2/26/2001 -- This is the mother of them all: Microsoft's four-hour Windows 2000 Accelerated Exam for MCPs Certified on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (70-240). It's the simplest way to upgrade your MCSE to Windows 2000. By passing this free exam, it exempts you from the four core Win2K exams -- 70-210, 70-215, 70-216 and 70-217. However, this doesn't mean you don't need to master the material from these exams since this upgrade exam is based on the same objectives.

There seems to be a number of factors that have deterred people from taking the exam so far -- the length (four hours!), the breadth of the material covered, and the fact you can only take it once. Of course, if you don't pass this exam it isn't the end of the world, it just means you have to take -- and pay for -- the four core Win2K exams to complete your Win2K MCSE.

I recently took this exam and, thankfully, successfully completed it (I haven't been that excited about passing an exam since I passed the then-nightmare three-hour Novell Service and Support exam to complete my CNE in 1994!). I'm here to tell you it can be done and below are some suggestions on the areas to focus on in your exam preparations. Treat the exam with respect and don't try and cut corners with the objectives and you should be well prepared to take it.

You should also understand the two domain modes - mixed and native -- and what this means for group behavior, especially the new universal group.

Win2K professionals should also know how to perform an authoritative restore of AD, and also how to seize operations master roles. Understand the function of each of the operation's master roles to be able to troubleshoot problems with them.

3. RIS
Microsoft places a real focus on RIS. Be sure you have a good grasp of what this does, and how it works. For example, know how to set it up, authorize a RIS Server, configure settings for the RIS server, work with images and answer files, and create a startup disk.

4. Use Your Exam Time Wisely
You will have plenty of time to answer the exam questions, so there is no need to rush. Each component sub-exam only consists of 20 to 25 questions. If you have the time available, I suggest you double-check the questions and ensure that you read them correctly and actually answered the question that was asked. Since you have only shot at this exam, you might as well maximize your final mark.

5. Know What System State Data Comprises
Any Win2K professional should know exactly what system state data is comprised of when using the Windows Backup/Restore program. Make sure you commit this information to memory. Remember that:

• For Win2K Professional - Registry, Component Services Class Registration Database and the system startup files.
• For Win2K Server --- (as for Professional plus) the Certificate Services database if it is a certificate server.
• For Win2K Server acting as a Domain Controller -- (as for Server plus) the Active Directory database and the Sysvol folder.

6. DNS
Given that DNS is essential for the operation of AD, it isn't surprising that this is extensively covered in the exam. You'll need to master how dynamic update works recall that for Win2K, when using DHCP the default is for the client to update the "A" DNS record for the assigned address, and the DHCP server updates the "PTR" DNS record.

As a Win2K professional, you should understand the implications of AD-integrated zones, and what this means for zone transfers (they use AD replication rather than a regular DNS zone transfer), and also the security of DNS updates. That is, since the DNS entries are now objects within Active Directory, they can be secured like any other object in the directory. Of course, since you are using AD to contain the DNS information, it follows that only domain controllers can use an AD-integrated zone.

7. Using Group Policy To Install Software
As you've no doubt seen during your Win2K exam preparation, this is a useful new technology in small to medium-sized environments. You'll need to understand the difference between assigning and publishing applications for users (assigning adds them to the Start menu but doesn't install it, publishing them adds them to the Add/Remove Program menu in Control). Computers too can have applications assigned to them, but in this case they are installed the next time the computer starts, whereas when an application is assigned to a user, it is not installed until the user attempts to run the application.

You should also understand how to use .ZAP files to deploy applications that don't use Windows Installer and the limitations in using this.

Lastly, make sure you understand what happens when a user selects to open a document with an unknown file type -- a query to AD is made, and if there is a published application to that user that is associated with this file extension, it is checked for the "Auto-install this application by file extension activated" setting and then automatically installed

8. Security Templates
Study how to work with the Security Templates snap-in, what each of the default security templates are intended for, and how they are applied. In conjunction with this, make sure you understand how to perform a security analysis using its snap-in, which compares a policy against the current computer settings and reports on the comparison.

9. Study with the MOC
I bought a number of study guides for the exam, and I can't say I was wildly enthused about any of them. I found that the best study guide is the MOC for the course 1560B, Updating Support Skills from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000. I ended up basing my study on this guide and used the other books where more details were called for when matching against the exam objectives. If you read the review of the 70-240 exam in the October 2000 issue of Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, you'll see that there a are a few areas in networking that weren't covered in sufficient detail in the MOC and you will need further sources of information in order to prepare for the exam. (And, before you ask -- no, I didn't actually attend the class itself, I borrowed a copy from someone else.)

10. Get Moving Soon!
If you are like most people, you are going to need to spend some serious study time to get prepared for this exam -- and the sooner you get started, the better. Remember that last year the testing centers were filled to capacity with people trying to complete their three core Windows NT 4.0 exams, so don't try to think what it's going to be like when all of these people plus the nearly 400,000 current MCSEs all try and schedule their exam! For all we know, Microsoft may be forced to extend the availability of this upgrade exam after December 31, 2001, but you wouldn't want to count on it! Of course, you should wait until you are ready for the exam before you take it, but the sooner you get it scheduled the better. Don't forget that if you are eligible for the free voucher to take this test, you have to claim it by November 1.

Have fun with your studying, and try not to lose sight of the reason why we're putting ourselves through this: To demonstrate our skills on Windows 2000, which for many of us is going to be our bread and butter for the next couple of years. Sure passing the exam is important, but at the same time the point is to learn this stuff. Good luck!