MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-294): Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure [W

The 70-294 Self-Paced Training Kit does an outstanding job in teaching the objectives of the exam. Especially useful are the practice activities at the end of each lesson/chapter. Getting hands-on experience with Active Directory is a must to pass this exam, and this books makes getting that hands-on experience a breeze. Of all the MSPress books I have bought, this one is the best.

This is another excellent book from Microsoft Press. I'm not a native English speaker but the books from Microsoft Press are pretty good to read because Microsoft uses clear technical languages that is easy to understand. The questions, practices and troubleshooting labs are good resources to prepare for Exam. I would like to recommend this book for any Windows Admins who is going to take the 70-294 exam.

This was my primary resource in preparations for the exam, which I passed easily. Material is well presented, although I have found several mistakes and there are a lot of superfluous "lesson reviews" and "lesson summaries" at the end of each lesson. In my opinion, the best parts of this book are practices and troubleshooting labs. I have set up a little virtual network on my PC (using Virtual PC and Virtual Server), and have done all of them. They really help you gain some practice using Active Directory tools under Windows. I had 2 questions on my exam in which one had to demonstrate practical knowledge of using these tools, and I have heard that Microsoft will add them more.

This book is pretty good along the lines of technical manuals. It keeps the information clear and lays it out in a way that makes it easy to understand with no fillers added. The activities at the end of the book are a little much, so I mostly ignored them. Unfortunately one thing this book lacks is ALL the information you might be tested for on the exam. For example, the book does not go into detail on the Authorization Manager. The new revisions might but check the ones you buy for it. Mine did not have it, however the software that came with the book asked questions on these different utilities that weren't covered in the book at all. It was a little suprising to be honest. But overall it was a good book.

The authors and editors of this book deserve a pat on the back for a job well done. Anyone who is new (and some people not so new) to Active Directory can benefit from reading this book. From the start the book comes out strong. No worthless filler here; just logically organized, to the point text, diagrams and screen shots that help the reader understand AD from top to bottom. I like this book so well that I regularly purchase it for my consulting clients in need of a better understanding of AD. This book is a winner and a valuable resource even for those not studying for the exam.