Kurt Shintaku's Blog

This learning plan is intended to help IT generalists, CIOs and other IT decision makers learn about the latest line of Microsoft server technologies; including:

• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Microsoft Exchange 2010
• Microsoft Forefront
• Microsoft System Center
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Microsoft SharePoint 2010

A Learning Plan is a set of learning resources that are designed to provide training on a specific skill. Learning Plans provide a recommended step-by-step learning process, but with the freedom to complete the steps in any order that you want. Additional Learning Plans can be found here, including those for Office 2010.

• LINK: Learning Plans for the IT Generalist, CIO or Decision Maker
  http://learning.microsoft.com/manager/LearningPlanV2.aspx?resourceId=1d1a7c24-999b-41ef-9f47-f29e3fbfcd24&clang=en-US&cats=d4e8e42c-3d5a-4a6e-915d-d99556a49bd7

To say that I’m disappointed that Twitter Sidebar Gadget from BuildAGadget hasn’t been released with oAuth support (now a mandatory requirement for any Twitter client) would be the understatement of the century.   Not only have they had ample time to engineer the support but they’ve not communicated much in the way of where they’re at dev wise via EITHER their blog OR their Twitter feed.  Being someone that depends heavily on Twitter, I can only respond with one comment:  SONNAFAB-TCH!

So off I go to find a replacement tool. 

SO WHAT AM I USING NOW?
Tweetz from BlueOnion Software seems to be a viable alternative although I wish the font size could be made even smaller than it’s current version.  Tweetz features (in no particular order):

• Home timeline
• Mentions timeline
• Direct Messages
• Favorites
• OAuth authentication protects your twitter account
• Search
• Single click access to user profiles
• Click #tags to search
• Follow/Unfollow
• Number of unread tweets shown in header
• Reverse lookup of shortened links (for most services)
• Docked and undocked sizes
• Reply/Retweet
• Link shortener (uses http://is.gd for the shortest links)
• Optional font sizes
• Audible notification of new status updates (configurable)
• Configurable intervals
• Uses new twitter 2.0 API for increased security
• Clean, concise UI with small desktop footprint
• Adjustable height
• On demand refreshes
• Hot keys to shorten links and send tweets
• More funner to use than version 1.5

Because tweetz is a Windows Sidebar gadget it stays on your desktop where it’s always available. And if you’re a fan of Windows 7’s Aero Peek, you’re going to love tweetz. Simply move your mouse over the "Show Desktop" bar at any time to reveal your gadgets, including tweetz, and read your tweets.

Tweetz also respects the gadget guidelines. The docked version (pictured right) is 130 pixels wide and plays with other "docked" gadgets correctly. Want more real estate? No problem, the undocked version is wider and also displays the user’s picture.

I found a couple interesting posts that highlight why Windows 7 is a far superior operating system for customers considering VDI deployments.

Here’s a post about Task Priority Registers and how they are handled within Windows XP such that Hypervisors, ours or other vendors, are overtasked in handling them relative to Windows 7.  In fact, Intel designed a feature in SOME of their processing chips called vTPR which you really have to have to use Windows XP in VDI scenarios.  Without it, Windows XP performs too poorly so if you’re going to use Windows XP as a VDI OS, be really really sure you have an Intel chip w/ vTPR.

• Windows XP guests exhibiting poor performance when running under VDI
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2010/07/23/windows-xp-guests-exhibiting-poor-performance-when-running-under-vdi.aspx

Here’s a post that talks about the value of RDP7 for customers that are considering deploying Windows in VDI.  RDP7 is designed to redirect various visual technologies like video, audio, high end graphicsl like Aero effects, and multimonitor sessions.  Windows XP does not have this technology and instead resorts to using RDP 5.2, a 9 year old protocol.

• Windows 7 with RDP7: Best OS for VDI
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2009/11/02/windows-7-with-rdp7-best-os-for-vdi.aspx

I know many of you have tried this – replicating user profile data between geographies for the purposes of improving the end user experience during log in while still providing geographic synchronicity for execs and other users that move between two different sites.

Well, lo and behold, we have an official statement about folks that do this and there are supported scenarios and non-supported scenarios because things can obviously get squirrelly.

Here are the scenarios that are described.

• Deployment scenario 1: Single file server, replicated to enable centralized backup
• Scenario 1A: DFS Namespace is not configured [SUPPORTED]
• Scenario 1B: DFS Namespace is configured – single link target [SUPPORTED]
• Deployment scenario 2: Multiple (replica) file servers for geo-location
• Scenario 2A: DFS Namespaces is configured – multiple link target configuration [UNSUPPORTED]
• Scenario 2B: DFS Namespaces is configured – multiple link targets, read-only replica on central/hub server [UNSUPPORTED]

To read the details behind these scenarios, you really have to read the entire post.  It’s a doozy.

• FULL ARTICLE: Microsoft’s Support Statement Around Replicated User Profile Data
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/archive/2010/09/01/microsoft-s-support-statement-around-replicated-user-profile-data.aspx

You can find a series of new step by step videos for both Advance Group Policy Management (AGPM) and the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) on the MDOP video page. 

If your new to AGPM or DaRT, or just looking to get up to speed on a particular feature check them out.  We have broken them down into small, feature by feature bites so you can either watch them all or just consume the ones that you want when you want to.

STEP-BY-STEP:  Advanced Group Policy Management

• Part 1: AGPM Overview
• Part 2: Installing AGPM
• Part 3: Configuring AGPM
• Part 4: Controlling Group Policy Objects
• Part 5: Delegating Roles
• Part 6: Editing Group Policy Objects
• Part 7: Reviewing Group Policy Objects
• Part 8: Approving and Deploying a Group Policy Object
• Part 9: Rolling Back a Group Policy Object to a Previous Version
• Part 10: Deleting and Restoring Group Policy Objects
• Part 11: Using Templates
• Part 12: Advanced Search Features
• Part 13: Migrating Group Policy Objects

STEP-BY-STEP:  Diagnostics & Recovery Toolset

• Part 1: DaRT Overview
• Part 2: Creating Boot Media
• Part 3: Starting the DaRT
• Part 4: Resetting Passwords
• Part 5: Analyzing Crash Dumps
• Part 6: Disabling Device Drivers
• Part 7: Recovering Files
• Part 8: Repairing Disks
• Part 9: Exploring the PC
• Part 10: Repairing System Files
• Part 11: Scanning for Malware
• Part 12: Removing Hotfixes
• Part 13: Wiping Disks

This is such an epically awesome post that I’m not even going to repost it.  If you want to see the links, go to the original article’s link at the end of this post.  This post is chock full of differentiation goodness.

Understanding 64-bit versions of Office 2010 and related deployment considerations, advantages, and disadvantages

If you are considering the deployment of a 64-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010, it is important to understand the differences between the 32 and 64-bit versions, and be aware of the deployment considerations.

See the following blog posts and TechNet articles for related information:

• Microsoft Office Product Development Group blog post, Understanding 64-Bit Office – LINK TO TECHNET BLOGS
• 64-bit editions of Office 2010 – LINK TO TECHNET
• Deployment considerations – LINK TO TECHNET
• Blocking and nonblocking Office applications in 64-bit installations – LINK TO TECHNET

The images below are excerpts from a visual representation of the 64-bit Client Installation of Microsoft Office 2010

• LINK:  Understanding 64-bit versions of Office 2010 and related deployment considerations, advantages, and disadvantages
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/odsupport/archive/2010/08/25/understanding-64-bit-versions-of-office-2010-and-related-deployment-considerations-advantages-and-disadvantages.aspx

FUSE labs produced a new online software product called “Team Crossword” which is essentially a crossword game that you can play with others over Facebook.  It allows you and your friends to solve crossword puzzles much like how you might if the crossword was in front of both of you all the time.

There are some really cool features that the online management provides.  Besides playing collaboratively you can see how long you take to solve the puzzle, how you rank relative to other friends that have done the same puzzle, etc.  And because there’s a new puzzle released each day, it’s always fresh.

Sign into Facebook and start inviting your friends to play by going here:

• BETA:  Team Crossword
  http://www.teamcrossword.com/

It’s begun!  Age of Empires BETA test notices have started to go out to people who signed up for the beta.  If you haven’t already done so, enroll in the beta registration to get on board with this great new release of Age of Empires… now a mix between a Real Time Strategy game (RTS) and a Massive Multiplayer Online game (MMO).

• BETA:  Age of Empires Online Beta
  http://ageofempiresonline.com/beta

The most interesting aspect of the game is it’s now PERSISTENT – as in, stuff stays the same but still evolves even when you’re not logged in and playing.

The game feature list highlights the following:

Color me embarrassed.  I totally ignored this offer and maybe you did too.

Apparently in 2010, we released a 2nd edition of “Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions”.  This edition has a variety of changes to it since the first was published back in 2009.

• Longer in page count:  466 pages (instead of 459)
• Smaller in file size: 10.8MB vs 14.7MB
• Updated for Windows Server 2008 R2/Hyper-V R2
• Overview of Hyper-V R, System Requirements for Hyper-V R2
• Chapter on Working with Live Migration
• Review of Microsoft VDI
• Overview of Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R, System Requirements for VMM 2008 R2
• Chapter on Working with VMM 2008 R2
• Overview of Windows Virtual PC Mode
• …

We made this 2nd edition available totally for FREE as an eBook. 

Seriously – this is a MAJOR update to the book so if you haven’t grabbed it, I highly suggest that you do because it’s updated with all our latest virtualization technologies, including App-V 4.6, MED-V, etc.

• DOWNLOAD: Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions (Second Edition)
  http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/B/4/5B46A838-67BB-4F7C-92CB-EABCA285DFDD/693821ebook.pdf

[Posted to the IEBlog at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2010/08/16/add-ons-and-opting-out-of-google-analytics-without-them.aspx]

Add-ons, and Opting out of Google Analytics Without Them

Recently, Google made available the “Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.” This add-on enables consumers to “indicate that information about the website visit should not be sent to Google Analytics.” We agree that making it easy for consumers to protect their privacy is good, and Internet Explorer offers a variety of features to help keep you in control of your information when visiting websites. In this post, we describe how to use some of these built in features to accomplish the same outcome without installing a Browser Helper Object and the Google Update Service.

Users of Internet Explorer 7 and 8 (and soon 9) who wish to prevent Google Analytics’ script from running can follow these steps:

1. In Internet Explorer, open the Tools menu and click Internet Options.
2. Click the Security tab and then click the Restricted Sites icon.
3. Click the Sites button.
4. In the box at the top, add *.google-analytics.com and push the Add button.
5. Click the Close button, and then the OK button to dismiss Internet Options.

After this configuration change, script from the Google Analytics website will not run on any webpage, and cookies will never be sent to the Google Analytics server.

NOTE:  THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PREVENTING ADVERTISEMENTS
I’m going to reiterate something written in the comments:  This article has nothing to do with blocking advertisements:  Google Analytics is about tracking/tracing where you surf on the web and getting statistics about what sites you use, such as how long you stayed on a page, what information you entered into the site, etc.. 

There has been some confusion about what this post is about:  It’s specifically there to ensure that Google doesn’t keep a record about your surfing habits, tendencies, and behaviors across Google Analytics enabled web sites – which is a good chunk of the Internet.

i.e. It’s about privacy.  This is a simple method by which you can protect yourself in Internet Explorer without installing any “software” to do so.