Training for MCTS 70-640 Certification

I’ve taken quite an extended break from my last CCNA certification. After much thought, I’ve stepped back and decided to go towards a Microsoft certification. In particular, I will be training myself for the Microsoft MCITP: Enterprise Administrator.

The prerequisites for the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator are 70-640 Training, 70-642 Training, 70-643 Training, 70-647 Training and either 70-640 Training, or 70-620 Training or 70-624 Training.

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Right now I am starting off with the 70-640. At my organization we already have some Windows Server 2008 machines deployed but I’d like to get an expert grasp with this technology. I’d like to acquire more knowledge in creating solutions and deploying. The maintaining part is natural to me.

The tools I will be using to train myself for the MCTS 70-640:

* Sybex MCTS Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration Study Guide by William Panek and James Chellis

* Various online material from Microsoft and Techexams

* Practice tests from the Sybex book

* Lab environment – physical or virtual

Since I do have a couple years experience working with Windows Server I will be putting myself on a fast track study guide. I plan on finishing the book and labs within 2 months and shortly after completing some practice tests I will take the real certification exam.

The most challenging part of all this will be managing time and resources. With full dedication I have no doubt that I can acquire this new knowledge and become Free MCTS Training and MCTS Online Training certified through Microsoft.

iPhone 5 rumor rollup for the week ending Aug. 26

Next Apple iPhone on sale in October, new parts, new carriers, and Steve Jobs' PR plot

As Hurricane Irene closes in on the East Coast, iOSsphere rumors of iPhone 5 ticked up slightly to Category 2. Fueled by hot air, rumors broke out about iPhone 5 sales starting in October, a new battery design and audio jack flex cable, new carriers, Steve Jobs' cunning PR plot, and much less.

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You read it here second.
"A dubious source from a no-name site -- but it makes sense!" -- Gizmodo, covering without a trace of irony a rumor that iPhone 5 is coming to T-Mobile

iPhone 5 will go on sale in October, at least at AT&T.
Citing "one of our high-level AT&T sources," Jonathan Geller at Boy Genius Report reveals that an "AT&T Vice President has confirmed to several employees that the iPhone 5 is slated to launch in early October."

In the iOSsphere, "launch" is used interchangeably to mean "announcing a new product" and "making a new product available for purchase." Geller here means the latter.

But there's more. "Additionally, the VP communicated the following to a group of managers ..." Your breath catches, your pulse races. You think, "LTE? Lower price? The return of unlimited data plans?"

But no: "Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly." Oh.

The fact that this rumor has not merely a Free MCTS Training – MCTS Online Training . source but a high-level AT&T source, means "this particular rumor is worth paying attention to because BGR was one of the first sites to heavily push a September release for the iPhone 5," reasons Devinda Hardawar at VentureBeat. "I don't suspect the site would backtrack on its previous reports unless it had a legitimate reason to ..."

The best kind of rumors are the ones grounded in facts.

Apple will reveal the date for the iPhone 5 announcement on Monday, Aug. 29.

That's the conclusion of Beatweek's Bill Palmer, who uncovers Steve Jobs' cunning PR plot.

How can he know? Because Steve Jobs resigned on Wednesday, Aug. 24. It makes complete sense, of course.

"Steve Jobs just resigned his Apple CEO position, and on a Wednesday no less," Palmer writes. "This is the strongest evidence yet that Apple will send out invites for an iPhone 5 event as soon as next week."

He reasons that the Jobs resignation is such bad news that Apple wants to bury it under good news. And what could be gooder than the iPhone 5?

BACKGROUND: Steve Jobs: "I hereby resign as CEO of Apple"

"The remedy for getting the Jobs news out of the tech headlines, then, is to put out the iPhone 5 news quickly thereafter so that attention shifts as quickly as possible," Palmer theorizes. "Jobs and his PR team likely decided to hold this news until the iPhone 5 was just about ready to be announced, so as to deliver the two in a one-two counter punch which would cancel out the former with the latter. The fact that the news was pushed out mid-week means that Apple is looking for this news cycle to have fully dissipated by the end of the weekend, with no Monday carryover. That in turn suggests that by Monday, Apple will be looking to turn attention elsewhere."

Free eBook: Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime

We are very excited to announce that we are able to offer Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime (ISBN 9780735656949), by Katherine Murray, as a free eBook.

For details on this book, including the Table of Contents, see our previous blog post here.

To download your free PDF eBook, click here. Updates to this eBook, as well as additional eBook formats, will become available in the future, so check this blog for updates.

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Introduction (excerpt)

Let’s hear it for freedom. Freedom from your desk. Freedom from those ­boring managers’ meetings. Freedom to work anywhere, with anyone, anytime, on almost any device. Sounds good, right?

Office 365 is Microsoft’s smart and simple answer to cloud computing. Using the various programs in Office 365, you can do all the tasks you’re used to doing in your favorite Office applications—write documents, create presentations, check email, manage your calendar, crunch numbers, and more—and then share what you create in real time on a team site, design and publish a website, and even create and host live online meetings while you’re traveling on the train, sitting in a coffee shop, or dialing in on your phone.

This book shows you how you can use cloud computing—and ­specifically, ­Office 365—to get more done, collaborate more easily, and work more ­flexibly than you ever have before. From the necessary how-tos about ­creating and administering your Office 365 account and working with the various Office 365 programs to sharing files with your team, creating a team site, using Office Web Apps, and holding online meetings, you’ll discover how easy it is to work online and off, accessing and sharing your files whenever you need to. After you learn about each of the core programs, you can try strategies for building successful teams, and get some good ideas on practical ways you can put all this cloud power to work.
Who This Book Is For

Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime is all about cloud solutions for small businesses, focusing on the core software services (Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Office Web Apps, and Microsoft Lync), and demonstrating ways you can create, manage, and lead teams effectively using the communications and collaborative online tools.

You’ll find helpful ideas and solutions in Office 365 if you

· Own or work in a small business and want to be flexible where and when you work.

· Need to collaborate with others near or far.

· Want to store and work with files online from any point you have web access.

· Lead a team online or face to face.

What Is Cloud Computing?

The phrase cloud computing brings to mind for me the feeling of stretching out on a hillside on a summer day while my sons pointed out the animals and shapes they saw in the clouds above. Cloud computing is a little like that—the ability of your technology to take on the shape you need for the type of ­project you need to accomplish. Want to put together a project team? You can do that in the cloud so that team members all over the globe can ­collaborate and communicate easily. Need to create a meeting space for your regional sales reps? You can create a team site for everyone in the cloud, ­using web ­servers and software, and you can enable every person to log in from any point they have access to the web.

So where is this cloud? The real definition of the phrase cloud ­computing ­simply means the ability to access files and applications online through ­multiple devices—your ­computer, browser, or phone. Microsoft has already been offering cloud services through the web in various ways:

· Windows Live SkyDrive is one of the Windows Live Services, a free ­web-based ­application that enables you to save, store, organize, and share files easily.

· Microsoft Office Web Apps are available for Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010, Excel 2010, and OneNote 2010, making it possible for you to save and work with your Office files online and collaborate with other authors. Office 2010 Web Apps are free to registered Office 2010 users.

· Microsoft Office Live Small Business is a web-based suite of services that enable you to create and market a website, communicate with others by email and instant messaging, and store and share files online. The basic services are free, and you can add specialty features for a monthly fee.

· Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) is a suite of ­messaging and communications programs designed to provide the kind of collaboration support companies need. BPOS includes ­Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office ­Communications Online, and Office Live Meeting, all for a monthly, per-user fee.

The best news about cloud computing for you as an end user is the added flexibility the services offer you, without additional investment in either hardware or software. You can simply use your web browser—which is open anyway, right?—to get to the files you need to work with, make any changes, and save and share the files as you see fit.

The great thing about cloud computing for companies is that it enables them to expand the services they offer both staff and customers without ­adding to their own hardware infrastructure. Web services enable companies to connect workers and make collaboration possible on a global scale without adding servers, setting up datacenters, and more. The environment is secure, ­flexible, and expandable to accommodate as many users as businesses need to ­support Free MCTS Training – MCTS Online Training .
Introducing Office 365

Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft’s latest venture into cloud computing, ­bringing ­together tried-and-true programs that make communicating and collaboration ­natural online. Office 365 includes Microsoft Exchange Online for email and scheduling, ­Microsoft SharePoint Online for sharing files and creating team sites, and Microsoft Lync Online for instant messaging and ­online meeting. Office 365 mixes the capabilities of those programs with cloud versions of Office Professional Plus programs.
What Cloud Computing Means for You

Office 365 makes using Office in the cloud a simple, natural, and affordable way to make the most of services you are already familiar with, in ways that easily extend the ­technology you are probably already using. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. ­Office 365 enables you to easily and naturally

· Collaborate globally in real time.

· Use programs you already know.

· Create a virtual office where you can work with information securely while you’re on the go.

· Use your PC, browser, or phone interchangeably.

· Keep your information secure.

· Keep your hardware costs down.

· Use multiple devices to access and work with files.

· Create a shared team site.

· Boost productivity by making it easy for people to work together.

· Give users instant access to each other with presence technology and instant ­messaging.

· Incorporate social networking in your team communication.

Office 365 Versions

Because different types of organizations and businesses have different needs, three ­different versions of Office 365 are available for end users. These three versions are

· Office 365 for small businesses Small businesses and professionals who don’t have large IT requirements will find just the set of tools they need in Office 365 for small businesses. This version is easy to try (free for 30 days) and then low-cost ($6 per user per month at the time of this book’s publication), and it offers businesses Office Web Apps, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online, and Microsoft Lync for instant messaging and online meetings.

· Office 365 for enterprises Enterprises have larger-scale IT needs than small businesses or individuals, requiring software that can handle a large number of email accounts, messages, and attachments; provide guaranteed uptime; offer reporting and support options; and deliver Active Directory features that enable a single sign-in for end users. ­Office 365 for enterprises offers all these features and adds on to standard BPOS services to extend the collaboration and online meeting capabilities. Office 365 for enterprises also offers flexible plans so that businesses of different sizes can tailor the features to get just the kind of cloud support they need.

· Office 365 for education Educational users face a unique set of challenges—they need to provide students with access to the latest software possible, but they have to do it on a shoestring (and perhaps diminishing) budget. Cloud-based services can help users in education save money and give students the tools they need to create projects, collaborate in real time, and learn how to use software in the cloud.

What Does Office 365 Add to BPOS?

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite, also known as BPOS, has 40 million users all over the world. This highly successful online software suite offers communication and collaboration ­features that make it easy to connect in real time and work together on ­projects large and small.

Office 365 for enterprises extends the features of BPOS by adding Microsoft Lync for instant messaging and online meetings, Outlook Web App for management of email and scheduling, Office Web Apps, and the ability to create reports and administer the account through a web-based dashboard. The educational version of Office 365 also includes the latest version of Microsoft Live@Edu, which ­offers cloud solutions to thousands of schools and millions of students around the globe.
A Quick Roadmap

Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime is organized in three parts to help you learn about different aspects of setting up and ­working with Office 365.

Part I, “Finding Your Place in the Cloud,” takes a look at the way people are working in the cloud today and introduces you to Office 365. Chapter 1 looks closely at teams, both inside and outside the office environment, and it takes a look at the way Office 365 offers a greener choice for small businesses. Chapter 2 shows you how to create an Office 365 account and set up a profile, and it gives you a big-picture tour of Office 365 so that you can begin planning just what you want to do with the tools. Chapter 3 is for the team manager or person who will be managing the Office 365 site; you’ll learn how to ­customize the site, add mobile devices, and set up and manage Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, and Microsoft Lync online.

Part II, “Teamwork in the Cloud,” is your guide to setting up, organizing, ­managing, and helping your team be successful using Office 365. ­Chapter 4 spotlights all the team features you can use to get everybody on the same page, calendar-wise; you’ll also find out how to share files, hold online ­meetings, instant message each other, and broadcast presentations. Chapter 5 walks you through creating, editing, and sharing a team site. Chapter 6 shows you how to create document libraries, share files with team members, and manage the files in SharePoint Online. You’ll also find out about working with file versions, tracking file changes, and comparing and merging files. Chapter 7 shows you how to create and use workflows to keep your team moving in the right direction, and Chapter 8 introduces all things Web App by shining a light on the capabilities of the various tools and showing you how to work with files online, coauthor documents, edit worksheets, broadcast presentations, and share notebooks. Chapter 9 rounds out this part of Office 365 by focusing on mobile technologies: find out how to use the various Office Mobile applications to review, edit, and share the files you develop with your team.

Part III, “Connecting in Real Time,” shows you how to use the ­communication and instant-messaging options in Office 365 to stay in touch with your team in real time. In Chapter 10, “Email and Organize with Office 365,” you learn how to use Outlook Web App to import and manage contacts, set email preferences, organize mail ­folders, work with your calendars and tasks, and more. Chapter 11, “Talking it Over with Microsoft Lync,” shows you how to connect in real time to other online users through instant ­messaging, voice calls, and online chats. You’ll learn how to manage transcripts, invite others to the ­conversation, and host web meetings. Chapter 12, “Designing Your ­Public Website,” shows you how to use the web tools in Office 365 to create a ­website to ­showcase your products and services and give your customers a sense of who you are and what you offer. Chapter 13, “Integrating Office 365,” presents a set of examples that show how you and your team can use the ­various tools in Office 365 together to create and share business projects.




About the Author


Katherine Murray has been writing articles and best-selling books about Microsoft Office in all its flavors since it was first released. She’s taught hundreds of thousands of Office users how to be productive (and creative) in Microsoft Word 2010 Inside Out, Microsoft Office 2010 Plain & Simple, and Microsoft Word 2010 Plain & Simple, as well as through her many articles on CNET’s TechRepublic and in Windows Secrets. Katherine is also a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and writes frequently about earth care topics. Her book, Green Home Computing for Dummies, was published by Wiley in 2009.

Katherine’s blog and website, BlogOffice, has inspired and educated Office users since 2002. Her new Office 365 companion site, Connect & Collaborate,offers an ongoing source of how-to’s, tips, and strategic case studies for Office users and IT professionals who want to efficiently and successfully work in the Cloud. Katherine’s focus is on delivering essential techniques and insights to help members of virtual teams who may be developing workflow strategies and managing projects, as well as those who are tasked with bringing those projects—simple or complex—to completion.

Pharmaceutical firm retires Microsoft environment for cloud services

Linchpin was single sign-on security, authentication, says Amag Pharmaceuticals IT director

Amag Pharmaceuticals, based in Lexington, Mass., has almost eliminated its internal server network, and couldn't be happier about it. That's because the company, with about 240 employees, is now largely riding on cloud services.

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Amag's almost-extinct Windows and Exchange server network had not been well-maintained, cobbled together by employees without oversight of an information-technology division at all, says Nathan McBride, the executive director of IT for the firm. He says he joined the company about three years ago with the express agreement to move the pharma company's network to the cloud.

Company employees had simply gone out and bought what they thought was needed, whether it was laptops, a T-1 line or a switch. But management of it all, especially the Exchange 2003 server, was neglected because there was no one really in charge. But McBride said his goal in becoming the founding member of the IT department wasn't to make the internal network bigger -- it was to shrink it down through a "cloud strategy."

"We call it the five-headed dragon," says McBride about the cloud strategy he put forward calling for use of cloud services for authentication and access, the file system, communications and client management. "I don't think firewalls are necessary. They prohibit work from being accomplished."

While the IT department at Amag did grow with four new technical hires, the company is on track to cut its IT budget overall by adopting cloud services. In addition to moving the Exchange server network to Google Docs, the company also found it could establish single sign-on for employees to use cloud services, whether it was expense reporting, or a specialized healthcare reporting application or SAS business applications hosted in North Carolina. "Everything is in cloud services now," says McBride.

The linchpin for these new cloud services for employees has ended up being cloud-based single-sign-on, says McBride.

He says he looked into what about half a dozen vendors were doing, including Hitachi, Symplified, Okta, IBM Tivoli, Courion and Ping Identity, with the goal the company would migrate off the Imprivata single sign-on appliance it had at the time.

After piloting Okta, Symplified and Ping Identity early last year, the final decision was to go with Okta, says McBride.

One thing Amag looked at was how easy it would be for the cloud vendors to supply specific plug-ins for more than 15 applications. These plug-ins apps would be needed to foster SSO commands between the cloud services, the employee desktops and the cloud-based applications that Amag used elsewhere. "For Okta, the ace card was that they already had it," says McBride. In addition, the CEO from Okta flew in from San Francisco to make the commitment to the SSO project and willingness to build further plug-in apps if need be.

"All the conduits sit at Okta," says McBride. "The user authenticates to Okta," and in the cloud a tunnel is created from the client Web browser to Okta to the application that's hosted in another locale altogether. Instead of storing employee information at Amag, "Okta maintains our profile" of the employee account and which of the many cloud-based services they're allowed to use.

Inspector Gadgets: Windows 7 Gadgets for Monitoring Your PC

It's been nearly two years since Windows 7 was released, and yet there are still some features that Windows 7 users may not be taking full advantage of -- such as desktop gadgets. Similar to the Mac's Dashboard Widgets, Windows desktop gadgets are mini-applications that reside on your desktop and can display live data, perform simple functions like search or password generation, or give you a sneak peek inside the inner workings of your PC.

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When connecting a laptop from the road, many travelers move around between secure private connections and public hot spots several times a day. But changing your computer's firewall settings for public or private connections each time you switch networks is a tedious task, and one that's easy to forget. The Windows Firewall Profile gadget assures you that you've made the change properly.

One of the most basic gadgets around, Windows Firewall Profile doesn't actually help you change your profile setting; it just shows you the current status (Private or Public) in a small black rectangle. Its size can't be adjusted, and there isn't much to configure either, aside from how frequently the system's firewall status is checked (from 10 seconds to 5 minutes).

But what this gadget does, it does well. It immediately figured out when I changed my firewall profile from Private to Public settings and back again during a busy road trip.

Ideally, the gadget would provide a way to adjust the firewall settings or at least link to the firewall settings dialog. All the same, it's reassuring to see what the firewall status is at a glance, without having to wade into the system settings to check.

Windows Firewall Profile (119KB)

Juice meter

9-skin Battery Meter

When you're on the road and far from an AC outlet, it's important to know how much power is left in your notebook's battery. Windows 7 includes a battery gauge in the taskbar tray, but it stays hidden during most use; you have to click on it to see the charge level.

That's where 9-skin Battery Meter comes in. It does an excellent job of putting your battery level in your face in an artistic way.

The gadget comes with nine different decorative skins (hence the name) that range from a circular gauge to something that looks like an AA battery. You can either open the gadget's Options to select one or give the gadget a double-click to bring up a new one.

The gadget glows green when the system is charging, and most of the battery gauge designs have eight elements that change color to show that the cells are running down. All turn to orange and then red for the last two segments; some add a triangular caution sign as the end nears.

Unlike many other gadgets, 9-skin Battery Meter can't be resized, although you can choose whether to have the gadget display how much time remains before the system dies.

IT recruiting a casualty of the recession

Companies have lost some talent-acquisition muscle, and they're going to feel the effects of that loss
In the face of a lousy economy, hiring freezes and expense cuts, many companies have decimated their recruiting teams. But as IT staffs ramp up efforts to fill open positions and compete for key talent, this lack of recruiting resources could hurt them.

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ON YOUR MIND: Top 5 worries keeping IT pros up at night

"As we enter into this tacit economic recovery, companies that don't have a recruiting staff can't be aggressive about getting people in. The danger for these organizations is that if you don't address the problem, it just grows and grows and grows," Capperella says. "The top quartile of companies that care about how they manage and strategically plan their talent will be fine, but that leaves 75% that will inevitably have to compete on wages."

Another danger is choosing the wrong person.

Oftentimes the effects of bad recruiting don't show up for six to 12 months, but they're painful when they do. Dealing with a chronic procrastinator, a bad communicator or a perfectionist can take its toll on the entire department. In addition, a negligent hire can expose a company to financial and reputational risk.

"The greatest risk to a company is hiring the wrong people, and the single greatest control you have over corporate risk is hiring the right people," Rowson says. "You will end up paying much more than the cost of hire for a bad hire."

In the end, the burden of a bad hire will be felt more by the manager, who has to deal with that person on a daily basis, than by the recruiter. For IT managers, it's worth investing more time and energy in recruiting. Here are a few tips to get started:
1. Get more involved in recruiting

If you're a manager, cultivate a strong partnership with HR. You'll need it -- particularly if hiring does suddenly pick up. Pick up the phone, ask a recruiter to lunch, express interest in the recruiting process and offer your expertise, Winegardner says. "Create that relationship with your business partner in recruiting and HR because it will pay dividends."
2. Get your own house in order

In an ideal world, companies should always be in recruiting mode, scouting for new talent not only in the open market but also inside their own organizations.

"A good organization is always making its first priority to understand what talent they already have and how it's deployed. Is it being rewarded properly and competitively?" Rowson says. "If don't have your own house in order, you can't go to market."

In reality, however, a lot of companies solely focus on external recruiting and ignore opportunities to optimize their existing workforce. "I see companies misfire on this all the time, but the great companies don't," Rowson says.

When companies decide it's time to recruit again, the smart ones first make sure they have their current talent deployed in the right positions, Rowson says. "Why waste even one precious dollar going to market, speculatively, to recruit until you've gotten that house in order?"
3. Deal with poor performers

Now is the time for dealing with poor performers, Rowson suggests. Some managers have held onto subpar employees rather than risk losing headcount and not being able to replace it. "It's an opportunity to confront performance issues," he says.
4. Ask for input from existing staff

The most efficient way to go about a talent search is to talk to existing staff members and ask them to weigh in on what's needed for a particular position -- the skills, experience and certifications, for instance.

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Lesson 2 Review

1. What is the function of an MMC? Why is it necessary to create customized MMCs?

The MMC is a tool used to create, save, and open collections of administrative tools, which are called consoles. The console does not provide management functions itself, but is the program that hosts management applications called snap-ins. You create custom MMCs to perform a unique set of administrative tasks.

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2. What is a snap-in?

Snap-ins are programs used by administrators to manage network services.

3. What is the function of a console tree?

A console tree displays the hierarchical organization of the snap-ins contained with an MMC.

4. What are extensions?

Extensions are snap-ins that provide additional administrative functionality to another snap-in.

5. Which of the following console mode types allows users to create new windows

in the console?

a. Author mode

b. User mode—full access

c. User mode—limited access, multiple window

d. User mode—limited access, single window

The correct answer is a. Author mode allows users to add or remove snap-ins, create new windows in the console, view all portions of the console tree, and save MMCs.

Best way to Upgrade from MCSA 2003 to MCITP SA

If you want to upgrade your MCSA 2003 or MCSE 2003 to MCITP, which upgrade path would you like to choose? Take the upgrade exams, or take MCTS server 2008 exams?
Maybe some candidates for MCITP SA don’t know how to upgrade their MCSA 2003 or MCSE 2003 to MCITP SA.So, we’ll list the upgrade paths to MCITP, if you have known these, and you can skip this.

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If you want to upgrade MCSA 2003 to MCITP SA, you have two choices.

1. Upgrade exams for MCITP SA .You know ,if you pass 70-620 exam ,your MCSA on windows Server 2003 can be upgraded to MCTS credentials(MCTS :Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration and Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure configuration).That is to say, upgrade exam 70-620 is combination of MCTS 70-640 and 70-642 .So ,generally speaking ,70-620 is harder .After your passing 70-620 or getting both of MCTS credentials ,only if you pass 70-620 ,you will get your MCITP :SA (Server Administrator on Windows Server 2008).
2. Take MCTS sever 2008 exams instead of the upgrade paths. That is to say, you can take any order of 70-640 and 70-620 exams to get the above two MCTS credentials. In my opinion, this way is easier.
Which way would you prefer?
Personally, the easier route would be to just do 70- 640 and 70-642 exams individually. Upgrade exams are always harder! The upgrade exam 70-648 is combination of 2 exams and far harder than the individual exams. Unless you have enough experience on the technology Windows Server 2008, you‘d better not take 70-648 instead of 70-640 and 70-642.So for me it wouldn’t have made a difference if I did the exams separately from a number of exams point of view.
There are several reasons below:
1. When you study the 70-648 upgrade exams, you can found most of materials including MS Press books for 70-640 objectives or topic area very vague and a bit lost.
2. To pass 70-648, you have to pass each section of 70-640 and 70-642,As each section is basically an exam on it own right ,otherwise you’ll fail the whole exam. Generally speaking, if you want to pass 70-648, you should have the ability to pass 640 and 642 exams. If you have trouble studying for basically those exams at the same time, you’d better give up the upgrade exam and study for the individual exams, which will help you concentrate on one set of objectives rather splitting you between the two.
3. To get MCITP :SA ,We can get to know it is unwise to take 70-648 ,from those who had experiencing on upgrade exams.Generally speaking ,Many of candidates with MCSA 2003 would try the upgrade exams three or more times to pass 70-648.
So, in my opinion, the easiest route to get MCITP is to take the exams separately for those with MCSE 2003 or MCSA 2003

Get Ahead With the MCITP Certification

The MCITP will grant you a professional qualification, which reinforces your I.T skills to your employer and other future employers. It validates your knowledge as a trained and experienced professional. Furthermore, it allows to get to grips, out of the work place, with the ever advancing Microsoft technologies that are available - enabling you to advance your skills in the work place, and hopefully get that much needed promotion.

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The Lowdown - Database Administration (SQL Server 2005):

What is being tested?

A variety of skills will be tested in the following modules:

1. Designing a Database Server Infrastructure:
The central aim of this second module is to teach you how to optimise the performance of database servers and databases. It focuses mainly on design elements, which will enhance your databases' efficiency and security. You will be taught how to design a database server infrastructure, design security solutions - enabling you to make the best choice of security; design the database so that you can improve performance, efficiency and choose the most appropriate view. Further testing includes: designing a database solution for high availability, data recovery and a structure for data archiving. As before, this is tested by an exam.

2. Database implementation and maintenance:
This module focuses on your ability to install and configure Microsoft's very own SQL server 2005, implement high availability and disaster recovery so as to protect your database, support data consumers, maintain databases, create and implement database objects, as well as assessing monitoring and troubleshooting SQL server performance. This will all be tested by an exam.

After completing this module, you will gain a certificate known as the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: SQL Server 2005. This acts as one credit towards the MCITP database administrator certification - you must complete the other two modules before you can gain this certificate.

3. Optimising and maintaining a database
This module continues to study database performance optimisation and maintenance using SQL Server 2005. It will analyse the performance of the database, the server and queries. One of the main focuses of this module will be - the implementation of a database recovery plan, so as to protect the database from any disasters. This module will then continue to analyse in depth strategies to maintain and monitor a database solution, which includes content management; will cultivate the ability to design a strategy to manage data, as well as security.

The MCITP certification will enable you to utilise the skills you need to optimise the database's performance and security, which will in turn improve your company's performance and effectiveness.

Overview of Windows 7 MCITP Certifications

I'm sure that many people do not know what Windows 7 MCITP Certification is, well, I think it's not a bad thing to know more about this. Today I will post something about this, just check it out. As expected as Microsoft technology has changed, so has the certifications. Although many still remain the same, there was been some changes to specific certifications. Windows 7 has quickly replaced most Vista and XP systems, and in turn many IT specialists have had to bring up to date their qualifications.

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Microsoft revealed Windows 7 to the world in 2009 and has now created several certifications based on this new technology. These include the MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician 7 and the MCITP Enterprise Administrator 7. Candidates for both these certifications should have experience of implementing, managing and configuring Microsoft technologies in an enterprise environment.

For the Desktop Enterprise Technician 7, next you will need to take exam 70-685, which focuses on identifying issues, from initial setup and configuration issues to failure issues. Exam 70-685 tests these skills in the following areas; Desktop applications, networking, hardware, performance, wireless connectivity, remote access and security. This exam focuses on understanding the causes of such issues and how to resolve them.

To certify under any of these two certifications, you need to pass the 70-680 exam, which tests your initial ability to configure windows. You should be able to perform a clean installation of Windows 7 and upgrade from prior Microsoft technologies or versions of Windows 7. The exam will go on to test your ability in deploying Windows, configuring applications and hardware, network connectivity, access to resources (i.e. shared folders, printers etc), backup and recovery options, maintaining the personal computer and mobile computing. This exam covers everything from the essential process of installation to the configuration of software, hardware and resources.

For the Enterprise Administrator 7, the next exam to take is the 70-686 exam, which aims to test your ability to set the strategy for managing and supporting the infrastructure as well as applications. This exam mostly focuses on the administrative side and concentrates on creating standard images for windows clients, designing Windows 7 client configurations and deployment, planning and managing a strategy for hardware, software and licensing, acknowledging any issues or problems (i.e. network issues) and managing applications.

Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Skype, Mozilla Sites Hit by Fraudulent Certificates

Comodo Security’s root authority system was compromised by attackers logging in and issuing digital certificates to popular Websites belonging to Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Skype and Mozilla.

A Comodo Security partner was compromised and attackers issued valid digital certificates for popular Websites that would have potentially allowed them to spoof content and perform man-in-the-middle attacks, Microsoft warned.

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The nine fraudulent Web certificates affected seven domains, including Microsoft Live service, Google’s mail system, Yahoo and Skype, Microsoft said in a March 23 security advisory. There are no active attacks at this time, according to Bruce Cowper, group manager of trustworthy computing at Microsoft.

Comodo has revoked these certificates, and the malicious certificates are listed in Comodo’s current Certificate Revocation List, according to Comodo. No Web browser should be accepting the incorrect certificates at this time, Comodo said.

The perpetrators would have been able to spoof content, perform phishing attacks or perform man-in-the-middle attacks only if they had control of the Domain Name System infrastructure as well, Comodo said.

The attacker obtained the user name and password of a Comodo trusted partner in Southern Europe who was authorized to perform primary validation of certificate requests, Comodo wrote on its blog. The attacker used the stolen credentials to log in to the Comodo RA (root authority) account, and issued those certificates on March 15, according to the post.

“The attacker was well-prepared and knew in advance what he was to try to achieve. He seemed to have a list of targets that he knew he wanted to obtain certificates for, was able quickly to generate the CSRs (certificate signing requests) for these certificates and submit the orders to our system so that the certificates would be produced and made available to him,” Comodo said.

The attacker was still using the account when the breach was identified and the account suspended, possibly preventing more certificates from being issued, Comodo said. Remediation efforts began “immediately,” and additional audits and controls have been deployed.

Comodo declined to specify details regarding controls that were implemented.

Comodo root keys, intermediate CAs or secure hardware were not compromised, Comodo said. The attacker created a new user account, which has also been suspended.

Comodo said the attack originated from an IP address assigned to an Internet service provider in Iran. One certificate for Yahoo’s login page was tested using a server in Iran, but had already been revoked and was blocked from being used, according to Comodo’s incident report.

The server in question has stopped responding to requests. The IP address and server information may be circumstantial evidence as the attacker could have been attempting to lay a false trail, Comodo said. However, the company also noted that the Iranian government has recently attacked other encrypted methods of communication.

Unlike a typical cyber-criminal, who would have targeted financial organizations, this particular attacker focused on communications infrastructure. The targeted domains would be of “greatest use” to a government attempting surveillance of Internet use by dissidents, especially considering the recent turmoil in North Africa and the Persian Gulf region, Comodo said.

Comodo believes this was likely a state-driven attack. This is the first time Comodo is seeing a “state funded” attack against the “authentication” infrastructure, said Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and chief security architect of Comodo.

Comodo is “not yet clear” about the nature of the partner’s data breach other than the fact that the partner’s other online accounts were also compromised, he said.

Users who have enabled Online Certificate Status Protocol on their Web browsers will interactively validate these certificates and block them from being used. Comodo has monitored the OCSP responder traffic and has not detected any attempts to use the certificates after they were revoked, according to the incident report.

The certificates were issued for “Global Trustee” as well as for the following URLs: login.live.com, mail.google.com, google.com, login.skype.com and addons.mozzila.org. There were three certificates issued for login.yahoo.com, as well. Only one of the certificates for Yahoo was seen live on the Internet, according to the incident report. Comodo is not sure if the attackers received all the requested certificates in the first place.

Microsoft has developed a mitigation update, which is available through the Microsoft Download Center and the Windows Update Service. Customers can download the update to help protect against inadvertent use of the fraudulent digital certificates, said Microsoft’s Cowper.

4 reasons Windows Phone 7 will beat iPhone and Android

And three reasons it won't

Microsoft has a relatively long history with mobile operating systems, stretching back to the mid-1990s and Windows CE. Developed originally for "embedded systems," Windows CE quickly found its way into PDAs and eventually phones, and while consumers never warmed to the platform, it did achieve a level of success in the enterprise.

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However, if you look beyond a single device to a larger device ecosystem, the decision to stick by a single vendor becomes more complex. If you're an Apple fan boy, you'll be fine being stuck with iPhone, iPad, MacBook and on and on.

But what about devices Apple doesn't offer? What if in-vehicle GPS units are able to interoperate easily with phones on other platforms? What if you prefer a different tablet than Apple's?

Today's cloud services follow two distinct and nearly opposite strategies. Apple's iCloud will be as closed as most of Apple's other offerings, while Google Apps is wide open. If Microsoft can navigate some sort of third ways, where enough proprietary add-ons are available to create stickiness, but the cloud services are open enough to provide a platform for strong, unexpected third-party innovation, Microsoft and Windows Phone could benefit.

"Many companies are moving to Office 365 or are planning to. By moving application logic and data into cloud, it's now much easier to move data across devices," Reed of BoxTone says. The Windows cloud could easily allow greater device-to-device sharing, even across devices from competing vendors. Moreover, since Microsoft owns the desktop, Microsoft's cloud could be far more compelling than Apple's or Google's as a hub for photos, contacts, music, calendars and more, a hub that you simply log into with any device from anywhere to access whatever digital assets you want.

Productivity, communications and collaborative apps, all with added functionality and cross-platform availability via the cloud, could set Windows Phone apart from other smartphones. Of course, this means that the smartphone provider that should really fear Windows Phone's rise in the short term is BlackBerry.

3. Will: Making the phone experience more "productive"

Although Windows Phone 7 is being targeted at consumers, Microsoft's strong history with productivity and business could become a significant differentiator.

"Windows Phone delivers the most seamless Exchange email, calendar and contacts experience, enables full access to documents on SharePoint sites and rich viewing and editing of Microsoft Office documents such as optimized mobile navigation in Word and editing in PowerPoint. Additionally, IRM support, alpha-numeric PIN and Exchange server search are just a few of the features coming in the Mango update that will enhance mobile productivity," says Tim McDowd, senior manager, Windows Phone.

Microsoft's expertise with productivity influences even consumer-focused features. Instead of taking an app-based approach, Microsoft built Windows Phone 7 around a task-centric philosophy.

"Android is mimicking the iOS experience, but Microsoft is trying something different," says Winthrop of The Enterprise Mobility Foundation. "The perfect example of their task-focused approach is the People Hub. You not only see contacts, but you can also see what they're doing." People Hub integrates into Facebook, and it will ultimately integrate into other social media, such as Twitter. "There's also an aesthetic difference. Do you want to be constantly swiping between panes, or do you want to access information where it's natural?"

Hosted productivity suites: Google Apps or Microsoft Office 365?

Microsoft and Google agree that hosted productivity suites offer unique benefits for evolving business needs. Of course the two behemoths traveled very different paths to reach this conclusion, and bring different strengths to their respective offerings. Which one is right you?

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John Dix, Network World Editor in Chief, sets up the debates and recruits the experts. Contact him with thoughts and ideas, jdix@nww.com.

The experts
Tom Rizzo, senior director of Microsoft Online Services says having online tools that complement existing on-premise productivity suites is a combination that is hard to beat.
Shan Sinha, group product manager, Google Apps for Business argues that Google Apps was built from the ground up as a hosted suite, and having that baked into the service's DNA makes a real difference.

Why IBM Is the Most Innovative Company in IT

A recent issue of Forbes ranks the most innovative companies in the world, but overlooks IBM. In this opinion piece, eWEEK’s Darryl K. Taft argues that Big Blue belongs atop that list.

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IBM is the most innovative company in IT, period.
Unfortunately, IBM’s Armonk location also could play into it being overlooked. As a longtime tech journalist, I’m aware of a West Coast bias in technology reporting. More specifically, companies in the San Francisco Bay area and Silicon Valley seem to get the love and adulation of the tech press, even with those in New York and other East Coast cities. Being old and based in a swank New York City suburb is just not cool, I guess.

Yet, IBM continues to make stuff that matters. Real stuff, not just cool gadgets that twinkle and make you look hip when you pull them out. Any time you use WiFi, or get money from an ATM, or swipe your credit card, or use a GPS system or play on a gaming console (practically all of the majors, including Sony PlayStations, Xbox and Nintendo), you have IBM to thank for it. IBM technology is everywhere. The company makes stuff that makes the world better for us all.

That’s part of the theme behind IBM’s Smarter Planet play. It’s not just a marketing slogan. With the world becoming more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent, there is a need for smarter systems to help achieve economic growth, near-term efficiency, sustainable development and societal progress. IBM is building these systems.

Bernard Meyerson, vice president of Innovation and IBM Fellow, invented the silicon germanium chip, also known as SiGe. SiGe chips emerged as a variation of the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors found in IBM’s chips for 20 years. However, the reliability, speed and low cost of SiGe enabled rapid growth in various wired and wireless networks, shrinking the size and power needs of WiFi, cellular phones, GPS systems, mobile TV and many other products, IBM said.

In another breakthrough, Edgar F. “Ted” Codd, an IBM researcher, invented the relational database. And IBMers followed with the invention of the Structured Query Language (SQL), the language for managing data in relational database management systems (RDBMS). Relational databases revolutionized the database landscape.

IBM invented the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture. And IBM became the first company to deliver a 3.5-inch rewritable optical drive to the market.

By combining genetics and semiconductor technologies, IBM researchers invented a mechanism called the IBM DNA Transistor, which is designed to make it possible to sequence genetic material accurately and cheaply—eventually, they hope, for a few hundred dollars per person.

Practically from Day 1, IBM supported the NASA space flight missions, including the Apollo missions to put a man on the moon. Over the years, IBM supported NASA in all phases, including building guidance and tracking systems, and ground control systems to monitor the missions.

IBM created the first magnetic tape storage unit. And IBM invented DRAM. IBM also created magnetic stripe technology, which enables you to swipe your credit cards and pay for things.

IBM also invented CICS, the Customer Information Control System, which revolutionized transaction processing. And IBM invented FORTRAN, the high-level language that opened up programming to mathematicians and scientists.

Critical fixes for Windows and IE coming in big Patch Tuesday

Microsoft to release 13 patches covering 22 vulnerabilities next week
In another big Patch Tuesday, Microsoft will release 13 patches next week covering 22 vulnerabilities, including two critical patches to prevent remote code execution attacks in Windows and Internet Explorer. Three other less critical patches will close holes that would allow denial-of-service attacks on Windows, and a majority of the 13 patches will require a restart.

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Microsoft Office, .NET and Visual Studio will also be patched.

The 13 patches is a large total but short of the 16 released in June, and short of the record 17. However, nine of the 16 June patches were rated as critical, whereas only two this month merit the most severe rating. The 22 vulnerabilities to be closed this month is just a fraction of the record 64 set in April 2011.

Microsoft patching: Still painful after all these years

Only four patches were issued last month, because Microsoft alternates between big and small releases to relieve the pressure on IT administrators.

Bulletin #1 on next week's list of 13 looks to be the most serious, as it is rated critical on Windows 7, Vista and XP, Windows Server 2003 and 2008 (including R2, the most recent release), and Internet Explorer versions 6 through 9. The patch requires a restart and is designed to prevent remote code execution.

Bulletin #2 will also require a restart and prevent remote code execution, but is rated critical only on Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2. The patch is rated only as important on Windows Server 2003, slightly unusual because Microsoft says vulnerabilities are typically less serious in newer versions of its products. The desktop versions of Windows are not affected.

Overall, nine patches affect Windows, one affects Internet Explorer, one affects Office, and two each affect the .NET Framework and Microsoft Developer Tools. Four of the 13 patches involve preventing remote code execution, three elevation of privilege, three prevent denial-of-service attacks, and three prevent information disclosure.

In other news, Microsoft released an annual security report which incorrectly claimed that vulnerabilities allowing remote code execution - a critical problem - are declining. Microsoft has since updated the report, and it turns out remote code execution flaws are actually on the rise, and the total number of reported vulnerabilities is rising as well.

We'll be back with more on the Microsoft Subnet after the patches are released Tuesday. Microsoft will issue them around 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

ASP.NET - Silverlight: My Life as a Compressed Cookie Redux

The idea for the original title of this article came from the 1985 Swedish foreign film "My Life As a Dog" which I highly reccommend. Few Hollywood movies ever achieve the sensitivity, simple beauty and depth of some of the foreign films I've come to love. The "Redux" part is because it is, as the Latin phrase indicates, "back again" - improved, and now - Silverlight compatible.

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I've always been an "experimenter". When I was a kid, I reengineered my CB radio with an illegal 40 watt power tube (the legal limit then was only 5 watts). I also set Hi Tor mountain in Haverstraw, NY on fire. And that was just the beginning. Now, I experiment a bit more safely with code, and to a lesser extent with digitally processed photography (Maya) and music (hang drum, didjeridoo, and flute). Some experiments don't work, and need to be thrown out. But others can produce really useful things when you are a programmer building up your personal codebase of "tricks". The compressed cookie, which I like to think I invented, is one of those successful experiments.


The question now becomes: Why would somebody want to compress an HTTP Cookie? There are several reasons I can think of, and all of them seem valid to me:

1) Because you can!
2) Store more information in a single cookie. A LOT more information -- for example, an entire serialized class instance with all it's property values.
3) Keep prying eyes out of your cookie business. Compressed cookies are virtually impossible to figure out and decode.
4) Performance on both storing and retrieving compressed cookies is excellent.
5) This all works in Silverlight too.

To create a compressed cookie, we need to be able to do four things:

1. Efficiently serialize whatever object instance we want to store to a byte array.
2. Compress the byte array to allow for more storage within the legal limit for an HTTP cookie (approximately 4096 characters).
3. Base64 encode the compressed bytes so that they can be stored as legal HTTP Cookie characters.
4. Set a normal HTTP browser cookie with the correct name, value and expiration date using our compressed payload as the value.

To read a compressed cookie, we simply perform the above operations in reverse:

1. Read the cookie the way we normally would do.
2. Get the compressed byte array from the base64 encoded cookie value.
3. Decompress the byte array.
4. Deserialize the byte array into an instance of the original type so it can be used in our code again.

Compressed cookies can be used to store settings, to persist state between page navigations, and other uses. The algorithm itself does not have to be used only for cookies - the same code can be modified so that it will serialize and compress objects for transmission over the wire instead.

Let's have a look at some code!

For the compression algorithm, I chose the QuickLZ data compression library by Lasse Mikkel Reinhold. This choice was based on my research in this article on comparison of Data Compression Algorithms.

The QuickLZ algorithm is Silverlight-compatible and provides excellent compression ratios combined with very fast decompression, making it the ideal choice for this project. The only things I have added to this class are two extension methods on the byte[] type, which makes it easier to use.

For Serialization and Deserialization, I chose Mike Talbot's Silverlight Serializer class. You can see Mike's work here. I made a couple of contributions to Mike's work, most notably a way to deserialize a type that has no parameterless constructor, and he has already incorporated my ideas. Silverlight Serializer is not only very fast, it also produces byte arrays that are about 30% smaller than the BinaryFormatter - which of course, is not even available in Silverlight.

You can examine either of these classes in the downloadable solutions I've made available at the bottom of this article.

Here is my standard CpCookies class that handles everything:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Web;
using System.IO.Compression;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;
using System.IO;
using QuickLZSharp;
using Serialization;

namespace CompressedCookies
{
public static class CpCookies
{
private static object DeserializeBase64Decompress(string cookieName)
{
return SilverlightSerializer.Deserialize(Convert.FromBase64String(HttpContext.Current.Request.Cookies[cookieName].Value).Decompress());
}

private static void SetCookie(string cookieName, string sCookieValue, DateTime expirationDate)
{
HttpCookie cook = new HttpCookie(cookieName);
cook.Value = sCookieValue;
cook.Expires = expirationDate;
HttpContext.Current.Response.Cookies.Add(cook);
}

public static int Set(string cookieName, object cookieValue, DateTime expirationDate)
{
int siz =0;
try
{
string sCookieVal = SerializeAndCompressBase64(cookieValue);
siz = sCookieVal.Length;
if (siz > 4095)
throw new InvalidOperationException("Cookie value cannot exceed 4095 characters.");
SetCookie(cookieName ,sCookieVal ,expirationDate );
}
catch
{
throw ;
}
return siz;
}

private static string SerializeAndCompressBase64( object cookieValue)
{
return Convert.ToBase64String(SilverlightSerializer.Serialize(cookieValue).Compress());
}



public static object Get(string cookieName)
{
object retval = null;
try
{
retval = DeserializeBase64Decompress(cookieName);
}
catch
{
throw ;
}
return retval;
}



public static bool Delete(string cookieName)
{
bool retval = true;
try
{
HttpContext.Current.Response.Cookies[cookieName].Expires = DateTime.Now.AddDays(-365);
}
catch
{
retval = false;
}
return retval;
}


}
}

The class should be pretty much self-explanatory. To use this, we perform our set operation as follows:

CpCookies.Set("Test2", t, DateTime.Now.AddDays(100)); // Where t is your type to be stored.

And to retrieve and use an existing cookie:

Test t2 = (Test)CpCookies.Get("Test2"); // "Test" is the sample class in the solution.

The Set method returns the size of your cookie content and throws an exception if it is over 4095 bytes. However, it is better to err on the side of caution since the maximum allowed cookie size in most browsers includes the cookie name and expiration - everything in an HTTP cookie is stored as one big delimited string.

Here is the Silverlight version - it's a bit different since in Silverlight we are using the HtmlPage.Document object:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Browser;
using System.IO;
using QuickLZSharp;
using Serialization;

namespace CompressedCookies
{
public static class CpCookies
{
private static object DeserializeBase64Decompress(string cookieName)
{
string[] cookies = HtmlPage.Document.Cookies.Split(';');
object o = null;
foreach (string cookie in cookies)
{
string[] keyValue = cookie.Split('=');
if (keyValue.Length == 2)
{
if (keyValue[0].ToString() == cookieName)
o= SilverlightSerializer.Deserialize(Convert.FromBase64String(keyValue[1]).Decompress());
break;
}
}
return o;
}

private static void SetCookie(string cookieName, string sCookieValue, DateTime expirationDate)
{
StringBuilder fullCookie = new StringBuilder();
fullCookie.Append(string.Concat(cookieName, "=", sCookieValue ));
fullCookie.Append(string.Concat(";expires=", expirationDate.ToString("R")));
HtmlPage.Document.SetProperty("cookie", fullCookie.ToString());
}

public static int Set(string cookieName, object cookieValue, DateTime expirationDate)
{
int siz =0;
try
{
string sCookieVal = SerializeAndCompressBase64(cookieValue);
siz = sCookieVal.Length;
if (siz > 4095)
throw new InvalidOperationException("Cookie value cannot exceed 4095 characters.");
SetCookie(cookieName ,sCookieVal ,expirationDate );
}
catch
{
throw ;
}
return siz;
}

private static string SerializeAndCompressBase64( object cookieValue)
{
return Convert.ToBase64String(SilverlightSerializer.Serialize(cookieValue).Compress());
}



public static object Get(string cookieName)
{
object retval = null;
try
{
retval = DeserializeBase64Decompress(cookieName);
}
catch
{
throw ;
}
return retval;
}

public static bool Delete(string cookieName)
{
bool retval = true;
try
{
SetCookie(cookieName,null,DateTime.Now.AddDays(-365));
}
catch
{
retval = false;
}
return retval;
}
}
}


You can download the ASP.NET compatible version here, and the Silverlight version here. When running the Silverlight version, just reload the page in the browser, and the App.Xaml.cs class will change the RootVisual after running the app one time and detecting that the "Test2" cookie has been set, so that it will instead display the Xaml page that reads and shows the contents of the cookie that you set:

private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
if(HtmlPage.Document.Cookies.Contains("Test2") )
this.RootVisual = new Page2();
else
this.RootVisual = new MainPage();
}