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October 2011 - Posts
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Hello folks, Because there is always something new to learn I've compiled a list of online resources to give you a fast, convenient way to find content that is most relevant and helpful to you. This list featuring both live and on-demand content for November 2011. it includes webcasts, videos, virtual labs, and podcasts by product and topic. this is not the WHOLE list of the available content. but these are the ones i thought were relevant to the conversations I've had with customers and IT pros. Microsoft webcasts are 30-90 minutes in length and feature interactive presentations, product demonstrations, and question-and-answer sessions. Virtual labs give you an opportunity to test drive Microsoft’s newest products in an online environment. It's simple—no complex setup or installation is required. Stream or download audio podcasts and quickly access content with RSS feeds. Microsoft podcasts are free and do not require registration—just click and listen. LIVE WEBCASTS TechNet Webcast: Your Three Winning Numbers of Cloud Computing
Tuesday, November 01, 2011 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032496910&Culture=en-US TechNet Webcast: Information about Microsoft Project and Project Server October 2011 Software Update
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 - 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032493962&Culture=en-US TechNet Webcast: Live! IT Time: Private Cloud Chat (Episode 1)
Wednesday, November 09, 2011 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032496978&Culture=en-US TechNet Webcast: Information about Microsoft Security Bulletins for November
Wednesday, November 09, 2011 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032487958&Culture=en-US TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft IT Developed a Private Cloud Infrastructure
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032495814&Culture=en-US TechNet Webcast: Migrating from Google Apps to Office 365
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032494608&Culture=en-US Highly Rated On-Demand Webcasts: TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Lync 2010 High Availability and Resiliency TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft IT Architected and Redeployed an Application to Windows Azure TechNet Webcast: Successfully Deploy Project Server on VMware with Shared Infrastructure Popular Virtual Labs: TechNet Virtual Lab: Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) 4 TechNet Virtual Lab: Managing a Domain Environment More Effectively New Videos: TechNet Video: (Part 1) Office 365: Overview TechNet Video: (Part 2) Office 365: Outlook and Office 365… A Love Story TechNet Video: (Part 3) Office 365: Power of Integration with Office 365, Outlook, and Lync Online TechNet Video: (Part 4) Office 365: Quick and Professional Website Customization with SharePoint Online New Podcasts: TechNet Radio: IT Time–In-Depth Tour of the Office 365 Deployment Readiness Tool (Part 1) WMA | MP3 | WMV TechNet Radio: IT Time–Office 365 Deployment Readiness Tool: Active Directory Guidance (Part 2) WMA | MP3 | WMV TechNet Radio: IT Time–Office 365 Deployment Readiness Tool: Single Sign-On for Office 365 (Part 3) WMA | MP3 | WMV You can View all the podcasts for IT professionals here. (http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9637723.) Let me know if this is something you find valuable. If so, I’ll try to religiously update this post every month so you have a way to easily find and take advantage of resources to continue your learnings. As always, please contact me should you have any comments or questions. Cheers! 
Pierre Roman, MCITP, ITIL | Senior Technical Account Manager | Directeur de Compte Technique Senior
IT Pro blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn 
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 OK – it’s not what you think. 
- There are no formal presentations.
- It’s not death by PowerPoint.
- It’s NOT marketing / Sales
- It’s for Technical Professionals / Geeks / Pro-Sumers / SysAdmins / LanAdmins / Security Experts / basically anyone that works in IT or has a passion / interest in IT.
- It’s not your traditional “event” from Microsoft – or at least one that you would expect.
Using the *.Camp approach to a dynamic event (i.e. audience PARTICIPATION), IT Camps are something that our team is putting on whenever / wherever we can as we’re out and about for TechDays, DevTeach or quite frankly – any port of call – provided there is interest in having an “IT Camp”. We’ve decided to mix it up a little and using an “un-conference style” of format – we’re looking to partner with anyone who would like to host an IT Camp and participate. So what do you get when you decide to show up for one? - Find out who’s coming! Registration is encouraged, not not mandatory. We’re using Eventbrite to keep thinks non intrusive. Registration gets the word out AND it gives us an idea for how many people could be in attendance.
- Personal networking opportunities. Grow your support network. There’s normally 30 minutes or so of time set aside from when the doors open to when the camp actually starts.
- It’s dynamic / interactive. Whoever is hosting the event locally would be able to get a feel for what people wanted to talk about or see over the course of the event – heck, people can request “content” demos on the fly, if the participants are willing to step up and show something. We’ve come prepared with some cool demos that are 10-15 minutes each in chunks – they could follow a theme or if like the IT Camp last night at TechDays Toronto – Damir opened it up to the crowd to decide.
- Reverse Panel or Mystery Panel. Time permitting – we’ll throw out some topics and hold a panel discussion on relevant topics – you choose!
- Hands on Challenges – again – time permitting or logistics permitting – there’s an option for some “capture the flag” infrastructure challenges or team competitions to solve issues as a group. I mention “logistics permitting” because it depends on what we can bring together as resources for the camp – each and every Camp is different.
- Lightning talks – got a story to share? you’ve got your opportunity for 5 minutes of fame to talk about how you solved an issue, implemented a cool technology or helped out someone in a bind – whatever. If you can fit it into 5 minutes – you can talk about it.
- And MORE. Got an idea – share it with us. We’d love to talk about what to include.
We’ve been noodling with the format and we’ve tried it out in Toronto this week. Next week as part of ITPRO Teach / Dev Teach – we’ve got an opportunity to try again. Here’s a list of events we’ve committed to over the next while and their registration links. Sign up – it’s FREE and it’s cool. Want to host one in YOUR city – give me an Email and we can talk about options and opportunities. rick.claus@microsoft.com Ottawa (Nov 3) http://itcampottawa1.eventbrite.com Vancouver (Nov 15) http://itcampvancouver1.eventbrite.com Montreal (Nov 29) http://itcampmontreal1.eventbrite.com you never know – you might end up saying… “… and one time… at IT Camp… “ 
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There’s always lots to do when it comes to getting ready for a conference (especially if you’re travelling), so I thought I would take this opportunity to review your “everything I need for TechDays Toronto” prep list with you. I won’t be able to help you with your personal prep to-dos, but I can suggest the following: Review the Session Abstracts and build your schedule  | Before the fun begins, you’ll want to make sure that you know what each session is about and then choose a session for each timeslot of the day. To do that, head over to the TechDays Schedule Builder. It will walk you through all of the sessions in the technology areas that you’re interested in and will help you build your schedule. You can then print or email your schedule to yourself (and perhaps your colleagues if they are joining you). Go >> | Download the TechDays Toronto agenda (and floor plan).  | With seven tracks and instructor-led labs, there’s going to be a lot going on at the same time. To make sure that you don’t miss out on the sessions that you want to attend or find yourself in a room listening to a speaker talk about some developer stuff (because you’re in the wrong room), make sure to download the TechDays Toronto agenda to your phone (or print it if necessary). That way you’ll know what session is happening in which room at what time and where the room is located. Download >> | Prepare your notebook computer for the hands-on labs and bring it with you.  | Have a read through Damir Bersinic’s post from 3 days ago – Reason #42 to Attend TechDays 2011: Hands-on Labs. The hands-on labs are something that you definitely don’t want to miss. I know that when I go to conferences, I like attending sessions to hear experts tell me about, or through demos, show me everything I need to know about a technical topic. However, I find myself wanting to try it out on my own. I’m sure you feel the same way, so have a look at the instructor-led lab list in Damir’s post, register for the one/ones that is/are of interest, and make sure to prepare your notebook computer, and of course, bring it with you. More >> If you’re planning to attend the Introduction to Windows Azure lab, please note that the exercises in the lab will require to you have a Windows Azure account. If you don’t already have a Windows Azure account, take a moment and sign up for the 90-day FREE trial before the lab so that you will be able to continue your learning beyond the end of the lab. A training account will be provided to you for use during the lab if you don’t want to create an account for your own. | If you’re not attending TechDays Toronto in person We’re sorry that we won’t get to see you! However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to be part of the TechDays Toronto experience. Make sure you don’t miss the keynote by Jeff Woolsey, Principal Program Manager Lead on the Hyper-V team at Microsoft that will be streamed LIVE starting at 8:30 AM ET on Tuesday, October 25. Jeff will be talking about Microsoft’s virtualization and Private Cloud strategy for organizations of all sizes. This is a not-to-be missed opportunity to hear first-hand how your organization can leverage Microsoft’s virtualization technologies to help streamline your IT infrastructure today and in the future. Watch LIVE >>
Add to your calendar >> Get Social. Join the Conversation. Whether you’re going to be at TechDays Toronto in person or joining online, don’t forget that part of the experience involves you – you sharing your thoughts. Pick your network and tweet, post, or discuss away! We’ll be watching out for your tweets, posts, and discussions, as well as the speakers and community experts, so get social and join the conversations.  | Tweet using the #techdays_ca hashtag and your session code. Here’s an example: #techdays_ca #CLD301 Thinking of moving to the #cloud this way totally makes sense. #Azure | | | |  | Post your thoughts in discussions started for each session in the TechDays Canada LinkedIn group. | | | |  | Make sure to like the TechDays Canada Facebook page to get updates throughout the day. Post on the TechDays Canada wall or like others’ posts. | Register for More Learning Opportunities In addition to the TechDays sessions happening during the day, there are also additional activities happening in the evenings that may be of interest. CloudCamp Toronto
Monday, October 24
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM ET | CloudCamp is an unconference where attendees can exchange ideas, knowledge and information in a creative and supporting environment, advancing the current state of cloud computing and related technologies. Register >> | | | | DevCamp Toronto
Tuesday, October 25
6:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET | DevCamp is a mix of all the things you love from different events: the less formal environment that you love from BarCamp events; the great content and speakers from conferences; the quick and right-to-the-point innovative and exciting talks seen at TED or TEDx; and the power to meet other technology enthusiasts and network. Register >> | So now that you have the list of everything that you need for TechDays Toronto, the only thing that remains is to show up (or if attending virtually, log on) and have a great time! The team and I are looking forward to seeing you. Make sure to stop by the Microsoft Showcase at the Partner Pavilion and say hello! 
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 While participating in a discussion on LinkedIn (http://linkd.in/r3WJPl) we were discussion what is the different processes\habits that people have in order to setup a newly acquired machine. I personally use a mix of WinPE and ImageX to image the machine and that way preserve that new PC smell. Here are the details: to create the WinPE disk, Download the Windows Automated Install Kit from here (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=136976) and install in on a workstation. On that computer, click Start, All Programs, Windows AIK, right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and then select Run as administrator. In the command prompt type “copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_x86” to prepare the staging area. In the command prompt type “copy c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim” to copy the boot image to the staging area In the command prompt type “copy "c:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\*.*" c:\winpe_x86\iso\” to copy all the tools for manipulating the wim files to the staging area. Now you need to create a Bootable a USB key. you can refer to an old post of mine that explains and shows the video on preparing the USB stick here (http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2009/02/16/windows-7-on-a-stick.aspx) or folow the steps below. To prepare the USB key using the diskpart utility built-in to Windows 7. - In a command window type “Diskpart” to start the utility, once started use the following sequence to prepare the key to be bootable.
- List disk (to see with disk is your USB key)
- select disk 1 (where disk 1 is the USB key)
- clean (Ensure that you’re NOT pointing at your system disk. CLEAN will wipe your partition table WITHOUT asking for confirmation)
- create partition primary
- select partition 1
- active
- format quick fs=fat32
- assign (take note of the drive letter assigned to the key)
- exit
now that the key is ready, copy the staging area to your key “Copy C:\winpe_x86\iso\*.* /e D:\” D: being the drive letter assigned to the USB key. Your key is now ready. so boot your newly acquired PC (or any PC you need to capture) with the USB key we just created and once booted connect to the network share you want to use as your repository for the image. in my case i use my home server so the command will be as follows “net use z: \\home\public” you should be prompted for credentials, and once supplied the drive Z: will be mapped. once mapped, it’s as simple as using the ImageX utility to capture your system partition to the network drive. the command line in my batch file looks like this, “imagex /capture c: z:\newpc\lenovox61data.wim "lenovo x61" /verify” you can find more information on the ImageX command line structure here. Once the process is finished, i have an image i can restore at any point should i need to. I hope this helps. Cheers. 
Pierre Roman, MCITP, ITIL | Microsoft Canada | Senior Technical Account Manager | pierre.roman@microsoft.com
phone: 613-212-2370 | mobile: 613-715-2311
IT Pro blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn 
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One of the elements added to TechDays 2011 that I am most excited about is the addition of instructor-led hands-on labs at the event. This is directly as a result of your feedback asking us for more content where you can actually play with the technology. We will have 9 labs on site and an additional 40+ labs that you will be able to take advantage of from the luxury of your home or workplace using only an Internet connection. Before I get to the labs you will be able to take advantage of at TechDays 2011, I do want to spend a little time explaining how they will work. The labs themselves are hosted remotely at one of our partner organizations. When you take part in a hands-on lab at TechDays 2011 you will be accessing a remote server using an internet connection using your own computer. So, here’s the first important point – in order to take part in a hands-on lab at TechDays 2011, bring your notebook computer with you. The system requirements are pretty straight-forward to make it work. You will need a Windows-based computer with the following characteristics: - .NET Framework 3.5 installed
- RDP 7.0 Client
- Internet Explorer 8 or later
- CredSSP enabled.
- XPS Viewer.
Also, to install the one-click lab client you will need to have administrator permissions on your computer but once it is installed you can run all of the labs as a standard user. So, which hands-on labs will we have a TechDays? Here is the list along with registration links to reserve your spot. Remember, in order to reserve a spot for a hands-on labs, you must already have your TechDays ticket. If you have not yet registered, go to www.techdays.ca and register for TechDays now and then the lab you want to experience for that hands on feel! Just click on the lab title to reserve your spot – and don’t forget to bring your registration form with you to TechDays! In this lab, you will learn how to create and configure a new Test Plan in Microsoft Test Manager 2010. This test plan can be used, for instance, to test the new release of your software. Next, you will learn how to add test suites and existing test cases to a test plan and finally, you will learn how to create a new requirement and add that requirement to your test plan. You will also learn how to create a new test case for the new requirement. In this hands-on lab, you will explore the basic elements of a Windows Azure service by creating a simple GuestBook application that demonstrates many features of the Windows Azure platform, including web and worker roles, blob storage, table storage, and queues. In this Hands-On Lab you will configure the integration of SQL Server Reporting Services in Sharepoint 2010 by enabling Reporting Services and configuring a Report Library. Next you will configure SharePoint 2010 for PowerPivot and test the PowerPivot Client in Excel 2010. Finally you will configure PerformancePoint and enable a Business Intelligence Center. This lab discusses the various options available in SQL Server 2008 R2 database mirroring configurations and demonstrates how to configure and maintain a database mirroring solution. By the end of this lab, you will understand: · The benefits of database mirroring. · How to configure database mirroring in high-performance mode. · How to configure database mirroring in high-availability mode. · How to manage database mirroring configurations In this Hands-on Lab you will be walked through the creation of a LightSwitch custom control. This control will be used to display an address in a Silverlight BingMap control. Through this process you will learn the solution structure that is required to create LightSwitch extensions, the various interfaces that should be implemented to make the custom control similar to a native control, and how to package this extension as a VSIX installer. The objective of this lab is to provide a basic overview of the Orchestrator architecture and functionality, and an introduction to the process of creating and running runbooks. By the end of this lab you will: · Understand the basic Orchestrator architecture · Be able to build, test, and monitor simple runbooks In this lab, you will explore System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2012 Beta. This lab is designed to walk you through a configured VMM infrastructure to help you understand the new concepts, terms, UI elements, and configuration tasks. You will accomplish this by exploring the three key elements: Clouds and Services, Fabrics, and the Library. Clouds and Services are collections of virtual workloads which provide services on slices of infrastructure. The fabric is a collection of hardware based resources including virtualization hosts, storage, and network devices which provide the physical implementation of clouds and services. The library is a collection of predefined objects which are the building blocks for clouds and services This lab will help you learn how Windows Server 2008 R2 provides economical, highly-available storage that can scale to meet any business requirements. The exercises in this lab include: Exercise 1: Managing iSCSI LUNs. In this exercise you will learn how to manage iSCSI LUNs in the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target. You will learn how to manage iSCSI LUNs using the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target console and Windows PowerShell™ cmdlets. Exercise 2: Using iSCSI LUNs with Virtual Machines. In this exercise you will learn how to connect virtual machines to iSCSI LUNs using three different methods. You will use the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator to connect to the iSCSI LUNs you created in the previous exercise. Exercise 3: Booting Virtual Machines from iSCSI LUNs. In this exercise you will learn how to boot diskless virtual machines directly from iSCSI LUNs. You will use a network boot program to connect to an iSCSI LUN and initiate the boot process for Windows Server 2008 R2 from the iSCSI LUN. Exercise 4: Deploying a Highly-Available Microsoft iSCSI Software Target. In this exercise you will learn how to make the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target highly-available using Windows Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2008 R2. You will observe how an iSCSI LUN can be accessed continuously without interrupting a script running in the active cluster node. In this lab you discover principles of good UX design. You also discover how to start and build your prototype using the SketchFlow Template for Windows Phone. Along the way, you find out how to add sample data, and customize the look and feel of your data. You also find out how to add interactivity with objects that you create right in Expression Blend, or that are imported from other sources, such as Adobe Illustrator. TechDays 2011 Toronto is only a few days away!! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter by using the hashtag #techdays_ca!! 
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TechDays is THE conference for technical training in Canada and it’ll be hitting these cities on these dates: This year I’m putting together the speakers and sessions for the security, identity and management track. It’s going to be great – we’ve got a number of really good, in-depth sessions. Below is a sneak peak at the sessions as well as a video recording of my intro to the track. Don’t delay – get your registration in as the conference is filling up fast. Early bird pricing of $399.99 is available for Toronto until October 11, after that it’ll cost $799.99. Early bird pricing for Vancouver is available until October 25 and for Montreal, until November 8. I hope to see you there! The ongoing task of managing and securing infrastructure is of key importance to the IT professional, both in the datacenter and on the client. Helping to ensure users are properly authenticated to access corporate resources whether on premise, across the Internet, or in the Cloud, are vitally important to helping to secure the resources of an organization. Here you will learn how to leverage Active Directory and tools in Windows Server 2008 R2 to provide a foundation for a security enhanced and well-managed infrastructure. You will also learn how to extend the built-in capabilities of the Microsoft platform with Microsoft System Center and Microsoft Forefront to help manage and help secure your heterogeneous environment and help you sleep better at night. You will see how the full set of Microsoft tools and technologies provide a robust solution to deploy and manage your datacenter, as well as how to help secure your organization from external and internal threats. You will also learn how to implement key technologies to monitor your infrastructure, and use automation to help increase availability at the same time. MGT207 - Overview of Microsoft System Center Orchestrator 2012 The next version of Opalis will be known as System Center Orchestrator. In this session, we cover the new capabilities that Orchestrator will bring to the System Center integration, orchestration and automation solutions, and how these align to the Microsoft Private Cloud offerings. Session Lead: Islam Gomaa
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Microsoft System Center
MGT272 – What’s New in System Center Configuration Manager 2012 System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012 incrementally builds on the strengths of SCCM 2007 and adds entirely new functionality. This session will highlight both the improved features and the new functionality introduced in SCCM 2012 such as user centric management, Configuration Settings Remediation, Software Center & Application Catalog, Collection based settings, etc. Learn how to take advantage of the improved and new features of SCCM 2012 in your organization by attending this session. Proposed by Colin Smith
Cities: Toronto, Montreal
Technologies: Microsoft System Center MGT302 - Get Out of Dodge: Migrating to Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 You can't wait any longer. Your infrastructure is still clinging to the 2003 x86 server architecture but with every day that goes by, you worry more and more that the other shoe will drop. You know you have to bite the bullet and get these critical services over to more modern hardware paired with the current supported revisions of the server platform. These are the services that keep the lights on, the servers running and most importantly: the users happy! This demo-intensive session covers how to migrate essential services like DHCP, DNS, File/Print, Certificate Services and more. If you or your customers are stuck in the x86 migration frontier - show them the path to x64 2008 R2 nirvana. Session Lead: Rick Claus
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Windows Server 2008 R2: Server Management, Windows Server 2008 R2: Active Directory MGT303 - Diagnosing the Diseases of DNS Network troubleshooters soon learn that the first place to look when the network stops working is DNS... and soon after that, they learn that the in-the-box DNS troubleshooting tool, nslookup, is a pretty basic answer. So if keeping DNS working is part of your job, don't miss this "beyond the basics" DNS troubleshooting session originally created by Mark Minasi. We start with "dig," the nslookup replacement that is a must-know for DNS techies. Then we see how to give your troubled DNS queries a thorough workup with Network Monitor (even if you've never used Netmon), where you'll be able to find out why those dynamic updates aren't happening. From there, get the scoop on "EDNS," a feature of DNS servers since 2003 that has been blamed - wrongly - for a host of DNS ills. After that, see how to take your DNS system's pulse with DNSLint, a free, not-to-be-missed utility. Then see how to understand what those DNS logs are REALLY saying. Attend this talk and you'll soon be known as "Doctor DNS!" Session Lead: Rick Claus
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Windows Server 2008 R2: Server Management, Windows Server 2008 R2: Active Directory MGT310 - Helping to Protect the Microsoft EndPoint Effective endpoint security is implemented using 3 golden rules 1) Run Anti-virus software, 2) Keep your system patched and 3) Use a personal firewall. This session will show how to use Microsoft Forefront, SCCM/WSUS and other Microsoft tools to implement these 3 rules for Microsoft Windows-based systems. Session Lead: Stewart Cawthray
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Microsoft Forefront, Microsoft System Center MGT373 – Managing SharePoint Using System Center Helping to ensure that your SharePoint Farm infrastructure is running smoothly is one of the most important areas that an administrator of SharePoint is concerned with. In this session you will learn how Microsoft System Center can be configured to assist you in helping to keep your SharePoint-based infrastructure running well. You will find out how to tune alerts according to configuration and internal governance policies, help to increase overall service levels, as well as proactively manage incidents using the family of System Center products. Session Lead: Jason Kaczor
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft System Center MGT374 - System Center in the Data Center - Putting Together the Puzzle This session will take you through a full life cycle at a Data Center. The process will start with a request for a new server from a business unit that comes into System Center Service Manager. The Web Server is deployed into the environment using System Center Configuration Manager. It’s a hit and the site is over loaded with web requests. System Center Operations Manager sends an alert on the situation. The Data Center operator gets the alert and decides to allow additional Web Servers. The Site Goes Dark…..Critical outage. A new alert comes into the Data Center operator and he chooses to allow a full Disaster Recovery Plan to execute to a backup data center with a click of a single button. Once again the site is up and running. In this session you will see how the System Center Suite of products integrates and executes automated processes in the Data center environment. This will be a very active demo-filled session that you don’t want to miss. Session Leads: Islam Gomaa and William Bressette
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Microsoft System Center MGT375 – Helping to Secure your Wireless Network with 802.1x and Active Directory Wireless networks are in use in almost every business and every home, yet many suffer from security vulnerabilities that are easily protected. In this session you will learn how you can help lock down your wireless network and integrate Active Directory to control and manage access to your wireless network thereby helping to keep unauthorized connections and users out. Session Lead: Todd Lamothe
Cities: Toronto, Montreal
Technologies: Identity & Access Management, Windows Server 2008 R2: Active Directory
MGT377 - Leveraging Legacy Systems with Windows PowerShell There is a misconceived notion that moving to Windows PowerShell to administer your IT infrastructure means a rebuild approach, in other words - dropping the old for the new. In this session you will learn how you can easily use PowerShell to not only work with and manage Legacy systems but also help improve your experience in maintaining them. Want to find out how – come to this session. Session Lead: Sean Kearney
Cities: Toronto
Technologies: Windows Server 2008 R2: Server Management MGT378 - SAM and IT Asset Management using Microsoft System Center The implementation of Software Asset Management (SAM) and IT Asset Management (ITAM) is a means of helping to drive down IT costs, reducing security and compliance risk, and improving operational efficiency. This presentation describes how highly effective SAM and ITAM programs are delivered and supported using the powerful capabilities of Microsoft System Center. You’ll see how different capabilities of the System Center family of products, including Service Manager, Configuration Manager, Operations Manager and Orchestrator/Opalis are combined with technology partner solutions to provide visibility and control of hardware and software through the full asset life cycle, to minimize asset expenditure and to help maintain software license compliance. The solution shows how existing infrastructure, volume agreements and suite licenses, and expertise can be leveraged for rapid, highly cost-effective program implementation. Session Lead: Gord Watts
Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
Technologies: Microsoft System Center Pretty awesome, eh? So go register now before it’s sold out! 
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We’ve revealed the keynotes, the Windows Client and Phone Track, the Developer Tools, Languages and Framework track, the Developer Practices & Architecture, and the Cloud Computing and Online Services track, but the one thing that all of these have in common is the need to access, store, and manipulate data. Organizations rely on IT to help ensure that corporate data is safe and secure allowing business continuity. The ability to gain insight from the mountains of data most organizations possess is also a key requirement for most IT departments. You will learn how to take advantage of the capabilities of current and upcoming releases of SQL Server, to help provide a secure well-managed data platform that easily extends to the Cloud to help enable unparalleled scalability for your organization. You will also learn how to take advantage of business intelligence tools built into SQL Server, as well as offered as an appliance, to help provide the key business insight that can allow an enterprise to make the right business decision with a solid data-based foundation. Developers will learn how to take advantage of the Microsoft Data Platform to create compelling business applications taking advantage of the capabilities of the current and upcoming releases of SQL Server. If you don’t believe me, ask Susan Ibach. If that’s not enough, keep reading to discover some of the sessions you can check out this year at TechDays. DAT271 – Microsoft SQL Server Code-Named “Denali: Ramping up for RTM In this session we will explore some key tangible benefits of Microsoft SQL Server Code-Named “Denali” from the perspective of the developers and the DBA. This is not a marketing campaign for your boss; it’s for YOU to understand what you can deliver with the upcoming version of SQL Server.
DAT274 - A Lap around Microsoft Business Intelligence (Part 1) If you are familiar with Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Office or Microsoft SharePoint Server, but you have not had the chance to explore the broad and integrated Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities offered by across these products, then this two-part presentation will guide you through an end-to-end walkthrough of how these products come together to provide a complete platform to build powerful BI solutions. The focus of Part 1 will be the core BI concepts, SQL Server Reporting Services and PerformancePoint Services.
DAT275 - A Lap around Microsoft Business Intelligence (Part 2) In part 2, we will continue to review other Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities offered by Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Office and Microsoft SharePoint Server. You will learn about Excel Services, and PowerPivot V2 with the inclusion of Microsoft SQL Server code-named “Denali”. Finally, we will discuss the architecture viewpoint of how these products should be used to provide a robust platform that can help proactive decision making and business performance monitoring.
DAT279 - New Business Intelligence Functionality in Microsoft SQL Server Code-Named "Denali" In this session we dive into some of the new Business Intelligence capabilities that are being introduced in SQL Server code-named "Denali". We’ll start with the new Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM) and shown how BI developer scenarios are enhanced in Visual Studio 2010 and deployed to the new Tabular version of Analysis Services. You will then learn about the new self-service BI scenarios leveraging the BISM along with Project Crescent, a new interactive web based authoring and data visualization tool that is tightly integrated into SharePoint 2010.
DAT302 - Introducing the Next Generation High Availability Solution: Microsoft SQL Server Code-Named "Denali" AlwaysOn In this session we talk about the new high availability solution that is being introduced in SQL Server code-named "Denali". The session provides an overview of AlwaysOn and introduces the key new features and capabilities that will help businesses achieve the high availability SLA for mission critical applications. The session is the first part of a three-part series. It is highly recommended that you attend both the sessions to get a complete understanding of how your business can benefit from AlwaysOn. - Session Lead: Richard Baumet
- Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
- Technologies: SQL Server “Denali”
DAT304 - What's New in Manageability for Microsoft SQL Server Code-Named "Denali" Microsoft SQL Server "Denali" has many new features and enhancements. With a focus on manageability, this session tours new features including Contained Databases, Distributed Replay Utility, User Defined Roles, SQL Management Studio enhancements, and PowerShell. The session is demo-intensive and is designed to provide clear guidance and help you define a strategy to implement the upcoming release of SQL Server. - Session Lead: Kevin Harmer
- Cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
- Technologies: SQL Server “Denali”
DAT318 - The T-SQL Cookbook: What's Cool in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and New in SQL Server Code-Named “Denali” In this session you will learn about the new T-SQL-related features that are being delivered in the next version of SQL Server code-named “Denali” as well as review some of the cool features that already exist in SQL Server 2008R2 but you may not yet be using. We show off some cool demos as well as outline when these language features can be used to help you solve various coding issues.
DAT319 - Upgrading to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server Code-Named "Denali": A Comprehensive Look This session provides an in-depth look at how to upgrade to SQL Server 2008 R2 or how to upgrade to the next major release of SQL Server called SQL Server "Denali". The session covers the essential phases and steps involved in upgrading from SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2008 R2 or SQL Server "Denali" by using best practices and available resources. We cover the complete upgrade cycle, including the preparation tasks, upgrade tasks and post-upgrade tasks. This session covers upgrading a stand-alone instance, upgrading a clustered instance, upgrading instances involved in mirroring, log shipping, and replication, feature-specific considerations and recommended tools for a successful upgrade. Several demos are given covering the process and the available tools. The new feature of SQL Server "Denali" called “Product Update”, the next version of SQL Server slipstream is also covered showing you how to discover critical updates that you should include when installing or upgrading to SQL Server "Denali".
Two days of fantastic content to help you do your job more effectively! Come to TechDays, listen, ask questions, learn from the experts! Register today and join us in Toronto October 25,26th, Vancouver November 15,16th, or Montreal November 29,30th. If you register now you can take advantage of the EarlyBird discounts. Get your ticket today before the Early Bird pricing ends in your city: - Toronto - Oct 11th 2011
- Vancouver - Oct 25th 2011
- Montreal - Nov 8th 2011
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 Twice a year, every autumn and spring, we send out a survey called the Global Relationship Study to a number of IT Professionals across Canada. We use the feedback from this survey to make changes and adjustments within the company and how we engage with you – our customer, our audience, our reason for being. We take the results of this feedback quite seriously, so it’s a great way for your to get your voice heard. If we’re doing great, then please – feel free to give us kudos! If there are areas for improvement, then please point them out so we can respond.
If you get an email from "Microsoft Feedback” with the subject line “Help Microsoft Focus on Customers and Partners” from now until October 21st – it’s not a hoax or phishing email! Please open it and take a few minutes to tell us what you think. In addition to the survey email. you can also give us feedback at anytime by emailing me or the team directly through the Microsoft Canada IT Pro Feedback email address or by simply leaving a comment on this blog. 
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I was out West the other week, attending the itech summit (in Calgary and Vancouver) and paying a visit to VANTUG (Vancouver Technology User Group). I had a great time talking to everyone about Virtualization, Private Cloud and a bit of Public Cloud. Out of all the great conversations that I had, I found that something kept coming up, so much so that I thought it would be good to include in a blog post, so everyone could benefit from it.
So what’s an infrastructure focused person (like yourself) to do?
I've been pointing to these resources at the end of my sessions to date - they have come in handy. I have some video / screencasts that I need to include - but they need to be re-uploaded to YouTube
- Microsoft Virtual Academy" href="http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com">Microsoft Virtual Academy: Free online training on Virtualization and the Cloud (Private/Public). Not only are there great courses like Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals, Introduction to Windows Azure or Office 365 for the IT Pro, it’s self-paced and completely online, did I mention it was free?
- The TechNet Cloud Hub" href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/cloud/default.aspx">The TechNet Cloud Hub: Think of this as your one stop shop for Cloud news and information. There’s always new and updated content being posted and from here you can link out to other relevant sites (it really is a hub).
- The TechNet Evaluation Center" href="http://technet.microsoft.com/evalcenter">The TechNet Evaluation Center: So you’ve gotten the information, you’ve taken the training and now you actually want to get your hands dirty. This is the place to do it. You can download trials of our software to evaluate it before you buy. You can even download beta or release candidate software (like System Center 2012). My entire demo setup is made from this Eval Center download software - I'll have a post up talking about it in the not too distant future.
- The AlignIT Portal" href="http://www.align-it.ca/">The AlignIT Portal: In my opinion, this is one of the best places out there for Infrastructure Managers. Not only is there a ton of manager specific content, there’s a monthly live webcast and a monthly newsletter with more information.
- TechDays Online" href="http://www.techdays.ca">TechDays Online: The in person event so many people love to attend is ramping up in a big way online. What is an event site today, will become a place to go to view videos, and other complimentary content to TechDays in person. The best part is you can interact with the site all year long.
Of course, don’t just take my word for it, go check them out and let me know what you think.
Do you have any other sites you think should be added to the list? Leave a comment and let me know. 
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 Time moves quickly! Hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from the first TechDays 2011 event in Toronto on October 25/26. We’ve been busy getting the content ready and are working with a great group of subject matter experts from Microsoft, our Partners, the MVP community and your peers to deliver some of the best content we have ever put together!
I’m really excited to let you know that in Toronto, on October 25th, we will have Jeff Woolsey, Principal Program Manager Lead on the Hyper-V team deliver the keynote address where he will talk about Microsoft’s virtualization and Private Cloud strategy for organizations of all sizes. This is a not-to-be missed opportunity to hear first-hand how your organization can leverage Microsoft’s virtualization technologies to help streamline your IT infrastructure today and in the future. We are also excited that in Vancouver on November 15th, Scott Hanselman, Principal Principal Community Architect for Web Platform and Tools at Microsoft will be delivering the keynote address, showing developers how that can leverage the Microsoft platform to create great applications for the client, web, phone. But TechDays is not just about the keynote – it’s about all the great sessions that help you to grow your technical skills, and this year is no exception. We have some phenomenal sessions submitted by your peers, as well as others on technologies that you told us are important to you. Check out the session list bring rolled out on the TechDays web site in several waves with the final session list published by mid-October. Don’t forget to also go to the TechDays YouTube channel to learn more about what you can expect from the TechDays 2011 Content Leads themselves. Speaking of time, the TechDays 2011 Early Bird ticket pricing of $399.99 plus taxes is about to end in Toronto and will also end soon for the other cities. Early Bird deadlines are as follows: - Toronto = Tuesday October 11th, 2011 at Midnight EST
- Vancouver = Tuesday October 25th, 2011 at Midnight PST
- Montreal = Tuesday November 8th, 2011 at Midnight EST
Don’t miss out on the great content, plus the many other benefits of attending TechDays such as the on-site instructor-led hands-on labs, access to self-paced hands-on labs, opportunities to network with sponsors and speakers, as well as get your questions answered in the Microsoft Showcase booth in each city. Get your TechDays tickets today at www.techdays.ca! Looking forward to seeing you there! 
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