70-223

(70-223) W2K Clustering Services

SYNOPSIS • MCSE 2000 ^vs

Microsoft’s exam 70-223, “Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Clustering Services by Using Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server� is an elective requirement for these certifications: MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) on Microsoft Windows 2000; and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0.

It is designed for candidates who “operate in medium to very large computing environments that use the Windows 2000 Server operating system.� There is no specific prerequisite for this exam, but Microsoft recommends that candidates have “one year of experience implementing and administering Windows NT clusters� in the type of environment described here.

This exam is moderately difficult and costs $125 USD. It may be taken from Pearson Vue or Thomson Prometric.

At one time this exam provided no score other than Pass/Fail, but this is subject to change. “Beginning with the release of the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003–related exams, Microsoft will provide numerical scores on exams. By the end of September 2003, most exams will have the new score report format, which includes this numerical score... The new scale requires a minimum passing score of 700 on all exams. The maximum score on the exams will vary depending on the complexity of the skills being measured.� - Microsoft Exam and Testing Procedures FAQ

Note that Microsoft does not document the format of a particular exam: “Microsoft exams might include adaptive testing technology and simulation items. Microsoft does not identify the format in which exams are presented.â€? In the past, though, this exam was form-based multiple choice with  around 45 questions.

The topics covered by this exam include:

• Configuring Windows 2000 Advanced Server for the Cluster Service Installation
• Installing, Configuring, and Troubleshooting the Cluster Service
• Installing, Configuring, and Troubleshooting Services and Applications on a Cluster
• Managing Cluster Resources
• Troubleshooting, Monitoring, and Optimizing Clustered Services

For more information:
http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/exams/70-223.asp