Prepare for Windows 2000 with free, self-paced training courses from Microsoft. Also, find out what online training companies are ahead of the game with Microsoft Official Curriculum for Win2K.
Microsoft Official Online Curriculum
Prepare for Windows 2000 with free, self-paced training courses from Microsoft. Also, find out what online training companies are ahead of the game with Microsoft Official Curriculum for Win2K.
- By Chris Brooke
- 12/01/1999
If you believe the Microsoft press machine, the release
of Windows 2000 could happen any day now. And while we
await, with great anticipation, the release of what promises
to be a fully scalable, enterprise-wide OS, we also know
that a new MCSE track is right around the corner. Consequently,
our time is sure to be split between actually deploying
Win2K across our enterprise and racing to be the first
“MCSE 2000” on the block.
According to the Microsoft Web site, and depending upon
your current certification level, the Windows 2000 certification
could take as few as two exams or as many as seven. [For
details see coverage in the November issue.—Ed.] So
we wait… for the Microsoft Official Curriculum, for the
third-party study guides, for the practice exams. We wait.
Free Online Training
Well, wait no more! Microsoft has released a free online
training guide: MOC Course 1555—Getting Ready for Microsoft
Windows 2000. Even though the Microsoft Web site states,
“This course is not associated with any Microsoft Certified
Professional exam,” there’s quite a bit of information
here that will no doubt be extremely useful on exam day.
Let’s look at what you get.
The first page of the site is the standard MOC syllabus,
which outlines the modules, prerequisites, course materials,
and so on. The course itself is contained in a 6.8M .ZIP
file that you must download and install. I like this because
I can install it on my laptop and access it anywhere.
Once installed, you access it by browsing the \moc\nt1555a
directory and double-clicking on default.htm. Figure 1
gives us a look at Module 1.
|
Figure 1. Here’s a look at the
first module in Course 1555. |
As you progress through the modules, it becomes quite
clear that the best thing to do in preparation for Win2K
migration is to tighten up Windows NT 4.0. Here are some
of the highlights of the course:
- Streamline NT Directory Services.
This will greatly simplify matters when the time comes
to implement Active Directory. The fewer unnecessary
network objects you have at migration time, the better.
- Update Network Protocols and
Services. Win2K requires TCP/IP for many critical
functions. It also relies heavily on DNS. If you’re
still using NetBEUI or (God forbid!) IPX/SPX, get switched
over now.
- Install Service Pack 4 and Implement
its Features. Updating NTFS permissions, applying
Security Configuration Manager templates, and dual-booting
between NT 4.0 and Win2K are covered here.
- Deploying Windows NT 4.0 Workstation.
Win2K Professional is the first “NT” OS to allow upgrading
directly from Win9x. Even so, Microsoft recommends that
you upgrade client machines to NT Workstation wherever
possible. Not only is there less planning involved,
but then you’ll also already have user accounts created
and NTFS permissions in place (assuming you convert
your drive to NTFS—Win2K supports FAT32, even on the
boot partition!).
Each module contains numerous how-to documents and whitepapers
discussing each topic in depth and explaining why it’s
necessary. There are even detailed labs taking you through
such steps as configuring a dual-boot machine, assigning
NTFS permissions after installing the SCM, and installing
and configuring DNS, just to name a few.
Seminar
Online Title |
Minutes |
Number
of Slides |
Active Directory Database
Sizing and Traffic Analysis |
75 |
67 |
Active Directory Replication
(Part 1) |
83 |
42 |
Active Directory Replication
(Part 2) |
68 |
44 |
Deploying BackOffice Applications
on Windows Clusters |
86 |
55 |
Deploying Corporate-Level
Remote Access and Branch Office Solutions |
86 |
48 |
Designing Distributed Applications
For Active Directory |
60 |
23 |
Domain Migration Strategies
and Windows 2000 |
79 |
58 |
How to Deploy a Windows
2000 Active Directory in Your Organization |
40 |
34 |
How to Use Windows 2000
Professional Deployment Tools in the Enterprise |
22 |
14 |
Managing the Windows Platform:
Windows 2000 and Systems Management Server
2.0 |
15 |
9 |
Microsoft Windows 2000 Deployment
Methods |
61 |
21 |
Protection and Connection
Technologies That Live At The Edge Of
Your Network |
70 |
55 |
Storage Management in Windows
2000 |
79 |
32 |
Using Secondary Logon with
Microsoft Windows 2000 |
10 |
11 |
Windows 2000: An Overview
of Microsoft Management Console (MMC) |
24 |
8 |
Windows 2000: Isolating
and Troubleshooting Hardware/Software
Issues |
79 |
9 |
Windows 2000: The Top 10
Things to Think About Before You Update |
65 |
15 |
Writing Directory-Enabled
Applications |
74 |
33 |
|
|
After you’ve whetted your appetite with the online course,
spend some time going through Microsoft’s Seminar Online
sessions. We’ve pulled together a roster of the ones that
were available as of late October, but you can bet the
list will grow in coming months (see Table 1). If you
haven’t already tried them, these sessions typically consist
of audio presentations with accompanying PowerPoint slides.
You simply bring up the Web page with the session and
watch it on your computer. The presentations are given
by Microsoft staff. You need Internet Explorer 3.02 or
higher or Netscape Navigator 4.51 or higher, along with
the Microsoft Windows Media player. The seminars are optimized
for 28.8 modem speed. View the master index for sessions
at www.microsoft.com/Seminar/1033/Index/P90335.htm.
While these resources don’t directly prepare you for
any of the new Win2K exams, I’m sure that by the time
you finish all the lessons you’ll have a much clearer
idea of what Microsoft is going to expect from its MCSE
2000s. Until the exam prep guide is published, I guess
they’ll have to do.
Win2K Training Available Online
Microsoft isn’t the only company offering Windows 2000
training online (although they’re the only ones giving
it away). Some online training providers are offering
Win2K training and many more are sure to follow soon.
While they don’t profess to prepare you for any particular
exam, the skills taught more closely match the expected
exam requirements than those found in the free Microsoft
online training.
|
IMG
University
www.imgwebu.com
425-882-3053 |
Infotech
Online
www.infotec.com
800-700-TRAIN
714-755-7120 |
Scholars.com
www.scholars.com
506-457-1285 |
Courses
offered |
M1560—Updating
Support Skills from Windows NT 4.0 to
Windows 2000
M1561—Designing a Windows 2000 Directory
Services Infrastructure
M1579—Accelerated Training for Updating
Support Skills AND Directory Services
|
M1579—Windows
2000 Accelerated Course |
Windows 2000
—Fundamentals
—Architecture
—Installation/
configuration
—Migration/
interoperability
(CBT Systems
courseware) |
Time allowed |
M1560—10 weeks
M1561—10 weeks
M1579—12 weeks |
10 weeks |
4 weeks |
Cost |
M1560—$399
M1561—$399
M1579—$599 |
$300 (Special
MCP pricing)
|
$380
|
Course materials |
Course workbook,
lab workbook, and Windows 2000 Advanced
Server Beta 3 |
Course/lab
workbook, Win2K Beta 3 CD (course materials
include complete MOC for course 1560 and
1561) |
Simulation
software |
Hardware
requirements |
Minimum: Pentium 166, 128M,
2G drive, and 12X CD-ROM
Recommended: Pentium II 350,
256M, 4G drive, and 12X CD-ROM
Listed: Two separate machines
running Win2K Advanced Server
Actual: Only one lab requires
two machines for some of the steps.
|
Minimum: Two computers with
Pentium 133, 64M, 1G drive, and CD-ROM
Optional: Two or more hard drives
per system, more than 1G HD space, printer,
and laptop computer
|
None listed |
Prerequisites |
Course 803— Administering Windows NT
4.0 (or equivalent skills)
Course 922— Supporting Windows NT 4.0
Core Technologies (or equivalent skills)
|
Course 803— Administering Windows NT
4.0 (or equivalent skills)
Course 922— Supporting Windows NT 4.0
Core Technologies (or equivalent skills)
|
None listed |
Newsgroups |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Instructor
participation |
Email and chat |
Email and chat |
Yes (24x7) |
Tests |
Online assessment
tests |
Voucher for
free certification exam |
None listed |
Chatroom |
Open
chat: 24x7
Scheduled chat: at posted times (instructor
present) |
Scheduled
chats: instructor present |
Open
chat: 24x7 |
|
|
As the exam release dates get closer, no doubt we’ll
see a refinement in the curriculums. Until then, these
might be just the thing to whet your appetite.