Customer Reviews

MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Administration All-in-One Exam Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-443, & 70-444)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book! It is very well written and the material presented in a consitent and logical manner.

Some of the material I knew before picking up this book. Since this would be my first MS cert, I read every section of the book. For the topics I already knew, I was impressed by how well Darril boiled the material down to the essence, the central point that you needed to learn. I was hoping that he'd do the same for the areas I did not know. I passed all three tests and this book was the reason.

Read every page. Do every hands-on example. Review the exam tips and you'll not only pass the test but actually be able to do the work.

I used this book as my primary study/refresher resource to prepare for (and pass) the 70-447 upgrade exam. If you are an MCDBA on SQL 2000, and looking for a resource to for the MCDBA upgrade exam, this is the perfect resource! Very clear, concise coverage of all the exam topics. Each chapter has a bullet list listing the topics covered in each exam. Although the 70-447 exam isn't specifically targeted, you can approximate it by combining the 70-443 and 70-444 topics.

PREMISE: I am not yet over the obstacles (certification), I am just studying on this book, so I cannot say whether the book has helped me pass the exams or not.

HOWEVER, judging from other certifications I achieved and the relative study books, this one will work, because it seems pretty comprehensive and detailed.

It is a well-organized book, the pace is just right (and makes me think why one would want to read other books totaling 2000 pages or more to reach the same goal) and it gives tips and hints that I am sure will be valuable.

The plus is that you can read it to learn about SQL Server 2005. It gives you a very good overview, and you feel that you are spending your time learning something.

As a reference book it is quite superficial, i.e. it does not really expand much in any topic. This is fine though, if you are thinking of buying this book as a reference think again. That is not what is advertised.

Four out of five stars in my opinion is be the best rating for a certification study guide: you cannot really make a certification guide something "special", so this type of books hardly ever gets five stars.

However, there are two drawbacks that made me throttle back to three stars:

Firstly, some of the answers to the end-of-chapter questions are wrong. They are easy to spot though, typically they start with "Correct Answer: C" (wrong) then they go on explaining why B is the correct answer.

Secondly, the writing style is not exceedingly good. At the beginning it was just a little awkward to see the way some sentences are put together. Now that I am past the first half it is becoming somewhat annoying, and in some instances a little confusing.

I do not blame the author: I think he did a very good job (nobody expects a SQL Server expert to write beautiful English prose, and lots of it). However, another pass at editing could have made this book much more enjoyable.

This book is the best technical book I have ever read! I am really impressed with the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, I found them to be very motivational. The book was very easy to read, in fact it read like a onversation. The examples were real helpful as well.

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This book was well organized and helped me pass the 431 exam within a month of receiving this book.

This is the book I've been waiting for. Not only does the book have good explanations about many of the testable concepts, but the exercises have been great in showing me exactly how things work. As an example, I didn't really understand database mirroring, but the high availability strategies chapter included exercises where I was able to implement and configure a database mirror. After completing these exercises, I really understood database mirroring.

I had already passed the 70-431 when I picked up this book, but it was great in helping me pass the 70-443, and I'm using it to study 70-444. The exam tips scattered throughout the book and the test specific notes at the end of the chapter (What you need to know) helped me focus on what was important. The practice questions in the back of each chapter and on the CD were realistic and challenging. I especially liked the explanations on the questions identifying why an answer was right, and why other answers were wrong.

Did an excellent job describing the areas covered by the tests. Practice tests provided on the CD and additional downloadable tests mapped to the cert tests pretty well. Made it easy to identify weaker areas for more focused study. Online test covers all three tests, is not broken down by exam.

The content in the book is not exhaustive, so do not expect that the book alone will get you through the tests. Experience and self study beyond the book's content are necessary for success. But this book gives you the guidance to know what to look for, and where you need to drill deeper.

Great book, very easy to follow the material and the coverage is excellent. Straight and to the point of what you need to know for these exams. For a technical book the author does a great job of outlining real world examples and overall making a book that is not drab and boring to read.

I took one star off, which should probably be two stars, solely because of the editing. The editor did a terrible job on this book, there is almost one typographical mistake or gramatical mistake per page. I don't blame the author for this as it is clearly stuff that an editor should have caught.

I have not read the book yet so this review is regarding the condition and brief content review. The book arrived in great condition and looks to be very useful. From limited reading, the book seems to have a good flow and good content.