Joli Ballew - Exam Ref 70-688: Supporting Windows 8.1

Joli Ballew

PUBLISHED BY
Microsoft Press
A Division of Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052-6399

Copyright 2014 by Joli Ballew

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014940675
ISBN: 978-0-7356-8473-7

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First Printing

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Acquisitions Editor: Anne Hamilton
Developmental Editor: Karen Szall
Editorial Production: Box Twelve Communications
Technical Reviewer: Randall Galloway and Brian Svidergol
Cover: Twist Creative Seattle

This book is written for IT professionals who want to earn the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate Windows 8.1 certification. This certification includes two exams:

70-687 Configuring Windows 8.1

70-688 Supporting Windows 8.1

Exam 70-688, the focus of this book, serves as the second exam in the path to the Windows 8.1 MCSA certification. This book is written specifically for IT professionals who want to demonstrate that they have the primary set of Windows 8.1 skills, relevant across multiple solution areas in a business environment, to support Windows 8.1 across any size or type of enterprise. Starting in January 2014, this exam covers topics that include new features and capabilities introduced in Windows 8.1.

The two examsExam 70-687 and Exam 70-688allow you to earn the Windows 8.1 MCSA certification without any prior certification. Together, these include 10 domains of broader skills and 35 more specific objectives, each having many subobjectives. The 70-688 exam tests three domains and 12 objectives that comprise the core knowledge needed to support a Windows 8.1 infrastructure. Each of the 12 objectives includes several subobjectives.

In order to create a book that is a manageable study tool, Ive focused on covering the new features and capabilities of Windows 8.1, while not ignoring likely test subjects that were introduced in earlier versions of Windows 8.1. I cover every objective and subobjective here too, offering links to information youll want to read that I didnt have room to add to this book.

While this book covers every exam objective, it does not cover every exam question. Only the Microsoft exam team has access to the exam questions themselves and Microsoft regularly adds new questions to the exam, making it impossible to cover specific questions. You should consider this book a supplement to your relevant real-world experience and other study materials. If you encounter a topic in this book that you do not feel completely comfortable with, use the links youll find in the book to find more informationand then take the time to research and study the topic. Valuable information is available on MSDN, TechNet, and in blogs and forums.

Microsoft certifications distinguish you by proving your command of a broad set of skills and experience with current Microsoft products and technologies. The exams and corresponding certifications are developed to validate your mastery of critical competencies as you design and develop, or implement and support, solutions with Microsoft products and technologies both on-premises and in the cloud. Certification brings a variety of benefits to the individual and to employers and organizations.

I have written nearly 60 books and I always say that it takes a good, strong, competent team to get it done. I just write the words. Behind the scenes are acquisition editors, project managers, technical editors, copy editors, layout designers, and many others I am sure that I dont even know about. I also have a supportive family, pets to keep me company while I write, and a group of friends that let me talk about tech stuff, even when I know they arent really interested.

By name these people include Acquisitions Editor Karen Szall, Technical Editors Randall Galloway and Brian Svidergol, Copy Editor Susan Dunn, and Indexer Angie Martin. My Project Manager is Jeff Riley. My family includes Cosmo, Jennifer and Andrew, two lovely granddaughters, my 93-year-old father, and a handful of pets.

Id like to thank everyone at Studio B, too, including my agent, Stacey Czarnowski, and the person who takes care of my money, Katrina Bevin. I also continue to acknowledge my (retired) agent, Neil Salkind, who managed my work for over a decade.

Weve made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this book and its companion content. You can access updates to this bookin the form of a list of submitted errata and their related correctionsat:

http://aka.ms/ER688R2

If you discover an error that is not already listed, please submit it to us at the same page.

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Microsoft certification exams are a great way to build your resume and let the world know about your level of expertise. Certification exams validate your on-the-job experience and product knowledge. While there is no substitution for on-the-job experience, preparation through study and hands-on practice can help you prepare for the exam. We recommend that you round out your exam preparation plan by using a combination of available study materials and courses. For example, you might use the Training Guide and another study guide for your at home preparation and take a Microsoft Official Curriculum course for the classroom experience. Choose the combination that you think works best for you.