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Exam 70-221

Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure

Exam 70-221 has been available since July 12, 2000.

This exam includes new types of questions that are very different from other exam formats currently in use. We strongly urge MCP candidates to take the following steps to help prepare for the exam. We recommend that you download and try Microsoft's Case Study-Based Test Demo to become familiar with these new types of questions before taking the exam. If you do not try the demo first, you may find that you are not adequately prepared for the exam's unique format. No tutorials are available at the Vue or Prometric testing centers.

This document includes information on:

• Microsoft Certification Path
• Target Audience
• Skills Being Measured

Microsoft Certification Path

When you pass this exam, you achieve MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) status. You also earn either core or elective credit toward your MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) certification.

Target Audience

Candidates for this exam operate in medium to very large computing environments that use the Windows 2000 network operating system. They have a minimum of one year's experience designing network infrastructures in environments that have the following characteristics:

• Supported users range from 200-26,000+
• Physical locations range from 5-150+
• Typical network services and applications include file and print, database, messaging, proxy server or firewall, dial-in server, desktop management, and Web hosting.
• Connectivity needs include connecting individual offices and users at remote locations to the corporate network and connecting corporate networks to the Internet.

Skills Being Measured

This certification exam tests the skills required to analyze the business requirements for a network infrastructure and design a network infrastructure that meets business requirements. Network infrastructure elements include:

• Network topology
• Routing
• IP addressing
• Name resolution such as WINS and DNS
• Virtual private networks
• Remote access
• Telephony solutions

Before taking the exam, you should be proficient in the job skills listed below.

Analyzing Business Requirements

Analyze the existing and planned business models.

• Analyze the company model and the geographical scope. Models include regional, national, international, subsidiary, and branch offices.
• Analyze company processes. Processes include information flow, communication flow, service and product life cycles, and decision-making.

Analyze the existing and planned organizational structures. Considerations include management model; company organization; vendor, partner, and customer relationships; and acquisition plans.

Analyze factors that influence company strategies.

• Identify company priorities.
• Identify the projected growth and growth strategy.
• Identify relevant laws and regulations.
• Identify the company's tolerance for risk.
• Identify the total cost of operations

Analyze the structure of IT management. Considerations include type of administration, such as centralized or decentralized; funding model; outsourcing; decision-making process, and change-management process.

Analyzing Technical Requirements

Evaluate the company's existing and planned technical environment and goals.

• Analyze company size and user and resource distribution.
• Assess the available connectivity between the geographic location of worksites and remote sites.
• Assess net available bandwidth and latency issues.
• Analyze performance, availability, and scalability requirements of services.
• Analyze data and system access patterns.
• Analyze network roles and responsibilities.
• Analyze security considerations.

Analyze the impact of infrastructure design on the existing and planned technical environment.

• Assess current applications.
• Analyze network infrastructure, protocols, and hosts.
• Evaluate network services.
• Analyze TCP/IP infrastructure.
• Assess current hardware.
• Identify existing and planned upgrades and rollouts.
• Analyze technical support structure.
• Analyze existing and planned network and systems management.

Analyze the network requirements for client computer access.

• Analyze end-user work needs.
• Analyze end-user usage patterns.

Analyze the existing disaster recovery strategy for client computers, servers, and the network.

Designing a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure

Modify and design a network topology.

Design a TCP/IP networking strategy.

• Analyze IP subnet requirements.
• Design a TCP/IP addressing and implementation plan.
• Measure and optimize a TCP/IP infrastructure design.
• Integrate software routing into existing networks.
• Integrate TCP/IP with existing WAN requirements.

Design a DHCP strategy.

• Integrate DHCP into a routed environment.
• Integrate DHCP with Windows 2000.
• Design a DHCP service for remote locations.
• Measure and optimize a DHCP infrastructure design.

Design name resolution services.

• Create an integrated DNS design.
• Create a secure DNS design.
• Create a highly available DNS design.
• Measure and optimize a DNS infrastructure design.
• Design a DNS deployment strategy.
• Create a WINS design.
• Create a secure WINS design.
• Measure and optimize a WINS infrastructure design.
• Design a WINS deployment strategy.

Design a multi-protocol strategy. Protocols include IPX/SPX and SNA.

Design a Distributed file system (Dfs) strategy.

• Design the placement of a Dfs root.
• Design a Dfs root replica strategy.

Designing for Internet Connectivity

Design an Internet and extranet access solution. Components of the solution could include proxy server, firewall, routing and remote access, Network Address Translation (NAT), connection sharing, web server, or mail server.

Design a load-balancing strategy.

Designing a Wide Area Network Infrastructure

Design an implementation strategy for dial-up remote access.

• Design a remote access solution that uses Routing and Remote Access.
• Integrate authentication with Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS).

Design a virtual private network (VPN) strategy.

Design a Routing and Remote Access routing solution to connect locations.

• Design a demand-dial routing strategy.

Designing a Management and Implementation Strategy for Windows 2000 Networking

Design a strategy for monitoring and managing Windows 2000 network services. Services include global catalog, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) services, Certificate Services, DNS, DHCP, WINS, Routing and Remote Access, Proxy Server, and Dfs.

Design network services that support application architecture.

Design a plan for the interaction of Windows 2000 network services such as WINS, DHCP, and DNS.

Design a resource strategy.

• Plan for the placement and management of resources.
• Plan for growth.
• Plan for Decentralized resources or centralized resources.

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