MCSA 70-463 -- Data Warehouse / SSIS

Decision on Certification

I have been considering whether to take the 70-411 Windows Server 2012 Administration exam instead of the 70-463 SQL Server 2012 Data Warehouse exam. Since I am not a System Administrator, the 70-411 exam, while interesting, does not align with my professional focus. Although it may be too late to switch, I believe that studying for and passing the 70-463 exam will provide long-term value, especially since I will be working extensively with ETL processes and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS).

First Impressions

After opening the book for 70-463, I was immediately drawn in. This book is by far the most interesting of the several I've read from Microsoft. The engaging content made me realize that this book could easily be titled "SSIS" given its focus on the subject. I am excited to dive deeper into this material.

Further Exploration

In addition to my current studies, I plan to explore Ralph Kimball's books on Data Warehousing after the exam, as he is recognized as a pioneer in the field. This will enhance my personal education and understanding of data warehousing concepts.

Study Plan

Study Schedule:

4/1: Chapter 1
4/2: Chapter 2
4/3: Chapter 3
4/4: Chapters 4 and 5
4/5: Chapters 6 and 7
4/6: Chapters 8 and 9
4/7: Chapters 10 and 11
4/8: Chapter 12
4/9: Skip Day
4/10: Chapter 13
4/11: Chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17
4/12: Skip Day
4/13: Chapters 18, 19, and 20

Exam Date: 4/22 - Passed it!

Study Progress

4/4 - Chapters 4 and 5

I am slightly behind my original plan, but I feel that I am making good progress. The first five chapters provide a solid foundation in SSIS, which I find helpful since I have already worked with it, mainly using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).

4/5 - Chapters 6 and 7

I am not quite on the pace I expected, as the book contains a lot of information to digest.

4/6 - Chapters 8 and 9

I made some progress today and feel more comfortable with the material.

4/7 - Chapters 10 and 11

I have decided that two chapters a day is a manageable pace, and I will continue with this schedule.

4/8 - Chapter 12

I am slowing down a bit and plan to take a breather before diving back in this weekend.

4/10 - Chapter 13

After taking a break on 4/9, I completed one chapter today, focusing on troubleshooting and performance tuning.

4/11 - Chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17

I put in a lot of effort today and made significant progress.

4/13 - Final Chapters 18, 19, and 20

I completed chapter 17 and am looking forward to finishing the last 100 pages, which I anticipate will be the most rewarding.

Comments

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