|
|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » MVP (RSS)
-
Kanwal Khipple told me about how he moved from Google Apps and Gmail to Office 365. I thought that this would be a journey that others might be interested in as well and asked him to put t ogether a post to tell you how he did it. The post below is in his own words. 
Whether we love life, gadgets, productivity tools or all of the above - change is the only constant. I believe it and am certain you believe it as well. We love what we have in our life but only until whatever we love doesn’t meet our needs anymore. Google Apps (GMail) was Fantastic Google did a phenomenal job of providing features and solutions at a time when the IT industry was pretty dormant. Compared to Yahoo Mail and Hotmail, Google Apps (GMail specifically) provided a fresh take on email that I, and I’m sure many of you, fell in love with Google’s offering. For the last 4 years, I was fairly content with using Google Apps for Business to host my email, calendar and contacts. However, as my wants have changed so has the lure of hosting my email, contacts and calendar in Google Apps diminished. If your needs are purely to have the ability to send and receive email, store contacts and calendar functionality then GMail serves your needs. It served mine until I wanted more.
What I Want 365 Days out of the Year Here’s a list of what I want, above and beyond what I need, to be productive: - Ability to synchronize calendar & contact details without purchasing additional software
- Ability to view and update the documents I create on my desktop
- Ability for my Windows Phone to work seamlessly
- Ability to communicate with others via IM, audio and video without using a 3rd party service
- Ability to conduct meetings with a group of people (PowerPoint and whiteboard)
- Ability to create separate work spaces for me and my wife on different projects
The Elephant in the Room Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t the only one looking to have this synergy between all the different services. The same way that Google had leaped in front of it’s competitors in 2006 to offer Google Apps for Business, I am betting that Microsoft Office 365 has the integration story that I have been waiting for and that I’m willing to pay for. Listen up Google, the Elephant in the Room that you’ve been ignoring is what Microsoft offers Office 365 – Office Professional Plus, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and Office Web Apps.
My Migration Story Making the leap, thankfully wasn’t that difficult. I was able to migrate my email, contacts and calendar pretty easily. The process took approximately 8 hours for me with 6 gigs of email data. I continued to receive email to both my Office 365 account as well as my old GMail account. I am fairly happy with the migration and knowing full well that I’m not the only person who feels the same way, I have decided to document my migration story from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 series: - My Migration Story - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Office 365 Overview - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Office 365 Sign Up Walkthrough - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Before you Start your Migration - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Add your Custom Domain - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Create a new user - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Migrate Filters - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Migrate Contacts - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Migrate Calendar - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
- Migrate Email - Migrating from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 Series
This being a blog post, I’d love it if you shared your wants (above and beyond the basic email, contact and calendar functionality) are. If you have any questions regarding my migration from Google Apps (GMail) to Office 365 or any questions related to Office 365, please feel free to comment below.
 Kanwal Khipple, is a SharePoint Server MVP & Principal SharePoint Architect with BrightStarr, a Microsoft Gold Partner who has developed some of the best user experiences on SharePoint. Kanwal focuses on cloud technologies, ECM, WCM and designing solutions using SharePoint. Kanwal is an author, SharePoint evangelist, speaker, and you can find him blogging on his personal blog and SharePoint Buzz. Kanwal is the co-founder of Toronto SharePoint Business User Group, loves to travel but calls Toronto home. Connect with him - @kkhipple, @sharepointbuzz and LinkedIn, Facebook
|
-
Hi, I’m Sean. I’m an ITPro and about three years ago (and you can’t tell my wife this) I began my affair with Windows Powershell. As you can tell from my background (and forget all the silly letters) I really just consider myself a true blue, grease under my fingers, crimpers in my pocket, screwdriver in my mouth, TECH. A few months back somebody asked on TechNet Talk Radio if Powershell could close files. It might be able to do this but somebody else already wrote a great utility that already does this. It’s called HANDLE.EXE from Sysinternals The STRENGTH of this application is that it works well and can’t accidentally close all the files on the server. The weakness is that I cannot easily (out of the box) automate it. Or can I? Within Powershell one of the biggest pieces you need to remember is that everything (And I mean EVERYTHING) is returned as an “Object”. Now the rest of you ItPros, quit hissing like Gollum. An “Object” really isn’t scary or nasty. You won’t turn into “Darth Vader” because you used one. So here we’ve downloaded HANDLE.EXE into a little folder called C:\HANDLE PROGRAM and we’re going to query for all the open Word documents on the local computer. As per the instructions in HANDLE.EXE I have run the console as an Administrator to gain the rights needed to globally close files C:\Handle Program\HANDLE.EXE .DOCX And we’ll get some output on the screen like this Handle v3.45
Copyright (C) 1997-2011 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com WINWORD.EXE pid: 13352 type: File 15C: C:\TEC2011\Why does Sean always leave his files open.docx
WINWORD.EXE pid: 13352 type: File 1B0: C:\TEC2011\If Sean Keeps doing this we won.docx
WINWORD.EXE pid: 7496 type: File 1A8: C:\TEC2011\demodocbadsean.docx It appears “SOMEBODY” who shall remain nameless has been leaving their Word documents open (tap tap tap) Normally if I would like to close an open file in HANDLE.EXE I would execute C:\Handle Program\HANDLE.EXE -c 15c -p 13352 –y And we would get an output like this, which if it’s successful even outputs a line with the status at the end. Handle v3.45
Copyright (C) 1997-2011 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com 15C: File (R--) C:\TEC2011\Why does Sean always leave his files open.docx Handle closed. So I can do this in Windows Powershell as well with a minor difference. I’m going to store all the output from HANDLE.EXE (Since the output to my screen is an Object) into a Variable. $RESULTS=(& 'C:\HANDLE PROGRAM\HANDLE.EXE' .docx) So the output that WOULD have gone to the console (which is an Object) is stored in $RESULTS. If you type $RESULTS into the Powershell Console you’ll see the same output as before. But since it’s in a variable we can now access and manipulate that output in a way we couldn’t before. If we look at the screen we’ll see that the output is consistent. All the lines that have the information we need contain “pid:” just before the Process and “type: File” just before the File handle. So in Windows Powershell I can take the [String] object that is stored in $RESULTS (My Console output) and pull all of that out with a quick comparison, which I’ll store away in a variable I’ll call $HANDLEDATA $HANDLEDATA=$RESULTS –match “pid:” Which will output to the screen only that data. At this point we can run each line through a SELECT-STRING to find where in the string the content sits. I need to find the location of “pid:” and “type: file” in each line and pull the number following it out. I’m going to work on the first entry in the [String] array as an example We’ll grab the ProcessID number first. SELECT-STRING will find it’s position which we’ll store away as $StartPid $StartPid=($HandleData[0] | SELECT-STRING 'pid:').matches[0].Index Then we’ll access the content which is consistently starting at positions away (The length of ‘pid: ‘) and is never more than 7 bytes long (I counted  ). We tack on the “trim()” to make sure if there are any blank spaces before or AFTER the Number they are “Trimmed” off $Processpid=$Handledata[0].substring($StartPid+5,7).trim() We’ll repeat the process for the File Handle in a similar method. Find the String with SELECT-STRING, Grab it’s index and then pull out what we need with a little substring() $StartFileID=($HandleData[0] | SELECT-STRING 'type: File').matches[0].Index
$Fileid=$HandleData[0].substring($StartFileID+10,14).trim() At this point we have a way of pulling out consistently the the necessary data to send it back to HANDLE.EXE and close it. I can execute a line like this now after I pull the information on each line. (& 'C:\HANDLE PROGRAM\HANDLE.EXE' –p $ProcessId –c $FileId -y) Now this will work but looks messy on the screen. We could just store the results away in a variable and grab that last line showing a success/failure $CLOSEFILESTATUS=(& 'C:\HANDLE PROGRAM\HANDLE.EXE' –p $ProcessId –c $FileId -y)[-1] Ok so there’s all the pieces. So what does it look like as a script? Just look below -------------------------CLOSEWORDDOC.PS1------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
# Script to close all open Word Documents on my File Server because Sean keeps forgetting
# Requires HANDLE.EXE from Sysinternals on the system. Free download
# $RESULTS=(& 'C:\HANDLE PROGRAM\HANDLE.EXE' .docx) $HANDLEDATA=$RESULTS –match ‘pid: ‘ Foreach ($File in $Handledata)
{
# Get the Handle ID of the Process for this file $StartPid=($File | SELECT-STRING 'pid:').matches[0].Index
$Processpid=$File.substring($StartPid+5,7).trim() # Get the File ID of this open File $StartFileID=($File | SELECT-STRING 'type: File').matches[0].Index
$Fileid=$File.substring($StartFileID+10,14).trim() # Close It $CLOSEFILESTATUS=(& 'C:\HANDLE PROGRAM\HANDLE.EXE' –p $ProcessId –c $FileId -y)[-1] } # -------------------------CLOSEWORDDOC.PS1------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now of course this is a pretty static solution. We could improve this in so many ways like using a variable for the file name or extension, dropping in some error handling. But this is to give you a taste of how you can automate systems that weren’t DESIGNED to automate. If you want to have some real fun, here is a script that within Windows Powershell I took that SAME application (HANDLE.EXE) and extended it’s features into New Cmdlets via Advanced Functions. One to show the open files, one to obtain their Process ID’s and FILE ID’s and a third to close them. If you’re interested on where this one has gone I’ve uploaded it to the Technet Script Repository so you can download it. With this version you can execute Cmdlets like GET-openfile DOCX To get the list GET-openfile XLSX | Close-Openfile –whatif To CAUTIOUSLY do it GET-openfile DOCX | Close-Openfile This can easily be turned into module as well (how I’m running on the system right now) to extend the abilities of your shell as well. If you’re interested more in playing with Powershell and some of your legacy applications, there is an entire series on “Hey Scripting Guy” which delves into this. Ah Powershell. Where were without you before  --------------- 
Sean Kearney is an infrastructure support analyst and Microsoft MVP in Window PowerShell. He is absolutely passionate about automation technologies—especially Windows PowerShell. If you say, “Powershell,” he may just break into song. Sean considers himself “just a tech at heart,” but he can often be found dabbling with most Microsoft technologies at a moment’s notice. We have also been advised to keep him at arm’s length from any open Starbucks in Seattle. We have been advised that any rumors about him ever singing for Microsoft JobsBlog are completely unfounded. Complete rubbish. Let us just keep it between you and me, OK? Sean's contact information:
Twitter: EnergizedTech
Blog: Energized About Technology
Website: Powershell: Releasing the Power of Shell to You 
|
-
As Pierre Roman pointed out on April 5th, Microsoft released its Software iSCSI Target to the Download Center (The Microsoft iSCSI Software Target is now free). I call it The Great Equalizer. Let me explain:
There are two ways of creating shared storage.
- Network Attached Storage (NAS) is file-level storage that you create by formatting a volume on a server (or workstation or NAS device), and then enabling Sharing. Depending on the type of share you can assign different types of permissions to different users and groups. You access a share by using a Share Name (formerly called User Principal Name – UPN) such as \\servername\sharename. If the share was created on a Windows server (or client) you could access the same directory by navigating to the shared location in Windows Explorer.
- Storage Area Networks (SANs) are a block-level shared storage, which means they are accessed very differently. The SAN device is an array of disks that is ‘sliced’ into Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). Each LUN is in effect its own hard drive, which is assigned a drive letter (i.e.: M:\) and can be formatted by the computer accessing it (using an iSCSI Initiator). This gives us options that we could never have with shares… such as NTFS permissions and actually booting servers from a LUN (diskless boot).
There are actually two different SAN technologies in play:
iSCSI (Internet SCSI), which uses familiar RJ-45 cables and communicates over standard TCI/IP networks. As such all of what we know from basic networking applies, and although it is usually recommended that the storage network be segregated from the production networks, this is often done by using VLAN tags rather than separate NICs (actually referred to as HBAs (Host Bus Adapters) and cables. By default (for those of you implementing or simply studying for an exam), iSCSI traffic is transmitted on TCP Port 3260.
Fibre Channel (FC) uses proprietary ports, cables, and switches. Although it essentially speaks the same language (SCSI protocol) it is encapsulated in Fibre Channel packets. Fibre Channel is usually the more expensive of the two options.
The problem is that neither of these technologies is cheap. While the investment for an organization has obvious benefits and the ROI is apparent, neither technology is really prevalent in small business because of the cost. It is very rare that an individual – even an enthusiast – would have a SAN at home.
Does this really affect anyone? You bet it does.
- It affects the guys trying to get into the industry who don’t enrol in a school, but rather try to learn on their own. They can read all about clustering in books, but until they get their hands on it they will never really know it… and without a SAN they will never really know it.
- It affects the IT Pro who have been pigeon-holed in a role and see no possibility for advancement in their organization, and want to take a few certification exams before they update their CV.
- It affects the small business IT Pro whose organization hasn’t invested in SANs, but wants to grow into the ‘Enterprise.’
- It affects anyone who wants to learn virtualization and pass the MCTS exam for Windows Server Virtualization.
- If you don’t have a SAN that you can play with, it affects you!
Microsoft iSCSI Software Target 3.3 changes all of this.
- It allows an IT Pro – anyone, really – can install it on Windows Server 2008 R2 and create a software iSCSI target – essentially a simulated SAN.
- It is going to allow us to create clusters in our basements, without investing heavily in hardware.
- It means that the youngsters of the industry – our future – can implement and learn Clustering, Live Migration, and all of the other great tools that Windows Server 2008 R2 offers.
- Because it is now a supported product from Microsoft, it means that smaller organizations that are interested in virtualization, but scared that it means they are creating a single point of failure if they aren’t able to invest heavily in a SAN device.
In fact, the product is not new… it was released with Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, which was only available through the OEM channel. Prior to that it was only available internally. Now that it is being made available widely, it is be supported for (smaller) production environments.
So what are you waiting for? Go forth and cluster!
(In my next article I will take you through the step-by-step implementation of the iSCSI Software Target… stay tuned to this space in the next a couple of days!)
Mitch Garvis, MCT | Senior IT Consultant & Trainer | SWMI Consulting
My blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | MVP Profile
I'm a PC 
|
-
UPDATE!!! The Windows 7 Resource Kit is now available from Microsoft Press. This 1700 page book and CD is the book for administrators who will be deploying, maintaining and troubleshooting Windows 7 in their organizations. The book was authored by three MVPs Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup and Jerry Honeycutt, and also by Ed Wilson who is commonly known as The Scripting Guy on Microsoft TechNet. The lead author Mitch Tulloch also maintains an Unofficial Support Site for the Windows 7 Resource Kit at http://www.mtit.com/reskit/ where he posts additional resources and responds to questions from readers.
------------------------------
 I remember the first set of books I bought on Windows. The Windows 2000 Resource Kit was 7 volumes plus a poster and a CD with some great tools on it. The other day while flying to Vancouver for TechDays I was sorting through email lists and came across an email asking if the resource kits were dead. Mitch Tulloch, a friend, MVP and author chimed in with this response which he allowed me to post.
-------------------------
GROAN. Resource Kits are NOT dead--it's only unsupported Resource Kit TOOLS (executables) that are no longer provided. The Windows 7 Resource Kit is an 1800 page book on how to deploy, manage, maintain and troubleshoot Windows 7 and will be available in bookstores in mid-October. You can also pre-order this book today from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735627002/mtitenterprises). In addition to having 32 chapters of content that has been peer-reviewed by dozens of individuals on the Windows team at Microsoft, there is also a companion CD in the book that includes:
- The Windows 7 Resource Kit PowerShell Pack, a collection of Windows PowerShell modules that adds over 700 new Windows PowerShell cmdlets and functions to those already present in-box in Windows 7.
- Almost 200 sample Windows PowerShell scripts are included to demonstrate how you can administer different aspects of Windows 7 using Windows PowerShell.
To repeat, Resource Kits are definitely NOT dead--I should know as I'm the lead author for this book :)
Cheers,
Mitch Tulloch 
|
-
This week was a busy one not only because of the fact that Windows 7and Windows Server 2008 R2 hit the streets, but also because many details surrounding Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 were announced at the Microsoft SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas which just ended. Many of you that attended TechDays in Toronto and Vancouver have asked me questions about SharePoint 2010 and what some of the new features will be, and, to be quite honest, I did not have a good answer as I was not privy to many of the details. This Monday, at the Microsoft Mississauga office you can learn about SharePoint 2010 at the inaugural meeting of the Mississauga SharePoint User Group. Rob Windsor from ObjectSharp will take you through what’s new in SharePoint 2010. The session will provide an overview of the product with a particular focus on what’s new for developers. You will learn about the new designers, explorers and templates and overall developer experience for SharePoint 2010. Along the way you’ll see several of the enhancements to the end-user experience including the ribbon, in-place editing, and the new page and dialog interface model. To register for the event, please go to https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=142514.
Damir 
|
-
Hi Everyone, My name is Simran Chaudhry and I am the MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Lead for Developer & IT Pro MVP’s in Canada. Along with Sasha Krsmanovic & Ljupco Grmaskoski, we run the Microsoft MVP Award Program in Canada. I thought it would be a good idea to let you know who MVP’s are, what they do, and let you know a bit more about how you can submit a nomination for yourself or someone else that you think deserves the award. MVP’s are exceptional technical community leaders from around the world who are awarded for voluntarily sharing their high quality, real world expertise in offline and online technical communities. They are great assets to the community and are superstars in the technology they are experts in (sometimes more than one). They volunteer much of their personal time to help others, all for free, through proactively seeking out problems in online & offline technical communities. Microsoft MVPs are a highly select group of experts that represents the technical community's best and brightest, and they share a deep commitment to community and a willingness to help others. Some of you may be thinking that you or someone you know would make a great candidate for the MVP award. How can you be a part of the MVP program and become an MVP? Now you can submit a nomination online. Click here if you would like to nominate yourself or someone you know for the Microsoft MVP Award program. If you would like to know more about the Microsoft MVP Award Program, please visit the MVP Program page or contact me directly. On behalf of the entire Canadian MVP Team, thanks for reading, Simran Chaudhry Canadian MVP Lead 
|
-
 Hello CanITPro readers!
My name is Sasha Krsmanovic. I am the MVP Lead in Canada; you may recall my posts on this blog about the MVP program (Part 1, Part 2). Rodney has asked me to write a guest blog about a useful tool our team developed for IT Pros – the Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer. The Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer is a web site for IT Administrators to validate and diagnose end-to-end Exchange scenarios. The site simulates multiple Exchange client access and inbound service related scenarios from outside your infrastructure and reports whether the test was successful. If the test fails, the tools tells you where in the process it failed, as well and it provides troubleshooting tips on resolving the issue. Note that this tool is different from the existing tools included in Exchange 2007. These tests can only be run inside your network and effectively only test your internal network connectivity, and this tool tests it from outside your company. You can see a very short video describing the tool on TechNet Edge, or see a more detailed description at Exchange Team’s Blog. Let me know how do you like this tool and I will pass it to the folks who developed it. You can always email me, or connect with me via twitter. 
|
-
Peter Piluk is a 15 year veteran Jack of All IT guy from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. He has used every version of Windows since 2.0 and every version of MS-DOS since 2.1 and has been using Vista since its beta days. Peter has been involved in just about every aspect of IT from custom software development to Web Development, to Network Design and maintenance, to training to general consulting. Currently, he is a self employed IT worker as well the President of the Waterloo-Wellington IT Pro User Group. He is a single father of a 13 year old girl Emma and a 9 year old boy Damian. - If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be? – As Open Source software becomes more prevalent in the offices of today, what changes do you envision Microsoft making to maintain their market share.
- What do you think the best software ever written was? – Wow, great question. There have been so many exceptional pieces of software that I have used over my career. If I had to pick one, I would have to say PowerShell. It has got me out of more than a few jams!
- If you were the manager of Windows Vista, what would you change? – The system requirements are too high. There are too many computers purchased in the last 24 months that are unable to run Vista. I would have ensured that most computers less than 2 years old would be able to run Vista.
- What are the best features/improvements of Windows Vista? – The biggest improvements with Windows Vista are in the area of security. My favorite features of Vista are the UAC, BitLocker and the protected mode of Internet Explorer. My daughter has been using the Windows Movie Maker recently and she thinks that’s the best feature of Vista!
- What was the last book you read? – The Watchmen Graphic Novel
- What music CD do you recommend? – My favorite band is The Clash and my favorite singer is Johnny Cash. You should check out Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash’s cover version of the Bob Marley tune Redemption Song!
- What makes you a great MVP? – I am a great MVP because I am connected in the community and love sharing what I know. If you are connected into the community you do not have to be the smartest or most knowledgeable, you just have to know who to ask.
- What is in your computer bag? – My laptop, three notebooks, a 250GB portable hard drive and a copy of Starcraft for those boring server installs.
- What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP? – I am a relatively new MVP but the best thing has been the sheer number of quality people I have met since January.
- What is your motto? – You only fail when you stop trying.
- Who is your hero? – Not sure if I have any, I do have plenty of people who I admire and respect greatly.
- What does success mean to you? – Success to me is having the respect of my friends, family, peers and clients.
|
-
 Philip has been involved with Small Business Server since the BackOffice SBS 4.x days. He has worked in the SMB market for most of his I.T career. With the advent of SBS 2003, the SMB market became the primary focus due to the SBS 2003 feature set providing the best possible value to SMBs.
In 2003, Monique and Philip Elder started MPECS Inc. with the company’s primary market focus being the 5-35 seat market. Solutions provided to MPECS Inc. clients were based around Microsoft software products such as Small Business Server, Windows Server, Microsoft desktop OSs including Windows XP and Windows Vista, and Microsoft Office products. With knowledge comes responsibility. It is with that thought in mind that Monique and Philip decided that Philip should start sharing that knowledge via a blog in January of 2007. The blog has led to many online and in-person SBS presentations as well as written articles online, in magazines, and now an SBS 2008 book: SBS 2008 Blueprint via SMB Nation Press (2008). - If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?
- What do you like and dislike about your job at Microsoft?
- What do you think the best software ever written was?
- Tough question as there are so many software products over the years that do so many great things for us.
- Tools: Everest Pro.
- Productivity: Office 2007 Professional or Enterprise (like that Groove!).
- Server: SBS 2008.
- Desktop OS: Windows Vista (check out the blog posts!)
- If you were the manager of SBS, what would you change?
- We would look at a second Premium SKU for the second server to act as a Terminal Server with TS CALs included instead of SQL and SQL CALs.
- What are the best features/improvements of SBS?
- By far, the best improvement in SBS is the Remote Web Workplace. Having the ability to manage who can access what down to the minutest of details really helps.
- TS RemoteApps via RWW is also a cool new feature.
- Group Policy tied to Windows Vista is a close second.
- What was the last book you read?
- Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks. It was okay.
- What music CD do you recommend?
- “Good For Me” Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston.
- What makes you a great MVP?
- Judging by the feedback I receive from those I work within our local community but also abroad, my ability to listen, assess, and contribute to the I.T. and other needs of the community.
- What is in your computer bag?
- SysInternals tools, ShadowProtect I.T. Edition, 200GB 7200RPM 2.5” external USB drive with the necessary service packs TechNet disk content and drivers, set of Snap-On screwdrivers, hand tool set including pliers and side cutters, cables, and a miscellaneous kit.
- What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?
- Not sure about the best thing as there have been a number of things that have happened that are pretty cool. One of the best things that does come to mind is being tied into the SBS MVP group via the SBS MVP newsgroup run by Susan Bradley. The group is pretty tight and supportive.
- What is your motto?
- To have Loved and to have been Loved is the best way to go.
- Who is your hero?
- In Business: Clive Bedoe, former President and CEO of West Jet.
- In Life: My wife Monique. She is an absolutely amazing woman.
- What does success mean to you?
- The appreciative smile on a client’s face and the occasional thank you. Long term business relationships that span over 10 years now!
|
-
 John Policelli is a solutions-focused IT consultant with over a decade of combined success in architecture, security, strategic planning, and disaster recovery planning. He has designed and implemented dozens of complex directory service, e-Messaging, web, networking, and security enterprise solutions. John has spent the past 9 years focused on Identity and Access Management and providing thought leadership for some of the largest installations of Active Directory in Canada. He has been involved as an author, technical reviewer, and subject matter expert for over 50 training, exam writing, press, and whitepaper projects related to Windows Server 2008 Identity and Access Management, networking, and collaboration. John is currently writing his second book, Active Directory 2008 How-To by SAMS publishing, which will be released in the spring 2009.
- If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?
Although I have seen clips some of his previous speeches, the 2008 MVP Summit was the first time I saw Steve Ballmer give a keynote in person. I found Steve’s keynote to be motivating and it was great to experience Steve’s passionate expression of enthusiasm in person. If I could ask Steve Ballmer one question, I would have to ask him what motivates him. - What do you think the best software ever written was?
There’s a long list of great software that has been written over the years, and there’s so many factors to consider when selecting the best of the best. Active Directory is definitely on my short list of the best software ever written. I believe Microsoft has done a great job evolving Active Directory from its initial release in Windows 2000 Server to the current version in Windows Server 2008. If you compare Active Directory to its predecessor, Windows NT, there is no question that Active Directory is far more superior. However, the magnitude of additional features and new functionality has made Active Directory an extremely complex product. Moreover, there are countless applications (both Microsoft and third-party) that cannot function without Active Directory. All of this, coupled with the fact that Active Directory is deployed in virtually all organizations today, makes me believe that it is a great product that deserves proper recognition as one of the best software ever written. - If you were the manager of Active Directory, what would you change?
It would be great to see some improvements to the delegation capabilities within Active Directory. I would like to have the ability to implement role-based data management and service management delegation models directly within Active Directory. Additionally, it would be great to see the level of default permissions that are granted to the built-in privileged security groups, such as the Domain Admins group, be reduced. - What are the best features/improvements of Active Directory?
There are a number of great features that were introduced in Active Directory in Windows Server 2008 and more to come in Windows Server 2008 R2. Fine-grained password policies, RODCs, additional auditing capabilities, and the database mounting tool are on the top of my list of great improvements to Active Directory in Windows Server 2008. I am also looking forward to the new Active Directory features coming in Windows Server 2008 R2, specifically the Active Directory PowerShell cmdlets, the built-in Recycling Bin feature, and the new Active Directory Administrative Center. - What was the last book you read?
Since I have authored two books in the past year, and over a dozen courses, I have not had the time to read a full book lately. The last book that I read was “The World Is Flat” by Thomas L. Friedman, which analyzes globalization. It’s a great account of how advances in technology and communication have connected people all over the world in ways like never before. - What music CD do you recommend?
I listen to a wide range of genres, but I have to say that U2’s “U218 Singles” is a great album and it would appeal to a wide range of individuals. - What makes you a great MVP?
I’m not sure I would call myself a great MVP. There are so many others that have held the designation for many years. Throughout my career, I have consistently shared my knowledge with others. I am not the type of person that uses my knowledge solely for personal gain. In recent years, I have tried very hard to share my knowledge with the community by participating in newsgroups, posting on my blog, and through my publications. I truly believe that this has been rewarding to me in so many ways and I am glad that I have been able to give back to the community. - What is in your computer bag?
I try to keep it light; my laptop, a power adapter, a wireless mouse, and a few USB flash drives. - What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?
Because of the wide recognition of the MVP designation, becoming an MVP has opened a number of doors for me professionally. I have also been able to connect more regularly with product groups and other MVPs. 11. What is your motto? I don’t really have a motto. However, I try to ensure that I always learn from my mistakes. I realized a very long time ago that mistakes are only natural and learning from them is much more beneficial than being regretful. 12. Who is your hero? That’s a tough question. There are so many great people that I have had the privilege of having in my life. It would be virtually impossible for me to pick a single person as my hero. 13. What does success mean to you? To me, success is really about achieving the goals you set for yourself. I am very persistent and committed when I set out to achieve something. I will do everything possible, and sometimes the impossible, to ensure I achieve something that I want to achieve. I also believe success is achieving a perfect balance between your professional and personal lives. 
|
-
I met Misha a few years ago while I was an MVP still living in Winnipeg and Misha was visiting Winnipeg as planned his move to Canada. We’d share postings between thelazyadmin.com and his site admininfo.ca and I was glad to hear he got his MVP award! ----------------------------  Misha Hanin has served as an IT Infrastructure Consultant and IT Systems Administrator for over 15 years. He has a number of certifications including MCITP EA, MCP+I, MCSE, CNE & CCA. Additionally, Misha can offer a strong multifaceted background in Network Administrating with management experience in Design, Installation, Implementation and Support of LANs and WANs, including the Installation and Maintenance of VPNs, Backup Systems, Virtualization and Security systems (Firewalls, Antivirus, Anti-Spam).
View full Michael's profile on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkhanin Michael publishes Network Administrating articles at his website – AdminInfo.ca. What does being an MVP mean to you?
It’s very nice and a great honour to be recognized, especially by a company like Microsoft, but it hasn’t made a lot of difference in the real world. I started posting IT Tips and Tricks, answer questions that I get from other IT experts (believe me, I spend a lot of time on answering email J), run blogs ...Years ago and at that time I didn’t know about MVP program. But, as I said, it’s a great honour to be recognized. If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?
Why Microsoft waited so much time before it jumped into Virtualization? What do you think the best software ever written was?
WINDOWS!!! I’ve been working with Windows since version 1.x J and believe I’ll continue to work with it. I really love Exchange Server. Lately I’ve been dealing a lot with Virtualization infrastructure (Hyper-V, App-V,…), but I think Windows is the best J. If you were the manager of Admin Frameworks, what would you change?
It’s a really interesting question. Today Admin Framework totally became a ‘PowerShell” group. Looking back, the first time I heard about PowerShell, I remember a reaction of many IT Pros, It was a real WOW : ), but….Today, when I’m talking with my colleges and other IT Systems Administrators, I hear that Microsoft just developed an additional programming language. Looking like PowerShell managers forget, that Network Administrators are NOT programmers. If I have been the manager of Admin Frameworks, I would have discussed more with people who should work with this product. PowerShell is an amazing product and pity that a lot of IT professionals still keep away from using it. What are the best features/improvements of Admin Frameworks?
Be more in touch with people who should use PowerShell and not just with developers. What was the last book you read?
I read a lot, but mostly all what I read is technical books. I really need to find time to read more, non technical books :).
What music CD do you recommend?
mmm, I don’t do this J. My wife takes care of “music” that I listen to. Sometimes I even do not know the name of group / a song, I just enjoy listening. What makes you a great MVP?
Really, I’m a great MVP? :) I just can think about one thing, I am always ready to share my knowledge, and I am ready to help. What is in your computer bag?
IBM Laptop, 2 USB Cables, Console cable, Headphones, 2 DiskOnKey, USB Floppy drive, screwdriver, last 2 editions of TechNet magazine, a ton of business cards, Network cable, X-cross cable, GPS, few CDs, external Wireless Card, MS Optical mouse , mobile phone and a ton of other things. What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?
Be a part of “Heroes Happen {here}”. Going to the MVP summits and meeting people. It’s great to see a lot of so famous geniuses face to face. What is your motto?
You live as You think, think positively! Who is your hero?
I have a lot of heroes. I think if I can learn anything from a person, why not to call him a HERO? What does success mean to you?
Enjoy what I love to do. Be on top of the latest technologies and work with them. And of course, seeing my wife and son live a happy life. 
|
-
 Between grade 8 and 9 Tony Toews took a free two week course on programming given to local high school students at the local community college. He was hooked. He is a self employed database developer and has been designing and creating business solutions for almost thirty years. He first worked with punched cards but fortunately missed the era of paper tape. Access 1.0 came out in 1992 and he’s been greatly enjoying working in it ever since. Tony has been active in online communities since 1987 with an 80286 running DOS and a 2400 bps modem. Microsoft first recognized Tony as an MVP in 1999.
What does being an MVP mean to you? This is a tough one. Even if there wasn’t an MVP program I’d still be posting newsgroup answers, posting blog entries and working on my website. It’s very nice to be recognized but practically it hasn’t made a lot of difference in the real world. If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be? I’ve already asked Bill Gates about keeping NNTP/newsgroup support so that’s good enough for me. Besides I’ve sent Steve Ballmer several emails and have received either a very prompt reply or a long detailed response from a VP responsible for that product. What do you think the best software ever written was? Windows. I like Access obviously. But Windows is a massive project. I’m amazed it works as well as it does. An unsung significant part of that though is the Error Reporting and Windows/Microsoft Update. When I first had Windows XP installed on my last laptop I was getting the occasional Blue Screen of Death on boot up. Then I suddenly realized that I hadn’t been getting those for quite a while. I can only assume a service pack or driver update solved the problem. If you were the manager of Access, what would you change? I spend most of my time in VBA so I’d make the VBA IDE more efficient for hard core developer types like me. I look at some of the screen shots of the features in Visual Studio and other IDEs with a certain amount of envy. What are the best features/improvements of Access? Which version? <smile> Access works and works well. It allows me to give my clients good solutions. That’s the best feature. I haven’t used Access 2007 a lot yet as my clients are still using Access 2003. What was the last book you read? Yesterday or last week? I read a lot of books. Non fiction – The Unthinkable - Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—And Why by Amanda Ripley. Fiction - my sister in Sri Lanka introduced me to Jim Butcher so I’m reading Storm Front. What music CD do you recommend? I love Gregorian monk chants. Any folk music, classical, some opera or old time country is also good. Oh, what specific music CD? Umm, ok - Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. What makes you a great MVP? I feel guilty when there is a tough question in the newsgroups that isn’t answered and for which I don’t have an answer. And I feel I should be helping them. What is in your computer bag? Laughs. The most important thing is a small 2 cell AA flashlight which will get me out of a dark building if the power goes out. Why, yes I am a paranoid pessimist. The rest of the stuff is divided into three categories. MVP products received as part of the award gift, Microsoft products and other. The bag is a Swiss Army backpack with the MVP logo on it. Inside are a very nice zipped leather folder and a leather CD case both with the MVP logo on them. Also is a MP3 player with the MVP logo on it. An MVP logoed USB flash drive. MS Optical mouse and MS fingerprint reader. (I love the MS fingerprint reader as I can log into websites using my fingerprint.) Other includes a small mouse pad, spare batteries for the MP3 player and a keyboard for my Palm. What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP? Going to the MVP summits and meeting the folks in the Access product group and especially my fellow MVPs. I’ve gotten to know my fellow MVPs over the years in the newsgroups and it’s great to see them in person. Larry Linson and I first met on Fidonet in about 1993 or 1994 in an Access echo (equivalent to a newsgroup or forum.) It was a pleasure to meet him in person at a recent summit after about twelve years of electronically running across each other. What is your motto? “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” R. Adm Grace Hopper. I was privileged to hear her speak in the 1980s on the topic of nanoseconds. Who is your hero? John Isaak. A long time manager in my twenties while I was learning computer, human, and client relationship skills. And who helped me deal with my father’s illness at the time. What does success mean to you? Tough to say. Enjoy myself doing what I love doing for a living. This is one of those nebulous questions that the beauty queens manage to flub up so I’m not sure I want to think about this one too much. 
|
-
Just in case you missed it - Windows Home Server has an Release Candidate 4 edition of PowerPack. Three big things in it for me - x64 home client connector software (a must for my x64 Vista boxes) file corruption bug fix (something that never affected me - even with 15000 photos stored, edited and rotated on server) and speedier filecopy to and from WHS from clients. Like Graham, I've been using earlier RC editions of this powerpack and it's been smooth sailing for upgrades and testing. Graham has been doing a lot with WHS in the online and offline communities - I like his post below for it's frankness and to the point remarks. :) Keep 'em coming Graham! 
Team Blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
P.S. feel like letting your writing side show a little? Drop the team a note with the EMAIL contact button (top left) to let the team know - we're ALWAYS looking for Canadian IT Professionals who want to connect and share their stories here on the blog. --------------------------------------------------------------  | | Graham Jones (Surrey, British Columbia) | The Peanut Gallery The long awaited public beta for WHS PP1 was recently announced. It is interesting to read the newsgroup/blog comments about the release. As is often typical, a lot of people want to be critical rather than complement Microsoft on their approach in being very diligent before releasing to the public. First of all we should note that the official release is PP1 RC4. Very few products go through so many RC cycles; a testament to how careful Microsoft have been. If it apparently takes “too long” to fix something in the “uninformed opinion” of the technical community then there is criticism and if something is released that breaks in short order then there is also criticism. To the “nay sayers” I say, “please make up your mind” or better still “simply stop complaining from the peanut gallery”. People’s energy would be better spent on testing the public beta so that we can get to the RTM release as quickly as possible as requested by Microsoft. Private Betas I have been part of the MVP beta program for WHS for quite some time now and as an MVP I am obliged to operate under NDA. Why do we operate under NDA? We can be privy to information, which if it became public knowledge in the wrong way could be very damaging to Microsoft, plus we may have access to some Microsoft Intellectual Property . This is not always a question of being “secretive” for the sake of secrecy. It is simply good business sense. Without the full knowledge of the facts there are those who have nothing better to do than “pillory” Microsoft. I am quite sure there are times that Microsoft would like to be more “transparent” and they constantly face the “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” dilemma. I even read the other day some people complaining about the “private” betas. Get real people! What do you realistically expect Microsoft to do? There is little point in releasing anything on a wider basis before there is a high degree of confidence. Why are MVP’s usually involved in private betas? The answer is very simple. As a group they provide consistently high quality and rapid feedback to Microsoft, which is in part why they are MVP’s. A limited number of highly effective people from outside Microsoft, in addition to their “dogfooders” and NDA partners, is much more efficient. It is not a question of thinking that there aren’t people in the general technical community who don’t have the technical skills or interest to contribute. Those who are keenly interested get to contribute via the much wider public betas and ultimately their input is just as important because the more eyeballs on the product the better when it comes to confidence in the RTM release. These people would have to operate under NDA for private betas and that is not practical. Some of these people may ultimately become MVP’s. The File Corruption “Bug” The file corruption “bug” has certainly garnered a lot of negative publicity and has unfortunately “tainted” what I believe is one of the best products that Microsoft has produced in recent times. The bug was so obscure that it took Microsoft a lot of time and effort to even reproduce it. It is impossible to fix something if you can’t first understand it! They had people working over the Xmas period investigating it. I don’t think that you can be more serious about it than that. In my own case, and in the case of many other MVP’s, I have been diligently trying to “bust” it without success. I have deliberately ignored the precautions suggested by Microsoft, ie. don’t edit files directly on WHS. The only person that I have spoken to who claims to have had the problem was someone at the WHS Booth at EnergizeIT. I think that I would have had a better chance of winning the lottery! This in no way is intended to minimize the importance of the issue because even if only one person is affected that is one too many. I have read comments that the product was “broken” and therefore not touchable. That is a ridiculous stance to take because there was an easy workaround until there was a fix, by not editing files directly on the server. The workaround may have created some minor inconvenience but considering the other benefits of the product it is not too onerous. The other option of only using a single HD is a much less attractive option in my opinion since you lose the benefit of Shared Folder duplication. All other aspects of the product have worked just fine since RTM in my experience. Let’s just suppose that if the file corruption “bug” hadn’t come to light for a long time, people would have an entirely different attitude. We are fortunate that indeed it did shortly after RTM. Microsoft have worked very hard and diligently to try and solve it. We can all wish that it had taken less time to fix but you can easily understand Microsoft’s desire to test, test and test again. I do believe that it has been fixed but nobody is going to make assumptions without an extensive public beta program. In fact, WHS had a very extensive public beta prior to RTM in part because of the novel aspects of the product. One could even argue that it was ill luck that the problem was not discovered then or even through internal testing. It demonstrates the very obscurity of the issue. Had it been discovered prior to RTM it may have delayed things but the last 6 months would have been very different! There would have been the inevitable comments about more missed deadlines. What do you want, a product that works or something that you can complain about? There are those in the “peanut gallery” who would argue that it should never have happened in the first place. It would be nice to think that software development has advanced to the point that we are producing “perfect” software and that extensive testing would reveal all of the major problems. What is not readily appreciated is the complexity of what is behind the storage system for WHS and the lofty objectives that go with that. WHS is often compared to NAS which is usually based upon RAID. Although it does backup the desktop it is not NAS. It does an automatic daily image backup and, if necessary, an easy restore. Further it does not have RAID’s limitations when it comes to adding additional backup storage. As part of testing I have added and removed both internal and external (USB and eSATA) HD’s of a wide variety of sizes without incident. I have not had to even think about backing up my 5 home PC’s for the past 9 months which for me is well worth the “price of admission” on its own! DB Backup and Restore The other complaint is the removal of the WHS DB Backup feature from PP1, it having been announced at CES in January. Like others I am disappointed to see this go but I do understand why. Certainly Microsoft need to be more astute when it comes to making announcements. A “feature” is not a feature until it is delivered. The technical community constantly forgets the “Home” in Windows Home Server. I have reminded people about this multiple times on various newsgroups and blogs. It is intended to be a consumer product. Therefore it must be very easy to use and require no technical knowledge. DB backup and restore was part of the early PP1 private betas. Although I didn’t personally have any problems some important issues were reported. So why was it dropped from PP1? The answer is very simple. At this point Microsoft could not guarantee that it would work under all foreseeable circumstances ie. it needs to be “bullet proof”. Do we need another file corruption bug issue? Like a hole in the head. To take on “bullet proofing” DB backup and restore would have significantly delayed PP1 which was already much later than hoped. Barring some unforeseen showstopper, it is not that it cannot necessarily be tackled in the future. It is simply not the right time or circumstances. Interestingly, those complaining are likely the people who could probably easily take care of it themselves by other means. For example, a manual approach is described starting on page 23 of the Microsoft white paper, WHS Home Computer Backup. This white paper is well worth a read to get a feel of the backup system as a whole. The Upside Apart from addressing the “infamous” bug, Microsoft has taken the opportunity to add many new features and improve others via PP1 making an already good product even better. Let’s try and focus on the upside for a change. Some of the highlights can be found at We Got Served. Cheers Graham J. 
|
-
 David Elfassy began his career in IT in the early 90's; delivering Microsoft Official Curriculum, specializing in Microsoft Exchange Server since 1997. He worked as project lead on many migrations and implementations of Microsoft infrastructure technologies for governmental and corporate organizations. Migrate, migrate, migrate… Always helping organizations migrate to the new versions of Microsoft Exchange Server. He has also been working closely with Microsoft Learning teams on various marketing and certification projects; particularly working on curriculum development for multiple arms of Microsoft Corp. David is a co-owner and senior technical adviser for two Microsoft Gold Certified Partners: Netlogon Technologies (specializing in large enterprise consulting) and Kalleo (specializing in small business network management); overseeing teams of consultants and network technicians. What does being an MVP mean to you? Since I started in IT, my MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer) certification has been the most valuable and defining of my career. I’ve worked hard to attain and maintain my MCT. The MVP designation has been a surprising and welcomed award, that has come as the result of evangelizing the technologies I am the most passionate about. If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be? Who answers steveb@microsoft.com and what’s your real email address? What do you think the best software ever written was? Well… Exchange Server, of course J Actually, I was really impressed a few years ago by a company called Keystone that developed a really revolutionary method for viewing satellite and map information. Following a “murder and execution”, you now know it as Google Earth… If you were the manager of Exchange Server, what would you change? The Exchange product group is under some pretty solid leadership right now. You can see how Exchange has grown in scale, functionality and market share over the past decade. This has been a good time to specialize in messaging J However, it is unfortunate that a lot of this growth has come on the back of SMB’s. Exchange server is a product that has way too many features not fit for small orgs. Network generalists and beginners to Exchange are not using the full potential of Exchange 2007, due to its increased complexity. PowerShell is great, but small org admins need GUI for most of their management tasks. If I managed Exchange, I would certainly create a top level team in charge of ensuring relevance and usability for small business. What are the best features/improvements of Exchange Server? Well Exchange 2007 (or SP1 at least) leaves all its predecessors in the dust. The new Continuous Replication technologies increase availability What music CD do you recommend? I’m a big movie buff and Quentin Tarantino fan. The music he finds for his movies always fits the bill perfectly… In the late 90’s, a compilation of movie songs, many of which from Tarantino movies, was released. It’s called “This is Cult Fiction”. What makes you a great MVP? What’s a great MVP? Well… I like to share my Exchange knowledge with people who get excited by the same geeky stuff that gets me going. What is in your computer bag? My Toshiba R400 Tablet, Zune 30GB, 3 120GB USB disks (filled with virtual machines), USB hub, a solar powered universal charger, a spare Smartphone, a couple of smartcards and my passport. What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP? Attending some great sessions about XXXX (damn NDA!) at the MVP Summit. The Exchange product group was very open and willing to share their thoughts about upcoming products. I was truly impressed by their frank and candid attitude. What is your motto? Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Who is your hero? George W.! No just kidding… There’s a thin line between “hero” and “zero” ;) I’ve got many… I’ve been inspired by many. Though I guess some of my modern day heroes would have to be the men and women who dedicate their lives to humanitarian organizations such as “Doctors without borders”. A product of a small group of French doctors in the 70’s, this organization is very impressive in its reach and effectiveness. What does success mean to you? Being fortunate enough to spend time with my wife and children, without having to worry about getting to work on time. Getting to work on my own schedule and enjoying every minute of it! 
|
-
I thought you might be interested in some quick facts about the MVP Summit, the program and the impact the MVP community has on diverse communities worldwide. With the summit quickly approaching, here are data points on the significant role MVPs play. - Worldwide there are more than 100 million participants in technical communities.
- Of these participants there are only 4,000 MVPs located across 93 countries, spanning more than 30 languages and more than 90 Microsoft technologies.
- There has been a 10 percent to 15 percent MVP audience growth in countries such as China, Russia and Korea.
- Over the past few years new regions with MVPs include the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nepal, Macedonia and Macao.
- In recent years, a handful of MVPs have been awarded in new categories such as MSN, Xbox, Visual Studio Tools for Office, Microsoft Dynamics and Visual Studio Team System.
- MVPs are a diverse group that includes community leaders, researchers, accountants, teachers, artists, government workers, engineers and technologists.
To find out more, you can browse the MVP site at http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/. Cheers, Stephen Ibaraki, FCIPS, I.S.P., MVP 
|
|
|
|