Prerequisites 70-745 (Business Intelligence)

Hi everybody,

Currently I'm working as a scripter/reporter/Office programmer for a
company. I'd like to specialize in B.I. .My chief agrees on following a
serious B.I. certification path as we think our marketvalue will
increase.But I have long road to travel. I seriously would like some advice
before starting anything. My goal is to have 70-445 & 70-446. I'm very
motivated!

I have zilch experiance with MS SQL Server 2003 or 2005. I use Crystal
Reports, connect to a SQL server and go from there with CR. I can handle
only very basic SQL, build applications as an intermediate(VBA/C++) and
that's it.

Looking at the exam 70-445, people say it is hard to do.
Question: what do I need to study first so I can start with confidence on
70-445?

My Idea: do first "Exam 70-431: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 -
Implementation and Maintenance"
But I value the opinion of certified people (DBA / B.I.) a whole lot more.

Greetings,
Val

 

First, let me qualify my answer. I'm not a MCITP: BI, but I do have
the MCITP: DBA and MCITP: Dev certs with SQL Server 2005 and have been
following SQL Server for several years.

As of Feb 2008, there were only 337 BI developers and MS Press has
cancelled at least one book title on the BI exams. Following some
blogs, it sounds like they don't have much hope for the MCITP BI cert
on SQL Server 2005, but will be making it easier in SQL Server 2008.
It will likely two exams (one MCTS BI exam and one MCITP BI exam). As
with the current certs, the focus will be on SQL Server Analysis
Services, SQL Server Reporting Services, and SQL Server Integration
Services. Of course SQL Server 2008 may not come out until the end of
the year and 2008 certs may not be out until 2009.

If you want to master the material, I suggest you download and install
SQL Server 2005 and start playing with it. SQL Server includes Books
Online (BOL) and it is very good for answering a lot of questions and
also includes many walk throughs that help you play with the
material. For BI, concentrate on SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS),
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), and SQL Server Integration
Services (SSIS). You can download up-to-date databases
(AdventureWorks and AdventureWorksDW) and samples at Microsoft's
codeplex site: http://www.codeplex.com/SqlServerSamples

I have to say though, that starting with the BI topics with the
knowledge you state reminds me of someone trying to do calculus
without algebra. You may be able to do it, but I don't think I could.

While you don't need 70-431 as a prereq for the BI cert, that
knowledge would be valuable to create a foundation if you haven't done
much with SQL Server 2005. Interestingly, the 70-431 was one of the
required exams when the BI cert was first unveiled (but it isn't
required any more).

You may also consider getting one of the MCITP certs (Database
Administrator or Database Developer) certs in SQL Server 2005 to build
up some knowledge. By the time you finish, the MCITP:BI cert in SQL
Server 2008 may be out and you'll have built a foundation making the
MCITP:BI cert more achievable.

That begs the question "Which MCITP Cert?" The knowledge for the
Database Developer cert is closer to the knowledge for the BI cert, so
that is probably the way to go. Though when you get into BI's cubes,
dimensions and measures, you need to understand data warehouses. You
won't come across data warehouses in either the DBA or Dev certs.

HTH,

Darril Gibson
MCT, MCDBA, MCITP, MCSE, MCSD
http://mcitpsuccess.com/
http://mcitpsuccess.blogspot.com
Author, MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Administration All-in-One Exam
Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-443, & 70-444)
Author, MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Developer All-in-One Exam
Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-441, & 70-442)

 

Thank you for your reply. I will read it thouroughly before I draw any
conclusions.

Thank you very much once again,
Val

<> schreef in bericht
First, let me qualify my answer. I'm not a MCITP: BI, but I do have
the MCITP: DBA and MCITP: Dev certs with SQL Server 2005 and have been
following SQL Server for several years.

As of Feb 2008, there were only 337 BI developers and MS Press has
cancelled at least one book title on the BI exams. Following some
blogs, it sounds like they don't have much hope for the MCITP BI cert
on SQL Server 2005, but will be making it easier in SQL Server 2008.
It will likely two exams (one MCTS BI exam and one MCITP BI exam). As
with the current certs, the focus will be on SQL Server Analysis
Services, SQL Server Reporting Services, and SQL Server Integration
Services. Of course SQL Server 2008 may not come out until the end of
the year and 2008 certs may not be out until 2009.

If you want to master the material, I suggest you download and install
SQL Server 2005 and start playing with it. SQL Server includes Books
Online (BOL) and it is very good for answering a lot of questions and
also includes many walk throughs that help you play with the
material. For BI, concentrate on SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS),
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), and SQL Server Integration
Services (SSIS). You can download up-to-date databases
(AdventureWorks and AdventureWorksDW) and samples at Microsoft's
codeplex site: http://www.codeplex.com/SqlServerSamples

I have to say though, that starting with the BI topics with the
knowledge you state reminds me of someone trying to do calculus
without algebra. You may be able to do it, but I don't think I could.

While you don't need 70-431 as a prereq for the BI cert, that
knowledge would be valuable to create a foundation if you haven't done
much with SQL Server 2005. Interestingly, the 70-431 was one of the
required exams when the BI cert was first unveiled (but it isn't
required any more).

You may also consider getting one of the MCITP certs (Database
Administrator or Database Developer) certs in SQL Server 2005 to build
up some knowledge. By the time you finish, the MCITP:BI cert in SQL
Server 2008 may be out and you'll have built a foundation making the
MCITP:BI cert more achievable.

That begs the question "Which MCITP Cert?" The knowledge for the
Database Developer cert is closer to the knowledge for the BI cert, so
that is probably the way to go. Though when you get into BI's cubes,
dimensions and measures, you need to understand data warehouses. You
won't come across data warehouses in either the DBA or Dev certs.

HTH,

Darril Gibson
MCT, MCDBA, MCITP, MCSE, MCSD
http://mcitpsuccess.com/
http://mcitpsuccess.blogspot.com
Author, MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Administration All-in-One Exam
Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-443, & 70-444)
Author, MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Developer All-in-One Exam
Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-441, & 70-442)

 

Darril Gibson
MCT, MCDBA, MCITP, MCSE, MCSD
http://mcitpsuccess.com/
http://mcitpsuccess.blogspot.com
Author, MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Administration All-in-One Exam
Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-443, & 70-444)
Author, MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Developer All-in-One Exam
Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-441, & 70-442)

Darril,

I mainly work with Citrix and have 18 or 19 yrs experience with the
products. Lately I have been having to deal with a lot of SQL Server stuff
to work with the various components of Presentation Server/XenApp. When I
built a lab server to install, test and play with all the Citrix components
I kept running into obstacles because of my lack of SQL Server
understanding. Because of that I decided it was high time to learn SQL
Server. I had noticed your tag lines on several messages and decided to
give both your books a try. I must say they are really helping me. Back in
May I could spell SQL and that was it. I have set a personal goal to
achieve the DBA certs within 18 months and another 18 months to get the Dev
cert (I was a software developer for 18 yrs in a past life).

I would highly recommend your books to anyone wanting to learn MS SQL Server
2005 to work towards their certs.

Thanks


Webster