MCAD/MCSE/MCDBA Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation, Exam 70-229, Second Edition

MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294

MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Second Edition

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MCSA/MCSE/MCDBA Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 System Administration, 70-228, Second Edition

Format: Hardcover
Author: Microsoft Corporation
ReleaseDate: 14 May, 2003
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Rating:

Not d winning exam study guide one would employ to segue into a winning sitting for Exam 70-228

I got it despite the wonky caveat-type reviews because i wanted to get some specific exam lab-time in. I used this guide as part of my revision portfolio for Exam 70-228 (SS2K admininstration).

verdict:
Though, I applied myself to all 16 chapters as best one can with a single instance of SS2K (developer edition) running on a WinXP Pro OS laptop; It became clear to me that the quest was far from over, post the books sunset.

-What i liked Re: d book (d upshot): chapters on Backup & Recovery Plus the chapter on Security , Plus the e-book version of book included on the accompanying CD.
-What was more like passing-shot: the rest of book seemed just ho-hum, side-line material vis-a-vis the final exam paper questions

-what i did about it: I had to go away and button up specific topic holes/sections of knowledge via other references.

Book References: that helped: selected out were the following:

- SQL Server 2k Fast Answers: Sack ;ISBN: 1590595920
Value: Clustering , Failover clustering, Log Shipping,Security & sp_defaultdb, Cascading Updates + check constraints

- SS2k Performance Tuning & Optimization: Ken England: ISBN: 1555582419
Value: good for plugging holes Re:locks & transactions, monitoring performance & how to use System monitor & Interprete Sys Mon Counters ie: % Processor time, % Priviledge time, as well as Lock modes

- Inside SQl Server2K: ISBN: 0735611297
Value: handle on Conducting C2 Security-level Server audits + Understanding Affinity Masks + Performance Counters + RAID, Understanding Primary Domain Controllers, Data placement using filegroups, Full-text indexing + searching & catalogs, File and filegroup restores, Using Global temporary tables, Recovery models, Explicit & Implicit Tansactions & Triggers,Locking , Lock modes & Lock Granularity & Query Lock Hints, Lock Compatibility, Setting up Profiler Traces

- Professional SS2K Programming: Rob Viera:ISBN: 0764543792 Value: Practise Using DTS, Replication

- Beginning SS2K DBA : Bane and Sack ;ISBN: 159059293X (2 of my favorite authors)
Value: This is the book most beginning SS2K DBA's use (i especially like the 'try-it-out' feature peppered ,littered/implanted throughout). DML and Querying + Connectivity:Network libraries & Protocols, Security Replication, Backup & Recovery:Differential backups. How to Monitor+Profile+Tune

- Admin 911:SS2K ISBN:0072130970 Values:Backing up individual Files and File groups


However, if u dont have the time or the resources to check out these references in order to plug these exam-readiness holes up, then do this instead :
-Get a copy of Certification study guide for 70-228 from Test Killer (Version 3) ie: www. testKiller. com.
Value: This gets right to business & cuts right to the heart of the Exam ; u'll find only tire-meets-road stuff here, no fluff. its a ". pdf" document of 67 neatly put together pages, requiring u to only put down a Time-resource investment down-payment of 15 to 20 hrs of study time. its all packaged rather nicely for one.

use this, and your exam-topic revison will be concrete .

Bottom line: u'll get to read exactly what ur going to meet, see & get in the exam .

Of course There are other Exam study guides: Transcenders , Testking , Ucertify et cetera. I'm just gving u an honest account/slice of what proved to be pure-gold so far as the exam went; ie: some (first-hand) tried & tested things that secured me a good passing score:

After the study guide, u have the basics of all u'll need. all u need now is just solid exam past question practice time .
Select the following:
- Transender 70-228, answer all 135 question; Here's the Important bit :( take care to read and understand the explanations where u go wrong)
- Testking 70-228, answer all 142, or 203 questions (doesnt matter if its version 1. 1-1. 6, 2. 0, 4. 16 6. 0 etc) just mind the important bit as mentioned for Transcender.
- ActualExams: same as testking all 142 questions all over. The only caveat in these various past question papers are responses to these 3 questions:(and this is where u'll need to dip into one or two of those book references cited earlier in order to have a final authoritative stand/answer to the questions.

Q1. in one question, u have to choose between altering a column to allow null values or using an instead of trigger to allow an empty string. this relates to an application. You will get 2 different suggestions.
Q2. one question about upgrading from SS6. 5 involved re-installing SQL server2k as a default instance in order to see SS6. 5 databases listed. but opinion is that u use the version switch utility first.
Q3. . . . . . . .

- BrainDumps dot com's exam 70-228 slice : same as testking. no great benefit but mentioned it here just so u know it is also an option.

et voila! finish these properly and for sure, u are going to pass.

So, in summary, here's a snapsot of the formula that worked:
Starting Point:
Level :
0. ) Books on Administring SS2K & then some Labs with some actual hands-on practise time in using the db application to carry out admin (u need to know your stuff)

Exam Review & Revision Practise (fast track):
Level:
1. ) Study Guide : Test Killer -(troytec) Version 3. 0 Study guide 70-228 (15-20 hrs)
2. ) Past 70-228 Exam Questions practise: Transcenders, Testking, Ucertify, ActualTests, BrainDumps
3. ) Take & Ace the exam with ease: 160minutes & 45 questions

Conclusion: your answers are weighted , so u need to choose wisely & correctly.

Otherwise, its very much like 70-229: in that you need to tackle question regarding problem scenarios in order to sharpen your wits about employing/selecting the right solution / strategy in any given problem scenario. this is the crunch of it. do that ,and u pass

End Of.

oh yeah, i sat the exam just yesterday ie:( Tuesday 30th May 2006); scored 94% ie: 948. The pass mark is 700 ie: 70%.

Good luck.

cheers :-).

Do not bother
It is poorly written, the grammar is crazy and wrong, and it dwells too much on events that are not important (click next, and click next, then click ok, and then next. This book is a joke.. . ). You would be well-advised to read another book, as well as BOL, before attempting 70-228.

Waste of money!.

passed first ime.... but....
I found the first half of this book a waste of time. I just passed 70-228 first time using just this book and BOL as guides. Way too much attention to how-to examples of performing steps in the GUI (Click this, click next, click OK). The second half, however, was much more useful. One thing though. It is useful in that it offers a failry concise, objective by objective, summary of what you will need to know for the exam and then points to BOL for the actual information. It is short on providing information in and of itself.

All in all, using this and BOL you can pass. Just don't waste too much time on the first half, unless you have never touched SQL Server before.
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