Just finished Chapter 5, page 290 out of 750, or 38% done reading the 70-236 book.

Ordinarily if this was a particularly enthralling fantasy or sci-fi book, I'd be done with a 300-page paperback in a few hours.

This is more difficult - I actually have to remember this stuff, and understand it.

It's almost like I'm back in college... :)

As I was studying my books for the exams I'd need for the Microsoft Certified Master - Exchange 2007 program (aka Exchange Ranger), I was contemplating how or if I was going to be able to pay for this thing, being that the cost exceeds $18,000.

I figured I basically had two options:

1. Get my employer to pay for the program and the travel expenses:
   • Application: $150
   • "Tuition": $18,500  - either paid direct by the company, or partially by education reimbursement of approximately $5500.
   • Airfare: $500 (Atlanta to Seattle, Round Trip)
   • Hotel: $2200-2500 for 22 days, easily $100+ a night for a decent hotel.
   • Food: $700, about $30 a day.
   • Total: Approximately $22,350 for a seriously tough 3-week training and certification course.
2. Pay for it all myself.
   • Application: $150
   • Tuition: $18,500, or $595 for 36 months.. $21,445 total.
   • Airfare: Free. Delta Skymiles will pay for it.. :)
   • Hotel: $2200-2500 for 22 days. Possibly less, if I can leverage air miles, etc.
   • Food: $700
   • Total: $24,795.

Option #1 is less expensive to me, because there is the assumption that my employer will fund most if not all of the trip.  

Option #2 is much more expensive to me, but then again so are the benefits - it's technical training of a caliber that is difficult to obtain anywhere other than at Microsoft.

Personally, I think #2 is more ethical - I invest in my own training, and can therefore personally drive the results I want to get.

Also, a great list of the pre-reading materials suggested for MCM - in addition to the pre-requisite exams:

Microsoft Certified Master Pre-Readings and Documents

One of the suggested reading materials for Exchange is the Exchange 2007 Help file - yes, ALL OF IT.

Making my way through the 70-236 book.. on page 117 out of 750, Chapter 3 out of 13.

Also, a great blog post on Do you have what it takes to become a Microsoft Certified Master? at the Microsoft Exchange Team Blog - http://msexchangeteam.com/

Interesting note on the program fees for MCM (Master) and MCA (Architect):

• Microsoft Certified Master: All - $18,500.00 (USD)

• Microsoft Certified Architect: All - $5,000.00 (USD)

I say it's interesting because MCA was reported at being $25,000.. not $5000.

Still, that's $23,500 in total.. yikes!

Two other IT Industry standards that I need to learn about:

• MOF - Microsoft Operations Framework
• ITIL - Information Technology Infrastructure Library

They're standards and certifications focused around the "soft" skills of the IT industry, or IT business processes.

I'm good at processes and procedures...

They're one of the things one ought to learn to get beyond just the technical aspect of IT and into more of a consulting role.

For the first exam I have to take - Exam 70-236, Configuring Exchange Server 2007 - I'm studying the Microsoft self-paced training kit book.

I'm currently on page 30 out of .. 750... or about 4% through the book.

I know most of this stuff already, but you still have to go through the book to cover it all..

I've got a lab server downstairs running Windows Server 2008 and the Hyper-V virtualization software, booting off of an iSCSI SAN Storage array.

The server has no hard disks in it - just the chassis, a quad-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an Intel PRO/1000 PT Server Adapter to serve as the iSCSI boot adapter.

Cost me about $1200 for the server, and it runs pretty damn well.

I hope to make it through this book and all of the labs by the end of next week, so I can get at least this first exam out of the way.

I came across this really useful script for Hyper-V:

Hyper-V Remote Management Configuration Utility - Home

By default, if you have a Windows Server 2008 system running the Hyper-V virtual machine system, you can't run the Hyper-V management tools from a remote client.

To get the Hyper-V Remote Management tools, check this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=952627

Once you get the client, you may experience issues trying to connect to Hyper-V if your system is in a Workgroup or in a domain but you're running as a non-Domain Admin.

If so, get the Hyper-V Remote Management Configuration Utility.

One of the advanced Microsoft certifications I want to achieve, among many, is the new Microsoft Certified Master program for Exchange 2007.

Microsoft Certified Master

Microsoft Certified Master - Exchange 2007

This is a certification course that involves 3 weeks of in-depth training at Microsoft's campus in Redmond, and has a high price tag of $18,500.

However, before I can even apply to take the course, I have to pass four exams:

• Exam 70-236: TS: Exchange Server 2007, Configuring
• Exam 70-237: PRO: Designing Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
• Exam 70-238: PRO: Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

Additionally required:

• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003
  or
• Exam 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

Since I never got around to completing my MCSE, I'll have to take all four exams.

For these exams, I plan to study the books and perform lab work on a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V system I have running.

The next course rotation for the MCM Exchange 2007 track is March 16–April 4, 2009.

That gives me a little less than 4 months to take 4 exams - pretty aggressive, no?

I don't actually expect to attend the March 16–April 4 course track, but at least it's a goal I can set.

There should be more course rotations available after that, hopefully ones that are located closer to Atlanta.