Re: Beta of Microsoft Certification Exam 70-442

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I haven't yet looked at this level of detail either, though I need to very
quickly. I'm still tying up loose ends on reviewing 70-229 material, and
70-431 material.

However, since I do need to look at this, I'll do a quick review right now.

If you look at the chart on the "Preparation Guide for Exam 70-442" web
page, you'll see that the objective "Design Efficient Access to SQL Server
Service" is wholly contained in the Course 2783 curriculum. The only other
objective that refers to 2783 is the objective "Designing Error Handling
Routines".

So, looking at the curriculum for Course 2783, there are six objectives in
this course:
- Choose data access technologies and an object model to support an
organization's business needs.
- Design an exception handling strategy.
- Choose a cursor strategy.
- Design query strategies using Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS).
- Design caching strategies for database applications.
- Design a scalable data tier for database applications.

The second objective looks like it covers the exam objective "Designing
Error Handling Routines", so for the objective of interest "Design Efficient
Access to SQL Server Service", we want to focus on the other five
objectives.

The real key here is how much of this content is going to focus on
multi-tier scenarios. I suspect the core content of this objective is going
to come from ADO.NET v2 technologies, which is the primary interface for
client-tier access to SQL Server.

I think the biggest challenge with this course, and with the MCITP: Database
Developer certification, in general, is that there's not really any history
to look back at. This is the first time that Microsoft has acknowledge the
"Database Developer" as worth of their own certification credential. So, we
need to do some cross-cert review. I don't think we're going to find a lot
of information in the MCDBA coursework, since multi-tier development was
virtually ignored in that certification, in preference to the raw database
server administration tasks.

Possibly a good place to direct our attentions will be in the MCAD:WinForms
certification track, specifically with respect to distributed applications.
I suspect the question pool for this exam is going to be heavily
concentrated on client-tier access to the database server for WinForms
applications, and mid-tier access to the database server for WebServices
applications.

To that end, I'm going to focus a core part of my effort on the differences
between ADO.NET v2 and ADO.NET v1, as well as the general enhancements of
ADO.NET over ADO, and this website is probably a great place to start:
"Data Access and Storage Developer Center: Using Data Access Technologies"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/data/DataAccess/

The course outline for Course 2783 gives detailed breakdowns of each of the
five course objectives that we've related to the exam objective.
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/en-us/2783afinal.mspx#END

Of particular interest is the material on cursors -- which includes both the
idea of row-based vs set-based operations (as would relate to the use of
cursors in stored procs), as well as the idea of server-side vs client-side
cursors (which is more relevant to WinForms apps with ADO.NET v2).

The fourth section, using MARS, is exclusive to ADO and ADO.NET (MARS was
originally introduced in ADO v2.5, I believe.)

Section five is relevant to both SQL Server 2005 and ASP.NET v2, as both
technologies introduce the idea of dataset caching. How that is managed, and
the pros and cons of each will probably be hit pretty strong. (My
observations have been that MS likes to test on 'new' technologies -- even
more so in 'new' certification paths.)

Section six is the one I'm finding a bit daunting, as I have virtually no
experience in enterprise-scale database systems, and only a bit more
academic knowledge.

If you have a solid background in SQL 2000 and ADO v2.x technologies (and I
wouldn't call mine solid, but I did spend a year converting an Access app
from DAO to ADO v2.8, and converting row-based code to SQL), I'd focus a
good portion of preparation on the 'new' features in ADO.NET v2 and SQL
Server 2005 -- for two reasons.

One, a significant part of the conceptual information learned in ADO v2.x
and SQL Server 2000 is still quite valid in developing applications for SQL
Server 2005 using ADO.NET v2 and ASP.NET v2, so use that knowledge and
experience to your advantage.

Two, as noted above, Microsoft likes to focus new cert exams on the 'new'
features in a product or technology, so I'm anticipating a significant
amount of questions focused on the new features in ADO.NET v2, and SQL
Server 2005. Enhancements to data access technologies - like caching, and
improvements for the use of MARS; and enhancements to T-SQL, including the
new T-SQL functionality, and, particularly, enhancements to XML utilization.


"DDDD022005" <DDDD022005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:A5043865-2EFB-4562-8528-F30807555DE1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Lawrence,

I am also preparing for this exam (70-442). Now I am reviewing the
Microsoft
e-learning of 2939. And I have reviewed the course of 70-229. But I am not
sure where should I start to review the "Design Efficient Access to SQL
Server Service".
Best Regards,

Don

"Lawrence Garvin" wrote:

I'm still putting together a package. I started with the exam objectives,
and the course curricula for the (not-yet-available) Microsoft courses.

My initial assessment is that the objectives cover 70-229 plus the new
SQL
2005 stuff, along with (and here's probably the sticky point), ADO.NET
v2.0
(remember, the title of the exam contains the words "Data Access"). I've
not
completed my assessment on this, yet, though, so it could be incomplete.
I'm
looking to try to map the 70-442 objectives against the 70-229
objectives,
and see what might be 'missing', and then find resources for those
objectives.

The only source, I imagine, for anything on ADO.NET v2 is going to be the
Jan 2006 VS2005 documentation - if you don't have VS2005, it should be
available online at msdn.microsoft.com.

I'm already working on 70-229 and 70-441, so I'll continue with planning
to
finish that by the end of February. The 'new' SQL2005 stuff is available
through a multitude of free eLearning courses, Webcasts, and a couple of
published books.

Note that the objectives for the 70-442 exam =assume= the completion, or
equivalent knowledge, of the 70-441 exam. If you've not studied or taken
70-441, that would be high on my list of recommended starting points - as
is
the reason I'm continuing with my efforts there (and on 70-229).

Otherwise, as I noted in my original post, the other prime source of
information would be SQL 2005 Books Online and the Developer Center.

I have not received any advice or recommendations from Microsoft as to
any
other formal or published resources.

"Avinanda" <avinanda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0E0B7997-E0AB-40FD-88AF-3BFB13B1EFA3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Are aHi Lawrence,
I have registered for the SQL Server Beta test too.
So did you come across any good study materials?Do let me know.

Regards,
-A

--


"Lawrence Garvin" wrote:

Sondra, this is great news! I have registered for the beta exam and
will
be
taking it 3/4/06.

However, I have a question. Given that virtually none of the
"official"
training resources listed for this examination have been published --
including Instructor-led courses, MSPress books, and e-learning
courses
(none are even listed at this point) -- are there any suggestions or
recommendations for training resources, other than the obvious, which
would
include:
- SQL Server 2005 Books Online
- SQL Server 2005 Developer Center





"Sondra Webber, Microsoft Corporation"
<SondraWebberMicrosoftCorporation@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:9ECE8EE7-ADAB-47E8-B812-1E24F8D9E0C9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Microsoft Certification Exam 70-442 is going into Beta at the end of
February.

Preparation Guide for Exam 70-442:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-442.asp

Register with the following Promo Code: 442SQL

To register visit one of our independent testing providers:
* Thomson Prometric:
http://www.prometric.com/ContactUs/TestTakers/default.htm
* Pearson VUE: http://www.vue.com/ms/

SPECIAL OFFER: Candidates who take and achieve passing score in the
beta
exam will receive a free exam voucher* for any Microsoft
Certification
Exam.
Vouchers will be sent after exam scores are tabulated.


Best of luck!
Sondra Webber
Program Manager
Developer and Database Certifications
Microsoft Corporation








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