Saskatoon IT Virtualization Boot Camp–Day 1

March 30, 2012 1 Comment

I don’t know why I always poo-poo Saskatoon, because I always have a great time when I am here.  However this week I expected would be a bit rough… I arrived in Saskatoon on Thursday fighting a terrible head cold which I had brought with me from Montreal.  I used no fewer than 40 tissues during my user group presentation, much to the amusement of the great and vibrant audience of nearly 40 IT Pros.

When I showed up at the Saskatoon Business College at 8:30 in the morning, ready to set up for a 10:00am start.  I had a healthy dose of Benylin (non-drowsy formula), Cold-FX, lozenges, and decaffeinated tea bags.  One eager attendee (who had won a great prize at the UG meeting!) actually got here before us, and helped us to set up the room.  We got the room set up, and within a few minutes the room started to fill up.

We had a great time, and the Challenge was exciting right through the end, with three teams heading into the last challenge of the day with fewer than 5 points separating them.  However the prizes weren’t as important as the knowledge – a lot of people learned a lot about Microsoft Virtualization, iSCSI SANs, Failover Clustering, and more.  They worked as teams, nine teams working as cohesive units with the hopes of winning the prize, but with the certainty that they were learning about technologies they hadn’t previously played with.

Of course we also discussed Server 8 – very briefly – and topics such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), and all sorts of other fun side-topics.  We had decent lunch, a few laughs, and a lot of fun.

Tomorrow is another day… we will start with 10 new teams, fresh and ready to learn, compete, and bond.  I love working with community… so much better than working alone! –M

Filed under Boot Camp, Hyper-V, Microsoft Canada, Saskatoon, Virtualization

It’s About You: Tell Microsoft How They Are Doing!

March 15, 2012 Leave a comment

It is NSAT time! Microsoft Canada has asked me to post this to the site to give you all a way of letting them know how you think they are doing! -Mitch

Every fall and spring, a survey goes out to a few hundred thousand IT folk in Canada asking what they think of Microsoft as a company. The information they get from this survey helps them understand what problems and issues you’re facing and how they can do better. The team at Microsoft Canada takes the input they get from this survey very seriously.

Now I don’t know who of you will get the survey and who won’t but if you do find an email in your inbox from "Microsoft Feedback” with an email address of “ feedback@e-mail.microsoft.com ” and a subject line “Help Microsoft Focus on Customers and Partners” from now until April 13th — it’s not a hoax or phishing email. Please open it and take a few minutes to tell them what you think.

This is your chance to get your voice heard: If they’re doing well, feel free to pile on the kudos (they love positive feedback!) and if you see areas they can improve, please point them out so they can make adjustments (they also love constructive criticism!).

The Microsoft team would like to thank you for all your feedback in the past — to those of you who have filled out the survey and sent them emails. Thank you to all who engage with them in so many different ways through events, the blogs, online and in person. You are why they do what they do and they feel lucky to work with such a great community!

One last thing – even if you don’t get the survey you can always give the team feedback by emailing us directly through the Microsoft Canada IT Pro Feedback email address .

They want to make sure they are serving you in the best possible way. Tell them what you want more of. What should they do less of or stop altogether? How can they help? Do you want more cowbell ? Let them know through the survey or the email alias. They love hearing from you!

Filed under Microsoft, Microsoft Canada

Getting Started with Cloud Computing

March 15, 2012 Leave a comment

I have been asked by Microsoft Canada to post this to the site.  Please feel free to comment, and let me know when you do get stared with Office 365, InTune, or Azure! -Mitch

You’ve likely heard about how Office 365 and Windows Intune are great applications to get you started with Cloud Computing. Many of you emailed me asking for more info on what Cloud Computing is, including the distinction between "Public Cloud" and "Private Cloud". I want to address these questions and help you get started. Let’s begin with a brief set of definitions and some places to find more info; however, an excellent place where you can always learn more about Cloud Computing is the Microsoft Virtual Academy.

Public Cloud computing means that the infrastructure to run and manage the applications users are taking advantage of is run by someone else and not you. In other words, you do not buy the hardware or software to run your email or other services being used in your organization – that is done by someone else. Users simply connect to these services from their computers and you pay a monthly subscription fee for each user that is taking advantage of the service. Examples of Public Cloud services include Office 365, Windows Intune, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Hotmail, and others.

Private Cloud computing generally means that the hardware and software to run services used by your organization is run on your premises, with the ability for business groups to self-provision the services they need based on rules established by the IT department. Generally, Private Cloud implementations today are found in larger organizations but they are also viable for small and medium-sized businesses since they generally allow an automation of services and reduction in IT workloads when properly implemented. Having the right management tools, like System Center 2012, to implement and operate Private Cloud is important in order to be successful.

So – how do you get started? The first step is to determine what makes the most sense to your organization. The nice thing is that you do not need to pick Public or Private Cloud – you can use elements of both where it makes sense for your business – the choice is yours. When you are ready to try and purchase Public Cloud technologies, the Microsoft Volume Licensing web site is a good place to find links to each of the online services. In particular, if you are interested in a trial for each service, you can visit the following pages: Office 365, CRM Online, Windows Intune, and Windows Azure.

For Private Cloud technologies, start with some of the courses on Microsoft Virtual Academy and then download and install the Microsoft Private Cloud technologies including Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and System Center 2012 in your own environment and take it for a spin. Also, keep up to date with the Canadian IT Pro blog to learn about events Microsoft is delivering such as the IT Virtualization Boot Camps and more to get you started with these technologies hands on.

Finally, I want to ask for your help to allow the team at Microsoft to continue to provide you what you need. Twice a year through something we call "The Global Relationship Study" – they reach out and contact you to see how they’re doing and what Microsoft could do better. If you get an email from "Microsoft Feedback" with the subject line "Help Microsoft Focus on Customers and Partners" between March 5th and April 13th, please take a little time to tell them what you think.

Filed under Cloud, Microsoft Canada, Office 365, Windows Intune

Need Help With Software Licensing? Read On…

March 15, 2012 Leave a comment

I have been asked by some friends at Microsoft Canada to post this article (and two others) for you.  Please feel free to provide any feedback, but I hope the resources and information are useful! -Mitch

Figuring out which software licensing options best suit your needs while being cost-effective can be confusing. Some businesses end up making their purchases through retail stores which means they miss out on volume licensing opportunities and others may unknowingly be using unlicensed software which means their business may be at risk. So let me help you make the best decision for your situation.

You may want to review this blog post that lays out licensing basics for any organization that needs to license software for more than 5 or less than 250 devices or users. It details the different ways you can buy a license and what choices are available for volume licensing, which can give you pricing advantages and provide flexible options for your business.

As technology evolves and more organizations move to online services such as Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Windows Azure Platform, Windows Intune and others, it’s important to understand how to purchase, activate and use online service subscriptions to get the most out of your investment. Once purchased through a volume licensing agreement or the Microsoft Online Subscription Program, these services can be managed through web portals:

· Online Services Customer Portal (Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Intune)

· Dynamics CRM Online Customer Portal (Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online)

· Windows Azure Customer Portal (Windows Azure Platform)

· Volume Licensing Service Center (other services)

Learn more >>

Licensing Resources:

Additional Resources You May Find Useful:

· TechNet Evaluation Center
Try some of our latest Microsoft products For free, Like System Center 2012 Pre-Release Products, and evaluate them before you buy.

· Springboard Series
Your destination for technical resources, free tools and expert guidance to ease the deployment and management of your Windows-based client infrastructure.  

· AlignIT Manager Tech Talk Series
A monthly streamed video series with a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers.  Ask questions and participate real-time or watch the on-demand recording.

Filed under Microsoft, Microsoft Canada

Imagine Cup… Change the World!

February 11, 2012 Leave a comment

Are you a student?  Are you ready to change the world?

All it takes is one good idea. Imagine Cup, one of the premiere worldwide technology competitions, is looking for students, to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems through technology.

This year, Microsoft will be hosting a Canadian Imagine Cup competition with two categories: Software Design and Windows Phone 7 Game Design. You could win a trip to Toronto for the Canadian Finals, a trip to Australia for the Worldwide Finals, international acclaim and cash grants. What are you waiting for? Get involved »

Filed under Imagine Cup, Microsoft Canada

Ottawa & the NCR… Let’s Get Virtual!

February 11, 2012 4 Comments

If you are an IT Pro in the National Capital Reason, we have an event for you!  On Friday, February 17th and again on Saturday, February 18th Microsoft Canada’s Evangelism team is bringing the IT Virtualization Boot Camp to you!

Damir Bersenic and I will be hosting the event, for two days of geeking out… we will be building a virtualization environment from scratch, including full failover and Live Migration capabilities, and all in one day!

The format is fun and exciting, with teams of four participants competing for cash prizes!  The cost is $25, all of which goes directly to your local user group which, in turn, helps you!

For more information and to register visit the Canadian IT Pro Connection at http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2012/02/06/hands-on-with-private-cloud-technology-it-virtualization-boot-camp-dates-for-ottawa-amp-calgary.aspx.  I look forward to seeing you in Ottawa in February!

Filed under Hyper-V, Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtualization, Virtualization

CanIT! (Pro)

January 30, 2012 Leave a comment

For years I have followed, worked with, and looked to the IT Evangelism team at Microsoft Canada for guidance and direction.  My first encounter with them probably dates back to 2003 (before there was an actual team), but I really started to get to know them in 2005.  When Rick Claus came to speak to the GUMSNET user group about virtualization in November, 2004 I saw him behind the podium at Microsoft Canada as a behemoth (and he is not nearly tall enough to be that), and as I got to know the other members of the team – past, present, and future – I always admired the passion they had for what they discussed, along with (obviously) a deep knowledge of the technologies they discussed.

Last week Rick Claus, the ‘Team Elder’ as it were, announced that he has moved on.  He is still an IT Evangelist for Microsoft, but he has moved down to Redmond and is now working for Corp.  I wish him well, and know that while we will miss him in Canada he will be a great addition to the team in Redmond.

Meanwhile back in Canada I am currently doing a lot of work with the Evangelism team on their Virtualization Boot Camp tour, and was thrilled that Damir asked to re-post two of my articles from this site there.  They are:

What’s a Layer 1 or Layer 2 Hypervisor and Where Does Hyper-V Fit in?

and

Virtualization Infrastructure: Which platform is right for you?

I am currently in the process of writing another article which I hope to cross-post shortly.  Keep your eyes peeled to both these sites for great information that will help you grow as an IT Professional!  Also watch both sites for news about other cities where the Virtualization Boot Camp will be showing up… they are a great opportunity for you to learn virtualization, win cash prizes, and support your local user group community!

Filed under IT Pro, Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtualization, Virtualization

Hey Vancouver IT Pros!

January 26, 2012 Leave a comment

If you are an IT Pro in Vancouver, we have an event for you!  On Friday, February 10th and again on Saturday, February 11th Microsoft Canada’s Evangelism team is bringing the IT Virtualization Boot Camp to you!

Damir Bersenic will be hosting the event, and I will be his trusty sidekick for two days of geeking out… we will be building a virtualization environment from scratch, including full failover and Live Migration capabilities, and all in one day!

The format is fun and exciting, with teams of four participants competing for cash prizes!  The cost is $25, all of which goes directly to your local user group which, in turn, helps you!

For more information and to register visit the Canadian IT Pro Connection at http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2012/01/26/hey-vancouver-it-pros-it-virtualization-boot-camps-are-coming-to-your-city-feb-10-amp-11.aspx.  I look forward to seeing you in Vancouver in February!

Filed under Boot Camp, Hyper-V, Microsoft Canada, Virtualization

Another Full House at the Microsoft Canada Virtualization Boot Camp Challenge!

January 23, 2012 2 Comments

A real full house with Ruth tweeting in the back!

Damir Bersenic is rocking the house at the second Virtualization Boot Camp Challenge…

Filed under Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtualization, Virtualization

Virtualization Lessons–Both Positive and Negative!

January 21, 2012 Leave a comment

As I sit in the back of the room for Microsoft Canada’s Virtualization Boot Camp Challenge today I see that the lab environments that we are providing to the attendees actually mimics the setup I use for my Virtual Partner Technology Advisor (vPTA) sessions.  As such, I am seeing a lot of potential for attendees to learn a lot of great technologies, but there are a few lessons that they should know.  I outlined these in an article last year called ‘vPTA: What NOT to take away from my 1-day virtualization training.’  I will urge all of the attendees (as well as all of you!) to click on the link and read the article. While a lot of the practices we use are fine for a test/lab environment, you should be aware of them before you try to implement them in your production environment!

I have written a bunch of other articles that are pertinent to the discussion… here are just some of those links:

How to get a head start on the NEW Management and Virtualization Competency

Layer 1 or Layer 2 Hypervisor? A common misconception of Hyper-V, and a brief explanation of the Parent Partition

Virtualization Infrastructure: Which platform is right for you?

Microsoft Virtualization Learning Resources

Hyper-V Training – 10215AE is now available in E-Learning!

Real Help in A Virtual World

Busting the Myth: You cannot cluster Windows Small Business Server

A follow-up to my article on configuring iSCSI initiator in Server Core & Hyper-V Server

A brief response to the vSphere 5 vs. Hyper-V question…

Gartner agrees with me… Hyper-V is for real!

Do you have your Virtcerts?

MCITP: Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2 (and other R2 Virt Certs)

Filed under Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtualization, Virtualization Tagged with , , , , , , ,

IT Virtualization Boot Camp

January 20, 2012 2 Comments

Hey folks!  The IT Professionals Community of Greater Toronto and Microsoft Canada are getting together to bring you this amazing opportunity!  This Saturday (January 21st) and next Monday (January 23rd) we are doing a full-day Virtualization Boot Camp!  The cost is only $25, with Damir Bersenic (Senior IT Pro Advisor, Microsoft Canada) leading the way with a lot of input and guidance from yours truly.  It is really an event that you should NOT miss… come learn how to make Hyper-V work for you, along with all of the components of Windows 2008 R2 and the System Center family!  Don’t miss it… sign up today, and come say hi to me when you are there! -M

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Want to get hands-on with Microsoft’s Virtualization technologies including Hyper-V?  Interested in configuring a highly-available virtualization infrastructure?  Have you wondered how to configure and use an iSCSI-based storage server?  Curious how Windows Failover Clustering can help you get a good night’s sleep?  If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you need to be at the IT Virtualization Boot Camp.

The IT Virtualization Boot Camp provides a fun and collaborative environment where you will get hands-on experience to:

  • Prepare your Windows Server-based computers for virtualization
  • Configure iSCSI storage targets
  • Create Windows Failover Clusters
  • Make virtual machines highly available with Hyper-V and enable Live Migration to hot-migrate running workloads between hosts with no loss in client connectivity
  • Integrate non-Microsoft virtual machines into your cluster
  • See how Windows Failover Clustering can help to make dealing with hardware failure easier

When: Saturday January 21, 2012 http://itvbc20120121.eventbrite.ca

Monday January 23, 2012.  http://itvbc20120123.eventbrite.ca

Session starts at 10am and ends at 4pm.

Registration and snacks begin at 9:30am.  Lunch will be provided.

Where: Microsoft Canada, 1950 Meadowvale Blvd, Mississauga, ON

Please park in the event parking lot and enter through the Event entrance.

Cost:                $25. Proceeds from this event will help benefit your user group.

Filed under IT Pro, IT Pro Toronto, Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtualization, Virtualization

Have a Cup of Coffee (or two!) on us…

December 20, 2011 Leave a comment

What a great deal… Microsoft Canada has posted a link to download the Release Candidate editions of System Center <fill in the blank> 2012, which are all in pre-release and ready to test (and are fully upgradeable to the final RTM versions!) directly.  However because the total package is about 6GB, it will take a while… so if you follow the directions, they will send you a Tim Hortons gift card to have a cup of coffee on them!  Of course, it won’t be while you wait… but who can say no to free coffee?  Click now and follow Rick’s instructions!

http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2011/12/16/how-would-you-like-a-doubledouble.aspx

Filed under Microsoft, Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtualization, Release Candidate, System Center

Windows Intune Sessions

November 25, 2011 1 Comment

If you attended one of my Windows Intune sessions this week across Canada, and have asked me for the session content, please send me an e-mail and I will give you permissions on my SkyDrive.

Filed under Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Partner Network, Windows Intune

Are You Virtual? CLICK HERE!

November 18, 2011 1 Comment

For months I have been talking to you about the Microsoft Virtual Academy.  Are you registered?  If you do it now you can get access to all sorts of great learning tools on Virtualization and other Microsoft Technologies!  If you click here and let me know that you did, you can win!  I am going to hold a contest… if you use my specific click-through to register (or even to check it out) leave me a comment and you will be entered into the draw to win a couple of great prizes!  Encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same because for every hundred entrants I will add TWO more prizes Smile  If I hit 1000 I will add a major prize!  However you need to click through to one of these links in order to qualify:

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Microsoft Evaluation Download Center

Microsoft TechNet Cloud Hub

Enter early and enter often… the winners will be contacted by e-mail so make sure I have your contact information… and remember, as always, you will NEVER be spammed and your contact details will never be shared with anyone!

The contest is open through December 15th, but every time I get 100 clicks I will give away a minor prize… and IF I get to 1,000 clicks I will give away the MAJOR prize on December 20th (all entrants will be eligible, regardless of whether you have already won or not).  Good luck!

Filed under Contest, Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA), Microsoft Virtualization

10215A–Your last chance this year!

November 16, 2011 2 Comments

If you are a Microsoft Partner in the Greater Toronto Area you might have heard that the Microsoft Partner Network offers subsidized courses on topics such as Server Virtualization.  Well due to overwhelming demand, they are doing it one more time.

The week of December 19th (Monday through Thursday) I will be teaching Course 10215A: Implementing and Managing Microsoft Server Virtualization, supporting the certification exam 70-659 TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization.  This class will cover the entire curriculum, plus I will spend a great deal of time covering what is new in Service Pack 1, as well as a comparison between Microsoft and the competition.

For an overview of the course, click here!

The usual cost of this course is around $2,500, but because it is sponsored by Microsoft Canada the cost for this week is $499 (CAD)… and that includes breakfast and lunch each day!

The training will be held at TekSource Corporate Learning, very conveniently located a block from the Queen TTC station, at 36 Lombard Street (Suite 600), Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3.  As a value-added benefit, TekSource is also an authorized Prometric Testing Center, so students can register to take the exam on-site at the end of the course.  In the past the vast majority of my students who sat the exam immediately after the course passed (including no fewer than FOUR of them who got perfect scores!)

If you are interested in becoming a MCTS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization then this is the course for you.  If your company is a Microsoft Partner, then this certification applies to the Silver Virtualization Competency (as well as the Gold!).  If your company is, like so many, trying to earn competencies in the new Microsoft Partner Network, then this course is a great step toward that goal.  Virtualization is, of course, one of the most popular requests right now because of the way the world is going!

To sign up, log on to your Microsoft Partner Portal or click to https://training.partner.microsoft.com/learning/app/management/registrationex/LMS_Registration.aspx?UserMode=0&Mode=0&ActivityID=750694.  I hope to see you there!

(If you are not in Toronto then the same course will also be offered in Vancouver the week of December 6, at MultiHat Solutions.  I will not be the trainer, but it is still a great course!)

Filed under Certifications, Microsoft Canada, Microsoft Learning, Microsoft Partner Network, Virtualization

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