My Two Bits

Tech Week and our Community Contributors

2009-11-04T07:24:41Z

This week @ Microsoft Egypt we’ve been delivering Tech Week. While it’s not a brand new idea, it’s the first time we’re delivering something of this sort in Egypt. The concept is pretty simple. We have rooms with 2 parallel tracks with sessions on SharePoint, SQL, Exchange, Security, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Win7. And once people are done with these sessions, we have a lab with all of these technologies available so everyone can get a hands-on experience with the products and see how they can benefit our customers’ organizations.

For the SharePoint track, we’ve had amazing speakers this far and this will continue through Thursday. Each speaker comes with a strong background in SharePoint and has extensive experience dealing with customer needs.

A key message we’ve been delivering through our sessions is the need for community engagement on part of our attendees. The Egyptian SharePoint community, founded by Marwan Tarek and other MVPs have been strong contributors to this event and are an amazing bunch to work with. Their website http://www.sharepointgroups.org/egysug is a great starting place and should serve as an excellent starting place for all SharePoint enthusiasts. The EGYSUG team has also contributed to http://www.sharepoint4arabs.com where you can find some great webcasts in ARABIC! And should you be interested in further topics please feel free to request more from the website. We expect to set up further events with the EGYSUG and would heartily recommend that everyone sign up for their newsletters and receive any event notifications. I’ll be working closely with the community to set these up!

So, all in all it’s been a very rewarding week! Looking forward to more community involvement and events!

Security Essentials

2009-10-05T01:25:49Z

Hi All,

Have you heard of security essentials? The usual thing – You hear about Microsoft outside of MS :) – so in one of my news services I found that MS had finally released the much promised Morro – renamed Security Essentials. I was eager to try it out, so on an old XP machine, I proceeded with the install. Curiously, I ran into this error 0x80070643. After several restarts, I decided to look it up online. Binged it and came up with a few hits.

The error message I saw was pretty generic, but one hint suggested I look up the event log. So I fired up the Event Viewer and lo & behold, there was the very easy to understand error message - “Old version of anti-spyware found”. I proceeded to remove it and hey presto it was up & running.

It detected UltraVNC – the client I use and marked it as a risk, but otherwise, the old pc seems to be fit as a fiddle – amazing! I had ZoneAlarm and GriSoft’s AVGFree running on the home pc. Now I’m running on Windows Firewall and Security Essentials.

Sharepoint Courses for Web Development

2009-09-17T17:53:24Z

Twice in two days I was asked the same question so here’s my answer:

I’m starting with the pre-requisite that your team has advanced knowledge of ASP.NET development.

Introduction to SharePoint Server 2007
For Developer who works with Office SharePoint Server 2007 to build Web portals and integrate business applications: MCTS: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 – Application Development, Exam 70-542
IT professional who configures and deploys Office SharePoint Server 2007. MCTS: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 – Configuration. Exam 70-630
Implementing a standard content managed website using SharePoint 2007

A post I wish I had written

2009-09-06T12:19:04Z

Reading some through mails today I came across a link to this excellent article on OneNote. I’ve been working on OneNote as a GTD app with Outlook – similar to David. But it seems David’s done a lot more to get things done!

Here’s his post:

http://blogs.msdn.com/david_rasmussen/archive/2006/06/14/630885.aspx

I’m adding his blog to my Outlook feed reader.

Using XP Mode

2009-08-27T20:30:00Z

Recently I had a customer demo to deliver for SharePoint 2007. I had the VM checked out and needed to set it up the evening before the demo. So I fired up my virtual PC app. Surprise, surprise! Windows 7 does not support VPC! Panic mode sets in and I’ve got all pistons firing – how do I recover this for the demo tomorrow at 11?

Move to Windows Server 2008 w/HyperV?
Move to XP? or Vista?
XP Mode?!

What I’d discovered was that XP Mode is actually a VPC like app running a VM with XP preinstalled. So I figured that if I could get that to run, I’d be able to fire up a VHD I had. (instructions on how to get it running)

So I download the requisite files from microsoft.com and they install fine. Now comes the moment of truth. Double click. Configuration screen. Pass. Error message!? – Need to enable hardware virtualization. OK, fine, no trouble.

Downloaded the Intel utility to check my hardware. Test results came out ok. Went into BIOS and enabled the Virtualization Technology. Back to Windows and double click – same error! And so I sat there dumbfounded. Fiddled with it for the next 3 hours and finally decided to reread the instructions.

Enable Virtualization Tech and then Shutdown machine, disconnect from power for 10 seconds. – that’s the gist of what I’d missed. Did that and VT was up and running! Double click to see the beautiful sight of the VM booting up.

Dev tools for SharePoint 2010

2009-07-16T13:55:10Z

Paul Andrew, Technical PM in the SharePoint 2010.

Direct Access to SharePoint lists using LINQ.
Client side code!
Silverlight webparts
Business Connectivity Services (BCS) – formerly Business Data Catalog

Go watch it yourself. It’s quite densely packed so I won’t bother summarizing it :)

http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/Developer-Video.aspx

Richard Riley on SharePoint 2010 (ITPRO sneak peek)

2009-07-16T13:48:49Z

6 specific workloads in SharePoint

New features and tools for ITPros.

3 broad areas:

Server usage & performance insight

Central Admin
Cleaner layout. Ribbon.
SharePoint Best Practice Analyzer (BPA)
Monitoring – health status. Potential issues (rule based – that’s where best practices analyzer comes in) and resolutions. Automatically fix issues (configuration). Extensible rules and perhaps you can get these from your friends!
Logging & Reporting
SQL log repository – all into SQL!!! – customizable and extensible so you can add your own events. Plus reports. Database schema will be opened up so you can build your own reports. WOW – that’s cool. Solves a lot of customer issues I know of! Plus you can now narrow down issues caused by Custom web-apps with less pain.

Scale-up & scale out (enhancement)

Management controls for large lists
Helps manage the views on lists. Admins have a hassle free existance, but users can take advantage of how to manage views to throttle lists. Web-app level control for throttles. Could cause confusion if an untrained Admin has a look at the site
Backup & restore
”unattached” content database management. export and browse, import to a site collection.

Flexible deployment (on premise, hosted, etc.)

Visual Upgrade
Detach db from MOSS 2007 and attach it to 2010 farm. 2007 look and feel remains intact. All new features will be available, but the UI will remain the same. You can “preview new visuals” – so

if you’re worried your UI will scare everyone, you can move without switching any of the new features on for users.
If you’re starting to feel comfy, then you can give users the new UI, but with the 2007 mode, so no 2007 incompatible changes can be made
Now you’re in full-blown 2010 mode where all 2010 features and UI are available (as per permissions, of course!)

So, lookout for the blog on https://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint and tools on http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/Get_Ready.aspx

2010 Sneak Peek – what I saw

2009-07-16T13:48:23Z

Tom Rizzo in his overview has a 32 minute presentation talking about SharePoint. Much of it will be familiar to our partners and customers who have deployed SharePoint 2007. Some points that came across strongly:

Broader browser support
Better search results (the FAST acquisition)
“Composites” – Sounds very interesting. Rapid business solutions

Minute 10 onwards we hit the demo

Ribbon UI – customizable and contextual
List enhancements

Multiple checkout
Selection checkbox (like in windows explorer)

UI ehancements

Asynchronous interface so no waiting time
Dialogs gray out the background
Live preview of web edited content
Image tools

uploading images is easier
resizing is easier
styling – features are similar to word or powerpoint

Silverlight – OOB webpart and insert the address of silverlight app
Theming (from Powerpoint) so you could do the work in the client UI and just have that updated in SharePoint – great for web-designers!

Visio Services – visio diagrams can be seen in the browser!
SharePoint Designer

LOB data can be taken offline in SharePoint designer
Entities – back end systems connectivity (BCS)

somewhat like sql enterprise manager
CRUD – create, update & delete ops all from designer! (w/SQL) perhaps it’ll use WSDL to work with Web Services

SharePoint Workspace

Take data offline
integration of BCS – so you can edit data offline in Workspace and update data using BCS to the LOB app when you’re back in your intranet! – I wonder how conflicts will be managed?

Some great display of PowerPoint 2010 features – not entirely relevant to SharePoint 2010.

He promised that the best way to move to SharePoint 2010 was to have a great 2007. And frankly, looking at the changes, I see several amazing enhancements, but nothing as disruptive as the move from 2003 to 2007. We’re using the same underlying concepts and the data should move fine. We’ll need to see how to move processes and custom webapps – again the abstraction offered by .NET should be useful here.

All in all, I’m looking at a less traumatic move for those with 2007. And for those starting fresh, and for those moving, a wonderful experience with enhanced web 2.0 functionality and some cutting edge tools like BCS!

I’m still looking forward to the Search features Tom mentioned and ECM – especially with how we manage document libraries and records.

Office 2010 PReview

2009-07-14T21:17:35Z

For those who signed up for the Tech Preview of Office 2010 – you may have your own experiences of our updates to our upcoming release, but to those who have yet to get a copy, please do check out this review:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/261430/everything-you-need-to-know-about-microsoft-office-2010.html

We also have a sneak peek of SharePoint 2010 online that I highly recommend you look at:

http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint (Direct link - http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/default.aspx)

The news on SharePoint will be slow until the SharePoint conference in October, so if you can please do make it a point to attend!

Developing with SharePoint

2009-05-06T10:04:33Z

Hi All,

I often get asked this question, “How do I get started with SharePoint development?” What can MS help me with? So here’s a short compilation of what we can offer:

SharePoint developers are able to create custom solutions that expand on the already rich features the SharePoint platform offers. Examples of solutions that the SharePoint development community has created can be found at http://www.codeplex.com.

Through our MSDN SharePoint Developer Center and Microsoft.com Training site, we’ve highlighted a number of tools and training resources such as in-class training, e-Learning, technical articles and books for SharePoint development. In fact, we recently launched http://www.mssharepointdeveloper.com to make the resources more visible to ASP.NET developers.

Paul Andrew, Senior Technical Product Manager for SharePoint, has outlined how to get started for newbie developers at http://blogs.msdn.com/pandrew/archive/2008/05/01/getting-started-with-sharepoint-development.aspx.

Using the partner Awareness, Certification, Excellence (ACE) utility, you can build a path to becoming an expert in developing on the SharePoint technologies. This utility provides partners resource connections t o develop their skills in three areas (Awareness, Certification, Excellence).

SharePoint Development and Programming online forum at http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=1203&SiteID=1.

You can also utilize SharePoint Deployment Planning Services, a software assurance benefit for customers, which is a pre-defined paid service offering delivered by partners to plan an effective SharePoint deployment. More information on SPDS can be found: https://iwsolve.partners.extranet.microsoft.com/sdps/

JUL 09/09:
Another great resource that came to my attention is http://www.sharepointdevwiki.com/display/public/Where+to+start+with+SharePoint+Development

I found the wiki quite useful as well.

Windows 7 tips

2009-04-08T13:51:17Z

Hi, I got a request to have the shortcuts info in a tabular form. While looking for an easy way out, I came across these tips on technet:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd451022.aspx

Windows 7 beta 1 Tips

Lock Down Unauthorized Applications with the Built-In AppLocker Tool
With Windows 7, it's easy to head off potential problems by preventing users from running unauthorized programs and scripts. Find out how.
Perform Multithreaded File Copies with Robocopy in Windows 7
The version of Robocopy included with Windows 7 offers a new switch for performing multi-threaded copies. Here's what you need to know.
Set Different Default Printers for Different Locations
If you use your laptop in more than one location, Windows 7 will let you set a different default printer for each network that you access. Find out how to do this.
Troubleshoot Power Management Settings in Windows 7
Discover a new command line switch in Windows 7 for easily analyzing and troubleshooting power management settings.
Use a USB Key to Install Windows 7—Even on a Netbook
Using a USB key to install Windows 7 makes the process faster and more flexible. Here's all you need to know to do this.
New Ways to Maintain your PC and Solve Common Problems on Windows
Windows 7 offers new ways to manage your system and troubleshoot common problems. Learn about two new components that can help you keep your system running smoothly with less effort.
Use Windows PowerShell 2.0 to Get Reliability Data from Remote PCs
Learn how you can use Windows PowerShell 2.0 to gather system stability and reliability data from remote computers running Windows 7.
Install Windows 7 Alongside Windows Vista for a Dual Boot System
Are you hesitant to install the Windows 7 beta on your system? It's actually quite easy to prep your Windows Vista system to dual boot both operating systems--and all the tools you need are readily available in Windows Vista. Find out how.
Turn Off Security Messages and Other System Notifications in Windows 7
Windows 7 allows you to turn off the various system messages and notifications that pop up on the Taskbar. Find out how.
Use Windows 7 to Manage Windows Server 2008 R2 Servers
Did you know you can use Windows 7 beta 1 to manage your Windows Server 2008 servers? Here's the download you'll need and an overview of the tools it includes.
Encrypt Removable USB Drives with BitLocker To Go on Windows 7
With Windows 7, you can easily protect the data stored on removeable drives. See how BitLocker To Go allows you to keep USB drives more secure.
Prepare and Service Windows Images Using the New DISM Tool
Discover how you can service Windows images and prepare Windows PE images with the new Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command line tool available with Windows 7.
New User State Migration Toolkit (USMT) Features for Windows 7
Here is an overview of the new features you can use in the User State Migration Toolkit (USMT) to simplify migration to Windows 7.
Easier Troubleshooting Support with Problem Step Recorder
Discover how the new Problem Steps Recorder can help you troubleshoot problems on remote systems by letting you see exactly what actions are taking place on the system.
Shrink and Simplify OS Images with Dynamic Driver Provisioning
Find out how Dynamic Driver Provisioning in Windows 7 can help you reduce the size of images and simplify image managament by reducing the number of images you maintain,
Shake Windows off Your Desktop
Need to quickly clean up your cluttered desktop by minimizing all windows but the one you're working in. Here's a simple but handy trick to do this.
Pin Files, Folders, and Favorites to the Taskbar in Windows 7 beta 1
You can pin files and resources to the Taskbar for easy access to the documents you use most often. Find out how.
Burn a Disc Image from an ISO or IMG file in Windows 7
Windows 7 beta 1 introduces the built-in ability to burn discs directly from ISO and IMG files. Find out how you can easily burn ISO and IMG files to disc.
Work Faster with New Hotkey Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 7 beta 1
Windows 7 beta 1 includes new keyboard shortcuts that allow you to navigate and manage the Windows workspace more efficiently. Here are 10 shortcuts you should know.

SharePoint tools

2009-04-07T02:13:38Z

I found this amazing directory with tools for SharePoint. Some of these tools are quite useful and free!

Great list for an integrator or SharePoint customer. These tools should help you increase your ROI by delivering even more value to your people.

http://www.sharepointreviews.com/

Impressive Community Webparts for SharePoint

2009-04-02T00:03:22Z

I was looking for something around discussions on codeplex. Did not find that, but I was totally blown away by these two webparts – Kudos to the guys who made ‘em. They make life so easy!

So they are

ChartParts – build out a list, fill it up with data and hey presto, now you can have a chart based on it!

More here:

http://chartpart.codeplex.com/

And the second, which is even more exciting is really leveraging SharePoint as a “database” – yeah SharePoint is not a database and not a substitute for one, but this tool really made me glad. Finally something awesome!

http://slam.codeplex.com/

You guys rock!

Windows 7 Shortcuts

2009-03-20T00:47:57Z

Table of Shortcuts

We don’t expect these to change, but look at Windows Help for more info! :)

K.I.S.S.

2009-03-03T22:26:09Z

Recently in a personal review I got from my colleagues, I got the feedback that I need to simplify, simplify and simplify!

So noting that here’s some really simple stuff you can do with SharePoint – hehe.. I think you’ll understand their feeling soon.

Using SharePoint instead of Email Attachments:

http://www.toddklindt.com/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=109

How to manage workflow escalations using SharePoint:

http://sharepointsolutions.blogspot.com/2008/10/task-escalation-using-workflows.html