MCSA 2008 with FAS

SRFC_1901

Hi Guys,

Ive worked as a desktop engineer for a about 3 years, I want to get into more server/back end work tough, I'm currently out of work and studying for a few exams, I 'm halfway through Net +, and plan to take the CCENT when I finish, ultimately I want to work in server work and do some MS certs. Can anyone give me any idea of the difficulty of server MCSA's , MS recommend having 2 years server work for the 2012 exams, I have very little server experience- is it feasable to think i can pass all 3 exams if I work at it very hard. FAS have a classroom server '08 course starting in April, which is probably around when I will finish the N+ and CCENT, ideally I would like to take the '12 exams then, but since there is a classroom course starting , I'm thinking this will help me more than doing myself with books as i have no server experience. I'll setup a home lab whether its in the class or books myself.

So my questions are, first off is it feasable to be able to do all 3 exams with no server experience, I hear 410 is ok and the rest are quite hard, and would doing it in a class be that much more beneficial to me that I should do the FAS '08 course rather than '12 myself?

moc moc a moc

I don't think there's any point in paying for both the N+ and the CCENT unless you're planning on going all the way to CCNA (in which case the N+ would be redundant). One or the other will be fine for a sysadmin. I would aim at finishing the N+ (or CCENT) long before April if I were you; it's a very basic cert.

I haven't taken MS exams since the 2003 track (MCSE), but they weren't difficult (I used a combination of training videos and hands-on study). If you're a quick learner you can ignore the '2 years experience' recommendation.

Are you sure FÁS are doing a server 2008 course in 2014? I thought MS were trying to phase out the 2008 exams to get people on the 2012 track.

SRFC_1901

Well, I aim to finish up both exams around Feb, the reason I'm planning on doing the CCENT is becuase I feel my networking is very weak, even with the n+ I feel I still need the CCENT as the N+ is pretty much all theory , and I need hands on work, without the CCENT i would have very little knowledege of working routers/switches- would you feel that the N+ would suffice in a server role? I was thinking of becoming more all rounded as I would have thaught that there would still be some networking in a server role and I didnt think my N+ would help me much, I planned on doing them both to get the broad overview that N+ brings, and narrower/deeper/hands on CCENT give you.
Interested to hear your thaguhts though.

Heres the link for the course

http://jobseeker.fas.ie/Default.aspx?q=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

moc moc a moc

I'll confess I don't know a whole lot first-hand about the N+ as I went the Cisco route near the beginning of my career, but I can't imagine the CCENT being much (if any) of an advantage over the N+, particularly for a systems guy. It's not like you'll be configuring routing protocols or messing around with VLAN trunks on Cisco switches, at least not at the entry level.

I would not wait until April to get started on Windows exams. I did on average an exam a month for my MCSE (although I had a bit of Windows experience before starting) so you can definitely get a couple of 2012 exams under your belt before then.

SRFC_1901

Well, I certainly think the CCENT would be an advantage to me , and would bring me on, in terms of networking, I'm well over half way through and feel I have alot of theory without being able to do much in terms of networking,, it touches a bit of everything without going deep into anything, but the question now im wondering is how much relevance that extra knowledge the CCENT would help me as a server engineer, I was thinking with the FAS server class they would complement eachother nicely, im reconsidering now. Ive changed my mind so many times on what to go for after the N+

Cuddlesworth

N+ and CCENT are just basic networking theory, with the CCENT being slightly focused on cisco equipment. Unless your going the full CCNA route I don't see the point in both.

I'm going to have to ask, how did you spend 3 years as desktop support and not bother getting any certs or experience? Being brutally honest, the days of walking into a decent high level IT role without really bothering your hole are gone. The same goes with staying in one. IT regardless of job type is a learning game. Its never going to stop changing, you need to keep 1 eye forward at all times.

If you want to do Microsoft admining, pick up Powershell in a month of lunches and learn it. Get into things like the scripting games, put that information briefly onto the CV. A lot of employers are picking up on the power of decent automation arriving into the windows environment.

Invest and build a whitebox or set up a Azure account and spin up the lowest level servers when you need them. You can learn far more in a couple of days then weeks of any FAS course.