Tuesday, April 27, 2010

MCTS: Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007

MCTS: Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007

The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in their specialized technologies. More than a product certification, the new Office Project 2007 certification family is designed specifically to help project managers apply the leading project management best practices and methodologies as established by the Project Management Institute (PMI), resulting in better project outcomes, greater efficiency, and optimal resource management.
The MCTS: Microsoft Office Project 2007 credential for managing projects validates the skills of project managers who use Office Project 2007. Candidates for this credential may work on projects as a team member, project lead, project manager, scheduler, or another role that requires the ability to formulate well thought-out project plans and to manage projects effectively. MCTS candidates may be responsible for the scheduling, estimating, coordinating, controlling, budgeting, and staffing of projects. Candidates may also provide support to other Microsoft Office Project users. Candidates should be familiar with key project management concepts and terminology.

Required Exam
Exam 70-632: TS: Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects

MCTS: Windows Vista, Configuration

MCTS: Windows Vista, Configuration

The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in their specialized technologies.
The MCTS: Windows Vista, Configuration certification is designed to validate the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the functions and features of Windows Vista and to troubleshoot network-connectivity and applications issues.

Required Exam:

Exam 70-620: TS: Microsoft Windows Vista Client, Configuring

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration
The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration certification designates expertise in the areas of IP addressing and services, names resolution, file and print services, network and remote access, and monitoring network services. By earning an MCTS certification, you'll be recognized for specialized technical knowledge and you will stand out to hiring managers as ready to excel in a Windows Server 2008 environment.
Windows Server 2008 certification will help you prepare for the evaluation and deployment of Windows Server 2008 within your organization. The MCTS Windows Server 2008 certifications are part of the new generation of Microsoft certifications, which emphasize primary skill sets and job roles, providing a more relevant, flexible, and cost-effective way to validate core technical, professional, and architectural skills.

Required Exams
Exam 70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
Exam 70-648: TS: Upgrading Your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.
Exam 70-649: TS: Upgrading Your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Configuration

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Configuration

The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Configuration certification designates expertise in the area of Windows deployment services as well as terminal, web, and media services. By earning an MCTS certification, you'll be recognized for specialized technical knowledge and you will stand out to hiring managers as ready to excel in a Windows Server 2008 environment.
Windows Server 2008 certification will help you prepare for the evaluation and deployment of Windows Server 2008 within your organization. The MCTS Windows Server 2008 certifications are part of the new generation of Microsoft certifications, which emphasize primary skill sets and job roles, providing a more relevant, flexible, and cost-effective way to validate core technical, professional, and architectural skills.


Required Exam
Exam 70-643: TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Platform, Configuring
Exam 70-648: TS: Upgrading Your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.
Exam 70-649: TS: Upgrading Your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration

MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration

The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration certification designates expertise in the areas of Active Directory and Directory Services, Active Directory server roles, certificate management, and Group Policy. By earning an MCTS certification, you'll be recognized for specialized technical knowledge and you will stand out to hiring managers as ready to excel in a Windows Server 2008 environment.
Windows Server 2008 certification will help you prepare for the evaluation and deployment of Windows Server 2008 within your organization. The MCTS Windows Server 2008 certifications are part of the new generation of Microsoft certifications, which emphasize primary skill sets and job roles, providing a more relevant, flexible, and cost-effective way to validate core technical, professional, and architectural skills.

Required Exam
Exam 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

Exam 70-648: TS: Upgrading Your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.

Exam 70-649: TS: Upgrading Your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.

MCTS: SQL Server 2005

MCTS: SQL Server 2005

The Technology Specialist certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in their specialized technologies.
Microsoft® Certified Technology Specialists in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (MCTS: SQL Server 2005) implement and maintain databases using specific instructions and specifications. They have thorough knowledge of the product, understand how to use the tools and Transact-SQL language, and know how to explore the user interface. Technology Specialists typically pursue careers as database administrators, database developers, or business intelligence developers. They may also be developers and systems administrators who do not work with SQL Server daily but who want to show their breadth of technology experience.


Required Exam
Exam 70-431: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - Implementation and Maintenance

MCTS: Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007

MCTS: Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in their specialized technologies. More than a product certification, the new Office Project 2007 certification family is designed specifically to help project managers apply the leading project management best practices and methodologies as established by the Project Management Institute (PMI), resulting in better project outcomes, greater efficiency, and optimal resource management.
The MCTS: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 certification for managing projects provides industry recognition to project managers and other professionals who use Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 and Office Project Server 2007 to manage and support projects in an enterprise environment. Candidates for this credential may use Office Project 2007 or Office Project Server 2007 to manage project and non-project efforts, risks, issues, documents, task progress, and timesheets. Candidates should be familiar with the key project management concepts and terminology found in the Project Management Institute's "A Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge"

Required Exam
Exam 70-633: TS: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects

MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Configuration

MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Configuration

The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in their specialized technologies.

A Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Configuration (MCTS: Exchange Server 2007) possesses the knowledge and skills to operate as the second tier of support between the mailbox operator and the messaging administrator. An MCTS in Exchange Server 2007 also installs, configures, and administers an enterprise messaging environment that includes managing messaging security with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.


Required Exam

Exam 70-236: TS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Configuring

MCSE: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

MCSE: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

Global Knowledge can get you on your way to your MCSE! Global Knowledge will help you create a development track suitable to your job responsibilities and career advancement goals. Our real-world training will provide you with the knowledge needed to obtain your MCSE certification.


Required Exams

Exam 70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

Exam 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure

Exam 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure

Exam 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure

Exam 70-298: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network

Exam 70-620: TS: Microsoft Windows Vista, Configuring

MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator

MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator

Ready for a new challenge in your daily system and network administration? In only 8 days become part of the hottest multi-exam certification in the industry, the MCSA.
Global Knowledge can get you on your way to your MCSA! Global Knowledge will help you create a development track suitable to your job responsibilities and career advancement goals. Our real-world training will provide you with the knowledge needed to obtain your MCSA certification.

Required Exams
Exam 70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

Exam 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
Exam 70-620: Microsoft Windows Vista, Configuring

MCDST: Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician

MCDST: Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician
Earning the MCDST certification will get your IT career started. MCDST certification designates that you have gained the technical and customer service skills to successfully support end users and effectively troubleshoot hardware and software operation issues in desktop environments running on the Microsoft Windows operating system .
MCDST certification candidates are required to pass two core exams, and our comprehensive MCDST training program is designed specifically to prepare you for the MCDST certification exams. In fact, both are included in our MCDST training Boot Camp.


Required Exams

Exam 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System
Exam 70-272: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System

Microsoft Certifications

List of Microsoft Certifications:

MCP
MCSE
MCSE 2000 Security
MCDBA
MCSE 2003
MCSE 2003 Security
MCSE 2003 Messaging
Mcse2000 TO Mcse2003 Upgrade
MCSA
MCSA 2003
MCSD.NET
MCAD.NET
MCDST
MCTS
MCITP
MCPD
Microsoft Partner Competency
Microsoft Licensing
Microsoft Business Solutions

TS

Six Steps to Microsoft Certification


  • Decide which certification is right for you: Microsoft offers a wide range of certifications that cover the spectrum of professions within the IT industry. You decide which certification is appropriate and most benefits your career choices.
  • Gain hands-on experience with Microsoft products: Working in the IT field gives you invaluable hands-on experience with Microsoft products and solutions, which will bolster any certification plan. You are well on your way to basic certifications with job-related experience of six months or more.
  • Expand your experience with training: Take advantage of a wealth of training resources that will complement the way you learn best. Everything from study guides and tutorials to hands-on, instructor-led training can help enhance your skills.
  • Know what to expect on exams: For each MCP exam, you will find a guide that will familiarize you with the testing objectives, intended audience, and skills measured, and that contains suggestions to help you pass.
  • Connect with the Microsoft Learning community: Find answers, make connections, and share your expertise with others in the Microsoft Learning training and certification community.
  • Take your required exams: Exams are administered by Prometric, an independent testing organization with locations worldwide. Register through the Web or at a specific testing center site. Just select your area of study, testing program, and region.
  • Ten Steps to Cisco Certification

    Step 1 - There Are No Experts.
    In your career experiences you are likely to meet individuals who consider themselves an “expert” or “guru” in the field. This is often intimidating for people new in their technical careers. It shouldn’t be and the reason is simple: there exists no such thing as an “expert” in the field of networking. There is so much technology in this field, with the technology changing and maturing so rapidly that it is impossible to know enough to be an “expert” in the subject. By the time you could learn enough to master the technology it has already become antiquated.
    The breath and depth of network technology can be overwhelming. Remember that you do not need to know everything about networking to be a good network professional. Cisco offers so many areas of network technology that you can pick an area that interests you and focus on that area. As your career grows so too will your interest in other areas of network technology. As a starting point select one technology–such as telephony, data security, or wireless–and focus your energy on gaining knowledge and certification in just that area. Ignore the urge to learn everything as it will only rob you of your focus and delay your efforts to earn your certification.

    Step 2 - Select an Area of Focus.
    Cisco offers certifications in several areas of network technology. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification tracks are focused on the core components of network technology; routing and switching. Cisco Certified Network Associate - Security (CCNA-Security) and Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) certification tracks deal with network security technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention, and the like. Cisco Certified Network Associate - Voice (CCNA-Voice) and Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) certifications are focused on telephony technologies. There are several other certifications available to choose from and it is important that you select the certification track that you find interesting and rewarding. Once you achieve your first certification you will likely want to work towards other certifications that interest you, but the key is to concentrate on one area of certification and to focus on that area as your specialty.

    Step 3 - Invest in Your Future.
    Gaining a certification takes an investment of both time and money. Before you sit for your first certification exam it is important that you spend your time and money in a manner that positively impacts the outcome. All too often an individual either fails to invent in the proper study materials or attempts to study from cheap or free study materials. This usually results in gaps in the knowledge the candidate is building, poor preparation and low exam scores.Take the time to research the study materials available. While Cisco Press certification study books and guides are an excellent resource because they are written with the exams in mind, there are a wide range of other study materials–including books, videos, and test simulators–available to you. Do your homework before investing money in study materials by asking peers, co-workers, or by asking for recommendations on public Internet forums. Read book reviews on sites like Amazon.com, or seek out several of the Cisco CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) web sites or blogs. I have found that most CCIEs are more than willing to recommend good study materials they or their peers have used to obtain prerequisite certifications like the CCNA or CCNP.

    Step 4 - Create a Study Plan.
    It is not enough to simply study the material. You need to create a plan for how and when you will study and then stick to your plan. Develop a study routine and practice good study habits. Study away from distractions such as television, music or buzzing cell phones and schedule study time around meals so that hunger isn’t breaking your concentration (having a glass of water and a few cookies nearby can help to keep you on task).Remember that a single hour of quality study time is worth several hours of study filled with noise and interruption. To create these quality hours of study you need to devise a study plan that puts you in the right environment during the right time of day with limited interruption and distraction. Make sure that your study plan provides a minimum of two hours per day of quality study time and stick to your plan.

    Step 5 - Study for Your Future, Not an Exam.
    Depending on the certification you are studying for it may take several days or weeks of consistent study before you feel comfortable enough to pass the exam. Remember to study until you are confident that you know the material; you will know when you are ready. Refrain from scheduling an exam until you know you are ready, as you do not want to feel pressured by a looming exam date if it is taking longer to absorb the material than you anticipated. It is important to note that you will need to retain what you have studied for one exam as this knowledge will likely appear in some form on one of the other exams required for the certification. This is why I recommend studying for “the future” and not for an exam. Study to retain the information long term as you will need this information for one or more future exams. Study at a pace that allows you to retain the most information, and allow time to go back and review material that you may not feel completely comfortable with.Passing Cisco exams require that you have a thorough understanding of the exam content. Because Cisco exams can cover several areas of technology each exam requires concentrated study as part of your preparation. Remember that you are studying for your future, not for an exam. Keep this in mind as you study and it will help you to stay on task and focused on the overall goal of achieving the certification.

    Step 6 - Avoid the Easy Road.
    This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can offer anyone studying for a technical exam. While it might seem easier to pay for cliff notes, brain dump exams (some of which are explicitly forbidden by Cisco as a study material and can result in your being barred from certification), boot camps, or other methods of “fast track” memorization using these options will not provide the same benefit as taking your time to study and learn the material. By memorizing material simply to pass the exams you are robbing yourself of the opportunity to learn the technology in-depth and to develop the understanding of the technology that you will need to apply in the real world. You can develop this understanding only from investing your time and energy to study the material as it should be studied.The caveat to this step applies to experienced network professionals that may need to obtain a certification quickly by passing exams with little study time, often referred to as “testing out” of an exam. Often times a network professional has enough hands-on experience in real world environments to pass the exam with only a refresher of the material. The benefit of certification boot camps can be realized here, as the technical material is covered at a rapid pace to allow the certification candidate to sit for all required exams in short order. This is not the recommended path for those new to network technology or those with little experience in the field. Boot camps are typically recommended only for those individuals already having previous experience and the prerequisite knowledge to pass the exams.

    Step 7 - Concentrate on One Exam at a Time.
    You may find it tempting to study for more than one exam at a time; it is more common than you might think for many reasons. You might become bored of a particularly dry topic or study material and change focus to find something more interesting. The pressure of having to study for and pass several certification exams could create the perceived need to split your study time between multiple exams. No matter the reason it is usually not a good idea to try to study for multiple exams at one time. The continued change in focus from one topic to another can impede your ability to concentrate on and retain the material, preventing you from being as prepared for the exam as you could have been. Resist the urge and dedicate yourself to passing one exam at a time.

    Step 8 - Balance Life and Study.
    It is easy to become overwhelmed by certification study. The weeks of concentrated focus required to pass an exam can quickly consume you and raise the possibility of “burn out.” You should spend as much time as required in studying for your certification exams but remember to make time for the other things in your life, as well. Taking routine breaks or stepping away from the books for a few hours is important. This will help to not only prevent your becoming bored with the material but will provide you will an opportunity to digest and reflect on the information you’ve learned so far.

    Step 9 - Create a Study Guide.
    One of the best ways to retain the material you are covering is to create your own “study guide”. This is nothing more than a compiled list of the terms, details, and explanations of the information covered in your study materials. Include only the information which you find to be the most difficult or challenging for you to comprehend or memorize, as this will be the information that determines your grade on the exam. Break your study guide in to logical sections keeping related information together for quick reference. Make your study guide as simple to read through as possible.On the day on your exam arrive at the testing center an hour early. Take this hour to sit in your car and quietly review your study guide; cover the material several times. By doing this you are refreshing your memory with the information you felt most difficult to retain, and this information will likely address the majority of difficult exam questions you will face. Cisco exams are “adaptive” in that the testing software will continually analyze the answers you provide and present additional questions to challenge you on your weakest areas. It is this information you are attempting to review prior to taking the exam. Once you feel you have adequately reviewed your study guide it is time to enter the testing center without delay and sit for the exam.If you take the extra time to compile and use your personal study guide you will find it invaluable in achieving higher scores and a greater level of confidence. Remember too that information covered on one exam is likely to appear on the next. Reviewed past study guides prior to each exam in a certification track will be of great benefit.

    Step 10 - Test Confidently.
    When it is time to sit for the exam it is important to be confident. Rely on your studying to get you through the exam and remember the study guide material you reviewed earlier. If you have taken the time to properly study for the exam there is no reason to be nervous or anxious. Keep an eye on the test timer and make sure you are not spending too much time on any one question. Where you just don’t know the answer narrow down the choices and make an educated guess; never leave a question unanswered. Don’t worry about passing or failing, instead focus on achieving the highest score you can.While taking the exam try to remember as many test questions as you can, especially those where you were not sure of the answer. If you do fail the exam put your emotions in check and head back to the car. Take a few minutes to write down every question you can remember and the answer you provided. Use this list by reviewing your answers against the study materials to see if you were correct, and if not what the correct answer should have been. These questions will likely appear again when you retake the exam and you will now be armed with the correct answer.While these steps may be common sense to some of us for many they will be the keys to earning a certification. Follow these steps and you will not only pass the exams but also score higher. More importantly, you will retain the information you learn while studying and be able to apply that information in real-world network environments. Achieving a quality Cisco certification isn’t a difficult endeavor. It takes dedication and commitment, but also a love of the technology. This single trait alone is the key to your certification. If you love the technology you will be more than willing to invest the time and energy in your own success as a Cisco certified professional.

    Certification Process

    The Certification Process
    Each Certification Program involves the documentation of specific job experience, successful completion of appropriate courses and their associated examinations. Certification exams are offered for a modest fee and are open to all who meet the general and specific requirements for registration.The courses and associated exams required for Certification may be taken at any time. The Radiochemistry Society maintains permanent records of individual course and exam completion. Diplomas of Professional Certification are awarded to Radiochemistry Society Certified Professionals as tangible recognition of their achievement.

    Beginning the Certification Process
    The required course and associated exams that are required for each certification type may be taken at any time, and permanent records are maintained. Diplomas of Professional Certification are awarded to program graduates as tangible recognition of technical achievement.

    1. Select a Certification Program that fits your experience and needs: Review the program descriptions and select the program(s) that will enable you to contribute more to your organization and accelerate your professional development. Each certification will have specific academic and job experience requirements.
    2. Obtain and document two years of specific relevant experience: The greatest asset that any organization has is its people. Yet highly skill technical talent in the field of radiochemistry is a best scarce. The Radiochemistry Society is proud to play a role in assisting both organizations and individuals in the cultivation and recognition of professionals. It is essential in any professional endeavor to gain, maintain and document credible professional experience.General minimum requirements are two years of documented specific professional experience in the area of certification. Simply complete our online forms and we will take from there.
    3. Enroll in the appropriate courses: We will verify your experience, register you for the appropriate course(s) and you will select the course times that best fits your needs. Additionally, courses can be taken on-line or on-site. Professional Certifications will only require one comprehensive course and one comprehensive exam for the specific area of certification.
    4. Attend the course and take the exam: When you attend or take your first course on-line, you have the opportunity to take your Professional Certification Exam immediately after the completion of the course [for on-line Certification requests, you will be notified of appropriate log-in information for taking the exam]. The exam tests your comprehension of each course objective and sub-objective, and your ability to apply the knowledge and skills you've acquired. The exam is given on-line after the last day of your course.
    5. Receive your exam results: Within ten days, you will receive your confidential Certification Transcript containing your exam results. A minimum score of 80% is required for certification. A petition for re-examination can be filed and is encouraged for those not meeting the minimum score.
    6. Earn your Certification Diploma: After steps 2-5 are successfully completed you become a Certified Professional in your selected technology or management area, and you will receive your Certification Diploma and lapel pin

    Importance of Certifications

    Bridging the Education Gap

    As science, technology and management practices change at an ever-increasing rate, a gap is formed between the foundation provided by an academic education and the technical and management competencies required in today's technical and business environment. The Radiochemistry Society Professional Certification Programs were established to bridge this education gap.Your achievement of Radiochemistry Society Professional Certification documents your expertise and recognizes your personal commitment to your professional development. Additionally, the Radiochemistry Society provides a strong collective entity through which individuals are rewarded financially and professionally.


    Job-Focused Certification Programs

    Each Radiochemistry Society Professional Certification Program provides breadth and depth in the full range of technology needed to perform a specific job function.Because these programs are job focused and independent of job setting, employers and their customers can be assured that a Radiochemistry Society Certified Professional has mastered the full range of skills required to be successful in complex technical environments.


    Certification Is Important

    Radiochemistry Society Professional Certification Programs help you to:Gain practical skills you can use on the job. The Radiochemistry Society Professional Certification Programs focus on the knowledge and skills needed to perform real-world job responsibilities.Realize maximum benefit from a wide range of expertise areas. Our company-independent Certification teaches you all aspects of a specific type of career pursuit while also providing organization with a standard of assured excellence from these professionals. And we teach you how to effectively integrate these career pursuits into your specific work setting.

    Benefits of Microsoft and Cisco Certifications

    Advantages of Microsoft and Cisco Certification:

    Lots of aspirants in design and network management channel all their efforts in order to obtain highly recognized certifications such as MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer) and MCSA (Microsoft Certified System Administrator). These world-recognized certifications are much desired, as they can easily make the difference between a prosperous, lucrative career in designand an average, low-rewarding job as a programmer. Most people would do anything to obtain such world-recognized certifications and they invest lots of money and time in the process, with little or no prospect of ever achieving their goals.
    There are thousands of scammers on the Internet who commonly lure people into buying various second-hand tutorials and self-study oriented training programs, promising great results with minimal effort. However, there are also many solid, reliable websites on the World Wide Web that provide students with elaborate, well-structured and comprehensive materials, facilitating the process of learning and guaranteeing success. Considering this fact, it is very important to distinguish between average speculants and professional websites that actually provide effective MCSE and MCSA training programs.
    If your time allows it, consider attending to a short classroom training course instead of using self-study oriented programs. There are websites that offer advanced MCSE and MCSA accelerated training courses, laboratories and seminaries, taught by well-trained, experienced professionals. Such classes are far superior to self-training programs, as they involve active participation, better comprehension and learning, stimulating students’ thinking and enhancing their overall skills. By participating to a 14-day official MCSE and MCSA training course, one is able to rapidly assimilate vital information regarding solution design and network management with the help of well-trained professionals. In addition, such training programs allow students to acquire a complete set of practical abilities that will help them in their future careers. Official MCSE and MCSA training programs guarantee graduates acceptance in the best companies of the w orld!
    Similar to MCSE and MCSA, CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) certifications are also highly requested in present. There are various professional training centers that offer people the opportunity to participate to elaborate CCNA and CCIE training programs in exchange for a reasonable sum of money. By attending a five or six-day CCNA and CCIE training course, students can quickly familiarize themselves with latest Cisco technologies and hardware. During CCNA and CCIE training sessions , attending students receive constant support and feed-back from well-trained professionals. Such training courses are not only focused on theory; they are also aimed at forming and enhancing students’ practical skills regarding varaious aspects of Cisco technologies and hardware. Thousands of graduates recommend professional CCNA and CCIE training courses to people who wish to build a solid, successful c areer in the field

    Why Should You Get Microsoft And Cisco Certification?

    Certifications are becoming a necessary part in the IT industry. They were established to guarantee that IT professionals followed a standard set of rules using a standard set of skills to ensure proper interaction with various areas of IT. Many certifications such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Cisco are developing rapidly in the field of IT.
    I must say if a job is worth doing then its worth doing well to get a computer certification. Unless you are completely confident in your full understanding of all aspects of the world of PCs, you should take the chance and register for one of the training programs. These programs are developing such as to help you more.
    These certifications will generally train you in the areas of "computer architecture, memory, modems, printers, hard disk setup and operating system optimization. These certifications consist of two usual Exams. If you're interested in information technology and are considering your possibility as a computer service technician, these entry-level certification could be perfect for you. Some certifications are for beginners, some are for experts. Understanding where you fit into that spectrum will help you determine which certifications are appropriate for you.
    You do not need high level certification in order to obtain an entry-level job. What you do need in addition to the crest that you picked up are a professional resume, good cover letter, interview skills, a desire to learn, and a personality that makes companies want to hire you. Your first job will likely be at a help desk, working in a Tech support call center, contract work through a temp agency, etc. but you must have to go through any kind of certification before getting a job for your own convenience.

    Why we need a strong IT certification system?

    Need For strong IT certification system


    The integrity of IT certification is vitally important to everyone. IT, as an industry and a profession, is largely unregulated. There are no government standards that define the qualifications of any level of IT professional. There is no licensing process or required educational background. In essence, anyone can declare himself a "network engineer" or a "systems analyst." It's the Wild West of professions.
    To tame this lawless environment and bring order to the chaos, the IT industry – hardware and software vendors and neutral third-party agencies – have set minimal standards for the qualifications that a person should possess to present himself as an expert in a particular IT field. These minimal standards are known as IT certifications. They fill a void created by the absence of a formal licensing process.
    The qualifications a person must have in order to earn a certification are a combination of hands-on experience, skills and subject matter knowledge. Such qualifications can vary widely from one certification candidate to another and they are difficult to assess accurately. It's up to the issuer of a certification to set the baseline of qualifications for that particular credential and determine if someone has met the bar.
    In an ideal world, a certifying agency would use a practical hands-on methodology to test an individual's knowledge and skills. Because this is cost prohibitive and logistically challenging in most cases, agencies use standardized examinations to assess candidates' qualifications. When the legitimacy of the test process is compromised – for example, when people can openly find the exams posted word for word on the Internet – the value of certification is diminished. If certification were to ever completely lose its value, the IT profession in general would suffer.
    For instance, when a person says "I am a Certified Information Systems Security Professional," there are definite skill expectations associated with that title, just as society has expectations of someone with the title of doctor or attorney. An employer expects that the person with the CISSP credential can help prevent or solve computer security issues for his company. But, if the validity of the credential is suspect, the employer can't have confidence in predicting the worker's performance. Worse, what if the person's job is to secure systems that process confidential information, such as credit card transactions? A breach of security stemming from an unqualified employee's actions could cause irreparable damage to millions of people whose personal information is stolen and abused.

    History of Cisco Certification

    History of Cisco Certification


    Cisco Systems was founded in 1984 by a married couple named Len Bosack and Sandy Lerner. They were computer engineers employed at Stanford University near San Francisco, California. The name cisco, which was originally spelled using a small c, was taken from San Francisco. It created the first commercially successful multi-protocol router. This was exactly the right product at the right time as it enabled previously incompatible computers to communicate with each other. The cisco router was thus instrumental in the establishment and growth of the internet. The change to the standard Internet Protocol (IP) cut drastically into the need for a multi-protocol router, but by this time the company was well established and able to diversify into other networking system products.

    In 1990, just six years after it was founded, the company went public and the name was changed to Cisco Systems. The founders walked away with a nice profit of around 170 million dollars. In the following years, the company continued to grow. Just before the dot com. bubble burst, Cisco Systems was one of the richest companies in the world. Today, the company has managed to stay on the cutting edge of networking systems technology and has retained its position as a leader in the field of Internet technology.
    Around 1993, the Cisco systems became involved in training with the establishment of Cisco Academies. The idea was to provide global training for network associates. Since they were being trained by Cisco to use Cisco equipment, the establishment of the Academies contributed to the growth of the company. Cisco training was established as a benchmark standard for network associates and IT technicians. Cisco was also a leader in the introduction of formal certification programs to insure the competence and skill level of networking employees. The idea was that college educations by themselves were not a guarantee of a person’s capacity to do a job. Cisco Certification training was established to prepare candidates to pass the Certification exams.
    Although in recent years, other companies have introduced Certification programs, the Cisco Certification remains an important indicator of the skill level of a potential employee. This is especially true in the networking field. At the current time, Cisco Systems sponsors 9 different Certifications. They range from CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) to CCSI (Cisco Certified Systems Instructor). The most common and entry level Certification is the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate).
    Natalie Aranda writes about technology and IT training. Cisco training was established as a benchmark standard for network associates and IT technicians. Cisco was also a leader in the introduction of formal certification programs to insure the competence and skill level of networking employees. The idea was that college educations by themselves were not a guarantee of a person's capacity to do a job. Cisco Certification training was established to prepare candidates to pass the Cisco Certification exams.

    History of Microsoft Certifications

    History of Microsoft Certifications

    When Microsoft announced recently that the new generation of Microsoft Certifications had just arrived, they inevitably made one stop for a moment remembering how all started and evolved throughout history with over 10 years of certifications to date.
    Ten seems to be a determined number in the new generation of certification provided by the leading Internet company than the last year, also announced the new MCA, the Microsoft training practical exam, which is graded by a board of examiners.
    As no written exam, the Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) requires at least 10 years experience in IT, and 3 years of practical experience as a network architect to apply. With this panorama, only a very few IT professionals are ready to apply for a MCA certification.Although, Microsoft is constantly reviewing all Microsoft Certifications available since the early days when those certifications were designed to respond to the needs of companies and hiring managers for customer support in the workplace.
    Among the old certifications under review, we can name some Microsoft training, such as the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) on Microsoft SQL Server 2000, which candidates are required to pass 3 core exams and 1 elective exam to get the certification.Other certifications, like the acclaimed MCSE Certification and MCSE training that everybody loves, is about to become a thing of the past, when a series of specialization exams and IP Professional certification tracks take its place with a new approach to qualify as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.
    Most of the new Microsoft Certifications consist of 3 series and 4 credentials, providing a simpler Microsoft training, and more targeted framework for IT managers in order to validate core technical skills, architectural skills and professional skills, as true professionals in the IT industry.
    Microsoft's new certification structure will be able to guarantee a more flexible, relevant, and cost-effective way to showcase IT professionals skills and, according them, such structure will be fully implemented with the next Windows server/client version.
    In the past, Microsoft certifications and Microsoft training were not as specific and targeted like they are going to be now, and either reflected the detail of what a IT certified professional could do. Certifications were part of a learning process but not originally intended to prove expertise to those who needed to measure your technical proficiency.
    Contrary to the past, Microsoft has planned extensive support for those IT professional holding old certifications, making easier the transition to the new generation of certifications.
    Whether MCSE training, MCSE Certification or any of the mew Microsoft certifications that may impact your career, you must be aware of these changes in Microsoft training, because update your credentials is a must in the competitive and challenging world of IT.
    Natalie Aranda writes about computer and technology. Most of the new Microsoft Certifications consist of 3 series and 4 credentials, providing a simpler Microsoft training, and more targeted framework for IT managers in order to validate core technical skills, architectural skills and professional skills, as true professionals in the IT industry. Other certifications, like the acclaimed MCSE Certification and MCSE training that everybody loves, is about to become a thing of the past. CBT Direct is the skillsoft learning partner offering Cisco, Microsoft CIW, Oracle and APlus certification computer based training solutions for the IT industry and corporate enterprises

    What is Microsoft and Cisco Company?

    Microsoft and Cisco

    The Cisco and Microsoft alliance dates back ten years. It has now grown to be one of great opportunity for our customers and partners, as well as for both companies. This broad relationship spans across multiple market segments from small to large public and private businesses to consumer and service provider. It addresses multiple technologies, including Unified Communications, Security, IPTV.Through innovation driven from the intersection of networking and software, Cisco and Microsoft empower businesses and consumers with the tools and technologies to drive their success.

    Friday, April 23, 2010

    Performance

    The performance or speed of a processor depends on e.g. the clock rate and the Instructions Per Clock (IPC), which together are the factors for the Instructions Per Second (IPS) that the CPU can perform.[19] Many reported IPS values have represented "peak" execution rates on artificial instruction sequences with few branches, whereas realistic workloads consist of a mix of instructions and applications, some of which take longer to execute than others. The performance of the memory hierarchy also greatly affects processor performance, an issue barely considered in MIPS calculations. Because of these problems, various standardized tests such as SPECint have been developed to attempt to measure the real effective performance in commonly used applications.

    Processing performance of computers is increased by using multi-core processors, which essentially is plugging two or more individual processors (called cores in this sense) into oneintegrated circuit.[20] Ideally, a dual core processor would be nearly twice as powerful as a single core processor. In practice, however, the performance gain is far less, only about fifty percent[20], due to, e.g. imperfect software algorithms and implementation

    Data Parallelism

    A less common but increasingly important paradigm of CPUs (and indeed, computing in general) deals with data parallelism. The processors discussed earlier are all referred to as some type of scalar device.[17] As the name implies, vector processors deal with multiple pieces of data in the context of one instruction. This contrasts with scalar processors, which deal with one piece of data for every instruction. Using Flynn's taxonomy, these two schemes of dealing with data are generally referred to as SISD (single instruction, single data) and SIMD (single instruction, multiple data), respectively. The great utility in creating CPUs that deal with vectors of data lies in optimizing tasks that tend to require the same operation (for example, a sum or a dot product) to be performed on a large set of data. Some classic examples of these types of tasks are multimedia applications (images, video, and sound), as well as many types ofscientific and engineering tasks. Whereas a scalar CPU must complete the entire process of fetching, decoding, and executing each instruction and value in a set of data, a vector CPU can perform a single operation on a comparatively large set of data with one instruction. Of course, this is only possible when the application tends to require many steps which apply one operation to a large set of data.

    Most early vector CPUs, such as the Cray-1, were associated almost exclusively with scientific research and cryptography applications. However, as multimedia has largely shifted to digital media, the need for some form of SIMD in general-purpose CPUs has become significant. Shortly after floating point execution units started to become commonplace to include in general-purpose processors, specifications for and implementations of SIMD execution units also began to appear for general-purpose CPUs. Some of these early SIMD specifications like HP's Multimedia Acceleration eXtensions (MAX) and Intel's MMX were integer-only. This proved to be a significant impediment for some software developers, since many of the applications that benefit from SIMD primarily deal with floating point numbers. Progressively, these early designs were refined and remade into some of the common, modern SIMD specifications, which are usually associated with one ISA. Some notable modern examples are Intel's SSE and the PowerPC-related AltiVec (also known as VMX).[18]

    Thread Level Parallelism

    Another strategy of achieving performance is to execute multiple programs or threads in parallel. This area of research is known as parallel computing. In Flynn's taxonomy, this strategy is known as Multiple Instructions-Multiple Data or MIMD.

    One technology used for this purpose was multiprocessing (MP). The initial flavor of this technology is known as symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), where a small number of CPUs share a coherent view of their memory system. In this scheme, each CPU has additional hardware to maintain a constantly up-to-date view of memory. By avoiding stale views of memory, the CPUs can cooperate on the same program and programs can migrate from one CPU to another. To increase the number of cooperating CPUs beyond a handful, schemes such as non-uniform memory access (NUMA) and directory-based coherence protocols were introduced in the 1990s. SMP systems are limited to a small number of CPUs while NUMA systems have been built with thousands of processors. Initially, multiprocessing was built using multiple discrete CPUs and boards to implement the interconnect between the processors. When the processors and their interconnect are all implemented on a single silicon chip, the technology is known as a multi-core microprocessor.

    It was later recognized that finer-grain parallelism existed with a single program. A single program might have several threads (or functions) that could be executed separately or in parallel. Some of earliest examples of this technology implemented input/output processing such as direct memory access as a separate thread from the computation thread. A more general approach to this technology was introduced in the 1970s when systems were designed to run multiple computation threads in parallel. This technology is known as multi-threading (MT). This approach is considered more cost-effective than multiprocessing, as only a small number of components within a CPU is replicated in order to support MT as opposed to the entire CPU in the case of MP. In MT, the execution units and the memory system including the caches are shared among multiple threads. The downside of MT is that the hardware support for multithreading is more visible to software than that of MP and thus supervisor software like operating systems have to undergo larger changes to support MT. One type of MT that was implemented is known as block multithreading, where one thread is executed until it is stalled waiting for data to return from external memory. In this scheme, the CPU would then quickly switch to another thread which is ready to run, the switch often done in one CPU clock cycle, such as the UltraSPARC Technology. Another type of MT is known as simultaneous multithreading, where instructions of multiple threads are executed in parallel within one CPU clock cycle.

    For several decades from the 1970s to early 2000s, the focus in designing high performance general purpose CPUs was largely on achieving high ILP through technologies such as pipelining, caches, superscalar execution, out-of-order execution, etc. This trend culminated in large, power-hungry CPUs such as the Intel Pentium 4. By the early 2000s, CPU designers were thwarted from achieving higher performance from ILP techniques due to the growing disparity between CPU operating frequencies and main memory operating frequencies as well as escalating CPU power dissipation owing to more esoteric ILP techniques.

    CPU designers then borrowed ideas from commercial computing markets such as transaction processing, where the aggregate performance of multiple programs, also known as throughputcomputing, was more important than the performance of a single thread or program.

    This reversal of emphasis is evidenced by the proliferation of dual and multiple core CMP (chip-level multiprocessing) designs and notably, Intel's newer designs resembling its less superscalar P6 architecture. Late designs in several processor families exhibit CMP, including the x86-64 Opteron and Athlon 64 X2, the SPARC UltraSPARC T1, IBM POWER4 andPOWER5, as well as several video game console CPUs like the Xbox 360's triple-core PowerPC design, and the PS3's 7-core Cell microprocessor.

    Instruction Level Parallelism


    Basic five-stage pipeline. In the best case scenario, this pipeline can sustain a completion rate of one instruction per cycle.

    One of the simplest methods used to accomplish increased parallelism is to begin the first steps of instruction fetching and decoding before the prior instruction finishes executing. This is the simplest form of a technique known as instruction pipelining, and is utilized in almost all modern general-purpose CPUs. Pipelining allows more than one instruction to be executed at any given time by breaking down the execution pathway into discrete stages. This separation can be compared to an assembly line, in which an instruction is made more complete at each stage until it exits the execution pipeline and is retired.

    Pipelining does, however, introduce the possibility for a situation where the result of the previous operation is needed to complete the next operation; a condition often termed data dependency conflict. To cope with this, additional care must be taken to check for these sorts of conditions and delay a portion of the instruction pipeline if this occurs. Naturally, accomplishing this requires additional circuitry, so pipelined processors are more complex than subscalar ones (though not very significantly so). A pipelined processor can become very nearly scalar, inhibited only by pipeline stalls (an instruction spending more than one clock cycle in a stage).

    Simple superscalar pipeline. By fetching and dispatching two instructions at a time, a maximum of two instructions per cycle can be completed.

    Further improvement upon the idea of instruction pipelining led to the development of a method that decreases the idle time of CPU components even further. Designs that are said to be superscalar include a long instruction pipeline and multiple identical execution units. [15] In a superscalar pipeline, multiple instructions are read and passed to a dispatcher, which decides whether or not the instructions can be executed in parallel (simultaneously). If so they are dispatched to available execution units, resulting in the ability for several instructions to be executed simultaneously. In general, the more instructions a superscalar CPU is able to dispatch simultaneously to waiting execution units, the more instructions will be completed in a given cycle.

    Most of the difficulty in the design of a superscalar CPU architecture lies in creating an effective dispatcher. The dispatcher needs to be able to quickly and correctly determine whether instructions can be executed in parallel, as well as dispatch them in such a way as to keep as many execution units busy as possible. This requires that the instruction pipeline is filled as often as possible and gives rise to the need in superscalar architectures for significant amounts of CPU cache. It also makes hazard-avoiding techniques like branch prediction, speculative execution, and out-of-order execution crucial to maintaining high levels of performance. By attempting to predict which branch (or path) a conditional instruction will take, the CPU can minimize the number of times that the entire pipeline must wait until a conditional instruction is completed. Speculative execution often provides modest performance increases by executing portions of code that may or may not be needed after a conditional operation completes. Out-of-order execution somewhat rearranges the order in which instructions are executed to reduce delays due to data dependencies. Also in case of Single Instructions Multiple Data - a case when a lot of data from the same type has to be processed, modern processors can disable parts of the pipeline so that when a single instruction is executed many times, the CPU skips the fetch and decode phases and thus greatly increasing performance on certain occasions, especially in highly monotonous program engines such as video creation software and photo processing.

    In the case where a portion of the CPU is superscalar and part is not, the part which is not suffers a performance penalty due to scheduling stalls. The original Intel Pentium (P5) had two superscalar ALUs which could accept one instruction per clock each, but its FPU could not accept one instruction per clock. Thus the P5 was integer superscalar but not floating point superscalar. Intel's successor to the Pentium architecture, P6, added superscalar capabilities to its floating point features, and therefore afforded a significant increase in floating point instruction performance.

    Both simple pipelining and superscalar design increase a CPU's ILP by allowing a single processor to complete execution of instructions at rates surpassing one instruction per cycle (IPC).[16] Most modern CPU designs are at least somewhat superscalar, and nearly all general purpose CPUs designed in the last decade are superscalar. In later years some of the emphasis in designing high-ILP computers has been moved out of the CPU's hardware and into its software interface, or ISA. The strategy of the very long instruction word (VLIW) causes some ILP to become implied directly by the software, reducing the amount of work the CPU must perform to boost ILP and thereby reducing the design's complexity.