MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-432): Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Implementation and Maintenance (PRO-Certification) [Hardcover]

Mike Hotek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0735626057 | ISBN-13: 978-0735626058 | Edition: 1 Har/Cdr

EXAM PREP GUIDE Ace your preparation for the skills measured by MCTS Exam 70-432—and on the job. Work at your own pace through a series of lessons and reviews that fully cover each exam objective. Then, reinforce and apply what you’ve learned through 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:

• Configure, manage, back up, and restore databases
• Create a partitioned table, index, or indexed view
• Configure services and components to manage your environment
• Help prevent unauthorized access at each security infrastructure layer
• Design and deploy high-availability solutions
• Manage SQL Server Agent jobs, alerts, and operators
• Identify service, concurrency, and job execution problems

PRACTICE TESTS Assess your skills with the 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 kit includes:

• 15% exam discount from Microsoft. Offer expires 12/31/13. Details inside.
• Official self-paced study guide.
• Practice tests with multiple, customizable testing options and a learning plan based on your results.
• 250+ practice and review questions.
• Case scenarios, exercises, and best practices.
• Sample chapters from related Microsoft Press® books.
• 180-day trial of SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition.
• Fully searchable eBook of this guide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Hotek is a SQL Server® expert with three decades' experience as a consultant and solution developer. He has written several books, including Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Step by Step.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 900 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press; 1 Har/Cdr edition (February 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735626057
• ISBN-13: 978-0735626058
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 2 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Computers & Technology > Certification > Microsoft
  • #12 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Development > SQL Server
  • #60 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases > Database Management Systems

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Far Inferior to SQL 2005 70-431 Equivalent Text March 19, 2009

By Clyde LeBonz

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Microsoft Training Kit text for SQL Server 2005 exam 70-431 (for which Hotek was a contributor, but not primary author) is one of the best technical books I have ever come across. I have read every page at least twice, some sections several times. It covers a wealth of complex material in an organized, well-written manner. I hoped the SQL 2008 version would be an update of the SQL 2005 text, adding coverage for new or updated SQL 2008 features.

Alas, the SQL 2008 edition has been completely rewritten, with Hotek as the only author. I have read the first 100 pages and intend to read the entire text, but am not happy. The content is poorly organized, poorly edited and flat-out incorrect on some important points. (Errors regarding multiple instances were commented on by earlier reviewers. This error was not just stated once, but was repeated.) In more than one end-of-section mini-quiz, the questions are for material not covered in that section.

Hotek claims, more than once, to have worked on "millions of databases". Huh? If he worked on a different database every hour, and worked a ten-hour day for 300 days per year, that would total out to 30,000 databases a year, or 300,000 over ten years. Mike would have to have worked over thirty years to get close to his first million databases!

That said, Hotek is a really smart guy, with tons of SQL Server experience. His contributions to the SQL 2005 text were interesting and useful. Unfortunately, his expertise does not translate to authorship of books like this, and he has been poorly served by his technical editors (if there were any) at Microsoft Press.

NOTE: I submitted the above two-star review on March 19, 2009. I subsequently completed the entire book, some sections more than once, but found no reason to upgrade the rating, either for content or editing. Most of the questions on the Transcender practice exam cannot be answered using Hotek's book. My advice to those prepping for the 70-432 exam is to use the excellent text for the 70-431 exam, augmented by study of new SQL 2008 features like filestreaming and policies. Good luck!

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is better than they say!!! August 9, 2009

By Tim Sutton

Format:Hardcover

I must say I was concerned about this book given the other comments - the only value appeared to be in the CD with the practice exams (the other recommended book "The Real MCTS SQL Server 2008 Exam 70-432" does not include practice exams). So I went ahead and purchased both books - "The Real MCTS..." for studying and this book for the Practice Exams.

What I discovered is that "The Real MCTS..." does not go into enough depth in a number of areas. Reading through the book and doing the exercises left me inadequately prepared. Running through the practice exams showed that I still had quite a bit to learn in some of the new/enhanced technologies (certificates/encryption, mirroring, partitioning). I have started going back to Mike Hotek's book - and have found (to my surprise given the negative comments) the information, explanations & exercises a great sight better than in The Real MCTS book.

Do not let the other reviews put you off. Even with the mistakes this book is way more worthwhile than it is made out to be.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Book is only as good as the reader August 10, 2010

By Bradley T. Ball

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I want to start out by identifying myself. I'm a SQL DBA I've got around 8 years of experience, I've got my MCITP for SQL 2005 for Database Administration. So I've read the 70-431 book cover to cover and I can understand some of the criticism of this book, but will address that later.

I bought this book to train for the 70-431 test, I didn't upgrade my cert but choose to take 70-431 & 70-450. Now I studied the book like crazy, I made flash cards, I used the CD in the back of the book, but I did not rely on it. Anything that I felt was not flushed out as well as I liked I would study on MSDN, or great blogs like Paul Randal's. I read several white papers, and was able to use a lot of the knowledge in the work place, which re-enforced my studies..... And I passed the Cert test. Mike's knowledge of SQL Server is great, but there are a lot of sections where Deep Dives will reveal more detail and may even contradict what is written. But bottom line if you study the book, the concepts, and the practices, and know them inside and out then this book is enough to prep you for the exam.

If you want to be a SQL Rockstar, (Google Brent Ozar and SQL Rockstar and read his article), then this is a beginning and you have a lot more work to do. But that goes with a lot of things in life, if all you are willing to do is crack open this book, study it's questions, and do nothing more to prepare for this exam then you are missing a lot of SQL Server Knowledge and while you *might* pass the test you will be a so/so DBA, then that is your choice.

But Dear Reader it is up to you to get that knowledge and Mike does a great job of providing you a diving board to spring from. The question remains, how far do you want to go as a SQL DBA and how hard are you willing to chase it? A book is a book. The reader determines what is achieved with the knowledge they derive from the book.

IN COMPARISON TO 70-431

There is a review that states that this book is far inferior to the 70-431 book. And I would agree.

I would, however, like to point out that Microsoft has tried to specify the SCOPE of DBA training. Whereas 70-431 had to address DBA, Database Developer, and BI (until BI was later split out on it's own path), 70-432 only covers DBA items, and the scope of the exam is also narrowed.

So is 70-431 a better more inclusive book? Yes, but it should be.

It is like saying the Star Wars Trilogy is a more complete story than just Empire Strikes Back.

Yes it should be it is 3 movies not 1.

And yes 70-431 should be, it was meant to cover 3 subjects not 1 (even thoug it was weak on BI which is why they split it out).

This is a very Good book, and I recommend it to anyone who is studying to take the 70-432 exam.

Let's see, (pull's out check list)
Fan boy mentions of Paul Randal and Brent Ozar.....Check
Find a way to bring Star Wars into the conversation....Check

well I think that covers it I hope this review helps you decide if you will buy the book or not.