Friday, November 11, 2011

Preparation for exam 70-433: SQL Server 2008 Database Development

Below is the list of books that I used for preparing exam 70-433:

1. MCTS 70-433 by Microsoft Press
2. The Real MCTS 70-433 by Syngress publication
3. SQL Server 2008 Bible by Wiley publishing

I have zipped them for your easy reference, the URL of which is here.

I have around 5 years of experience working with SQL (2000, 2005, 2008), most of which was SQL 2005. I decided to upgrade my skills for SQL 2008 and started by reading MCTS book by Microsoft. I also read 'The Real MCTS' book. Some chapters were good in 'MCTS Microsoft', some in 'Real MCTS'. I used 'Bible' for referring new concepts like change data capture and CDC which I had not worked in the past. It explains them well giving tabular explanation.

I gave my exam on 11/11/11 and scored 100%. I must also give due credit to www.examcollection.com wherein I found dumps for exam 70-433. You need to get VisualCert Exam manager software for going through the questionaire. The software is almost similar to real exam. In any given dump, there are around 155 questions. The real exam asks 55 question, but you must go through their dumps. Almost all questions came from those dumps except 3-4 questions.

This is my bifurcation on different sections:

1. XML - MCTS Microsoft (for xml raw, auto, path (skip explicit), methods like value, nodes, query) + Real MCTS (openxml)
2. Spatial, Full text search, service broker - MCTS Microsoft (service broker mainly high level topics like message type, queue, contract, service)
3. database mail, powersheel, data change, CDS, audit - MCTS Microsoft
4. ranking functions - Real MCTS
5. error handling - Real MCTS
6. CLR- Real MCTS
7. creating objects like tables, SPs, functions, triggers - both books
8. performance tuning chapter of 'Real MCTS'

Hope this helps you...

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Prometric Test Centers in Pune

Here is the list of prometric test centers in pune where you can give various Microsoft certification exams:

Seed Infotech Ltd
Site Code: IIF64
42 16 Panchsheel
Income Tax Office Lane
Off Karve Road
Pune, Maharashtra 411004
Phone: 2546679

VINSYS IT SERVICES (I) PVT LTD
Site Code: IIH4
L 401 TO 409 Megacenter
3rd Floor
Hadapsar
Pune, Maharashtra 411028
Phone: 30483032

KARROX TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Site Code: ii447
301-305,3rd floor
Kamla Arcade Balgandharv
ChowkJM Road1204,
Shivaji Nagar
Pune, Maharashtra 411007
Phone: 41007600
   
NIIT LTD
Site Code: IID
Aurora Towers,East Wing
4th Floor,Camp,M.G.Road
Pune, Maharashtra 411001
Phone: 30567017/19
   
Certification Guru
Site Code: II716
Off. no 9, Mahalaxmi Heights
Near Bank of Maharashtra
Morwadi corner, Finolex Chowk
Pune, Maharashtra 411018
Phone: 64191414
   
KNOWLEDGE MINE
Site Code: IIB85
UNIT NO - 9
TUKARAM COMPLEX
HINJEWADI, WAKAD ROAD
PUNE, Maharashtra 411057
Phone: 9822041028

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Filing RTI query anonymously

Indians over time have come up with great idea and one of them worth mentioning is getup4change. This website allows you to post your RTI queries to the owners/moderators of the website. As many are unaware of proper formatting while posting RTI queries, the team will help draft and file your RTI queries hiding your identity. The recent attacks on RTI activists might be the clicking point for them to come up with this website.

This website thrives on donation and please be humble giving donations.

Nasal decongestants

The default name that we may recall for de-congesting nose is Otrivin. Otrivin has been promoting its ad and it seems it may be earning good revenue given its price of 52 rs for 10 ml nasal spray bottle. However, there are other cheaper alternatives in market that has the same chemical ingredients and effective. Below are some of them and there prices for 10 ml bottle:

  1. Nasivion - 46 rs
  2. Synox - 32 rs

Alternative to eating apple?

I don't who devised the saying 'An apple a day keeps doctor away'. All I can guess is he might be marketing expert promoting apples of Jammu Kashmir. If you compare the nutritional facts of apple with amla, you will find that amla is lot more better than apple and lot more cheaper than buying apples @ 120 rs per kg (4-5 pieces).

Compare apple with gooseberry (amla) in this comparison chart.

Apple is good for taste but if you want to live healthy economically then amla turns out to be better option. You can have apple once in a while.


Monday, November 7, 2011

Who comes after A. R. Rehman?

As far as bollywood music goes, everyone knows who A. R. Rehman is. However, I often ask myself question who is the next music composer after Rehman. I got a hint after hearing music of film 'Aamir' and was sure after hearing 'Dev-D'. These two albums have unconventional music and I am sure bollywood has got a very good music composer named Amit Trivedi.

Amit Trivedi has proved his versatility by giving music of different genre like the one in Aamir, Dev-D and Chillar Party. He is also a singer himself. Many of his songs have been hit among masses like 'Emotional Atyachar', 'Tai Tai Phiss'. I am awaiting his new albums.

Money in savings account vs fixed deposit

RBI has been hiking REPO and Reverse REPO rates and that has brought smile to individual account holders. Due to rising REPO and Reverse REPO rates, bank in turn have hiked deposit and loan interest rates. And it is upto us to take advantage of this fact. 

If your money is lying in savings bank account, then it would not be earning more than 4% per annum which is meagre compared to fixed deposit (FD) rates which are approximately 9.5% pa. What can you do to take advantage of these rate hikes? 


You can park your money in FD accounts. As the rates of FD are fluctuating you can open an FD for shorter duration like 2 months. This will give you flexibility of withdrawing funds after 2 months. And if rates still increase, you can then park your funds with FD giving more interest rates. 

You should not stick with opening FD with only your bank because your bank might not be the best bank in the town providing attractive interest rates for FD. 


Some nationalized banks are offering FD interest rates as high as 8.5% pa for even shorter duration like 1 month. One of such banks is Corporation Bank.


Lets take an example of 2 lakh rupees lying in your savings bank account vs putting the same in FD for 1 month:


Interest earned:
Saving bank account: 2 lakh * 4 / 12 / 100 = 666.66 rs
FD account: 2 lakh * 8.5 / 12 / 100 = 1416.66 rs


As you can see, it makes a lot of difference in the interest you get. Moreover, it doesn't take much documentation to open an FD. It is simple. You generally need these documents to open an FD:


1. ID proof
2. Address proof
3. PAN copy
4. Photograph(s)


Some banks have started online facility for applying for FD. However, they might not be giving the best FD rates like SBI gives 7% pa for 1 month duration. Compare it with Corporation bank which gives 8.5% pa for 1 month. However, the latter doesn't provide online facility for applying in FD.