NEW HORIZONS
COMPUTER LEARNING CENTERS
SQL Server 2012
Courseware
& Certification
Briefing
Delivered: December 13, 2012
The Presenter
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George Squillace (SQL is in the name)
New Horizons Great Lakes, 20th year with the company
92 times in the exam booth
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Husband, Dad
MCT (since 1997)
Three SQL 2012 tests down, four to go
MCITP – SQL 2008 Business Intelligence Development
MCITP – SQL 2008 Database Administration
MCTS – SQL 2008 Database Development
MCITP – Enterprise Messaging Administrator on Exchange 2007
MCITP – Enterprise Administrator on Windows Server 2008
MCTS – Vista Deployment
MCDBA
MCSE
CompTIA A+, Network+
Agenda
 General Changes & Trends
with SQL Server 2012 Courses & Exams
 SQL Server Courseware Portfolio
 Curiously Absent…
 Final Comments
 Appendices
Much of the content for this presentation was derived or directly taken
from a presentation to Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) as presented
by Pete Harris, Learning Product Partner at Microsoft Learning (MSL).
Part 1
General Changes & Trends
with SQL Server 2012 Courses & Exams
 Better Quality Courseware
 More Challenging Exams
 Increases the Value of Certification
 Harder for Career Students
 One-to-one Mapping of Courses to Exams!
 Major Philosophical Switch
 As Usual, Additional Study and Exam Prep Are Required
to Pass Exams
 Closer Mapping of Course Topics
to Skills Required in the Industry
 All the Courseware Will Be One Volume
 Only One “Book” Instead of Two
 Still too much material for typical time allotment
Part 2
General Changes & Trends
with SQL Server 2012 Courses & Exams
 Elimination of Three Day Courses;
 All SQL Courses will be Five Days Long
 This was a concern for contract trainers
 Redesigned Microsoft Learning website
 New Database Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
certification for the entry level
 The Courses Were Designed Modularly
to More Easily Facilitate Custom Deliveries
 Example 1: T-SQL for Report Authors
(First Four Days of 10774)
 Example 2: Building Reports & Visualizations
(Portions of 10778)
 Custom courseware seems easy to put together through
Arvato/Skillpipe
SQL Courseware Learning Product
Target Audiences
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Audience 1, Core Skills
 “Accidental DBA” & Beyond
 Products that Require Some Form of SQL Server
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Microsoft Accounting Products (Dynamics)
SharePoint
System Center Configuration Manager
System Center Virtual Machine Manager
System Center Operations Manager
System Center Data Protection Manager (I think)
Windows Server Update Service (WSUS)
Audience 2, Traditional Database Professionals
(those working with data full time)
 Database Administrators
 Database Developers
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The SQL Server
product is
amusement park
huuuge!
Audience 3, Business Intelligence Professionals
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Reporting
ETL
OLAP
Data Mining
The Point: When designing the new
SQL 2012 courseware Microsoft
aimed at these three audiences.
Courseware Portfolio - Querying
 End User Querying Courses
 Part 1 & Part 2 (one day each)
 Courseware Library 50027
 (two days)
 MOC 2778A (SQL 2005 & SQL 2008 & R2)
 Lots of room for design improvement
(three days)
 MOC 10774A – Querying a SQL Server 2012
Database
 Written by a great team
 The subject matter expert (SME)
is “Jedi Master” Itzik Ben-Gan
(five days)
SQL Statement Categories
Language (i.e., SQL)
Statement Category (i.e., (DML)
Statement (i.e. SELECT)
Course Portfolio –
Database Administration
 6231B – Administering a
SQL 2008 R2 Database
 Excellent material, albeit too much
 (five days)
 10775A - Administering a
SQL 2012 Database
 Nearly word-for-word identical to 6231B which means
you can sell either and we could run either
 (five days)
 Interesting: Neither cover High Availability topics
(other than in a brief appendix)
Course Portfolio –
Database Development
 6232B – Implementing a
SQL 2008 R2 Database
 Again, excellent material, albeit too much
 (five days)
 10776A - Implementing a
SQL 2012 Database
 Again, nearly word-for-word identical to 6232B which
means you can sell either and we can run either
 (five days)
 20465A - Designing Database Solutions with
SQL Server 2012
 (five days)
Course Portfolio –
Business Intelligence Development
 10777A – Implementing a Data Warehouse
with SQL Server 2012
 Data Warehousing design + SSIS instruction
 (five days)
 10778A – Implementing Data Models & Reports
with SQL Server 2012
 Reporting Services + Analysis Services
 (five days)
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There Are Two, Five-Day Core Business Intelligence (BI) Courses
Instead of Three, Three-Day Courses
 The BI Courses are Scenario-oriented Rather than Tool-oriented
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 Use a Screwdriver or Saw v. Becoming a Carpenter
Issue: Some students will only want reporting; some will only want OLAP.
Possibility of a solution from the Courseware Library
20467A - Designing Business Intelligence Solutions
with SQL Server 2012
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(five days)
List of
Courses Mapped to Exam Titles
 Course 10774A / Exam 70-461
 Writing Queries Using Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Transact-SQL
 Course 10775A / Exam 70-462 (Maps Closely to the Current 6231B)
 Maintaining a Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Database
 Course 10776A / Exam 70-464
(Maps Closely to the Current 6232B)
 Implementing a Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Database
 Course 10777A / Exam 70-463
 Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012
 Course 10778A / Exam 70-466
 Implementing Reports and Data Models
with Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012
 Course 20465A / Exam 70-465
 Designing Database Solutions with Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012
 Course 20467A / Exam 70-467
 Designing Business Intelligence Solutions
for Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012
SQL Server 2012
Exam & Certification Summary
 Eight Certification Exams
(Up from Six)
 Three Certification Paths
(Totally new paths)
 Re-Certification Will Be Required
After Three Years
See diagram: SQL 2012 Certification Paths
(next slide)
Curiously Absent…
 No SQL 2012 Upgrade Courses from Microsoft are
Planned!
 No High Availability-specific courses
 There is (finally) HA topics in course 20465A
 No Report Writing-specific courses
 No SQL Azure-specific Courses
 SQL Azure Content Exists, However, in Relevant Places
within the SQL Courseware Portfolio
 These Segments of Learning (& Other Gaps) Will
Ideally Be Addressed through the Courseware
Library
List of High Availability
Technologies in SQL Server
(For the record)
 SQL 2005 & 2008 HA solutions
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Replication
Failover Clustering
Log Shipping
Database Mirroring
 SQL 2012 (same as above, plus…)
 adds “Always On” technology; an
extension to Database Mirroring
Final Comments
 Many Changes came with the
SQL Server 2012 Product
 Many Changes came with the
SQL Server 2012 Courseware and Exams
 In All the Areas of I.T. Organizations
Change Their Database Platform the
Slowest
 …But They Can’t Stay with SQL 2000
and SQL 2005 Forever!
This Mean$ Opportunitie$
Appendices
 List of Module Titles per Course
 SQL Resources on my Website
Course 10774A: Writing Queries Using
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Transact-SQL
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Module 1:
Introduction to SQL Server 2012
Module 2:
Introduction to Transact SQL Querying
Module 3:
Writing SELECT Statements
Module 4:
Combining Data from Multiple Tables
Module 5:
Filtering and Sorting Data
Module 6:
Working with SQL Server Data Types
Module 7:
Using Built-In Functions
Module 8:
Grouping and Aggregating Data
Module 9:
Using Subqueries
Module 10:
Using Table Expressions
Module 11:
Use Set Operators
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Module 12:
Using Window Ranking, Offset and
Aggregate Functions
Module 13:
Pivoting and Grouping Sets
Module 14:
Writing Specialized Queries
Module 15:
Executing Stored Procedures
Module 16:
Programming with T-SQL
Module 17:
Implementing Error Handling
Module 18:
Implementing Transactions
Module 19:
Querying SQL Server Metadata
Module 20:
Improving Query Performance
Course 10775A: Maintaining a
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Database
Module 1:
Module 2:
Module 3:
Module 4:
Module 5:
Module 6:
Module 7:
Module 8:
Module 9:
Introduction to SQL Server 2012 and its
Toolset
Module 12:
Module 13:
Preparing Systems for SQL Server 2012
Installing and Configuring
SQL Server 2012
Working with Databases
Module 14:
Module 15:
Understanding SQL Server 2012
Recovery Models
Module 16:
Backup of SQL Server 2012 Databases
Module 17:
Restoring SQL Server 2012 Databases
Module 18:
Importing and Exporting Data
Module 19:
Authenticating and Authorizing Users
Module 10:
Assigning Server and Database Roles
Module 11:
Authorizing Users to Access Resources
Module 20:
Auditing SQL Server Environments
Automating SQL Server 2012
Management
Configuring Security for
SQL Server Agent
Monitoring SQL Server 2012
with Alerts and Notifications
Performing Ongoing
Database Maintenance
Tracing Access to SQL Server 2012
Monitoring SQL Server 2012
Managing Multiple Servers
Troubleshooting Common
SQL Server 2012 Administrative Issues
Course 10776A: Implementing a
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Database
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Module 1:
Module 2:
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Module 3:
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Module 4:
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Module 5:
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Module 6:
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Module 7:
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Module 8:
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Module 9:
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Introduction to SQL Server 2012
and its Toolset
Working with Data Types
Designing and Implementing Tables
Ensuring Data Integrity
through Constraints
Planning for
SQL Server 2012 Indexing
Implementing Table Structures
in SQL Server 2012
Reading SQL Server 2012
Execution Plans
Improving Performance
through Non-Clustered Indexes
Designing and Implementing Views
Module 10:
Designing and Implementing
Stored Procedures
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Module 11:
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Module 12:
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Module 13:
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Module 14:
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Module 15:
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Module 16:
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Module 17:
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Module 18:
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Module 19:
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Module 20:
Merging Data and Passing Tables
Designing and Implementing
User-Defined Functions
Creating Highly Concurrent
SQL Server 2012 Applications
Handling Errors in T-SQL Code
Responding to Data Manipulation
via Triggers
Implementing Managed Code
in SQL Server 2012
Storing XML Data
in SQL Server 2012
Querying XML Data
in SQL Server 2012
Working with SQL Server 2012
Spatial Data
Working with Full-Text
Indexes and Queries
Course 10777A: Implementing
a Data Warehouse with
Microsoft SQL Server 2012
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Module 1: Introduction to Data Warehouse Concepts
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Module 2: Data Warehouse Hardware Considerations
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Module 3: Designing and Implementing a Data Warehouse
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Module 4: Creating an ETL Solution with SSIS
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Module 5: Implementing Control Flow in an SSIS Package
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Module 6: Debugging and Troubleshooting SSIS Packages
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Module 7: Implementing an Incremental ETL Process
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Module 8: Incorporating Data from the Cloud in a Data Warehouse
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Module 9: Enforcing Data Quality
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Module 10: Using Master Data Services
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Module 11: Extending SSIS
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Module 12: Deploying and Configuring SSIS Packages
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Module 13: Consuming Data in a Data Warehouse
Course 10778A: Implementing
Reports and Data Models with
Microsoft SQL Server 2012
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Module 1: Overview of Reporting and Data Modeling
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Module 2: Implementing Reports with Reporting Services
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Module 3: Supporting Self-Service Reporting
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Module 4: Managing a Reporting Infrastructure
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Module 5: Creating Multidimensional Databases
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Module 6: Working with Cubes and Dimensions
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Module 7: Working with Measures and Measure Groups
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Module 8: Introduction to MDX
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Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
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Module 10: Implementing a PowerPivot for Excel Workbook
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Module 11: Introduction to Data Analysis Expression (DAX)
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Module 12: Implementing a Tabular Database
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Module 13: Creating Data Visualizations With Crescent
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Module 14: Performing Predictive Analysis with Data Mining
Course 20465A - Designing Database Solutions
for SQL Server 2012
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Module 1: Designing a Database Server Infrastructure
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Module 2: Designing a Logical Database Schema
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Module 3: Designing a Physical Database Implementation
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Module 4: Designing a Database Solution for BLOB Data
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Module 5: Tuning Database Performance
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Module 6: Designing Database Security
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Module 7: Using Policy-Based Management
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Module 8: Monitoring Server Health
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Module 9: Designing a Database Backup Solution
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Module 10: Automating Multi-Server Maintenance
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Module 11: Managing SQL Server with PowerShell
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Module 12: Replicating Data
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Module 13: Designing for High Availability
Course 20467A - Designing
Business Intelligence Solutions
with SQL Server 2012
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Module 1: Planning a BI Solution
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Module 2: Planning a BI Infrastructure
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Module 3: Designing a Data Warehouse
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Module 4: Designing an ETL Solution
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Module 5: Designing Analytical Data Models
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Module 6: Planning a BI Delivery Solution
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Module 7: Designing a Reporting Services Solution
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Module 8: Designing an Excel-Based Reporting Solution
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Module 9: Planning a SharePoint Server BI Solution
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Module 10: Monitoring and Optimizing a BI Solution
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Module 11: Planning BI Operations
Resources
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Microsoft SQL Server homepage
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www.microsoft.com/sql
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www.microsoft.com/learning
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Homepage
Microsoft Learning homepage
My Website Resources
»
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www.e-Squillace.com/tech/screenshotgallery
(look in the SQL screenshot category; a SQL BI category exists too)
SQL Server reference homepage
»
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www.e-Squillace.com/tech/techdiagrams
(several SQL and SQL BI diagrams)
Screenshot Gallery
»
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www.e-Squillace.com
(Search button, Test taking tips link)
Diagrams
»
www.e-Squillace.com/tech/techreference/sql
(a huuuuge amount of links)
SQL Server BI reference homepage
»
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(for you and your clients)
www.e-Squillace.com/tech/techreference/sqlbi/sqlbi.htm
(also a huuuuge amount of links)
My Library Books
User Groups (see SQLPASS.org for a larger listing)
 West Michigan SQL Server User Group (WMSSUG)
 Detroit Area SQL ServerUser Group (Detroit SSUG)