Another MCITP SA vs EA Q

[dgardner]

Just a quick question to all the edugeekers employed as NM in a school.

I have just accepted a job offer at a large secondary school with nearly 2000 users. I am moving from a secondary school of under 500 users. I want to study material that would be most relevant to a network of that size.

I currently hold the following certifications:

Windows 7 MCITP - EDST: 70-680 + 70-685
Windows Server 2008 - 70-640 + 70-642

If I am correct, that leaves me either 1 exam (70-646) to complete the SA, or 2 exams (70-643 + 70-647) to complete the EA.

I want to get settled in the new job before I choose which exam/exams to sit, but it is in the back of my mind to complete the series.

Which exams would you sit? Is one more relevant to working in a school than the other? Did you go straight for EA or SA first?

At the moment, I'm leaning towards EA. That's down to current professional value and the fact that I already have a client exam plus 2 server exams.

I'd be most grateful for your opinions and advice. Sorry if this has already been covered elsewhere!

Thanks guys

[jamesb]

I went straight for the EA and skipped the SA entirely. In theory they're meant to be for separate roles (EA being more for network planning and the like, while SA is more focussed on individual servers), in practice the skills you get at either would be useful. EA tends to sound a little more impressive to management types though.

[bio]

Why not complete both ? if you study for 647 then you'll got 646 covered as well. But beware... i think the 647 could be a tough one.. I did the 649 some years ago and i found it tough.

bio..

[dgardner]

Why not complete both ? if you study for 647 then you'll got 646 covered as well. But beware... i think the 647 could be a tough one.. I did the 649 some years ago and i found it tough.

bio..

I thought the EA was regarded as the higher cert? I know the certifications are supposed to match job roles and experience, but is there any value in the SA if you have EA?

It would be nice to get the SA and have some closure on exams for a little while. I've been constantly revising all year!

Does anybody on here hold both EA and SA?

Cheers.

[plexer]

The content for 647 is similar to 646 but more involved according to the instructor at Firebrand.

Ben

[jamesb]

I thought the EA was regarded as the higher cert? I know the certifications are supposed to match job roles and experience, but is there any value in the SA if you have EA?

Microsoft have stated previously that neither is a 'higher' qualification, unlike the MCSE and MCSA, but that the EA is aimed more at a management-type role, while the SA is targetted more towards server administrators. Almost everyone else I know describes the EA as being the 'higher' qualification.

[jsnetman]

I think the distiction between SA and EA is that EA is more to do with Enterpriise networks, meaning you will have multiple sites either nationally or internationally. Sa being for a smaller one site setup.

[wagnerk]

The difference between the EA and SA, has nothing to do with managing small or large networks and there is value in gaining the SA if you have the EA (and vice versa).

The Enterprise Admin track and the Server Admin track share some of the same exams, however this is where those two are different:

The Enterprise Admin is 80% design and overall management (eg. evaluating & recommending, creating best practices, policy development, etc) and 20% actual hands on & day to day management (eg. creating builds, supporting projects & change management, monitoring server health, the implementation of policies, etc).

The Server Admin is the other way around, it's 20% design and overall management and 80% actual hands on & day to day management.

It really is geared up to job roles, unlike the old MS certs where the MCSE was higher than the MCSA.

@dgardner - so it really does depends on your new job role, in most cases the server admin would suit, in some cases the EA would suit. In my job role (as IT manager) both actually suit (and there are alot of IT/Network managers who are in the same boat), however I have only done the EA route. I would have also done the SA route (and may still do at some point in the future), however at this moment in time I'm sick of MS exams

-Ken