Is This Book for You?

If you want to acquire a solid foundation in designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and network infrastructure and your goal is to prepare for the exam by learning how to design a functional Active Directory and network infrastructure, this book is for you. You ll find clear explanations of the fundamental concepts you need to grasp and plenty of help to achieve the high level of professional competency you need to succeed in your chosen field.

If you want to become certified as an MCSE, this book is definitely for you. However, if you just want to attempt to pass the exam without really understanding how to design a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and network infrastructure, this Study Guide is not for you. It is written for people who want to acquire hands-on skills and in-depth knowledge of Windows Server 2003.

What s in the Book?

What makes a Sybex Study Guide the book of choice for over 100,000 MCPs? We took into account not only what you need to know to pass the exam, but what you need to know to take what you ve learned and apply it in the real world. Each book contains the following:

Objective-by-objective coverage of the topics you need to know     Each chapter lists the objectives covered in that chapter.

Note  

The topics covered in this Study Guide map directly to Microsoft s official exam objectives. Each exam objective is covered completely.

Assessment Test     Directly following this introduction is an Assessment Test that you should take. It is designed to help you determine how much you already know about designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and network infrastructure. Each question is tied to a topic discussed in the book. Using the results of the Assessment Test, you can figure out the areas where you need to focus your study. Of course, we do recommend you read the entire book.

Exam Essentials     To highlight what you learn, you ll find a list of Exam Essentials toward the end of each chapter. The Exam Essentials section briefly highlights the topics that need your particular attention as you prepare for the exam.

Key Terms and Glossary     Throughout each chapter, you will be introduced to important terms and concepts that you will need to know for the exam. These terms appear in italic within the chapters, and a list of the Key Terms appears just after the Exam Essentials. At the end of the book, a detailed Glossary gives definitions for these terms, as well as other general terms you should know.

Review Questions, complete with detailed explanations     Each chapter is followed by a set of Review Questions that test what you learned in the chapter. The questions are written with the exam in mind, which means that they will cover the important topics with regard to the exam.

Case Study questions, complete with detailed explanations     Each chapter also includes a Case Study that is similar in look and feel to the types of questions you will encounter on the exam. The Case Study in each chapter is designed to test your knowledge of the topics covered in the chapter. Question types are the same as question types in the exam, including multiple choice, exhibits, and select-and-place .

Design Scenarios     Throughout the chapter you will find scenario-based exercises which present a Case Study and a few questions that help you think about how you will use the information in the chapter in designing a solution with the Microsoft products.

Real World Scenarios     Because reading a book isn t enough for you to learn how to apply these topics in your everyday duties , we have provided Real World Scenarios in special sidebars. These explain when and why a particular solution would make sense, in a working environment you d actually encounter.

Interactive CD     Every Sybex Study Guide comes with a CD complete with additional questions, flashcards for use with an interactive device, and the book in electronic format. Details are in the following section.

What s on the CD?

With this new member of our best-selling MCSE Study Guide series, we are including quite an array of training resources. The CD offers eight Bonus Case Studies and flashcards to help you study for the exam. We have also included the complete contents of the Study Guide in electronic form. The CD s resources are described here:

The Sybex E-book for Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure     Many people like the convenience of being able to carry their whole Study Guide on a CD. They also like being able to search the text via computer to find specific information quickly and easily. For these reasons, the entire contents of this Study Guide are supplied on the CD, in PDF format. We ve also included Adobe Acrobat Reader, which provides the interface for the PDF contents as well as the search capabilities.

The Sybex Test Engine     This is a collection of questions that will help you prepare for your exam. The test engine features:

• Eight Bonus Case Studies designed to simulate the live exam. Each Case Study contains a scenario with 10 questions.

• All the Review and Case Study questions from the Study Guide.

• The Assessment Test.

Here are two sample screens from the Sybex Test Engine:

On the actual Microsoft exam, you will likely be presented with a total of four Case Studies, each with a varying number of questions that correspond to that Case Study. Your grade will be cumulative of all four Case Studies.

Sybex MCSE Flashcards for PCs and Handheld Devices     The flashcard style of question offers an effective way to quickly and efficiently test your understanding of the fundamental concepts covered in the exam. The Sybex Flashcards set consists of more than 100 questions presented in a special engine developed specifically for this Study Guide series. Here s what the Sybex Flashcards interface looks like:

Because of the high demand for a product that will run on handheld devices, we have also developed a version of the flashcard questions that you can take with you on your Palm OS PDA (including the PalmPilot and Handspring s Visor).

How Do You Use This Book?

This book provides a solid foundation for the serious effort of preparing for the exam. To best benefit from this book, you may wish to use the following study method:

1. Take the Assessment Test to identify your weak areas.

2. Study each chapter carefully . Do your best to fully understand the information.

3. Read through all the Design Scenarios in the chapter, referring back to the text as necessary so that you understand each fully.

4. Read over the Real World Scenarios to improve your understanding of how to use what you learn in the book.

5. Study the Exam Essentials and Key Terms to make sure you are familiar with the areas you need to focus on.

6. Answer the Review and Case Study questions at the end of each chapter. If you prefer to answer the questions in a timed and graded format, install the Sybex Test Engine from the book s CD and answer the questions there instead of in the book.

7. Take note of the questions you did not understand, and study the corresponding sections of the book again.

8. Go back over the Exam Essentials and Key Terms.

9. Go through the Study Guide s other training resources, which are included on the book s CD. These include flashcards, the electronic version of the chapter Review and Case Study questions, and the eight Bonus Case Studies.

To learn all the material covered in this book, you will need to study regularly and with discipline. Try to set aside the same time every day to study, and select a comfortable and quiet place in which to do it. If you work hard, you will be surprised at how quickly you learn this material. Good luck!

Hardware and Software Requirements

You should verify that your computer meets the minimum requirements for installing Windows Server 2003. We suggest that your computer meets or exceeds the recommended requirements for a more enjoyable experience.

The Design Scenarios in this book do not require that you have a computer to work on. These Design Scenarios are written to reinforce the topics that are presented within the chapter and allow you to make design decisions based on typical organizational needs. Pen and paper will probably be more useful for the Design Scenarios than a computer system.

Contacts and Resources

To find out more about Microsoft Education and Certification materials and programs, to register with Prometric or VUE, or to obtain other useful certification information and additional study resources, check the following resources:

Microsoft Training and Certification Home Page
www.microsoft.com/traincert

This website provides information about the MCP program and exams. You can also order the latest Microsoft Roadmap to Education and Certification.

Microsoft TechNet Technical Information Network
www.microsoft.com/technet
800-344-2121

Use this website or phone number to contact support professionals and system administrators. Outside the United States and Canada, contact your local Microsoft subsidiary for information.

Prometric
www.prometric.com
800-755-3936

Contact Prometric to register to take an MCP exam at any of more than 800 Prometric Testing Centers around the world.

Virtual University Enterprises (VUE)
www.vue.com

888-837-8616

Contact the VUE registration center to register to take an MCP exam at one of the VUE Testing Centers.

MCP Magazine Online
www.mcpmag.com

Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine is a well-respected publication that focuses on Windows certification. This site hosts chats and discussion forums and tracks news related to the MCSE program. Some of the services cost a fee, but they are well worth it.

Windows & .NET Magazine
www.windows2000mag.com

You can subscribe to this magazine or read free articles at the website. The study resource provides general information on Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server.

Cramsession on Brainbuzz .com
cramsession.brainbuzz.com

Cramsession is an online community focusing on all IT certification programs. In addition to discussion boards and job locators, you can download one of several free cram sessions, which are nice supplements to any study approach you take.