Hi All,

I almost forgot to post about this but thought I'd better share my experience. If you look around there isn't that much study material for ISA server 2006. I failed this exam with 600 probably because the only study material I used was CBT Nuggets alone. The video's were good but I normally like to mix CBTs with a good book but in this case couldn't find one!

Hopefully someone will release a few more books to help out on this one. If they do I may consider resitting this at a later date.

Cheers

Jim

unlucky mate - hopefully next time...

Too bad, better luck next time :)

Were you using the ISA 2004 material also?

-Ken

I'm sure you'll nail it soon !

Bad luck mate, keep it up! :beers2

Unlucky :( Better luck next time.

Qs

Better luck next time mate. 8)

Hopefully someone will release a few more books to help out on this one.

If they haven't done it by now, they won't likely do so ever.

If you choose to go after it again, I wish you well on your next attempt!

Thanks very much fellas. Might give it a miss I think then as its a really fiddly exam. What I mean by that is that ISA 06 is as you'd expect, pretty locked down out of the box, so its all rules and settings, and with minimal training material available . . .

Thanks very much fellas. Might give it a miss I think then as its a really fiddly exam. What I mean by that is that ISA 06 is as you'd expect, pretty locked down out of the box, so its all rules and settings, and with minimal training material available . . .

Do you work with ISA server at work mate?

Do you work with ISA server at work mate?

Thats the other thing, I don't mate. I just picked this exam cos it would of gone toward my MCSE: Security. Its all PIX and CheckPoint in our place.

Thats the other thing, I don't mate. I just picked this exam cos it would of gone toward my MCSE: Security. Its all PIX and CheckPoint in our place.

Ahh, perhaps give it a miss until you get the MCSE done? See how you feel after that.

Ahh, perhaps give it a miss until you get the MCSE done? See how you feel after that.

Yeah good advice there I think mate. I'm sitting 299 and passed Security+ so I'll meet the requirements for my : Security (all going to plan) but I do feel like I've got unfinished business not passing 351. I put a good few hours in studying for it so to not repeat it kind of feels like a waste. Its a good product too IMO and does have a place sitting behind your Hardware FW's acting as an additional layer providing application layer packet inspection the HW FW's can't do. That and the reporting ISA Server can do is pretty brilliant to be honest. Think I'll have another crack after I've got the important ones out the way, 291, 293, 294, 298, 299.

I'm a bit torn at the minute between taking my time and just going for an exam per month as work sent me on a fasttrack 293+298 course with Remarc in June (http://www.qa.com/training-courses/technical-training/microsoft/microsoft-windows-server/microsoft-windows-server-2003/fastrack2windows-server-2003-(part-3)-planning-maintaining-and-securing-a-microsoft-windows-server-2003-network-infrastructure), and I fancied cramming while its still fresh in my mind. What do you think Sparky?

I've been doing 30 hours study per week plus work and I'm starting to loose my way a bit.

**Edit: I'm taking 291 and 299 next Thursday for 2 reasons. I've studied for 291 since feb! Having failed once and done it constantly in the background of other studies since then. I started studying for 299 only a month ago but found theres tons that overlap with 291 as its practically a CA and IPsec exam, and lastly the Prometric is a hike from where I live and I thought sod it, save my petrol and do both in a day . . .GULP!

I'm a bit torn at the minute between taking my time and just going for an exam per month as work sent me on a fasttrack 293+298 course with Remarc in June (http://www.qa.com/training-courses/technical-training/microsoft/microsoft-windows-server/microsoft-windows-server-2003/fastrack2windows-server-2003-(part-3)-planning-maintaining-and-securing-a-microsoft-windows-server-2003-network-infrastructure), and I fancied cramming while its still fresh in my mind. What do you think Sparky?


Yeah, I would add to that with some self study and then take the exams when you are ready. That would be an additional two exams towards the MCSE which is a big step forward.

Yeah, I would add to that with some self study and then take the exams when you are ready. That would be an additional two exams towards the MCSE which is a big step forward.

Thanks mate. I'm getting there, I'm a lot more confident I'll pass 291 and 299 now that I've taken my time with them and its all coming together. Jim. I started the MCSE track 1st of Jan by the way. New Years resolution and all that ha ha

Hi Jk, did you try this? Isa unleashed (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-ISA-Server-2006-Unleashed/dp/0672329190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247179344&sr=8-1) It's one of the few ISA 2006 books out there. I found it quite good, easy to read.

I was going to do the 351 at one point, but never got around to doing the exam. Implementing two ISA servers in our work environment also helped me get a really good understanding of ISA.

Hi Jk, did you try this? Isa unleashed (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-ISA-Server-2006-Unleashed/dp/0672329190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247179344&sr=8-1) It's one of the few ISA 2006 books out there. I found it quite good, easy to read.

I was going to do the 351 at one point, but never got around to doing the exam. Implementing two ISA servers in our work environment also helped me get a really good understanding of ISA.

Thanks very much Modey. I think I'l treat myself to that book once my MCSE is done and rebook the exam. Cheers, Jim

**Edit: How do you find working with the ISA servers mate? Are they easy once you get used to em? I was sceptical about a software firewall at first, as it sits on an Operating system with its own vulnerabilities never mind your firewall, but now that I've got more into it, it seems a good solution behind a hardware firewall. Is that what you have or a different config?

Thanks very much Modey. I think I'l treat myself to that book once my MCSE is done and rebook the exam. Cheers, Jim

**Edit: How do you find working with the ISA servers mate? Are they easy once you get used to em? I was sceptical about a software firewall at first, as it sits on an Operating system with its own vulnerabilities never mind your firewall, but now that I've got more into it, it seems a good solution behind a hardware firewall. Is that what you have or a different config?

Personally, I think they're as useless as a screen door on a submarine. A high-quality hardware-based firewall is the way to go.

Personally, I think they're as useless as a screen door on a submarine. A high-quality hardware-based firewall is the way to go.

The MCT on my last course actually said he thinks you'd get fired if you seriously suggested ISA as your firewall solution . . . . :eek:

good luck on whatever you decide to do next :D

good luck on whatever you decide to do next :D

Thanks mate, I'm gonna need it! 291 and 299 next week . . . . :cry:

**Edit: How do you find working with the ISA servers mate? Are they easy once you get used to em? I was sceptical about a software firewall at first, as it sits on an Operating system with its own vulnerabilities never mind your firewall, but now that I've got more into it, it seems a good solution behind a hardware firewall. Is that what you have or a different config?

It's quite easy once you are used to it, like anything I guess. If you follow best practices and lock down your server before installing ISA, then it seems pretty secure to me, but we don't use it as our sole defence, we also sit behind a hardware firewall. As with other MS products, when used in an MS environment, it integrates really well and gives you some nice control features on the network.

It can also be used for other things like webfiltering (but it's not that great at that). There are third party add ons for it though that extend it's functionality quite a bit.

It's quite easy once you are used to it, like anything I guess. If you follow best practices and lock down your server before installing ISA, then it seems pretty secure to me, but we don't use it as our sole defence, we also sit behind a hardware firewall. As with other MS products, when used in an MS environment, it integrates really well and gives you some nice control features on the network.

It can also be used for other things like webfiltering (but it's not that great at that). There are third party add ons for it though that extend it's functionality quite a bit.

Yeah I heard when Microsoft brought it out they tried to say it would replace HW FW's. They have since acknowledged that ISA is best behind a HW FW. I've had a pay with it in a lab and to be fair its reporting is great I thought, exported into an XML file. Good MI for the managers anyway. Thanks for the info mate. Think I'll defo go back in for this exam later this year. Jim