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Two of the new exams are upgrades for existing certifications. The others will be a part of a track toward certification under the new operating system for those not already holding a Microsoft MCSA or MCSE certification. All of the exams are geared toward administrators who have experience using the network operating system in an environment supporting at least 250 users in at least three physical locations with a minimum of three domain controllers.
The exams
The seven new exams soon to be making their first appearance, in numerical order, are:
- 70-290 Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment covers the nuts and bolts of the operating system and can be compared with exam 70-215 in the current Windows 2000 track. Its five main topic areas are physical and logical devices, managing users/computers/groups, resource access, the server environment, and disaster recovery.
- 70-291 Implementing, Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure focuses on the server services, so it's equivalent to a large portion of the current 70-216 exam in the current Windows 2000 track. Its five main topic are DHCP, DNS, network security, RRAS, and monitoring/troubleshooting.
- 70-292 Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000 is intended to be an upgrade exam for those who earned their MCSA, but not their MCSE, although plans are to make it available to both. In scope, it covers topic areas that constitute a core subset of the two previously mentioned exams, with the main topic areas being: managing users/computers/groups, resource access, the server environment, disaster recovery, DNS, and network security.
- 70-293 Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure. If you substitute the word "Designing" for "Planning," you can draw a parallel between this exam and the 70-221 exam in the current Windows 2000 track. Whereas 70-291 (Implementing, Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure) focuses on services that you know you want to work with, the topics here are more theoretical and you must decide whether they fit the scenario. The main topic areas are server roles and security, planning a TCP/IP network, RRAS, server availability, network security, and a security infrastructure.
- 70-294 Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure is the equivalent of the 70-217 exam in the Windows 2000 track. The focus is on planning, implementing, managing, and maintaining Active Directory and Group Policy. A sprinkling of strategy is also tossed in for users, computers, and groups.
- 70-296 Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000 is an upgrade exam that's available only to Windows 2000 MCSEs. It focuses on a key subset of objectives from the other exams (mostly 70-293 and 70-294): server roles and security, DNS, server availability, network security, security infrastructure, Active Directory (planning, implementing, managing, and maintaining), Group Policy (planning, implementing, managing, and maintaining), and user/computer/group strategy.
- 70-297 Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure is not scheduled to beta until August. It can be thought of as an updated combination of portions of the old 70-219 and 70-221 exams. The focus is on business and technical requirements, Active Directory logical and physical design, and network infrastructure logical and physical design.
Areas of focus
The key topics for these exams overlap a great deal. Not only does this signal the overall importance of the topics, but also provides you with a means of optimising your studies. For example, when a topic appears on three exams, you should breathe easier knowing that the time you must invest in mastering that topic for one exam will be offset by time you don't have to spend doing the same for two other exams.
With that said, the following list consists of the top 10 topic areas you should begin to master now. Doing so will prepare you to authenticate your skills with the new network operating system when the upcoming exams release:
#1: Recognise the importance of IPSec security
Almost anytime you see the phrase "network security" as part of a topic (domain/objective), IPSec falls into one or more of the subobjectives. One of the first places to turn for information to get you on the right track in mastering this subject is "How to: Configure IPSec Tunneling in Windows Server 2003." To round out the security domain, you should also read the document "Security Innovations in Windows Server 2003."
#2: Understand PKI
Just as "network security" so often implies IPSec, "security infrastructure" implies Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Start with the "Technical Overview of Windows Server 2003 Security Services" and then read the secedit commands.
#3: Know what Active Directory can now do
All vendors like to use their certification exams as extensions of their marketing tools. As a result, they do not ask questions that point out flaws in the network operating system. Instead, they ask questions about how much greater their features are than they were or how they are better than a competitor's. With the release of Windows 2003, Active Directory has some new tools and features you should become familiar with.
#4: Know the improvements to networking
As simple as TCP/IP and its components have become to implement and configure, Microsoft is always looking for ways to make improvements. When steps are simplified, they often have a way of becoming test fodder, so be sure to download the "Technical Overview of Windows Server 2003 Networking and Communications."
#5: Realise the steps necessary to upgrade
What's the use of releasing a new network operating system if those you certify in it don't know how to upgrade from the previous NOS? Expect to see some questions on differences between 2000 and 2003, which you can find in the reviewer's guide. You'll also spot more questions about how to move from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003. For this, you should study the white paper "Upgrading from Windows 2000 Server to Windows Server 2003."
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