One of the key certifications for those that want to prove their skills in Windows Server 2008 technologies is the 70-640 exam. Recently, Microsoft has updated the exam with 83-640, which is based on emulation technologies. What that means is that the exam asks that you perform a task, and then they give you a remote session to a Windows Server 2008 server and you have to actually perform the task. In the past, people used to complain that Microsoft certifications were too often paper-based and didn’t really test your skills to do the job. Well, now, they can test your ability to perform the job.
Both exams have the same knowledge requirements, and in this blog, I am going to try to go through the Microsoft website for the exams and provide links and resources so that you can achieve the skills required to not only pass the exam, but to do the job in the real world.
From this link, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-640#tab2, you can see the skills that are being measured by the exam. Below, I have taken the higher level skills and provide links that can help test candidates review and study based on the information in Microsoft’s own websites.
Configuring Domain Name System (DNS) for Active Directory (16 percent)
- Microsoft has a step by step guide on DNS here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/1/0/b106fc39-936c-4857-a6ea-3fb9d1f37063/Windows%20Server%202008%20Step-by-Step%20Guide%20for%20DNS%20in%20Small%20Networks.doc
- Top Questions for DNS: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/bb629410.aspx
- DNS Support for Active Directory: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc759550(WS.10).aspx
Configuring the Active Directory infrastructure (25 percent)
- Active Directory Structure and Storage Technologies: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc759186(WS.10).aspx
- Domain Controller Roles: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc786438(WS.10).aspx
- Active Directory Replication: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc776877(WS.10).aspx
- Group Policy Settings Reference: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=18c90c80-8b0a-4906-a4f5-ff24cc2030fb&displaylang=en
- Configuring Subnets for Active Directory in Sites and Services: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/909429?p=1
- Managing Trusts: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727050.aspx
- Domains and Forest Trust Tools: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc756944(WS.10).aspx
- Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) Guide: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc974332(WS.10).aspx
- Configure a Global Catalog Server: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc781300(WS.10).aspx
- Enable Universal Group Cache: http://technet.microsoft.com/fr-fr/library/cc816928(WS.10).aspx
- Manage Operations Masters Roles: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc776474(WS.10).aspx
Configuring additional Active Directory server roles (9 percent)
- AD LDS: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb897400.aspx, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755080(WS.10).aspx
- Making Sense of Server Core: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.02.geekofalltrades.aspx
- Configure Server Core: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee441254(WS.10).aspx
- Hyper-V Getting Started Guide: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732470(WS.10).aspx
- Configure Hyper-V: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732069.aspx
- AD RMS Step by Step Guide: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753531(WS.10).aspx
- Configure the read-only domain controller (RODC): http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732801(WS.10).aspx
- RODC Features: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753223(WS.10).aspx
- How to use Syskey: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310105
- Configure Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS): http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731443(WS.10).aspx, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772309(WS.10).aspx
Creating and maintaining Active Directory objects (24 percent)
- Group Policy in 2008: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=12a29de3-7147-4488-8b1d-5825892f2b05&DisplayLang=en
- Step by Step Guide to Bulk Import/Export: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727091.aspx
- Delegation of Control: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2007.02.activedirectory.aspx
- AD Design: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742592.aspx
- Group Policy: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725828(WS.10).aspx
- Group Policy Templates: http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/6/a/f6acc021-a05a-48a1-88e2-bc64ec0455d6/GROUP%20POLICY%20FOR%20HEALTHCARE%20DESKTOP%20MANAGEMENT/Release%20Notes%20-%20Group%20Policy%20Templates.pdf
- Deploy Software by using Group Policy: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816102
- Fine Grained Passwords: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/bb896051.aspx, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754544(WS.10).aspx
Maintaining the Active Directory environment (13 percent)
- Configure backup and recovery: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727048.aspx, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263532
- Replmon: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772954(WS.10).aspx
- Repadmin: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/229896
- Reliability and Performance Monitor: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755081(WS.10).aspx
- RSOP: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc758010(WS.10).aspx
- Task Manager: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/What-is-Task-Manager, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc938567.aspx
Configuring Active Directory Certificate Services (13 percent)
- Certificate Services: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa376539(VS.85).aspx, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/dd448615.aspx
- Managing Certificate Services: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727098.aspx
- Certificate Services Architecture: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa376540(VS.85).aspx
- AD CS: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff630887.aspx
- Backup and Restore Cert Services: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa388174(VS.85).aspx
