August 17, 2012 at 11:44 pm
I've been working with SQL Server 2005/2008 at a small software company for about six years now, having trained myself as I went along. Now I've decided to pursue certification so I can have some confidence my skills will be transferable should I decide to leave the company.
I just received my copy of the 70-462 training kit from Amazon. The first thing I read was the hardware requirements. My jaw dropped. I literally don't know anyone with the kind of loose cash lying around to shell out on that kind of hardware.
I'm hoping someone can advise me as to a relatively low(er)-cost route to obtaining the hardware I need to complete this course without taking out a home equity loan. Or am I deluding myself that someone on a modest income has any realistic path to certification?
thanks,
ron
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a haiku...
NULL is not zero
NULL is not an empty string
NULL is the unknown
August 18, 2012 at 2:26 am
My 4-year old laptop that cost me < $1000 when I bought it runs SQL 2008 (and 2012) just fine. If you're not planning on doing heavy database work (or are OK with it taking time), just about any reasonable modern machine (other than netbooks) can run SQL Server
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
August 18, 2012 at 5:19 am
I have old desktop bought 7 years ago and it is working fine for SQL server 2008.
You can bought old machine in very less cost and start your work.
August 18, 2012 at 11:46 am
Not sure exactly what those requirements are in the book but I have a $400 tower based server that runs SQL server 2008 r2 just fine for development purposes. My 2 year old win laptop does too.
Mark
August 18, 2012 at 12:26 pm
My demo VMs for SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2012 are set at 1MB RAM and a 40GB disk.
Works fine. Almost any laptop will run SQL Server dev edition.
August 18, 2012 at 12:33 pm
The hardware requirements appear to be more in support of Hyper-V than of SQL Server itself. The specific requirements in the Training Kit are:
============
Virtualization Hardware Requirements:
- x64-based processor that includes both hardware-assisted virtualization (AMD-V or Intel VT) and hardware data execution protection. (On AMD systems, the data execution protection feature is called the No Execute or NX bit. On Intel systems, this feature is called the Execute Disable or XD bit.) These features must also be enabled in the BIOS.
- 8GB of RAM
...and then a few other things that don't really contribute much.
Software Requirements:
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- SQL Server 2012
- the AdventureWorks dbs
==============
The alternative to using virtualization is to set up a network of six 64-bit PCs.
Am I making this out to be more of an investment than it is? Because this sounds pretty expensive.
ron
-----
a haiku...
NULL is not zero
NULL is not an empty string
NULL is the unknown
August 18, 2012 at 12:43 pm
If you are going to do AlwaysOn, then 5 is the recommended number of machines, but you could get by with 4 (or 4VMs).
You could go to 6 as a max. The domain controller is the one that has to be separate from the (up to) 5 SQL instances.
August 21, 2012 at 9:07 am
Looks like the least I can get away with is about a $600 machine. A second-gen i3 and 8GB of RAM should do, but I might as well go i5. In the grand scheme of things, it's a heck of a lot less than taking the training courses. So I guess I shouldn't complain.
ron
-----
a haiku...
NULL is not zero
NULL is not an empty string
NULL is the unknown
August 21, 2012 at 9:17 am
The requirements are for the Always On setup. If you're willing to skip practicing that (which does need 3-5 machines), then any old computer can run SQL Server for the rest of the stuff.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
August 21, 2012 at 9:26 am
GilaMonster (8/21/2012)
The requirements are for the Always On setup. If you're willing to skip practicing that (which does need 3-5 machines), then any old computer can run SQL Server for the rest of the stuff.
Since the goal is to pass the 70-462 exam (along with 461 and 463, with an eye toward MCSA certification), is Always On something I can afford to skip?
ron
-----
a haiku...
NULL is not zero
NULL is not an empty string
NULL is the unknown
August 21, 2012 at 9:34 am
Look at the Skills Measured tab: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?id=70-462#tab2
At only 12%, the high availability features are the smallest part of the exam.
My Dell XPS17 has a core i7 and can support up to 16 gigs of RAM. I only have 8 now and would probably only be comfortable running 2 VMs simultaneously. With 16, I'd have no problem doing 3-5 with a config similar to Steve's. RAM is always the killer with VMs. You want to make sure, even if they're capped, that you leave enough for the host OS or everything slows to a crawl. The host is running the hypervisor after-all.
Don't have a spare server laying around the office you could maybe use?
August 21, 2012 at 9:37 am
Read up on the theory and the steps to implement and you should be fine. They don't ask you to actually implement stuff in the TS-level exams. It's entirely possible to pass the SQL 2012 exams without practical experience of the new features.
AlwaysOn is what, 4% of the exam?
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
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