October 2008 - Posts

List of collection and their parent collection
Friday, October 31, 2008 10:19 AM

SELECT
    COL.CollectionID,
    COL.Name,
    COL.Comment,
    CTSC.parentCollectionID
FROM
    dbo.v_Collection COL,
    dbo.v_CollectToSubCollect CTSC
WHERE
    CTSC.subCollectionID = COL.CollectionID

by Garth Jones
Filed under: , , ,
BITS Policy and GPResult
Thursday, October 30, 2008 3:41 PM

When troubleshooting BITS, use GPResult to find out which policy is setting the BITS settings.

From a Administrator CMD, execute the following:  gpresult /SCOPE COMPUTER /H GPR.html

Then open the GPR.html

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by Garth Jones
Filed under:
User Group Survey
Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:02 AM

At last week’s user group meeting, I hand out a quick survey of the event and what topic we should do next.

The results are fairly interesting:

  • Take more that 10 minutes to write a survey and have someone else proof read it. (Foot) :-)
  • The session content applied to everyone
  • The session was not too technical
  • Most people don’t care about if we server food
    • Some will even pay for their own
  • Most people still don’t want sale pitch presentation from vendors
    • Unless the vendor provide an “open bar” – I liked that note.
  • There is interest for an Exchange Study group
  • The location is convenient to everyone.
  • A number of people would like to volunteer to help out the OWSUG

 

Also interesting to note that the average client base was over 5000 client.

 

So what does this mean, well I think this it means

  • We need to do surveys more regularly
  • Work more with the other User Groups
  • Determine if there is a enough interest for a Exchange Study group
  • Find 3 Co-leaders to run this study group
  • When they are ready, create a forum, mailing list and blog for the group

 

Topic of interest to the User Group:

  • Virtual Machine Manager and Hyper-v
  • SharePoint
  • Server performance
  • Exchange

Now I have to find someone to present them. :-)

Creating Custom Reports by Using Configuration Manager 2007 SQL Views
Thursday, October 30, 2008 8:21 AM

The Creating Custom Reports by Using Configuration Manager 2007 SQL Views documentation is out.

This documentation provides the information to help you create custom reports, determine which Configuration Manager 2007 SQL views contain the information you need for your reports, and identify the path between the necessary SQL views and determine what columns can be used to join them.

Overview

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 queries SQL Server views in the Configuration Manager site database when retrieving the information displayed in reports. The Configuration Manager site SQL database contains a large collection of information about the network, computers, users, user groups, and many other components of the computing environment. The database also contains objects that represent Configuration Manager 2007 items such as advertisements, software update deployments, configuration baselines, reports, and status messages. Configuration Manager administrators need to understand the different categories of the SQL views, what information is stored in each view, and how the SQL views can be joined to one another to create reports that return the desired information.

The Windows Installer CreatingCustomReportsByUsingSQLViews.msi package provides information that will help you to create custom reports, determine which Configuration Manager SQL views contain the information you need for your reports, and identify a path between the necessary SQL views and determine what columns can be used to join them. The download package includes the following files:


  • Before You Use – Readme document (BeforeYouUse_Readme.doc):
    Provides information about how to use the other documents in the Windows Installer download package.
  • Using Configuration Manager 2007 SQL Views to Create Custom Reports help file (CM2007CustomReports.chm):
    Provides an overview of the Configuration Manager 2007 SQL view schema and SQL views, an overview of the existing reports and associated reporting procedures, sample SQL statements for each Configuration Manager SQL view category, scenarios for creating custom reports, exercises for creating custom reports, an overview for writing report SQL statements, and an overview of the Configuration Manager Provider WMI schema. This documentation will be your main resource throughout the process of creating your custom report.
  • Configuration Manager 2007 SQL View Schema Microsoft Visio document (CM2007SQLViewsSchema.vsd):
    Provides the Configuration Manager 2007 SQL views schema, organized by category.
  • Configuration Manager 2007 SQL Views Excel spreadsheet (CM2007SQLViews.xls):
    Provides a list of the Configuration Manager 2007 SQL views with descriptions, a list of the SQL views and columns ordered by SQL view name, and a list of the SQL views and columns ordered by column name.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=87BBE64E-5439-4FC8-BECC-DEB372A40F4A&displaylang=en&displaylang=en

by Garth Jones
Filed under: ,
Upgrading and Migrating to SQL Server 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:28 AM

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Free Evening Event @ Microsoft Ottawa

Thursday, November 13th 5:15 - 8:00 PM

Feature Presentation: Upgrading and Migrating to SQL Server 2008

Best Practices and Lessons from the Field, Damir Bersinic

Damir will be in town for the Ottawa stop of the Align IT tour on November 13th. He will be taking this opportunity to share some of his SQL Server 2008 experience with the Ottawa community.  Join us for what promises to be a fantastic presentation!

Speaker: Damir Bersinic, Microsoft Canada

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Damir

As an IT Pro Advisor for Microsoft Canada, Damir is passionate about reaching out to and engaging with the IT Pro community across Canada. He focuses on working with a broad range of audiences within the IT Pro community to foster relationships and convey Microsoft technologies and solutions. He is proud to be able to leverage his real life, hands-on experience to relate to the challenges faced by the IT Pro community today.

Damir is an integral part of the Microsoft team that drives awareness, education and training through events and by directly engaging with Canada's professional communities, including IT managers, infrastructure specialists and architects as well as systems integrators, independent software vendors (ISVs) and community leaders.

Product Showcase (15 minutes):

SQL Response - Red Gate Software, David E. Myers

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No flashing lights. No repetitive emails. No complicated configuration required. Only the intelligent alerts and diagnostic data you need to resolve problems on your SQL Servers sooner. All from a single, intuitive interface.  SQL Response monitors the health and activity of your SQL Servers, so you can work proactively to resolve the problems that matter most. See how no-nonsense monitoring from Red Gate's new SQL Response can help you make the most of your office hours.

Speaker: David E. Myers, Upper Canada District School Board

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David

David is a DBA and Developer at the Upper Canada District School Board (Brockville, ON) and is the OttawaSQL.net Executive Director for 2008. He primarily works with SQL Server but is increasingly working in the SharePoint data integration world. David will be presenting the session Information and Collaboration in One Place – Reporting Services Integration with SharePoint at Tech Days Canada 2008 in Montreal and Ottawa.

REGISTRATION:

LOCATION:

RSVP: Event Registration

Arrival:  5:15 PM to 5:30 PM

Presentation:  5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Refreshments: Pizza and Pop

Microsoft Ottawa, World Exchange Plaza

100 Queen Street, Suite 500, Ottawa

EVENT SPONSORS:

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EVENT PARTNERS:

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OttawaSQL.net is a community group of Ottawa area developers and IT professionals.  We share an interest in Microsoft’s data technologies especially:  SQL Server, SharePoint, PerformancePoint, Workflow Foundations, LINQ, ADO.NET and Entity Framework.

by Garth Jones
Filed under: ,
Find everyone with two or more workstations
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:56 PM

SELECT
    CS.UserName0
Into
    #tmp
FROM   
    dbo.v_GS_Computer_system CS
group by
    CS.UserName0
Having
    Count(CS.UserName0) > 1

SELECT
    CS.Name0,
    CS.Manufacturer0,
    CS.Model0,
    CS.UserName0
FROM   
    dbo.v_GS_Computer_system CS,
    #tmp
Where
    #tmp.UserName0 = CS.UserName0
    or CS.UserName0 != Null
Order by
    CS.UserName0,
    CS.Name0,
    CS.Manufacturer0,
    CS.Model0

Drop table #tmp

by Garth Jones
Filed under: , , ,
How much Snow?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 12:42 PM

It not even November yet and we are getting ~20 cm (~8 inch)of snow in the next 24 hours! The funny part is, last night they were calling for 35+ cm!

image

How to waste a few hours!
Monday, October 27, 2008 5:59 PM

Have you see the new game MS released to Vista Ultimate? Don't play Tinker unless you have a few hours to kill!!

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by Garth Jones
Filed under:
70-640 Week 22
Monday, October 27, 2008 8:45 AM

TODAY is the second and last week of EXAM Review day! Please remember to sign up for tonight session and good luck on your exam!

What is in your Quick Launch bar?
Friday, October 24, 2008 8:47 AM

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Listed in order:

  • Show Desktop
  • Internet Explorer
  • Outlook
  • Live Writer
  • Microsoft Query
  • Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
  • SnagIt 8
  • ConfigMgr help file
  • SCVMM Console
  • VMCRPlus
  • Hyper-V Manager
  • ConfigMgr SDK help file
  • ConfigMgr Console
  • OpsMgr Console

System Center Operation Manager Enterprise Administrator
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:10 AM

Yesterday I was talking about the System Center Configuration Manager Enterprise Administrator, anyways I was quickly asked what I thought would be appropriate for OpsMgr.

 

OpsMgr is a bit different than ConfigMgr, I don’t think that you need to know about Workstation, Licensing or Packaging (as much). However saying that, it should NOT make getting the OpsMgr Enterprise Admin certification any easier! On the contrary you are still going to need about the same number of exams as the ConfigMgr Enterprise Admin and there is some overlap between the two.

 

Server

OpsMgr Enterprise admin must know about IIS, PKI, Networks, DHPC, DNS, etc. even more so that ConfigMgr therefore they should know

70-640, 70-642, and 70-643

And either

70-646 or 70-647

 

SQL

SQL is important part of OpsMgr both from it using it and from the of need of creating reports for management. It just can’t be overlooked.

70-431 or 70-432

 

OpsMgr exam of course

70-400

 

Again I’m sure that some people will say I have made this too hard to achieve, again this maybe so but as OpsMgr Enterprise Admin you will need to know everything server related and for that matter you still should know about workstations too! The question that will come up is 6 exams too much? Unlike a regular Win2k8 Enterprise Admin, OpsMgr Admin need to know far more to get the job done, so Yes 6 exams is fair! For that matter during my discussion over what a OpsMgr Enterprise Admin should know the question about Unix and LAN/WAN/Networking equipment came up. I have deliberately not added those in but you will find that many OpsMgr Enterprise Admin require this knowledge too.

 

BTW If the was adopted today, I would be missing a one of these exams myself! I would still need the OpsMgr exam!

by Garth Jones
Filed under: , ,
70-403
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 2:17 PM

Well I wrote 70-403 this morning, now it is time for the hard part. waiting for the exam results! I’m hoping that I passed it. I will know in about 8 weeks or so.

 

Now I’m back to continue working on 70-647.

by Garth Jones
Filed under: ,
System Center Configuration Manager Enterprise Administrator
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 8:25 AM

Today I was watching the Live meeting on System Center exams. Well I thinking that MS needs certification for Enterprise ConfigMgr Admins and here are the exams that I think that you need to get this certification and some of the reasons why.

Workstation

If a ConfigMgr Admin does not know about workstation then what are they doing working with ConfigMgr.

70-620 or maybe CHAMP

BDD

In this day and age , OS Deployment is an important part of ConfigMgr as an Enterprise Admin you must know this.

70-624 or 70-622

Server

Just like workstations, ConfigMgr Enterprise admin must know about IIS, PKI, Networks, DHPC, DNS, etc.

one of 70-640, 70-642, 70-643

SQL

SQL is such an important part of ConfigMgr both from it using it to need create reports for management. It just can’t be overlooked. .

70-431 or 70-432

Licensing

Compliancy is one of thing topic that is always over looked. As an Enterprise ConfigMgr admin you will get ask “how many of X do we have” but what is missed is ConfigMgr Eadmin need to help management not violate their licensing agreement, Therefore this need to know about this.

70-122 or CSAM

Packaging

If you follow the newsgroup, mailing list and forum, you will see that packaging is one of the more important topic.

Windows Installer Certification Program

Or

Wise Package Studio 7

Or

???

ConfigMgr exam of course

70-401

I’m sure that some people will say I have made this too hard to achieve, this maybe so but as ConfigMgr Enterprise Admin you will need know about just about everything!

BTW If the was adopted today, I would be missing a few of these myself! I would need the Packaging and Licensing exams both would be at the top of my list if it was adopted today!

by Garth Jones
Filed under: ,
Tip of the Day!!! How to make CHM files readable!
Monday, October 20, 2008 1:46 PM

How to fix the font issue with CHM files!!!!

This has been bugging me for a while so much so that I begged one of the docs team member to help me fix the issue!!!

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Notice that the text above is unreadable!!!!

 

Fix:
1. From the CHM Menu click Options
2. Click Internet Options
3. From Internet Options window click Accessibility button
4. Check box Ignore font size specified on Webpages
5. Click OK

That's it!

 

image

Look I can read the chm file now!!! It only took a few hours of surfing to find this one piece of information!!

 

Now I can continue troubleshooting SCVMM 2008 Beta! those 1612 errors are a pain in ...!!!

70-640 Week 21
Monday, October 20, 2008 8:43 AM

TODAY is the first week's EXAM Review day! Please remember to sign up for tonight session.

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