Revelations of a Confused Mind

TechNet and MSDN Events Roadshow – Register now!

2009-08-11T22:31:14Z

Well, you’ve been asking and the time has finally come. We’ve got more TechNet Events coming up for your viewing pleasure. So, sign up now by clicking on the your Midwest city from the list below and we’ll see you at the next free event! This round of events will be a slightly different format, so make sure you sign up for both TechNet and MSDN events (there are two lists below) to get the biggest bang for your back. We’ve also merged ArcReady events into the MSDN/TechNet roadshow, so there is no separate sign up for those events anymore. Thanks and we’ll see you there!

Announcing Real World Azure with Microsoft IT

Our first event under the new format will be on cloud computing and specifically the Windows Azure Platform. Cloud computing is a big topic in the industry these days, Microsoft is not the only player in the space, but we are pretty proud of our Windows Azure Platform. This topic will talk about the nuts and bolts of the platform, but will also showcase an application built on the platform, “Project Austin”. Here is information on the TechNet Events and MSDN Events.

TechNet Events Presents – Azure for the IT Professional

In this event, we will discuss:

Azure architecture from the IT professional’s point of view
Why an IT operations team would want to pursue Azure as an extension to the data center
Configuration, deployment and scaling Azure-based applications
The Azure roles (web, web service and worker)
Azure storage options
Azure security and identity options
How Azure-based applications can be integrated with on-premises applications
How operations teams can manage and monitor Azure-based applications

Dates & Location (click on city name to register)

8/18/09 - Columbus, OH
8/19/09 - Mason, OH
8/19/09 - Downers Grove, IL
8/20/09 - Indianapolis, IN
8/20/09 - Dallas, TX
9/16/09 - Grand Rapids, MI
9/17/09 - Southfield, MI
9/17/09 - Overland Park, KS
9/17/09 - Houston, TX
9/22/09 - Cleveland, OH
9/24/09 - Waukesha, WI
9/24/09 - Austin, TX
9/29/09 - St. Louis, MO
9/29/09 - Nashville, TN
9/30/09 - Knoxville, TN
10/1/09 - Chicago, IL
10/27/09 - Bloomington, MN

(All TechNet events are from 8:30am to noon)

MSDN Events Presents – Azure for the Developer & Architect

Cloud computing architectures in general and the Azure architecture in particular
Several aspects of Azure from the developer’s and architect’s perspective
Azure roles (web, web service and worker)
Azure storage options
Azure security and identity options
How Azure-based applications can be integrated with on-premise applications
Configuration, deployment and scaling Azure-based applications
How development teams can optimize their applications for better management and monitoring

Dates & Location (click on city name to register)

8/18/09 - Columbus, OH
8/19/09 - Mason, OH
8/19/09 - Downers Grove, IL
8/20/09 - Indianapolis, IN
8/20/09 - Dallas, TX
9/16/09 - Grand Rapids, M
9/17/09 - Southfield, MI
9/17/09 - Overland Park, KS
9/17/09 - Houston, TX
9/22/09 - Cleveland, OH
9/24/09 - Waukesha, WI
9/24/09 - Austin, TX
9/29/09 - St. Louis, MO
9/29/09 - Nashville, TN
9/30/09 - Knoxville, TN
10/1/09 - Chicago, IL
10/27/09 - Bloomington, MN

Show me the Money! Attend the Chicagoland Sharepoint Event on May 27th.

2009-05-06T20:04:00Z

If you're in the Chicagoland area and interested in Sharepoint, I want you to know about this upcoming event. There will be lots of great content delivered by experienced partners as well as customers. Sign up at:

Sharepoint Seminar - May 27th, 8:30-Noon

Now, more than ever, companies are scrutinizing investments in technology. In order to gain project approval, a well defined business case needs to be established and understood. In this seminar, you will learn how to explain the financial considerations around SharePoint that will make sense to your CFO and gain acceptance of your SharePoint initiative in 2009. You will learn proven ROI strategies for SharePoint and see real word examples of organizations who have implemented SharePoint to cut costs and realize a positive ROI.

Learn how to answer the following questions:

1. Is there a return on investment (ROI) for SharePoint?
2. How long do I need to wait until I will see a payback?
3. Where can SharePoint save my organization money?
4. What is the "low hanging fruit"?
5. How do I control the total ownership cost of SharePoint?

Featured Products

Microsoft Office InfoPath, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services

Recommended Audiences

Technology Executives, IT Managers, Business Executives, Managers, Vice Presidents, CEO, CIO, COO, CTO, CFO, Operations Managers, IT Directors, Business Managers, Solution Architects, Practice Directors, Business Owner, Controller, Business Decision Maker, Technical Decision Makers

Seminar Content Preview

SharePoint ROI in Practice:
Cut costs with document imaging using KnowledgeLake for SharePoint.

Use proven, extensible server software to transform SharePoint into a production imaging system capable of meeting high-volume needs. KnowledgeLake Imaging Server eliminates the costs and challenges of using paper documents, as well as the limitations it puts on your business processes.

SharePoint ROI in Practice:
Simplify and automate your organization's business processes with SharePoint to “do more with less.”

Learn how a mid-market professional service firm simplified and automated their business processes to reduce costs and position themselves for growth. Stout Risius Ross (SRR) is a financial advisory firm specializing in investment banking, valuation & financial opinions, and dispute advisory & forensic services. SRR's business goals were to Increase the prospect-to-client conversion ratio by giving individuals the ability to easily search firm-wide relevant experience, help the firm achieve a 7:1 ratio of client service staff to operations staff and reduce the firm's exposure related to incomplete conflict checks and legal & regulatory compliance. SRR streamlined their core engagement lifecycle process and integrated their systems using Microsoft SharePoint Office SharePoint Server 2007 as the underlying foundation.

SharePoint Management Best Practices:
Strategies & tools to lower your SharePoint total cost of ownership.

Successful SharePoint deployments require effective management, vigorous protection, diligent compliance protocols, and continuous availability. As companies increasingly rely on SharePoint to store business-critical digital assets, these requirements become crucial catalysts for optimal production and minimized exposure to costly downtime and data loss. The fundamental question for every organization operating in today's 24/7 economy is: How much will it cost to support a mission-critical SharePoint environment? Success in today's demanding business environment requires organizations be properly equipped to maintain continuous, uninterrupted access to business-critical digital assets.

Direct Access Step by Step Guide Just Released!

2009-05-06T17:15:00Z

For those of you who are attending my TechNet Unleashed events this quarter, you'll recall I've been doing a lot of talking around how to set up and configure DirectAccess. As part of this discussion, I mentioned I would post more information about DirectAccess via my blog. Well, we have a great new guide for Release Candidate that will help you get DirectAccess in a test environment. Check it out:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=8d47ed5f-d217-4d84-b698-f39360d82fac

Windows 7 Release Candidate Available to the Public for Download

2009-05-05T22:54:00Z

In case you missed it, Windows 7 Release Candidate is now on the web! Go get it and play with it to your hearts content.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

Enjoy!

Sign up to Attend a Microsoft Technical Event Today

2009-04-08T09:59:00Z

Session 1: Windows Server 2008 R2 – Optimize your Time

Get a jump start on your peers with Windows Server 2008 R2 by joining us for this no nonsense technical session, where we will discuss the critical improvements in the next version of Windows Server. Some have argued that, given the impressive scope of new functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2, it should not be an “R2” release, but rather should be given a completely new name. They point to features such as Direct Access, Branch Caching, Live Migration, Powershell 2.0, and VDI that will help you cut down on the amount of time you spend doing mundane tasks, reduce end user frustration and support headaches, and give your mobile workforce a competitive edge through ubiquitous access to company data. There’s a good chance that by attending this session you’ll find a way to save time and money with Windows Server 2008 R2, and so you’ll get the time you spend with us back many times over.

Session 2: Windows 7 – Maximize Your Potential

In designing Windows 7, the engineering team had a clear focus on what we call ‘the fundamentals': performance, application compatibility, device compatibility, reliability, security and battery life. Early reviews of Windows 7 seem to indicate that the choice to focus on the fundamentals is resonating well with many users and professionals. And, IT professionals will further benefit from the enhancements to manageability and security. You’ll also learn how your investments in testing and evaluating Windows Vista will pay off in the transition to Windows 7. Come see firsthand what all the buzz is about in this demo-intensive session where we explore the UI improvements, performance gains, and manageability enhancements in the next client operating system from Microsoft.

Session 3: Internet Explorer 8 – Get Excited About the Browser Again

Internet Explorer is currently the most widely used browser in business, and while we’ve seen nice incremental improvements to IE in recent history, we haven’t seen as many truly earth shattering changes. Well, many agree that the next release of IE, Internet Explorer 8, provides the most compelling upgrade to IE in many years. In a typical day, users spend 2 hours or more per day in the browser, so significant improvements here can have tremendous impact on productivity and the way we work. The browser needs to be thought of in the same terms as an operating system—it has to be rich, robust, interoperable, easy to use and secure. Internet Explorer 8 is a browser that meets these needs and more for users, enterprises, IT professionals and developers alike. Come learn how the new improvements, too numerous to mention here, are driving many to get excited about the browser again.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

IT professionals interested in learning about the next generation of Microsoft platforms and tools.

WHERE ARE THE EVENTS?

Events are held in 16 cities across Central Region. To register for this event, please select a link below or head on over to http://www.technetevents.com/unleashed/.

Location/Registration	Date	Time
Waukesha, WI	4/28/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Austin, TX	4/28/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Bloomington, MN	4/30/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Cleveland, OH	4/30/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Indianapolis, IN	5/4/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Chicago, IL	5/5/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Columbus, OH	5/12/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Houston, TX	5/12/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Mason, OH	5/14/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Overland Park, KS	5/14/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Dallas, TX	5/19/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Southfield, MI	5/20/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Downers Grove, IL	5/20/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
St. Louis, MO	5/21/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Nashville, TN	6/11/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm
Knoxville, TN	6/12/2009	3:10pm – 5:00pm

Session 1: Internet Explorer 8 for Developers

The Windows Internet Explorer 8 browser makes it easier to explore and interact with the web. Did you know that there will be a new standards mode by default? While it can easily be turned off, knowing the potential to impact this may have on many sites that have been crafted around various features in past versions is a good idea. Attend this session to learn which current practices you need to change and how the new standards mode affects your development techniques and your existing sites. We review tools that are built into Internet Explorer 8 to help developers debug and create Web pages. We also discuss Web Slices, Accelerators, and Search Suggestion – all of which are key new features in this latest release.

In this session we’ll show you:

· Developer Tools

· Selectors API

· Use and create accelerators

· Use and create web slices

· Use and create search suggestions

· AJAX Navigation enhancements with Virtual Earth demo on history, AJAX Cross Domain Calls

· CSS improvements (printing, counters, new pseudo classes)

Session 2: Developing on Microsoft Windows 7

Building applications that are easy to use, visually appealing, and offer high performance is a challenge that developers face every day. Innovative applications can greatly improve the user experience, empowering companies to differentiate their services and solutions. However, developers are increasingly asked to do more in less time, while also optimizing the power and performance requirements of their applications. The Windows 7 platform makes it easy for developers to create engaging, user-friendly applications by providing familiar tools and rich development features that allow them to take advantage of the latest PC capabilities. In this session we will explore the new Taskbar and Jump Lists, the Scenic Ribbon, file management with Libraries, and Windows Web Services among many other enhancements to the new operating system.

In this session we’ll show you:

· New Features in Windows 7

· Use and create jump lists

· Scenic Ribbon API

· Use and create Libraries

· Windows Web Services API

· Additional enhancements that support development

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Developers interested in learning about the next generation of Microsoft platforms and tools.

WHERE ARE THE EVENTS?

Events are held in 16 cities across Central Region. To register for this event, please visit http://www.msdnevents.com/unleashed.

Location/Registration	Date	Time
Waukesha, WI	4/28/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Austin, TX	4/28/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Bloomington, MN	4/30/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Cleveland, OH	4/30/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Indianapolis, IN	5/4/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Chicago, IL	5/5/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Columbus, OH	5/12/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Houston, TX	5/12/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Mason, OH	5/14/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Overland Park, KS	5/14/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Dallas, TX	5/19/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Southfield, MI	5/20/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Downers Grove, IL	5/20/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
St. Louis, MO	5/21/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Nashville, TN	6/11/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm
Knoxville, TN	6/12/2009	1:00pm – 2:50pm

Architecting for the Client Tier

The client (or presentation) tier of our applications is taking on an increasingly important role. Users are expecting more compelling user interfaces, but they also want more functionality from their applications. In this ArcReady we examine how to design and deliver well architected client applications that will be easy to maintain and extend.

Session 1: Trends and Patterns on the Client Tier

In our first session we will take a vendor and platform neutral look at some of the trends and emerging technologies that can be used on the client tier. We will look at techniques like Mashups, technologies like Natural User Interfaces (NUI) and the increasing importance of the mobile platform. We will also look at some common patterns that can be used in the architecture of the client tier.

Session 2: Applying Microsoft Technology on the Client Tier

In our second session we will take some look at how we can use Microsoft technologies to create well architected and compelling client applications. We will look at technologies like Silverlight and WPF that can be used to create compelling clients. We will also look at technologies that can be used to make your applications more extensible for future development. We will also examine some architectural guidance developed by the Microsoft Patterns and Practices group.

WHAT IS ARCREADY?

· A forum for aspiring and practicing architects to discuss industry trends

· An overview of Microsoft’s roadmap as it relates to software architecture

· A mechanism to solicit your feedback

· An opportunity to showcase the work you do!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Architects and Senior Developers who are interested in becoming an architect.

WHERE ARE THE EVENTS?

Events are held in 16 cities across Central Region. To register for this event, please visit www.arcready.com.

Location/Registration	Date	Time
Waukesha, WI	4/28/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Austin, TX	4/28/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Bloomington, MN	4/30/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Cleveland, OH	4/30/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Indianapolis, IN	5/4/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Chicago, IL	5/5/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Columbus, OH	5/12/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Houston, TX	5/12/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Mason, OH	5/14/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Overland Park, KS	5/14/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Dallas, TX	5/19/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Southfield, MI	5/20/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Downers Grove, IL	5/20/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
St. Louis, MO	5/21/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Nashville, TN	6/11/2009	9:00am – 11:45am
Knoxville, TN	6/12/2009	9:00am – 11:45am

TechNet Flash: How to Install and Configure MOSS video

2009-03-28T02:01:00Z

Just got my recent edition of TechNet Flash, and there was a nice little video in there walking through the installation requirements and step by step for setting up Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server. If you are planning to start evaluating and testing MOSS, I encourage you to take a look at it. You'll find a link to the video about halfway down the page, under the section, "New Videos for IT Pros".

How Do I: Install and Configure Microsoft Office SharePoint Server? (Part 1)

15 Minutes 13 seconds
Join Hilton Giesenow as he covers installation of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) onto a SQL Server environment using Active Directory for authentication. In this first part, we look at installing and configuring the MOSS instance, and in the second part we will look at finishing the installation and configuring the farm.

Just thought I'd share..

Download Internet Explorer 8 RTM Today!

2009-03-20T01:33:00Z

It’s a great thing when I can truly throw my full support behind a Microsoft release. Well, I’ve been using IE8 for a number of months now, and I find the product to be solid, secure, and a worthwhile upgrade. One of my favorite changes is that each tab runs under its own process – This feature saved me several times on beta builds while adding MySpace friends to build my Mob Wars Family. :) Frequently, I’d get 20+ tabs open to different MySpace pages and some of these pages had, I’m not kidding, 20 or more Flash instances running at the same time. This overloaded the IE8 Beta (it seems the issue has since been addressed as I haven’t come across this problem in recent builds), and IE would stop unexpectedly, but I’d only lose that tab, and if I happened to lose more than just that one tab, IE8’s new autorecover feature would automatically ask me if I wanted to reopen the pages that had closed unexpectedly. No lost data, no lost pages, problem solved.

Other features I love are the XSS filter (I’ve haven’t seen it activate yet in real life, but it still makes me feel more secure knowing it’s there), faster phishing filter (yes, you can actually turn it on now), colored tabs, tab management, tab grouping, the ability to manage all my add-ons in one place (it makes it so much easier to find and turn off those nagging misbehaving add-ons), and of course in-private browsing (yeah, I’ve used it and it rocks the house when you’re trying to keep your wife from finding out about that anniversary gift you searched for from your shared PC).

Anyway, if you too want to find your favorite features in the new IE8, you can get it free from the official IE8 web site.

And, if it turns out you don’t like it as much as I think you will, there is one other handy new feature: Uninstall.

Get IE8 Today for Windows XP/Vista/Server

Join me in Indianapolis on Thursday, 3/12/09

2009-03-11T08:32:00Z

We are delivering some great content tomorrow on Windows Server 2008 in the Indianapolis area. If you'd like to join us, there are still a few spots available.

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=103

Location:

Microsoft Corporation

500 E. 96th Street, Suite 460

Parkwood Business Park, Building Four

Indianapolis Indiana

Date & Time: 3/12/09, 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Event Overview:

"In this session we will look at Windows Server 2008 and the improvements that have been made to Microsoft's premier server operating system. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the most advanced Windows Server operating system yet, designed to power the next generation of networks, applications, and Web services. With Windows Server 2008 you can develop, deliver, and manage rich user experiences and applications, provide a highly secure network infrastructure, and increase technological efficiency and value within your organization.

Windows Server 2008 introduces several new capabilities including 64bit virtualization, a robust web and development platform, improvements in networking, security, high availability and disaster recovery. In addition, there is a new "Core" installation option that reduces the operating system overhead by removing the graphical user interface thus freeing resources and lowering the potential security attack surface. Come see demonstrations on many of the features in a technical deep dive you won't want to miss!

After we discuss Windows Server 2008, we'll briefly discuss the improvements coming in Windows Server 2008 R2 which is in development and now available for beta testing."

Again, here is that link to register:

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=103

We also have an MSDN Unleashed event the same day at the same location from 1:00pm - 2:45pm. For more information and to register: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=103

And, we are doing an ArcReady event from 9:00am - 12:00pm. For more information and to register: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=103

IT Pro Momentum - Now Accepting Applications

2009-02-24T02:13:00Z

Okay, folks, I've posted on this before, but the IT Pro Momentum program is really catching fire, and I've decided to readvertise it since there seems to be so much interest. The program is exclusive to people who read Microsoft blogs or attend Microsoft events, and is designed to help anyone who is evaluating new Microsoft software. If you are testing or piloting or even in the very early stages of evaluating any of the folllowing products, shoot me an email with your full name and I'll send you an exclusive invitation.

Windows 7 (Newly ADDED!)
SQL Server 2008
Windows Server 2008
IIS7
Forefront Edge (ISA)
Forefront Client & Server
Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 or Windows Server Virtualization
Windows Vista
MOSS 2007
System Center
Windows PowerShell
Network Access Protection

What is the Momentum Program?

Momentum is a Microsoft program focused on supporting “early adopters” – IT professionals who bet on the newest technologies to drive business value for their companies and advance their career.

Is IT Pro Momentum right for you?

Interested in learning more about the newest Microsoft technologies?
Need help to evaluate different Microsoft products and features?
Willing to test and pilot in production Microsoft beta products?
Would like to have access to exclusive forums and Microsoft product support?
Want to share your early adoption experience with the IT Pro community world-wide?

Through the Momentum Portal, participants will have access a number of benefits including:

Free TechNet+ Direct Subscription
In-Depth Technical Content
Managed Forums (Questions answered directly by Microsoft experts)
Help from me
PSS Support Requests

What's in it for you?

Exposure and Career Opportunities
By sharing early adoption successes, IT Pro's receive community recognition and increase their opportunities for networking and career growth.
Your Voice is Heard
Through Momentum, IT Pros establish a direct, two-way communication channel with Microsoft which allows you to provide feedback and influence the future of our products and services.
Reduce Risk of Failure
Momentum benefits such as free TechNet subscription and PSS support requests reduce the risk and complexity of deploying new technologies.
Competitive Advantage – Be the First to Use & Know

Program participants have access to the latest information and cutting-edge technologies developed by Microsoft. You are expected to help out with a short description of your project and the project's success and challenges at the completion of your project.

Does this sound interesting to you? Then click here to get in touch with me.

Now’s the time for you to get involved!

Join Me for a Live TechNet Event!

2009-02-17T23:07:56Z

Everywhere I go, people always ask when we are coming in town next. Well, here is the latest TechNet event list for the Central U.S. Join me or one of my colleagues for a FREE event simply by registering using the city links below.

Session Topic: Windows Server 2008

In this session we will look at Windows Server 2008 and the improvements that have been made to Microsoft’s premier server operating system. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the most advanced Windows Server operating system yet, designed to power the next generation of networks, applications, and Web services. With Windows Server 2008 you can develop, deliver, and manage rich user experiences and applications, provide a highly secure network infrastructure, and increase technological efficiency and value within your organization.

Windows Server 2008 introduces several new capabilities including 64bit virtualization, a robust web and development platform, improvements in networking, security, high availability and disaster recovery. In addition, there is a new “Core” installation option that reduces the operating system overhead by removing the graphical user interface thus freeing resources and lowering the potential security attack surface. Come see demonstrations on many of the features in a technical deep dive you won’t want to miss!

After we discuss Windows Server 2008, we’ll briefly discuss the improvements coming in Windows Server 2008 R2 which is in development and now available for beta testing.

Prizes: Attendees are eligible to win a book or a copy of Windows Vista.

Event Schedule: TechNet Events Unleashed starts at 3:00 PM and end by 5:00 PM

St. Louis, MO – March 5, 2009 3:00 PM <------ I am presenting!

Downers Grove, IL – March 9, 2009 3:00 PM

Austin, TX – March 10, 2009 3:00 PM

Indianapolis, IN – March 12, 2009 3:00 PM <--- I am presenting!

Irving, TX – March 19, 2009 3:00 PM

Chicago, IL – March 23, 2009 3:00 PM

Houston, TX – March 24, 2009 3:00 PM

Detroit, MI – March 31, 2009 3:00 PM

IMPORTANT: ***We are also hosting several ArcReady sessions for software and infrastructure architects, as well as MSDN Events Unleashed sessions for developers. These events will frequently be held on the same day and in the same venue as the TechNet Unleashed events listed above. Register for all events to get the most out of your day. ArcReady features Architecting Solutions for Cloud Computing and MSDN Events Unleashed features Debugging Tips and Tricks plus Windows Mobile Development. Please let your colleagues know.