Welcome to MCSE Training Kit—Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies. This book guides you through the process of designing Web sites that are highly available. You’ll learn how to design network topologies that support redundant components, connections, and services. You’ll also learn how to incorporate various clustering technologies into your design, including the Windows 2000 Cluster service, Network Load Balancing (NLB), and Microsoft Application Center 2000. This book also discusses how to determine the capacity requirements for your system and how to integrate directory services and applications into your design. Finally, you’ll learn how to plan your Web site’s security, how to monitor and audit your system, and how to plan a disaster recovery strategy.

For more information on becoming a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, see the section entitled "The Microsoft Certified Professional Program" later in this chapter.

Each chapter in this book is divided into lessons, activities, labs, and reviews. The lessons discuss the considerations that you should take into account when designing a specific aspect of your Web environment, and they provide a structure for evaluating the possible decisions that you must make when developing that design. The lessons also include examples of how the information within the lessons is applied. In addition, each lesson ends with a lesson summary. The activities and labs are designed to allow you to practice or demonstrate your understanding of the design objectives discussed in a chapter. The activities and labs include scenarios to help illustrate how your design decisions are applied to real-life situations. Each chapter ends with a set of review questions to test your knowledge of the chapter material.

The "Getting Started" section of this introduction provides important information about hardware and software requirements, the evaluation software included in this kit, and the electronic version of this book.

Intended Audience

This book was developed for information technology (IT) professionals who need to design, plan, implement, and support a Web environment that uses Windows 2000 and Internet Information Services (IIS) or who plan to take the related Microsoft Certified Professional Exam 70-226: Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies.

Prerequisites

This course requires that students meet the following prerequisites:

A working knowledge of network technologies, particularly as they relate to a Web environment.
A minimum of two years of experience implementing, administering, and configuring network operating systems and services, including Windows 2000 Server and IIS. (A minimum of one year of experience planning and designing highly available Web site infrastructures is recommended.)
Work in multiserver, n-tier application environments that have some or all of the following characteristics:
- Concurrent client connections that can exceed 1,000
- Transactional applications
- User databases, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server or directory service
- Internet security, such as firewalls, secure protocols, or proxy servers
- High-availability services that can include NLB, Component Load Balancing (CLB), the Cluster service, and Application Center 2000
Successful completion of the following core exams for the Microsoft Windows 2000 MCSE track is recommended: Exam 70-215: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, and Exam 70-216: Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure.

Reference Materials

You might find the following reference materials useful:

Howard, Michael, Marc Levy, and Richard Waymire. Designing Secure Web-Based Applications for Microsoft Windows 2000. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000.
Microsoft Corporation. MCSE Training Kit—Designing Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Security. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001.
Microsoft Corporation. MCSE Training Kit—Microsoft Windows 2000 Server. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000.
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Application Center Resource Kit. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001.
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2000.
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Resource Kit. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001.
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Resource Kit. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Press, 2001.
Microsoft product and technical information (including white papers, case studies, and background information) available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/.
Windows 2000 white papers, case studies, and background information available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/server/default.asp.

About The Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM

The Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM contains a fully searchable electronic version of this book. For information about using the electronic book (eBook), see the section "About the eBook" later in this introduction. The compact discs also contain evaluation copies of Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Microsoft Application Center 2000.

Features of This Book

Each chapter opens with a "Before You Begin" section that prepares you for completing the chapter.

The chapters are then divided into lessons, activities, and labs.

The "Review" section at the end of the chapter allows you to test what you’ve learned in the chapter’s lessons.

The Appendix, "Questions and Answers," contains all of the book’s questions and corresponding answers.

Notes

Several types of Notes appear throughout the lessons.

Notes marked Tip contain explanations of possible results or alternative methods.
Notes marked Important contain information that is essential to completing a task.
Notes marked Note contain supplemental information.
Notes marked Caution contain warnings about possible loss of data.
Notes marked More Info contain cross-references to other critical reference material.

Conventions

The following conventions are used throughout this book.

Notational Conventions

Characters or commands that you type appear in bold lowercase type.
Italic in syntax statements indicates placeholders for variable information. Italic is also used for book titles.
Names of files and folders appear in all caps, except when you’re to type them directly. Unless otherwise indicated, you can use all lowercase letters when you type a file name in a dialog box or at a command prompt.
File name extensions appear in all lowercase.
Acronyms appear in all uppercase.
Monospace type represents code samples, examples of screen text, or entries that you might type at a command prompt or in initialization files.
Square brackets [ ] are used in syntax statements to enclose optional items. For example, [FILENAME] in command syntax indicates that you can choose to type a file name with the command. Type only the information within the brackets, not the brackets themselves.
Braces { } are used in syntax statements to enclose required items. Type only the information within the braces, not the braces themselves.
Icons represent specific sections in the book as follows:

Icon	Represents
	Activities and labs. You should perform the activities and labs to give yourself an opportunity to use the skills being presented in the lesson.
	Chapter review questions. These questions at the end of each chapter allow you to test what you have learned in the lessons. You will find the answers to the review questions in the "Questions and Answers" Appendix at the end of the book.

Chapter and Appendix Overview

This self-paced training course combines notes, hands-on activities and labs, professional interviews and worksheets, and review questions to teach you how to design highly available Web solutions with Windows 2000 Server technologies. It’s designed to be completed from beginning to end, but you can choose a customized track and complete only the sections that interest you. (See the next section, "Finding the Best Starting Point for You," for more information.) If you choose the customized track option, see the "Before You Begin" section in each chapter. Any labs or chapters that require preliminary work or study from preceding chapters refer to the appropriate chapters.

The book is divided into the following chapters:

The "About This Book" section contains a self-paced training overview and introduces the components of this training. Read this section thoroughly to get the greatest educational value from this self-paced training and to plan which lessons you’ll complete.
Chapter 1, "Introduction to Designing Highly Available Web Solutions," introduces you to the concepts of designing a highly available Web site. The chapter describes many of the concepts essential to the design of a highly available Web site and provides information about designing these sites and determining an appropriate method of ensuring high availability.
Chapter 2, "Network Infrastructure," describes how to design a network topology that includes redundant components, paths, and services. You’ll also learn how to design a subnet addressing structure, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server environment, and a name resolution structure for a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network.
Chapter 3, "Server Configurations," describes how to design a server configuration that’s fault-tolerant and how to ensure a safe environment for those servers so that they remain highly available. You’ll also learn how to design a fault-tolerant data storage system.
Chapter 4, "Microsoft Windows 2000 Cluster Service," introduces you to the components that make up the Cluster service in Windows 2000. The chapter describes how to plan a server cluster and how to choose a server cluster model.
Chapter 5, "Network Load Balancing (NLB)," provides an overview of NLB, describes how the service works, and discusses NLB architecture. The chapter also describes the steps that you should follow when planning NLB clusters and how to choose a configuration model when setting up your NLB cluster.
Chapter 6, "Microsoft Application Center 2000," provides you with an overview of Application Center and introduces you to the features in Application Center that allow you to create Web clusters and COM+ application clusters. You’ll also learn what steps to take in planning these clusters and what fac-tors to take into consideration when determining which type of clusters to implement.
Chapter 7, "Capacity Planning," introduces you to several concepts that you should consider when planning your capacity requirements. The chapter also explains how to calculate the costs imposed on your system by each user and how to plan your site’s network capacity.
Chapter 8, "Directory Services," introduces you to the Active Directory service in Windows 2000 and describes how Active Directory replication works. You’ll then learn about the steps that you should take when planning the Active Directory physical structure.
Chapter 9, "Application Integration," explains how to determine where to place application components to work within a distributed topology and how to develop an application deployment and synchronization strategy. The chapter also describes the steps that you should follow when planning a database integration strategy and designing an Exchange integration strategy to provide browser-based messaging to your clients.
Chapter 10, "Network Security," describes how to design authentication, authorization, and encryption strategies that protect your network from threats that might compromise your resources. The chapter also provides an overview of firewalls and helps you determine which firewall strategy you should use for your organization.
Chapter 11, "Systems Monitoring and Disaster Recovery," provides information on how to design comprehensive plans to monitor and audit your systems in order to ensure adequate performance, availability, and security. The chapter also describes how to design a disaster recovery strategy that protects your network from loss of data and from machine failure.
The Appendix, "Questions and Answers," lists all of the review questions from the book, showing the page number where the question appears and the answer.
The Glossary provides a list of terms—along with their definitions—that are important to the concepts discussed in the book.

Finding the Best Starting Point For You

Because this book is self-paced, you can skip some lessons and visit them later. Use the following table to find the best starting point for you:

If You	Follow This Learning Path
Are preparing to take the Microsoft Certified Professional Exam 70-226: Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies	Read the "Getting Started" section. Then work through Chapters 1–11.
Want to review information about specific topics from the exam	Use the "Where to Find Specific Skills in This Book" section that follows this table.

Where to Find Specific Skills in This Book

The following tables provide a list of the skills measured on certification Exam 70-226: Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies. The table lists the skill and shows where in this book you’ll find the lesson relating to that skill.

Exam skills are subject to change without prior notice and at the sole discretion of Microsoft.

Skills Being Measured	Location in Book
Designing Cluster and Server Architectures for Web Solutions
Design NLB solutions to improve availability, scalability, and fault tolerance. Considerations include the number of hosts, number of clusters, placement of servers, multicast versus unicast, failover strategy, priority, affinity, filtering, load weighting, and application types.	Chapter 5, Lessons 1–3
Design Cluster service cluster solutions to improve fault tolerence. Considerations include the number of nodes, placement of servers, cluster resource groups, failover and failback strategy, active/active, active/passive, application types, and dependencies.	Chapter 4, Lessons 1–3
Design Component Load Balancing (CLB) solutions to provide redundancy and load balancing of COM+ components. Considerations include the number of nodes, placement of servers, NLB, and CLB routing.	Chapter 6, Lessons 1–3
Design data storage for high availability. Considerations include redundant array of independent disks (RAID) and storage area networks.	Chapter 3, Lesson 2
Design a system management and monitoring strategy. Considerations include performance monitoring, event monitoring, services, data analysis, and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).	Chapter 11, Lessons 1–2
Design a disaster recovery strategy.	Chapter 11, Lesson 3
Designing a Highly Available Network Infrastructure
Design a TCP/IP network infrastructure. Considerations include subnet addressing, Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy and naming, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server environment, and routed and switched environments.	Chapter 2, Lessons 1–4
Design a highly available network topology. Considerations include redundant paths, redundant services, and redundant components.	Chapter 2, Lesson 1
Plan server configurations. Considerations include network adapters, cluster communication, connectivity, and bandwidth.	Chapter 2, Lesson 1 Chapter 3, Lesson 1 Chapter 4, Lessons 1–3 Chapter 7, Lessons 1–3
Analyze and design end-to-end bandwidth requirements throughout an n-tier environment.	Chapter 7, Lessons 1–3
Planning Capacity Requirements
Calculate network, server, and cluster capacity. Considerations include memory, CPU, cost, flexibility, manageability, application scalability, and client/server and server/server communications.	Chapter 7, Lessons 1–3
Design an upgrade strategy for networks, servers, and clusters. Considerations include scaling up and scaling out.	Chapter 7, Lesson 3
Calculate storage requirements. Considerations include placement, RAID level, and redundancy.	Chapter 7, Lesson 3
Design directory services. Considerations include Active Directory, LDAP, availability, authentication, and sizing.	Chapter 8, Lessons 1–2
Designing Security Strategies for Web Solutions
Design an authentication strategy. Considerations include certificates, anonymous access, directory services, Kerberos, and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).	Chapter 10, Lesson 1
Design an authorization strategy. Considerations include group membership, Internet Protocol (IP) blocking, access control lists, and Web content zones.	Chapter 10, Lesson 2
Design an encryption strategy. Considerations include IPSec, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), certificates, Encrypting File System (EFS), and Point-to- Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).	Chapter 10, Lesson 3
Design a firewall strategy. Considerations include packet filters, proxy servers, protocol settings, Network Address Translation (NAT), and perimeter networks (also known as DMZs).	Chapter 10, Lesson 4
Design a security auditing strategy. Considerations include intrusion detection, security, performance, denial of service, logging, and data risk assessments.	Chapter 11, Lessons 1–2
Designing Application and Service Infrastructures for Web Solutions
Design a Microsoft Exchange messaging Web integration strategy. Considerations include browser access and Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) gateways.	Chapter 9, Lesson 3
Design a database Web integration strategy. Considerations include database access and authentication.	Chapter 9, Lesson 2
Design content and application topology. Considerations include scaling out, load balancing, fault tolerance, deploying and synchronizing Web applications, state management, service placement, and log shipping.	Chapter 5, Lessons 1–3 Chapter 6, Lessons 1–3 Chapter 9, Lessons 1–2
Design an n-tier, component-based topology. Considerations include component placement and CLB.	Chapter 6, Lessons 1–3
Design an application management and monitoring strategy. Considerations include detection and notification of application failure.	Chapter 11, Lessons 1–2

Getting Started

This self-paced training course contains activities and labs to help you learn about designing highly available Web solutions with Windows 2000 Server technologies.

Hardware and Software Requirements

No specific hardware or software is required to complete this course. How- ever, you might find it useful to set up an environment that includes systems configured with Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server, IIS, Microsoft Application Center 2000, and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 so you can test some of the design components that are discussed in this book.

The 120-day Evaluation Editions provided with this book aren’t the full retail product and are provided only for the purposes of training and evaluation. Microsoft Technical Support doesn’t support these evaluation editions. For additional support information regarding this book and the CD-ROMs (including answers to commonly asked questions about installation and use), visit the Microsoft Press Technical Support Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support/. You can also e-mail TKINPUT@MICROSOFT.COM or send a letter to Microsoft Press, Attn: Microsoft Press Technical Support, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98502-6399.

Setup Instructions

There are no setup requirements for this course because no hardware or software is required. However, if you do decide to test some of the designs discussed in this book, you should set up your systems according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The accompanying CD-ROMs contain Evaluation Editions of Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Microsoft Application Center 2000.

To install the Windows 2000 Advanced Server Evaluation Edition:

Insert the Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server Evaluation Edition CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. If the starting menu does not appear automatically, go to step 2.
Select Run from the Start menu on your desktop, and type D:\Setup.exe (where D: is the name of your CD-ROM disk drive).
Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.

To install the Application Center 2000 Evaluation Edition:

Insert the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. If the starting menu does not appear automatically, go to step 2.
Select Run from the Start menu on your desktop, and type D:\Setup.exe (where D: is the name of your CD-ROM disk drive).
Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.

If your computers are part of a larger network, you must verify with your network administrator that the computer names, domain name, and other information used in setting up Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Application Center 2000, SQL Server 2000, or any other product don’t conflict with network operations.

About the eBook

The CD-ROM also includes an electronic version of the book that you can view using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later.

To use the eBook

Insert the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
On the starting menu that appears, click eBook and follow the instructions, or select Run from the Start menu and type D:\eBook\Autorun.exe (where D is the name of your CD-ROM disk drive). This will install an icon for the eBook on your desktop.
Click OK to exit the Installation wizard.

You must have the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM inserted in your CD-ROM drive to run the eBook.

The Microsoft Certified Professional Program

The Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program provides the best method to prove your command of current Microsoft products and technologies. Microsoft, an industry leader in certification, is in the forefront of testing methodology. Our exams and corresponding certifications are developed to validate your mastery of critical competencies as you design and develop, or implement and support, solutions with Microsoft products and technologies. Computer professionals who become Microsoft certified are recognized as experts and are sought after industry-wide.

Please refer to the MCP Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/) for the latest information on and status and availability of the certifications and examinations. The MCP program develops new exams continually and retires some exams periodically to keep credentials up to date. To help you plan your certification, new exam retirements are announced quarterly. Exams are retired in June and December. After an exam retires, candidates have at least 12 months to fulfill any upgrade requirements.

The MCP program offers eight certifications, based on specific areas of technical expertise:

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of at least one Microsoft operating system. Candidates may pass additional Microsoft certification exams to further qualify their skills with Microsoft BackOffice products, development tools, or desktop programs.
Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet Qualified to install and configure server products, manage server resources, extend servers to run CGI scripts or ISAPI scripts, monitor and analyze performance, plan security, and troubleshoot problems.
Microsoft Certified Professional + Site Building Qualified to plan, build, maintain, and manage Web sites using Microsoft technologies and products. The credential is appropriate for people who manage sophisticated, interactive Web sites that include database connectivity, multimedia, and searchable content.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) Qualified to plan, implement, maintain, and support information systems in a wide range of computing environments with Microsoft Windows NT Server and the Microsoft BackOffice integrated family of server software.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer + Internet Qualified to enhance, deploy, and manage sophisticated intranet and Internet solutions based on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server software. In addition, MCSE + Internet- certified professionals are able to manage and analyze Web sites.
Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) Individuals who derive physical database designs, develop logical data models, create physical databases, create data services by using Transact-SQL, manage and maintain databases, configure and manage security, monitor and optimize databases, and install and configure Microsoft SQL Server.
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) Qualified to design and develop custom business solutions with Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platforms, including Microsoft Office and Microsoft BackOffice.
Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) Instructionally and technically qualified to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum through a Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (CTEC).

Microsoft Certification Benefits

Microsoft certification, one of the most comprehensive certification programs available for assessing and maintaining software-related skills, is a valuable measure of an individual’s knowledge and expertise. Microsoft certification is awarded to individuals who have successfully demonstrated their ability to perform specific tasks and implement solutions with Microsoft products. Not only does this provide an objective measure for employers to consider; it also provides guidance for what an individual should know to be proficient. And as with any skills-assessment and benchmarking measure, certification brings a variety of benefits: to the individual and to employers and organizations.

Microsoft Certification Benefits for Individuals

As an MCP, you receive many benefits:

Industry recognition of your knowledge and proficiency with Microsoft products and technologies.
A Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscription. MCPs receive rebates or discounts on a one-year subscription to the Microsoft Developer Network (msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/) during the first year of certification. (Fulfillment details will vary, depending on your location; please see your Welcome Kit.) The rebate or discount amount is U.S. $50 for MSDN Library.
Access to technical and product information direct from Microsoft through a secured area of the MCP Web site (go to http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/, then expand the Certification node from the tree directory in the left margin, and then select the "For MCPs Only" link).
Access to exclusive discounts on products and services from selected companies. Individuals who are certified can learn more about exclusive discounts by visiting the MCP secured Web site (go to http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/, then expand the Certification node from the tree directory in the left margin, and then select the "For MCPs Only" link and select the "Other Benefits" link).
MCP logo, certificate, transcript, wallet card, and lapel pin to identify you as an MCP to colleagues and clients. Electronic files of logos and transcripts may be downloaded from the MCP secured Web site (go to http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/, then expand the Certification node from the tree directory in the left margin, and then select the "For MCPs Only" link) upon certification.
Invitations to Microsoft conferences, technical training sessions, and special events.
Free access to Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online, a career and professional development magazine. Secured content on the Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online Web site includes the current issue (available only to MCPs), additional online-only content and columns, an MCP-only database, and regular chats with Microsoft and other technical experts.

MCSEs receive an additional benefit:

A 50 percent rebate or discount off the estimated retail price of a one-year subscription to TechNet or TechNet Plus during the first year of certification. (Fulfillment details will vary, depending on your location. Please see your Welcome Kit.) In addition, about 95 percent of the CD-ROM content is available free online at the TechNet Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/).

Microsoft Certification Benefits for Employers and Organizations

Through certification, computer professionals can maximize the return on investment in Microsoft technology. Research shows that Microsoft certification provides organizations with

Excellent return on training and certification investments by providing a standard method of determining training needs and measuring results
Increased customer satisfaction and decreased support costs through improved service, increased productivity, and greater technical self-sufficiency
A reliable benchmark for hiring, promoting, and career planning
Recognition and rewards for productive employees by validating their expertise
Retraining options for employees so they can work effectively with new technologies
Assurance of quality when outsourcing computer services

To learn more about how certification can help your company, see these backgrounders, white papers, and case studies available at http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/ (expand the Certification node from the tree directory in the left margin, and then select the "Case Studies" link):

A white paper, MCSE Criterion Validity Study White Paper, Oct. 1998, that evaluates the MCSE certification (SysEngrCert.doc)
Compaq Case Study (Compaq.doc)
CrossTier.com Case Study (CrossTier.doc)
Extreme Logic Case Study (Extreme Logic.doc)
Financial Benefits to Supporters of Microsoft Professional Certification, IDC white paper (1998wpidc.doc)
Lyondel Case Study (Lyondel.doc)
Prudential Case Study (Prudentl.exe )
Stellcom Case Study (Stellcom.doc)
Unisys Case Study (Unisys.doc)

Requirements for Becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)

The certification requirements differ for each certification and are specific to the products and job functions addressed by the certification.

To become an MCP, you must pass rigorous certification exams that provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise. These exams are designed to test your expertise and ability to perform a role or task with a product, and they’re developed with the input of professionals in the industry. Questions in the exams reflect how Microsoft products are used in actual organizations, giving them "real-world" relevance.

MCP candidates are required to pass one current Microsoft certification exam that provides a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise (a current exam is any that has not been retired). Please note that Exam 70-058: Networking Essentials and Exam 70-240:Microsoft Windows 2000 Accelerated Exam for MCPs Certified on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 are exceptions to the one-exam requirement. Passing either of these exams alone will not certify an individual as an MCP.

MCP + Internet candidates are required to pass three exams that provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise.

MCP + Site Building candidates are required to pass two exams that provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise.

MCSD candidates are required to pass three core exams and one elective exam. The core technology exams require candidates to prove their competency with solution architecture, desktop applications development, and distributed applications development. The elective exam requires proof of expertise with Microsoft development tools.

MCSE candidates on the Windows 2000 track are required to pass five core exams and two elective exams that provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise in solution design and implementation.

An MCSE + Internet candidate is required to pass seven operating system exams and two elective exams that provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise.

MCDBA candidates need to pass three core exams and one elective exam that provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise in implementation and administration of Microsoft SQL Server databases.

MCTs are required to meet instructional and technical requirements specific to each Microsoft Official Curriculum course they’re certified to deliver. For more information about becoming an MCT, visit http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/ (expand the Certification node from the tree directory in the left margin, and then select the "MCT" link) or contact a regional service center near you.

Technical Training for Computer Professionals

Technical training is available in a variety of ways, with self-paced training, online instruction, or instructor-led classes available at thousands of locations worldwide.

Self-Paced Training

For motivated learners who are ready for the challenge, self-paced instruction is the most flexible, cost-effective way to increase your knowledge and skills.

A full line of self-paced print and computer-based training materials is available direct from the source—Microsoft Press. Microsoft Official Curriculum courseware kits from Microsoft Press are designed for advanced computer system professionals and are available from Microsoft Press and the Microsoft Developer Division. Self-paced training kits from Microsoft Press feature print-based instructional materials, along with CD-ROM–based product software, multimedia presentations, lab exercises, and practice files. The Mastering Series provides in-depth, interactive training on CD-ROM for experienced developers. They’re both great ways to prepare for MCP exams.

Online Training

For a more flexible alternative to instructor-led classes, turn to online instruction. It’s as near as the Internet and it’s ready whenever you are. Learn at your own pace and on your own schedule in a virtual classroom, often with easy access to an online instructor. Without ever leaving your desk, you can gain the expertise you need. Online instruction covers a variety of Microsoft products and technologies. It includes options ranging from Microsoft Official Curriculum to choices available nowhere else. It’s training on demand, with access to learning resources 24 hours a day. Online training is available through Microsoft Certified Technical Education Centers.

Microsoft Certified Technical Education Centers

Microsoft Certified Technical Education Centers (CTECs) are the best source for instructor-led training that can help you prepare to become an MCP. The Microsoft CTEC program is a worldwide network of qualified technical training organizations that provide authorized delivery of Microsoft Official Curriculum courses by Microsoft Certified Trainers to computer professionals.

For a listing of CTEC locations in the United States and Canada, visit http://www.microsoft.com/ctec/.

Technical Support

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this book and the contents of the CD-ROMs. If you have comments, questions, or ideas regarding this book or the CD-ROMs, please send them to Microsoft Press using either of the following methods:

E-Mail

TKINPUT@MICROSOFT.COM

Postal Mail

Microsoft Press
Attn: MCSE Training Kit—Designing Highly Available Web Solutions Editor
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399

Microsoft Press provides corrections for books through the World Wide Web at the following address:

http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support/

Please note that product support isn’t offered through the above mail addresses. For further information regarding Microsoft software support options, please connect to http://www.microsoft.com/support/ or call Microsoft Support Network Sales at (800) 936-3500.

Evaluation Edition Software Support

The Evaluation Editions of Microsoft Application Center 2000 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server included with this book are unsupported by both Microsoft and Microsoft Press and shouldn’t be used on primary work computers. For online support information relating to the full version of Application Center (which might also apply to the Evaluation Edition), you can connect to

http://support.microsoft.com/directory

For information about ordering the full version of any Microsoft software, please call Microsoft Sales at (800) 426-9400 or visit http://www.microsoft.com. Information about any issues relating to the use of this evaluation edition with this training kit is posted to the Support section of the Microsoft Press Web site at

http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support/search.asp

About This Book