We’re pleased to announce that Exam Ref 70-410: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012, by Craig Zacker, has shipped to the printer.

Prepare for Microsoft® Exam 70-410—and help demonstrate your real-world mastery of implementing and configuring Windows
Server 2012 core services. Designed for experienced IT professionals ready to advance their status, Exam Ref focuses on the critical-thinking
and decision-making acumen needed for success at the MCSA level.

Organized by exam objectives, and featuring challenging, what-if scenarios, this Exam Ref focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to
implement and configure Windows Server 2012 core services in an enterprise environment.

You can preorder the book from here and here.

You can download a couple of sample chapters here.

CHAPTER 1 Installing and configuring servers
CHAPTER 2 Configure server roles and features
CHAPTER 3 Configure Hyper-V
CHAPTER 4 Deploying and configuring core network services
CHAPTER 5 Install and administer Active Directory
CHAPTER 6 Create and manage Group Policy

Introduction

Most books take a very low-level approach, teaching you how to use basic concepts to
accomplish fi ne-grained tasks. Like the Microsoft 70-410 certification exam, this book takes a
high-level approach, building on your existing knowledge of lower-level Microsoft Windows
system administration and extending it into higher-level server concepts needed for Windows
Server 2012.

Candidates for this exam are information technology (IT) professionals who have Windows
Server 2012 operating system knowledge and experience and want to validate the skills and
knowledge necessary to implement the Windows Server 2012 core infrastructure services.
The 70-410 exam is the first in a series of three exams which validate the skills and knowledge
necessary to implement a core Windows Server 2012 Infrastructure into an existing
enterprise environment. This book therefore covers the initial implementation and configuration
of the Windows Server 2012 core services, such as Active Directory and the networking
services. This book, along with the remaining two books (covering the 70-411 and 70-412
exams), will collectively illustrate the skills and knowledge necessary for implementing, managing,
maintaining, and provisioning services and infrastructure in a Windows Server 2012
environment.

This book covers every exam objective, but it does not cover every exam question. Only
the Microsoft exam team has access to the exam questions themselves and Microsoft regularly
adds new questions to the exam, making it impossible to cover specific questions. You
should consider this book a supplement to your relevant real-world experience and other
study materials. If you encounter a topic in this book with which you do not feel completely
comfortable, use the links you’ll find in the text to find more information and take the time to
research and study the topic. Great information is available on MSDN, TechNet, and in blogs
and forums.

Microsoft certifications

Microsoft certifications distinguish you by proving your command of a broad set of skills and
experience with current Microsoft products and technologies. The exams and corresponding
certifications are developed to validate your mastery of critical competencies as you design
and develop, or implement and support, solutions with Microsoft products and technologies
both on-premise and in the cloud. Certification brings a variety of benefits to the individual
and to employers and organizations.

Preparing for the exam

Microsoft certification exams are a great way to build your resume and let the world know
about your level of expertise. Certification exams validate your on-the-job experience and
product knowledge. While there is no substitution for on-the-job experience, preparation
through study and hands-on practice can help you prepare for the exam. We recommend
that you round out your exam preparation plan by using a combination of available study
materials and courses. For example, you might use the Exam Ref and another study guide
for your “at home” preparation and take a Microsoft Official Curriculum course for the classroom
experience. Choose the combination that you think works best for you.