Server+ Certification Training Kit (Pro Technical Reference)

You won't find much difference in the dryness of this book as compared to other offerings from Microsoft, but if you can make it through the book, you will find that this is a one technically accurate resource. Everthing dealing with servers is covered from planning, installation, configuring, upgrading, maintenance and troubleshooting. The backup chapter is excellent just for the diagrams and written information alone. The book also includes many lab exercises that a reader could do which is atypical of the other Server+ books available. Okay, now the bad news. The included CD-ROM is useless which is typical Microsoft Training Kit fare. This is not an easy book to read as I found myself zoning out during the more drier parts of the book. As I mentioned earlier, there is great information found throughout the book you just have to reach it. Lastly, if you can live with the subtle pro-MS slant you'll do fine. I would recommend an additional Server+ book (one that's easier to read) if you choose to use the MS Server+ book as your main study guide to round out your exam preparation.

The Server+ credential is the newest certification developed by CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, and this self-paced training kit provides comprehensive exam preparation for IT professionals moving up from entry-level or A+ status. The "Server+ Certification Kit" delivers a thorough, vendor-neutral study of hardware-related issues in the networked environment, including RAID, SCSI, multiple CPUs, and hot swappirig. Service managers, system engineers/administrators, help desk staff, and other mid-and upper-level technicians can use the kit to build real-world expertise — as they prepare for the corresponding skill areas of the Server+ exam. Topics include installation, configuration, upgrading, proactive maintenance, environment, troubleshooting, and disaster recovery. The kit is modular and self-paced, with hands-on, skill-building exercises. And the entire book is featured on CD-ROM for easy searches and reference.

Build the skills tested every day as a server hardware support specialist—and prepare for the new CompTIA Server+ certification exam—with this self-paced training kit from Microsoft Press.

This chapter lays the foundation for the concepts covered in the Server+ exam.