70-334 Study Guide: Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015
The 70-334 : Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015 exam is one of the two Skype for Business 2015 exams required to get your Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) Productivity Certification. This 70-334 study guide was created to help you find materials to study, and ace the exam. I will share both free and paid options, whether books, video training or simply links to articles and blog posts. I will not share any dumps as those are against the Microsoft Terms of Service, and by using dumps, we decrease the value of our certifications.
Certification Path
Exam Name | Link to Exam on Microsoft Learning | Study Guide |
70-346 Managing Office 365 Identities and Requirements | Managing Office 365 Identities and Requirements | 70-346 Study Guide – Managing Office 365 Identities and Requirements |
70-347 Enabling Office 365 Services | Enabling Office 365 Services | 70-347 Study Guide – Enabling Office 365 Services |
Exam 70-333: Deploying Enterprise Voice with Skype for Business 2015 | Deploying Enterprise Voice with Skype for Business 2015 | 70-333 Study Guide: Deploying Enterprise Voice with Skype for Business 2015 |
Exam 70-334: Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015 | Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015 | 70-334 Study Guide: Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015 |
Books
Skype for Business Unleashed This is the most comprehensive, realistic, and useful guide to Skype for Business Server 2015, Microsoft’s most powerful unified communications system. Four leading Microsoft unified communications consultants share in-the-trenches guidance for planning, integration, migration, deployment, administration, and more.Links:
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Enterprise Voice in Skype for Business Server 2015 If you are responsible for the roll out or support of Enterprise Voice in Skype for Business Server 2015 (or Lync Server 2013) then this is the book for you. This book covers every core feature in detail complete with a hundreds of screenshots and PowerShell examples. Topics ranging from adding a voice gateway to your Topology to enabling brand new features such as Shared Line Appearance are covered. Each chapter walks you through all of the background, detail, and steps required to full understand Enterprise Voice.Links:
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Video Training for the exam
NOTE: Pluralsight is a paid resource unlike Channel9 and Microsoft Virtual Academy which are free. The quality they provide is also superior because of all the quality checks they go through, and the instructors are one of the best in the industry. The Pluralsight courses have a link to where you can get a free trial and decide for yourself if paying a subscription or not is worth it, but the 10-day free trial should allow you to view all those courses for free.
![]() | Skype for Business Server 2015: What’s New, Install, and Upgrade Learn what’s new in Skype for Business Server 2015, how to perform an install, and upgrade from Lync Server.
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Core Administration – Skype for Business Server Skype for Business Server empowers seamless communications and data sharing anywhere from desktop to mobile. This course will teach you the core administrative aspects from system and user management to practical troubleshooting tips and tricks.
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Installing and Configuring Office Online Server Office Online Server is an Office Server Product that delivers browser-based versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Office Online Server also enables new features for SharePoint Server 2016 such as durable links, and is required for any company willing to use Business Intelligence features with SharePoint Server 2016. This course is designed to cover the deployment of Office Online Server, starting from planning through maintenance as well as how to connect it to SharePoint, Exchange and Skype for Business Server in order to benefit from all of its possible features.
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Cert Exam Prep: Exam 70-334: Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015 This Certification Exam Prep session is designed for people experienced with Skype for Business who are interested in taking the 70-334 Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015 exam. Attendees of this session can expect to review the topics covered in this exam in a fast-paced format, as well as receive some valuable test taking techniques. Attendees leave with an understanding of how Microsoft certification works, what are the key topics covered in the exams, and an exhaustive look at resources for finalizing getting ready for the exam. The session is led by a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), experienced in delivering sessions on these topics. |
Instructor-led training (Microsoft Official Courses)
20334B: Core Solutions of Skype for Business 2015 (5 Days) This course provides students with the knowledge and skills that are required to plan, deploy, configure, and administer a Skype for Business 2015 solution. Students will learn how to deploy a multi-site and highly available Skype for Business infrastructure that supports instant messaging, conferencing, Persistent Chat, archiving, and monitoring. Students will also learn how to manage and maintain the infrastructure and how to troubleshoot issues that might arise. This course focuses primarily on an on-premises Skype for Business deployment, but it does include information on how to integrate an on-premises deployment with Skype for Business Online and how to migrate from previous versions of Lync Server. This course helps students prepare for Exam 70-334. |
Articles / Blog Posts per objective (Work in Progress)
Plan and design Skype for Business (35–40%)
- Plan Skype for Business site topology
- Evaluate user distribution for central and branch site design; associate workloads to business requirements; analyze business requirements and capacity requirements; plan Skype for Business architecture; analyze and design Skype for Business SIP domains including shared SIP namespaces (Split Domain); plan for Skype for Business Online dependencies
- Plan Skype for Business Server support infrastructure
- Define certificate requirements for internal servers; analyze and design load balancing, plan for DNS, SQL, AD DS, and file store; assess network requirements including ExpressRoute; plan for optimal conferencing traffic, capacity, and QoS support; estimate network usage and capacity including internal network and Skype for Business Online service requirements
- Load balancing requirements for Skype for Business [TechNet]
- DNS requirements for Skype for Business [TechNet]
- Advanced DNS planning for Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Change Witness server in SQL Mirror configured for Lync/Skype for Business Server [Blog]
- Create a file share in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- File sharing high availability in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Plan network requirements for Skype for Business 2015 [TechNet]
- ExpressRoute and QoS in Skype for Business Online [Office Support]
- Planning for PSTN Conferencing [CH9 Video]
- Defining Your Requirements for Conferencing [TechNet]
- Capacity planning for Lync Server 2013 using the user models [TechNet]
- Network and migration planning for Office 365 [Office Support]
- Plan Skype for Business Servers
- Define server roles; analyze hardware requirements; determine storage requirements for archiving and monitoring; determine operating system version requirements; determine operating system dependencies; define virtualization requirements
- Design a Skype for Business Server high availability/disaster recovery (HA/DR) solution
- Design a strategy for central and branch office scenarios, resiliency, SQL mirroring, SQL AlwaysOn Failover Clustering Instances and SQL AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Persistent Chat, load balancing, and Geo DNS; define failover scenarios
- Skype for Business Branch Site Design [Blog]
- Back End Server high availability in Skype for Business Server 2015 [Blog]
- Deploy an AlwaysOn Availability Group on a Back End Server in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Skype for Business – Supported SQL Versions, AlwaysOn, and HA Options [Blog]
- Load balancing requirements for Skype for Business [TechNet]
- Load Balancing Skype for Business Server 2015 [Blog]
- Load Balancing Skype for Business [Blog]
- DNS requirements for simple URLs in Lync Server 2013 [TechNet]
- Design conferencing
- Design dial-in conferencing including conference access numbers and conferencing regions, conferencing lifecycle, conferencing policies, video interoperability server (VIS), Office Online Server (OOS), and Skype Meeting Broadcast
- Plan your conferencing topology for Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Plan for dial-in conferencing in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Manage dial-in conferencing in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Plan for Video Interop Server in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Video Interoperability in Skype for Business [Blog]
- Plan hybrid connectivity between Skype for Business Server and Skype for Business Online [TechNet]
- Configure your on-premises deployment for Skype Meeting Broadcast [TechNet]
- Skype Meeting Broadcast [TechNet]
- Set up your network for Skype Meeting Broadcast [Office Support]
- Plan your conferencing topology for Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Design Skype for Business remote and external access using Edge Services
- Design federation including Skype consumer connectivity, Skype for Business Online, and XMPP; design for mobility; design for directors; design for remote user access; define certificate requirements for remote servers; analyze and design firewall requirements, load balancing, DNS, and reverse proxy, split tunneling strategies
- Deploy Skype Connectivity in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Configure federation with Skype for Business Online [TechNet]
- Federation and Public IM Connectivity [TechNet]
- A Deep Dive into Skype for Business Mobility [CH9 Video]
- Setting up the Director in Lync Server 2013 [TechNet]
- What’s the Director For? [Blog]
- Lync Server 2013: Director Role Options [Blog]
- Deploying external user access in Lync Server 2013 [TechNet]
- Configuring support for external user access in Lync Server 2013 [TechNet]
- Enable or disable remote user access in Lync Server 2013 [TechNet]
- Certificate requirements for external user access in Lync Server 2013 [TechNet]
- Ports and protocols for internal servers [TechNet]
- Skype for Business Server 2015 Firewall Diagram [Blog]
- Windows 2012 R2 IIS 8.5 and ARR 3.0 as reverse proxy for Skype for business or Lync [Blog]
- How to Configure IIS ARR for Skype for Business [Blog]
- Troubleshooting Lync AV over VPN [Blog]
- S4B Clients on Split-Tunnel VPNs [Blog]
- Enabling Lync Media to Bypass a VPN Tunnel [Blog]
- Deploy Skype Connectivity in Skype for Business Server 2015 [TechNet]
- Plan for Skype for Business clients and user experiences
- Plan contact list management, client version control, privacy, Address Book web search/download, Skype for Business mobility, client authentication options, Skype for Business users for VDI, and corporate access to Skype for Business Online; design for client UI experience; plan for Skype for Business room system
- Plan migration and upgrade from previous versions
- Plan the migration sequence; plan for in-place upgrade; decommission old servers; monitoring and archiving server roles; plan for co-existence with previous server versions; upgrade from mirroring to AlwaysOn
Deploy and configure Skype for Business (30–35%)
- Configure and publish topology
- Create Skype for Business roles; create gateways and trunks; add/remove server features; deploy Edge Server; deploy SQL HA options, create Office Online Server
- Configure conferencing
- Create PIN policy, regions and conference dial-in access numbers, meeting configuration, conference policies, mediation server co-location, and trunks and gateways; configure Skype Meeting Broadcast
- Configure Skype for Business remote and external access
- Configure federation, including Skype consumer connectivity, Skype for Business Online, and XMPP; configure mobility policies and remote user access policies; configure load balancing, DNS, and reverse proxy
- Deploy and configure clients
- Configure Skype for Business client features, client policies, and client security options; deploy Skype for Business users for VDI; deploy Skype for Business room system
- Migrate and upgrade from previous versions and/or Skype for Business Online
- Consolidate servers to a supported single version; move users; migrate Response Groups or LIS; move CMS or File Share Data; transition to SQL AlwaysOn; perform in-place upgrade; configure clients for Skype for Business Online; enable or move users to Skype for Business Online; migrate user settings; migrate to Skype for Business Online
- Configure HA/DR
- Configure pool pairing, configure Geo DNS for site failover, configure SQL HA
- Deploy and configure monitoring and archiving services
- Deploy monitoring reports; configure CDR and Quality of Experience; configure archiving storage; configure archiving and eDiscovery with Exchange including Exchange Online, archiving policies, Media Quality Dashboard (MQD), and server-side conversation history
- Deploy and configure Persistent Chat servers
- Implement chat history, room management URLs, HA and DR, user policies, room design, and ethical boundaries
Manage and troubleshoot Skype for Business (30–35%)
- Manage and troubleshoot conferencing and application sharing
- Manage and troubleshoot Conferencing Auto Attendant (CAA), Conference Announcement Service (CAS), contact objects, and conference directories; troubleshoot web scheduler, multipoint control unit (MCU) health, simple URLs (join launcher), UC add-in for Microsoft Outlook; manage and troubleshoot multi-party video, server resources, media relay, and third-party interop; troubleshoot Microsoft PowerPoint presentation connections, Office Web App server configurations, and dataproxy; troubleshoot Skype Meeting Broadcast.
- Manage and troubleshoot sign-in, presence, and client configuration
- Manage and troubleshoot DNS, certificates, registration, network connectivity including ExpressRoute, authentication, and auto-discover; manage and troubleshoot aggregation (OOF, calendar, machine, and user), enhanced privacy, subscriptions, contact list, and privacy relationship; manage and troubleshoot file transfer, policy assignment, URL filtering, client version filtering, GPO, and Skype for Business Online
- Manage and troubleshoot federation and remote access
- Manage and troubleshoot federation, including Skype consumer connectivity, XMPP, and Skype for Business Online federation types (open, direct, and enhanced), federation policy, and legacy interop; troubleshoot mobile auto-discover issues, mobile device usage issues, mobile callback feature, push notification, call establishment, and mobile conference data
- Manage and troubleshoot Address Book
- Configure Address Book; troubleshoot normalization, local versus web lookup, internal file download, external file download, Address Book generation, and contact merge
- Manage and troubleshoot high availability and resiliency
- Manage and troubleshoot the backup service, server storage replication, and file share replication by using DFS; manage single server failure (Skype for Business, SQL); manage data center failure, including CMS and branch survivability; backup and restore application service data; manage filestore data and contacts; maintain and recover Skype for Business topology; recover CMS
- Identify issues by using troubleshooting tools
- Interpret Skype for Business monitoring reports, and identify potential issues; configure synthetic transactions; test connectivity with PowerShell Test cmdlets; configure core reliability and media quality monitoring; verify service health and CMS replication; recover from failed server build; analyze event viewer; enable Best Practice Analyzer; verify name resolution; identify issues using CLSlogging Scenarios; use Snooper for log analysis; identify issues using a network packet analyzer, CLS Logger, Event Viewer, and Performance Monitor; analyze signaling and media call flow for Skype for Business for online users; validate connectivity for online users; use Microsoft Online Services Diagnostics and Logging Support Toolkit
- Manage and troubleshoot topology and dependent infrastructure
- Enable or move Skype for Business users; configure role-based access control (RBAC); manage and troubleshoot DNS; manage RGS delegated administration; troubleshoot database synchronization issues, including SQL HA and LYSS replication, topology replication, IIS, user placement, and RBAC rights assignment; troubleshoot certificates
- Manage and troubleshoot Persistent Chat servers
- Manage categories, scope, chat rooms, room access, compliance, and add-ins
Additional Tips
I think the best thing that you can do after reading this, or even meanwhile, is to prepare some Virtual Machines either on your computer, or in Azure, and try to install SharePoint Server 2016, and play with those features, follow the tutorials and you shouldn’t have any problems with the exam!
Did I miss any cool links in this guide? Let me know in the comments!
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