Category: Events

Webcast Recording: Deploying Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2

This morning I spoke at my first Microsoft Springboard STEP event.  The subject was “Deploying Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2” and featured WAIK/WSIM, Windows Deployment Services (WDS) and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010.  We had a nice turn out and apart from my XP VM acting a bit funny at the end, all went well.  It was very much a demo, demo, demo session.

I recorded the webcast.  You can see the entire thing, unedited, right here.  It will be available for 365 days from now.

Thanks again to the folks at Microsoft Ireland for organising the venue and for helping to spread the word and thanks too to all who came along or tuned in live.

My Demo Environment For Next Friday

Here’s the demonstration setup I’ll be using for the deployment session I’m presenting on Friday.  I’ll be talking about Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 deployment.  The technologies covered are WAIK, WDS and MDT 2010.

The demo machine is a Dell Latitude 6500.  It normally boots Windows 7 but I have attached an eSATA 7.2K 250GB hard drive.  That gives me decent speed on external storage; it’s also storage you can install Windows on to.  I boot the laptop up from that drive.  On there is Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V enabled.

On the parent partition is VMM 2008 R2 which I use to deploy new machines from templates stored in the library.  I’ve also installed Office 2007 so I can run PowerPoint and Office LiveMeeting 2007 so I can run the webcast.  I run LiveMeeting with the entire desktop shared and use a Polycom room microphone to pick up sound.  If I’m at a podium then I like to get up and walk a little bit.  I’ll also be using my laser pointer/clicker; it’s a decent sized thing – I don’t like little fiddly clickers.

There’s 5 demo VM’s configured.  I have a domain controller running W2008 R2 with AD, DNS and DHCP enabled and configured.  There is a deployment server running W2008 R2 with WDS enabled configured.  I’ve also installed WAIK and MDT 2010, both partially configured.  Some of the demos take too long for the session so I have some stuff pre-done.  There’s an XP SP3 VM, a blank VM and a Windows 7 VM.  The blank VM will be used to show the 3 types of deployment that I’ll be demonstrating, maybe even 4 given the time.  The Windows 7 VM is there in case I have time to demonstrate capturing an image.

All VM’s have a snapshot of their demo ready state.  I’ve defragged the disk to make the most of its speed.  When I run the session I’ll be sharing the entire desktop and expanding each VM to full screen (it appears like an RDP session).  This is because I’ll be plugged into a projector with a 1024*768 resolution and I need to be aware that viewers of the webcast will not be able to deal with huge resolutions.  I’m not RDP’ing into VM’s because a lot of the time I’m working with machines when there is no RDP available, e.g. BIOS, setup, etc.

And here’s a little something for Technorati: ZYRDJGJYCDG8

Irish Windows 7 and W2008 R2 Community Launch Videos

Microsoft Ireland has posted the video of the Dublin community launch of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Exchange 2010.  I was lucky enough to be a part of the presentations, talking about the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit for Windows 7, the Application Compatibility Toolkit and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010.  This was a demo intensive session and well worth checking out if you couldn’t make it on the day.  I’m in the “Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 Story Part I” video.

MS Ireland Featuring In “The Apprentice”

Those of you outside of Ireland are probably familiar with a TV show called The Apprentice.  In the USA it featured Donald Trump.  In the UK it featured Alan Sugar.  The idea is that the featured executive is seeking a new employee.  12+ candidates are brought in, split into two teams each week and given a task.  The losing team faces a boardroom where one of them is fired.  Eventually 1 person is left and they get a job with the featured executive’s company.

In Ireland, the star is Bill Cullen.  He’s a self made man who went from selling fruit/veg in Dublin, buying/selling the Renault business in Ireland (and making an absolute fortune in doing so), etc.  It’s fair to say he does OK.  They’re in the second series now.  I think it’s fair to say that Cullen is dealing with vegetables once again in his life based on what we’ve seen in the show so far, with 1 possible exception.  They’re down to 5 candidates now.  This series has been interesting because the tasks have been quite real.  Each week an Irish based company is features and the teams are either trying to invent, market or sell something for those companies.  Off the back of this you see major publicity, e.g. Samsung Jet or The Big Red Book.

Next week … well we got a mail this morning: 

“Watch the Apprentice show on TV3 next Monday, November 23rd at 10pm to see the two teams, Cúchulainn (pr. Ku-Kullen, a mythical Irish warrior) and Platinum, battle it out on a task set by Microsoft.

The team efforts culminate in a gripping boardroom scene with the contestants trying to avoid being fired and remaining in with a chance of securing the job of a lifetime with Bill Cullen.

All will be revealed next week after the show…..

Regards,

Microsoft Small Business Team”

I had heard about this and I know a little bit more but I’m not saying anything.  All I know is I can’t wait to see how the candidates mess this one up.  They’ll be dealing with complex technology that I’m sure will be quite alien to them.  Those in Ireland will also be able to watch this on the TV3 website after the original broadcast.

Event: Deploying Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Here’s the details of the latest Irish Windows User Group event:

IT Pro’s the world over were asked what they wanted to learn about first when it came to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The overwhelming majority of respondents wanted to learn more about planning, application compatibility and OS deployment. This session will focus on the tools to deploy the newest generation of Windows using tools like the Windows Automated Installation Kit, Windows Deployment Services and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.

There will be a small bit of PowerPoint to explain the concepts but much like the recent community launch events, the focus of this session will be on demonstrations. You will see and learn how to do everything from scratch. The launch events allowed us time to show the results – we want to show you how to get there by yourself.

The speaker will be Aidan Finn, Systems and Infrastructure Manager at C Infinity, leader of the Irish Windows User Group, Microsoft Springboard STEP member and virtualisation MVP.

The topics covered by this session are:

  • Planning a deployment
  • Using the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkits
  • Application Compatibility: Application Compatibility Toolkit, MED-V and XP Mode
  • Using Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) to create an unattended installation
  • Setting up and using Windows Deployment Services to capture and deploy an image
  • Installing and configuring Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to capture and deploy an image

Where and When?

The event will be on December 4th at Microsoft Building 1 (EDC) in Leopardstown. Zoom out on the map and browse a bit to the south east.

Registration is at 09:00 GMT. The event will start at 09:30 and will end at 12:00.

In Person Registration

To attend in person you must register for this event to attend due to the security requirements at the Microsoft buildings.

PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER IF YOU ARE NOT PHYSICALLY ATTENDING THE EVENT.

Webcast

PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER IF YOU ARE NOT PHYSICALLY ATTENDING THE EVENT.

We will be performing a simultaneous live webcast of the event. Please download and install the LiveMeeting Client in advance. The web client will not support audio. The event will be available at this link when registration starts.

About The Speaker

Aidan Finn has been working in IT since 1996. He has worked as a consultant and administrator for the likes of Amdahl DMR, Fujitsu, Barclays and Hypo Real Estate Bank International where he dealt with large and complex IT infrastructures. More recently Aidan has been working in the server hosting and outsourcing industry in Ireland where he has focused on server management, including a large VMware VI3 deployment. Currently he is working for C Infinity, an outsourcing services company in Ireland, where he is the Systems and Infrastructure Manager. Here he has been working with Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center as part of an advanced server deployment and management infrastructure. Aidan is the leader of the Windows User Group in Ireland. Aidan is also a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) on virtualisation and is an active blogger. Recently, Aidan was selected to be a member of the Microsoft Springboard STEP program to help promote Windows 7 and Windows Server 20008 R2 in the community. This will include working at the Springboard stand at TechEd EMEA in Berlin in November 2009. When Aidan isn’t at work he’s out and about with camera in hand trying to be a photographer.

Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Launch Events Complete – AKA the 7 Stone Tour

I’ve just arrived home and had lunch after an exhausting week, doing the MS Ireland community launch events for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in Belfast and Dublin.

On Monday I met up with Dave Northey in Microsoft, parked my car and picked up our demo kit.  Dave drove us up to Belfast where we dropped off the gear in the BMC college.  We then checked into the Hilton hotel.

The Hilton is overrated.  The only edible food is the double paté beef burger.  That seems to be a common theme in all hotels these days.  I’d have gone for a salad but prawn Ceaser salads don’t do it for me (or anyone?).  Hence the title: “The 7 Stone Tour”: I reckon each of us put on a stone of weight in this tour.  The Hilton also charges £15 for wired only Internet (no wireless) per 24 hours.  That’s €20 in Dublin.  And what is it with hotels being (a) way too hot, (b) only having thick heavy duvets on the beds making it impossible to sleep and (c) not having a single light to illuminate the room like any normal room?  There’s a dozen light switches to turn on or off at night and in the morning.

We were in early to set up for a student only event where Wilbour Craddock (MS) did a mixture of Windows 7 and and home session.  Once the prizes came out the kids started asking questions.  It was pizza for lunch followed by our business launch event.  That seemed to go well.  The MS guys had set up the server infrastructure in a test room and accessed it via VPN.  That simplified the move and setup.  My deployment lab is a simple setup now.  In the evening (after a trip to Subway) we had the IT @ home event by Wilbour.  That was very interactive and I got involved a little when deployment questions came up.  We left the gear in a secure room for the night to collect it in the morning.

Back at the hotel bar we had a few drinks and discussed the feedback forms.  I felt drained.  The room we did the events in was very hot with no fresh air.  That came up in the feedback.  25% of the forms complained about the acoustics.  I’d agree with that: there was a bad echo that the speakers couldn’t overcome.  And the screens were also a bit low.

On Wednesday we collected the gear and returned south to Dublin where we would be using a room provided by DIT Kevin Street.  Myself and Dave enlisted the help of the student volunteers to get stuff moved onto the stage.  This room looked good.  Big stage and good acoustics.  It allowed for 350 seats too.  We were set up in no time.  The AV company set up two HUGE screens nice and high up.  Back at the hotel we discussed ideas.  One of them was to use a webcam during Will’s “touch” demo to show his hands on the screen of his laptop manipulating the demo application.

IMG_2661

An early start for us in the college for the student event on Thursday.  Lots of interaction – it mainly became a Q&A session with some of the kids really impressing the MS folks.  The afternoon session kicked off.

There was a huge amount of moaning and complaining on boards.ie about tickets for these events.  Usually at a tech event there is about 50% of registrants who don’t turn up.  With a launch that’s lower and a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate should lower it again.  MS overbooked the room to allow for people not turning up.  Only 265 people turned up out of around 430 confirmed registrants.  The room had 350 seats.  Nuff said.

The afternoon session went fairly well.  We were being recorded on video cameras for this one.  The AV guys did an awesome job.  Everything was slick.  The demo’s went well.  We celebrated by having dinner in Eddie Rockets … chilli dogs and chilli fries do a stomach good after a week of eating burgers 🙂

The evening “at home” session was weird.  One moany guy dominated proceedings, complaining that there aren’t enough number keys on his keyboard and not understanding that you can’t plug 3G gaming graphics cards into a virtual machine.  Dumb ass!  By the end of this session we were all entirely shattered.  14 hours on the go can really drain you.  We had one very quiet drink in the hotel bar before slinking back to our rooms.

Friday morning was a stripped down business launch session with just myself, Dave and Will.  We had 2 hours to do what needed 2 and a half hours.  A good number of the registrants turned up which was great.  This session was added to deal with the demand for the previous day’s business session.  Apart from one little Internet issue this was our best session by far.  We didn’t have a coffee break and it just flowed.  Everything fell into place nicely and we didn’t miss anything.  We managed to wrap up on time.  We then had 30 minutes to clear the venue because the college had another event on.  40 minutes later I was back in MS picking up my car and on the way back to the house.

I’m totally exhausted now.  I’ve done a few bits of work and send some mails that had to be sent.  Hopefully those of you who were there over the last few weeks enjoyed the sessions and learned something useful.  I enjoyed demo-ing MAP, the application compatibility toolkit, XP Mode, Microsoft Security Essentials, BitLocker-To-Go and MDT 2010 to deploy and operating system.  Thanks to the folks in MS for allowing me to join in on the tour and thanks to those of you who came along!