MCTS - Windows SharePoint Serivces 3.0, Configuring

Hi all,

Last week, after spending some time working and studying WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007, I passed with 100% on the 70-631 exam

Passing this exam gives you the MCTS in WSS 3.0, Configuring.
This post helps you, as a guide, that might be interested on passing the 70-631 exam.

I found the exam pretty straigh forward and simple. Even not having too much experience in Network Infrastructure all the questions are not very deep and you are able to easily find lots of documentation doing some "googling".

I recomend you to prepare a test environment using VMWare or any virtualization software you find easy to use to simulate your WSS 3.0 environment.

In my case I am using Windows Virtual PC/Windows 2008 Server/SQL Express/WSS3.0.

The exam is composed by 41 questions to be completed in 2 hours. I would divide the exam in the following sections (You can also follow the Microsoft Learning Guide for WSS3.0, which is pretty much what is aked on the exam test!):

Monitor Windows SharePoint Services
What to research/study: WSS Logs, Logging activities in a farm, What is MOM (Microsoft Operations Manager), IIS Logs.

Configure Security for Windows SharePoint Services
What to research/study: How to implement SSL on WSS3.0, Using Microsoft ISA with WSS3.0, SQL authentication and database permissions and for WSS3.0, Roles and site permissions, Configure Information Rights Management (IRM), Configure Web Applications(Authentication), Apllication pools on IIS, Use of IRM.

Deploy Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (WSS)
What to research/study: Upgrade WSS2.0 to WSS3.0, Configure language packs on WSS 3.0, Install WSS 3.0.

Administer Windows SharePoint Services
What to research/study: What to research/study: Using basic stsadm commands (Backup, Deploy solutions and features), Recylcle bins, Use of content type, Configure Alternative access mapping for Web applications, Configure Workflows.

Manage Customization
What to research/study: Basic use of SharePoint Designer, Master pages, Page Layouts, Adding Web Parts to a page trough SPD,

Configure Network Infrastructure for Windows SharePoint Services
What to research/study: Configure Network Balancing, Configure DNS, Configure Alternative access mapping for Web applications.

If you have gone trough all those items, nothing can go wrong. Two hours is plenty of time to do finish and review all questions! If I had to give you a tip I would recommend you to focus your study on 2 sectons: Monitor Windows SharePoint Services, Configure Network Infrastructure for Windows SharePoint Services.

Also don't forget that the passing score is 70%!
Good luck!

Usefull links
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-631.mspx
http://zieglers.wordpress.com/2007/09/14/exam-70-631-ts-windows-sharepoint-services-30-configuring/
http://grounding.co.za/blogs/neil/archive/2008/06/20/preparation-guide-for-exam-70-631-wss-3-0.aspx