Exam Profile MCTS 70-638: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring
Date: Oct 2, 2012
The 70-638 exam is meant to be taken by IT professionals who have a minimum of one year of experience using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 or Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and related technologies. In addition, candidates should have experience using and configuring Active Directory and network infrastructure components that support the deployment and ongoing management of Office Communications Server 2007 versions.
After you pass Exam 70-638, TS: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring, you complete the requirements for the following Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Office Communications Server 2007, Configuration certification.
Microsoft Office 70-638: TS: Communications Server 2007, Configuring exam counts as credit toward the following certification(s):
- Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) on Windows Server 2003
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003
- Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Exam Details
- Number of Questions: Approximately 50 questions (Since Microsoft does not publish this information, the number of exam questions may change without notice.)
- Types of Questions: This test format is multiple choice and multiple choice multiple answer.
- Passing Score: 700
- Time Limit: 195 minutes
- How to Register: Prometric.com
This passing score does not mean that you must answer 70 percent of the items correctly in order to pass the exam. The actual percentage varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent. There is no penalty for guessing. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. If a question specifies that you must choose multiple correct answers, you must choose the exact number of correct answers specified in the question in order to earn a point for that item. Some of the questions on the exam may not count toward the calculation of your score. Microsoft will often throw a question in that is meant to gather data that will help them improve the exam.
Trouble Spots
As with any exam, it will vary from person to person as to what is deemed to be difficult. Be sure you are familiar with each of the topics in the Exam Objectives listed in the section below.
Deploying Office Communications Server 2007 R2 is available only in a 64-bit edition, which requires 64-bit hardware and the 64-bit edition of Windows Server. Client computers are not required to have 64-bit hardware or software. All server roles of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Enterprise Edition require one of the following operating systems:
- The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard operating system, or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise operating system
- The Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition operating system with Service Pack 2 (SP2), or the Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition operating system with SP2
- The Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 Edition operating system with SP2, or the Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition operating system with SP2
There are some new AD requirements prior to deploying OCS 2007 R2:
- All Global Catalogs in the forest must have Windows 2003 SP1 or later
- All Domains need to be at least Windows 2003 Domain Functional Level
- Domain Controllers must have Windows 2003 SP1 or later.
If Internet Information Services (IIS) is not already installed, you will receive a message telling you that Certificate Services Web Enrollment Support will be unavailable until IIS is installed.
You must configure Windows Firewall to enable the remote administration exception in order to deploy or administer Office Communications Server 2007 R2 while Windows Firewall is running. To remotely administer or deploy the Web Components Server, you must also add Inetinfo.exe to the Windows Firewall exceptions list.
As a best practice, you should take regular, periodic snapshots throughout the day and perform a full backup every 24 hours. If you use the simple recovery model, databases can be recovered to the point of the last backup. Microsoft recommends the following concerning backups of OCS:
- Perform regular backups at appropriate intervals. The simplest and most commonly used backup type and rotation schedule is a full, nightly backup of the entire SQL Server database. By performing a full backup nightly, the restoration process requires only one backup tape and the most data that could be lost is a single day.
- Schedule backups when normal Office Communications Server 2007 R2 usage is low. Scheduling backups at times when the server is not under peak load improves server performance and the user experience.
- Plan for and schedule periodic testing of the restoration processes supported by your organization.
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Enterprise Edition stores data in SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2005 with SP2 databases, as well as in specific file shares. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Standard Edition stores data in SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with SP2 databases, as well as in specific file shares.
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 allows several different clients to be installed. Some of the available clients are Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 (MOC), Live Meeting, Group Chat, also add-in for Outlook. Communicator can be installed in several different ways, such as: using MSI switches in silent mode, logon script, and/or using software distribution system such as System Center Configuration Manager or Altiris.
Preparation Hints
Review the Exam Objectives below and make sure that you are familiar with them. The Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring exam is designed for those who have experience in this environment. Always check the Microsoft site for the specific exam you are going to take. In this instance, the site is http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-638.
There are many web sites and blogs that can help you to research topics, but be careful to fully research the information you read. It is not advisable to try to find sites that list questions and answers for several reasons. First, you don’t know if you will be asked a specific question and second, the answers given in a blog may be inaccurate and third, you need to understand the information to adequately prepare.
When taking the exam, read each question carefully. Microsoft is notorious for adding a lot of unneeded information in their questions. Make sure that when you click on a choice, that it is really marked. Be careful clicking anywhere on the screen. I found that by inadvertently clicking near the scroll bar on the right of the screen, I actually changed an answer. You get a single piece of paper and a marker for writing. You can use a small amount of time before you even start the exam to make notes once you enter the test area. Sometimes there is even a questionnaire at the beginning of the test that does not count against your test time. You can even use this time to write down notes, facts, tables or other information by taking your time between answers.
Recommended Study Resources
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit by Rui Maximo, Rick Kingslan, Rajesh Ramanathan and Nirav Kamdar
Microsoft also has recommended classroom training:
- 5179A: Implementing and Maintaining Telephony Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5177AO: Implementing and Maintaining Instant Messaging Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (1 Days)
- 5178AD: Implementing and Maintaining Audio/Visual Conferencing and Web Conferencing Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5178AO: Implementing and Maintaining Audio/Visual Conferencing and Web Conferencing Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5179AD: Implementing and Maintaining Telephony Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5177AD: Implementing and Maintaining Instant Messaging Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (1 Days)
- 5178A: Implementing and Maintaining Audio/Visual Conferencing and Web Conferencing Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (2 Days)
- 5177A: Implementing and Maintaining Instant Messaging Using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (1 Days)
- Microsoft E-Learning 5125BE: Implementing Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (8 Hours)
Exam Objectives
The exam objectives are broken up into six different categories. The 70-638 exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed below.
The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam. The higher the percentage, the more questions you are likely to see on that content area on the exam.
The objectives for Exam 70-638 as stated by Microsoft are as follows:
Installing and Managing Office Communications Server (Communications Server) 2007 R2 (20 percent)
- Determine the differences between the Standard Edition and the Enterprise Edition.
- Prepare the environment for Communications Server 2007 R2.
- Request and configure certificates.
- Configure address book service.
- Manage coexistence between Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Communications Server 2007 versions.
- Configure security features.
Deploying and Configuring Communications Server 2007 R2 Clients (19 percent)
- Deploy and configure Office Communicator 2007 R2 clients.
- Deploy and configure Communicator Web Access 2007.
- Deploy and configure the Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007 R2 client.
- Manage Office Communicator client migration.
Configuring Conferencing (15 percent)
- Configure the A/V Conferencing Server.
- Configure the Web Conferencing Server.
- Configure the Conferencing Server policy settings.
- Configure external conferencing access.
Configuring Enterprise Voice Functionality (14 percent)
- Configure outbound routing.
- Configure location profiles.
- Configure phone number normalization.
- Configure the Mediation Server.
- Configure PC-based audio peripherals.
Configuring External Connectivity (18 percent)
- Configure the Edge Server.
- Configure Public IM Connectivity (PIC).
- Configure federation.
- Configure remote user access.
Monitoring and Maintaining Communications Server 2007 R2 (14 percent)
- Monitor server resource utilization.
- Isolate issues related to Communications Server 2007 R2.
- Backup and restore Communications Server 2007 R2.
- Configure event logging.
- Install and configure IM archiving.
- Install and configure Meeting Compliance.
Where to Go from Here
After you pass the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring (70-638) Exam, you may want to take the following exams:
- Exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment
- Exam 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
- Exam 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure