- Exam Details
- Trouble Spots / Preparation Hints / Recommended Study Resources
- Exam Objectives / Where to Go from Here
Trouble Spots
As with any exam, it will vary from person to person as to what is deemed to be difficult. Be sure you are familiar with each of the topics in the Exam Objectives listed in the section below.
Deploying Office Communications Server 2007 R2 is available only in a 64-bit edition, which requires 64-bit hardware and the 64-bit edition of Windows Server. Client computers are not required to have 64-bit hardware or software. All server roles of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Enterprise Edition require one of the following operating systems:
- The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard operating system, or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise operating system
- The Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition operating system with Service Pack 2 (SP2), or the Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition operating system with SP2
- The Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 Edition operating system with SP2, or the Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition operating system with SP2
There are some new AD requirements prior to deploying OCS 2007 R2:
- All Global Catalogs in the forest must have Windows 2003 SP1 or later
- All Domains need to be at least Windows 2003 Domain Functional Level
- Domain Controllers must have Windows 2003 SP1 or later.
If Internet Information Services (IIS) is not already installed, you will receive a message telling you that Certificate Services Web Enrollment Support will be unavailable until IIS is installed.
You must configure Windows Firewall to enable the remote administration exception in order to deploy or administer Office Communications Server 2007 R2 while Windows Firewall is running. To remotely administer or deploy the Web Components Server, you must also add Inetinfo.exe to the Windows Firewall exceptions list.
As a best practice, you should take regular, periodic snapshots throughout the day and perform a full backup every 24 hours. If you use the simple recovery model, databases can be recovered to the point of the last backup. Microsoft recommends the following concerning backups of OCS:
- Perform regular backups at appropriate intervals. The simplest and most commonly used backup type and rotation schedule is a full, nightly backup of the entire SQL Server database. By performing a full backup nightly, the restoration process requires only one backup tape and the most data that could be lost is a single day.
- Schedule backups when normal Office Communications Server 2007 R2 usage is low. Scheduling backups at times when the server is not under peak load improves server performance and the user experience.
- Plan for and schedule periodic testing of the restoration processes supported by your organization.
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Enterprise Edition stores data in SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2005 with SP2 databases, as well as in specific file shares. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Standard Edition stores data in SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with SP2 databases, as well as in specific file shares.
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 allows several different clients to be installed. Some of the available clients are Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 (MOC), Live Meeting, Group Chat, also add-in for Outlook. Communicator can be installed in several different ways, such as: using MSI switches in silent mode, logon script, and/or using software distribution system such as System Center Configuration Manager or Altiris.
Preparation Hints
Review the Exam Objectives below and make sure that you are familiar with them. The Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring exam is designed for those who have experience in this environment. Always check the Microsoft site for the specific exam you are going to take. In this instance, the site is http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-638.
There are many web sites and blogs that can help you to research topics, but be careful to fully research the information you read. It is not advisable to try to find sites that list questions and answers for several reasons. First, you don’t know if you will be asked a specific question and second, the answers given in a blog may be inaccurate and third, you need to understand the information to adequately prepare.
When taking the exam, read each question carefully. Microsoft is notorious for adding a lot of unneeded information in their questions. Make sure that when you click on a choice, that it is really marked. Be careful clicking anywhere on the screen. I found that by inadvertently clicking near the scroll bar on the right of the screen, I actually changed an answer. You get a single piece of paper and a marker for writing. You can use a small amount of time before you even start the exam to make notes once you enter the test area. Sometimes there is even a questionnaire at the beginning of the test that does not count against your test time. You can even use this time to write down notes, facts, tables or other information by taking your time between answers.
Recommended Study Resources
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit by Rui Maximo, Rick Kingslan, Rajesh Ramanathan and Nirav Kamdar
Microsoft also has recommended classroom training:
- 5179A: Implementing and Maintaining Telephony Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5177AO: Implementing and Maintaining Instant Messaging Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (1 Days)
- 5178AD: Implementing and Maintaining Audio/Visual Conferencing and Web Conferencing Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5178AO: Implementing and Maintaining Audio/Visual Conferencing and Web Conferencing Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5179AD: Implementing and Maintaining Telephony Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5177AD: Implementing and Maintaining Instant Messaging Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (1 Days)
- 5178A: Implementing and Maintaining Audio/Visual Conferencing and Web Conferencing Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5177A: Implementing and Maintaining Instant Messaging Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (1 Days)
- Microsoft E-Learning 5125BE: Implementing Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (8 Hours)