MCITP: Which path to take?

When Microsoft changed from the MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Enginee) to the MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) they increased the number of different "paths" you can go with to get your certification.

With the MCSE, you were required pass seven exams:

• Four exams on networking systems
• One exam on client operating systems
• One exam on design
• One elective exam
  

(source: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)) 

The MCSE was heavy on the system administration with the last version being based on Windows Server 2003. There was a requirement for a client operating system exam - Windows XP to Windows 7 - as well as one on design - AD and Network Infrastructure, Security or Exchange. Finally you can elect to take one other exam, including those from other sections or even older exams or even other vendors' (CompTIA)  certifications.

The MCITP however, Microsoft divide up the MCSE into 7 different paths, 4 of which are further sub-divided giving a total of 15 different paths to becoming MCITP:

•  Windows Client
• Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
• Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7
• Consumer Support Technician on Windows Vista
• Enterprise Support Technician on Windows Vista
• Windows Server
• Enterprise Administrator on Windows Server 2008
• Server Administrator on Windows Server 2008
• Virtualization Administrator on Windows Server 2008 R2
• SQL Server
• Database Administrator 2008
• Database Developer 2008
• Business Intelligence Developer 2008
• Office Project Server
• Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
• Exchange Server
• Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2010
• Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2007 (retiring Sept. 30th 2012)
•  SharePoint Server
• SharePoint Administrator 2010
• Lync  Server
• Lync Server Administrator 2010

(source: Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)) 

With each of these paths, you have take between 2 and 5 exams to achieve your MCITP and which exams you take are dependent on which path you choose. There are some exams, e.g. 70-640, that is in multiple paths.

As a server system administrator, I am looking at going after the Windows Server paths, but that still leaves me with 3 different paths - Enterprise, Server or Virtualization Administrator. To complete all 3 paths requires taking 9 exams with only 2 of them overlapping between the Enterprise and the Server Administrator paths. Both the Server and Virtualization Administrator paths require 3 exams, while the Enterprise Administrator has the most exams to take of any of the path with 5.

While ideally I would like to have all 3 under my belt, I have to start somewhere. My decision on which path to take first is based on which is my useful for me at this point in my career. I have a limited time, 3 months, to get this certification due to how the company's goal structure works. It is also based on me being a virtualization advocate and as you can now guess I am talking about the Virtualization Administrator.

In a previous job, I was supporting VMware and did get my VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certificate on ESX 3.5, so it will be interesting in converting that to Hyper-V. To do this, as said previously, I will have to take 3 exams which are:

• 70-669 - TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
• 70-693 - Pro: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator
• 70-659 - TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization

As you can see I have a lot to learn in a short period of time, this blog will act as my study guide and I plan to try and write at least a post a day breaking down my studying. I will categorize the posts using labels to make it easier to see which path and exam each post is related to.

Graham Burgess

 P. S. If you are reading this, I would be interested in your comments and thoughts about the MCITP in general. Have you gotten your MCITP in any area? If so, which path did you take and why?