I know most of you that are reading this never meet Robbie (Rob) Westover. He was not only a peer and co-worker of mine here at Microsoft, he was a very true close friend to me. Yep and I even hired him at Microsoft more than 5 years ago.
I really wish you could have meet Rob. He was an amazing person. In a few short interactions with him you became best friends. Rob was there when ever you needed help, asking nothing in return. Rob was always up for adventure, he loved trying new things, and teaching others many things including how to play craps.
What can I do for you?, We live great lives!, How are your kids?, Hey Beautiful! are all ways Rob would greet you.
See my last post for a video I did. Most of that is from the last 5 years and work pictures I could find, and I put it to the Jimmy Buffett because he and I love that music.
Jamie Westover, Rob's love of his life and wife has graciously sent me a copy of the DVD that Rob's family friends put together for his memorial service. Jamie wants to make sure everyone has access to the video that couldn't make it to the memorial service. It is an exceptional video. I hope you enjoy, and for those of you that had the pleasure of knowing Robbie, I hope it makes the smiling Robbie memory last forever!
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO
That is a quote from Rob Westover a co worker of mine here at Microsoft. He passed away on April 29th. I have been up in Redmond this week for the services. I built a video as a tribute to Rob, it was my way of trying to deal with it. You have to understand some of the context. Rob and I both love Jimmy Buffet, do you know how hard it is to pick just 3 out of 500 of his songs? The first set of pictures are out-takes from a photo shoot that Rob did for our team called Microsoft Across America. A poster was made from the pictures, but the out-takes really show his true character. In the middle section are memories of some great times we had on team outings and team events. The last section was sent to me by others, The ones were Rob is at the one year old's birthday party were only taken a couple of weeks ago.
HERE is the video.
Rob would not want us to morn for him at all. He would have wanted a big party, tell stories and remember all the fun and crazy times we have had together.
Yesterday at the reception after his service, the toasting and stories when on for hours. Everyone in the room claimed to be his "best" friend. He just made you feel that way, it was so special to find out that it wasn't just me that he did that for, he did that for everyone he meet.
We will all miss Rob!
I am attending the MVP summit here in Redmond this week. What is the MVP Summit?
1,800 Tech Professionals Gather for Microsoft 2008 MVP Global Summit
Tech leaders contribute to the next generation of Microsoft technology innovation.
Related Links
Microsoft Resources:
•
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Web site
•
Microsoft Technical Communities
•
Microsoft 2008 MVP Global Summit Virtual Pressroom
REDMOND, Wash. — April 14, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. honors its 2008 Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), a highly select group of experts who represent the best and brightest in technical communities, at the 2008 MVP Global Summit April 14–17 in Seattle at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center and at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond. MVPs are recognized by Microsoft as outstanding leaders who voluntarily share their expertise in technical communities worldwide. MVPs also provide invaluable feedback to Microsoft by serving as early adopters of new technology and assisting in the product design and development processes.
More than 4,000 MVPs worldwide cover 90 different Microsoft technologies in 94 countries. Mirroring the wide range of real-world challenges and applications that MVPs represent, the summit will feature more than 600 technical sessions on topics ranging from enterprise security and virtualization to gaming and digital media.
This year’s summit also marks new leadership for the MVP program, as Toby Richards takes on the role of general manager of Community Support Services for Microsoft. The MVP Global Summit will conclude with closing remarks by Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive officer, and Ray Ozzie, Microsoft chief software architect.
“Microsoft MVPs are an amazing group of individuals,” Richards said. “By sharing their knowledge and experiences and providing objective feedback, MVPs play an integral role in the improvement of Microsoft products, while also helping people solve problems and discover new capabilities. It gives us great pleasure to recognize and thank MVPs for their demonstrated commitment to helping others.”
MVPs drive customer satisfaction through direct interaction with Microsoft users, answering more than 1 million user-group questions annually. They can also directly affect the quality of Microsoft technology and processes through early testing and feedback. MVPs have contributed to the development of almost every recent Microsoft release including Windows Server 2008, Microsoft SQL Server 2008, 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista. One MVP’s feedback drove substantial performance improvements to Windows Mobile 6.1 and enhancements in the improvement and re-release of the Microsoft Junk E-mail Reporting Tool. In addition, 268 MVPs participated in Windows Home Server Connect programs worldwide.
“The worldwide technical community is growing at such a rapid pace,” Richards said. “Microsoft is privileged to collaborate with exceptional leaders in the world of technology through the MVP program. At this year’s summit we hope to energize these leaders as well as use their independent, objective feedback for the betterment of Microsoft’s products and services.”
About the Microsoft MVP Program
Microsoft began the MVP Awards as a way to recognize members of the general public who devoted their time and technical expertise to helping users in various online technical forums. Over time, the program evolved, and awards are given to members of technical communities worldwide for their contributions to communities including third-party Web sites, user groups, blogs and wikis.
More information about the MVP Award and the 2008 MVPs can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/mvp. More information on Microsoft technical communities can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/communities.
Well I have a solution for you. We will be doing the Windows Server 2008 Heroes Happen Here launch on April 30th in Hawaii. Registration is low, really low. So we need you to come to the launch, find an excuse to get your boss to let you fly out there for the event. Hey I will even be the presenter!! I know a couple of you have been to multiple of my launches in Dallas and Houston. So why know come on out to the islands. Go sign up www.microsoft.com/hhh
Zain on our team is leading up an effort over on second life. He is going to do a HHH launch there next Saturday April 26th. Go check out his blog about it.
http://blogs.msdn.com/zainnab/archive/2008/04/13/heroes-happen-here-launch-in-second-life-april-26th-2008.aspx
You can find the complete article here: http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA041308.1R.MIcrosoftData.21a662b.html
Model of efficiency
Web Posted: 04/12/2008 09:00 AM CDT
L.A. Lorek
Express-News Business Writer
A lone oak in front of Microsoft's massive new data center in Westover Hills symbolizes the technology company's efforts at green business practices.
It's called the "Manos" tree, named for Mike Manos, Microsoft's senior director of data center services. He ordered Turner Construction, the facility's builders, to save it.
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"Microsoft made a commitment to save and preserve the old-growth live oak trees," Manos said. "For the most part, in the area where we constructed the data center, there wasn't any old-growth oaks except for one — dead center in the middle of the construction project."
So Turner's workers built the building around the tree, which covers about as much ground as a sandbox, even putting up concrete barriers at times to save it. They also successfully saved dozens of old oak trees on the perimeter of the 44-acre site. Those trees will help shade the 470,000-square-foot building and reduce cooling costs.
In just a few months, Microsoft's new data center will go live. Turner and its subcontractor are on track to finish the first phase by July 31 and complete the entire building by Nov. 30, said Steven Ford, senior program manager for Microsoft's data center services. As the construction project comes to an end, Microsoft is halfway through hiring its 75 employees.
Microsoft's data center is one of the biggest construction projects to come to San Antonio in recent years. The entire project costs $550 million and has created more than 1,500 construction jobs. Most of the subcontractors came from Texas companies including 40 San Antonio businesses and 78 others statewide. San Antonio officials also granted the company $32.6 million in tax abatements and other local incentives to locate here.
Even while work comes to completion on one-half of the building, the site bustles with construction activity with bulldozers moving mounds of dirt and rock to create parking lots and the driveway. Altogether, construction workers moved 300,000 cubic yards of limestone during the entire construction process, Ford said. Because of the site's terrain, they had to raise the center's south wall 28 feet and the north wall almost 42 feet, he said.
San Antonio's inexpensive power, excellent telecommunications infrastructure, recycled water program and a stable environment appeals to Microsoft and other technology companies, said Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.
Since Microsoft announced its project in January 2007, four other data center projects have announced projects, and Hernandez expects more announcements shortly. He is working with eight more data center prospects.
"When you're touted as one of the premier sites for data centers, it sends a message to other companies," Hernandez said. He just got back from meeting with high-tech companies in Los Angeles and San Francisco that wanted to know more about San Antonio's data center industry.
"It's doing wonders for us around the country as far as our profile goes," Hernandez said.
Robert Peché, the city's economic development director, echoed that sentiment.
"When you can talk about companies like Microsoft, AT&T and Valero being in your community, that just sends a wonderful message," Peché said. "It's an endorsement of San Antonio as a good place to do business."
Microsoft's mammoth building looks like a mirror image of its first built-to-suit data center in Quincy, Wash., but it has a lot of incremental improvements over that facility simply because Microsoft has learned through the process how to design the center more efficiently, Manos said. Those improvements include the ways the servers are laid out in the rooms, the lighting in the building and other materials used for construction.
From the outside, though, it looks similar. It resembles a giant warehouse with 600,000-gallon water storage tanks on either side.
In addition to the conservation of trees, Microsoft has other green initiatives under way, such as plans to use an estimated 6 million to 8 million gallons a month of gray water or recycled water from the San Antonio Water System.
Inside, the data center contains a labyrinth of corridors leading to the brains of Microsoft's Internet operations. That's a series of five secure rooms containing thousands of computer servers that deliver up Web pages, photos, videos, instant messages, e-mails and software programs.
At a bunch of my events people want to know exactly what Laptop I am running so they can do Hyper-V. It does have to be a 64 bit machine and have hardware support for Virtualization. So I thought I would include a link here to the HCL.
http://windowsservercatalog.com/results.aspx?&bCatID=1283&cpID=0&avc=11&ava=0&OR=1&PGS=25
Systems supporting the x64 architecture and supporting Hyper-V can be identified by the additional maker under the text “Certified for Windows”.
Great article on it here.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/4/8/e48d5cff-53d2-4eed-85bf-4af50e25b78c/relnotes.htm
Have you always needed to watch a good webcast and can't find that link to the download? Well we put together a list of some of the best webcast you might want to watch!
24 Hours of Windows Server 2008
On-Demand Webcasts
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 01 of 24): Overview (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 02 of 24): Server Virtualization with Hyper-V Features and Architecture (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 03 of 24): Managing Hyper-V (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 04 of 24): Presentation Virtualization with Terminal Services RemoteApp (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 05 of 24): Terminal Services Gateway and Terminal Services Web Access (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 06 of 24): Deploying and Migrating to Terminal Server (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 07 of 24): IIS 7.0 Overview and Architecture (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 08 of 24): IIS 7.0 Advanced Management (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 09 of 24): IIS 7.0 Centralized Configuration (Level 300)
Live Webcasts
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 10 of 24): IIS 7.0 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting (Level 300)
Friday, April 4, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 11 of 24): IIS 7.0 Web and Applications Support (Level 300)
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 12 of 24): Migrating and Upgrading to IIS 7.0 (Level 300)
Friday, April 11, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 13 of 24): Server and Print Management (Level 300)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 14 of 24): Windows PowerShell (Level 300)
Friday, April 18, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 15 of 24): Windows Deployment Services and Microsoft Deployment (Level 300)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 16 of 24): Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Features (Level 300)
Friday, April 25, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: 24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 17 of 24): Migrating to Active Directory Domain Services in Windows Server 2008 (Level 300)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:30 A.M.–11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
Group Policy
On-Demand Webcasts
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 01 of 14): Introduction to Group Policy (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 02 of 14): Applying Group Policy (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 03 of 14): Creating and Editing Group Policy Objects (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 04 of 14): Managing Group Policy with GPMC (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 05 of 14): Managing Group Policy Operations with the GPMC (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 06 of 14): Group Policy Processing Behavior-Initial Processing of GPOs (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 07 of 14): Group Policy Processing Behavior-Using Objects to Affect GP (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 08 of 14): Group Policy Administrative Templates (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 09 of 14): From Basic to Advanced: Security (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 10 of 14): From Basic to Advanced: Security Templates and IPSEC (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 11 of 14): Designing and Planning Group Policy (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 12 of 14): Managing Your Group Policy Environment with GPMC (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 13 of 14): Troubleshooting Group Policy (Level 200)
TechNet Webcast: Group Policy Fundamentals (Part 14 of 14): Group Policy Best Practices (Level 200)
Active Directory
On-Demand Webcasts
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 01 of 11)—Active Directory Logical Concepts—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 02 of 11)—Active Directory Physical Concepts—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 03 of 11)—Active Directory Replication and the Operations Masters Role—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 04 of 11)—Installing and Managing DNS—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 05 of 11)—DNS Features and Configuration—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 06 of 11)—Interoperability and Migration from Novell Directory Services—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 07 of 11)—Migrating File Resources from NetWare to Active Directory 2003—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 08 of 11)—Deployment and Interoperability with NT 4.0 and Windows 2000—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 09 of 11)—Administration Features—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 10 of 11)—Replication Features and Forest to Forest Trusts—Level 200
TechNet Webcast: Active Directory Inside Out (Part 11 of 11)—Group Policy Management Console and Software Restriction—Level 200
Now finally you can administer your Active Directory.. your DHCP, DNS, NPS... Group Policy all from a Windows Vista workstation.
The RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) are already a part of Windows Server 2008. They're the set of administration tools that you can install under "features" in the Server Manager. So.. if you want to administer Active Directory from a member server, you install the Active Directory Administration feature. And now, finally, we can install the tools we need to do the very same remote administration from our a workstation.
It works a little differently in Vista. You install the update, and then the features are available for you to install. Just running the update won't give you the tools.
From the download page:
"Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a computer running Windows Vista SP1. It includes support for remote management of computers running either a Server Core or full installation option of Windows Server 2008. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer."
There are two downloads:
Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 for x86-based Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9ff6e897-23ce-4a36-b7fc-d52065de9960&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 for x64-based Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d647a60b-63fd-4ac5-9243-bd3c497d2bc5&DisplayLang=en
Thanks Kevin Remde who wrote this article. Go check out his great blog at http://blogs.technet.com/kevinremde
http://www.technetevents.com/2008-launch-resources.aspx is the official location the finally got posted. So if you have been to one of my Windows Server 2008 launch events and wanted to download the slides here ya go!
Here is the info for Module 4 of the Launches we have been doing. It is on Windows Server 2008 IIS 7.0 and you can find the slide deck:Session 4 Slides and Resources
Is IT Pro Momentum right for you?
Do you want to learn more about the newest Microsoft technologies?
Will you be evaluating new Microsoft products and features?
Are you willing and able to test and pilot Microsoft beta products in production?
Would you like to have access to exclusive forums and Microsoft product support?
Do you want to share your early adoption experience with the world-wide IT Pro community?
If you answered ‘yes’ to the questions above,
IT Pro Momentum is for you!
IT Pro Momentum is a Microsoft program focused on supporting “early adopters” – those of you who bet on the newest technologies to drive business value for your companies and advance your careers
If you answered Yes, please send me an email to Jweston@microsoft.com
I need your name, company, and what product you want to Pilot.
Well! I just got back from lunch and there was a box waiting for me on the front door step.
Yep AT&T came thru and got me a replacement phone. I guess missing the deadline by 1 minute yesterday they came thru for me. I just put the phone together and it works!
The replacement phone started from Ft. Worth Texas and came by FedEx. I thought, oh no it had to go to Memphis and back like things normally do. But they were smart enough to send it to the regional sort center here, check out the path it went:
Mar 12, 2008
12:29 PM
Delivered
Denton, TX
Left at front door. Package delivered to recipient address - release authorized
8:33 AM
On FedEx vehicle for delivery
FT WORTH, TX
7:30 AM
At local FedEx facility
FT WORTH, TX
4:43 AM
Departed FedEx location
FORT WORTH, TX
Mar 11, 2008
8:19 PM
Left origin
FT WORTH, TX
8:19 PM
Arrived at FedEx location
FORT WORTH, TX
5:01 PM
Package data transmitted to FedEx
4:19 PM
Picked up
FT WORTH, TX
Interesting that they would leave a $450 phone without a signature. But all is good. Thanks AT&T, happy customer again. Tilting away....
See my previous post for what happened to my HTC TILT phone. Remember I was told I had "a Choice". Today I drove the 70 miles roundtrip to the other side of Dallas. This Device center is obviously contracted to AT&T. I go in, no other customers in the place. Sign in the sign in sheet. They call me up about about 5 minutes. I explain my issue. They want all kinds of info. Even want to see my drivers license. Then they say sit down and wait 10 minutes and take my phone. I assume 10 minutes to fix it or copy info over to another one. After 10 minutes a new person comes up and ask to talk to me. He starts in explaining I will have to pay $450 if when I fedex in my phone they find it has been wet or damaged in anyway. He wants me to sign that I understand that and agree to it before we go on. Then he says shall we ship you phone to your billing address. WAIT A MINUTE!!!
Yep I drove all the way over for no reason. They don't fix that model phone here. You have to Fedex it in and they will ship you a replacement one (remember this was choice two). I asked why then did the store send me over here. He says they shouldn't have and he really doesn't care. Oh and now it's 3:01. I asked if I will have my new phone by tomorrow. He says nope, it's after 3PM. (I got to the place about 2:40) and remember there weren't any other customers there. So I hope to get a replacement phone in 2 days. And they better like the one I ship them back our I am out $450. I could have done all of this by phone Sunday.
How about my time and Gas money for 70 miles at $3.25 a gallon? (I wonder if I will see this on my blog years from now and think, wow gas was cheap then)
Then I get back home and get an email from them. "Thanks for your order" and it continued "
We look forward to servicing your wireless needs for a long time to come.
Sincerely,
AT&T
"
If this is customer service, it will NOT be a long time to come....