Month: February 2010

Microsoft Ireland Partner Event: Virtualisation & Management

This is a follow on from my post earlier today on the 2010 Microsoft Ireland Partner event.  This post will focus on the virtualisation track.

Ronan Geraghty (owner of the Server business in Ireland, former DPE) introduces the session.  Wilbour Craddock (partner technical sales) takes over to talk about Windows Server 2008 R2.

The story for Windows Server 2008 R2 is:

  • Streamlined management
  • Robust web platform
  • “Better Together” with Windows 7
  • Virtualisation with Hyper-V

It’s an evolution of Windows Server 2008, not an entirely new operating system.  However, there is a lot more stuff in there.  Read the stuff on that link; it’ll save me typing a bunch of stuff.

The key to the MS platform is System Center. OpsMgr for fault/performance/audit collection, VMM for virtualisation, DPM for backup and ConfigMgr for deployment, auditing and reporting.  Service Desk will be a complete helpdesk solution implementing MOF/ITIL.

Liam Cronin (Compete Lead) takes over to talk about the compete message.  MS Ireland is big on competing with VMware.

VMware

Strategy:

  • 100% of Fortune 100 and 96% of Fortune 1000
  • Win the desktop through VDI
  • Win the cloud

Evolution:

  • Rich virtualisation portfolio
  • Acquiring a lot of technology through company take over

Partners:

  • 700+ tech partners
  • 65% of partner revenue through OEM’s
  • Rich virtual appliance market

MS Differentiators

  • MS is a platform company.  VMware is a product company, not a platform one.
  • MS is competitive with Windows Server 2008 R2 – claims by Liam that MS is ahead on features … I’m as pro Hyper-V as it gets and I disagree.  MS has the core stuff and it works excellently but does not have the same set of features as VMware.
  • MS is more cost effective
  • Management & security (very true)

Why pay a “vTax” to VMware when virtualisation is built into Windows?

Objection Handling

Made a commitment to VMware already: Don’t need to rip/replace.  You can use System Center to manage, maybe use Hyper-V for newer stuff.  The virtualisation platform isn’t as important as the management of it.

4 questions to ask VMware customers:

  • Why does VMware have a mandatory support contract that doesn’t include upgrades?
  • Why do they have to pay more money for VMotion?  Live Migration is in the free Hyper-V Server 2008 R2.
  • How does VMware provide management for operating systems and applications running on their hypervisor?
  • Ask VMware what their virtualised desktop solution is for roaming or remote users who are disconnected.

Citrix V-Alliance

Matthew Brenchley – Strategic Alliances Manager from the UK.

Citrix has 21 years of partnership with Microsoft. 

Essentials For Hyper-V

OK – I want a Citrix person to say exactly what this is.  I have yet to see a clear explanation.  Where is the comic book store guy when you need him …. oh … “Worst Marketing Ever”.  We get the pitch on VDI and how Citrix can work on the MS platform.  Not much meat on these bones; the trend continues unfortunately.  I guess I’ll have to wait until PubForum to hear technical information on the Citrix side of things.

Over to marketing person, Karen Reilly.  This is a pitch for recruiting members into the V-Alliance.  Focus appears to be on desktop virtualisation.  Lead generation support and POC funding.  I’m glad I have guest wifi access.  Seriously, VDI is an expensive model and is a very niche solution.

Afterwards

I chat with Will and he tells me what Citrix Essentials is about.  (a) It allows block level and de-duplicated replication of VM’s between sites.  You can use different storage systems that don’t have replication engines and you do not need dark fibre – unlike controller based replication systems (b) It provides a lab/development deployment solution where the MS solution is purely developer driven in Visual Studio 2010.

More Than Half Of People Prefer To Buy PC’s In Shops

I just read this on Silicon Republic.  53% prefer the ability to ask questions and the ability to return a product without messing with couriers.  I understand this.  I’m wary of buying a PC online because features I value are not listed, e.g. can I enable DEP and CPU assisted virtualisation in the BIOS?  As I mentioned earlier, retail PC sales grew by 10% rather than shrunk.  Online sales suffer due to an inability to interact and the mess associated with returns and support.

VMware Takes A Shot At Azure

I just read this (part of a larger article) on VMware in the cloud:

Jackson also took the opportunity to get in a dig about Microsoft‘s Azure cloud computing initiative.

Microsoft is painting a beautiful picture about cloud computing, but according to its own internal documents is not using its own Hyper-V virtualization platform because it cannot easily pool CPU, memory, and networking resources, Jackson said.

“Azure represents a one-way ticket to a desert island,” he said.

Microsoft Ireland Partner Community Expert Event

I’m attending this day long event and will try to blog as I go along.

Morning Introduction

Conor Whickam, Partner Manager at Microsoft Ireland, opens the day to introduce the agenda.  This is meant to be an interactive session.  I was a bold boy at one of these this time last year so I’m shutting up.  I can hear sighs of relief.

Paul Rellis

Paul Rellis, the GM of Microsoft Ireland takes over with a keynote.  The theme is Microsoft = Productivity.  I guess this is a Business Intelligence year.  He starts talking about a famous human cannon ball called Armando?  The ringmaster was asked why he wasn’t replaced after he died.  It’s because he could find a person of the right calibre.  *Boom Boom*  MS invests in their people and “in their partners”.  MS wants partners to invest in their own staff as MS develops their staff.

The message about Azure/BPOS comes out.  Your two options are to install on premise or to install on Azure.  It’s a partner event but the hosting partners have already been had their ankles slashed.  MS needs to rethink that message.  Plenty of hosters are already pushing Linux more than Windows.  MS jacks up SPLA licensing costs (going up this year, at the end of each annual contract) while competing with their partners with aggressive sales.  CentOS and LAMP will continue to dominate the online market.

State of the Irish Market

Richard Moore now takes over to talk about the state of the Irish Market.  The opportunities include upgrade projects and end of life projects.

On the PC side:

  • 2010 will continue to see a decline until the second half of the year.  The low will be at 2005 levels.
  • Retail is continuing to take market share, growing by 10%
  • Up to 10% of national PC sales will be through the National Educational PC deal
  • Netbooks have not been as successful as predicted.  That’s because notebooks and netbooks do not have a great price differential.  However Telco’s may offer them at discount prices in combination with mobile broadband contracts.

Servers:

  • Sales down from 40,000 to 30,000
  • IDC predicts another decline in 2010.  This may level out in 2011.
  • A spike in sales (to Dell, not HP!) in 2009 was caused by the MS data centre.

Software:

  • 2009 saw a massive slowdown with 4% drop.
  • 2010 predicting a .7% increase.
  • 2011 expected to be around 3.4%

The overall levels are back to 2005 numbers.  2010 will see small decrease or a levelling out.

New opportunities

  • Exchange 2010, Office 2010, SharePoint 2010
  • Server: upgrades and low end (continuing to sell)
  • Cloud computing

Exchange:

  • Lots of old deployments still out there.  70% of E2003 or older.
  • E2010 “offers cost savings” and productivity improvements.
  • Easier to support and maintain.
  • Access anywhere is a mature solution.
  • €15m in upgrade business out there.

Office 2010:

 

Current installation figures are:

  • Office 2007 (and Office 2010 Beta/RC) is at 30.1% of the Irish market
  • Office 2003 at 29.4%
  • Office 2000 is at 12.0%
  • Office XP 23.3%
  • Office 2000: 12%
  • Office 95/97: 1.4%
  • Other MS Office 1.2%
  • Non-MS products: 1.6%

Office and SharePoint go hand in hand and drive each others sales.

Server opportunities:

  • Windows 2000 end of life on July 13th
  • Virtualisation with Hyper-V very attractive

Server 2008 R2 Foundation:

The Irish market is dominated by small companies.  Server 2008 R2 Foundation would appear to fit in.  However, I don’t know about the fit.  The Irish SME is very happy with SBS.  EBS has been a flop here.

We now get the pitch on Forefront and how it is a future investment for partners.  Again, the Irish SME is stuck in yellow-box land.

Windows 7 Plans: 41% will be running Windows 7 by end of 2011

Now we get the BPOS talk.  See my previous posts on the Patriot Act.  Many are using BPOS as a complimentary add-on to their onsite installation.  For example, some users will use online service, IM will be used, etc.

He reckons there is a niche market for SAM (software asset management).  This is related to auditing and licensing compliance.  You’ll be as popular as a taxation auditor with IT on the customer site but you might make some money.

Partner Sales + Strategy

Karl O’Leary (Partner Sales) and Colin Cassidy (Partner Strategy and Program) now take over.

Colin says that their forecasts are usually pretty accurate.  Again, I’m asking that MS Ireland takes over running the country.  Paul Rellis does more for Irish business than our glorious leader, Brian Cowen.  And anyone who can crunch numbers anyway accurately is better than the Department of Finance. 

Some boring stuff now.  Taking a breather.

MS focusing on virtualisation and Exchange this year when it comes to the partner campaigns:

When you talk about Exchange leads to a conversation about the desktop.  That’s Office 2010.  That leads to Windows 7 and IE8.  Exchange will run on Server 2008/2008 R2.  It might be virtualised and that leads to Hyper-V.  This all needs security: ForeFront.  ForeFront is developed hand-in-hand with Exchange.  Then System Center is used to manage everything.  Don’t stop there.  Push productivity: Then you have Unified Communications (OCS) and SharePoint.  When you do OCS/Exchange then you talk about mobility, e.g. Smart Phones running Windows Mobile.  BTW, there’s something happening with Ballmer next week. 

MS Ireland going after VMware compete business with everything they have.  There is a pincer movement including HP and Dell.  Partners can choose the Bush principle: “You’re either with us or against us”.

4,000 Exchange upgrades are out there in Ireland now.  176,000 XP installations with support ending.  14,583 Windows 2000 installations with support ending.  That’s business to be had.

Partners Presenting

Gerry Kerr from CDsoft, Hyper-V and UC are their things.  Scott from Nitech are an infrastructure/dev partner working in BI.  A dude, Frasier, from Ergo as well.  They are field engineers who also say they do BI.  Oh boy, flashbacks of an awful part of the TechEd 2010 keynote.  I’m watching the doors to see if people are leaving … oh there we go 🙂

Gerry says something that I’ve been saying for over a year.  Hyper-V wins against VMware when you sell System Center, not virtualisation.  It’s the manageability that wins.

Louise Connaughton, EMEA Partner Support Group

Some stuff about what services you get as a partner.  That led into a coffee break which was sorely needed.

The Office / SharePoint Launch Wave

The 3 pillars of the combined solution are:

  • Best user experience: desktop, VDI, terminal services, phone, etc.  Office will also be online.  You can “round trip” between online Office and on-site office with document fidelity.
  • IT Choice: on site or online
  • Business Platform: Office, SharePoint, Dynamics, SQL, partners like Siebel and SAP

MS claims the ribbon is responsible for users using 4 times more features in Office 2007 than they did in 2003.  The ribbon is fully deployed in Office 2010.

2010 Launch

  • Partner readiness day (sales and marketing)
  • Partner IT road show in Dublin, Belfast, Shannon and Cork – similar to the Windows 7/Server 2008 R2/Exchange 2010 launch tour
  • A v-Launch

2010 PR:

  • nWOW microsite release
  • eBook with production quality video

Patrick Herlihy Demo

Patrick is the Exchange/BI techie in MS Ireland partner sales.  He’s now doing a demo of XP/Office 2003 VS Windows 7/Office 2010.

Barry McMahon

Barry (a MS sales person – Application Platform Lead) now talks about SharePoint’s role in BI.  Excel is the most valuable client application – agreed. I worked in a company where over 50% of business data was in spreadsheets.

Three contexts of BI

  • Organisational BI: Built and maintained by IT, for use by the company
  • Team BI: Built by the team, for the team
  • Personal BI: Built by me, for use by me (Excel lives here)

Excel (PowerPivot) with SQL enables and empowers that last one.  It’s made easier by PowerPivot.  Now you have an application. (you can add something called a Slicer to allow data selectivity).  That application can be published to SharePoint.  Here’s where your MIS department will pull their hair out, worried about application/data accuracy.

Here’s the pitch for WPC10 July 11-15th in Washington DC.  MS wants your money.

Lunch

They broke us up into 4 groups for lunch so 4 different MS teams could come in to do Q&A sessions.  The first one was funny; I was a bold boy last year and we joked about it a bit.  I skipped the last one; the speaker’s voice goes through me like a rusty blade.

The rest of the day is being broken into different tracks.  I was going to skip the virtualisation track – there’s nothing I can learn about the MS line.  However, they have Citrix in and I’d like to learn what they’re up to.  Spoke to some person during the week from Citrix.  She wanted to hear my opinion on their message.  It’s now my stock answer: “Too much marketing; just tell me what the damned thing does because neither your site nor your presentations do”.  So here I am sat waiting for the virtualisation session.

I will do those sessions as different posts.

Publish Internet Explorer From XP Mode

Do you want to use an older version of IE on Windows 7?  You cannot install an older version natively; you have to use IE8.  Compatibility mode may fix most things but there’s possibly that LOB application that won’t play nice.  You can do things like get the app vendors to update it (maybe they are gone, maybe it takes too long, or will cost too much).  You can run an older generation OS on Terminal Services. 

However, a tidy way to do it is to use XP Mode and use the older versions of IE that will run on XP.  The shortcut can be published to the Windows 7 start menu to make it easy to use for the end user.  We showed this and explained this scenario in some of the Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 launch events in Ireland.  I put it together at the last second in the Dublin events as one of the speakers talked about the scenario … yeah we were that “seat of the pants” and we reacted to questions being asked.  Flexibility rules.

Ben Armstrong (product manager AKA the Virtual PC Guy) blogged how to do this.  It is very easy.

Operations Manager 2007 R2 Cross Platforms Cumulative Update 2

Microsoft released an update for OpsMgr 2007 R2 cross platform extensions last night. 

The System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Cross Platform Cumulative Update 2 includes System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Cross Platform Agent Update (KB973583) and additional bug fixes.

This updated release includes all features that were in the previous update release (KB973583) and additional fixes in this release:

Adds support for (in previous release – KB973583):

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (both 32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Zones (Whole and Sparse Zones) for all supported version of Solaris

There are a number of fixes included, all available to read on the MS download page.

More On American Owned Data Centres & The Patriot Act

This one was spurred by something I just saw on the news.  The US government is planning to extend the Patriot Act.  And here’s the funny bit: it’s been stuck in as part of a jobs bill.  It doesn’t matter what party or ideology is in power over there, they want that power.

As I have stated previously, the Patriot Act allows the US government access to data in any USA owned data centre, no matter what country it is in.  So lines from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc regarding data centres being in Ireland or the Netherlands are pretty pointless.  The Patriot Act will override Safe Harbour so that means you will not be compliant with the EU Patriot Act.

I’m not the only person to highlight this.  Far from it:

There’s lots more.  Let me remind you, it’s not just the location of the data centre, hosting company and SaaS application.  It is also the nationality of the owner.  American companies are subject to the Patriot Act no matter where they build their services.  Amazon data centres in Ireland must comply with the Patriot Act.  Microsoft owned data centres in the Netherlands must comply with the Patriot Act.

Those online services may be find for pushing non-sensitive information around, e.g. YouTube style sites.  But putting data about European citizens onto them is contravening the Data Protection Act.

And if you think the Patriot Act is bad then you should see what both the Democrats and the Republicans have been working on.  The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 gives unbelievable powers to the USA President and uncontrolled access to the Department of Commerce.

“The Secretary of Commerce— shall have access to all relevant data concerning (critical infrastructure) networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access…

In other words, the bill would give the Commerce Department absolute, non-emergency access to “all relevant data” without any privacy safeguards like standards or judicial review”.

That means the department that runs business will have free access to business data from foreign businesses.  And governments have never done anything untoward with that sort of power before …. France/Bull, and rumours about Russia and China allegedly being involved.

The only truly safe approach is to subscribe to services that are local owned and locally located.  Don’t play dumb.  Don’t hope that everything is OK.  You are probably liable if you do not perform due diligence.  For example, do you want to be sued by your customers because your company subscribed to a SaaS CRM system that is located in a data centre that is not compliant with the EU data protection laws?  Forget the protests from that CRM SaaS company.  They may be cutting corners but you cannot afford to.

Remote Desktop Session Hosting Sizing

Microsoft has published a guide on Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Session Hosting capacity planning. Remote Desktop Session Hosting, what the hell is that?  That’s the new name for Terminal Services.  Yes, the naming department struck again and now IT Pro terminology has a bigger carbon footprint than cows or airplanes.

“The Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) role service lets multiple concurrent users run Windows-based applications on a remote computer running Windows Server 2008 R2. This white paper is intended as a guide for capacity planning of RD Session Host in Windows Server 2008 R2. It describes the most relevant factors that influence the capacity of a given deployment, methodologies to evaluate capacity for specific deployments, and a set of experimental results for different combinations of usage scenarios and hardware configurations”.

Automatically Protect New VM’s on DPM 2010 and On Secondary Server

Microsoft has published some scripts via a blog to accomplish two things when backing up VM’s at the host level:

  1. Detect when new VM’s are created and back them up.
  2. Also replicate those backups to a secondary DPM server when using DPM2DPM4DR
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