chris e. avis - blogstrocity

Science and Technology at the Oscars–Recognizing the Nerds….

2012-02-22T23:04:00Z

The 84th Academy Awards – “The Oscars” – will be on TV this Sunday. Most people are familiar with the drama and suspense around seeing their favorite actors and actresses being nominated for and winning (or losing!) the coveted golden statue. I have watched the Oscars many times since I was a child for that very reason. I used to get frustrated when they would pause and quickly rattle of the winners of the technical awards for lighting, sound, and other obscura that, to me, had nothing to do with...(read more)

Download….Learn…and pick up a $20 MS Store Coupon and a chance at a killer Lenovo laptop!

2012-02-22T18:12:05Z

In the US, we are holding a promotion that has two very easy steps and then you receive $20 to use at the Microsoft Online Store. To begin, go visit the Microsoft Private Cloud Offer site . Offer Period: Now until June 30, 2012 Click the Download button to go to the TechNet Evaluation Center and Download your Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software. You will need to sign in with your Live ID to initiate the download. Once the download starts, it will probably take about 30 – 60 minutes depending...(read more)

Office365 Saturday this weekend at the Redmond Campus!

2012-02-20T19:23:23Z

Join us in Redmond for the inaugural Office365 Saturday event! On Saturday, February 25th you can join other business users, administrators, developers, and professionals that work with Office365 and its corresponding technologies: SharePoint, Lync, and Exchange. Office365 Saturday Redmond will be an educational, informative & lively day filled with sessions from respected professionals & MVPs, covering a wide variety of Office365 topics. Office365 Saturday is FREE, open to the public...(read more)

Get involved with the Reference Architecture for Private Cloud Wiki….

2012-02-20T18:10:08Z

I just stumbled on this site last week while I was on vacation. It looks like Tom Shinder, long time Microsoft MVP and now Principal Knowledge Engineer with Microsoft (he is also the man behind the ISAServer.org site!), published the first draft of this back in July of 2011. I read through this information and think it should be required reading for anyone implementing or involved with Private Clouds. Since it is a Wiki, you have the opportunity to contribute! From the site….. “The Reference Architecture...(read more)

All done with vacation….

2012-02-20T17:39:33Z

I took some vacation time last week which is why there has been a gap in my 70-659 exam Series. I am quickly sorting through email and other work items and then I will resume my posts. It may be another day or two before you see the next one in the series but I can assure you, they are coming! Cheers!...(read more)

IT Camps–Hands on Learning!–Coming to you!

2012-02-14T18:02:00Z

In the West Region, Harold Wong and I are hosting a set of events in the March and May / June timeframe. In November 2011, we tried out a new format for events which we called IT Camps. This new format included the ability for the attendees to select the topics that would be discussed. We are evolving this a bit and holding more of these IT Camp style events in March. Join us for our upcoming IT Camp where we are changing the format and structure of our in-person events! We are implementing...(read more)

Free stuff for Startups…

2012-02-10T15:55:01Z

As a follow up to the other developer related post I made this morning, I am asking that folks take a look at my buddy Matt Harrington’s blog where he details some cool stuff that Startups will be interested in. From his post - Do you like free stuff? Are you a startup? Microsoft supports Startup America , which offers the following for free: Expertise - Weekly pitch coaching sessions with Nathan Gold Ask the VC Virtual Round Tables with folks like Brad Feld and David Cohen of TechStars Services...(read more)

Passing the Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Exam (70-659) – Part 5 – I’m a developer! Why Virtualize?

2012-02-10T13:12:00Z

Virtualization is not just for production work loads. Developers can benefit as well….if they just check it out! What the heck? Developers? Virtualization? Sure! I have spent countless man hours configuring my development platform. How do I easy replicate that as a virtual development platform? Problem: Like anyone else, developers are always on the look out for ways to speed up the process for delivering final production code. One way is to leverage plug-ins or...(read more)

TechNet Radio: How to Transition from GroupWise to Office 365

2012-02-09T23:01:00Z

About This Video In today’s episode, Sr. IT Pro Evangelist Chris Avis welcomes Chad Lindley from Quest Software as they discuss the ins and outs of migrating from Novell GroupWise to Office 365. Tune in as they chat about driving factors on why many organizations are considering this move, common transition requirements to consider as well how Quest Software can help. Downloads Video: WMV | MP4 | WMV (ZIP) | PSP Audio: WMA | MP3 Click here to Register for the Live! TechNet Webcast...(read more)

Passing the Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Exam (70-659) – Part 4

2012-02-08T19:48:15Z

First things first – If you do not already have a test machine, build one! - Download a trial version of Windows Server 2008 R2 and install it to a capable machine that you can use for study and learning. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this post, we will walk through creating a guest virtual machine and the configuration options that are available. We will also talk about the different kinds of Virtual Hard Drive (.VHD) that can be created and when...(read more)

TechNet Webcast: Complete a Seamless Transition from GroupWise to Office 365 (Level 200)

2012-02-07T20:09:52Z

Are you considering or planning a migration from Novell GroupWise to Microsoft Office 365? Do you need to provide coexistence between on-premises and cloud users? Join Chad Lindley, product manager at Quest Software, as he discusses solutions and best practices for transitioning from GroupWise to Office 365. A seamless transition with full coexistence is now available whether or not you implement a hybrid environment. Chad discusses the planning and considerations that are necessary to ensure a smooth...(read more)

Passing the Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Exam (70-659) – Part 3

2012-02-07T16:38:37Z

First things first – If you do not already have a test machine, build one! - Download a trial version of Windows Server 2008 R2 and install it to a capable machine that you can use for study and learning. Next, do yourself a favor and read this short article – An Introduction to Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 – It provides a very nice, succinct overview of Hyper-V. Finally, read this excellent article by Ben Armstrong that lays out terminology you should be familiar with – Hyper-V Terminology . ...(read more)

Passing the Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Exam (70-659) – Part 2

2012-02-06T17:03:49Z

First things first – If you do not already have a test machine, build one! - Download a trial version of Windows Server 2008 R2 and install it to a capable machine that you can use for study and learning. Nothing beats hands-on experience. I guarantee you that you will learn faster and gain a deeper understanding if you have a machine you can touch and work with in person. I recommend a Quad-Core machine that has at east 16 gigs of RAM and reasonably fast hard drives. Preferably high capacity 7200...(read more)

Echoes of Me….

2012-02-03T18:54:59Z

My team – West Region Developer and Platform Evangelism Team – recently had an off-site meeting. The goal was to review deliverables from the first half of the year and set expectations for the remainder of the year (through July 1, 2012). It isn’t all business though. We had a team dinner one night and someone showed an old picture of themselves. Then someone else did and so on and so on. I will be the first to admit, that old pictures of me are…..humorous. If you look at the comments in my Private...(read more)

Private Cloud Toolbox all in one blog post – (2012 Update)….

2012-02-02T13:00:00Z

You know you want to get your hands dirty. Well as dirty as us geeks can get them in this increasingly virtual world. As you know, I am spending a lot of time right now talking about Private Cloud. I want to make you have as much information and all the right tools at your disposal to ensure you can stay current with your skills. Below you will find a collection of link to free training, free software, and preview releases of upcoming Microsoft IT software. All of which are designed to make managing...(read more)

Writing my first Windows Phone app (I hope!)

2012-02-01T23:12:39Z

As an IT Evangelist, I like to make fun of developers from time to time. We live in different worlds and do different things. There has always been an imaginary wall between the IT and Dev departments with only a few daring individuals willing (or forced) to have feet on both sides. I used to be a “developer”…..in 1982. Back in those days I wrote a myriad of very tiny apps for my Apple ][. I then moved on to writing apps on my Apple //gs. By the mid-80’s I had pretty much stopped any real coding...(read more)

Building an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Cloud Using Windows Server 8….

2012-02-01T18:44:23Z

With the run up to the beta of Windows 8, I am fielding a LOT of questions on the Windows 8 Server and Clients. My standard answers have been – Keep an eye on the Building Windows 8 Blog ! Mostly because that is the first place that official Windows 8 information get posted, but also because there isn’t a whole of of other information being released. But I did just stumble on a paper that provides some information on Windows Server 8 and Infrastructure as a Service. Since this a key piece to building...(read more)

February WNUG Meeting Tonight!

2012-02-01T15:49:05Z

Our next monthly meeting is scheduled for, Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at Lincoln Square Center in Bellevue at 6:00PM. If you will be able to attend, please RSVP Here . Session Details Our guest speaker will be Sharee English of SeattlePro Enterprises. Sharee is the Director of Information Services. She is an MCT, MCSD and MCAD with over 15 years of experience in software development, training, and management. The topic of her presentation is " Planning & Implementing Information Management...(read more)

TechNet Radio: Cert Talk - New Private Cloud Certification Exam and 20 Year Anniversary of the MCP….

2012-01-31T15:44:00Z

It’s the 20 year anniversary of the Microsoft Certification Program, and in today’s episode your Cert Talk host, J. Seymour welcomes Sr. Director for Microsoft Learning, Don Field, Product Planner Jim Clark and Sr. IT Pro Evangelist, Chris Avis to the show. Tune in as they discuss what the value of certification is for individuals and employers, how its personally impacted their career, as well as the latest information on the newly available private cloud certification. Download...(read more)

Beta Exams coming up for Microsoft Private Cloud Certifications….

2012-01-29T15:39:04Z

If you head over to the Microsoft Training and Certification site, you will find that we are publishing some information about the upcoming Microsoft Private Cloud Certifications. The Private Cloud certification is built on Windows Server 2008 R2 and System Center 2012. It validates your ability to configure, deploy, monitor, and operate a Microsoft private cloud solution, which transforms the way IT services are delivered. Our System Center 2012 exams are not released yet, but you can get a head...(read more)

Passing the Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization Exam (70-659) – Part 1

2012-01-29T00:33:29Z

You have seen a lot of messaging from Microsoft as well as others in the tech industry regarding Private Cloud. With the update of the System Center 2012 Suite to Release Candidate status, we have a very solid platform for IT Pros to develop and implement their own Private Clouds. This suite of products can be a bit intimidating particularly if you are just entering the computing field. Even if you have been the IT Industry for many years, there is a need to have a solid understanding of Virtualization...(read more)

MCT presentation on Cloud Computing

2012-01-23T16:37:57Z

Thank you to everyone that stuck around for the presentation Private Clouds that I delivered to MCT��s last Thursday. Mother Nature was not very kind to us that day and is continuing to cause problems in my area. The power outage I suffered at my house lasted the remainder of the day and my wife and I ended up staying at a hotel the next two nights because we had no heat. I mentioned on the presentation that I would record some demos to post here to my blog. I had hoped to have those ready for...(read more)

Private Cloud gets real! - System Center 2012 Announcements….

2012-01-18T22:05:08Z

As you may have heard, there have been some big announcements regarding System Center 2012. All of these announcements are directly related to the Private Cloud conversations I have been having with IT Pro’s for the last year. Before I dig into the specific announcement information, let me summarize the importance of Private Clouds. In many of my presentations on Private Cloud, I use a time warp scenario to drive home the changes in IT that Private Cloud offer us. 15 years ago - Developers...(read more)

TechNet Radio: Cert Talk - Virtualization 101 with Edwin Yuen….

2012-01-18T14:54:35Z

Today we’re talking Virtualization with Microsoft Director of Cloud and Virtualization Strategy, Edwin Yuen. Tune in as Edwin lays the foundation for what it is, how VMware stacks up to Microsoft Virtualization technologies as well as how you can personally benefit from learning more about the topic. Also be sure to watch for Sr. IT Pro Evangelist Chris Avis, as he discusses various ways Virtualization can impact consumers, educators and businesses. Download this Segment Video: WMV | MP4 | WMV (ZIP...(read more)

Free TechNet Webcast - Career Progression: Getting Ready for the Cloud….

2012-01-12T20:52:17Z

My buddy Dan Stolts is delivering a webcast on January 18th - Please Register https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032501883&Culture=en-US About this TechNet webcast: The "cloud" is simply the next level of virtualization. For those that do not have virtualization experience, this webcast describes the fundamentals of Hyper-V while giving you a jump start to your virtualization or cloud career. Then, we dive deep into the Microsoft hypervisor-based server virtualization...(read more)