News
Safety in New ISA Server 2004 Exam
New exam follows on heels of newest version of Microsoft's server for speedy, secure computing.
Later this month, Microsoft Corporation will release a new exam for Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004. Exam 70-350, Implementing ISA Server 2004, will be available only to beta invitees from March 22 through April 4; it'll be numbered 71-350 while in beta. Both
Pearson VUE
http://www.vue.com/ms/ and Prometric
http://securereg3.prometric.com/ will deliver the exam in beta.
Although not confirmed by the company, both the beta and the live exam are likely to contain new performance-based exams. (Microsoft doesn't comment on exams in development; see "New Twist to Exams: Just Do It" at
http://mcpmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=767 for information on performance-based exam questions.)
According to the exam objective guide, ISA Server 2004 exam candidates should be well-versed in the language of security on medium to enterprise-class Windows networks, with solid understanding of Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, WINS, Certificate Services, RADIUS, Routing and Remote Access, FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, TCP/IP, IMAP, POP3, RDP, SMTP, and SSL. Candidates who pass it will immediately have MCP status and can use the exam to fulfill the elective option toward the MCSA on Windows 2003 and MCSE on Windows 2003 credentials, as well as the security specializations.
Microsoft currently lists on its exam objective guide one training course for this exam. Course 2824, Implementing Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004, is a four-day, instructor-led course available at Certified Technical Education Centers worldwide. The course has been available since September 2004; more info on that course is at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/en-us/2824afinal.mspx. A search of the Microsoft Press site shows no titles in the works for an ISA Server 2004 self-study guide.
ISA Server 2004 was released to manufacturing in February and has been generally available as of last week. For more information on ISA Server, see "ISA Server 2004 Enterprise Edition Generally Available" on the ENTmag.com site at http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=6590.
To view the exam objective guide for 70-350, go to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-350.asp.
About the Author
Michael Domingo has held several positions at 1105 Media, and is currently the editor in chief of Visual Studio Magazine.