The Exam 70-431 is mainly designed for those people who aspire to be a Microsoft Technical Specialist (TS). The TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 – Implementation and Maintenance is an examination which measures the candidate’s knowledge in performance-based elements.

Eligibility to Take Exam 70-431

The Exam 70-431 is open for people who are interested in pursuing careers related to database administration and development and business operation systems. Candidates that do not have experience in working with Microsoft SQL Server may still take the exam. People working as system administrators and developers that want to expand their knowledge in handling Microsoft SQL Server procedures. Before taking the exam, make sure you have extensive knowledge in different areas such as tools usage, wizards usage, troubleshooting systems, code debugging, code writing in different scripting languages and user interface navigation.

Skills Needed for the Exam 70-431

The technical tasks covered by the Exam 70-431 may include installation and configuration of Microsoft SQL Server 2005. This section of the test involves configuration of instances and databases, security and linked servers in SQL Server 2005. Implementation of availability and disaster recovery is also discussed in the exam. This portion of the exam determines the skills of the candidate in implementing databases and log shipping.

The skills in supporting data consumers are also evaluated in the exam. The Exam 70-431 measures the examinee’s performance in managing, implementing, manipulating, importing and retrieving data used in a database. The exam also covers maintenance of databases and performing backup procedures for SQL Server 2005.

The topics that may appear in the exam may also be related to troubleshooting and monitoring the SQL Server performance. This part of the test tackles on concepts for gathering, monitoring and diagnosing the performance of the database. The Exam 70-431 also determines the candidate’s knowledge in creating and implementing objects in a database. This section is mainly about implementing tables, views, triggers, functions, stored procedures and indexes.

Preparation Guide for Exam 70-431

There are several classroom trainings about the topics covered by the Exam 70-431. These training courses include Course 2780B: Maintaining a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database, Course 2779B: Implementing a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database and Course 2785AL: Implementing and Maintaining a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database. It is highly recommended to participate in these learning activities to have an overview of what you should expect during the exam.