Exam Ref 70-740 Installation, Storage and Compute with Windows Server 2016

Short version:This book is a decent reference book but you will not be able to pass with just the book alone (even the author admits this). Try installing server in a lab and then do the exercises in the book (especially PowerShell). The book does a decent job of including the different tasks in 2016 in both Powershell and Gui tools (like server manager). However, there are some drawbacks. There are no practice tests at the end of the chapters to test your knowledge. The terms could also be better laid out (have the text bolded instead of italicized). The terms could also be at the end of each chapter for easier reference. Still, this is a good book to keep around as you work with 2016 in production environments.-----------------Long versionFinally done with this exam! I passed the test about 5 hours ago. So this book, I would rate I about 3.5 stars if I could but I give it extra points for honesty. If you download the sample, you can see in the first paragraph of the introduction it says that the book isn't the best to use alone for prepping for the exam. They aren't wrong about that. You will definitely need some extra resources to prepare properly.The book by itself stays true to the task of being a reference book. Each of the objectives are laid out plainly in each chapter. It does a decent job of showing you how to do multiple tasks in the gui and then again in Powershell. The thing is reading all of those powershell commands page after page is that it will make your eyes cross. I'd say about 25% of the actual test referenced some sort of powershell command so it is important that they included it. The thing is that reading on a page is one thing...actually doing it is another thing altogether.When actually working in Powershell, you are able to use the Get-Help command to learn what a command does and the different parameters that can be used with it. It's a really good idea to actually use it to really get the hang of it. There are tons of Powershell commands but once you get the verbs (get, set, measure) you get the hang of it with use. Soon, you will able to look at commands and know what they do without looking it up.Concerning the chapter layouts, there are 6 chapters that have a combination of 20 sub chapters. I preferred to think of them as just 20 chapters in 6 sections. With other books, I would get through a chapter or 2 in a week but with the larger chapters, it would take me a week and a half (or 2 weeks) to get through a chapter and it would make me feel as though I wasn't progressing fast enough. Maybe it was just a personal thing but I just saw it as 20 chapters to help me feel like I was progressing.At the end of each chapter/section, there was just a case study. There were no practice tests like older versions of server references (svr 2008, 2012). I hope that the next release includes practice tests. It really helps to ensure that the chapter was understood and what to look back on. Another thing that would be helpful is to have the terms in bold or underlined text. This would draw more attention to the words to take note of it. Italicized doesn't really make the words stick out enough and it is easy to skim over if you are tired. I really also hope that they have a terms area where all of the definitions in the chapter are listed.All in all, I learned a lot from this book but if you want to pass the exam, you would need to combine the book knowledge with practice. I don't have a home lab so I was able to scrape up enough to get a month of cbt nuggets. This came with some great labs that helped me to really nail down powershell and get the feel of gui tools The videos also helped to get me to understand things that I wasn't grasping in the book. There were also things in the book that were outlined and better explained than in some of the videos. I guess all in all its really a matter of preference.If you do get cbt nuggets, here is a list of the videos/chapters:Chapter/Section 1 CBT Videos (1-13)Chapter/Section 2 CBT Videos (14-21)Chapter/Section 3 CBT Videos (22-30)Chapter/Section 4 CBT Videos (31-34)Chapter/Section 5 CBT Videos (34-44)Chapter/Section 6 CBT Videos (45-48)I was really going to write a short review, I'm not sure why or how it got this long or why you are even still reading.I hope this was helpful for you in some way. I know you can pass this test. I believe in youI'm really tired but really want to play a game to get my mind off of all this studying. I'm probably going to fall asleep whyle playing but whatever okay bie

The book is good, covers a lot of detail. I don't know if you will pass the exam just reading the book though. The exam expects you to know the exact Powershell cmdlet and often exact switches to use in a given scenario. I got this book, and I passed my 70-740 exam today, but the book alone (which honestly I only got halfway through) didn't help as much.Here is my advise to people buying the book, get it, but don't rely on it. You have to read a lot of technet articles/blogs, you must have a lab setup and test out a lot of the options. You should probably order the practice tests from MS/mindshare to get a feel for the exam. You will get quizzed on a lot of little options like "How do I keep this VM from self migrating when switch loses network connection", "How do I keep a VM it from failing over to another node when NIC gets disconnected, ReFS or NTFS, which counter do I use to monitor X, Which cmdlet will enable metering for Y, etc. I even got a question that was lifted out of a blog article about Passthrough disks from 2008. If you don't use Hyper-V at work.. Nothing will prepare you quite like just reading a ton on microsoft docs site (lots of planning stuff) and blogs

This book is a waste of your time.So is are MS certs. Given that they deprecated Nano Server installation, but you still get to read 30 pages of the crap install process for this convoluted garbage. It's enough to make your head spin, but it was designed as if they didn't want anyone to know how to use it. Seriously, screw the way this writer explains it, and screw the way MS made it to begin with. It's all garbage.

I like the book as it is a quick rundown of all the features of Server 2016. Expand your knowledge on technet and simulated labs at home. I used CBT nuggets for 7 days since they have a trial for you to use as well as practice exams to help pass. When you get more proficient in your field, you may find slight changes such as nano server being a container now, but it's been better than that lighthouse book.

Well written, but does not cover in much detail what is actually on the exam. The quality of the MS exam books has gone down hill over the years. You'll get a big picture idea of the exam topics, but that's it.

If I had a dollar for every time I tried without success to look up a Windows 2016 feature in the index, I could have back the money I wasted on this book. It is NOT a text or reference book. It does show step by step how to do certain things.

This is the 3rd book I've bought from Amazon that is their product and fulfilled by them. It seems they are printing this book in Black and White as to why they seem to be cheaper than others. Their preview shows that the diagrams are in full color which helps when you are looking at computer components or screenshots. 3rd time is a charm and i will purchase directly from the vendor if it means paying more!

Ok reference for the exam objectives. I would supplement with another book, a video course, or both. I am using CBT Nuggets and this book hit things the video course did not and the other way around.

Very good at showing you the basic structure of the PowerShell commands to perform certain tasks as well giving you examples.Also very good at showing you what options to choose in certain business situations which is good because the exam is based upon cast studies

As described

Another excellent Microsoft Training book

As described thanks

Excellent read