Product Description

Learn how to design and implement database solutions using SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition--as you prepare for MCP Exam 70-229, a core requirement for MCDBA certification and an elective for the MCAD, MCSE, and MCSA tracks.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #637768 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-04
• Platform: No Operating System
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 880 pages

Customer Reviews

Sales book, not good for certification
I bought this book, thinking I would get certified.

I spent 2 months reading the pages, and doing the exercises.

Then I went to take the exam... Failed 3 times before I actually threw the book away and searched for another training source. And I'm not a dufus; I've passed many certification exams in the past.

This book contains SOME quality information, but if your goal is to get certified, just read Books On Line and totally disreguard the existance of this book.

Its common knowledge that the goal of MS certification tests is to test your ability to transform working knowledge of a product into real world application, and for that reason, an effective training source should simulate that real world expierence. This book fails to do this.

More of a course on SQL than an exam prep guide...
I used this book with the intention of passing Microsoft's 70-229 exam. Although I took the exam yesterday and passed, it was not due to the material in this book as much as it was taking practice exams.

As I read this book, all I could think is that it was a review of what I already knew. I have been a software developer using SQL for over 10 years now and I was a bit worried that this book wasn't giving me the information I needed to pass the exam. I got a great refresher of SQL DDL and DML commands and even learned a few things I didn't know. I learned a little about how SQL Server works specifically.

It wasn't until I finished reading the book and began taking the Transcender practice exams that I began to realize what I would be in store for on the actual exam. The Transcender practice exams were a very accurate simulation as to how the actual exam would look, I would recommend them to anyone. As a matter of fact, some of the Transcender exam questions looked very similar to ones I saw on the real exam. I did not take the practice test in the text of the book or on the supplied CD, so I cannot comment on their quality. From my experience, the exams offered for free in books are not very good.

This book would be a lot better if it modeled the exam a bit more. The exam likes to present a situation and ask what you should do to solve a particular problem. For instance, a example Security question on the exam goes something like this:

"John creates a table and you create a view on that table. Neither of you belong to the sysadmin role. The users in the sales department try using the view and they report that they cannot access the information they need. What should you do?"

I would have liked the book more if it presented examples like this to illustrate the information presented. As a matter of fact, this book reminds me of an information dump. Like most Microsoft exam study guides I have read in the past, they simply back up the information truck and dump the load onto you. You are responsible for figuring out how to apply that knowledge. But guess what? The exam test you on applying that knowledge.

70-229 SQL 2k Design and Implementation
I was not pleased with the contents of this book in terms of sloppy editing and in the paltry treatment of important topics. Those of us in pursuit of the MCP or MCDBA will have to augment this book and what we take from this book with other more complex books dealing with design and implementation. Do be prepared to purchase additional books on T-SQL programming and do be prepared to purchase real exam prep software.