Indiana Windows User Group

IWUG UPDATE: Survey, Nov Meeting, Annual Bash

RoudyBob — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:21:00 GMT

Dear IWUG’ers. It’s been so long that we are sure you forgot we existed. Well we do exist, at least for right now. This email contains a lot of information, so please read on.

Firstly, We want to thank everyone of you who took the time to take first IWUG member survey. We have gotten a lot of results and we are sorting out everything you told us. If you did complain, please be assured that we are listening. We start off by announcing that we will be back on our Thursday meeting schedule. Enough of you told us that Thursday worked better so we are back on the third Thursday of every other month starting this month. Oh, by the way, if you have not yet taken the survey, please take a couple of minutes and do so. The survey will be open until Nov 20th, Thursday morning 10AM. We will then pick out the 2 winners of the $50 gift cards and announce it at the meeting that evening.

Secondly, we are having our November meeting on the 20th @ 6PM. We have a great topic, Microsoft Essential Business Server, a new breed of technologies from Microsoft with the medium business in mind. This meeting however is a new format for us, you can choose to either join us at the Microsoft Office or Virtually from anywhere(so there goes your reason for being out of town). We are partnering with our peer group, CWUG(Chicago Windows User’s Group) to jointly bring you this presentation. Our speaker Nicholas King will be joining us virtually from Redmond, but he promises that this will be a very hands on session so make sure you have your dual monitors and RDP consoles with you. Since we have not had an event for a while, we will make it worth your time to attend this one, the first 30 of you to sign up and attend(either in-person or virtual) will walk away with a NFR copy of Windows Server 2008. More info on how to attend in another post.

Thirdly, where is our Annual event? Really! What fun is IWUG without an annual event right? Well, this is for you. Our annual event will be on December 18th at the JA Building(more info to follow) and we will be hosting the Windows Vista Springboard Series group from Redmond. The group has promised to pay for the extra baggage and bring for everyone who attends, a full copy of Windows Vista Ultimate w SP1. Now, isn’t that nice? We will also be hosting the Indiana Blood Center who are looking for donors. We have done community events in a past with great success and we are calling on you to support and participate. If you generously donate your blood, you will be in the running for really cool prizes like Xbox’s, Zunes, GPS’s, Cool games and much more, so plan your vacation around this. We just want to add that we are planning this to be a really social event, we might have some surprises for you.

Well, that’s about all we have for you. Get your mice and keyboards out and start taking the survey(if you haven’t done so already) or go ahead and sign up for Thursdays’ virtual event. Hope you have a great weekend. If you have questions, please send an email our way at info@iwug.net

IWUG November 2008 Event

RoudyBob — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:17:00 GMT

NOVEMBER EVENT DETAILS

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 is an enterprise-class server solution designed and priced for midsize businesses. Windows Essential Business Server 2008 provides a unified Administration Console to manage an integrated IT infrastructure with the latest versions of management, messaging, and security server technologies. By helping to improve IT manageability and reliability, Windows Essential Business Server 2008 turns a midsize IT infrastructure into a strategic asset, boosting productivity and growth. Grow your business with Windows Essential Business Server 2008.

Come join us to talk about Windows Essential Business Server and Small Business Server 2008. We’ll dive into the tools, migration and virtualization of these products, as well as talk about the broader technology advantages for SMB by using an integrated platform.

When: Thursday, November 20th at 6PM

Agenda:
6:00 – 6:30 Pizza / Social Time
6:30 – 6:45 Introduction/ IWUG Announcements/ CWUG Announcements/ Speaker Intro
6:45 – 8:30 Event Presentation: Nicholas King
8:30 – 8:45 Q&A / Door Prizes

Directions:
From wherever you are joining us, find Meridian St. (US 31) on the north side - it’s 12 o’clock on the I-465 dial. Go east on 96th St. Parkwood Four is the second entrance on the left if you’re coming from Meridian St. Turn Left into the entrance. At the 4-way stop, turn right. 500 E. 96th St. is the second building on the left. The 1st floor conference room is, well – on the first floor. It’s right next to the MBP Catering café to make it easy to find!

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Speaker:

Nick is the Technical Product Manager for Windows Essential Business Server 2008 and Windows Small Business Server 2008. He has held roles in the Microsoft field as an Infrastructure Solution Specialist and Technical Specialist. Previously to working for Microsoft, Nick held roles in FMCG as an Infrastructure Architect, ran his own Small and Medium Business Partner company, and worked as a trainer on Microsoft technologies.

Registration URL:

iwugnov08.eventbrite.com (Please select what ticket type, either onsite or Virtual)

Virtual Meeting Info:
Join the meeting

Audio Information
Telephone Conferencing
Choose one of the following:

·     Start the Office Live Meeting client, and then in the Voice & Video pane, click Join Conference. The conferencing service will call you at the number you specify. (Recommended)

·     Dial the conferencing service directly, and enter the participant code shown below:
Toll-free:              +1-8665006738
Toll:                   +1-4257072000
Participant Code:               2552925

First-Time Users
Make sure the Office Live Meeting client is installed before the meeting:

·     I am connecting from inside the Microsoft network

·     I am connecting from outside the Microsoft network

Troubleshooting
Unable to join the meeting? Launch the Office Live Meeting client and join the meeting with the following information:
        Meeting ID:     a7c6ccb5914e4874b53985ae6d522ca3
        Entry Code:     kM3O238b28
        Location:         meet:sip:nking@microsoft.com;gruu;opaque=app:conf:focus:id:a7c6ccb5914e4874b53985ae6d522ca3%3Fconf-key=kM3O238b28

If you still cannot enter the meeting, contact support:

·     Inside the Microsoft network

·     Outside the Microsoft network

Did some CSS testing today

barrywalkors — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:25:00 GMT

Counter Strike source, as many of you already know, is a tri-sequel FPS game to the Counter strike franchise. Source, which is based on Steams 'Source engine' was one of the most highly anticipated games in 2004 when it was released. When counter strike released, it was obvious that the game would be the benchmark for all other FPS type games in the future. The engine used to power Counter Strike Source is the same engine used to power Half Life:2, so naturally there are some very similar characteristics in gameplay. The modes of CSS are the exact same as it's predecessor, CS 1.6. Valve was able to maintain the gameplay of the original counter strike, while adding a whole new set of features and physics to source.

Counter strike source features the same basic genre and gameplay as it's predecessor. The only non-modded mode is Terrorist vs Counter terrorist, but thanks to steams user friendly mod system it's very easy to find a game of your liking. Some of the popular mods for CSS include the original 'Surf'. In Surf, players use they keyboard to balance on a beam, while moving extremely fast. There are also other mods like Warhammer, etc.

Once you join a server, you are given a list of items you can buy from the menu. The more players you kill, or bombs you defuse will be relative to the amount of money you have. That is a typical picture of a buy menu for the game. You can select what guns and equipment you want to load your soldier with before fighting.

The counter strike source community is very big. Selling more than 100,000 copies in it's first day of release. The game is just as action packed and relevant now, then it was back in 2004. The replay ability of this game is endless.

So now that I've given you an introduction into the game, I can talk a little more casually about the game. I actually just got done playing Counter Strike Source. I was screwing around on different servers with different game types, just to basically see how the hacks that are in private BETA would perform. The first server I tried was a zombie server. Basically if you haven't ever played on one of these, zombies run around and try to infect the non-zombie players. There are different variations of this from server to server and game to game, but it's pretty much all the same. Most FPS games gave the mod, I have only personally played zombie mod in COD4 and CSS though. It's not really something I care for that much, like I said it was really only to test our new Counter Strike Source Hacks.

Anyway, to make a long story short it was a pretty fun experience. The only problem is on the zombie servers. It seems the hacks have a hard time figuring out who's the enemy after one of your teammates becomes a zombie. So far that was the only real hang up I noticed. There were a few crashes but I got the error codes and I'll shoot them off the the programming team and they will know what it means and how to fix it.

We're still looking for unique features to add to our hacks. If you have a unique idea for a hack feature and we use it, you can get free Counter Strike Source hacks for life. So keep those ideas coming. If you haven't done so yet signup at the forums and if you want to share your idea, PM an admin or make a new post in this forum.

I took some video of the BETA testing and I've uploaded it for everyone to see, it's very small because I'm having issues with fraps, even the video I did salvage is pixilated all to crap. Here's the video.

source

Postponed: IWUG Annual Bash 2008

RoudyBob — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:14:00 GMT

Dear IWUG'ers

We held off till the last minute to send you out this update in hopes of being able to still have our annual bash this month, but at this time we will have to postpone our 2008 Annual Bash for probably sometime next month.

We are working to nail the details down for the forthcoming event and should be able to update you very soon on it. We are working with some folks and hopefully this will be a great 6th Annual Bash. We are hoping to have a absolutely awesome speaker and a great charity event to mark IWUG's birthday. We really appreciate your support through all the years of IWUG and thank you for being patient with us as we work real hard to get this scheduled.

We have one more favor to ask of you. For a couple of months now, we have been threatening to send a survey your way to fill out so we could align the group better to your interests. Sometime today the survey should hit your inboxes and we request that you please take a few minutes to fill it out. As an appreciation for your time, we will put your name in a drawing for one of two $50 gift cards.

Again, thank you for your patience and we will let you know more about the event as soon as we work out the details.

Thanks,

Sumeeth Evans - IWUG President

IWUG Member Survey 2008

RoudyBob — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:05:00 GMT

Dear IWUG'ers

Please take this survey for us to better understand how to align the group to your interests.

Over the past few years, we have focused on recruitment incentives, training rebates and chapter challenges to increase our membership. To accomplish this, we need to hear from you! We request that our members complete the following survey in order to gain feedback on your perception of our organization. Plus, we love to hear your ideas and suggestions to make improvements!

With your feedback, not only will we retain our current members, but we'll have the feedback to gain new membership too. Data from this survey will be used to make recommendations for changes within our association. Your input is very valuable and important to us. Thank you very much for your time in participating in our survey.

As an appreciation of your time, you will be entered in a drawing of two $50 gift cards. Hope you enjoy it.

Click Here to Take the Survey

Thanks,

Sumeeth Evans - IWUG President

VMware Indiana Demo Day

RoudyBob — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:12:00 GMT

I received the following message from Phil Lavoie at VMware about their upcoming Demo Day Event:

This is the largest virtualization event held in Indiana

http://campaign.vmware.com/usergroup/invites/IndianaDemoDay_8-7-08.html

Finally, an event focused around demonstrations!

VMware User group members chose 12 demonstrations out of over 35 submitted.

There are over 25 sponsors participating (including: Cisco, Dell, Symantec, EMC, Wyse, and more)

This is a must attend event whether you are new to VMware or a veteran.

We hope you can make it!

-Phil Lavoie

July 2008 Meeting - Considerations for building a modern day data center

sumeethevans — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:56:00 GMT

Topic: Whether you are considering building a new data center or upgrading your existing environment, a lot has changed in the past five years. As businesses have come to consider IT a mission critical asset, the physical security and stability of the data center are more important than ever. Computing power requirements have increased exponentially and have driven the demand for high density power and cooling solutions often running existing facilities completely out of capacity or causing prolonged outages. We will explore many of the existing requirements, illustrate how they are changing and explore some of the solutions that have been put in place to address all of these issues. The presentation will focus on the construction of the BlueLock Indianapolis Data Center that was completed in March 2007 and will address multiple topics including power capacity sizing, thermodynamics, high density computing(blade servers and multi-core processors), hardened facilities, audit standards and physical security.

When: Wednesday July 16th at 6PM

Agenda
• 6:00 – 6:30 Pizza / Social Time
• 6:30 – 6:45 Introduction / Breakout to Sessions
• 6:45 – 8:30 Event: Breakout #1, #2, #3
• 8:30 – 8:45 Q&A / Door Prizes

Directions:
From wherever you are joining us, find Meridian St. (US 31) on the north side - it’s 12 o’clock on the I-465 dial. Go east on 96th St. Parkwood Four is the second entrance on the left if you’re coming from Meridian St. Turn Left into the entrance. At the 4-way stop, turn right. 500 E. 96th St. is the second building on the left. The 1st floor conference room is, well – on the first floor. It’s right next to the MBP Catering café to make it easy to find!

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Speaker: Pat O’Day, BlueLock’s chief technology officer, is responsible for engineering, commercializing and making the company’s “infrastructure-as-as-service” virtual cloud computing model a business reality. With more than 20 years of experience as an information technology professional, he defines BlueLock’s services, architects its unique hosted IT environments, spearheads its strategic vendor alliances and oversees service deployment and delivery. Starting his career in network management and systems integration and then transitioning into managed IT services, data center management and disaster recovery, Pat is uniquely qualified to develop and rollout BlueLock’s innovative capacity-on-demand value proposition.

TOMORROW 6/17 6PM:Last Minute Microsoft Deployment Webcast

sumeethevans — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:56:00 GMT

Folks,

Sorry for the really late notice. As we announced at our last meeting, we are joining CWUG (Chicago Windows User’s Group) to do a first joint Midwest Windows User Group Live Meeting. The topic will be Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator and will be presented by Baldwin Ng, Senior Product Manager at Microsoft. Below are details on how to join the meeting.

This is a live meeting so you can join this from anywhere. Please forward to your friends and/or colleagues as applicable.

TIME: 6PM - 7:30PM
DATE: Tuesday June 17th

Attendee URL:		https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/microsoft/join?id=RT7J6C&role=attend&pw=Jw%27%22%3DZ5wg
Meeting ID:		RT7J6C
Attendee Entry Code:		Jw'"=Z5wg
Location:		Live Meeting Broadcast
Audio:		Two way computer audio conferencing: Off
		One way computer audio broadcasting: On
		Telephone conferencing: On
		Audio conferencing provider: Verizon Business
		Toll free: +1 (866) 500-6738
		Toll: +1 (203) 480-8000
		Participant code: 9374099

Here is some more information on MAP(Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator)

Are your existing servers and desktops capable of running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista? Do you wish to determine quickly if your existing servers are good candidates for server virtualization using Hyper-V? Look no further.

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit is just the right tool to help you get answers that you need.

Formerly known as Windows Vista Hardware Assessment (WVHA), the MAP Toolkit 3.1 now expands into new areas including server virtualization using Hyper-V, SQL server discovery and desktop security assessments, while retaining the original WVHA and MAP Toolkit 3.0 features:

1) Hyper-V server virtualization assessment (NEW!)
2) Desktop security assessment (NEW!)
3) SQL server discovery and inventory (NEW!)
4) 64-bit installation support for the MAP inventory machine (NEW!)
5) Windows Server 2008 hardware/device compatibility assessment
6) Windows Vista hardware/device compatibility assessment
7) 2007 Microsoft Office hardware compatibility assessment
8) Virtual Server 2005 R2 virtualization assessment
9) Microsoft Application Virtualization client and server assessment
10) Server Roles and Non-Windows Machine Inventory

In addition, this tool can generate localized desktop readiness reports in N. American English, German, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit is based on the agent-less infrastructure scanning technology developed by the Microsoft Solution Accelerators Core Engineering Team.

MAP makes it easier for Microsoft customers and partners to conduct a network-wide inventory remotely and securely without installing any software agents on each machine being inventoried.

First, by connecting a computer with the MAP application to the network, the user with the correct local administrator credentials can inventory and assess the readiness of the servers, clients, devices and applications for various migration and virtualization scenarios. Since no agents are used, setup of this tool is very easy.

Upon successful inventory and/or performance gathering, MAP will generate the user-specified assessment reports and proposals in the form of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word documents.

The proposals are typically targeted for Business Decision Makers and Technical Decision Makers in an organization; while the detailed reports are tailored for IT implementers including desktop and infrastructure administrators and IT consultants.

Offer from ReviewNet

RoudyBob — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:36:00 GMT

IWUGers-

We received the following e-mail the other day should anyone want to take advantage of this company's offer. It's not a formal endorsement, just something we thought you might want to look into!

I understand that you manage the Indiana Windows user group. ReviewNet would like to extend an opportunity to your user group members to take our new Windows, Active Directory and Security skills tests to evaluate their skill level. Individuals that complete a beta test will be credited as an advisory panel member on our website at http://www.reviewnet.net/meetexperts.cfm. Individuals receive their test results and can see where their skills compare with other test takers. Participants also qualify for our Advisor Rewards program and a chance to receive quarterly cash prizes. You can learn more by visiting http://www.reviewnet.net/advisor.htm.

I would like to extend this opportunity to you and your members. What would be the best way for me to spread the word to your group about this opportunity? Can I mail you a flyer to hand out at your next meeting?

I look forward to hearing from you soon. I can be reached at the number below or by email.

Best regards,

Michelle Bartie

ReviewNet Corporation

www.reviewnet.net

May 2008 Event - A Triple Header! (Slides Now in Downloads. Direct Link Below)

RoudyBob — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:05:00 GMT

Folks, sorry for the late notice, we seem to be enjoying the nice weather recently too much. You have seen us do single headers and double headers before. Here’s something new, this month we are having a triple header topic lined up for IWUG. Triple your pleasure! Triple your fun! We’ve heard you, it’s no fun to have all work and no play so, we are doing presentations on Windows Home Server, Xbox XNA Game development and Microsoft Certifications (did we say all play, oh maybe a little work then). Join us this month on Wednesday the 21^st at the Microsoft Office our usual meeting place, to get a in-depth geeky talk and demo on these three topics. We have some of our finest presenting, and… making a guest appearance on the Home Server presentation will be the person who won a copy of Home Server at the last meeting (did I hear Felix). So what are you waiting for, go ahead and register for these sessions now. Oh and by the way, we did hear you wishing you were at 3 places at the same time.

Breakout #1 – Windows Home Server

Mommy, why is there a server in the house? Don’t miss this great opportunity to find out more about WHS. WHS has created a lot of media attention and excitement within the IT Community. It is projected that by 2012 4.5 million homes will have some form of home server and set to rise rapidly after that. The "Digital Home" is starting now. Come and see how and why WHS should be part of that. And if that is not incentive enough, think of all the things you can keep cold with the cool home server cup holder that everyone attending this session will get.

Breakout #2 – Xbox Hobbyist Game Development in XNA

XNA makes games programming very easy for the hobbyist game developer. No hardcore Direct X programming required. Have you thought about being a professional game developer? Who hasn't, but after a minute you realized you did not have the skills but thought it would be cool to create basic game for you, your friends or your family. This session will go over XNA and ultimately put a game on a Microsoft Xbox 360.

The following will be discussed:

Learn what is XNA

Learn about XNA Game Development Environment and Tools Learn specifically about XNA Game Studio Express and the XNA Starter Kits Take a walkthrough of a XNA Game Project Learn to put XNA Games on Windows and the Xbox 360 Learn what XNA resources are out there and create that next great game

Breakout #3 – Changes in Microsoft Certifications

Is there an MCSE on Windows Server 2008? The new generation of Microsoft certifications is more specific and targeted to reflect the detail of what you do and to prove your expertise to those who need to know. Consisting of three series and four credentials, the new generation of Microsoft certifications provides a simpler and more targeted framework for IT managers to validate core technical skills, professional skills, and architectural skills. It also provides professionals in the IT industry with a more relevant, flexible, and cost-effective way to showcase their skills.

Here's what we'll talk about, probably:

what a technical certification* can do for you--what is the goal?

if that sounds good, then how to choose a certification track that will help you meet your goal

how do you know when you're ready (expected experience level, time/money involved, etc)

preparation options (what you need to know, how to learn it)

the testing experience (registering, during the test, what happens when you're done)

Agenda
• 6:00 – 6:30 Pizza / Social Time
• 6:30 – 6:45 Introduction / Breakout to Sessions
• 6:45 – 8:30 Event: Breakout #1, #2, #3
• 8:30 – 8:45 Q&A / Door Prizes

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Speaker Bio
Ben Smith has been with Microsoft for 3 years working as an Account Technology/Infrastructure Specialist. With fifteen years of experience in the IT Field, his focus has been on designing and supporting enterprise server, storage, database, and management systems. Currently, his focus is helping customers realize benefits of adopting Microsoft’s vision for Infrastructure Optimization and Dynamic Systems Initiative by using Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, the Forefront Security Suite, and System Center Management Solutions.

Bryan Letcher currently works for Berbee and is based here in Indianapolis. He has many years worth of experience with Citrix implementations and is also an active member of the IWUG steering committee.

Jimmy May is a SQL Server Senior Performance Consultant for the Microsoft Application Consulting & Engineering (A.C.E.) team. He has recently been nominated for SQL Ranger training, is collaborating with the SQL Server Customer Advisory Team (SQL CAT) on a series of SQL I/O best practices papers, & has been selected for the Microsoft Oracle Center of Excellence. He is the Visionary-in-Chief of SQL Server Pros & was formerly the Senior Database Architect for a high throughput SQL Server OLTP VLDB. He is a founder & on the executive committees of both the Indiana Windows User Group ( www.iwug.net) & Indianapolis Professional Association for SQL Server ( www.indypass.org). Jimmy lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with his lovely bride, Phyllis, & Fannie May the Wonder Dog.

PRESENTATION SLIDES:

XNA SLIDES: http://iwug.net/files/folders/presentation_slides/entry455.aspx

HOME SERVER : http://iwug.net/files/folders/presentation_slides/entry457.aspx

CERTIFICATION: http://iwug.net/files/folders/presentation_slides/entry456.aspx

April 08 Special Event Desktop Deployment

sumeethevans — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:05:00 GMT

Meeting will be on Wednesday April 16th 2008.

Register Now: http://iwugapr08.eventbrite.com/

Learn about the latest technology innovations that make it easier than ever to deploy the Windows Vista operating system, applications, and drivers to business desktops. The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 (MDT) combines recommended deployment practices and methodologies with the proper tools and technologies you need to achieve scalable, repeatable, and cost-effective desktop software deployments in your organization. This presentation provides an in-depth exploration of MDT 2008, including enhancements for efficient Lite Touch network-based deployment.

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Agenda
• 6:00 – 6:30 Pizza / Social Time
• 6:30 – 6:45 Introduction
• 6:45 – 8:30 Event: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 – Mike Niehaus
• 8:30 – 8:45 Q&A / Door Prizes

Speaker Bio:
Michael Niehaus is a Systems Design Engineer with the Microsoft Core Infrastructure Solutions group, working on the Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment. He specializes in desktop deployment and related technologies, including SMS 2003, the OS Deployment Feature Pack, Windows XP, and Office 2003.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Michael spent 13 years with Marathon Oil Company working on mainframe, database, and LAN-based systems. He oversaw the implementation of Marathon's PC Standardization Project's web-based Software Delivery System.

Message from Microsoft User Research

RoudyBob — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:17:00 GMT

Microsoft User Research is inviting IT professionals to participate in a user research study. We are looking to learn from those who perform IT services for their company; such as routine server maintenance tasks, various levels of troubleshooting, daily server, network or desktop management, and the planning and implementation of technology. We want to meet at your office to learn from you, the experts, so that we can determine what needs to be improved inour software. This gives you the chance to tell us what your needs are and meet with some members of our product team. We highly value your feedback and will be offering you free Microsoft software inappreciation of your time and participation. If this is something that you or others at your company would be interested in, please reply to ms_sitev@microsoft.com at your earliest convenience. We are scheduling site visits to start in mid-April.

CORRECTED 3/19/08 - Windows Server 2008 Demo Extravaganza

RoudyBob — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:39:00 GMT

Sorry About the mix-up but the March meeting will be on Wednesday March 19th 2008.

Register Now: http://iwugmar08.eventbrite.com/

Microsoft’s Jeff Gettis will be presenting on March 19th, 2007 and the topic will be Windows Server 2008. With the product now in Release Candidate mode, we thought IWUG geeks would want to know the latest and greatest about Microsoft’s new server operating system. To keep it interesting, though, Jeff will be delivering the content using what he calls his “Demo Extravaganza” format. What does that mean? Less PPT and more demo!

Directions:
From wherever you are joining us, find Meridian St. (US 31) on the north side - it’s 12 o’clock on the I-465 dial. Go east on 96th St. Parkwood Four is the second entrance on the left if you’re coming from Meridian St. Turn Left into the entrance. At the 4-way stop, turn right. 500 E. 96th St. is the second building on the left. The 1st floor conference room is, well – on the first floor. It’s right next to the MBP Catering café to make it easy to find!

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Agenda
• 5:30 – 6:30 Pizza / Social Time
• 6:30 – 8:30 Windows Server 2008 “Demo Extravaganza”
• 8:30 – 8:45 Q&A / Door Prizes

Speaker Bio
Jeffrey Gettis is a directory and identity technology solution professional for the midwest district, working out of the Microsoft office in Downers Grove, Illinois. Previously, Jeffrey spent a year with Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS). He specializes in infrastructure projects that are seeking to migrate their platforms. Jeffrey has been in IT for more than ten years, managing migrations of both messaging and directory services for Fortune 100 companies. He holds an electrical engineering degree from Illinois Institute of Technology.

1/17/07 - SQL 2008 Overview for IT Admins

RoudyBob — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:40:00 GMT

Register Now: http://iwugjan08.eventbrite.com/

Happy New Year, IWUGers! With all the time off around the holidays, the January meeting has crept up on us so apologies for the late notice! January's meeting is going to be a good one. In just a little while now, Microsoft will be releasing SQL Server 2008 - the latest and greatest edition of SQL Server. As IT Administrators, you probably don't need to know SQL Server inside and out, but you do manage the servers and IT infrastructure that support SQL so perhaps you ought to know a thing or two.

One important note about the location - we're back at Parkwood Four again after trying out the JA. Please make a note of it!

SQL 2008 Introduction

Joe Carver with Microsoft will be joining us this month for the presentation. Here's what he tells us he's planning to cover:

Overview

What's New for IT Admins

Upgrade Paths

Open Q&A

Date:

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Location:
Duke Parkwood Four - 1st Floor Conference Room
500 E. 96th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240

(This is the building where the local Microsoft office is located.)

Directions:
From wherever you are joining us, find Meridian St. (US 31) on the north side - it's 12 o'clock on the I-465 dial. Go east on 96th St. Parkwood Four is the second entrance on the left if you're coming from Meridian St. Turn Left into the entrance. At the 4-way stop, turn right. 500 E. 96th St. is the second building on the left. The 1st floor conference room is, well - on the first floor. It's right next to the MBP Catering café to make it easy to find!

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Agenda

6:00 - 6:30 Pizza
6:30 - 6:45 IWUG Update
6:45 - 8:00 SQL 2008 Presentation
8:00 - 8:15 Q&A
8:15 - 8:30 Door Prizes

Speaker Bio

Joe Carver is an Application Platform Specialist for Microsoft. Joe spends his time working with customers, partners, and technical communities on understanding, leveraging, and building IT solutions on the Microsoft Application Platform - SQL Server, BizTalk, .NET, and the Visual Studio Tools. Joe is in his third year with Microsoft and his 17th year in Information Technology serving in various roles including Sr. Manager of Systems Integration, Application Development Manager, Oracle Developer and DBA, Network Administrator, and Systems Administrator. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Technology from Purdue University and several Microsoft Certifications including; MCSE, MCSD .NET, and MCITP for Database Administration, Database Development, and Business Intelligence Development. Joe resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Cheri, and their two daughters. When not in front of the computer, Joe enjoys golf, basketball, and coaching his daughter's softball teams.

IWUG on CS Techcast

RoudyBob — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:54:00 GMT

IWUG makes an appearance in the "Meet your Local User Group" portion of the latest CS Techcast. Visit http://www.consortioservices.com/podcasts.aspx and check out Episode #4.

CS TechCast is a podcast series released every Wednesday and is hosted by the Consortio Services experts Eric Johnson, Eric Beehler, and Josh Jones. Each week they discuss the latest IT trends, news, and bring you interviews with key members of the IT Community. Frontline information technology professionals should find the information both helpful and relevant to their careers.

10/15/07 - NTFS and AD Presentations

RoudyBob — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:50:00 GMT

Breakout 1 (Active Directory): http://iwugnov1.eventbrite.com/

Breakout 2 (Windows NTFS): http://iwugnov2.eventbrite.com/

It's that time again! November's IWUG meeting is right around the corner and we have another "Geek Double-Header" for you. We'll be discussing two interesting topics: Active Directory Management and Windows File System Internals and Performance. So once you've had your fill of the World Series and your favorite team has either emerged victorious or gone home a loser, join us for the next "can't miss" event. One important note about the location - we're back at Parkwood Four after trying out the JA for the last regular meeting. Please make a note of it!

Active Directory Monitoring and Management using NetPro

Tony Vaccariello will be joining us in November for a great discussion about Active Directory Security & Compliance, Identity & Access as well as Monitoring & Management. He'll be talking about important topics like policy enforcement and remediation, auditing, security reporting, user provisioning and AD troubleshooting and repair.

Windows File System Internals and Performance

Greg Hayes (Microsoft MVP) will be speaking on Windows File Systems and Performance - providing a glimpse into some of the internals of the NTFS file system and how to get the best performance possible.

Date:
Thursday, November 15th, 2007

Location:
Duke Parkwood Four - 1st Floor Conference Room
500 E. 96th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240

(This is the building where the local Microsoft office is located.)

Directions:
From wherever you are joining us, find Meridian St. (US 31) on the north side - it's 12 o'clock on the I-465 dial. Go east on 96th St. Parkwood Four is the second entrance on the left if you're coming from Meridian St. Turn Left into the entrance. At the 4-way stop, turn right. 500 E. 96th St. is the second building on the left. The 1st floor conference room is, well - on the first floor. It's right next to the MBP Catering café to make it easy to find!

Parking:
Parkwood Four has both covered parking (garage behind the building) and outside parking (in front of the building). Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Agenda

6:00 - 6:30 Pizza
6:30 - 6:45 IWUG Update
6:45 - 8:00 Breakout Sessions

#1 - Active Directory Monitoring and Management, Tony Vaccariello
#2 - Windows File Internals and Performance, Greg Hayes

8:00 - 8:15 Q&A
8:15 - 8:30 Door Prizes

Speaker Bios

Tony Vaccariello is based in the Chicago land Area and has over 14 years experience in the Information Technology industry Tony began as a Technical Instructor from there went to Product Support on both Micro and Open systems. MR Vaccariello then moved to Enterprise Management focusing on Event Correlation, User Security, Software Deployment and Asset Management. Mr. Vaccariello has been working for over 7 years focusing on Enterprise Security and Compliance Monitoring relating to networks, systems and applications, also with Healthcare and Financial security regulation review, and administration task automation. Lately Mr. Vaccariello has worked with various public and private organizations.

Greg Hayes has worked in the IT field since 1986, working first as a programmer and then as a Systems Manager for one of the first subscription based on-line services in the world. Greg remembers what it was like to dial up at 300baud with thermal teletype systems and when 2400baud modems were "fast"! Greg has worked for Raxco Software since 1996 - starting out as a systems engineer supporting Raxco's OpenVMS software products, eventually heading up Raxco's Windows Technical Support department. Today, he is the Technical Solutions Manager - which means he gets to do all sorts of fun things. Greg first became a Microsoft MVP in 2003 with an area of expertise in Windows File Systems. Greg is very active and known in the online community - helping to answer questions and solve problems for users of all levels.

Would you trust MS with your health?

kwiz — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:01:00 GMT

It appears the Microsoft wants to get it's hands into the healthcare business. They launched a public beta of HealthVault, which the company claims to be a secure service that allows users to centrally store health documents and information. HealthVault aims to make dealing with complex healthcare easier by putting users in control of entering information from various doctors and making select parts of it available to whoever they choose—including the doctors themselves. This, in turn, is supposed to help guide doctors through a more complete diagnosis with the additional information, as well as prevent conflicting prescriptions.

I would be very skeptical of services like HealthVault and Google Health because they put health records directly in the hands of not-very-trustworthy patients. Patients are historically poor at remembering everything said to them by doctors, while others may not be in the mood to enter everything that exists on their records. Doctors who use the data provided to them by the patient through HealthVault will have to be aware that the information is only as good as the patient's memory and willingness to disclose his or her medical history—it may not contain all necessary info. It could even be flat-out wrong. And as long as patients have such direct write access to their records, something like HealthVault cannot be universally adopted by the healthcare system if it wants to provide complete and accurate services.

The service is still in beta form, so changes like this could still take place before it officially launches. Until then, though, the technology will remain a novelty for many healthcare professionals.

Sharp Business Systems Tech Expo

RoudyBob — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:33:00 GMT

Gary Sobczak, IWUG member, wanted me to pass along that Sharp Business Systems is holding a Technology Expo event at the Colts Football Center on October 17th, 2007. Information for the event can be found in the attached PDF.

Legallly Steal a copy of Office Ultimate

kwiz — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:51:00 GMT

For college students who want Office 2007, but can only afford Ramen Noodles and beer, Microsoft is offering another option: Steal it.

Well, actually Microsoft isn't encouraging piracy. Rather it is launching a promotion, dubbed "Ultimate Steal," in which college students can get the ultra high-end Ultimate edition of Office for the same price as a keg of Natural Light....just $60. Tough decision.

The promotion runs through April 30 and starts Wednesday in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. To be eligible, Microsoft said students have to be "actively enrolled" in a higher education program and have an e-mail address from that school.

"We're listening to students who have told us they need Microsoft Office for their studies and want more flexible ways to get the latest version," Alan Yates, general manager of Worldwide Education at Microsoft, said in a statement. "The Ultimate Steal is the latest in a long history of providing compelling academic offers for students."

Steal This Blog Here!

Now if it only came with free beer and credits for laundry, they would be set!

5th Annual IWUG "September Bash"

RoudyBob — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:15:00 GMT

That's right, folks. We're locked in for September 20th - you didn't think we'd forgotten, did you!? It took awhile to work out the details, but this year's event is going to be held at the IMAX Theater at the Indiana State Museum. If you were lucky enough to join us at our event at the IMAX couple of years ago, we think you'll agree that the group is in for a unique night of festivities.

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION - We're using EventBrite to handle the registrations again this year but adding a little twist to it. To encourage people to register on this site to attend the event, the registration URL is "hidden" in a forum post which requires you to be signed into the site. Visit http://iwug.net/forums/407/ShowThread.aspx#407 to get the link to register for the event. If you aren't a member of the site, use the "Join" link at the top right of this page to do so!

Due to the awesome response and generosity in the last couple of years towards the fundraisers we’ve had for the Red Cross and Riley Hospital for Children, we're going to use this year's event as a fundraiser for the Diabetes Association of America. We're asking everyone that attends to consider making a $5 minimum donation when they check-in the night of the event. A representative from the Diabetes Association will be on-hand to address the group and collect the proceeds – be generous please!

We're limited by the venue to 320 people, so you MUST be sure that you're signed up properly to attend. Don't worry; we'll try to make it easy for you.

Agenda
5:30pm - 6:00pm : Check-in / Networking
6:00pm - 7:00pm : Food / Indiana Pacemates
7:00pm - 7:15pm : Welcome / Diabetes Association Update
7:15pm - 8:30pm : Windows Server 2008 – Jeff Gettis – Microsoft
8:45pm - 9:00pm : Prizes (lots of cool stuff!), Wrap-Up
9:00pm - 9:15pm : Break (Popcorn / Soda)
9:15pm - 10:00pm : IMAX Presentation of Cyberworld 3D

Where: IMAX Theatre at the Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204. Here are directions.

Parking: Parking is *your* responsibility...You can park in the garage attached to the Indiana State Museum (a few $$$) or in any public parking near the IMAX Theatre.

When: September 20th, 2007 -- Check-in begins at 5:30pm

Who: You! Remember that ONLY registered members are permitted. The theatre will only hold 320 people...no exceptions. Thanks in advance for your cooperation...

Food: We are providing light snacks (hot dogs, chips) / soda only. Please make sure you eat dinner before you arrive.

Feature Presentation
Windows Server 2008 Preview - Jeff Gettis, Microsoft Corporation - Jeffrey Gettis is a directory and identity technology solution professional for the midwest district, working out of the Microsoft office in Downers Grove, Illinois. Previously, Jeffrey spent a year with Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS). He specializes in infrastructure projects that are seeking to migrate their platforms. Jeffrey has been in IT for more than ten years, managing migrations of both messaging and directory services for Fortune 100 companies. He holds an electrical engineering degree from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Giveaways
XBOX 360, Zune, Software, Books and a bunch of cool swag!

Door Prizes:

Windows Server 2008 Beta Kits

Windows Server 2008 Component Posters

Windows Server 2008 Stickers
There are enough to go around, so there's no rush -- enjoy the night! Thanks to Microsoft for the fabulous giveaway.

Also for the first 80 attendees that register and show up at the event, we have a full version of OFFICE 2007 PROFESSIONAL(limit 1 per registration).

WooHooo! Vista Performance and Compatibility Patches

kwiz — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:40:00 GMT

Microsoft officially released two new ~~fixes~~ "performance" and "compatibility" packs. They are not available through Windows Update yet, only through the Support site. (KB938979 & KB938194)

KB 938979, aka the "performance and reliability" update addresses poor memory management performance (I want my memory back!). Also fixed is the nasty problem installing printers when User Account Control is disabled as well as the ever-so-annoying networking flaw that would strike TCP/IP dead after a computer wakes from hibernation. The best part is a fix for the "estimated time remaining" taking FOREVER to calculate when transfering large files.

KB 938194, also known as the "compatibility and reliability" update, should probably be called the "now you can play games with your computer" update. It purports to address a handful of gaming-related problems, including compatibility issues with NVIDIA's G80 series of cards. The lame printer spooling bug that was afflicting many of you has also been addressed.

And as always, read the KB entries and Vista forums before installing just to see what to expect.

Not allowed to run Vista on top of Linux?

kwiz — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:31:00 GMT

Microsoft will not allow Windows Vista or Windows XP to be virtualized on top of Linux, Sam Ramji, the director of Microsoft's open-source software lab, said at the annual LinuxWorld Conference and Expo Aug. 7.

Now they tell me!.... Some better let VMware know!

Story Here

Yet 1 more reason why I dislike Apple

kwiz — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:46:00 GMT

Oh! You want to touch and feel the iPhone? That'll be $5! Whould you like to see the new iPod? $5!!.

And the Apple elitist are happily paying it..

Store Cover Charge

Thats it for now. I gotta go eat an apple.

07/19/2007 Event - Geek Fest Double Header!

RoudyBob — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:16:00 GMT

REGISTRATION OPEN AT: http://iwugjuly.eventbrite.com

What's geekier than attending a typical IWUG monthly meeting where we cover a cool new technology? How about attending an IWUG meeting where we cover TWO technologies! This month, we're trying out a new idea (and a new location!) which is to provide two topics from which you can choose the one that matters most to you. Double your pleasure, double your fun! Though unless you have figured out how to circumvent the laws of space and time, you will have to choose one - you won't be allowed to attend both!

And we'll be trying out a new location this month - the Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education center which is located near 75th and Keystone. This is a great, state-of-the-art facility with on-site catering and lots of seating and top-notch audio/video. We really think this new facility is going to give us an opportunity to provide a better location for you all to geek out every other month. Let us know what you think!

Breakout #1 - What's New in Windows Vista
You've seen all the magazine articles, read the reviews and perhaps you've even tried it out yourself by loading on your PC. But if you do happen to live under a rock and haven't had a chance to discover what's new and exciting in the latest version of Microsoft Windows, this session will provide that for you. Presented by Bryan Letcher, Berbee Information Systems, this breakout will provide an overview of some of the new features of Vista and how you to take advantage of them and get the most out of the upgrade.

Breakout #2 - System Center Operations Manager 2007
System Center Operations Manager 2007 is the end-to-end service management solution that is the best choice for Windows because it works seamlessly with Microsoft software and applications helping you increase efficiency while enabling greater control of your IT environment. The new version has tons of new features and capabilities. Presented by Lynn Lunik, IT Pro Secure Corporation (ITPS), this breakout will drill-down into System Center Operations Manager 2007 and help you understand what's been added and what's improved over previous versions.

Date:
Thursday, July 19th, 2007

Location:
Gene B. Glick Junior Achievement Education Center
7435 North Keystone Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240-3247

Directions:
Click here for directions (via Google Maps) to the new location!

Parking:
The Junior Achievement Education Center has plenty of on-site parking. Parking is free.

Snacks and Refreshments:
Join us at 6:00PM for pizza and soda, courtesy of Microsoft! Get there on time to enjoy your fair share!

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 PM - Networking/Pizza/Soda
6:30 - 6:45 PM - IWUG Update
6:45 - 8:15 PM - Microsoft Windows Vista / System Center Operations Manager 2007
8:15 - 8:30 PM - Wrap-Up, Door Prizes

Speakers:
Bryan currently works for Berbee and is based here in Indianapolis. He has many years worth of experience with Citrix implementations and is also an active member of the IWUG steering committee.

Mr. Lynn Lunik, Founder of IT Pro Secure Corporation (ITPS), has over 20 years of Information Technology experience. Prior to ITPS, Lynn worked as a Senior Consultant for Microsoft Consulting Services, and a Platform Strategy Advisor for Microsoft Corporation, as a Principal Consultant for a Microsoft Gold Certified Security Partner, and as an Executive Director of Information Technology for an International Medical Equipment and Services organization.

MSFT IT Professional Survey

RoudyBob — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:09:00 GMT

Culminis has contacted our user group asking for input on how the Microsoft Windows Client team can better support us as IT Professionals. They would like you to complete the short survey at http://survey.culminis.com/takeSurvey.asp?surveyID=14 no later than June 26th. PLEASE INCLUDE OUR GROUP NAME AS IWUG.

If we have 10 or more completed surveys, we will be eligible to win an Xbox 360. This is a great opportunity to tell Microsoft what you really think regarding the desktop and deployment, so I would encourage you to take part.

-Bob