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  • Microsoft Press

    New book: MCTS 70-662 Rapid Review: Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

    We’re happy to announce the debut of MCTS 70-662 Rapid Review: Configuring Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010 (ISBN: 9780735658103; 296 pages) by Ian McLean! This book is the part of a brand new Microsoft Press Rapid Review certification series. The Rapid Review series is designed to help you assess your readiness for Microsoft certification exams. Each book in the series walks you through the exam objectives, providing “need to know” checklists, review questions, tips, and links to further study. It’s a streamlined way to evaluate and reinforce your preparation for the exam. This book is an ideal complement to the in-depth training of the Microsoft Press® Training Kit and other exam-prep resources for Exam 70-662. For a preview, here’s the book’s Contents at a Glance and an excerpt from the Introduction...
  • Microsoft Press

    Quick news: The only tech book currently in the Top 100 Free list

    Greetings! Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 , which you can get for free in the U.S. Kindle Store (and we’re working on making it free in the Kindle Stores for other countries), looks to be the only full technology-focused ebook in the Top 100 Free list at the moment: If the ebook isn’t free yet in your Kindle Store, you can always get a MOBI file (as well as EPUB and PDF) via our blog . Read More...
  • Microsoft Press

    New book: Windows Internals, Sixth Edition, Part 1

    We’re happy to announce that Windows Internals, Sixth Edition, Part 1 (ISBN 9780735648739; 752 pages) is available for purchase! Long considered a classic among Windows enthusiasts, this book was written by some of the most esteemed experts in the internals field today, Mark Russinovich, David Solomon, and Alex Ionescu. This latest edition covers the kernel changes made in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 and contains a myriad of hands-on experiments that have been updated to reflect the evolution of the tools. Order your own copy of this book here , here , or here . For information on why this edition was split across two books, please read this previous post , which also includes the book’s Table of Contents. In today’s post, please enjoy this excerpt from Chapter 5, “Processes, Threads...
  • Born to Learn

    Microsoft Office 365 Exams are Here!

    • 6 Comments

    I’m pleased to announce that our new Office 365 exams (70-321 Deploying Office 365 and 70-323 Administering Office 365) are now available in Prometric testing centers.

    Candidates for both exams typically have core skills in configuration of all Office 365 technologies with deep specialization in one or more of the following:

    • Microsoft Lync 2010
    • Microsoft Exchange 2010
    • Microsoft SharePoint 2010

    A little about each:

    70-321 – Deploying Office 365

    Candidates for this exam are consultants and IT professionals who plan and implement Office 365. This includes migrations to Office 365 (simple and hybrid deployments).

    Tasks that candidates would typically perform include:

    • Planning and Implementing Office 365 Accounts and Services
    • Planning for and Configuring SharePoint Online
    • Planning for Exchange Online
    • Implementing Exchange Online
    • Planning Online Services and Infrastructure

    For a more detailed list of the skills measured and other information about this exam, check out the 70-321 Prep Guide.

     

    70-323 – Administering Office 365

    This exam is intended for IT professionals who administer Microsoft Office 365 in an environment that may include Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Lync, and/or Microsoft SharePoint.

    Tasks that candidates would typically perform include:

    • Administering Microsoft Office 365
    • Administering SharePoint Online
    • Administering Exchange and Lync Online

    For a more detailed list of the skills measured and other information about this exam, check out the 70-323 Prep Guide

    To schedule your exam, please visit Prometric’s Web site.

    Good luck!


    Stephanie

  • Microsoft Press

    New book: MCTS 70-680 Rapid Review: Configuring Windows 7

    We’re happy to announce availability of MCTS 70-680 Rapid Review: Configuring Windows 7 (ISBN: 9780735657298; 228 pages) by Orin Thomas! This book is the first entry in the brand new Microsoft Press Rapid Review certification series. The Rapid Review series is designed to help you assess your readiness for Microsoft certification exams. Each book in the series walks you through the exam objectives, providing “need to know” checklists, review questions, tips, and links to further study. It’s a streamlined way to evaluate and reinforce your preparation for the exam. This book is an ideal complement to the in-depth training of the Microsoft Press Training Kit and other exam-prep resources for Exam 70-680. For a preview, here’s the book’s Contents at a Glance and an excerpt from the Introduction...
  • Born to Learn

    Private Cloud Jump Start Videos Released! Spread the Word!

    • 0 Comments

    What a phenomenal two-day course! Microsoft Learning, DPE and the Microsoft System Center 2012 team partnered to deliver a new Jump Start course on February 21-22 that was re-broadcast live on April 3-4. Altogether, almost 3,000 IT professionals participated and the instructor team received NSAT scores of 181 and 170, respectively! Microsoft Technical Evangelist Symon Perriman moderated the entire course and Senior Product Marketing Managers, Kenon Owens, Sean Christensen, Adam Hall and Anant Sundaram each led sessions.

    Creating and Managing a Private Cloud with System Center 2012 Jump Start
    This course makes it clear why Microsoft's new private cloud solutions, based on System Center 2012 and Windows Server, have garnered so much attention. This 300-level course targets IT Pros and was delivered via live virtual classroom. The HD-quality videos are available now on TechNet Edge, MS Showcase, iTunes and Zune.

    Why is this Jump Start a good time investment? Who should watch the video recordings?
    This accelerated Jump Start is tailored for IT professionals familiar with Windows Server technologies, Hyper-V virtualization, and the System Center management solutions. The course is designed to provide a fast-paced and technical understanding of how and why Microsoft’s approach to the private cloud delivers scalability, security, flexibility and control. Here are few unique benefits of this course:

    • Students have the opportunity to learn from and interact with the industry’s best cloud technologists!
    • This high-energy, demo-rich learning experience will help IT Professionals understand why Microsoft private cloud solutions are making a splash in the industry.
    • Students will see with their own eyes how Windows Server 2008 R2 and System Center 2012 work together to provide the best combination of security and scale.

    COURSE OUTLINE

    Day 1: Deployment & Configuration
     - Module 1: Introduction to the Microsoft Private Cloud with System Center 2012
     - Module 2: Configure & Deploy Infrastructure Components 
     - Module 3: Configure & Deploy the Private Cloud Infrastructure 
     - Module 4: Configure & Deploy Service Delivery & Automation
     - Module 5: Configure & Deploy Application Management

    Day 2: Management & Operations
     - Module 6: Monitor & Operate Infrastructure Components
     - Module 7: Monitor & Operate the Private Cloud Infrastructure
     - Module 8: Monitor & Operate Service Delivery & Automation
     - Module 9: Monitor & Operate Application Management

    What’s a “Jump Start” Course?
    Training specifically designed for experienced technologists whose jobs demand they know how to best leverage new, emerging Microsoft technologies. These advanced courses assume a certain level of expertise and domain knowledge, so they move quickly and cover topics in a fashion that enables teams to effectively map new skills to real-world situations.

  • Born to Learn

    UPDATE: SQL 2012 beta exams filling up. Register NOW!

    • 6 Comments

    As Don posted we have SQL 2012 exams availble now http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/btl/b/weblog/archive/2012/03/22/register-for-sql-server-2012-beta-exams.aspx.

    These exams are filling up so you will no longer be able to register for some exams. Here is a view from this morning:

     

    Exam number

    Beta delivery dates

    Promotional code

    Exam 70-461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/29/2012—4/12/2012

    DEN461

    Exam 70-462: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases

    3/29/2012—4/12/2012

    DEN462

    Exam 70-463: Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/23/2012—4/6/2012

    DEN463

    Exam 70-464: Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases

    3/30/2012—4/13/2012

    *Room for SQL PASS attendees only

    Exam 70-465: Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/30/2012—4/13/2012

    DEN465 (almost full)

    Exam 70-466: Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/23/2012—4/6/2012

    DEN466

    Exam 70-467: Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/23/2012—4/6/2012

    DEN467

  • Born to Learn

    Two New April Jump Starts! Register Now! Microsoft Lync Server 2010!

    • 0 Comments

    Microsoft Learning and the Microsoft Lync team are excited about two brand new Jump Start virtual training events scheduled for April 2012! Literally hundreds of organizations are recognizing the cost savings and efficiency that result from empowering people with improved collaboration and cross-team communications. Once you learn what Microsoft Lync can do for your office, as well as your resume, you'll never look back.

    (1) Deploying, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Jump Start
     - Date/Time: April 17-19, 2012 from 9:00am – 4:00pm PST 
     - Accelerated, engaging, demo-rich virtual learning experience – no hands-on labs 
     - Instructors: Aaron Steele, Microsoft Senior Consultant, & Brian Ricks, MVP 
     - Helps prepare for Exam 70-664: TS: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring
     - Target audience: IT Professionals and telecommunications professionals
     - Check out the outline and Register for the Deploying Lync 2010 Jump Start

    (2) Planning and Designing a Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Solution
     - Date/Time: April 24-26, 2012 from 9:00am – 4:00pm PST
     -
    Accelerated, engaging, demo-rich virtual learning experience – no hands-on labs – Level 300 content
     - Instructors: Rui Maximo, Microsoft Principal Writer, & Brian Ricks, MVP
     - Helps prepare for Exam 70-665: PRO: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Administrator
     - Target audience: IT Professionals and telecommunications professionals
     - PREREQUISITE: Deploying Lync Server 2010 Jump Start or equivalent experience
     - Check out the outline and Register for the Designing Lync 2010 Jump Start

    What’s a “Jump Start” Course?
    Training specifically designed for experienced technologists whose jobs demand they know how to best leverage new, emerging Microsoft technologies. These advanced courses assume a certain level of expertise and domain knowledge, so they move quickly and cover topics in a fashion that enables teams to effectively map new skills to real-world situations.

  • Training Spotlight - Blog

    Windows and SQL Azure in the Training Spotlight

    • 0 Comments

    The Training Spotlight Cloud Edition Campaign switches gears and will now cover Windows Azure and SQL Azure BETA courses. Learning Partners have been busy creating special training offers for delivery to take place before June 30, 2012. Offers will be made available for the next three months.

    Take advantage of these classroom or online offers today!

     

  • Born to Learn

    Windows and SQL Azure now in the Training Spotlight

    • 0 Comments

    The Training Spotlight Cloud Edition Campaign switches gears and will now cover Windows Azure and SQL Azure BETA courses. Learning Partners have been busy creating special training offers for delivery to take place before June 30, 2012.

    Take advantage of these classroom or online offers today!

  • The Master Blog

    No April Fools here... Congratulations to our latest SharePoint 2010 MCMs!

    We wrapped up our first "hybrid rotation" last week, and R11 candidates are busy completing their exams - I look forward to more announcements for newly-minted MCMs in the near future. During the second half of R11, two candidates from past rotations completed their retakes and achieved the SharePoint 2010 MCM certification. Here are the most recent additions to our community: Andy Daniel (R8). Andy Daniel is the lead collaboration platform engineer for General Motors. He comes from a Unified...
  • Microsoft Press

    Free webcast: Manually Removing Viruses and Malware

    Getting a virus on your computer is a pain and they're becoming ever more difficult to remove. In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out, talks you through the process of manually and safely removing viruses and malware from your computer without damaging your files or Windows itself. Thursday, April 5, 2012 10AM PT, San Francisco 6pm - London | 1pm - New York | Fri, Apr 6th at 3am - Sydney | Fri, Apr 6th at 2am - Tokyo | Fri, Apr 6th at 1am - Beijing | 10:30pm - Mumbai Presented by: Mike Halsey Duration: Approximately 60 minutes. Cost: Free About Mike Halsey Mike Halsey is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for "Windows Expert - Consumer" and an editor for technology websites, Windows7News.com , Windows8News.com and gHacks.net...
  • The Master Blog

    Accelerate Your SQL Server MCM Training

    Starting May 8: SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) Accelerated Exam Preparation Program Our popular live accelerated training program for SQL Server MCM returns with another session starting May 8, 2012. Whether you're preparing for SQL Server 2008 MCM exams, or just looking to take your SQL Server skills to the next level, don't miss out on this unique training opportunity. Accelerate your path to SQL Server MCM This series of live online sessions with a SQL MCM presenter offers...
  • Microsoft Press

    Ed Wilson: Registration opens for the 2012 Scripting Games

    Well it is official, the registration site for the 2012 Scripting Games is open. This is a major milestone on the trek for the games. Now, I just sit back and see how many people register for the games. The announcement that the registration opened occurred on the Hey Scripting Guy! blog . In that post, I mentioned several reasons for competing in the games. I would like to state my top ten reasons for competing in the 2012 Scripting Games. 1. It is a great chance to learn Windows PowerShell. 2. It is a great chance to receive a free critique of your PowerShell scripts by some of the best scripters in the world. 3. It is a tremendous opportunity to compare your scripting skills with other people around the world. 4. It is a great opportunity to learn from your peers, as you see their solutions...
  • Born to Learn

    Calling All Visual Studio Experts! Help Us Define Exam Content!

    • 3 Comments

    We’ll be shortly using our MSL SME database to ask our Visual Studio experts to help us prioritize the knowledge and skills that we should be assessing on these certification exams. If you have experience with any of the following, update your SME profile now to reflect those experiences.

    • Visual Studio 11
    • .NET Framework 4.5 (Web)
    • .NET Framework 4.5 (Windows)
    • Metro Application Development
    • JavaScript
    • HTML5

      If you're not in our SME database, sign up today for opportunities to shape Microsoft Learning's certification exams, courseware, and program! See this post for more information.)

  • Born to Learn

    SQL Saturday #105 - Live in Dublin, Ireland

    • 0 Comments

    This past Saturday was the PASS SQL Saturday #105 in Dublin, Ireland.  I delivered a session on the new SQL Server 2012 exams we’re bringing to market.  There were over 300 people at the event.  I had a chance to chat with Bob Duffy who holds both the SQL Microsoft Certified Master credential, and the Microsoft Certified Architect credential.  I’ve met several MCMs, and only a couple of MCAs and Bob is being modest when he says these folks are super-smart.  Have you met an advanced certification holder?  What’s been your impression?

  • The Master Blog

    Congratulations to our newest SQL Server MCM Nicholas Cain

    I want to congratulate our newest SQL Server 2008 Certified Master, Nicholas Cain. Nicholas is very well known by most of us here in the Redmond area, and he is a frequent participant in our local #SQLNomz get-togethers. Here is brief introduction to Nicholas: Nicholas has been a SQL Server DBA since the turn of the millennia. He got his start going through a 7.0 to 2000 upgrade and has worked with those editions as well as 2005 and 2008 in critical highly available production environments. In 2010...
  • Born to Learn

    SQL Server Special Ops Tour – Live in New York City

    • 1 Comments

    The event yesterday in New York marks my sixth and last (for me) stop on the tour.  I’m headed east for two more events I’ll be covering next week.  We had an great group of SQL Professionals who brought their fun New York attitude to the event.  The highlight for me was meeting another person who was certified in 1994 which is one of the oldest certifications I’ve seen since I went on the road in early March (when I was talking to Wayne, I forgot about Ted back in Denver who was 1993).  If you held a cert from back in the 90s, I encourage you to check out the 20 Years | 20 Ways page on Facebook where we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of Microsoft Certification.

  • The Master Blog

    Congratulations to Wictor Wilén, Our Latest SharePoint MCA!

    We held our most recent SharePoint MCA boards just a few weeks ago, from February 29-March 1 at the Microsoft Technology Center in Reston, VA. Please extend your congratulations to one of our candidates who successfully achieved the Microsoft Certified Architect: SharePoint 2010 certification - Wictor Wilén! Wictor Wilén is a Microsoft Certified Master in SharePoint and works as SharePoint Solution Architect at Connecta AB . He has worked in the portal and web content management industry...
  • Born to Learn

    Register for SQL Server 2012 beta exams!

    • 47 Comments

    Register for SQL Server 2012 beta exams

     

    Registration is now open for SQL Server 2012 beta exams. You are invited to take this beta exam at no charge. If you pass the beta exam, the exam credit will be added to your transcript and you will not need to take the exam in its released form. The 71-xxx identifier is used for registering for beta versions of Microsoft Certification Program exams. When the exam is released in its final form the 70-xxx identifier is used for registration.

    By participating in beta exams, you have the opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification Program with feedback about exam content, which is integral to development of exams in their released version. We depend on the contributions of experienced IT professionals and developers as we continually improve exam content and maintain the value of Microsoft certifications. The following exams are a part of this beta offering. Beta exam period runs: March 23, 2012– April 13, 2012, with specific exam delivery dates and voucher codes as follows:

     

    Exam number

    Beta delivery dates

    Promotional code

    Exam 70-461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/29/2012—4/12/2012

    DEN461

    Exam 70-462: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases

    3/29/2012—4/12/2012

    DEN462

    Exam 70-463: Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/23/2012—4/6/2012

    DEN463

    Exam 70-464: Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases

    3/30/2012—4/13/2012

    DEN464

    Exam 70-465: Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/30/2012—4/13/2012

    DEN465

    Exam 70-466: Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/23/2012—4/6/2012

    DEN466

    Exam 70-467: Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

    3/23/2012—4/6/2012

    DEN467

     

    For information about the certification paths, visit the SQL Server certification page. To find exam preparation information, follow the link on the exam numbers above.

     

    Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta. We recommend that you register immediately. Beta exams have limited availability and are operated under a first-come-first-served basis. In some cases, the number of eligible individuals notified exceeds the number of available beta slots. Please note that your local testing center may become fully booked, even though there may still be seats available for a specific exam. Try scheduling at a different testing center or a different time. Once all beta slots are filled, no additional seats will be offered. We will post a notice on the Born to Learn blog when the beta slots are filled. If you register, please ensure you are committed to attend.


    Testing is held at Prometric testing centers worldwide, although this exam may not be available in all countries (see Regional Restrictions).  All testing centers will have the capability to offer this exam in its live version.

     

    Regional Restrictions: China , India, Pakistan, Turkey


    Registration Information

    You must register at least 24 hours prior to taking the exam. Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta. We recommend that you register immediately. If you have difficulty registering online, try calling Prometric instead.

     

    To register in North America, please call:

    Prometric: (800) 755-EXAM (800-755-3926)

    Outside the U.S./Canada, please contact:

    Prometric: http://www.register.prometric.com/ClientInformation.asp

     

    You will be given four hours to complete the beta exam. Please plan accordingly.


    Frequently Asked Questions

    You can find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about beta exams here:

    http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/exam-dev-release.aspx#tab2.

     

    For Microsoft Certification Program (MCP) help and information, you may log in to the MCP Web site at http://mcp.microsoft.com/ or contact your Regional Service Center: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/help/assisted-support.aspx.

     

    For updates and information about exams, visit the Born to Learn blog at: http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/.

     

    If you have questions or comments about the Microsoft Learning Subject Matter Experts program, contact [email protected]. 

  • Born to Learn

    SQL Server Special Ops Tour – Live in Philadelphia

    • 0 Comments

    The Ops tour rolled through Philadelphia, PA yesterday and we had another full house of over 150 SQL professionals.  I spoke with a variety of folks and found an interesting common thread across my two interview subjects:  getting certified helped them both learn more about the product.  Have you learned anything new while preparing for your certification exams?

  • Microsoft Press

    Ed Wilson: Filling White Space

    One of the cool things about being on a documentation team at Microsoft is the chance to see all the work that goes in to producing the learning and supporting materials for the new products. When the product happens to be a huge release, such as Windows 8, the efforts are massive. Documentation white space is a term that describes when there is a product feature with no corresponding learning / supporting materials. In the old days, Microsoft, and our customers, seemed to feel that only Microsoft could fill this white space. Also in the old days, that documentation took the form of books and on the box help. I still remember when as a junior admin I first opened the box for Windows NT 3.51, out tumbled an envelope full of 3.5 inch floppy disks, and next came several big thick books of product...
  • Microsoft Press

    From the MVPs: A GUI for Extended Events in SQL Server 2012

    Here’s the fifth post in our series of guest posts by Microsoft Most Valued Professionals (MVPs). Since the early 1990s, Microsoft has recognized the inspiring activities of MVPs around the world with the MVP Award . MVPs freely share their deep knowledge, real-world experience, and impartial and objective feedback to help people enhance the way they use technology . Of more than 100 million users who participate in technology communities, around 4,000 are recognized as Microsoft MVPs. This post is by Grant Fritchey, SQL Server MVP . Thank you, Grant! This post covers aspects of the about-to-be-released Microsoft SQL Server 2012 . (As does “ From the MVPs: Get ready for AlwaysOn in SQL Server 2012 ,” by Denny Cherry.) Grant here. Introduced with SQL Server 2008, Extended Events are an excellent...
  • Born to Learn

    Release Announcement 80313A: Development IV in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012

    • 3 Comments

    It is with great pleasure that MSL announces the release of course 80313A: Development IV in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.

    About this Course:

    This four-day instructor-led course dives deeper into the programming architecture of Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012. It provides students with a case study/hands-on approach to customizing the system. This course contains coding.

    Audience

    The intended audience is experienced systems consultants typically working for a Microsoft Dynamics partner that is selling, consulting, implementing, and supporting Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

    Course Syllabus: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=80313A&Locale=en-us

    Note: This course is available now for download on PartnerSource, and will be available on the MCT Download Center 12 April 2012.

     

    Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the course.

     

    Kind regards

    Claire Bremer Nielsen,

    Senior Content Project Manager || Microsoft Learning

  • Born to Learn

    Release Announcement 80420A: Data Upgrade and Code Upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012

    • 0 Comments

    It is with great pleasure that MSL announces the release of course 80420A: Data Upgrade and Code Upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.

    About this Course:

    This three-day instructor-led course covers both the data upgrade and the code customization upgrades from Microsoft Dynamics® AX 4.0 and Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2009 to Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.

    Audience

    The intended audience includes Partners, Installers, End-users and Developers.

    Course Syllabus: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=80420A&Locale=en-us

    Note: This course is available now for download on PartnerSource, and will be available on the MCT Download Center 12 April 2012.

     

    Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the course.

     

    Kind regards

    Claire Bremer Nielsen,

    Senior Content Project Manager || Microsoft Learning

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