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Pre-ordering my copy now! Go Browns!
This morning we’ll be taking questions live from you. Join us at 9am PST as we host an episode on the topic of Virtualization. Our guest this morning is Aidan Finn. Aidan has many years of experience on this topic so please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to ask a question you have.
To register for this episode, head on over to https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032483836&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
See http://technet.microsoft.com/talk for past episodes and the schedule of those to come.
MVA is a new online training portal aimed at IT Professionals, and anyone else, who want to learn new skills and enhance existing ones for cloud computing environments. The Microsoft Virtual Academy offers no-cost, easy-access training for IT professionals who want to get ahead in cloud computing. MVA guides you through real-life deployment scenarios and the latest cloud computing technologies and tools. By selecting the training modules that match your needs, you can use valuable new skills that help take your career to the next level.
MVA is a fully cloud-based learning experience focusing on Microsoft Cloud Technologies. You can access a variety of training content online and become one of the renowned experts in the IT Pro community around the world. MVA provides its users with a virtual university experience: the student can select a course and study the material and then do the self-assessment. By doing so, he will collect points that will promote him to a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Level. Students on MVA can get access to all the information, statistics and advancements of their training career, allowing them to maintain a long-term relationship with Microsoft. Learning through MVA is free of charge, and you can study the contents at any time and at your own pace.
To learn more and join the academy please visit here: Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) Launches in the US!
Four wins down. One to go.
Browns running back Peyton Hillis defeated quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers in the semifinals of the tournament to be on the cover of Madden NFL 12. Prior to his win over Rodgers, Hillis defeated Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice in the tournament. Now, it is on to the finals, where he will face off against Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Please vote for Peyton Hillis for the cover
Click here to vote for Hillis.
If you are not have not seem him play here is a quick video showing some of his highlights from 2010:
In 2010, Hillis became the first Browns player to rush for 1,000 yards, catch 50 passes and score ten touchdowns in the same season. He would be the first Cleveland sports athlete to grace the cover of a video game. Rick Nash, right winger and captain of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, is the only Ohio professional sports athlete to be featured on a video game’s cover in the last decade.
GO BROWNS!
Good afternoon and thank you to everyone who attended the event in Louisville ! I hope everyone had a good time. As promised here are some resources and the Q/A from the event.. During the event one the folks in the room mentioned a tool on how to transition your Office knowledge to the ribbon. There are a couple of tools you can use. Thanks Fred and Tim for sending the information over. There’s an online-version of that, which you can run directly from the web (great for users who can’t install software):
Interactive Menu Guides (imho the coolest option)
There is also a tool you can download called Search Commands and you can get it here: Search Commands
I will also be placing the slides here: TechNet Slides: Transforming IT from Virtualization to the Cloud and here: TechNet Event Slides
I also wanted to share with you another place to get your Azure questions answered: Windows Azure Office Hours. There are a lot of people that are interested in the cloud, but they don't know how to get started. Maybe they just have a lot of questions before they decide to get going. This is what we are here for. During office hours we will have the door wide open. Come on in, toss out your questions, and we'll help you anyway we can. The office will be staffed with cloud computing experts from Microsoft, and some of our leading partners. No agenda, just show up and pitch us your questions. No Registration. No emails. No commitments. Just show up. Go here to learn about the hours:
Windows Azure Office Hours.
You can also get a 30 day trial (no credit card required!!!) of Azure by use the code TNAZURE at Windows Azure Pass: http://www.windowsazurepass.com
Q: Can you build Java application in Azure? A: Yes you can, Windows Azure in an open platform. This means you can run applications written in .NET, PHP, or Java. Here is a video and blog post discussing it: How Do I: Run Java Applications in Windows Azure?
Q: Where can I find the basic is the cloud right for you quiz? A: Yes there is I actually blogged about this last year: What Kind of Cloud is Your Business Looking to Become?
Q: Where is the Azure ROI calculator A: You can find the calculator here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/economics/ it is on the right hand side of the web page.
Q: What about HIPAA compliance and the cloud? A: Security and compliance is one of the hottest topics centering around the cloud. There are a few resources to look at:
Join the beta program and explore Microsoft Office 365. When Office 365 is commercially released, beta accounts will be activated to trial versions, and you can easily continue using Office 365 beyond the 30-day trial period if you choose to purchase. This used the Microsoft Office 365 (Plan P1) Beta. This is a subscription service that combines the familiar Microsoft Office Web Apps with online versions of our next-generation communications and collaboration services (Email & Calendar, Office Web Apps, Websites & Collaboration, IM and Online Meetings)
Joining the beta is easy and takes just a few minutes. Try everything Office 365 (Plan P1) has to offer, and stay up to date on product news and information.
JOIN THE BETA NOW!
To learn more follow the links below:
Good afternoon and thank you to everyone who attended the event in Cincinnati ! I hope everyone had a good time. Again thank you for the patience with the projectors it turned out to be a crossed cable at the projector, but thank you for Thinking Pink during the event. As promised here are some resources and the Q/A from the event.. I hope everyone enjoyed seeing the Cloud and enjoyed our conversations. After the event Scott, one of the folks who attend the event sent me this cool case study on how law enforcement is using Azure today. Thanks Scott! You can see the video below and there is more information about the case study here:
I will also placed the slides here: TechNet Slides: Transforming IT from Virtualization to the Cloud and here: TechNet Event Slides
Also remember about the 3 free months for a new TechNet Subscription: By using TN3MNA06 you can receive the 3 bonus months on the TechNet Professional Subscription! Click here to get your TechNet Subscription: Purchase a TechNet Professional Subscription For more details take a look here: Get 15 Months on a TechNet Professional Subscription for the Price of 12 Months with TN3MNA06 until June 30, 2011
Q: Where can I find the Azure pricing FAQ? A: Here is a general overview you can find more details about pay as you go and subscriptions here: Windows and SQL Azure Pricing overview
Highly simplified Cost Structure (from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff803375.aspx):
Service
Sample Cost
1. In/Out Bandwidth
In: $0.10/gigabyte (GB)
Out: $0.15/GB
2. Windows Azure Storage
$0.15/GB
3. Transactions
$0.01/10 kilobyte (K) transactions
4. Compute
Small size role $0.12/hour
5. SQL Storage
Up to 1 GB: $9.99
Up to 10 GB: $99.99
Q: Will RemoteFX work in Azure? A: Not that I know officially. I did see a lot of blog posts and rumors but as far as I know it does not as of now.
Q: How do you block Web Crawlers in Azure? A: While we do not actively prevent legitimate crawlers in Azure we do a lot of things under the covers to protect the platform. Here is a great whitepaper on the internal security: Technical Overview of the Security Features in Windows Azure Platform
Q: How do you work with Active Directory domains in Office 365? A: Here is a good article showing the roadmap to AD directory synchronization: Active Directory synchronization: Roadmap. You can use your local AD and synchronize it with 365 here is some more information: Manage directory synchronization
Q: How is the cloud patched (i.e. security patches) ? A: Azure like on-premise servers needs to be patched. Windows must be patched, as must other system software. In on-premises environments, doing this typically requires some human effort. In Windows Azure, however, the process is entirely automated: The fabric controller handles updates for Web and Worker role instances (although not for VM role instances). When necessary, it also updates the underlying Windows servers those VMs run on. Here is a good article on how the programming model works: THE WINDOWS AZURE PROGRAMMING MODEL
Q: How does working with documents at the same work with Office Web Applications? A: With Office there is a concept called co-authoring and you can learn more about it here Document collaboration and co-authoring. Below is a table highlighting the capabilities:
Application
Server Requirements
Common Scenarios
Word 2010
SharePoint Technologies
Any document including proposals, plans, vision statements, minutes, newsletters, and reports
PowerPoint 2010
Any presentation including training, conferences, post-mortems, product overviews, handbooks, and project status reports
Excel Web App
SharePoint Technologies and Office Web Apps
Any spreadsheet, including team financial modeling, business-to business product line update on a web page, and real-time trading spreadsheet trackers
OneNote 2010
Any notebook, including recurring meeting minutes, project brainstorming ("group-think"), shared research and reference material, and shared training courses
OneNote Web App
Q: How do you handle country boundaries in Azure? A: In Azure we use the concept of affinity groups to work with the geographic location of your applications in the Microsoft data centers. Although this article is a bit dated, it does a nice job of explaining Affinity groups: Windows Azure Geo-location Live
Q: How can you use local replication with SQL to SQL Azure? A: SQL Azure allows you to sync your data with your local SQL servers using the sync framework. You can learn more about it here: Sync Framework - SQL Server to SQL Azure Synchronization , and the video below is from channel posting here: Using SQL Azure Data Sync Service to provide Geo-Replication of SQL Azure databases.
Good afternoon and thank you to everyone who attended the event in Nashville! I hope everyone had a good time. As promised here are some resources and the Q/A from the event.
Q:What announcements where made at MMS regarding the cloud? A: The keynotes do a good job of overview the information: Watch Brad Anderson in the MMS 2011 Day 1 Keynote and the Day 2 Keynote. There were 35 sessions at MMS regarding Cloud Management, however they are not online yet, if/when they post I will let you know.
Q: is there an audit trail for administration tasks in Azure? A: I was not able to dig up a tool, other than the system health reporting, that will show you the basics of Azure. Again as I mentioned your Azure administrative accounts should be tightly controlled and limited to only a few people, not only for security but also cost..
Q: What is the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)/Privacy for your data and applications in Azure? A: Here is the privacy statement: Microsoft Windows® Azure™ Platform Privacy Statement
Here is also a great whitepaper on the internal security: Technical Overview of the Security Features in Windows Azure Platform
Q: What are the hardware specifications for the Azure servers for Hyper-V? A:While I could not find the exact specs, I did find this interesting article from 2008, where Ray Ozzie discusses the data centers: Microsoft's data centers growing by the truckload
This link shows a video showing the process: Microsoft Generation 4 Data Centers
Lastly remember about the 3 free months for a new TechNet Subscription: By using TN3MNA06 you can receive the 3 bonus months on the TechNet Professional Subscription! Click here to get your TechNet Subscription: Purchase a TechNet Professional Subscription For more details take a look here: Get 15 Months on a TechNet Professional Subscription for the Price of 12 Months with TN3MNA06 until June 30, 2011
May 2 – Toronto | May 4 – Detroit | May 6 – Chicago | May 9 – Indianapolis | May 11 – Dallas | May 13 - Columbus
The Springboard Series Tour is back! This 6 city tour brings the top product teams from Microsoft to you. We understand the questions and issues that IT pros deal with every day. How do I manage end users bringing consumer devices into the office? Should we look to the cloud for key solutions? Should I virtualize? What are the best tools to manage application compatibility and deployment? The Springboard Series Tour brings the experts and the answers.
Join us for a full day’s deep dive into the tools, solutions and options to help you do more with less. We will cover managing the flexible workspace, a first look at Windows Intune and Office 365. We’ll also show you some of the new Windows Slates and give you details around Microsoft’s strategy for Slate devices. We will preview the new tools in the MDOP 2011 suite, a deep dive into managing and deploying Office 2010 and great tips and tricks to help you deploy Windows 7 and move your users from Windows XP with speed and ease. I will see you personally in Detroit, Indy and Columbus!
REGISTER NOW and save your seat for this free day of technical demos, Q&A sessions, and real-world guidance from Microsoft experts. We’ll see you on the road!
As you have seen in a few post’s my team have been heavily engaged with student teams participating in Imagine Cup. A number of these teams have been selected to participate in the Imagine Cup US finals. Going to the finals is a big deal, and is essentially a world’s premier student technology competition akin to the Olympics, I like to think of it as the “Olympics of technology.” Below I have include information and voting links for some of teams. Through April 9th they in the running to win the Imagine Cup People’s Choice competition. Click the links below to vote AND learning more about the teams. You can vote once daily via the link AND vote via SMS message through April 9th. So please review the teams below and vote
Software Design
University Of Arkansas at Little Rock
Our application takes information collected from parents of children who have cancer and/or the doctors who are treating them, so that a database is created that can be data mined to find hidden links between cancer causes.
Wayne State University
Procur is the intelligent humanitarian supply chain of the future. With advanced resource analytics, system-aided decisions and increased responsiveness, this system solution adapts to the changing landscape of resource inventory in disasters.
Game Design
Bloom AND text bloom to 23000
Tribeca Flashpoint Academy
Spero is about making a difference one step at a time. Players help find alternative energy solutions, keep the environment clean and educate people on how to live healthier lives.
Team Mintrus AND text mintrus to 23000
Columbia College and University of Louisville
Pandemic is a tower defense game that acts as a conduit in the education and prevention of AIDS. Players of Pandemic are submersed into the human body where they assume the role of the immune system in a battle against AIDS.
Big Impact Bear AND text bear to 23000
University of Houston
Forest Gun aims to prevent and reverse deforestation in the world. The forests are in danger because of unregulated logging companies.
If you have ever wanted to use Live Migration (LM) and High Availability (HA) you had to have shared storage . This shared storage can be in the forms of SAS, iSCSI or Fiber Channel SAN. For many environments this isn't an issue, but there are some specific scenarios where customers need LM and HA and the cost of a dedicated SAN is a blocker. For example,
Wouldn't it be great to have another option? So today, as a big THANK YOU to we are taking another step in lowering the barriers and making it even easier to take advantage of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V High Availability and Live Migration. What does this mean? It means you can install the Microsoft iSCSI software target on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system and use it as shared storage for Live Migration. Interested? Here are a few key resources.
I wanted to let everyone know about a new group forming in Michigan. The Southeast Michigan SMB IT Pro Group will have their Inaugural meeting on Tuesday April 19th 6-8:00pm. The event will be held at the Caribou Coffee in a Private Meeting Room located at 31901 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI. This is the inaugural meeting of a group that will explore a wide variety of small and medium business technologies for the IT professional. This group is membership supported at $50 per year. Non-members are welcome to attend at no charge. So if you are a Microsoft partner in the SMB space you will want to attend this meeting!
Topic: Microsoft MultiPoint Server presented by Andy Goodman SBS-MVP
What is it? Case study: How it is being used in one small business replacing PC’s and providing terminal server type access to the network. Although Microsoft is currently marketing Multipoint Server to educational customers, the product team specifically developed the Premium Edition to meet the needs of small business. This server is built on terminal services technology and can be an inexpensive replacement for PC’s in the network and provide remote access. In this meeting we’ll review some materials on MultiPoint and hear from a consultant that has deployed MultiPoint Server to one of his clients.
RSVP: Email Amy Babinchak at amy@harborcomputerservices.net so they an estimate on how many people to expect.