Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Microsoft certifications

A series of programs that provide certification of competency in Microsoft products. Administered throughout the world at Microsoft centers as well as colleges and universities, the certification exams consist of both core topics and elective material. The most popular programs are outlined below. See MCITP certification and MCTS Training.

MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional
Umbrella term for individuals passing exams in Microsoft certification categories.

MCSE - Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
The best-known certification level, geared to the technical specialist involved with advanced Microsoft products. Exams are available for the Windows 2000 product line and for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Specializations are offered in messaging and security.

MCSD - Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
For the VAR or software developer. Candidates must pass exams on Windows architecture and services plus programming languages of their choice.

MCDBA - Microsoft Certified Database Administrator
For the administrator involved with Microsoft's SQL Server database management system.

MCT - Microsoft Certified Trainer
For the person who trains others in these subjects through Microsoft authorized education sites.

MOUS - Microsoft Office User Specialist
For the user who requires proficiency with Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Microsoft App-V Virtualisation Issues: 5x5x5

Microsoft App-V Virtualisation Issues: 5x5x5
This is going to be a three-part series focusing on the some of the application compatibility challenges in getting applications to work on the Microsoft App-V virtualisation platform.

Over the next week, the three parts to this blog will include the following analysis:


1. The Top-5 application "pure" App-V compatibility issues
2. The Top-5 application compatibility issues for App-V on Windows 7 clients
3. The top-5 App-V 4.1 to 4.5 migration issues

There is a lot of analysis going on within ChangeBASE with over 5,400 applications in a number of formats in this particular analysis sample. As part of this compatibility review we are analysing the following application file formats;

· Microsoft Setup Executables (EXE's)
· WinInstall Setup Files
· Installshield Installation packages (EXE and ISS)
· Wise Installation packages (WSI, WSE and EXE)
· MSI Application packages (MSI, MST, MSP)
· Microsoft App-V files (SFT )


As part of this analysis, we've loaded more than 5000 applications into our AOK tool-set and run a number of our Microsoft App-V compatibility reports. I've filtered out the results somewhat and have included the TOP-5 application compatibility issues that we generally experience when packaging or sequencing (the packaging methodology for App-V) for the App-V platform. And, here are the results:

Top 5 App-V Compatibility Issues

Note: This distilled report was tuned for the App-V 4.2 deployment environment, not the most recent release (4.5 CU1 with all public hot fixes). I will generate a second table for 4.5 CU1 and 4.6 BETA in the third part of this series MCTS training.

To give a brief explanation of some of the results I have included, here are some brief descriptions of the reports that were run against this portfolio of over 5000 application packages and installation routines:


No Shortcut Check
This AOK Plugin analyses each selected and loaded application to ensure that each application package contains at least one shortcut. This is required as part of the compatibility requirements for some Virtualised environments.

Non-Supported Reboot Requirements
This AOK report analyses each loaded and selected application to identify if a reboot is required. As part of the application packaging process, some applications may require a reboot of the installation machine. Due to the nature of the virtualised environment installation process, some elements of the reboot process may not be captured and under some conditions the process may fail completely.

Hard Coded References Scan

This AOK Plugin analyses each loaded and selected application package for hard coded values of folder paths.

Non-Supported Drivers
Due to the nature of the App-V installation process, drivers are not able to be installed in the application bubble. These drivers may also cause application installation and functionality issues for both Citrix and Terminal Services as they rely on Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 server environments.

Non-Supported Service Installations
Due to the nature of virtualisation technologies, access to the local machine environment is not always viable or available. Machine-level services require full access to the machine and may require access to pre-boot operating level services MCITP Certification.

If you are wondering about the title, my 5x5x5 view of the world takes into account;

· App-V Virtualisation technologies
· Microsoft Windows 7 application compatibility issues
· App-V 4.x to 5.4 migration issues

The next stage of this series will be available in the next few days...

Friday, June 18, 2010

Microsoft to invest in enterprise handheld devices

Microsoft to invest in enterprise handheld devices
Microsoft said it is making several key investments in the enterprise handheld device market, at the launch of Motorola's ES400 enterprise digital assistant in New York.

These include the new Windows Embedded Handheld software platform designed to meet business scenarios and boost productivity of the mobile enterprise workforce, according to US reports.

The first release under the brand is scheduled for later in 2010 and will build on the Windows Mobile 6.5 platform.

This means OEMs can take enterprise handheld devices and enhance key applications with touch or gesture response and connectivity to Windows-based PCs, servers and enterprise services.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer also announced that Windows Embedded will continue to support developer tools used in building applications, including Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and Windows Forms.

This will help provide confidence that the existing investments will be protected over time as Microsoft releases new software platforms, he said.

An updated Windows Embedded Handheld platform based on Windows 7 technologies will be released in the second half of 2011, said Ballmer, offering enhanced features and functionality to meet the needs of networked enterprise devices MCITP Training.

The platform will also enable new key scenarios through support for rich user interfaces and natural input, he said.

Analyst firm VDC Research estimates there were 2.3m enterprise handheld device shipments in 2009, and expects this number to exceed 4.3m by 2014 MCTS Training.

The Windows Embedded CE and Windows Mobile platforms accounted for 87% of these 2009 shipments, and the relationships with its partner ecosystem continue to strengthen, VDC said.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Productivity On the Go with Office Web Apps

Microsoft Office Web Apps are officially live online. Businesses that rely on the Microsoft Office productivity suite now have new cloud-based options that foster sharing and collaboration with peers and partners, and enable mobile business professionals to remain productive using virtually any Web-enabled device from anywhere in the world with Web access.

office.live.com, log in with a Windows Live ID, and launch the online equivalents of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote MCTS Training. The online functionality is much more limited than what the actual desktop versions of the Microsoft Office applications are capable of, but they do provide a Web-based alternative for creating, viewing, and editing Microsoft Office files.

The features that are there are familiar and consistent with the interface users are accustomed to seeing when working with Microsoft Office. What's better is that files maintain their look and feel--or fidelity--when switching from Microsoft Office to Office Web Apps and back.

Office Web Apps is not without its issues. It saves files using the Office 2007 and Office 2010 format, which includes an 'x' at the end of the file extension--for example '*.docx' instead of '*.doc'. Many businesses still use the old file formats, but in Microsoft's defense the "new," XML-based formats have been around for nearly four years.

Companies can use office.live.com as a free, standalone office productivity and communications platform. In addition to the Office Web Apps, it provides access to Hotmail for e-mail, calendar, and contacts, as well as Messenger for instant messaging.

While we're not directly comparing the features and capabilities of Office Web Apps against Google Docs here, comparing the two is still the proverbial elephant in the room. Certainly, Microsoft is crossing into Google territory by launching a free online version of Microsoft Office, but no more so than Google encroached on Microsoft territory by developing a Microsoft Office alternative to begin with MCITP Training.

Google is stronger at Web-based apps, and Google Docs is a more mature product as far as free online office productivity suites go, but each has its pros and cons. Those who are already comfortable with Google Docs should probably just stick with it.

On the other hand, those who rely primarily on locally-installed Microsoft Office applications should definitely take a look at how Office Web Apps can enable better sharing and collaboration, and allow mobile users to be more productive. While Google Docs can provide similar capabilities for Microsoft Office users, it is like using the handle of a screwdriver to pound in a nail. It will work, but it's not the most elegant solution.

Microsoft's Office Live, and Office Web Apps are supported in Internet Explorer 7 and higher, Google Chrome, Firefox 3.5 and higher, and Safari 4 and higher, as well as through many smartphone Web browsers. iPhone and iPad users are out of luck, though, as the Safari browser used on those platforms is incompatible with Office Web Apps. You can view Office Web Apps files from an iPhone or iPad, but attempting to edit files or create new ones seems to just freeze the browser.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

IT Giants Launch Cyber Initiative for Young Emirati Girls

Despite the highest number of female Internet users of the Arab states in the Gulf, young women in the United Arab Emirates are especially susceptible to becoming victims of cyber crime, something the Dubai government and American IT companies hope to change by launching the inaugural TechnoGirls event.

While many teenage Arab girls know the ins and outs of social-networking sites, they have very limited knowledge of the threats that exist in cyberspace. Asma Ahmed Al Daghar, a student of the computer network technology program at Dubai Women’s College, said to Khaleej Times Online that girls know what words like “hacker” and “virus” mean, but they don’t know how they can be affected and how to protect themselves from these threats MCTS Training, MCITP Training.

To educate young girls on the dangers of hackers and social-engineering scams, more than 400 Emirati students from public and private schools today took part in TechnoGirls, a one-day event launched by the Dubai Minister of Education Humaid Al Qutami and Dubai Women’s College in partnership with IT corporations Microsoft, HP and Intel.

In addition to promoting awareness of how to protect young women online, the TechnoGirls event seeks to familiarize the girls with career opportunities in technology-related areas.

“There is a dire need of Emirati students in robotics, programming, software engineering and security systems,” said Jyothi Ganglani, a faculty member in charge of the project, to Khaleej Times.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML books summaries

Today, serious Web pages use HTML and XHTML to structure their content and CSS for style and presentation. You need a book that understands how to incorporate everything correctly. Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML explains the fundamentals of HTML, XHTML, topics like web color, and CSS properties. In this book, pictures and step-by-step instructions explain how to build great-looking, standards-compliant web sites. The Road to Programming is Sometimes Paved with Web Pages MCTS Training and MCTS Certification


I am often asked how I first got started in programming. Recently, I was interviewed by Girls Gone Geek, a weekly podcast on technology from a women’s perspective, and they asked if I got started by creating web sites. The Girls clearly have no idea how old I am! (Shhh…) I actually started programming long before the Web was a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee’s eye, but their question got me thinking, and I realized that creating a web site is a good way to get started on your way to programming.

Now, you might be thinking, “Writing HTML and CSS is not the same thing as programming”, and that’s technically true. But once you’ve put together a basic web page, you’ll have learned a lot about how the web works under the covers, and you’ll be able to tackle some simple programming concepts. The next logical step is to learn a bit of JavaScript, so you can create some cool effects on your web page. Before you know it, you’ll be learning Ajax, and then a server side programming language like PHP or Java, and then you’ll need a database, so you’ll learn some SQL… and ta da! You’re a web programmer. I work with several people who have taken an interesting path to programming. One friend has an advanced degree in music and is now a business data analysis expert; another started out wanting to be a farmer, became a web application programmer, and is now a serious Java programmer. For those of you who have no interest in the mechanics of web pages, there are lots of programs out there, like Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression, that will help you create a web page without having to know how HTML and CSS really work. But if you want to know what’s happening under the covers so you can learn about how web pages really work, and eventually write some JavaScript and do more advanced programming, I definitely recommend writing your own HTML and CSS from scratch. You can use a simple editor like TextEdit (on the Mac) or TextPad (on Windows). No need for anything fancy.

Another advantage to writing HTML and CSS yourself is that you can always write your web pages using the most current standards. When we wrote Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, HTML 4.01, CSS 2, and XHTML 1.0 were the most current and best supported versions of these technologies, and in fact they still are. But standards development is inching along and before too long, HTML 5, CSS 3 and XHTML 2.0 will be launched and supported by browsers. If you stay up to date with these standards, you’re likely to be writing far better code than programs like Dreamweaver or Expression do.

Once the new standards for HTML, CSS and XHTML are nailed down a bit more, we’ll update Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML to include some of the cool new features. HTML 5 will be more strict than HTML 4 was, but it’s designed to be backwards compatible with older browsers, so you will be able to convert your HTML 4 pages to HTML 5 web pages without worrying too much about breaking them in older browsers. (However, always keep in mind that there is no substitute for lots of testing!)

In the meantime, you can write HTML 4.01, CSS 2 and XHTML 1 knowing that these standards will be the most current and the best supported for quite a while. When the new standards are released and supported by browsers, we’ll help you sort through it all so you can focus on creating great web pages and building up your web skills. And once you get the hang of some of these web page skills, you might very well find yourself wanting to move from creating web pages to programming.

Book Description

A Learner’s Companion to HTML, CSS, and XHTML

Friday, June 11, 2010

List of Microsoft Certifications 2010

Microsoft Certifications Titles & Description

(1) MCTS Training :- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and to distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in Microsoft specialized technologies.

(2) MCITP Training :- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certifications demonstrate comprehensive skills in planning, deploying, supporting, maintaining, and optimizing IT infrastructures.

(3)MCPD:- Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certifications demonstrate comprehensive skills in designing, developing,and deploying applications for a particular job role. These certifications show that you have the skills required to perform the job successfully.

(4) Microsoft Certified Architect Program:- The Microsoft Certified Architect program targets Solutions Architects and Infrastructure Architects who successfully apply frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture through the entire IT life cycle.

(5)MCDST:- A Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) demonstrates technical and customer service skills in troubleshooting hardware and software operation issues in Microsoft Windows environments.

(6)MCLC:- The Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant (MCLC) credential recognizes Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) whose job roles have grown to include frequent consultative engagements with customers. These MCTs are experts in designing and delivering customized learning solutions.

(7)MCSA:- A Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) administers network and systems environments based on the Windows operating systems. Specializations include the MCSA: Messaging and the MCSA: Security.

(8)MCSE:- A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designs and implements an infrastructure solution that is based on the Windows operating system and Windows Server System software. Specializations include the MCSE: Messaging and the MCSE: Security.

(9)MCDBA:- A Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) designs, implements, and administers Microsoft SQL Server databases.

(10)MCT:- A Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) is a qualified instructor who is certified by Microsoft to deliver Microsoft training courses to IT professionals and developers.

(11)MCAD:- A Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) uses Microsoft technologies to develop and maintain department-level applications, components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services.

(12)MCSD:- A Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) designs and develops leading-edge business solutions with Microsoft development tools, technologies, platforms, and the Windows operating system.

(13) Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist:- A Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist demonstrates proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics and related business products.

(14) Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional:- A Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional demonstrates professional proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics in one of three knowledge areas: applications, developer, or installation and configuration.

(15)MOS:- A Microsoft Office Specialist (Office Specialist) is globally recognized for demonstrating advanced skills in using Microsoft desktop software.

(16)MCAS:- A Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) has advanced business skills with the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista.

(17)MCAP:- A Microsoft Certified Application Professional (MCAP) demonstrates advanced cross-industry and cross-job role capabilities in using the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Microsoft Office Share Point Server sites.