Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator SQL Server

What is a MCSA certification?

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification is for IT professionals and developers who are seeking to get their first job in Microsoft technology. By earning this certification, it validates the core platform skills and expertise needed to operate and maintain in an IT environment – whether in the cloud or on-premise. Individuals can demonstrate to their potential hiring managers their essential skills and advanced insights in developing and maintaining critical environments by achieving the MCSA: SQL Server 2012 certification. This certification is also an individual’s first step towards earning an MCSE: Data Platform or MCSE: Business Intelligence certification.

What is a SQL Server?

SQL (Structured Query Language) Server is well-known in organizations that also use Microsoft’s Visual Studio environment for software development. It offers a wide array of tools and add-ons for business intelligence, data warehousing and data-driven applications of all kinds.

What’s new with SQL Server 2012?

With the continuous growth in IT industry, several advancements are produced to keep up with the transition, such as the Microsoft SQL Server 2012. Microsoft SQL Server 2012 is a relational database management system (RDBMS) programmed for the enterprise environment. It comprises a more comprehensive set of programming extensions than its predecessors, to improve the Structured Query Language (SQL), a standard interactive and programming language used in obtaining information from and updating a database.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is the ancestor of Microsoft SQL Server 2012. With all of its associated advancements, SQL Server 2012 offers new remarkable capabilities, such as the following:

• PowerView: Generating mash-ups of business intelligence (BI) reports is now possible.
• Support for Windows Server Core: This is offered as a stripped-down version that positions a far lower demand on computer resources than a full install does.
• Distributed Replay: Distribution of workload from a production server to another server for further testing under realistic conditions before using it is now possible.
• ColumnStore indexes: These are read-only indexes that groups data, centralizing the conversion of large data warehouse queries.
• Enhanced Auditing: Through this feature, users can customize their audit logs to be able to accommodate a wider range of events with an increased scalability than what was previously possible.

Why do you need to certify?

The fundamental purpose of any professional certification program is to offer an independent, dependable assessment of the knowledge and skills comprehension required for having an edge in performing a professional role. This assessment, like any other, is typically accomplished by the successful completion of the given examination.

By earning the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA): SQL Server 2012 certification, it confirms that you possess the essential skills needed to develop and maintain mission-critical Microsoft SQL Server 2012 environments.

What is the exam given prior to earning the certificate?

To be able to earn the certificate, you have to take and pass the certification examination of MCSA: SQL Server 2012. This exam highlights your skill in developing, maintaining and analyzing SQL Server databases in an enterprise environment. It is composed of three exams, such as:

1. (70-461) Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012
   • This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks presented 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.
     • Build database objects (20-25%)
     • Work with data (25-30%)
     • Enahance data (20-25%)
     • Troubleshoot and optimize (25-30%)
2. (70-462) Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases
   • This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks presented 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.
     • Install and configure (19%)
     • Maintain instances and databases (17%)
     • Optimize and troubleshoot (14%)
     • Manage and control data (19%)
     • Establish security (18%)
     • Establish high availability (12%)
3. (70-463) Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012
   • This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks presented 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.
     • Design and establish a data warehouse (11%)
     • Extract and transform data (23%)
     • Load data (27%)
     • Configure and use SSIS solutions (24%)
     • Create data quality solutions (15%)

For MCSA: SQL Server 2008 exam, it features your skill in managing SQL databases and identifying key customer trends to deliver smarter decision making. The exam is divided into two:

1. (70-432) Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance
2. (70-448) Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance

If you are a certificate holder of MCSA SQL Server 2008, you can definitely upgrade your certificate to MCSA SQL Server 2012 by taking the following exams:

• (432) Microsoft SQL Server 2008: Implementation and Maintenance
• (448) Microsoft SQL Server 2008: Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance