Training, Study & Certification
On occasion I’m asked to comment on topics over at searchexchange.techtarget.com. Recently I had a discussion with Stephen J. Bigelow, one of their Senior Technical Writers to discuss Exchange certification.
If this is a topic that interests you, see this link:
http://searchexchange.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid43_gci1520343,00.html?track=sy188
I am also to hear your feedback on Exchange certifications. Are you certified? Working on it? Don’t believe in certifications?
Post a comment!
I’ve added a new page to my blog regarding certifications. See here and let me know what you think!
I wanted to share with the world the blogs I read weekly. I figured the best way to do this was to export my RSS feeds from Outlook and post them here, but thought it was a strange path I had to take:
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File: Ok, pretty normal so far… |
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Open: Hmm, I’m not really trying to open anything… |
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Import: Ok come on now, who would think to click import when they want to EXPORT something?! |
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Well, at least I found it! |
Anyway, I really enjoy the materials that come from these blogs so I figured I should give them all a plug here. If you’re interested in the topics, I give these feeds a thumbs up!
[In random order because I’m feeling lazy]
· System Center Virtual Machine Manager
o http://blogs.technet.com/scvmm/rss.xml
· Telnet Port 25
o http://www.telnetport25.com/index.php?format=feed&
· Dgoldman’s WebLog
o http://blogs.msdn.com/dgoldman/rss.xml
· The MED-V Team Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/medv/rss.xml
· You Had Me At EHLO…
o http://msexchangeteam.com/rss.aspx
· The Official SBS Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/rss.xml
· Carpe Diem: Flaphead.com
o http://flaphead.com/rss.aspx
· Ask the Directory Services Team
o http://blogs.technet.com/askds/rss.xml
· BPOSitive
o http://blogs.technet.com/bpositive/rss.xml
· Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Services) Team Blog
o http://blogs.msdn.com/rds/rss.xml
· Elan Shudnow’s Blog
o http://feeds.shudnow.net/eshudnow
· Beta Exam Announcements
o http://blogs.technet.com/betaexams/rss.xml
· Roger’s Security Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/rhalbheer/rss.xml
· UK Live@Edu Blog
o http://blogs.msdn.com/ukliveatedu/rss.xml
· Microsoft Enterprise Networking Team
o http://blogs.technet.com/networking/rss.xml
· All Backed Up
o http://blogs.technet.com/jbuff/rss.xml
· Ilse Van Criekinge’s Weblog
o http://blogs.technet.com/ilvancri/rss.xml
· Live@edu Partner Blog
o http://cs.mseducommunity.com/blogs/liveatedu_partners_blog/rss.aspx
· Is this thing on?
o http://blogs.technet.com/scottschnoll/rss.xml
· Windows Server Division WebLog
o http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/rss.xml
· Forefront Team Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/forefront/rss.xml
· Windows Client Demos and Tutorials
o http://www.microsoft.com/feeds/technet/en-us/how-to-videos/Windows_Client_Demos_and_Tutorials.xml
· Visio Insights
o http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/rss.xml
· Exchange Server Share
o http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ExchangeServerShare
· System Center Data Protection Manager – DPM SCDPM
o http://scdpm.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
· Windows Virtualization Team Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/virtualization/rss.xml
· TechNet Recent Downloads
· Steve Goodman’s Tech Blog
o http://www.stevieg.org/feed/
· Active Directory Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/ad/rss.xml
· Tim McMichael
o http://blogs.technet.com/timmcmic/rss.xml
· Microsoft Online Services Team Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/msonline/rss.xml
· Ctrl P – The Data Protection Manager Blog!
o http://blogs.technet.com/dpm/rss.xml
· The WSiX Network Connection
o http://blogs.technet.com/wsnetdoc/rss.xml
· AD Troubleshooting
o http://blogs.technet.com/instan/rss.xml
· MSExchange.org
o http://rss.msexchange.org/allnews.xml
· Microsoft Forefront Server Protection Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/fss/rss.xml
· Email Migrations – Guides and practical experience
o http://emailmigrations.com/feed
· The things that are better left unspoken
o http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/rss.aspx
· Microsoft Learning
o http://microsoftlearning.simplefeed.net/f/100001s2a18al81me12.rss
· TechNet Edge
o http://edge.technet.com/Feeds/RSS/
· ExchangeInbox Updates
o http://exchangeinbox.com/rss.aspx
· Mike Crowley’s threads
o http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/user/threads?user=Mike%20Crowley&outputAs=rss
· The Official MDOP Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/mdop/rss.xml
· BPOS Rocks
o http://feeds.feedburner.com/BPOSRocks
· Ask Perry
o http://blogs.technet.com/perryclarke/rss.xml
· Live@edu
o http://cid-c76eae4d4a509fbd.users.api.live.net/Users(-4076128965741207619)/Main?$format=rss20
· Brettjo :: Microsoft Exchange Messaging
o http://blogs.technet.com/brettjo/rss.xml
· A Collection of Random Thoughts
o http://blogs.technet.com/benw/rss.xml
· Scott Feltmann’s Blog
o http://feeds2.feedburner.com/scottfeltmann/burn
· The US Partner Learning Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/uspartner_learning/rss.xml
· The App-V Blog
o http://blogs.technet.com/appv/rss.xml
· Jim McBee’s Mostly Exchange Web Log
o http://mostlyexchange.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
· FISH EXCHANGE
o http://cid-7e30379b059646b8.users.api.live.net/Users(9092828786614224568)/Main?$format=rss20
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Come one come all to the Windows 7 & MDOP technical workshop. I will be presenting at Microsoft again, this time in Reston, VA. The day will cover many new virtualization concepts and Windows 7 features.
Below is the agenda, and email if you are interested.
Agenda:
| Time | Session |
| 8:00 – 8:30 | Sign-in and Breakfast |
| 8:30 – 9:20 | Session 1: Introduction to The Optimized Desktop (Windows 7 & MDOP) |
| 9:20 – 9:30 | Break |
| 9:30 – 11:30 9:30 – 10:00 10:00 – 10:30 10:30 -11:00 11:00 – 11:30 |
Session 2: Windows 7 Enterprise Technical Overview → Planning for Direct Access → Considering BranchCache scenarios → Applying Bit locker, Bit locker-To-Go, and Key Management → Implementing the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Lunch & Vendor/Sponsor Presentation |
| 12:30 – 1:30 | Session 3: MDOP Overview |
| 1:30 – 2:20 | Session 4: Microsoft Virtualization Session |
| 2:20 – 2:30 | Break |
| 2:30 – 3:30 | Session 5: Microsoft Application Virtualization Technical Overview |
| 3:30 – 4:20 | Session 6: Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) |
| 4:20 – 4:30 | Break |
| 4:30 – 4:50 | Session 7: Application Compatibility Strategies |
| 5:00 | Q&A & Wrap Up |
Taking beta exams is fun because you have the potential of passing an exam before everyone else. You can also shape the exam by your comments and results. Oh yeah, and it’s FREE!
But it does have somewhat of a price. Microsoft takes 5-7 weeks to grade the exam. During this time, the Prometric results page, just says “tested” instead of where Pass or Fail would normally be. I’ve been checking every day for an update to my most recent Beta exam and finally today, I saw some results!
Woohoo!
I’ll say, this exam was tough. I didn’t study for it, as there were not really any materials available at the time of the test, but I have been recently working with Desktop Virtualization technologies. The hardest part of the exam, in my opinion was that it included aspects of a LOT of different concepts. Normally Microsoft exams focus on one product at a time, but this exam focused on the desktop virtualization concept which spans products like:
App-V, MED-V, RDS, SCCM, XP Mode, Virtual PC, VDI, etc.
Anyway, good luck if you wish to take this exam! Contact me with your experiences once you do!
By the way, this exam is also a stepping stone to the new MCITP: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator
| Requirement | Exam | Status | |
| 1 | Desktop Virtualization | 70-669: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization | In beta—live in May |
| 2 | Server Virtualization (choose one) |
70-652: TS: Windows Server Virtualization, ConfiguringOR 70-659: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization |
Both are available now |
| 3 | Virtualization Administration |
70-693: Pro: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator |
Live now |
Mike Crowley's Whiteboard 