infoTECH Feature

June 14, 2011

Learn About Cloud Computing at the Microsoft Virtual Academy

Those of you interested in learning more about cloud computing, especially the services offered by Microsoft (News - Alert), can take free online training courses courtesy of the Microsoft Virtual Academy, or MVA.

The MVA web site offers training on Microsoft’s Azure platform as well as other cloud-based services. For now you’ll find training on such topics as Microsoft Virtualization for VMWare Professionals; Planning, Building, and Maintaining a Private Cloud, Introduction to Windows Azure, and Introduction to SQL Azure. But Microsoft promises that more training tracks will appear down the road.

To register with the MVA, you’ll need to first log in with a Windows Live account. You then enter your name and email address. A confirmation email is sent asking you to activate your account. You’ll then be directed to the web site where you can take the specific courses.

After you log in, you’ll first see your Dashboard page, which tracks your progress as you take and complete each course. From there you can move to the Get Started page to get a first-time overview of the MVA program. But to start taking courses you’ll want to jump over to the Tracks page where you’ll find a list of the different training courses.

Each course is broken down into anywhere from three to five modules, each one focused on a specific topic. For example, the course on Windows Azure Security contains four modules: 1) Security Overview; 2) Identity & Access; 3) Data Security & Cryptography; and 4) Network Security.

You start with the first module and then run through each successive one. Each module begins by providing an overview in the form of a webcast, webpage, or PDF file with in-depth information on the topic at hand. You’ll need to view the video or read the page or document before you go through the module to bone up on the subject matter.

The module then hits you up with the self-assessment quiz to gauge your knowledge of the topic. The quiz typically offers around seven questions, and Microsoft gives you a total of ten minutes to complete the quiz. If you fail to answer any of the questions correctly, the module will prompt you to take the quiz again before you can move onto the next module. The module will repeat some of the questions but also adds in new questions to make the quiz more challenging.

Microsoft will tell you how many questions you got wrong but it won’t tell you which ones you got wrong. So if there are any questions that prove particularly challenging, your best bet is to refer to the webcast, webpage, or PDF document to try to confirm if you’ve answered them correctly. After you successfully complete each module, you’ll be awarded a certain number of points that gradually enhance your membership to various levels, from Bronze to Silver to Gold to Platinum.

Microsoft provides an FAQ page that can answer most common questions about MVA. If you’re looking for free training on Microsoft’s cloud services, the Virtual Academy is certainly a good place to start.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.



Lance Whitney is a journalist, IT consultant, and Web Developer with almost 20 years of experience in the IT world. To read more of Lance's articles, please visit his columnist page

Edited by Jennifer Russell
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