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This one is half sad and half amusing: from a company no one has heard of, certification for data visualisation: basically Excel graphs, but actually a little worse. A bargain US1,200 for a training session and followed by a test that takes only 15 hours to complete, riddled with software crashes, requires licenses for rather expensive third party software, and is impossible to complete. Once you have completed and passed said test you get a certificate which highlights a long list of areas that you are not certified for. Awesome. Oh, and the certificate is only valid for one year 
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May 13, 2013 01:29
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Is there a good book for Lync? Either 2010 or 2013 is fine but MS doesn't seem to have a book and a cursory look at Amazon didn't find anything  My company does MSP stuffs and contract work so Lync would be a good thing to have. Thanks guys
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May 13, 2013 04:04
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Found out my office has a CBT nuggets subscribtion  Can't find anything about the VCAP certifications on CBT  Anyone have some thoughts on TrainSignal? Dilbert As FUCK fucked around with this message at 19:05 on May 13, 2013 |
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May 13, 2013 19:02
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Passed my A+ exams today Next stop: Network+.
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May 14, 2013 01:08
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Mugaaz posted:Gonna retake it next week. Don't mean to doubt, but I'd honestly wait more than a week to retake. In my experience and those of my co-workers, you want to wait a bit, solidify your knowledge and then reattempt especially if you're certing into a field you don't have live experience with. Basically getting sucked into the mentality of "I know what I messed up, I won't make that mistake again  " and rushing into the test after failing it most likely won't work. I dunno though, just my experience with these things.
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May 14, 2013 02:00
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Fatal posted:Don't mean to doubt, but I'd honestly wait more than a week to retake. In my experience and those of my co-workers, you want to wait a bit, solidify your knowledge and then reattempt especially if you're certing into a field you don't have live experience with. Basically getting sucked into the mentality of "I know what I messed up, I won't make that mistake again Taking it tomorrow and too late to reschedule. I've been studying like crazy. Wrote down all the questions I could remember, 58 + labs, and researched them all. Reread the book. Read white paper on anything that was murky and I feel like this payed off for quite a few of the gotcha questions. Have to admit that I may have been overly critical of the quick reference for 640-722, but good lord so many of the questions I missed are three to 4 word bits in this book that completely look like useless information and never mentioned again. Watched 14 hours of INE video on 640-722 this weekend and watchin more today, gonna cram for the rest of the day and at work in the morning then take test over lunch. Hopefully it goes well.
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May 14, 2013 03:10
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Irritated Goat posted:Is there a good book for Lync? Either 2010 or 2013 is fine but MS doesn't seem to have a book and a cursory look at Amazon didn't find anything I got this one a week ago, and I'm now in the Lync 2013 deployment class. I will also apparently get free access to this ebook after the class, but I felt I needed it in advance. I haven't gotten more than 50 'pages' into the ebook version (on the Windows Kindle app, so pages have no meaning.) The tone and assembly of the book are a lot more friendly than the dozens of Technet links in the pre-course reading they provided us, but it is a brand new class. The book starts out with some general knowledge, moves into business cases, then the more involved stuff starts. As far as 2010, mainly just touches on notable differences between 2010 and 2013, and there are quite a few (paraphrased from my class, mostly because it's fresh.) Win7 SP1 and newer are supported for client OSes, no Vista, of course no XP. Servers must be 2008 R2 or newer, unsurprisingly also 64-bit only; no web edition, no HPC, no Server Core. Standard Ed. consists of most available roles on a single server running local SQL Express, Enterprise requires at least one additional server running full SQL, and other roles are usually spun out to separate instances. Edge servers are workgroup servers in the DMZ, all other Lync roles are domain members, and now copies of important DBs are stored on ALL role servers to prevent SQL from becoming a bottleneck (this is grossly simplified, I'm exhausted.) Three levels of CAL are available, Standard, Enterprise and Plus, irrespective of whether you're home server or pool is Standard or Enterprise. This goes nicely alongside the two CMS acronyms in play. SQL clustering is out (unless you're upgrading in place from 2010, in which case it will work, but not for new deployments.) SQL mirroring is the new HA methodology for the backend, with a witness server that can be used for multiple pools' pairs of SQL servers. Video calls can now be up to 5 simultaneous participants in Gallery view instead of point to point. Persistent chat rooms are a new addition, and the pool of servers that provide that role can be split across datacenters, the only pool in Lync that can do so, as they're not dependent on high bandwidth or low latency. My favorite phrase so far is "persistent chat ethical boundaries." This graphic will help you with port considerations. They haven't changed much in 2013: http://zoom.it/BZ18 Also, loving how drat busy this graphic is:  I know the image is not inherently terribly complicated, especially when compared with how the whole assembly can get. I just found it a bit absurd the level of detail, and I clipped it for a friend who uses Lync in a big organization and wondered how it was so complicated. Oddhair fucked around with this message at 06:25 on May 14, 2013 |
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May 14, 2013 06:23
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Anyone taken ITIL Foundations/Intermediate?
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May 14, 2013 15:18
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Had my Juniper JNCIP-SP recert scheduled for Monday, but I think after this week, the alcohol is going to do damage to my memory, so I went ahead and re-scheduled for Thursday afternoon.psydude posted:Anyone taken ITIL Foundations/Intermediate? I'm kind of looking at these as well along with the PMP stuff.
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May 14, 2013 19:31
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Anyone Got some good VCAP-DCD Study material? I thought Trainsignal had some good packages, but it looks like they don't offer it past 4. So far I am following the brownbags, blogs, and keeping up with the blue print but I know it is a big test. I'd like to avoid the 3 day design workshops, but my work will pay for them.
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May 14, 2013 21:17
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Corvettefisher posted:Anyone Got some good VCAP-DCD Study material? I found the design workshop to be a bit dry, but the course materials were pretty comprehensive--I think they covered just about everything on the blueprint. I'd ask around to see if you can find someone that already sat through it, and borrow their books.
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May 14, 2013 22:27
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Pantology posted:I found the design workshop to be a bit dry, but the course materials were pretty comprehensive--I think they covered just about everything on the blueprint. I'd ask around to see if you can find someone that already sat through it, and borrow their books. Yeah, I never liked them either, planning to couple/blogs/brownbags/etc it with this, wish it didn't only come out a month before VMworld(when I plan to give my first attempt).
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May 14, 2013 22:37
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 Screw you for knowing too much! Pass4Sure is the worst
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May 15, 2013 16:41
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Pudgygiant posted:
You're really dumping the CCNP?
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May 15, 2013 16:51
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Can we get sometime added to the OP or title "don't talk about cheating".
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May 15, 2013 16:51
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Taking the Citrix A20 next week. This'll be my third CCA. My exam prep will primarily consist of getting slightly drunk, to dull my critical thinking.
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May 15, 2013 16:53
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Ganon posted:You're really dumping the CCNP? CCNA, and just to make sure I know the Cisco answer to things. I've been doing Cisco netadmin work for going on 5 years now. There's a difference between dumping to sit an exam you'd bomb otherwise, and doing it to know that Cisco doesn't allow "do" or "sh" on the exam.
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May 15, 2013 16:56
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Pudgygiant posted:I've been doing Cisco netadmin work for going on 5 years now. There's a difference between dumping to sit an exam you'd bomb otherwise, and doing it to know that Cisco doesn't allow "do" or "sh" on the exam. No there isn't, you either know the material, or you have gaps where you need to study. That has to be the lamest excuse I hear constantly "I know how to do it, I just can't pass the test".
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May 15, 2013 17:05
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Look I get the argument, that brain dumping enables people to get jobs they aren't qualified for, but I've been doing the job for a while already
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May 15, 2013 17:10
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Pudgygiant posted:Look I get the argument, that brain dumping enables people to get jobs they aren't qualified for, but I've been doing the job for a while already If that's your prerogative then so be it, but please keep braindump chat out of this thread. Thanks.
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May 15, 2013 17:11
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Pudgygiant posted:Look I get the argument, that brain dumping enables people to get jobs they aren't qualified for, but I've been doing the job for a while already Guess you must be lovely at your job since you have been doing it for 5 years and can't pass without dumping. It's you. You're "that guy". Mods / OP make people stop talking about dumping.
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May 15, 2013 17:40
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hackedaccount posted:Mods / OP make people stop talking about dumping. FYI the poster above you is the OP 
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May 15, 2013 17:47
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Corvettefisher posted:No there isn't, you either know the material, or you have gaps where you need to study. That has to be the lamest excuse I hear constantly "I know how to do it, I just can't pass the test". Note: I am against braindumps in every fashion, no matter what explanation is put forth, time in the hotseat tends to rule those individuals out, but I have an interesting question. What is your method to find the gaps on where you need to study? Pony up the money (or worse, have work pony up the money) and take the test and if you fail, hope the score report tells you what areas you did the weakest in?
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May 15, 2013 18:07
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hackedaccount posted:Guess you must be lovely at your job since you have been doing it for 5 years and can't pass without dumping. It's you. You're "that guy". This isn't a defense of dumping, but rather a general criticism of cert exams, which speaks to pudgygiant's point: One of the issues with certification exams is they often lend equal weight to material that people rarely - sometimes never - need to know in real life. A dumbass A+ question like "How many pins are in a serial cable?" is not something a person would learn from experience. A CCA question like "Place the following user types into flexcast groups" is something you'd get right because of rote memorization, not deployment experience. I'm not saying that occasional BS factoid questions like these will make a qualified professional fail an exam. I barely study for exams, reason my way through them, and typically score in the 80% range. Still, no reasonable person can deny that some exam questions are solved by rote memorization rather than experience, and some professionals simply want that extra 20% for whatever reason. To that extent, whatever, I don't care. CatsOnTheInternet fucked around with this message at 18:30 on May 15, 2013 |
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May 15, 2013 18:27
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I don't care if you dump the test or not, I could give a poo poo about your life. People who don't know things are always exposed in an interview. Here's an interview which has never happened: Me: I see here you have your CCNP, can you tell me the subnet mask of a /24 network? CCNP: 255.255.255.0. Me: That satisfies all of my networking questions, I'd like to discuss our generous benefits package with you.
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May 15, 2013 18:34
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CatsOnTheInternet posted:This isn't a defense of dumping, but rather a general criticism of cert exams, which speaks to pudgygiant's point: This is my largest issue with Cisco exams, as they are more memorization driven than practical. I don't need to know the admin distance of RIP vs BGP because the router tells me or I have context sensitive help in order to figure out to type "show mac address-table" that I don't need to memorize it, but Cisco can and will test you on them, forcing you to memorize it. It's that I think drives some people to braindump, because they are scared they will get tested on the smallest/oddest thing. I think the other part of it is them just doing it to make sure you read the Cisco Press book. 
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May 15, 2013 18:46
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routenull0 posted:Note: I am against braindumps in every fashion, no matter what explanation is put forth, time in the hotseat tends to rule those individuals out, but I have an interesting question. My new job pays for the test regardless pass or fail, their angle is "we don't want to add pressure that you have to pay us back looming over you", so long as you show you put effort into it. But mostly I will read a book or chapter covering a specific topic, write down the keywords/terms and write a 1-2 sentence description of what it is/does. I then attempt to do a lab with purely based off what I read, no following a lab guide, then if I can't get it I'll re read the chapter and then do the lab guide. VMware is pretty good with practice exams so long as you utilize the mylearn site. Generally I will buy a book that has a cd with a mock exam, I only take them once or twice a week to avoid the memorization on answers. I also like to talk to myself in the car a lot about a chapter of a book I read or what not. There are poo poo load of mock exams out there, especially for CCNA(which other than the CCNA, for personal merit, I am not interested in much else) Doing Teach assisting at my CC really helped me focus on weak points and what not, you get the most left field poo poo sometimes which has proven useful. I also don't do much else at night/weeks than tinker with labs and try to know more than person/roommate/etc. Now that CS:Go has lost it's charm I am really doing a bunch more tinkering. It also helps my Community college has a poo poo load of certificate programs for cheap. Also work approved my VCAP-DCD goals for VMworld, this time I am taking it at the beginning of the trip, or first workshop, NOT after. Probably won't achieve it, but I am shooting for my VCDX at PEX/VMworld '15 Dilbert As FUCK fucked around with this message at 19:00 on May 15, 2013 |
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May 15, 2013 18:48
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Corvettefisher posted:VMware is pretty good with practice exams so long as you utilize the mylearn site. There are poo poo load of mock exams out there, especially for CCNA. So vendor/non-braindump sites (like Boson, INE, CBTNuggets) practice exams are good to use because you have the assumption you won't see the same question on the exam? (If I showed you a question from Boson, INE, or CBTNuggets that was on an actual exam a long with a braindump site, would that change your view?)
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May 15, 2013 19:05
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MC Fruit Stripe posted:I don't care if you dump the test or not, I could give a poo poo about your life. People who don't know things are always exposed in an interview. Yo but if you ever decide to lower your standards I know a guy.
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May 15, 2013 19:05
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Pudgygiant posted:Look I get the argument, that brain dumping enables people to get jobs they aren't qualified for, but I've been doing the job for a while already You aren't qualified for the cert. gently caress you, move on.
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May 15, 2013 19:13
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Sickening posted:You aren't qualified for the cert. gently caress you, move on. Apply for the position I'm leaving. Good luck! I didn't mean to open the braindump can of worms, I just thought it was dumb that having worked with Aruba and knowing what GRE is made Pass4Sure call me wrong.
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May 15, 2013 19:21
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CatsOnTheInternet posted:This isn't a defense of dumping, but rather a general criticism of cert exams, which speaks to pudgygiant's point: I have been one of the loudest voices in this thread when it comes to criticism for some of the vendors and what kind of content they actually test over compared to the curriculum. It is bullshit sometimes, but then again its also their sole discretion on what they want their tests to be. People can simply choose not to take them or bring their concerns to the vendors. Seems to be a no brainer for someone with actual... you know... integrity. The most laughable thing is that the ccna is one of the most practical exams there is. If you fail the ccna, you don't know the material well enough and it has nothing to do with the ccna books and material.
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May 15, 2013 19:28
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Pudgygiant posted:Apply for the position I'm leaving. Good luck! You are missing the point totally.
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May 15, 2013 19:34
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Pudgygiant posted:Apply for the position I'm leaving. Good luck! Am I reading that job posting right? Basic Qualifications: CCIE Additional: (not required but nice to have) - CCNA, CCNP Backwards ya think?
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May 15, 2013 20:08
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Pudgygiant posted:Apply for the position I'm leaving. Good luck! What's that pay, anyway? For what they're expecting, anything less than 250 is laughable.
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May 15, 2013 20:11
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routenull0 posted:Am I reading that job posting right? If you just have a CCIE you're good, otherwise you'd better have CCNP and a strong resume, or CCNA and a strong resume and great references. psydude posted:What's that pay, anyway? For what they're expecting, anything less than 250 is laughable. I was just filling the slot for a few months when a guy left so I don't know the exact pay. I'd guess closer to the 3 range though, my salary starts with a 2 and I'd be nowhere near qualified for it if I hadn't worked my way up to it.
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May 15, 2013 20:15
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Corvettefisher posted:VMware is pretty good with practice exams so long as you utilize the mylearn site. Generally I will buy a book that has a cd with a mock exam I kind of disagree with you here I think. Their question pool for VCP is really small, and their explanations for answers leave a lot to be desired. I really wish Lowe's book had a companion CD, it's really my only complaint about it.
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May 15, 2013 20:37
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Just go to Lincoln, where they'll tell you that the tests they're giving you in visual cert aren't dumps, but just re-named dumps as to not make you think otherwise. (This doesn't speak for every single Lincoln Tech, just the one that I'm attending. At least the other teacher refuses to do that stuff.)
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May 15, 2013 21:06
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Pudgygiant posted:Apply for the position I'm leaving. Good luck!
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May 15, 2013 21:30
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I think I'm in need of some encourage or a new cert to try for. I just failed the 70-640 for the third time (got in the low 600s again) I think I need to give up on this certification and try something else. I've been working with AD and Server 2003/8 for about 7 years and I've read two books (Sybex and MS Press). I've bought and watched the CBT nuggets for it, and borrowed and watched the VTC video series as well. What I can't do is pick out what obscure snap-in no one remembers the exact name of when I am asked on the test. Half of the tools (LDS, RMS, FS and CS) they ask about I have never once used, ever. I have a lab at home and work, as well as doing AD administration as my job. I'm done wasting time and money studying and failing these things. At this point I'd like to take a class or bootcamp at a community college or something, but sadly that isn't available to me in my small(ish) town. Can any of you guys recommend a certification that I can study for that isn't worthless? Any of the comptia certifications won't mean much when I move to a real city in 2014.
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May 15, 2013 22:42
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