MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Second Edition

Book Description

Get in-depth training and practice with the skills measured by the core exams for MCSE certification for Windows Server 2003all in one box! Covering Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, and 70-294, these four, all-new Microsoft study guides pack the tools and features that exam candidates want mostincluding in-depth, self-paced training based on final exam content; rigorous, objective-by-objective reviews; exam tips from expert, exam-certified authors; and a robust testing suite. They also provide real-world scenarios, case study examples, and troubleshooting labs for skills and experience that you can apply to the job.

Customer Reviews:

Good info for a cheap price.......2007-09-27

This series covers all of what I need to know for MCSE. It comes with a nice price. Well worth it.

This can teach old dogs new tricks.......2007-09-02

This is a one of a kind Self Pace training course that has taugh this old dog new trick... I am well pleased with the results and indepth and detail of the material...

Good Product ! excellent training material.......2007-07-29

This kit is a must for everybody who is intrested in getting certified for the first 4 core exams of the MCSE certificate.

Foreigners outside of USA, please keep in mind that your package may be opened by customs en therefore its resealed and its possible that your package will get damaged (like i had). Books & CDs where in good condition but the box which keeps that books in place was damaged.

Besides that this kit will give you a voucher for 15& of discount on all 4 exams which are valid till 2010.

Excellent Condition.......2007-06-27

The study guides I ordered came to me in excellent condition and I paid half the retail cost. I couldn't be happier.

MCSE Here I Come. :0).......2007-05-24

Sofar this Purchase is a great investment to my Career Future.

Average customer rating:

Good coverage of an important topic
The definitive book on software requirements
Flawed Premise
Enlightening Read for a Requirements Novice Like Me
Software Requirements, Second Edition

Software Requirements, Second Edition
Karl E. Wiegers
Manufacturer: Microsoft Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0735618798

Amazon.com

"Requirements" are essential for creating successful software because they let users and developers agree on what features will be delivered in new systems. Karl Wiegers's Software Requirements shows you how to define and get more out of software requirements with dozens of "best practices" and tips that make this book a valuable resource for both software project managers and developers.

The book's commonsense approach provides exemplary project management skills tailored to gathering (and refining, implementing, and eventually tracking) software requirements. While the book often cites recent software engineering studies, the focus always returns to practical management techniques. A case study for a chemical tracking application frames the book, and most chapters begin with anecdotes that demonstrate situations in which users and developers misunderstand each other about a software project's ultimate goals. (If you've ever worked in the field, these stories will probably sound all too familiar.)

This book offers hope, though, for improving your software design process, with dozens of tips on getting better design input from your customers and then using these requirements to generate a variety of design documents. There are numerous templates and sample documents too--a big help for the busy software manager.

Several standout sections cover negotiating difficult steps in the process, particularly how to manage shifting requirements as projects move forward and keep the various users and stakeholders content throughout the software process. Late in the book, the author surveys today's software management tools and shows how to pick the right ones for your organization.

Anchored by the author's considerable experience and software engineering expertise, this jargon-free and practical guide to software requirements can definitely give you the edge in managing software projects more efficiently. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: software requirements specifications (SRS); business and user requirements; risk management; the requirements process; sample documents and templates; requirements development: elicitation, analysis, specification, and verification; rights and responsibilities for software customers; best practices; project management tips; process assessment and improvement; types of users; product champions; use cases and other diagrams; tips for prototyping; managing requirements change; change centered boards (CCBs); evaluating and using requirements tools; requirements traceability matrix; impact analysis.

Product Description

Have you ever delivered software that satisfied all the project specifications - and seemingly none of the customer's expectations? As a customer, do you find yourself guessing exactly what kind of information developers need from you? Without formal, ver

Customer Reviews:

Good coverage of an important topic.......2007-09-16

Requirements Engineering is very important in order to create useful software. In chapter 1 the author also emphasizes the importance of the relationship between customer and development team. In the section titled "requirements bills" of rights and responsibilities for software customers, he summarizes the most important points. If the relationship and the communication between you and your customers is bad, you can't expect to write useful software.

Therefore you also need to take the communication between you and your customers into account. I recommend reading chapter 4 "giving and receiving criticism" in Effective Communication Skills for Scientific and Technical Professionals

In the appendix of "software requirements" there is an assesment which you can use to assess your current requirement pratice. It allows you to figure out the areas in which you can further improve your requirements engineering.

This book touches all important areas of requirements engineering and is a recommended reading for everyone who wants to write useful software.

The definitive book on software requirements.......2007-08-30

This book covers all the different aspects of software requirements in a very concise way. Very interesting is the description of the elements and relationship between "Business Requirements", "User Requirements", "Business Rules", "Quality Attributes", "System Requirements", "Functional Requirements", "External Interfaces" and "Constraints". In appendix it has a good example on the requirements for an hypothetical Cafeteria Ordering System.

Flawed Premise.......2007-08-29

If you are enamored with The One Big Document approach to software requirements, then this is your book. Read it and enjoy.

If like me you have been on many projects where The One Big Document approach didn't work, stay clear of this book. While it gives some great advice on how to solicit feedback, it still advocates the traditional approach of defining a document that encapsulates all the requirements of the customer.

Why is this a bad thing? Here are some specific examples that should give you pause:
1) Requirements are notoriously open to interpretation. What the customer wants and what they eventually get can be and are often two very different things. It doesn't matter if your document is ten pages or ten thousand.
2) A requirements document is a product in and of itself, separate from the system that it tries to describe. It takes a great deal of resource and discipline to keep it current with the actual system over time, and in many shops this is a losing proposition.
3) Because it is a pain to keep up to date with the system, shops that I've been in have labored under the false optimism that they can come up with a perfect document up front. If there is one constant in software engineering though, it is that the needs of the customer are never static.
4) I have seen developers approach requirements documentation with the attitude that if it is exacting enough, the customer will be cornered because changes to the initial spec will be too odious to make later.

None of this is to say that there should not be requirements - there absolutely should! But I have come to believe after all these many years of software development that the best way to obtain requirements is to actually make them executable artifacts of the system (aka high level acceptance testing, which the author gives scant description of).

For anyone that is interested, I would recommend the book 'Fit for Developing Software'. Here are some of the things about this approach that have obvious advantage over the writing of massive requirement specs:
1) Tests are basically scenarios that illustrate system behavior. They are laid out in such a way that a non-programmer could easily come up with them.
2) Such behavior is expressed in a concrete way that is anything but ambiguous.
3) There is no need for the customer to exhaustively define everything up front. If they refine their expectation/needs after some period of time, they can alter the acceptance tests accordingly in collaboration with Product Managers and/or development staff.
4) All stakeholders have a way of knowing the state of the development process at any time.
5) A delivered system is either correct (passes all of the acceptance tests) or it is not. There is no room for interpretation.
6) The acceptance tests are always in sync with the system because they are executable. If a test does not pass, it reflects either a bug in the system or the need to revisit the tests.

This approach does not completely obviate the need for any kind of formal documentation. However, from what I have experienced with it so far, it does reduce a significant amount of the cost that would otherwise be spent on The One Big Document. It does this by showing what the system must do in a manner that is measurable, rather than simply stating it.

Enlightening Read for a Requirements Novice Like Me.......2007-08-14

When I first purchased this book back in 2006, I went through most of it fairly quickly, and even downloaded some of Wiegers supplementary material from processimpact.com. Some of my colleagues took notice and together we formed a mini-workshop using the downloaded materials, which we used to gather requirements for an enhancement to one of the applications I assist in managing.

A merger and subsequent reorganization later, I found the time to finish the book. I recommend it for the developer or technical manager who finds themselves in a project that lacks thorough requirements development. The book uses appropriate tone and terminology to address its' intended audience; it is neither too simplistic nor overly dense. It has enough supplementary material to preclude the need to build a requirements development process from scratch without looking too much like a cookbook. Its' bibliography includes several classics and many references not familiar to me. All in all, a balanced book about requirements development and management.

Software Requirements, Second Edition.......2007-03-17

Great book and great condition.
The book is straight to the point with many examples. Unlike other text book, this one is never boring. Nicely written. I give the author A+

Use Cases: Requirements in Context, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Excellent high level & indepth details in developing Use Cases
Excellent Book
A great path to follow
A Great Book for Use Case driven Requirements Modeling
The Best Use Case Book I've Read So Far

Use Cases: Requirements in Context, Second Edition
Daryl Kulak , and Eamonn Guiney
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321154983

Book Description

Use Cases: Requirements in Context describes how to gather and define software requirements using a process based on use cases. It shows systems analysts and designers how use cases can provide solutions to the most challenging requirements issues, resulting in effective, quality systems that meet the needs of users. Specifically, with use cases, you can:

Reduce the incidence of duplicate and inconsistent requirements; Communicate requirements that are understandable to both users and developers; Prototype the right system well before the design phase is underway; Document the entire requirements process clearly and efficiently.

Use Cases: Requirements in Context first examines the difficulties of requirements gathering and briefly introduces both use cases and the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Using detailed examples that run through the book, it then elaborates a four-step method for establishing requirements--an iterative process that produces increasingly refined requirements. Drawing on their own extensive experience, the authors offer practical advice on how to manage this process, including guidance on planning, scheduling and estimating. They also reveal common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid.

This detailed, hands-on book shows you how to:

Describe object relationships and interactions with use case diagrams and scenarios Specify functional and non-functional requirements Create the candidate use case list Break out detailed use cases and add detail to use case diagrams Add triggers, preconditions, basic course of events, and exceptions to use cases

Other topics include stakeholder interviews, use case name filters, the context matrix, user interface requirements, team organization, and quality assurance.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent high level & indepth details in developing Use Cases.......2005-12-24

Too often you find books on these subjects that tend to talk theory, leaving it to you to determine how you'll apply that theory. This book in excellent, not only in presenting the theory, but even more so when it deals with interviewing, testing and taking a Use Case artifact through the various iterations to the Finished (polished) state.

If you've never done Use Cases, start with this book.
If you've used Use Cases, but not studied the theory, continue with this book.
If you want to teach others, apply this book.

It is great all around.

Excellent Book.......2003-05-31

Very interesting stuff and fluid understanding..Could have more topics though

A great path to follow.......2003-01-17

Being in the middle of a messy project this book came to me a little late. I consider is one of the best introductions to
the understanding of what a use case is and WHAT things you should put in it. Everbody has suffered for long endless meetings discussing which is the scope of the use cases and how it should be used, I strongly recomend to read this book before start arguing.
I give it four starts because it lacks in some way of paths that can work as guidelines trough the process, although is not the focus of this book, it would very useful to include a couple of pages reviewing this subject.

A Great Book for Use Case driven Requirements Modeling.......2002-10-28

I saw this book in a stall, while searching for some other book. I had a glance at it and really liked the simplicity and practical approach. Once I bought it and read it completely, I felt happy to find such a great book on Requirements Study. To read and understand this book you need not have a lot of experience or a Requirements Specialist. I feel anyone from Programmer to Project Manager will find this book very useful. The authors teach you in a very practical manner, how to come out with good Use Cases. I enjoyed reading this book, applied the concept in my projects while doing Requirements Study and now can happily recommend this book to others.

Three cheers to the authors for a great work.

Note: I found Craig Larmen, while talking about Use Cases in his best selling book on UML and Patterns talks highly about this book.

The Best Use Case Book I've Read So Far.......2002-02-13

Programmers naturally hate use cases. They seem boring, and having seen hundreds of them (written by others and handed to me) over the years, I had lost hope that this practice would ever be of any benefit. I had grown tired of constantly reading varying levels of abstraction and `use-case-itis'. All this, despite the fact that Jacobson's original work and the UDP incorporation of use cases as central to that process was clearly a better way to go than wading through hundreds, sometimes thousands of pages of `shall' statements that accompany most projects (and too often, lead to their failure).

Then I read this book. I now use it regularly in every requirements-related class I teach, and I tell every programmer I meet to buy this book. Imagine a use case book that programmers can actually get excited about! This book blazes new territory and its practical insights and humor make it a fun read, as well.

Here are the great highlights:
1. Properly scoping and relating use cases
2. Introducing Business Rules as 'first-class citizens"
3. Applying UDP iterations to the use case development process.

These last two items make the book stand out. Understanding the importance of business rules as enterprise-wide invariants that span use cases is ground-breaking. The four UDP iterations are ingenious because they can help to enforce the proper level of abstraction, which is a big problem area for use cases. Try it, you'll like it!

In addition, the book is loaded with great practical advice and examples of good (and bad!) use case text. And finally, the authors present the most compelling arguments I've ever heard for ditching traditional requirements-gathering methods (which have clearly FAILED), because use cases are, after all, requirements IN CONTEXT (like the title says). If every use case writer read this book and followed it's advice, the software crisis would be dealt a serious blow.

Customer Reviews:

THE Book on Requirements.......2006-04-03

Being in the software industry for about 10 years, I had known that our teams often did a poor job of managing, gathering, and understanding requirements. Our projects suffered because of this, and despite my gut instincts we were going the wrong direction, I often felt that I didn't have statistics and the insight to counter some of the more experienced staff or management. This book greatly has changed that as now I can come in armed with info and present better ways to improve our requirements management. I now feel that we'll deliver the right product or system instead of breaking the hearts of our customer and our own team members (because we won't be failing!). The authors also write in a very clear manner and provide excellent examples. I can't believe I am writing this about a requirements book, but I found myself actually _looking forward_ to reading each chapter. I am now confident I have the tools we need to sucessfully manage requirements. Thanks for a great book!

Well organized and written, based on their vast experience.......2004-02-02

I'm quite surprised to be the first reviewer of the second edition of this book since it ia a reference in requirements management.

After, but even during, reading this book you perceive that it's a sum up of their vast, deep and long experience. The authors are the implementors of RequisitePro the tool, now part of the Rational Suite, for requirements management, but this book is not a promo. Instead the whole process of gathering, organizing, and connecting (to following steps in the process) requirements is presented. It's clear to them that basically you have to collect the clouded needs of the stakeholders and formalize them in a set of documents that you have to give to the development team. And the entire process should effectively work, managing change.

After introductory chapters, you are presented with six skills a requisite team shoud have to effectively manage requrements and each skill is expressed, through different chapters, with what needs to be done and what needs to be produced.

I especially reccommend team skill 6 'Building the Right System' because in those chapters you find how to connect use cases to design (chapter 25), how to generate test cases from use cases (chapter 26), traceability techniques and tool from user needs to code (chapter 27). Besides this, team skill 4 'Managing scope'.

Don't forget to read chapter 30 that illustrates and compares extreme, agile, and roubust requirements gathering methodologies, and chapter 31 that sums up all the steps illustrated in the book, suggesting a methodology for requirements gathering based on the kind of project.

In the appendix you find chapters with the whole results of the case study (HOLIS), the detailed template of basic and fundamental documents for software requirements management, and, above all, two chapters one that is a brief presentation of RUP and another that is an indication on how to link the process so far developed to SEI-CMM and ISO 9000:2000.

Another useful feature is the fact that every concept is illustrated with a simple,visual example (in visual modeling philosophy) that allows you to impress the concept in mind. At the end you come out with all the concepts you found (even from different sources, but unrelated) with the big picture.
This is my first book on software requirements but it has many pros and only one con. It's a recent book that is aware of the state-of-the-art in managing software requirements (see bibliography), and I'm sure that other books in this field can't be overwhelmingly better. The only con, that is easily resolvable, is that the documents illustrated could have been included in a CD with the book.

Software Requirements: Objects, Functions and States, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

This is my table top book for requirements
The BEST reference book on non-functional requirements
Good reference book
THE Software Requirements Engineering Textbook

Software Requirements: Objects, Functions and States, Second Edition
Alan M. Davis
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 013805763X

Book Description

Covering the full spectrum of software requirements approaches, this book compares and contrasts both problem analysis techniques and notations as well as software requirements specification techniques and notations. It provides detailed comparisons of all the requirements engineering approaches--whether they emphasize objects, functions and dataflow, or behavior--including enough information about each so readers can use them immediately. An ideal reference for practicing requirements analysts and engineers, and requirements and specification writers.

Customer Reviews:

This is my table top book for requirements.......2007-05-10

This book is not new, but still is the best reference for requirements specification methods you can find. Must read for any practicing Software Engineer or systems analyst. I would love to see another edition of this book.

The BEST reference book on non-functional requirements.......2001-09-28

I should admit right away: I have not read the whole book. However, it is one of my most frequently used references at work, when I need to express the requirements that do not fit into use-case format.
The collection of techniques in the book is truly impressive. Aside from dataflow graphs, decision tables, state charts of all flavors, the book includes some exotic techniques, such as Petri nets.
You never know what will come handy on your next project, so keep Davis' book on your shelf.

Good reference book.......1998-04-08

The best thing about this book is the extensive list of reference literature; almost 800 of them. Other good parts are examples of standards for writing requirements specifications, and how to pin down and analyse difficult problems. On the down side, it sometimes goes into too great detail. It could be written a bit more pedagogic.

THE Software Requirements Engineering Textbook.......1995-12-14

Through this book I finally learned what is meant by analysis in software engineering, that most people are designing even though they might be saying that they are analyzing and that there is not just one universal requirements technique. The selection of the technique depends on the problem you have.

MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft Windows 2000 Core Requirements, Second Edition, Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, 70-217

Average customer rating:

Technical but still Good!
15% coupon expired
Find Another Place to start
Intermediate/advanced level Books
Attained MCSA !!

MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft Windows 2000 Core Requirements, Second Edition, Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, 70-217
Microsoft Corporation , and Microsoft Corporation
Manufacturer: Microsoft Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0735617716

Product Description

Microsoft Windows 2000 Core Requirements - MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit - Ed. 2 - self-training course - CD

Customer Reviews:

Technical but still Good!.......2004-07-15

I found these books to be Good to Excellent. They are fairly technical but they also cover a lot of the details that you can expect to find on the exams. I have passed 5 of 7 MCSE tests using these books and practice questions from Transcenders. These questions are helpful because of the long winded, detailed answers. Also, if you really want to learn networking, try the lab videos at trainsignal, www.trainsignal.com, they pick up where the books and questions leave off.

15% coupon expired.......2004-02-06

The listing promises a coupon for 15% off the testing fee, but when the books arrived yesterday, Feb 5th, 2004, the coupon had expired on December 31, 2003.

Find Another Place to start.......2004-01-24

Unless you have the two plus years of experience, or your own Win 2K lab, I would start with the "Jump Start" guides, and the inside scoop for Windows 2000 Pro. The MCSE is an undertaking for the new be, and using these books alone is like tying to learn how to drive a car by opening the glove box and reading the owners manual.

Intermediate/advanced level Books.......2003-07-13

This set of books are written for people who have some experience in the IT field. If you have never worked in the IT field this set of books are useless unless you have live instruction with them. These books are written in what you might call micronese as opposed to easy to read and understand laymans lauguage. The labs in the books assume you have some understanding of MSDOS(CMD). Almost all chapters reference other chapters taking you on a confusing tour of total confusion. I have replaced my set with the Sybex books which takes you step by step through all labs with full easy to understand lauguage.

Attained MCSA !!.......2003-05-15

Along with purchasing the 70-218 book, I used this kit, hands-on experience, and a commercial assessment tool and attained MCSA status. It's Microsoft who offers the certifications, why not use their books? Know your stuff + know what they want you to know = PASS !! For the price of the bundle and the accuracy of the information, you can't go wrong.

MCSE Core Requirements, Second Edition (4 Book Set with 8 CD-ROMS)

Average customer rating:

It provides the basics for those with no experience
Didn't focus on how to apply knowledge
I haven't read it yet
MCSE Core Requirements
You get what you pay for!

MCSE Core Requirements, Second Edition (4 Book Set with 8 CD-ROMS)

Manufacturer: Sybex Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0782122450

Book Description

Buy all four and save! This boxed set of study guides covers all four core Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) exams: Networking Essentials, NT Server 4, NT Server 4 in the Enterprise, and NT Workstation 4. Hands-on exercises use real-world examples to illustrate key concepts and improve understanding. Includes 8 CDs , 4 containing computer-based instruction from LearnKey, Inc. on key MCSE topics, and 4 containing sample testing programs, electronic flashcards, and information resources.

Customer Reviews:

It provides the basics for those with no experience.......2001-01-07

I bought the boxed set, but I didn't use them to pass the 3 required exams: NT 4.0 SERVER, SERVER IN THE ENTERPRISE AND NT 4.0 WORKSTATION. Why? Because each book is huge, I tried reading through the first couple of chapters of NT Server 4.0 and ended up quitting because the information was very basic. It's really good for people who have absolutely no networking knowledge at all, because it covers basic networking. I have used the program and taken some classes so I found these books a waste of time for me. I wanted to save time (who has time to waste reading a 500 to 600 page book when you can read one that's half the size)so I used Sybex's MCSE core requirements NOTES instead. These books cut through all the unnessary stuff and give you the information you need to pass the exams.

However, I must say that I would not have passed if I did not use the practice tests put out but Transender corporation. the question's used in the exam notes book's did not prepare me for the exams. In conclusion, If you want to pass read the MCSE CORE REQUIREMENTS NOTES AND KNOW THE INFORMATION ON THE TRANSENDER EXAMS AND YOU WILL PASS. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Didn't focus on how to apply knowledge.......2000-09-18

These books are awful! I am a IS Manager for a school district and the typo's I found were frustrating. For example, I used it as a quick reference for the proper UNC path for user profiles. I kept racking my brain for two hours trying to figure out why it wasn't working. I finally realized that the path they had written down (\\server_name\winnt\profiles)(p.346 in NT server 4 book) was completely wrong!!! The proper path shopuld be \\server_name\profiles\username.

Sorry, just venting. Buy the Exam crams if you want to be MCSE. I struggled with the Sybex books for 6 months. I bought the Exam Crams and passed all 6 exams in 5 months

Jeff Tangen MCSE

I haven't read it yet.......2000-08-22

But so far, I give the books 3 stars. I hope they will help me achieve my dream of being a blackjack wizard.

MCSE Core Requirements.......2000-05-14

Obtuse, and wordy. Authors refuse to abbreviate "Windows NT" and use it repetitively as many as 5 to 10 times per page. The material is confusing. If you are new to the subject avoid this set. As one reviewer said they can spend half a page telling you how to get to the control panel, on the other hand they will frequently make reference to something with no indication at all where to find it. Most important while you may be able to derive the information needed for the exams, this set does little in the way of preparing you for them. It only gives very brief overviews of what is required. I find the New Riders to be very helpful others might be trancendors and exam cram.

You get what you pay for!.......2000-05-12

These book only skim the surface of the details that you will see on the test. If all you want to do learn enough to JUST pass the exam, then these books are for you!

On most of the tests, there are at least 3-5 questions covering material found no where in the book. Doesn't sound like much until you realize there are only 30 questions on the entire exam. I have passed all four exams at this point on the first try.

To Summarize: Networking Essentials was a good book. Past that the rest of the books were crap. Most people I know use the Transender Practice Exams to supplement these poorly written books. It is amazing to see how much information these books do not cover.

My advice would be to check out the books from Microsoft Press. Consider it an investment in your career. Also they cover the same material in three books.

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