AJUG: Announcing the start of the SCEA study group

[Oghie Ojior]

The Atlanta Java User Group is starting a SCEA study group. The group will meet once a week for 16 week starting from Monday March 15, 2004. Two sessions will be running currently. Below is the schedule covering our planned 16-week course of study.
The group�s course of study maps to the objectives of the SCEA exam and the group will be implementing a proof-of-concept (PoC) to exercise J2EE concepts and technologies to coincide with the study of the book.
Main book to be used is "Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for J2EE Study Guide (Exam 310-051)" by Paul Allen and Joseph Bambara (ISBN: 0072226870).
Questions, discussions, PoC design and code artifacts from the study sessions will be posted here for comments, and review.
Folks are encouraged to participate virtually using the material posted here.

The PoC Problem Statement is:
A video store rents and sells videos and dvds to people. A customer must be a member of the store to rent and anyone can buy. Both activities can be done over the Internet (with a Browser, PAD, or Cell Phone) or at a physical location, (Store Clerk or Kiosk).
Members can reserve dvds/videos for rent if all copies of it are currently rented out. When a dvd or video is returned, the member will be notified and the video/dvd held for up to 3 days, after which if unclaimed the reservation will be cancelled. A rental fee of $3 for a week is paid at the time of the rental.
A stock of dvds and videos is kept for sale, but a member can order a dvd or video for purchase.
Information is kept on how often and when a dvd/video has been rented, and of member activity (reservations, expired reservations, number of dvd/video rentals and late returns).
A manager purges accounts that closed from the system after 3 months.
A manager can place orders for new copies or titles and can put new dvd/videos on the shelves (making these items available for renting/buying).
Members can subscribe to be notified about new releases.
A Store clerk helps patrons that visit a physical location.

SCEA STUDY GROUP SCHEDULE: Read the outlined chapter and material the week before a meeting, for example you will do the activites listed before the Kick-off Meeting then the review activities.

SCEA STUDY GROUP SCHEDULE:

Activity, Chapter and Other Resources
Week (1)
Download Information about the Sun Certification for Enterprise Architecthttp://www.suned.sun.com/US/images/http://de.sun.com/Schulung/Zertifizierungen/Java/certification_archj2ee_07_01.pdf
Download j2ee Implementation & Tutorial http://java.sun.com/j2ee/download.html
Download an Application Server
Check out some online resourceshttps://coderanch.com/forums/f-26/java-Architect-SCEA
http://www.theserverside.com
http://www.bm-one.com/Se/scea1.html

Meeting (1)
Kick-off Meeting
Review Information about the Sun Certification for Enterprise Architect
Review this Plan
Discuss a Case Study

Week (2)
Read Ch 2Common Architectures and Protocols
Read Client-Server Computinghttp://www.gogis.nl/en/tutorial/docs/J2EE/index.html
Load Balancing Web Applicationshttp://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/2001/09/26/load.html
Object Level Fault Tolerance for CORBA-based Distributed Computinghttp://dantanner.tripod.com/FT.htm


Meeting (2)
Review Ch 2
Identify Case Study Use Cases
Questions: Ch Getting Started, Install Ant
Review Questions for Common Architectures

Week (3)
Read Ch 3Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
Download j2ee documentationhttp://java.sun.com/j2ee/download.html
Java BluePrints for the Enterprise
J2EE Platform Specification
J2EE API Documentation
J2EE Connector Specification

Work on Documenting Case Study Architecture

Meeting (3)
Review Ch 3
Elaborate Case Study Use Cases
Questions: Ch Getting Started, Install Ant
Review Questions at the end of Ch 3

Week (4)
Read Ch 5-- Up to the Fa�adeDesign Patterns
Work on Documenting Case Study Architecture
J2EE Patterns: Presentation Tier Patternshttp://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/patterns/

Meeting (4)
Review Ch 5- Up to the Fa�ade
Start Documenting Case Study Architecture

Week (5)
Read Ch 5-- Complete Ch 5Design Patterns
Work on Documenting Case Study Architecture
J2EE Patterns: Business Tier Patternshttp://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/patterns/

Meeting (5)
Complete Review Ch 5
Complete Documenting Case Study Architecture
Review Questions at the end of Ch 5


Week (6)
Read Ch 4Applicability of J2EE Technology
Read Ch1 J2EE ArchitectureExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development
Read the Ch Getting Started, Install AntJ2EE Tutorial, http://ant.apache.org/
Work on Case Study Architecture
J2EE Patterns: Integration Tier Patternshttp://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/patterns/

Meeting (6)
Review Ch 4
Work on Case Study Architecture

Week (6)
Read Ch 7-- Up Session EJBsFocus on Session EJB
Work on Documenting Case Study Architecture
Read the Ch A Session Bean ExampleJ2EE Tutorial
Start Ch 6: Applying J2EE TechnologiesExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development:
When is a Distributed Architecture Appropriate?
Deciding When to Use EJB


Week (7)
Review Ch 7 Focus on Session EJB
Review Ch 6: Applying J2EE TechnologiesExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development:
When is a Distributed Architecture Appropriate?
Deciding When to Use EJB
Meeting (7)
Read Ch 7-- Up Entity EJBsFocus on Entity EJB
Complete Documenting Case Study Architecture
Start Ch 6: Entity BeansJ2EE AntiPatterns
Read Bean-Managed Persistence ExamplesJ2EE Tutorial
Read Transactions: Bean-Managed Transaction J2EE Tutorial

Week (8)
Review Ch 7Focus on Entity EJB
Review Ch 6: Applying J2EE TechnologiesExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development:
When is a Distributed Architecture Appropriate?
Deciding When to Use EJB

Meeting (8)
Complete Reading Ch 7Focus on EJB Container
J2EE Patterns: Integration Tier Patternshttp://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/patterns/
Read Container-Managed Persistence ExamplesJ2EE Tutorial
Read Transactions: Container-Managed Transaction J2EE Tutorial
Complete Ch 6: Applying J2EE TechnologiesExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development


Week (9)
Complete Review of Ch 7Focus on EJB Container
Review Ch 6: Applying J2EE TechnologiesExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development:
Deciding How to Use EJB
Sun's EJB quiz.http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/Quizzes/ejb/
Review Questions at the end of Ch 7

Meeting (9)
Read Ch 6Legacy Connectivity
Legacy integration techniques for Java applicationshttp://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-tip-leg.html
On "Screen Scrapers" And GUI Terminal Emulators.http://www.resqnet.com/News/GeneralBar/ScreenScrapers.htm
Read J2EE Connector TechnologyJ2EE Tutorial
Work on Case Study Architecture

Week (10)
Review Ch 6Legacy Connectivity
Review Legacy Connectivity Questions

Week (11)
Read Ch 8 up JMSMessaging
Work on Case Study Architecture
Read material on Messaginghttp://www.javaworld.com/jw-02-1999/jw-02-howto.html
http://www.javaworld.com/jw-03-1999/jw-03-howto.html


Meeting (11)
Review info on Messaging and Ch 8
Review Messaging Questions
Review Ch 6: Applying J2EE TechnologiesExpert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development:
Deciding when to Use Asynchronous Calling with JMS

Week (12)
Read material on Ch 8 Message Driven BeanCh 8 Messaging
Read material on Messaginghttp://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-02-2000/jw-02-jmsxml_p.html
Work on Case Study Architecture
Read A Message-Driven Bean ExampleJ2EE Tutorial

Meeting (12)
Review info on Messaging
Review Messaging Questions

Week (13)
Read Ch 9Internationalization and Localization
Work on Case Study Architecture
Take Practice Test http://www.inesystems.com/

Meeting (13)
Review Ch 9
Review Questions at the end of Ch 9


Week (14)
Read Ch 10Security
Read the Ch SecurityJ2EE Tutorial
Work on Case Study Architecture

Meeting (14)
Review Ch 10
Review Questions at the end of Ch 10

Week (15)
Take Practice Test (2)http://www.jaworski.com/java/certification/
Read Resource ConnectionsJ2EE Tutorial
Work on Case Study Architecture

Meeting (15)
Work on Case Study Architecture
Take Practice Testhttp://www.moelholm.com/
Take Practice Testhttp://www.ianswebpage.com/cert/scea/mock.php

Week (16)
Take Practice Testhttp://www.javacoding.net/certification/mocks/index.html#contentAnchor
Take Practice Testhttp://www.whizlabs.com/wolc.html?myLastPage=../../free-demos.html&product=SCEA

Meeting (16)
Take Practice TestComplete MasterExam: http://www.MasterExam.com
Complete Case Study Architecture

[Thomas Taeger]

Originally posted by Oghie Ojior:

Week (13)
...
Take Practice Test http://www.inesystems.com/
...
Week (15)
Take Practice Test (2)http://www.jaworski.com/java/certification/
...
Meeting (15)
...
Take Practice Testhttp://www.moelholm.com/
Take Practice Testhttp://www.ianswebpage.com/cert/scea/mock.php

Week (16)
Take Practice Testhttp://www.javacoding.net/certification/mocks/index.html#contentAnchor
Take Practice Testhttp://www.whizlabs.com/wolc.html?myLastPage=../../free-demos.html&product=SCEA

Meeting (16)
Take Practice TestComplete MasterExam: http://www.MasterExam.com
Complete Case Study Architecture

I visited http://www.learnkey.com/custom_pages/masterExam.htm for example and foud a free demo noted but no product prices.
Is it true that peaple are encouraged to follow your course without knowing what the will have to pay from the 13th week up? Or do you just look for a wider virtual study groop that will discuss but keep off the Practice tests then?
Please also answer: What are the prices of all these Practice Tests, each?
Please clarify in any way to ensure only fair posts here.
Thanks, Thomas.
[ March 15, 2004: Message edited by: Thomas Taeger ]

[Oghie Ojior]

The idea here is for a wider virtual study group to participate in the study group and for other to use the SCEA STUDY GROUP SCHEDULE as a template for studying for the SCEA exam.
The Practice Tests referenced on the schedule are free or demo products. The plan is to use these demo or free tests to gauge our preparations as the course ends. The book "Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for J2EE Study Guide (Exam 310-051)" by Paul Allen and Joseph Bambara (ISBN: 0072226870) being used for the course comes with the MasterExam Practice Tests.
There is no cost associated with participating with this study group other than the cost of buying the book for the course.
The group is not marketing or recommending any product here. I hope you decide to participate, I believe we will get some excellent mentor here.

[J Lether]

I should also mention that the idea of the group is to provide a baseline opportunity to study J2EE technologies you may not have used much in your work and learn more about them from people who have used them a good deal professionally. We've picked a book to guide the study, but if you're just following online, I'd say you don't even have to buy it if you don't want to. There are plenty of online resources for most of the J2EE technologies. The plan is for the course of study to prepare you to sit for the SCEA exam if you want to, but that's certainly not required. People have a pretty wide variety of opinions about certification, and there's always the cost. So you can study along, buying the book if you want to, and at the end decide whether or not you'd like to sit for the exam based on your own situation. We don't work for Transcender or anything like that, just to put your mind at ease ;-) Just Java guys working at normal Java jobs trying to get together and learn from one another....

[Thomas Taeger]

Hi Oghie, hi J,
thanks for your clarification.
To study along a common book is a very good idea, and I do not mind the one of Paul Allen et al.. By the way, I have this book too anyway.
I really would like to participate, but actually working on my own assignment is work enough, a lot of work ..., so I can not decide yet.

Originally posted by Oghie Ojior:
... The Practice Tests referenced on the schedule are free or demo products. ... There is no cost associated with participating with this study group other than the cost of buying the book for the course.
The group is not marketing or recommending any product here.

You answered my questions fully, thank you.

Originally posted by J Lether:

... and at the end decide whether or not you'd like to sit for the exam based on your own situation.
... Just Java guys working at normal Java jobs trying to get together and learn from one another....

Fine!
Have a nice day,
Thomas.

[Angus Berry]

I see that both week 2 & 3 contain the Topic 'Getting Started - Installing ANT'
Is this ammended in the updated schedule?
Week (2)
Read Ch 2Common Architectures and Protocols
Read Client-Server Computinghttp://www.gogis.nl/en/tutorial/docs/J2EE/index.html
Load Balancing Web Applicationshttp://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/2001/09/26/load.html
Object Level Fault Tolerance for CORBA-based Distributed Computinghttp://dantanner.tripod.com/FT.htm


Meeting (2)
Review Ch 2
Identify Case Study Use Cases
Questions: Ch Getting Started, Install Ant
Review Questions for Common Architectures

Week (3)
Read Ch 3Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
Download j2ee documentationhttp://java.sun.com/j2ee/download.html
Java BluePrints for the Enterprise
J2EE Platform Specification
J2EE API Documentation
J2EE Connector Specification

Work on Documenting Case Study Architecture

Meeting (3)
Review Ch 3
Elaborate Case Study Use Cases
Questions: Ch Getting Started, Install Ant
Review Questions at the end of Ch 3

[J Lether]

OK, the group now has a web site up for file downloads and obtaining general information of the variety being discussed here. You can find it at http://www.ajug-scea.org
As far as the schedule redundancy regarding ANT, I checked the latest version of the schedule posted on the site, and it appears to be fixed.
Jeff
[ March 31, 2004: Message edited by: J Lether ]

[M Kozelek]

I've tried this link and there is nothing there. Is this group still offering this study on certification?