MCITP Success - Pursuing Microsoft Certifications: 2008

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Retiring exams now 40% off

The 70-447 exam: Upgrade: MCDBA Skills to MCITP Database Administrator by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is retiring in March 2009. If you're an MCDBA in SQL Server 2000, this exam with the 70-431 will earn you the MCITP: Database Administrator in SQL Server 2005.

Microsoft has recently announced that all the exams that are scheduled to retire have their prices reduced by 40 percent. In the U.S., the normal price is $125, so this makes the price $75 ($50 off!).

This price reduction applies to all the exams retiring in March 2009. You can see the details here:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/offers/discount/default.mspx

Darril Gibson

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Wanted: Professionals with Database Skills

Another survey is out identifying the top 10 IT skills wanted by employers today.

Number 8: Database Management
Number 9: Business Intelligence and Data Mining.

Database Management.
Of 1400 CIOS polled, 66 percent considered database management to be considered an in-demand skill. And, median pay for professionals
with these skills increased by 10% over the past two years.

Business intelligence/data mining
Companies are recognizing the value in being able to retrieve and analyze the data. Pay for professionals with these skills grew by more than 22% in 2007.

Check out the full article here.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Deploy an image to a computer

This is part 6 of a 6 part series that will give you information on capturing and deploying images using ImageX. In this part, you will deploy a captured image.

Boot the system using a bootable disk containing WinPE and ImageX. The bootable disk can be either CD or a USB disk. The boot process will take several minutes.
Note: If you want access to an external USB drive (such as one that holds the image you want to deploy), plug it in right after the boot process has begun. If you don’t plug it in before WinPE boots, you probably won’t be able to access the drive once WinPE completes the boot process.

When the boot process is complete, you’ll have a command prompt on the X:\ drive where you can enter command-line commands. The following drives may be available. Enter the Drive letter with a colon (C:) to see what you can see. When done, enter X: to return to the X: drive.
C:\ This is the original C: drive
D:\ CD/DVD drive
E:\ If you booted from a USB disk, this is it.
F:\ Extra drive (such as portable USB drive)
X:\ This is a RAM disk created by WinPE
The format of the ImageX command when deploying an image is:
ImageX /apply “source of .wim file” “image name or image number” target
· Source of .wim file. This is the full path and name of the file such as F:\Images\Myimage.wim
· Image name or image number. When an image file is created, it can be named. Addtionally, multiple image files can be contained within an image file and images can be referenced by their number. The first image is 1, the second is 2, and so on. You identify the image name by the image name, or the image number, not both.
· Target. This is the drive letter where you want the image deployed. It will most commonly be C:\

If you booted from a CD drive and you want to copy an image from a different DVD disk (but have only one CD/DVD disk drive), you first need to copy two files to the X: drive. Use the following two commands from the X: drive:
Copy d:\imagex.exe x:\
Copy d:\wimscript.ini x:\

Enter the following command to deploy the first image from a .wim file named MyImage.wim.on the D: drive in a folder named Images.
Imagex /apply D:\images\Myimage.wim 1 c:

This will take a little time but really not that long. I've deployed imges about 2 GB from a DVD and it's only taken about 10 minutes.

Once you deploy the image, reboot, and answer the setup questions from sysprep's mini-setup program.

To get information on images contained within an image file, use the following command:
Imagex /info “path and name of .wim file”

For example, to get information on a file named myimage.wim in a folder named images on the F: drive, enter the following command:
Imagex /info F:\images\myimage.wim

If images are named intuitively you can easily identify them in the Name node ( ) of the output.

This is the end of the 6 part series on using ImageX to creat and deploy images.

Part 1 Download and Install Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK)
Part 2 Prepare the Windows PE Folders
Part 3 Prepare a Bootable CD
Part 4 Prepare a Bootable USB (optional)
Part 5 Run Sysprep and Capture an Image using ImageX
Part 6 Deploy an Image using ImageX

This information is valuable when preparing for the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician exams.

Run Sysprep and Capture an Image

This is part 5 of a 6 part series that will give you information on capturing and deploying images using ImageX. In this part, you will run sysprep on a system to prepare it to be captured.

Run Sysprep

If you are capturing only one image of a system for restoration purposes (not for cloning) you will not need to run sysprep. In other words, if there will never be two instances of the same computer image on the network, sysprep is not needed. However, if you want to join the computer to a domain you must run sysprep

Warning! After running Sysprep, you'll need to reenter the key from your installation DVD. Make sure you have it available.

Locate the sysprep program for your operating system. It is often in this folder: C:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe, but it may not be there. If Sysprep is in this folder, browse to it and skip steps 2 and 3.
If Sysprep is not in the sysprep folder extract it from the installation DVD. Insert the installation DVD for your operating system into your DVD drive.
Warning! If you use Sysprep from a different OS, you will likely encounter problems which may make the image unusable. If the image is valuable to you, you should first capture it without Sysprep to ensure you can get back to square one if things go wrong.
Browse to the X:\Support\Tools\ directory (where X: is the drive letter of your DVD drive). Right click the Deploy.cab cabinet file and select Explore. Copy the contents of the Deploy.cab to a folder on your C: drive. Browse to the folder.
Double-click the sysprep.exe utility to launch it. Read the warning and click OK.
On the Windows Vista Sysprep tool, select "Enter System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)", select "Generalize", and select "shutwdown" as the shutdown option. Click the OK button and after a moment, sysprep will complete and the system will shutdown.
For the Windows XP Sysprep, select MiniSetup, Pre-activated, and PnP check boxes. Ensure the Shutdown choice is set to Shutown. Click the Reseal button. Read the information in the dialog box and click OK. After a moment sysprep will complete and the system will shutdown.
When the captured image is deployed after running sysprep, you will need the installation key. Make sure this is accessible.

Capture the image

Boot the system using a bootable disk containing WinPE and ImageX. The bootable disk can be either a CD or a USB disk. The boot process will take several minutes.
When the boot process is complete, you’ll have a command prompt on the X:\ drive where you can enter command-line commands. The following drives may be available.
- C:\ This is the original C: drive
- D:\ CD/DVD drive
- E:\ If you booted from a USB disk, this is it.
- F:\ Extra drive (such as portable USB drive)
- X:\ This is a RAM disk created by WinPE
The format of the ImageX command when capturing an image is:
ImageX /capture “image path” “path of wim file” “name of the image” “description”
• Image path. This is partition or volume you want to capture. It will most commonly be C:.
• Path of .WIM File. The path and name of the new WIM file. For example, you can save the image as MyImage.wim in a folder named Images on the c:\ drive. The image file would be C:\Images\MyImage.wim. The folder must exist, but the .wim file will be created.
If you have enough room on the drive you are capturing, you can save the image file to the same drive. In other words, if you’re capturing C:\ you can save the image file on the C:\ drive.
• Name of the image. This is free text and could be something like “Sales Desktop Image”
• Description. This is free text and could be whatever you like. To describe the image.
Change the drive to the drive holding the ImageX program by entering the drive letter and a colon at the prompt as X:. If you booted from the CD drive, this would be D:. If you booted from the USB drive, this would be E:
Enter the following command to capture an image named “SalesDesktop” to a .wim file named MyImage.wim.on the root of the C: drive.
Imagex /capture c: c:\Myimage.wim “Sales Desktop” “desc”

Depending on how much data is contained on the C:\ drive this can take from several minutes to over an hour. The “mins remaining” estimate is pessimistic at first giving a very long time to complete, but typically completes much quicker. If you save it to a local disk, it seems to be much quicker than saving it to an external USB disk.

Once the image is captured, you can reboot your system and copy the .wim file to a DVD or an external USB drive. You can then deploy the image contained within the .wim using ImageX.

To get information on images contained within an image file, use the following command:
Imagex /info “path and name of .wim file”
For example, to get information on a file named myimage.wim in a folder named images on the F: drive, enter the following command:
Imagex /info F:\images\myimage.wim

If images are named intuitively you can easily identify them in the Name node ( ) of the output.

You have prepared a system to be imaged with Sysprep and captured an image using ImageX. The next step is to deploy an image.

This information is valuable when preparing for the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician exams.

Create a Bootable USB Flash Disk

Create a Bootable USB Disk

This is part 4 of a 6 part series that will give you information on capturing and deploying images using ImageX. In this part, you will create a bootable USB disk drive from your prepared folders. You can use the USB disk to boot to WinPE.

Warning! You will destroy all the data on your USB disk in these steps. Make sure you don’t have anything you can’t afford to lose stored on your USB disk before starting. Additionally, make sure you follow the procedure to accurately identify which disk is your USB disk. If you use the wrong disk when accessing the drive in DiskPart, you may erase all the data on the wrong disk, such as your hard drive. It could ruin your day!

Insert your USB disk into your system. Use Windows Explorer to identify which drive letter your USB is using. You'll need this letter later.
Launch a command prompt with administrative privileges. Click Start -> All Programs-> Accessories, right-click Command Prompt and select Run As Administrator.
From the command prompt, launch the Diskpart tool with the following command:
DiskPart
In the DiskPart cool, enter the following commands :
DiskPart
List disk
Identify which disk is your USB disk. For example, on one system I did this on, the C: drive is 150GB and the USB disk was 2GB. Diskpart showed Disk 0 as 149 GB and Disk 1 as 1968 MB. Clearly disk 1 is the USB disk.

Assuming that Disk 1 is your USB disk, use the following commands to prepare your USB. If your disk is a different disk, substitute your number in the Select statement.
Warning! If you select the wrong disk you will destroy all the data on the disk you select. For example, if you select the disk holding all the data on the C:\ drive, you will destroy all the data on this drive.
Select disk 1 ‘ This select your USB
diskClean ‘ This will erase all data
create partition primary ‘ Creates one partition using all disk space
Select partition 1 ‘ Selects the created partition
active ‘ Makes the partition active
Format fs=fat32 ‘ Formats the partition as Fat32 (takes time)
assign ‘ Assigns a drive letter
exit ‘ Exits DiskPart
Enter the following command to copy all of the data from your prepared iso directory to the USB disk. Substitute the letter x:\ for the actual letter of your USB disk identified earlier. (You may need to use Windows Explorer or Disk Management to identify the USB drive letter).
xcopy c:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* /s /e /f x:\
At this point, you have a fully bootable USB drive.

In the next part you'll create a bootable USB flash drive that has the same contents as the bootable CD created in this part.

This information is valuable when preparing for the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician exams.

Prepare a Bootable CD

This is part 3 of a 6 part series that will give you information on capturing and deploying images using ImageX. In this part, you will create an image file from your prepared folders and use it to create a bootable CD.

Launch the Windows AIK PE Tools command prompt. Click Start -> All Programs -> Windows AIK -> Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.

Create an iso image of the prepared Windows PE folders with the following command. oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO
c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso
The entire command should be entered on one line. Since the source path has spaces, the quotes must be included. Enter a single space after …etfsboot.com, and after …\iso.

The command will complete rather quickly. It will create an iso file named winpe_x86.iso in the c:\winpe_x86 directory.

Use an image burning program to burn the .iso image to a CD or DVD. Note that burning an .iso image is different than copying the .iso image file to the CD. If you don't have an image burning tool, check out ImgBurn.
ImgBurn is an easy to use program and well worth an optional donation. Once installed, you can just double-click on the .iso file and ImgBurn will launch. If you have a CD in the disk ready to burn, all you have to do is click a single button.

Once you burn the .iso file to the CD, you have a bootable WinPE CD.

In the next part you'll create a bootable USB flash drive that has the same contents as the bootable CD created in this part.

This information is valuable when preparing for the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician exams.

Prepare the Windows PE Folders

This is part 2 of a 6 part series that will give you information on capturing and deploying images using ImageX. In this part, you will prepare the folders used to create a bootable WinPE disk.

Launch the Windows PE Tools Command Prompt. Click Start -> All Programs -> Windows AIK -> Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.
Enter the following command at the command prompt:
Copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86
This will create c:\WinPE_x86 directory structure and copy files into it. It will also modify the path so that you’ll have access to the peimg, oscdimg and imagex commands.
Use the following command to add the ImageX program to your directory. ImageX is needed to capture, deploy and manage images. The entire command should be entered on one line. Since the source path has spaces, the quotes must be included.
Copy “C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\imagx.exe”
c:\winpe_x86\iso
If you entered the command correctly, it will respond with “1 file(s) copied.”
Note: When typing in these long command line commands it’s very likely you’ll have a typo. Expect them and you won’t be disappointed. Common problems are missing spaces or missing quotes. In the previous command, there is a space between Program and Files, and between Windows and AIK. Quotes are used to identify the entire path.
Install the Package Manager with the following commands. This will allow you to modify Windows image (.wim) files from your bootable disk.
The XCopy command should be entered on one line.
XCopy “C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\Servicing”
c:\winpe_x86\iso\Servicing\ /s
If prompted if this is a file or directory, enter D for directory. If entered correctly, over 40 files will be copied.
Enter the following copy command. As with other commands, this should be entered on one line.
Copy %windir%\System32\msxml6*.dll c:\winpe_x86\iso\servicing
This command will copy two files.
Since you included ImageX in step 3 and the purpose of these steps is to capture images, you’ll want to include an exclusion list. This list will prevent ImageX from failing due to some files being locked.
At the command prompt, enter the following command:
Notepad
Notepad will launch. Enter the following exclusion and compression exclusion lists.
[ExclusionList]
tfs.log
hiberfil.sys
pagefile.sys"
System Volume Information
"RECYCLER
Windows\CSC
[CompressionExclusionList]
*.mp3
*.zip
*.cab
\WINDOWS\inf\*.pnf
Click File -> Save As. On the Save As dialog box, click Browse Folders and browse to the c:\winpe_x86\iso\ folder.
In the File Name text box, enter “wimscript.ini” and click Save.

You have created your folders that will be used to create a bootable disk. If you want to additional files to your bootable disk, you can add them to the c:\winpe_x86\iso folder. For example, you may want to create a batch file that makes it easier to capture or deploy an image.

In the next part you'll create a bootable CD.

This information is valuable when preparing for the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician exams.

Download and install WAIK

Download and install the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK)

This is part 1 of a 6 part series that will give you information on capturing and deploying images using ImageX. The focus of WAIK is with Windows Vista, but it can be used to capture and deploy other operating systems.

WAIK includes the tools needed to create a bootable disk (CD or USB). You can boot to a WinPE OS and then use ImageX to capture an image. You can then deploy the image to another system

Locate the Windows Vista Automated Installation Kit download page. Click here or if it moved, enter “Download Vista Windows Automated Installation Kit” to locate the current location.

Download the following image file:
vista_6000.16386.061101-2205-LRMAIK_EN.img

Burn the .img file to a DVD. If you don't have an image creation tool, check out ImgBurn. Its a free download and worth a donation.
Place the DVD into your DVD drive on a Vista system and launch it. If Autoplay doesn’t run automatically, right click the drive in Windows Explorer and select Open AutoPlay. On the AutoPlay dialog box, select Run StartCD.exe.
Click on the Windows AIK Setup link in the menu on the left. The Windows Installer will launch.
Note: The Windows AIK requires the .NET Framework 2.0 and MSXML 6.0 to be installed. If you don’t have it, the program will exit. You can install both from the Windows Automated Installation Page. You can then restart the Windows AIK Setup.
On the Welcome to the Windows Automated Installation Kit Setup Wizard screen, click Next.
On the License Agreement page, review the license agreement, select I Agree, and click Next.
On the Select Installation Folder page, accept the default installation folder of C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\. To allow this to be available for anyone that logs onto your system, accept the default choice of Everyone. Click Next.

On the Confirm Installation page, click Next. The WAIK will install.
On the Installation Complete page, click Close.

You have installed the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). The next step is to create the folders used to create a bootable WinPE image.

This information is valuable when preparing for the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician exams.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

70-646 Beta results released

It's been almost three months since I took the 70-646 beta exam (PRO: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator), but the results are out. It appeared on my transcript this past week and I'm happy to say I passed.

Exams usually go live within about 30 days of the beta results being released, so the 70-646 should go live soon. You can check out the objectives here.

The 70-646 is one of the exams required for the MCITP: Server Administrator certification.

All the exams required for the MCITP: Server Administrator certification are:
- 70-640 (TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring)
- 70-642 (TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring)
- 70-646 (PRO: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator)

If you are an MCSA in Windows Server 2003, you can take the upgrade exam, 70-648, in the place of 70-640 and 70-642 exams:
- 70-648 (TS: Upgrading Your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, Technology Specialist)
- 70-646 (PRO: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator)

It's a little early to order it, but the following book will be coming out later this year to help you prepare for the 70-646 exam:
MCITP: Windows Server 2008 Administration Study Guide (Exam 70-646, with CD)

Darril

Thursday, March 20, 2008

MCITP: Database Developer book released

The DHL man left a great gift on my doorstep yesterday - two boxes filled with
MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Developer All-in-One Exam Guides (Exams 70-431, 70-441 & 70-442). Today, I've mailed off half a dozen copies to reviewers.

The book isn't available on Amazon or Bookpool yet, but it'll be just a matter of days now.

Darril

Friday, March 7, 2008

MCITP: Database Developer at the printer

If you've been waiting for the
MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Developer All-in-One Exam Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-441 & 70-442) there's good news.

The publisher sent it to the printer last week and it could be released any day now.

The official release date is April 11th, 2008 (just a couple of days after mainstreams support for SQL Server 2000 ends), but I fully expect it to be out well before then.

If you want, you can reserve your copy on Amazon now.

Darril Gibson

Renewals not required for MCITP Certs

Microsoft has rethought the policy and decided that instead of requiring you to recertify your MCITP certifications every 3 years, the certs will remain active until mainstream support ends. Even then, the certs won't drop from your transcript but instead be moved to a "retired section" on your transcript to show your depth of experience.

Here are a few links to get more info

Microsoft's post:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/newgen/lifecycle/default.mspx

Trika and Gerry's posts (Certification people at Microsoft):
Trika
GerryO

What does this all mean?

First, once you earn the certification, you keep it forever. You're not required to recertify to keep the certification.

Second, others (such as potential employers will know you had those certs even if they have expired).
Say you go out and get your MCITP: DBA on SQL Server 2005 or
MCITP: DB Dev on SQL Server 2005, and then about 8 years from now you apply for a job that needs experience on SQL Server 2014. You can show your transcript that verifies that only do you know the current product, but you've been working with it through several versions.

Darril

Saturday, February 9, 2008

SQL Server 2008 certifications

Microsoft has released some news on SQL Server 2008 certifications. In short, they'll be releasing three MCTS certifications this year based on three roles. Each role will require one exam to earn the MCTS certification.

Database Administrator
Database Developer
Business Intelligence Developer

There will also be three MCITP tracks geared to the same three roles. The SQL 2008 MCITP tracks arent' decided yet and probably won't come out until about six months after SQL Server 2008 goes live (Q3 2008).

The three MCTS Certifications will be:

70-432
MCTS: SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance
Role: Database Administrator
Expected go live date: August 2008
Beta target: June 2008
Focused on Database Admin role, unlike the 70-431 exam which covers multiple roles
Test topics ():
- Installing and configuring
- Maintaining SQL Instances
- Managing Security
- Maintaining a database
- Data Management Tasks
- Monitoring and Troubleshooting
- Optimizing
- Implementing High Availability

70-433
MCTS: SQL Server 2008, Database Development
Role: Database Developer
Expected go live date: September 2008
Beta target: July 2008
Test topics (not complete yet):
- T-SQL (triggers, stored procedures, views)
- Connecting to Datasources

70-448
MCTS: SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
Role: Business Intelligence Developer
Expected go live date: August 2008
Beta target: June 2008
Test topics (not complete yet, similar to 70-445):
- Configuring, deploying, maintaining, and implementing
- SSIS
- SSRS
- SSAS

A common question is, which certification should I pursure? MCDBA (SQL Server 2000), MCITP SQL Server 2005 or MCTS SQL Server 2008?

This largely depends on what your company is using. You should pursue what your company wants you to pursue. But, if foresee your job changing in the six months or so, here's what I see:

SQL Server 2000 maintream support ends in April 8, 2008. Additionally, you can no longer take any MCDBA exams after March 2009.
SQL Server 2005 is established with SP2 currently out.
SQL Server 2008 isn't even released and many businesses don't want to give it a try until SP1 is released.

With this information, if you or your company are unsure which certification, I suggest SQL Server 2005. Additionally, if you're certifiec in SQL Server 2005, it'll only take one test to become both a MCTS and a MCITP in SQL Server 2008 (though that one test won't be out until 2009).

If you're interested in SQL Server 2005 MCITP certifications you can check out these books:

Darril Gibson
http://mcitpsuccess.com/

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Windows Server 2008 certifications

It's official. Microsoft has released Server 2008 to manufacturing.

With the RTM version out, you might be interested in the new MCITP certifications.
Unlike Windows Server 2003 which have MCSA and MCSE certifications, Windows Server 2008 has MCITP: Server Administrator and MCITP: Server Engineer.

Here are the required tests if you're taking them from scratch:

MCITP: Server Administrator

70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

70-646: Pro: Windows Server 2008 Administrator

MCITP: Enterprise Administrator

There's also an upgrade path if you're an MCSA or MCSE.

MCSA Upgrade Path

If you're an MCSA, you can take the 70-648 upgrade exam

70-648: TS: Upgrading Your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, Technology Specialist

Once you pass, you'll get credit for these two exams:

You will then need to take:

70-646: Pro: Windows Server 2008 Administrator

MCSE Upgrade Path

If you're an MCSE, you can take:

70-649: TS: Upgrading Your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, Technology Specialist

Once you pass, you'll get credit for these three exams:

You will then need to take:

There aren't many books out there yet covering the information you need for the Windows Server 2008 exams, but many are being written as we speak.

While you're waiting on them, you might like to finish up your MCITP: Database Administrator certification. There are books available for this MCITP certification.

Darril Gibson
http://mcitpsuccess.com/

Sunday, January 27, 2008

SQL Server 2008 delayed until Q3 2008

While not a surprise to many people, it's now semi-official. SQL Server 2008 will be delayed until at least the 3rd quarter of 2008.

While I don't have any inside scoop on exactly why SQL Server 2008 is being delayed, I have been playing with recent Community Technology Previews (CTPs) and have noticed some significant compatibility issues between Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008. I suspect this at least part of the problem with SQL Server 2008, but there may be more issues.

What’s this mean? Well, among other things, don’t expect MCITP certifications on SQL Server 2008 until 2009. If you’re considering getting a MCITP certification on SQL Server, SQL Server 2005 is the product you should be pursuing.

And once you master the differences between SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000, you'll find that SQL Server 2008 has only incremental differences.

Microsoft currently has three MCITP certifications for SQL Server 2005. They are:

And with Microsoft's Second Shot offer, it's much easier to get certified.

If you've been thinking about getting certified, now's the time to get a book, spend some study time, and take those exams.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

MCITP and stored procedure permissions

If you‘re getting ready to take an MCITP exam on SQL Server 2005 (such as 70-441, 70-442, 70-444), you’ll do better if you have a solid understanding of stored procedure permissions.

For example, what’s the answer to this question?

Q. You’ve just developed a stored procedure that can be used to update data in the Widgets table or add new Widgets to the Widgets table if they don’t exist. What permissions are required for someone to use the stored procedure? (Choose all that apply).

A. SELECT permission on the Widgets table.

B. UPDATE permission on the Widgets table.

C. INSERT permission on the Widgets table.

D. EXEC permission on the stored procedure.

Answer: D only.

One of the great benefits of a stored procedure is that permissions are chained to the underlying table. In other words, if someone has EXEC permissions on the stored procedure, they don’t need any permission on the underlying table.

If the stored procedure wasn’t doing the work, users would need INSERT permission on the Widgets table to add a new widget, and UPDATE permission on the Widgets table to modify data on an existing widget. However, if the user is using the stored procedure, only EXEC permission is needed.

This can be one way to help ensure data integrity on the base tables. You don’t grant any permission to the base tables, but instead only grant permissions to the stored procedure. Now you’re assured that the only way the tables are modified is through the stored procedure.

If the stored procedure is solid, your data has a much better chance of staying solid too.

You’ll find exercises in both of the following books demonstrating concepts related to stored procedures permissions in hands-on exercises:

MCITP: Database Administration (70-431, 70-433, and 70-444)

MCITP: Database Developer (70-431, 70-441, 70-442)

Darril
mcitpsuccess.com

Second Shot extended to June 30 2008

Yes. It's official. Microsoft has extended the free “second shot” through June 30. If you register for an exam using a second shot voucher, and you don’t pass the test, you can take it again for free.

Think of it as a free look at an exam. What I’ve found is many students are actually ready for an exam before they take it. Test anxiety slows a lot of people down, but with the free second shot, there’s no need to be anxious on the first take.

The key is you must register for the test using a second shot voucher. If you take a test without registering with a second shot voucher, you lose the benefit.

If you do register and fail the test, you can use the second shot voucher number to register for the same test for free. The only hitch is you have to wait at least one day after the failed exam.

Go here http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/offers/secondshot/default.mspx and click the Sign Up Now link. It’s just a few clicks away.

Of course this works for any of the MCITP: Database Administration (70-431, 70-433, and 70-444) and MCITP: Database Developer (70-431, 70-441, 70-442) exams, but it can also work for most other Microsoft exams

Good luck.

Darril
mcitpsuccess.com

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Hell Raiser for Hire

I've developed several Web sites over the years and I still get cc emails from some of them that I maintain for businesses. It helps me to troubleshoot and repair problems when they occur.

Today, I was cc'ed on an email that someone sent to the company that said "I'm moving to your area and wanted to know if you are hiring."

That was straightforward enough. But then I noticed the email address it came from: hellraiser240000@xxx.com

Sure. That's what the company needs. Another hell raiser...

Looking for an IT job? You might want to create your own email address as something like:

Not only can you get noticed, but you might get that interview. With free email addresses so easy to get, there’s no reason why you can’t be a little creative.

It sure beats UnemployedAndBroke@xxx.com.

Darril Gibson

http://mctipsuccess.com

Friday, January 18, 2008

70-444 and Triggers

When preparing for the 70-444 exam, you should have a solid understanding of triggers (especially DDL triggers).

As a reminder, DML triggers respond to Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements such as INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. DDL triggers respond to Data Definition Language (DDL) statements such as CREATE, ALTER, and DROP.

DDL triggers are new in SQL Server 2005 so you can expect Microsoft to include exam questions related to them whenever they are mentioned on the exam objectives. DDL triggers are directly mentioned on the 70-431 and 70-433 exam objectives and indirectly on the 70-444 exam objectives.

The 70-444 exam alludes to DDL triggers in the context of optimizing a database control strategy. Within organizations, procedures aren’t always followed so you may want to ensure that changes to database objects are recorded and key personnel are notified. This can be done by implementing an auditing strategy with DDL triggers.

For example, you may want to control the modification of any database objects (such as tables, views, stored procedures, and so on). By implementing an ALTER DDL trigger with a database scope, you can ensure that any ALTER statement executed against any database object in a specific database is captured.

Now, when someone alters a table within your database, you can execute a stored procedure that logs the event into an audit table and sends an email to a key group of database administrators.

You can get a lot deeper into the triggers, but when preparing for the MCITP: Database Administrator exams, you can go a long way just knowing the differences between DML triggers and DDL triggers.

For example, you should ace this question:
You are a database developer for the Hogwart’s University. Due to unauthorized changes to a database table in the Students database, several views have been broken. You are tasked with creating a method of identifying exactly when, and by who, any changes to database tables are made. What should you do?
A. Create stored procedure to make changes to database tables.
B. Remove all permissions to the database tables.
C. Create a DML trigger.
D. Create a DDL trigger.
*

For a more detailed understanding of triggers, check out Chapter 5 of the MCITP: SQL Server 2005 Database Administrator All-In-One book. This chapter also includes practice test questions for the 7-431, 70-443, and 70-444 exams related to triggers.

* The answer to the question is D. A DDL trigger could be created to capture all ALTER statements issued against the database. If a stored procedure was created, there’d be no guarantee it’d be used; in other words, someone could alter the table directly without using the stored procedure. A DML trigger could be used to capture data changes, but not object changes.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

70-621 now part of MCITP Certifications

Good news from Trika (http://blogs.msdn.com/trika/).

The 70-621 exam is now considered an accepted desktop certification exam for the Windows Server 2008 MCITP: Server Enterprise certification. Before only 70-620 or 70-624 exams were considered acceptable for the Windows Server 2008 MCITP certifications.

As a reminder, the following certifications are on the horizon for Windows Server 2008:

MCITP: Server Administrator
1) 70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
2) 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
3) 70-646: Pro: Windows Server 2008 Administrator

MCITP: Enterprise Administrator
1) 70-620: TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client
Or 70-624: TS: Deploying and Maintaining Windows Vista Client & Office
Or 70-621: PRO: Upgrading Your MCDST Certification to MCITP Enterprise Support
2) 70-643: TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Platform, Configuring
3) 70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
4) 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
5) 70-647: Pro: Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Administrator

The MCITP certifications for SQL Server 2005 remain unchanged.

Check out http: http://www.mcitpsuccess.com/ for the full details on the SQL Server 2005 MCITP Certifications, or better yet (if you'll forgive the shameless plug) check out my MCITP: Database Administration or MCITP: Database Developer books.

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Blog Archive

Thursday, September 4, 2008

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Deploy an image to a computer

Run Sysprep and Capture an Image

Create a Bootable USB Disk

Prepare a Bootable CD

Prepare the Windows PE Folders

Download and install the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK)

Sunday, March 30, 2008

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