MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-444): Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Administration Solution Using Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005 (Pro-Certification) [Hardcover]

Orin Thomas (Author), Ian McLean (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 073562254X | ISBN-13: 978-0735622548 | Publication Date: September 27, 2006

EXAM PREP GUIDE

Ace your preparation for the skills measured by MCTS Exam 70-444—and on the job. Work at your own pace through a series of lessons and reviews that fully cover each exam objective. Then, reinforce what you’ve learned by applying your knowledge to real-world case scenarios and practice exercises. This official Microsoft study guide is designed to help you make the most of your study time.

Maximize your performance on the exam by learning to:

• Monitor and troubleshoot queries, databases, and servers
• Help defend against injection attacks, denial of service attacks, worms, and viruses
• Manage security strategies and perform audits
• Detect and resolve data conflicts
• Diagnose faults and recover from database failures and disasters
• Optimize database availability with failover clustering, database mirroring, log shipping, and replication
• Customize a maintenance strategy and automate routine tasks
• Build, debug, and deploy SQL Server Integration Services packages

PRACTICE TESTS

Assess your skills with practice tests on CD. You can work through hundreds of questions using multiple testing modes to meet your specific learning needs. You get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers—including a customized learning path that describes how and where to focus your studies.

Your training kit includes:

• 15% exam discount from Microsoft. Offer expires 12/31/11. Details inside.
• Official self-paced study guide.
• Practice tests with multiple, customizable testing options and a learning plan based on your results.
• 400+ practice and review questions.
• Case scenarios, practice exercises, and best practices.
• 180-day evaluation version of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition.
• Fully searchable eBook of this guide.

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [e-mail].

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Key Book Benefits:

- Comprehensive study guide written by exam-certified authors - Deeper, more focused coverage of exam objectives and sub-objectives-plus instructive case studies and troubleshooting scenarios to enhance your performance on the job - 425 practice questions on CD - Test engine that enables customized testing, pre-assessment and post-assessment, and automated scoring and feedback - Complete objective-by-objective review section, plus a tear-out exam-mapping grid - Exam tips based on real-world test experience - 180-day evaluation version of SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition - 15 percent exam discount voucher from a leading authorized testing center (limited time offer) - Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking, Second Edition, eBook - Practice files on CD - Entire study guide in searchable eBook format

About the Author

Orin Thomas is a writer, teacher, and consultant whose books include the Self-Paced Training Kits for Windows® 7, Vista®, Server 2008 / 2008 R2 and Exchange exams.

Ian McLean, MCITP, MCDBA, MCT, has 40 years of experience in industry, commerce, and education. He's written 18 books, including coauthoring MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-291): Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure, Second Edition, plus many technical articles and papers. He currently runs his own consulting company.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 768 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (September 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073562254X
• ISBN-13: 978-0735622548
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,049,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not necessary for exam after 70-431 material, September 24, 2009

By 

David Martin "lifetime learner" (South Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-444): Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Administration Solution Using Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005 (Pro-Certification) (Hardcover)

I have done all 3 exams. I did this one last, and barely cracked the book. I passed (1000) easily. This exam is a joke. If you can pass the 70-431, you'll have what you need. I actually got the feeling that Microsoft was giving us a 'slider' as a congrats to passing the other 2 exams.

The exam has answers where it is obvious what the answer is, and not because you know Sql. It actually has simplistic Reading Comprehension type questions. Example:

"database 'A' and database 'B' ... 'A' is bad and needs to be fixed ... what to do?"
1. delete 'A' - omg! why would you delete a database???
2. delete 'B' - why is 'B' even mentioned???
3. restore 'A' - obviously.
4. restore 'B' - again, why 'B' ???

My 7 year old could pass these types of questions.

Read the book, but do not sweat the exam. I never even opened the CD jacket.

I would point out that the sections on Query Optimization are very weak. If you really want a good book on understanding how to analyze a query, get Grant Fritchey's "Execution Plans" book.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for the exam and for reference afterwards, January 25, 2007

By 

Glenn Berry "SQL Server MVP" (Parker, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-444): Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Administration Solution Using Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005 (Pro-Certification) (Hardcover)

Pretty good coverage on measuring and troubleshooting server performance and query performance. Good chapter on index optimization and maintenance. This book also covers replication and security well. All in all, a valuable reference that will also help you pass the exam.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, January 23, 2009

By 

D. Myers - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-444): Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Administration Solution Using Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005 (Pro-Certification) (Hardcover)

Certainly appreciate how simple it is to understand without being too wordy. I certainly appreciate the Real World sections