“The minute you feel the air conditioning aboard the ship your vacation begins, and there will be absolutely no stress or aggravation for four days. The entire staff aboard the cruise ship is there to make sure you enjoy yourself!” Our (absolutely fabulous!) travel agent promised. It was easy to believe, because it was a story we had heard from all of our friends and family who had cruised before.
The porter promised that our luggage would be delivered outside out stateroom within a few hours, and when the first suitcase was delivered we figured the second would not be far behind. When several hours later it had not been delivered we were told that it was not unusual. What I found extremely unusual though was that while exploring the ship later that afternoon we came across our suitcase – in front of a different room on a different floor.
I was upset, but mistakes happen. I went to the Guest Services counter to complain… and after waiting in line for 90 minutes I was really unhappy. They compounded the situation by firstly not believing me, then treating me like an idiot, and then (and continuously) mistreating me and generally refusing to be helpful or cooperative at all.
Shocked, surprised, angered, offended, stressed, aggravated. These are just a few of the feelings that I felt throughout this ordeal, which to date has not been dealt with satisfactorily. As a very frequent traveler I am not used to being mistreated like this – when American Airlines cancelled, then delayed, then rerouted my flight from New Orleans to Toronto in June (losing my luggage in the process) they were (or at least seemed) sympathetic to my plight. The staff aboard the cruise ship did not seem to care as they contributed to the ruination of the first 36 hours of my cruise.
At some point during the next couple of days I came up with the thought that maybe the lack of customer service, and the automatic belief that I as a customer was probably lying (I wasn’t, but they can’t read minds) was our fault. Not us, as in me and Theresa, but us as a society.
So many people are out to screw the system. They want something for nothing, and are willing to go to great lengths to get it. I have heard the same story with different players from different sources time and again; in the news you hear about people going after companies (and even individuals) to extract that pound of flesh… whether they deserve it or not. I won’t say that it is the fault of the dingbat who spilled coffee on herself then sued McDonald’s… but that was part of the same ‘Gimme something I don’t deserve’ culture we seem to have evolved into.
During the ‘Stuck in New Orleans’ debacle I alluded to earlier I had dinner in a restaurant near the airport. I didn’t particularly like the food, but that was not their fault (it turns out I don’t care for crawfish). Without going into details the service that evening was terrible. After the bill was settled up I spoke to the manager and started the conversation with ‘I am not asking for anything, but this is why I will not recommend your establishment. I had paid the cheque, she knew I was not trying to get my meal for free, and I was not going to badmouth the restaurant… she took me VERY seriously because she knew I was not just complaining to try to get something for nothing, and maybe because of that she did offer me a free meal, drinks, whatever. She respected that I was unhappy, but not trying to gain or profit from it.
The flipside of that are people – and I know one or two of these who have admitted to me that they do it! – who go to a restaurant (I am sure it happens with hotels and other service industries as well); they finish their meal and whether or not they enjoyed it they complain (often loudly) in the hopes of having the manager cancel their cheque. I have also heard of people faking medical issues to get out of paying (going back a lot of years it was an episode of Three’s Company!). Knowing that these scams are so prevalent, I suppose it is understandable that the Guest Service agent, faced with a customer with whom they have no history and who is claiming that their luggage was delivered to the wrong stateroom and that items are missing out of the bag, might easily expect that the customer was just trying to get something for nothing.
Should they have handled it differently? No doubt they should have; their behaviour was reprehensible and truly a black mark on the record of what I have heard is a pretty good cruise line. I am not saying that I am so ready to forgive the way they treated me, but by taking a few days to think about what schemers and scammers they probably face on a weekly or even daily basis (if I am any judge of body language I was in line with one or two that day) I find it easier to understand why on a bad day they might take the position that they did.
…of course now it is up to the parent company to clean up the mess; let’s see what comes of that. (You may have noticed that as of the original publication of this article there is no mention of the company or ship; that may or may not change later!)
Several years ago a friend of mine told me about a seminar that he attended where the presenter – the inventor of the DayTimer, if memory serves, put all of our different data collection methods in perspective; he had the audience count the places where they collected information, and came up with, among others:
- Agenda
- Personal E-Mail
- Corporate E-Mail
- Post-Its
- Other notes
- Business Cards
- Cell phone / Smart Phone
- Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
It was shortly after that discussion (days, really) that I set aside a week to collect all of my contacts and appointments and enter them into my Outlook PST file. I then imported all of my e-mails from all of my various accounts into my primary e-mail account, but with a plethora of Folders so that i could keep everything organized. Although I have since changed my primary e-mail account a few times and am now on hosted Exchange, the system I came up with then essentially remains intact.
Since 2004 I have a couple of new information repositories that I rely on quite heavily… I also have thousands of contacts within those and it is nearly impossible to keep track. Until recently when I received an e-mail from someone I might have to check my LinkedIn and Facebook pages, as well as my Outlook Contact list. A couple of years ago I said to someone ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could track all of these profiles and contacts in one centralized location? Obviously I was not the only person who felt that way… and somebody was listening!
Introducing Outlook Social Connector for Outlook 2010. It gives you the power of many of your social networking sites within Outlook. With the Outlook Social Connector you can expand your social networks and stay up to date without leaving Outlook.
Outlook Social Connector adds a block at the bottom of e-mails and Contact pages; it shows the profile picture, what networks you share and are connected on, as well as recent activity. Within the Activity window you can filter by:
- All Items
- Activities
- Mail
- Attachments
- Meetings
- Status Updates
Activities
Under Activities I can see new activities on Live Messenger (new friends), Facebook Posts and status updates, as well as updates from any connected services – so in the image of my own connection you see an item that says ‘Mitch is about to leave on a trip to Baltimore, MD.’ This post was brought into Facebook (www.facebook.com) from its connection to TripIt (www.tripit.com), which means that I now have more than simply the sum of the parts from the connections.
Mail & Attachments
I might have a rule that filters all mail from a contact to a specific folder, but often those lines get crossed when I have e-mails filtered, for example, by project. The Mail tab allows me to see all of the e-mail from a specific contact, no matter where the mail sits. The next tab lists attachments as well, which gets quite useful when your box is congested!
Status Updates
Whether on Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace, all of your contacts’ status updates and activity will show up here.
Currently there are social connectors for:
- Facebook
- LinkedIn
- MySpace
- Windows Live Messenger
- SharePoint
That is not to say that there won’t be others, or that you cannot make one of your own and distribute it (maybe make a few bucks!). For more information and to download the specific plug-ins visit http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/social-connector-for-microsoft-outlook-HA101794273.aspx. They are architecture specific, so before you start downloading make sure you know if you are in x86 or x64 version of Outlook (if you don’t know then you are probably using x86!)
Oh, and because these files are all executables, they can be downloaded to be included in a Microsoft Deployment Toolkit infrastructure. Just create a new application package, and set it up as a dependency to your Microsoft Office (or Outlook) application package.
In March, 2004 I wrote and posted this article to my website. I was reminded of it this evening when I opened an e-mail from someone warning me of the latest and greatest virus. Some of the wording had not even changed in six years! My article is a bit dated, but worth the read. –Mitch Garvis July 10, 2010
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Every so often I receive an e-mail warning me of the newest and most destructive virus ever. Along with these warnings (which come in waves) I usually get a number of requests from friends, clients, or associates asking my opinions of these attacks, and what they should do about it.
Some of the more typical excerpts from these warnings will be 'Microsoft has announced the most destructive virus ever...' and '...as reported on CNN.' The one that I like is 'This attack caused widespread panic in New York City yesterday...' and my personal favorite: 'If you are like me I would rather get this e-mail twenty-five times than fall pray to the attack once.'
Here's the thing: Microsoft does not announce virii. They certainly do not classify or rate them on a scale of best to worst ever. It is not what they do. CNN does a fairly poor job of reporting computer threats, and normally do so after the fact. Furthermore had there been widespread pandemonium in New York City you would have heard about it long ago.
I'll say it again for the cheap seats: NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF THE E-MAIL WARNINGS YOU GET ARE BOGUS.
Now here is the interesting part: WHY. These warnings are attacks to the Internet, and by forwarding it you become an unwitting accomplice. How it works is simple: The Internet works just like a road system. When there is relatively little traffic then everything goes nice and smooth... and fast. If you have driven along a deserted highway you were probably going faster than the posted speed limit. You turn up the volume and enjoy the open road. The more cars join you on the road, the slower you go. The Internet works the same way: every byte of data that you send takes up bandwidth. The more bytes (or packets) transmitted the slower things go.
It is difficult to understand how a simple message I send can clog up the Internet, right? Here's a math lesson that should put the issue into perspective. I have close to four hundred contacts in my address book. However let's say for the sake of the problem that the average person has fifty. Let's also assume that two in five contacts will forward the message. That means only twenty people are forwarding the message to their entire contact list. Let's look at what happens if each person sends it six levels down: (1) I send it to 20. (2) They send it to 20 each, that is 400. (3) Those 400 send it to 20 each that is 8,000. (4) Those eight thousand send it to 20 each that is 160,000. (5) Those 160,000 send it to 20 each that is 3,200,000. That makes 3,368,420 e-mails clogging the Internet. Don't you love the little coup de gras at the end 'I would rather receive this e-mail 25 times...'How do you stop this attack on the infrastructure? Simply delete the message.Now let me be clear about this. There are many different virii, worms, and trojan horses that you need to worry about. I have received over one hundred e-mails this week containing the Sobig worm, but by not opening them no harm was done. You DO have to be careful. However with the very rare exception none of the virii out there are going to do any physical damage to your computer. They are not going to blow up your monitor, and they are not going to infect your children with Smallpox.
If you are truly concerned about a warning, the premiere authoritative resource on the Internet is the Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center (www.sarc.com). If you think you are at risk, or believe a warning is too real to be wrong, then check there. Not only will you find information about every single virus, worm, trojan, and other threat known to computers, but in almost every case it will GIVE you the tools to clean it.
I had never been to Halifax (or anywhere in Nova Scotia) before, so I was not upset that a scheduling blunder gave me a free day to tour around.
My arrival coincided with the arrival of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who began her 22nd Canadian visit here. It also came during the celebrations of the one hundredth anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy. To help celebrate Halifax Harbour was hosting the Halifax International Fleet Review (www.halifaxifr.com) in which twenty-nine vessels from eight countries (Canada, USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Brazil) were on brilliant display, and were reviewed by Her Majesty.
My first order of business Tuesday morning was to see how I could get involved. I walked down to the harbour front and found a tent of sailors and Marines handing out brochures and souvenirs – nothing was on sale – to help get people in the colours. I took a selection of trinkets for my son, including frisbees, a mouse pad, a lanyard, and more. They then pointed me in the right direction.
Several companies offer boat rides on the harbour. I chose a voyage on the Harbour Queen, a Mississippi-style wheel boat that offered a 2.5 hour tour that included getting as close to many of the naval vessels as was permissible, and a great explanation by the captain of what we were seeing. It was to set off at 12:30, so I had plenty of time to walk around.
The Queen was scheduled to dedicate a plaque aboard HMCS Sackville later in the day. That ship, a World War 2 Corvette, was docked in front of the Naval Museum, and the dock was awash with preparatory activity under the watchful eye of Sub-Lieutenant Charles Watter, RCN. I had a chance to speak with the Sub-Lieutenant at length. As we looked out over the harbour he pointed to where several vessels were at anchor, although through the morning fog it was nearly impossible to make out even the silhouettes of the grand ships, including the USS Wasp, an Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and the HMS Ark Royal, an aircraft carrier with Harrier jump-jets on deck. Fortunately the winds were favourable for a clear afternoon.
Sub-Lieutenant Watters was kind enough to spend a few minutes talking to me both on- and off-camera. He told me not only what he is currently working on – the anniversary celebrations – but also what he does most of the time. On this 143rd Canada Day, I would like to extend my thanks to him and all of his colleagues for all they to do keep our nation safe. I invite you to comment after watching the video and let them know just how much support they have!
Following my tour of the harbour and basin I switched to a much smaller, amphibious craft – a Harbour Hopper craft – the LARK-5 (Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo) is a Vietnam-era amphibious vessel that has been refit as a tour bus/boat (they got rid of the Light machine Gun that was normally mounted at the stern. they drove us up to the Citadel and explained the military history of the city, and then drove us down through the old streets around the Harbour and then did something that most tour busses don’t do… next to the Nova Scotia Casino it drove into the harbour! we got to see the HMCS Saint-Johns pull in next to the Sackville, although we didn’t get closer than the 200 metre security perimeter allowed (we came close… and a Naval Zodiac came close to us and warned us off).
We went feet-dry again and headed back for the end of the tour, in time for me to see Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Edward, along with their Canadian escorts (Prime Minister Harper, Governor-General Jean) getting ready to disembark the HMCS Saint-Johns. It was the closest I could have gotten – maybe 100m from the action, and my camera battery was dead. Oh well, I still got to see her. G-d Save the Queen!
My day nearly complete, I headed back to the hotel to change and then seek out the finest lobster in the land. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the finest, but it was pretty good :)
As much as I do love the Queen, I was glad to hear that she was leaving Government House for the airport just as my flight was to take off, because they would have closed down the highways and I did not want any of that. I am glad I got out of Halifax okay, and am looking forward to returning.
And for my new friend, Sub-Lieutenant Watters, I wish you fair winds and following seas, and G-d Save the Royal Canadian Navy!
Nearly seven weeks ago Master Dimitrios Beis took me aside and asked if I wanted to prepare to test for my Black Belt in June. Our schools, Grand Master Kim’s Oriental Martial Arts College of Canada, tests (for Black Belt) twice a year, in June and then December. Beyond the affect that nearly seven weeks of intense training would have on my family I had two concerns: could I be ready in time, and would I be in town on the day of testing.
The first concern was entirely in my hands. Beginning that day I started training six days per week (up to three and occasionally four hours per day), went on a diet regimen that was so intense that I had my family physician monitoring me on a weekly basis, and when I wasn’t working I literally ate, slept, and thought about Tae Kwon Do.
The second concern should have been a simple matter of checking my schedule, and sure enough although I was scheduled to be in New Orleans the week leading up to the test, I would be coming home Friday night. I would get into town around eleven, sleep comfortably in my own bed. I would wake up Saturday morning, spend a couple of hours in the gym going over all of my prerequisites. I would get lunch, have a haircut, and at about 1:30 I would head over to the Dojang where the test was being held. No problem.
American Airlines had other plans for me.
Sometimes we personalize plights that couldn’t possibly have anything to do with us… we say it is raining because we got our car washed, or the power goes out because we wanted to watch an important sporting event. Of course I understand that, and this is not like that. In this case I am certain that American Airlines intentionally went out of their way to blow my shot.
I got to the airport in New Orleans in plenty of time for my 5pm flight. Unfortunately the plane didn’t. It seems it had rained in Chicago earlier in the day, so the plane that was supposed to fly from O’Hare to New Orleans never made it… and my flight was cancelled. I had to stay overnight (there was simply no way to get me to Toronto Friday night) and fly out Saturday morning. However the Saturday flight would get me into town Saturday afternoon around 1:15pm… it would be close, but I would still make it home in time to test, minus the gym, lunch, and haircut.
Of course I got to the airport in plenty of time the next morning, even though I nearly blew it when I forgot to set my alarm (I had fortunately asked for a wake-up call). I was on the 5:30am shuttle which got me to the terminal at 5:45 for a 7:20 flight. No problem. The flight was even marked as On Time, which meant they definitely had a plane and there were no foreseeable delays. There was what looked like a two hour line at Security, but there was also a ‘Frequent Fliers’ line, and I got to the gate on time. The plane boarded on time, and even took off on time! I was in excellent shape to make my connecting flight from O’Hare… and if there WAS a problem there, Air Canada and United would also have flights that would get me to Toronto on time. I sat back on the plane and relaxed.
Twenty minutes or so into the flight I noticed the overhead lights flicker… it looked like a brown-out. I asked the flight attendant if there was an electrical issue; she said there was not, and continued to serve drinks. Five minutes later the pilot announced that they had indeed discovered an electrical issue on the plane, and they were turning around and going back to New Orleans. I was ready to jump out of the plane!
On the ground there was no information available for the first fifteen minutes, but the FA announced that if anyone wanted to deplane and buy a ticket on another airline (they do not have an agreement with SouthWest) they were welcome to do so. For my part I listened in and watched the body language of the mechanic and crew, and decided to wait it out. I spoke with Theresa and had her check all of the airlines for flights from Chicago to Toronto… she had both United and American flying around 1:05pm, arriving in Toronto at 3:45… forty-five minutes past the scheduled start time.
After thirty minutes the pilot announced that we were fixed and going to head to Chicago. I tried to bribe them to fly to Toronto, but no dice. We would arrive in Chicago around 12:15; they could not confirm my connection, but they would submit my request, along with the urgency.
Upon arriving at O’Hare I checked with the gate agent, and sure enough I was scheduled on the 1:05pm flight. I rushed from terminal to terminal and got to the gate to confirm that I had a seat. With 45 minutes to go, I had a bite to eat. I got to the gate in time to find out that we had a plane, an FA, and a co-pilot… but we were waiting for a pilot to come in from Des Moines. We would be delayed by another hour and a half.
I pinged Master Beis, who told me to get there as quickly as I could. I pinged Soup (Cory Fowler), who was on his way to watch the test, and let him know that he would be my comms link to the staff from the moment I landed…
We landed around 4:30pm, and I told Soup to let them know I was on the ground. After a bit of back and forth he told me that if I didn’t get there AND SOON I would not be able to test… my original estimate was 45 minutes. However that included waiting for luggage and such, but once I abandoned that and ran outside to meet the family in the car, I was able to cut that down to seventeen minutes.
I walked into the dojang at 4:55pm, and Grand Master Kim was awarding Black Belts to those who had just finished their testing. I had no idea if it would help, but I ran into the changing room and got into my dubok. I then walked out into the dojang and waited… I made eye contact with Master Beis, but still did not know what was going to happen. They were among the longest minutes of my life!
When it was all over, when the last Black Belt had been punched, Grand Master Kim looked to the crowd and said into the mic: ‘Now who wants to stay and watch Mister Garvis test?’ The entire crowd went wild, and my heart soared. However exhausted I was from the travels, troubles, and tribulations were gone: I suspected I had five minutes to warm up before the floor cleared, and that’s what I did.
I forgot one move in one poom sae, and made one mistake in another, but aside from those I am VERY proud of the test… I had my patterns down, I did my one-steps perfectly (with the help of a great and cooperative partner in the person of Instructor Mark), and then sparred damned well… first against Instructor Mark and then Instructor Sasha! I didn’t break the concrete slab (the second try actually broke my hand), but I did break six boards, and what with the broken hand and all I am pretty pleased with that.
In the end I earned my Black Belt, which Grand Master Kim tied around me. He punched my shoulder, and as is traditional each Master shook my hand and punched me. I wonder how many people hurt more from the handshakes than from the punching! I got a great trophy, but the greatest trophy of all was holding my wife and sons.
Oh okay… the Black Belt feels pretty hot too!
Many of you know that I am currently preparing for my Black Belt test in Tae Kwon Do (June 12!). Aside from writing a lot about it (not on the blog) I am also doing a lot of reading and research, and accidentally came across Steve Conway’s site. Steve is an overweight practitioner of Tae Kwon Do like me, who also has a great sense of humour. Check out his Martial Arts Dictionary for a laugh!
http://www.steveconway.net/humour/dictionary.htm
This morning my son broke a rule. He was punished. Last week he forgot a school book at home. He had to suffer the consequences by sitting in class without his book.
While as a father I was not happy with either situation, I was at least glad that he accepted the consequences for his actions. It’s what we as people have to do, no matter what age.
That is why I have lost so much respect not only for the Apple Corporation, but also for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The story:
Apple is working on the next generation of the iPhone. It is of course under strict secrecy for myriad reasons. In April, one of the engineers working on and testing the new model (disguised as the old model) brought it to a bar in Redwood City, California. Someone found it and, rather than trying to return it to the owner, recognized it for what it was, and sold it to Jason Chen, the editor of Gizmodo (www.gizmodo.com), an on-line technology site. Gizmodo proceeded to write about it, posting details of the upcoming phone and its features.
When Apple found this out they sent their lawyers and director of information security to the Sheriff’s Office, and told them how damaging this leak was. The Sheriff’s office initiated procedures that eventually led to the seizure of several computers from Mr. Chen.
Now: I have never left a phone or a laptop in a bar, restaurant, or airport lounge before (probably because I pay for them myself and can hardly afford to replace technology unnecessarily). However I have in my day left things behind… jackets, sunglasses, a wallet once, and most recently I think I left my Montreal Canadiens baseball cap at a cafe. Sometimes I have been lucky, and a good Samaritan has turned the lost item in, and I have recovered them. More often, they are gone. I had to go out and buy new, or go without. (Last week I considered myself extremely fortunate when the Hockey Hall of Fame had the baseball caps on clearance!)
Never did I think I should pursue the people who found them – or the establishments where I lost them – or the companies that made them so easy to lose – legally. It would never even occur to me to call the police or sue.
Of course there is a difference between a one-time loss of a material item, and the compromising of intellectual property leading to (possibly) the loss of business and revenues. What I think Apple was most upset about was actually the egg on their face.
Here’s the thing though: Jason Chen did nothing wrong.
In my role as a Microsoft MVP I am given access to a lot of secret information and software well before their public releases. The way Microsoft ensures that I do not disclose any of that information prematurely is by having me bound by a global Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), as well as product-specific NDAs for each beta I am on. This NDA is a binding contract that prohibits me from disclosing any information, and threatens legal action, as well as a loss of trust which would mean the end to my NDA days.
In the case of the lost iPhone, Mr. Chen was not contractually (or otherwise) bound to any such secrecy. If anyone should have been pursued legally, it is the engineer who lost the phone in the first place.
Just to put things in perspective, my son is twelve, and he understands the concept… so why don’t Apple, the lawyers, and the Sheriff’s Office?
Let’s go back to the intellectual property side of things for a moment. My understanding of the issue is that it is not the physical phone that was the issue (it was, after all, disguised as a legacy model); it was the mobile operating system and applications that were the killers. Rule number one to having a corporate device of any sort is to protect it with a secure password. Most corporations enforce that policy by forcing corporate devices – laptops, phones, centrally managed slide rules, and such – to have a password. My son’s netbook has a password not because I told him he had to, but because it is a member of my corporate domain, and as such complex passwords are a technological requirement. However even before I joined his computer to the domain he had a password, and when I asked him why he answered (at eleven years old) that he didn’t want other people seeing his stuff.
My son is in elementary school and grasps this; why didn’t the engineer at Apple?
For the record I know that I have sensitive information in my computer and phone, so not only do I protect them with passwords, but I have encrypted my hard drives, and if I type my phone’s password incorrectly three times it is wiped back to the factory settings. If this phone was so sensitive, why weren’t any of these measures taken before it left the factory?
I have read articles stating that Apple claims the leak has cost it big bucks, as well as causing ‘immense damage’ to the company. I am not sure if I believe that, but let’s assume that it is true. Neither the leak nor the damage were caused by Jason Chen or Gizmodo, they were all caused by the engineer who:
- Decided not to protect his device with a secure password;
- Took the device out into the world; and
- Lost the device.
Of course, as an employee of Apple, his mistakes are ultimately theirs. If they want to look for blame, they should look in their corporate mirror. In the meantime I think that everyone involved owes Mr. Chen and HIS company a huge apology… as well as damages for prosecutorial abuse, reckless lawsuits, and harassment that he has been subjected to.
I don’t understand why people (waitresses and cashiers specifically) seem to feel that they sound more sophisticated by using bad grammar.
“Did you want fries with that?” No… but I wasn’t hungry… now that I am, yes I would.
“Were you going to pay with cash or credit?” Well I wasn’t going to pay with either… but now that I have eaten I will pay by with cash.
This evening I went to the supermarket to pick up a couple of things, and as I was paying the cashier said “Did you have an Air Miles card?” I answered “Yes, I did.” As I reached into my pocket for it he completed the transaction, and when I handed it to him he said “Oh… it’s too late. I thought you didn’t have one anymore.”
I weep for the future of the English language.
As many of you know I spend a lot of time working in, consulting with, and teaching virtualization. Because I am such a strong believer in certifications I was proud of the three virtualization certs I previously held – two Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certs and one VMware-centric cert, VMTraining’s Certified Virtualization Expert (CVE). Without sitting VMware’s VCP courses there wasn’t much more that I could have done.
I was really excited to hear that the good folks at Microsoft – and I don’t know if these decisions were made by the product team or by Microsoft Learning – decided that with the advent of the 2008 R2 products (Server, Hyper-V Server, VMM) they would change the cert model; there are now three exams:
70-659 TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
70-669 TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
70-693 PRO: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator
Now let’s be clear: most IT pros are not going to specialize in ALL of these… and to be clear none of these exams are pushovers. Just because you have a server or five running Hyper-V does not mean you are going to be able to pass. There are dozens of technologies that will be required, including Hyper-V (R2), SCVMM (R2), App-V, Med-V... Remote Desktop, Failover Clustering, Server Core, PowerShell, and more. You have to know storage (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, SANs), Live Migrations, Quick Migrations, and all of the requirements for these. You have to understand Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO Tips), which means you have to at least have a basic understanding of System Center Operations Manager. It also, by the way, requires a bit of knowledge of VMware - especially the requirements and procedures for managing ESX by VMM.
Now with all of that being said, there are three separate certifications that you can work towards;
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
The two MCTS certs are great because they are task-based. The MCITP is a little more advanced – the PRO exams are not meant to be harder than TS exams, only different, and aimed at a different job role. However passing that exam itself doesn’t earn you a certification. You need to pass (in this case) both the TS exams in addition to the PRO exam in order to earn the cert.
Now here’s the kicker: the only mention of the MCITP exam on the Microsoft Learning website (http://mcp.microsoft.com/mcp) is on the page outlining the three exams that qualify toward it. There does not appear to be any mention in the MCP Newsgroups about it.
In addition to all that, as of this writing (May 2, 2010) my MCP Transcript indicates that I have passed all three exams, the MCITP cert is NOT listed (the two TS certs are). The Logo Builder tool does not give me the option to create the new logo. I assume that this means that it is a brand new certification – while the 70-659 and 70-693 exams were released to GA on February 12th and March 31st respectively, the 70-669 exam was released on April 29th (three days ago). I have heard of cases where the certifications are not actually released until after the exams are (it happened with one of the Windows Vista MCITP exams).
(I felt a little silly when I was discussing virtualization learning with a CPLS the other day and mentioned this cert, and she came back and told me she couldn’t find any mention of it!)
Does any of this mean you should wait? Not if you are prepared… and I will reiterate that you should not take preparation for these exams lightly. I would also suggest that you take advantage of one of the MSL Second Shot opportunities… so that if you don’t quite pass then you can try again for free.
If you do spend a lot of time in the virtualization world, and especially if you want to stand out to your organization or clients with regard to virtualization and VDI, then this is a great cert to work toward.
Good luck!
Last year Microsoft launched a great way to get to TechEd… the Get On The Bus Tour. Unfortunately for me, last year’s bus tour was restricted to US citizens. Some of us were none too pleased about that, but met the bus in Los Angeles when they all got off.
It seems that our voices were heard, and someone at Microsoft was more than eager to make up for it. That is why I am thrilled to tell you that Get On The Bus 2010 will not only accept Canadians… it will actually be STARTING in Canada!
Yes folks, you heard right… the famous cross-country tour is starting in the city I know and love… Montreal! That will kick off a 10-city road tour down the East Coast toward New Orleans and TechEd 2010! At each city the experts will offer a deep-dive into Windows 7 and Office 2010, and present specific learning paths for the latest Microsoft Certifications… and the best thing about it is IT’S FREE!
The Get On The Bus crew will include Brad McCabe, Stephen Rose, Andy O’Donald, Tjeerd Veninga, Dana Calleja, Dan Stolts, Blain Barton, Chanel Chambers, Justin Rodino, and Melissa Bathum. I know most of these folks and all I can say is I WISH I COULD RIDE ALONG! As it stands, I hope to be able to get down to Montreal to see the bus off… as well as catch some of the break-out sessions :)
The tour will kick off in Montreal on May 21st, and will wind its way through Boston, New York (Manhattan), Philadelphia, Washington (two days!), Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, and finally will arrive in style at the site of TechEd 2010, New Orleans! (For a list of tour dates as well as registration links click http://microsoftbustour.com/tour-dates/)
As this tour is a huge COMMUNITY FOCUSED initiative, you can follow them on either Twitter (@thebustour) or on Facebook (Find us on Facebook). But most importantly don’t forget to register today and meet the van in your city of choice… and if you choose Montreal make sure you say Hi to me!
If your e-mail server is managed by Videotron, Rogers, Bell, Hotmail, or any of the myriad services that have a huge infrastructure then this article, while possibly interesting, will likely not apply to you.
Likewise if you work for a large corporation, or frankly any corporation and someone else is in charge of DNS and your mail servers, then it is unlikely that you will be saved by this.
However if you are responsible for your mail servers, or those of your clients, and the Internet DNS (Domain Name Service) Records are your responsibility, then you had better take heed.
As you probably know (because you got here somehow) my public domain name is garvis.ca.
As I drove to the train station this morning I tuned the radio to my usual Talk Radio station and was interested to hear that ‘After the break John’s guest will be the man who got the first iPad in New York City.’ I admit I have not been following the craze too closely but I know that Apple’s flagship store is in Times Square, and that if people were lining up anywhere it was there. If I were not a few minutes late for the train I would have sat in the parking lot to listen to the end, but from the first few minutes of the conversation I suspect I would have been wasting my time.
Let me start by saying that when it comes to some things Microsoft I am not only the first guy running it, but am usually a year ahead of the curve as a beta tester. That goes for Windows Client, Server, Microsoft Office, and a plethora of other products. If asked why I tend to live on the ‘Bleeding Edge’ of these important technologies it is simple; my professional edge relies partly on my being able to demonstrate, support, and teach these products before everyone else. I suppose at one point there was an aspect of ‘bragging rights’ involved, but that particular thrill passed long ago.
This guy (his name is Greg Packer) wants to be first too – he was the first iPhone owner a couple of years ago as well. As I listened to the interview I realized that this guy was in it for exactly that reason – bragging rights. The interviewer (John Moore) had a hard time getting straight answers out of him that would be of interest to anyone outside an enthusiasts’ forum; it turns out that several days later (the product was released two days ago) he still has not opened the box. Moore asked him numerous times why that was the case but never got a straight answer. Taking a different tack Moore asked if he would be willing to ship his unopened iPad to him in Canada. The answer he received was less appropriate to a radio interview and moreso to the sort of convention where the less-avid participants or only wearing pointy ears.
Let me be clear… I love technology and understand others who are avid about technology. I also understand collectors – people who buy something and leave it in the original packaging in the hopes that the value of the mint condition product will go up in value. However the melding of the two in this particular case amounts to a waste of time. Firstly there would be no difference in value of a sealed iPad sold at 9am on the day of release and one sold at 9:05am on the same day… or at 12:15pm the following day for that matter.
(As a matter of interest it looks like Packer, dubbed a professional line sitter on at least one reference site, did NOT get the first iPad from the flagship Apple Store on 5th Avenue. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Packer)
I have never seen the value of being the first, at least not to that extreme. I read the Harry Potter books like most parents I know, and enjoyed them immensely. When the seventh book in the series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) was released on July 21, 2007 the world seemed to go mad standing in line the night before to get the book at 12:01am. Lines were crazy, and I bought the same book without standing in line some 14 hours later. In fact I bought two copies because I was with a friend who wanted it. However once I got it I read it… I did not examine the cover for hours or days, I simply plopped down in my favourite chair and started reading.
One more bit that makes me wonder about Mr. Packer stems from two (rather, three) questions posed this morning:
- When did you get into line? 7:00am, Tuesday morning.
- When did the next people start lining up? 11:30pm, Thursday night.
- Did you take breaks or did you stay the whole time? From the time other people lined up he stayed without taking a break.
I have, in my youth, camped out in line… mostly for concert tickets and the like. I remember one of the most important considerations was getting friends to help out by spelling us for bio-breaks, meals, and so on… and it was simple because they would get their concert ticket too for helping out. At the beginning of the interview I assumed that he would simply ask friends to help out. By the end I admit I suspect he does not have a very deep pool of friends to choose from… I may be wrong, but from what I heard he does not sound like someone I would want to be friends with. (I know, there are plenty of people out there who wouldn’t want to be friends with me either…)
I wish I could have heard the end of the interview. I cannot fathom that that was all there was to it… to this person. He seems to be a professional ‘man on the street’ with more than a hundred such references… but there must be more to this person! Wikipedia (the only semi-credible source with any real information about him) claims he is a 47-year-old highway maintenance worker from Huntingdon, New York. However his bio, at least on Wikipedia, and it seems his only real talent is trying to be noticed.
It’s sad… I hope he finds this to be satisfying, but I also wish that for all of that he said in the interview this morning that someone would give me those precious moments back. As it stands I consider having listened to him time wasted.
If you are looking for a good deal on electronics, you should consider heading to one of the big electronics stores in the weeks after Christmas. .Not only do they have pretty good specials, but you are also very likely to find open-box specials – returned items that are complete, new products that people bought (or received as gifts), opened, and then returned. I was interested in a Panasonic camcorder that was on sale for $450, but the open box saved me another $50. As the proud father of a newborn baby I was glad to save the money… especially considering that once all was tolled – extended warranty, memory card, carrying case, et al – the bill still came out to $700.
Camcorders today are amazing; Just like my still camera this camera accepts Secure Digital (SD) cards, but it also has a 60GB hard drive built in. They are so easy to use that I was able to take it home and start recording right away. I got some decent videos of the baby and my entire family. Later in the evening I connected the camera to my computer to view my videos. I clicked on the first file, and was a little surprised… there was indeed a baby in the video, but he (or she) was not our baby.
It seems that the camera had been purchased by a young couple from Eastern Europe; they have a toddler and a newborn, and shall we say a lot of imagination in the bedroom. If you are curious to know how I know this, I assure you that it did not take any sort of deductive reasoning on my part. It was all there in living colour on my new camcorder, along with the cute videos of my baby and family. Their adult-themed personal videos were there for anyone to see… at least, anyone who decided to take advantage of the open-box special on a previously used camcorder.
My first instinct was to blame the store. How dare they sell me a video camera with home made pornography on it!? I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that maybe it was really not their fault – after all, when most people think of cameras they don’t think ‘Wow, I’d better reformat this before putting it back on the shelf!’
The truth is that nobody here is really to blame, at least not completely. That does not change the fact that three people who engaged in an act that they (I assume) intended to be private have now shared the sordid details with an unknown outside party.
Let me be clear at this point that I deleted the videos right away, but what if I were the type to post them on-line? What if I were to sell them (and from what I am told there is always a market for homemade pornography) for profit? Those videos that were intended (I assume) for private viewing only would now be all over the Internet, and as we all know that is a bell that is impossible to un-ring.
I went back to Best Buy twice and asked them if they would like to comment, and got different answers from different people. The first Shift Supervisor I asked told me that it was not their policy to check the media on returned cameras, which I respect (I got the same answer from Fry’s in the US). The second Supervisor told me ‘It sounds like a privacy issue, in which case we should make sure to wipe all media that we are going to resell. I decided to try for a tie-breaker; the store manager told me immediately that she would not comment, and that I should contact their head office. (She gave me a toll-free number; when I reached them they told me that they could not give me a direct number for Media Relations but could give me a mailing address for head office)
So with all of the confusion and ducking it would seem the onus is on you as the consumer to protect your privacy.
There is an interesting footnote to the story… I ended up returning the camera a few weeks later (I decided to buy a high definition (HD) video camera). Before I did I connected the camera to my PC, wiped it clean, formatted it, and made sure that no video of my family (yes, that’s all there were) could ever be recovered from it. I told the customer service rep at Best Buy, who told me that I shouldn’t have bothered because they do that for us. This was of course false, or at least contradictory to some of the statements that I had previously and have since received from the store. Now *I* know that, but what about the unsuspecting customer who would believe her… and a year later finds her private pictures and videos on www.IBoughtYourStolenVideosToResellThemOnTheInternet.com? I wonder if she would have a legitimate case against the retailer.
Let’s go one step further: let’s assume for this scenario that I am not an innocent consumer, but a malicious hacker intent on infecting the computers of the world. I buy a video camera with internal memory, and decide I am not happy with it. Before I return it to the store I plant a virus on it which will infect any (unprotected) computer it connects to. Of course I could also plant malicious files with such enticing filenames as ‘scantily-clad-wife.jpg.exe’ that would hit the unsuspecting from both ends. That’ll teach the retailer to sell me a camera that I won’t be happy with, as well as the poor sap who buys their open-box specials! The unsuspecting consumer then buys what they assume is a bargain, takes it home and after taking a few pictures connects it to their computer to send her family snapshots to grandma. What happens instead is that her computer is infected with malware that starts sending all of her private information to Kazakhstan and beyond… including the snapshots that she really did not intend to send to grandma who would receive them anyways because one of the data mining viruses planted would send all of those pictures randomly to people on her contact list. Oops.
If it were me, and of course with the protection I have in place (plus my common sense) it would not be, I would contact a lawyer and sue the retailer. It would be difficult to trace but if they could it would prove that my first instinct – to blame the retailer – was correct. It would also prove to me that it is irresponsible for retailers large or small to resell returned products that include electronic media without first checking that there were no incriminating or compromising photos and videos or malicious files. It might take their geeks (lower-case) an extra five minutes when they check that all of the cables are in the box, and I am sure that multiplied out over hundreds or thousands of cameras across the country it would become a line-item in their budget… but that number would be insignificant next to the legal costs and hassles as well as damage to their reputation should this happen just once.
In the meantime if I should decide to return a camera again (I am quite fond of the HD one I bought but did have to return it at first because it was defective) I will make sure to do my due diligence and make sure that all of my private – if G-Rated – photos and videos are completely removed first.
If you are looking for a good deal on electronics, you should consider heading to one of the big electronics stores in the weeks after Christmas. .Not only do they have pretty good specials, but you are also very likely to find open-box specials – returned items that are complete, new products that people bought (or received as gifts), opened, and then returned. I was interested in a Panasonic camcorder that was on sale for $450, but the open box saved me another $50. As the proud father of a newborn baby I was glad to save the money… especially considering that once all was tolled – extended warranty, memory card, carrying case, et al – the bill still came out to $700.
Camcorders today are amazing; Just like my still camera this camera accepts Secure Digital (SD) cards, but it also has a 60GB hard drive built in. They are so easy to use that I was able to take it home and start recording right away. I got some decent videos of the baby and my entire family. Later in the evening I connected the camera to my computer to view my videos. I clicked on the first file, and was a little surprised… there was indeed a baby in the video, but he (or she) was not our baby.
It seems that the camera had been purchased by a young couple from Eastern Europe; they have a toddler and a newborn, and shall we say a lot of imagination in the bedroom. If you are curious to know how I know this, I assure you that it did not take any sort of deductive reasoning on my part. It was all there in living colour on my new camcorder, along with the cute videos of my baby and family. Their adult-themed personal videos were there for anyone to see… at least, anyone who decided to take advantage of the open-box special on a previously used camcorder.
My first instinct was to blame the store. How dare they sell me a video camera with home made pornography on it!? I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that maybe it was really not their fault – after all, when most people think of cameras they don’t think ‘Wow, I’d better reformat this before putting it back on the shelf!’
The truth is that nobody here is really to blame, at least not completely. That does not change the fact that three people who engaged in an act that they (I assume) intended to be private have now shared the sordid details with an unknown outside party.
Let me be clear at this point that I deleted the videos right away, but what if I were the type to post them on-line? What if I were to sell them (and from what I am told there is always a market for homemade pornography) for profit? Those videos that were intended (I assume) for private viewing only would now be all over the Internet, and as we all know that is a bell that is impossible to un-ring.
I went back to Best Buy twice and asked them if they would like to comment, and got different answers from different people. The first Shift Supervisor I asked told me that it was not their policy to check the media on returned cameras, which I respect (I got the same answer from Fry’s in the US). The second Supervisor told me ‘It sounds like a privacy issue, in which case we should make sure to wipe all media that we are going to resell. I decided to try for a tie-breaker; the store manager told me immediately that she would not comment, and that I should contact their head office. (She gave me a toll-free number; when I reached them they told me that they could not give me a direct number for Media Relations but could give me a mailing address for head office)
So with all of the confusion and ducking it would seem the onus is on you as the consumer to protect your privacy.
There is an interesting footnote to the story… I ended up returning the camera a few weeks later (I decided to buy a high definition (HD) video camera). Before I did I connected the camera to my PC, wiped it clean, formatted it, and made sure that no video of my family (yes, that’s all there were) could ever be recovered from it. I told the customer service rep at Best Buy, who told me that I shouldn’t have bothered because they do that for us. This was of course false, or at least contradictory to some of the statements that I had previously and have since received from the store. Now *I* know that, but what about the unsuspecting customer who would believe her… and a year later finds her private pictures and videos on www.IBoughtYourStolenVideosToResellThemOnTheInternet.com? I wonder if she would have a legitimate case against the retailer.
Let’s go one step further: let’s assume for this scenario that I am not an innocent consumer, but a malicious hacker intent on infecting the computers of the world. I buy a video camera with internal memory, and decide I am not happy with it. Before I return it to the store I plant a virus on it which will infect any (unprotected) computer it connects to. Of course I could also plant malicious files with such enticing filenames as ‘scantily-clad-wife.jpg.exe’ that would hit the unsuspecting from both ends. That’ll teach the retailer to sell me a camera that I won’t be happy with, as well as the poor sap who buys their open-box specials! The unsuspecting consumer then buys what they assume is a bargain, takes it home and after taking a few pictures connects it to their computer to send her family snapshots to grandma. What happens instead is that her computer is infected with malware that starts sending all of her private information to Kazakhstan and beyond… including the snapshots that she really did not intend to send to grandma who would receive them anyways because one of the data mining viruses planted would send all of those pictures randomly to people on her contact list. Oops.
If it were me, and of course with the protection I have in place (plus my common sense) it would not be, I would contact a lawyer and sue the retailer. It would be difficult to trace but if they could it would prove that my first instinct – to blame the retailer – was correct. It would also prove to me that it is irresponsible for retailers large or small to resell returned products that include electronic media without first checking that there were no incriminating or compromising photos and videos or malicious files. It might take their geeks (lower-case) an extra five minutes when they check that all of the cables are in the box, and I am sure that multiplied out over hundreds or thousands of cameras across the country it would become a line-item in their budget… but that number would be insignificant next to the legal costs and hassles as well as damage to their reputation should this happen just once.
In the meantime if I should decide to return a camera again (I am quite fond of the HD one I bought but did have to return it at first because it was defective) I will make sure to do my due diligence and make sure that all of my private – if G-Rated – photos and videos are completely removed first.
**Writer’s note: This article was planned and blocked a week before it was written; in the meantime when I mentioned on either Twitter or Facebook that the article was being written, I received a number of requests to include other (that is, non-Microsoft) offerings. Because I have not had the time to test those offerings I cannot do so in time for this article. However my credibility and integrity is not based on my knowledge of Microsoft but of IT, so I will make this commitment to look into other similar services in the coming weeks, and write a follow-up article comparing and contrasting the offerings. If there is a particular service that you would like to see covered in that article please leave me a comment and I will do my best. I should mention that for the purpose of this series I will only be covering free services; I have written previously about a paid cloud-backup solution that I am partial to (eFolder) and will gladly compare other such services… but for these articles I will only compare ‘oranges to oranges.’
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How many computers does one person need? Until recently I thought the simple answer was one. At any time if I bought a new computer I would sell my old one (to this day I regret selling my Acer Ferrari). I won’t go into the reasons I need multiple laptops now, but thinking about it objectively I know a lot of people with multiple computers, or in the least who need (or would like access to) their documents and files in multiple locations. This is especially true of people with desktop computers (either at work or home) who travel. Where should your files sit?
I don’t have a desktop – I travel far too often and while on the ground it can be easy enough to connect to either a corporate file server or a cloud-based solution, airborne Internet access is still in its infancy, expensive, unreliable, and for the foreseeable future is not something that Air Canada seems to be rushing to implement. In short? My files have to be with me at all times. Of course, I have two laptops that I travel with, and need to be able to work from both without missing a beat. I have an external hard drive, but owing to security concerns it is protected using BitLocker to Go which means that while I am running Windows I have no problems, but when I am working in Mac OS X I am out of luck. What I could do, of course, is first boot into Windows, copy the files I need onto my internal hard drive, then reboot into OS X; of course when I was done I would have to remember to boot back into Windows and copy any files I had changed back onto the external drive… and G-d help me should anything happen to that external drive! Yeah, that sounds like a lot of unnecessary steps to me too.
Friends have been telling me about Live Mesh (beta) for a while now, but I only started playing with it recently, and only started delving into the true capabilities and powers of the product recently. My eyes were opened and I saw the light!
Mesh has a number of features that have turned my head, including:
- Connecting to the desktops of Mesh-connected devices; and
- Synchronizing folders on your desktop to the Mesh Desktop.
A few days ago I had three devices connected to my Mesh: My Dell laptop, Windows on my Mac, and Mac on my Mac. Now that I understand more I have connected several of my servers at home as well.
File Synchronization between desktops through the Cloud
By connecting a device (more accurately you are connecting an OS instance, as the two separate Mac devices demonstrates) you can now connect to any connected device remotely (as long as that device is on and connected to the Internet). You can also then synchronize folders on your Mesh Desktop to that device. Let me explain:
- On my Live Mesh Desktop (which I connect to in an Internet browser using my Live ID) I create a folder – I used to have Pictures and Documents, but decided to streamline. When you first connect to your Mesh Desktop the only item on it is ‘Create New Folder.’ Click that, name it, and you are done.
- On the desktop of any (all) connected devices a shortcut appears that looks like a regular Windows Explorer folder, except it is blue, and has the arrow indicating that it is a shortcut rather than an actual folder.
- I double-click that folder shortcut, and I am asked where I want that folder to synchronize to. On my Dell I opted to create a new directory on my D drive called d:\Mitch Docs. On the MacBook’s Windows instance I only have the single Windows partition, so it is c:\Mitch Docs.
- On the laptop where my original Documents folder resides (the Dell) I move the contents of my original Documents Library (in legacy OSes my Documents folder) into the newly created directory on my D drive. After the culling (which I will explain later) the contents amounted to about 3.5 gigabytes.
- In the properties of my Documents Library I:
- Add my newly created folder (D:\Mitch Docs) to the Library;
- Move that folder to the top of the list;
- Set that folder as the Default Save Location.
Now my work is done… Mesh synchronizes my files from the desktop my Mesh Desktop in the cloud, which may take a while depending on the size of the contents being moved as well as the bandwidth of your Internet connection. I continue to work normally as I would. The next time I connect my other desktops to the Internet I get the same Mesh Folder Shortcut icon on my desktop for the folders I created, and I have to go through the same procedure of assigning it a corresponding location on my local hard drive; but now instead of copying files into it, Mesh will synchronize my files from the cloud into the newly created folder automatically. (I do have to follow the steps under Step 5 from above in order to ensure that the new folder is in the Document Library and is the default file location on each computer I add)
Now when I create a new document when I click save it will be saved locally, and immediately (upon connecting to the Internet) be synchronized to my Mesh Desktop, and from there it will be synchronized back to every desktop that I have connected to the Mesh. Since my files reside on my local hard drive, I can access any of them when I am off-line (right now I am at 37,000 feet over North Dakota). I can edit them, delete them, rename them. When I connect to the Internet the changes are all synchronized.
Accessing connected Devices remotely
Monday morning I left my MacBook (booted in Windows) connected to the Internet in my hotel room and took my Dell to my class. When I connected to my Mesh account I noticed that the MacBook was on-line; I clicked Connect to Device and poof! – I was connected to the desktop in an Internet Explorer instance. I did some file clean-up (I had some files sitting on the desktop that I had been meaning to move onto my external drive, so I copied them to my Live Mesh Desktop, let them synch, and then moved them from the Mesh Desktop to my external drive. While I was there (on the MacBook) I took the opportunity to change some settings, uninstall some software, and apply a number of security patches that Windows had downloaded on Patch Tuesday.
I should mention that although there are a number of ways to connect to a remote desktop, most of them do not allow that remote computer to advertise and then connect through hotel firewalls, but since Mesh creates a secure connection when the computer connects to the Internet and maintains a connection over a standard secure port (443) no advertisement is required, and no proprietary ports are blocking it. Although this is great for hotels it is also a benefit for me at home, where I have a plethora of machines, both physical and virtual, that I need to connect to from time to time, and have always had to be mindful of this because when I reconfigure my internal network (as I often do) I am still able to connect to any Mesh-connected machine. Sometime this week I will likely install Windows 7 on a junk-system and make that my house’s Mesh-hub… I will connect to that machine from remote and then use Remote Desktop to connect to machines that are not otherwise remotely accessible.
Watch me work!
The default setting for connecting to a remote desktop locks the local machine while it is being accessed remotely. However with the click of a button (Show local desktop) I can work interactively with someone on the other end – my wife, son, mother, or a client. When my mother asks me to help her to do something on her computer I used to have to talk her through it blindly, but with Mesh I can show her what I am doing (she sees the mouse moving and every click) and I can then make sure she understands by letting her take control while I watch.
Limitations
Live Mesh Desktop limits you to five gigabytes (5GB) of files. For most of us this is more than reasonable… but when I set out on this journey I realized how out of control my main documents folder was… 112GB (yes, that is One Hundred and Twelve!) to be accurate. I had several directories of files that were important to be sure (my Outlook Archives count 17GB, and my past courseware was about 55GB). I also had a plethora of pictures and other stuff in there, including letters, essays, articles, and white papers dating back to 1996. I assure you I need all of those, but I don’t necessarily need them everywhere I go. I culled the directory by moving folders to an off-line repository (hard drives in my server as well as a copy on my external hard drive which I carry with me). These are files that I will access and look at from time to time, but wouldn’t be making changes to. Without really going deep, I got my ‘important’ files down to 3.5GB or so. Of course it didn’t hurt me – I didn’t delete or lose a single file – but it did at the same time force me to archive a lot of unneeded files so that my local hard drive is not overburdened.
What about SkyDrive?
Mesh is me… it could I suppose be my family if I wanted to create a single Live account that we all share, but as it stands it is all mine. Live SkyDrive, on the other hand, is another cloud-based free offering and allows me to store larger – and more – files on-line, as well as share them with people within my Live Network. I have a number of directories – some public which anyone in my Network can access, some private to which I can assign anyone granular control (Upload, Download, View, Full Control), and some which are just for me. SkyDrive has a limit per account of 25GB, but it is not quite as useable as Live Mesh:
- You cannot upload folders and sub-folders
- Individual files are limited to 50MB
- There is no synchronization option.
With those limitations I still use SkyDrive for a lot more than just sharing large files with friends and colleagues… although I use it for that too. I also store a plethora of pictures there, as well as a number of PowerPoint presentations that I don’t need often but can use in a pinch if I am invited to speak unprepared. I keep all of my Internet Explorer Favorites there, and of course files that I would gladly share with the right people… such as my curriculum vitae.
A Perfect Solution?
Of course even these solution offerings are not a complete solution. Are they secure? I think they are. However I have seen Cloud Services fail before, so you can be certain that I have a local back-up of my files at home (in addition to my actual Cloud Backup).
Live Mesh installs a client on each desktop… not invasive but it is there. There is no such client for Live SkyDrive, but there is an Internet Explorer plug-in that allows you to drag-and-drop files.
When I say that I don’t know what I did before Live Mesh I am exaggerating… but it does keep my life straight and easily managed. I no longer have to worry about multiple copies of multiple versions of the same file in different locations… if you have multiple computers it is an excellent solution to keep things organized.
Now good luck, go forth, and Mesh!
If you are an IT Professional in the Greater Toronto Area then you will not want to miss this event!
http://itprotolotusfoundation.eventbrite.com/
Small business is still big business. Every company needs the ability to do e-mail, create, share and centrally manage documents and files and ensure that all their information is backed up and protected. But no one wants the hassle or expense of dealing with complex IT systems. Lotus Foundations is a family of software appliances that provide the essential software businesses need to focus on running the business, not managing computer systems.
Location:
8200 Warden Avenue, Markham, Ontario
Room: Amphitheatre
Agenda and Presenters:
6:45 PM - 7:15 PM - Food and Drinks
7:15 PM - 7:20 PM - Introductions (why we are here, why you are here)
7:20 PM - 8:40 PM - Product Demonstration
- Architectural Overview (and why it's different)
- - Getting running in no-time flat
- Integrated Base Capabilities and Functionality
- - Backup, Network Router, Firewall, FTP, Web Server, File Server, DHCP, etc...
- - Integrated Enhanced
- - Antivirus, Antispam
- - Add-ons and the role of Autonomics and Integration
- - Start
- - Reach
- - 3rd Party
8:40 PM - 9:00 PM - Q & A
Host:
Hiep Vuong leads up the HW Platform Strategy and Development and Technical Business Development for the IBM Lotus Foundations Team. Hiep has extensive background in appliances for the Small Business space having lead up development and operations at both SonicWALL and Net Integration Technologies (acquired by IBM in 2008).
Presenters:
Julie Reed leads the IBM Lotus Foundations engineering team. She has over 25 years experience in the software industry spanning various application server environments and collaboration platforms. Julie came to IBM with the Net Integration Technologies acquisition in 2008.
Larry Menard is a Quality Assurance Team Lead for the IBM Lotus Foundations products. He began his career with IBM in 1979 and has held a wide variety of positions within the company. Prior to joining the Lotus Foundations team, Larry's most recent positions included Quality Assurance and Information Development for the IBM DB2 relational database product.
To register click the following link: http://itprotolotusfoundation.eventbrite.com/ PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR SECURITY REASONS YOU MUST REGISTER OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN.
See you there!
The IT Professionals Community of Greater Toronto
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
In my last article I described the proper way to install Windows 7 on an Intel-based Mac using Boot Camp. But aside from the complete driver set, what else does Boot Camp offer?
In the Windows Taskbar (see image) you see a lot of the applications that I have running on my PC. Most of them are easily identified – Bluetooth, Send-a-Smile, Outlook 2010, Security Essentials, Live Mesh, Windows Home Server, One Note, Skype, and Magic ISO. However the top-left corner is a black diamond that I don’t have on my other systems. That is because it is the Boot Camp application (version 3.0) which is designed to allow Windows to be installed on Apple hardware. More than just a pretty face, it offers a lot of configuration and control options to the informed.
There are four options when you click on the icon, which are:
- About Boot Camp
- Boot Camp Help
- Boot Camp Control Panel
- Restart into Mac OS X
The Control Panel consists of five tabs:
The Startup Disk tab is where we set the default OS on boot. I prefer to boot into Windows 7 by default, and if I want to boot into Mac OS X I can simply hold down the option key when I boot up.
Also in this tab is the Target Disk Mode, which allows you to connect the computer to another computer using a FireWire cable and use it as a hard disk. Cool :)
Self-explanatory, you can set the screen brightness from Dim to Bright.
For $19.99 at the Apple Store you can buy a relatively simple but high-quality remote control that connects to the computer via infrared receiver. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the remote works in Windows as well, and can be paired from this tab.
Each function key on the Mac has two functions… for example the F1 key is also the reduce brightness key. The second function is selected by first pressing the fn key and then pressing the appropriate key. These sets can be inverted by clicking the checkbox in the Keyboard tab.
There are two things about the Mac that I find maddening; the first is the lack of certain keys central to working in Windows (PgUp, Backspace, etc…). The second is the trackpad, which has no buttons at all, let alone a left- or right-button. Boot Camp makes this second issue slightly more livable… in the Trackpad tab of the Boot Camp Control Panel you can customize the functionality of the multi-touch trackpad (yes, that part is cool!) and the clicking behavior. Unless I am either in bed or on an airplane I still plug in an external mouse, but this is still better than nothing.
I want to be clear… I am a PC and I run Windows 7, even on my MacBook. However knowing how to use Boot Camp does make a good experience that much better. I do boot into OS X from time to time, but knowing the ins and outs of running Windows 7 on my Mac made my life easier!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
If you are reading this article on your Mac, this is an important article for you. Before you start though, I suggest you read my previous article outlining how I got to the point where I, the Mitch you all know and love as a PC running Windows 7, have a MacBook Pro laptop.
Now that you are back from that article, and probably took the opportunity while on my blog to read voraciously all of my articles on the benefits of Windows 7, you are probably ready to jump into Windows 7 head-first. Because of so many of the issues I encountered it is a good thing you are reading this article. Print it out and use it as a kind of ‘how to’ article so that you have an easier time of it than I did.
Before we start I should mention that there are actually three completely technologies that allow you to run Windows on a Mac: Boot Camp, Passport, and VMware Fusion. I selected Boot Camp for three reasons: It is delivered with the operating system and it is free, but more importantly to me it allows Windows to use the complete resources of the hardware, unlike the other two methods which share resources with the Mac OS.
1. Boot into Mac OS X. In the Utilities Folder (under Applications) there is an item called Boot Camp Assistant. Click there!
According to Boot Camp Assistant it will help you install Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems. Fortunately for us it will work just as well (or better!) with Windows 7, now that the proper update has been released.
2. On the next screen you are given the option to create a Windows partition on your hard drive. By default it is 32 GB, but I chose to split the drive in two so that I would have enough room.
3. Once you have created your partition you can click Start the Windows Installer in the Select Task window.
When you are asked to insert the Windows media and reboot do so, and let Windows install as normal.
4. Once Windows 7 is installed your Mac will default to booting into Windows 7. This, I found, is the natural behaviour of a dual-boot Mac. In order to boot into OS X you actually have to hold down the option key when you boot up.
5. Because Boot Camp had an update that included Windows 7 compatibility you have to download the new version from apple.com (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/application_updates/bootcampsoftwareupdate31forwindows32bit.html). However what they don’t tell you is that:
a. You have to download it in Windows rather than in OS X;
b. It is a 380 MB download; and
c. You still have to install the Boot Camp from the DVD that came with your computer before then applying this update.
6. So now you are in Windows 7. Some of your drivers work, some of them don’t. Insert the disc that came with your Mac; it will recognize that it is running under Windows (despite saying it is a Mac disk… it works J), and start installing the Boot Camp drivers and services.
7. Once this is all done you can then download and install the Windows 7 Update to Boot Camp and then apply it.
BONUS: What happens if I try to skip the original disc steps and just download and install the Boot Camp update?
I’m glad you asked. If you do that then the Windows 7 drivers for the Nvidia video card will install, and you will have a very functional system… but you will not have Boot Camp installed. If you are like the author then you might not know any better, and think that’s the way it is supposed to be until one of your friends asks you about a particular feature which you were ignorant of.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
I was so excited about the product from the minute I heard of it. In January, 2007 Kevin Beares took me into his office and showed me the three servers running a VERY early alpha (read: dogfood) build of what would eventually be called Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008. As he explained the technology I was thrilled… it was what I always hoped would become of SBS, but for mid-market.
I was quite involved in the pre-release of the product, writing courseware, presentations, and labs for both Microsoft and Microsoft Canada. I was, to many in Canada, the public technical face of the product, having presented the product in most of the major markets to partners and potential clients months before the release.
The problem was that when the product did release, there wasn’t as much excitement as everyone had hoped.
EBS was a good first generation product, a very respectable big cousin to Small Business Server, and while there was no doubt there were kinks to be worked out, those would come in the second version. This is not new.
Several months ago, when sales of EBS machines were as close to zero as statistically possible, I was asked what I felt Microsoft could have – or should have done differently. I had two simple answers, one of which was probably bad judgment, but a call that I would have made too, had it been my decision. I will not share that opinion publicly.
The second thing that went wrong with EBS was luck, or at least timing. Unfortunately they had a product that would cost the customer $20,000 minimum between hardware and software, plus likely the same amount in consulting costs, and they launched it a couple of weeks after the world economy crashed – when people were looking to cut costs. No amount of Microsoft Spin would be able to convince the majority of companies who would have benefitted from the product that they should spend the money.
I was so proud a year ago to announce that I was among the inaugural class Microsoft MVPs awarded in Essential Business Server; however you will; notice from my blog that I stopped writing about the product long ago because nobody was interested in what I had to say about it. Thirteen months after that proud day my award category was switched to Windows Desktop Experience (read: Windows 7). I hated to admit it, but I was happier to be one of 250-odd MVPs in a hugely popular technology than I was to be one of (at the time) 9 MVPs in a product with a worldwide install base of fewer than 100.
Still and all I was excited about the upcoming release of EBS vNext. It had great potential, the team listened to those of us who were telling them what was wrong with it. It looked great, and I was even trying to get one of my clients to join the Technology Assessment (TAP) Program because they could eventually have been the big EBS shop when the technology flourished. They decided not to join, and now I am glad they did.
This morning’s announcement saddened me, although it did not surprise me. Like Response Point before it, some technologies are just a hard sell, especially when there are so many alternatives.
Still and all, I want to thank all of the people who were responsible for bringing us EBS – Nick, Kevin, Chuck, Mike, and so many more. You did a great job, but your technology was killed by the times.
Read the official Microsoft statement at http://www.microsoft.com/ebs/en/us/default.aspx.
Good-bye EBS; the few of us know did know you are sorry to see you go.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
My name is Mitch, and I am a PC and I run Windows 7!
This statement will not surprise anyone who knows me. As a Microsoft MVP and trainer I have been quite vocal about Microsoft’s new client operating system, and everything I love about it.
What has utterly shocked a lot of those same people is the fact that my new laptop is not a Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, or Vaio… it’s an Apple; more specifically, it’s a 13” MacBook Pro. When I boot it up, it makes the Apple sound; the back panel of the screen lights up the familiar Apple logo. The number of people who have done a double-take by now (especially since this month I have taught Windows 7 twice and spent a week on Microsoft’s campus for the MVP Summit) probably number in the low hundreds.
‘You finally went over to the Dark Side!’
‘You’ve lost your mind!’
‘You lost a bet!’
I could keep going, but the truth is none of the above; sure, I am a Microsoft MVP, and I spend a lot of time teaching and presenting to Microsoft audiences, but the truth is I am first and foremost an IT Professional and technology enthusiast (read: geek). I am also what some call a ‘super-influencer’. However that is based not on my pretty face (thankfully!) but on my credibility. I have always felt that if I wanted to maintain that credibility as an IT Pro rather than as a Microsoft Evangelist then I had to be open to all technologies, and be able to compare them all authoritatively rather than anecdotally.
I hadn’t really done a lot of work on a Mac since before I went into the army – I was working as a software analyst for the Israeli Ministry of Education and frankly nobody else knew anything at all about the Mac in the corner, so that system became my responsibility. In those heady days of Windows 3.1, Mac OS was far superior to any GUI available on the more popular PCs. Then nearly four years ago, toward the end of the Windows Vista beta program, a friend of mine in Montreal asked me to install that OS on his new Mac Mini; I was so impressed by its performance (in a side by side comparison with my Asus Ferrari 4000 it stood up quite favorably) that I looked into it, and sure enough Apple made excellent hardware that was solid and lacked a lot of the compatibility issues you encounter when the hardware manufacturer uses components (and thus requires drivers) from different manufacturers. Anyone who has challenged me on Mac since then will attest that I love Mac hardware!
Fast forward to January, 2010.
I tried in vain for three weeks to buy a new laptop, and I won’t go into the details of that debacle. I was a bit put off by that experience, and decided to look elsewhere… when I had an idea, based mostly on the prodding and goading from a client of mine (IHYF!). After consulting with and getting approval from the finance department (read: wife) I trekked down to the Apple Store in Square One, and bought a shiny new MacBook Pro.
I want to be clear that although it was and remains my intention to use the MacBook to learn Mac OS, I am still primarily a Windows guy, and so the first thing I did when opening the box was figure out how to install Windows 7 on it. After a lot of hassles and ‘figuring things out’ I got it working and true to my earlier impressions, it is a great Windows machine… although the critics are right that the much lauded battery performance is quite diminished when running Windows, due to the fact that it was likely not Apple’s #1 priority to optimize the drivers to run Windows.
In my next article I will guide you step-by-step through the installation and configuration process, for those of you Mac users who are interested in dipping your feet into the Windows OS!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
As I sit watching Rabbi Wise’s computer upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 I am thinking about a conversation that he and I just had.
Three weeks ago he and I started discussing the benefits of Windows 7 over his currently Windows Vista, and he asked if I thought it was really worth the upgrade. My answer is probably obvious to all… of course! I explained to him my reasons. He told me he had given the computer to his normal ‘computer guy’ to perform the upgrade, and he had it returned a few days later with an explanation that the guy had tried a number of times to perform the upgrade unsuccessfully. I told him I’d give it a go.
Fast-forward to now, the actual OS is installed and the last (and likely longest) step of the upgrade (Transferring files, settings, and programs) is at 62%. Rabbi Wise asked me what I did differently from the other guy, and I told him that honestly I did not do anything special or fancy… I put in the Acer Upgrade DVD and followed the instructions. He looked at me sheepishly and said ‘maybe I should have just tried to do it myself… but I was worried I would screw something up!’ My answer? DON’T DO IT YOURSELF!
Let me be clear… Windows 7 is mind-numbingly simple to install. Upgrades, when they go right, are as simple as a point-and-shoot camera. but some people are not comfortable doing it themselves, and should ask for help… be it from the IT Guy at work, a friend with slightly better computer skills than you, a consultant, or a ‘Nerd-Herd’ type guy (I can’t bring myself to recommending one of them, even for something this simple). It might cost you a few dollars, but that money is well spent if it saves you staring at your screen for the duration of the upgrade wondering (stressing) if you are going to lose all of your data.
Ten years ago the average computer user used a computer for few tasks beyond what was required of them. Their documents were in a folder (which should still always be backed up!) which could usually fit onto a high-density floppy disk, and they didn’t venture out beyond their comfort zone. That has changed; most computer users today have done some degree of customization to their system, downloaded apps and plug-ins, store their music, photos, e-mail, contacts, and much more in their systems. Losing all of this could be – if not disastrous, then certainly painful.
The process of upgrading an operating system may look simple on the surface, but the reality is it is a very complicated series of steps that replaces tens of thousands of files and then must make sure that all of your apps are going to work. Imagine a painting… if I see a painting in a museum I can certainly copy it (well, not me… but someone with a modicum of artistic ability!) pretty easily. However if that painting was on paper and you wanted to lift every drop of paint and reassemble the exact paint onto canvas… that would be tough… easier to just copy it, right? That is why I generally take the jump between OS versions as an opportunity to install fresh (after migrating data using either the User State Migration Tool or the Windows Easy Transfer tool to backup and restore the profile!).
I have on too many occasions changed a tire on my car. It is not something I am comfortable doing, but owing to the simplicity of the task and my mechanical aptitude I am reasonably sure that I can do it successfully. Changing the oil in my car is probably as simple a task… but is something I generally let someone else do because I am simply not comfortable doing it. Adding gasoline or windshield washer fluid? Sure; adding radiator fluid or brake fluid? Call a Pro. That is not to say that I couldn’t do it if I wanted to try, but because it is outside of my comfort zone and sounds pretty important, I let someone else do it. That is why I don’t get upset when family and (a select group of) friends ask me for help with what I perceive to be easy tasks on the computer. Sure they are easy for me, but they probably stress those people out and besides, most of them are grateful enough to at least buy me dinner (lunch? a cup of coffee?) for my troubles.
Microsoft has made the OS so simple to use with Windows 7 that it is easy to forget that what you are looking at is really some 70,000 files working together to make it LOOK simple. If you (or someone you know) are (is) intimidated by seemingly easy tasks don’t be shy… ask for help!
I love Microsoft Office 2010. It’s not that I was not a big fan of the current Office 2007, but I feel that Microsoft has done its job – found ways to improve the new model.
My current ‘favorite’ improvement is with Microsoft Office Outlook. It solves a problem that has caused me inconvenience for years, and although I admit it is likely an issue only for a small minority of users, as one of those users I am glad to see it resolved in v.Next.
In the beginning most computer users had a single e-mail account; the world began to evolve, and soon people would begin having two – one for work and one for personal use. If they were smart they would keep these two account separate, storing messages from each separately. Of course since likely a vast majority of users’ personal accounts were with on-line services such as Hotmail, this was not a problem. For the rest of us, it might have taken a while to find the right path; I remember very foolishly pulling e-mail from both business and personal accounts on the same machine.
When Exchange Server became the prevalent mail server system many of us were introduced to push-type accounts; no longer was it up to the mail client to actively attempt to download mail from the server on a set schedule (as often as every five minutes), rather the mail server and the mail client (at least if you were using Outlook connected to an Exchange Server) would maintain a secure connection, and as soon as mail was received on the server it would immediately be pushed to the client. (This connection method would eventually be vastly improved with the advent of RPC over HTTPS, which allowed the mail client to maintain that connection even when it was not directly connected to the same network as the server)
The only problem some of us had with this system was that some of us maintained accounts on multiple Exchange Servers. The solution was to maintain multiple Outlook Profiles, which could then be configured to the different servers. Although this did indeed resolve the issue, it had its drawbacks – in order to check one Profile you would have to exit from all others. There were ways around this of course; configuring a single Profile connected to one Exchange Server, and then pulling e-mail from other accounts using either IMAP or POP3 was one, but that had the drawback of ‘mixing mail.’ It also did not allow one to leverage the other features of an Exchange Profile, such as Calendars, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes. Another solution would be to connect one account using Outlook Web Access which has gotten better over the versions, but had its own disadvantages as well (you need a persistent connection, for example).
Enter Office Outlook 2010.
I suppose the number of people who have a need to connect to multiple Exchange Servers has increased because beginning with the Technical Preview of Office 2010 we can now connect a single Outlook Profile to multiple Exchange Servers. Don’t worry, you do not lose the ability to create multiple profiles, you are just given a new way of doing business. Here’s how:
Firstly make sure Outlook 2010 is not running. Although the screens are available within Outlook, it will block you from adding an Exchange Server.
1) Within the Windows Control Panel open the Mail option.
2) In the Mail Setup – Outlook window click E-mail Accounts. You should see your already configured Exchange account listed.
3) Click New…
At this point you will be asked to configure your mail account. Do so as if you were configuring it as your first. Once you are done you will see both accounts listed.
You can now open Outlook normally. What you will see in your Navigation Pan is two completely separate – and segregated – Exchange accounts. While you can copy and move information between the two, there is no ‘blind intermingling’ of information between the two; so if you have multiple Exchange Servers configured for different organizations, each organization’s data integrity is ensured.
For contract workers connected to multiple organizations there are a lot of benefits, not the least of which has to do with scheduling. When clicking on the Calendar view in Office I will now see my calendars side by side or, if I choose, I can superimpose one onto the other, so I can see my overall availability, as well as what I have to do for each organization on a given day or week. This functionality is very similar to how Outlook handles Shared Calendars for teams.
Earlier this week my team got an e-mail from from the coordinator of one of the companies that I work with, essentially chastising us for communicating with our clients using alternate e-mail accounts; I understand that their clients are their clients, and they want to be able to manage those communications. Again, if I had to close my main Outlook Profile in order to open my contractor Outlook Profile it would be difficult to maintain fluid communications. By configuring Outlook with multiple Exchange Servers I no longer have that issue. When initiating an e-mail conversation I am given the option of selecting which account I want to send from. When responding to their e-mail it will automatically select the proper account to reply from, although (as shown) I could just as easily change the account with the new account selector in the e-mail window. (This feature was previously available if you had multiple e-mail accounts configured using POP3 or IMAP)
Overall I think this is a huge improvement for the consultant, and allows us to work smarter, not harder.
During the current period of redesign and reconstruction of the IT Pro Toronto Website and Servers all of my articles and product reviews that would normally be posted to the on-line eZine at www.itprotoronto.ca/Zine will be posted directly to my blog. When the site is back up (hopefully the beginning of May) these articles will be republished to their proper location.
Thank you for understanding and please continue to enjoy my blog… and don’t forget to come out to the IT Pro Toronto monthly events the first Tuesday of every month, at the University of Toronto Health Sciences Building – 155 College Street! Space is limited so be sure to register and come early for a good seat and the freshest pizza!
Mitch Garvis
President Emeritus,
IT Professionals Community of Greater Toronto
Region 13 Advisor (Chair), Association of PC User Groups
When Microsoft announced the Server Core functionality of Windows Server 2008 a lot of people got very excited. Server Core is essentially the functionality of a server OS without any of the bloat of either a regular server or workstation OS. There is no graphical user interface (GUI) and it requires much fewer resources than the full installation. You are limited to what roles you can install, but Server Core is perfect for any of the following:
- Active Directory (AD)
- AD Lightweight Directory Services (LDS)
- Hyper-v (virtualization parent)
- DHCP Server
- DNS Server
- File Server
- Media Services
- Print Server
Of course most of these roles would be best administered using their appropriate MMC (Microsoft Management Console) consoles, but for actually running the services Server Core might be your best bet.
In this article I am going to outline six commands that I feel are required knowledge for anyone starting out with Server Core. In later articles I will discuss enabling and managing roles, but today I will cover the following:
- Changing your server name
- Changing your IP address (including Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Server)
- Setting a password
- Joining a domain
- Activating Windows
- Enabling Automatic Updates
When you boot into Server Core (after providing credentials) you are given a Command Prompt… and that’s all. There is no Start menu, no desktop shortcuts; the only indication that you are not in an old MS-DOS system is that the Command Prompt is itself in a window. As such a lot of people do not seem to know where to start; here are a few tips to set you on your way:
1) Change your computer’s name to something manageable. Unlike any other edition of Windows when you first start out the name is assigned automatically, without a choice. It will be something like WIN-CE4SRY8Q. Most admins like their server names to mean something to them, but more importantly there are a few commands where you have to type in the system name in a command line… so change it, for our purposes to Core1:
netdom renamecomputer WIN-CE4SRY8Q /NewName:Core1
Of course after renaming your system you have to reboot, so:
shutdown /r /t 0
Note: The /r switch means you are restarting; the /t 0 cuts the time delay to 0 seconds (otherwise you would have to wait a minute before the reboot).
2) Change your IP settings. If you are satisfied with the default settings (like any version of Windows it will try to obtain an address from a DHCP Server) then you can skip this step. Use the ipconfig command as you would normally to verify these settings. To change them:
netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces.
This will show the relevant information about all Network Interface Cards (NICs). For our purposes the NIC will be called Local Area Connection and have an index of 1.
netsh interface ipv4 set address name="Local Area Connection" source=static address=172.16.0.15 mask=255.255.0.0 gateway=172.16.0.1
This assumes a Class B network where the gateway is at 172.16.0.1. Make sure you know your environment before assigning the wrong information or worse, addresses that are already assigned.
netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name="Local Area Connection" address=172.16.0.10 index=1
Here our primary DNS server is at 172.16.0.10. At this point you should be able to ping other systems on the network by IP address, Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), or NetBIOS name. If you cannot then verify your settings and connections and then try again.
3) Set the password. Of course this should be done according to your corporate policy but make sure you do not forget:
net user administrator *
You will be prompted to enter and re-enter a new password.
4) Join a Domain. Depending on your needs this may not be necessary, but if you must:
netdom join Core1 /domain:swmi.ca /userd:Administrator /passwordd:*
Note that the switch /passwordd has two Ds at the end; this is not a typo, and corresponds to the /userd. We use the asterix for the password because otherwise it is in clear text, and anyone looking over our shoulder could see our password. However if you are alone in a secure room with no hidden cameras you could simply type /passwordd:P@ssw0rd.
5) Activate Windows Server. Remember that your Server Core installation is a full license of Windows Server, and as such must be activated. Once you have an Internet connection:
slmgr.vbs –ato
A successful activation will not return any message following this command, and you will be returned to the prompt.
6) Enable automatic updates. Although Server Core has a much smaller footprint than a full install, patch management is still important. To enable automatic updates:
cscript c:\windows\system32\scregedit.wsf /au 4
The book that is essentially my bible for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server® 2008 Administrator’s Companion by Charlie Russel and Sharon Crawford, goes into more detail about all of these commands and more. Trust me, it is worth the investment!
There are a couple of interesting slogans I have heard used to refer to Server Core… my favourites are Windows without Windows or, playing on the ad campaign for Windows Vista, The Wow Stops Now. Any way you look at it, the flashiest aspect of Server Core is the lack of flash; it is what admins have been looking for, the ultimate bloatware-free server. Try it out and see what it can do for you!
It seems that Apple is having issues selling phones to New York City, or rather AT&T is not selling their iPhones to New York City on-line (you can still purchase them at brick-and-mortar stores). This article (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/for-new-yorkers-trouble-buying-an-iphone-on-atts-site/) explores a little bit, but the following is a response from AAA in Central Pennsylvania. It sounds like he might either work for AT&T, or else have a similar relationship to them as I do with Microsoft. I am only editing his text for spacing and spelling. I should mention that I am a customer of AT&T and have never had an issue with their network (in New York City or elsewhere), but am not an intensive data user – I usually just pull my e-mail, not videos. -M
I am a partner in a very mobile (as it we go to a variety of job sites each year) specialty systems integration business, and in a year, we all travel to many points within the "lower 48"
Cell phone based technology is our life line, and very often in setting up a site, the land line data lines are not yet in place, let alone the land line telephone lines for our client, so very often we use cell phone based devices to get the projects started.
What we have found from experience is that, like last week's, NYT article spelled out, ATT has a better network. Especially for our business cell phone account, and yes, there are provisioning (provisioning affects how a cell phone device interacts with the cell tower network) differences between residential / consumer / individual cell accounts and business cell accounts.
Now I will point out, that there are some dead spots, in places like when using laptops when riding the DC Metro, or in a back seat of a car in the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, or the NYC Lincoln Tunnel, or when on the NYC MTA, on the Elevated Sections in NYC or even on Amtrak (Boston to DC and Philadelphia to Harrisburg) where ATT does not always seem to work instantly, but that is a transitory event.
Within seconds the problem clears, ether by moving slightly, or waiting until the cell device grabs a new tower. Only in rural New Hampshire do we sometimes have a problem, and that is fixed by leaning on the roof of a parked car and resting the cell phone so the lower edge just touches the roof (greatly increases reception as the "ground plane" of he cell phone internal antenna is improved).
Though I will note, that nearly all cell phone based devices allow for the connection of an external antenna to improve reception and range.
Even in places like when crossing the Woodrow WiIson Bridge, south of DC, where you start out in Maryland, touch the DC and then end up in Virginia, all within less than a mile, ATT keeps the connection.
In terms of equipment, we use iPhones, Motorola Razors, HTC Advantages (paper back book sized cell phone with a 5 inch screen) and all manner of SIM card capable professional equipment (sourced from a variety of eBay based cell equipment vendors) that allows us to connect up regular telephone equipment on one side that, with the magic of the ATT SIM card installed in the device socket, is a cell phone on the other.
Thus we can carry our regular, (plug into the local phone line) credit card machine, fax machine, and even a back up hard wired telephone gear with us at all times, and can easily connect to ATT anywhere we do a project within the lower 48.
We have had the account since cell phones appeared in the 1980's and if there is anything to add, is that both ATT and Verizon started out poorly. But is has been ATT who has improved the most, and especially when ATT dropped analog cell technology.
Add to that improvement in coverage, even in odd ball Texas locations where the cows out number the people, the fact that the ATT technology of the SIM card allows for all manner of extra telephone / communication equipment to become a cell phone device.
The value of which is not to be underestimated, when coupled with the ATT signal. It is something that Verizon and its technology will not allow, so that means only with ATT technology can you put your 87 year old parent on the family cell account, and yet give them the desk telephone , so they don't have to fuss with a cell phone. (Secret is the box that accepts the ATT SIM card and connects to that old style phone.)
Or how on eBay we picked up unlocked European market netbooks that accepted ATT SIM cards so our entire staff has an instantly connected netbooks. No dongles, no USB plug ins, just turn on and go. Again only with ATT type technology, and certainly not Verizon with CDMA.
So, if your experience is only one tiny little iPhone, and you are not willing to walk down the hall or go to a window, I pity you, as, there are always going to be dead spots with any cell phone, and all you have to do is move.
If you still have a problem, call the carrier and check to see how your account is provisioned, and be prepared to get a business account and pay for it.
Like the days of hard wired phones, certain classes of service get the queue ahead of others which is why business cell accounts, always seem to have better service.
You get what you pay for.
At TechEd NorAm 2009 in Los Angeles the Community Corner had an XBox 360 setup to play Guitar Hero… Some buddies and I played a couple of songs. Watch them now!
(I seem to recall we also did Hotel California with me on vocals… be glad that video appears to be lost forever!)
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
In June of 2009 I wrote an article about a feature of Windows 7 that I loved… but couldn’t at the time confirm would actually make it into the final release of Windows 7. In fact I was unable to find any documentation on it at all, which led me to believe, late one night, that I might have violated a non-disclosure agreement. The article was called Smartphones and Windows 7 – VERY Smart!
Fortunately the feature made it through, and here is how I set it up and access it.
- Make sure your phone is properly paired to your computer.
- Double-click on the Bluetooth icon in the Windows Notification Area.
- Double-click on your Bluetooth Device (Alternately right-click on your device and click Control)
- The Bluetooth Phone Operations and Settings window for your device will appear.
- Under Phone Operations click the Connect button next to the line ‘Use this computer as a headset or speakerphone for calls on your phone (Model Number).
- On the phone you will have to accept the connection attempt.
Once I did all of that my phone rang… complete coincidence of course, but the timing was great. I put on my headset (Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000) and answered the phone… the call came through over the headset.
I know that on the previous post the screen shot showed that I could enter a phone number to dial, hang up, and so on. I suspect this functionality will differ by phone model; I still have my old phone configured and the screen shot is slightly different; having said that the dial-from-computer functionality never worked on the old one – always said ‘not supported by this phone'.
Give this a shot… it is much easier to make calls without having to hold the phone to your ear for hours!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
I couldn’t believe it. There is actually a contest to write haiku about Windows Server 2008 R2. I used to write poetry, so I gave it a shot. Here are MY entries, based on the two technologies that I use most often:
Virtualize All / Hyper-V is the true path / Green are your servers
Server Core Simple / Command Line saves resources / Your footprint stays low
Think you can do better? Give it a shot at www.r2haiku.com!
M
My files are bulletproof… or at least I think/hope/pray that they are. I have a 60GB file on my laptop that stores my documents (and another 10GB of pictures). For security reasons the partition on which those directories sit is encrypted with BitLocker, so if I lose my laptop my files are safe. Every night my laptop is configured to back up these files (along with the entire laptop) to my Windows Home Server… so as long as I am home I am protected.
Over time I thought of a number of ‘doomsday scenarios’ that worried me, that would leave me somewhat unprotected:
- What if there was a fire in my home, and both my laptop and my Windows Home server were destroyed?
- What if I was on the road and my laptop was stolen (or corrupted) and I needed access to my files quickly?
Now let me be clear, I use my Live SkyDrive all the time… and Live Mesh for other things. However when i started asking around I learned about a couple of tools that would install on my laptop, backup the files (directories, drives, etc…) that I selected, and then continue to do this automatically on a set schedule. I liked the idea. Their term for this is ‘Cloud Storage’.
I met Jan Spring at a number of events over the last couple of years, and because her company had a good community focus (they sponsored a meeting of user group leaders from around the world recently) I decided to give their product – eFolder – a try. They were more than happy to accommodate me with a trial license (which, I confess, took me ten weeks to getting around to trying).
Once I was registered I received an e-mail from the company with my account number, username, and password. I had to go on-line to change my password right away, because they want to be clear – once you are using their solution only you can use it to either back up or retrieve your files.
The next step was to download their tool – eFolder Backup Manager installed on my Windows 7 x64 laptop without any hassles or arguments. Its install base is just shy of 40MB, not at all intrusive. More importantly to me is that its Windows Process takes nearly zero CPU cycles and less than 6MB of RAM while running, so it does not affect my performance and I can continue to work normally.
I had to configure my account – Remote Server name is provided, and I have the option of backing up to a local server or local disk as well. I had to enter my account credentials, and once that was done I had to create a Pass Phrase that would be my encryption key. It tells you how secure the key is, which is based on the length rather than complexity.
By default it was set to back up my user profile, but as I store my document and picture libraries in non-standard locations I was easily able to add those locations in the Options tab. <a recommendation to them and anyone developing software: update your default locations to interact with Windows 7 libraries, and not only the default file locations>
I set my schedule, keeping in mind that I did not want the ‘Cloud Backup’ to interfere or clash with my Windows Home Server backup. I clicked ‘Backup Now’ to run my initial backup. Of course that takes a long time (and is dependent on how much data compared to how fast your Internet pipe is), but once the initial backup is done it searches for the deltas… in other words it backs up what has changed since the last backup was run.
One of the key features that separates eFolder from many other on-line solutions, and one that will appeal to many of its customers, is their partnership with a Canadian datacentre (in Calgary). The reason this is so critical is because US law states that the Federal Government can, if it perceives a possible threat, legally gain access to any data stored on US soil. If you are worried about this then storing the data in Canada ensures that this cannot happen. I want to be clear that you have to agree during configuration that you will not use their service to break the law, and because I am a law abiding citizen who is not terribly afraid of the government I do not worry about these things. If you are concerned, make sure you tell them you want your data stored in Canada when you register.
A great feature for consultants or resellers to consider is that their partner program will allow you to rebrand their service as your own and resell it. I am not going to play with that, but it can be a real value add for your clients!
Once the backup has completed you can (from within the eFolder Backup Manager) click on Manage Account. This will direct you to their secure on-line portal where you can access their partner center, view a log of your remote backups and disk usage, and see a summary of your account. It tells you when your last successful backup was, and when your service expires. As well it tells you what your disk usage quota is so you do not run out of space inadvertently, or go over. There is also a cool search feature which allows you to search for specific files (or files with specific criteria) in your backup.
To try it out for yourself check them out at http://www.efolder.net/.
In her recent article ‘Windows 7: Seven points of imperfection’ (posted on IT World Canada, and written for PC World US) Jacqueline Emigh calls out seven deficiencies in Microsoft’s new client operating system. While I understand that columnists have to find a hook to please their editors, I am beginning to find it boring with how far some people are reaching.
The hook here of course is the very common theme of Se7en. I’m sure that if pressed I could write an article outlining seventy-seven things I like about Windows, as easily as I could write an article on seven things I dislike about any version of any operating system on the market. In this article, a rebuttal but certainly not an official one, simply based on my impressions because remember… Windows 7 was my idea!
#1: Windows doesn’t include certain earlier components.
A theme we will probably return to a few times herein, you simply can’t please everyone. One of the biggest complaints against Windows Vista was its footprint… too big. Ms. Emigh acknowledges that all of the components that she called out can be downloaded for free anyways, but if you do install Windows 7 and are used to them being there you may be mystified as to where to find them.
Most of the removed components – including the three mentioned in the article (Messenger, Mail, and Movie Maker) are now Windows Live components, and because of that there are two important benefits. Firstly the same components can be leveraged by users running legacy operating systems, and secondly improvements can be made to the programs – more than simple patches but actual version changes – outside of the band of the OS.
#2: Windows 7 lacks support for older printers and other external devices
Microsoft does not write hardware drivers. if you have a six year old Canon printer that does not have a Windows 7 driver then you should be complaining to Canon. However in any case that I have come across if there was a Windows Vista driver it will work on Windows 7. She also claims that the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit can be more of an issue, but again as long as your hardware provider has a 64-bit driver available you shouldn’t have a problem.
#3: Windows 7 forces you to learn a new UI
I drive a Camry. Last week I rented an Impala, and the week before I rented a Prius. I had to figure out the slightly different controls in each, so I spent three minutes feeling around, figuring out the lights, windshield washers, and radios of each; then I was fine. From Windows Vista to Windows 7 that is precisely how different the UI is; for users who skipped Vista then it may be a little longer… 10 minutes max. I say this because if this is among the biggest complaints that detractors have against Windows 7 then people who are not actively looking for faults should be very pleased!
#4: Windows 7 isn’t impervious to viruses
For ten years I have been telling people that I can build a building that is perfectly secure and impenetrable; all I need are four walls, a roof and a floor of 10-inch steel welded together and I am done. The problem is it is equally secure against those who need access as those who don’t. WIndows 7 is extremely secure, but it is also extremely useable.
A few years ago there was discussion of including anti-virus software in the OS; that was quickly followed by discussions of decimating an eleven billion dollar per year industry. However Microsoft has made available extremely good anti-malware solutions for both home users and corporations, in Microsoft Security Essentials and Forefront Client Security. Either of these – or a healthy dose of common sense – are enough to protect your Windows 7 from harm.
It should be noted that no operating system ever made was impervious to malware; it was simply a matter of the right hacker taking the time to write it.
#5: Installation of Windows 7 can be a real bear, especially in upgrades from XP
Firstly I should mention that Microsoft announced up front that there would be no upgrades from Windows XP to Windows 7; so of course upgrading would be tough. While I feel for the users who skipped Windows 7 only to find they are having problems upgrading I would like to remind them that Windows XP was released in October, 2001… and the fact that there is a way to perform the upgrade, even through workarounds, is a testament to the fact that Microsoft does care about all of its clients.
That being said, my experience with upgrading (which includes both my own and those of hundreds of clients, students, and readers) have not been that bad. The ‘endless reboot cycles’ that she mentions have not materialized for me or for anyone I have spoken to. As for some users being disappointed that they cannot upgrade from XP, there is a simple solution – upgrade your Windows XP system to Windows Vista, and then immediately upgrade your Windows Vista to Windows 7.
No matter whether you are wiping and starting fresh or trying any sort of upgrade it is a good point to mention you should perform your backup first. If you want the cleanest experience, the Windows Easy Transfer tool that is available on the Windows 7 DVD will backup your entire profile to disk, which allows you to wipe your disk clean and start with a truly clean environment.
#6: Windows 7 pricing is both too high and too complex
<There are two issues here, and I will address them individually>
<1>
Quote: ‘With family and business budgets pinched right now, why is Microsoft charging anywhere from about $100 to $300 for an upgrade disk for Windows 7, depending on the version?’
<For the record: Windows 7 Ultimate (Full Package Product) retails for $219.99>
I will now change a couple of words in this sentence to demonstrate my point:
With family and business budgets pinched right now, why is Toyota charging anywhere from about $10,00 to $30,000 to upgrade to a 2010 Camry, depending on the version?
Microsoft is in the business of selling software. Giving you new versions for free would hurt their business model, but it would also give them less incentive to make as good a product as they have. In reply to Mac OS costing less, may I remind you that this is after you have spent thousands of dollars on their hardware plus the OS, which is based on open source.
If people are upset that Microsoft offers cost benefits to people who beta test their software I invite them to spend the year before a product is released testing and troubleshooting and yes, finding bugs; it is not a fun experience, especially since once you find them you have to fill out paperwork on the bugs so they can be documented, tracked, and resolved.
As for Microsoft not advertising that OEM (original equipment manufacturer) software costs less than FPP (full-package product) it is simple; the cost savings for the license are definitely there, but for the privilege you have to purchase new hardware. If you know of anyone who went out last week and bought a brand new HP laptop but had them remove the OS license, then purchased the FPP license of Windows then that person wasted their money. OEM software is less expensive than FPP because Microsoft offloads the support requirements to the OEM; if my HP laptop with a Windows OEM license has a problem then I have to call HP, who are glad to help me with it. If I purchase FPP then I have to call Microsoft.
<2>
I agree that there are a few different editions of Windows 7. There were by the way six SKUs of Windows Vista, six of Windows XP. Depending on what your needs are you should purchase the right one; for example a home user who wants to use Media Center but would never need to join a domain would purchase Windows Home Premium Edition
I would posit that Microsoft has actually simplified their editions in Windows 7. In Windows Vista each edition had some features but not others; in Windows 7 the editions are cumulative – so Windows 7 Business will include all of the features of Windows Home Premium, and will not include any features that are excluded from Windows 7 Ultimate Edition.
If customers are too confused to decide what version they need, there are a number of simple questions that should help them decide:
1. Are you a home user or a business user?
<home: Home Basic or Home Premium>
<home 2>. Do you want the advanced graphics and media player?
<yes: Home Premium, no: Home Basic>
<business 2>. Do you have (or would you like) a volume license agreement with Microsoft? Do you need security features such as BitLocker, or multiple language packs?
<yes: Enterprise, no: Business Edition>
3. Do you want to have every feature of every edition, bar none?
<Windows 7 Ultimate Edition>
So if you ask ‘why don’t they simplify it so that there is only one edition?’ the simple answer is they are not asking people to pay for the features they do not need. My mother does not need to join a domain, run XP Mode, and protect her files using BitLocker to Go. She needs a plain and simple OS, which is what she paid for.
#7: Customer support for Windows 7 is too scanty
Microsoft released their much anticipated new OS on October 22, 2009. I am sure that in the days and weeks that followed their support calls were overloaded. Fortunately for many Microsoft does have a plethora of forums, newsgroups, and white papers that will guide customers through most problems they might encounter. Remember the complaint about beta testers getting rebates? Many of us wrote a lot of those papers, and still more of us man the forums and newsgroups to help out. Most companies not only don’t offer the same level of on-line support for their clients, but also do not have nearly the same ‘Influencer’ base that can offer that level of support on the day that a new product is released. People were asking questions, and we were answering them. Did every question get answered within an hour? No. Did most questions get answered in a reasonable delay? I think so.
‘In early sales, Windows 7 has been beating Vista by a wide margin. But does the company have enough customer support in place to handle the load?’
One of the problems that Ms. Emigh points to is that Microsoft does not have enough employees answering forum posts. This may be true, but if you include all of the influencers, the community members who answered so many of those questions, then the number of people working on this was truly staggering. Yes, it is true that there is no mechanism in the forums and newsgroups to make sure that questions did not fall through the cracks, but to say that the support was scanty is folly.
‘Still, when a user is facing a critical system error, just about nothing in the customer support realm beats the immediacy of a phone call.’
This is a true statement,… and there are premium support calls available through PSS to address issues that cannot wait; however immediacy does not always mean urgency, and more often than not it is worth the end user’s while to wait a few hours rather than paying for a support call.
---
I am the first to admit that Windows 7 is not perfect. Okay, that may not be true, since Jacqueline Emigh beat me to it. However if someone is going to write an article panning it I would suggest that they spend a little more time researching, rather than come up with such reaching real imperfections, and not issues that fall squarely on hardware manufacturers or upgrading an eight year old OS. Even someone like myself, who is on most products quite loyal to Microsoft, and tend to air my grievances directly to the product team and not in public, can come up with seven legitimate problems if I looked hard enough… which is indeed what she seems to be doing.
This article came over my RSS feed from Global Knowledge; it is an article from January by David Davis which outlines 10 things you shouldn’t do with your Cisco router. If you were to turn it upside down, it is a really good reminder of ten tips you should always follow with your Cisco router… and with most any computer system!
http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/generic.asp?pageid=2308&country=United+States
<Originally posted October, 2006> Earlier today someone referenced this article from my old blog which will, eventually, be migrated over to my new blog. However in the meantime I am reposting it. To be frank the perfect record no longer stands true. –MDG
Don’t Mess With Juju: Even if you are not superstitious it cannot hurt to appease the particular forces of nature!
I do not consider myself to be a superstitious person. I have never worried about breaking mirrors and I remember as a kid intentionally stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. I do not have a lucky number but if I did I would give serious thought to making it thirteen. I do not think I have ever thrown salt over my left shoulder (or right one for that matter) and though I am not a particular fan of cats (allergies) I think the black ones are the sleekest and would gladly let one cross my path.
That being said, there are two routines that I follow religiously when it comes to sitting for certification exams. I do not I will not I cannot change these, and am convinced that if I do I will fail. They are both so hard-wired into my brain that people look at me as if I am nuts.
Firstly, I will not wear a Microsoft shirt the day I am scheduled to sit for an exam. If you have ever met me (at least in the last year) chances are I was wearing a Microsoft shirt; whether it be just Microsoft-branded or a Microsoft Certified Something shirt, I have more of them than most Microsoft employees. I made a business decision that it was a good image as a consultant, so during the week I am almost always wearing logo-ware. Frankly it happens without thinking about it that I wear them on the week-end too; I have a number of clients who are that because they saw me wearing a shirt on the golf course and started talking to me. However if I know I am taking an exam on a given day I will intentionally put on a shirt from the other drawer or side of the closet. I have just always felt that it is tempting fate to flaunt my standing in the community.
The second thing I do is I always have a new package of Jolly Rancher hard candies on the desk. This may sound less weird than eccentric, until I mention that I usually do not even open the package. It is not to eat, but they have to be there. THAT makes it weird. I know it, I accept it, and frankly I do not make any bones about it. It can be argued that I am anal on this matter. An objective observer might think I suffer from OCD. I do not mind, but the bottom line is that I have never passed an exam where I did not have them, and I have never failed an exam where I did.
We all have our routines or patterns we must follow for certain things, and I have learned that these routines are not necessarily transferrable. I recently taught a course in Small Business Server and told the class about my JRs. One of my students met me at my favorite café some weeks later with a long face. He put a package of Jolly Ranchers on the table and said ‘They didn’t help, I still failed.’ I guess the company that makes the candies lost a huge market segment that day with that realization.
In June I was scheduled to take an exam at a strange testing centre. I was not running early by any means but I did show up about 20 minutes before I the scheduled time. I was about to get out of my car when, to my horror, I realized that I had forgotten to stop for Jolly Ranchers. My regular test centre has a convenience store downstairs so I am always good but this centre was new to me, and there was no store in sight. I got back into my car and must have stopped at seven stores, gas stations, whatnot before I found one place that had them. Free retake or not this was an upgrade exam and I was not ready to tempt fate – literally spit in the face of Juju – by changing my routine. I showed up late for the first time in my certification life but I did not care – I had my JRs, and all was right in the world. (To remind me not to tempt fate again Juju did not let me score too well, but well enough to pass.)
Today I sat for an exam that I had very little doubt I would ace. I later joked that my pet fish could have scored a 700 on this exam, and he died on Friday. It did not matter, whatever exam I was writing I am now convinced in the deepest reaches of my being that I need my Juju, so before going up one floor to the testing centre I first went into the basement where the lovely Korean woman knows that when she sees me I am taking an exam. Am I crazy? You can make your own decision about that; the truth is for the USD$125 that each exam costs I do not mind spending the extra $1.25 that the Ranchers cost me if I really believe they help me.
Who knows? Maybe I am out of my mind. Maybe I was just ill-prepared for the few exams I failed. Maybe Juju or Fate or superstition has nothing to do with it. My friend Steph says that it was her undying faith in my intelligence that helped me ace this exam. She says that her faith in me is so strong that it alone will push me over the line from failure into pass if need be… but faith or not she knows that tomorrow when I sit for my exam I will be wearing a golf shirt with no logo, and I will have a brand new pack of Jolly Ranchers on the desk next to me – it has to be a fresh pack because the Juju is drained from the pack to power the exam. Frankly she would probably be disappointed if I didn’t, even if she still takes credit for it.
Of course I go into each exam with the knowledge and belief that the combination of my studying, reviewing, and real world experience are sufficient to pass the exam, but it does not hurt to appease the unknown (and obviously quite particular if peculiar) forces that surround us. I suppose in the end it is not a question of Jolly Ranchers and logos but it is for me. Maybe for you it will be a breakfast of Corn Flakes with whipped cream and a particular pair of running shoes. If you are lucky you do not need anything but if you feel you do – if you think you might just might need that extra something to make it work, then do not feel embarrassed and do not neglect it. After all, even the best of us need all the Juju we can get!
The week Windows 7 released Microsoft was slated to sponsor a portion of the Fox TV animated(and rather colourful) show Family Guy. At the last minute they pulled the plug because someone realized that the show did not quite … well frankly it is crude and tasteless. Nonetheless the original clip has made it to YouTube, and here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/user/WindowsVideos
Of course although the sentence is true, I still think my Launch Party video (put together by Sean ‘Energized Funny Guy’ Kearney) is still a better video!
I can hardly believe it has been nearly a year since I sat down to speak with Stephen Ibaraki. Stephen is a very well respected professional, a past-president of the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), Advisor to Chair of Culminis (now GITCA), and a 44-year-veteran of the technology field. Aside from all of that I am proud to call him a friend.
With all of that when Stephen asked me to sit down with him and talk about the industry I gladly got out of bed early in the morning last December to account for the time zones, and spent a good deal of time talking with him. Here is the transcript and podcast:
http://stephenibaraki.com/interviews_general/v19/mitch_garvis_podcast_nb.html
There are two schools of thought when it comes to physical memory over-commitment between virtual machines.
The first school of thought is that it is a great way for virtual machines to leverage more memory than the host server actually has. the memory resources available to the Guest OS machines exceed the available resources of the host. So:
| Host Server | 64 GB RAM |
| 10x VMs | 2GB Reservation, 8GB Limit |
| Memory reserved for powered-on VMs: | 16GB RAM |
| Memory available to each guest OS: | 80GB RAM |
Obviously our virtual machines cannot access what is not there, but most machines do not use all available resources at any given time; so each VM has 2GB permanently (as long as they are powered-on), and there are 44GB left for the VMs to ‘share’. This is called resource over-commitment, and is enabled by what VMware calls their balloon driver which, I must admit, is pretty cool. Because our guest operating systems would crash if the actual available memory constantly changed, a swap file is created on the data store that is equal to the total available memory minus the memory reservation, and when the VM does not have the physical memory available the swap file stands in its place for all or any part of the memory requirements.
(I should mention that I have severely oversimplified this scenario for the sake of simplicity. I am not including factors such as host resource requirements, priorities, and more; they are irrelevant to the point of the article.)
The second school of thought is that memory over-commitment (which obviously implies physical memory being shared or ‘traded’ between virtual machines) is a great and blaring security hole. For this reason Microsoft’s Hyper-V (including the original and the 2008 R2) do not support over-commitment. So:
| Host Server | 64 GB RAM |
| 10x VMs | Maximum 6.4 GB RAM each |
In Hyper-V all allocated memory is protected from the others by virtual buses.
In VMware many workloads present opportunities for sharing memory across virtual machines. For example, several virtual machines may be running instances of the same guest OS, have the same applications or components loaded, or contain common data.
According to one Microsoft virtualization security expert, Microsoft’s position is that by sharing resources there is a potential that hackers could inject code into a driver or common application that would be used by multiple VMs, thus passing the malicious code from the [initially infected] virtual machine into others.
The expert goes on to say that this is all theoretical to this point, because to date there have been no known instances of hackers exploiting this hole in the wild.
The next layer to this issue is that there are applications that allow you to patch VMware guest machines ‘on the fly’ in memory. In other words a hacker who breaches the initial security now has a tool to inject malicious code into running VMs.
I have always said that the level of security of any system should take into account all reasonable threats, with a strong consideration for what the security system is protecting. In other words while both need a firewall, the solution I implement for my mother’s laptop will look nothing like the solution I implement for an enterprise client with sensitive data.
I think that both Microsoft’s Hyper-V and VMware’s Virtual Infrastructure are excellent virtualization solutions. While you can’t beat the price of Hyper-V, I would never tell a client that they should not implement an ESX 4.0 Server because of a hypothetical potential security flaw inherent in over-committing resources.
I will continue to keep my eyes open for this exploit. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that ‘if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door*;’ I do not believe that, and if one were to look at IT security as a baseline the phrase would be ‘Build a better mouse trap, and the world will make a better mouse.’ One of the unfortunate results of improvements in systems security over the years has been how much smarter hackers have become, and I suspect it is only a matter of time before this vulnerability is exploited.
ADDITION
Although memory over-commitment is a great way of maximizing and even extending past your actual available resources, it should be mentioned that even VMware does not recommend that it be used in a production environment. According to a document on their website entitled ‘Performance Tuning Best Practices for ESX Server 3’ (I have not been able to find a similar document for ESX Server 4, but this technology is similar):
Avoid frequent memory reclamation. Make sure the host has more physical memory than the total amount of memory that will be used by ESX plus the sum of the working set sizes that will be used by all the virtual machines running at any one time. (Note: ESX does, however, allow some memory overcommitment without impacting performance by using the memory management mechanisms described in “Resource Management Best Practices” on page 12 [of this document].
One colleague of mine, an employee of Microsoft, concedes that resource overcommitment is a great tool for a test/dev environment, but is adamant that he would not use it in production. I would not disagree with this. However like so many questions in our field the real answer is what I refer to as the Universal Consultants Answer (UCA): It depends.
-
*This phrase is apparently a misquote; the true quote is ‘If a man has good corn or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad hard-beaten path to his house, though it be in the woods’
I have seen a lot of contests recently… some promise cash, others cool prizes. This contest will actually help you to grow your business!
Microsoft Canada has a great contest for IT professionals and implementers. Do you have a story about how Windows 7 is helping you to expand your customer base? Have you developed an innovative Windows 7 application? How about a great customer deployment story? Tell Microsoft about it and you can win… big!
The Wild for Windows 7 contest winner will receive Seven Thousand Dollars (CDN$7,000) in professional marketing services from one of Microsoft’s most trusted marketing agencies. This could include anything from direct marketing campaigns to event planning.
You have to enter by December 11, 2009 so make sure you visit the site (http://www.microsoft.com/canada/partner/windows-7-partner-contest/default.aspx?lang=en-CA&wt.mc_id=can_win7-partnercontest-en_bulletin_sbsc) and sign up. Tell your friends about it too… and don’t forget to let me know that you entered! :)
On October 28 I was invited to present a STEP (Springboard Technical Experts Panel) Event for the Sarnia Computer Users Group in Sarnia, Ontario. Steve Syfuhs and I drove out there and had a great time, even though we were in for a surprise! I have to say that this group of retired hobbyists were every bit as knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and interested as many professional groups I have spoken to! Check out their site to see some of the pictures… http://scug.ca/michgarvis1028.html
When Microsoft announced that rather than throwing large launch events in select cities they would enable Influencers to throw ‘House Parties’ there was a lot of ridicule; many said it wouldn’t work, others poked fun and even shot mocumentaries about them. Cameron McKay and I set out to prove that not only COULD they work, but we wanted to set the bar for what one of these parties should look like.
Some of our colleagues across the country (and around the globe) invited people into their homes; others leveraged their pull with local businesses (including Microsoft offices) to make the event look a lot like a user group meeting. We wanted to do something different.
We reserved Artisano’s Bakery Cafe in Oakville; they would cater hors d’oeuvres and deserts and we supplied drink tickets to everyone. At 4pm we starting setting up… five machines in all running Windows 7, a VERY powerful hi-def wide screen projector, a few KVM switch boxes, and a really powerful set of desktop speakers with sub-woofer. Thankfully the duct tape kept the wires down, and nobody got hurt!
We had five computers set up and running… two relatively new ones (my production laptop and my netbook – these would be for demos and PowerPoint respectively), a two year old laptop for people to play with, as well as what we called the Clunker Corner… machines that were previously thought to be ready for the junk heap, but that Windows 7 runs nicely on! One of those machines acted as the sound system, the other was another demo box for people to try out… and they did, in droves!
In total we had 52 guests show up. Most were local to the west end of the GTA but we also had a few people take the train from downtown, Scarborough, and Oshawa; we even had a couple of out-of-towners – from Montreal and Chicago!
The kit that Microsoft supplied included a jigsaw puzzle; As I set up the computers my beautiful wife Theresa put the puzzle together, and I had an idea; why not use the puzzle as a fundraiser? We sold pieces of the puzzle; for $2 each people could choose their piece and write their name on the back; the pieces then went into a wicker basket (borrowed from the restaurant). Not only did the puzzle pieces sell out, but one very generous attendee asked for 50 pieces. Rather than giving him the individual pieces I thanked him for his generosity and gave him two of our 15 prize bags. All in all we raised $250 for the Meadow Green Academy Gymnasium Fund! For the winners we handed out prize bags containing Windows 7 Ultimate (NFR) licenses, pens, stickers, and more.
People started coming in at 6:30 but we kicked off the formal presentation at 7:15. For the next hour Cam and I demonstrated many of the cool new features of Windows 7, ranging from the GUI and Aero Peek, new Windows key combinations, and more, BitLocker to Go, Location-aware devices, security (including the much improved UAC!), Windows XP Mode, and much more. As the saying goes, a good time was had by all.
After the official presentation someone asked if it was really an easier and faster install than Windows Vista and XP; I could have explained to him that it was but I decided to show him instead, popping my USB Deployment Stick into the 2-year-old laptop and redeploying Windows 7, Microsoft Security Essentials, and Microsoft Office 2007 from scratch in about 20 minutes. Everyone was amazed!
In the ‘Fireplace Corner’ we set up a video camera so that our team (Steve Syfuhs and Sean Kearney) could interview the attendees about the party, Windows 7, and asked them about what they hoped to see in Windows 7 (or what their experience was already) and what they were excited about; a few of the popular answers to that were XP Mode and BitLocker to Go, along with the faster interface and GUI functionality.
In case you missed it – or if you would like to reminisce about the great evening, our camera team had the video cameras rolling the whole evening. Sean ‘Friday Funny’ Kearney took all of that footage and did an incredible job compiling the event video, which you can see here!
I would like to take a moment to thank all of the people who made this event happen: First and foremost my beautiful wife Theresa, without whom I am not allowed to do anything! Despite being seven months pregnant she helped with the set-up, brought our son down for dinner, then took him to Tae Kwon Do and then back, where my boy was amazed that his dad really is a public speaker (every time I had tried to help him with that aspect of schoolwork he refused… I suspect that might change now!). My partner in crime, Cameron McKay, who joined in making it an incredible evening, and also picked up half of the bill (don’t forget that we paid for the food and drinks out of our own pockets!). Sean Kearney and Steve Syfuhs not only helped with setting up and breaking down, but also were our cameramen and videographers throughout the evening. Additionally Sean went above and beyond by taking the video footage and creating the incredible video you see here! Also I have to thank Sue and the crew at Artisano’s who not only make a mean pizza (PEPERONI!!) but went out of their way to make everything just right for the night. From Microsoft (and Microsoft Canada!) I want to thank Stephen Rose (STEP… absolute genius!) and the whole STEP program, Mark R. who showed me a few W7 tricks early on, Rob Gellar who contributed some of the prizes, Simran Chaudhry and the MVP Crew (LJUPCO!!), the DPE guys (Rodney came but Rick and Damir helped as ‘advisors’). I am probably forgetting a bunch of people because when an event goes this well and this smoothly there are so many people behind it. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME! Without them Cam, Sean, Steve, and I would have had a lot of celery and cookies!
My wife’s 17” HP Pavillion laptop broke; when I say that it broke I do not mean that the OS crashed or that the hard disk was defective, or even that the motherboard fried, which are all legitimate reasons for computers to stop working. It seems that a couple of people liked to carry the open laptop from place to place by the screen, and eventually the hinge broke. The screen still works, the system itself is great, but it neither closes nor opens properly, and to top that off much of the plastic frame is broken and bits of wire and electronics are exposed where they should not be. Add to the damage caused by humans there is also damage done by dogs… Gingit at one point decided to learn to type, and when she got bored ATE the F3, F7, and T keys. _ry _yping a le__er wihou_ _he le__er _ and you will unders_and my frus_ration.
We looked into getting the damage fixed but the quotes were over $500… not worth it for a three year old laptop that is one of 5 laptops and 13 computers in the house. It has been sitting on a shelf in my office for months.
As I prepare for my Windows 7 Launch Party (http://www.houseparty.com/party/175335) this week I am planning all sorts of demos… Media Center, Deployment, and more. As I planned it out I realized I did not particularly want to use any of my primary machines lying around… although I can do a pretty good job of securing them I really don’t want just anyone playing with them; I plan to mingle and do not want to spend my time (or assign people to) watching my laptops for funny business. So I looked on the shelf to 
seek alternatives. I decided to spin up the HP and see how it worked… and of course it worked flawlessly.
I popped in the USB key that I created in my last article (Creating a Multi-OS Installation USB Key) and booted from it – I knew I had already moved all data off the disused laptop – and installed Windows 7 x64 Ultimate. Fifteen minutes later the only error message I received was that the Microsoft Security Essentials could not be installed because I had only included the x86 installation file… everything else worked flawlessly!
So what do we do with a busted laptop? It is certainly not worth paying to fix… but is it worth throwing
out? Absolutely not.
The first question I asked myself is if the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts? Simply put, if I were to cannibalize it would the components be worth more to me than the unit as a whole? As the system itself is functioning perfectly (including the screen) the quick answer is no… the interchangeable components are just too inexpensive these days for them to be worth more separately.
So what is the real damage? The computer works fine, the screen is great, it is simply the hinge that is unusable. Thus the only part that does not work is the portability! What was once a portable laptop is now destined to be a stationary desktop. I should mention that if the screen was NOT working this would still be a good solution, only I would need an external monitor for it to work.
Next came the question of the keyboard… It made me think for a few minutes because I actually had a few options, now that I knew that the system would be stationary… I could add an external keyboard to it of course, but there are also a number of systems that do not require a keyboard… servers! I would never make a busted up laptop a full production server, but what about a test environment? A Terminal Server? A Home Server? I even briefly considered, knowing that it is how it started its life converting it into a Media Center PC to run my TV! All viable options, but as my wife and I just bought a PVR, and because I have a really good server already, that it was destined to become a desktop PC.
So I now have an extra demo unit for the launch party. But what should I do with it after the launch?
I do not spend a lot of time there but I actually do have an office… desk and all! The only thing I do not have there is a computer, because I always come and go with my laptop. Starting this week that will not be the case; I will install the former laptop there, set up remote access, a keyboard and mouse, and for about $60 in hardware I will have a perfectly functioning – though not necessarily pretty – desktop computer. I laugh not because of my ingenuity, but because no fewer than five people and charitable 
organizations refused it as a donation saying they didn’t want junk. What they call junk I now call a very reliable high-performance Windows 7 machine!
Back when I was a computer support technician I used to carry a binder of CDs and DVDs, including (but certainly not limited to!) every version and edition of Windows client and server. This came in handy every time I replaced a hard drive because I could reinstall the OS without having to take it in to the lab.
Fast forward to 2009.
Earlier this year I wrote in an article that Tim Mintner and I created a USB key from which we could install several different versions of the Windows operating system. I know a lot of techs who liked the idea, so in this article I will explain how to do it.
My Tools
For the purpose of this article I will use my Windows 7 laptop, the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010, and a SanDisk Cruzer Micro 16GB USB key that I borrowed brom Bradley Bird at TechEd and never returned (thanks Brad!).
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010
Although I usually install the MDT on a server I installed it on my laptop to demonstrate that a server is supported but is not required. My laptop is running the 64-bit edition of Windows 7 Ultimate so I downloaded the x64 version of MDT 2010… but there is a 32-bit version as well which works the same way.
MDT is one of those tools that is relatively small (9.76MB) and can be downloaded in seconds. One of the requirements for the MDT however is the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) which in its current iteration weighs in at 1.7GB. Make sure you have it ready when you want to start!
Once you have installed the MDT 2010 and the Windows AIK you have to create a Deployment Share. Being the imaginative guy that I am I called mine MDT Deployment Share. I linked it to the local directory D:\Deployment, and assigned it the UNC path of \\MDG-E6500\Deployment$. Even though it will never be a network deployment server it is necessary to assign a share, which by default and best practice should be an administrative share.
Now that my deployment share has been created I need to import my Operating System files.
- Click on Operating Systems in the navigation bar.
- In the Actions pane click Import Operating System. The Import Operating System Wizard will launch.
- In the OS Type window ensure that Full set of source files is selected and click Next.
- In the Source window click Browse and navigate to the directory where your OS is located. Normally this will be the root of your DVD drive; if you use .ISO files like me then mount the file (I use MagicISO) and then navigate to the root of the virtual DVD, and click OK. Back in the Source window click Next.
- The wizard should automatically identify the OS version and edition; in the Destination window ensure the Destination directory name is appropriate (i.e.: Windows 7 x64) and click Next.
- In the Summary window make sure that the details are correct, and click Next.
Once the import process is complete you should have a number of different OS editions in your MDT. That is because the .WIM file contains multiple editions. Although you can delete some of them for the sake of organization (I generally delete all of the Home editions for business deployment points) it is not necessary.
You have to repeat the above steps for all of the operating systems that you want to deploy. In the end you might have a list that looks like this:
Next you should import any applications that you install often:
- right-click Applications under the deployment share in the navigation bar and click New Application. The New Application Wizard will open.
- In the Application Type window select Application with source files and click Next.
- In the Details window enter the appropriate information and click Next.
- In the Sources window click Browse and navigate to the directory where your OS is located. Normally this will be the root of your DVD drive but it can also be the directory where the installation files are stored, and click OK. Back in the Source window click Next.
- In the Destination window ensure that the name is correct (it is based on the information you specified in the Details window) and click Next.
- In the Command Details window the Working directory should already be populated; for the Command line you should enter the command that you would use to install the application, including command-line switches. So you could either type setup.exe, or get fancier and enter setup.exe /adminfile Custom2.msp. When you are satisfied click Next.
- On the Summary page ensure the details are correct and click Next to import the files.
When you are done importing your applications they will all be listed in the Applications list.
Now you might want to import Packages and Out-of-Box drivers, but that I will save for another time. Let’s move forward and create our task sequences.
A Task Sequence is a list of commands that must be performed by the deployment point. These are the instruction sets that make our deployment work.
- In the navigation pane click on Task Sequences.
- In the Actions pane click New Task Sequence. This will launch the New Task Sequence Wizard.
- In the General Settings window enter a Task Sequence ID(3 unique characters) and a Task Sequence Name that you will recognize and understand. You can also enter comments if you wish. Click Next.
- In the Select Template window select Standard Client Task Sequence from the drop-down list and click Next.
- In the Select OS window choose the OS that you would like this TS to deploy. Only one OS version and edition can be installed by a single task sequence. Click Next.
- In the Specify Product Key window ensure that Do not specify a product key at this time is selected and click Next. This will ensure that you are prompted for a unique key every time you deploy.
- In the OS Settings window you must enter a name and organization name; if all of your deployment will be for you then use your own name, but some people may want to use more generic names like ‘IT Department’. Click Next.
- In the Admin Password screen you should specify the local administrator password, although you have the option of selecting Do not specify an Administrator password at this time. Click Next.
- On the Summary screen ensure the information is correct and click Next to create it.
You will have to repeat these steps for each OS that you would want to deploy from your USB key. In the end it might look like this:
Next you have to update your deployment share. In the navigation pane right-click on your deployment share and click Update Deployment Share. In the Options window for a first-time share you would leave the default; click Next. The Deployment Share will populate and you are in business! (This is actually a very time consuming step… expect to wait!)
Once your Deployment Share is updated all that is left is to create the media files. The wizard will create two sets of files (the files themselves and an ISO of the files), each one roughly equivalent to the total size of everything you have created – i.e.: really big. My first attempt exceeded not only my 16GB USB key, but also the free space on my hard drive! Remember that if your files come to 9GB then you need at least 18GB free on the Media Path drive.
- Under your Deployment Share in the navigation pane expand Advanced Configuration and click Media.
- In the Actions pane click New Media to launch the New Media Wizard.
- In the General Settings window enter a Media path. The path must be an empty directory. Click Next.
- In the Summary window make sure that all of your details are correct and then click Next to create the files.
Once the files have been created on your hard disk you can copy them to a bootable USB key. To create a bootable key follow the instructions I wrote in the article Bootable USB Media for Windows 7.
Conclusion
The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 makes deployment simple. In this article I have essentially held your hand through the process of creating a USB deployment point… but that is only part of the magic of the MDT. Now that you have worked with it through this article you can expand on that and create network deployment points, capture existing images using MDT, and much more. Take what I have given you and run with it, and you too can be a deployment guru!
If a tool is cumbersome, unwieldy, inefficient, and difficult to use, would you use it? Would you look forward to the experience? Neither would I; so when at the end of last year my son’s Grade 5 homeroom teacher told me that the computers in the school were unreasonably slow, extremely cluttered, and that the students did not look forward to using them, I wanted to see for myself how bad they really were.
The school I’m describing is a small private school in Mississauga called Meadow Green Academy. Class sizes range from 12-20 students with one campus location for students in grades 4-8 and another campus for Junior Kindergarten – grade 3 about 7 kilometres away. The upper school has approximately seventy-five students, a staff of maybe ten teachers, and a handful of administration staff. With fewer than ninety bodies it is reasonable that their computer lab should consist of twenty workstations and a server.
Four years ago the school made an investment in its computers – a server running Windows Server 2003 that is both domain controller and file server, as well as brand new workstations running Windows XP. At the time, the 512MB of RAM in both the workstations and server were quite sufficient. In fact as they were still running Windows XP the specs as I saw them should have run reasonably well. However it would not be the first time computers that were supposed to perform well did not, so I decided to investigate further.
My first thought was a DNS issue; Nine years ago I administered a network where user logon took 10-15 minutes – unreasonable by any measure – and when the Domain Naming Service on the server was properly configured and the workstation network settings were tweaked that logon time dropped to under a minute. I started to doubt this as the cause when local operations (such as loading applications) took unreasonable time as well.
Because all twenty computers presented identical symptoms, I expected the cause would have been central but I was wrong and understood why reasonably quickly. Twenty identical computers with identical symptoms began to make sense when I discovered that none of them had been managed or monitored on an ongoing basis, and considering each was used similarly over an extended period of time it made sense that they were sluggish beyond comfort.
· The hard drives were all full, by which I do not mean reasonably full but rather the free space on each was counted in kilobytes;
· Although some of the systems did have Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, most did not. (Service Pack 3 had been released over a year earlier.)
· Although there was a centralized anti-virus solution in place it was not regularly monitored, and there were a number of infections of different sorts discovered in thirteen of the workstations.
I asked for a meeting with the school’s administration and laid out my findings. There is an old adage saying that the shoemaker’s children go barefoot. I don’t make shoes… but I know a thing or two about information technology. I asked if I could offer my help as a concerned parent, and went to work.
Although I spend most of my time writing and teaching, I am still a reasonably successful IT Professional; I have two principles that I live by when taking on projects:
1. Measure twice, cut once; and
2. If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.
The first of these sayings originates in carpentry; simply put, a good measure of proper planning can save time, money, stress, and headaches. I knew that before I purchased a license or memory chip, cleaned out a machine, patched an operating system, I had to know what materials I had; based on that I could determine what we could do, and what we would need. I first heard the second philosophy from the owner of a security company where I used to work. By profession he was an accountant, and he said it at an otherwise boring and uneventful management meeting. I did not appreciate it until later.
This article is the first part of a series that will take the valiant IT department of Meadow Green Academy from zero to hero over the course of a summer. For the users – students and teachers alike – it is a true Cinderella story. It Is also a textbook case of transitioning the IT of a small business – possibly a small business just like yours, certainly with some of the same pains and needs as any small business – from a cost center, break-fix model to a rational, managed model that makes it a strategic asset to the organization.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that because it is a school it is somehow unique; it is unique, of course, because every small business is, but it also has users who produce work – ranging from reports, schedules, documents and spreadsheets to homework and class assignments. There is a boss that is at the same time responsible for all these users, but also responsible both to them and to their clients (parents). They have standards that have to be met, and, like you, want to get home to their families. Like most of us they want to use their computers as a means to an end, and not be hindered by them. They also want to learn the latest technology and not be stuck in the 90s with yesterday’s technology.
Over the course of the series, I will explain the goals we set, the hurdles we encountered, the opportunities we discovered, and the headaches we endured. I’m going to let you in on a secret right now; I know how the story ends, and it ends well. I will discuss many of the tools involved behind the scenes, as well as the operating systems (Windows 7) and applications that would be installed using those tools. I will even try to give you a glimpse into the discussions we had in trying to choose these tools.
The series is more about the process used than it is about Windows 7, although Windows 7 was the impetus for taking on the project. In the end, it is about how the right technology can help us all to work smarter and not harder with the minimum hardware purchases, the right consultant, and the right attitudes.
This is the story of how Meadow Green Academy became the first school in Canada to run completely on Windows 7, and how it has benefited them.
This article explains how to install a new domain forest on Windows Server Core, or in the Windows Server CLI (Command Line Interpreter). I will not discuss any other option for RODCs, existing domains, child domains, and so on… there are a plethora of articles out there that describe those already.
It astounded me the first (several) times I tried to create a new domain using Windows Server Core installations as my first domain controller in the forest. There are, I should mention, copious articles on creating additional DCs in an existing domain, but I have not come across too many (any?) that explained creating the FIRST… i.e.: creating the forest FOR the trees :)
This evening Steve Syfuhs and I sat down and attempted to do just that. Actually our original intentions had very little to do with that, but as we discovered along the way we would have two choices:
- Create a new physical server with Windows Server 2008 FULL install, create a new domain on GUI mode, join our Server Core machine to that domain, promote it to Domain Controller, transfer all Operations Master Roles to the Server Core machine, and continue on; or
- Figure out once and for all how to create our domain in Server Core.
I should point out that between us we read several dozen articles (including some written by some very reputable IT Pros) that CLAIMED that it was possible, but none that elaborated.
So we started clawing our way through the tidbits we gleaned from various sources and came up with the following unattend file that did the job:
[DCInstall]
InstallDNS=yes
NewDomain=forest
NewDomainDNSName=swmi.ca
DomainNetBiosName=SWMI
SiteName=Default-First-Site-Name
ReplicaOrNewDomain=domain
ForestLevel=3
DomainLevel=3
DatabasePath="%systemroot%\ntds"
LogPath="%systemroot%\ntds"
RebootOnCompletion=yes
SYSVOLPath="%systemroot%\sysvol"
SafeModeAdminPassword=Pa$$w0rd
Now: Once the file was created we put it in the root of C: on the server core machine, and typed the following command:
dcpromo /unattend:c:\unattend.txt
The next user interaction was (after a reboot) a logon prompt for the SWMI\Administrator account.
I hope this helps the next group of IT Pros trying to claw their way through the process… Creating AD Forests and Domains is something I have done a thousand times but always in GUI mode; from now on I can do it either way… and so can you!
Although I spend a lot of my ‘MVP time’ talking about other technologies the product that I am actually awarded in is Essential Business Server, a product that I have believed in strongly since the day it was announced. The following is the text of an e-mail sent by the IT Professional at a company that uses it and loves it.
For those of you who have been following my posts, I just wanted to check in and let you know that EBS has been in production for almost two months now and has been working great and great to work with and, right now, is really saving my butt. The growth of our agency is simply amazing and I can't see how I could accommodate it all without EBS. I am now the single IT staff person for an non-profit organization with 150+ staff and 130+ computers at 17 sites in 3 counties. It seems nearly impossible to manage, but EBS is helping to make it possible. I'm about to implement our first site-to-site VPN and hoping to get TS thin clients integrated in the near future (anyone who wants to offer me free advice on this, you input would be most welcome). My main limitation right now is money, bandwidth and some time to think; but I am working on all that. Thanks largely to Microsoft's charity donation program, I have been able to do all of this while working with a severely limited budget. Our region is in an extreme economic downturn and we are seeing greater need than ever, and we have been able to expand to meet the need thanks, in large part, to EBS.
So, here’s a big shout-out to everyone who has helped me to implement this server system for our organization. I’m an accidental-tech turned career tech and I didn’t have the opportunity to get any real training or work with a partner for this project, and I really appreciate the time people took to help me with critical decisions, implementation and troubleshooting advice. I don't know how I would have done it without your help. Keep up the great work.
Michael Hensley
Systems Administrator,
Neighbor Impact (Redmond, Oregon)
Letters like this make me smile because it not only confirms to me that EBS is the right solution for a mid-sized organization without needing a large IT staff. It also shows the value of community for recommendations and support in times of need!
To learn more about Neighbor Impact or to make a donation to this worthwhile cause visit them on the web at
www.neighborimpact.org.
I want to start this article by stating that I do feel sorry for Joel… but I have no sympathy for him.
If you are unfamiliar with the case, here is the article written by none other than Joel Tenenbaum about his case: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/jul/27/filesharing-music-industry.
To summarize: Mr. Tenenbaum downloaded music using one of the myriad file sharing programs that create peer-to-peer networks across the Internet, and allow you to download music (or videos, documents, and software) without paying for it. This is, of course, illegal, and tantamount to walking into a music store and stealing CDs and DVDs… with the exception that on-line you are much less likely to get caught.
I want to be clear, in this article I am not taking anything for granted; I am not assuming anything, filling in blanks, or making accusations. If I state that Mr. Tenenbaum stole that is because that information is written in his article. In the header of his article he does not say ‘I am accused of…’ he says ‘I shared music.’ Where I am speculating, I will call that out.
I first became familiar with this case because it was in the Toronto Star yesterday. I read the article with interest because I have heard for years of people being sued by the Recording Industry Association of America, but had never heard of one first hand. I suppose before I realized the true nature of the crime I was guilty of downloading music from time to time, and suppose that this could just as easily have been me as him.
Actually that is not true… Had my parents received a letter from the RIAA telling me that I had been caught and to settle it after they chewed me out at full volume they would have told me to take my attorney’s advice and to make the best settlement possible. Let’s assume that as I am not a teenager living under my parents’ roof the letter would have come to me, and I would have immediately contacted my attorney (my father in this case) who would likely have chewed me out at full volume, asked me if I had done it, and then told me to make the best settlement possible. Somewhere in there he probably would have called me a *** and told me I should have known better.
Four years ago (when Joel’s parents got the first letter) I was not in the best financial shape – mostly unemployed and going through a divorce, most of my expendable income at the time went to… well, food and rent. I would have had to negotiate the best terms possible, and then borrowed the money.
Joel did not do this… although he claims he did try to settle for $500, which at least shows good intent. However the RIAA did not accept this settlement offer; <speculation> they may have wanted to make an example, or to show that there were real consequences for pirating music. Five Hundred Dollars may be a significant amount to a college student, but it is not a punishment for breaking the law… at least not one that the RIAA was willing to accept. They, being the injured party, have that right.
The article spends a lot of time portraying this as a David versus Goliath conflict, which might be a little more believable if in this case the David had not been raiding the camp of the Goliath and contributing to billions of dollars of losses. He laments the fact that the RIAA has a tremendous legal team; should we feel bad about that? If I had over the course of fifty years grown a business worth billions and then a new technology allowed people to steal from me nearly unchecked then I would throw whatever resources I had against the perpetrators in a (mostly vain) attempt to stop them.
Since the advent of music piracy over the Internet (I know piracy predates the Internet, but doubt that the RIAA was losing real market share to people dubbing cassettes) I have heard the recording industry portrayed as the evil giant out to make money. Isn’t that what industry is about? ‘They charge too much';’ or ‘music is the public domain!’ or such. I agree that music is not cheap to purchase… but nor is it cheap to make. When recording artists demand huge contracts for their product then they are no longer creating art for art’s sake, they are producing a product that happens to be creative. However that does not change the fact that they still own their material, and we as consumers have the option to NOT buy them. We can listen to them on our favorite radio station, we can go to clubs and bars and dance to them; we can even often listen to them on-line. But stealing them should not even be a consideration.
Of course since music is not necessarily something you can touch let’s put the same argument into a different context, but with very similar intent:
I love cars. However cars are much more expensive than they used to be… I can’t afford a car now, but still want one, so I am going to steal one. I also have friends who like cars so I am going to steal one today, give it to my friend tonight, and steal a new one tomorrow… and am going to continue doing this until I get caught, at which point instead of taking responsibility I am going to stand up for every man and show the car companies that they cannot push us around.
Does that sound absurd? Exaggerated? The only difference is that because a car is physical you can only steal it once… Steal a song once and you can replicate that to hundreds or thousands of people who suddenly don’t have to buy it.
So the Recording Industry Association of America, representing recording artists, starts suing people. Apparently (according to the article) there have been 40,000 people contacted, most of whom settled. <supposition> The ones the RIAA are going after are likely some of the biggest offenders… if I steal (sorry… download and then share) a hundred songs then I am probably not even on their radar. However people I know… people I speak to merrily boast that they have downloaded tens of thousands of songs at no cost to them! I was sitting at a cafe speaking with a professional consultant on Monday who said ‘yeah I am glad my daughter downloads all of her music because it gets so expensive to buy it!’ I was in shock.
It happens for software too by the way… people look at me and say ‘yeah I download all of my software… but don’t worry, I paid for my operating system.’ They assume that because of my affiliation to Microsoft that I care about pirating Microsoft’s product, but would gladly condone stealing from Adobe. ‘But software is so expensive! Do you know how much Microsoft Office costs?’ Yes I do… and you have alternatives… if you are a student or only use it for personal use purchase the Home and Student Edition at a fraction of the cost. You don’t get all of the applications you get in Office Pro, but you probably don’t need Access or InfoPath. If that is still too expensive for your tastes then there are Shareware and Freeware applications that do just about everything that commercial applications do. ‘But they are not as good and don’t have all of the features!’ If you want the best bread you have to pay the best baker.
So Joel is in court… I believe today is Day 3. His article, like the lawsuit, is meant to shock us. ‘How it feels to be sued for 4.5 Million Dollars.’ I am sure it feels terrible… however chances are if it goes to judgment the judge would not grant the whole amount, and if they did then he likely could never pay it all anyways. Of course, if past acts and lack of remorse are any indication then he might just steal it.
My opinion on this case is clear but that does not mean that I do not feel sorry for him, and by all means invite you to feel sorry for him too… but do not for one minute make the mistake of seeing him as the victim here; he perpetrated a criminal act, and was unlucky enough to do it against a very large organization with both the will and the means to pursue it vehemently… the RIAA may look like the Goliath here, but they are the victim in this case… the wronged party seeking justice.
I suspect that this case will become one for the books… Joel was fortunate enough to get pro-bono help from professors at the Harvard School of Law. I suspect that with them on one side of the table and the RIAA’s high powered attorneys on the other it will make for interesting (in one sense… let’s be clear that no court case has ever been riveting to watch except on TV) litigation but in the end I suspect it will still come down to the fact that Joel stole and enabled others to steal from the record companies. the settlement or judgment will likely be a fraction of what is being sought (that’s how it works). If Joel were to write a book I can’t see it being much more interesting than the article, and anyways the RIAA would probably sue for proceeds. If there is a confidentiality clause we may never know what the real figures are. However I hope that it finally convinces people that ‘sharing’ is stealing… as serious as walking into a store and taking it.
If you either post or watch videos on-line then you know YouTube… but how about SoapBox? A couple of years ago MSN started a competing service to YouTube which I have found very convenient. I don’t use it often – I have posted precisely six videos on-line, and four of them were shot (and posted) the same day (they are all linked to from my blog or Facebook page).
I posted them on Soapbox instead of YouTube… but not because of loyalty to Microsoft. I did it for convenience; when I click on Publish in Live Writer (the application I use to write and post blog articles) it asked me ‘Do you want to store these videos on Soapbox? I did.
Yesterday I got the following e-mail (in 18 languages!):
Attention Soapbox Users,
MSN will no longer offer Soapbox, the user generated video service within MSN Video, as of August 31, 2009. Beginning on July 29, you will no longer be able to upload videos to Soapbox. People who have uploaded videos to Soapbox will have until August 31, 2009 to download them. Please make sure you download your videos by this date if you would like to keep them. We will have a notice running in the Soapbox service to remind you to download your videos. It is our goal that you download and keep all of the videos you uploaded that are important to you. Online video is a key part of the MSN experience and we will continue to offer a rich experience on MSN Video. We will also continue to invest in delivering great customer experiences, while keeping a keen eye on our business objectives during this tough economic climate. Thank you for your support of MSN Video. More details and download instructions are available at: http://video.msn.com/shutdown.html
Thank you for using Soapbox.
The MSN Video Team
I came to the video world late in the game… My first digital camera took lousy video and it wasn’t until the end of 2007 that I bought a decent one. I record video sparingly and am far from an expert; however I found that recording any videos – from ‘I’m a PC’ commercials to my wedding ceremony to my tae kwon do belt tests - can produce large files that are unruly. It was only when I realized what a great job Camtasia Studio (www.techsmith.com) does of editing down those files – including resolution, bit rate, and cutting off bits at either end, not to mention great editing functionality – that I really said ‘Ok, I can now start working with videos. Between Facebook and Soapbox I suppose there are now about a dozen videos of mine on-line.
I am not saddened that Soapbox is shutting down… possibly slightly inconvenienced, but not as much as if I had dozens or hundred of videos. I guess I will have to find another service that I can use to smoothly integrate videos into blog articles though, and that will take a little research.
Thanks for they time Soapbox… and thanks for the ample notice for me to take action!
M
I have noticed of late a trend… a plethora of articles listing the contents of one’s laptop bag. Far be it from me to miss a writing bandwagon, so here it goes!
Laptop Bag: Firstly I should mention that I switch laptop bags with boring frequency; at present I have the Ogio VP Messenger which was a present… yes, it is branded Windows 7. However the reason I am so fond of it is because it is TSA-friendly; the main laptop pouch folds out for airport screening. You can check it out at http://www.ogio.com/product.php?product=637. It is probably my third or fourth Ogio laptop bag, and I am on my second Ogio golf bag (I gave the first to my father). They make a great product!
Laptop #1: My primary laptop is a Dell Latitude 6500, and as you can probably imagine it is pretty tricked out… 8GB RAM, 250GB hard disk, and so on. As it is my primary workstation I needed to be sure that it would do anything I needed… fast. http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop_latitude_e6500?c=ca&cs=cabsdt1&l=en&s=bsd
Laptop #2: I usually carry my netbook in the same bag; A Dell Inspiron Mini 9 with 2 GB RAM and a 64GB Solid State Drive. I like being able to pull that out and work on a plane, in a cafe, or wherever I might not need the full system. It also supports Bluetooth so I can tether my phone to it for Internet connectivity where there is none. It has its own neoprene case… the side pocket is replete with USB keys of sizes from 1 GB to 16GB.
Power: Back to the laptop bag proper, I have two power supplies – one for the E6500 and one for the netbook. I wish they were the same but alas… no. When I am traveling on car trips I also carry with me the car charger kit for the E6500; on a recent journey from Toronto to Montreal this paid off when my project manager called me and asked for urgent modifications to a series of documents; I sat in the parking lot of a Rest Area, plugged the laptop into the lighter plug, tethered my cell phone for connectivity, and worked for three hours. If this kit were 90W instead of 60W I would carry it exclusively… but it is not powerful enough to charge the laptop while using it, and it is relatively heavy so it is often left in the car. (I do have a spare 6-cell battery for my laptop which I would take if I knew I was going to be unable to charge for extended periods, such as on older aircraft)
Because power jacks are often sparse I took to carrying my own power bar with me, and was delighted to find the Monster Outlets To Go Power Strip with USB (http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4646). It is compact and folds into itself, has three 3-prong jacks, plus a USB port for charging my phone.
Speaking of power I never leave North America without a universal prong adapter… I found myself coming back from Asia on an Air France A340 from Paris which supported neither the North American jacks that I am comfortable with, nor the asian jack which I had gotten used to over the previous month. Rather than watch their bad movies for the duration I purchased the World Travel Adapter (SWA1.1) by Swiss Travel Products (http://swisstravelproducts.com/index.php?site=productview&product_id=3) from the on-board duty free shop, and have been very happy with it – in several countries.
Mice: I have two mice in my laptop bag… an Arc Mouse (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=112) which is what I use most of the time, and a wireless notebook presenter mouse (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=085). I love the Arc Mouse, and only wish it were Bluetooth capable. I also prefer the black one to the red, but Gingit ate it… sigh.
External Hard Drives: Depending on where I am going I usually have between 1 and 5 portable USB hard drives in the bag, plus a mini-USB cable or three. Right now I have four drives in the bag for different purposes. The mini USB cable also serves to charge my phone when I am on the road.
Networking: Two years ago I came across a Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router which I understand is no longer available; it comes in handy for several purposes, whether I am in a hotel room with a single Ethernet jack, a conference room where I want to share Internet, and a dozen other ‘I never would have thought of that!’ moments.
Headset: No frequent air traveler wants to be without noise eliminating headsets… I smiled when I read David Pogue’s article ‘What’s in Pogue’s Travel Bag? Literally.’ in the New York Times recently (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/technology/personaltech/25pogue-email.html?_r=1). We agree on the Panasonic RP-HC500, which I picked up at Fry’s in Kirkland, Washington about two years ago… I have never looked back! Unlike David though I carry mine anywhere… you never know when you will find yourself working in a cafe with higher than average noise levels! (I used to carry the Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 headset & microphone, but decided it was extraneous, with a built-in microphone on the computer)
I should mention that I also carry a cute little speaker which I connect to my laptop for presentations requiring sound, or for my Zune when I don’t need the privacy. The ShoX mini speaker (http://shoxmini.com/) really does provide great sound quality!
Camera: My digital camera (Canon Digital IXUS 96015) is usually in the bag in its own case with an extra SD card… I remember getting to Hong Kong and realizing I didn’t have a camera; it was one of the best investments I have made, having since taken nearly 6,000 photos and 100 videos, many of which have found their way into articles here.
And then… Every professional presenter likely has them, or should – a package of lozenges. They have saved me on a number of occasions – most recently in Bracknell, England where I showed up but my voice didn’t!
A couple of extraneous cables (RJ-45, one proprietary cable for my secondary cell phone), pens, post-its, business cards, and a few stickers to give away. All in all my bag weighs in at about 25lbs, which is probably more than I would carry if I were taking the bus or walking… but as it is usually from the car to the office, or else attached to a suitcase on wheels, I don’t mind. My netbook case is less than 4lbs and is easier to grab and go when I don’t want to lug the whole thing… also when I am not traveling many of these pieces stay on my desk.
It is easy to get carried away and carry more than you need; it is equally easy to shed items that may not seem immediately necessary, but turn out to be indispensable. My experience has helped me to balance what stays and what goes, and when… as long as I am willing to lug it, who would argue with me? :)
The World According to Mitch did not start out as a blog, but as e-mail blasts. When I decided to blog I started The President’s Blog at www.mitpro.ca. However when I stepped down as leader of that group in January, 2007 I needed to find a new home for it. For two years mitchgarvis.com hosted The World According to Mitch. Now as that server is retiring I have the opportunity to move to my new location… www.garvis.ca.
The content is being ported over from the old home, slowly… but it should be done within the week. I have done my best to set up the RSS feed so that if you are a subscriber then you will not experience any interruptions.
I hope you like the new look… and expect a few more changes coming soon, thanks to the great folks at Telligent… the makers of Community Server, and the new Telligent Community 5.0, which should grace our site shortly. I fell in love with the platform three years ago (Community Server 2007) and now, four versions later, keep loving the improvements!
As for the theme, I will keep playing until I find one that I like; if you know me you know that I am more about substance… just look at my wardrobe!
I am sure you (like me) spend a lot of time in e-mail threads. Occasionally it can be embarrassing if you are not up to date. As I was composing an e-mail to a colleague a few minutes ago I noticed the following warning bar across the top:
I was relieved that I caught this, else I could have embarrassed myself by seeming out of date. I closed the message, and found the more up-to-date messages, and replied appropriately. I know that this is a little thing… but those are often the ones that make the difference!
<Edited July 14>
Since May I have been telling people that they would have to wait for details of the new Microsoft Office 2010 applications coming down the pipe. Yesterday the veil was lifted, as the beta program was made available to a wider audience. With that I would like to share some of my favorite improvements in Office 2010.
BackStage
In Office 2007 we were introduced to the Ribbon Toolbar, as well as the Office Pearl which replaced a great number of menus. The BackStage in Office 2010 is the new iteration of the Office Pearl; Click on the Office button in the top-left corner of your window and the back-stage appears, allowing us a host of tools to configure both your document and application. As this screen shot from my Outlook shows our top-level choices include account settings, automatic replies, mailbox clean-up, manage rules and alerts, and because Outlook 2010 is designed to work with Exchange 2010 including Unified Messaging, we can manage our voice mail from here, should you have that configured. We also find all of the options we traditionally found in the Office Pearl (or previously in the File Menu), such as Open, Save, Print, and Options.
One of the greatest complaints I have heard about Outlook has always been performance… depending on a number of factors (including but not limited to the size of your mailbox/profile) it could be relatively slow, taking at times anywhere from 20 seconds to over a minute to connect to my Exchange Server. That has certainly not been the case with Outlook 2010, connecting in under five seconds every time I load it up!
Speaking of loading it up, the Splash Screen on Office 2010 programs have the familiar minimize and close icons in the top corner, which can be helpful in some cases.
64-Bit… Welcome to the Future!
In Barcelona in 2006 Bill Gates announced that the future of Microsoft was 64-bit. The problem as many of us saw it was that most – if not all – of our applications (especially on the desktop) were still 32-bit, and the subsequent release of Office 2007 as a 32-bit application did not change that. Many of us hopped on the x64 bandwidth early on, and most of us found our way back to the more comfortable x86 operating system, at least for the time being. The announcement that Office 2010 would be released in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions offered hope… and in this writer’s experience the 64-bit version delivers on the performance, while the 32-bit version still shows great improvements over its predecessor. (My 32-bit Dell Inspiron Mini 9 has a Windows Experience Rating of 1.5 and still performs admirably).
Customize your Ribbon Toolbars!
I point out that the now familiar (and hopefully comfortable) Ribbon Toolbar has been expanded across the Office suite, including to Outlook. As was the case in Word and Excel three years ago it took me a little while to get used to it, but now that I have been using it for a few months I am definitely loathe to return to legacy menus.
I want to be clear that this is not something that I plan to do… For years applications have offered the ability to customize menus, but I have generally found that the toolbars are very intuitive as delivered; also I tend to uninstall and re-install, reformat, and redeploy on a very frequent basis, and even if I could export and re-import my custom toolbars every time I do that (yes you can! Woot!), I doubt that I would ever bother. However the ability to do that does give me as a deployment guy ideas about standardizing Just the Fact, Jack toolbars across departments and organizations!
Reviewing in PowerPoint
As a writer I spend a lot of time editing – and more importantly having others submit comments for me to edit – my own documents, as well as those from others. As such I spend a lot of time in the Review screen in Word, and have always been disturbed by the limitations of same in PowerPoint. While there are still some functions that I do not see in PowerPoint 2010 I am extremely excited by the improvements.
While on the subject of PowerPoint I should mention that I am not a big fan of fancy transitions in my own slides… however I have looked at some of the new transition options available in PowerPoint 2010 and am very impressed. I still doubt I will use them much…
Office on the Web
This is one of the features that I have not yet gotten my hands on, but am nevertheless extremely excited about. Having used Outlook Web Access for years, I am looking forward to trying Word and Excel in the same fashion. There will be, I am told, three ways that users can access this functionality:
- Consumers will be able to access the tools via their Live accounts (there are apparently over 500 Million of us with Live accounts… wow!)
- Enterprises can offer employees their own applications from their own SharePoint sites; and
- Web providers will be able to offer customers the applications.
The one issue that I am not (and seldom am) clear on is how licensing for these tools will be set up, but with Google apps growing in popularity look for terms to be extremely competitive.
Open Document Compatibility
Recently I helped a friend install her new PC, and when I pointed out that her Office 2007 Home and Student Edition allowed her to install the application suite on up to three PCs, she told me she was considering installing OpenOffice instead; that is the suite that her company uses, so many of her documents were in that file format; she did not want to have to convert them all. As I much prefer Microsoft Office (and not simply to toe the line) I was pleased to see support for the Open file formats in Office 2010… load and save your .ODT files seamlessly.
Conclusion – Two Months On
I have been using parts of Office 2010 since mid-May. As with any pre-release version there were some bugs that have frustrated me, but overall I have been extremely pleased with what I have seen. I have been an Office user since Office 95, and am glad to see real improvements version over version… I have not seen any component that I feel is a step backwards. Look forward to hearing more about the steps forward as I continue to dive into the applications!
I can hardly believe that it has been nearly two years since my last interview with RunAs Radio… but when I sat down a few weeks with Richard Campbell and Greg Hughes I checked their Past Shows list, and sure enough the last show aired in October, 2007. A lot has happened since then. Listen to us discussing virtualization in the Enterprise, revolving around System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, and how it can integrate all of your virtualization hosts into a cohesive, centrally managed unit!
http://www.runasradio.com/default.aspx?showNum=116
Let us know what you think!
Yesterday morning I was sitting in Artisano’s Bakery and Café in Oakville (as I am now) and twitted as much. Barry, a fellow Oakvillain whom I met in Seattle when I was living in Montreal replied that it was a great place, and would I be there in the afternoon… we could start our first Oakville Coffee and Code. I told him that I would not, but why not today? I posted something like ‘Coffee and Code in Oakville… come talk Windows 7’.
Barry replied that he couldn’t be here, but a few other people replied that they would be. The mayor of Oakville, Rob Burton, retweeted my message with the tag ‘Windows 7 is good’. All of a sudden we’ve got ourselves a ballgame!
I pinged a few people at Microsoft Canada… ‘Try to come by if you can, and tell people.’ Suddenly fifteen people are twitting that there’s a Coffee & Code in Oakville today. This is getting cool!
I came to the café early… my wife (who is pregnant) wanted to have lunch HERE. My pleasure, I got to see her in the middle of the day. As we are sitting having lunch Mayor Burton came to our table and expressed his regrets that he couldn’t join us today, but that he is running Windows 7 Release Candidate (Build 7100) on two machines, and is loving it. He spent a few minutes talking with Theresa and I before letting us get back to our lunch, and sitting down for his.
It is now nearly 1:30 and I have no idea who is going to come down to discuss Windows 7… or Server 2008, EBS, Home Server, or whatever; however I do know that whoever shows up is going to have a great time meeting colleagues and peers… and I can assure you that we WILL be holding these meetings more often! (Of course, as a lot of us are IT Pros and not Devs we might have to call it Lattés and LANs :) just like they do in Ottawa!)
I got a frantic call from a friend this morning. ‘I installed Windows 7 last night; When I checked my System Rating the Windows Experience Index was 5.9, and now it’s only 4.1! Why is my system slower?’
This is not the first time I have gotten this question, and indeed noticed the same thing when I first installed Windows 7. Let me reassure you that your computer has not lost any of its oomph… in fact, it will have gained some, as Windows 7 is a more efficient OS than Vista, with a smaller footprint.
Firstly let me say a quick word on the Windows Experience Index. Windows rates five key components in your computer that combine to determine your system’s performance, which are Processor, Memory, Graphics, Gaming graphics, and Primary hard disk. It assigns each a subscore between 1.0 and 7.9. The lowest of these scores is your computer’s Windows Experience Index. It does not mean that your computer will not perform well with a low score; the CPU and RAM on my laptop are rated 6.5 each, but the Graphics is a 4.3; Most of what I do that requires high performance is not video-intensive, so the lower subscore and consequent System Rating does not really affect me. If I were to resell my laptop to someone whose main interest is playing video games then they would probably think twice before buying it.
The only constant in the world of computers is that hardware gets better. Gordon Moore predicted in 1965 that “The number of transistors and resistors on a chip doubles every 18 months.” Ten years later he extended it to 24 months, but Moore’s Law has been remarkably accurate. Essentially what this means is that computers are MUCH faster now than they were 40 years ago… or 2 years ago. (to show how far we have really come, in 1965 there were about 60 transistors and resistors on a chip; Intel’s Itanium processor currently has in excess of 1,700,000,000 transistors)
All this to say that our computer components get faster. Rather than Windows 7 increasing the upper limit rating from 7.9 to 12.9, they have moved the bar without moving the goalposts; that is, your hard drive that used to have a 5.5 rating may now have a 3.5 rating, to make way at the top end for newer, higher-performance drives.
What does all of this mean to your system’s performance? Nothing. It will not run slower because its rating has been lowered… in fact because of the improvements to the way Windows works it will actually run better; it will simply have a lower rating… to which we ask the question: So? I drive my car at 110km/h on the highway; when I drive in the US I have to switch from metric to Imperial, so I am now driving 70mph… am I driving any slower? No, just measuring the speed differently. However since the Interstate highways in the US are better roads than the highways in Canada (well, not in Michigan…) I will have a more pleasant, quieter ride. It’s the same with your computer… same system, better and smoother ride. Enjoy it!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
My first computer had a cassette drive; my next had two 5.25” floppy disk drives (which cost nearly as much as the computer). Going forward my next computers had both 5.25” and 3.5” drives, as well as a new invention called a hard drive. The floppy drives went HD, and soon CD and DVD drives came (and would progress from being read-only, to write once, to write many over the course of a decade). All the while the hard drives went from 10MB to HUGE… terabytes. Recently I ordered my first computer that has only a hard disk (a solid state drive to be specific) that will not have any disk drive of any sort… a netbook.
For most software I can simply copy it over the network, but how am I supposed to install an operating system onto it? I can do that over the network too (more on that later), but the simplest way is to use media that I can connect directly to the netbook.
I actually have a few choices; I can connect an external DVD-ROM drive to it, which would effectively double the weight of the ultra-light machine. However there is a much simpler way that also has the benefits of speeding our installation up immensely… installing from a high-speed USB key. This article will give you the simple steps to create that USB key.
Firstly most of us downloaded our Windows 7 RC (Build 7100) as an ISO file. Rather than burning it to a DVD I usually mount the ISO using a free tool called Magic ISO. This tool creates a virtual DVD drive for us, and assigns it a new drive letter, which we will have to know later so take note of it… let’s call it Drive W.
We need a USB key that is at least 4 Gigs. We are going to wipe it so make sure you don’t have anything important stored on it.
- Open a Command Shell (stop calling it a DOS window!) with elevated privileges. The elevated privileges are important later on.
- Type the command ‘DISKPART’ and press Enter.
- Make sure your USB key is connected and type LIST DISK into the Diskpart shell. Note the number of the USB key – in my case it was 1 but if you have multiple hard drives it will likely be different.
- Type SELECT DISK 1 (or the number you got from LIST DISK) and press Enter.
- Type CLEAN.
- Type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY.
- Type ACTIVE.
- Type FORMAT FS=NTFS. (This might take a few minutes… you could as easily do a QUICK FORMAT)
- Type ASSIGN.
- Type Exit to close the Diskpart shell.
At this point we need to know what drive letter Windows assigned the USB key. For this example we will call it X:.
- Navigate to the BOOT directory of your Windows 7 disk (i.e.: W:\BOOT)
- Type BOOTSECT /NT60 X:
- Close the Command Prompt.
Once these steps are complete all that is left to do is to copy the entire contents of the Windows 7 disk onto the USB key… you could either use an XCOPY command, or do it within Windows Explorer.
That’s it! Your USB key is ready, and all you have to do is pop it into your workstation/laptop/netbook/tablet and boot up… remember that you must boot from the USB device though… you may have to set this in your BIOS, although for my Dell Inspiron Mini 9 all I did was press and hold 0 during boot to bring up the one-time boot menu.
One little gotcha… remember to create your USB stick with the right platform of Windows 7… so if your netbook has an x86 processor (most if not all of them do) then your x64 Windows 7 will not install… I won’t make THAT mistake again ;)
I hope this helps… in my next article in the series we will get a bit fancier and use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to create a USB deployment point that will include the application files and drivers!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
I moved into my new office this week. I have a desk, a chair, a plethora of computer equipment, and a entire bookshelf. What I don’t have yet is an office phone, which frankly will come but is not really a priority right now. Everyone is still going to reach me on my mobile phone anyways, so there is nothing to worry about. Of course, because of the nature of my work I do spend a bit of time on conference calls which depending on the matter may last an hour or longer; this is uncomfortable to be sure – there are only so many times I can switch hands so my elbow doesn’t fall asleep, and besides, having to hold the phone makes it difficult to type notes. I am spoiled because for most of the past three years I have had a hands-free Bluetooth earpiece for just these occasions. Actually the earpiece was primarily for talking while driving, and since my new car has built-in Bluetooth I don’t need it anymore… and besides, Gingit (the devil puppy) ate it.
I came across this screen by accident, but have been wildly mad about it since. It is the Bluetooth Phone Operations and Settings screen, specifically paired to my HTC Touch Pro. This feature in Windows 7 has made my life much more comfortable, especially in my office with no land line. I have my smartphone paired to my laptop, and this new feature allows me to:
- Use my phone to connect to the Internet;
- Initiate a call through the smartphone;
- Listen to audio from my phone through the computer speakers; and
- Use the computer as a speakerphone for calls on my phone.
I have been tethering to my phone to connect to the Internet for a couple of years, but love the fact that all of these features are in a single screen. I also do not listen to a lot of music on my smartphone… it drains the battery, and besides, I have a Zune :) however the ability to use my computer (with, let’s face it, MUCH better audio than the phone) as a speakerphone makes my life much easier.
Because I do spend a lot of time talking to my computer (no, I have not lost my mind… I record podcasts, and stay tuned for my post on voice recognition in Windows 7!) I invested in a headphone with a good microphone (Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000) which I use to listen to music, as well as record any number of items. I have it connected to my laptop docking station’s USB port and when I am in the office I wear it… and when a call comes in I simply have to pause my music and take my call. I have so far conducted seven conference calls through this method and have been very impressed by the quality… not to mention the fact that my elbows are thanking me! In return I am thanking the dev team at Microsoft that came up with this quite intelligent bit of code!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
Over the past six years I have had the honour of leading and participating in two major Canadian IT Pro user groups; I have spoken at scores of user groups across the country and around the world, and have been in touch with so many of the user group leaders from around the world, both as a speaker, and MVP, and a council member. I have heard a lot of the same complaints about the difficulties involved with running a group that I have experienced myself.
We have tried to come up with the right equation that makes things work. So let's start with a simple equation, changing the numbers because a) I do not know what the actual numbers are, and b) the math is much simpler. You are Microsoft. You have $10,000, and ten user groups that need to be supported. Of those ten groups two have the ability to raise money through alternate sponsorship and the remainder to not, but that does not mean that those groups are any less passionate... they just do not have the same advantages. You know that the IT community is important across the country you have to figure out how to best use your money to maximize the benefit across the country. How would you do it? Remember that your $10,000 is not only money that you can give them; any prizes or other benefits that you dole out must be paid for out of your budget as well.
This morning I had this conversation with someone of influence and it is not a simple exercise... it is a real issue that Microsoft Canada needs to deal with. We came up with what I thought was an interesting idea. Please let me know in the Comments field below what you think, and how you would do it.
One of the greatest requests I have heard as a community leader is the need for training. In Montreal we started a study group a few years ago that helped more than twenty members achieve their first certifications, but also gave them their first exposure to certification training, as well as a better understanding of the value that certifications hold - not to mention the value the knowledge they gained has!
If a user group decided tomorrow to hold a study group for fifteen members on Windows Server 2008 and decided to fund it out of pocket the cost would be prohibitive. The Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) courseware that are used in Instructor-Led Training (ILT) is closer to $400 per course. However the cost of taking one of those courses with a Certified Partner for Learning Solutions (CPLS) is between $1,200 and $1,500 per week. Of course we could use non-MOC courses or books... the MS Press books for Server 2008 cost between $60 and $80 per book. Either way, the cost is extreme.
Of course those prices are what you and I would pay as individuals... but for the sake of this exercise we are Microsoft Canada... and our internal costs are a fraction of what an individual would pay… although they are still real and need to be counted in our budget.
Now let’s switch back for a moment to being a community member, thirsty for learning but unable (or unwilling) to pay the thousands of dollars required to take a five-day ILT, not to mention the week I have to take off of work. If my local user group were to offer the same training, but in evening sessions over the course of three weeks rather than all day over a week, would I be willing to participate? And if so what would be the value to me, or more accurately, how much would I be willing to spend on it? If it were offered for $150 would I even hesitate? Probably not.
So let’s put our Microsoft hat back on for a minute; I know that I can buy ten training kits for a user group for $500. The group can then get ten members into a study group who are each willing to spend $150 for the three weeks of evening sessions. My $500 sponsorship of the group has now netted them ten certification kits, a full-blown study group in a box, PLUS $1500 cash! Not bad for a day’s work!
Let’s assume our last role for this discussion; the community leader. I am a community leader because I believe in the cause, but probably because I want to see what I can get from it as well; I want to help the community and one of the ways that I can do that is by helping them to become certified in the latest and greatest technology. However without the sponsorship money I can’t do much. Last year Microsoft gave me $1,000 so I was able to hold a few meetings, serve pizza, and so on; I couldn’t do much more because everything costs money. This year Microsoft is giving me the option of sponsoring the group for $500 (times are tough all around!), or giving me ten study group kits. I can get the study group together and charge each member $150, and rather than have half as many presentations as last year I can have twice as many, PLUS the study group! I could go one step further… if more than ten people are interested I can invite twenty members, and charge a lower fee to the members who will not have the material… this can be a real boon for my group!
Another benefit that I see as a user group leader is the ability to tailor the sessions to my group. I might have a couple of great MCTs who are willing to contribute their time, but how about if we were to make this more of an interactive study group instead of an ILT… we could assign modules to individuals who would have to learn them well enough ahead of time to present them to the group… each module would belong to a different member, and my MCTs could sit back and help them along, rather than present the whole module. Not only would individual members get to know their chapters better, but after ten modules I would have ten members who now have experience presenting in front of an audience; so when Member A becomes involved in a project on Technology Q he can send me an e-mail and say ‘Hey Lead, I would like to do a presentation on this really cool technology that I have gotten into!’ Ten new potential speakers for the group, rather than always having to rely on the same folks, or the guys from Microsoft.
Change hats once more, back to the user group member: Now I am thinking that being a member of a user group really does have value beyond just going to presentations… which, let’s face it, we can go to even if we are not members most of the time. Being a member of a user group can give me so much more… depending on what I am willing to put into it!
Back to the Microsoft Hat: So for seven of my groups this model works great… I have invested $3,500 for them and they have collectively raised $14,000… all the while delivering more value and benefits to their users, possibly building the next generation of UG leaders for when my current leads are ready to step aside, and have helped at least seventy people to earn current certifications on the technologies that are important to them. I still have $6,500 left in my budget… I can use some of that for the groups that cannot get a study group to work, but can also use it as a travel budget to be able to send my IT Evangelists out to more cities and to do more presentations for all of the groups. I can put some of the money towards better prizes for the UG events. I could even add extra cities to the TechDays Canada tour if I wanted to, thus allowing me to broaden our reach… and hopefully proving to Corp that the UG community is one of the best ways to really support communities across the country!
So let’s take off all of our hats now… I am me, and you are you. Hopefully you are a member of your local user group, and have enjoyed the benefits from it. Do you think that this model would work? Would you be willing to pay a nominal fee to join a study group in your area if the technology was relevant to you?
What would you do to improve upon this idea? What ideas would you have? In short, how would you, as a community member, want Microsoft to support the community in a time where budgets are down and expectations (and breadth) are increasing? Please let me know in the Comments space below, and I promise you that your ideas will be heard.
Firstly let me be clear: I have absolutely nothing against Toys ‘R’ Us. I have no hidden agenda, no miserable experience, and no repressed memories (at least none that I know of!). I have very fond memories of the Toys ‘R’ Us in Times Square, where in the summer of 2005 and again with my then fiancé Theresa I rode the indoor Ferris Wheel then walked around wishing I were still a kid.
Having said that I was saddened by news today that the giant toy retailer acquired the New York City landmark FAO Schwarz. It is the death of an era.
My first visit to FAO was during my first visit to New York City with my parents; I was ten years old – give or take – and I remember very little about the visit except three things: I loved the myriad electronics discount stores where I got to look at computers, I loved seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I absolutely loved FAO Schwartz, which for the first hour of our visit I was absolutely convinced was heaven. They let you play with toys, and they had every toy in the world!
The retailer is featured in countless movies… BIG comes to mind, with Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia play Chopsticks on the floor-keyboard. Of course there were many more, but what we see there cannot compare to the quarter-century old memories of a ten-year-old boy who felt like he had found Nirvana and never wanted to leave. That is of course how it is always portrayed in movies… as the greatest place on earth for children. That was what it was for me.
I remember sitting in Calories – a cafe in Montreal that served the greatest deserts, trying to describe it to my friends, years later. Of course I couldn’t remember the name… so I picked up the payphone, dialed 212-555-1212 and, feeling a little stupid, tried to explain to the operator that I needed to remember the name of this incredible toy store in Manhattan. She knew right away what I meant and gave me precisely the information I needed!
I hope that the change in ownership does not destroy this piece of my childhood – and that of countless others. I hope they maintain the name, location, and atmosphere, although I cannot see how they could. After all corporate run stores are seldom run the same as those run by people who love them and have a vested interest in them.
I hope they don’t remove the magic from this magical place. If they do I will never be able to take my children – both born and unborn – there to experience the same magical feelings of pure innocence and happiness that I felt when I was ten.
The other day I told Aaron (my son) that he didn’t know how lucky he was to have his life. Well, I might not have then, but I realize it now. Thanks Arthur and Miriam (Mom and Dad!) for taking me there, and to countless other places when I was a child.
Of all of the innovative technologies I came face to face with at TechEd last month the most incredible of them all was a gentleman in a wheelchair.
It wasn’t just any wheelchair of course… it was (I would later learn) an iBOT… a wheelchair designed to free the disabled from the shackles that truly bind them. It climbs stairs and does much more, including let users have an eye-level conversation with an average-sized adult male. I believe it was developed by Dean Kamen (of Segway fame) and was sold by Johnson & Johnson for a staggering price tag of US$22,000… of which Medicare covered about US$6,000.
Of course for those who can afford it I am sure these incredible machines were well worth the money. After all what price can you put on your freedom of mobility? It was a great step forward in the equal rights that handicapped persons deserve in our world…
…and it is gone.
According to MSNBC they have been discontinued because it was simply not profitable, as they were only selling a few hundred of them per year. (See article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30929301/)
I am tempted to say that it is disgraceful that a corporation would put profits ahead of the rights of the handicapped, but I suppose that is the job of corporations – to answer first and last to their shareholders.
Still I cannot help but wonder if our governments (U.S. and Canada) who have been spending hundreds of billions of dollars bailing out industries such as the auto industry and financial institutions couldn’t have found some way to step in and subsidize the company. Those industries are important… I get it; but isn’t this too? If for no other reason than so that we could say that we did more than mandate that some buildings have access to the handicapped, we actually gave them access to all buildings!
I hope by now most of you are running Windows 7. I think it is important that IT Pros are up to speed before the actual product release! However if you are running the beta 2 release – that is Build 7000 it is time for you to upgrade! the Release Candidate (Build 7100) has been available since the end of April, and has a plethora of bug fixes included.
If that is not incentive enough then you should know that after June 1 your 7000 machines will be <revised> sending you warning messages, and on July 1 they will start shutting down every two hours… similar to unlicensed product.
I know, I know. It’s a pain. However with all that has been written about Deployment Technologies on Windows 7, especially the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, isn’t it time you tried out some of those great tools and upgraded to 7100?
This is the first of many entries in this blog focused primarily on the fact the WE ARE PREGNANT!!! It will also be a general blog about the Garvis household from my perspective. To see Mitch’s perspective you just have to go see his blog and filter out the tech talk :) after we “officially” announce in 12 weeks. Those of you with the early announcement are the only ones who know about this link, but others can come back later and start from the beginning if they wish to see what it was like.
The baby is 5 weeks old and I’m in the 7th week of pregnancy. According to the baby calendars, the baby had their first heartbeat on the 17th and the arm/leg buds are forming along with most of the vital organs. I saw the doctor on Friday and confirmed that Clearblue Easy is indeed 99% accurate and that I am really pregnant. They took about 9 vials of blood for all the prenatal blood tests and I will be calling to schedule the first ultrasound to verify the dates although we are pretty sure that the due date is Jan 10, 2010.
So far, the happiness of the event is counteracting the nausea, tiredness and overwhelming feeling that “aliens have taken over my body!” I definitely need to drink water when my body says to drink water and eat when it says to eat, sleep when it says to sleep…. There is immediate consequences for me if I don’t do as my body tells me.
It has been a fairly easy transition so far since I had been eating a healthy diet already and can now cut out alcohol, deli meats, seafood/fish, herbal teas, undercooked meats, etc… without much problem. I only have 1 coffee a day with milk and usually can’t make it through the whole cup anyway. I will miss my smoked salmon and cream cheese, but I can always enjoy that later. I’m keeping up with my half hour of mall walking that I do at work which I think is helping me more than anything deal with the fatigue.
Aaron was just out on a bike ride and is now playing with the dogs. Mitch is reading a magazine, but soon will be on his computer doing his work. We will be starting another week of school and work after I finish the weekend getting laundry done, bills paids, and groceries purchased. I’ll get lots of help doing all of these items from Mitch and Aaron.
Mitch is on cloud nine and is having difficulty containing himself and I feel like everyone can “just tell” by looking at me. However, we will get through this first 12 weeks doing our best to keep a healthy baby and then move on to the next stage.
This is a test only!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
A lot of people cannot understand how IT Professionals and enthusiasts can get excited about some things. I ordered my new laptops last week; however the most exciting part of that has nothing to do with new toys (ok, maybe a little) but how I will be setting them up when I receive them.
At TechEd last week I spent most of my time at the Windows 7 Deployment booth. Among the people I got to work with were old friends Mike Niehaus and Tim Mintner, the MDT/BDD gurus that I have admired for several years. They gave me (and just about anyone who came by the booth, in case the folks with the rattan cane come back) a sneak peak of the next bits of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 beta 2 release. In my mind it is the biggest change to the product since BDD 2007 was released, and it is definitely a technology that you should be looking at if you are interested in deployment.
When I told Tim that I was getting my new laptops he asked me if I wanted to build a deployment kit USB key. Of course Microsoft Deployment Toolkit has had the ability to create these for some time, but I couldn’t believe how easy it was. We took a 16 Gig USB key and created a Media Deployment Point. Creating a Media DP is something I have been doing for years… but not like this. You boot your computer to the USB key and the first thing you are prompted for is what OS you want to install. On this key our options are:
- Windows 7, x64
- Windows 7, x86
- Windows Server 2008 R2, x64
- Windows Server 2008 R2, x86
So once you select the operating system, you then have the option to select the applications you install. I am keeping it simple by deploying only the Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition, but you can install any applications you like.
One tool that I use a lot is the SysInternals BGInfo program which allows me to see some information about the system on which I am working. Like most SysInternals tools it does not need to be installed, only placed in a directory on the computer. I did that, but also created a shortcut and placed it into the StartUp folder under the Start pearl <All Users>. That way when I start my new system it will ask me to configure the application for first use, and then run every time I start up.
I mentioned before that IT Professionals and enthusiasts do things differently… and because of that reality I often find myself reformatting my systems… either because a new release of the pre-release OS is out, or because I want to demonstrate something on a different platform. In truth that is one of the reasons I am buying a netbook, so that I can wipe and reinstall as the need suits me. Its solid state hard drive isn’t really big enough to support multiple boot scenarios. With the super-deployment key that Tim and I created I can do it with little or no effort… poof, what was Windows 7 x86 is now Server 2008 R2 x64.
I have written in several articles about how convenient it is for companies to install a deployment infrastructure… and have spoken to over 50 groups around the world on SMB deployment scenarios (Desktop Deployment for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses). This simplified technology will take it one step further, offering deployment scenarios to companies without a server, or even homes with multiple PCs whose residents… shall we say tend to download more than their share of malicious code through dubious sites :)
In a follow-up article I will go through the steps to create one of these Super Deployment Keys… with screen shots and all. However before you get to follow along you will have to sign up for the beta for the Solutions Accelerator tools and download the new beta release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010! Let me know when you have done that… I’ll be ready :)
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
Justin Rodino, Cem Erdal Ozkaya, and Daniel Nerenberg cornered me on the last day of TechEd with a video camera… I look like a dentist froze my face but trust me I was having a good time because they are all great guys! http://www.227volts.com/?p=867
If you do not live in the Greater Toronto Area, or say between here and Niagara, this is probably not for you. However if you can get to Oakville next Tuesday and are interested in IT then this session is for you!
**Special Event**
Seminar with World Renowned Security Expert Kai Axford
Sheridan College, Oakville, ON
Tuesday May 26th 2009
Welcome time 6:00PM Event 6:30PM-9:00PM
Click here for more details and to Register!.
Location:
Sheridan College - Trafalgar Road Campus
J Wing - Sheldon Levy Centre - RM J102
1430 Trafalgar Road (Ceremonial Drive, park in the left lot)
Oakville, ON, CA
L6H 2L1
* Don't Miss This Rare Opportunity to meet and hear Kai Axford, World Renowned Security Expert*
Part 1: Windows 7 Security Tidbits - Windows 7 is coming and the boss is asking you about all those new security features. Perhaps you've heard some buzz about AppLocker? What’s this about DirectAccess connecting securely to your corporate network without a VPN? What’s up with BitlLocker To Go? In this fun and interactive session, Kai Axford, a Microsoft Senior Security Strategist with Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing team, will demonstrate some of the new security features in Microsoft's newest desktop operating system. Bring your questions and get the scoop on these upcoming Microsoft security technologies!
Part 2: Understanding and Preventing Insider Threat – Many analysts have stated that the Number One issue facing corporate customers today is the threat of targeted corporate espionage coming from within the organization. Join Kai Axford, a security strategist from the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing team for an entertaining and engaging session, as he shares real stories from the trenches about the risk this threat presents for both you and your customers. He’ll demo the means by which these attacks occur and discuss the mindset of the attackers. Don’t miss the chance to see how this is done!”
This isn't for you? You're welcome to forward these details to a friend or anyone else you think might be interested.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
of all of the legitimate reasons I have heard why people and organizations have not upgraded to Windows Vista application compatibility has been a big one. I have been telling people for years that this is because of the improved security features, and that ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) were going to have to program around the hardened security. As it happens they have been, but none of that is relevant if you have a piece of software sitting on your shelf that doesn’t work. At http://talkingaboutwindows.com/archive/2009/04/17/mitch-garvis.aspx I said that end users don’t care why their applications don’t work or who or what is to blame… they just want it to work.
Enter Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. This feature was released with the Release Candidate of Windows 7 a few weeks ago, and the buzz has been incredible. In short, with Windows 7 you have a virtual PC running Windows XP; you can install your applications on that XP machine (No additional license is required) and then as if by magic you can run those applications on your Windows 7 machine.
I have one set of applications that never ran on Windows Vista; the Readiness Review Suite that came with Microsoft Press Self-Paced Training Kit books for Windows 2003 never ran on Vista, and because of that I always had a Windows XP virtual machine on my laptop. In order to run the application I would have to run Virtual PC 2007, spin up the Windows XP machine, log on and run my app. There was no interconnectivity between that VM and my desktop.
As you can see I have installed it on the Windows XP VM on Windows 7 (Microsoft Press Readiness Review Suite). Let’s be clear… I can run it here if I want. Or I can look in my Windows 7 Programs and see the following:
All Programs – Windows Virtual PC – Virtual Windows XP Applications – Microsoft Press Readiness Review Suite.
I have not done any custom configuration here… the only thing I have to do is install my application within XP so that the icon is under the All Users profile, which is why Internet Explorer icons do require their own tweaking (by default they are installed per user). Why would I need this, you ask? You may have HTA applications that still need Internet Explorer 6.0, and rather than trying to install that onto Windows 7 you can simply leverage XP mode.
Another benefit of XP Mode is one you will be seeing in the next version of Virtual PC… it supports USB devices, both within the VPC and within XP Applications.
XP Mode does have a few requirements that you should be aware of. For one thing your CPU must support hardware virtualization. That means that you also have to enable hardware virtualization in the BIOS. Brad et al, make sure your CPU supports either Intel-VT or AMD-V before trying :)
Secondly the XP machine requires 256 Megabytes of RAM which will be taken from the total… so if you have memory issues beware. Also you should make sure you can comfortably allocate 16 gigabytes of hard disk space to the VPC, and more depending on what you are storing therein.
I find it convenient that physical drives and partitions on the host computer are immediately available in the guest OS. They are viewed as network drives, so it is easy to port content between the two.
It is important to remember that even if you are only loading the Virtual PC to install the applications, and then running the applications from within Windows 7 you are still running a second PC, and security considerations such as patch management and virus protection must still be run on both the host and the guest PC. Remember one of Mitch’s Rules of Virtualization: What must be done in the host must also be done in the guest. If you are a consultant supporting clients who will be using this remember that their SLAs (Service Level Agreement) might have to be revised to increase the scope.
XP Mode is not built into the RC of Windows 7, but it is a free download. Click on this link and follow the instructions: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
One of the reasons I like attending conferences like TechEd is that very often attendees get news first… either by design or occasionally by accident. An example of the latter, I learned last night, is that one presenter accidentally showed off SharePoint 2010 to a packed room without realizing that it was strictly embargoed. Oops!
A better (or at least more positive) example is that it was announced today that attendees at TechEd 2009 will be the first invited to a Technical Preview Program for Office 2010, the long anticipated successor to the highly successful (not only in my opinion) Office 2007. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait until July for it.
Office 2007 was a major release. it introduced two huge changes over its predecessors: the ribbon toolbar (love it or hate it, it is here to stay!) and the new xml-based file formats. I have read others who do not feel that Office 2010 will consist of any changes as major as those. I disagree. There are two bits that will be introduced with 2010 which I consider major changes:
- Office 2010 will be the first edition of the hugely successful application suite to offer a x64 (64-bit) edition in addition to the x86 (32-bit) version. Historically the x86 application suite installed on 64-bit operating systems in the C:\Program Files (x86) directory. With the direction of the computing world firmly heading toward 64-bit computing I am glad to see that the applications that most of us use most frequently are following the same trend.
- With Office 2010 Microsoft will also be releasing web-based editions of the suite (known as Office Web Applications). I suspect that these will be offered both for companies to host their own application servers on IIS 7 rather than on a Terminal Services platform, in addition to hosted environments (cloud computing). Along with I suspect millions of others I have been using Outlook Web Access through two generations now (If memory serves it was introduced with Exchange 2000; I came on board with 2003) I am excited to see what its fellow applications will look like on-line.
Some of the rumors I have heard about 2010 are that it is blindingly fast (one commentator said uncomfortably so) and that it is much prettier than its predecessor. That I will wait to see, but in the meantime if you are like me and are not tired of having sore feet from living on the bleeding edge then look for Office 2010 beta to open to the public (i.e. those of you not at TechEd) sometime nearer the fall. See you there!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
User Account Control (UAC) has been one of the big complaints about Windows Vista. It certainly was the butt of one of the cutest ‘I’m a Mac’ commercials. The truth is, as I have mentioned previously, Microsoft had to make some tough decisions in developing the new, modern operating system, and UAC was a way of protecting users from themselves… ‘Open virus-infected program… are you sure you want to open virus-infected program?’
I’m pretty sure if that were the extent of it, people would have been much more forgiving of UAC, but because it was so much more, it was difficult to put up with; ‘I want to manage my computer. Are you sure you want to manage your computer?’ or ‘I want to install a driver for my printer. Are you sure you want to install a driver for your printer?’ People were ignoring it because they were seeing far too often.
In Vista there were two settings for UAC… on or off, and a lot of its detractors spent a lot of time bragging that most users were disabling it outright. In reality about 12% of users did disable it, hardly most, but that is irrelevant. In Windows 7 there are different settings to UAC… and by default user input will not bring up UAC windows, only when programs try to access protected areas of the OS. Users will still have the option of enabling the full UAC or disabling it, but most should be satisfied with the happy medium.
There are scores of improvements to Windows 7 over Vista, many of which I will talk (and write) about over the next few months, but instead of waiting for it why not download the release candidate and see for yourselves. Get on board with Windows 7 now and be ready for the most secure desktop operating system that Microsoft has ever come out with.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
I was wondering out loud today if you were ready for Windows 7. Yes, you… and don’t look around because WE BOTH know who you are. You are an IT Professional, Developer, Partner, Consultant, Enthusiast, End-User. You have an above-average interest in computers, probably have more than one system between home and work, and know how to fix at least minor problems without calling Tech Support. You remember when operating systems were less stable than Vista SP1, and are willing to experience the occasional minor inconvenience when beta issues arise; all for a chance to be ahead of the curve.
We call it the Bleeding Edge. We’re well ahead of the curve, running systems and applications before they go to general release. It hurts a little from time to time when you encounter bugs that haven’t been fixed yet, but it pays off… and not just in bragging rights, although let’s be honest, those are fun too.
Microsoft had to make some very difficult decisions with Windows Vista; there were so many changes to the platform that caused a lot of initial pain, mostly revolving around application and driver compatibility. It was simply too much, and although the issues did get resolved as new versions of applications and device drivers that were programmed for Vista were released and with Service Pack 1, there was simply too much ‘bad air’ around Vista. Competing platforms had a ball in their marketing but even without the ‘I’m a Mac’ commercials the reputation of Vista was mud… even if the technology is vastly improved over both the RTM version and Windows XP.
On the first leg of my flight to Los Angeles on Sunday I sat next to Stuart Crawford, President of the International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners. He was telling me about the machines that he was planning to install the Release Candidate of Windows 7 on, and as we chatted he commented to me that he hadn’t heard one bad thing about the new OS version yet. I thought for a minute and realized… neither have I.
I have been sitting in any manner of places over the past few years where people have started telling me about their issues with Vista… and Microsoft. I work on my laptop in cafes and airport lounges and people start conversations with me, telling me why they don’t like Vista; sometimes their reasons are legitimate and often they are just ‘well I heard from a friend who heard from a friend.’ It started six months before Vista was released, and hasn’t stopped yet. That is why it’s a telling that nobody has yet told me ‘I don’t like Windows 7 because…’
Now it’s true, Seven is still a pre-release OS, so its distribution is limited to… us. None of you have told me anything bad about it either! The new OS is built on the lessons of Windows Vista, and streamlined to boot. Seven is the first version of an operating system that Microsoft will ever release that will be smaller and require fewer resources than its predecessor. One of the most common complaints I heard about Vista was the resource requirements; people are telling me that they are installing the pre-release Seven on five and six year old hardware that had been running XP because it just didn’t have the legs for Vista. Netbooks – tiny little seven and nine inch laptops that were meant to run Linux with a gigabyte of RAM and 16 gigabyte hard drives. I confess… I am going to buy one of those myself this week, for that very purpose.
There are a thousand reasons to start looking at Windows 7 now. Microsoft is not keeping quiet about them. At www.talkingaboutwindows.com they (okay, WE!) discuss the benefits of the modern operating system. It’s not just Microsoft employees, although some people you know are there too (Mark Russinovitch is still one of the smartest men I know). There are customers as well… and one particular trainer and MVP who just came off a deployment of Windows Vista (along with Office 2007, Forefront Client Security, Office Communicator, and a few third-party applications) for a client in preparation for the move to Windows 7. Watch our videos, listen to our stories, and then answer the question… why aren’t you on Windows 7 yet?
You should be… come see us on-line, and at TechEd to see what’s in store for you, your clients, families, and friends when the best, most stable, and most secure desktop operating system that Microsoft ever developed is released to the public, sometime in the next few months. After that you can stand up with me and proudly proclaim what I’ve been saying proudly for a year… I’m a PC!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
Over the past few weeks I have started shopping for my new laptop… and am still open to suggestions, although I am looking for something fairly specific in that I need a lot of power, but do not want to lug around a 10lb system (I travel a bit).
This morning someone sent me a link to a tool on Microsoft’s website called Laptop Scout (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-laptop-scout/). I checked it out and granted it’s not bad, but unfortunately it does not seem to include the workhorses. Check it out though… and if you have recommendations, feel free to let me know!
Take a behind- the-scenes look at the next generation of Windows at www.TalkingaboutWindows.com, a video blog offering IT professionals genuine insight on Windows 7 from the Microsoft engineers who helped build the product. Listen as engineers talk about why product decisions and feature tradeoffs were made. Get real-world commentary from IT professionals as they share their Windows deployment and adoption experiences. Participate in this forum to express your opinions and questions, and join the conversation with Microsoft and other IT professionals just like you. What’s your take? Visit www.TalkingAboutWindows.com and join the conversation.
I have long believed that a computer is a tool that should do what you need it to do. The whole Mac versus PC debate is interesting in that if you step back someone who has never used a either will have to learn one of them, and frankly both are pretty easy once you get to know them.
So then what makes one better than the other? What you can do with it? I truly believe that in this day and age you can do anything with either of them. Of course everyone knows where I stand… my bread is buttered and although I would love to own a Mac, I would immediately install Windows 7 on it. But what about the rest? Does it matter?
This video features Lauren who seems to have a much more open mind going into the buying process than I would.
I am a member of a private community of Microsoft Certified Trainers on a well known networking site. In the last couple of days one of my colleagues complained that his students were passing their exams by using Brain Dumps, and that these tools diminished the value of the certifications. He opined that this would not change until Microsoft made the exams harder.
What Brain Dumps are is simple; they are the actual exam questions. They are called Brain Dumps because it is believed that people are paid to take the exam, memorize the questions, and as soon as they leave the exam to dump whatever they memorized into a repository. This is, in my opinion, a very trusting position. I suspect that there are testing centres that allow certain people to take recording devices into the test with them and record the actual questions and answers.
Brain Dumps are, in a word, cheating. They are illegal, and go against the non-disclosure agreement that the test taker signs before taking the exam. They are actually cheating from both ends, because just as it is illegal for a test-taker to disclose anything he or she learns during an exam, it is equally cheating to study using these devices. Both are grounds for revocation of your certifications, but as they seem to continue to be a profitable endeavour I am sure people will continue to make and sell them, and others will continue to buy and use them.
The following is my reply to this MCT; others replied in kind and I want to be clear that any form of cheating is frowned upon by most MCTs that I know.
It is simple... any troglodyte can memorize the questions and then pass. The fact that candidates are cheating does not diminish the certification program nor diminish the value of the certifications. It means that people who cheat - and that goes not only for MCP exams but anything - are STEALING the certs, and it is your responsibility to let them know that.
I understand your point that the questions have become more simplified over the past few years. There are reasons for that which I won't go into. However it is my experience that the longer and more detailed the question the easier it would be to memorize and if you are intent on cheating to do so.
Braindumps do not diminish the value of the certification, they diminish the value of the person using them to pass. I used to be affiliated with a training company in Montreal who had a sales person who was not technically inclined. I walked out of my class one day and saw her sitting outside the exam room with a Test King book in her hand. I don't know if it was her intent to take it into the room or just to memorize it well enough to pass, but I let her have it. Later the exam proctor took me aside and told me I owed her an apology for MY behaviour. I told him I would apologize as soon as she called Microsoft Learning and confessed to stealing her certifications, and I would even grovel if he would admit to them that he had helped her. Bottom line is nobody apologized to anyone.
Tell your students that if they want to put letters after their names they can cheat; or they can take your class and pass legitimately and be proud of those letters.
During the 2009 MVP Global Summit we recorded a video of the lot of us – fifteen hundred MVPS! – proclaiming that we are PCs. Of course they recorded it, and here it is… the booming voice that you hear in the second run through is Steve Ballmer, a very energetic speaker!
The MVPs are PCs!
As I sit in the MCT Summit this week I am blown away by what’s coming down the pipe. These are the things that I will be focusing on in the next little while:
Virtualization
Of course I have been talking about Hyper-V for over a year now… and System Center Virtual Machine Manager is the cat’s meow. Hyper-V version 2 is now in beta, and a lot of the improvements are going to blow you away. More on that soon.
Windows Server 2008 R2
I was not a fan of Windows NT 4 Server, but have really liked each release of Server since. The improvement curve will continue upwards in Server 2008 R2… PowerShell is getting better, but the Active Directory Recycle Bin is going to be a real life saver for a lot of people… I’ve never actually erased an entire Organizational Unit by accident, but I know people who have… this is going to be nice!
Windows 7
I have been using Windows Vista since before it was called Vista. I am one of those people who loves it, and have never looked back. I know there are a lot of people out there who disagree with me, and for those of you who are waiting with bated breath for the new version, the wait will not be long now. Stay tuned!
More and Better
I wish I could tell you right now about everything we are discussing this week, but the reality is I am trying to listen to Joey Snow right now as I type… pretty tough to do both. Besides, there’s no NDA for this week so we’re not actually learning anything NEW and unreleased. That’s going to wait until next month… but believe me, there’s a lot coming out from Microsoft this year that will make us all happier… let’s talk more about that soon!
I came across this piece in the 180 Systems Blog (www.180systemsblog.com) this evening and found it fascinating. Please feel free to visit them for more insightful pieces. -M
A man sat at a subway station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced their kids to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most renowned musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston where the seats average $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
Sunday morning I woke up to find a foot of snow in my driveway; time to break out the shovel! I dressed up warm (the thermometer read -9°C / 19°F), grabbed my shovel, and opened the garage door… and was flummoxed. Where should I start? There was a wall of snow all along both sides of the garage that was equally deep right to the foot of the driveway, some thirty-five feet away. I stood there for a minute and weighed my options, and then I put the shovel to the snow and scooped up my first shovelful.
Thirty minutes later I had cleared off the top third of one side of the driveway… I honestly never thought I would get that far! Although the end was not quite near, I could certainly see how far I had come.
I drew a parallel between that progress and my IT certifications; I thought back to the first time I really looked into it, and realized that it was not as simple as saying I would take a few courses and pass a few tests, I had to plan out a course of action, and the starting point was oftentimes as complicated as the material I had to learn; which course should I take first? What study materials and methods should I use? When would I be ready to pass my first exams? It was so nerve-wracking I occasionally thought about giving up… and it was nearly eighteen months before I would pass my first exam.
Sure, certifications are complex… it would likely be simpler if it was a linear path from start to finish, but that is simply not the way it works. You have to really know what you are doing before you set out, and frankly that can be a daunting challenge, one that I am sure has prevented many people from setting out.
What should you do first? You have to decide what it is you want your certifications for; if you want to be a developer or an IT Pro… and a dozen other decisions. My advice? put your shovel to the snow and scoop up your first shovelful; If you are not simply thinking of changing careers but have been working in IT for a while then chances are you know what you are comfortable with; look to see what certifications are available. You might be comfortable with the desktop operating system, so a logical ‘first shovel’ may be one of the desktop OS exams – TS: Configuring Windows Vista (70-620), or even the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) exams (70-271 & 70-272). They may or may not have much to do with what you want to eventually do, but they are a good way of learning what certifications are about.
The public newsgroups are replete with certification advice, and you can have your questions answered by passionate people who are either where you are or were once. If you want to invest in classroom learning then most training centres will have sales consultants who can answer a lot of your questions as well. If you are leaning towards e-learning then many of the IT vendors (Microsoft, Cisco, Novell, etc…) will offer some sort of e-learning options that are worth exploring.
The point is that after a while you will discover what is right for you, what works and what doesn’t, and when you wake up one day you will realize that you may not yet be a Microsoft Certified Master, but you do have a couple of exams under your belt!
My driveway is clean today, but it is going to snow again this week and I am going to have to pick up my shovel again; just like that, certifications is something that is ongoing rather than a journey to an end. The first certifications I achieved are now obsolete, but that doesn’t matter because I have replaced them with more relevant ones now. However if I had not started when I did… when would I have?
When will you?
On Sunday I was shoveling my driveway, and quite enjoying myself. I had decided ahead of time to only do one side of it that day, and finish it Monday or Tuesday.
As I stood at the base of the driveway admiring my work someone came up to me and said ‘It looks like you didn’t plan that out very well!’ I asked what he meant, and he pointed out that I had shoveled the right side of the driveway, but (as displayed) my car was parked in the garage on the left side.
I looked… and from where he was standing I could understand his criticism. I reached into my pocket and clicked the remote control which opened the right side garage door, exposing our main family vehicle. The gentleman was a bit embarrassed, and apologized for the remark, complimented the job, and continued on his way.
The encounter made me think of so many discussions I have had in the past; some people are quick to criticize accomplishments without having all the facts. It is important to remember that we may see what is in front of us, but not necessarily all of the relevant facts.
A client called me frantically several months ago following a conversation that she had with a colleague. She wanted to know why it was that I had not implemented a backup solution for their desktop PCs and Outlook PST files; her colleague had criticized me for my short-sightedness and recommended that she speak with ‘her IT guy’ who would do a much better job for her. Of course because that colleague did not know that I had implemented a complete backup solution on the server and redirected all desktop folders to Network Shares she could not know that backing up the actual workstations would be redundant. She did not have all of the facts, and that is an easy way to come to the wrong conclusions.
Someone once said that the more someone talks the less they know; I do not know if that is true, but it is certainly easier to learn by listening than by talking… the more facts you have the better informed you will be when you do speak.
It happened again… over a three day period nearly a foot of fresh snow fell on Oakville. As I usually do I ignored it for a bit until it got too bad for my car to drive through, but this morning I decided to get out there and clear it. I actually discovered in December how much I actually enjoy this task… one that I had never really had before this year.
You may have read my article ‘I’m an IT Pro and Welcome to Winter’ (Posted Sunday, December 21, 2008) which included videos of me doing my thing. It was the first intense exercise I have done in some time, and I got a feeling of satisfaction that you cannot get from watching someone else do it for you.
So Sunday morning I bundled up nice and warm (It was gorgeous and sunny… and -9°C / 15°F outside) and grabbed my shovel. I actually have several implements that I could have chosen, including a very efficient push-scoop that can move a lot more snow with a lot less effort, but I opted for the same red plastic shovel that features in the videos from December. I started at the top of the driveway, and decided to only do half of it (we have a two car garage so a two car driveway, but are currently only using the single car).
There is a man who lives in our circle who gets by on doing ‘menial labour’ for the neighbourhood. Last year we paid him every time there was a snow storm to shovel the driveway. After I had been shovelling for about ten minutes he came by and asked if I wanted him to take over, and would only charge me fifteen dollars for the entire job. I thanked him, but told him that I was doing fine on my own, and wished him well. He’s a nice guy and we chatted for a few minutes, and then I put my earphones back on and continued.
Several minutes later one of my neighbours came by and asked if I wanted to borrow his snow blower to save time. He had seen the videos on my blog, and figured I could save a lot of time and effort by ‘automating the task.’ I declined, and then as we were chatting he noticed in my garage a contraption parked between the cars. ‘Is that what I think it is?’ He was referring to my snow blower, which I recently paid to make sure it was well tuned. He was perplexed, but it is very simple.
I mentioned that I discovered that I enjoyed shovelling the driveway. Part of that is because it needs to be done, and is part of taking care of one’s home. This is my first year as a homeowner, and it is fulfilling to put your back into maintaining it. However there is much more to it than that.
Of course it is great exercise… I used to be in great shape, and am upset that I have allowed that to falter. Walking the dogs is great, but shovelling really gives you a much more complete workout… Even now I feel my shoulder and arm muscles, in addition to my legs!
I find shovelling very relaxing. It allows me to be alone with my task… and my music. It also allows me to get a lot of fresh air; the task took no less than ninety minutes, and all along I was out in the sun, getting exercise, and of course enjoying the solitude of my music. It is therapeutic.
Perhaps the best part of the task is finishing… at 1:15 I came into the house and Theresa heated up a bowl of her mulligatawny… there is nothing better on a cold day than a hot bowl of soup, but you cannot really appreciate it in quite the same way if you didn’t spend the time outside earning it! If I wasn’t on a diet I would say that a cup of hot chocolate or even a big bowl of creamy clam chowder was what the doctor called for, but Theresa made the soup from scratch, and it was as satisfying as it was warming.
I will spend Monday at home working… but sometime during the day I will take the time to shovel the other half of the driveway. It is completely unnecessary of course – we are happy as a single-car family; but the feeling of accomplishment coupled with the exercise make the left side of the driveway too tempting to resist!
The following message appeared in my Junk Mail box today. (These are only the first few lines… it looked complete and quite official)
From: paypal.support@520838.com
Security Center Advisory!
PayPal is constantly working to ensure security by screening accounts daily in our system. We recently reviewed your account, and we need you to verify information to help us provide you with secure service. Until we can collect this information, your access to sensitive account features will be limited or terminated. We would like to restore your access as soon as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Why is my account access limited?
Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s):
· February 27, 2008: We have reason to believe that your account was accessed by a third party. Because protecting the security of your account is our primary concern, we have placed limited access to sensitive PayPal account features. We understand that this may be an inconvenience but please understand that this temporary limitation is for your protection.
Click Here to Remove Account Limitations (http://62.57.72.20/blocks/19483.paypal.com/webscr_cmd_login-run.php?%3c-*-%3ez%5b3,$0%20dAN%5b=iz%5b3|As0,d%3c-*-%3e)
It went on to include warnings about security, never sharing your password, protecting your account, and so on. It looks, on the surface, to have come from PayPal. Of course it also includes a convenient link to change you password, and will remind you again that for security reasons, you must enter your account name and existing password to proceed. Gotcha!
This is a relatively common scheme called phishing. A play on the word fishing, phishing schemes send out millions of e-mails that in almost every way look like they came from eBay, Paypal, or your financial institution. They show up in your e-mail with a warning that you need to stay safe, starting with changing your password immediately. Of course they include a convenient click-here link which takes you to the login page. You enter your credentials and you are done… literally. What you have done is given a bogus site your real credentials to the real financial institution, which they will use to take your money and ruin your good name.
Microsoft has gone to great lengths over the years to protect its users from these schemes, but because they are inexpensive and simple to operate they keep coming. Users who use the latest and greatest operating system and e-mail client from Microsoft and keep them properly patched are less at-risk than those who do not… as stated in the first line this e-mail showed up in my Junk Mail folder, and in order to even see the graphics (let alone click on a link) I had to proactively move the message to a safe location, and mark it as safe. That is because different components of my network – starting with my mail server but including Windows Vista (with Internet Explorer 8.0 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007) are regularly patched with phishing definitions. These definitions do their best to keep up with the various cutting-edge methods of treachery used in these scams. However a user on an older, un-patched OS using an older mail client will not have the same security… and will usually not know it.
When you are unsure of an e-mail, the first rule is DO NOT click on anything. Do not even download the graphics if your mail client allows for that option. If you are absolutely convinced that your account has been compromised then rather than clicking within the message, open an Internet Explorer browser and type in the URL of your site manually. That is the surest way to know that you are where you belong.
Here are a couple of tips you can look for to be 100% sure that someone is trying to scam you:
- E-mail from any institution that you regularly do business with will end with their domain name, so PayPal will be from @paypal.com… never paypal@<anything else>.com
- Legitimate URLs (Universal Resource Locators) – or web addresses – follow simple rules; it is only what follows the domain name that can look like gibberish. The click-through link included in this message is designed to look like it comes from 19483.paypal.com… it is right there in bold; of course, this is hidden from you within the Link itself – you are meant to simply click on the words Remove Account Limitations which will open the Internet browser. So in the address bar of that Internet browser look at the address… the site name is what is found between the http:// and the first forward slash (/). So in the address above the site is located at 62.57.72.20… an IP address. No legitimate business in the world – certainly no reputable one – uses IP addresses in their sites in place of domain names.
Of course all of that is interesting technically, but from a social engineering point of view there are several telltale signs within the message that prove its illegitimacy:
- Neither my name nor my account is in the e-mail anywhere. Legitimate e-mail from proper sites will generally be addressed to me: Dear Mr. Garvis, and so on;
- In much the same way, legitimate e-mail will usually be signed by a person.
- According to the e-mail my account was compromised on February 27, 2008. If it was a legitimate threat it would not come ten months late.
- Financial sites do not limit access… they block it until you change your password.
In November I got a call from my bank informing me that my bank card might have been compromised, and asked me to go into the nearest bank at my convenience to have the card replaced. They cancelled the card on the spot of course, and they called me (slightly early on a Saturday morning if I recall) apologizing for the inconvenience. I found this a bit inconvenient, but quite secure. Had they sent me an e-mail I would have been immediately suspicious, and would have called anyways. Notice that this e-mail does not have a phone number to call.
Phishing is scary because of its prevalence and anonymity. Although it is a simple crime to avoid (imagine muggers asking you to click here before they stole your wallet!) it is also astoundingly easy to get caught… simply lower your guard for a minute and they have you. If you suspect that you have been targeted, you should contact the legitimate institution immediately; if you fall victim to a scheme then your first step is to contact your local law enforcement agency who will guide you… although because of the international nature of these crimes it might be years before you ever see progress – if ever.
The Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination has been a piece of computer trivia and lore for years… it really is the most famous ‘Easter Egg’ of all time. Here is an interesting video of the father of the feature (Dave Bradley) explaining its origins.
http://www.flixxy.com/computer-history-ctrl-alt-del.htm
I just got an e-mail from the Microsoft Company Store confirming they were shipping my recent order... which I read as this:
‘We wanted to inform you that your most recent order of DOG TREATS is en route.’
This week’s ‘Gingit’ toll:
- 1 pair leather shoes (mine…)
- 1 Xbox 360 wireless controller
- 1 Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse (for those keeping score her THIRD)
- The latest Macleans magazine
- A chequebook (the last one I had)
- 1 Lego helicopter (not mine)
- 1 EA Sports game (Aaron’s)
Sigh...
I was looking for an e-mail from years ago when I came across this letter I wrote to the Senior Editor (Careers) for TechRepublic.com nearly six years ago. Although the circumstances hardly apply to me anymore it may be interesting for IT Professionals just starting out, weighing the pros and cons of leaving their cozy and safe day jobs for the wild world of independence… or combining both!
It should be noted that I wrote this letter six weeks before leaving my day job; I did not have any certifications yet (I would get my first within two months). The economic climate was probably much safer then than now, so that was not a concern at the time. As well in Canada I was safe if I got sick – socialized Medicare and such.
I have spent the past three years as the M.I.S. Director of a local security company. Along the way I made a lot of good contacts, and people started (as they will) seeking free advice. From time to time 'they' would ask for help with a problem, and if I could accommodate them without interfering with my day job, I would. The occasional jobs started to supplement my income nicely, and I was exposed to a lot of systems and software that I had either forgotten or would not otherwise have been exposed to.
Well one of these clients was so pleased with my work that they mentioned me to a colleague of theirs, who happened to be a long-lost friend from high school. Ron and I had grown into computers together, and now he ran a computer consulting firm. We met up again at a party, and he asked me if I would be interested in doing some sub-contracting. We discussed it the next week and he gave me the name of a client whose company ran a small local area network. Before I could even meet the client, she called and asked if I could do a favour by visiting a client of theirs whose computerized cash registers were down.
I fixed up the client's client's problem by eliminating the virus from their system, and all of a sudden what had once been an occasional after-work job had turned into an every-lunch and every-evening job. I had established a steady client base of small businesses who were frustrated by a long string of consultants and technicians who charged big bucks but were either unqualified, unreliable, hard-to-reach, or dishonest. After listening to what each had to say, I examined who I was: I was certainly qualified and definitely honest. So by making sure I was reliable and easy to get in touch with I could probably make some good extra spending money.
Though I still have my day job, I am billing on average fifteen hours per week. My clients are extremely happy, and I am earning more money consulting than I do at my day job. I know that many of my clients would be very happy to see me quit my day job to be more available, and that is in the long term plan. I am also studying for a number of certifications, which will open even more doors to companies who may be sitting on the fence about hiring someone like myself.
My two greatest concerns about going at it as an independent were that clients would not want to pay for my services, or worse that the clients would not be knocking on my door. However most business owners and managers that I have come across are not afraid to pay the hefty hourly rates that I charge, if that is what it takes to know that their systems will be working, and if they go down that I will be straight with them about what it will take to get them up again. As long as I maintain my reputation and good name by offering those four points - qualified, reliable, accessible, and honest - I would be in good shape.
In a day and age when anyone can print up business cards and call themselves a computer consultant, businesspeople have to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. I tell my clients that there are consultants who charge twenty dollars per hour - and are worth every penny of it, and there are consultants who charge one hundred and twenty dollars per hour - and are worth every penny of it. When your business relies on its computers to work right this time and every time, which do you think is your best bet to get you there?
New Years Eve… December 31st, 2008. We left our hotel at 1pm and did not stop having an incredible time for over twelve hours! I started to blog when we came home last night, but it was a lost cause. It is now New Years Day, and I have a lot to remember from last night.
We had tickets to see Jersey Boys, which was by far the best of the shows that we have seen this trip. The star of the show – Dominic Scaglione Jr. – had an incredible voice, and was a really nice guy… he and his entourage happened to walk into the bar where Theresa and I were sitting after the show, and spent a few minutes talking to us. We had already gotten a picture of him with Theresa, but took this opportunity to get an autograph.
Drinks were at the bar in Gallagher's, across the street on 52nd Street West. Max was pouring the drinks, and he did not seem to be measuring his pours. Around 6:00 I asked for a table, and we had an excellent steak dinner… not Berns’ or Moishe’s, but definitely a great steak!
We walked along 8th Avenue to 42nd Street where we had concert tickets… what a madhouse! Theresa and I made sure to stick together, and with a little effort we got to the 42nd Street Checkpoint in one piece. We showed our tickets to no fewer than three NYPD cops, and then got to B.B. King’s. We were all bundled up because we figured we would have to wait in line outside, but as luck would have it they were letting people wait in the bar, where we met a really nice couple from Tennessee. Tom and Charlene were the nicest people, on their first vacation in several years and loving New York City.
When they started letting people into the lounge we were near the front of the line, and got a great table… and the drinks kept coming. All I can say is it is a good thing that we were not driving!
Chuck Berry was incredible… at his age (he has to be seventy years old!) he isn’t duck-walking anymore, but he sure has the voice, and can play the guitar like nobody’s business! He played all of our favourite songs, and then some… Maybelline, Oh Carol, My Ding-a-Ling (an interesting audience participation sing-a-long!), and Sweet Sixteen. Leading into midnight he brought a couple of girls from the audience on stage, and broke into Johnny B. Goode… WOW! He really knows how to make people move!
Somehow for the last couple of songs Charlene ended up on stage with Chuck and the band… and she did not disappoint the drunken entourage that she left behind! Just look at her in this picture, dancing with the man himself. Theresa stayed behind, and Tom and I were just taking as many pictures as we could, while dancing along.
Sadly the show had to come to an end, as all good things must. As we made our way to the door Theresa opined that it was definitely her greatest New Years Eve ever… and I spent a minute trying to think of a better one. I have spent them with friends, I have spent them with family… I spent two in the army. None that I can think of can hold a candle to what we did last night (sorry Brad… at least you got your award!). Great shows, great food, great people, and the woman I love. What more could a man ask for? I hope you all had a great time too… and wish you and yours the best for an incredible 2009!
Actually it was our first full day in the city to be sure… but that’s just a technicality. We drove in yesterday – after sitting in traffic waiting for 
the Lincoln Tunnel for two full hours; boy are we glad that we drive a hybrid! It took another 45 minutes to get to the hotel at 45th and 7th Avenue – we were able to park the car, and plan to leave it thusly until we leave!
Once we were here though… all of the stress of travel dissipated in the quaintness of our modern European-style hotel. I have been in a lot of hotel rooms and can honestly say that this one (Room Mate Grace) is unique. It has everything we need, and is extremely efficient in its design. We cleaned up and hit the town!
Theresa and I love the theatre, although we understood that Broadway was dark on Sundays and Mondays. We quickly discovered that we were wrong, and walked to the new TKTS in Times Square to see what we could get… forget about it! The line was ridiculous, and we decided to just go to the box office. The first show Theresa really wanted to see was Mamma Mia, and who am I to say no? We made reservations at a little Chinese joint next to the Winter Garden Theatre, and lucked out with seats in the Orchestra :) The show was good… I do not love the music, but everything else about it was excellent.
This morning wee decided to walk to Macy’s… a ten block walk would give us some exercise, and lord knows I need it! Theresa needed a couple of things, and a friend recommended that we eat at the Cellar at Macy’s… and he has not yet led me wrong.
For some reason everywhere we have gone – with the exception of TKTS – we have magically avoided any significant waiting. We walked into the Cellar and were seated right away… 12:45pm, Monday between Christmas and New Years, in the largest department store in the world. When we finished our very agreeable lunch there were no fewer than thirty people lined up waiting for our table!
From the cellar we rode the escalator up to the top – ten floors up – only to discover that what we were looking for was on the balcony over the first floor. No matter, it was an adventure… not our first and likely not our last of the day!!
Theresa is there to keep me in line when I tell cashiers that the <fill in the blank> that we are buying was on a shelf marked 50% Off… 
and she did it again today, only to find out (much to hers and the cashier’s amazement) that this time I was telling the truth! There really are bargains to be had after Christmas… even at Macy’s!
We walked back from 34th Street to the movie theatre on 42nd. It was a beautiful warm day and we really enjoyed the walk. We saw a movie to kill a couple of hours, and then came back to the hotel.
We decided that lunch was such a success that we would try Jay’s second restaurant recommendation – the Carnegie Deli. We took a bicycle-powered rickshaw along Avenue of the Americas driven by a young man from West Africa… what a hoot! I had never done that before, and aside from being much easier to manoeuvre through traffic, it was also a lot of fun!
Carnegie’s is certainly not Schwartz’s but it was good… and holy Hanna do they put a lot on your plate! As Jay suggested we shared a sandwich and a knish, and were FULL! The place itself was a great experience that everyone should try at least once… though I sympathize with your arteries if you go overboard.
Walking back we realized that not all theatres are dark on Mondays anymore… we couldn’t get tickets for Jersey Boys for a reasonable amount, and Wicked was sold out. The third theatre we came across was the Ambassador which had Chicago playing. I walked up to the box office and the teller liked me… Again he had Orchestra seats (second row!) but only charged me the lowest Balcony rates. Who says you can’t get anything for a smile and a kind word!?
Chicago was a great show. I had seen the movie, but Theresa knew nothing but the name. At intermission she admitted to me that she was enjoying it more than Mamma Mia… even though the seats were not as comfortable… though I promised Eagle One that I would not complain!
We walked back to the hotel and realized what a full day it had been. We took some pictures as we walked along Broadway into Times Square, and got back to the room in time for us to realize how tired we were. Tomorrow is another day, and Theresa and I cannot wait to see what it has in store for us… who knows? We might even get to see Jersey Boys!
I cannot remember exactly when I started using Microsoft Office Outlook over the free Outlook Express product, but I do remember preferring it over OE, at least when I got used to it… and when I really started using it.
I do remember that when I installed my original Small Business Server 2003 server at home – with Exchange Server 2003 included and integral to that experience – I was an independent consultant, and spent several hours (days?) collating the information I had in several sources – Outlook Express, PDA, and especially my DayTimer – into Outlook. That meant that every appointment going forward, every contact, every e-mail, and every task would be in Outlook, and has been ever since (probably mid-2003).
So all of a sudden I had this single repository of information where everything went… and quickly understood the concept of drinking from a fire hose. At first dozens and eventually hundreds of e-mails would come in every day.
When I discovered Outlook Rules I fell in love, and have been using them ever since. Admittedly I do not use them to their fullest extent… mostly to just sort e-mail into folders (and I have nearly a hundred of those, if not more).
At some point I noticed that a lot of e-mails would fall under a number of rules… for example, I have a rule that any e-mail from someone whose address includes the text @microsoft.com is sorted into a file called Microsoft; however I also have several rules for people or groups at Microsoft… so an e-mail from Richard Claus would be delivered to two locations. Never mind that this would take extra storage space, it would also look like I have two (or often THREE) unread messages for a single message.
There is a simple solution for that… there is a rule called ‘Stop Processing More Rules’. On the Select Actions window you can select Move it to the specified folder, which will do just that. However you can select multiple actions here, and the Stop Processing More Rules action will do just that, rather than letting the engine process the next rule… thus preventing other rules from being applied to it.
Of course you may ask why isn’t this the default action for all rules? I did mention that I, like most of the people in the world who use Outlook, do not use it to its fullest extent. However there are rules that apply only within Outlook, and cannot be ported over to Exchange Server, such as assign it to a category. By applying this action to a rule it is automatically converted to a ‘Client Only’ rule, and will be removed from the Exchange Server. If a user only checks his e-mail from the single Microsoft Office Outlook client where the rule is configured then there is no problem… but imagine a user who uses Outlook Web Access as well as Outlook Mobile Access… rules would not be processed on the fly, and the whole benefit to the organization would be lost. Instead of doing that, we can create two rules… one that files the incoming e-mail into the proper folder (Server-side rule), and then one that assigns a category to the same e-mail (client-side rule). The e-mail would be filed properly on the fly, and as soon as the user connected to his Outlook client it would then be categorized.
Bill Jowett of Exclaimer Inc. (http://www.exclaimer.com) has given me a sneak preview of a new product that they are currently beta-testing a new product that will extend the functionality of Outlook (beyond what their current Exclaimer Mail Utilities offering does, which only works with a back-end Exchange Server) with some great new features. As their previous offering used a powerful rules engine as the core back-end tool, I look forward to seeing what the new Outlook product will offer… but for now the standard Outlook rules does what I need, and with a little ingenuity helps me to keep my mailbox clean! He will be presenting his session ‘Outlook 2007: What’s NOT in the Box’ tomorrow evening (Tuesday, December 9th, 2008) at the IT Professionals Community of Greater Toronto where he will be demonstrating the new tool… come on out and get a sneak peak before it is actually launched!
I can hardly believe that it has been four years since a brash and outspoken yet passionate young man volunteered to help build a user group for IT Pros in Montreal. After two years at the helm of the Montreal IT Professionals Community (affectionately known as MITPro) I left partly to make way for new blood, partly because I was embarking upon a new career path… one that would take me away from Montreal, initially for extended periods of time and within the year permanently.
Within months of settling in Mississauga I was asked again to volunteer, and nearly a year ago a group of passionate IT Pros sat down to form the IT Professionals Community of Greater Toronto. Our ‘launch’ was at the Server/SQL 2008 launch event in March, where we told everyone about our first event that we held on March 18th… and while we had a temporary ‘placeholder site’ on the web, we were planning big things for our site, and the passionate group of volunteers planned for that site to be up in time for the April event.
April turned to May, spring into summer and eventually autumn until today, five days until the winter solstice. The delays were plenty and I am responsible for all of them… from hardware to software and back, until we finally found the combination that worked for us. It took nearly ten months to get this site up, and I am reminded of the old saying about the shoemaker’s children.
Over the coming weeks you will likely see a number of huge changes to the site because what you see is not the result of months of design efforts, rather of several days but based on an incredible platform – Telligent’s Community Server. If you are looking for a portal engine I highly recommend it… I have been using their previous version for my personal site for over a year, and love the new one even more.
Speaking of blogging, if you are a member of our community and you’d like to start, drop us a line… we’d be glad to host your blog for you!
See you soon!
M
You never know who you are going to meet at a user group meeting.
Last Tuesday evening the IT Professionals Community of Greater Toronto hosted its monthly event at the University of Toronto. It was great to see so many new faces at t