Born to Learn

Happy 20th from Cert Talk!

J. Seymour (Microsoft) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:54:25 GMT

I’d sing but don’t you have to pay someone to use that birthday song?

This episode of Cert Talk takes a moment to reflect on 20 years of certification and then looks forward. I have Don Field, Sr. Director for Microsoft Learning on to talk about past, present and future certification. Then after a 20^th anniversary Chris Avis segment, my good friend and fellow Product Planner for Certification, Jim Clark, stops by to talk about our new Private Cloud certification and what 20 years of certification has meant to him. Plus, look out for this episodes secret passcodes which are a bit easy to spot, to be honest.

You can view episode 3 on TechNet Radio here. Or enjoy it on the privacy of your own computer in a variety of delightful formats: WMV | MP4 | WMV (ZIP) | PSP Though, even when you download it, we are still squished. Hopefully next time we’ll be at least as tall as we are wide!

Celebrating 20 Years of Microsoft Certification!

Mark Protus, Microsoft Learning — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:34:00 GMT

This year is the 20^th Anniversary of the Microsoft Certified program. I’m really happy to announce the launch of 20 Years|20 Ways, a year-long effort to partner with our community of certified IT Pros and Developers throughout 2012. Through social cause and social media, we will encourage you celebrate 20 years with us by sharing your expertise, growing your career, and seeding the next generation. You can read the official announcement in our News Center.

Personally, I’m very excited to have a chance to work with all of you to celebrate this monumental event. I started my Microsoft career more than 21 years ago as part of Microsoft University – developing training and courseware for Windows 3.1 support professionals. I had the pleasure of working with a very scrappy and determined team as we introduced Microsoft Certification, competed against existing industry certifications, and helped to grow Microsoft Certified into the global standard that it is today.

For 20 Years|20 Ways, we hope to grow a whole new generation of certified professionals, who will start careers, create new ideas and industry innovations, and change the world over the next 20 years. We hope you can help us spread the word and seed the next generation by:

1. Telling your story. Inspire others by sharing your career story on our Facebook page and provide hope and a future to those who need it the most.

2. Participate in our exam donation to students. By upgrading your skills with a qualifying exam, Microsoft will donate an entry level exam to an aspiring student in need – and help them kick-start a new career in the IT industry.

3. Check out the NetHope Academy and the great work they are doing to provide technology, resources and training to countries around the world – and rebuild IT infrastructures in countries experiencing a natural disaster.

By working together as a community – I honestly believe we can change the world.

Top IT Certifications

Liberty Munson (Microsoft) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:22:10 GMT

I was surfing the interwebs, as J Seymour likes to call it, and came across this interesting blog post that I thought I would share:

http://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/earn-more-todays-top-it-certs-184307?page=0,1

It's awesome that the author mentions System Center and Virtualization because there's some great stuff going on right now related to both...

The System Center 2012--the author calls this out as a technology where you can make "big bucks"!--will be in beta soon. If you're skilled in this area and want to participate in the beta, create or update your profile in our SME database as soon as possible. Beta seats are very limited, and we notify people who have experience with the technology in our SME database first. So, get yourself into the database if you're not already.

In terms of Virtualization, we have a great virtualization certification (of course)! Check it out here (by the way, isn't this new web layout AWESOME?!!), and don't miss the special offers we have in place related to this certification--maybe you can take 70-659 for free... yes, I said FREE. Check it out.

Office 365 Beta Exam - Part 2 - Administering Office 365 - 70-323

Guido van Brakel — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:14:00 GMT

This week I also did my second beta exam: 70-323(Administering Office 365). The exam consisted of 70-80 questions and was a bit harder then the exam I did earlier, Deploying Office 365. I expected it to be the other way around, that Deploying was harder than Administering. As I can't go in details what exam subject were, I can tell about my resources I used as a prepartion, which you will see below:

And before my exam I used these resources as a quick exam reminder:

Prepare phase
1. Key activities
2. Update schema for Exchange 2010 :
  cd c:\exchangeserver2010sp1 and then setup /preparead
3. Office 365 ports, ips and urls
4. Exchange Hybrid Deployment Domain and Host Names Worksheet
5. Configure SSO with ADFS:
  Connect-MsolService –Credential $cred
  Set-MsolAdfscontext -Computer <AD FS 2.0 primary server>
  New-MsolFederatedDomain –DomainName <domain>
6. Configure dirsync (separate server and when less than
  50.000 objects SQL 2008 Express will do).
7. Mail migration types and explanation E-mail migration overview (virtual labs)
Migrate phase
1. Key activities
2. Post-deployment services testing plan

Help Design the Next Exam UI - New Survey (Closed)

Stephanie Jordan (Microsoft) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:54:00 GMT

UPDATE (2/3/12): Our survey is now closed. Watch BTL for more opportunities to get involved in the future. Thanks for your help!

UPDATE (2/2/12): Thank you to everyone who has completed our survey so far - the response from the community has been terrific. I will be closing the survey tomorrow at 12pm (Redmond time) - please follow the link if you are still interested in participating.

The Certification Exam User Experience team is making significant changes to the Microsoft Exam user interface. We would like your opinion about our ideas. The following link will direct you to our online survey hosted by Qualtrics:

(Link Removed)

We will use your feedback to improve the test-taking experience.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

The Microsoft Learning Certification Exam User Experience Team

Office 365 Beta Exam - Part 1 - Deploying Office 365 - 70-321

Guido van Brakel — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:21:00 GMT

This morning I did the exam 70-321, which is a beta exam for Office 365. As promised earlier here a blogpost about my exam experience.

The exam has 40-60 questions, which is quite short for a beta exam in my opnion.

· ADFS

· DirSync

· Powershell commands

· DNS Records

· Exchange Online

· Lync Online

Resources I used to prepare:

Office 365 Service Descriptions

Microsoft Office 365 for IT Professionals

Cert Talk Episode 2, Electric Boogaloo! (not official title)

J. Seymour (Microsoft) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:50:00 GMT

I’m pleased to announce our second episode of Cert Talk! This month I talk to Mr. Virtualization himself, Edwin Yuen. Edwin gives us a rundown on virtualization from soup to nuts, including how Microsoft offerings compare to VMware. We talk about what virtualization means for IT Pros new to the industry as well as existing Admins. Then we wrap up with a topic you rarely hear when anyone talks about virtualization: Developers. It’s a great conversation that I hope you’ll enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed having. Edwin is a great guy, fun to talk to, and I’m eager to have him back.

Finally, some rapscallions on the second floor have started a game where they challenge me to work in an odd word or phrase during Cert Talk. Score bonus points by identifying this episode’s phrase. I’m not sure what it means, but it makes me laugh.

You can find the latest Cert Talk here. Or, if you prefer, you can download and watch Cert Talk at your convenience in a variety of pleasing video formats: WMV | MP4 | WMV (ZIP) | PSP

New Jump Start to Provide IT Pros with Microsoft Private Cloud Skills. Register Now!

Frank Gartland — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:32:00 GMT

Microsoft Learning and the Microsoft System Center 2012 team are partnering to bring provide IT Professionals an exciting opportunity to learn what they need to know to deploy, manage and maintain Microsoft’s private cloud solution. Leveraging the popular Jump Start virtual classroom approach, the industry’s most gifted cloud experts will show attendees why this new private cloud solution, based on System Center 2012 and Windows Server, has garnered so much attention. Here are the details:

Course: “Creating and Managing a Private Cloud with System Center 2012 Jump Start”
Date/Time: February 21-22, 2012 from 9:00am – 5:00pm PST
Where: Live virtual classroom (online from wherever you are)
Cost: FREE!
Target audience: IT Professionals (IT Implementers, managers, decision makers)

REGISTER NOW

COURSE OUTLINE

Day 1: Deployment & Configuration
Part 1: Understanding the Microsoft Private Cloud
Part 2: Deploying the Infrastructure Components
Part 3: Deploying the Private Cloud Infrastructure
Part 4: Deploying the Service Layer
Part 5: Deploying the Applications & VMs

Day 2: Management & Operations
Part 6: Managing the Infrastructure Components
Part 7: Managing the Private Cloud Infrastructure
Part 8: Managing the Service Layer
Part 9: Managing the Applications & VMs

INSTRUCTOR TEAM
Students have the opportunity to learn from and interact with the industry’s best cloud technologists! This high-energy, demo-rich learning experience will help IT Professionals understand why Microsoft private cloud solutions are making a splash in the industry. Here are the instructors for this two-day event!

Symon Perriman, Microsoft Technical Evangelist
Chris Van Wesep, Group Product Manager, System Center Cloud and Datacenter Management
Kenon Owens, Technical Product Manager, System Center Cloud and Datacenter Infrastructure
Adam Hall, Senior Technical Product Manager, System Center Application Management
Sean Christensen, Senior Technical Product Manager, System Center Service Delivery & Automation
Prabu Rambadran, Technical Product Manager, System Center Monitoring & Operating

What’s a “Jump Start” Course?
Training specifically designed for experienced technologists whose jobs demand they know how to best leverage new, emerging Microsoft technologies. These advanced courses assume a certain level of expertise and domain knowledge, so they move quickly and cover topics in a fashion that enables teams to effectively map new skills to real-world situations. Check out recordings of the Office 365 Jump Start and the Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals, too!

Register now for the Private Cloud Jump Start

System Center 2012 is a true “private cloud" builder. Get started on your Private Cloud certification now.

Erika Cravens — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:04:00 GMT

Today in an online broadcast from Microsoft’s headquarters, Server and Tools president Satya Nadella laid out how Microsoft’s private cloud solution will help businesses move faster, save money and better compete in 2012. In alignment with Microsoft’s strategy, we have designed a Private Cloud certification that is built on Windows Server 2008 and System Center 2012. In addition to the Private Cloud certification, we are also announcing the soon to be available System Center 2012 Configuration Manager certification.

Since 3 out of the 5 required exams for the Private Cloud certification are available now, you can get started today. You are required to pass 3 exams on Windows Server 2008 (Exams 640, 642, & 646) If you pass all the Windows Server exams , you will only be two exams away from achieving the Private Cloud certification. Once you have achieved the Private Cloud certification, you will be required to show continued ability to perform on the latest versions of the Private Cloud technology by passing a recertification exam every 3 years. Learn more about the Private Cloud certification here: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-private-cloud.aspx.

If you are more interested in the Administering and Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager certification, you can get your training started now by taking the beta course from a Microsoft partner - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=10747AB&Locale=en-us#tab1.

Even more exciting, for the first time, we are going to open up our beta exams for the Private Cloud to the public at the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS).

- Exam 246: Private Cloud Monitoring and Operations with System Center 2012

- Exam 247: Private Cloud Configuration and Deployment with System Center 2012

Beta exams will be limited, but it will be free. Register for MMS today.

Happy Learning!

Have MCTS/MCITP exams got easier?

Andrew Bettany — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:29:30 GMT

This question is raised often amongst experienced IT professionals and in the most part their argument is that across the board, current MCTS and MCITP exams have become easier than the older "MCP" exams. I may stand alone here, but I must respectfully disagree :-S

Let me share one point of view (mine), and then invite your comments....

I have taken dozens of exams, both the older MCP and the newer MCTS/ITP exams. I also manage a Prometric testing center and have seen 500+ test takers take Microsoft exams over the last 3 years.

Some exams that I have taken, have certainly seemed "easier" than others, I agree, but on the most part I see the exams as requiring a very good level of understanding for a test taker to pass. Often a good candidate just misses out on passing and nearly always comments on how hard the exam was! On the other hand, someone who just manages to pass also makes the same comment! Someone who aces the exam, will comment that the exam was "ok". So who are the people who say the exams are easy?

I believe the people who pass and think the exams are easy are the IT Super Heros, uber geeks, they get gadgets for Christmas and don't need to read the instruction manual, these guys who only have to look at new technology for a couple of hour and "get it". If you find a hero like this, set them a mini test of your own and then hire them! Sure, they may not be competition to Chuck Norris but they rock @IT!

Crossing the road for an adult, or driving a car is "easy" for most of us. Picture an eight year old doing the same - it is not so easy for them. (I would not cross the road with an 8 year old driving a car!). I actually think that the test-taker with more experience of the product coupled with his/her exam taking experience finds the exams "easier" than the "newbie" test taker This is great for some of us, but it also prompts the push back statement that they are too easy, which I think is awfully misleading to newbies and employers alike. It is a tricky point to prove. I also would not be surprised if Microsoft continually "tweak" the question content/difficulty levels. Maybe Liberty Munson, from the Microsoft certification team, could offer insight here?

It would be a nice debate to have, especially if it included both newbie and experienced points of view - please share your experiences.

When was the last time someone mentioned their MCSE certification?

Andrew Bettany — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:57:00 GMT

For me that was a few years at least. Yes I do have a MCSE. Which one(s) do I hold? (Does it matter really?) However they were hugely prized “back in the day” so I know some of you will want to know: was it obtained on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003?

Actually mine was the latest one issued – Windows Server 2003 (which I earned in early 2005). For the newbies reading this, you could indeed be thinking, hold on… why am I reading a blog post about a certification released 9 years ago on technology that is equally old, no longer available to purchase and now nearing the end of its’ useful life? That is the point, people still do care, and passionately. Don't get me wrong - I am very happy with what those 4 letters signified, proud and pleased to have achieved the certification, however I just doubt the validity of the usefulness now when applied to technology of today.

Well I brought up the topic to show how *some* people still rely on using this aged qualification as if it is like a support, or a throw-back to days when MCSE’s ruled the IT world back in the year 2003 when Concorde made its last commercial supersonic flight. A truly great icon of flight now no longer with us. Talking about flights - last week, I was doing some preparation for a course I am delivering later this month and I reached for a Server 2008 R2 book on my e-reader, and on the front cover the authors' name was written as “Jingly Keyring, MCSE” (name have been changed to protect the author).

I thought it was funny, to see MCSE again, used as a badge of honor, especially on a book relating to a technology which effectively terminated that legacy acronym. In my world there are no Windows Server 2003 machines left whatsoever, and I doubt/hope I will ever see one again. Admittedly Server 2003 was a great, stable server operating system.

The next certification I will be proud to shout about will be one that qualifies me as proficient on the next version of Windows Server, whatever it may be called, and whenever it arrives…I am sure we will hear about it right here on Born to Learn.

By Popular Demand: Competency Exam Packs Offer Extended

Allison Reese — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:07:29 GMT

As a Microsoft partner, you can save up to 40% when you purchase packs of three or more Microsoft competency exams. This offer has been extended to allow you to purchase exam packs and save up to 40% through May 15, 2012. Exam vouchers can be used by any individual within your organization and must be taken by May 31, 2012.

Find more information and get your exam packs today!

Calling All SMEs -- Join the MSL SME Database

Lisa Denbeste (Microsoft) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:10:00 GMT

Are you an expert on Microsoft technologies interested in creating content for Microsoft Learning Products? If so join the MSL SME database here.

Microsoft Learning (MSL) works with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to develop learning products and certification exam content. MSL uses the SME database to help identify talent for opportunities such as writing exam questions, taking beta exams, creating courses, authoring books, and performing technical reviews.

It’s as simple as that. If you want to get involved, your first step is completing the Microsoft Learning SME Profile.

Another date added for popular 70-659 Jump Start! Targets EMEA time zones!

Frank Gartland — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:50:00 GMT

Microsoft Learning has added another new date for its popular course: Exam 70-659: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Jump Start. Click the link to learn more about the course itself, but here are a few details:

Course: Exam 70-659: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Jump Start
Instructors: Microsoft Technical Evangelist, Symon Perriman & Microsoft Technical Instructor, Philip Helsel
Cost: $99 (includes an exam voucher valued at USD $150)
Dates: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 | Wednesday, February 15, 2012
NEW DATE ADDED! Thursday, February 23, 2012 (starts at midnight PST/9am CET to accommodate EMEA time zones)

REGISTER NOW

New blogger: Guido van Brakel

Guido van Brakel — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:51:00 GMT

I am a new blogger on the Microsoft Learning Blog, and wanted to introduce myself here. I am Guido van Brakel and work as a System Engineer at Avanade I mostly work on designing and implementing Microsoft technologies. I am a person who likes to do Microsoft exams and to expand my knowledge on several Microsoft technologies. I hold the following technical certifications:

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA 2003)
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE 2003)
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): SharePoint 2010, Configuration (70-667)
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): System Center Operations Manager 2007, Configuration (70-400)
Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Server Administrator

My articles will be mostly about sharing exam experiences and methods I use to learn new technologies. In a couple of weeks I'm going to do the beta exams of Office 365, so expect some articles from me about that topic. In my work I focus on the following technologies: SharePoint, System Center Operations Manager and Office 365.