In-Depth
MCSA
Microsoft's certification for network and systems administrators.
Microsoft says that the introduction of the Microsoft Certified Systems
Administrator title was developed as a result of job skill surveys it
conducted in 2001, indicating that many network administrators or systems
administrators focus daily on server and client maintenance and administration
tasks and may never face network design and infrastructure scalability
issues in their work. Since its inception, the MCSA has been versioned
into the following titles:
- MCSA on Windows 2000, with MCSA: Security and MCSA: Messaging specializations
as a subgroup of this version.
- MCSA on Windows 2003, with MCSA: Security and MCSA: Messaging specializations
as a subgroup of version.
The Work
An MCSA certification indicates proven skills in performing network administrative
and maintenance tasks on a Windows network. Some MCSAs may be familiar
with network design, but it's not a required skill. (MCSAs who eventually
want to prove expertise in network infrastructure and design should look
at obtaining the MCSE).
The Benefits
You'll receive several benefits by virtue of becoming
an MCSA:
- Industry recognition of your expertise.
- The right to use the MCP logo on business collateral.
- A certificate, transcript, wallet card, and lapel pin to identify
you as an MCP to colleagues and clients. (The first 5,000 charter MCSAs
will receive certificates and wallet cards that distinguish early adoption
of this new certification.)
- Access to technical and product information direct from Microsoft
through a private MCP Web site.
- Discounts on products and services (such as Microsoft Developer Network).
- Invitations to Microsoft and MCP TechMentor conferences, technical
training sessions, and special events.
- Access to all back issue content available on MCPmag.com for a greatly
reduced fee as well as the opportunity to join the MCP peer-to-peer
database.
The Tests
Table 1 shows how exams fit under each version of the MCSA credential:
| Table 1. MCSA
tracks, plus the upgrade track. (See table 2 for specializations.) |
| MCSA
on Windows 2000 |
MCSA
on Windows 2003 |
Upgrade:
MCSA: W2K to Windows 2003 |
Core Exams: Client Operating System
(pass 1)
|
Upgrade Exam (pass 1)
|
| 70–210: Installing,
Configuring, Administering Windows 2000 Professional |
70-292: Managing,
Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA
on Windows 2000 |
| 70–270: Installing,
Configuring, Administering Windows XP Professional |
Core Exams: Networking System
(pass 2)
|
No other exams
are required. |
| 70–215: Installing,
Configuring, Administering Windows 2000 Server |
70–290: Managing,
Maintaining Windows Server 2003 |
| 70–218: Managing
Windows 2000 |
70–291: Implementing,
Managing, Maintaining Windows Server 2003 |
|
Electives (pass 1)
|
|
Holders of any of the following certifications:
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA A+ and Network+
- CompTIA A+ and CompServer+
can bypass the elective requirement; others must
pass the following electives:
|
Holders of any of the following certifications:
- MCSE on NT 4.0
- MCSA on Windows 2000
- MCSE on Windows 2000
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA A+ and Network+
- CompTIA A+ and CompServer+
can bypass the elective requirement; others must
pass the following electives:
|
| 70–028: Administering
SQL Server 7.0 |
| 70–081: Implementing,
Supporting Exchange Server 5.5 |
| 70–086: Implementing,
Supporting Systems Management Server 2. |
| 70–088: Implementing,
Supporting Proxy Server 2.0 |
|
| Exam 70–214:
Implementing, Administering Windows 2000 Security |
| 70–216: Implementing,
Administering Windows 2000 |
| 70–224: Installing,
Configuring, Administering Exchange 2000 Server |
| 70–227: Installing,
Configuring, Administering Internet Security and Acceleration
(ISA) Server 2000, Enterprise |
| 70–228: Installing,
Configuring, Administering SQL Server 2000 Enterprise |
| 70–244: Supporting,
Maintaining Windows NT Server 4.0 |
70-284: Implementing,
Managing Exchange Server 2003 |
| |
70-299: Implementing,
Administering Windows Server 2003 Security |
|
|
70-240 Exception
Some MCSA on Windows 2000 candidates may have taken Exam 70-240, the Windows
2000 Accelerated exam, when it was available (the exam was retired at
the end of 2001). For those who passed it only need to pass Exam 70-218
to obtain that credential. Doing so also allows those who obtained the
MCSA on Windows 2000 to bypass the elective requirement for the MCSA on
Windows 2003.
The Specialization Tie-In
The history of specialist titles is somewhat murky, but the germination
and development of the titles can be traced to an interview conducted
by CertCities.com Editor Becky Nagel with Microsoft program managers,
who revealed plans for creating vertical slices of the main titles. (See
"Microsoft
Considering Desktop, Security Certs" in the News Archive.) The
first specialization, MCSA: Security on Windows 2000, was officially introduced
in June 2003; that was followed by MCSA: Messaging in September. Versions
for Windows 2003 also piggybacked those announcements.
Microsoft says it introduced the specializations based on MCP feedback
and a job task analysis conducted in 2002 that indicated that MCPs were
interested in further defining expertise via credentials. (See "Certifying
Your Security Expertise" in the News archive for details.) Table
2 shows the exam requirements for each version of the title.
| Table 2. Security
and Messaging specializations for versions of the MCSA titles. |
| MCSA:
Security (W2K) |
MCSA:
Security (W2003) |
MCSA:
Messaging (W2K) |
MCSA:
Messaging (Win2003) |
|
Core: Client Operating System (pass 1)
|
|
(same as MCSA on Windows 2000 in table 1)
|
|
Core: Networking System (pass 2)
|
|
(same as MCSA on Windows 2000 in table 1)
|
|
Core Security (pass 2)
|
Core Messaging (pass 1)
|
| 70-214: Implementing, Administering
Windows 2000 Security |
70-299: Implementing, Administering
Windows Server 2003 Security |
70-224: Installing, Configuring,
Administering Exchange 2000 Server |
|
| 70-227: Installing, Configuring,
Administering Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA)
Server 2000, Enterprise
or
SY0-101: CompTIA Security+
|
70-284: Implementing, Managing
Exchange Server 2003 |
|
|
Retirement of Exams
While exams may retire, as of Oct. 10, 2001, Microsoft no longer "retires"
certifications (click
here for details). However, Microsoft now has versions of the certification.
Even so, once you've obtained the MCSA title, you own it and can officially
use the logo on business cards and forms of your resume or curriculum
vitae. See the MCP Secure Web site for logo guidelines and other information.
About the Author
Michael Domingo has held several positions at 1105 Media, and is currently the editor in chief of Visual Studio Magazine.