Microsoft have announced that the new version of the Business Intelligence exam will be 70-588 Microsoft SQL Server 2011 Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance. This exam relates to the SSRS, SSIS and SSAS aspects of SQL Server 2011.
SQL Server 2011 is not a fresh start but rather an incremental revision to the excellent SQL Server 2008. So expect this exam to closely follow the topics of the previous SQL Server 2008 BI Developer exam – 70-448.
Microsoft recommends that anyone wanting to take this exam should have prior experience in developing solutions using BI technologies. Ideally you should have:
- One to two years of experience working with the Microsoft .NET Framework (2.0, 3.5, 4)
- Two to three years of experience using SQL Server 2005 or 2008 BI components
- Six months to one year of experience using SQL Server 2011
- Experience using the SQL Server 2011 Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS)
- Experience using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
- Knowledge of relational and multi-dimensional database schemas
- Experience creating and deploying a cube in SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS)
- Experience creating and deploying a data mining model in SSAS
- Experience writing relational and multi-dimensional database queries
- Experience creating and deploying SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports
- Experience authoring and deploying SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages
- Experience debugging, monitoring, and troubleshooting BI solutions
If you pass exam 70-588, you will complete the requirements for the MCTS SQL Server 2011 Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance.
The 70-588 exam will contain questions relating to these aspects of SQL Server 2011:
- Implementing an SSIS Solution
- Configuring, Deploying, and Maintaining SSIS
- Implementing an SSAS Solution
- Configuring, Deploying, and Maintaining SSAS
- Implementing an SSRS Solution
- Configuring, Deploying, and Maintaining SSRS
Note: There has been no official word on the naming of the next version of SQL Server, but it is widely expected to be 2011.