MS Exam 70-623

Nov 19 2008   5:59PM GMT

Exam 70-624 TS: Deploying and Maintaining Windows Vista Client and 2007 Microsoft Office System Desktops

Posted by: Ed Tittel
Desktops, Enterprise desktop, Group Policy Objects, Windows Vista, MCSA, MCTS, Vista Upgrade Advisor, Windows Vista troubleshooting, Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, Windows Update, Windows Vista SP1, Vista System Health Report, Vista application compatibility, Vista ACT, Vista ACT resources, MS Exam 70-623, 70-624, MS Exam 74-134

Another doozy of a title, this exam is likely to appeal to IT professionals who work with Vista in all situations (SOHO, SMB, tech support, enterprise, and so forth) and of all stripes (help desk, tech support, IT administration, and so on). As with other exams in the 70-620 through 70-625 Vista sequence, this one’s Preparation Guide follows the old-style format. In short, anybody who deploys or maintains Windows Vista desktops is likely to benefit from studying for and taking this exam, even though its official target audience is candidates with “a minimum of one year of experience managing day-to-day issues with desktop deployments.”

There’s one more incredibly useful nugget inside this prep guide. It reads: “This exam is the Windows Vista version of Exam 74-134: Pre-Installing Microsoft Products and Technologies, [and is] focused on the OEM Pre-Installation Kit (OPK).” Why so? Because you’ll find some great links to study materials for the other exam on its prep page (linked at the head of this paragraph) that don’t appear on the 70-624 exam page.

The prep tools and resources that appear on the 70-624 page include the following:

• Classroom training: Course 5105: Deploying Windows Vista Business Desktops and Course 5058: Deploying Microsoft Office 2007 Professional.
• e-learning offerings: Collection 5058: Deploying 2007 Microsoft Office System Client Products.

The lack of books and complete e-learning coverage explains nicely why the 74-134 page is referenced, and also why it’s a good idea to dig up its study material citations to help you get ready for this exam as well.

Skills measured on the 70-624 exam break down as follows:

• Deploying 2007 MS Office System:
  Configure MS Office settings & components, install 2007 MS Office system, and migrate from earlier MS Office versions.
• Configuring Windows Vista Automated Installation Settings:
  Configure Vista automated install settings, manage Windows Vista catalogs, add device drivers to Vista installs, manage Windows components, and configure and manipulate Windows Imaging Format (WIM) images.
• Deploying Windows Vista:
  Deploy Vista using Lite Touch Installation (LTI) and Zero Touch Installation (ZTI), customize Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE), and troubleshoot deployment issues.
• Using Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) Workbench:
  Install BDD, configure distribution point in BDD 2007 Workbench, create a reference computer image, manage XML files in BDD Workbench, automate 2007 MS Office system installation, and customize and maintain Windows PE in BDD Workbench.
• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT):
  Install and configure ACT 5, deploy ACT 5 agents, report application compatibility, and fix compatibility issues.
• Managing User State Migration:
  Upgrade user state from XP to Vista, automate user state migration, manage Vista deployments using SMS 2003, determine Operating System Deployment (OSD) prerequisites, install and configure SMS 2003 OSD Feature Pack, and troubleshoot and plan for user state migrations.

There’s a lot more to this exam than the title conveys, especially where automation, deployment, and user state migration are concerned. This one’s going to take some work and experience to get through, so be prepared to invest substantial time and effort in preparing, unless you work with these tools and technologies on a daily basis. My guess is that those conditions hold only in enterprises or outside services companies big or specialized enough to have their own Vista deployment teams. How many of those can there be? The total count for MCTS: Business Desktop Deployment certified professionals as of 10/27/08 is 4,868, so the answer could be: “More than you think!”

Nov 14 2008   3:57PM GMT

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

Posted by: Ed Tittel
Desktops, Enterprise desktop, Windows Vista, MCITP, Windows Vista troubleshooting, MS Exam 70-620, MS Exam 70-622, MS Exam 70-623

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.