MS Exam 70-620

Taking the Plunge: Signed up For Collection 5347

OK. I did it. Today I visited the Career Assist page at Microsoft Learning, signed up for the Second shot offer therein, and got my promotion code to buy a collection online class for $35 (it added up to $37.89 actually, after I paid local sales taxes). I now have 90 days to complete Collection 5347: Installing and configuring Windows Vista which should entitle me to go after a Vista Technical Specialist credential by taking Exam 70-620 Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client.

At this point, I’ve completed several online courses from Microsoft Learning —specifically:

• Course 3392: Working with Windows Vista
• Course 5352: Fundamentals of the Windows Vista Startup Process
• Course 5354: Fundamentals of Windows Vista File Systems

I think that entitles me to make some observations about these offerings:

1. I wish they offered a printable manual of some kind to summarize and re-present course materials. Right now, the only way to refresh concepts is to repeat the courses or to take copious notes and/or shoot lots of screenshots while inside the e-learning GUI. I’m not completely happy about either of these alternatives, but may have to learn to use both of them often and well.
2. The material is generally interesting, well broken up into small digestible modules, and fairly useful. I do wish they inlcuded a built-in connection with TechNet, user manuals, and so forth, along with links to more details, so that these tools could provide more guided learning, in more technical depth as one completes individual course modules. Of course, this is pretty easy to do on your own on a multi-display set-up like mine, simply by opening another browser window to dig into stuff on one screen while working through the prepared e-learning materials on the other screen.
3. Access to flash cards, or easy repeat access to review questions from these materials, would really help with exam prep and refresh stuff. Right now, there’s no easy drill and practice capability included, and I believe that both drills and practice are essential to passing cert exams and putting that knowledge to work on the job. The labs, when available, are pretty good, though.

I’ll find out if these observations stick as I dig into the aforementioned collection and will also report on same. I’m going to be looking for tips and tricks to put stuff together to prep for 70-620, using this material as my primary preparation source (I can always take up the SecondShot offer if I don’t pass the exam on the first try, and dig into other prep materials at that time).

HTH,

–Ed–

Exam 70-623 Pro: Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Vista Client for Consumer Support Technicians

Another gargantuan title not only heads up this exam, but also helps to tell would-be candidates if this represents their particular cup or tea or not. Like 70-622, 70-623 features another old-fashioned exam page. Along with exam 70-620, passing this exam qualifies individuals for the MCITP Customer Support Technician credential. Although this is not strictly an enterprise-focused Vista certification is remains pretty germane to such operations, especially those that operate their own help desks or tech support operations, or who want to establish sufficiently high bars for their vendors to jump to make sure outsourced service or support meets their needs.

The target position for this credential is somebody who works as a consumer, customer, or user support technician. To succeed with this exam, candidates should be experienced across a range of desktop OSes, applications, and mobile devices. They should also have some experience (more is better) in handling network, malware, and hardware support issues from reporting through research and investigation into reporting and resolution phases. Likewise, candidates need experience in implementing, managing, and troubleshooting desktop OSes in stand-alone or SOHO network situations.

Here’s the drill on the preparation tools and resources available for this exam:

• Classroom training: Course 5118: Maintaining and Troubleshooting Windows Vista Computers, and Course 5119 Supporting the Windows Vista Operating System and Applications.
• e-Learning offerings: Collection 5366: Maintaining and Troubleshooting Computers Running Windows Vista, Collection 5372: Deploying Windows Vista Desktop Images and Applications, and Collection 4379: Supporting Windows Vista for the Consumer Support Technician. Those who already hold an MCDST can also dig into Collection 5104: Upgrade Skills to Support Windows Vista Consumers.
• MS Press book: There’s a Self-Paced Training Kit available for Exam 70-623 as well.

Here are some highlights of what this exam covers (for all the gory details, check out the “Skills Measured” table on the exam page; as with other exams, configuration and troubleshooting element recur repeatedly throughout this entire list):

• Install and Upgrade Windows Vista:
  Evaluate potential upgrade enviornments, prepare to install Vista, troubleshoot and resolve installation issues, likewise for post-install issues.
• Post-Installation: Customize and Configure Settings:
  Configure Sidebar, Aero, user accounts, and evaluate user requirements to recommend, set up, and configure desktop apps, then recommend appropriate settings by evaluating user systems to optimize performance.
• Configure Vista Security:
  Work with Windows Security Center, firewalls, Windows Update, Defender, parental controls, IE 7, UAC, and data protection settings and configuration.
• Configure, troubleshoot, and repair networking:
  Work with network protocols, network services (client side), Network and Sharing Center, wireless networking, file and print sharing, and Media Center settings, configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Install, Configure, and Troubleshoot Devices:
  Connect peripherals; install, configure, and troubleshoot: mobile devices, digital cameras and camcorders, media devices, and printers, fax machines, and copy devices.
• Troubleshoot and repair Windows Vista:
  Diagnose specific issues, repair a corrupted OS, and remove malware from a client system.

Where over 7,000 of the MCITP Enterprise Support Technician credentials have been granted as of October 2008, only 987 hardy souls had completed the MCITP Consumer Support Technician credential by that same date. What does this say about the relative importance or popularity of these two credentials? Perhaps that enterprises understand the need for certification (as do their employees) more than do independent or in-store support or help desk operations. This exam is probably not as important for enterprise types, unless they run their own support or help desk operations that include in-home support for mobile, telecommuting, temporary, contract, or other off-site workers. In such situations, however, it should be absolutely invaluable.

Exam 70-622 Pro: Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians

Wow! What an exam title, eh? Interestingly, 70-622 also still sports an old-fashioned exam page, too. Along with 70-622, this MCITP exam qualifies those who pass it to earn the MCITP Enterprise Support Technicican credential, however. Together those two exams sum up the requirements for that particular certification.

Microsoft lists the following items under its “Preparation tools and resources” heading:

• Classroom courses: 5118 Maintaining and Troubleshooting Windows Vista Computers, and 5119 Supporting the Windows Vista Operating Sytem and Applications.
• E-learning offerings: Collection 5366: Maintaining and Troubleshooting Computers Running Windows Vista, and Collection 5372: Deploying Windows Vista Desktop Images and Applications.
• MS Press books: MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-622) Supporting and Troubleshooting… (you know the rest: book title matches exam title).

Here are some highlights of what this exam covers (for all the details see the “Skills Measured” table on the exam page; configuration and troubleshooting topics are covered throughout):

• Deploying Windows Vista:
  Analyze environment and select appropriate deployment method; prepare system for installation (clean or upgrade install); and deploy Vista from a custom image.
• Managing Vista Security:
  Manage IE 7 security; apply security updates; work with UAC; manage resource access and security issues.
• Managing and maintaining Vista Systems:
  Working with policy settings, Task Scheduler, Event Forwarding, Windows Update, and performance and reliability issues.
• Networking:
  Network protocols, networks services at the client level, remote access, wireless networking, network security, and network resource access.
• Supporting and maintaining desktop applications:
  support deployed applications, software restrictions, and maintain desktop applications.

So far, just over 7,000 of these certifications have been granted, which makes it neither the most nor the least popular of the MCITP designations. That may reflect its deep and broad coverage of Vista application deployment tools and technologies. Veteran Microsoft cert guy Andy Barkl took the beta version of this exam in September 2007, and wrote up a nice overview for MCP Magazine at that time. He also provides good pointers to other Microsoft materials available online through TechNet that proved useful for his exam preparations; you’ll probably find it useful, too.

This is one of the most important exams for those who work with Vista in an enterprise setting. Though you’ll want to take enough time to prepare for it properly (and neither the foregoing summary of exam objectives nor the information on the MS exam page really do its coverage complete justice, owing to the wealth of details and information these items cover), you will also learn a lot as you get ready to take this exam. Highly recommended.

MS Exam 70-620 TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client

In digging up the info on this, the first in my series of four MCTS and MCITP Vista-related exams that I’ll be covering over the next week or so, I discovered that Microsoft has finally changed the format for its exam pages. I’ve been tuning into these documents since the late 1990s and it’s nice to see that they’ve finally gotten a facelift (looking at the source, I can see that MS has switched from HTML 4.01 to XHTML 1.0, and the markup looks programmatically generated, but I can’t find any evidence for the tools used to generate it except the file extension .aspx which would indicate ASP.NET is involved). If you take a quick look at the 70-620 exam page, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

The 70-620 counts toward a surprising number of credentials:

• Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Consumer Support Technician
• Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Support Technician
• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) on Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
• Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator

This exams aims to certify that individuals have at least one year of experience working in IT, often providing telephone support at the tier-1 or tier-2 levels across various types of environment that range from retail stores, to medium sized companies, to enterprise environments. General areas of knowledge required to pursue this exam include networking, desktop operating systems, security, and end-user applications, plus basic administrative tasks including solving logon problems, resetting passwords, and supporting desktop applications.

The exam’s coverage is broken into seven areas:

• Installing and Upgrading Windows Vista
  Covers the basics of hardware requirements and compatibility checks (e.g. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor), performing a clean installation, upgrading to Vista from an earlier Windows version or from one version of Vista to another, troubleshooting installation issues, and installing and configuring Windows Vista drivers.
• Configuring and troubleshooting post-install system settings
  Includes troubleshooting post-install configuration difficulties, configuring and troubleshooting Aero, parental controls, and Internet Explorer (version 7 is the primary current focus).
• Configuring Windows Security features
  Working with User Account Control (UAC), Windows Defender, Dynamic Security for IE 7, and security settings in Windows Firewall and Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.
• Configuring network connectivity
  Configuring networking through the Network and sharing centers, troubleshooting connectivity issues, and configuring remote access (Remote Desktop Connection).
• Configuring applications included with Windows Vista
  These include media applications (Media Center, Media Player), Mail, Meeting Space, Calendar, Fax and Scan, plus the Windows Sidebar.
• Maintaining and optimizing systems that run Windows Vista
  This means troubleshooting performance issues, using built-in tools to troubleshoot reliability issues (System Health Check, Reliability Monitor, Problem Reports and Solutions, and so on), plus configuring Windows Update and data protection.
• Configuring and troubleshooting mobile computing
  This entails managing mobile display settings, and configuring mobile devices, Tablet PC software, and power options.

In the new exam page format, Microsoft not only lists relevant Classroom training courses, it also lists e-learning items as well as Microsoft Press books that focus on the exam. All in all this exam should help IT professionals establish a solid working knowledge of basic Vista operation, installation, configuration, and troubleshooting. As we’ll see in the next exams, things quickly get more complex and interesting from here.