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Meet the Trainer: Janet Nichols

Meet Centriq Technical Trainer Janet Nichols! Janet has been training with Centriq for over 14 years. Keep reading to find out her favorite Centriq class, the biggest differences between Server 2016 and Server 2019, and how workplaces can find success when managing environments that include Azure laaS-hosted Windows Server-based workloads.

tell us about yourself and your journey into technical training

My name is Janet Nichols. I was hired by a company in Kansas City, Missouri in 1982 to triage customer support calls. I would categorize them into two major categories: operator error and hardware issue. When there was a hardware issue, I would dispatch a technician to fix the issue. When there was an operator error, I would either educate the operator or pass the call onto someone who could educate the operator. After I had been there a year, my boss noticed that I passed very few calls forward to our technical support group, since I was solving approximately 90% of the calls. I then started training new hires for our company and some clients. When my husband and I relocated to southern Missouri, I was hired by a company as its Training Manager and started teaching customer’s DOS, basic networking and some software. From there, I was hired as an IT Manager for a firm and learned all about Novell networking and more hardware. In 1991, I became a Novell Technical Trainer and in the mid 1990s, I became a Microsoft Certified Trainer. (I also hold certified trainer certificates from other vendors.) Along the way, I have created and edited technical training materials, practice exams and certification exams for HP. I developed training materials and study guides for other companies. 

 

what classes do you teach at centriq?

MS-20740: Installation, Storage and Compute with Windows Server 2016

MS-20721: Networking with Windows Service 2016

MS-20742: Identity with Windows Server 2016

AD2016: Active Directory in Windows Server 2016

WS2016: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2016 Infrastructure

WS-011: Windows Server 2019 Administration

AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

 

what is your favorite centriq class to teach and why?

Active Directory in Windows Server 2016. I love teaching this class as we only focus on two topics: Active Directory and Group Policy. This class affords the time to do a deep dive into these two topics. In this class students get a better understanding of how Active Directory works and how wonderful and powerful Group Policy is at enforcing compliance and security.

 

 

what are the biggest differences between Server 2016 and server 2019?

Tighter integration with Azure and enhanced security. 

 

how can workplaces find success when planning, implementing, and managing environments that include azure laas-hosted windows server-based workloads?

The success or failure of any IT project is in the planning. A company needs to perform an accurate inventory of their existing environment. With an accurate inventory, the company can now get with stakeholders and decide what servers can be migrated to the cloud and what servers, services, or applications need to be rearchitected to run efficiently in the cloud. Microsoft offers several tools for companies to leverage to facilitate the move or they can hire Microsoft of other consulting services to assist them. There are many different management services available in Azure. A company should look at their current management tools and decide the appropriate compatible tool in the cloud. 

 

what’s the most important thing for students to expect when attending the azure fundamentals course?

A great deal of hands-on with the product. There are multiple different hands-on activities to allow the students the opportunity to explore Azure using the portal and the CLI. 

 

Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 23, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
Eve
4/3/23-4/7/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-V
Jan 30, 2023
May 5, 2023
Day
3/6/23-3/10/23
4/10/23-4/14/23
CSSP-V
Feb 6, 2023
May 19, 2023
Day
3/27/23-3/31/23
FSCP-V
Mar 20, 2023
Jun 23, 2023
Day
4/24/23-4/28/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
CSSP-V
Apr 10, 2023
Jul 28, 2023
Day
5/29/23-6/2/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
FSCP-V
Apr 24, 2023
Oct 19, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/21/23-8/25/23
CSSP-V
May 15, 2023
Dec 14, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Jun 5, 2023
Sep 8, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/7/23-8/11/23
CSSP-V
Jun 19, 2023
Oct 6, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
FSCP-V
Jul 24, 2023
Jan 25, 2024
Eve
10/2/23-10/6/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Aug 14, 2023
Nov 17, 2023
Day
9/5/23-9/8/23
10/16/23-10/2/23
CSSP-V
Aug 28, 2023
Dec 15, 2023
Day
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Oct 30, 2023
Feb 2, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Oct 30, 2023
May 2, 2024
Eve
11/20/23-11/23/23
3/4/23-3/7/23
CSSP-V
Nov 6, 2023
Mar 1, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
1/29/24-2/2/24
FSCP-V
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our campus calendars.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Feb 29, 2024
Mar 24, 2024
Day
3/25/24-3/29/24
4/22/24-4/26/24
CSSP-I
May 13, 2024
Aug 16, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
Aug 19, 2024
Nov 22, 2024
Day
9/2/24-9/6/24
10/21/24-10/25/24
CSSP-I
Dec 2, 2024
Mar 14, 2025
Day
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
2/10/25-2/14/25
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 15, 2024
Apr 19, 2024
Day
2/19/24-2/23/24
3/18/24-3/22/24
CSSP-I
Feb 26, 2024
May 24, 2024
Day
4/1/24-4/5/24
CSSP-I
Apr 08, 2024
Jul 12, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
May 20, 2024
Aug 23, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
Jun 24, 2024
Sep 27, 2024
Day
7/1/24-7/5/24
9/2/24-9/6/24
CSSP-I
Jul 29, 2024
Feb 6, 2025
Eve
9/2/24-9/5/24
11/25/24-11/28/24
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
CSSP-I
Aug 5, 2024
Nov 8, 2024
Day
9/2/24-9/6/24
10/7/24-10/11/24
CSSP-I
Sep 9, 2024
Dec 13, 2024
Day
10/14/24-10/18/24
11/25/24-11/29/24
CSSP-I
Oct 21, 2024
Jan 31, 2025
Day
11/25/24-11/29/24
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
CSSP-I
Dec 2, 2024
Mar 14, 2025
Day
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
2/10/25-2/14/25
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.