Search results for 'app:weblogs' matching tags 'windows' and 'Operating System'

Windows Server OS Support by Product Number HP and Dell

jeffl — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Ever wondered which server model numbers support the operating system your are going to deploy. I found these handy webpages for Dell and HP which lists models with supported operating systems.

	Operating System Support Matrix for Dell PowerEdge Systems
	Windows support for HP ProLiant Servers

Another great resource is the Windows Server Catalog which will tell you about the Microsoft ‘Certified’ and ‘Works With’ status of other servers.

http://www.windowsservercatalog.com/

The Windows Server Catalogue also lists the status of a number of third party software packages.

Hope this helps

Jeff Loucks

MCITP: Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2 (and other R2 Virt Certs)

Anonymous — Mon, 03 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

As many of you know I spend a lot of time working in, consulting with, and teaching virtualization. Because I am such a strong believer in certifications I was proud of the three virtualization certs I previously held – two Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certs and one VMware-centric cert, VMTraining’s Certified Virtualization Expert (CVE). Without sitting VMware’s VCP courses there wasn’t much more that I could have done.

I was really excited to hear that the good folks at Microsoft – and I don’t know if these decisions were made by the product team or by Microsoft Learning – decided that with the advent of the 2008 R2 products (Server, Hyper-V Server, VMM) they would change the cert model; there are now three exams:

70-659 TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
70-669 TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
70-693 PRO: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator

Now let’s be clear: most IT pros are not going to specialize in ALL of these… and to be clear none of these exams are pushovers. Just because you have a server or five running Hyper-V does not mean you are going to be able to pass. There are dozens of technologies that will be required, including Hyper-V (R2), SCVMM (R2), App-V, Med-V... Remote Desktop, Failover Clustering, Server Core, PowerShell, and more. You have to know storage (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, SANs), Live Migrations, Quick Migrations, and all of the requirements for these. You have to understand Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO Tips), which means you have to at least have a basic understanding of System Center Operations Manager. It also, by the way, requires a bit of knowledge of VMware - especially the requirements and procedures for managing ESX by VMM.

Now with all of that being said, there are three separate certifications that you can work towards;

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2

The two MCTS certs are great because they are task-based. The MCITP is a little more advanced – the PRO exams are not meant to be harder than TS exams, only different, and aimed at a different job role. However passing that exam itself doesn’t earn you a certification. You need to pass (in this case) both the TS exams in addition to the PRO exam in order to earn the cert.

Now here’s the kicker: the only mention of the MCITP exam on the Microsoft Learning website (http://mcp.microsoft.com/mcp) is on the page outlining the three exams that qualify toward it. There does not appear to be any mention in the MCP Newsgroups about it.

In addition to all that, as of this writing (May 2, 2010) my MCP Transcript indicates that I have passed all three exams, the MCITP cert is NOT listed (the two TS certs are). The Logo Builder tool does not give me the option to create the new logo. I assume that this means that it is a brand new certification – while the 70-659 and 70-693 exams were released to GA on February 12th and March 31st respectively, the 70-669 exam was released on April 29th (three days ago). I have heard of cases where the certifications are not actually released until after the exams are (it happened with one of the Windows Vista MCITP exams).

(I felt a little silly when I was discussing virtualization learning with a CPLS the other day and mentioned this cert, and she came back and told me she couldn’t find any mention of it!)

Does any of this mean you should wait? Not if you are prepared… and I will reiterate that you should not take preparation for these exams lightly. I would also suggest that you take advantage of one of the MSL Second Shot opportunities… so that if you don’t quite pass then you can try again for free.

If you do spend a lot of time in the virtualization world, and especially if you want to stand out to your organization or clients with regard to virtualization and VDI, then this is a great cert to work toward.

Good luck!

If you’re not sure and don’t feel comfortable…

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

As I sit watching Rabbi Wise’s computer upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 I am thinking about a conversation that he and I just had.

Three weeks ago he and I started discussing the benefits of Windows 7 over his currently Windows Vista, and he asked if I thought it was really worth the upgrade. My answer is probably obvious to all… of course! I explained to him my reasons. He told me he had given the computer to his normal ‘computer guy’ to perform the upgrade, and he had it returned a few days later with an explanation that the guy had tried a number of times to perform the upgrade unsuccessfully. I told him I’d give it a go.

Fast-forward to now, the actual OS is installed and the last (and likely longest) step of the upgrade (Transferring files, settings, and programs) is at 62%. Rabbi Wise asked me what I did differently from the other guy, and I told him that honestly I did not do anything special or fancy… I put in the Acer Upgrade DVD and followed the instructions. He looked at me sheepishly and said ‘maybe I should have just tried to do it myself… but I was worried I would screw something up!’ My answer? DON’T DO IT YOURSELF!

Let me be clear… Windows 7 is mind-numbingly simple to install. Upgrades, when they go right, are as simple as a point-and-shoot camera. but some people are not comfortable doing it themselves, and should ask for help… be it from the IT Guy at work, a friend with slightly better computer skills than you, a consultant, or a ‘Nerd-Herd’ type guy (I can’t bring myself to recommending one of them, even for something this simple). It might cost you a few dollars, but that money is well spent if it saves you staring at your screen for the duration of the upgrade wondering (stressing) if you are going to lose all of your data.

Ten years ago the average computer user used a computer for few tasks beyond what was required of them. Their documents were in a folder (which should still always be backed up!) which could usually fit onto a high-density floppy disk, and they didn’t venture out beyond their comfort zone. That has changed; most computer users today have done some degree of customization to their system, downloaded apps and plug-ins, store their music, photos, e-mail, contacts, and much more in their systems. Losing all of this could be – if not disastrous, then certainly painful.

The process of upgrading an operating system may look simple on the surface, but the reality is it is a very complicated series of steps that replaces tens of thousands of files and then must make sure that all of your apps are going to work. Imagine a painting… if I see a painting in a museum I can certainly copy it (well, not me… but someone with a modicum of artistic ability!) pretty easily. However if that painting was on paper and you wanted to lift every drop of paint and reassemble the exact paint onto canvas… that would be tough… easier to just copy it, right? That is why I generally take the jump between OS versions as an opportunity to install fresh (after migrating data using either the User State Migration Tool or the Windows Easy Transfer tool to backup and restore the profile!).

I have on too many occasions changed a tire on my car. It is not something I am comfortable doing, but owing to the simplicity of the task and my mechanical aptitude I am reasonably sure that I can do it successfully. Changing the oil in my car is probably as simple a task… but is something I generally let someone else do because I am simply not comfortable doing it. Adding gasoline or windshield washer fluid? Sure; adding radiator fluid or brake fluid? Call a Pro. That is not to say that I couldn’t do it if I wanted to try, but because it is outside of my comfort zone and sounds pretty important, I let someone else do it. That is why I don’t get upset when family and (a select group of) friends ask me for help with what I perceive to be easy tasks on the computer. Sure they are easy for me, but they probably stress those people out and besides, most of them are grateful enough to at least buy me dinner (lunch? a cup of coffee?) for my troubles.

Microsoft has made the OS so simple to use with Windows 7 that it is easy to forget that what you are looking at is really some 70,000 files working together to make it LOOK simple. If you (or someone you know) are (is) intimidated by seemingly easy tasks don’t be shy… ask for help!