Trying to give something back to the Community...
So with only one sleep left until the big fat fella drops down our chimneys to bring our presents and drink our beer I just wanted to say a BIG thank you to all of you that have helped me, supported FAQShop/ WMUG, read this blog, contributed, attended meetings, asked questions, etc.
2009 has been the best year yet for WMUG with not only some great physical events but also our first LiveMeetings which seems to have gone down really well.
There is more of the same planned for 2010 plus some BIG changes coming on the FAQShop front so stay tuned…!!!
In closing I just want to say thank you once again and to wish you, your families and loved ones a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.
See you in 2010 and stay safe in the mean time.
So I’ve invested in a Seagate FreeAgent XTreme eSata external drive primarily for the performance benefits I hope to get over regular USB/ Firewire which needless to say I’ve had to pay extra for.
The drive has just arrived and I’ve eagerly opened it only to find that it doesn’t come with an eSata cable – only USB and Firewire 400 (not much use when my machine has a Firewire 800 connector).
The instructions say the eSata cable is “Sold separately” – What the hell? This is like Ferrari selling a car with the engine limited or 5th gear as an optional extra. This is just penny pinching gone to extremes. Even looking on the Seagate site for the right cable they don’t list one or even offer one with the drive as an optional extra when you go to buy it.
So after all the anticipation I’m now severely SEVERELY disappointed and now need to source an eSata cable before I can use the damn thing as I want to.
Merry Xmas Seagate – NOT you suck.
Seeing the following post on the ConfigMgr Support Team blog made me reflect on the beginning of the end for SMS 2003. The product has evolved immensely since I started working with it over 11 years ago (SMS 2.0 SP2), and every iteration the product has gotten better. Of course there is always a trade-off between improvements and the pain that goes with them and there was a lot of pain with regards to IIS and this new Site System called a “Management Point” when SMS 2003 shipped but all in all the benefits have far outweighed the pain.
Sure this is the beginning of the end of SMS 2003 but with ConfigMgr firmly established and v.Next (or ConfigMgr 2010), on the way it has never been a better time to be in this space.
“
Mainstream support for SMS 2003 will end on January 12th, 2010. On January 12, 2010, SMS 2003 will be entering the extended phase of support.
What is the difference between Mainstream Support, Extended Support, and online self-help support?
Source: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy
Note: A hotfix is a modification to the commercially available Microsoft product software code to address specific critical problems. For details, see http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy and the Lifecycle calendar for SMS 2003
See the Configuration Manager Upgrade and Interoperability Planning and Deployment documentation for help on planning your upgrade to System Center Configuration Manager 2007.
J.C. Hornbeck | System Center Knowledge Engineer”
http://blogs.technet.com/configurationmgr/archive/2009/12/16/mainstream-support-for-sms-2003-will-end-on-january-12-2010.aspx
It seems there is an issue in ConfigMgr SP2 with Distribution Manager ignoring the "Number of retries" and "Delay before retrying" settings ONLY if it encounters a problem (i.e. a DP is down or there are permission problems).
Microsoft have confirmed and are aware of the problem and a KB article is on the way they informed us in the MVP call yesterday (the number when it is released (no ETA but hopefully soon) will be 978021).
If you have this issue right now and need the hotfix then please contact CSS who can help you.
You can find a write-up on the issue on my fellow MVP Torsten Meringer’s blog at:
http://www.mssccmfaq.de/2009/11/06/sp2-distribution-manager/
PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 15, 2009
HP Enterprise Services today announced PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has joined the HP Agility Alliance.
Together, HP and PwC will provide business transformation solutions and services that help clients streamline their business processes and achieve a greater return on their technology investments.
“These challenging economic times require companies to continually innovate, while looking at ways to further optimize their operations,” said Greg Robins, director of Global Alliances, HP Enterprise Services. “The addition of PwC to the HP Agility Alliance provides clients with a more powerful set of business transformation solutions at a lower total cost of ownership, enabling them to better compete globally.”
Through this collaboration, HP and PwC will provide solutions and services, including:
“By working together, PwC and HP are responding to clients’ needs to transform their businesses, allowing us to demonstrate business value and drive growth,” said Vicki Huff, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Furthermore, the collaboration leverages respective industry strengths and capabilities, allowing different markets the opportunity to benefit from our combined solutions.”
HP and PwC signed a teaming agreement more than a year ago that has already benefited clients. Recently, the companies completed the initial planning and design phase of a major SAP-enabled business transformation project for the STP Nuclear Operating Company, an acknowledged leader in the nuclear power industry. The team worked with STP to plan and blueprint the replacement of more than 60 mission-critical, enterprise-wide legacy applications while improving and sustaining business performance.
“The coming together of PwC and HP was a win-win for our company,” said Mike Meier, vice president, Shared Services, STP. “PwC’s proven nuclear power industry experience combined with HP’s applications management leadership will help us put quality and excellence in the forefront of this project.”
The HP Agility Alliance is a coalition of application and business service providers that work with HP Enterprise Services to develop and provide dynamic business solutions.
HP Enterprise Services is the recently announced brand name for Electronic Data Systems, LLC.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.
About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
I saw this article on the Telegraph's website and was blown away by the image of the Goat herder in Yemen (image 3). I need to add Yemen to the list of “Places to Visit” (it would probably be easier to start a list instead of places NOT to visit).
Enjoy:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/6810757/Steve-McCurry-The-Unguarded-Moment.html
Full Title: E-mail notification messages are not sent when you use the "With specific text in description" option in Operations Manager 2007 R2 or in Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1
SYMPTOMS
You create an Alert Notification subscription in Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 or in Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1. If you use the "With specific text in description" option, e-mail notification messages are not sent.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;978359&sd=rss&spid=12584
The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1 helps organizations maintain virtual machines that are stored offline in a Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager library. While stored, virtual machines do not receive operating system updates. The tool provides a way to keep offline virtual machines up-to-date so that bringing a virtual machine online does not introduce vulnerabilities into the organization’s IT infrastructure. The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool combines the Windows Workflow programming model with the Windows PowerShell™ interface to bring groups of virtual machines online just long enough for them to receive updates from either System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or Windows Server Update Services. As soon as the virtual machines are up-to-date, the tool returns them to the offline state in the Virtual Machine Manager library.
This Solution Accelerator includes the following components:
File Name: Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1.zip
Version: 2.1
Date Published: 12/4/2009
Language: English
Download Size: 2.3 MB - 4.7 MB*
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=8408ecf5-7afe-47ec-a697-eb433027df73
You can download the technical documentation for VMM 2008 R2 from:
Version: 1.0
Date Published: 12/10/2009
Download Size: 110 KB – 975
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=e547b676-112f-419e-8d8f-6920beca0845
From the TechNet Edge blog:
Senior developer Mike Niehaus had previously demonstrated how to deploy Windows 7 natively using Configuration Manager 2007. Now, he leads you through the same process using the recently-released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 for Configuration Manager.
You can download the toolkit at www.microsoft.com/mdt.
http://edge.technet.com/Media/Deploying-Windows-7-with-the-Microsoft-Deployment-Toolkit-for-Configuration-Manager/
Full Title: A computer may be listed in the Agent Managed pane of the Operations console in System Center Operations Manager 2007 with the same name as the gateway server that was just installed
When you view agents by gateway in Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 20...
When you view agents by gateway in Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007, a computer may be listed in the Agent Managed pane of the Operations console with the same name as the gateway server that was just installed.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;978357
From the System Center Experts blog:
Today, I wanted to take a look back at 2009. It is simply amazing when you look at where Microsoft® System Center and Microsoft Virtualization were at the beginning of the year and where we are today.
When we started 2009, we were really still promoting the new releases of Windows Server® 2008 Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008. The combination of Hyper-V and VMM 2008 really brought a complete, Enterprise ready virtualization solution to the masses.
But if there is one theme to this year, it’s progress. There were certainly some pro-VMware critics out there that assumed that Microsoft would rest on our laurels on these releases. As we discussed future capabilities and features, we would occasionally hear comments that suggested Microsoft would deliver those features in 2011. Little did they know that we were hard at work on our R2 releases, Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and VMM 2008 R2.
The first public discussion of all the new capabilities came at MMS 2009. At the day 1 keynote of MMS 2009, we demonstrated some of the advanced capabilities with our new products, including:
· Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, with the new Live Migration and Power Management capabilities
· VMM 2008 R2, with updated Performance Resource Optimization (PRO) capabilities
· Operations Manager (OpsMgr) 2007 R2, with integrated Power Management, PRO, and Linux management capabilities
In one single demonstration, we showed why the Microsoft virtualization solution is the one right one for the future of IT. Using Hyper-V R2, VMM, and Ops Mgr, we demonstrated how an administrator can link virtualization specific actions, such as Live Migration, to application and services. As I have written before, the ability to manage the applications and services inside the virtual machine is key. That in-guest capability is the key to integrating the great capabilities and features that virtualization enables to all parts of IT, not just the virtualization specific areas.
Beyond just the product previews, we also showed some great technology previews, including VMM managing migration of virtual machines from the private cloud to the public cloud, and the capability of bringing App-V like Application Virtualization technology to server applications.
Here is the entire MMS 2009 Day 1 keynote:
After MMS 2009, we continued working on our new releases, preparing them for release to manufacturing. We demonstrated and presented even more information at TechEd North America 2009, as the final releases of all the new products neared. And in the fall, we had our Virtual Launch Event, which brought all these products to the forefront.
The key is that with our new R2 releases, Microsoft now offers a virtualization solution that has all the key features that customers need for their virtualization scenarios. The key features of both Hyper-V R2 and VMM 2008 R2 can be seen in these summary slides:
Not only do we provide key features that drive virtualization, it is also about bringing the cost of Virtualization down, so that everyone can take advantage of it. I’ve written some blog posts in the past about value of Microsoft’s Virtualization compared to VMware. I really feel that Microsoft brings the best combination of features, management, and price for virtualization. I recorded a short video at TechEd EMEA 2009 that articulates even more about this, and there’s another video that makes the case as well.
Finally, as we look forward to 2010, I can assure you that we are continuing to work on Microsoft Virtualization. One key area that we are focusing on is virtualization management for the small and medium business. With the upcoming release of System Center Essentials (SCE) 2010, we are bringing the powerful functions of VMM 2008 R2 to the powerful capabilities of SCE 2007, creating a single console for the management of both physical and virtual systems.
I recently competed a couple videos on SCE 2010, including a preview of SCE 2010 and it’s interface, along with a discussion on how SCE compares to VMware solutions.
This has been an amazing year for Microsoft Virtualization and System Center and I think that 2010 will be just as exciting and rewarding as 2009. I look forward to telling everyone about all the new things we plan to have in 2010! Don't forget, you can follow me on twitter (@edwinyuen) and my personal blog, Virtualization Planet. Happy holidays to all!
Edwin Yuen Senior Technical Product Manager – Virtualization
http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenterexperts/archive/2009/12/10/looking-back-moving-forward-system-center-and-virtualization.aspx
In this episode of TechNet Radio, we kick off a new dialogue series where we talk to Joe Giunta, an Office Deployment Expert from Migrate LLC. In this session, Joe will discuss best practices for creating and executing a comprehensive 2007 Office Deployment plan. In introducing a new Setup architecture, new configuration tools, a new Multi-language approach, choosing an enterprise deployment method, UI changes, application compatibility considerations and more, having a thorough deployment plan can lead to a more successful deployment project.
Want to Download this episode to play on your MP3 player later? Click here
More information about this podcast series can be found on the TechNet Radio Homepage
http://edge.technet.com/Media/TechNet-Radio-The-Office-Deployment-Expert-presents-Creating-and-Executing-a-Comprehensive-2007-Offi/
The following is form Johan Arwidmark’s blog. If you’ve never seen Johan’s present you’re missing something special as he is “Mr. Deployment” to me:
Me and Mikael Nyström are going on tour in February 2010... The Deployment Roadshow 2010 - in Sweden... http://www.deploymentroadshow.com
The full day seminar (which is presented in Swedish) is based on the following four pillars...
http://www.deployvista.com/Blog/tabid/70/EntryID/113/language/en-US/Default.aspx
You’ve probably all heard of 1E (if you haven’t then you should probably drop by their website http://www.1e.com), who have some amazing products such as 1E WakeUp, NightWatchman and Nomad to name a few.
Well there are now even more ways you can engage and keep up with their great products such as:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/1ENews
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2848330&id=95476124489#/album.php?profile=1&id=95476124489
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/1ENews
Enjoy.