Thinking about starting this cert..

INFOGRAPHIC: Do You Have What It Takes To Become An MCSA

I don't have any work expierence in IT so this infographic is quite off putting. How much truth would you say is in it?

Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2 seems to be one of the more recommended books. Is the Pearson cert guide any good too?

I also downloded the free 180 day server 2012 r2 demo a few months back, when this expires it is possible to uninstall / reinstall to get another 180 days? I'd rather use the real thing than a simulator so this would be a deal breaker for me since I'm not going to pay for the full OS as a student.

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Louie1277

I just passed the exam today.. I have that book but really didn't use it. I used other material just PM your email address and I will send you what I have...

Fulcrum45

Hey Louie, I'm looking to take the 70-410 next week. What did resources did you use to prep for this one?

Louie1277

Fulcrum45 wrote: »

Hey Louie, I'm looking to take the 70-410 next week. What did resources did you use to prep for this one?

Thanks!
What I used was the pluralsight website and read

MCSA 70-410 from Don Poulton/David Camardellaplus
MCSA Complete Study Guide from Sybex
Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2
Learn WIdows Powershell 3 in a month of lunches by Don Jones / Jeffery D. Hicks.

Fulcrum45

Louie1277 wrote: »

Thanks!
What I used was the pluralsight website and read

MCSA 70-410 from Don Poulton/David Camardellaplus
MCSA Complete Study Guide from Sybex
Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2
Learn WIdows Powershell 3 in a month of lunches by Don Jones / Jeffery D. Hicks.

Nice list! I have the Don Poulton book and have been using the ITProTV videos to supplement. Thanks for the info. Congrats, btw!

AvgITGeek

I used basically everything Louie1277 used:
MCSA 70-410 from Don Poulton/David Camardellaplus
Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2
Learn Windows Powershell 3 in a month of lunches by Don Jones / Jeffery D. Hicks. (I didn't read it all, only the first couple of chapters)
I also have a subscription to PluralSight too.

@WastedHat: Yeah, you can keep reinstalling the evaluation version of Windows Server 2012R2 as many times as you want. It just needs internet access to activate the 180 Day License. I worked in a smaller shop (around 80 or so end users and 8 servers) and the highest we got was Server 2008R2. All of my experience with 2012R2 was in a lab\testing environment until I started my new job last month. Now I'm getting my hands on it in production with some customers having hundreds of users and 30 or so servers. The majority of them are still on 2008R2 but are in the process of migrating to 2012R2.

thatguy67

Louie1277 wrote: »

I just passed the exam today..

Congrats!!!

WastedHat

AvgITGeek wrote: »

I used basically everything Louie1277 used:
MCSA 70-410 from Don Poulton/David Camardellaplus
Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2
Learn WIdows Powershell 3 in a month of lunches by Don Jones / Jeffery D. Hicks. (I didn't read it all, only the first couple of chapters)
I also have a subscription to PluralSight too.

@WastedHat: Yeah, you can keep reinstalling the evaluation version of Windows Server 2012R2 as many times as you want. It just needs internet access to activate the 180 Day License. I worked in a smaller shop (around 80 or so end users and 8 servers) and the highest we got was Server 2008R2. All of my experience with 2012R2 was in a lab\testing environment until I started my new job last month. Now I'm getting my hands on it in production with some customers having hundreds of users and 30 or so servers. The majority of them are still on 2008R2 but are in the process of migrating to 2012R2.

Thats a relief! Sounds like a sweet gig, so is a lot of the server 2012 knowledge is backwards compatible to 2008?

AvgITGeek

WastedHat wrote: »

Thats a relief! Sounds like a sweet gig, so is a lot of the server 2012 knowledge is backwards compatible to 2008?

For the 410, I'd get the Pearson Book and use TechNet (and whatever resources you have).

As far as being backwards compatible, I'd say yes. Server 2012R2 has added new features that you will need to know about. Check TechNet for those. If you only know 2012R2 you could get around in 2008R2 and possibly 2008. You would have to hunt around a bit to find things but from an AD Administration standpoint (creating users/groups/shares/GPOs/permissions, etc) not much has changed in my experience. I had to troubleshoot a GPO the other day for a customer that was on 2008R2 and used GP Modeling and RSOP to track down the problem. It works the same way in 2012R2.

naldicate

Louie1277 wrote: »

I just passed the exam today.. I have that book but really didn't use it. I used other material just PM your email address and I will send you what I have...

Hello!
I've just passed the Windows 7 70-680 certification. I'm studying this 70-410, I have the Sybex book and the Don Poulton, I'm using a lot of the material on tech net but any help would be very appreciated.