Keith Combs' Blahg

How do you get update information?

2009-12-07T20:53:42Z

We are re-organizing and streamlining technet.microsoft.com and you will see some really big changes right after the new year. As we progress towards those milestones, I thought I would ask you a few questions around the topic of Update Management.

The first question is, “How do you get information about updates?” I know there are many sources of information for updates. You can go to the microsoft.com/downloads area and run searches. You can receive information via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).

You can of course find out about updates in the press, social networks, forums, etc. So how do you find out about updates?

Here’s a new Windows Server 2008 R2 poster for your cube or office

2009-12-05T07:45:08Z

Someone has been busy drawing with Visio. They managed to draw some of the top Windows Server 2008 R2 features and create a poster. I love a quick reference like this for job interviews. Here’s a snip from part of the poster.

Get the entire poster @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=64a5cc28-f8a1-4b30-a4a2-455c65bda8d7.

Microsoft and Cisco: Joint UC Interoperability Support Statement

2009-12-05T07:23:36Z

I am often asked about various interop scenarios for a variety of products. So when I saw this pop up on the download center, I thought I’d bring this to your attention.

See http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=78814f28-2df5-4cff-a166-73622c7830bb for the document and contents. The contents are posted below.

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Direct SIP Interoperability

Microsoft has tested and supports Direct SIP interoperability between Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 4.x and 5.x and Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2, as documented on the Microsoft Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program website[1]. While Cisco offers and supports a SIP interface with Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 4.x and 5.x, interoperability using this interface is only supported for systems that have been tested and documented on the Cisco Interoperability Portal[2]. Cisco has not tested Direct SIP interoperability between Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 4.x and 5.x.

Cisco has tested and supports Direct SIP interoperability between Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 6.1 and 7.0². Microsoft has tested and supports Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 with Cisco Unified Communications Manager version 6.1¹.

To facilitate interoperability support for our joint customers, both Cisco and Microsoft are members of TSANet, an independent third-party organization that helps coordinate multi-vendor support.

Cisco UC Integration for Microsoft Office Communicator

Microsoft provides support for its published APIs[3] for Microsoft Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office Communicator to all its ISV partners. Cisco, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, uses these published APIs to develop the Cisco UC IntegrationÔ for Microsoft Office Communicator product. Microsoft is pleased that Cisco has chosen to leverage Microsoft API’s to provide functionality for our mutual customers as an ISV.

Cisco, as the developer of the Cisco UC IntegrationÔ for Microsoft Office Communicator, provides support for this product. Microsoft will provide ongoing support for the published APIs for Microsoft Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office Communicator to our ISV’s, including Cisco. Microsoft does not provide direct support for the Cisco UC IntegrationÔ for Microsoft Office Communicator. The Microsoft UC platform will continue to evolve as the industry evolves and customer requirements change, and as with our broader ISV community, Microsoft is fully committed to working with Cisco so they can provide quality support for our mutual customers with future versions of Microsoft Office Communications Server and Office Communicator.

As Microsoft’s UC platform capabilities evolve, customer and ISV feedback is actively encouraged regarding UC platform evolution and announcing changes well in advance of shipping product. In doing so, Microsoft follows a consistent process that allows lead time for customers and ISVs to make required changes to their applications that rely on Microsoft software. In addition, Microsoft has specific technology adopter programs available for ISVs, including Cisco, where Microsoft provides support and roadmap information to help ISVs effectively build on the UC platform.

Remote Call Control

Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 SP1, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 offer an interface to third-party PBXs based on ECMA TR/87[4] called Remote Call Control. This capability allows Microsoft Office Communicator to control a PBX station set and to have station set presence reflected in Office Communicator. Microsoft generically supports the TR/87 interface, without requiring specific PBX vendor or version support.

Cisco supports Remote Call Control between Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 and Office Communications Server 2007 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 5.x, 6.x and 7.0 via Cisco Unified Presence 6.x and 7.0[5]. Cisco supports Remote Call Control between Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.1.3 via Cisco Unified Presence 7.0.5⁵.

Remote Call Control is supported by Microsoft in Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and will continue to be supported for customers upgrading their Remote Call Control deployments to the next release of Office Communications Server. Microsoft has announced the deprecation of Remote Call Control in Office Communications Server. As a result, in the next release of Office Communications Server, new deployments of Remote Call Control will not be supported by Microsoft.

[1] http://technet.microsoft.com/UCOIP

[2] http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns728/networking_solutions_program_category_home.html

[3] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb758719.aspx

[4] http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/techreports/E-TR-087.htm

[5] http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6837/tsd_products_support_series_home.html

FCC admits CableCARD a failure

2009-12-05T05:55:41Z

The Genachowski-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seems to delight in dropping bombshells on a weekly basis, but we didn't see this one coming: the FCC admits that its CableCARD mandate has been an abysmal failure. That doesn't mean it's giving up the fight to encourage set-box box innovation; instead, the FCC wants ideas for a new set of rules that will bust open access to video streams from cable and IPTV operators.

Call it "Son of CableCARD"... and rest assured, the cable industry ain't gonna like it.

Full article at http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/12/fcc-admits-cablecard-a-failure-vows-to-try-something-else.ars.

TechNet Plus Subscription 28% discount – Use TMSAM07 promo code

2009-12-04T16:19:17Z

If you are an IT Pro, you’d be crazy not to have a TechNet Plus Direct subscription. It’s a great way to test and use the latest and greatest products from Microsoft including full versions of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 2010 and other great products.

And for a limited time, my promo code is good for a 28% discount on new subscriptions so jump on this deal!!!

Acer AspireRevo 3610 ATOM 330 Dual Core – first impressions

2009-12-03T05:44:00Z

Yesterday afternoon I received the Acer AspireRevo 3610-U9012. It’s classified as a consumer desktop or nettop but HDTV and media center enthusiasts like myself are looking at this device for a different purpose. In fact, I want the Revo for one purpose and only one purpose. To replace my TiVo Series 3 with a small form factor Windows 7 machine. In other words, HDTV recording and playback. Period.

Can the Acer handle it?

Yes. For my purposes it’s clear this little machine will do what I want. Thank heavens for the amazing NVIDIA ION graphics chipset in this machine.

I like to net this stuff out early in a write-up but you should pay close attention to my requirements and compare them to yours. My main requirement is recording premium cable content on Verizon FIOS TV. I am not using this machine for Netflix downloads, Hulu, or anything else. I might later, but for now it’s main role in life is to record FIOS programming I specify.

First impressions count but as I discovered testing smartphones, things can add up later. This is just the first 24 hours of use so some show stopper could crop up later. Let’s dig into the details of prepping and testing the Revo.

Unpacking and prepping

You can see the full specifications and all of the software that is loaded at the factory on the Acer website. Unpacking was easy but I didn’t use the wireless keyboard, mouse or speakers that came with the PC. Instead, I hooked the machine up to my KVM switch in order to prep the machine for my needs.

Within a few minutes of me powering the machine on and logging in for the first time, a program launched and asked if I wanted to create a factory recovery disk set. Of course I answered yes and plugged in my external Sony DVD burner. It took about thirty minutes to burn the three DVD’s. I wish every OEM did this.

After creating the factory disk set, I started uninstalling all of the software I didn’t intend to use. This was pretty much everything but Windows 7. That took about 75 minutes and it wasn’t fun at all. MyWinLocker was a particular pain in the ass. It’s beyond me why the OEM’s install all of this software. I know it’s a revenue stream for them but they should seriously ask their customers BEFORE installing it.

Show Time

After removing everything but Windows 7, it only took fifteen minutes to go through the Media Center Setup, let the MCE shell update and sync, then run the Digital Cable Advisor. The Revo passed the test so I plugged two external ATI Digital Cable Tuners into the Revo and ran the MCE setup again to define the FIOS TV service for North Texas. Both of my ATI tuners have been paired to the FIOS TV system for some time so as expected I was able to tune in all of the channels right away. It takes a little while to sync all of the guide data.

While the guide data was downloading and populating, I hit a few channels to see how live TV looked. The first channel I hit was ABC and President Obama was giving the State of the Union address. Actually, now that I think about it, I looked at FOX first and noticed the audio was out-of-sync with the video. Then I switched to the other national channels. ABC was in perfect sync so I left it there for a few minutes to gauge how well things were working.

I wanted to get a better idea of how well the Revo was handling motion so I surfed through some of the movie channels and watched various programs. The HDTV playback was smooth as silk. This is a very good sign.

Time to Sleep

The next thing I wanted to test was some basic power management stuff. I really just wanted to verify the device would turn off the monitor on time, suspend, resume on a recording event, then go back to sleep. I also wanted to make sure I could wake the machine with nothing but the remote control. It does that flawlessly.

In fact, the Revo has recorded over twenty programs and has not missed a wakeup event yet. In order to do that, the device needs to make sure all of the drives are spun up, tuners alive and kicking, etc. That orchestra is working very nicely.

Storage

The Revo comes with a 160GB 5400rpm hard drive inside the case. This is perfectly fine for the operating system and any applications, but it not sufficient for high definition recording storage. You can record 160GB in one day and in fact I did.

Instead of recording to the internal drive, I recorded all of the HDTV programming to an external drive. The external drive is a 3.5” Hitachi 1TB 7200rpm drive in a Nextstar 3 enclosure. The enclosure is connected to the Revo via the Revo’s eSATA port. The SATA chipset is NVIDIA nForce. It’s the first time I’ve used NVIDIA SATA and it’s working very well.

By the way, my long term solution is not the Nexstar 3 case. I use a better enclosure for HDTV recording that has a much better fan and ventilation for cooling.

Oldies but Goodies

Several of the peripherals I connected to the Revo are pretty ancient by technology standards. For instance, I didn’t use the included keyboard and mouse. Instead, I am using a standard issue circa 2005 Windows XP Media Center Edition Remote and IR Receiver (see pic above), and Windows XP MCE Remote keyboard (also pictured below).

I have no plans to use a keyboard or a mouse with the machine on a day-to-day basis but it’s nice to mess around with some oldies to see how they work with the new kid on the block. As expected, the IR receiver, remote control and keyboard all worked very well.

I also tested several bluetooth mice. I am currently using the Presenter Mouse 8000 but my all time favorite is the Wireless Laser Mouse 8000. I tested several just to make sure in a pinch I could connect one and do some stuff on the machine.

TiVo Replacement?

Is the Acer AspireRevo a TiVo replacement? In the strictest sense the answer is really no. The TiVo is for the most part a single purpose device. The Revo is really a general purpose device that just happens to fulfill the HD DVR role really nicely with Windows 7.

The Revo is nearly silent and has an abundance of connectivity options. I am using the HDMI port on the Revo to display on a Dell LCD panel right now via a HDMI->DVI adaptor. Unlike the TiVo, the Revo does not have built in tuners and slots for the CableCards I am using. Therefore, when you compare the cost of a TiVo solution to the Revo plus the other components you need to buy, the TiVo solution is cheaper.

But I like the UI in the media center shell for Windows 7 so I wanted to try this solution. A couple of critical transitions are coming. First, I need to see how my Wife likes this solution. After using the TiVo for several years now, change is hard and lets face it, the TiVo Series 3 works darn well. Then there is my acceptance. The jury is out right now. I need to fully explore the interface. One thing I haven’t discovered on the Revo is how to search and filter movies that are only HD. New user stuff like that will start to get discovered this weekend as I plan to move the unit from my office to the entertainment center here in the den. Then the real testing begins…

Summary

The Acer AspireRevo is meeting my expectations so far. I’ll come back and update this post later with more findings and discoveries. I figure I’ll have formed a solid opinion on the device in a couple of weeks. Right now I give this a solid thumbs up. I wish I had the Dell Zino sitting here for a side-by-side comparison. If the Revo fails the critical WAF, it probably won’t be the hardware so the Zino probably won’t make the difference. The WAF test is going to boil down to software. As it should be.

[12/6 FINAL UPDATE] The Acer AspireRevo 3610-U9012 is not going to get to the all important WAF. It didn’t pass the more stringent KAF and I’ll be setting up a return.

For the uninitiated, WAF stands for Wife Acceptance Factor and it’s critical to integration of any technology into the family. The Keith Acceptance Factor is a strict filter that is imposed on all incoming tech that will be used by the family. New tech has to get by me first.

Where did the Revo fall down? There were three key areas. The first place was the speed of the Media Center Shell UI. When the machine was on my desk for the initial check out, UI navigation and speed wasn’t super apparent. I was using a keyboard and mouse a lot. When I put the Revo in the entertainment center and started comparing it to the TiVo Series 3 side-by-side, frustration started to set in. It was just too slow. There was a big difference in the remote control operation and responsiveness.

Second, and really the kiss of death were the lockups that happened in the MCE UI. Any lockup or halt is unacceptable. This simply doesn’t happen in the TiVo so the bar is high. Having the Revo lockup and force a shutdown of the unit simply won’t work. It isn’t apparent if it’s the hardware or software and I won’t be troubleshooting it.

Lastly is the comparison of the required integration of the Windows based solution compared to a TiVo appliance. The TiVo contains the internal tuners and has slots for the CableCards built right into the unit. The TiVo is a single purpose appliance and it really shows. Does one thing great as opposed to the Windows 7 unit and all of the added peripherals that were needed. I held up all of the power, USB, SATA and other cords needed to connect the Revo and showed my wife. She said, “I could not connect that”. Exactly.

If you want to record HDTV from cable or fiber, and don’t want to use the cable companies rental HD DVR, then the TiVo is still king. I still love the Windows Media Center Shell UI but we really need a single purpose appliance to perfect the experience. Unfortunately the Revo isn’t it.

Upgrading AD Domains to Windows Server 2008 R2 AD DS Domains

2009-11-29T21:57:16Z

Upgrading your network operating system requires minimal network configuration and typically has a low impact on user operations. The upgrade process is straightforward, efficient, and allows your organization to take advantage of the improved security that is offered by the Windows Server® 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems.

This guide is intended for use by system administrators and system engineers. It provides detailed guidance for upgrading Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domains to Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domains that have domain controllers running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2. For a seamless deployment experience, use the checklists that are provided in this guide and complete the tasks in the order in which they are presented.

Go get the guide @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=fa629de2-f4dd-47ac-8d80-3db46b2877a2.

Running in a DC in Hyper-V

If you plan to run a Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller as a Hyper-V virtual machine, you should also download and review the latest guide on that as well. This guide discusses many of the important considerations that are specific to the deployment of a Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 virtual domain controller. It provides recommendations and tips to help you deploy and manage domain controllers in Hyper-V.

Some of the Hyper-V issues, such as storage and backup, that are not specific to domain controllers are not covered in this guide. This guide also does not address the potential cost savings of migration to virtual servers. Furthermore, because the process of making a virtual server a domain controller does not differ from the process of making a physical server a domain controller, this process (domain controller promotion) is not described in this guide.

Go get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=7425e34b-3990-43d8-b93b-cb6442858c21.

Windows XP went out kicking and screaming!!!

2009-11-29T05:38:45Z

Last night was the night my household finally went 100% pure Windows 7. I flattened our five year old Dell Inspiron 6000 my daughter uses and installed Windows 7.

I was impressed with the massive difference Windows 7 made on the overall behavior of the Inspiron 6000. Now to be fair, there were two significant changes. First, I pulled the 5400rpm drive out of the machine and replaced it with a nice 100GB 7200rpm drive. I didn’t realize any of our machines still had 5400rpm drives. That must have been payback for something that happened a couple of years ago.

Then of course there are a couple of years of Windows XP teen abuse. Nothing like the smell of a clean install in the morning to fix that. For those of you that support teen machines, you know what I mean. It’s alarming sometimes the level of “modification” that takes place when you hand admin privilege to a teenager. Think of it like a tax write-off. It’ll help you stay sane.

Anyway, the only problem I encountered was with the audio. I had to download the Sigmatel driver for Windows Vista from the dell.com support area. I was really happy that worked. I would have been up a creek if it didn’t.

The Elder Statesman

My oldest machine that is running Windows 7 is nearly seven years old. It’s the Dell Dimension 4600 we bought years ago and it has lived a long and fruitful life. I’m actually quite amazed it still works, and it’s even more amazing it runs Windows 7 pretty well. The NVIDIA GeForce 7600 video card in it has a little to do with that. It doesn’t have quite enough CPU horsepower to decode HDTV with fluid real time playback.

This particular machine was a SBS 2003 server running Exchange and ISA Server in it’s early years. Later it served several other roles including being the work horse behind the counter at my wife's retail store. Right now it’s relegated to the hall of fame until one of my nieces or nephews comes along with sad eyes. I’m sure it will find a new home this Christmas.

Anyway, everything I have is running the almighty Windows 7 now. Thanks to the Windows team for focusing on the fundamentals with the OS, so older machines could still have a life.

You don’t have the tools or talent, but you can watch this video in awe !!!

2009-11-25T04:37:26Z

Absolutely amazing video. Heck, the making of the video is interesting enough, but watch this case mod get created. Totally jealous of the tools and time.

Windows @ Work Contest goes live !!!

2009-11-24T04:40:27Z

Submit an entry about your Windows 7 experiences and thoughts to the community. What are you looking forward to in Windows 7? Share a business or personal success, or cool and innovative feature. Your fellow community members will vote, so may the best story win.

Contest Location: http://it.toolbox.com/communities/microsoft-windows-7/contests

Contest Period: 11/23/09 to 02/23/10

Prizes:

This is a pretty easy contest to enter. No screencast or anything fancy this time around. Instead, tell us about your experience with Windows 7 for a chance to win a great prize.

See the contest site for the full rules. Sure wish I could enter. Good luck!!!

Windows Home Server (WHS) Power Pack 3 – available on 11/24

2009-11-22T18:10:06Z

If you have multiple PCs with increasingly large amounts of digital photography, music, video, and documents, then protecting, organizing, and connecting this digital media can be a challenging task. Help with managing your digital dilemmas has arrived. Windows Home Server does more than Network Attached Storage (NAS) – take a look.

Media Server: Digi tal memories and media stored and organized in a central location
Backup Software: Home computers backed up daily, automatically
Data Recovery: Simple restore of lost files or even entire hard drive content.
Document Management: Complete access to files from both inside and outside the home
Remote Access: A secure and personalized website address for sharing photos and home videos
Add-ins: Easily add storage space and new software capabilities

Power Pack 3 adds the following new features:

Backup/Restore of computers running Windows 7 - Windows Home Server can automatically archive recorded TV by moving your recordings from a Windows Media Center computer to your home server in the format of your choice. This enables playback in the correct format for your home computers and/or portable devices. You can configure your computer running Windows 7 to wake up at a scheduled backup time and then go back to sleep after the backup finishes.
Windows 7 Libraries integration - When you install the Windows Home Server Connector and log on a computer running Windows 7, you can access the Windows Home Server shared folders from the Windows 7 libraries.
Enhancements for Windows Media Center - Windows Home Server can automatically archive recorded TV by moving your recordings from a Windows Media Center computer to your home server in the format of your choice. This enables playback in the correct format for your home computers and/or portable devices.
Better support for netbook computers – looking for details on this.

Power Pack 3 will enable the most optimal experience for Windows 7 users on a Windows Home Server network.

Got 2010? Go get it !!!

2009-11-20T06:00:00Z

Head on over to http://www.microsoft.com/2010/ and check out the 2010 wave and downloads.

Compose a Haiku and Win!

2009-11-18T07:09:30Z

Clear your mind. Think about the magnificent Windows Server 2008 R2 and compose a Haiku. Ready to get started? Head on over to http://www.r2haiku.com/ for a chance to win. Official rules at http://www.r2haiku.com/Home/Rules.

Azure Services Training Kit – now available for download

2009-11-18T04:36:08Z

The Azure Services Training Kit includes a comprehensive set of technical content including hands-on labs, presentations, and demos that are designed to help you learn how to use the Windows Azure platform including: Windows Azure, SQL Azure and .NET Services. The November release includes new and updated labs in addition to information about Microsoft Codename “Dallas”. This training kit contains the following content:

Presentations Presentations will be updated after PDC 2009 with all of the latest and greatest decks.

Demos Demos will be updated after PDC 2009 with all of the latest and greatest demos.

Hands On Labs

Introduction to Windows Azure
Exploring Windows Azure Storage
Deploying and Monitoring Applications in Windows Azure
Windows Azure: Worker Role Communication
Federated Authentication in a Windows Azure Web Role Application
Building ASP.NET Web Form Applications with Windows Azure
Introduction to SQL Azure
Migrating Databases to SQL Azure
SQL Azure: Tips and Tricks
Intro to Dallas
Introduction to the .NET Service Bus
Introduction to the .NET Access Control Service
Service Remoting with Service Bus
Eventing with the Service Bus

Get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=413e88f8-5966-4a83-b309-53b7b77edf78.

BitLocker to Go Reader – now available for download

2009-11-18T04:29:38Z

BitLocker protection on removable drives is known as BitLocker To Go. When a BitLocker-protected removable drive is unlocked on a computer running Windows 7, the drive is automatically recognized and the user is either prompted for credentials to unlock the drive or the drive is unlocked automatically if configured to do so. Computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista do not automatically recognize that the removable drive is BitLocker-protected. With the BitLocker To Go Reader users can unlock the BitLocker-protected drives by using a password or a recovery password (also known as a recovery key) and gain read-only access to their data.

Go get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=64851943-78c9-4cd4-8e8d-f551f06f6b3d