Archive for category Presentations

Upcoming Cloud and Hyper-V Webcasts on BrightTALK

BrightTALK

I have a couple of upcoming presentations on the BrightTALK web site.  The presentations are free to attend are available online (registration is required).  Also, feel free to take a look at my previous BrightTALK presentations.

Designing Cloud Architectures with Hyper-V

August 8th, 2013 at 11:00am Pacific

Presentation Link

Designing Cloud Architectures with Hyper-VMany of the technical aspects of cloud-based solutions are a natural progression for those environments that want to expand upon their virtualization deployments. This webinar will provide technical details and best practices for deploying new features in the Windows Server 2012 and Hyper-V 3.0 platforms. Topics will include reducing storage costs, implementing high-availability and disaster recovery, and improving automation to reduce data center costs and increase efficiency.

Streamlining IT Operations with Windows Azure

October 8th, 2013 at 3:00pm Pacific

Presentation Link

Streamlining IT Operations with Windows Azure

While few would call the use of cloud-based technologies a “quiet revolution”, Microsoft’s Windows Azure platform has expanded into a wide range of different services that can be leveraged to reduce costs and increase IT efficiency. The challenge for IT professionals is to arrange the pieces of the puzzle into an optimal arrangement for many different types of workloads. This presentation will focus on practical advice for using SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS approaches to building private, public, and hybrid clouds. It will include examples of applications and workloads that could benefit from the use of cloud technology, and the benefits and drawbacks each approach.

Note: To access the recording of this session (and all of my past BrightTALK webinars), please search using https://www.brighttalk.com/search?q=Anil+Desai.

SQL Server Presentations on UserGroup.tv

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It’s no secret that attending local or regional user group meetings and events is a great way to keep up-to-date with technology and to network with peers and experts in the field.  The major problem is that it can be difficult to find the time to fit some meetings into a busy work/life schedule.  I try to make it a point to attend at least a few local events each year, and one of those is Austin Code Camp.  I’m planning to present again this year (see my post about Austin CodeCamp 2012) with updated versions of my previous topics. 

If you weren’t able to make it to last year’s event, the UserGroup.tv Team has you covered!  They recorded several of the sessions and have posted the video presentations online.  Specifically, two of my topics are online and available to view now:

I think the recordings turned out really well, though I’ll admit that you might miss some of the audience interaction by viewing them online.  You can also find more recordings of other presentations from Austin CodeCamp 2011 (which took place on Sept. 10, 2011).  A very special thanks to the crew at UserGroup.tv for taking the time and effort to record and publish this content!

BrightTALK Presentation: Application Performance Monitoring (APM) in Virtualized and Cloud Environments

imageOn June 6th, I’ll be presenting another live, free webinar on BrightTALK.  The title is Maintaining Service Levels with APM in Virtualized & Cloud Environments.  Here’s the abstract/overview of the content:

Significant changes in IT infrastructure approaches are driving data centers towards high levels of efficiency and automation. Virtualization and public/private/hybrid cloud architectures can help reduce costs and simplify administration, but the primary goal for IT organizations is to ensure that the applications and services they deliver meet or exceed their users’ needs. This presentation will provide advice and recommendations that focus on end-to-end monitoring and management of highly virtualized and cloud infrastructure components, including user experience, storage, networking, and hypervisors.

Visit the site to register for the webinar, or use the below information to sign up. And, while you’re there, be sure to check out the huge library of related content that’s available for free!

A BrightTALK Channel

Note: To access the recording of this session (and all of my past BrightTALK webinars), please search using https://www.brighttalk.com/search?q=Anil+Desai.

The Windows Server 2012 Community Roadshow

imageWindows Server 2012 (formerly known as Windows Server “8”) is nearing completing.  With a “Release Preview” set to be available in early June, it’s a great time to bet familiar with the extremely long list of new features in Microsoft’s latest server platform. 

To help IT pros learn from those that have experience with the new features, Microsoft, Dell, HP, and the Global IT Community Association (GITCA) are sponsoring the Windows Server 2012 Community Roadshow.  These events will be covering many areas throughout the U.S. and internationally and presentations will be made by local/regional Microsoft MVPs.  I’ll be presenting in Austin, TX on Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm (location details coming soon).  Visit the event web site to find a location near you (dates and locations are still being added), and be sure to register if you plan to attend.  Here’s a brief overview of the topics that will be covered:

This event will showcase presentations and demos from Microsoft MVPs on the following topics

· Manageability

· Simplifies configuration processes

· Improved management of multi-server environments

· Role-centric dashboard and integrated console

· Simplifies administration process of multi-server environments with Windows PowerShell 3.0

· Virtualization

· More secure multi-tenancy

· Flexible infrastructure, when and where you need it

· Scale, performance, and density

· High availability

· Storage and Availability

· Reduces planned maintenance downtime

· Addresses the causes of unplanned downtime

· Increases availability for services and applications

· Increases operational efficiency and lower costs

· Networking

· Manage private clouds more efficiently

· Link private clouds with public cloud services

· Connect users more easily to IT resources

As an aside, I recently returned from the TEC 2012 conference in San Diego, where I gave two presentations on just the storage features in Windows Server 2012 and Hyper-V 3.0.  That alone was a lot of information to cram into just a couple of hours.  This no small release, and there’s a lot to learn.  I hope readers of this blog are able to make it to either the Austin event or one of the many other locations which will be added soon!

Austin Code Camp 2012

The Austin .NET User Group (ADNUG) is again holding it’s annual Austin Code Camp 2012 event.  The date is Saturday, June 9th, 2012 at the St. Edward’s Professional Education Center (PEC) (the same location as the last few years).  The event runs all day, and attendees can pick which sessions are most interesting to them.  Visit http://austincodecamp2012.com/ for more information about the event.

The event features speakers that focus on development-related topics with a focus on real demonstrations (rather than marketing information).  All sessions are free to attendees, and volunteers in the community are invited to speak.  Organizer John Teague states it a little better:

All of the content in community driven, presented by members of the community.   I would encourage you to come and talk about whatever is interesting in the world of software development.  While the event is organized by the Austin .Net Users group, it is not limited to discussions about .Net.   It is an excellent opportunity to gain public speaking experience.

If you’re planning to attend, please be sure to register on the Austin Code Camp 2012 Eventbrite page. That will help the planners determine how much space (and food!) they’ll need.

I have presented at the conference every year since 2008, and it has been a great experience!  The number of attendees is always impressive (I think 2011’s event included more than 250 IT pros and developers).  I’m planning to give two presentations this year:

Practical SQL Server Performance Monitoring & Optimization

Developers can dramatically improve performance by monitoring and analyzing real world queries.  This session covers SQL Server monitoring at various levels to the most impactful performance improvements.  The presentation will start with an overview of different optimization tools and techniques and will be based on practical examples of real-world performance monitoring and troubleshooting.  Details include the use of server monitoring tools, SQL Profiler, the Database Tuning Advisor, and analyzing query plans, Dynamic Management Views, and related methods.  The overall emphasis will be on solving practical, real-world database performance problems.

SQL Server Reporting Services: Develop & Deploy Reports

This session will begin with a brief architectural overview of Reporting Services and details on getting up and running with Reporting Services.  Then, we will look at demonstrations of creating new reports by building connections and data sets using Report Builder and Visual Studio.  Reporting design features including parameterization, dynamic drill-downs, matrix reports, charts, and sorting will be provided. 

Next, we’ll look at deployment details, including scheduling reports, configuring caching, creating snapshots, and managing security.  The presentation will also include details about new reporting and BI features in SQL Server 2012

Those topics are updated versions of presentations I’ve done in the past.  I’m still trying to decide whether they’d work best as one-hour or two-hour sessions.  Feel free to leave comments below if you have any opinion.

Virtualization and Storage Presentations at TEC 2012

It’s still a few months away, but I’ll be presenting at two storage-related presentations in the Virtualization and Cloud track at The Experts Conference (TEC) 2012 in San Diego, CA.  Below are the abstracts.  For more information about the conference, please visit the TEC 2012 Conference web site.

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Storage Improvements in Windows Server 8 / Hyper-V 3.0

Virtualization architects and administrators have long sought quicker, simpler and more cost effective ways to scale and manage storage in their data centers. Microsoft has made many significant improvements in the architecture and storage features of Hyper-V 3.0 and the Windows Server 8 platform. Examples include support for SMB-based virtual disks, management UI improvements, network stack improvements, Hyper-V Replicas, NTFS reliability improvements, incremental VHD backups, storage de-duplication, offloaded data transfer, SMB protocol improvements, and Storage Spaces. These features can help improve storage management for many different types of virtualization deployments and can help bring the idea of cloud-based automation closer to reality.

This session will focus on technical details and demonstrations of new features in the Windows Server 8 platform and in Hyper-V 3.0. The focus will be on practical suggestions for how and when the new features should be used to reduce costs, simplify administration, and increase performance.

Designing Storage for Virtual Environments

One of the most common issues related to virtual infrastructure design is related to planning for and managing the storage environment. Successful SAN, NAS, and local storage deployments require the provisioning of highly-reliable, high-performance, cost-effective solutions to meet business and technical needs. The challenge for IT is in consolidating and optimizing infrastructures while staying within budgets. The primary concerns – including storage capacity, performance, and reliability – can drive the success or failure of virtualized deployments.

This presentation begins with recommendations for designing a storage environment based on requirements, starting with a solid understanding of application workload characteristics. Strategies for collecting storage statistics through historical and real-time performance monitoring can provide valuable insight into real requirements. Based on this data, IT departments can compare different storage approaches, including centralized network-based storage, and cloud-based options. Important features to consider include file- and block-level de-duplication, thin provisioning, high-availability, clustering, and disaster recovery. Attendees will learn methods by which they can best plan for, implement, manage, and monitor storage for virtualization in their own environments.

BrightTALK Webcast: Managing VM Sprawl: [Re]gaining Control of Your Data Center

imageI hope the New Year is off to a good start for everyone!  For many data center administrators, the tasks related to supporting a wide variety of virtual machines and related infrastructure is going to take a lot of time and resources.  To help address some of the chaos, I’ll be presenting a free webcast titled Managing VM Sprawl: [Re]gaining Control of Your Data Center at the upcoming BrightTALK Virtualization Conference.  The presentation will take place on January 11, 2012.  Here’s an overview of the topic:

As virtual machines have become the default method of deploying new applications and services many organizations have found that they’re encountering the problem of “VM Sprawl” – the rapid proliferation of VMs that make management difficult.

In this presentation, you’ll learn:

  • Common causes of VM sprawl and how to address them
  • Specific technical administration issues that are unique to virtual machines
  • Methods of managing a VM’s “life cycle”, from initial deployment to retirement
  • Ways to maintain control of data center resources while also allowing for end-user self-service
  • Ways in which automation can help manage the major causes of VM sprawl

This online conference provides a wide variety of different presentations, so be sure to check out information about the Virtualization Summit and register for the event.

Note: To access the recording of this session (and all of my past BrightTALK webinars), please search using https://www.brighttalk.com/search?q=Anil+Desai.

TechNet Radio Community Corner: Virtualization with Microsoft MVP Anil Desai

I often enjoy talking with other technical professionals about the path of IT (in general) and about new or upcoming technology (the geeky details).  I’m happy to have had the opportunity to appear as a guest on a recent TechNet Radio Community Corner.  In the ~15-minute conversation, we discussed information about supporting the IT community, the current and future state of virtualization (including directions of Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)). 

Here’s some brief information about this episode, titled TechNet Radio Community Corner: Virtualization with Microsoft MVP Anil Desai:

In today’s Community Corner, Sr. IT Pro Evangelist John Weston interviews Microsoft Virtualization MVP, Anil Desai to the show. Tune in as they discuss cloud computing’s impact to IT, System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012, as well as the relationship between Virtualization and Private Cloud solutions.

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Special thanks to Chris Caldwell and John Weston for inviting me and for a fun conversation!  For more shows and episodes of related shows, visit the TechNet Edge web site.

SQL Server Presentations on UserGroup.tv

imageA couple of months ago, I delivered a couple of SQL Server presentations at Austin Code Camp 2011.  I think the sessions went well and were well-attended.  I also got a lot of good questions and comments during and after the presentations.  If you missed the presentations (or couldn’t get enough the first time), UserGroup.tv has recorded them and has made them available for free online. 

Here are the links to the recorded presentations:

Thanks to Shawn Weisfeld for attending, producing, and posting the presentations.  I hope you find the content to be useful!

Focus Webcast: Migrating to Exchange Server 2010

imageOn Tuesday, November 15th, I’ll be joining a group of presenters to discuss the benefits of moving to the latest version of Microsoft’s messaging platform, Exchange Server 2010.  Exchange 2010 provides many advantages in the areas of availability, reliability, messaging management, and the user experience.  Here are the details from the Focus.com web site:

Tuesday, November 15, 2011
10:00AM PST / 1:00PM EST

imageAre you considering a migration to Microsoft Exchange 2010?  Are you currently using Exchange, but want to upgrade and optimize your current platform?  If you answered yes to either of these questions, this webinar is the right one for you! The discussion will focus on your top concerns including business performance, operational efficiency, stability, and need for high performance.

Learn more about Exchange benefits and features such as:

  • Lower costs with more flexible deployment and management options
  • Protected information and meeting compliance requirements with the new e-mail archive
  • Improved user productivity with the ultimate inbox experience

In addition, we will cover best in class advice on all aspects of a customers’ email & calendaring platforms, best practices in moving platforms to the cloud, and the critical steps of the Exchange migration and upgrade process, from understanding your unique pain points to designing and implementing a solution that is right for you and your business needs.

For more information on this free live webcast, details on the list of speakers, and to register to attend, please see Focus Webcast: Benefits of Migrating to Microsoft Exchange 2010 to Optimize your Current Platform.

Austin Code Camp 2011

Lest you think that “Back to School” is only for those that are enrolled in school, the 2011 edition of the Austin Code Camp is here!  For those that aren’t familiar with it,  here are some details about the free event:

The Austin .Net User Group is proud to sponsor it’s fifth Annual Code Camp

This is one day FREE conference For The Community, By the community.

The Conference is on September 10, 2011 at St Edward’s Professional Education Center from 8 am to 5 pm. Click the link on the Location Tab for additional information about St Edward

I’ll again be presenting two topics that are focused on SQL Server (details below).  If you live in or near Austin, be sure to register and stop by for some great developer-focused sessions!

SQL Server Reporting Services: Develop & Deploy Reports

This session will begin with a brief architectural overview of Reporting Services and details on getting up and running with Reporting Services. Then, we will look at demonstrations of creating new reports by building connections and data sets using Report Builder and Visual Studio. Reporting design features including parametrization, dynamic drill-downs, matrix reports, charts, and sorting will be provided.

Next, we’ll look at deployment details, including scheduling reports, configuring caching, creating snapshots, and managing security. Time permitting, the presentation will include a demonstration of using Report Viewer controls within ASP.NET and Windows Forms applications. The session is intended for developers that have basic familiarity with report development (in any technology) and a basic understanding of SQL.

Practical SQL Server Performance Monitoring & Optimization

Developers can dramatically improve performance by monitoring and analyzing real world queries. This session covers SQL Server monitoring at various levels to the most impactful performance improvements. The presentation will start with an overview of different optimization tools and techniques and will be based on practical examples of real-world performance monitoring and troubleshooting. Details include the use of server monitoring tools, SQL Profiler, the Database Tuning Advisor, and analyzing query plans, Dynamic Management Views, and related methods. The overall emphasis will be on solving practical, real-world database performance problems.

This session assumes that attendees have basic familiarity with SQL Server and with writing database queries.

TEC 2011: Virtualization Approaches and Storage Presentations

imageAs I mentioned in a previous post, I’m scheduled to speak at The Experts Conference 2011 in Las Vegas (April 17 – 20, 2011).  I’ll be giving two presentations in TEC’s new Virtualization and Cloud track.  My sessions abstracts are below.  In addition, Session Abstracts for each of the tracks and the Conference Agenda are now available online.  Let me know if you plan to attend or if there’s anything you’d like to see me cover (either in the presentations or on this blog).

Storage Considerations for Virtualization

Key considerations related to successful virtualization deployments revolve around provisioning highly-reliable, cost-effective solutions to meet business and technical needs. The challenge for IT is in consolidating and optimizing infrastructures while staying within budgets. The primary concerns – including storage capacity, performance, and reliability – can drive the success or failure of virtualized deployments.

This presentation begins with recommendations for designing a storage environment based on business and technical requirements and a solid understanding of application workload requirements. Strategies for collecting storage statistics through historical and real-time performance monitoring can provide valuable insight into real requirements. Based on this data, IT departments can compare different storage approaches, including centralized network-based storage, and cloud-based options. Important features to consider include data de-duplication, thin provisioning, high-availability, clustering, and disaster recovery. Attendees will learn methods by which they can best plan for, implement, manage, and monitor storage for virtualization in their own environments.

Evaluating Virtualization Approaches

The term "virtualization" can apply to a broad range of varying technologies, ranging from storage to networks to servers to applications. The primary goal of these approaches is to simplify management, increase efficiency, allow for scalability, and meet reliability requirements. With recent improvements in virtualization technology, the challenge for IT professionals is in deciding which approaches are the most relevant, given specific requirements.

The focus of this presentation is on understanding the technology behind various virtualization approaches, including presentation-, application-, session-, user state-, desktop-, and server-virtualization. The topic will begin with information on understanding business, technical, and service requirements. These details will then be used to compare a wide variety of different approaches to solving common IT problems. Attendees will receive information that will help them choose which approaches make sense in their own environments.

Virtualization and Storage Presentations at The Experts Conference

imageI’m currently scheduled to speak on two topics at The Experts Conference 2011 in Las Vegas (April 17 – 20, 2011).  The conference has tracks that focus on Directory Services, Exchange, SharePoint, and Virtualization. 

The two topics I’m planning to present are tentatively titled Storage Considerations for Virtualization and Evaluating Virtualization Approaches. I’ll post more details and abstracts here as the conference gets closer.

“Habits of Highly Successful South Asians” in Austin: August 24th

netipaustin_aug28th_backThe Austin Chapter of the Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is hosting it’s annual Professional Development event this Saturday, August 28th, 2010 from 10:00am to noon.  I decided to take a somewhat different track from other professional development events in putting this one together.  Most events have a single or two speakers (or sometimes a panel) of “experts” that will focus on a single topic.  While that approach can certainly be helpful, I prefer to hear from a wide range of successful people about their careers, backgrounds, and what they’ve learned.  The focus of this event is on having numerous ~10-minute presentations from a wide variety of different backgrounds.

For more details, including a list of speakers and their topics, see the NetIP Austin Web Site and Events Calendar (we’ve got a lot of other stuff going on, as well).  If you’d like to attend, please RSVP via our Facebook Event Page.  I hope to see you there!

Microsoft Thrive: IT Pro of the Month!

It’s no secret that IT professionals and their organizations have been significantly affected by the downturn in the economy.  Those of us that have been through the so-called “dot-com” days can see how much things can change within a few years.  Fortunately, at least some companies are developing resources to help IT professionals weather the downturn.  I’d go a bit further in saying that these otherwise dismal times can provide significant opportunities for those that are willing to invest in their skills and their profession.

MicrosoftThriveThe Microsoft Thrive web site is a free resource that is designed to help IT professionals in a variety of ways.  For example, the site includes the following goals and areas:

  • Advance Your Career
  • Enhance Your Technical Skills
  • Align IT with Business

Some of the content is Microsoft-focused, but much of it applies to just about any area of IT specialization.

I’m honored to say that I’ve been chosen as the Thrive IT Pro of the Month (see Thrive IT Pro of the Month: Anil Desai)!  I recorded a brief (~9 minutes long) presentation that covers, among other things, some recommendations for IT pros to get ahead, how IT pros can demonstrate their value, details on technology-focused topics and even a mention of the importance of hobbies.

The entire audio presentation is available from download using the previous link.  Here’s an excerpt from the written transcript:

As an independent consultant, I’m fairly diversified in the area of IT. I’m also used to the ups and downs in the IT industry, starting from the dot-com days in the late 1990’s to today. I use a variety of different specializations to fill in the inevitable downtime between projects. So, I’m fairly fortunate in that I’ve been able to maintain my business through the recent crunch.

However, the downturn in the economy has certainly had an impact on my clients, especially in the area of prioritization. Many organizations have focused on cost-cutting and many organizations have removed or scaled-back many of their non-essential projects. Those changes can sometimes translate into lay-offs, increased work for remaining staff, and short-term changes at the expense of long-term gains.

All of this provides some serious challenges (as well as some opportunities) for IT professionals. One change is that it really puts the emphasis on IT professionals’ ability to work as a strategic part of their businesses. I’ve heard it said that people know when IT departments are doing their jobs when they don’t know that IT departments are doing their jobs. The idea here is that IT is traditionally seen as a behind-the-scenes force (or sometimes just as a cost center). Business leaders might feel that IT provides little strategic value to the overall business.

Tough economic environments bring this issue to the forefront: IT professionals must understand overall business goals and must be able to apply the right technical solutions to solve business problems. And, they need to demonstrate their value within and outside of their IT groups. For those IT pros that have been able to focus on just the technical aspects of their skillset, this is a good time to branch out into the rest of the business world.

Feel free to e-mail me if you’d like the entire transcript.  And please post here if you have any questions, comments, or recommendations for your IT peers.