70-284 Starting out

Discussion in 'Exchange Exams' started by zimbo, Apr 2, 2007.

  1. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Although I did the 70-282 after the 70-291 it would have been a better option to go straight onto the 70-293.

    The 70-293 builds on the 70-291 and adds some new concepts such as clustering and certificates.

    The SBS option is a difficult one. To be honest if I wasn’t supporting SBS networks I would not have done the exam. The exam is geared towards SBS and is useful as deploying SBS successfully requires various wizards and setup routines to be run. Many experienced IT guys who have worked on a *real* windows environment often overlook this.

    Perhaps go for the Exchange exam or the 70-293? And if you ever find yourself supporting a SBS environment then take the exam. Its not a big exam and should be fairly straight forward based on other MCPs you have passed.
     
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  2. zimbo
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    zimbo Petabyte Poster

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    Seriously im confused.. :oops:
     
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  3. Bluerinse
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    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    Sheesh keep it real guys - Zimbo has never seen exchange, nor is he likely too any time soon. What he needs is some exposure to the product, so that he can decide for himself if it interests him enough to tackle the difficult exam 284. Personally i don't see the point, as we all know that these certs are supposed to underpin our working knowledge and Zim doesn't have any. If he follows this 284 road now, he will most likely be paper certified in Exchange, meaning he will have trouble getting real hands on experience in a working corporate environment.

    I have advised Zimbo to install SBS trial version, the wizards will install exchange for him without needing a deeper understanding, then he can have a play with Exchange in it's stand alone version and see what he thinks after that. So far he has absolutely no idea what he is letting himself in for - once he has a better idea of the basics, he can decide for himself whether it's a good idea to go down the 284 road.
     
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  4. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    If I wasn't going for the 25 Microsoft Partner points for taking the SBS exam, I'd not have taken 70-282.

    I agree with what has been said - I'd recommend getting experience with Exchange before trying to tackle it. Doesn't matter whether you install SBS and play with Exchange, or install Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 and play with it... as long as you get your hands on it.

    I don't say you're not ready for Exchange because you haven't done 70-293 and 70-294... those exams don't have much (if anything) to do with Exchange, and they're certainly not prerequisites. The only reason I suggested doing 70-293 is because it builds on what you've already learned with 70-291.

    Ultimately, the decision is yours to make. None of the exams are *bad* to do. They're simply different paths that are all good to take... and taking one path doesn't mean you can't come back and take the others. So don't stress out so much about it... just make a decision and start on the path. :)
     
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  5. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Any decision made yet Zimbo?

    Just to second what Bluerinse has posted, the Exchange exam looks very difficult from the objectives so if you go for that be prepared for some hard work.
     
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  6. zimbo
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    zimbo Petabyte Poster

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    Nope im going to take my time on this! :biggrin
     
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  7. Jellyman_4eva

    Jellyman_4eva Byte Poster

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    Hi Zimbo,

    If its any consolation I too am embarking on 284 and 285 (With very little experience of the product) at the moment, and have bought the MSPRESS books to do this..

    I have wanted to learn Exchange for a while, and had been putting it off, waiting for a real world experience with it, but like most I.T. things it fits into the vicious circle of:

    People will not let you touch it if you do not have any experience (Sensibly) so you want to do an exam to get some experience but they have a pre-requisite of needing experience!

    But I am going to just study from the books and practice with VirtualPC so I feel comfortable with it and go from there...

    Due to my ISP blocking port 25 outgoing, I can not really properly configure SMTP without using some kind of intermediary either, but to be honest I am not too worried about it, as SMTP connections inwards are only a small (But incredibly vital) part of what Exchange is.

    Anyways just my 2p worth!
     
    Certifications: MCDST, MCITP-EDST/EDA/EA/SA/ MCSA 2K3/2K8, MCSE+M 2K3/2K8, ISA/TMG, VCP3/4, CCNA, Exchange, SQL, Citrix, A+, N+, L+, Sec+, Ser+, JNCIA-SSL, JNCIS-SSL
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  8. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    The problem is... even with the certification, companies won't let you administer an Exchange server without first having the experience. Certification alone won't do it. The only way to get experience is to get on with a company who will let you assist in administering an Exchange server.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
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  9. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    Thats an ideal scenario Mike

    the sad fact is, there are plenty of companies out there that will hire on the basis of a cert, thats where you need to go to get that vital experiance
    although with those sort of hiring practices I wouldnt advise sticking around long :)
     
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  10. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Agreed.

    I guess I'm fortunate to have been in the right company at the right time with the right workmates.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
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  11. Boycie
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    Boycie Senior Beer Tester

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    Or build and host your own. OK, it's not going to be running on the hardware (or functionality) a business would use, but you will get good experience of building, breaking and fixing it!
     
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  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Building and hosting your own doesn't give you hands-on experience of a real-world Exchange server in a real-world business environment. Building and hosting your own gives you no more real-world experience clout than my 18 years of "messing with computers" before my first real IT job.

    Don't get me wrong - learning Exchange using the method you suggest is a VERY good idea, and once someone gives you that chance, you can hit the ground running (much like my 18 years of computer "hobbies" allowed me to advance quickly). But if a company absolutely requires a year's worth of experience, no amount of home lab experience is going to cut it, because lab experience doesn't equal "experience".
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
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  13. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Well at least hosting your own Exchange server would give you some knowledge of using Exchange System Manager.

    However it won’t prepare you for the time when the mailbox store dismounts and you can’t get it restarted. Rebooting the server doesn’t help btw. Prepare for some command line fun and games! :biggrin
     
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  14. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    make sure your log files havn't run out of space
    that ALWAYS causes that to happen
    lol
     
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  15. supag33k

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    Yep I have seen that on a couple of consulting jobs I was called in on at the 11th hour....:blink

    For my regular employer we always have the Exchange server drives large and half empty, I was asked why by a controlling type and I said because "that is the way I am doing it - PERIOD"
     
    Certifications: MCSE (NT4/2000/2003/Messaging), MCDBA
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