Exam Profile: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization (70-669)

Date: Nov 29, 2012

This article profiles the Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization (70-669) exam, for IT professionals developing and maintaining Microsoft virtual desktop enviornments. Pearson IT Certification provides a variety of exam preparation tools to help our customers in their quest for certification, including the Exam Profile series. Each profile is developed based on the testing experience of one of our trainers or authors. You won’t get exact questions or answers, but you will get a real feel for the exam. Each profile describes question forms, trouble spots, hints for exam preparation, and recommendations for additional study resources. Find out what you can expect to see on the exam and how you can better prepare for it.

Today’s large organizations are rapidly moving toward virtualized desktop environments, which are generally easier to maintain and more secure than traditional desktop computers. Passing Exam 70-669 TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization, is a good way of demonstrating proficiency with creating and maintaining a virtual desktop environment using Microsoft technologies.

Exam Details

Number of questions: Microsoft does not disclose the number of questions on their certification exams, but this exam is estimated to have about 50 questions.
Type(s) of questions: Microsoft does not disclose the exam format, but the bulk of the exam is reported to be made up of multiple choice questions. You may also encounter simulations, reorder, or build a tree questions.
Passing score: 700/1000
Time limit: Microsoft does not disclose the time limit for their exams, but most exams have a time limit of about two hours.
How to register: Prometric

Trouble Spots

Given the title of this exam, it is easy to assume that the exam focuses primarily on Windows Server 2008 R2 and on Hyper-V. However, there are a number of other products that candidates must have experience with in order to pass this exam. Some of these products include App-V, Med-V, and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (including the Self Service Portal).

Trouble Spots

Preparation Hints

Because this exam is about desktop virtualization, the exam places a very heavy emphasis on application virtualization. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you have a firm grasp on using App-V to virtualize an application and that you know how to deploy a virtualized application to a virtual desktop. You may also be tested on using the Active Directory to publish applications.

It is also advisable to spend some time working with user profiles. This exam expects you to know the difference between local, roaming, and mandatory profiles. You will also be expected to know how to perform profile redirection and folder redirection.

Finally, spend some time working with Med-V, especially as it relates to creating, managing, and deploying Windows 7 images. As you prepare for the exam, make sure that you know how to configure and use Windows 7’s Windows XP Mode feature, as there are usually some questions relating to Windows XP Mode.

Recommended Study Resources

Microsoft offers two separate classroom training classes aimed at helping IT pros to prepare for this exam. These classes are:

Implementing and Managing Microsoft Desktop Virtualization (5 days)

Implementing and Managing Microsoft Desktop Virtualization (15 hours)

Microsoft doesn’t offer any Microsoft Press books or study guides related to this exam and there aren’t many third party study resources that have been developed specifically for this exam. However, the Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services Resource Kit should prove to be helpful in preparing for this exam.

Preparation Hints

Exam Objectives

The objectives for this exam, as stated by Microsoft include:

Deploying and Managing an Enterprise Desktop Virtualization Environment

Install and configure Windows Virtual PC.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: installing Windows Virtual PC on various platforms (32-bit, 64-bit), creating and managing virtual hard disks, configuring virtual machine resources including network resources, preparing host machines

Enable and manage Windows XP Mode.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: enable Windows XP Mode for Windows 7; publish applications to a host OS through Windows XP Mode; configure the BIOS to support hardware virtualization; create, deploy, and maintain Windows XP Mode images

Create a MED-V infrastructure.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: installing and managing server components (Image Repository, MED-V Instances), installing the MED-V client, configuring server settings

Administer a MED-V environment.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: managing workspaces, creating policies, publishing applications and menus, configuring reporting, customizing user and device settings in a virtual machine

Create and deploy virtual desktop images.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: using various tools to create or prepare images for deployment, deploying a workspace image by using a Web page, pre-staging images

Deploying and Managing a Presentation Virtualization Environment

Prepare and manage remote applications.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: configuring application sharing, package applications for deployment by using RemoteApp, installing and configuring the RD Session Host Role Service on the server.

Access published applications.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: configuring Remote Desktop Web Access, configuring internal and external application access, configuring role-based application provisioning, configuring Remote Desktop client connections

Configure client settings to access virtualized desktops.

This objective may include but it is not limited to: configuring client settings, managing user home folders, identifying minimum client requirements

Deploying and Managing an Application Virtualization (App-V) Environment

Prepare virtual applications.

This objective may include but is not limited to: sequencing applications, installing and configuring the sequencer, preparing applications for deployment in different environments, configuring virtual application interaction and sharing, choosing a method to deploy virtual applications

Install and configure application virtualization environments.

This objective may include but is not limited to: configuring App-V modes (stand-alone, lightweight, enterprise); install an App-V infrastructure including servers, management consoles, and clients

Manage application virtualization environments.

This objective may include but is not limited to: enabling and monitoring offline application usage, enabling and monitoring real-time sessions, managing application cache, configuring branch cache functionality

Managing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Environment

Configure user state virtualization.

This objective may include but is not limited to: configuring roaming profiles, configuring folder redirection

Manage virtual desktops remotely.

This objective may include but is not limited to: working with Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal (SSP) to log in to, control, restart, or resume a desktop virtual machine, working with Remote Desktop Manager, working with Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, troubleshooting client Key Management Server (KMS) issues, configuring firewall exceptions on the client

Where to Go from Here

Those passing the 70-669 exam earn the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 R2 Desktop Virtualization certification. In addition, exam 70-669 also counts as credit toward the MCITP: Virtualization Administrator certification.

In order to earn the MCITP: Virtualization Administrator certification, candidates must also pass the following exams:

70-659 Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
70-693 Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator