Here's all-in-one training covering the core exams every Windows 2000 MCSE candidate must pass. This set includes official Microsoft study guides for Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, and 70-217 -- which can also be used in preparation for the special accelerated exam (70-240) for candidates already certified on Windows NT "RM" 4.0. Students work at their own pace through an integrated system of skill-building tutorials and hands-on lab exercises. An economical alternative to classroom instruction, students can rely on official self-paced "MCSE Training Kits" from Microsoft for the skills they need on the job -- and on the exam.
This boxed set helps you prepare for the four examinations you must pass to qualify as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) under the
Windows 2000 curriculum. You'll find lots of information on
Windows 2000 and its networking capabilities in this kit. Specifically, the set consists of four books and a CD-ROM:
- Windows 2000 Server
- Windows 2000 Professional
- Active Directory Services
- Network Infrastructure Administration
- A 120-day evaluation version of Windows 2000 Server
This kit is among the first Windows 2000 MCSE packages on the market, and the books are pretty accurate and detailed. Written mostly by Microsoft internal documentation staff, they use a standard formula. Each module begins with a statement of concepts and facts, such as what log files are and what each of the three Windows 2000 log files is for. Then you get "how-to" information in the form of stepped procedures for viewing log contents; option tables and other material that explain how to deal with non-standard situations come next. Finally, carefully scripted exercises allow you to practise your new skills and get predictable results.
Sections on Domain Name Service (DNS), the IPsec protocol, and the management of network protocols are particularly good. As you might expect from a training kit on a product whose main new feature is Active Directory, the coverage of Active Directory services is top-drawer. Concepts, as well as practicalities, get their due. If only the CD-ROM included a copy of Windows 2000 Professional so that you could set up an experimental network.
The CD-ROM also ought to include an exam simulator, and more test-prep material in the bodies of the books themselves would have been nice. As they stand, they're fine tutorials and references, but not great test preparation aids. Each chapter includes review questions that allow a free response rather than selection from a list of options. The questions will test your knowledge, and answer keys do appear in appendices, but they don't simulate the multiple-choice format of the actual MCSE exams. Read these books for the information they contain, but wait for an Exam Cram or other question repository to get simulation tests. --David Wall
Topics covered: The Microsoft-published objectives of the four required Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) exams. Specifically, this kit contains material on the Windows 2000 Server exam (70-215), the Windows 2000 Professional exam (70-210), the Network Administration Infrastructure exam (70-216), and the Active Directory Services exam (70-217).
