MCSE Windows 2000 Directory Services Design Exam Cram (Exam: 70-219)

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good condensation
Review: After taking the instructor-led course for the 70-219 exam I used the Exam Cram to finish preparing for the exam. I thought it presented a lot of concepts clearly. I found a number of minor mistakes in it. I reported one and Coriolis was very responsive about passing it to the author who wrote a correction. After that I found a few more. Always go to the web site of any of these publishers and look for "errata". That's how they pass along corrections. I was disappointed by the Cram Sheet, one of my favorite parts of the Exam Cram series. It may just be impossible to do one well for a design exam, but I found mistakes in it and not what I would consider the best choices for distilled-down facts.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good condensation
Review: After taking the instructor-led course for the 70-219 exam I used the Exam Cram to finish preparing for the exam. I thought it presented a lot of concepts clearly. I found a number of minor mistakes in it. I reported one and Coriolis was very responsive about passing it to the author who wrote a correction. After that I found a few more. Always go to the web site of any of these publishers and look for "errata". That's how they pass along corrections. I was disappointed by the Cram Sheet, one of my favorite parts of the Exam Cram series. It may just be impossible to do one well for a design exam, but I found mistakes in it and not what I would consider the best choices for distilled-down facts.

Rating:
Summary: Good content, awkward writing
Review: I am pleased with this book. In spite of some problems with writing style, I recommend this book. The information covered is exactly what I need to transition from Windows NT 4 to Windows 2000. My only criticism of this book could be applied to much of the technical computer instructional material I've read. The author, while astute technically, is not a competent writer. This is not a minor nitpick because at times it is been necessary to re-read sections because of the author's inability to clearly organize and communicate his ideas.

Rating:
Summary: Good content, awkward writing
Review: I am pleased with this book. In spite of some problems with writing style, I recommend this book. The information covered is exactly what I need to transition from Windows NT 4 to Windows 2000. My only criticism of this book could be applied to much of the technical computer instructional material I've read. The author, while astute technically, is not a competent writer. This is not a minor nitpick because at times it is been necessary to re-read sections because of the author's inability to clearly organize and communicate his ideas.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but Missing the NT4 to Win2K upgrade info
Review: I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars for the obvious omission of the NT4 to Win2K upgrade information that is an essential part of passing the 70-219 exam, Active Directory Design. I previously passed the 70-217 exam, Active Directory Infrastructure, so I had the base knowledge required to pass this exam. I found that this book gave a good overview of the required material, and tested you with end of chapter quizzes, as well as a 6 case study test at the end of the book. If you buy this book, please refer to an alternate source for the NT4 to Win2K info, such as the "Domain Migration Cookbook" at the MS site, or look for the Exam Prep version of this book, as it does cover this absent material and is also worth a look. Cheers, and Good Luck!

Rating:
Summary: Good, but Missing the NT4 to Win2K upgrade info
Review: I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars for the obvious omission of the NT4 to Win2K upgrade information that is an essential part of passing the 70-219 exam, Active Directory Design. I previously passed the 70-217 exam, Active Directory Infrastructure, so I had the base knowledge required to pass this exam. I found that this book gave a good overview of the required material, and tested you with end of chapter quizzes, as well as a 6 case study test at the end of the book. If you buy this book, please refer to an alternate source for the NT4 to Win2K info, such as the "Domain Migration Cookbook" at the MS site, or look for the Exam Prep version of this book, as it does cover this absent material and is also worth a look. Cheers, and Good Luck!

Rating:
Summary: It only takes ONE!
Review: This is the only book I used to pass my exam (70-219) and I passed with flying colors. Book covers everything you need to know for Microsoft's MCSE program on the Directory Services Design. Put together well, three exams and I had a lot of these questions on mine. A must for the serious minded person who wants to pass and become MSCE.

Rating:
Summary: It only takes ONE!
Review: Usually I love the exam cram books, but this one is a serious let down. Granted AD Design is a very difficult topic to cover, but this book isn't nearly enough for you to be able to pass the test. I did pass with an 857, but I used many of the white papers from the Microsoft web site and a few other tools. without them I would have been sunk!!

Rating:
Summary: Free info from MS site is better
Review: Usually I love the exam cram books, but this one is a serious let down. Granted AD Design is a very difficult topic to cover, but this book isn't nearly enough for you to be able to pass the test. I did pass with an 857, but I used many of the white papers from the Microsoft web site and a few other tools. without them I would have been sunk!!