| Microsoft’s new generation of certifications is designed not only to emphasize your proficiency with a specific technology but also to prove you have the skills needed to perform a specific role. In other words, you need to know how to use SQL Server 2005 in theory and in practice. This makes the MCTS: SQL Server 2005 certification a powerful credential for career advancement.
Obtaining this certification requires you to pass only one exam, Exam 70-431, which is called TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 – Implementation and Maintenance. Although I developed this book based on the exam objectives, its purpose is to serve more as a reference than an exam prep book. It guides you through procedures and tasks that solidify related concepts, allowing you to devote your memorization efforts to more abstract theories because you’ve mastered the more practical topics through doing. So, keep this book handy, because it will serve as a valuable reference during your career as a SQL Server 2005 professional.
Since the inception of its certification program, Microsoft has certified millions of people. Over the years, Microsoft has learned what it takes to help people show their skills through certification. Based on that experience, Microsoft has introduced a new generation of certifications:
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
- Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)
- Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA)
The MCTS certification program is designed to validate core technology and product skills for a specific product. It helps you prove you are capable of implementing, building, troubleshooting, and debugging that product.
The new generation of exams offers a shorter certification path than previous iterations. For example, to become a Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, you had to pass four exams. To obtain an MCTS certification, you need to pass only one exam.
SQL Server 2005 DBA Street Smarts: A Real World Guide to SQL Server 2005 Certification Skills was designed to give you some insight into the world of a typical database administrator by walking you through some of the daily tasks you can expect on the job. You should invest in some equipment to get the full effect from this book; you might even consider using Microsoft’s Virtual PC or Virtual Server software (both are available for free download at the time of this writing). However, you can derive much value from simply reading through the tasks without performing the steps on live equipment. Organized classes and study groups are the ideal structures for obtaining and practicing with the recommended equipment.
About the Author
Joseph L. Jorden (MCP, MCSE, MCTS) is the Lead Developer for Jelly Belly Candy Company where he spends a great deal of his time developing database applications and assisting the DBA with SQL Server administration tasks. Joseph was one of the first 100 people to achieve the MCSE+I certification from Microsoft, one of the first 2,000 people to earn the MCSE certification on Windows 2000 and he is a charter member of the MCTS certification program. Joseph also spent a few years as an MCT during which time he taught Microsoft Official Curriculum courses about SQL Server 6.5, 7.0, and 2000. He has spoken at PASS conferences and Comdex about SQL Server and other computing subjects. Joseph has also written a number of articles for various publications, and he has written and tech edited several books for Sybex,
most of them on the subject of SQL Server. |
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