Thursday, January 19, 2012

How to clear DEV 501 exam?

How to clear Advanced Developer Exam?
Many participants ask me how to clear Advanced Developer Exam. In this document I have answered frequently asked questions.
Q How many questions do we have in DEV 501 exam?
A The Salesforce.com Certified Force.com Advanced Developer exam has the following characteristics:
▪ Content: 69 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions
▪ Time allotted to complete the exam: 120 minutes
▪ Passing score: 73 percent
Q Can I appear for DEV 501 exam without clearing DEV 401 exam?
A No, you have to clear DEV 401 exam before DEV 501 eam.
Q How should I prepare for DEV 501 exam?
A You should ensure that you have read following
a) Visualforce Guide (Latest Release)
b) Apex Guide (Latest Release)
Q I have downloaded the guides, but that is too long to read, can you suggest some topics to focus to start with?
A Best way is download the study guide, and take a print of it pick a topic from study guide and prepare that topic from guides.
Q I have been planning to give the exams for long, but not able to give it. Can you help me?
A Best way is set a timeline for yourself and develop a habit of studying for 30 minutes everyday and stick to it. You will see a change in your progress.
Q I have heard that there are 3 exams in DEV 501? Can you elaborate on this?
A Yes, you are correct. To earn this credential, a candidate must successfully complete three activities:

1. The Salesforce.com Certified Force.com Advanced Developer exam: A multiple-choice/multipleselect
proctored exam. This portion of the credential program must be passed successfully to move on
to the next portion: the programming assignment.

2. The Advanced Developer programming assignment: At scheduled times throughout the year,
certification candidates who have passed the Salesforce.com Certified Force.com Advanced
Developer exam will be given the opportunity to complete the second portion of the credential
program: the programming assignment. A set of requirements and development parameters will be
sent to the candidate, and the candidate will have a fixed amount of time to complete and submit
the assignment. The candidate will be given the evaluation criteria and detailed instructions on how
to complete and submit the final working application. The programming assignment is completed
at the candidate’s own pace and doesn’t require working at a proctored site. However, there will be a
deadline for assignment completion.

3. The Advanced Developer essay exam: Upon submission of the programming assignment, the
candidate will be required to complete a short-answer proctored exam that covers the specifics of
the programming assignment. The candidate will need to go to a testing center and complete the
essay exam. The essay exam, in combination with the programming assignment, will be evaluated
and scored as the final portion of the Salesforce.com Certified Force.com Advanced Developer
certification program

Q How can I remain updated with force.com knowledge?
A Develop a habit of
a) Reading blogs
b) Watching webinars
c) Watching youtube videos
d) Reading discussion forums
e) Join Linkedin Groups
f) Visiting developer.force.com
Q Is certification really helpful in my career progression?
A Clearing a certification gives you self confidence and it shows your seriousness towards achieving professional excellence.
Q I have cleared my certification, how can I further enhance my knowledge.
A You will learn more when you start sharing your knowledge with others. Develop a habit of
a) Writing blogs
b) Creating webinars
c) Creating youtube videos
d) Answering questions in discussion forums
e) Create Linkedin Groups

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Introduction to cloud computing

As per me, it is a marketing term used to describe the applications used on the internet.
With my little research, I found three definitions which give more clarity and have largely been agreed upon - and are based on functionality. The distinction allows you to make real choices to how to save your company money.

Each represents only one part of the growing cloud environment, not the Cloud as a whole.

Software as a Service (SaaS) represents software which is available to use already. It can be configured, but it is not necessary to hire developers to create it. The solutions of Customer Relationship Management, Salesforce Automation, Marketing Automation, Customer Service and Support largely fall into this category.

Eg. google docs, Microsoft Office Web Apps

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides environment and tools for creating new online custom applications on the base platform from which the SaaS applications have been written. Using this environment, saves considerable time and effort in development.

Eg. force.com from Salesforce, Microsoft Windows Azure, Google App Engine

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is available to companies who have already implemented their web based applications and do not wish to host them locally. This option is chosen when the cost to host your own solutions is more than the cost of the service costs. It is a smart option for smaller organizations who cannot afford the resources required for securing your own internal clouds. It allows existing applications to be run on a cloud supplier’s hardware.
Hybrid models do exist. You can have your own private cloud, and also lease remotely hosted infrastructure, platform space or full software solutions externally from your environment.

Eg. Amazon EC2, Rackspace, gogrid
So, the next time you see a cloud computing advertisement, ask yourself what service they are offering: SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS. Then ask yourself which environment they are offering the solution in: Java, .NET, or Apex.

While "infrastructure as a service" (where companies rent compute time and storage, such as with Amazon EC2) and "software as a service" (applications such as Salesforce's Sales Cloud and Concur's travel and expense management tool) are fairly mature, the general cloud platforms are still evolving.
As such, there's an enormous potential market for whoever get its right. That's why Salesforce --and its competitors--are putting so much emphasis on this. I expect we'll see a lot more evolution - and a lot more consolidation - in the year ahead.

Understanding Language, Locale, Time zone and Currency

Language- The default language that is selected for new users in the organization. This setting determines the language used for the user interface text and help.

Locale- This setting determines the format of dates, times, and names in Salesforce. individual users can set their personal locale, which overrides the organization setting.
The format used for dates, times, and names of people in Salesforce is determined by your Locale setting.
The Locale setting affects the format of date, date/time, and number fields, and the calendar. For example, dates in the English (United States) locale display as 06/30/2000 and as 30/06/2000 in the English (United Kingdom) locale. Times in the English (United States) locale display using a twelve-hour clock with AM and PM (for example, 2:00 PM), whereas in the English (United Kingdom) locale, they display using a twenty-four-hour clock (for example, 14:00).
The Locale setting also affects the first and last name order on Name fields for users, leads, and contacts. For example, Bob Johnson in the English (United States) locale displays as Bob Johnson, whereas the Chinese (China) locale displays the name as Johnson Bob.

Time Zone- Primary time zone in which the organization is located. A user's individual Time Zone setting overrides the organization's Default Time Zone setting.

Currency
International organizations can use multiple currencies in opportunities, forecasts, reports, quotes, and other currency fields.

The administrator sets the “corporate currency,” which reflects the currency of the corporate headquarters. The administrator also maintains the list of active currencies and their conversion rates relative to the corporate currency. The active currencies represent the countries in which the organization does business. Only active currencies can be used in currency amount fields.

Every user also has a personal currency, which is used as the default currency in his or her own quotas, forecasts, opportunities, quotes, and reports. Users can also create opportunities and enter amounts using other active currencies. Every lead, account, contact, opportunity, and case has a field that specifies the currency to use for all amount fields in that record. For example, you can set the Account Currency to “USD-U.S. Dollars” so that the Annual Revenue shows in dollars for one of your American accounts. All currency amounts are displayed in the default currency of the record as well as in the personal currency of the user.When you change the default currency of a record, currency amounts are not converted; they simply display with the new currency code.

Understanding Security

Security in Salesforce can be applied at 3 levels
Object Level-by Profiles
Field Level
Record Level
OWD-It restricts access
Roles-It is hierarchical list of users
Sharing Rules
Manual Sharing