Microsoft Announces Exchange Specializations
9/4/2003 -- Yesterday Microsoft announced two new specialist titles, MCSA: Messaging and MCSE: Messaging, for the systems administrator and systems engineer certifications. The titles are aimed at certification candidates who seek a title that denotes skills in planning and administering a messaging system based on Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003, the company's newest messaging software system that will be officially released mid-October.
Both Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003 versions of the MCSA: Messaging specialist titles require four exams:
MCSA: Messaging on
Windows 2000 |
|
Core: Client (1 required)
|
-
70-210, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows 2000 Professional
or
-
70-270, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
|
Core: Networking Systems
(2 required) |
-
70-215, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows 2000 Server
-
70–218, Managing a Windows 2000 Network Environment
|
Messaging Specialization
(1 required) |
-
70-224, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
or
-
70-284, Implementing and Managing Exchange Server 2003
|
|
|
MCSA: Messaging on
Windows 2003 |
|
Core: Client (1 required)
|
-
70-210, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows 2000 Professional
or
-
70-270, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
|
Core: Networking Systems
(2 required) |
-
70-290, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
-
70-291, Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
|
Messaging Specialization
(1 required) |
-
70-284, Implementing and Managing Exchange Server 2003
or
-
70-285, Designing a Exchange Server 2003 Organization
|
|
|
Both versions of the MCSE: Messaging specialist titles requires six exams, but the Windows 2000 version lists two pairs of exams that can be used to fulfill the messaging specialization component:
MCSE: Messaging on
Windows 2000 |
|
Core: Client (1 required)
|
-
70-210, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows 2000 Professional
or
-
70-270, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
|
Core: Networking Systems
(3 required) |
-
70-215, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows 2000 Server
-
70–216, Implementing and Administering a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
-
70–217, Managing a Windows 2000 Network Environment
|
| Core: Design (1 required) |
- 70-219, Designing a Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure
or
- 70-220, Designing Security for a Windows 2000 Network
or
- 70-221, Designing a Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure
or
- 70-226, Designing a Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure
or
- 70-297, Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure
or
- 70-298, Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 Network
|
Messaging Specialization
(2 required) |
-
70-224, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Exchange 2000 Server
and
-
70-225, Designing and Deploying a Messaging Infrastructure with Exchange 2000 Server
or
-
70-284, Implementing and Managing Exchange Server 2003
and
-
70-285, Designing a Exchange Server 2003 Organization
|
|
|
MCSE: Messaging on
Windows 2003 |
|
Core: Client (1 required)
|
-
70-210, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows 2000 Professional
or
-
70-270, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
|
Core: Networking Systems
(4 required) |
-
70-290, Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional
-
70-291, Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
-
70-293, Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
-
70-294, Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
|
| Core: Design (1 required) |
- 70-297, Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure
or
- 70-298, Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 Network
|
Messaging Specialization
(2 required) |
-
70-284, Implementing and Managing Exchange Server 2003
-
70-285, Designing a Exchange Server 2003 Organization
|
|
|
With those new titles come two new Exchange 2003 exams: 70-284, Implementing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, and 70-285, Designing a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Organization. Exam 70-284 isn't new; Microsoft added the title to the MCSA on Windows 2003 requirements page sans detail back in July (see "First Exchange Server 2003 Exam Announced" in the News archive or click here to read more). Both exams fulfill what Microsoft calls "prescribed" paths for the new titles, but are also electives on the general MCSA/MCSE tracks.
According to an updated FAQ (click here) on the specializations, Microsoft will officially recognize current titleholders who have already fulfilled the requirements for the messaging specialist titles, but the company was unable to provide comment in time for this writing.
The messaging specializations make up the second batch of titles that Microsoft has created specifically for its core sysadmin/systems engineer audience. In June, Microsoft announced the first of its specialist titles for Windows 2000, MCSA: Security and MCSE: Security (see "Certifying Your Security Expertise" in News or click here). In conjunction with the announcement of the Exchange specialist titles, Microsoft also has released details on Windows 2003 versions of the security specialist titles (click here to read it).
To look at the detailed requirements guide on Microsoft's MCP site, click on the following links:
- MCSA: Messaging on Windows 2000
- MCSA: Messaging on Windows 2003
- MCSE: Messaging on Windows 2000
- MCSE: Messaging on Windows 2003
To read the exam objectives guide for 70-284, click here; a 70-285 guide was unavailable as of this announcement. -- Mike Domingo, MCPmag.com
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