Customer Reviews

MCSE Training Kit (Exam 70-228): Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 System Administration (MCSE Training Kits)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have several year of experience with SQL 7.0 and was looking for the resource to tell me the distinct difference between 7.0 and 2000. The book reads well and has plenty of hands on step-by-step labs (if needed). Really the book is two books in one. The second part of the book is preparation for the exam with scenario-based questions. Additionally, the book comes with the usual 120 day Evaluation Edition of SQL 2000 server. Plus a second CD with supplemental course material, electronic version of the book (part 1), scripts for the lab, a test engine ("Electronic Assessment"), ect.

I used the book as the primary source for studying for the 70-228 exam (passed the first time)along with BOL for fine points mentioned in each chapter. I found reading the book forward and then backward increased overall coverage due to interrelationships between chapters (don't worry the book reads fast). Even if you have no experience with SQL server, I think the book will do the trick.

If you have no experience with relational databases, I would suggest picking up a source on database design.

I've worked on SQL Server, taken this exam, and tutored others in SQL Server. Overall this book is as at least as good as the competition. It is much better written and editted than most other books on SQL Server, although as some other reviewers have said you sometimes hope for more detail. This book alone won't prepare you for the test, but it is a required one in my opinion. Some other good books are Sybex's "Mastering SQL Server 2000", Microsoft's "Inside SQL Server 2000", and of course SQL Server's "Books Online". Practice tests like Transcender or the Microsoft Readiness Review are an absolute requirement to pass the test, which is in my opinion one of the harder ones given by Microsoft.

A book that was a totally self sufficient standalone preparation for the test would be several times the size of this volume! This one is as good as anything available.

I bought this book a little while ago in hopes of using it to help me pass the 70-228 exam. Because of the title of the book and the many different descriptions that it used of itself (something like, "Your guide to getting the real world knowledge you need to pass the 70-228"), I studied it, alone, quite vigorously.

I was making excellent progress through the book and was nailing all of the review questions at the end of each section, so I made my appointment to take the exam. The day before the exam I started using the practice tests that came on the CD. To my surprise, there were quite a few questions on the practice tests that I could not find ANY answers for in the book. This is when I discovered the section in the book that recommends that you read approximately 5-10 other books before taking the exam.

By this time it was too late to cancel my test appointment, so I went and took it in hopes that the practice tests were not representative of how the exam truly is. As it turns out, the practice tests WEREN'T representative of the real exam - the real exam was much worse. On the practice tests, probably half of the questions came from material in the book. On the real exam - I kid you not - there was one question that had anything to do with the material in the book. I had to step out of the testing booth to verify with the proctor that they were giving me the correct exam. I got a 40% on the exam and I got lucky.

Is it my fault that I didn't read the pages that said that I should read other books before taking the exam? Yes, absolutely.

What my main gripe with this book is that there was almost no relevance to what was actually on the 70-228 exam! What is the point of this book? I could write a book titled "The Authoritative Guide to Passing the 70-228!!", talk about nothing but peanut butter sandwiches, but include a page of other books to read, and it would pretty much accomplish what this book did.

The bottom line is that there IS NO point to this book. If you're just looking to learn more about SQL Server 2000 and don't care about the exam, find another book - there have to be better ones than this out there. If you DO care about the exam, this isn't a foundational book, this isn't a supplemental book, this isn't a guide, this isn't anything but a time waster. DO NOT buy this book.

I used this guide as part of my revision portfolio for Exam 70-228 (SS2K admininstration).

I got it despite the wonky caveat-type reviews because i wanted to get some specific exam lab-time in.

verdict:

Though, I applied myself to all 16 chapters as best one can with a single instance of SS2K (developer edition) running on a WinXP Pro OS laptop; It became clear to me that the quest was far from over, post the sun setting on the book.

-What i liked Re: d book (d upshot): chapters on Backup & Recovery Plus the chapter on Security , Plus the portable e-book version of d book included on the accompanying CD.

-What was more like passing-shot: the rest of book seemed just ho-hum, side-line material vis-a-vis the final exam paper questions

-what i did about it: I had to go away and button up specific topic holes/sections of knowledge via other references.

Book References: that helped: selected out were the following:

- SQL Server 2k Fast Answers: Sack ;ISBN: 1590595920

Value: Clustering , Failover clustering, Log Shipping,Security & sp_defaultdb, Cascading Updates + check constraints

- SS2k Performance Tuning & Optimization: Ken England: ISBN: 1555582419

Value: good for plugging holes Re:locks & transactions, monitoring performance & how to use System monitor & Interprete Sys Mon Counters ie: % Processor time, % Priviledge time, as well as Lock modes

- Inside SQl Server2K: ISBN: 0735609985

Value: handle on Conducting C2 Security-level Server audits + Understanding Affinity Masks + Performance Counters + RAID, Understanding Primary Domain Controllers, Data placement using filegroups, Full-text indexing + searching & catalogs, File and filegroup restores, Using Global temporary tables, Recovery models, Explicit & Implicit Tansactions & Triggers,Locking , Lock modes & Lock Granularity & Query Lock Hints, Lock Compatibility, Setting up Profiler Traces

- Professional SS2K Programming: Rob Viera:ISBN: 0764543792 Value: Practise Using DTS, Replication

- Beginning SS2K DBA : Bane and Sack ;ISBN: 159059293X (2 of my favorite authors)

Value: This is the book most beginning SS2K DBA's use (i especially like the 'try-it-out' feature peppered ,littered/implanted throughout). DML and Querying + Connectivity:Network libraries & Protocols, Security Replication, Backup & Recovery:Differential backups. How to Monitor+Profile+Tune

- Admin 911:SS2K ISBN:0072130970 Values:Backing up individual Files and File groups

However, if u dont have the time or the resources to check out these references in order to plug these exam-readiness holes up, then do this instead :

-Get a copy of Certification study guide for 70-228 from Test Killer a.k.a "troytec" (Version 3) ...google it

Value: This gets right to business & cuts right to the heart of the Exam ; u'll find only tire-meets-road stuff here, no fluff. its a ".pdf" document of 67 neatly put together pages, requiring u to only put down a Time-resource investment down-payment of 15 to 20 hrs of study time. its all packaged rather nicely for one.

use this, and your exam-topic revison will be concrete .

Bottom line: u'll get to read exactly what ur going to meet, see & get in the exam .

After the study guide, u have the basics of all u'll need. all u need now is just solid exam past question practice time .

Select the following:

- Transender 70-228, answer all 135 question; Here's the Important bit :( take care to read and understand the explanations where u go wrong)

- Testking 70-228, answer all 142, or 203 questions (get the most recent version u can find with question answers verified & mind the important bit as mentioned for Transcender.

- BrainDumps dot com's exam 70-228 slice : same as testking.

The only caveat in these various past question papers is that you need to ensure the responses have been verifed ( u may need to dip into one or two of those book references cited earlier in order to have a final authoritative stand/answer to 2 to 3 questions.

et voila! finish these properly and for sure, u are going to pass.

So, in summary, here's a recap of the formula that worked:

Starting Point:

Level :

0.) Books on Administring SS2K & then some Labs with some actual hands-on practise time in using the db application to carry out admin (u need to know your stuff)

Exam Review & Revision Practise (fast track):

Level:

1.) Study Guide : Test Killer -(troytec) Version 3.0 Study guide 70-228 (15-20 hrs)

2.) Past 70-228 Exam Questions practise: Transcenders, Testking,BrainDumps

3.) Take & Ace the exam with ease: 160minutes & 45 questions

Conclusion: your answers are weighted , so u need to choose wisely & correctly.

Otherwise, its very much like 70-229: in that you need to tackle question regarding problem scenarios in order to sharpen your wits about employing/selecting the right solution / strategy in any given problem scenario. this is the crunch of it. do that ,and u pass

End Of.

oh yeah, i sat the exam just yesterday ie:( Tuesday 30th May 2006); scored 94% ie: 948. The pass mark is 700 ie: 70%.

Good luck.

cheers :-)

I just passed 70-228 first time using just this book and BOL as guides. I found the first half of this book a waste of time. Way too much attention to how-to examples of performing steps in the GUI (Click this, click next, click OK). The second half, however, was much more useful. One thing though. It is useful in that it offers a failry concise, objective by objective, summary of what you will need to know for the exam and then points to BOL for the actual information. It is short on providing information in and of itself.

All in all, using this and BOL you can pass. Just don't waste too much time on the first half, unless you have never touched SQL Server before.

Touches on all the topics on the test. It is a great introduction to the many topics you need to know to pass. However, without SQL Server Books Online and a good set of practice tests (not the ones in this book) I don't think you'll make it. This book skims the surface on everything. A lot of milk but not much meat. I found the practice tests at the end of each chapter to be of little value.

Supplemental material is absolutely required. The book provides relatively scant information on what appear to be the most heavily weighted exam areas. The exercises don't really prepare you for the exam since the exam questions focus on abstract/theoretical concepts as opposed to practical application in realistic scenarios. The study test questions are a pretty good inidcator of the difficulty of the questions on the exam, but there are at least a few errors; one of the more glaring ones tells you one thing in the pre-question objectives section, another thing in what is supposedly the correct answer to the question, and then BOL completely contradicts both of those. All in all, it is a pretty sad effort especially considering it is from the same company that produces the software in question.

I have taken 6 of 7 exams for MCSE. I agree with the previous review that this is a very difficult exam. I doubt that any one book will do it for you on this one unless you have a lot of hands on experience.

The book covers all the basics but you must also know the following that this book does NOT cover:
1. Know your T-SQL very well.
2. Know all about indexes and how they affect performance.
3. Know some about db design, keys etc.
4. Know how to diagnose poor query performance.

Good Luck

The book was well organized but did not even scratch the surface of any technical topic. Most of the info was on how to click on the user interface. The labs are for beginners and do not prepare you for real adminitrtion. This is a beginners book at best. Most of the material in the book was not on the Cert test. This book will not help anyone preparing for MCSE.

Luckily I am already an Oracle DBA or I would not have been able to make real-world sense of the material presented in this book. In my opinion, it is pretty much worthless if you are preparing for the 70-228 exam or if you are wanting to work with SQL Server on the job. However, it is a great doorstopper/paperweight (which is why it is worth one star). Yes, I have passed the 70-228 exam, but I can guarantee you my passing had absolutely nothing to do with this book!