27 ./28 ../29 ../30 ../31 ../32

the binary gives you a subnet mask of 255.255.255 .128 (also /25)
Also,
255.255.255.255
- 255.255.255.128
= 128 addresses
then subtract 2 for your network and your broadcast = 126 usable addresses for hosts on that subnet.

40 hosts would be 255.255.255.192 (/26)

200 hosts would be 255.255.255.0 (/24)

2 hosts would be the popular 255.255.255.252 (/30)

Does that help?

hackmer

Thank you, MickQ.
But for subnetting I was prepared very well, as I think.
How Jeremy Cioara spoke "for CCNA you must can do everything with subnetting for 20 seconds" (from CBT Nuggets). He was veeery good trainer for me.

MickQ

So true! I was dreading that exam, studied hard for 2 years, then was surprised how straightforward it was. All that study paid off well.
Have you done your CCNA yet?

hackmer

EA will be my first professional cert
I plan to take CCNA after MCITP:EA
My global plans to the next three years is EA, CCNA, MCDBA, LPIC, aaand...don't know what then (surely English language).
May be CCIE, or Microsoft Architect (in future)
What could you advise (seriously)?

MickQ

Good plan.
My advice? Go with what you enjoy. Go with what keeps you interested in playing with it. Go with what you're good at and comes easily to you.

You will probably want to get a degree in something too. I'm self-employed and most of my customers, from the government down to home users, are happy enough that I've got so many years of experience with what I do that they look at my skills rather than certs.
A few people wanted to see some kind of certification, so I showed them my degree, and that kept them happy. I've sat my exams so that now I can show the vendor certs too, just in case someone asks for them. Maybe I've just been lucky so far

You're probably going to try for a job in a company. The more certs you have, the better you'll appear on your CV. Just remember that you MUST get good experience too before you should expect to get a job as anything more than a junior in the position. There aren't really any exceptions to this, except maybe the helpdesk.
As for picking the company, take your time with the job hunting (if possible). If you get into a good company, stay with them as long as is comfortable to show future employers that you don't jump from one to another before your feet have touched the ground. They'll be more likely to invest in you and support your training plans. Maybe you could study for a degree at night? That's what I'm planning to do for my MSc.

hackmer

Hello, guys.
Does anybody heare about Microsoft Learning Rewards program (Microsoft Learning Rewards) ?
What difference between voucher, which I can generate there and Prometric Services: Testing and Assessment this?

hackmer

I can't believe it, but today I fail my 640 exam with 640 .
I was sure that I have 900 and more.
Oooh, shhhit... Where is my second shot

cyberguypr

Sorry to hear. What gave you the confidence of being close to 900? What resources did you use to study?

hackmer

Hello, everybody!
More than a year has passed, as I failed 70-640
since was read a lot of books, it was a lot of practice working in the system integrator. Today I passed the 70-640 with 858. I did it
There were a lot of questions on the CA, Group Policys, and some from DNS (conditional forwarding, zone types, replication scope, etc).
Next: 70-646 (December)
Unfortunately, Enterprise Administrator and Server Administrator equated to MCSA: Sever Administrator 2008 and I do not see any reason to take 70-680 and 70-647.
The future plans, I decided to move towards 'virtualization': MCSE: Private Cloud, VCP5, Citrix CCA (at least) and may be something from Storage Systems (NetApp CIE-SAN?!?). Yes, looks ambitious, but there is a desire (as increasing salary from my employer:D and a huge craze in this area (it's First, of course:D)
Welcome back to my journey

Ivanjam

Congrats, hackmer, great score!

nosoup4u

Congrats! Taking 640 next week so I can get the ball rolling before the 643 and 647 go the way of the dodo

Lunchbocks

Congrats on the pass. The 640 is a beast of an exam, glad to hear you are through it.