From the monthly archives:
June 2010
I find myself reminiscing about the "good old days" ... wow, maybe I'm growing old. But then again, maybe the good old days haven't really gone anywhere ...
Some 15+ years ago, I was very heavily involved in the BBS scene. I absolutely loved it. My bulletin board, MZK BBS, was an awesomely ghastly ANSI based BBS that had 4 dial-in lines.
I say ghastly, because frankly all ANSI BBS' were ghastly, looking back now.
A great example of the style. Actually slightly more tasteful than my site's menus.
What got me into it was the community. The ability to bounce ideas off people, get feedback, figure things out. I was far more interested in running a site and figuring out how it ticked, and in sharing it with others, than in being just a regular user. So much so that I used part of a compensation settlement (from an accident as a child) to pay for my very own local area network, replete with multiple workstations, a shiny copy of Remote Access Pro 2.02, modems, rotary line - the works. I didn't realise at the time, but I was hacking my way into my future career.
I got heavily into the ...
Twitter. Connecting people. And #geeks. Now an interview medium too!
With #AuTechEd in August, I felt it was time to return to my roots. Share the love. But this time, with a little bit of a dual purpose.
Last year I ran a series of Tweeterviews (interviews using twitter rules, published on twitter) with people associated with #AuTechEd, as well as people I met while there - offering their impressions of the event, finding out the inside information, helping to build the vibe. On the whole (I believe) it was entirely successful. Lots of great feedback and I made a lot of good friends from it. From my involvement in the event last year, the community development was so much more beneficial because of the use/integration of Twitter. The community developed online through the event is what birthed #AuTechHeads!
In 2010, I wanted to do more of the same and spread the word about #AuTechEd. Additionally I wanted to start to shout about #AuTechHeads (naturally), so this year I'm tweeterviewing people on both. I've completed 2 so far, with others con ...
The awesome @aeoth of MahTweets fame demonstrates a sustainable way to achieve ClickOnce deployments with nightly automated builds, and get rid of that pesky "Unverified Publisher" dialog!
As this is my first post on AUTechHeads, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Paul, the lead developer on a free, open-source social media client for Windows (used by some of the core AUTechHeads team!) - MahTweets. For other tidbits about me, you can visit my blog or follow me on Twitter. For clarification, when I refer to "we" in this post - I mean the MahTweets crew (MahApps).
Currently when you go to install MahTweets, you’re greeted with this less than reassuring dialog:
Unknown publisher? Well, you should know it’s from the MahTweets team, but you can’t be certain – the next beta of MahTweets will be signed properly so a known publisher will appear (or you can be sneaky and install our nightlies auto-generated by TeamCity+MSBuild, which is what this article is all about!). Once done, you’ll see a dialog more like this:
First step is getting the verified publisher parts working. For that, I highly recomme ...
Want to force-empty domain user Recycle Bins (sounds like a Jedi power)? Can be done with PowerShell and GPO.
Note - this is a cross-post from Demonic Talking Skull (my blog)
In our Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 environment, we’ve noticed that users with roaming profiles and folder redirection have an interesting problem where the Recycle Bin is redirecting to the user profile folder (not to the home folder) AND reporting back rather strange file sizes. Unfortunately this is having an impact on the file server, with quite staggering amounts of space being chewed up.
There are a few aspect to this to be investigated ongoing, but the first problem to tackle was Recycle Bins which weren’t being emptied. I don’t like stuff in my Recycle Bin, but then I’m quite fastidious about such things – can’t expect everyone else to be the same, especially when it isn’t their computer or system.
So, the challenge is to force the Recycle Bin to be emptied. There isn’t a GPO to handle th ...
As an App-V administrator, one of the tasks you may find yourself performing is moving the system database to another SQL server. This process has a number of gotchas because the database is referenced in a number of places which can prevent the App-V management service from starting, so here is a list of tasks to perform which will ensure a successful database move.
Note - this is a cross-post from 4sysops
Microsoft Application Virtualization is generating a lot of interest throughout the IT community. It allows IT professionals to abstract application management away from SOE maintenance, and offers a highly flexible environment in which to manage and deploy applications.
As an App-V administrator, one of the tasks you may find yourself performing is moving the system database to another SQL server. This process has a number of gotchas because the database is referenced in a number of places which can prevent the App-V management service from starting, so here is a list of tasks to perform which will ensure a successful database move.
In our live scenario, we migrated the App-V database from a SQL 2008 SP1 server running a named instance under the Network Service account, to a SQL 2008 SP1 server running a default instance under a domain account.
Backup and move the database
1.&n ...
A great new tool for managing Remote Desktop Connections
Last week the Exchange Team blogged about the Remote Desktop Connection Manager being available for download at Microsoft.com (here is the article). This is a handy tool indeed and I’ve switched over from my trusted Remote Desktop console that came packaged with Windows Server 2003 and was an extension of the original TSMMC I used back in the PowerShell day.
Firstly I would like to point out that I’ve structured my Remote Desktop console pretty well, although there are a few limitations. Firstly servers cannot be moved up and down in the order. Therefore if you use a site code in your Domain Controller naming convention and you bring a new site on, to maintain a list sorted alphabetically I had to rename all the servers from the mid-point onwards to essentially ‘shuffle’ the servers down a spot.
My other major frustration was being able to identify servers that I had an active connection too.
Above is an example ...
Welcome to your new career in IT! Ready for a fulfilling role massaging fragile egos, never getting frustrated and always being the bad guy? Excellent!
I don't know anyone in the IT industry whose driver for career in IT stemmed from a passion for customer service. In general, I find that most IT pros started up in IT because, well, they like IT. It's interesting. The hitherto-unknown industry expectation for unparalleled customer service came as a rude shock to most:
"But, I work with computers...why do I have to be nice to people as well?"
Of course, it's not so black and white, and as we progress throughout our careers customer service skills are acquired along with the ability to fudge figures, lie to, um I mean "creatively inform" management, deliver presentations, put together business cases and tender for work. Sometimes we even work with computers too.
But back to customer service. Sometimes, just sometimes mind you, it feels like we're banging our heads against the proverbial brick wall. How many different ways can you explain copy-and-paste to a user bef ...
We had a little bit of excitement recently with the AuTechHeads site, thanks to a flaw in DNN found by new member @corneliu. I thought I'd give a bit of an overview of the flaw and a couple of mitigations we used until it was fully fixed.
XSS, or cross site scripting, is a very common attack vector used on public websites. In essence, it’s code injected into a webpage and executed on a client, allowing bypass of access controls and potentially enabling a wide variety of exploits – from simple nuisance through to serious site or client compromises.
There’s a lot out there on cross site scripting, so I’m not going to go into a huge level of detail on the background. What I’ll describe is an XSS vulnerability discovered by AuTechHeads member @corneliu and which indirectly involved the group itself. One of the more interesting signups to the site, because he basically uncovered it as soon as he registered!
The AuTechHeads site runs the open source DotNetNuke Community Edition content management system. There’s a few reasons for this, not least of which that the core team as it stands has a significant level of Microsoft geeks (Incidentally, if you want to redress this balance, we’re alw ...
Many years ago, in the time of the rule of the great Hawke, and the lesser but fairly scary Keating, ICT had a direction. It was called the Panel Period contracts, and you had to be on them to sell to government.
Many years ago, in the time of the rule of the great Hawke, and the lesser but fairly scary Keating, ICT had a direction. It was called the Panel Period contracts, and you had to be on them to sell to government. It was a bit more complicated, you needed to also be a member of a secret society called the ESA, or Endorsed Supplier Agreement. If you had the ESA Tick of approval, you were halfway there to being a seller to government. The ESA program wasn't just ICT, it was training, recruitment and general products.
The ESA was a pig of an agreement to get onto, and many people spent large amounts of time stuck in their offices after hours getting the submissions finished. They didn't have the time to work on the submissions during working hours, we were too busy selling computers, printers and servers to the clamouring clients - margins were good, outsourcing wasn't around much as most clients remembered the dark Desine days and wanted to avoid a repeat at all costs.
ICT technology was innov ...
Maybe I'm an still an optimist, but only by talking about the very real issues can we hope to force change. Our governments need to listen, and they need to listen now.
Yep. Another rant about our inept governments. Still on my bandwagon. So sorry about that. Not. I make no apologies - yeah, I have a bee in my bonnet, but it’s for the right reasons… unlike the political mess that is our various local, state, and federal governments.
I am sick to death of PR driven policy. Of bureaucratic empire building. Of corruption, incompetence, and inept handling of important issues. That’s the state of government. Everything driven by how it ‘looks’, how many votes it gains, how it fills a mate’s pockets, or how it contributes to someone’s bottom line.
It’s unimportant as to who gets into power at any given election right now. The only thing that affects is where the political focus lies – in the leadup to election, it’s all about filling ones pockets and looking after mates. Especially if you think you’ll be voted out. But when the government change happens, the same PR people & ...
No way. NO. WAY! You did NOT just say that...
The phrase that strikes fear into the heart of every IT Professional I've ever met: "I don't know".
Nobody likes to look stupid. Nobody likes to give the impression that they don't know something about computers, especially when they are talking to people who are not IT Professionals. ESPECIALLY when those people are your bosses.
The general public amplify this pressure. If you mention you're "in IT" and if someone asks you a question about their WiFi modem at home and the stupid problem they keep having with it, they look at you with a puzzled disgust if you can't give them the 3 easy steps to solve their problem (sight unseen). Awkward much?
Doctors see it too. Any professional where the task they perform is often seen as being beyond the general public (certainly, I'm not up to performing an emergency appendectomy) creates an ethereal aura around their profession such that any person close/related to ...
Open source gets a mention nearly every day in the ICT industry. There are really cool programs out there that are open source, but what does that actually mean?
Open source gets a mention nearly every day in the ICT industry. There are really cool programs out there that are open source, but what does that actually mean?
For one, open source allows any developer to access the code of the application and use it for their own purposes. There are no boundaries set that prevent another developer from changing the code to match their needs, they can change the application completely and create a new similar application, then add that to the open source community, for everyone to share and use.
Effectively, all of the applications created in open source are the property of the community, not one individual. Further to this, there are companies who run parallel development teams, one in open source, and a second team to create COTS software packages. (COTS, or Commercial Off The Shelf products may have a grounding in open source, but the code isn't open, unless you specifically ask for access to it, and the manufacturer is prepared to give you access to i ...
The first in a series on my favourite hardware, software and datacentre solutions.
As I haven't been working on a many new projects of late I haven't had the opportunity to discover new technologies or find some awesome solutions. What I wanted to blog about today and hopefully open up some good discussion is my favourite products and the solutions that I would use if I had the opportunity to develop an Enterprise in a green field setup.
First up let's talk hardware and specifically storage. I don't believe that there is currently a better storage option then NetApp. I've worked with EMC, NetApp, HP, IBM and HDS storage devices and have never found a better device then the NetApp gear. The WALF (Write Anywhere File System) is a great way to store data. The other killer feature of the NetApp is the ability to present a LUN via CIFS, NFS, Fibre or iSCSI and switch between them (if licensed) provides a very flexable storage environment. On top of this is there are a number of other features which are standard ac ...
Apple's latest gadget, the iPad. It's shiny and lots of people want it, but find out the details below!
This review is about the new Apple iPad. I am lucky enough to have one from my place of work for testing purposes (thats what IT professionals call it when they get new toys to play with). I have been testing the 64gb 3G version. The six different models are:
16gb, 32gb and 64gb all with and without 3G.
The 3G model requires a micro sim, which is a normal sim card but Less plastic around it. As our provider Optus was unable to get any, they unofficially advised us just to cut up a regular sim down to size. I did this, and it worked first time! I have no idea why Apple decided to go against the current standard, it's not like normal sims are very large anyway.
So, I opened up my sparkly new iPad and powered it up. I am immediately told to connect it to iTunes... Great. Another thing that I'm not sure why apple forces, but it only takes a few seconds and the ...
Here's an innovation for the governments of Australia - caring about the future and growth of ICT industries! Shame we don't have politicans that listen ...
AuTechHeads is not a political entity in and of itself. Nor do I want to make it so. But it bears mention that investment in ICT by government remains an extraordinarily low priority, and this is something which directly affects our members. I've talked before about our respective governments being technology stupid. Yet day after day, we see announcements of political largesse being flung around in desperate attempts to maintain power and raise a point or two in the perpetual popularity contest. Sometimes even to distract us from the cronyism and pocket filling that seems almost endemic amongst our politicians.
Recently I've been reminded of my place in the world, and to "be careful" in talking to or about the "powers that be". Well, I disagree. As a private citizen it's perfectly reasonable for me to have my own feelings and opinions, and as the nominal AuTechHeads lead, to be concerned about the impact of government policy on our members. If I'm ethical in the way I approach my wri ...
Continuing my series on ConfigMgr Software Updates, we'll look at creating our deployment templates, update lists, deployment packages, and sending our updates out to a test collection!
Before reading this, you should read Part 1 of this series. The purpose of part 1 was to ensure that a number of prerequisites were in place for your ConfigMgr environment – namely, that you have well designed collections, the software update point configured, and a search folder defined. These are pretty much essential to the model.
Deployment Templates
We now move into the definition of deployments. You will want to create at least one deployment template.
Deployment templates are really just used to provide consistent settings to each deployment you create. Our model is based around multiple deployments according to requirement- it calls for at least a Servers, Computers, and Test Deployment to enable fine control over update behaviour. You could define a single deployment, but then you wouldn’t be able to do testing before release. At least have a test and release deployment if you must simplify!
You can find Deployment Templates ...
With the tag line “Share the web love”, REMIX10 kicked off in Melbourne today, and while the event is geared towards developers and designers, there are important cross-overs with what IT pros face every day, and important lessons to be learned.
Note: This article is a cross-post from Demonic Talking Skull
With the tag line “Share the web love”, REMIX10 kicked off in Melbourne today, and while the event is geared towards developers and designers, there are important cross-overs with what IT pros face every day, and important lessons to be learned.
Straight after the keynote, event organiser Michael Kordahi had a “lounge” session with various industry and development specialists, talking about different aspects of the development and design industries.
One fellow conversationalist was Shane Morris, a user experience (UX) professional who recently left Microsoft to start his own company, Automatic Studio. The topic of conversation turned to the “top tips” which designers should bear in mind when creating projects for customers, and two particular gems of wisdom which Morris passed on will re ...