OK, so I installed SQl 2008 RC0 yesterday. It was mostly successful. But it was missing the Business Intelligence stuff. I know that there's an issue where you can't upgrade an existing BI install. But I'm running SQL2005 and I was able to install CTP6 with no problems. Unfortunately I don't remember the steps I took to install BI for SQL2008. I did uninstall CTP6 before starting in on RC0.
I've reverted back to CTP6 and I'll try again. This time I'll document the uninstall steps. I obviously missed something.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
SQL 2008 RC0 is out
At least it's available through TechNet and MSDN. I'm downloading it now, and I'll play with installing it on my train rides next week. I can't really dig deep since I'm concentrating on 70-447. But once that's over...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
One to go..
I passed 70-442 on 5/30. Now I've got my MCITP as aDatabase Developer. Next up, and probably my final SQl 2005 exam,will be the update exam 70-447. I've scheduled that one for 6/27. That means I'll have taken 3 exams in 2 months. It seems to be working. Scheduling the test early forces me to be more prepared. I can focus better on the study material when I have a real deadline in place.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Taking 70-442 Next
I must be crazy, or overconfident, or both. I just scheduled to take 70-442 on May 30th. I'm figuring 2 things; 1, I'm pretty sure of the test material since I work with SQL 2005 daily and I've already read the MS Press training guide and 2, Microsoft's free Second Shot voucher expires at the end of the month. So this way, even if I fail (but that won't happen, right?)I get to retake it at no extra cost. So there's less pressure.
And since I've already passed 70-431 and 70-441, this will make me MCITP as a database developer.
And since I've already passed 70-431 and 70-441, this will make me MCITP as a database developer.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Passed 70-441
Yesterday I passed Microsoft's 70-441 exam, Designing Database Solutions by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Since I've already passed 70-431 and I'm also a MCDBA, I just need to take (and pass) 70-442 and 70-447 to become MCITP as both a Database Developer and a Database Administrator. Maybe I can run across another free exam voucher!
I don't want to break any confidentiality rules, so I won't talk about the exam in detail. But I will say that this exam was the easist Microsoft exam I've taken to date. I've been working with SQL on a daily basis for nine years now, and 2005 since it first was a CTP. That experience, plus now being the de facto DBA on my team at work, was major in preparing for the exam. The MS Press Training Kit was good for studying areas I don't know as much about, like the Service Broker and Notification Services, and it has a good exam simulation. And of course I must thank Microsoft for having the series of 4 webcasts on 70-441 (they're available on demand, I'll post the link later), and Tim Kashani for the great job of presenting the material. Not to mention receiving the free voucher.
I don't want to break any confidentiality rules, so I won't talk about the exam in detail. But I will say that this exam was the easist Microsoft exam I've taken to date. I've been working with SQL on a daily basis for nine years now, and 2005 since it first was a CTP. That experience, plus now being the de facto DBA on my team at work, was major in preparing for the exam. The MS Press Training Kit was good for studying areas I don't know as much about, like the Service Broker and Notification Services, and it has a good exam simulation. And of course I must thank Microsoft for having the series of 4 webcasts on 70-441 (they're available on demand, I'll post the link later), and Tim Kashani for the great job of presenting the material. Not to mention receiving the free voucher.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
SQL 2005 SP3 on the way
The good news: It looks like Microsoft is finally going to release Service Pack 3 for SQl 2005. The bad news: It won't be until Q4 of 2008, after the release of SQL 2008. Aaron Bertrand on SQLBlogs talks more about it here.
This is something that was a long time coming. Microsoft has something like 7 cumulative hot fixes. Some of the things on that list are things I want to start testing. One patch is for a problem I see on occasion, where our production servers kick out a SQL dump on a non-yielding process. This was addressed in SP2, which we're running, but not fully. I've seen other blogs that referenced a fix in one of the patches.
This is something that was a long time coming. Microsoft has something like 7 cumulative hot fixes. Some of the things on that list are things I want to start testing. One patch is for a problem I see on occasion, where our production servers kick out a SQL dump on a non-yielding process. This was addressed in SP2, which we're running, but not fully. I've seen other blogs that referenced a fix in one of the patches.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Taking 70-441 in 3 1/2 weeks
Hopefully I'll have enough time to study, especially since I'm on vacation for the 2 weeks previous to that.
I've read the MS Press training kit for this exam, and I've already passed 70-431 last summer. I know that won't be enough to pass this one, bit at least i've got a starting point for my studying. I also watched 4 webcasts that the Microsoft Partner program had on last year; I'll re-watch those. Too bad they're not downloadable. They'd be perfect for my daily commute.
But I can't complain about those webcasts. I got a voucher to take the exam for free!. The only thing was that it expires on May 1st, hence the quickly approaching date.
I've read the MS Press training kit for this exam, and I've already passed 70-431 last summer. I know that won't be enough to pass this one, bit at least i've got a starting point for my studying. I also watched 4 webcasts that the Microsoft Partner program had on last year; I'll re-watch those. Too bad they're not downloadable. They'd be perfect for my daily commute.
But I can't complain about those webcasts. I got a voucher to take the exam for free!. The only thing was that it expires on May 1st, hence the quickly approaching date.
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