Utilities

Network Equipment Shapes for Microsoft Visio

rodtrent — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:19:47 GMT

Create detailed rack and data center diagrams using this set of 2,000 shapes representing network equipment from 3Com, APC, Cisco, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Nortel, Panduit, and Sun Microsystems. These shapes are exact replicas of the network devices and are drawn to scale with port-level details. Front and rear views are included for most devices.

Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2008

rodtrent — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:48:56 GMT

The Microsoft Report Viewer 2008 Redistributable Package includes Windows Forms and ASP.NET Web server controls for viewing reports designed using Microsoft reporting technology.

Adobe Shockwave Player Uninstaller

rodtrent — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:24:03 GMT

Use this utility to uninstall the Adobe Shockwave Player

Adobe Flash Player Uninstaller

rodtrent — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:22:55 GMT

Use this utility to uninstall the Adobe Flash Player.

HP SoftPaq Download Manager

rodtrent — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:07:06 GMT

HP SoftPaq Download Manager provides a simple, powerful way to download software updates for the HP client PC models in your environment. HP SDM can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to locate and download updates. SoftPaqs can be downloaded in as few as three easy steps from a single user interface after initial setup.

Locating files is a snap using HP SoftPaq Download Manager. Simply select the desired models, operating systems and languages, then click Find Available SoftPaqs. All available softpaqs matching the selected criteria will be displayed in a friendly interface. Next, check the updates you wish to download, then click the Download button.

Now it’s easier than ever to help ensure that all of your HP PCs are updated with the latest critical updates to improve overall system reliability and performance. Critical updates can be identified using the priority field in HP SoftPaq Download Manager. Sort by name, version, priority, category, models, size or date to organize the list of available softpaqs.

HP SoftPaq Download Manager is flexible enough to complement most environments and software distribution tools. Whether downloading softpaqs for your HP PC, or managing thousands in your enterprise, you will find HP SDM an invaluable tool.

Feature	Benefit
Specify models, OS and Language versions	Find pertinent information quickly
View available softpaqs	Lists the updates available based on your search criteria on a single screen
Sort available Softpaqs	Easily find the updates that are most important to you and your users
Select desired softpaqs	Avoid the cumbersome task of downloading updates individually
Specify target download folder	Download the updates where you want
Download softpaqs	One click to start the download process
SoftPaq Download History	No need to remember or manually track previously downloaded updates
Single screen for all information	Simple, easy to use interface

HP's Power Calculator Catalog

rodtrent — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:36:33 GMT

This Excel Spreadsheet lists all of the links on HPs web site for obtaining power consumption information for all current server products.

SMS Simple Notification - miniNotify

rodtrent — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:06:31 GMT

Post comments: http://www.myitforum.com/forums/m_176854/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm

Hello everyone

The final development of the application discussed here (http://www.myitforum.com/forums/m_175190/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#175190) took a bit longer than expected but, it is finally ready for some testing.

The miniNotify application is an updated version of the work that was done on SMSNotify and SMSNotify v2 which is an application that is run via a dependency before an application is installed on a client's PC which notifies them of the software that is about to be installed. As with SMSNotify v2, all settings are controlled via a INI file.

Features of miniNotify:
·         Simple, low profile user notification utility
·         Uses system tray icon and bubble very similar to ITMU (Keeps consistency in deployments)
·         Displays time to install if user hovers over system tray icon. (Screenshot "Hover")
·         Ability to display reminder just before installation (See Screenshot "Reminder")
·         User has ability to postpone installation of the application one time
·         Can display specific information about the application being deployed
·         Fully customizable via INI (configuration) file
·         Ability to run application in “Notification Only” mode to alert users of scheduled down time, security alerts, etc. In this mode, application will only display task bar bubble and possibly have “More Information” if they clicked on the bubble
·         Allows the administrator to provide information about the software to be installed either from a text file or even from a webpage

How it Works:
As stated above, miniNotify is configured to run as a dependency of a package so that it runs before the installer and once miniNotify is closed, it returns an EXIT CODE 0 and allows the installer to run.

Upon launch, the user is prompted with an Notification Bubble informing them that they have software that needs to be installed but if they wish to postpone the install, click on the bubble (See Screenshot "Notification")

The user can simply ignore the notification bubble and the software will install in the configured specified amount of time. But if the user wishes to postpone the install, they just simply click on the bubble and they are presented with the Main dialogue window which allows them to select what they wish to do. (See Screenshot "Main")

When the install timer reaches zero or if the user selects the "Install Now" option, the miniNotify application closes with a EXIT CODE 0 to allow the software to install properly.

*For more detailed information, please see the post listed above

Usage:
As stated above, the miniNotify utility is configured via an INI file that you call in the command line (miniNotify.exe Example.INI). This allows you to create several INI files for each of your packages if you wish or a generic INI file (i.e AdobeProfessional.INI, Default.INI, etc). Then each ini file can be called by a separate Program in SMS (Create a Package for miniNotify with the app source pointing to your folder that contains the miniNotify utility and all of your INI files, then create a Program for each different INI file you wish to use.) It is a very similar process to how you configured the INI files for SMSNotify and SMSNotify v2, for more info on configuring these, see http://www.myitforum.com/articles/1/view.asp?id=4897.

Bundled in the ZIP file are a couple example INI files (NotifyEx.ini and InstallEx.ini) as well as some basic documents that outline what the software does and how to create your own INI file.

I know that this is not a lot of information but if you have any questions, comments, issues, complaints, etc, let me know! I hope you enjoy the application!

Please understand that this software has NOT undergone extensive testing and you MUST test in a non-production environment as you should with any software. Also, all software is provided "AS-IS" and I can not be held liable for any damages, data loss, etc by the use of this software. So TEST TEST TEST!

Again, many thanks to the work that Joel Schoenberg and Dan Thomson did on the SMSNotify utilities as they laid the groundwork for this application.

_____________________________

My Blog: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/drewdavis1

SoftGrid Visio Stencils

rodtrent — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:22:54 GMT

I created this Visio stencil set while working on various SoftGrid engagements while Softricity was still homeless (a.k.a. before the Microsoft Acquisition). It includes SoftGrid clients, the various server components and also some individual shapes for creating your own objects. Some of the shapes are show below:

SoftGrid Visio Stencil Samples

SCCM 2007 Capacity Planner Tool V2.0

rodtrent — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:22:51 GMT

Posted to the SMS email discussion list by Josh Waagmeester

Visio Stencils for System Center Operations Manager 2007

rodtrent — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:26:38 GMT

Downloadable copy of the Visio stencils for Operations Manager 2007 for creating OpsMgr 2007 diagrams.

Source: www.it-jedi.net

SMS Collection Commander

rodtrent — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:49:08 GMT

Initiate SMS 2003 advanced client actions on a collection: Ping,WakeUp,HW/SW Inventory,ReRun Advertisements,Show logged on user,Download/Refresh Policy,Repair SMS Agents,Import Clients to the Collection...