Chapter 4. Exam 70-291 Overview | MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell: The required 70: 290, 291, 293 and 294 Exams (In a Nutshell (OReilly))

Exam 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure is designed to cover the skills necessary to manage the internal and external networking needs of a medium to large organization. Although you certainly do not need to be Cisco certifiedi.e., a CCNA or CCNEto pass this exam, a strong understanding of network architecture and TCP/IP networking is essential to your success. Consider these areas as the essential background details that, although not specifically tested, will make or break your exam.

The exam itself focuses on measuring your Microsoft networking skills. You need to know how to configure and troubleshoot TCP/IP addressing. You need to know DHCP and DNS in extensive detail. With DHCP, the ability to configure and manage leases, relays, reservations, and scopes are all part of the core skills measured. You'll also need to be able to diagnose and resolve issues related to incorrect configurations of TCP/IP, DHCP, and Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). With DNS, everything from installation to configuration, management, and monitoring is covered. You'll need to know how to configure zones, forwarding, and server options, and be able to use monitoring to troubleshoot DNS issues.

Other areas of the exam cover network security, routing, and remote access. Both basic and advanced skills are tested, including IP connectivity, remote access management, TCP/IP routing, and IP security (IPSec).

Some of the most common problem areas for people taking the exam have to do with:

Network security: Requires creating and working with security templates as well as monitoring security compliance. You need to have very good knowledge of how Security Configuration Management is used and what happens when security templates are applied.
Network protocol security: This is a big area of study. You must know IPSec and Kerberos very well. You must be able to use Netsh to configure and manage IPSec. You must be able to capture network traffic, use Kerberos tools, and track IPSec traffic.
Remote access: For the exam, you are expected to know how to implement, manage, and maintain remote access. Router-to-router Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Internet Authentication Service (IAS) aren't something administrators typically work with on a daily basis. More typically, administrators have experience with the initial setup and little experience with the actual troubleshooting, or vice versa, especially in large organizations with multiple levels of help desk support.

To be prepared for Exam 70-291, you should have 6-12 months experience working with a Microsoft network preferably as a network administrator or in a capacity where you can get equivalent experience. You should have strong familiarity with networking concepts, and a good start is getting your CompTIA Security+ certification. (You can use a CompTIA Security+ certification as an elective for MCSA certification and for MCSE certification.)

I very much recommend setting up your own test network in which you implement and put to use routing and remote access. Preferably, your test environment will involve simulated/real outside in access over multiple routers as well as inside out access. You should have recently studied a Windows Server 2003 administrator's book, taken a training course, or completed a self-paced training kit that covers the related areas of study. You will then be ready to use the Exam 70-291 Study Guide in this book as your final exam preparation.

Tip: Exam 70-291 is a required exam for both MCSAs and MCSEs. For MCSAs, it is the second of two required networking system exams. For MCSEs, it is the second of four required networking system exams. If you are a current MCSA on Windows 2000, you need to pass Exam 70-292 to upgrade your certification to Windows Server 2003. If you are a current MCSE on Windows 2000, you need to pass Exam 70-292 and Exam 70-296 to upgrade your certification to Windows Server 2003. Skills measured by Exam 70-292, representing a subset of Exams 70-290 and 70-291, are indicated in this exam overview sections by the ^X symbol.