Introduction

 < Day Day Up > 



Microsoft’s Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) tracks for Windows Server 2003 are the premier certifications for computer industry professionals. Covering the core technologies around which Microsoft’s future will be built, this program provides powerful credentials for career advancement.

This book has been developed to give you the critical skills and knowledge you need to prepare for one of the core design requirements of the MCSE certification in the Windows Server 2003 track: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network (70-297).

The Microsoft Certified Professional Program

Since the inception of its certification program, Microsoft has certified almost 1.5 million people. As the computer network industry increases in both size and complexity, this number is sure to grow—and the need for proven ability will also increase. Companies rely on certifications to verify the skills of prospective employees and contractors.

Microsoft has developed its Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program to give you credentials that verify your ability to work with Microsoft products effectively and professionally. Obtaining your MCP certification requires that you pass any one Microsoft certification exam. Several levels of certification are available based on specific suites of exams. Depending on your areas of interest or experience, you can obtain any of the following MCP credentials:

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) This is the most recent offering by Microsoft. The program targets individuals with very little computer experience. The only prerequisite Microsoft recommends is that you have experience using applications that are included with Windows XP, including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. You must pass a total of two exams to obtain your MCDST.

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) on Windows Server 2003 The MCSA certification is the newest administrator certification track from Microsoft. This certification targets system and network administrators with roughly 6 to 12 months of desktop and network administration experience. The MCSA can be considered the entry-level networking certification. You must take and pass a total of four exams to obtain your MCSA. Or, if you are an MCSA on Windows 2000, you can take one Upgrade exam to obtain your MCSA on Windows Server 2003.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003 This certification track is designed for network and system administrators, network and system analysts, and technical consultants who work with Microsoft Windows XP and Server 2003 software. You must take and pass seven exams to obtain your MCSE. Or, if you are an MCSE on Windows 2000, you can take two Upgrade exams to obtain your MCSE on Windows Server 2003.

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) This track is designed for application developers and technical consultants who primarily use Microsoft development tools. Currently, you can take exams on Visual Basic .NET or Visual C# .NET. You must take and pass three exams to obtain your MCSD.

start sidebar
MCSE versus MCSA

In an effort to provide those just starting off in the IT world a chance to prove their skills, Microsoft introduced its Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) program.

Targeted at those with less than a year’s experience, the MCSA program focuses primarily on the administration portion of an IT professional’s duties. Therefore, there are certain Windows exams that satisfy both MCSA and MCSE requirements, namely exams 70-270, 70-290, and 70-291.

Of course, it should be any MCSA’s goal to eventually obtain his or her MCSE. However, don’t assume that, because the MCSA has to take three exams that also satisfy an MCSE requirement, the two programs are similar. An MCSE must also know how to design a network. Beyond these three exams, the remaining MCSE exams require the candidate to have much more hands-on experience.

end sidebar

Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) This track is designed for software engineers and developers and technical consultants who primarily use Microsoft development tools. As of this printing, you can get your MCSD in either Visual Studio 6 or Visual Studio .NET. In Visual Studio 6, you need to take and pass three exams. In Visual Studio .NET, you need to take and pass five exams to obtain your MCSD.

Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) This track is designed for database administrators, developers, and analysts who work with Microsoft SQL Server. As of this printing, you can take exams on either SQL Server 7 or SQL Server 2000. You must take and pass four exams to achieve MCDBA status.

Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) The MCT track is designed for any IT professional who develops and teaches Microsoft-approved courses. To become an MCT, you must first obtain your MCSE, MCSD, or MCDBA, then you must take a class at one of the Certified Technical Training Centers. You will also be required to prove your instructional ability. You can do this in various ways: by taking a skills-building or train-the-trainer class, by achieving certification as a trainer from any of several vendors, or by becoming a Certified Technical Trainer through CompTIA. Last of all, you will need to complete an MCT application.

Note

Microsoft recently announced two new certification tracks for Windows 2000: MCSA: Security and MCSE: Messaging. In addition to the core operating system requirements, candidates must take two security specialization core exams, one of which can be CompTIA’s Security+ exam. MCSE: Security candidates must also take a security specialization design exam. As of this printing, no announcement had been made on the track for Windows Server 2003. Check out Microsoft’s website at www.microsoft.com/traincert.com for more information.



 < Day Day Up > 



MCSE. Windows Server 2003 Network Security Design Study Guide Exam 70-298
MCSE: Windows(r) Server 2003 Network Security Design Study Guide (70-298)
ISBN: 0782143296
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 168

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net