Category: TechToday
If you've never jumped into the waters of Microsoft's vast ocean of online resources, then Microsoft Virtual Academy is a great starting point to gain access to content from MSDN and Microsoft TechNet. Contrary to popular belief, Microsoft provides plenty of accessible learning resources that doesn't require you to shell out money for an MCSE.
Microsoft TechNet can be pretty difficult to wade into if you're just starting with your IT career or just dabbling in Microsoft software but MS Virtual Academy attempts to organize learning content through its "tracks". Once you start off on one track, the online academy provides links, PDFs, screencasts, and audio for the student or IT professional. Although the courses and tracks aren't that many, the online service is free and even encourages students by awarding points once a course or task is accomplished.
The Virtual Academy Experience
I wanted to look into Microsoft Virtual Academy and learn a little bit about Windows 2012 Server at the same time so I logged in with my good old Hotmail account (yes, I know I'm a dinosaur) and selected the course Windows Server 2012: Technical Overview. As a busy professional, I took my time and allotted an hour a day to go through the course modules. I was surprisingly motivated by the points I could gain by finishing each module. Having spent years trying out free training courses from Novell and tutorials from various Linux websites, it was a nice change of pace.
Since it's a Microsoft course, you're going to need Microsoft Silverlight which is available via Windows Update. I attempted to run the course in Linux using Mono on openSUSE and Ubuntu but it didn't work out too well with the videos crashing frequently. Honestly though, the course works really well with Internet Explorer 9 anyway. The speed of the screencasts, which are embedded on a TechNet page, are pretty fast as long as you're not running torrents. I'm currently located outside North America (in China no less) and it worked fine.
Although Virtual Academy is available to everyone with a PC and mouse and really doesn't mention any technical background requirements, the Windows 2012 Server overview course isn't for the faint of heart. I'm by no means ignorant of MS technologies but I'm not a professional network administrator either. If you're entering the course with only knowledge of how to set up XBOX Live then you might find yourself somewhat discouraged by the jargon and Microsoft terms constantly thrown around by the presenter. I'm fairly sure an experienced MS network administrator, however, would find parts of the content pedestrian and outright useless.
Prerequisites
The following are my own requirements if you ever find the time out to take this course. As mentioned above, you don't need anything other than an Internet connection and a computer, but you'll get more out of the Windows Server 2012: Technical Overview if you have the following:
- Windows Server experience (any version)
- Some understanding of basic to intermediate Cisco networking concepts such as PVLAN, IP addressing, and multitenancy.
- Basic understanding of enterprise-level networking and virtualization
- Understanding of Hyper-V and its applications
- Basic usage and syntax of Windows PowerShell (some parts shows scripts and applied PowerShell commands)
Technical Depth
The course is supposed to be an overview but occasionally, particularly during the first few modules, it comes off as a sales kit or sales pitch for Windows Server 2012. The concepts introduced are basic for an IT networking professional but not recommended for students without network administration experience. In general, it's not a practical course and the modules deal with theoretical scenarios and very brief, superficial demonstrations.
Recommendation
If you have the hardware resources to install the Windows Server 2012 Trial, run it and use the course as an outline rather than undergoing the course itself (although mind you some of the demos involve enterprise-size tasks). You can also download the PDF overview of each module if you absolutely hate watching screencasts (converted from PowerPoint slides and screen recordings). The course really is an overview so don't expect step-by-step tutorials. If you're going to be using Windows 2012 Server in the future or in your company, it does show some features that you might want to know about. If you're not interested in Windows Servers of any type, then skip the course - MS Virtual Academy has other tracks you might prefer to go through.
Conclusion
Windows 2012 Server Virtualization Overview is free and the course is designed by the software provider. Considering how expensive Novell, Red Hat, and Cisco price their courses, it's at least worth a look. If you're not tied down to Microsoft technology, you can always head over to IBM Redbooks, which hosts plenty of hardware and software articles regarding relevant network technology. Are you better off with a book? Possibly, but Microsoft provides a free downloadable ebook on the site (and via e-mail) so you get the best of both worlds. The screencast may not be as engaging as say an Adobe Captivate interactive video, but the presenters are actually knowledgeable. You can actually tell from the presenters deadpan monotone and lack of screen presence that they aren't trainers or instructors, but real network staff or developers pulled from their shift to go through a scripted presentation.
The concept of a Microsoft Virtual Academy is a good idea because it exposes students and non-IT professionals to unfamilair technology they might actually want to take up some day. You may never have to set up a network cluster, SAN, or Hyper-V, but the modules will contribute to your overall tech IQ. It's also more productive than playing Gears of War all day. The modules are fairly short and some of them are actually well-written. Finally, you don't have to finish the course and all the modules unless you're really determined to rack up those MS points and compete with the other students.
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