MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-290): Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003 Environment (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Orin Thomas (Author) "Windows Server 2003 is, of course, more secure, more reliable, more available, and easier to administer than any previous version of Windows..." (more)
Key Phrases: advanced printer configuration, five logical volumes, server system recovery, Windows Server, Help and Support Center, Task Manager (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Announcing an all-new MCSA/MCSE Training Kit designed to help maximize your performance on Exam 70-290, a core exam for the new Windows Server 2003 certification. This kit packs the tools and features exam candidates want most—including in-depth, self-paced training; rigorous, objective-by-objective review; exam tips from expert, exam-certified authors; and a robust testing suite. It also provides real-world scenarios, case studies, and troubleshooting labs for the skills and expertise you can apply to the job.

Focusing on account and resource management in a Windows Server 2003 environment, this official study guide covers topics such as managing physical and logical devices; users, computers, and groups; access and permissions; the server environment; and disaster recovery services.

Ace your exam preparation and ramp up quickly on Windows Server 2003 by working at your own pace through the lessons, hands-on exercises, and practice tests. The Readiness Review Suite on CD, featuring advanced technology from MeasureUp, provides 425 challenging questions for in-depth self-assessment and practice. Choose timed or untimed testing mode, generate random tests, or focus on discrete objectives or chapters, and get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers—including pointers to other sources for further study. You also get a 180-day evaluation version of Windows Server 2003 software and a 15 percent exam discount voucher—making this kit an exceptional value and a great career investment.

About the Author

Dan Holme has 10 years ’ experience as a consultant and a trainer to tens of thousands of IT professionals worldwide. His clients have included AT&T, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, and other major corporations.

Orin Thomas is a writer, an editor, and a systems administrator for Certtutor.net, an online resource for certification candidates. He is MCSE,CCNA, CCDA, and Linux+ certified and was a contributor to The Insider ’s Guide to IT Certification .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq ‘MSFT’) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software—any time, any place, and on any device.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 900 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (September 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735614377
• ISBN-13: 978-0735614376
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #220,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Studying for MCSE, September 16, 2003

By A Customer

If you have no experience with Windows 2000 or 2003 you will not pass the exam regardless of which text you buy. I am studying for the MSCE in Windows Server 2003. This text covers all of the objectives for the 70-290 exam. This book also includes a Prometric exam discount voucher and a set of practice questions on the CD in addition to those in the text.

The exam objectives listed on Microsoft's site are covered by this text. The coverage is not deep, but is adequate for those that are attempting the exam who have experience with the operating system. Unexperienced candidates are wasting their time on the new MS certifications and should get some hands on before heading off to the testing center.

The questions in the second part of the book appear well written. They mirror some of the lengthy questions on the actual exam and this aspect of the text was refreshing. Most certification textbooks skimp on the practice questions adding them as an afterthought rather than a feature. To many books ask questions like "what does DNS stand for" and "where would you use DHCP". The first time I tried many of them I got them wrong. When I was getting them right I tried the exam and passed. Until the Transcenders are released, finding good questions will be difficult. Resources like this text are quite valuable.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Use another book as well as this one., April 4, 2004

By	C. Bailey "Maus des Mitternacht" (Ocala, FL.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is probably the tenth Microsoft Press book I've purchased, and it is no different than the rest of them. While the technical aspects of the material seem adequate, I think there needs to be more detail. The exams always seem to contain a few questions that only Technet can help you answer. An exeption to this was the Microsoft Press MCSE study guide for 70-216, which was very detailed. Another bad thing about this publication (70-290) is the CD, which contains a few typographical errors and what I believe to be wrong answers on a few of the Readiness Review questions; namely a claim that a RAID-5 array isn't fault tolerant, which it clearly is. If you are considering purchasing this book, please do yourself a favor and check it out first. Read through some of it, and verify its accuracy with other publications or online material. The 2003 Server Administrators Guide is much better written and contains more real world scenarios than this book. Use it as a backup. Hope this review helps, and good luck on the exam.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Without experience you are sunk, November 26, 2003

By A Customer

If you don't know the product, you will not pass. This book will help you pass. If your only experience with Windows Server 2003 is installing it twice and running a few applications then you WILL fail the 70-290 exam no matter what book you buy! The MCSE is not like it was back in the NT4 days when you could train your parrot to pass the exams. You need to know what you are doing. This book is reasonably good at building on the exam objectives, but in some cases you will need to look at Technet. If you buy this book and fail the exam, don't blame the book - have a good look at the amount of experience you had going into the exam with Windows Server 2003. I passed this exam and this book helped (though my experience with the product, and prior Microsoft server operating systems did as well).