Server+ Exam Prep (Exam: SK0-001) [Hardcover]

Drew Bird (Author), Mike Harwood (Author)

Book Description

Series: Exam Prep | Publication Date: August 15, 2001

Server+ Exam Prep is a content-rich study guide designed to teach the underlying technology while preparing the reader to pass the CompTIA Server+ core exam. The book's chapters provide in-depth material on all of the major test areas including server hardware, network fundamentals, server planning and installation, server environment and maintenance, and server configuration. Real-world projects and examples provide the reader with practical hands-on experience that aid recall during the exam.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

So this technician who's worked out in the field for a while comes over to your house to help you pass the Server+ exam. Being a techie, he naturally lapses into bursts of dense technospeak once in awhile, but most of the time he explains things in a chatty, easy-to-understand manner. He peppers his explanations with real-life examples and touches on political pitfalls, rambling through various technologies and pausing occasionally to gripe about a program error or a common mistake that people make--but it's a friendly talk, informative and at your level. At the end of the day, you come away with solid knowledge of the underlying concepts, which should be enough to get you a pass.

If you have some networking experience under your belt (namely, an A+ exam or a basic understanding of Ethernet and wiring), then that's exactly what the Server+ Exam Prep feels like--a talk from a tech.

The writing is topnotch, explaining the concepts with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of clarity. The book goes well beyond the scope of the Server+ exam objectives--a fact that may annoy some--but almost always stays firmly based in reality, telling you things that are likely to come up during the course of a sysadmin's day. The Server+ Exam Prep doesn't just look at hardware, but also considers budgets, political factors, and building architecture. Furthermore, the book almost invariably informs you when it's going off the rails, so you can always skip the nonessential stuff when you want--but in general, the digressions add to your knowledge, giving you a greater understanding of why certain things are important to the well-being of your server.

The organization, however, is a little spotty and is likely to confuse some readers--for example, the book discusses RAID technology extensively in one chapter but doesn't suitably explain what RAID is until later in the guide. Likewise, the book also assumes that the reader also knows some important concepts: it talks about the importance of wearing an ESD strap several times but never says how to wear one safely, and the importance of getting a solid baseline--a critical task for sysadmins--isn't stressed nearly enough. And some topics are compacted into a dense black hole of technobabble that may require rereading several times; the introductory discussions on SCSI types, TCP/IP, and basic networking concepts stand out in particular as having a high "huh?" factor for people not in the know.

Still, these are minor kvetches with a book that has solid features that others lack--a good, solid section on troubleshooting, a fine disaster-planning chapter, and a very in-depth discussion on what factors go into making a good server environment.

What is troubling, however, is the paucity and quality of the sample test questions. The questions given are cotton candy compared to what you can expect to see on the actual exam, mostly being simple multiple-choice questions that can be answered flawlessly after a single read-through. Practically no "scenario" questions are given, and the book commits the cardinal sin of allowing multiple answers on certain questions without making it clear that you're supposed to choose more than one. Still, the answers are explained in some detail at the back of the book, which is more than some guides do. Taking some online Server+ exams before you do the real test is definitely recommended in this case.

In short, this is an excellent introductory book and will probably get you through the exam without a hitch. The weakness of the questions is overcome by the overall strength of the writing and the clarity with which it hammers concepts home. At the price, it's hard to go wrong with this. --William Steinmetz

About the Author

Drew Bird (MCNI, MCNE, MCT, MCSE, CNE) has been working in the IT industry for over 11 years. After starting out working with mainframes, he quickly moved into the PC networking arena, where he has worked ever since. In 1995, Drew became a technical instructor teaching networking topics. Since then, he has moved in and out of technical training and consultancy roles. Drew is a regular contributor to a number of Internet Web sites and computer magazines.

Mike Harwood (MCSE, MCT, A+) entered the IT industry in 1995--just about the time that Plug and Play was introduced. Since then, he has worked in a variety of settings, including everything from PC support to network design and implementation. Currently, Mike manages a multi-site network and trains on technology subjects.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 680 pages
• Publisher: Coriolis Group Books (August 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588800385
• ISBN-13: 978-1588800381
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,419,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference, Really BAD study guide, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Server+ Exam Prep (Exam: SK0-001) (Hardcover)

As a reference book, I'd give this book 4 stars. The information contained therein is good with only a few errors (the picture of the SCSI adapter on page 126 is upside down guys).

However, as a study guide I'd only give this book one star. The end of chapter questions are lame. The sample test is lame.

The biggest problem however is that the Server+ exam objectives are listed only on the inside front cover and in appendix B. To find information on a single exam objectives, you might have to read up to 7 chapters. There is not even an electronic copy of the book on the CD-ROM which comes with the book. An electronic copy of the book would at least make finding information on a particular topic easier (search). In fact the CD-ROM only has a little over 2MB of information (sample test) on it. The contents would easily fit on two floppy diskettes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Generally impressed, December 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Server+ Exam Prep (Exam: SK0-001) (Hardcover)

Having taken over 14 certification exams I can say that I have never seen one as odd as the Server+. Fortunately I passed and for that I was grateful. I really didnt want to take it again.

I was impressed with the Server+ Exam Prep and felt that it prepared me very well for the test. The content is spot on and I agree with the Amazon review that it is written by a couple of knowledgable techs. The casual style works well and the occassional joke reminds you that you can have laugh about certian aspects of IT at the same time as taking it seriously.

One last observation that has nothing to do with the book - Why do CompTIA have to charge so much for the exams? $190 for an exam from a not-for-profit organization seems steep. Just my 2 cents.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exam Prep rules, September 17, 2001

By 

Susan Yeung (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Server+ Exam Prep (Exam: SK0-001) (Hardcover)

This is another solid Exam Prep title. Period.

There is alot (and I mean alot) of information in this book, not all of which is on the test but I guess thats why it is the prep and not the cram. There were also a couple of things which I thought that should not have been in here. Then I took my test and found out why they were included.

I notice that one of the other reviewers mentions 'lots of factual errors' I have not found them yet but I have seen numerous typos. i do agree with the comment on the organization, but if you look through the objectives they are pretty screwed up as well.

As for 'Rose Carter's ' review of this book, you had better check your objectives. Objective 2.3 is Install NOS. Last time I checked Red Hat Linux was a NOS. i didnt get any question on it in my test but thats not to say they are not there, but this is a PREP, not a CRAM. Also, check inside the front cover. There is an objective map in there. You dont need to donwload one. Do you even own this book or did you look through it in the bookshop?

I guess the reason that information like NOS installation is included is that this is the Prep and not the cram. If you are looking for a braindump, go to Brainbuzz cos this aint it. If you are looking for information on how to manage servers and pass Server+ it is.

As an aside I passed S+ last week with 83%. Used this, the Sybex and 10 years of experience.