Preparation Guide for Exam 70-296

Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000

Updated: May 13, 2008
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Exam newsExam news
Audience profileAudience profile
Credit toward certificationCredit toward certification
Preparation tools and resourcesPreparation tools and resources
Skills measuredSkills measured

Exam news

Exam 70-296 became available on August 28, 2003.


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Audience profile

The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003 upgrade exam is available only to candidates who are currently certified as MCSEs on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server. The MCSE on Windows Server 2003 credential is intended for IT professionals who work in the typically complex computing environment of medium-sized to large companies. Candidates should have experience implementing and administering a network operating system in environments that have the following characteristics:

250 to 5,000 or more users

Three or more physical locations

Three or more domain controllers

Network services and resources such as messaging, database, file and print, proxy server, firewall, Internet, intranet, remote access, and client computer management

Connectivity requirements such as connecting branch offices and individual users in remote locations to the corporate network and connecting corporate networks to the Internet

In addition, candidates should have experience in the following areas:

Implementing and administering a desktop operating system

Designing a network infrastructure

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Credit toward certification

When you pass the Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000 exam, you do not achieve Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) status. This exam is intended for people who are already certified as an MCSE on Microsoft Windows 2000. You will earn credit toward the following certifications:

Core credit toward Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003 certification

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Preparation tools and resources

In addition to your hands-on experience working with the product, we highly recommend that you use the following tools and training to help you prepare for this exam.

Classroom training for this exam

Workshop 2210: Expert Track: Updating Systems Engineer Skills from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003

Microsoft Press self-paced training products

MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-292 and 70-296): Upgrading Your Certification to Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Microsoft certified practice tests

MeasureUp: Visit the MeasureUp Web site to take a practice test.

Self Test Software: Visit the Self Test Software Web site to take a practice test.

Microsoft online resources

TechNet: Designed for IT professionals, this site includes how-to instructions, best practices, downloads, technical chats, and much more.

MSDN: The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) is a reference for developers. It features code samples, technical articles, newsgroups, chats, and more.

Training and certification newsgroups: A newsgroup exists for every Microsoft certification. By participating in the ongoing dialogue, you take advantage of a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with and ask questions of others, including more than 750 Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) worldwide.

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Skills measured

This exam measures your ability to plan, implement, and maintain a Windows Server 2003 environment. Before taking the exam, you should be proficient in the job skills listed in the following matrix. The matrix shows which Official Microsoft Learning Products may help you reach competency in the skills being tested in the exam.

KEY:The course provides a general introductory overview of this task. You will need to supplement the course with additional work. = The course provides a general introductory overview of this task. You will need to supplement the course with additional work.    The course includes some material to prepare you for this task. You will need to supplement the course with additional work. = The course includes some material to prepare you for this task. You will need to supplement the course with additional work.    The course includes material to prepare you for this task. = The course includes material to prepare you for this task.
Skills measured by Exam 70-296Workshop 2210
Planning and Implementing Server Roles and Server Security  

Configure security for servers that are assigned specific roles.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Plan security for servers that are assigned specific roles. Roles might include domain controllers, Web servers, database servers, and mail servers.

Deploy the security configuration for servers that are assigned specific roles.

Create custom security templates based on server roles.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Network Infrastructure  

Plan a host name resolution strategy.

Plan a DNS namespace design.

Plan zone replication requirements.

Plan a forwarding configuration.

Plan for DNS security.

Examine the interoperability of DNS with third-party DNS solutions.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Server Availability  

Plan services for high availability.

Plan a high availability solution that uses clustering services.

Plan a high availability solution that uses Network Load Balancing.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Plan a backup and recovery strategy.

Identify appropriate backup types. Methods include full, incremental, and differential.

Plan a backup strategy that uses volume shadow copy.

Plan system recovery that uses Automated System Recovery (ASR).

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning and Maintaining Network Security  

Plan secure network administration methods.

Create a plan to offer Remote Assistance to client computers.

Plan for remote administration by using Terminal Services.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Plan security for wireless networks.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Plan security for data transmission.

Secure data transmission between client computers to meet security requirements.

Secure data transmission by using IPSec.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Security Infrastructure  

Configure Active Directory directory service for certificate publication.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Plan a public key infrastructure (PKI) that uses Certificate Services.

Identify the appropriate type of certificate authority to support certificate issuance requirements.

Plan the enrollment and distribution of certificates.

Plan for the use of smart cards for authentication.

The course includes some material to prepare you for this task. You will need to supplement the course with additional work.

Plan a framework for planning and implementing security.

Plan for security monitoring.

Plan a change and configuration management framework for security.

The course includes some material to prepare you for this task. You will need to supplement the course with additional work.

Plan a security update infrastructure. Tools might include Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and Microsoft Software Update Services.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning and Implementing an Active Directory Infrastructure  

Plan a strategy for placing global catalog servers.

Evaluate network traffic considerations when placing global catalog servers.

Evaluate the need to enable universal group caching.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Implement an Active Directory directory service forest and domain structure.

Create the forest root domain.

Create a child domain.

Create and configure Application Data Partitions.

Install and configure an Active Directory domain controller.

Set an Active Directory forest and domain functional level based on requirements.

Establish trust relationships. Types of trust relationships might include external trusts, shortcut trusts, and cross-forest trusts.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Managing and Maintaining an Active Directory Infrastructure  

Manage an Active Directory forest and domain structure.

Manage trust relationships.

Manage schema modifications.

Add or remove a UPN suffix.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Restore Active Directory directory services.

Perform an authoritative restore operation.

Perform a nonauthoritative restore operation.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning and Implementing User, Computer, and Group Strategies  

Plan a user authentication strategy.

Plan a smart card authentication strategy.

Create a password policy for domain users.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Planning and Implementing Group Policy  

Plan Group Policy strategy.

Plan a Group Policy strategy by using Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) Planning mode.

Plan a strategy for configuring the user environment by using Group Policy.

Plan a strategy for configuring the computer environment by using Group Policy.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Configure the user environment by using Group Policy.

Distribute software by using Group Policy.

Automatically enroll user certificates by using Group Policy.

Redirect folders by using Group Policy.

Configure user security settings by using Group Policy.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Managing and Maintaining Group Policy  

Troubleshoot issues related to Group Policy application deployment. Tools might include RSoP and the gpresult command.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Troubleshoot the application of Group Policy security settings. Tools might include RSoP and the gpresult command.

The course includes material to prepare you for this task.

Note This preparation guide is subject to change at any time without prior notice and at the sole discretion of Microsoft. Microsoft exams might include adaptive testing technology and simulation items. Microsoft does not identify the format in which exams are presented. Please use this preparation guide to prepare for the exam, regardless of its format.


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