Will Craddock's Technology Adventure in Ireland : SBS

Upcoming Microsoft Ireland TechNet Tour

will.craddock — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:52:52 GMT

Event Description:
‘Tech Days’ are a collaborative effort between Microsoft and the IT Pro community to re-deliver the highlights of Tech Ed Conference to IT Pros across Ireland. Most of the sessions will be delivered by a combination of Microsoft and Community technical presenters and will involve as much time spent demo the technology, as possible. The content delivered will be technical level 300. March will see the four-city tour stop for evening events in Galway and Cork, with full day events in Dublin and Belfast.
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to get up-to speed on the latest Microsoft technology at no cost! We hope to see you there.
Enda, Dave and Will.

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Galway, 10th March (Days Hotel Galway, Dublin Road, Galway City East, Map and directions)
7pm-9.30pm
Cost: Free
Register Here

Agenda

1. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

2. The Accidental DBA

3. SQL Server Reporting Services

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Cork, 12th March (Rochestown Park Hotel, Rochestown Road, Cork, Map and Directions)
7pm-9.30pm
Cost: Free
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. SharePoint - The Implementation Journey..from WSS to MOSS

3. Unified Communications - Using it Today and Preparing for the Future

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Dublin, 24th March (Venue tbc)
Cost: Free
Infrastructure Morning (9.30am – 1pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

3. Virtualising Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS &EBS)

Unified Communications and Collaboration Afternoon (2.30pm – 6pm)
Register Here
Agenda

1. SharePoint - The Implementation Journey..from WSS to MOSS

2. Unified Communications - Using it Today and Preparing for the Future

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Belfast, 26th March (Venue tbc)
Cost: Free
Infrastructure Morning (9.30am – 1pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

3. Virtualising Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS &EBS)

Database and Business Intelligence Afternoon (2.30pm – 6pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. The Accidental DBA

2. SQL Server Reporting Services

3. Integrated BI Solutions with SQL Server 2008, SharePoint Server 2007 (including scorecarding, dashboarding and analytics) & Excel 2007

(including scorecarding, dashboarding and analytics) & Excel 2007

MS @ Home Evenings Event Description:
Placeholder for content

Microsoft @ Home Evening, for IT Professionals
Event Description:

This session will be an overview of the connected technologies of Windows 7, Windows Home Server and Xbox to provide a secure, shared and media rich home computing experience. We will demonstrate parental controls, media tagging, shared media, centralized backup and the extensibility of Home Server and the community that surrounds this product. We will also look at how the web plays a part in this experience through remote web access and a personalized website address for sharing photos and home videos in home server.
Dublin, 23rd March, 7pm-9.30pm (Venue tbc). Register Here
Belfast, 25th March, 7pm-9.30pm (Venue tbc).Register Here
Cost: Free

Agenda

1. Digital Photography

2. Home Server & Media Extender

3. Securing Your Home Network

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Update Rollup 1

will.craddock — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:54:38 GMT

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Update Rollup 1 releases yesterday. This rollup package addresses the following issues in Windows Small Business Server 2008.

Issue 1

The Security tab in the Windows Small Business Server 2008 Console incorrectly reports the spyware and malware status of Windows Vista Service Pack 1-based clients that are joined to a domain. Specifically, some security applications are reported as incompatible in the antivirus and malware status that is reported.

Issue 2

The Internet Address Management Wizard exits unexpectedly when you register a domain name. This issue occurs when you select GoDaddy.com as the provider, and then you click Register Now

How to obtain this update

This update will be available from the Microsoft Update Web site:

http://update.microsoft.com

SBS 2008 on US TV Morning Show

will.craddock — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:10:30 GMT

I saw this over on Sean Daniel’s blog and thought I would share the video. Sean has one of the best SBS blogs on the planet, if your not subscribing, you should be! Any who, here is the lowdown on the video clip.

Small Business Server was mentioned, as well as Windows Mobile and a Dell PowerEdge Server. The technology is used to take the office paperless, making the office more cost effective by reducing paper usage, cutting back on the number of running electronic equipments and saving on gas moving people around by enabling remote access. The video talks about it all!

Harry B and Phillip Elder SBS Dublin Event

will.craddock — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:52:22 GMT

Sunday saw a small number of local SBSC’ers attend a session with Harry Belfast from SMB Nation. Harry made a special trip over to Dublin for the Sunday session after a successful Friday SMB Nation event at the Microsoft UK office.

Joining Harry for the presentation was Phillip Elder via the LiveMeeting from St. Albert, Alberta Canada. Phillip runs one of the most frequently hit SBS blogs and is co-author of the new SBS2008 book from SMB Nation.

After a few minutes of technical difficulty with the mic and speaker setup, we are off an running. Given the presentation was via LiveMeeting, there was still a number of question and answer sessions, tuning the event into a very interactive session. Also given the audience had all installed SBS2008 and worked with SBS in general for a number of years the presentation was somewhat free form.

There was some great conversation on managing users via GPO and specifically on the ability to assign printers through Group Policy and some of the issues that might be encountered given SBS is x64 when using X86 clients. Phillip recommends the site www.gpanswers.com for all GPO relates inquires.

The biggest conversation of the night centered around the lack of ISA in SBS 2008 and what alternatives are available. Everyone in Dublin was using a hardware based firewall like Checkpoint, Cisco, etc but Phillip and Harry presented some information on Untangle, an open source software based firewall. The solution provides SPAM, virus and intrusion protection through a subscription service.

As the meeting drew to a close, Phillip was asked his favorite part of SBS 2008 and Phillip was quick in his response. He likes the ability to custom configure the RWW to include weblinks and a link to the Terminal Services Gateway. RWW and TS Gateway are the best features of SBS2008.

This event happened as a result of the invitation to Harry from David Houston with the Ireland SBS User Group. I encourage anyone with an interest in SBS to join the user group, come out to some of the events and even make a presentation on a topic.

There is even an event happening tonight as a great first step!

SBS Ireland Leinster Event

11th December 5.30pm to 8.30pm

Remote Monitoring tools.

Presenting - Hound Dog, N-Able, and Microsoft System Center Essentials.

Places are limited for this event, so please register early.

To register click the link and login:

http://www.sbsireland.com/Events/tabid/55/ModuleID/514/ItemID/37/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx?selecteddate=12/11/2008

SBS 2008 Downgrade Rights

will.craddock — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:25:22 GMT

I was asked by a partner this week about the downgrade rights for SBS 2008 Premium. There was some conflicting information available between the SBS Team Blog, the MVP Blogs (and you know them well I am sure) and Microsoft's forward facing website. This question was raised this week by myself and a few others through the internal Microsoft SBS discussion group and as a result the following response was published by Eric Ligman on the US side on his blog.

As some of you may recall, shortly after the launch of SBS 2008, there were originally some questions around the downgrade rights associated with the SQL 2008 component of the SBS 2008 Premium license, which we worked with the Server Team here at Microsoft to qualify and clarify for you. Since that time, there have been similar questions regarding the ability to run Windows Server 2003 R2 on the second server in an SBS 2008 Premium installation for the same reasons as the request for the ability to run SQL 2005, to support applications such as LOB apps that still do not support Windows Server 2008.

To help bring some clarity to this situation, here is the answer to these questions as well as some clarification about what is listed on the website based on conversations directly with the Windows Server Team here at Microsoft:

If you look at the Windows Essential Server Solutions promotions and offers page, you will see the following:

“When you purchase the premium edition of Windows Small Business Server 2008 or Windows Essential Business Server 2008 you have a choice to deploy these products:

Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard x86 and x64 platforms are available as an alternative version in place of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard, and are being shipped as part of the premium editions of both products until December 31, 2009.

Windows Server 2003 R2

Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard (both x86 and x64 platforms) will be available as an alternative version in place of Windows Server 2008 Standard that is shipped as part of SBS 2008 Premium and EBS 2008 Premium until December 31, 2009. Beginning on January 2, 2009, this downgrade option will be offered through Solutions Pathway.”

As you can see, “Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard (both x86 and x64 platforms) will be available as an alternative version in place of Windows Server 2008 Standard that is shipped as part of SBS 2008 Premium and EBS 2008 Premium until December 31, 2009. Beginning on January 2, 2009, this downgrade option will be offered through Solutions Pathway.”

Now, based on some questions I anticipated from Partners around this, here is some additional information and clarification:

Question: Does this mean they can use their existing media to install Windows Server 2003 for the downgraded install on the 2^nd server?
Answer: Yes, if they have Windows Server 2003 media already then they can simply use it. If they don’t then they can order Windows Server 2003 media thru Solutions Pathway starting on January 2, 2009.
Question: As for the, “Beginning on January 2, 2009, this downgrade option will be offered through Solutions Pathway,” what are they buying through Solutions Pathway? Is that just the media for those who don’t have it?
Answer: Yes, it will be the option to purchase the Windows Server 2003 media only to perform the downgraded install on the 2^nd server.
Question: What happens after December 31, 2009? Does this mean they can no longer downgrade after that?
Answer: Yes, we are providing this option to utilize the downgrade option until December 21, 2009, not after that.
Question: What about those who chose to downgrade prior to December 31, 2009? If they downgraded prior to then, they can continue to run Windows Server 2003 on the 2^nd server after December 31, 2009, correct?
Answer: Yes, they can continue to use Windows Server 2003 on the second server if they took advantage of the downgrade option on the second server prior to December 31, 2009. They do not lose those downgrade rights.

As for the questions around the SBS 2008 Frequently Asked Questions page where it says that there are no Windows Server downgrade rights for the second Windows Server license in SBS 2008 Premium, this page is being updated and will reflect the information above in the very near future.

I hope this helps clarify this for you and answers the questions you had. If not, please let me know.

SBS Upcoming Event

will.craddock — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:11:00 GMT

Just to let everyone know of some upcoming SBS specific events here in Dublin as well as in the UK.

SBS Nation UK

Speakers:
• Harry Brelsford (Bio at www.smbnation.com)
• Jeff Middleton (Bio at www.sbsmigration.com)
Location:
Microsoft London (Cardinal Place)
100 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 5JL

Agenda:
December 5, 2008 – Microsoft Central London
8:30am-9:30am Delegate Registration
9:30am – 10:00am Microsoft Introduction
10am – Noon How SBS 2008 Saved The Economy (Brelsford)
Noon – 1:30pm Lunch and HP (Essential Business Server, HP Partner Program)
1:30pm – 3:00pm Migration Techniques for 2008 (Middleton)
3:00-3:30 Come see how Autotask can help your IT Business Run Better.
3:30-5:00 Migration Techniques for 2008 Platforms (Middleton)
5:00pm End of Day

Delegate Pass = $200 USD
Save $50 USD with EARLY BIRD ($150 USD total cost to delegate) until November 15, 2008!

Speech Content
Title: Business Development: How SBS 2008 Saved The Economy! Your Next Blue Ocean…
By: Harry Brelsford
Date: December 5th
Time: 10:00AM – Noon (GMT-0)
Attend this fast-paced analytical “pocket MBA” lecture on Small Business Server 2008 business development approaches specifically related to Blue Ocean Strategy. You will learn:
• SBS 2008 Pillar and Foundation Messaging
• Being the Trusted Business Advisor (TBA)
• Assessment(s) with the Microsoft Small Business Assessment (SBS 2008 Case Study and Group Exercise)
• Trusted Business Advisor Certification
• Multi-vendor enablement in SBS 2008 ecosystem
• Goal: A defined set of SBSers capable of delivering business-centric IT solutions.
• SBS 2008 and Red Ocean\Blue Ocean
• SBS 2008 and a method for developing and implementing sustainable Blue Oceans
• Partner Panel
• Summary

Title: Migration Techniques for 2008 Platforms
By: Jeff Middleton
Date: December 5th
Time: 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Gain a practical and strategic view of the technical issues from Jeff Middleton, the Founder of SBSmigration.com. This session will educate you about the good and bad ahead for deploying SBS 2008 or EBS 2008 to existing or new customers. This technical assessment will be a guide to what you can expect to include in the scope of your customer proposals, staff preparations, and the underlying skills that will be essential to your success with production deployments.
2008 Platforms: SBS 2008 versus EBS or Windows
• The WESS Product Family Overview
o From 1 to Many: Choosing your Server Platform Directions
o Suite Value vs Technology Comparisons
• The “Essential” Product Elements
o Windows 2008, x64, & Hyper-V Story
o The WESS Application Family in SBS and EBS
o Elemental Differences from SBS 2003 R2 to SBS 2008
• Migration & Transition Project Challenges
o The Microsoft Concepts
o The Swing Migration Concepts
Deployment Optimization: Predictability, Time, Quality
• The Transition Timeline & Value Budget
• The Value-Add of Quality & Predictability
• Establishing Roll-Back, Pause or Completion Goals
• What’s implied in EBS & Multi-Server Deployments?
Discussion: Techniques, Traps, and Scope Concerns for SBS 2008 Deployment
• Essential Elements in the Migration Path
• Where is the Automation?
• Learning the Project Path with Practice
Q&A: Strategies, Technologies and Preparations
Wrap-Up

Register Here

Upcoming Irish events in the next month.

SBS Ireland Leinster Event

11th December 5.30pm to 8.30pm

Remote Monitoring tools.

Presenting - Hound Dog, N-Able, and Microsoft System Center Essentials.

Places are limited for this event, so please register early.

To register click the link and login:

http://www.sbsireland.com/Events/tabid/55/ModuleID/514/ItemID/37/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx?selecteddate=12/11/2008

Also

A casual affair: SBS 2008 BusinessSpeak and GeekSpeak with Harry Brelsford and Philip Elder LIVE

SBS 2008 Server-side Setup:

Your chance to see the SBS 2008 server-side setup process, learn more about the pre-requisite step of configuring your router\firewall FIRST BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING and the exact use of the answer file.

Presenting are Harry Brelsford and Philip Elder.

Location to be determined. Starting at 6pm GMT. Please register to receive updates.

You must be logged in to register for this event.

There is a €5 charge for this event, all money raised is to be given to charity, decided by attendees.

To register click the lick, become a member of the site and register for the event here:

http://www.partneroutreach.com/Events/tabid/54/ctl/Details/Mid/373/ItemID/4/Default.aspx?selecteddate=12/7/2008

Also

SBS Migration Workshop Event

Location to be decided. Get your hands on real kit and test a production server swing to new hardware using the Microsoft Whitepaper on migration to SBS 2008.

To register please email me at David@Damecomputers.com this event is space limited, 10 attendees max so please register early, there will also be a €5 attendance fee that will be donated to a charity designated by attendees. This will be a day event, Saturday 29th November.

SBS/EBS Launch Material

will.craddock — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:06:00 GMT

I wanted to make available the slide decks that were used as part of the Ireland SBS and EBS product launch event in Dublin on Nov. 12th. I have posted the files on my skydrive.

I will be hosting another launch session on December 17th in Belfast for those who missed this session. More information regarding this session will be made available ASAP.

SBS Launch Event Files

cheers

Will

SBS 2008 Presentation

will.craddock — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:31:00 GMT

For those interested in a first look at the new Small Business Server 2008, please sign-up for the SBS Ireland User Group meeting scheduled for Wednesday October 1st at New Horizons. I will be presenting on the changes in SBS 2008 as well as giving a quick product demo. For more information and registration please check out the website at http://www.sbsireland.com/Events/tabid/55/ModuleID/514/ItemID/36/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx?selecteddate=01/10/2008.

I will make sure a link to the presentation will be posted on the blog after for those unable to attend.

Cheers

Will