 See larger picture | MCSE Training Kit (Exam 70-224): Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Implementation and Administration (IT-Training Kits)
by
Microsoft Corporation and Kay Unkroth
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Product Description This official MCSE TRAINING KIT teaches IT professionals how to set up and support Exchange 2000 Server-as they prepare for the corresponding MCP exam. Topics include planning an implementation or upgrade to Exchange 2000 Server; configuring clients and servers, Internet protocols and services, mail and messaging systems, and security; implementing Active Directory(tm) services; managing access to resources; monitoring and optimizing the messaging and collaboration environment, including managing the Web Storage System; diagnosing and resolving problems; and more. Students learn through an integrated system of skill-building tutorials, hands-on lab exercises, and self-assessment tools. An economical alternative to classroom instruction, this kit enables students to set their own pace and learn by doing.The MCSE Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000 Training Kit is a strange book. Most serious MCSA students will absolutely, no questions asked, need this book to pass the exam... but you wouldn't want to read it. That being said, the CD-ROM has something that's key for MCSE and MCSA students--a 120-day trial edition of the ISA software itself. Considering that the ISA software costs $1,500, buying this book to install that software legally and fool around with it at your leisure is a net savings of $1,440.The book itself is a step backwards from Microsoft's usually excellent beginners' series, and is neither fish nor fowl--it doesn't offer the gentle introduction to the basic concepts that most Microsoft training kits do, and yet it contains a howling vacuum when it comes to real-life examples. What's left is a book that outlines each of ISA's functions in loving detail, without ever telling you why you would want to use any of them. Let's give a real-life instruction from the book to explain what we mean: On the Cache tab, select one of the following options contained in the Cache Content section: - If you want all content to be cached, select the All Content, Including Dynamic Content, Will Be Cached radio button.
- If you want content to be cached only if source and request headers indicate to cache, select the If Source and Request Headers Indicate to Cache, Then the Object Will Be Cached radio button.
- If retrieved objects should not be cached, select the No Content Will Ever Be Cached radio button.
See what's missing? At no point does this book actually say what the drawbacks or advantages of caching dynamic content are. Why would you want to do it? When would it be a bad idea? What are the real-world differences between caching dynamic content and caching only the content that the headers indicate should be cached--and what option do most system admins choose? From this book alone, you'd have no idea. And this is a constant problem throughout the book. You're told what ISA can do without being told the reasons behind the options, or even a hint as to what the best option usually is. Admittedly, most Microsoft training kits are notoriously bad when it comes to actually preparing you for what you'll face on the exam--their sample questions aren't even in the standard multiple-choice MCSE/MCSA format, for gosh sake--but they do excel at providing basic introductions for novices and are excellent refresher courses, making them perhaps the best starting points in the business for any serious certification student. This book, on the other hand, is more of a documentation of the ISA application itself--it tells you quite clearly what ISA does. The book discusses the attacks that Microsoft can automatically detect, but doesn't tell you what to look for in the logs, nor what common approaches hackers take, or even what to do when you're under a Denial of Service attack. Which is not to say that you can't learn anything from the book--it actually has more content than many other training kits. However, it does mean that if you haven't used ISA server in the real world until now, you'll know exactly how to specify a locally bound TCP port, list, or range in the Firewall Client Applications setting. The short version: The incredible software savings here is worth the cost of the book alone, and then some. And the book is not a bad reference for those who've used ISA in the real world--or at least have configured firewalls and proxy servers. But most users will probably install the software and buy at least one other book to pass the exam with flying colors. --William Steinmetz
Featured Customer Reviews  MCSE Training Kit: Designing Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Security,
July 04, 2006 Pathetic to say the least.,
February 08, 2006
I passed this exam a month ago, while I am restricted by NDA from speaking about the questions; I can tell you that nothing in this book has any thing to do with this exam whatsoever. The questions in this book are too elementary; it is like asking you what is 4 + 4 in a SAT study kit (you got the picture). The only thing you can get out of this book is that if you are unable to answer ALL the questions correct in about an hour or two, rest assured that you are not ready for that exam but the not the other way around. Meaning, if you are able to answer all of them, by no means this - by it self- means that you are ready. Invest your money some where else or if you are in Redmond WA pay a visit to the library where you will find my copy, I am in my way to donate it.
Sloppy proof-reading wastes good beginners guide,
April 04, 2004 If exam's are your motivation then this is only the starting point not the "Learn by rote" you need to guarantee success. If you're new to SQL Server then this training kit does what would be an excellent job if of gently introducing you to the world of SQL Server and relational databases, let down by sloppy proofreading. Some examples: Page 106 has three tables to illustrate normalisation: a book table and TWO author tables. I think what they meant was a book table, an author table and an AuthorBook table and someone just didn't check the table captions. On page 73 the sp_helpprotect stored procedure is introduced. The example won't work because the stored procedure is called sp_helprotect. And when you hit brick walls with examples (try turning debugging on - the book makes it sound dead simple, the reality is you'll hit an "unable to connect" message that requires extensive research and additional work if you're running SP3) there's nowhere to turn. It's a shame because the book does an excellent job in other ways. But it's lazy. It gives the easy and obvious examples and sample questions and whenever anything that might require a bit of real explanation comes up if you're lucky it says "Go read somewhere else", if you're unlucky the subject doesn't come up at all. I'd still recommend it as a "gentle" way into SQL Server for those new to databases, but it could have been so much better with just a little more effortNot so bad,
February 26, 2004 This book contains enough information in the following areas:
stored procedures, triggers, XML, entities and indexes.It also contains poor information in the following areas:
Managing and manipulation data.
Cursors.
SQL Server tuning. I strongly recommend the Microsoft self-paced book. It contains more material for the exam.  Not enough,
November 19, 2003
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