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Archive for category Windows Server

October 19, 2016: Optimizing Storage for Virtualization in Windows Server

Aug 19

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Presentations, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

BrightTalk-OptimizingStorageThe second of my three upcoming BrightTALK presentations is titled Optimizing Storage for Virtualization in Windows Server.  Here’s an overview of the topic for this free online webinar:

Virtualization workloads generate many requirements and challenges for IT departments, including high performance, low latency, high-availability and the ability to quickly move and reconfigure workloads based on changing demands.  This presentation focuses on best practices for employing a wide array of different storage features in the Windows Server platform.  Details range from the SMB 3.x protocol to data-deduplication, clustering, Hyper-V Replica, and many more related features.  The presentation will begin with suggestions for determining requirements for different kinds of virtual disks and different business workloads.  Based on these requirements, we’ll drill-down in to practical advice on how, when, and why these features can help increase service delivery and reduce costs for virtualized environments of all sizes.

If you can’t make it to the live session, it will also be available for viewing after the conference.

Update:  The presentation was originally scheduled for October 18th, and has been moved back by one day.  If the new time doesn’t work well for you, remember that the presentation will always be available on-demand, soon after the live recording.

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.

Sept. 20, 2016: Software-Defined Storage Features in Windows Server 2016

Aug 19

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Presentations, Storage, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

BrightTalk-SDStorageInWS2016I’ll be giving a presentation as part of BrightTALK‘s Software-Defined Week of presentations.  The free session (registration required) is titled Software-Defined Storage Features in Windows Server 2016.  Here’s an overview of the presentation topic:

Meeting storage-related requirements has been a long-standing challenge for IT organizations, and added workload requirements from cloud- and software-defined architectures can add quickly to the burden.  Common goals are to implement solutions that provide high-availability and high performance, with low capital and operational costs.  The Windows Server 2016 platform includes a tremendous list of improved and new features that are available “out-of-the-box”.  That makes the biggest barrier understanding how, when and why you can implementing these features.

This presentation will cover a wide array of different features in the Windows Server platform, including Storage Spaces and Storage Spaces Direct; SMB 3.x improvements; storage tiering; Storage QoS; Storage Replica; data de-duplication; and many other features.  When compared to the costs and administrative complexity of traditional SANs, these tools can provide ready solutions for environments of all sizes and types.  The focus will be on technical details about the features and capabilities of the Windows Server platform, and how organizations can make best use of them.

It would be great if you can make it for the live session, but if not, it will also be available on-demand after the event is complete.

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.

Attend the Microsoft BUILD Austin Event on May 29th, 2015

May 26

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Databases / SQL Server, Development, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office, Office 365, Virtualization, Windows 10, Windows Server | No Comments

https://az118040.vo.msecnd.net/assets/7fd7654959f64dd7a2c9cbca75f4ccae/austin_l.jpg

There’s a lot of change that’s coming out for developers and IT pros that work on Microsoft technologies.  You can find more information about the available sessions at the Microsoft BUILD 2015 site, including the recordings of the keynote addresses from the live national presentation.  Just a sampler would include Windows 10 with huge consumer and Enterprise changes, UI design and development improvements, Azure, Visual Studio 2015, and a lot of other related topics.  Here’s an overview of what will be covered in Austin:

Friday, May 29, 2015 – 9:00AM

Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
310 Willie Nelson Blvd
Austin, TX USA 78701

This event series brings the Build experience to cities around the globe.

As a developer, you can expect:

  • Best of Build announcements and insights
  • Deep dive in the Windows 10 developer platform for app and web developers
  • Coding sessions and exciting demos across devices
  • Partner showcases
  • Open Q&A and face-to-face time with Microsoft engineers
  • Each Event is Free

Build Tour Event Agenda

8:00 – close Registration
8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 Keynote
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:45 Session #1 Universal Windows Platform
11:45 – 12:45 Lunch
12:45 – 13:00 Challenge
13:00 – 14:00 Session #2 Microsoft Edge & Web Apps
14:00 – 15:00 Session #3 Lightning Talks
15:00 – 15:30 Break
15:30 – 16:45 Panel Q/A
16:45 – 17:00 Closing remarks

Best of all, there’s a good chance that the all-day event is coming free to a place near you.  While I won’t be presenting any specific sessions in the Austin BUILD Event.  I will be available on-site all day to answer questions during breaks.

Be sure to register, if you plan to attend this free event (it’s at the amazing ACL at the Moody Theater downtown).  If you’re unable to attend, you can still find the sessions you’re interested online at the Channel 9 BUILD 2015 site.

Building and Managing Storage Environments for MSPs: Free Webinar on 05/27/2015

May 22

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Cloud Computing, Storage, Systems Admin, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

I’ll be presenting a Ziff-Davis webinar on the topic of Building and Managing Storage Environments for MSPs.  The topic will cover best practices and considerations for moving from local-based storage architectures to storage-based service offerings.  For more information, or to register for the free webinar, please visit Building and Managing Storage Environments for MSPs.

Attend the Microsoft MVP Virtual Conference: May 14-15, 2015

Apr 24

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Cloud Computing, Databases / SQL Server, Microsoft Azure, Office 365, Presentations, Virtualization, Webcasts, Windows Server | No Comments

MVP15_MicrosoftMVP_VC_EmailBannerMicrosoft is soon hosting a great free event that Microsoft and the MVPs are putting on, May 14th & 15th.  Join Microsoft MVPs from the Americas’ region as they share their knowledge and real-world expertise during a free event, the MVP Virtual Conference.  As a member of the IT Pro selection committee, I can definitely vouch for the many interesting session topics (I’m planning to attend as many as I can on both says).

The MVP Virtual Conference will showcase 95 sessions of content for IT Pros, Developers and Consumer experts designed to help you navigate life in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.  Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Developer Platform, Steve Guggenheimer, will be on hand to deliver the opening Key Note Address.

Why attend MVP V-Conf? The conference will have 5 tracks, IT Pro English, Dev English, Consumer English, Portuguese mixed sessions & Spanish mixed sessions, there is something for everyone!

Come learn from the best and brightest in the tech world today. All of the sessions will all be delivered by the Americas’ Region Microsoft MVPs. These MVPs are experts who present at premiere conferences, independent community events and local user groups all over the globe.

This is a technical conference focused on helping attendees to learn and develop skills for everything from everyday technical work to wackier weekend projects. Whether it is on the IT Pro, Dev or Consumer side of things, you can bet that the content of MVP V-Conf will be cutting edge, exciting and relevant.

Be sure to register quickly to hold your spot and tell your friends & colleagues.

The conference will be widely covered on social media, you can join the conversation by following @MVPAward and using the hashtag #MVPvConf.   We hope to see you there!

BrightTALK Webinar: Windows Server Enterprise Storage and Networking Features

Nov 14

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Management, Microsoft Hyper-V, Presentations, Storage, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

imageOn December 9th, 2014, I’ll be presenting a free online webinar titled, Windows Server Enterprise Storage and Networking Features.  Here’s a quick overview of the topic:

IT professionals face many challenges in their struggle to deliver the infrastructure, applications, and services that their organizations need. Common issues include limited budgets, datacenter infrastructure complexity, and technical expertise to support a wide variety of changing goals. The presentation will provide guidance and best practices for data center admins that are looking for cost-effective ways to increase automation, improve hardware resource utilization, and provide HA/DR features without having to make costly investments in third-party products.
This webinar will discuss:

  • Features that include support for iSCSI-based SANs,
  • SMB-based virtual disks
  • Management UI and automation improvements
  • The latest version of Hyper-V
  • Low-cost high-availability

Register online if you’d like to attend!

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.

MVP Blog Post: Hyper-V High-Availability Without a SAN

Nov 5

Posted by Anil Desai in Cloud Computing, Management, Microsoft Hyper-V, Storage, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

imageI have mentioned before that my favorite features in Windows Server 2012 are related to improvements in the storage stack.  While it might not seem as exciting as some of the many other new features, the number and types of scenarios that storage and networking improvements allow are tremendous.  Best of all, these features ship “in the box” (that is, as part of the product itself), so no third-party tools, utilities, or drivers are required. 

I recently wrote an article for the Microsoft MVP Award Program blog that covers some ways in which IT pros can use these features to implement high-availability and other Enterprise-level features using Windows Server 2012.  Here’s a brief excerpt from the post:

Enter Windows Server 2012: A server product that ships with all of the required ingredients to brew your own highly-available storage environment. In this post, I’ll focus on the storage and high-availability-related features that ship as part of Windows Server 2012. Specifically, I’ll discuss what’s required to build and deploy a fault-tolerant Hyper-V deployment using only in-box features. I’ll start with the configuration basics and then list higher-end features that are available for production environments.

For the complete post, please see Windows Server 2012: Hyper-V High-Availability without a SAN, and feel free to post questions or comments there!

Windows 8 Release Preview / Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate Now Available

May 31

Posted by Anil Desai in General, Systems Admin, Virtualization, Windows 8, Windows Server | No Comments

imageThe Windows 8 Release Preview is now available to anyone’s who is itching to try out the latest (and last) publicly-available build before the final release of the products.  Consumer-types can Download the Windows 8 Release Preview from Microsoft.com.  The bits have also been posted to Microsoft TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).  For now, my downloads seem to be going pretty quickly.

As the products are getting close to release, I’ll plan to post some tips and info to this blog over the next few weeks and months.  Feel free to comment if there’s anything you’re particularly interested in reading about.  I might have posted this a little sooner, but all of my bandwidth is currently allocated to download the installation media and VMs.

VKernel Podcast: Top New Features in Hyper-V 3.0 and Windows Server 2012

May 16

Posted by Anil Desai in Microsoft Hyper-V, Storage, Virtualization, Windows Server | No Comments

files/podcasts/TEC_hyper-v_windows_mattias_hans_anil.pngA few weeks ago, during the TEC 2012 Conference, I had the opportunity to record a brief podcast that provides an overview of the new features in Microsoft’s upcoming server update.  In this brief interview, fellow Virtualization MVP Hans Vredevoort and I discuss some of the features we’re most looking forward to.  You can access the audio-only podcast on YouTube, and you can download an MP3 version.

Here’s a brief overview of the topic:

VKernel’s Mattias Sundling discusses The Expert Conference event with MVPs Hans Vredevoort and Anil Desai. Topics include highlights of the technical sessions presented by Microsoft, Quest and industry experts as well as updates and highlights of Windows Server 2012 and Hyper-V3 advances.

Both Hans and I gave presentations at the conference and focused on storage-related improvements.  Hans’s presentation was an excellent demonstration of how quickly and easily administrators can setup the new Scale-Out File Server role in Windows Server 2012, using nothing but a single laptop (that is, no shared storage and no third-party products and tools).  The best part was the conclusion: Hans setup a highly-available Hyper-V cluster configuration and did a live migration of a VM using only his laptop (and several virtual machines). 

Thanks to Mattias Sundling, Evangelist & vExpert at VKernel for arranging, recording, and posting the podcast!

The Windows Server 2012 Community Roadshow

May 7

Posted by Anil Desai in Presentations, Virtualization, Windows 8, Windows Server | No Comments

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!

Windows Server 2012 / Hyper-V 3.0 Component Architecture Poster

May 2

Posted by Anil Desai in Microsoft Hyper-V, Systems Admin, Virtualization, Windows 8, Windows Server | No Comments

imageOK, perhaps it doesn’t get much geekier than decorating your office with large, complicated posters of technical knowledge.  But I’ve always been a fan of Microsoft’s Component Architecture Posters (though I rarely have the opportunity to actually print and display them).  These posters are designed to convey an large volume of information in a way that is easy for readers/viewers to consume and understand.  They’re somewhat like the “infographics” many sites and publishers use to convey information in an easier-to-consume way. 

To download your copy of the posted in PDF format, just visit the Microsoft Download Center page: Windows Server “8” Beta Hyper-V Component Architecture Poster (published March 2012).  The screenshot is a very small screenshot of just one tiny portion of the overall poster.  Just a couple of notes on terminology changes:

  • Windows Server “8” Beta is now officially named Windows Server 2012
  • SMB 2.2 is now officially known as SMB 3.0
  • All information is current as of the “beta” version, and some relatively minor details (like VM CPU and memory limits) might change prior to the official release.

Thanks to John Howard’s post on the Windows Virtualization Team Blog for the information.  I think we can look forward to an updated poster sometime prior to or soon after the general availability of Windows Server 2012.  I’ll update this post if/when that happens.

SQL Saturday in Dallas: May 22, 2010

Apr 8

Posted by Anil Desai in Databases / SQL Server, Development, Presentations, Windows Server | No Comments

SQLSaturday SQL Saturday is a series of free single-day conferences that’s being held throughout the United States.  Here’s some basic information about the conference from the web site:

We started SQLSaturday in 2007 as a platform for free one day training events for SQL Server professionals. We focus on local speakers, providing a good variety of topics, and making it all happen through the efforts of volunteers. Whether you’re attending one or thinking about hosting your own, we think you’ll find it’s a great way to spend a Saturday.

Events are currently scheduled through October, 2010 (see the site for details on dates and locations).  Also, if you’re interested in speaking at one of the events, be sure to submit your session early.

I’ll be presenting two SQL Server sessions (details below) at SQL Saturday Dallas 2010.  As of this writing, it looks like there are nearly 500 registered attendees.  It should be a great event!

SQL Server Basics for non-DBAs

Despite the importance and value of relational databases, many developers and administrators often have only a basic understanding of how they work.  This session covers the basic architecture of SQL Server, including basic installation and configuration of the server.  The focus will be an overview of the most important topics, including: Managing database storage, performing regular database maintenance, managing security and data protection.  Finally, we’ll conclude with some best practices for managing database schemas and objects.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their server and database management questions.

Reporting Services: Development and Deployment

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. 

Austin CodeCamp 2010: May 15, 2010

Apr 5

Posted by Anil Desai in Databases / SQL Server, Presentations, Windows Server | No Comments

The Austin .NET User Group (ADNUG) is holding it’s free, annual technical event in mid-May.  Austin Code Camp 2010 will include dozens of technical sessions that are focused on programming methodology (such as Test-Driven Development) and practices.  Here’s some basic info from the conference web site:

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

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

The Conference is on May 15, 2010 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’s.

If you’re planning to attend, please be sure to use the site’s Session Voting page.  This will give organizers and speakers some help in planning room assignments and will help speakers tailor their presentations for audience size.

I’ll also be presenting two sessions at this year’s event.  Below are the details.  Feel free to respond here if you have any questions or comments on the topics, and I hope to see you there!

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.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Poster

Dec 17

Posted by Anil Desai in General, IT Tips, Systems Admin, Windows Server | 1 Comment

IT people tend to be known for a lot of things (both good and bad), but the classic geeky poster seems to be a mainstay for most technical professionals.  Among block diagrams, Dilbert comics that take thinly-veiled shots at clueless management, and software architecture posters, it seems like there’s something for everyone. 

Of course, posters can actually be informational and useful.  Microsoft has recently made a Windows Server 2008 R2 Feature Components Poster available for free download.  While it would be difficult to print this out (it’s roughly 44” x 24” in full size), it provides a really clear, concise overview of the new features in Windows Server 2008 R2.  The list of sections includes:

  • Active Directory Domain Services
  • Hyper-V
  • File Services
  • Remote Desktop Services
  • BranchCache
  • DirectAccess

The content helps illustrate that the R2 release isn’t just a minor upgrade – there’s probably a lot more in here than most administrators are aware of.

You’ll also find a sidebar of acronyms and plenty of useful notes and tips.  While it’s no replacement for complete documentation, I think these posters do a great job of providing a lot of information in a limited space. 

Microsoft Virtual Event: The New Efficiency

Oct 23

Posted by Anil Desai in Best Practices, Presentations, Virtualization, Webcasts, Windows 7, Windows Server | No Comments

If you’ve been following some of the latest keynotes and presentations from Microsoft, you’ve probably run into the theme of “The New Efficiency”.  Microsoft has been using this term to describe the benefits of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Exchange Server 2010.  While listening to presentations can be useful, it’s also valuable to spend some interactive time with other technical professionals and experts.  To that end, Microsoft is hosting another live “Virtual Conference” on October 27, 2009.  Visit the Event Overview page to see details of the virtual conference.  Here’s an excerpt that describes what’s covered and who will be presenting:

Join renowned Microsoft technologies expert Paul Thurrott, Windows IT Pro senior technical director Michael Otey, Exchange guru Paul Robichaux, and Windows IT Pro editor in chief Jeff James for an in-depth, spin-free deep dive into the new efficiency.
In just three hours, directly from your own computer, the keynote and three technical sessions will provide you with:

  • an overview of everything that Windows® 7 has to offer
  • a deep-dive into enterprise-oriented features such as AppLocker, Branche Cache, DirectAccess, federated search, and BitLocker to Go
  • a complete coverage of all of the new features and functionality brought by Windows® Server 2008 R2, including Hyper-V virtualization with live migration and PowerShell 2.0
  • an in-depth presentation of the rich user experience, the many deployment options, and information protection and control capabilities offered by Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010
  • a clear understanding of the ways Windows® 7, Windows® Server 2008 R2, and Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010 work better together

This event is presented in an interactive, real-life simulation! You will experience a lifelike visual environment, networking and interactive tools, staffed sponsor booths, and educational chats to complement each conference session.

I’ll be available to answer technical questions in the Microsoft booth during the morning sessions (from 9:30am to around noon Central time).  Feel free to stop by and ask questions or view the materials and presentations that are available online.

For more details, see the Agenda and Speaker Info pages.  Be sure to Register – it’s free, and you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home or office to attend.