Switch Simulator for Cisco and Juniper Switches

CertExams.com, recently updated it's NetworkSwitch Simulator software to support Juniper JUNOS Operating System switches in addition to Cisco IOS switches. This software has been developed to help candidates preparing for any Cisco/Juniper switching exams. It is also useful for professionals desirous of learning switch networking using Cisco/Juniper switches.

Features include the following:
1. Switch network simulator - Use default switch network diagram to configure and troubleshoot switch networks.
2. Support for 100+ switch commands for both Cisco IOS and Juniper JUNOS. Topics covered include Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Per VLAN STP (also called PVSTP), VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP), and Power Over Ethernet (PoE).
3. Short form commands available
4. Several lab exercises for both Cisco switches and Juniper switches have been provided for thorough hands-on practice.
5. Help files: Allow you to find and practice relevant topics.

The demo version of the software is limited to fewer commands and labs. Full version enables candidates to access complete list of labs and commands, and practice the same.
The software is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista and Windows 7 32/64-bit operating systems.
More information on this product is available at switch simulator home page:
http://routersimulator.certexams.com/switch-simulator.html
Switch simulator download page may be accessed by visiting the link provided below:
http://routersimulator.certexams.com/switch-simulator-download.html
For those who are interested in practicing both router and switch labs, Cisco NetSim with designer is recommended. Several networking router and switch labs are available for thorough practice. The Network Simulator is primarily intended for candidates preparing for Cisco CCENT, CCNA, or Juniper exams.
About CertExams.com: The website, maintained by Anand Software and Training Pvt. Ltd., offers router/switch network simulators, exam simulators, and other certification preparation tools. The products offered by CertExams.com include network simulator software for Cisco CCNA/CCENT/ICND2, Juniper Junos software for JNCIA, CCNA ExamSim, and several others. Free practice exam questions, and exam notes are available.

A+ Essentials Exam Cram for 220-801

Check out A+ Essentials 220-801 exam cram here:
http://www.simulationexams.com/comptia.htm
Free pdf: http://www.simulationexams.com/exam-cram/Aplus-Essentials-Exam-Cram.pdf
Covers CPU components, printers and scanners, and troubleshooting.

A+ Practical Applications exam cram notes may be found here:
http://www.simulationexams.com/exam-cram/Aplus-Practical-Exam-Cram.pdf
The exam notes is free and covers all the exam objectives viz.
Domain                  Percentage of Examination
Operating Systems       33%
Security                        22%
Mobile Devices               9%
Troubleshooting           36%
Total                           100%
Test Details
Required exams:
a. CompTIA A+ 220-801
b. CompTIA A+ 220-802
Number of questions Maximum of 90
Type of questions Multiple choice and performance-based
Length of test 90 minutes
Recommended experience Six to 12 months hands-on experience in the lab or field
Passing score CompTIA A+ 220-801: 675 (on a scale of 900)
CompTIA A+ 220-802: 700 (on a scale of 900)
Languages English, German, Japanese, Spanish

CertExams.com Releases Exam Cram for A+ Essentials

CertExams.com released cram notes for A+ Essentials Exam 220-801. The cheat sheets covers the following topics:

1. PC Hardware- Includes computer motherboards, HDD, Firmware, Memory, and others.
2. Networking- Different network architectures, configuring and troubleshooting network LAN/WAN problems.
3. Laptops- Different screen resolutions, configuration issues, and troubleshooting hardware problems.
4. Printers- Inkjet and Laser printers troubleshooting
5. Operational Procedures- Customer relation, problem identification, and waste disposal

The notes is prepared to help the candidates to serve as a last minute preparation tool. Feedback may be emailed to cs at certexams.com The cram notes is suitable for candidates preparing for A+ Certification exams including A+ Essentials and A+ Practical.

Checkout CompTIA A+ Esentials 220-801 Exam Cram /Cheat Sheets
Available products - Exam Simulators: Aplus Essentials Practice Tests 220-801, Aplus Practical Practice Tests 220 802, Cisco CCENT Exam Sim, ICND2, CCNP Route CCNP Switch, and others.

About A+ Certification: A+ is offered by Comptia Systems on successful completion of A+ Essentials and A+ Practical Application exams. The exams covers computer hardware, typically Intel compatible hardware, basic networking techniques, Windows operating systesm such as Windows 7, and day-to-day troubleshooting techniques.

Disclaimer: CertExams.com is not associated or affiliated with CompTIA or any other company. CertExams.com is a group website of Anand Software and Training.

PracticeTests.info Website for Cert Practice Tests

PracticeTests.info, a certifications practice tests website, has been updated to include several new cert pages in the following sections:

• http://www.practicetests.info/comptia/comptia-tests.htm
• http://www.practicetests.info/cisco/cisco-tests.htm
• http://www.practicetests.info/java/java-tests.htm
• http://www.practicetests.info/oracle/oracle-tests.htm

Practice tests/exam simulators for various leading IT certs has been offered here with details on number of questions available in full and demo versions, pricing for practice tests, and latest revisions.

A+ Cert - Patch Management Policy

This list covers the major categories of things that can be patched or updated in a typical desktop configuration and the order in which you should apply them whenever possible. Patch your systems in this order and your patch management policy will be stronger than ever.

    Bios:

As with servers, start here. Managing BIOS updates across multiple systems is all the easier when they're of the same make and manufacturer, but it requires "hard" downtime: The computer has to be powered down and rebooted to apply the new BIOS, and the administrator usually has to baby-sit each system individually that will be upgraded. Fortunately, many PC manufacturers now allow centralized updates to BIOSes through a management application -- Altiris, for instance, has a management solution for Dell desktops and notebooks that allows remote BIOS updates.

    Device BIOSes:

These include things like BIOS updates for disk controllers, video cards or other devices. Device BIOS updates go into a separate category from regular BIOS updates for two reasons: One, they are easy to overlook and not often considered for desktops; two, you usually cannot update them en masse. For example: If you're administering a group of graphical workstations that need updates to their video card's BIOSes -- and the only way to do that is via a 16-bit DOS-based updater -- you'll probably have to do that by hand for each computer. However, if you could perform the update through a 32-bit Windows application, you could probably push out your Windows patches as you would any other update.

    Device drivers:

As with servers, one of the more common hardware device-driver updates published for a desktop computer is for the network controller. Make sure you test the update ahead of time. If you automate patching on a whole slew of machines with such a driver and the end result is that they're all knocked off the network, your only choice might be to either re-image them from scratch or fix each one manually.

    The OS:
    Patching Windows OSes is the part almost everyone is directly familiar with and it needs relatively little elaboration here. One thing I'll add is something I also wrote about in the server version of this article: If there are device driver updates, they should be examined separately from other updates in case an OEM-provided version of the driver is more urgently needed.

    Middleware:
This normally includes elements such as ODBC drivers but should also include things like the Microsoft .NET Framework. Note that with the .NET Framework, the 1.1 and 2.0 iterations (and the upcoming 3.0 edition as well) exist side-by-side and don't eclipse each other.

    Application patches:
As with the OS and its attendant patches, you can roll out application patches through the usual automated mechanisms, and it should be done only after everything else has already been applied.

Practice Tests:
http://www.certexams.com/comptia/a+/a+essentials-exam-details.htm

A+ Certification Books

http://www.simulationexams.com/books/comptia/aplus-books.htm

Written by the leading authority on CompTIA A+ certification and training, the new edition of this trusted resource offers complete, up-to-date coverage of CompTIA A+ exams 220-801 and 220-802. You’ll find learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter, exam tips, practice exam questions, and in-depth explanations. Prepare for the exams with confidence! McGraw-Hill is a Gold-Level CompTIA Authorized Partner offering Authorized CompTIA Approved Quality Content to give you the competitive edge on exam day. This comprehensive guide also serves as an essential on-the-job reference after certification.

TutorialsWeb.com - Articles on OSI Model, Motherboard, and others.

Tutorialsweb.com has the following articles which may be useful in understanding or preparing for A+ cert.

• Computer Motherboards

Motherboard components:
1. Mouse & keyboard
2. USB
3. Parallel port
4. CPU Chip
5. RAM slots
6. Floppy controller
7. IDE controller
8. PCI slot
9. ISA slot
10. CMOS Battery
11. AGP slot
12. CPU slot
13. Power supply plug in 

• Computer Networking

Network implementation consists of the following steps:
1. Physical network design

i. Local Area Network design:

LAN design consists of selecting appropriate devices such as Hubs, Bridges, Switches, and Routers. Criteria for selecting LAN devices include the following:

1. The number of ports required at different levels
2. The speed (10Mbps/100Mbps/1Gbps or others)
3. Media considerations, such as Ethernet, Token Ring etc.
4. Support for different network protocols such as TCP, VOIP etc.
5. Ease of configuration, and maintainability
6. Management (SNMP etc.)
7. Availability
8. Documentation

• Printers and Scanners

Printers are commonly used output devices that produce a hard copy of document stored in electronic form, i.e they put information from computer on to paper.
 There are various kinds of printers available today like Impact printers, Bubble-jet printers, Laser printers, Thermal printers etc.
 

• Introduction to TCP/IP, 

An Internet consists of a set of connected networks. The chief advantage of an Internet is that it provides universal interconnection while allowing individual groups to use whatever network hardware is best suited to their needs. The technology TCP/IP provides the basis for the global Internet, which helps in connecting individuals, universities, corporation and government department in many countries around the globe. The global Internet is expanding rapidly.

• OSI Model

 The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model has the following layers:

1. The Application layer
2. The Presentation layer
3. The Session layer
4. The Transport layer
5. The Network layer
6. The Data link layer
7. The Physical layer

Note that the layers are divided for convenience and understanding, and in actual practice, there might be some overlap in functionalities. Visit TutorialsWeb.com for free articles.

A+ Certification 220-801 Practice Tests

SimulationExams.com released A+ 220-801 Essentials practice tests with 300+ questions and answers. As you might be aware, CompTIA has release new exams several months ago and the older 220-701 will become obsolete very shortly. If any one is preparing for the exam with older objectives, you need to take the exam before it expires.

You may download the new A+ Essentials practice tests and try before purchasing the full version.

Revised A+ Practice Tests With New Exam Engine

The practice tests for A+ Certification have been updated at SimulationExams.com. The practice tests consist of A+ Essentials 220-701 and A+ Practical Application 220-702. The new exam engine has the following features:
1. Integrated Exam Environment - All the available practice tests from SimulationExams.com will have a parent document within the program. One will be able see the test modules installed as well as the test modules that available for download and installation as can be seen from the figure above.
2. It is possible to check for any available updates pro grammatically, and install the latest version of the tests. Note that it is not required to check for updates manually as it is the case with other exam engines of other vendors.
3. Un-install: It is possible to uninstall any test module or the entire exam engine. Note that if you want to uninstall the entire exam engine, you will have the option to uninstall the individual test modules or not to.
4. Inline question feed-back: Candidates will be able to provide feedback on any individual question(s) without leaving the exam environment.
5. Several types of questions: Just as in the real cert exam, several types of question formats are supported: Multiple choice, Simlets, Testlets, Router Simulations, and Exhibit based questions

The demo version is limited to about 30 questions where as the full version will have 300+ questions. Demo version may be activated in to full version after ordering the same.

Download Demo versions:

A+ Essentials Practice Tests 220-701

A+ Practical Applications Practice Tests 220-702

A+ Certification 220-601 (2006 Objectives) and 220-701 (2009 Objectives) Compared

1. Networking

Basic networking concepts

• Basics of workgroups and domains
• Hub, switch and router
• Common ports: HTTP, FTP, POP, SMTP, TELNET, HTTPS
• Identify Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
• Basics class identification

Network types

• Broadband : fiber
• Wireless : WEP, WPA, SSID, MAC filtering, DHCP Settings

2. Security

Basics of data sensitivity and data security

• Compliance
• Classifications
• Social engineering

Security features (BIOS Security)

• Drive lock
• Passwords
• Intrusion detection
• TPM

Biometrics

• Fingerprint scanner
• Data wiping / hard drive destruction / hard drive recycling

3. Operating Systems

Additional OS:Windows Vista Home, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate

Compare and contrast the different Windows Operating Systems and their features

• Windows 2000, Windows XP 32bit vs. 64bit, Windows Vista 32 bit vs. 64bit
• Side bar, Aero, UAC, minimum system requirements, system limits
• Windows 2000 and newer – upgrade paths and requirements
• Terminology (32bit vs. 64bit – x86 vs. x64)
• Application compatibility, installed program locations (32bit vs. 64bit),
• Windows compatibility mode
• User interface, start bar layout

Command prompt utilities

• telnet
• ping
• ipconfig

Run line utilities

• msconfig
• msinfo32
• Dxdiag
• Cmd

Installation methods

• Recover CD
• Factory recovery partition

Install and configure windows OS

• User data migration – User State Migration Tool (USMT)
• Virtual memory

Configure power management

• Suspend
• Wake on LAN
• Sleep timers
• Hibernate
• Standby

Demonstrate safe removal of peripherals

4. Hardware or Personal Computer components

Blu-Ray optical drive

Removable Storage: Hot swappable devices and non-hot swappable devices

Motherboard characteristics

I/O interfaces : USB 1.1 and 2.0,PS/2

Memory slots

• SODIMM
• SIMM

Bus slots

• PCMCIA

Contrast RAID (levels 0, 1, 5)

Power supplies types

• Voltage selector switch
• Pins (20, 24)

CPU characteristics

• Multicore , Triple and Quad core
• Onchip Cache : L1 and L2

Memory Types

Single channel vs. dual channel

Speed

• PC100
• PC133
• PC2700
• PC3200
• DDR3-1600
• DDR2-667

Input devices

KVM switch

5. Troubleshooting, Repair and Maintenance

Common hardware and operating system symptoms and their causes

Hardware related symptoms

• Excessive heat
• Noise
• Odors
• Status light indicators
• Alerts
• Visible damage (e.g. cable, plastic)

Use documentation and resources

• User / installation manuals
• Internet / web based
• Training materials

6. Communication and Professionalism

Set and meet expectations / timeline and communicate status with the customer

• Offer different repair / replacement options if applicable
• Provide proper documentation on the services provided
• Follow up with customer / user at a later date to verify satisfaction

7.Safety and Environmental Procedures

EMI

• Network interference
• Magnets

RFI

• Cordless phone interference
• Microwaves

Electrical safety

• CRT
• Power supply
• Inverter
• Laser printers
• Matching power requirements of equipment with power distribution and UPSs

Cable management

• Avoiding trip hazards
• Physical safety
• Heavy devices
• Hot components

Topics Removed

1. Networking Removed topics

1. Basic networking concepts

• Cabling
• Protocols (all other than TCP/IP, NetBIOS)
• Connectors (all other than RJ45 and RJ11)

2. Network types

• ISDN
• Infra red
• VOIP

3. All topics under these subheadings

i. Install, configure, optimize and upgrade networks

ii. Identify tools, diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting techniques for networks

2. Security Removed topics

• Access points
• Describe importance and process of incident reporting
• Recognize and respond appropriately to social engineering situations
• Perform preventive maintenance for computer security

3.OS Removed topics

• Identify names, purposes and characteristics of the primary operating system components including registry, virtual memory and file system
• Identify the names, locations, purposes and characteristics of operating system files for

example:

BOOT.INI

NTLDR

NTDETECT.COM

NTBOOTDD.SYS

Registry data files

4. Laptops and Portable Devices

Identifyand distinguish between mobile and desktop motherboards and processors including throttling, power management and WiFi

5.Printers

• Solid Ink
• Interfaces used by printers and scanners
• Basic concepts of installing, configuring, optimizing and upgrading printers and scanners
• Tools, basic diagnostic procedures for printers and scanners

A+ IT Practice Questions

1. When replacing an LCD in a laptop with Wi-Fi capabilities, which of the following cables should be disconnected? (Choose 2 best answers).

a. Main VGA to Primary Controller Board
b. Speaker
c. Keyboard
d. Panel
e. Wi-Fi

Ans: a,e

2. Which of the following measurement of a digital multimeter is typically done on a device in power-off state?

a. Voltage
b. Power
c. Current
d. Resistance

Ans: d

3. You find that the laser printer is slow in printing. Which of the following is most likely to increase the printing speed of a laser printer?

a. Update firmware
b. Update driver
c. Add more physical memory
d. Change paper
e. Change toner

ans: c

4. A Windows XP computer is connected to a peer-to-peer network. You suspect that the system is being hacked without any visible traces of being compromised. The computer has one user account and an administrative password set. Which of the following will create a higher level of
security?

a. Change Operating System to Windows 2000
b. Disable Guest account
c. Use complex password
d. Choose a different computer name

ans: b

5. To automatically update the accessories of a network printer, both the printer and the computer must support:

a. LPR/LPD
b. SNMP
c. HTTP
d. SSL

ans: b

6. What should a technician do FIRST to fix a problem on a Windows XP computer that displays an “Error loading operating system” or “Missing operating system” error message?

a. Re-install Windows XP from CD
b. From the Recovery Console run the FIXMBR command
c. Run Notton Anti Virus
d. Delete registry file

ans: b

A+ Essentials Exam - Revised (New Objectives)

SimulationExams.com recently revised A+ Certification practice exams engine. One need to pass A+ Essentials along with one of the three available optionals, viz. A+ IT Technician, A+ Remote Support Technician, or A+ Depot Technician exams.

Details are available as below:
A+ Essentials
A+ IT Technican
A+ Remote Support
A+ Depot Technician

A+ Certification, awarded by CompTIA is vendor neutral. CompTIA certifications do not expire, though CompTIA recommends updating the certification to the most recent one offered by CompTIA.

A+ IT Technician Practice Tests

SimulationExams.com, a leading practice tests provider has recently released A+ IT Technician practice tests. The said exam is an optional part of the 2-part A+ Certification. To achieve A+ Certification, one needs to pass A+ Essentials exam and one of the following 3 optional exams:
a. A+ IT Technician, or
b. A+ Remote Support Technician, or
c. A+ Depot Technician

Among the 3 optional exams, A+ IT Technician is the most widely chosen optional exam for obtaining A+ Certification. CompTIA has discontinued earlier A+ Core Hardware, and A+ Operating Systems exams, and the candidates will no longer be able to register for these exams.

CompTIA certifications are valid for life, though the organization recommend for re-certification to keep abreast of changing technologies. A+ Certification is vendor neutral.

VLAN Port Assignments

VLAN Port Assignments

• VLANs are assigned to individual switch ports.

• Ports can be statically assigned to a single VLAN or dynamically assigned to a single VLAN.

• All ports are assigned to VLAN 1 by default

• Ports are active only if they are assigned to VLANs that exist on the switch.

• Static port assignments are performed by the administrator and do not change unless modified by the administrator, whether the VLAN exists on the switch or not.

• Dynamic VLANs are assigned to a port based on the MAC address of the device plugged into a port.

• Dynamic VLAN configuration requires a VLAN Membership Policy Server (VMPS) client, server, and database to operate properly.

CCENT Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician

Cisco has recently introduced CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry-level Networking Technician) exam. The exam topic are provided below for reference:

Exam Number:		640-822 ICND1
Associated Certifications:		CCENT and CCNA
Duration:		90 Minutes (50-60 questions)
Available Languages:		English

Describe the operation of data networks.

• Describe the purpose and functions of various network devices
• Select the components required to meet a given network specification
• Use the OSI and TCP/IP models and their associated protocols to explain how data flows in a network
• Describe common networking applications including web applications
• Describe the purpose and basic operation of the protocols in the OSI and TCP models
• Describe the impact of applications (Voice Over IP and Video Over IP) on a network
• Interpret network diagrams
• Determine the path between two hosts across a network
• Describe the components required for network and Internet communications
• Identify and correct common network problems at layers 1, 2, 3 and 7 using a layered model approach
• Differentiate between LAN/WAN operation and features

Implement a small switched network

• Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect switches to other network devices and hosts
• Explain the technology and media access control method for Ethernet technologies
• Explain network segmentation and basic traffic management concepts
• Explain the operation of Cisco switches and basic switching concepts
• Perform, save and verify initial switch configuration tasks including remote access management
• Verify network status and switch operation using basic utilities (including: ping, traceroute,telnet,SSH,arp, ipconfig), SHOW & DEBUG commands
• Implement and verify basic security for a switch (port security, deactivate ports)
• Identify, prescribe, and resolve common switched network media issues, configuration issues, autonegotiation, and switch hardware failures

Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP services to meet network requirements for a small branch office

• Describe the need and role of addressing in a network
" Create and apply an addressing scheme to a network
• Assign and verify valid IP addresses to hosts, servers, and networking devices in a LAN environment
• Explain the basic uses and operation of NAT in a small network connecting to one ISP
• Describe and verify DNS operation
• Describe the operation and benefits of using private and public IP addressing
• Enable NAT for a small network with a single ISP and connection using SDM and verify operation using CLI and ping
• Configure, verify and troubleshoot DHCP and DNS operation on a router.(including: CLI/SDM)
• Implement static and dynamic addressing services for hosts in a LAN environment
• Identify and correct IP addressing issues

Implement a small routed network

• Describe basic routing concepts (including: packet forwarding, router lookup process)
• Describe the operation of Cisco routers (including: router bootup process, POST, router components)
• Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect routers to other network devices and hosts
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RIPv2
• Access and utilize the router CLI to set basic parameters
• Connect, configure, and verify operation status of a device interface
• Verify device configuration and network connectivity using ping, traceroute, telnet, SSH or other utilities
• Perform and verify routing configuration tasks for a static or default route given specific routing requirements
• Manage IOS configuration files (including: save, edit, upgrade, restore)
• Manage Cisco IOS
• Implement password and physical security
• Verify network status and router operation using basic utilities (including: ping, traceroute,telnet,SSH,arp, ipconfig), SHOW & DEBUG commands

Explain and select the appropriate administrative tasks required for a WLAN

• Describe standards associated with wireless media (including: IEEE WI-FI Alliance, ITU/FCC)
• Identify and describe the purpose of the components in a small wireless network. (including: SSID, BSS, ESS)
• Identify the basic parameters to configure on a wireless network to ensure that devices connect to the correct access point
• Compare and contrast wireless security features and capabilities of WPA security (including: open, WEP, WPA-1/2)
• Identify common issues with implementing wireless networks

Identify security threats to a network and describe general methods to mitigate those threats

• Explain today's increasing network security threats and the need to implement a comprehensive security policy to mitigate the threats
• Explain general methods to mitigate common security threats to network devices, hosts, and applications
• Describe the functions of common security appliances and applications
• Describe security recommended practices including initial steps to secure network devices

Implement and verify WAN links

• Describe different methods for connecting to a WAN
• Configure and verify a basic WAN serial connection

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/current_exams/640-822.html

A+ Essentials 220-601 practice exams

SimulationExams.com has launched practice tests for A+ 2006 Certification. A+ Essentials practice exam includes over 300 practice questions. The practice questions include multiple choice, true/false, and exhibit based questions. The practice tests can downloaded from the website.
The exam objectives for A+ Essentials are:
1.0 Personal Computer Components
2.0 Laptop and Portable Devices
3.0 Operating Systems
4.0 Printers and Scanners
5.0 Networks
6.0 Security
7.0 Safety and Environmental Issues
8.0 Communication and Professionalism
One need to pass A+ Essentials with any one of the following options:
220-602 A+ IT Technician
220-603 A+ Remote Support Technician
220-604 A+ Depot Technician
Among the options available, 220-604 A+ Depot Technician is considered to be covering minimum syllabus.
Wishes all the certification aspirants good luck!

New A+ exams launch

Two of the exams offered by CompTIA(R) 1. A+ Core Hardware, and 2. A+ Operating Systems are revamped recently. The new objectives, and further details may be viewed at Comptia website, comptia.com.

A+ Tutorial on Core Hardware Technologies.

A tutorial on A+ Core Hardware Technologies is available from simulationexams.com. A brief review of contents of the said tutorial are given below:

1. Computer Mother board
2. BIOS and CMOS Firmware
3. PC Memory
4. Processor/CPU
5. Storage Devices
6. Display Devices
7. PCMCIA/ PC Cards
8. IRQs, and I/O Addresses
9. Cables, and Connectors including serial, parallel, USB, and Firewire.
10. PC Power Supplies

Downloadable practice tests for A+ are also available from simulationexams.com

PCI-X standards

PCI-X
PCI-X (Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended) is a computer bus technology that
increases the speed that data can move within a computer up to 133 MHz. The technology was developed jointly by IBM, HP, and Compaq. PCI-X doubles the speed and amount of data exchanged between the computer processor and peripheral devices. With the current PCI design, one 64-bit bus runs at 66 MHz. Additional buses move 32 bits at 66 MHz or 64 bits at 33 MHz. The maximum data rate between the processor and peripherals using the traditional PCI design is 532 MB per second. With PCI-X, one 64-bit bus runs at 133 MHz, allowing for a data exchange of 1.06 GB per second (133X8bytes=1.064Gbytes). PCI-X is backwards-compatible. You can use both PCI and PCI-X cards on the same bus but the bus speed will run at the speed of the slowest card. Fault torerance is built in to PCI-X.

PCI-X 2.0

PCI-X 2.0 is a higher speed version of the PCI X ( more specifically PCI-X 66 and PCI-X 133) standard. PCI X 2.0 provides for two new speed grades: PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533, offering up to 4.3 gigabytes per second of bandwidth. PCI-X 2.0 offers enhanced system reliability. ECC support has been added, providing automatic single-bit error recovery and double-bit error detection.

PCI-X 2.0 is built upon the same architecture, protocols, signals, and connector as traditional PCI. Migration to PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533 is simplified by retaining hardware and software compatibility with previous generations of PCI and PCI-X. As a result, new designs can immediately connect with hundreds of PCI and PCI-X products that are currently available.

Summary of PCI-X 2.0 Features

• Up to 32 times faster than traditional PCI bus speed
• Doubles and Quadruples PCI-X bandwidth.
• Full hardware and software backward compatibility.
• Uses the same form factor, pin-outs, connector, bus widths, and protocols.
• Enables 10Gb Ethernet, 10Gb Fibre Channel, InfiniBand™ Architecture, and
  other IO technologies.
• Full RAS support including ECC.

Online A+ Certification exams

A+ Certification exams are available online from a few vendors.
The online exams are a good alternative to off-line (download and use) exams when you have Internet connectivity, and mobile. You can access the online tests from anywhere provided that there exists Internet connectivity.
Online exam vendors provide several features for self evaluation including the following:
1. Timed tests with several question types, similar to actual exam,
2. Categorized scoring for identifying weak areas
3. Saving and recalling exam results among others.