Lab Manuals

Hey all,

One thing I miss about doing Cisco certifications is there always seemed to be a lot of good lab manuals, whether they were free PDFs created by others or actual manuals you could purchase. Does anything like that exist for the MCITP? The only thing I could find was the MOAC lab stuff. Apparently you can't just buy the lab manuals and the bundles are a bit pricey.

I have a really nice tower at home with a bunch of VMs i've already created, I just need a manual, not a simulator.

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Comments

ericcumbee

i agree, the labs that are in the books are okay for introducing how to do something, but i dont feel like they are a good diagnostic of where you are at.

i wish they had some that were like
*configure AD
*configure dns with zone x y z
* create users abc using the users and computer snap in
* create users xyz with the other tools.
*etc etc

spartangtr

ericcumbee wrote: »

i agree, the labs that are in the books are okay for introducing how to do something, but i dont feel like they are a good diagnostic of where you are at.

i wish they had some that were like
*configure AD
*configure dns with zone x y z
* create users abc using the users and computer snap in
* create users xyz with the other tools.
*etc etc

I did manage to find something actually.

Amazon.com: 70-640, Lab Manual: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration with Lab Manual (Microsoft Official Academic Course Series) (9780470225080): Microsoft Official Academic Course: Books

Just ordered it, for $26 it's worth a shot. I'll let you know how it is. I wish I could preview some of the book.

drew2000

I agree, I generally find that good Microsoft Lab Manuals are hard to find. I find it hard to motivate myself to "create my own labs." I guess that is because when someone else writes the lab, you have know idea what tasks they are going to require.

I just bought the new Panek Sybex Book and am hopeful there are some decent labs in there. The RRAS labs at least seem to be decent.

Drew

MickQ

Odd. I thought I'd posted this here, but I guess not.

Take a look at the MS Test Lab Guides.
"Test lab guides (TLGs) allow you to get valuable hands-on experience with new products and technologies using a pre-defined and tested methodology that results in a working configuration. When you use a TLG to create a test lab, instructions define what servers to create, how to configure the operating systems and system services, and how to install and configure any additional products or technologies. A TLG experience enables you to see all of the components and the configuration steps on both the front-end and back-end that are required for a product or technology or for a multi-product or technology solution."

drew2000

Wow - those look useful. I am building the Base TLG right now.

Thanks,
Drew

spd3432

I've got that Sybex book and the exercises cannot be confused as labs (at least not in the 643 section), so I went back to Technet. Not all Microsoft labs are based on the TLG though. I updated the 643 sticky the other day with the links for the remote desktop services (formerly terminal services) labs from technet. I do know the DirectAccess lab on the the TLG link is very good for setting it up and seeing it work. Haven't checked any others. I picked up a book on administering Sharepoint 2010 and Sharepoint Foundation 2010 and am in the process of running through the labs in it Amazon.com: Beginning SharePoint 2010 Administration: Windows SharePoint Foundation 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 (Wrox Beginning Guides) (9780470597125): Göran Husman, Christian Ståhl: Books

Looking for useful WDS and IIS labs so any links for those would be appreciated.

Sean

drew2000

After working with the Test Lab Guides and the Sybex book, the TLG's are SO much better for hands-on. I printed 40 pages on Direct Access alone. I hope Microsoft releases more TLG's; they are great for hands-on.

Drew

QHalo

MickQ wrote: »

Odd. I thought I'd posted this here, but I guess not.

Take a look at the MS Test Lab Guides.
"Test lab guides (TLGs) allow you to get valuable hands-on experience with new products and technologies using a pre-defined and tested methodology that results in a working configuration. When you use a TLG to create a test lab, instructions define what servers to create, how to configure the operating systems and system services, and how to install and configure any additional products or technologies. A TLG experience enables you to see all of the components and the configuration steps on both the front-end and back-end that are required for a product or technology or for a multi-product or technology solution."

+1 to you sir. Nice