(1696,44,'2009-11-16 09:28:15','2009-11-16 14:28:15','VMware Fault Tolerance keeps two virtual machines running in parallel to provide application high-availability.  If the primary VM fails the secondary copy can seamlessly continue processing the workload. The workload transfer from primary to secondary occurs transparently with no impact to end-users.\n\nVMware FT does this by capturing all inputs to the primary VM and forwarding them to the secondary VM. One issue to watch out for is that disk read-intensive workloads have the ability to generate massive amounts of network traffic between the ESX hosts running the primary and secondary copies of an FT pair.  For example, a virtual machine doing disk reads at a 80MB/sec generates at least 80 x 8 = 640Mb/sec of logging traffic.\n\n To reduce the logging traffic on the network it\'s possible to configure the secondary VM to perform disk reads directly from the shared disk, eliminating the need to copy this data over the network.  VMware has documented how to do this in the KB artical <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1011965\">here</a>.','REDUCING NETWORK TRAFFIC FOR READ-INTENSIVE FT WORKLOADS','','publish','open','open','','reducing-network-traffic-for-read-intensive-ft-workloads','','','2009-11-16 09:28:15','2009-11-16 14:28:15','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1696',0,'post','',0),(1704,12,'2009-11-17 08:24:47','2009-11-17 13:24:47','While setting up a new ESXi host this past weekend, I ran into an issue where having the etherchannel up with multiple interfaces connected kept bringing my vSphere Client connectivity to the host down. I\'ve seen and resolved this in the past by simply changing the vSwitch with the connected NICs to use the load balancing algorithm of &quot;Route based on IP hash&quot;.\n\nFrom everything I\'ve seen/read, this is required when using etherchannel to dynamically balance the load, aggregate the bandwidth, and provide link failover/redundancy at the physical switch.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThe issue I had this weekend, however, was slightly different. After I set the load balancing to use &quot;Route based on IP hash&quot; on the vSwitch the issue persisted. Long story short, for whatever reason ESXi had the Management Port Group on the vSwitch set to override the load balancing settings configured on the vSwitch-- by default, new Port Groups inherit the settings configured on the vSwitch, not override them. So after spending some time troubleshooting, the resolution was unchecking some checkboxes (in order to use the vSwitch settings).','ESXi 4 & ETHERCHANNEL','','publish','open','open','','esxi-4-etherchannel','','','2009-11-17 08:24:47','2009-11-17 13:24:47','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1704',0,'post','',7),(1707,8,'2009-11-19 11:35:08','2009-11-19 16:35:08','When defining consistency groups in RecoverPoint the compression setting is used to define how much data you want to compress before transferring to your offsite storage. If you have a slow WAN link then it is recommended that you use use a better compression setting on the slider bar. However, this puts a good bit of load on the processor of the RecoverPoint Applicance (RPA). Make sure that you don\'t overwhelm the appliance\'s ability to transfer the data.\n\nFor your initial transfer of data it is recommended that you configure the setting for best performance. The assumption would be to put the slider bar setting to 10 (to the far right.) However, EMC recommends using a setting of  8 instead of 10 for \"OPTIMAL\" performance.\n\nFor more information about what RecoverPoint can do for you, give eGroup a call.\n\nYou can also visit: http://www.emc.com/products/family/recoverpoint-family.htm','EMC RecoverPoint Compression - \"Optimal\" Performance','','publish','open','open','','emc-recoverpoint-compression-optimal-performance','','','2009-11-19 11:35:08','2009-11-19 16:35:08','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1707',0,'post','',0),(1715,12,'2009-11-19 16:18:22','2009-11-19 21:18:22','<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Exchange 2010, which came out of Release Candidate only a few weeks ago, no longer has the single instance storage we\'ve come to know and love for ages. But to help compensate for the additional space required without SIS, the Exchange team compresses the database, as described below.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--more--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 7pt; color: black;\" lang=\"EN\">&quot; </span> <span style=\"color: black;\" lang=\"EN\">In Exchange 2010, the store schema has changed so that all data in a mailbox have stored-in tables close to each other in the database. Actually, each mailbox has its own folder, message header, body, and its own view table. So, the concept of single instance storage no longer exists when it comes to Exchange databases. A side effect of removing SIS from Exchange was that a database was bloated by approximately 20%. Exchange PG found a solution to this by compressing the databases (more specifically message headers and text/HTML bodies). By giving each mailbox its own set of tables, most I/Os performed against a DB are now mostly sequential I/Os.&quot;</span></p>','EXCHANGE 2010 - SINGLE INSTANCE STORAGE (GONE)','','publish','open','open','','exchange-2010-single-instance-storage-gone','','','2009-11-19 16:18:22','2009-11-19 21:18:22','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1715',0,'post','',0),(1719,44,'2009-11-20 10:21:01','2009-11-20 15:21:01','Yesterday (November 19th) VMware released vSphere 4 Update 1 for ESX and vCenter:\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_esx40_u1_rel_notes.html\">VMware ESX 4/4i Update 1</a>\n<ul>\n	<li>Required for View v4</li>\n	<li>Official Win7 and WS08r2 Support</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_vc40_u1_rel_notes.html\">VMware vCenter 4 Update 1</a>\n<ul>\n	<li>Required for View4</li>\n	<li>More DB2 support</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\nClick the links above to view the release notes for each product.\n\nThe Update 1 release notes for ESX and vCenter each contain 38 bux fixes.  These are in addition to those contained in the three previous patch bundles for ESX 4. The VMtools installed inside each guest OS will need to be upgraded after installing ESX 4 Update 1.','VMWARE RELEASES VSPHERE 4 UPDATE 1 FOR ESX AND VCENTER','','publish','open','open','','vmware-releases-vsphere-4-update-1-for-esx-and-vcenter','','','2009-11-20 10:21:01','2009-11-20 15:21:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1719',0,'post','',0),(1725,5,'2009-11-20 14:51:17','2009-11-20 19:51:17','<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">VMware has made a significant change that when used in conjunction with the latest intel (Nehalem) </span><strong><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">or AMD (Istanbul)</span></strong><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color: #1f497d; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"> CPU can take a one vCPU VM performance to a new height.</span>\n\n <span style=\"font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; color: red; font-size: 11pt;\"><a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/performance/2009/09/comparing-performance-of-1vcpu-nehalem-vm-with-2vcpu-harpertown-vm.html\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http://blogs.vmware.com/performance/2009/09/comparing-performance-of-1vcpu-nehalem-vm-with-2vcpu-harpertown-vm.html</span></a></span>','ESX4 WITH INTEL NEHALEM AND AMD ISTSANBUL PROCESSORS','','publish','open','open','','esx4-with-intel-nehalem-and-amd-istsanbul-processors','','','2009-11-20 14:51:17','2009-11-20 19:51:17','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1725',0,'post','',0),(1728,5,'2009-11-20 14:52:16','2009-11-20 19:52:16','<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"> In ESX 4, many improvements have been introduced in CPU scheduler. This includes further relaxed co-scheduling, lower lock-contention, and multi-core aware load balancing. Co-scheduling overhead has been further reduced by the accurate measurement of the co-scheduling skew, and by allowing more scheduling choices. Lower lock-contention is achieved by replacing scheduler cell-lock with finer-grained locks. By eliminating the scheduler-cell, a virtual machine can get higher aggregated cache capacity and memory bandwidth. Lastly, multi-core aware load balancing achieves high CPU utilization while minimizing the cost of migrations.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"> </p>\n\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><!--more-->\nExperimental results show that the ESX 4 CPU scheduler faithfully allocates CPU resource as specified by users. While maintaining the benefit of a proportional-share algorithm, the improvements in co-scheduling and load-balancing algorithms are shown to benefit performance. Compared to ESX 3.5, ESX 4 significantly improves performance in both lightly loaded and heavily loaded systems.\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"> </p>','CPU SCHEDULING IN vSPHERE 4','','publish','open','open','','cpu-scheduling-in-vsphere-4','','','2009-11-20 14:52:16','2009-11-20 19:52:16','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1728',0,'post','',0),(1732,44,'2009-11-24 09:29:32','2009-11-24 14:29:32','Microsoft has opened public beta releases of Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Microsoft Project 2010, and Microsoft Visio 2010.  This is an important milestone as it provides system administrators with an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience before the products are released to manufacture later in the first half of calendar year 2010. \n\nYou can join the beta test for any of these products on Microsoft\'s web site <a href=\"https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40124112\">here</a>.\n\nIf you have been testing Windows 7 for possible deployment in your environment, now is a great time to consider upgrading to Office 2010 as well.  While you are at it, take a look at VMware View 4 or Citrix XenDesktop running on vSphere 4.  Deploying your next new corporate desktop OS and applications on virtual desktops running in the datacenter is a non-disruptive way to roll out the latest technologies to your end-users without the need to upgrade or replace your corporate desktops.','MICROSOFT OFFICE 2010 BETA IS NOW AVAILABLE','','publish','open','open','','microsoft-office-2010-beta-is-now-available','','','2009-11-24 09:29:32','2009-11-24 14:29:32','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1732',0,'post','',2),(1737,8,'2009-11-30 10:41:57','2009-11-30 15:41:57','Microsoft has made Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2010 BETA release available mid this month. Stay tuned for feedback and reviews of the new SharePoint Server version as we get it set up in the coming weeks.\n\nSharePoint BETA Link: <a href=\"http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/ee388573.aspx\">http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/ee388573.aspx</a>','MICROSOFT SHAREPOINT SERVER 2010 BETA RELEASED','','publish','open','open','','microsoft-sharepoint-server-2010-beta-released','','','2009-11-30 10:41:57','2009-11-30 15:41:57','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1737',0,'post','',0),(1740,12,'2009-11-30 14:42:11','2009-11-30 19:42:11','<table class=\"table-formatted-vborders\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"primary-header\">\n<th class=\"th-content-left\"></th>\n<th class=\"th-content-center\">Cisco ISR</th>\n<th class=\"th-content-center\">Cisco ISR G2</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">WAN Performance</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Up to 45 Mbps with services</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Up to 150 Mbps with services</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Network Processor</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Single</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Multicore with future expandability</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Service Module Performance and Capacity</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">1X and 160GB storage</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Up to 7X with dual core and 1TB storage</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Onboard DSPs</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Voice only</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Voice and video-ready DSPs</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Switch Modules</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Fast Ethernet with Power over Ethernet (PoE); 			    based on Catalyst 3750</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Fast Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet with POE+ 			    Based on Catalyst 3560E/2950</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">IOS Image</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Multiple images</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Single universal IOS image</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Services Delivery</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Hardware-coupled</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Services on demand</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Redundancy</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Single motherboard</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">Field-upgradeable motherboard</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td-content-left\" valign=\"top\">Energy Efficiency</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">EnergyWise</td>\n<td class=\"td-content-center\" valign=\"top\">EnergyWise with slot based controls</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody></table>','Cisco ISR vs ISR G2','','publish','open','open','','cisco-isr-vs-isr-g2','','','2009-11-30 14:42:11','2009-11-30 19:42:11','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1740',0,'post','',0),(1744,44,'2009-12-01 09:34:25','2009-12-01 14:34:25','VMware has released a warning that upgrading from ESX 4.0 to 4.0 Update 1 on HP Proliant systems that run the HP Insight Management Agents can fail or time out and leave the host in an unusable state.\n\nThe full text of the relevant VMware KB article can be accessed <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1016070\">here</a>.','ESX 4.0 UPDATE 1 ALERT ON HP SERVERS','','publish','open','open','','esx-40-update-1-alert-on-hp-servers','','','2009-12-01 09:34:25','2009-12-01 14:34:25','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1744',0,'post','',0),(1747,44,'2009-12-02 11:33:31','2009-12-02 16:33:31','Installing VMware vSphere 4 vCenter on a 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2 is not a VMware-supported configuration yet, but it can be made to work. Scott Lowe at TechReplublic has an excellent article that discusses the issues and work-arounds <a href=\"http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/datacenter/?p=1791&amp;tag=content;rightCol\">here</a>.','INSTALLING VSPHERE VCENTER ON WINDOWS SERVER 2008 R2','','publish','open','open','','installing-vsphere-vcenter-on-windows-server-2008-r2','','','2009-12-02 11:33:31','2009-12-02 16:33:31','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1747',0,'post','',1),(1752,8,'2009-12-03 14:25:08','2009-12-03 19:25:08','I really like the \"new familar\" setup to MOSS 2010.  Users whe are familiar with MOSS 2007 will see the typical installer and farm configuration wizard.  Where it changes is when you first log into Central Administration.  Microsoft has made the initial setup more streamlined to get the basic stuff that every install needs set up but also allows you to skip the setup wizard and dive right in.  I like this for two reasons, the first being that there aren\'t several pages to navigate to clear out the \"farm configuration\" alerts that are unnecessary to admins who have configured MOSS before.  The second is that it doesn\'t force you to go through the wizard.  Allowing for both types of users to be satisfied.\n\nOne of the features I am most excited about diving into is the built in Business Intelligence components.  Now that Performance Point Server 2010  is not a stand alone product but  \"built-in\" to MOSS Enterprise.  It should bring a lot of visualization tools to the end user and help bring some great KPIs and Dashboarding tools without needing extra products.\n\nKeep coming back as we dig further into the Business Intelligence features and the configuration side of MOSS 2010.','MICROSOFT OFFICE SHAREPOINT SERVER 2010 BETA INSTALLATION AND FEATURE NOTES','','publish','open','open','','microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2010-beta-installation-and-feature-notes','','','2009-12-03 14:25:08','2009-12-03 19:25:08','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1752',0,'post','',0),(1759,8,'2009-12-04 16:34:06','2009-12-04 21:34:06','Intel made a really interesting announcement regarding the future of \"Cloud Computing.\"\n\nReference the link below for more detail.\n\nhttp://insidetech.monster.com/news/articles/6650-intel-announces-48-core-single-chip-cloud-computer?utm_source=nlet&amp;utm_content=it_c1_20091204_GIFT','Intel Announces 48-Core \"Single-Chip Cloud Computer\"','','publish','open','open','','intel-announces-48-core-single-chip-cloud-computer','','','2009-12-04 16:34:06','2009-12-04 21:34:06','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1759',0,'post','',0),(1762,2,'2009-12-07 16:46:54','2009-12-07 21:46:54','<p style=\"text-align: left;\">eGroup &amp; EMC Present a Lunch Seminar on \"Backup with Data Deduplication Strategies.\" </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The data protection landscape is shifting.  Hear from industry experts on how to dedupe everything without changing anything, how to never backup the same data twice, which deduplication solution is right for you...and much more!</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Thursday, December 10, 2009</p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. (w/ lunch)\nDianne\'s on Devine\n2400 Devine Street\nColumbia, South Carolina 29205\n803.254.3535\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Click <a href=\"http://egroupemcdedupeevent.eventbrite.com/\">HERE</a> to register!</p>','eGROUP + EMC PRESENT A LUNCH SEMINAR: \"BACKUP WITH DATA DEDUPLICATION STRATEGIES\" ','','publish','open','open','','egroup-emc-present-a-lunch-seminar-backup-with-data-deduplication-strategies','','','2009-12-07 16:46:54','2009-12-07 21:46:54','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1762',0,'post','',0),(1782,6,'2009-12-14 12:05:17','2009-12-14 17:05:17','If you have Blackberry Storm, then you should have heard about the software updates for the phone by now. Be sure to keep your phone up to date on the latest software code available. If you are like me then you have an original Storm which was running on the 4 code. Recently upgrading to the latest version 5 code really made a huge difference in the overall performance. The look and feel are basically the same, but some great new updates are in place, which make using the phone easier and quicker.  I highly recommend this upgrade.\n\nBe sure to backup important content on your phone first.\n\nFor update information on the Blackberry Storm, go <a href=\"http://worldwide.blackberry.com/update/blackberrystorm.jsp\">HERE</a>.','KEEP YOUR BLACKBERRY STORM RUNNING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WITH LATEST UPDATES','','publish','open','open','','blackberry-storm','','','2009-12-14 12:05:17','2009-12-14 17:05:17','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1782',0,'post','',0),(1714,12,'2009-12-14 19:56:58','2009-12-15 00:56:58','Without a paid license, you can no longer add a virtual hard disk to a running virtual machine on ESXi 4.0.\n\nYou are prompted with an error message about not having the &quot;licensed feature&quot;-- after doing some research online, there are some who believe it\'s a bug, but others who point out that &quot;Hot Plug&quot; now requires a license, and works while running the 60 day feature-rich evaluation.\n\nDefinitely something to be aware of if you plan on running standalone ESXi servers in your environment-- caused me some grief when trying to get an Exchange server up and running.','\"FREE\" ESXi 4.0 - ADDING VIRTUAL HARD DISKS','','publish','open','open','','free-esxi-40-adding-virtual-hard-disks','','','2009-12-14 19:56:58','2009-12-15 00:56:58','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1714',0,'post','',0),(1786,12,'2009-12-14 20:04:31','2009-12-15 01:04:31','As of early this month, there are now more users running Windows 7 than all versions of Mac OS X combined-- and it only took a little more than a month! After having worked with Windows 7 extensively in its early beta/RC days, I have to admit I\'ve become a fan.\n\nAnd while I have nothing against Mac, it\'s clear where the market is (and continues to go)-- Windows 7 came in over 5%, slightly ahead of OS X. The Proud Penguins (Linux users) came in at 1%-- but always worth mentioning!','Windows 7 - SMOKIN\' BY Mac OS X','','publish','open','open','','windows-7-smokin-by-mac-os-x','','','2009-12-14 20:04:31','2009-12-15 01:04:31','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1786',0,'post','',2),(1789,6,'2009-12-16 12:23:46','2009-12-16 17:23:46','If you run across any program called Antivirus Live, stop what you are doing. You have run across some malware. This should be removed as quickly as possible. Here\'s how:\n\n<!--more-->\n\nReboot, and press F8. Choose Safe Mode with Networking.\nOnce you are in the desktop, open Internet Explorer to confirm you can get out to the internet. You should be able to, but in the event you cannot, go to IE Properties, Connections, LAN Settings, and uncheck the option to use a Proxy. Now you should be able to access the internet. \n\nGo to malwarebytes.org and download the latest client. Update the client and perform a full scan. Once the scan completes, remove the selected items. Reboot and scan again. You might need to turn off Windows System restore as precautionary measure to flush out any items in the saved location. Log back in regularly now and you should be all set.\n','MALWARE ALERT: HOW TO REMOVE ANTIVIRUS LIVE','','publish','open','open','','malware-alert-how-to-remove-antivirus-live','','','2009-12-16 12:23:46','2009-12-16 17:23:46','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1789',0,'post','',2),(1793,8,'2009-12-17 10:00:26','2009-12-17 15:00:26','This problem occurs when a file ID for data in the FRS database does not match the file ID for the data in the update sequence number (USN) journal database.\n\nTo workaround this issue... Restore the sysvol data from another domain controller that can replicate files to the one that cannot.  This can be achieved by.\n\nIt is a good idea to back up the following folders before performing this action.\n	<li><var>%SystemRoot%</var>SYSVOLDomainPolicies</li>\n	<li><var>%SystemRoot%</var>SYSVOLDomainScripts</li>\n<ol>\n	<li>Open the command prompt with elevated access</li>\n	<li>Type:  net stop ntfrs</li>\n	<li>Open Regedit.exe</li>\n	<li>Modify the key <strong>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesNtFrsParametersBackup/RestoreProcess at Startup/</strong>BurFlags</li>\n	<li>Type D2 in the value box and save/</li>\n	<li>Type: net start ntfrs</li>\n</ol>','THE FILE REPLICATION SERVICE IS UNABLE TO ADD THIS COMPUTER TO THE THE FOLLOWING REPLICA SET: \"DOMAIN SYSTEM VOLUME (SYSVOL SHARE)\"','','publish','open','open','','the-file-replication-service-is-unable-to-add-this-computer-to-the-the-following-replica-set-domain-system-volume-sysvol-share','','','2009-12-17 10:00:26','2009-12-17 15:00:26','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1793',0,'post','',0),(1795,12,'2009-12-23 14:26:36','2009-12-23 19:26:36','For those of you who have been using the Cisco AnyConnect client but have recently upgraded to Windows 7, make sure you\'ve got the right AnyConnect client on your ASA.\n\nStraight from the release notes:\n\n<span class=\"content\">\n<p class=\"pB1_Body1\">AnyConnect Client 2.4 runs on the following new platforms:</p>\n\n<a name=\"wp1033411\"></a>\n<p class=\"pBu1_Bullet1\">•<img src=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/i/templates/blank.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"19\" height=\"2\" /> Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit).</p>\n\n<a name=\"wp1033412\"></a>\n<p class=\"pBu1_Bullet1\">•<img src=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/i/templates/blank.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"19\" height=\"2\" /> Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.6.1 (both 32-bit and 64-bit).</p>\n<p class=\"pBu1_Bullet1\">There are also some other items in the release notes to be aware of-- including requirements for a CLEAN install when upgrading from previous Operating Systems. The Release Notes can be found <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/vpn_client/anyconnect/anyconnect24/release/notes/anyconnect24rn.html#wp1043507\" target=\"_blank\">here</a></p>\n<p class=\"pBu1_Bullet1\"></p>\n\n</span>','Cisco ANYCONNECT CLIENT - 2.4 FOR Windows 7 SUPPORT!','','publish','open','open','','cisco-anyconnect-client-24-for-windows-7-support','','','2009-12-23 14:26:36','2009-12-23 19:26:36','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1795',0,'post','',0),(1802,11,'2009-12-30 17:08:05','2009-12-30 22:08:05','Anyone out there thinking about purchasing any of the suite of products offered from Vizioncore?   Be sure to check out the vEssentials Bundle, which allows a significantly discounted rate on any 3 of their 6 products, for a large savings over what it would cost to buy them individually. <!--more--> Vizioncore offers six products: vRanger Pro, vReplicator, vCharter, vOptimizer Pro, vControl, and vConverter, each of which retail at up to$499 per CPU.  But, when purchasing any 3 of these together, you get them for $899 per CPU!  Follow this link to Vizioncore\'s website for more inforamtion on the individual product features - <a href=\"http://www.vizioncore.com/products/vEssentials/\">http://www.vizioncore.com/products/vEssentials/</a>','vESSENTIALS BUNDLE FROM VIZIONCORE','','publish','open','open','','vessentials-bundle-from-vizioncore','','','2009-12-30 17:08:05','2009-12-30 22:08:05','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1802',0,'post','',1),(1798,9,'2009-12-31 11:02:56','2009-12-31 16:02:56','As companies move to Windows 7, they will be faced with many challenges. Utilizing Vmware View with ThinApp will ease the migration and mitigate many of these issues.\nVMware View and ThinApp allow companies to:\n<ul>\n	<li>Eliminate costly application porting and reduce regression testing</li>\n	<li>Reduce conflicts and support calls with the application isolation and portability of VMware ThinApp, an integral part of VMware View</li>\n	<li>Perform Windows 7 migrations across systems without having to reboot</li>\n	<li>Migrate existing applications to Windows 7 by copying application files rather than installing them for faster deployment</li>\n	<li>Update a master desktop image without affecting user settings, data, or application</li>\n	<li>Extend the life of your application and hardware to maximize and protect your investment</li>\n</ul>\nUsing VMware desktop virtualization, you will also gain the following benefits:\n<ul>\n	<li>Run a single image of the Windows 7 OS across your virtual environment on a variety of hardware types</li>\n	<li>Maintain user productivity by enabling Windows 7 migration across many systems without rebooting</li>\n	<li>Reduce management costs and power consumption by encapsulating older systems and running them in a more efficient, server-based environment</li>\n	<li>Ensure application compatibility on all endpoint devices</li>\n</ul>\nRead more ....\n\n<a href=\"http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/Default.aspx?TabId=85&amp;sid=0181fddaabf172e258126317daac91e8&amp;svpage=product_view\">http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/Default.aspx?TabId=85&amp;sid=0181fddaabf172e258126317daac91e8&amp;svpage=product_view</a>','VIRTUALIZE WINDOWS 7 WITH VMware VIEW AND ThinApp FOR EASIER DEPLOYMENT','','publish','open','open','','virtualize-windows-7-with-vmware-view-and-thinapp-for-easier-deployment','','','2009-12-31 11:02:56','2009-12-31 16:02:56','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1798',0,'post','',0),(1797,8,'2009-12-31 16:09:17','2009-12-31 21:09:17','Calling SQL Server Reporting Services Packages (SSRS) reports in SQL Server Integration Services packages (SSIS) can be tricky.  Especially when parameters are involved.  Most people have created sql jobs to run reports but the tracking of these associations and their cryptic names when you have a large amount of reports can be time consuming and almost impossible.  Below is a way in which you can accomplish about any report call withing a script task.  You can specify where to send the output for further report processing as well.  Any Questions... use the comments.<!--more-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\">Imports</span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> System</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\">Imports</span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> System.Data</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\">Imports</span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> System.Math</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\">Imports</span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\">Public</span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Class</span> ScriptMain</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">    <span style=\"color: blue;\">Public</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Sub</span> Main()</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        SaveFile(<span style=\"color: maroon;\">\"<a href=\"http://localhost/ReportServer?%2fparameterTestReport%2ftest1&amp;rs:Command=Render&amp;rs:Format=PDF&amp;testparam=xxxxxxx\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http://servername/ReportServer?%2fparameterTestReport%2ftest1&amp;rs:Command=Render&amp;rs:Format=PDF&amp;testparam=xxxxxxx</span></a>\"</span>, <span style=\"color: maroon;\">\"<a href=\"//\\outputservpath\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">\\outputservpath</span></a>andfilename\"</span>)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        Dts.TaskResult = Dts.Results.Success</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">    <span style=\"color: blue;\">End</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Sub</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">    <span style=\"color: blue;\">Protected</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Sub</span> SaveFile(<span style=\"color: blue;\">ByVal</span> url <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">String</span>, <span style=\"color: blue;\">ByVal</span> localpath <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">String</span>)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Dim</span> loRequest <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> System.Net.HttpWebRequest</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Dim</span> loResponse <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> System.Net.HttpWebResponse</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Dim</span> loResponseStream <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> System.IO.Stream</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Dim</span> loFileStream <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">New</span> System.IO.FileStream(localpath, System.IO.FileMode.Create, System.IO.FileAccess.Write)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Dim</span> laBytes(256) <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Byte</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Dim</span> liCount <span style=\"color: blue;\">As</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Integer</span> = 1</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loRequest = <span style=\"color: blue;\">CType</span>(System.Net.WebRequest.Create(url), System.Net.HttpWebRequest)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loRequest.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loRequest.ImpersonationLevel = Security.Principal.TokenImpersonationLevel.Delegation</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loRequest.Timeout = 1000 * 60 * 15 <span style=\"color: green;\">\'15 minute timeout... you may need to increase for some large reports.</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loRequest.Method = <span style=\"color: maroon;\">\"GET\"</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loResponse = <span style=\"color: blue;\">CType</span>(loRequest.GetResponse, System.Net.HttpWebResponse)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loResponseStream = loResponse.GetResponseStream</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Do</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">While</span> liCount &gt; 0</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">            liCount = loResponseStream.Read(laBytes, 0, 256)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">            loFileStream.Write(laBytes, 0, liCount)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        <span style=\"color: blue;\">Loop</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loFileStream.Flush()</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        loFileStream.Close()</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">        System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000)</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\">    <span style=\"color: blue;\">End</span> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Sub</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\"> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: blue; font-size: 10pt;\">End</span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; font-size: 10pt;\"> <span style=\"color: blue;\">Class</span></span></p>','CALLING SSRS REPORTS WITH PARAMETERS IN SSIS PACKAGES','','publish','open','open','','calling-ssrs-reports-with-parameters-in-ssis-packages','','','2009-12-31 16:09:17','2009-12-31 21:09:17','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1797',0,'post','',2),(1812,8,'2009-12-31 16:12:39','2009-12-31 21:12:39','In a follow up to my previous post about how to use a sript task in SSIS to call SSRS reports.  Here is a way to quickly identify what SQL Job is associated with a certain report.\n\nSELECT     [ReportServer].dbo.Catalog.Name, [ReportServer].dbo.Schedule.ScheduleID, [ReportServer].dbo.Schedule.StartDate\nFROM         [ReportServer].dbo.Catalog INNER JOIN\n                      [ReportServer].dbo.ReportSchedule ON [ReportServer].dbo.Catalog.ItemID = [ReportServer].dbo.ReportSchedule.ReportID INNER JOIN\n                      [ReportServer].dbo.Schedule ON [ReportServer].dbo.ReportSchedule.ScheduleID = [ReportServer].dbo.Schedule.ScheduleID\nWHERE Catalog.Name like \'%\'+ db_Name()+\'%\'\nORDER BY Catalog.Name\n\nJust run this query against the database that contains the subscription and all of the reports in that db will be listed with their GUIDS. ','Retrieve SSRS Subscription GUIDS from the SQL database','','publish','open','open','','retrieve-ssrs-subscription-guids-from-the-sql-database','','','2009-12-31 16:12:39','2009-12-31 21:12:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1812',0,'post','',1),(1815,8,'2009-12-31 17:06:59','2009-12-31 22:06:59','If you are getting errors with your .Net applications due to application trust level while accessing a remote file share then the answer is simple. You can configure a custom code group to manage the trust level for that share within a given zone.<!--more-->\n\nStart Mscorcfg.msc.\n\nExpand the Runtime Security Policy node, the Machine node, the Code Groups node, and the All_Code node, and then highlight the LocalIntranet_Zone node.\n\nIn the right pane, click Add a Child Code Group.\n\nChoose Create a new code group, enter a name for the code group, and then click Next.\n\nChoose a condition type of URL, and enter the UNC path to the share location of your project, using the format file://\\servernamesharename* where \\servernamesharename is the name of the share. Click Next.\n\nCheck out <a href=\"http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bs2bkwxc(VS.80).aspx\">http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bs2bkwxc(VS.80).aspx</a> for full instructions.','CODE ACCESS SECURITY:  SETTING UP A CUSTOM ZONE FOR A FILE SHARE','','publish','open','open','','code-access-security-setting-up-a-custom-zone-for-a-file-share','','','2009-12-31 17:06:59','2009-12-31 22:06:59','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1815',0,'post','',0),(1817,12,'2010-01-05 10:41:01','2010-01-05 15:41:01','If you\'ve ever dealt with the error message above, you know how much of a pain in the neck it can be. Well, if you\'re using ESET NOD-32 as your antivirus, and it\'s either version 2 or 4 (not 3 for some reason), there are known issues now in the Cisco TAC database. For a simple work around, try the following (this was done on NOD32 version 4):\n\n<!--    [if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE              MicrosoftInternetExplorer4              &lt;![endif]--><!--    [if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"text-indent: -0.25in;\"><!--    [if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"><span>1.<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--    [endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\">From within the NOD-32 main settings page-- Antivirus and Spyware </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> Protocol Filtering </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> SSL </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> &quot;Always scan SSL protocol&quot; </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"><!--    [if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"><span>a.<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--    [endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\">This is a temporary setting, which makes step 2 “un-grayed out”</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"text-indent: -0.25in;\"><!--    [if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"><span>2.<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--    [endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\">Next, you go to Web Access Protection </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> HTTP/HTTPS </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> Change to &quot;Do Not Use HTTPS Protocol Checking&quot; </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"><!--    [if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"><span>a.<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--    [endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\">This option is grayed out if you do not enable SSL protocol scanning as described in step 1</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"text-indent: -0.25in;\"><!--    [if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"><span>3.<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--    [endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\">Last, go back to Antivirus and Spyware </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> Protocol Filtering </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> SSL </span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings; color: #c00000;\">à</span> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #c00000;\"> &quot;DO NOT SCAN SSL PROTOCOL&quot;</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"text-indent: -0.25in;\"></p>\n\nThis solved a nagging issue for a customer, and hopefully can save you some time in troubleshooting!','Cisco AnyConnect CLIENT v2.4 - \"UNABLE TO ESTABLISH VPN\"','','publish','open','open','','cisco-anyconnect-client-v24-unable-to-establish-vpn','','','2010-01-05 10:41:01','2010-01-05 15:41:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1817',0,'post','',0),(1821,8,'2010-01-05 13:48:44','2010-01-05 18:48:44','I ran into this issue at a customer site that even though I had set the vCenter service to be dependent upon the database service before starting, it still would not start because the SQL database wasn\'t ready to accept inboud connections via ODBC.\n\nIt was necessary to introduce a delay before the vCenter service tried to start.\n\nI wish I could take credit for figuring this out but I will give credit where credit is due. I had to modify the script slightly but the essence is the same.\n\nFrom:   <a href=\"http://www.notes2self.info/2009/06/vmware-virtualcenter-service-not.html\">http://www.notes2self.info/2009/06/vmware-virtualcenter-service-not.html</a>\n\nFriday, 26 June 2009\nVMware VirtualCenter service not starting on reboot\n\nIt seems that once VC fails with event ID 1000 it won\'t try to restart. So restart delay is ignored.\n\nAdd a SQL server dependency to the vpxd service.\n\nIn the registry subkey:\n\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServices/vpxd\n\nI modified the existing value of DependOnService which was \"ProtectedStorage lanmanworkstation\"\n\nto become: \"ProtectedStorage lanmanworkstation MSSQL$SQLEXP_VIM\"\n\n(where MSSQL@SQLEXP_VIM is the instance of my VirtualCenter SQL Server service)\n\nif this still doesn\'t work then:\n\n1. Create a .bat file with following script:\n\nnet start MSSQL$SQLEXP_VIM\nping 127.0.0.1 -n 30 -w 1000 &gt; null\nnet start vpxd\n\n<strong><em>netstart vctomcat  &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;  I added this part to the script.  This starts the web based managment services. (RB)</em></strong>\n\n2. Set script to run on boot. For 2003 systems:\n* Open the local computer policy (Start &gt; Run and type in gpedit.msc and press Enter)\n* Expand Computer ConfigurationWindows SettingsScripts\n* In the right-hand pane, double-click Startup and add your script.\n3. Set SQL and VC services to manual startup.\n\nAnd reboot the server.','Virtual Center Server Still Not Starting on Reboot Even With Dependency','','publish','open','open','','virtual-center-server-still-not-starting-on-reboot-even-with-dependency','','','2010-01-05 13:48:44','2010-01-05 18:48:44','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1821',0,'post','',4),(1827,6,'2010-01-05 14:21:36','2010-01-05 19:21:36','If you ever need to create a scheduled task to automate a server reboot, then please follow these steps and you\'ll be on your way.\n\n<!--more-->\n\n1. Go to C:Windowssystem32 and create a new text file called <strong>srvshut</strong>\n2. Open the text file and insert the following: \n\n<strong>shutdown -r -f -t 0 -c \"Automated Server Shutdown\"</strong>\n\n3. Save the file and close\n4. Rename the file and change the extension from .txt to .cmd (file should be <strong>srvshut.cmd</strong> at this point)\n5. Next go into control panel and start the scheduled task wizard picking out the settings you like (be sure to input the frequency and administrator password you be using)\n\nOnce complete be sure to review, the next time it will run. Monitor it and you should see the server reboot right on schedule.\n\n','HOW TO CREATE AN AUTOMATED SERVER REBOOT SCHEDULD TASK','','publish','open','open','','how-to-create-an-automated-server-reboot-scheduld-task','','','2010-01-05 14:21:36','2010-01-05 19:21:36','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1827',0,'post','',0),(1830,8,'2010-01-06 12:40:23','2010-01-06 17:40:23','Ran into this issue recently and thought I would post a solution to it.   When attemption to reset IIS on a web server the following error can occur.  The simple way to solve this is to run the command <strong>regsvr32 iisrstap.dll </strong>at the command prompt to re-register IIS.\n\nRun IISRESET and you should be good to go!','IISRESET INTERFACE NOT SUPPORTED/REGISTERED','','publish','open','open','','iisreset-interface-not-supportedregistered','','','2010-01-06 12:40:23','2010-01-06 17:40:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1830',0,'post','',2),(1833,6,'2010-01-06 14:36:30','2010-01-06 19:36:30','If you ever run across the following error in Group Policy Management:\r\n\r\n<strong>An error occurred while generating report:\r\nAn unknown error occurred while the HTML report was being created.</strong>\r\n\r\nThe follow these steps to fix it.\r\n\r\n1. Open the Group Policy Management\r\n2. Go to the Group Policy Object in question, and confirm you have the issue by selecting the \"Settings\" tab\r\n3. At this point, if you have the issue, the left hand side should read the above mention error\r\n4. Edit the GPO, and browse to User Configuration &gt; Windows Settings &gt; Internet Explorer Maintenance &gt; Security &gt; Security Zones and Content Ratings\r\n5. Change the setting from \"Import the current security zones and privacy settings\" to \"Do not customize security zones and privacy\", then exit out of the GPO editor\r\n6. Close Group Policy Management MMC, then reopen it\r\n7. Go back to the GPO in question and click the \"Settings\" tab\r\n\r\nThis time your GPO Settings Report should run properly.','GROUP POLICY MANAGEMENT ERROR &amp; HOW TO FIX IT','','publish','open','open','','group-policy-management-error-how-to-fix-it','','','2011-12-15 18:45:48','2011-12-15 18:45:48','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1833',0,'post','',3),(1835,6,'2010-01-06 16:45:39','2010-01-06 21:45:39','Ran into a real fun problem today where we needed to upgrade the flash player to the latest version on our Citrix Farm. Installed Adobe Flash Player on both servers, and tested it out. Worked fine. When our users (non-admins) logged in they ran into issues with the activeX installer popping up, after clicking install - no progress was made, page would not load flash correctly. One would think to edit Group Policy and allow activeX, but in this case the answer resides elsewhere.\n\nHere\'s the fix:\n\n<!--more-->\n\nCourtesy of <a href=\"http://www.brianmadden.com\">Brian Madden</a>.\n\n1. Open regedit\n2. Go [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTTypeLib{D27CDB6B-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000}] and right-click, change the permission to Read for \"Everyone\"\n3. Go [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000} and right-click, change the permission to Read for \"Everyone\"\n\nNote: In Brian Madden\'s <a href=\"http://www.brianmadden.com/forums/t/12471.aspx\">forum</a>, Simon refers to the CLSID entry [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{D27CDB6B-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000}] but this was not present on my server. In any event, if you find yourself up against the same issue browse the registry, start in the \"D27\" section of the above mentioned areas, and be sure to look on the right-hand side. When you see \"Shockwave Flash Object\", that\'s it. Change the permission to read.\n\nNow ask you users to logout and back in. They should be able to access their flash enabled websites now with no issues.\n','ADOBE FLASH PLAYER NOT WORKING ON CITRIX SERVER FOR NON ADMINISTRATORS','','publish','open','open','','adobe-flash-player-not-working-on-citrix-server-for-non-administrators','','','2010-01-06 16:45:39','2010-01-06 21:45:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1835',0,'post','',0),(1846,2,'2010-01-07 11:14:36','2010-01-07 16:14:36','NEW IN 2010...eGroup presents a monthly \"Coffee Break\" webinar series!\n\nWe will be teaming up with our technology partners to deliver content rich sessions on the hottest and most current topics and technologies in the market today. These partners will include VMware, Cisco, EMC, Citrix, Vizioncore, Fat Pipe--as well as many others.\n\nOn Thursday, January 14th, we are teaming up with David Lapadula from EMC to kick things off and are excited to present:\n\n\"Deduplication Technologies and Products: High Level Overview and Strategy\"\n\nThe format each month will be a casual \"Coffee Break\" session lasting approximately 30 minutes, and will occur the second Thursday of each month at 9 A.M.\n\nGoing forward, only those who \"opt in\" to this series by registering below will receive further communication regarding the upcoming topics each month. After you register, please click the \"Add to my Outlook Calendar\" link at the bottom of your confirmation e-mail so that a recurring reminder with the webinar log-in details will appear on your calendar each month.\n\nCLICK <a href=\"https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/586053752\">HERE</a> TO REGISTER!\n\nWe hope you will grab a cup of coffee and plan to join us!','eGROUP \"COFFEE BREAK\" WEBINAR SERIES LAUNCHES 1.14.10!','','publish','open','open','','new-in-2010egroup-presents-a-monthly-coffee-break-webinar-series','','','2010-01-07 11:14:36','2010-01-07 16:14:36','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1846',0,'post','',0),(1851,6,'2010-01-07 11:54:04','2010-01-07 16:54:04','If you send an email and receive the following undeliverable \"Delivery Final Failure Notice\" with the following information: \n\nReply from x.x.x.x: 504 5.5.2 &lt;<em>servername&gt;</em>: Helo command rejected: need fully-qualified hostname\n\nThen follow this steps to resolve:\n\n<!--more-->\n\n1. Obtain an email address from the sender\'s domain having issues with sending the message and examine the message headers.\n2. Scroll down and examine the \"Received: from\" line and play close attention to the server name and IP address\n\nThis is key and more than likely the issue. We need to ensure the server name and IP address matchup with the reverse DNS entry for the sending domain.\n\n3. Perform a reverse <a href=\"http://remote.12dt.com/\">DNS Lookup</a> on the IP address you find in the previous step. \n4. Ensure the server name in Step 2 matches up with Revese DNS entry from Step 3\n5. If these do not match up, then you\'re on the right track. In my case going to the Trend Micro Interscan Messaging Security Suite (<a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/interscan-messaging-security-suite/\">IMSS</a>) Server was the next step.\n6. On the IMSS server go to C:Program FilesTrend MicroIMSSconfig and edit the <strong>tsmtpd.ini</strong> file\n7. Once the file is open, hit CTRL-F and search for <strong>helodomain</strong>, the entry we want to update is in Section 9.3\n8. Remove the <strong>#</strong> sign and add in the reverse DNS entry we found (in Step 3)\n\nEntry should look like this: HeloDomain=mail.yourdomain.com\n\n9. Save the file, then go to the services and restart the Trend Micro IMSS SMTP Service, to put the recent changes into effect\n10. Next circle back and redo step 1 with a new message, check the message headers and you should see the new helodomain change present\n11. Resend the original message and you should no longer be receiving the the 504 5.5.5 HELO COMMAND REJECTED errors\n\nNote: If you are not using Trend Micro\'s IMSS, then your steps will be different for correcting the helodomain. Be sure to check the admin guide for your system and correct as necessary.\n\n','HOW TO FIX EXCHANGE ERROR: 504 5.5.2 HELO COMMAND REJECTED: NEED FULLY-QUALIFIED HOSTNAME','','publish','open','open','','how-to-fix-exchange-error-504-552-helo-command-rejected-need-fully-qualified-hostname','','','2010-01-07 11:54:04','2010-01-07 16:54:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1851',0,'post','',2),(1856,44,'2010-01-11 10:08:06','2010-01-11 15:08:06','It\'s easy to create a bootable USB thumb drive that can be used to install Windows 7.  All you need is a 4GB or larger USB thumb drive, a free tool from the <a href=\"http://store.microsoft.com\">Microsoft Store</a> and a copy of the Windows 7 .iso file.  The tool works with both the retail and corporate versions of Windows 7.  This can be a great time-saver if you work in a corporate IT shop and have many Windows 7 desktops to install.\n\nInstalling Windows 7 from a thumb drive is faster than installing from DVD, and comes in really handy if the machine you are installing to doesn\'t have a DVD drive.\n\nOne other thing - make sure you are using a high-quality USB thumb drive. I couldn\'t get the tool to work with an inexpensive ($12) <a href=\"http://www3.pny.com/4GB-Micro-Swing-Attach---GREEN-P2833C428.aspx\">PNY 4GB Micro Swing Attaché</a> drive, but it worked fine with a more expensive ($32) <a href=\"http://www.sandisk.com/products/usb-flash-drives/sandisk-cruzer-usb-flash-drive-(new-design!)\">SanDisk Cruzer</a>.\n\nThe free tool can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store <a href=\"http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool\">here</a> or from the CNET download site <a href=\"http://download.cnet.com/Windows-7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool/3000-18513_4-10972600.html\">here</a>.  Some interesting history about why Microsoft recently open-sourced the code for this tool can be found <a href=\"http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/12/microsoft-finally-open-sources-windows-7-tool.ars\">here</a>.','HOW TO INSTALL WINDOWS 7 FROM A BOOTABLE USB DRIVE','','publish','open','open','','how-to-install-windows-7-from-a-bootable-usb-drive','','','2010-01-11 10:08:06','2010-01-11 15:08:06','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1856',0,'post','',0),(1862,6,'2010-01-11 14:09:33','2010-01-11 19:09:33','As referenced earlier by Jim Popa\'s <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=1449\">BLOG</a>, EMC\'s FAST technology is very important in today\'s storage area networks. \n\nIt is a game changer that cannot be overlooked by CEO\'s, IT Directors, Virtual Administrators, and SAN administrators.\n\nHere\'s why:\n\n<!--more-->\n\nFAST is about automating the movement and placement of data. As data varies within organizations, and also differs on what type of drive it resides on (Flash, Fibre Channel, SATA), the location of this data becomes very important. \n\nFAST balances 3 Key Factors: <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Cost</strong>, and <strong>Efficiency</strong>.\n\nThe FAST technology represents the next generation of storage tiering. When you boil it down, FAST automates the movement and placement of data across storage resources as needs change over time. \n\nFAST enables continuous optimization of your applications by eliminating trade-offs between capacity and performance, while lowering cost and delivering higher service levels at the same time.\n\nEMC has some great videos that really aid in the learning curve, and I consider it a \"<a href=\"http://www.emc.com/products/launch/fast/index.htm?pid=home-fast-081209\"><strong>Must View</strong></a>\". Be sure to check out the following: <strong>Intro Video</strong>, <strong>Explore FAST</strong>, <strong>FAST Benefits</strong>, and <strong>FAST Forward</strong>.\n\n','EMC FAST AND HOW IT HELPS YOU','','publish','open','open','','emc-fast-and-how-it-helps-you','','','2010-01-11 14:09:33','2010-01-11 19:09:33','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1862',0,'post','',0),(1872,44,'2010-01-12 10:36:35','2010-01-12 15:36:35','Sometimes when troubleshooting issues with an ESX host it\'s helpful to restart the host management agents. It\'s particularly recommended to try this first when rebooting the host (or pulling the plug) is the only other option. VMware has an excellent KB article on how to do this <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1003490\">here</a>. The KB even includes a video showing the steps.\nCaution: Make sure the VM\'s on the host are not set to start and stop with the host or they may be restarted when the management services restart.','RESTARTING ESX MANAGEMENT AGENTS','','publish','open','open','','restarting-esx-management-agents','','','2010-01-12 10:36:35','2010-01-12 15:36:35','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1872',0,'post','',0),(1875,6,'2010-01-12 13:08:32','2010-01-12 18:08:32','If you are lucky enough to be working on one of HP\'s smoking hot Nahalem servers, then you\'ll more than likely be tasked with installed VMware\'s ESX or ESXi on the server. If you are like me, then you\'ll be faced with an install where no optical drive is present on the server.\n\nHere\'s how to knock the install out in short order:\n\n<!--more-->\n\nSure you could go the painfully slow iLO method by utilizing the virtual media or virtual USB drive, but this can be problematic. And problematic is the last thing you want on a usually straight forward ESXi install.\n\nGo out and get yourself an <a href=\"http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/667863/Memorex-8x-Slim-External-DVD-Drive/\">external USB DVD drive</a> and plug in. On the pair of HP DL 360 G6\'s, that I worked on today, there was no need to even edit the BIOS boot order. It just loaded right up on the ESXi installer. The install took all of 3 minutes. On iLO as a test, which did not complete successfully, the install took closer to 15 minutes. \n\nThis is definitely not a knock against iLO, as I am one of the biggest fans of the out of band management, but using this as a route to install the OS is not really what this was intended for especially considering there a much faster alternatives - like using an external USB DVD drive.\n\n','HOW TO INSTALL ESX/ESXI ON SERVER WITHOUT ONBOARD DVD DRIVE','','publish','open','open','','how-to-install-esxesxi-on-server-with-no-cd-or-dvd-drive','','','2010-01-12 13:08:32','2010-01-12 18:08:32','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1875',0,'post','',0),(1882,12,'2010-01-13 11:33:47','2010-01-13 16:33:47','Having a smartphone with Wi-fi capabilities, you immediately realize just how wide spread wifi networks are nowadays. From open hotspot networks, to private, secured networks, no matter where you go it seems like you can pull up 2-3 wireless networks (often with a broadcasted SSID).\n\nImagine being able to use the wireless signal to generate electricity, and then to take that electricity and use it to power your gadgets. Well,RCA\'s Airenergy device can do just that.\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMMbihbeIls\n\nAwesome!','CHARGE YOUR GADGETS FROM WIFI SIGNALS','','publish','open','open','','charge-your-gadgets-from-wifi-signals','','','2010-01-13 11:33:47','2010-01-13 16:33:47','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1882',0,'post','',0),(1887,8,'2010-01-14 13:20:23','2010-01-14 18:20:23','I ran into an issue recently involving a remote VPN site dropping about 40% - 50% of the packets sent to the main site.  \n\nI had to turn off Cisco Express Forwarding using the command \"no ip cef\" command in the remote site router to resolve the issue.\n\nCisco Express Forwarding (CEF) is normally enabled to improve performance on the device making routing decisions.  However since it uses a separate table called the Forwarding Information Base vs. using the routing table of the router, there can be inconsistencies in table entries, especially when IPSEC encryption is involved.','Remote VPN Site Dropping Packets','','publish','open','open','','remote-vpn-site-dropping-packets','','','2010-01-14 13:20:23','2010-01-14 18:20:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1887',0,'post','',0),(1893,6,'2010-01-14 15:13:44','2010-01-14 20:13:44','If you are tasked with upgrading to Trend Micro\'s Worry-Free Business Security (WFBS) Advanced and you are currently running Client Server Messaging Security (CSMS). Then this guide should help you along the way.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nFirst off make sure you have Trend Client Server Messaging Security version 3.6. This is the only supported upgrade options aside from Worry-Free Business Security 5.0 and 5.1, but that is not covered here. We are going to focus on CSMS &gt; WFBS here.\n\nFirst off, be sure to check out Trend\'s <a href=\"http://esupport.trendmicro.com/Pages/Important-files-to-back-up-before-upgrading-to-Worry-Free-Business-Sec.aspx\">KB Article</a> and backup all the important files before you do anything.\n\nOnce you have backed up all the important files, let\'s go to Trend\'s download <a href=\"http://www.trendmicro.com/download/product.asp?productid=39\">site</a> and download <strong>WFBS 6.0</strong> and <strong>Service Pack 1</strong>.\n\nOnce the files have downloaded, let\'s log into to the CSMS dashboard and change the update schedule to daily - we don\'t updates running while we\'re in the middle of upgrading.\n\nNext go ahead and run the <strong>WFBS6.0_Advanced_EN_B1331.exe</strong> installer. As this is supported from Trend, we will install WFBS right on top of CSMS. The wizard will kick off, and this is pretty straightforward. Keep in mind that if this CSMS is installed on the same server as Exchange that we\'ll need to upgrade the Messaging Security Agent as well.\n\nYou will more than likely need to reboot. If asked, then proceed accordingly. \n\nNext let\'s be sure to install the Service Pack. Run the <strong>WFBS6.0_Advanced_EN_ServicePack1_B2122.exe</strong> installer.\n\nYou will more than likely need to reboot. If asked, then proceed accordingly. \n\nYour clients will need to upgrade to 6.0 client as well. Once they log in they should receive notification pop-up, or the install will occur automatically depending on the settings you have in place on the server. To be on the safe side, check the Dashboard&gt;Security Settings&gt;Desktops and ensure your clients are indeed at security agent version \"6\".\n\nIt is always a good idea to spot check some desktops to ensure everything running smoothly and the information being reported is valid.\n\nTrend Micro has done a wonderful job documenting walk-through videos. Be sure to check them out <a href=\"http://esupport.trendmicro.com/smb/pages/Worry-FreeBusinessSecurityStandardAdvanced60.aspx\">here</a>.','HOW TO UPGRADE FROM TREND MICRO CLIENT SERVER MESSAGING SECURITY TO WORRY-FREE BUSINESS SECURITY','','publish','open','open','','how-to-upgrade-from-trend-micro-client-server-messaging-security-to-worry-free-business-security','','','2010-01-14 15:13:44','2010-01-14 20:13:44','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1893',0,'post','',0),(1904,12,'2010-01-20 11:22:22','2010-01-20 16:22:22','For those of you who may have noticed the &quot;Safely Remove Hardware&quot; icon in the taskbar after upgrading your VMs to virtual hardware version 7, don\'t be TOO alarmed. This is caused by the new support for &quot;hot plug&quot; of items like vNICS and SCSI adapters.\n\nWhile this is fine to leave for most servers, any servers that a user will be accessing the desktop of (XenApp, XenDesktop, VMware View, etc.) will present this icon to the user, who then has the potential to crash the VM (disconnecting a SCSI adapter from a running VM is not a good idea). To disable this, you need to add a row in the VM &quot;Options&quot;.\n\nEdit Settings on the VM, and go to the &quot;Options&quot; tab. From there, select &quot;General&quot; in the pane on the left, and select &quot;Configuration Parameters&quot; on the pane on the right. From there, select &quot;Add Row&quot; and enter &quot;devices.hotplug&quot; and provide a VALUE of &quot;false&quot;.','vSPHERE VIRTUAL HARDWARE VERSION 7 - SAFELY REMOVE HARDWARE','','publish','open','open','','vsphere-virtual-hardware-version-7-safely-remove-hardware','','','2010-01-20 11:22:22','2010-01-20 16:22:22','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1904',0,'post','',0),(1905,6,'2010-01-20 11:28:53','2010-01-20 16:28:53','While adding storage to a Backup Server, I ran across a \"bug\" in Server 2003 Enterprise Edition while trying to format newly attached storage.\n\nHere\'s the quick fix:\n\n<!--more-->\n\nFirst off, be sure to present the storage to the host in question. \nGo to the Guest VM and rescan the hard disks under \"Disk Managment\"\nYour new storage should show up here\nNow go to the command prompt and be sure to align the partition to 64K (reference this <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=1316\">article </a>by Steve)\nOnce the partition has been aligned, you would think you could just go ahead and format (and usually you could, but this is where I encountered the bug)\nAssign the partition a drive letter, and now you can format successfully\n\n\nAlso for more information on more information on Performance Best Practices for vSphere, go <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/pdf/Perf_Best_Practices_vSphere4.0.pdf\">here</a>.','BUG IN SERVER 2003 ENTERPRISE EDITION WHEN FORMATTING A NEW VOLUME (RDM)','','publish','open','open','','bug-in-server-2003-enterprise-edition-when-formatting-a-new-volume-rdm','','','2010-01-20 11:28:53','2010-01-20 16:28:53','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1905',0,'post','',0),(1914,6,'2010-01-21 11:38:51','2010-01-21 16:38:51','In case you didn\'t hear WSUS 3.0 Service Pack 2 is out.\n\nIf you utilize this tool to ensure your Windows Servers and Clients remain up to date on the latest software patches and service packs, then you will want to ensure your WSUS deployment stays on the latest build. As we discussed in a <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=220\">previous post</a>, WSUS can make life easier. The new service pack has a number of new features and fixes.\n\nHere\'s a quick rundown of the new items included in SP2:\n<!--more-->\n\n<strong>Upgrade</strong>\nFirst off, WSUS 3.0 SP2 can be installed as an in-place upgrade from earlier versions of WSUS. The upgrade will preserve all of your settings and approvals. The user interface is compatible between WSUS 3.0 SP1 and SP2 on the client and the server.\n\nIn addition SP2 brings in support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2\n\n<strong>Reporting</strong>\nThis was one nicest features of WSUS, as admins could quickly report on servers and know instantly about the patch level on a specific machine or group of servers, but the reporting in previous versions still left something to be desired. New Update and Computer Status reports provide the ability to filter on updates approved for installation. You can run these reports from the WSUS console or use the API to incorporate this functionality into your own reports. \n\n<strong>Software Updates</strong>\nThe new Service Pack bring in stability and reliability fixes for the WSUS server. The approval dialog now sorts computer groups alphabetically by group name - This was a big pain point for WSUS admins previously. Computer status report sorting icons are now functional in x64 environments. A new release of Windows Update Agent is included with WSUS 3.0 SP2 that provides improvements and fixes, such as support for APIs called by non-local system callers in a non-interactive session, and also included is support for IPV6 addresses greater than 40 characters.\n\n<strong>Auto-Approval Rules</strong>\n now include the ability to specify the approval deadline date and time for all computers or specific computer groups.\nUpdate Files and Languages\n\nImproved handling of language selection for downstream servers includes a new warning dialog that appears when you decide to download updates only for specified languages.\n	\n\nTo download WSUS 3.0 SP2 go <a href=\"http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=a206ae20-2695-436c-9578-3403a7d46e40&amp;displaylang=en\">here</a>.\n','WSUS: WINDOWS UPDATES SERVICES 3.0 SP2','','publish','open','open','','wsus-windows-updates-services-30-sp2','','','2010-01-21 11:38:51','2010-01-21 16:38:51','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1914',0,'post','',0),(1916,2,'2010-01-22 14:34:21','2010-01-22 19:34:21','(Charleston, SC) - For its third time, eGroup will be honored at the Charleston Regional Business Journal\'s annual \"Roaring 20\'s\" event as one of the exclusive twenty regional companies whose combination of explosive growth and gross percentage revenue increases over the past 3 years has moved them to the forefront of the dynamic Charleston area business community. The event will take place on February 25th at the Charleston Marriott on Lockwood Drive.\n\nIn order to qualify for the Roaring 20, companies have to be nominated, and then are qualified and ranked using a formula created by Dixon Hughes, a local CPA firm. Companies must be headquartered in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester county, be a for-profit entity and have gross revenues of more than $500,000 in each of the fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008.\n\nAs always, eGroup would like to convey our utmost appreciation to our customers, who give us the continued opportunity to be successful. We intimately understand that our job is to repeatedly earn your business by delivering technology solutions for serious competitors.','eGROUP TO BE HONORED AS 2010 \"ROARING 20\" WINNER','','publish','open','open','','egroup-to-be-honored-as-2010-roaring-20-winner','','','2010-01-22 14:34:21','2010-01-22 19:34:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1916',0,'post','',2),(1920,6,'2010-01-25 10:30:50','2010-01-25 15:30:50','As operating systems vary and new printers come online everyday, it seems like an opportune time to have an HP print driver refresher.\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<strong>HP PCL 6 Driver</strong>\nPCL 6 provides best overall print quality, speed, and printer feature support\nPCL 6 is recommended for most users for printing in all Windows environments\nNote: PCL 6 may not be fully compatible with customized PCL 5 and 3rd Party solutions\n\n<strong>HP PCL 5 Driver</strong>\nPCL 5 (also known as PCL 5c/PCL 5e) is the best choice for 3rd Party custom solutions (SAP, custom forms, custom fonts, etc)\nPCL 5 is recommended for general office Windows printing\nNote: PCL 5 is backward compatible with previous PCL versions and some LaserJet printers\n\n<strong>HP Postscript (PS) Driver</strong>\nPS provides the best known comparability between Apple MACs and Windows applications\nPS is designed for corporate IT managed environments\nPS has been found to be faster with Adobe applications (Reader, Acrobat, etc) than HP PCL 6\nUser for PS font support and PS level 3 requirements\n\n<strong>HP Universal Print Driver</strong>\nUPD is designed for corporate IT managed environments\nUPD is preferred in a managed print server environment to multiple print models (static or moble)\nNote: For additional info on HP Universal Print Driver - go <a href=\"http://h20338.www2.hp.com/hpsub/cache/343033-0-0-225-121.html?jumpid=ex_r2845_go/upd\">HERE</a>\n\n<strong>HP XML Paper Specification (XPS) Driver</strong>\nHP XPS provides improved color  printing\nHP XPS improves rendering and spooling\nHP XPS should be used with high-fidelity print output (like <a href=\"http://h10088.www1.hp.com/gap/Data/en/us/US_Color_BRO_Low.pdf\">HP\'s Indigo Press Lineup</a>)\n','CHOOSING THE CORRECT HP PRINTER DRIVER','','publish','open','open','','choosing-the-correct-hp-printer-driver','','','2010-01-25 10:30:50','2010-01-25 15:30:50','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1920',0,'post','',0),(1928,4,'2010-01-26 16:52:09','2010-01-26 21:52:09','With EMC PowerPath/VE, you can now deliver advanced PowerPath features to streamline and automate I/O performance of VMware vSphere (ESX server 4) virtual environments. \n\nWith EMC PowerPath/VE, you can standardize path management across heterogeneous physical and virtual environments and automate and optimize virtual server, storage, and path utilization in a dynamic virtual environment. This eliminates the need to manually load-balance virtual machines and I/O-intensive applications in hyper-consolidated environments. \n\nThe trial software may be downloaded on Powerlink or off of EMC Community Network (ECN), see appropriate path and URL below: \n\nPowerlink: Home > Support > Software Downloads and Licensing > Downloads P-R > PowerPath for VMware \nhttp://powerlink.emc.com/km/appmanager/km/secureDesktop?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=servicesDownloadsTemplatePg&internalId=0b014066804211df&_irrt=true\n\nECN: PowerPath/VE Community on EMC Community Network (ECN) \nhttp://community.emc.com/go/powerpath-ve \n\nYou may also contact your eGroup account manager with any questions!','Automate I/O Performance in your VMware Virtual Environment - Download the Free Software Trial !!','','publish','open','open','','automate-io-performance-in-your-vmware-virtual-environment-download-the-free-software-trial','','','2010-01-26 16:52:09','2010-01-26 21:52:09','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1928',0,'post','',0),(1931,2,'2010-01-27 15:10:23','2010-01-27 20:10:23','eGroup, VMware, Cisco, + EMC Present: \"A Unified Approach to Datacenter Virtualization\"\n\nAre you struggling with the design and implementation of a more complete virtualization strategy? How do you confidently integrate a mix of technologies and systems while maximizing consolidation, performance and availability? eGroup, EMC, Cisco and VMware can show you how.\n\nLearn how VMware, Cisco and EMC have collaborated to design, build, test AND SUPPORT joint solutions, all backed by documented best practices and reference architectures.\n\nLearn why the 100% virtualization strategy and a true private cloud environment are quickly becoming IT imperatives..and much more!\n\nWednesday, Wednesday, February 17th\n3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. (Palmetto Room)\n*Followed by drinks, appetizers, and games!*\n\nJillian\'s\n800 Gervais Street\nColumbia, South Carolina 29201\n803.779.7789\n\n<a href=\"http://vcecolumbiaevent.eventbrite.com/\">REGISTER NOW!</a>','eGROUP PRESENTS A VCE EVENT IN COLUMBIA, SC ON 2.17','','publish','open','open','','egroup-presents-a-vce-event-in-columbia-sc-on-217','','','2010-01-27 15:10:23','2010-01-27 20:10:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1931',0,'post','',0),(4105,44,'2011-05-12 12:42:55','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','The end is near!','','draft','open','open','','','','','2011-05-12 12:42:55','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=4105',0,'post','',0),(2878,13,'2010-10-29 16:46:27','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','HAVE YOU TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE VIEW PREMIER 4.5 AND CAP IQ LICENSES YET?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-10-29 16:46:27','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2878',0,'post','',0),(2149,44,'2010-06-08 16:08:30','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Have you ever seen this message?  I know I have.  There is an easy, command line way to disconnect inactive users that are using one of the remote connection slots.\n\nAs long as you have an open connection to the server in question, you can access the terminal services.  The easiest way to connect to the server is through a network share, where you authenticate to the server, or a map drive.\n\nOnce you have done that you can use the command prompt and enter the following commands:  (All commands are in bold variable data is italicized)\n\n<strong>query session /server:</strong> <em><strong>servername</strong> </em>\n\noutput looks like this:\n<code><img alt=\"”HK01”\" />\n\nNext, choose the session ID that you would like to disconnect. Enter...\n\n<strong>reset session <em>#</em> /server:<em>servername</em> </strong>\n\nexample:\n</code><img alt=\"”HK02”\" />\n\nNow if you run the first command again:\n\n<strong>query session /server:</strong> <em><strong>servername</strong> </em>\n\nyour output looks like this:\n<code><img alt=\"”HK03”\" />\n\nYou notice that the session that you selected is no longer in the list (For our example, session 2)<code></code><code>','\"TERMINAL SERVER HAS EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ALLOWED CONNECTIONS\"','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-06-08 16:08:30','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2149',0,'post','',0),(3953,15,'2011-04-07 15:31:26','0000-00-00 00:00:00','<div>\n\nThe goal is to help companies find the best ways to use VMware\'s View desktop virtualization platform.\n\nIn an effort to boost the popularity of desktop virtualization, VMware is working on improvements related to scalability and WAN performance and is preparing documentation that outlines how best to use the fledgling technology, according to a company executive.\n\nVMware also plans to enhance performance monitoring for the technology, said Vittorio Viarengo, vice president of end user computing at the company.\n\n<a href=\"//www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040711-vmware-readies-desktop-virtualization.html?page=2\"> Read More </a>\n\nThe desktop virtualization market started to accelerate in the second half of last year, Viarengo noted in an interview. Today, many companies are doing pilots to figure out how best to use the technology. Documentation that gives pointers on how move from a pilot to deployment will be published during the second quarter, Viarengo said. The documentation will also provide reference architectures and detail where the technology is a good fit as well as what desktop applications are not yet ready to be virtualized.\n\nDesktop virtualization is still in its infancy, and users want to be told how to approach the technology, according to Viarengo.\n\nFor most knowledge workers desktop virtualization is a good fit, especially if there is a need for features like follow-me desktops, which allow users to move from one client to another and continue to work where they left off, according to Viarengo. To make that feature easier to use, VMware works with Imprivata, a company that adds single sign-on capabilities both desktop and applications using proximity cards, he said.\n\nOn the other hand, trying to move heavy CAD/CAM and 3D users to a virtualized platform is currently not the best way to spend IT resources, he said.\n\nThe August launch of version 4.5 of VMware\'s View desktop virtualization platform was a big deal for the company. The update integrated management features, smartcard authentication and the ability to run managed virtual desktops locally without a network connection. It also allows enterprises to run Windows 7 virtually.\n\nStill, there is always room for improvement. For upcoming versions of View, VMware is working to improve performance monitoring and the ability to assess a company\'s IT environment before rolling out desktop virtualization. The acquisition of Integrien, which was announced in August last year, will help VMware make those improvements, according to Viarengo.\n\nAnother acquisition that will lay the groundwork for future improvements is RTO Software, which was acquired in February last year and will allow VMware to unbundle user data from the desktop image. That is important for two main reasons: administrators can create stateless images that are easier to manage and also allow one set of user data to be delivered to multiple devices, according to Viarengo. Integration of these features will be offered in one of the next releases of View, he said.\n\nThe company has also moved some key engineers from the team working on the ESX server hypervisor, putting them into the View group. Their task is to significantly improve scalability.\n\nYet another area VMware is focusing on is WAN performance of PCoIP, the protocol it uses to deliver remote desktops. The company has already upped performance in View 4.5 and 4.6, which arrived in February. But it\'s still an area that needs more work, according to Viarengo. The next major release will come with drastic improvements, and as a result View will need much less bandwidth when used over a WAN, he said.\n\n</div>','VMWARE READIES DESKTOP VIRTUALIZATION BLUEPRINT','','draft','open','open','','','','','2011-04-07 15:31:26','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3953',0,'post','',0),(1939,2,'2010-02-02 11:51:13','0000-00-00 00:00:00','<div style=\"width: 250px;\"><a href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/r/ecount\"><img src=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/s.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Events\" /></a></div>','','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-02-02 11:51:13','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1939',0,'post','',0),(2739,2,'2010-10-01 14:43:55','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','CHARLOTTE VMUG ATTRACTS RECORD ATTENDANCE AND RAVE REVIEWS','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-10-01 14:43:55','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2739',0,'post','',0),(3020,8,'2010-12-14 09:46:57','0000-00-00 00:00:00','<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dsilogo.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3021\" title=\"dsilogo\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dsilogo-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"117\" height=\"102\" /></a>','','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-12-14 09:46:57','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3020',0,'post','',0),(3536,8,'2011-02-13 21:36:13','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Get ready for the next generation of applications and end user computing devices with an eGroup End User Computing Assessment.  An eGroup End User Computing Assessment is designed to examine and analyze your existing applications needs, infrastructure capabilities and data security requirements to put your business on the right path to support the varied devices, requirements and distribution that your end users demand.\n\neGroup will conduct an interactive session with your business leaders, end users and application owners','eGroup End User Computing Readiness Assessment','','draft','open','open','','','','','2011-02-13 21:36:13','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3536',0,'post','',0),(3798,4,'2011-03-22 11:19:04','0000-00-00 00:00:00','This is a handy video for those not well-versed in EMC Celerra and VNX file system migration procedures for mixed environments - and I absolutely love the presenter.  Seems to be the kind of guy who\'d hand you a guinness and give you a smile as he unleases his NFS and CIFS fury of knowledge.  I like to roll with cats like this.\n\n','FILE SYSTEM MIGRATION AND MIXED SECURITY WITH CELERRA AND VNX','','draft','open','open','','','','','2011-03-22 11:19:04','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3798',0,'post','',0),(2267,11,'2010-07-06 13:10:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','This year Trend Micro has introduced the new renamed/repackaged Enterprise Security Suite with all new exciting components that will leave the old Trend Micro NeatSuite in the dust. In today\'s current situations securing enterprise environments have become increasing challenging especially when a new malware potentially emerges every 2 seconds.\n\n<!--more-->\nThe four new Trend Micro suites all utilize the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure, which combines cloud-based technologies and light-weight clients to reduce the time it takes a company to deploy and manage their security solutions. The four new suites include Trend Micro Enterprise Security Suite, Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints and Mail Servers, Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Gateways and Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints. Below, Trend Micro gives a concise and detailed description of the following suites.','TEST TEST','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-07-06 13:10:00','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2267',0,'post','',0),(2268,13,'2010-07-06 13:26:47','0000-00-00 00:00:00','<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This year Trend Micro has introduced the new renamed/repackaged Enterprise Security Suite with all new exciting components that will leave the old Trend Micro NeatSuite in the dust.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  </span>In today’s current situations securing enterprise environments have become increasing challenging especially when new malware potentially emerges every 2 seconds.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The four new Trend Micro suites all utilize the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure, which combines cloud-based technologies and light-weight clients to reduce the time it takes a company to deploy and manage their security solutions.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  </span>The four new suites include Trend Micro Enterprise Security Suite, Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints and Mail Servers, Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Gateways and Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  </span>Below, is a concise and detailed description of the following suites.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/security-suite/index.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Enterprise Security Suite</span></span></a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> -Delivers centrally managed security for maximum protection and minimum complexity—from gateway to endpoint. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/endpoints-and-mail-servers/index.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Enterprise Security for Endpoints and Mail Servers</span></span></a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> - Offers multi-threat protection for mail and file servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/security-for-endpoints/index.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Enterprise Security for Endpoints</span></span></a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> - Provides immediate protection for file servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices with innovative technology that frees endpoint resources. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/communication-collaboration-security/index.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Enterprise Security for Communication and Collaboration</span></span></a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> - Delivers proactive protection for Microsoft email, instant messaging, and SharePoint systems. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/security-for-gateways/index.html\"><span style=\"color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Enterprise Security for Gateways</span></span></a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> - Integrates virtualized web and messaging gateway security to improve protection against web, email, and blended threats.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Trend Micro Enterprise Security Suite significantly lowers your risks by delivering proactive threat intelligence that stops threats before they ever reach your network. <span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"> </span>One thing I have noticed when working with Trend Micro on a daily basis is that they definitely seem to stay one step in front of the security game. </span></p>\n\n<font face=\"Calibri\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"> </p>\n\n</font></span>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"> </p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"> </p>','TREND MICRO GIVES MAXIMUM PROTECTION WITH THE NEW ENTERPRISE SECURITY SUITE','','draft','open','open','','','','','2010-07-06 13:26:47','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2268',0,'post','',0),(5770,23,'2011-12-28 20:07:21','2011-12-28 20:07:21','Often times, you may have custom attributes setup in Active Directory or some other source where your user profile information comes from.  Here\'s how to map those custom attributes to profile properties in SharePoint 2010\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Log in to Central Administration</li>\r\n	<li>Go to Manage Service Applications</li>\r\n	<li>Click on your User Profile Service Application</li>\r\n	<li>Click on ‘Manage User Properties’</li>\r\n	<li>Scroll down the list of properties until you see the one you want to map and edit it.</li>\r\n	<li>On the ‘Edit User Profile Property’ page, scroll to the bottom until you see the ‘Property Mapping for Synchronization’ section.</li>\r\n	<li>If this section has the correct mapping listed then should go to Step 10.  If nothing is listed, then please proceed to the next step.</li>\r\n	<li>The next section is the ‘Add New Mapping’ section.  Select the Source, Attribute, and Direction of the new mapping and click ‘Add’.  If no sources are available, ensure that you have setup the connection to your active directory instance.</li>\r\n	<li>Once successfully added, click ‘OK’</li>\r\n	<li>Go back to the User Profile Service Application page and start a Full Synchronization.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Start Profile Synchronization</li>\r\n	<li>Select ‘Start Full Synchronization’ and click ‘OK’.</li>\r\n	<li>Once the synchronization has completed, go to ‘Manage User Profiles’.</li>\r\n	<li>Find the name of the user you want to check for the imported attribute and choose ‘Edit My Profile’</li>\r\n	<li>Scroll down to the property that you imported and verify that the correct data is there.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;','SharePoint 2010: Map AD Profile Attribute to User Profile Property','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-2010-map-ad-profile-attribute-to-user-profile-property','','','2011-12-28 20:07:21','2011-12-28 20:07:21','',0,'http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=5770',0,'post','',0),(1935,12,'2010-02-01 11:08:37','2010-02-01 16:08:37','Ran across this on Networkworld.com the other day--\n\n<a href=\"http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011910-ipv4-addresses-dwindle.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011910-ipv4-addresses-dwindle.html</a>\n\nPerhaps 2010 will be the year of rapid deployment of IPv6-- only time will tell (I still doubt it)! It will be an interesting transition-- whenever it happens.','LESS THAN 10% OF IPv4 ADDRESS SPACE AVAILABLE','','publish','open','open','','less-than-10-of-ipv4-address-space-available','','','2010-02-01 11:08:37','2010-02-01 16:08:37','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1935',0,'post','',0),(1937,8,'2010-02-01 16:32:46','2010-02-01 21:32:46','I have seen a lot of entries and how-to\'s on email enabling SharePoint lists in WSS3/MOSS2007 and Exchange 2007/2003.  However, not many of them (if any) covered all the steps from start to finish.\n\nStep 1:  Read Microsoft\'s entry on how to configure SharePoint, Active Directory, DNS and other settings to get most of it done here. <a href=\"http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262947.aspx\">http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262947.aspx</a>.  It really is a fully comprehensive article on how to configure SharePoint, AD and DNS to allow creation of email enabled lists.  It does have on glaring hole though.  It doesn\'t specify how to configure Exchange Server to pass email on to the virtual SMTP server that is set up on the SharePoint WFE server.\n\nStep 2:  Configure Exchange:  Configuring exchange comes with two easy steps.\n<ol>\n	<li>Configure accepted domains.  For your sharepoint email address specified by the Step 1.  You need to configure and accepted domain in Exchange 2007.  Go to Management Console -&gt; Organization Config -&gt; Hub Transport -&gt; Accepted Domains Tab and right click.  New Accepted Domain.  Fill out the form and specify this domain as External Relay Domain.  Once created you should be all set.</li>\n	<li>Proceed to the Send Connectors Tab.  Right click to create a new send connector again with what name you specified.  The address space is going to be *.yourname.yourdomain.com.  The Network is going to be the FQDN of the SharePoint WFE server and the Source Server is going to be the list of exchange servers you have in your exchange farm.</li>\n</ol>\nLog off and you should be good to go.  In Exchange 2007.  You can go to Tools -&gt; Mail Queue to see the queued emails sent to the SharePoint lists.  If they get stuck in this list something is misconfigured on your Exchange server.  Otherwise they should move on to the drop folder of the virtual SMTP SharePoint server for pickup by the timer service.\n\nGood Luck!','HOW TO EMAIL ENABLE SHAREPOINT LISTS (WITH EXCHANGE STEPS)','','publish','open','open','','how-to-email-enable-sharepoint-lists-with-exchange-steps','','','2010-02-01 16:32:46','2010-02-01 21:32:46','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1937',0,'post','',0),(1940,44,'2010-02-05 02:06:40','2010-02-05 07:06:40','We all want to have the fastest possible wireless network connection. Sometimes all it takes is a simple fix to resolve wireless performance problems.  Here are <a href=\"http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/wirelesstips.aspx\">10 tips</a> for improving your home wireless network from Microsoft at Home.','10 TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK','','publish','open','open','','10-tips-for-improving-your-wireless-network','','','2010-02-05 02:06:40','2010-02-05 07:06:40','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1940',0,'post','',0),(1944,2,'2010-02-05 09:12:00','2010-02-05 14:12:00','<em>Are you achieving all the security and compliance benefits of desktop virtualization?</em>\n\n<strong>Presented by eGroup + RSA (The Security Division of EMC) w/ Guest Speaker: Jon Oltsik, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group</strong>\n\nImplementing a VMware View hosted virtual desktop infrastructure transforms your organization\'s IT platform into a more valuable strategic asset - but it must be properly managed and secured to capitalize on its full capabilities.\n\nJoin us on Wednesday, February 24th for a live webinar on how enhancing virtual desktop security will let you realize the full value of your VMware View investment.\n\nOur main speaker will be Jon Oltsik, principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) and widely recognized as an expert in security management and technology. Jon is author of an ESG whitepaper, \'Desktop Virtualization, Management and Security\' that discusses the importance of integrating security intelligence into the desktop virtualization environment, and how doing so can enhance overall enterprise security.<!--more-->\n\nAnd from RSA, Srinath Gaddam will be talking about the RSA Solution for VMware View, which enhances virtual desktop security with controls that help safeguard key information assets in the virtual environment and manage compliance requirements.\n\nJoin us for this complimentary webinar and realize the full benefits of your investment in desktop virtualization. We will address some of the challenging aspects of:\n\n• How do you prevent users from leaking information deliberately or accidentally? And how do you control and verify access to sensitive information?\n\n• How do you ensure that changes to configuration management do not jeopardize compliance?\n\n• Learn about how to address the aspects of handling compliance, configuration management and security in a virtual desktop environment.\n\nJoin us for this complimentary webinar on enhancing desktop security and how to realize the full value of your VMware View investment. Put it on your calendar for Wednesday, February 24th.\n\n<a href=\"http://ow.ly/14cVE\">REGISTER</a>','eGROUP PRESENTS A WEBINAR: REALIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR VMWARE VIEW INVESTMENT','','publish','open','open','','egroup-presents-a-webinar-realize-the-value-of-your-vmware-view-investment','','','2010-02-05 09:12:00','2010-02-05 14:12:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1944',0,'post','',0),(1946,9,'2010-02-10 21:51:19','2010-02-11 02:51:19','The 1st VMware Users Group Meeting (VMUG) in the Charleston, SC area is set for Thursday, February 25th from 12 PM to 2 PM at St. Francis Hospital.  This inaugural meeting is hosted by Roper Hospital and sponsored by eGroup.\n\nVMUGs are an excellent opportunity to network with your peers while catching up on the latest from VMware.  There\'s always good food as well.  Be sure to mark your calendars.\n\nAgenda:\n\n12:00 p.m. Check-In &amp; Networking Lunch\n12:10 p.m. VMware Updates &amp; 2010 Announcements - Aaron Miller, VMware Sr. Systems Engineer\n12:55 p.m. vSphere 4 Using EMC Storage &amp; Cisco Nexus - Will Turbeville, eGroup\n01:40 p.m. Open Discussions on Future Meeting Topics\n01:55 p.m. Meeting Wrap-Up &amp; Door Prizes\n\nTo register: <a href=\"http://campaign.vmware.com/usergroup/invites/Charleston_2-25-10.html\">http://campaign.vmware.com/usergroup/invites/Charleston_2-25-10.html</a>','Charleston, SC Inaugural VMUG Announced','','publish','open','open','','charleston-sc-inaugural-vmug-announced','','','2010-02-10 21:51:19','2010-02-11 02:51:19','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1946',0,'post','',0),(1957,6,'2010-02-12 12:31:39','2010-02-12 17:31:39','If you run into an issue with the \"Overview\" page under the Performance Tab in vCenter, then follow these steps to resolve.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nLog into the vCenter server\nBrowse to the following locations:\nC:Program Files (x86)VMwareInfrastructuretomcatwebappsstatsreportWEB-INF folder\nOpen the <strong>web.xml</strong> file in notepad\nOnce the file is open, and search (CTRL+F) for <strong>vc.webservice.timeout</strong>\nNote: The entry should be near the top of the file, about 15 lines down from the top.\n\nChange the value on the following line from 1 to 5\n\n\nThis is the only change needed\n\nSave the file\nRestart the VMware VitualCenter Management Webservices\nLogin to the vCenter and highlight and ESX host, click on the Performance tab and the information should display correctly.\n\nIf not, then be sure on your vCenter server to add in the followin entries to your Trusted Sites and try again:\n<strong>https://127.0.0.1</strong>\n<strong>https://vcenter FQDN</strong>','HOW TO FIX VSPHERE 4 PERFORMANCE TAB NOT DISPLAYING CORRECTLY','','publish','open','open','','how-to-fix-vsphere-4-performance-tab-not-displaying-correctly','','','2010-02-12 12:31:39','2010-02-12 17:31:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1957',0,'post','',2),(1960,2,'2010-02-18 11:28:59','2010-02-18 16:28:59','<strong><em>April 22, 2010 Event Promises Even More</em></strong>\n\n<strong><em>Charleston Digital Corridor Press Release</em></strong>\n\nCharleston, SC - February 18, 2010 - The Charleston Digital Corridor will host its fourth annual iFive:k on April 22, 2010 at 6:30pm. This year\'s event will continue offering runners, walkers and shufflers the popular scenic race route, custom race t-shirts, cool prizes, team opportunities to vie for the coveted \"Bragging Rights Trophy\" and the much anticipated after-party at the Charleston Maritime Center on the harbor.<!--more--> Fitness enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and visitors will enjoy more this spring. The post-race celebration has its first Entertainment Sponsor - Digital Corridor member, PeopleMatter. The PeopleMatter Band will perform live starting at 6:45pm. \"We\'re thrilled with our festive role as post-race entertainers. Along with running shoes, we hope people bring their dancing shoes,\" said Nate DaPore, PeopleMatter CEO.\n\nThe i5k\'s Wellness Sponsor, eGroup, will host three training sessions prior to April 22nd. Karl Walsh, 2009\'s overall i5k winner (with a time of 16:18), will lead the first session on March 10, 2010 at 6:00pm. Each session is limited to 15 people and will start at the Flagship. Details will follow in the i5k Newsletter or email race director, <a href=\"mailto:kimberly@charlestondigitalcorridor.com\">Kimberly Taylor</a>, for more information.\n\n\"eGroup is thrilled to be participating as the Wellness Sponsor for this year\'s iFive:k,\" said Marketing Director, Liz Wilmes. \"Teaming up with the Digital Corridor to host the evening training runs is a natural extension of our efforts to promote healthy and active lifestyles among our own employees, while supporting a top notch race that we look forward to being a part of each year,\" she added.\n\n\"By partnering with key stakeholders to sponsor the i5k, participants will continue experiencing a high caliber event while the unique experience serves as a morale booster, encourage wellness and foster relationships in the Charleston community,\" stated Taylor. The race is made possible by event Sponsors, including: Creative Sponsor, Slant Media; Marketing Sponsor, Workplace Benefits; Print Sponsor, Knight Press; Innovators Sponsor, ECPI College of Technology and the City of Charleston.\n\nThe 2010 iFive:k is limited to 900 participants and is open to individuals and teams of two, six and ten. To register for this event, visit the <a href=\"http://www.ifivek.com/index.html\">iFive:k</a> website. The i5k ‘early adopter\' sponsors also include, Comcast Business Solutions, MarshallWalker.com, Young Clement Rivers, LLP, Crescent Interior Solutions, Skatell Jewelers, MUSC Foundation for Research and Development, East Coast Apparel, Surya Biofertilizers, Colliers Keenan, TriSports, and EcoFitness.\n\nAbout the Charleston Digital Corridor\n\nThe Digital Corridor is a creative effort to attract, nurture and promote Charleston\'s knowledge economy through a combination of technology enabled initiatives and business incentives, private business support and member-driven programming. To learn more, visit the <a href=\"http://www.charlestondigitalcorridor.com/\">Digital Corridor\'s </a>website.','eGROUP IS OFFICIAL WELLNESS SPONSOR OF FOURTH ANNUAL iFIVE:K RACE ON APRIL 22 ','','publish','open','open','','egroup-is-official-wellness-sponsor-of-fourth-annual-ifivek-race-on-april-22','','','2010-02-18 11:28:59','2010-02-18 16:28:59','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1960',0,'post','',1),(1968,8,'2010-02-18 19:17:54','2010-02-19 00:17:54','I ran across a situation and thought I would post some of the time saving management possibilities of feature stapling in SharePoint 2007.  The situation was a typical issue where there needs to be a lot of sites that have the same general features and layouts for default creation when auto provisioning the sites.  In this situation there was a need to automatically provision a SharePoint site for every Account entity that existed in Microsoft CRM.  Therefore, there would be a SharePoint document library, a default number of lists, some custom lists (stapled as features) and a custom homepage that displayed information.  The solution to this is SharePoint Site Definitions (not to be confused with templates).  By using a custom site definition these sites were able to be programatically created and updateable after the point of creation.  The question came in though that certain sites would need additional items and those additional items would be an ever growing number of lists, calendars, custom web parts, etc... that may not apply to all sites in the definition but would apply to more than one.  In comes features...<!--more-->\n\nTo add to the confusion, a non-developer/admin user would need to specify the list format, columns, etc... and be responsible for the ongoing setup within the different CRM integrated accounts.  This is where feature definitions and stapling comes in to solve the problem.  By allowing the end user to create a list to their specification in a single site (for instance your test site).  The developer and Administrator can use the SharePoint Solution Generator to select that list and create a custom list definition project in visual studio.  Take that same project and wrap it as a feature in a SharePoint site definition.  I will spare the implementation details but for those that want to know exactly how I suggest this entry.  <a title=\"http://blogs.msdn.com/vesku/archive/2007/03/23/controlling-navigation-options-from-the-onet-xml.aspx\" href=\"http://blogs.msdn.com/vesku/archive/2007/03/23/controlling-navigation-options-from-the-onet-xml.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">http://blogs.msdn.com/vesku/archive/2007/03/23/controlling-navigation-options-from-the-onet-xml.aspx</a>. \n\nThe end result... the non-admin now has his/her list (or other type) available in the features section of any site that utilizes the site definition it was stapled to.  Instead of having to recreate the functionality in all the sites.  The end user is able to simply activate it in the site features section.  This automatically adding it to the navigation, pages and areas specified in the feature.','SHAREPOINT (MOSS/WSS) 2007/2010 Onet.xml AND SITE FEATURES','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-mosswss-20072010-onetxml-and-site-features','','','2010-02-18 19:17:54','2010-02-19 00:17:54','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1968',0,'post','',0),(1970,8,'2010-02-23 22:23:36','2010-02-24 03:23:36','Here is a quick note on how to generate a proxy class for inclusion in your applications so you can consume and utilize the methods in a web service.\n<ol>\n	<li>Locate WSDL.exe (Typically in the Visual Studio Install Folder\'s VC directory).</li>\n	<li>Run the command wsdl.exe /out:&lt;output file location&gt; /l:&lt;CS or VB) &lt;web service location</li>\n	<li>Example wsdl.ext /out:C:myProxyClass.cs /l:CS <a href=\"https://websericeurl.com/webservicename.asmx?WSDL\">https://websericeurl.com/webservicename.asmx?WSDL</a></li>\n	<li>In order to compile this into a dll just run the command csc /t:library /out:C:myProxyClass.dll C:MyProxyClass.cs</li>\n</ol>\nTake the resultant dll and include it in your projects to access the web methods of the target web service.  If the structure (not implementation) of the web service changes you will need to generate a new proxy class to take advantage of the new web methods or continue using methods whose structure has changed.','HOW TO GENERATE A PROXY CLASS FROM A WSDL IN C# ASP .Net ','','publish','open','open','','how-to-generate-a-proxy-class-from-a-wsdl-in-c-asp-net','','','2010-02-23 22:23:36','2010-02-24 03:23:36','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1970',0,'post','',0),(1972,44,'2010-02-27 12:49:01','2010-02-27 17:49:01','VMware released VMware vCenter Update Manager 4.0 Update 1 Patch 1 on February 25th. This bug fix release resolves issues with the Cisco Nexus 1000V virtual switch and improves performance when scanning ESX hosts that are contained in a cluster.\n\nIn previous releases Update Manager would scan hosts in a cluster <span style=\"line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: \'Times New Roman\'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">sequentially</span>; the patch changes this behavior so hosts are scanned in parallel, greatly enhancing scan speeds.\n\nClick <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_vum_40u1_p1_rel_notes.html\">here</a> for release notes.\nClick <a href=\"http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/vum40u1p1/ZHcqYmRqcCpiZGUlaA==\">here</a> to download the patch.','VMWARE RELEASES VCENTER UPDATE MANAGER 4.0 UPDATE 1 PATCH 1','','publish','open','open','','vmware-releases-vcenter-update-manager-40-update-1-patch-1','','','2010-02-27 12:49:01','2010-02-27 17:49:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1972',0,'post','',0),(1979,2,'2010-03-02 14:56:57','2010-03-02 19:56:57','eGroup, Inc.: Outside Sales Executive (Charlotte, NC and Greenville, SC)\n\neGroup is a company on the move, quickly establishing itself as one of the premier providers of business technology solutions in the area. We are looking for a seasoned, experienced Sales Executive to join our team and help eGroup extend our success story throughout the region. An excellent opportunity for the motivated sales professional, you\'ll be backed by eGroup\'s continual investment in market proven technologies and support resources. These \"best of breed\" technology offerings will position you for success in delivering sophisticated solutions to a growing set of prospects with increasingly complex needs.\n\nMulti-year experience selling complex IT solutions to executive management are required, with an emphasis on selling products and services designed to directly address the business initiatives and requirements of customers. Professional territory management and account development skills are a must. Candidate must be motivated to generate new business, provide excellent customer service, and be self-reliant. You must be able to prospect, qualify, engage, and manage all the elements of a complex solution sale. Frequent day travel in the Carolinas with some overnight travel necessary.\n\neGroup provides an excellent compensation plan with full health benefits, expenses, and retirement plan.\n\nTo apply or for more information: <a href=\"mailto:hr@eGroup-us.com\">hr@eGroup-us.com</a>','eGROUP IS HIRING!  OUTSIDE SALES EXECUTIVE (CHARLOTTE, NC + GREENVILLE, SC)','','publish','open','open','','egroup-is-hiring-outside-sales-executive-charlotte-nc-greenville-sc','','','2010-03-02 14:56:57','2010-03-02 19:56:57','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1979',0,'post','',0),(1981,12,'2010-03-05 13:00:24','2010-03-05 18:00:24','When it was released, it quickly outpaced previous versions of Windows in sales-- and Microsoft claimed it was the fastest selling OS of all time, but without releasing the numbers to prove it. Until now.  They are now stating that they have sold over 90 MILLION licenses for Windows 7 already. Seriously impressive numbers.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nI\'ve been a fan of 7 since the first beta (that I upgraded my laptop running Vista with), and with the expiration of the RC licenses, I imagine Microsoft will see a small bump in license sales for those still using the RC.','Windows 7 - 90 MILLION SOLD?','','publish','open','open','','windows-7-90-million-sold','','','2010-03-05 13:00:24','2010-03-05 18:00:24','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1981',0,'post','',0),(1984,6,'2010-03-09 08:48:34','2010-03-09 13:48:34','If you are thinking of installing Citrix XenApp 5 on Server 2008 and using Novell - be sure to take note of <a href=\"http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX123768\">Citrix Article CTX123768</a>.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nEssentialy, Citrix has not provided support for Publishing Apps in XenApp 5. As you go to publish apps in XenApp 5, you will not be able to select Novell users. The answer is to backup and install XenApp 5 on Server 2003 (that is supported). The tentative answer from Citrix is Novell Support will return with the upcoming release of XenApp 6, along with suppport for Server 2008 R2.','NOVELL NOT SUPPORTED ON XENAPP 5.0 RUNNING ON SERVER 2008','','publish','open','open','','novell-not-supported-on-xenapp-50-running-on-server-2008','','','2010-03-09 08:48:34','2010-03-09 13:48:34','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1984',0,'post','',0),(1986,6,'2010-03-11 17:23:32','2010-03-11 22:23:32','While working on a laptop today, I noticed the NUM LOCK was continuously coming on, even after I turned it off. This can be extremely frustrating.\n\nHere\'s how to fix it.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nAs you guessed, the fix resides in the registry.\n\nIn the registry go to <strong>HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelKeyboard </strong>, and make sure the \"InitialKeyboardIndicators\" is set to 0. \n\nWhy Microsoft didn\'t call this NumLock in the first place is anyone\'s guess, but regardless the fix should work for you. In my case the NUM LOCK kept turning on just before logging in. I checked this location and it was set to 2 (which basically tells NUMLOCK to turn on as soon as the registry loads). \n\nSo if you want the NUMLOCK on SET to 2\nIf you wand the NUMLOCK off Set to 0\n','NUM LOCK COMES ON DURING BOOT UP AND HOW TO DISABLE','','publish','open','open','','num-lock-comes-on-during-boot-up-and-how-to-disable','','','2010-03-11 17:23:32','2010-03-11 22:23:32','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1986',0,'post','',0),(1989,12,'2010-03-16 10:16:12','2010-03-16 15:16:12','One of the little known/used enhancements from the upgrade to vSphere (and the accompanying VM Tools update) is the in-Windows perfmon DLLs. See image below--\n\n<img src=\"http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/5145/vmperfmon.jpg\" alt=\"\" />\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIn order to view these, simply launch Perfmon and add the Counters in. An issue/bug I\'ve noticed is that you cannot simply right click and &quot;Add Counters&quot; and find the VM Proc/Mem items there-- you must go to properties, the Data tab, and add them in that way. Not sure if this applies for Server 2003, but that\'s how it works for me in Server 2008.\n\nKeep in mind, if you\'ve promised your developers let\'s say, 4GB of RAM, but then you went behind them and limited the VM to 2GB of RAM, they\'ll be able to tell with the perfmon tools (not that we\'d ever do that to you, developers).','VMware PERFMON DLLs','','publish','open','open','','vmware-perfmon-dlls','','','2010-03-16 10:16:12','2010-03-16 15:16:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1989',0,'post','',1),(1993,2,'2010-03-18 12:16:41','2010-03-18 17:16:41','3/18/10\n<em>Charleston Digital Corridor</em>\n\nCharleston, SC - March 18, 2010 - Register before April 1st for the Charleston Digital Corridor\'s <a href=\"http://www.ifivek.com/index.html\">iFive:k</a>, and capitalize on the early registration fee of $25. The i5k will be held on Thursday, April 22nd at 6:30pm. iFive:k participants will run/walk/shuffle through historic downtown Charleston and enjoy the post-race celebration at the Maritime Center with live entertainment from the PeopleMatter Band! <!--more-->\n\nWant to get off to a running start? Charleston Digital Corridor member eGroup, is hosting a series of three Wellness Runs leading up to race day. At the first Wellness Run, held March 10th, an eager group of i5k registrants had the opportunity to train with last year\'s overall winner, Karl Walsh. The Wellness Runs offer participants the chance to run together through scenic downtown and a post-run \"cool-down\" while Mr. Walsh discusses training techniques.\n\n\"The Wellness Runs are a natural extension of the City of Charleston\'s effort to support and promote a healthy community,\" said Kimberly Taylor, Program Manager for the City of Charleston\'s Digital Corridor and i5k Race Director. \"As a lead sponsor of the i5k, the City encourages employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle,\" she added. Future Wellness Runs will be held on Wednesday, March 31st and Wednesday, April 14th at 6pm, starting at the Flagship, 475A East Bay Street. This event is free, but participation is limited to 15 iFive:k registrants. Contact <a href=\"mailto:kimberly@charlestondigitalcorridor.com\">Kimberly Taylor</a> for more details.\n\nThe i5k also features a team component! Enter in teams of two, six or ten and compete to have your company/team name on the iFive:k\'s \"Bragging Rights\" Trophy housed at the Digital Corridor\'s headquarters. Gather some friends and/or colleagues and challenge the 2009 Champions in the three categories: TrySports - \"Double Duo;\" Wharf Rats - \"Six Pack;\" and Seamon Whiteside &amp; Associates - \"Top Ten.\"\n\nThe Charleston Digital Corridor will donate a portion of the proceeds raised to the Burke Scholarship Fund. This donation will be earmarked for a student seeking higher education in a technology related field.','eGROUP TO HOST SECOND i5K WELLNESS RUN MARCH 31 ','','publish','open','open','','egroup-to-host-second-i5k-wellness-run-march-31','','','2010-03-18 12:16:41','2010-03-18 17:16:41','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1993',0,'post','',0),(1995,8,'2010-03-18 13:26:53','2010-03-18 18:26:53','If you are receiving this message when attempting to open Outlook there is a quick fix.\n<ol>\n	<li>Open the command prompt.</li>\n	<li>Navigate to your office directory (C:Program FilesOffice install folder).</li>\n	<li>type: Outlook.exe /resetnavpane</li>\n</ol>\nOutlook should open up as normal and allow you to continue.','\"CANNOT START MICROSOFT OUTLOOK. CANNOT OPEN THE OUTLOOK WINDOW.\"  QUICK FIX','','publish','open','open','','cannot-start-microsoft-outlook-cannot-open-the-outlook-window-quick-fix','','','2010-03-18 13:26:53','2010-03-18 18:26:53','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1995',0,'post','',0),(1997,8,'2010-03-18 13:33:39','2010-03-18 18:33:39','Come join SharePoint users and administrators at the first SharePoint user group meeting for the Charleston SC area.   It will be a great oppurtunity for newcomers and veterans alike to share and learn oppurtunities available in SharePoint.\n\nHere is the official statement...\n\n<span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; color: #1f497d; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\">\"We have not set an agenda as of yet.  At each meeting there is ample opportunity to ask questions and get feedback on just about anything.  We spent a good deal of time last meeting talking about learning resources, and also addressing specific problems some of us are dealing with and coming up with solutions or where to get more information.\"</span>\n\n The meeting will be at April 6th at 5:30 PM.  See the link below to register.\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"color: #1f497d;\"><a href=\"http://charlestonspug.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">http://charlestonspug.eventbrite.com</span></span></a></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"> </p>','CHARLESTON AREA FIRST SHAREPOINT USERS GROUP SET FOR APRIL 6th.','','publish','open','open','','charleston-area-first-bi-monthly-sharepoint-users-group-set-for-april-6th','','','2010-03-18 13:33:39','2010-03-18 18:33:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=1997',0,'post','',0),(2001,6,'2010-03-23 12:41:29','2010-03-23 17:41:29','If you run into an issue with your published applications not opening correctly via the Citrix Web Interface, then please read below for the solution/work around.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIf you receive the following while opening Citrix Published Apps: \n\n<strong>CD<strong>Viewer has encountered a problem and needs to close.</strong></strong>\n\nThen odds are you are running a fairly recent Citrix Online Plug-In. In my case version 11.2 (Citrix Online Plug-in version 11.2 - Web)\n\nHere is the work around to get your apps working correctly:\n\nLogin to the web interface\nRight-click on the application giving you issues (in my case the app in question is \"Desktop\") and click-save as\nSave the launch.ica file to your desktop\nRight-click on the \"launch.ica\" and select \"Open With\"\nBrowse to the following location: <strong>C:Program FilesCitrixwfica32.exe</strong>\nClick OK\nNo log back into web interface and click on the application again, this time it should open successfully.\n\n\n\n','CITRIX ONLINE PLUG-IN ERROR: CDVIEWER HAS ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO CLOSE','','publish','open','open','','citrix-online-plugin-error-cdviewer-has-encountered-a-problem-and-needs-to-close','','','2010-03-23 12:41:29','2010-03-23 17:41:29','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2001',0,'post','',4),(2007,12,'2010-03-24 14:11:31','2010-03-24 19:11:31','Using Update Manager 4.0 Update 1, you can now install PowerPath/VE to ESX/ESXi 4.0 hosts. For those who haven\'t seen the previous installation method, it was a little bit too &quot;involved&quot; for my liking--\n\nThis <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1018740\" target=\"_blank\">VMware KB </a> article explains the process-- let us know how it goes for you!','EMC PowerPath/VE INSTALLATION WITH Update Manager','','publish','open','open','','emc-powerpathve-installation-with-update-manager','','','2010-03-24 14:11:31','2010-03-24 19:11:31','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2007',0,'post','',0),(2009,12,'2010-03-29 16:01:24','2010-03-29 21:01:24','AMD announced the arrival of new 8 and 12 core processors, and both the pricing and the performance gains are good-- very good.\n\n&quot;<span>In releasing the products, AMD is touting  performance increases up to two times the level of its previous  generation six-core processors, including an 88% rise in integer  performance and a 119% increase in floating point performance. In  addition, the chips\' four channels of DDR3 memory offer up to a 2.5x  improvement in overall memory bandwidth, according to AMD.&quot;</span>\n\n<!--more-->\nRead about it <a href=\"http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/processors/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224200660\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> --','AMD - INTRODUCES 12 CORE PROCESSORS','','publish','open','open','','amd-introduces-12-core-processors','','','2010-03-29 16:01:24','2010-03-29 21:01:24','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2009',0,'post','',0),(2012,44,'2010-03-29 21:14:44','2010-03-30 02:14:44','I had a customer recently who wanted to disable printer redirection for Remote Desktop sessions to a Windows 2008 server.  The solution is quite simple:\n\n1) Open the Terminal Services Configuration console (tsconfig.msc)\n2) Double-click RDP-Tcp\n3) On the Client Settings tab, select Windows Printer in order to disable printer redirection for all users','DISABLING PRINTER REDIRECTION FOR REMOTE DESKTOP SESSIONS','','publish','open','open','','disabling-printer-redirection-for-remote-desktop-sessions','','','2010-03-29 21:14:44','2010-03-30 02:14:44','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2012',0,'post','',0),(2016,12,'2010-04-08 13:29:36','2010-04-08 18:29:36','While I haven\'t seen, touched, or know anyone who owns an iPad yet, I think it\'s pretty cool that Citrix has already put out an iPad compatible Receiver as well as GoToMeeting.\n\nSome articles mentioned larger companies becoming early adopters of the iPad to portray an image of &quot;high-techiness&quot;-- and when combined with the Citrix Receiver and subsequently other applications secured in their data centers, high-tech &quot;appearance&quot; may be high-tech reality.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nCheck it out for yourself--<a title=\"VIDEO\" href=\"http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products/feature.asp?contentID=1864392\"> http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products/feature.asp?contentID=1864392</a>\n\nAnd playing off of what they say in the Ford commercials-- &quot;Perform heart surgery in one&quot;','Citrix UNVEILS RECEIVER FOR iPad','','publish','open','open','','citrix-unveils-receiver-for-ipad','','','2010-04-08 13:29:36','2010-04-08 18:29:36','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2016',0,'post','',0),(2019,12,'2010-04-12 13:07:21','2010-04-12 18:07:21','This is something I stumbled across and have found tremendously helpful when troubleshooting or working with a customer who is planning to change, upgrade or update their VMware environment.\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/kbdigest/\" target=\"_blank\">http://blogs.vmware.com/kbdigest/</a>\n\nVMware posts the latest KB articles in order of date of release, specified underneath a particular product (ESX, ESXi, View, etc.). Very helpful link to keep bookmarked.','VMware\'s KNOWLEDGEBASE DIGEST','','publish','open','open','','vmwares-knowledgebase-digest','','','2010-04-12 13:07:21','2010-04-12 18:07:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2019',0,'post','',0),(2023,12,'2010-04-21 10:15:04','2010-04-21 15:15:04','With all the hype and &quot;life-altering&quot; claims being made prior to the launch of the iPad, I was very skeptical. When it was announced, I was disappointed. Here\'s this smooth-operating tablet device that can\'t multitask, has no USB ports, and pretty much no scalability/expandability.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nYesterday I was able to finally get my hands on one, and while the limitations mentioned above are still present, I was much more impressed with it. It\'s very smooth and responsive, the keyboard worked well in both portrait and landscape modes, and kept up with the speed in which I type (thought it\'s very difficult to touch-type without any feel of the keys). When paired with a well implemented Citrix environment, the limitations of the device are lessened, and for those who do the occasional web browsing and check their email, it\'d be a great gadget to have.\n\nIn the realm of being an e-reader, the iBooks application seemed to have a limited library in comparison to the other devices out there. But if you found a book you wanted to read in the library, the &quot;readability&quot; on the iPad is wonderful. The page turning helps it have more of a book feel, and the text is clear and vibrant. You can display two pages at a time in the landscape mode (page 1 on the left, page 2 on the right), or a single page in portrait mode.\n\nSo if the question is, &quot;Will you buy one?&quot;, my answer is &quot;Maybe&quot;. I\'m interested to see what Google\'s tablet offering will be (though was a bit disappointed they\'re likely going to use their Android OS, and not Chrome), so it may be a while before I\'m a proud tablet owner.','iPad - THOUGHTS OF A NERD','','publish','open','open','','ipad-thoughts-of-a-nerd','','','2010-04-21 10:15:04','2010-04-21 15:15:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2023',0,'post','',1),(2026,8,'2010-04-27 20:29:21','2010-04-28 01:29:21','When performing a SharePoint 2007 backup you can receive the following message for your database backups. \n\nObject SharePoint_Config failed in event OnBackup. For more information, see the error log located in the backup directory. SqlException: Cannot open backup device &#39;&lt;backuplocation&#39;. Operating system error 3(The system cannot find the path specified.). BACKUP DATABASE is terminating abnormally.\n\nThe good news is that there is an easy fix.  Get in the habit of always using a UNC path instead of a local directory for your SharePoint backup locations.  The reason is if you are starting the backup from a server that is not the database server then the backup cannot find the path.\n\nAnother alternative is to have the same backup directory on each server but I would think that is more trouble than it is worth.','OBJECT  FAILED ON EVENT ONBACKUP.  SharePoint Backups (MOSS 2007)','','publish','open','open','','object-failed-on-event-onbackup-sharepoint-backups-moss-2007','','','2010-04-27 20:29:21','2010-04-28 01:29:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2026',0,'post','',0),(2028,8,'2010-05-06 22:23:01','2010-05-07 03:23:01','I have seen a few good posts on updating BDC data columns from workflows utilizing web service tasks but haven\'t seen any that are straight to the point and work well for all situations.  The specific situation in the scenario I wanted to solve was updating a BDC list item based on a part number entered into the title column so that users could reference associated data.  I did this by passing the site, list id and row id as a parameter to a ASP.Net web service from a Nintex Workflow.  Here is the webservice code to find the list row and update the BDC data column without using the _ID hidden fields.<!--more--><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">SPSite mySite = </span><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\">new</span></span><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\"> SPSite(site);SPWeb myWeb = mySite.OpenWeb();\n\nSPList myList = myWeb.Lists[list];\n\n \n\nSPListItem item = myList.Items.GetItemById(id);\n\n<font size=\"2\">BusinessDataField field =\n\n</font></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\">new</span></span><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\"> BusinessDataField(item.Fields, \"BDCColumn\");<font size=\"2\">item[field.RelatedField] = EntityInstanceIdEncoder.EncodeEntityInstanceId(\n\n</font></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\">new</span></span><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\"> </span><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: x-small;\">object</span></span><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">[] { \"BDCValue\" });<font size=\"2\">item[Column Name\n\n</font></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">] = bdcid;item.Update();\n\n</span>\n\n Good Luck!','UPDATE BDC LIST ITEMS FROM NINTEX WORKFLOW 2007','','publish','open','open','','update-bdc-list-items-from-nintex-workflow-2007','','','2010-05-06 22:23:01','2010-05-07 03:23:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2028',0,'post','',2),(2030,12,'2010-05-07 13:41:07','2010-05-07 18:41:07','The Cisco 3500 series Aironet access points can analyze up to 20 different kinds of interference in the air, and automatically self-adjust themselves for optimal signal broadcast-- all without the intervention of an IT staff member.\n\nFrom the Cisco product page:\n\n<span class=\"content\">\n<p class=\"expanded-spacing\">Simplify wireless  operations with:</p>\n\n<ul class=\"bulleted\">\n	<li> Automatic interference mitigation for better reliability and       performance</li>\n	<li> Remote troubleshooting for fast problem resolution       and less downtime</li>\n	<li> Robust security with non-Wi-Fi detection for       off-channel rogues</li>\n	<li> Policy enforcement with customizable alerts         to prohibit devices that interfere with the network</li>\n</ul>\n</span>\n\n<span class=\"content\"><a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10981/index.html\">Check it out</a>\n</span>','Cisco - CleanAir ACCESS POINTS','','publish','open','open','','cisco-cleanair-access-points','','','2010-05-07 13:41:07','2010-05-07 18:41:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2030',0,'post','',0),(2033,6,'2010-05-12 10:25:15','2010-05-12 15:25:15','If you are getting ready to upgrade your Windows Domain from Server 2003 (32-Bit) to Server 2008 R2 (64-Bit). Then please read just to ensure you\'ve got all your bases covered.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nFirst off make sure you get plenty of backups. Next copy over the ADPREP folder found on the Server 2008 R2 disc. This contains the ADPREP and the ADPREP32.EXE that we\'ll need to run the prep commands to ensure our 2003 (existing) Domain is ready for the 2008 servers.\n\nOn the 2003 Schema Master, ensure you have the ADPREP folder copied over. Go to command line (be sure to right-click and run as administrator) and navigate to the ADPREP folder and run the following commands and make sure they complete successfully.\n\n<strong>adprep32.exe /forestprep (Schema Master)\nadprep32.exe /domainprep (Infrastructure Master)\nadprep32.exe/ gpprep\nadprep32.exe/ rodcprep</strong>\n\nNote: In Windows Server 2008 R2, Adprep is available in a 32-bit and a 64-bit version. The 64-bit version runs by default, but if you need to run adprep on a 32-bit computer, then please run the 32-bit version via adprep32.exe.\n\nNow you are ready to DCPROMO in the new 2008 R2 servers.\n\nBe sure to take plenty of backups on the 2003 and 2008 servers before, during and after the upgrade process to ensure you are covered every step of the way.\n\nFor more information on ADPREP32.EXE please go <a href=\"http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731728(WS.10).aspx\">HERE</a>.','UPGRADING WINDOWS DOMAIN FROM 2003 TO 2008 R2','','publish','open','open','','upgrading-forest-from-2003-to-2008-r2-64-bit','','','2010-05-12 10:25:15','2010-05-12 15:25:15','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2033',0,'post','',0),(2040,2,'2010-05-20 10:16:46','2010-05-20 15:16:46','As a result of eGroup\'s traditional thought leadership approach with its customers, Nexsen Pruet, a Leading Law firm in the Carolinas, is now equipped with an Enterprise class level Storage and Backup solution utilizing EMC\'s Clarion CX4, Networker, Avamar and Data Domain solutions.  This combination of technologies ensures that the firm has peace of mind, that their core business is operationally ready, and that their Tier 1 applications are highly available.<!--more-->\n\n• With 2 Clarion SANs Nexsen Pruet gets Disaster Preparedness networked storage for departmental applications. The CX4‐120 combines CLARiiON five 9s availability with innovative technologies like fully automated storage tiering, virtual provisioning, 64‐bit operating system, and multi‐core processors.  The CX4 model 120 scales from 5 up to 120 TB of capacity.<!--more-->\n\n• With Avamar Virtual Edition for VMware, Nexsen Pruet has a fully virtualized backup and recovery solution that combines the value of data deduplication with the efficiencies of a VMware virtual infrastructure.\n\n• With NetWorker, Nexsen Pruet has the ability to protect its applications and data by simplifying and centralizing backup and recovery operations. With NetWorker backup software, they get a common platform that supports a wide range of data protection options including backup to disk, replication management, continuous data protection, and deduplication across physical and virtual environments. NetWorker\'s versatility makes it the ideal backup software for Nexsen Pruet\'s data center and remote offices.\n\nJoel Hilke, technology Director at Nexsen Pruet, states: \"We have relied on eGroup for many years to be our Trusted Advisor to ensure our partners and clients have peace of mind, and that we are positioned with a high performance computing environment to be able to withstand any disruption of services with little or no impact to our business operations\".','eGROUP DELIVERS STORAGE, BACKUP, AND DATA DEDUPLICATION TO LEADING LAW FIRM IN THE CAROLINAS','','publish','open','open','','egroup-delivers-storage-backup-and-data-deduplication-to-leading-law-firm-in-the-carolinas','','','2010-05-20 10:16:46','2010-05-20 15:16:46','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2040',0,'post','',0),(2057,2,'2010-05-20 13:06:23','2010-05-20 18:06:23','eGroup announced today that it has achieved the Advanced Data Center Storage Networking Specialization from Cisco®. This specialization recognizes eGroup, a Cisco Premier Certified Partner, as having fulfilled the training requirements and program prerequisites to sell, deploy and support comprehensive Cisco data center storage networking solutions.<!--more-->\n\n“We’re pleased to once again be recognized by Cisco with the Advanced Data Center Storage Networking Specialization,” said Mike Carter, Principal Consultant at eGroup. “This designation validates our knowledge and expertise in helping customers build highly available, scalable storage networking solutions that address data security initiatives and business continuity.”\n\nThe Cisco Advanced Data Center Storage Networking Specialization is designed to help partners—whether small to medium-sized businesses or enterprise-scale organizations—meet a wide range of customer needs. The Advanced Data Center Storage Networking Specialization curriculum focuses on enabling Cisco partners to build cost-effective storage area networks in support of creating better resource management, improved business continuance and enhanced data security. These resale channel partners are specialists in building storage solutions based on industry-leading Cisco data center storage networking products.\n\nThe Cisco Resale Channel Program provides partners with the training required to build sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills, and then validates their skills through a third-party audit. Cisco resale partner certifications—Select, Premier, Silver and Gold—represent an increasing breadth of skills across key technologies and a partner’s ability to deliver integrated networking solutions. Cisco resale partner specializations—SMB, Express, Advanced and Master—reflect an increasing depth of sales, technical and service expertise in particular technologies. Achieving Cisco Advanced Data Center Storage Networking Specialization also provides eGroup access to comprehensive sales, technical, and lifecycle services training and support available from Cisco.','eGROUP ACHIEVES CISCO ADVANCED DATA CENTER STORAGE NETWORKING SPECIALIZATION','','publish','open','open','','egroup-achieves-cisco-advanced-data-center-storage-networking-specialization','','','2010-05-20 13:06:23','2010-05-20 18:06:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2057',0,'post','',0),(2060,2,'2010-05-20 13:19:10','2010-05-20 18:19:10','Charleston, SC - June 2, 2010 - eGroup today announced it has received the EMC Authorized Services Network (ASN) Quality Award from EMC Corporation for achieving service delivery excellence and providing exemplary levels of customer satisfaction as demonstrated by the EMC Velocity Authorize Services Network Quality (ASNQ) program.\n\nThe ASNQ program is a project-specific survey program designed for EMC ASN partners to solicit customer feedback about the quality of their service engagements. The survey results enable partners to engage in a continuous improvement process, resulting in a higher level of professional services quality and customer satisfaction.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nMike Carter, Principal Consultant at eGroup states; \"We are very excited to receive this award. We invest in our people so we can provide the highest quality of professional services to our clients, and our reputation for quality work is our most valued asset.\"\n\n\"All of our Velocity ASN partners aim to deliver outstanding levels of customer service and embrace quality as a measurement of their customer\'s total satisfaction,\" said Brian Abernethy, Senior Manager, EMC Partner Services - Americas. \"As an EMC Velocity Authorized Services Network Quality award winner, eGroup demonstrated leadership in service delivery quality and exemplified the high standards that EMC holds its own Global Services organization to.\"\n\nThe Velocity ASN program members are a select community of Velocity partners from across the globe, authorized by EMC to deliver professional services that complement and extend EMC\'s service offerings and expand EMC Global Services\' coverage capabilities.\n\n<strong>About eGroup:</strong>\n\neGroup provides technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high- availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.\n\nLiz Wilmes, 843.284.0146, <a href=\"mailto:lwilmes@eGroup-us.com\">lwilmes@eGroup-us.com</a>','eGROUP HONORED AS RECIPIENT OF 2010 EMC QUALITY AWARD','','publish','open','open','','egroup-honored-as-recipient-of-2010-emc-velocity2-authorized-services-network-quality-award','','','2010-05-20 13:19:10','2010-05-20 18:19:10','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2060',0,'post','',0),(2063,2,'2010-05-20 14:12:51','2010-05-20 19:12:51','New Advanced Tiering, FAST Cache, Compression Capabilities and Innovative Storage Management Lowers Costs and Improves Performance; Support of VMware vStorage APIs for Array Integration\n\nNews Summary:\n<ul>\n	<li>New advanced storage efficiency technologies for EMC CLARiiON® and EMC Celerra® storage systems -next generation of EMC® FAST (fully automated storage tiering), innovative FAST Cache capabilities and block data compression-enable customers to lower costs and improve performance.</li>\n	<li>New EMC Unisphere software delivers a simple approach to midrange storage management with task-based controls, customizable views, flexible reporting, and advanced self-service capabilities.</li>\n	<li>CLARiiON and Celerra storage systems support VMware vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) and new vCenter integration enables VMware administrators to easily provision and protect virtual machine storage.</li>\n	<li>These new EMC midrange technologies are key enablers of private clouds, helping customers manage their explosion of digital data with new levels of simplicity and efficiency.<!--more--></li>\n</ul>\n<strong>Full Story:</strong>\n\nBOSTON (EMC World) - May 11, 2010 - EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC), the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, today extended its midrange storage innovation and leadership with new advanced storage efficiency technologies and new EMC Unisphere management software, enabling customers to lower costs and improve performance.\n\n<strong>New Advanced Storage Efficiency Technologies</strong>\n\nAs information continues to grow exponentially, storage systems need to be intelligent enough to automatically optimize for both performance and cost savings. EMC is introducing new efficiency technologies that deliver those features, including advances to EMC FAST (fully automated storage tiering), new FAST Cache capabilities, and block data compression that further extend EMC\'s advantages in unified storage.\n\nNew advances to EMC FAST technology, which automates data movement within an array, now provides new levels of granular analysis and automated movement of block data at the sub-LUN level in CLARiiON and Celerra storage systems. This enables automated policies to make even better use of high performing Enterprise Flash Drives. For example, instead of moving an entire 1TB (terabyte) LUN, FAST can identify the most active data within that LUN and automatically move it to the Enterprise Flash Drives. The result is a significant increase in application performance by moving only small amounts of the most active data to Enterprise Flash Drives, while also moving the less active data to lower cost SATA drives. This is especially beneficial in VMware environments as many virtual machines and data stores may reside on a single LUN, yet may have very different performance requirements.\n\nAdditionally, new automated analysis and policy-based movement of data with EMC FAST saves time by having the storage system do the work. FAST policy options will now include \"auto-tiering\" based on I/O (input/output) patterns, \"highest tier\" for maximum performance, and \"lowest tier\" for best cost optimization. Integration of FAST with new EMC Unisphere software allows easy configuration and scheduling of automatic data movement. Together, these help customers increase automation for simplicity and lower operational costs.\n\nEMC is also building upon its leadership with Enterprise Flash Drives with the introduction of EMC FAST Cache, an innovative performance optimization feature unique to CLARiiON CX4 and current Celerra NS platforms. FAST Cache uses Enterprise Flash Drives to extend existing cache capacities for accelerated system performance and automatic absorption of unpredicted spikes in application workloads. FAST Cache is a fundamental change for the midmarket, providing a multi-terabyte read and write cache, which is easily configured and monitored using EMC Unisphere. While FAST provides capacity optimization and lower costs over the long-term, FAST Cache accelerates performance to address unexpected workload spikes. FAST and FAST Cache are a powerful combination, unmatched in the industry, that provides optimal performance at the lowest possible cost.\n\n<strong>First to Introduce Block Data Compression to Reclaim Capacity</strong>\n\nEMC is further advancing its storage efficiency innovation as the first storage provider to introduce block data compression, by allowing customers to compress inactive data and reclaiming valuable storage capacity- data footprints can be reduced by up to 50 percent. A common use case would be compressing inactive data once EMC FAST software has moved that data to the most cost-effective storage tier. Block data compression joins EMC\'s existing capabilities, including thin provisioning and data deduplication, to automatically and transparently maximize storage utilization.\n\n<strong>EMC Unisphere: An Innovative New Approach to Managing Midrange Storage</strong>\n\nEMC Unisphere provides a new, simple and integrated experience for managing existing CLARiiON and Celerra storage systems-and next generation EMC unified storage offerings-through both a storage and VMware lens. It is designed to provide simplicity, flexibility, and automation, which are all key requirements for the journey to the private cloud. Unisphere includes:\n\nA unique self-service Unisphere support ecosystem that is accessible with one-click, providing quick access to EMC\'s award winning \"real-time\" online support tools including live chat support, online customer communities, software downloads, product documentation, best practices, FAQs, ordering of replacement parts, and submitting service requests.\nTask-based navigation and controls for an intuitive, context-based approach to configuring storage, creating replicas, monitoring the environment, managing host connections, and accessing the Unisphere support ecosystem.\nCustomizable dashboard views and reporting capabilities that enable at-a-glance management by automatically presenting users with valuable information in context of how they manage storage. For example, customers can develop custom reports up to 18 times faster than previous methods using EMC Unisphere.\nIn addition to the new features above, Unisphere\'s flexible design allows for additional EMC element managers to be plugged-in, providing seamless access to key storage functionality across the EMC portfolio.\n\n<strong>New VMware API Integration</strong>\n\nEMC\'s industry leadership in VMware vStorage and vCenter integrations has continued through the advancement of vCenter plugin support. Today, EMC is also introducing unique built-in tools to more easily manage the virtual infrastructure, which build upon EMC\'s portfolio of VMware aware storage management. The new tools provide a single view, from within VMware vCenter, with full transparency and integration of storage, server, and virtual machine:\n<ul>\n	<li>Through the use of vCenter plugins from EMC, VMware administrators have the ability to manage storage from within VMware\'s vCenter management console. EMC has extended those capabilities with CLARiiON and Celerra to include provisioning of both block and NAS storage. With this next-generation vCenter plugin family VMware administrators have simplified visibility, provisioning, and management of EMC storage.</li>\n	<li>CLARiiON and Celerra storage systems now support VMware vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI), which offloads VMware storage related functions from the server to the storage system, enabling more efficient use of server resources for increased performance and consolidation.\nEMC Proven Solutions</li>\n</ul>\nAdditionally, to help customers make more informed business decisions as they seek to reduce costs, EMC Proven Solutions will demonstrate to customers how they can leverage FAST Cache and FAST sub-LUN capabilities to help users achieve better application performance while continuing to provide IT with new ways of reducing cost and simplifying storage management in Microsoft SQL, Exchange 2010 and Oracle environments and when supporting Virtual Desktops for large numbers of users.\n\n<strong>Industry Analyst Quote:</strong>\n\n\"EMC is introducing significant advancements to the midrange storage space. EMC\'s unique implementation of block-based data compression can not only help customers maximize capacity in production systems, but also provides the potential for improved performance when retrieving data. The capabilities that EMC is introducing, from FAST Cache to Unisphere bring new levels of automation, simplicity, performance and ease-of-use to midrange storage-helping customers to lower costs. Combined, these are helping to change the economics for midrange platforms as they evolve in their role in private cloud infrastructures.\"\n<em>-Brian Garrett, Vice President, Enterprise Strategy Group Lab</em>\n\n<strong>EMC Executive Quote:\n</strong>\n\"Today EMC is significantly changing how customers will be able to more easily, more efficiently and more simply manage their midrange storage environments. With an innovative new management approach and advanced efficiency capabilities, such as FAST and FAST Cache, customers can easily consolidate and optimize multiple changing workloads on a single array. The new efficiencies we\'re announcing today are fundamental to EMC\'s strategy of enabling customers to store, manage, protect, and secure applications and information in a policy-based and automated way to accelerate the journey to the private cloud.\"\n<em>-Rich Napolitano, President, EMC Unified Storage Division</em>\n\n<strong>Availability</strong>\n\nAll capabilities included in this announcement will support CLARiiON CX4 and current Celerra NS product lines. These capabilities will be generally available worldwide in the third quarter of 2010.','NEW LEVELS OF EMC MIDRANGE STORAGE EFFICIENCY AND SIMPLICITY ACCELERATE JOURNEY TO THE PRIVATE CLOUD','','publish','open','open','','new-levels-of-emc-midrange-storage-efficiency-and-simplicity-accelerate-journey-to-the-private-cloud','','','2010-05-20 14:12:51','2010-05-20 19:12:51','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2063',0,'post','',0),(2071,12,'2010-05-21 08:38:25','2010-05-21 13:38:25','Checking out the VMware Networking Blog, this caught my eye:\n\n&quot;vMotion—a single vMotion can consume ~3.6Gbps with a maximum of two  running concurrently.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nFT can consume up to ~4Gbps but can consume much less if the FT  workloads are low. &quot;\n\nThe blog post is all about 10GigE, and essentially how awesome it is. It also goes on to provide some more information and suggestions about shaping the traffic-- the blog post can be found <a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/networking/2010/05/vsphere-loves-10gige.html\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>','VMware BANDWIDTH FOR VMotion','','publish','open','open','','vmware-bandwidth-for-vmotion','','','2010-05-21 08:38:25','2010-05-21 13:38:25','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2071',0,'post','',0),(2076,2,'2010-05-21 14:20:50','2010-05-21 19:20:50','eGroup announced today that it has achieved the Advanced Data Center Networking Infrastructure (DCNI) Specialization from Cisco. This specialization recognizes eGroup as having fulfilled the training requirements and program prerequisites to sell, deliver and support comprehensive Cisco® data center network infrastructure solutions.<!--more-->\n\nThe Cisco Advanced DCNI Specialization is designed to help enable partners to address the requirements that enterprise and commercial customers face in deploying a wide range of data center technologies and applications. Cisco Advanced DCNI Specialized Partners are specialists in building end-to-end data center solutions based on the industry-leading Cisco data center networking products, including the Nexus Family of data center switching products, Catalyst® 4900 and 6500 Series Switches, Catalyst Blade switches, Firewall Services Module, Network Analysis Module, Application Control Engine module and appliance, Global Site Selector appliance, and Application Networking Manager.\n\nThe Cisco Resale Partner Program provides partners with the training required to build sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills, and then validates their skills through a third-party audit. Cisco resale partner certifications-Select, Premier, Silver and Gold-represent an increasing breadth of skills across key technologies and a partner\'s ability to deliver integrated networking solutions. Cisco resale partner specializations-SMB, Express, Advanced and Master-reflect an increasing depth of sales, technical and service expertise in particular technologies.  Achieving the Cisco Advanced DCNI Specialization also provides eGroup with access to comprehensive sales, technical, and lifecycle services training and support available from Cisco.','eGROUP ACHIEVES ADVANCED DATA CENTER NETWORKING INFRASTRUCTURE SPECIALIZATION FROM CISCO','','publish','open','open','','egroup-achieves-advanced-data-center-networking-infrastructure-specialization-from-cisco','','','2010-05-21 14:20:50','2010-05-21 19:20:50','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2076',0,'post','',0),(2081,2,'2010-05-25 07:56:34','2010-05-25 12:56:34','Calling all customers, vendors, partners, and fitness uber-athletes to join our growing legion of eGroup \"Serious Competitors\" mud running teams!  Last year we had a record turn-out, and we want even more this year!  Contact Liz Wilmes with eGroup at <a href=\"mailto:ops@eGroup-us.com\">ops@eGroup-us.com</a> for more information on how to join one of our teams.\n\nThis is a challenge you will never forget! Come test yourself and see what you can really do when you put your mind to the task--all in the company of motivated and dedicated team mates. <!--more-->\n\n<strong>About the USMC Mud Run</strong>\n<div class=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"post_body\">\n\nEvery year in September the Greater Columbia Marine Foundation hosts the largest Mud Run in the Southeast. The race attracts thousands of people from all over the Southeast and beyond. The Ultimate Challenge Mud Run is over 4.2 miles, and has 30 obstacles that have to be crossed by each team requiring team work and a lot of determination. The 4.2 mile course is an all-terrain race conducted on dirt roads, improved and unimproved trails through the training area. These trails include mud holes, walls, trenches and other obstacles that require swimming, crawling, climbing and jumping. Some people come to compete, but many come just to complete!\n\nLast year there were over 1800 teams competing, which well exceeded the attendance from 2008 (1200 teams in 2008). Also, the 2009 event was a huge success because of the many groups who came together to support and welcome home our Marines.\n\n<a href=\"http://usmcmudrun.org/\">http://usmcmudrun.org/</a> </div>\n</div>','eGROUP WANTS YOU FOR 2010 USMC MUD RUN IN COLUMBIA!','','publish','open','open','','egroup-wants-you-for-2010-usmc-mud-run-in-columbia','','','2010-05-25 07:56:34','2010-05-25 12:56:34','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2081',0,'post','',0),(2088,2,'2010-05-26 08:58:19','2010-05-26 13:58:19','eGroup\'s Daniel Navarro, Inside Sales, took on Guiseppe\'s hot chicken wing eating challenge last night in Mt. Pleasant, SC--and lived to tell his story.\n\nThe rules: Daniel had to eat 7 chicken wings, smothered in a sauce that uses the infamous \"bhut jolokia\" pepper, in 10 minutes. (The bhut jolokia-also known variously by other names in its native region- is a chili pepper generally recognized as the hottest in the world. The pepper is often called the ghost chili by Western media.) With only a small cocktail napkin to attempt to wipe the fiery sauce from his face and hands during the feat, and nothing to drink, he then had to sit for an additional 5 minutes after consuming the wings to endure the pain before the wait staff could come to his rescue with milk and cold rags.<!--more-->\n\nBelow is Daniel\'s first hand account of this heroic feat:\n\n<em>\"First off, it was all about the mind set! I downed one glass of milk, and then it was game on. The manager came up to ask \"so, who is the idiot?\", but I didn\'t let his mockery rattle me. I was in the zone. I had to sign a waver in order to enter into the contest. Right before I started eating the wings I took a moment to get myself  mentally prepared. When I started, I literally ate the wings so fast I didn\'t have time to think about how hot these wings really were. One thing I noticed besides the fact that I was sweating heavily was that my hands were shaking like crazy. It took me 2 ½ minutes to eat 7 wings. After that the five minute waiting period, called the AFTER BURN, began. Man, did it BURN! I told the crew of eGroup onlookers \"do whatever you want--take pictures, whatever--just please don\'t talk to me.\"  I needed to be in peace, and breathing was key. The last 2 minutes my eyes started to burn so badly I couldn\'t even open then without being in pain. I almost thought I wasn\'t going to make it, but when I hit the 1 minute mark I knew I had this one in the bag. 10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1 Mission complete! I started chugging milk and received a cold rag to clean myself up. My face and lips were burning so badly I had to ask for a second cold rag to just lay on my face. That\'s all I got.\"</em>\n\nDaniel\'s eagerness to take on even the most extreme of challenges translates to his \"get it done\" attitude as an Inside Sales Executive with eGroup.\n\nSee Daniel in action <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8my2EyAt8s\">HERE</a>!','eGROUP\'S OWN DANIEL NAVARRO DUBBED \"LORD OF THE WINGS\"','','publish','open','open','','egroups-own-daniel-navarro-dubbed-lord-of-the-wings','','','2010-05-26 08:58:19','2010-05-26 13:58:19','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2088',0,'post','',0),(2103,44,'2010-05-26 17:20:22','2010-05-26 22:20:22','<!--             [if gte mso 10]&gt;--> <!--            [endif]-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Thinking about upgrading you current DHCP servers to 2008?<span> </span> Worried about the integrity of the reservation tables being carried over?<span> </span> Want to <em>change</em> the name of the server?</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Believe it or not, the process is extremely simple to move your DHCP data from one server to another with little to no downtime.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--more--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Here’s the steps:</p>\n\n<ol>\n	<li><!--             [if !supportLists]--><span><span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--             [endif]-->On the 2003 DHCP server, open a command prompt (<em>run&gt;cmd)</em></li>\n	<li><!--             [if !supportLists]--><span><span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--             [endif]-->Type the command <strong>netsh dhcp server export C:(filename).txt all </strong> (<em>filename.txt is your chosen name of the exported file</em> . <em>Note you must have local admin rights to perform this command</em> )</li>\n	<li><!--             [if !supportLists]--><span><span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--             [endif]-->Copy the exported file to a folder locally on the 2008 server</li>\n	<li><!--             [if !supportLists]--><span><span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--             [endif]-->Then on the new 2008 DHCP server, open a command prompt (<em>run&gt;cmd)</em></li>\n	<li><!--             [if !supportLists]--><span><span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"> </span> </span> </span> <!--             [endif]-->Type the command <strong>netsh dhcp server import c:(filename).txt</strong> (<em>filename.txt is the file that you previously exported and named on the 2003 server</em> )</li>\n</ol>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Again, you must have local admin permissions to perform the import.<span> </span> If you receive the message…<em>Error initializing and reading the service configuration – Access Denied…</em> you must redo steps 4 and 5 after you log in with local admin permissions.<span> </span> After performing the import, just verify the tables are the same before you unauthorized the old server.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">And, that’s all there is to it.<span> </span> A simple way to upgrade DHCP from 2003 to 2008.<span> </span> This procedure will also work when moving between two 2008 servers as well.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">If you are looking for more in depth information about thus migration please click <a href=\"http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962355\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> for a Microsoft knowledge base article.</p>','SIMPLE DHCP UDGRADE FROM SERVER 2003 TO 2008','','publish','open','open','','simple-dhcp-udgrade-from-server-2003-to-2008','','','2010-05-26 17:20:22','2010-05-26 22:20:22','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2103',0,'post','',0),(2116,44,'2010-05-27 14:33:06','2010-05-27 19:33:06','<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Where is the terminal services role in 2008 R2? <span> </span> During the process of migrating the Terminal Services Licensing form 2003 to 2008 R2, step 1 is to install the Terminal Services role.<span> </span> But there is no Terminal Services Role!!!<span> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">After much toil and heartache, I found the simple answer…<strong>Microsoft changed the name of the Role!</strong> <span> </span> The role has been renamed to <em>Remote Desktop Services</em> .<span> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">For more information on how to continue this install follow the instructions <a href=\"http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Configuring-Windows-Server-2008-Terminal-Services-Gateway-Part1.html\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> .<span> </span> Just make sure to substitute <strong>“Remote Desktop”</strong> for <strong>“Terminal Services”</strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Thanks Microsoft, way to confuse the masses.</p>','TERMINAL SERVICES ROLE NOT LISTED IN 2008 R2','','publish','open','open','','terminal-services-role-not-listed-in-2008-r2','','','2010-05-27 14:33:06','2010-05-27 19:33:06','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2116',0,'post','',0),(2124,44,'2010-06-02 12:16:39','2010-06-02 17:16:39','Recently during a 3.5 to 4.0 upgrade, one of the VMs that I was upgrading would not allow the VMware Tools to be updated.  When attempting to remove the program in &quot;Add/Remove Programs&quot; I kept getting an error that the uninstall file could not be found. I manually directed it to the msi file and still received the same error.  In the mean time my VM was unable to connect to the new vSphere vSwitch that I had setup for the new environment (ugh...downtime).  Little did I know that VMware had a solution ready and waiting for me....\n\n<!--more--> VMware has a specialized registry cleaner script available that cleans out all the existing registry keys for the current version of VMware Tools.  A simple and quick .zip file attached to the VMware knowledge base article <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1308\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> . (VMware_Install_Cleaner.zip).  Unzip the file and run the executable.  You receive a warning that the tool is going to &quot;forcefully&quot; remove all VMware product installation information from the VM.  Click OK and the cleaner does it\'s thing.  It removes all the registry keys and install files associated with VMware Tools.  Restart the VM and then reinstall the VMware Tools.\n\nEureka!! Now the VMware Tools installs with no issues and the VM has all the updated drivers to work with the vSphere systems.  One more reboot and your home free.\n\nThanks to VMware for having an easy solution to the problem.  For more information read the whole article <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1308\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> .','VMTOOLS WILL NOT UNINSTALL','','publish','open','open','','vmtools-will-not-uninstall','','','2010-06-02 12:16:39','2010-06-02 17:16:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2124',0,'post','',0),(2136,2,'2010-06-03 11:08:16','2010-06-03 16:08:16','Summer is here, and it\'s time to relax and enjoy \"the good life\"--all while knowing eGroup has your IT needs covered. We want your photos (incorporating our new \"I (heart) eGroup\" sticker, of course) from wherever your travels may take you, or however you find yourself kicking back this summer. Heading to check out Niagara Falls? Sailing the Caribbean? Hiking in the mountains? Italy bound? Just chilling in the hammock in your own back yard or spending time out on the water? Show us what you\'ll be doing this summer, with the peace of mind you have knowing eGroup has your back.\n\nGet creative, and send us photos that have your \"I (heart) eGroup\" sticker in some crazy places! <!--more-->\n\n1 Do we have your attention? To request a sticker, e-mail your name and mailing address to <a href=\"mailto:Elizabeth.Wilmes@eGroup-us.com\">Elizabeth.Wilmes@eGroup-us.com</a>.  \n\n2 Get inspired + snap some pics!\n\n3 E-mail as many photos as you\'d like to <a href=\"mailto:Elizabeth.Wilmes@eGroup-us.com\">Elizabeth.Wilmes@eGroup-us.com</a> between now and August 31st. Include your name, title, company, and details on where your photo was taken. All entries will be posted to our <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/eGroup-Technology-Solutions-for-Serious-Competitors/123766450990135\">Facebook</a> page.\n\n4 Cast your vote (even if you don\'t enter your own photo) for your favorite photo by becoming a fan of our <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/eGroup-Technology-Solutions-for-Serious-Competitors/123766450990135\">Facebook</a> page, going to the Photos tab, opening the OFFICIAL PHOTO CONTEST ENTRIES album, and giving your favorite pic a thumbs up by clicking the \"like\" button that appears below the image once it\'s enlarged. (Votes for your own photo will be disqualified.)\n\n5 The person who contributed the photo that has the most votes by August 31st will win an iPad!\n\n(Eligibility: The eGroup Photo Contest is a creativity-based contest open to all eGroup customers, prospects, + vendors. Employees of eGroup, Inc. and the immediate families and those living in the same household of the foregoing, are not eligible to enter.  Entry Period: The Contest will run until midnight on August 31st, 2010.)','SHOW US HOW MUCH YOU LOVE eGROUP FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN iPAD!','','publish','open','open','','show-us-how-much-you-%e2%99%a5-egroup-for-a-chance-to-win-an-ipad','','','2010-06-03 11:08:16','2010-06-03 16:08:16','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2136',0,'post','',0),(2143,2,'2010-06-04 08:10:56','2010-06-04 13:10:56','eGroup is a Silver Sponsor of the 2010 Charlotte VMUG Regional Event to be held June 11th at The Charlotte Convention Center.  \n\nVMUG Regional User Conferences are FREE, full-day events with in-depth technical sessions, demonstrations and exhibits. This is a great opportunity to meet with your peers to discuss virtualization trends, best practices, and the latest technology!\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Come see us in Booth 27!</span>\n\nCharlotte Convention Center\n501 S. College St.\nCharlotte, NC 28202\n\nClick <a href=\"http://info.vmware.com/content/VMUG_Conference_Agenda?ug=cha&amp;src=undefined&amp;elq=\">here</a> for the agenda and additional details.','eGROUP IS SILVER SPONSOR OF CHARLOTTE VMUG REGIONAL EVENT','','publish','open','open','','egroup-is-silver-sponsor-of-charlotte-vmug-regional-event','','','2010-06-04 08:10:56','2010-06-04 13:10:56','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2143',0,'post','',0),(2146,2,'2010-06-04 08:36:19','2010-06-04 13:36:19','eGroup, Inc. announced today that it has met all criteria to achieve Express Foundation Certification from Cisco Systems.\n\nCisco\'s Express Foundation Certification is a mark given to key Certified Cisco partners who have completed a battery of Cisco foundational certifications and competencies including product specialization, life cycle services and core Cisco technology testing.\n\n\"The Express Foundation Certification provides our customers with a solid Cisco technology base from which we can deploy, manage and maintain at all levels in the enterprise,\" said Mike Carter, Principal, eGroup.','eGROUP ACHIEVES EXPRESS FOUNDATION CERTIFICATION FROM CISCO SYSTEMS','','publish','open','open','','egroup-achieves-express-foundation-certification-from-cisco-systems','','','2010-06-04 08:36:19','2010-06-04 13:36:19','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2146',0,'post','',0),(2162,12,'2010-06-15 18:04:23','2010-06-15 23:04:23','Preparing for the upgrade of firmware for the Cisco UCS, you must first &quot;download&quot; the necessary firmware image or, in my case, the firmware bundle (which includes the firmware for all of the UCS components).\n\nWhile trying to download the image, the status continually showed &quot;downloading&quot;, but never incremented past 2%. After letting it fail and then trying it one more time, I realized what was wrong: I was using TFTP.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nTFTP has a 32MB limit (traditionally)-- and this limit IS applied when using the TFTP option on the UCS. So I fired up an FTP server software on my machine, reconfigured the UCS to use FTP, and viola! The image downloaded with no issues, and I was able to continue with the upgrade.','Cisco UCS - FIRMWARE UPGRADE - DON\'T USE TFTP','','publish','open','open','','cisco-ucs-firmware-upgrade-dont-use-tftp','','','2010-06-15 18:04:23','2010-06-15 23:04:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2162',0,'post','',0),(2164,6,'2010-06-17 08:36:54','2010-06-17 13:36:54','If you run into issues with Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010 client not starting up correctly. Then please follow this quick fix to get your Outlook fully operational again.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nClick START, and in the run box type in <strong>outlook.exe /resetnavpane</strong>\n\nYou should be able to successfully open up your Outlook client now. The command works on outlook 2007 and 2010.\n\nNote: This command clears and regenerates the Outlook Navigation Pane for the current profile in use. The command removes all shortcus and favorite folders. The command has teh same effect of deleting profilename.xml in your user directory.','OUTLOOK 2010 ERROR AND QUICKFIX','','publish','open','open','','outlook-2010-error-and-quickfix','','','2010-06-17 08:36:54','2010-06-17 13:36:54','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2164',0,'post','',0),(2170,6,'2010-06-17 08:53:38','2010-06-17 13:53:38','If you are like me, then you have been using VMware\'s VDR (VMware Data Recovery), which is VMware\'s built in backup and recovery appliance for vSphere, and experiencing some intermittent pain.\n\nWell VMware is hoping to alleviate some of those issues by releasing VDR 1.2.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nVMware announced today that VDR 1.2 is available for download. For those that don\'t know VMware Data Recovery is a robust, simple-to-deploy backup &amp; recovery solution that businesses should consider using when they virtualize their infrastructure to provide the first line of data protection for their virtual environment.\n\nVDR allows for backup and recovery inside of the vSphere client - think baked in backup inside of vSphere. This product will continue to get better and better and the latest installment should be a great step in the right direction.\n\nSome of the issues fixed in the latest release (version 1.2) are:\n<ul>\n	<li>High DRS Or vMotion Activity on Protected Virtual Machines Causes Unnecessarily High CPU Utilization</li>\n	<li>If vCenter Server Becomes Unavailable Data Recovery Permanently Loses Connectivity</li>\n	<li>Data Recovery Backups May Fail To Make Progress At The Start Of The Task</li>\n	<li>The Backup Appliance Crashes When Backing Up Certain Disk Configurations</li>\n	<li>Data Recovery Does Not Properly Track Individual Disks For Backup</li>\n	<li>Data Recovery Fails To Check Disk Hot Add Compatibility And To Clean Up After Failures</li>\n	<li>Data Recovery Does Not Support Longer CIFS Passwords</li>\n	<li>The Backup Appliance Crashes If Disks Become Full</li>\n	<li>Last Execution Shows Incorrect Time Stamp For Completed Jobs</li>\n	<li>Data Recovery vSphere Client Plug-In Failed to Connect to vCenter Server</li>\n	<li>Adding Virtual Disks Causes Problems With Snapshots And Subsequent Backups</li>\n	<li>Backups Failed to Complete As Expected</li>\n	<li>Restore Wizard Does Not Enforce Valid Datastore Selections</li>\n	<li>File Level Restore (FLR) In Admin Mode Mishandles Some Password Characters</li>\n	<li>FLR Fails To Mount Virtual Disks Due To Connection Delimiter</li>\n	<li>Windows FLR Fails To Mount Multiple Disks With The Same Name</li>\n</ul>\nAs you can see the good folks at VMware have been hard at work on fixing and enhancing VDR.\n\nThere is also short <a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/files/vdr-1.2-final-1.mp4\">video </a> that walks through some of the great new stuff in VDR 1.2.\n\nFor more information please check VMware\'s <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/support/vdr/doc/vdr_120_releasenotes.html\">Release Notes</a> on VDR 1.2','VMWARE VDR 1.2 AVAILABLE','','publish','open','open','','vmware-vdr-12-available','','','2010-06-17 08:53:38','2010-06-17 13:53:38','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2170',0,'post','',0),(2179,44,'2010-06-21 15:35:52','2010-06-21 20:35:52','Many times I have run into issues with Microsoft\'s User Access Controls.  I have been a big fan of simply disabling it.\n\nIn Server 2008, the process is just as simple.\n<!--more-->\nClick the start menu\n\nType <em>regedit</em> , press enter\n\nNavigate the registry to\n<ul>\n	<li>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE</li>\n	<li>SOFTWARE</li>\n	<li>Microsoft</li>\n	<li>CurrentVersion</li>\n	<li>Policies</li>\n	<li>System</li>\n</ul>\nInside the System folder you will see a key called &quot;EnableLUA&quot;.\n\nDouble click that key and change the value from 1 to 0.\n\nClick OK\n\nThen reboot the server and UAC is disabled.','TURN OFF UAC SERVER 2008','','publish','open','open','','turn-off-uac-server-2008','','','2010-06-21 15:35:52','2010-06-21 20:35:52','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2179',0,'post','',0),(2197,44,'2010-06-27 09:00:43','2010-06-27 14:00:43','Vizioncore released vRanger Pro DPP 4.5 in late May. Since then I\'ve had the opportunity to upgrade several clients to the new version. The performance enhancements have been super, and a couple of customers have seen their backup times cut in half – and this has been true even for one customer who is still running ESX 3.5.\n\nA great review of the new features in version 4.5 can be found <a href=\"http://virtualization.info/en/news/2010/05/release-questvizioncore-vranger-pro-4-5-dpp.html\">here</a>.\n\nEven with all the bug fixes and performance enhancements a new error message has popped up for at least one customer since the upgrade. The error is:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\"Message: An internal error occurred during execution, please contact Vizioncore support if the error persists. Error Message: There are currently no ports available for the status port monitor. Please reconfigure the range of ports available for status monitoring.\"</p>\n\nMy contact with Vizioncore Support revealed that this is a known issue, but it will be a couple of weeks before a fix is released. Rebooting the vRanger server corrects the problem but it seems to reoccur every few days.','vRANGER PRO DPP 4.5 ERROR RECONFIGURE THE RANGE OF PORTS','','publish','open','open','','vranger-pro-dpp-45-error-reconfigure-the-range-of-ports','','','2010-06-27 09:00:43','2010-06-27 14:00:43','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2197',0,'post','',2),(2203,44,'2010-06-27 09:28:07','2010-06-27 14:28:07','Veeam Backup &amp; Replication has a great new feature in the works for the next version of their backup software: automated recovery verification.  It’s the ability to have the backup software boot a backup image and verify that it actually runs. The VM boots into an isolated environment without the need to uncompress it first.  It’s not available yet, but this is the first recorded demo of it – definitely worth the time to watch the 6 min video:\n\n<a href=\"http://www.vmwarevideos.com/video-vmdoug-demos-automated-verification-in-next-version-of-veeam-backup\">http://www.vmwarevideos.com/video-vmdoug-demos-automated-verification-in-next-version-of-veeam-backup</a>','VEEAM BACKUP & REPLICATION AUTOMATED RECOVERY VERIFICATION','','publish','open','open','','veeam-backup-replication-automated-recovery-verification','','','2010-06-27 09:28:07','2010-06-27 14:28:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2203',0,'post','',0),(2209,44,'2010-06-27 09:43:57','2010-06-27 14:43:57','I recently came across an interesting blog post on the heated competition between Vizioncore and Veeam. It\'s made more interesting because the feud is not about the technical aspects of their products.  The post can be found <a href=\"http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/server-virtualization/vizioncore-veeam-get-vicious/\">here</a>.','VIRTUALIZATION FEUD','','publish','open','open','','virtualization-feud','','','2010-06-27 09:43:57','2010-06-27 14:43:57','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2209',0,'post','',0),(2185,6,'2010-06-28 19:20:52','2010-06-29 00:20:52','I had the pleasure of setting up Apple\'s new iPad to a customer\'s Citrix environment recently. To say the experience was quick, to the point, and got us quickly and securely accessing the apps would be an understatement.\n\nHere\'s how you can do the same for your organization.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIn this case, we were setting up <a title=\"iPAD 3G\" href=\"http://www.apple.com/ipad/3g/\">Apple\'s 3G iPad</a> to a Citrix a highly available Citrix XenApp 4.5 Enterprise Edition farm utilizing SQL 2005, which is fronted by a 3.2 Citrix Secure Gateway, and Citrix Web Interface version 5.3.\n\n \n\nTo get the iPad ready we had to download and install the new Citrix iPad Receiver and for those that don\'t know the <strong>Citrix Receiver 1.1</strong> is a single auto-updating client that provides users with fast, secure, and above all else an easy point of entry for applications. The accessibility bar just got raised. Users can access any XenApp hosted application with ease just like they would if they were at their PC. Setting the iPad receiver is really just a couple questions.\n\nThe Name you want to call it (insert company name here), input your network username, password and citrix web interface address (input everything to the right of the \":\" and you\'re on your way). Save it, but before you connect make sure you have configured the Secure Gateway/Web Interface.\n<ul>\n	<li>Open the Citrix Web Interface Managment console</li>\n	<li>Create a new XenApp Services Site</li>\n	<li>Configure the PNAgent Server Farm Properties</li>\n	<li>Under Farm Properties add in the Citrix XenApp servers that host your applications</li>\n	<li>Set the Secure Access setting to Gateway Direct</li>\n	<li>Ensure Authentication Point is At Web Interface and set to Prompts</li>\n	<li>Confirm and save settings</li>\n	<li>Proceed back to the iPad and click connect. At this point if all settings are online, configured correctly, you should be on your way.</li>\n</ul>\n \n\nThe iPad I used connected in very fast, and we demo\'d the unit by accessing the Published Desktop. We opened secure documents, successfully ran the customer\'s primary line of business application, and even ran a Crystal Report. Overall the setup, authentication and application experience was very easy and a joy. I especially liked finding the speed of access faster if not on par with the majority of physical devices we\'ve used in the past to access the environment.\n\nIf you are looking for additional information on the <a href=\"http://community.citrix.com/display/xa/Citrix+Receiver+for+iPad\">Citrix Reciever for the iPad</a> please follow the embedded links provided. The app is currently available for download via the <a title=\"Citrix iPad Reciever at the AppStore\" href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/citrix-receiver-for-ipad/id363501921?mt=8\">AppStore</a>.\n\nFor more detailed information on setting up the iPad for Citrix go <a title=\"Citrix eDocs\" href=\"http://support.citrix.com/proddocs/index.jsp\">here </a>and search for <span><strong>Receiver 1.1 for </strong><span><strong>iPad</strong>. Be sure to take note of the <strong>Configuring Access Gateway and Secure Gateway for Receiver for Mobile Devices.</strong></span></span>','QUICKLY CONNECT YOUR APPLE IPAD TO YOUR CITRIX ENVIRONMENT','','publish','open','open','','quickly-connect-your-apple-ipad-to-your-citrix-environment','','','2010-06-28 19:20:52','2010-06-29 00:20:52','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2185',0,'post','',3),(2195,2,'2010-06-29 07:20:05','2010-06-29 12:20:05','<strong><em>Newly founded disaster relief organization announces first project in Haiti to commemorate the six month anniversary of devastating earthquake</em></strong>\n\nCHARLESTON, S.C. JUNE 28, 2010 \n\nThe Clean Water Initiative in Haiti was established to commemorate the six month anniversary of devastating earthquake that took place on January 12, 2010. The PeopleMatter Foundation is looking to build a clean water system for the survivors. Executive Director Cara Glore, and PeopleMatter Corporation\'s President and CEO Nate DaPore will travel to Haiti on June 28th with Seacoast Missions of Mount Pleasant, SC, to outline the development of the clean water system with potential partners.\n\nHaiti, still in desperate need of clean water, continues to spread deadly diseases. With help from Charleston Digital Corridor members, BoomTown, eGroup, PeopleMatter Corporation, eSite, Inc., eThority, Ernest Andrade of the Charleston Digital Corridor, and a few private donors, the PeopleMatter Foundation will be able to make a big impact while in Port-au-Prince and other devastated communities in Haiti. These donors were first to contribute to the PeopleMatter Foundation mission and are leading this project to success.<!--more-->\n\n\"We are compelled at this time to put Haiti back on the radar. One of the biggest issues the Haitians continue to face is the vast spread of fatal diseases due to the lack of clean water. Thanks to our gracious donors and Seacoast Church Missions, our team is well positioned to make a difference in the lives of those suffering. Our goal is to assist in the long term success of Haiti by educating the people on the importance of clean water for agriculture, health and hygiene. It is going to be a long road to success but we are confident that through the hard work and dedication of our team of volunteers and partners we can make a difference in the livelihood of these people. We are just people helping people and hope that others will do the same,\" said Glore.\n\n<strong>About PeopleMatter Foundation</strong>\n\nThe PeopleMatter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that enhances the well-being of those affected by disaster by providing immediate response, reconstructive and educational efforts aimed at creating self- sufficient communities. It was founded on April 1, 2010 as a 100 percent volunteer based organization. The Foundation was born from a simple sense of caring, benevolence and good will to give back to the local and international communities. To find out more about how you can get involved or contribute to the Foundation, log onto <a href=\"http://www.peoplematterfoundation.org\">www.peoplematterfoundation.org</a>.','eGROUP TO HELP SPONSOR PEOPLEMATTER FOUNDATION’S CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE IN HAITI','','publish','open','open','','egroup-to-help-sponsor-peoplematter-foundation%e2%80%99s-clean-water-initiative-in-haiti','','','2010-06-29 07:20:05','2010-06-29 12:20:05','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2195',0,'post','',0),(2245,9,'2010-06-29 09:56:27','2010-06-29 14:56:27','<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><strong></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;\"><strong>FLARE 30</strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Simplify management with Unisphere</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Courier New\';\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">o</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">   </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Single pane of glass for CLARiiON, Celerra, and RecoverPoint</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Courier New\';\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">o</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">   </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Provides a framework for other EMC products</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Storage Pools: a new paradigm in storage provisioning</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Optimize TCO and performance with advanced features</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Courier New\';\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">o</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">   </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">EMC FAST Cache for array-wide performance boost and improved TCO</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Courier New\';\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">o</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">   </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">FAST for sub-LUN optimization</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpLast\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Courier New\';\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">o</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">   </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Compression for redundant data elimination</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Are you ready?<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  </span>If not, eGroup can assist with your preparations with our CLARiiON Health Check Services. </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;\"><strong>eGroup Health Check for CLARiiON</strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;\"> </span></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;\"></span></strong></p><!--more-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><strong></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Health Check for CLARiiON Benefits:</strong></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Improve Performance</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Optimize Storage</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpLast\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Alleviate Security Risks</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The eGroup Health Check for CLARiiON ensures that you are running EMC-supported configurations that are in line with CLARiiON Best Practices.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  </span>eGroup will identify vulnerabilities and risks associated with any issues discovered, and provide actionable recommendations for changes to the environment and the current configuration.</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"> </span></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Assessment Includes:</strong></span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Interoperability check against EMC E-Lab™ Navigator </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Performance review of the CLARiiON array using EMC Navisphere® Analyzer </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Comparison of CLARiiON array configurations against EMC Best Practices </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpLast\" style=\"line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">·</span><span style=\"font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">         </span></span></span><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Software update of the FLARE® code or, patches as required </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Specific project details and pricing are based on your CLARiiON environment.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">  </span>Visit our website to learn more about this service engagement.</span></span></p>','EMC FLARE 30 to be released this Summer - 2010','','publish','open','open','','emc-flare-30-to-be-released-this-summer-2010','','','2010-06-29 09:56:27','2010-06-29 14:56:27','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2245',0,'post','',0),(2251,44,'2010-06-30 14:05:21','2010-06-30 19:05:21','If you are installing Citrix XenApp 5.0 and creating a new farm do not install .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2, as doing so will prevent the XenApp Delivery Services Console \"Run Discovery\" from finding the farm. Citrix does not have a workaround for this yet and your only option will be starting over with a clean Windows installation.\n\nOnce Windows 2003 SP2 is installed it’s OK to run Microsoft Update and install the required updates, just don’t select the optional updates to .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 or .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 2.\n\nA link to a relevant discussion thread on the Citrix Support Forums can be found <a href=\"http://forums.citrix.com/thread.jspa?threadID=269396&amp;tstart=0\">here</a>.','.NET FRAMEWORK 2.0 SERVICE PACK 2 BREAKS NEW XENAPP 5.0 FARM INSTALLATION','','publish','open','open','','net-framework-20-service-pack-2-breaks-new-xenapp-50-installation','','','2010-06-30 14:05:21','2010-06-30 19:05:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2251',0,'post','',1),(2257,44,'2010-06-30 14:57:38','2010-06-30 19:57:38','A recent Citrix KB article on best practices for tuning XenApp 5 on Windows 2003 to maximize the number of users per server can be found <a href=\"http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX124800\">here</a>.','TUNING XENAPP 5 ON WINDOWS 2003 TO MAXIMIZE USERS','','publish','open','open','','tuning-xenapp-5-on-windows-2003-to-maximize-users','','','2010-06-30 14:57:38','2010-06-30 19:57:38','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2257',0,'post','',1),(2259,44,'2010-07-02 07:36:04','2010-07-02 12:36:04','With the recent success of Apple\'s new iPad, all other manufacturers are fighting over who can release the rival to take on Apple.  As you most undoubtedly now, HP has finished it\'s acquisition of Palm and intends to release a tablet based of off the loved Web OS.  Dell has also showed it\'s desire to be in the tablet business with the Dell Streak, which has just been released in Europe, and show be coming soon to the US.  I must admit that I expected a lot of companies to want to rival the iPad\'s success, but there is one thing I didn\'t see coming...Cisco.\n\n<!--more--> Cisco announced this week that it is going to be release the first &quot;business tablet&quot;.  With a huge emphasis on VDI and collaboration with existing Cisco applications all built on the Andriod platform, this device is definitely something worth keeping an eye on.  Boasting a 7&quot; screen with HD video capabilities (of course ideal to run Cisco\'s TelePresence solution), HD audio, and a &quot;full work day&quot; 8 hour battery life; Cisco seems to be really on top of the game here.  Read more <a title=\"Cisco Cius\" href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6789/ps7290/ps11156/solution_overview_c22-608594.html\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>','CISCO ENTERS THE TABLET WAR','','publish','open','open','','cisco-enters-the-tablet-war','','','2010-07-02 07:36:04','2010-07-02 12:36:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2259',0,'post','',0),(2263,6,'2010-07-02 08:24:11','2010-07-02 13:24:11','A Microsoft Patch recently released breaks vSphere client functionality. If you receive the following error while trying to connect to vCenter:\n\n<strong>Could Not Connect: Error parsing the server \"<em>insert your virtual center server\"</em> \"clients.xml\" file. Login will continue, contact your system administrator.</strong>\n\nThen you\'ll want to read below to quicly get back on track.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nGo to your vCenter server and go to add/remove programs, remove KB980773, this is recently released Microsoft Patch for .NET that results in that results in the break. Remove the Microsoft Patch and you\'re all set.\n\n \n\nNo reboot necessary.','VSPHERE ERROR - ERROR PARSING THE SERVER AND HOW TO RESOLVE QUICKLY','','publish','open','open','','vsphere-error-error-parsing-the-server-and-how-to-resolve-quickly','','','2010-07-02 08:24:11','2010-07-02 13:24:11','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2263',0,'post','',0),(2270,13,'2010-07-06 13:31:21','2010-07-06 18:31:21','This year Trend Micro has introduced the new renamed/repackaged Enterprise Security Suite with all new exciting components that will leave the old Trend Micro NeatSuite in the dust. In today\'s current situations securing enterprise environments have become increasing challenging especially when new malware potentially emerges every 2 seconds.\n\n<!--more-->\nThe four new Trend Micro suites all utilize the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network infrastructure, which combines cloud-based technologies and light-weight clients to reduce the time it takes a company to deploy and manage their security solutions. The four new suites include Trend Micro Enterprise Security Suite, Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints and Mail Servers, Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Gateways and Trend Micro Enterprise Security for Endpoints. Below, is a concise and detailed description of the following suites.\n\nEnterprise Security Suite -Delivers centrally managed security for maximum protection and minimum complexity-from gateway to endpoint.\n\nEnterprise Security for Endpoints and Mail Servers - Offers multi-threat protection for mail and file servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.\n\nEnterprise Security for Endpoints - Provides immediate protection for file servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices with innovative technology that frees endpoint resources.\n\nEnterprise Security for Communication and Collaboration - Delivers proactive protection for Microsoft email, instant messaging, and SharePoint systems.\n\nEnterprise Security for Gateways - Integrates virtualized web and messaging gateway security to improve protection against web, email, and blended threats.\n\nTrend Micro Enterprise Security Suite significantly lowers your risks by delivering proactive threat intelligence that stops threats before they ever reach your network. One thing I have noticed when working with Trend Micro on a daily basis is that they definitely seem to stay one step in front of the security game.','TREND MICRO GIVES MAXIMUM PROTECTION WITH THE NEW ENTERPRISE SECURITY SUITE','','publish','open','open','','trend-micro-gives-maximum-protection-with-the-new-enterprise-security-suite','','','2010-07-06 13:31:21','2010-07-06 18:31:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2270',0,'post','',0),(2277,11,'2010-07-06 14:40:44','2010-07-06 19:40:44','Symantec Backup Exec 2010 delivers reliable backup and recovery designed for growing businesses. Customers can easily protect more data while reducing storage and management costs through integrated deduplication and archiving technology. Reducing business downtime, ensuring critical information on virtual or physical systems is always protected and restored in seconds. \n\n \n\nThere are several new features within the 2010 version, but the most well known is Integrated Deduplication. <!--more-->Backup Exec\'s new Deduplication Option provides an integrated and customizable depulication offerings to optimize any backup strategy: client deduplication (deduplicates data at source or remote server), media server deduplication (deduplicates data at media server), appliance deduplication (integrates with OpenStorage deduplication appliances) or a deduplicated backup set copy (deduplicate data from remote offices to headquarters).\n\n• Save time and storage costs\n• Minimize backup Windows\n• Operational simplicity fully integrated into Backup Exec\n• Easily adaptable to your environment\nThe other new features of Backup Exec 2010 are:\n• Unified Archiving\n• Enhanced VMware vSphere 4.0 Support\n• Enhanced Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2 Support\n• Windows 7, Exchange 2010 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Support\n• Enhanced Agent for Enterprise Vault\n• Lotus Domino 8.5 Support\n• Enhanced Virtual Tape Library (VTL) Support and Licensing\n\nThe key Benefit of Backup Exec 2010 are:\n\n• Protect more data while you reduce storage and management costs\n• Optimizing network utilization across physical and virtual environments with integrated deduplication technology\n• Easily automate storage and management savings with efficient archiving and backup through a single console\n• Eliminate redundant backups for Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory, and SQL in a virtual environment with integrated VMware and Hyper-V protection\n• Restore individual Exchange messages, SharePoint site items or documents, and Active Directory user preferences from a single-pass backup\n• Easily manage a local or distributed backup environment through a single console\n• Eliminate your backup window and help ensure recovery point objectives are easily met with continuous backup protection','BACKUP EXEC 2010 WITH DATA DEDUPLICATION IS GAINING TRACTION','','publish','open','open','','backup-exec-2010-with-data-deduplication-is-gaining-traction','','','2010-07-06 14:40:44','2010-07-06 19:40:44','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2277',0,'post','',0),(2284,2,'2010-07-06 15:55:07','2010-07-06 20:55:07','eGroup\'s next Coffee Break webinar on Thursday, July 8th will feature Trend Micro on \"Virtualization and Cloud Security.\"\n\nOrganizations are moving towards virtualization and public or private clouds to accommodate more affordable IT infrastructure and a lower entry to new IT resources. Understand the unique Security concerns and how to maintain control and protection of your applications for both Virtual and Cloud Computing Environments.<!--more-->\n\nYou will learn about:\n\n•  Segregation requirements and solutions in virtual and cloud environments\n•  Next Generation IDS/IPS, File Integrity and Log Monitoring for Physical, Virtual and Cloud computers\n•  Understand mandates for PCI, NERC and other compliance requirements and how to address them\n\nHear from VMware\'s only VMSafe Partner for Security, Trend Micro!\n\n<em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">All attendees will be entered to win a Garmin GPS during a drawing at the end of the webinar!</span></em>','eGROUP\'S JULY COFFEE BREAK WEBINAR ON 7.8 TO FEATURE TREND MICRO','','publish','open','open','','egroups-july-coffee-break-webinar-on-78-to-feature-trend-micro','','','2010-07-06 15:55:07','2010-07-06 20:55:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2284',0,'post','',0),(2286,44,'2010-07-06 16:01:50','2010-07-06 21:01:50','In May 2010 EMC introduced the new Iomega StorCenter ix12-300r. The ix12 rackmounted NAS incorporates robust EMC storage technologies and rigorous real-world E-Lab testing to provide the small to medium business owner with some affordable and serious firepower. Highlights of the ix-12 include:<!--more-->\n\n• Two-rack unit (U) (3.5-inch high) 12-drive enclosure—Up to 24 TB in a business-friendly rack-mount form factor\n\n• High performance, reliable architecture—Dual core 3.0 GHz Intel CPU, 2 GB main memory, four 1 Gigabit Ethernet host connections, user-replaceable redundant hot-swap disk drives, and power supplies and fans\n\n• NAS and iSCSI support—NAS and iSCSI protocols enable users to consolidate and manage their file and block data with one system.\n\n• Host support—Works in Windows, Linux, and Macintosh environments.\n\n• EMC LifeLine software—Delivers many ease-of-use features, including e-mail and SNMP notification for quick system status, and a dashboard that displays detailed information on space utilization, device, peripheral, and backup status. Users can also remotely access and manage the ix12 from anywhere in the world.\n\n• Online capacity expansion and RAID migration—Allows users to start small and seamlessly scale capacity as their storage needs grow, and nondisruptively change RAID levels as capacity is added or requirements change.\n\n• Device-to-device replication—Copy or back up files between the ix12 and other NAS devices, including EMC Celerra, without the need for a client computer. Jobs can be scheduled to run automatically or manually with the ix12’s QuikTransfer feature.\n\n• EMC E-Lab tested—The ix12 will be the first Iomega product to be listed in the EMC Support Matrix (available as of the May release). This confirms that the ix12 has been measured against real-world tests and will operate in the most demanding IT environments.\n\nIn addition to being efficient and relaible the Iomega ix-12 is easy to use and can be deployed in several roles such as:\n\n• Production storage—Provides high performance, easy-to-use, reliable shared block and file production storage with support for all major host operating systems and protocols, including Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.\n\n• Storage for server virtualization—Certified with VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Citrix XenServer.\n\n• Microsoft Exchange 2010—Enables users to build scale-out environments, taking advantage of Exchange 2010 features. The ix12 will be ESRP (Exchange Solution Reviewed Program) listed later in Q2 2010, which will validate the operation of the ix12 in an Exchange 2010 environment supporting up to 250 users.\n\n• Backup to disk target—A perfect backup target for small businesses looking to improve performance and reliability of regular backups while simplifying the handling required by tape backup solutions. The ix12 has been tested or certified with popular backup applications, including Symantec Backup Exec, EMC Retrospect, and Acronis TrueImage and Backup and Recovery 10.\n\nSMB owners can rest assured that with the Iomega ix-12 in their storage stable, that their data will be at their fingertips all day, all night, and a little bit longer.','UNSTOPPABLE COMPUTING FOR SMBs','','publish','open','open','','unstoppable-computing-for-smbs','','','2010-07-06 16:01:50','2010-07-06 21:01:50','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2286',0,'post','',0),(2288,8,'2010-07-07 22:39:12','2010-07-08 03:39:12','<span> Server Error in \'/\' Application. </span><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif;\"><strong>Description: </strong>HTTP 404. The resource you are looking for (or one of its dependencies) could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.  Please review the following URL and make sure that it is spelled correctly.</span>\n\n<strong>Requested URL: </strong>/Pages/Default.aspx\n\n<hr size=\"1\" />\n\nThe resource cannot be found.\n\n \n\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif;\">Solution:  Right click the page and select view source.  There should be a file not found exception listed in the source (if not check to make sure detailed errors are turned on in IIS).  Most likely you are missing a control template custom ascx file on the server.  Get the file where it needs to be and your problem should be resolved.</span>','SHAREPOINT 2007: THE RESOURCE CANNOT BE FOUND.','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-2007-the-resource-cannot-be-found','','','2010-07-07 22:39:12','2010-07-08 03:39:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2288',0,'post','',0),(2291,2,'2010-07-08 10:32:54','2010-07-08 15:32:54','2010 is expected to be a very <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXYWSv4ehP8\">active hurricane season</a>, and eGroup customers who have a Support Agreement with us will be among the best prepared, and those who will have priority on our time during and after a storm.\n\nIf projections put a storm on a collision course with our area this season (officially June 1st-November 30th), and specifically if the National Weather Service (NWS) begins to issue Hurricane \"watch\" or \"warning\" alerts for our area, eGroup will begin to invoke the necessary disaster preparedness plans we\'ve developed internally. We expect that you will be doing the same.\n\neGroup Support Agreement customers will have priority on our available time before, during, and after a storm.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nPlease let us know immediately if you would be interested in eGroup preparation assistance to help prepare for this hurricane season. Pre-storm assistance from eGroup could include a review of backup processes and quality, a plan for evacuation or additional protection of data, assistance with evacuation of systems, and so on and so forth.\n\nAs part of the implementation of our plan, one of the first steps is to ensure the safety of eGroup personnel and their families. But our customers are a vital consideration as well. So, please help us be proactive by letting us know how we can be of assistance to you as we hope for the best but plan for the worst this hurricane season.','BE PREPARED AS WE HOPE FOR THE BEST BUT PLAN FOR THE WORST THIS HURRICANE SEASON','','publish','open','open','','be-prepared-as-we-hope-for-the-best-but-plan-for-the-worst-this-hurricane-season','','','2010-07-08 10:32:54','2010-07-08 15:32:54','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2291',0,'post','',0),(2296,4,'2010-07-08 11:58:54','2010-07-08 16:58:54','Recently upgraded an IMSS installation from 7.0 to 7.1 and as part of the upgrade the setup utility wants to upgrade SQL to SQL Server Personal Edition 2005 (if you\'re using the old MSDE version)\n\nDuring the SQL Server upgrade process, the upgrade halted with a notice about UpGrade Advisor Returned Error -1.  You have to essentially cancel the SQL upgrade which then cancels the IMSS upgrade.\n\nTo work around the issue, do this:\n\n<!--more-->\n\nTypically under C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server90Setup BootstrapBPA (or insert your path here) there is a folder called BPA and under the child folder called \"bin\" there is a file called bpaclient.dll. \n\nCreate a new folder under the C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server90Setup BootstrapBPA folder called BPACLIENT and move the bpaclient.dll file into that folder from the bin folder, reboot the system, and rerun your upgrade...it should work!','TREND MICRO IMSS UPGRADE FROM 7.0 TO 7.1 - SQL SERVER UPGRADE ADVISOR RETURNS ERROR -1','','publish','open','open','','trend-micro-imss-upgrade-from-70-to-71-sql-server-upgrade-advisor-returns-error-1','','','2010-07-08 11:58:54','2010-07-08 16:58:54','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2296',0,'post','',0),(2298,4,'2010-07-08 12:13:39','2010-07-08 17:13:39','Hey - wait a minute - used to be you could right-click an email in Outlook 2007 and select Options to get the header info....no more!!!\n\nHowever, you can add the \"Message Options\" command to the Quick Access Toolbar. \n\n<!--more-->\n\nFind \"Message Options\" command under \"commands not in the ribbon\" and add it to the QAT - you can create a custom Group and add it to the Home tab so you don\'t even need to right-click or open the message...\n','WHERE DID MESSAGE OPTIONS GO IN OUTLOOK 2010?','','publish','open','open','','where-did-message-options-go-in-outlook-2010','','','2010-07-08 12:13:39','2010-07-08 17:13:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2298',0,'post','',0),(2305,12,'2010-07-09 08:25:51','2010-07-09 13:25:51','Downloaded the WYSE PocketCloud application (as a Beta) for an Android phone, plugged in my RDP info and credentials, and connected-- the whole process took about 30 seconds, and I was HIGHLY impressed with how well it worked, how well the desktop of my machine was displayed, and how fast/smooth it was using RDP over a 3G network (I haven\'t tried it on WiFi yet).\n\n<!--more--> http://www.wyse.com/products/software/pocketcloud/\n\nThe other &quot;best pairing&quot; of this application seems to be VMware View, though I have yet to play with that myself. With the iPad showing up at business all over the place, this application is something the &quot;mobile business&quot; should latch onto!\n\nAnyone using this on their iPad? How\'s it working?','WYSE PocketCloud - Android/iPhone/iPad APP!','','publish','open','open','','wyse-pocketcloud-androidiphoneipad-app','','','2010-07-09 08:25:51','2010-07-09 13:25:51','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2305',0,'post','',0),(2308,44,'2010-07-09 09:38:45','2010-07-09 14:38:45',' I worked with a customer recently where we needed to expand a fiber fabric to increase the port count. The customer\'s existing fabric consisted of two Cisco MDS 9222i switches, and the customer wanted to add two Cisco MDS 9124 switches. Each 9124 would connect to a 9222i via an ISL (<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_Inter-Switch_Link\">Inter-switch Link</a>).\n\n<!--more-->\n\n The Cisco MDS 9124 is a 24-Port Multilayer Fabric Switch capable of speeds of 4, 2, and 1 Gbps in a 1-rack-unit form factor. It can be expanded from 8 to 24 ports in 8-port increments. Up to 16 VSANs (<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSAN\">Virtual Storage-area Networks</a>) are supported per switch. If you need to expand a fabric by adding ports you can create an ISL between switches, enabling them to function as a single fabric.\n\nPortChannel link aggregation can be used with ISLs between switches to reduce fabric disruptions. It allows the aggregation of up to 16 physical ISLs into a single logical bundle, providing optimized bandwidth use across all links. The bundle can consist of any port from the switch, providing aggregated bandwidth and helping ensure that the bundle remains active even in the event of a port failure. Hardware-based load balancing is enabled by default.\n\nFollow this procedure to expand an existing fabric by adding a second switch in the MDS 9000 family with an ISL between them:\n<ul>\n	<li>Rack and initialize the second switch</li>\n	<li>Manually create the VSAN ID\'s that will be shared with the existing fabric</li>\n	<li>Connect a fiber cable between any two ports on the switches to form an ISL</li>\n	<li>Use Cisco Device Manager to configure the ISL ports as type E-Port, 4 GB, Dedicated bandwidth, on VSAN 1</li>\n	<li>On the production switch, click the Policy tab and specify which VSANs ID\'s will be shared</li>\n	<li>The switches should automatically connect and begin sharing information</li>\n</ul>\nYou should now be able to create zones between devices connected to both switches.\n\nMDS 9124 product data sheets can be found <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/ps4159/ps6409/ps5987/ps8414/at_a_glance_c45-531026.pdf\">here</a> and <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/ps4159/ps6409/ps5987/ps7079/product_data_sheet0900aecd8057451f.html\">here</a>, and a Dell-specific 9124 FAQ <a href=\"http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pvaul/en/cisco_mds9124_faq.pdf\">here</a>. \n\n Cisco has excellent white papers:\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.ciscocatalyst.info/en/US/prod/collateral/ps4159/ps6409/ps5987/ps7079/prod_white_paper0900aecd80575670.pdf\">Storage Access Network Design Using the Cisco MDS 9124 Multilayer Fabric Switch</a> </li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns340/ns394/ns259/ns261/networking_solutions_white_paper09186a0080114c21.shtml\">Using VSANs and Zoning with the Cisco MDS 9000 Family</a></li>\n</ul>','CREATING AN ISL BETWEEN TWO CISCO MDS 9000 SWITCHES','','publish','open','open','','creating-an-isl-between-two-cisco-mds-9000-switches','','','2010-07-09 09:38:45','2010-07-09 14:38:45','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2308',0,'post','',1),(2314,8,'2010-07-12 09:47:02','2010-07-12 14:47:02','Confidently and efficiently secure your virtual environment from the full range of threats.\n\nTrend Micro is setting the trend for virtual security. Regardless of the list you read last, security is always in the TOP 10 concerns and initiatives for CIO\'s. Gartner states that 60 percent of todays virtualized servers will be less secure than the physical servers they replace through 2012, only dropping to 30 percent through 2015. (<a href=\"http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1322414\">full article</a>) So you saved the company millions from the expense of a new data center, evil sever sprawl, and brought peace, harmony, and efficiency to your server farm and processes, very commendable work. However, the next gen data center needs next gen VM protection.\n\nCore Protection for Virtual Machines is specifically designed for your VMware environment blocking web threats, viruses, worms, and trojans.\n\nHere is your quick hit list for benefits:<!--more-->\n• Secures virtual machines, whether active or dormant\n• Optimizes performance for maximize uptime without compromising security\n• Immunizes scan agent from disruptive malware activities\n• Reduces the complexity of managing virtual environments\n\nBy incorporating Core Protection for Virtual Machines in your data center, you will realize benefit from closing security gaps that are unique to virtual environments, improve performance of virtual servers by running resource-intense operations like full-system scans from a seprate scanning VM, and protect against the risk of VM sprawl by ensuring new VM\'s are automatically set up for security scanning. You will find additional details on the <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/imperia/md/content/us/flv/enterprise/endpointsecurity/ds01cpvm_090622us.pdf\">cut sheet </a>as well as a visual diagram.\n\nSeeing is believing, so I encourage you to pull down the <a href=\"http://forms.trendmicro.com/index.php?dom=us&amp;productID=116\">Trial Version </a>and give it a go. Do not forget to scan all of Trend Micro\'s <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/\">solution sets </a>like <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/security-solutions/virtualization/\">Virtualization and Cloud Computing</a>, <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/security-solutions/vulnerability-management/index.html\">Risk Management</a>, and <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/security-solutions/threat-management/\">Threat Management</a>. You will find a full breath of products to support your security initiatives; <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/\">Endpoint Security </a>(including your <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/serverprotect-for-emc-celerra/index.html\">storage platform</a>!), <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/\">Web Security</a>, <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/\">Messaging Security</a>, <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/\">Data Protection</a>, and learn more about their <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/security-solutions/server-security/healthcare/\">Healthcare/HIPPA </a>and <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/security-solutions/server-security/payment-card/index.html\">PCI compliance </a>offerings.\n\nContact your eGroup <a href=\"sales@egroup-us.com\">sales team </a>to schedule a demo and to learn more about Trend Micro\'s full suite of security solutions and current promotions.','TREND MICRO CORE PROTECTION FOR VIRTUAL MACHINES','','publish','open','open','','trend-micro-core-protection-for-virtual-machines','','','2010-07-12 09:47:02','2010-07-12 14:47:02','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2314',0,'post','',0),(2323,44,'2010-07-15 10:05:40','2010-07-15 15:05:40','I ran across this issue while working with a customer to install vSphere 4.0 Update 2 on new Cisco UCS blades.  Our problem is that port groups on the dvSwitch cannot access VLANs. This prevents the ESXi hosts from accessing the iSCSI and NFS storage and networks for VMotion and the DMZ.\n\nThe issue only exists for vSphere 4.0 Update 2 when using Intel 10 GB network adapters.  A link to a more detailed description of the problem and essentially the same troubleshooting steps we tried can be found <a href=\"http://communities.vmware.com/thread/272441\">here</a>.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nVMware has rated this a severity one issue but no fix is currently available. Possible workarounds are:\n<ol>\n	<li>Rebuild the hosts with ESXi 4.0 Update 1</li>\n	<li>Upgrade the hosts to ESXi 4.1 (just released two days ago)</li>\n	<li>On the ESXi hosts remove and re-add each 10g network adapter to the dvSwitch. This resolves the issue but the fix does not survive a host reboot</li>\n</ol>\nAfter reviewing the options the customer decided to stay with ESXi 4.0 Update 2. We removed and re-added the NICs to get things working. We left the support case open and will wait for VMware to release a patch.','PROBLEM WITH ESXi 4 UPDATE 2 AND 10G INTEL NIC ON dvSWITCH','','publish','open','open','','problem-with-esxi-4-update-2-and-10g-intel-nic-on-dvswitch','','','2010-07-15 10:05:40','2010-07-15 15:05:40','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2323',0,'post','',0),(2330,12,'2010-07-16 09:15:43','2010-07-16 14:15:43','Recently I was working on a customer firewall where the preferred authentication method for remote VPN access was an RSA token registered to an RSA SecurID appliance. Unfortunately for this customer, they no longer were able to access the appliance for management, and had to rebuild it entirely from scratch.\n\nAfter the rebuild finished and all of the tokens had been reassigned, they were unable to authenticate to the VPN configured on the ASA with their RSA tokens. After doing some research and validating the ASA configuration, I found a random post in a forum online that described an &quot;.sdi&quot; file on the ASA that is used to communicate between the RSA SecurID appliance and the Cisco ASA.\n\n<!--more--> This file is SPECIFIC to the instance of SecurID that originally connected to it, and since this customer had essentially brought their SecurID appliance to factory defaults, the .sdi file on the ASA needed to be removed and allowed to be recreated.\n\nTo test I simply changed the files extension to &quot;.TEST&quot;, and attempted again to connect. This time I was able to authenticate with my RSA token, and connect to the VPN. I also verified that a new .sdi file was created on the firewall.','Cisco ASA & RSA SecurID APPLIANCE NOT AUTHENTICATING AFTER REBUILD','','publish','open','open','','cisco-asa-rsa-securid-appliance-not-authenticating-after-rebuild','','','2010-07-16 09:15:43','2010-07-16 14:15:43','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2330',0,'post','',0),(2333,44,'2010-07-16 09:50:29','2010-07-16 14:50:29','It appears that one of the newest features in vSphere 4 acts as a doubled edge sword.  The ability to have “hot add” and “hot plug” support has become a must in virtual environments. In fact, features that enable an administrator to add virtual CPU’s and memory on the fly without having to power off a virtual machine is partly responsible for the success of vSphere 4 on both ESX and ESXi hosts. Using this technology adds so much to the virtual world and the applications that run on them that thrive on processing power and resources. All of this combined makes vSphere insanely flexible and enormously robust in a way that leads to virtually no downtime. Unfortunately, the newest “hot plug” support for virtual devices does come at a cost.\n\n<!--more-->With version 7 of the virtual hardware you have the ability to “hot plug”, or in our scenario, unplug devices at any time simply by selecting “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” on the taskbar of any virtual machine with VMware Tools installed. This is a great feature for production and staging environments to quickly setup machines in custom scenarios with little effort on the administrative side and more importantly without an outage. However, if a user were to accidently eject a critical piece of hardware it could render the virtual machine unusable. In the event that a user was to remove or eject a virtual network adapter by utilizing the above method the machine would instantly drop network connectivity and the only way to access the machine would be through the vCenter console. To add to this distress, by removing the virtual hardware from the guest OS, you have also inadvertently removed the virtual hardware from the vCenter console as well as leaving virtually no trace that it was ever there in the beginning. This could cause huge headaches when troubleshooting if you were unaware of this feature.\n\nThis is not to say that the technology still isn’t amazing it is just to be used with caution, the old saying “With great power comes great responsibility.” definitely holds true here. There are special cases where the “hot add” feature can be disabled thus preventing these kinds of mistakes. However, in our scenario there is still no official way to disable the feature if you are using the vmxnet3 driver which is very widely used.\n\nYou can view the KB article this issue here.\n(<a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1020718\">http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1020718</a>)\n\nAnd a fix here\n(<a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1012225\">http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1012225</a>)','VIRTUAL HARDWARE VANISHES FROM VMware vCenter','','publish','open','open','','virtual-hardware-vanishes-from-vmware-vcenter','','','2010-07-16 09:50:29','2010-07-16 14:50:29','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2333',0,'post','',0),(2348,2,'2010-07-22 10:44:49','2010-07-22 15:44:49','Wednesday, August 11th, 2010\nStrike City Bowling (Queen City Room)\n3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.\n\n201 E. Trade Street\nCharlotte, North Carolina 28202\n704.716.9300\n\nStay + Play!  Event will be followed by cocktails, heavy appetizers, and bowling from 5 - 6:30 P.M.\n\nDid you know that Cisco is in the server business now? Come learn how Cisco UCS servers can benefit your organization-there are solutions for small and medium businesses all the way up to enterprise class datacenters. Come learn which solution fits your needs!\n\nLearn more on:\n\n- Integrating the Nexus switches into today\'s infrastructure\n- Best practices for Nexus switching and VMware\n- UCS B-Series blade servers\n- UCS C-Series standard rack mount servers\n- Unified Fabric-Unifying the Fiber Channel and Ethernet networks to simplify the datacenter\n- Learn about the entire Nexus switching family...and MORE!\n\nTO REGISTER:  <a href=\"http://strikecityevent.eventbrite.com/\">http://strikecityevent.eventbrite.com/</a>','eGROUP + CISCO PRESENT: \"THE POWER OF CISCO UCS SERVERS COMBINED WITH NEXUS SWITCHING” EVENT IN CHARLOTTE ON 8.11 ','','publish','open','open','','egroup-cisco-present-the-power-of-cisco-ucs-servers-combined-with-nexus-switching%e2%80%9d','','','2010-07-22 10:44:49','2010-07-22 15:44:49','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2348',0,'post','',0),(2356,44,'2010-07-22 15:49:42','2010-07-22 20:49:42','With FLARE 30 on the verge of release I thought it would be a great time to discuss the amazing benefits it has to offer and how its totally changing the game when it comes to storage and the mindset of how its used.<!--more-->\n\nWhat is FLARE you ask? FLARE is short for Fibre Logic Array Runtime Envionment and in very basic terms is the upgradable code that sits on the first 5 drives of a Clariion Array. FLARE 30 simply put is the latest great version of the code that allows for some great new features. With the introduction of FLARE 30 EMC has totally changed the game when it comes to virtual provisioning. Storage Pools get a facelift from previous versions of FLARE, with FLARE 30 comes the ability to \"pool\" all types of disk including FLASH. Previously storage pools were available but you were limited to pooling on all FC drives or SATA drives. Long story short, if you wanted to pool all of you drives of various types into one huge pool you now have the ability to do so. One huge benefit of storage pooling that most users will definitely want to take advantage of right away is Fully Automated Storage Tiering or (FAST). FAST takes some of the load off of the administrator by not requiring them to constantly have to worry about performance relating to which disks data is stored. FAST basically slices up the LUN inside of your pools into 1GB slices and moves them around based upon the utilization. A great scenario would be SQL. Suppose you have a very large database sitting on your CX4... FAST has the ability to see that database and decide what is being used heavily and what isn\'t getting used so much. It will then move the stagnant data to the slower disks and move the busy data to higher performance disks based upon exactly how busy they are. This is a huge step in the right direction to guarantee performance with little effort on the administrator\'s part.\n\nAside from storage pooling and FAST architecture there are other improvements. Thin provisioned LUNs can now be shrunk without having to deal with metaluns and now we have the introduction of FAST Cache. We all know that Solid State Drives (SSD\'s) are pricey and in some aspects administrators do not notice an immediate impact in performance, but with FAST cache that\'s all about to change. Fast Cache will have the ability to handle any unexpected IO spikes, or easily handle even your busiest of workloads. Configuration is a piece of cake as well. Just a few clicks and you are on your way to lightning fast read and writes.','FLARE 30 IS A GAME CHANGER','','publish','open','open','','flare-30-is-a-game-changer','','','2010-07-22 15:49:42','2010-07-22 20:49:42','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2356',0,'post','',0),(2363,12,'2010-07-23 09:21:04','2010-07-23 14:21:04','Dell has released a statement acknowledging that some of their motherboards that were sent out as replacements (and NOT as original equipment) were loaded with a &quot;spybot worm&quot;. This includes some of the motherboards for their mid-tier servers, specifically these models:\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<em>PowerEdge R310 </em>\n\n<em>PowerEdge R410</em>\n\n<em>PowerEdge R510</em>\n\n<em>PowerEdge T410 </em>\n\nAs viruses and malware in general continue to become more and more advanced, stories like this are sure to pop up more frequently. Anyways--if you have had your motherboard replaced and its one of the models above, expect to hear from Dell--\n\nCheck <a href=\"http://www.tomshardware.com/news/spyware-trojans-spybot-worm-virus,10921.html\" target=\"_blank\">this article</a> out for more info and links','Dell MOTHERBOARDS INCLUDE FREE SPYWARE! (NOT A JOKE)','','publish','open','open','','dell-motherboards-include-free-spyware-not-a-joke','','','2010-07-23 09:21:04','2010-07-23 14:21:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2363',0,'post','',0),(2361,44,'2010-07-23 09:40:20','2010-07-23 14:40:20','Unisphere is on its way and will be a savior to many of you who are weary of going through all of the different portals to access all of your storage arrays. Finally EMC has provided us with a truly unified environment and best of all, the console so it is lightning fast and so slick you won\'t know what to do with yourself. No more countless drop downs and pluses and minuses, now we finally have a real menu-driven interface. It\'s going to be nice to have a one stop shop for all of our storage needs and the ease of accessibility is bound to shave time off your already extensive administrative duties.\n\n <!--more-->\n\n<img src=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/unisphere.jpg\" alt=\"Unisphere\" />\n\n\nAs you can see in the image, the interface is much more robust providing you with much more insight into your storage environment. Unisphere is bound to be the one stop shop for all of your EMC storage needs and with the newest of addition of FLARE 30 features on its way the power behind this tool will be unprecedented.','UNISPHERE WILL SOON SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!','','publish','open','open','','unisphere-will-soon-see-the-light-of-day','','','2010-07-23 09:40:20','2010-07-23 14:40:20','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2361',0,'post','',0),(2391,2,'2010-07-23 10:16:48','2010-07-23 15:16:48','<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Title: Better Managing Your Unstructured Data\n</span></strong>Thursday, August 12th @ 9 AM\n<a href=\"https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/586053752\">https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/586053752</a>\n\nNorthern Storage Suite is a software solution that enables organizations to control the use of storage resources; specifically the way in which users exploit this resource.\n\nAs much as 60% of the unstructured data accumulated, and accumulating, on your storage infrastructure is of no strategic value. Northern Storage Suite provides you with the tools needed to control the user behavior that leads to this storage misuse; changing user attitudes towards storing private, duplicate, triplicate, obsolete and other low value files.\n\n<strong><em>The Northern Storage Suite is:</em></strong>\n\n1. A total and holistic solution to increase your ROI on your hardware investment \n\n2. Reduce the complexity of your storage environment\n\n3. Free up management time for more important initiatives\n\n4. Empowers administrators with real-time trending information to enable you to make strategic decisions instead of behind the curve reactive decisions.\n\n5. EMC\'s Best Product Offering of the Year for Celerras\n\n6. NetApp Advantage Partner and part of NetApp\'s exclusive Solutions Directory\n\n7. HP Gold Partner and Hitachi\n\n8. EMC and Microsoft have been using the Northern Storage Suite to manage their own storage environment.\n\nNorthern Storage:  <a href=\"http://www.northern.net\">http://www.northern.net</a>\n\nLEARN MORE!  To register for the Coffee Break webinar series: <a href=\"https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/586053752\">https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/586053752</a>','AUGUST COFFEE BREAK WEBINAR TO FEATURE NORTHERN STORAGE ON \"BETTER MANAGING YOUR UNSTRUCTURED DATA\"','','publish','open','open','','august-coffee-break-webinar-to-feature-northern-storage-on-better-managing-your-unstructured-data','','','2010-07-23 10:16:48','2010-07-23 15:16:48','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2391',0,'post','',0),(2399,44,'2010-07-28 10:24:22','2010-07-28 15:24:22','I recently ran into a question that I have rarely thought about when it comes to SSL VPN certificates...  Can you install a wildcard certificate on a Cisco ASA?\n\nWell, the answer is yes!!!  And here\'s how....\n\n<!--more-->\n<ol>\n	<li>First you need to download the primary certificate and also the intermediate certificate.</li>\n	<li>Log on to ASDM and browse to Configuration&gt;Device Management</li>\n	<li>Click CA Certificates, then Add</li>\n	<li>Browse to the intermediate crt file that you downloaded, and click Install Certificate</li>\n	<li>Click on Identity Certificates</li>\n	<li>Click Add and browse to the primary certificate that you downloaded and click add certificate</li>\n	<li>Expand the Advanced option under the Device Management tab and click on SSL Settings</li>\n	<li>Select the interface the VPN uses and click edit</li>\n	<li>Click the drop-down menus and select the uploaded Certificate, click Ok.</li>\n	<li>Click Apply</li>\n</ol>\nThere you go, your wildcard certificate has been successfully installed and applied to the SSL VPN.\n\nThanks to <a title=\"DigiCert\" href=\"http://www.digicert.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DigiCert</a> for the info!','INSTALL WILDCARD CERTIFICATE ON ASA','','publish','open','open','','install-wildcard-certificate-on-asa','','','2010-07-28 10:24:22','2010-07-28 15:24:22','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2399',0,'post','',1);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (2403,2,'2010-07-28 10:46:42','2010-07-28 15:46:42','<strong>July 28, 2010</strong> - eGroup, Inc. today announced that it has successfully completed the Business Continuity solution competency.  This achievement demonstrates that eGroup is committed to be an expert in helping customers virtualize their IT environments.  Further, in achieving this competency, eGroup acknowledges that this distinction and VMware solutions are key accelerators for enabling their growth in the virtualization market.\"  <!--more-->VMware is pleased to recognize eGroup for achieving the Business Continuity solution competency. Achieving this competency demonstrates to customers that eGroup is committed to be an expert in helping customers virtualize their IT environments, enabling them to confidently select eGroup as a solution provider capable of delivering VMware solutions to customers on the journey to cloud computing,\" said Doug Smith, senior director, global partner sales, VMware. \"We value our partnership with eGroup and we appreciate their efforts in achieving this VMware distinction.\"\n\nVMware has established solution competencies as designations of expertise that enable customers to identify partners with the highest level of VMware technical solution knowledge and experience. VMware partners with competencies are able to earn customer credibility by driving deeper into customer engagements, based on knowledge and ability with the following VMware solution competencies:\n\n<strong>Infrastructure Virtualization Competency:</strong> Recognizes partners for their demonstrated ability to virtualize and consolidate server environments using a VMware virtualization solution\n\n<strong>Business Continuity Competency:</strong> Recognizes partners for their expertise in deploying VMware solutions for data protection, high availability and disaster recovery\n\n<strong>Desktop Virtualization Competency:</strong> Recognizes partners for their expertise in deploying VMware solutions for virtualizing desktops and applications\n\nVMware Partner Network is a comprehensive program that provides a common infrastructure, extensive sales and services tools, margin opportunities and industry-recognized training for the entire VMware partner ecosystem, including solution providers, technology partners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). VMware Partner Network is designed to help ensure a more consistent and successful user experience as well as help partners increase their business potential by increasing their skills in VMware solutions. The program helps partners maximize their investments in VMware virtualization to provide customers with the best end-to-end virtualization solutions available.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/\">Read more about VMware Partner Network.</a>\n\n<strong>About eGroup</strong>\n\neGroup provide technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup\'s solutions combine robust high- availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization\'s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company\'s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.\n\n<em>VMware is a registered trademark and/or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the term \"partner\" or \"partnership\" does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.</em>','eGROUP ACHIEVES VMWARE SOLUTION COMPETENCY IN BUSINESS CONTINUITY','','publish','open','open','','egroup-achieves-vmware-solution-competency-in-business-continuity','','','2010-07-28 10:46:42','2010-07-28 15:46:42','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2403',0,'post','',0),(2397,4,'2010-07-28 11:14:04','2010-07-28 16:14:04','OK - so here is the deal - I often tell customers that \"Just because you CAN do something, doesn\'t mean you SHOULD...\" but I rarely follow this advice for myself - especially with technology at <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/eGroupInc\">eGroup</a>, and most especially on the weekends when my time is my own.\n\nSooooooooo.....  there\'s your warning......!\n\n<!--more-->\n\nAnyhow, I got a new 17” MacBook Pro (anti-glare display) and really was trying hard to determine what all the buzz was about.  Sure it\'s pretty.  The machine itself is beautiful, and the Mac OS is spectacular to look at and work with - with the slight exception of me feeling \"business productivity crippled\" with the lack of familiar applications and a forward delete key.\n\nOne thing I was just waiting to do though, was to run Windows 7 on a Boot Camp partition and then use <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/\">VMware Fusion </a>to \"pull\" that partition into my Mac OS running as a virtual machine.  Super slick - and very worthwhile - especially when using the Unity feature (which works a lot like seamless applications in <a href=\"http://www.citrix.com/xenapp\">Citrix XenApp</a> - where the application \"appears\" to be running natively in the Mac OS, and the desktop session itself is simply hidden and running in the background – thanks to <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/iantjones\">Ian</a> on the eGroup team for educating me on this handy feature one day while at the office)  [SPECIAL NOTE:  If you are a VCP, VMware offers a $25 license for both VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion – don’t miss out!]\n\nBut this just wasn\'t enough.  I had recently rebuilt my Lenovo T61p with Windows 7 and had gone through the painstakingly lengthy process of reinstalling all my apps, sync\'ing my files, sync\'ing my 25GB OST file, installing x64 versions of Office 2010, Project 2010, Visio 2010, and so on.  I simply did not want to do this all over again.\n\nSo I decided to use the <a href=\" http://www.vmware.com/go/pc2mac\">pc2mac</a> VMware Fusion feature (think of <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/\">VMware Converter</a> - a P2V tool) to move/migrate my existing Lenovo PC to it - not just as a VM of course, but all the way to the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Camp_(software)\">Boot Camp</a> partition.  After many fruitless searches, I realized this was simply not an option in VMware Fusion, but migrating my Lenovo to a VMware Fusion Virtual machine using a VMDK certainly was.  And if I could get it that far, then I could get it cloned to the Boot Camp, right?  RIGHT!\n\nSo, with no particular regard for time (it\'s the WEEEEEEEEEEKEND of course), I set out.  Using the VMware Fusion pc2mac function was fairly easy - had some VSS issues getting the Lenovo PC machine to snap and copy, and some minor networking issues seeing my target PC across my home wireless network, but these were <a href=\"http://lmgtfy.com/?q=what+the+heck+have+i+gotten+myself+into%3F\">Googlable</a> and easily resolved.  \n\nOnce converted, and running as a \"clean\" VM (meaning I had pruned out everything Lenovo hardware-specific, and unnecessary software/hardware drivers) I had to tackle how to get it cloned over to the dissimilarly sized, but larger, 200GB Boot Camp partition I had set up.\n\nThe first thing I did was to run through the initial stages of the VMware Fusion Boot Camp import procedure, to install a base copy of windows, and more importantly for Fusion to “see” my faux Windows 7 boot Camp machine.  I had to do this to see how Fusion “saw” the boot camp partition as a VMware virtual machine disk file.  This took about 30 minutes.\n\nOnce completed, and after I had reverse-engineered the Fusion version of my Boot Camp machine to determine disk type, disk path, etc.  I spent an hour or so figuring out how to get the Boot Camp partition listed as a secondary drive to my newly created \"Windows 7 PC VM\" - and kind of gave up on doing it through the GUI (once I figured out the paths to the VMDKs, they still wouldn\'t let me add them) so I went back to my ESX2 days and simply text-edited the machine\'s .VMX file and manually added them - path and all – as an IDE device (important – as VMware Fusion builds new disks as SCSI devices).  This worked brilliantly!  \n\nNow, on my powered on \"Windows 7 PC VM\", with my Fusion VM version of my Boot Camp partition powered off, I could see my \"local\" hard drive (C: Drive – which is a VMDK), and a new D: Drive – which, you guessed it, was my 200GB Boot Camp partition.  Now I had to get C: over to D: with full partition visibility.\n\nI’m sure there are tons of tools out there to do in-guest or out-guest disk cloning, but the one I have always loved is Symantec’s <a href=\"http://www.symantec.com/business/backup-exec-system-recovery-desktop-edition\">Backup Exec System Recovery </a>(BESR).  Simply put, this tool ROCKS!  First off, it installs easily, does exactly what it is supposed to, but even better, Symantec gives you a FULLY FUNCTIONAL 60-day trial of it – as if the $59 price tag were not cheap enough.  BESR comes in a Server and a Desktop flavor – you need the Desktop flavor to work with Windows 7.  [Please stop what you are doing and buy this product right now]\n\nSo I installed BESR “in-guest”, rebooted, and then used the “Copy Drive” feature to copy my C: drive to my D: Drive.  This ran successfully, resized the volume to occupy the full 200GB partition, and then I powered down my \"Windows 7 PC VM\"\n\nNext I powered on my “Fusion VM version of my Boot Camp partition” and ensured it booted successfully (which it did not, since it thought that the only drive, which was the boot camp partition, was STILL the D: drive – and of course was looking for everything on the C: Drive)  I solved this by logging in as the local admin and following this tech note (thanks Microsoft!)  <a href=\"http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188\">http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188</a>\n\nOK, another reboot, and success!  I can boot my “Fusion VM version of my Boot Camp partition” and it is perfect !!!\n\nNow the big test – reboot my MacBook Pro and hold the option key to boot natively into Windows 7 – but a few steps first.  I figured I’d need some of the Mac Boot Camp drivers from the Mac OS install disk within my new “Boot Camp VM” so I went ahead and inserted the CD into my MacBook, then passed it through to the “Boot Camp VM”, then copied the contents to the C:Temp folder, and then ran as much of the setup as I could, pre-loading drivers wherever possible.  I do this simply because I have learned to do it in the past when moving Windows between dissimilar hardware platforms.\n\nThe moment of truth.  I powered down my “Boot Camp VM” within VMware Fusion, then I rebooted my MacBook.\n\nPressing the option key brought up the multi-boot loader and allowed me to select my Windows 7 Boot Camp partition.  Upon launch, I saw the familiar Windows 7 logo, then OH NO the <a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bill-gates-bsod1.jpg\">BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH</a>!  (0x0000007b – likely inaccessible boot device)\n\nAfter much disk driver pre-loads, fiddling with startup repairs, booting back and forth between Mac OS with VMware Fusion running my Boot Camp VM (successfully) and my native Boot Camp partition (unsuccessfully) – as well as reading for an hour about MSAHCI, SATA, IDE, and more blah, blah, blah, I finally dug into the registry (via my VMware Fusion running my Boot Camp VM) and changed the following registry values:\n\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesMsahci\nIn the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.\nIn the Value data box, type 3, and then click OK. (it was 0)\n\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicespciide\nIn the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.\nIn the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK. (it was 3)\n\nEUREKA IT WORKS !  Boot Camp now boots natively into Windows 7 (I had to then update the IDE driver with the Intel driver that I had copied to my Temp directory) and my VMware Fusion VM version of Boot Camp works too.\n\nI hope any of you out there searching for “if you can do this” will find this post and benefit from it.  If I can be of any assistance, let me know by posting a comment – which I will get and attempt to respond to - or simply share your experiences!\n\nIt was a fun weekend project and I’m happy to share it with you <em>(written on my MacBook Pro running Windows 7 x64 in a Boot Camp partition using VMware Fusion)</em>\n\nEnjoy\n  ','YES YOU CAN!  (Migrate your existing Windows PC to a MacBook Pro Boot Camp partition via VMware Fusion) ','','publish','open','open','','yes-you-can-migrate-your-existing-windows-pc-to-a-macbook-pro-bootcamp-partition-via-vmware-fusion','','','2010-07-28 11:14:04','2010-07-28 16:14:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2397',0,'post','',2),(2412,6,'2010-07-29 16:26:21','2010-07-29 21:26:21','I ran into this issue today (unable to successfully save and close and outlook 2010 appointment), and after researching in the internet I came up with nothing.\n\nAfter some troubleshooting I was able to resolve the issue. Here\'s how.\n\n<!--more-->\n\n \n\nFor me the issue boiled down creating the appointment on my DroidX. With corporate sync enabled, then appointment quickly showed up in my Outlook client. From my outlook client this is where I ran into the issue. For me deleting the meeting and creating a new appointment via Outlook solved my problem as the  <strong>outlook.exe /resetnavpane </strong>had no effect.\n\nIf you run into this issue, just delete and start fresh and save yourself the time. Hopefully this issue is just an anomally.','MICROSOFT OFFICE 2010 - UNABLE TO SAVE AND CLOSE APPOINTMENT','','publish','open','open','','microsoft-office-2010-unable-to-save-and-close-appointment','','','2010-07-29 16:26:21','2010-07-29 21:26:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2412',0,'post','',0),(2414,8,'2010-08-02 11:00:43','2010-08-02 16:00:43','Three weeks and counting since the production launch of SP2010 here at eGroup and we are already reaping some productivity benefits over the MOSS2007 site.  One of the items I have been thoroughly impressed with is the multitude of ways in which SharePoint can interact with your office applications while not locking the user into one specific path.  SharePoint 2010 gives users three main ways to interact with the application...\n<ul>\n	<li>The traditional web interface - by traditional we mean greatly enchanced with inline edits of doc libraries and lists without page refreshes using AJAX techniques.</li>\n	<li>Outlook Integration - certainly nothing new here but SP2010 Foundation does allow two way communication in the free version of SharePoint (Foundation).</li>\n	<li>SharePoint Workspace 2010 - Far and away my favorite.  SharePoint Workspace 2010 ships with Office 2010 Professional and doesn\'t disappoint.  Many have said that SharePoint Workspace 2010 is to SharePoint what Outlook is to Exchange.  The ability to manage, communicate and receive alert notifications on changes within the site through a client side application is excellent.  Not to mention offline access to document libraries and SharePoint data and a sleak background sync mechanism to keep it all up to date.  If this doesn\'t finally kill Exchange shared folders then nothing will.</li>\n</ul>\nThere are many features within these three components that make SharePoint 2010 integration with your traditional Office tools much more in depth such as...\n\n<!--more-->\n<ul>\n	<li>Connect To Office:  This new to SharePoint 2010 feature allows you to connect a list or library to other Office products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  When you go to open or save a document you have the option inside that application to save and open directly from the document library.</li>\n	<li>Connect to Outlook:  An oldie but goodie allows you to connect libraries, Calendars and lists to your Outlook client and manage them from within the familiar confines of Outlook.  Data piggybacks of the Send/Receive tasks and you have a take anywhere copy of the data wherever you have an internet connection (assuming your site is net accessible).</li>\n	<li>Drag and Drop in SharePoint Workspace.  It is hard to describe the tool without seeing it first hand but it is simplistic in design in the fact that it allows you to connect to SP sites, communicate with other site members and share and access documents stored on those sites with a completely non-intrsive background sync job.</li>\n</ul>\nContact <a title=\"eGroup\" href=\"http://egroup.jasonmangone.com\" target=\"_blank\">eGroup</a> today and allow us to give you the quick tour of what can be gained by migrating or launching your new SharePoint 2010 site!','SHAREPOINT 2010 PROVIDES MULTITUDES OF WAYS TO INTEGRATE WITH OFFICE APPLICATIONS','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-2010-provides-multitudes-of-ways-to-integrate-with-office-applications','','','2010-08-02 11:00:43','2010-08-02 16:00:43','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2414',0,'post','',0),(2417,6,'2010-08-02 15:14:02','2010-08-02 20:14:02','This is not so much an issue in smaller environments, but if you come across larger more complex Citrix Farms, then quickly identifying the Citrix License can be very handy.\n\nHere\'s how:\n\n<!--more-->\n\n1. Open the Citrix Access Management Console and run Discovery\n\n2. Expand out the Presentation Server/XenApp Server\n\n3. Right-click on the Farm &gt; Modify Farm Properties &gt; Modify License Server Properties\n\nThe pop-window that displays next will show you the License Server name for Citrix license access, as well as the Port Number (usually 27000).','HOW TO DETERMINE THE CITRIX LICENSE SERVER','','publish','open','open','','how-to-deterine-the-citrix-license-server','','','2010-08-02 15:14:02','2010-08-02 20:14:02','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2417',0,'post','',0),(2418,44,'2010-08-02 15:47:59','2010-08-02 20:47:59','Recently I ran into a customer who had forgotten their password to log into thier OfficeScan Console portal. I knew there had to be a quick way to reset it and did some digging and this is what i came up with...\n<!--more-->\n\n1. Open the file \"<strong>C:Program FilesTrend MicroOfficescanPCCSRVPrivateAuthorStoreTrendAuthDef.xml</strong>\" \n\n2. Replace the root information at the bottom of the file as shown below:\n\n\n<strong> \n       </strong>\n\n\n Note: The string after “PWD=” is responsible for resetting the password to “trendmicro” (without quotes).\n\n3. Restart the OfficeScan Master service.\n\n4. Log in as <strong>root </strong>and use “<strong>trendmicro</strong>” as the password.\n\n5. You should now be able to change the password to something else by going to Administration &gt; User Accounts.\n\nHope this Helps!!','HOW TO RESET THE TREND MICRO OFFICESCAN CONSOLE PASSWORD (Version 10)','','publish','open','open','','how-to-reset-the-trend-micro-officescan-console-password-version-10','','','2010-08-02 15:47:59','2010-08-02 20:47:59','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2418',0,'post','',0),(2428,6,'2010-08-03 14:05:18','2010-08-03 19:05:18',' Unfortunately, the Blue Screen of Death is alive and well. We all were hoping that Microsoft, with Windows 7, would have tightened up the driver issue, but the fact of the matter is bad drivers are still prevalent in the marketplace. And there is no telling what end users are installing on the PCs these days. So your best bet is to know where to find the memory dump file that is generated after your PC blue screens to accurately know what caused the issue.\n\nFirst off you are going to need the Debugging Tools for Windows. They can be downloaded <strong><a href=\"http://download.cnet.com/Debugging-Tools-for-Windows/3000-2086_4-10907878.html\">HERE</a></strong>.\n\nOnce downloaded, perform a complete install\nOnce installed open the program, by going to START &gt; All Programs &gt; Debugging Tools for Windows &gt; WinDbg\nOnce the program opens press CTRL+D (to open a memory dump file) and navigate to your memory dump  file (usually you can go to C:WindowsMinidump)\nNext the debugging  tool goes to work and give you its best indicator of the blue screen culprit\n\nThis identification of the Blue Screen culprit will go a long way to getting the root cause actually resolved.','HOW TO READ WINDOWS MEMORY DUMP FILES','','publish','open','open','','how-to-read-windows-memory-dump-files','','','2010-08-03 14:05:18','2010-08-03 19:05:18','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2428',0,'post','',1),(2442,44,'2010-08-04 14:10:47','2010-08-04 19:10:47','I ran into an issue recently with a customer that was having an issue with Virtual Center\'s services not starting automatically starting after a reboot of thier vCenter Server. They were able to manually start the service one the box was all the way back up but even with the service set to retry every 5 minutes it would not start on its own. I did a little bit of research that was able to not only figure out what the problem was but to also solve it relatively easy.<!--more-->\n\nWhat seemed to be happening was SQL on the vCenter server wasnt starting quite as fast as vCenter wanted, causing it to go into a failed state. With a quick regedit I was able to correct this.  \n\nIn the registry i made the following changes:\n\n<em><strong>- Obtain the service name for your SQL Service - in Registry Editor, browse to HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServices and look for entries starting with MSSQL. In all likelyhood, yours will be called either MSSQL or MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS or MSSQLSERVER (ignore MSSQLServerADHelper)\n- Now browse to HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesvpxd\n- Open the REG_MULTI_SZ value called DependOnService\n- Add a line called \"MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS\" (or whatever value you determined above)\n- Ensure that the last line in the value is blank</strong></em>\n\nIn future, by making these changes, whenever SQL is stopped, vCenter will now be stopped as well. Whenever vCenter is started, SQL will also be started. You should also be able to view the dependency by opening the service\'s properties in the Services control panel applet and going to the Dependencies tab. From here on out vCenter will always wait for SQL to start before launching.\n\nHope this helps some of you!!!','vCenter SERVICES CRASHING AFTER RESTART','','publish','open','open','','vcenter-services-crashing-after-restart','','','2010-08-04 14:10:47','2010-08-04 19:10:47','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2442',0,'post','',0),(2446,8,'2010-08-05 15:39:00','2010-08-05 20:39:00','So you have virtualized and consolidated your physical datacenter into a fraction of the size (and COST!) it once was over the past several years (if you haven\'t you really should, but thats not what I am here to write about).  How did you go about doing it?  Did you utilize the proper tools like Capacity Planner with a <a href=\"http://egroup.jasonmangone.com\" target=\"_blank\">eGroup virtualization engineer</a> to maximize your consolidation?  If so, Great! If not, still not what we are here to talk about.  What I am here to tell you today is how you can take your datacenter from efficient to downright squeezing every drop of processing potential out of every last host resource you have as well as plan for virtual infrastructure growth in a proactive manner. \n\nThat tool? <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-capacityiq/\" target=\"_blank\">VMWare\'s Capacity IQ</a>.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIf your virtualization migration took the typical approach and asked the question, \"how many hosts will I need to run all my physical machines as virtualized workloads?\" then you were most likely very pleased with the amount of hosts that you could consolidate to (as well as all the extra floor space).  When that question was asked and answered it was done so by analyzing the physical infrastructure you had and figuring out what would be needed to replace it in virtual machines (CPUs, Memory, etc...).  Now I want you to take a look at whether that web server or database server really needed all those physical processors or sticks of RAM in them to begin with. \n<ul>\n	<li>When you moved them to virtual machines did they get the same amount of resources assigned to them that they had in the physical world?</li>\n	<li>Are you struggling with Virtual Machine Sprawl and overzealous administrators that assign resource reservations because it is available moreso than needed?</li>\n	<li>Would you like to know what equipment you are going to need to maintain growth next year? quarter? month?</li>\n</ul>\n<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-capacityiq/\" target=\"_blank\">VMWare\'s Capacity IQ </a>(CapIQ) can answers these questions efficiently and clearly.  Deployed as a virtual appliance and registered with your virtual center server CapIQ can look at the utilization of assigned resources at the virtual machine, host and datacenter level while acquiring trending data to project how quickly your datacenter is growing.  Several features that are quickly available stand out.\n<ul>\n	<li>Over Committed/Under Committed Datacenter/Virtual Machine dashboard:  Gives you a heads up display of all the virtual machines that have resources assigned (Thresholds can be user defined or default) that outweigh the machines workload (over committed) or limit the performance (under committed).  This allows you fine tune the resources of each machine to give it what it needs and only what it needs taking the guesswork and admin egos out of the decision process.  Freeing up those resources for further consolidation by adding more virtualized workloads to the farm.</li>\n	<li>Trending Analysis:  Take last years, last months data and trend it over time through trending dashboards so you can see the exact resource cost of a new project, budget and plan to meet the needs of next years workload and know the exact datacenter need for Memory, CPU, Disk I/O and Network Bandwidth.</li>\n</ul>\nHere are the some of the reports and views that come by default...\n<ul>\n	<li>Virtual Machine Capacity - Summary</li>\n	<li>Capacity Efficiency - Trend</li>\n	<li>Virtual Machine Optimization - Summary</li>\n	<li>Configured Host Capacity - Distribution</li>\n	<li>Host Utilization</li>\n	<li>Clister or Host Capacity Usage - Trend</li>\n	<li>Virtual Machine Deployment - Trend</li>\n	<li>Host Deployment - Trend</li>\n	<li>Average Deployed Virtual Machine Profile - Summary</li>\n	<li>Idle Virtual Machines - List</li>\n	<li>Undersized Virtual Machines - List</li>\n	<li>Powered-Off Virtual Machines -List</li>\n	<li>Common Virtual Machine Configurations - Dashboard</li>\n</ul>\nWith all these \"Quick Views\" and a host of other exportable reports the strategic planning and growth budgeting process just became easy!\n\nContact <a href=\"http://egroup.jasonmangone.com\">eGroup </a>or Comment below with any questions.','VMWare Capacity IQ:  INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN ALREADY EFFICIENT DATACENTERS','','publish','open','open','','vmware-capacity-iq-increase-efficiency-in-already-efficient-datacenters','','','2010-08-05 15:39:00','2010-08-05 20:39:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2446',0,'post','',0),(2448,44,'2010-08-06 16:34:48','2010-08-06 21:34:48','Sometimes looking at an old idea in a new way completely blows your  mind.  I just had such an experience.\n\nI have a Samsung NC240 in my office and have been using it to be the  first adopter of the View technology, as my previous boss at eGroup  (www.egroup-us.com) used to say &quot;We eat our own dog food&quot;.  I use View  primarily becuase I\'m in the process of forcing my entire work force  into using a VDI solution and I want everyone to see that I make myself  use it as well.  One of the features I like about this technology is  that I can go to any terminal, log in as me, and get my desktop;  basically I\'m more mobile than ever before.  I\'ve used this feature and  others to sell the technology up stream.<!--more-->\n\nToday I happened to be working with a series of Nurses down stairs as I  was deploying their new terminals (Samsung NC190) when I realized I made  a mistake and setup the View Pool as Dedicated instead of Floating.   I\'m so used to setting up office workstations I forgot that in the  majority of areas in the building the desktops are actually shared  between employees.  I was in the process of Recomposing my pool when I  started to ask myself why I was doing this.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Why do I need to make these desktops floating instead of dedicated?</span>\nBecause more than one user logs into them.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Why do multiple users log into the same workstation?</span>\nThere is only enough room to put one workstation at each location.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">What are the draw backs to having one workstation with multiple users  logging into them?</span>\nThe most common problem is that when a user locks the workstation  another user can\'t walk up and unlock it.  Another issue is that these  users move around a lot, and Microsoft roaming profiles isn\'t exactly  the best solution for a roaming employee.\n\nI\'ll come back to my point, I was thinking this way because we\'ve always  done it this way.  But my answers to my questions above are moot now.   With VMWare View I can setup 5 for 50 desktops with minimal changes on  the back end.  Physically it doesn\'t require any additional space and it  isn\'t that big of a change for me from an administration stand point.\n\nMy way of thinking changed, instead of setting up two VMs for these two  zero clients I was deploying I decided to deploy enough VMs to cover  every employee.  Now when my employees are moving between areas all they  have to do is hit the disconnect button on the Samsung terminal and log  in with their credentials.  They get their own personal desktop, not a  shared desktop.  This means their bookmarks, backgrounds, even  applications stay the same regardless of where they sit down to do their  work.\n\nTo me this is the same as when I go downstairs and connect to my VM, to  them its a completely different way to work and solves a lot of little  issues.  I really feel that this little change is going to empower my  workforce, there are some major productivity benefits from this setup as  a user can stop what they are doing and pick it up exactly where they  left off, no log off needed.   Plus it gives them a feeling of ownership  which IT has never given them before.  I made some people smile today  just by looking at something a little differently.','VMWARE VIEW - A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT AN OLD IDEA','','publish','open','open','','vmware-view-a-new-way-to-look-at-an-old-idea','','','2010-08-06 16:34:48','2010-08-06 21:34:48','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2448',0,'post','',0),(2453,44,'2010-08-10 09:49:10','2010-08-10 14:49:10','Recently when installing ESXi 4.1 for a customer I noticed a little quirk in the new setup of the management console that had me chasing my tail for a good while and I thought I would share my experience with you guys so you didn\'t make the same mistake.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nSo here\'s the scenario... I\'m installing ESXi 4.1 on a server on ports that do not have trunking enabled. I configure the IP on NIC0 put in my DNS entries and the hostname and I\'m good to go. I then log into the console of that box and begin setting up the network on the vSwitch and adding my other networks. After adding a second NIC to the vSwitch and setting the load balancing to \"Route based on IP hash\", I hit save and my configs took effect. I then configured trunking on those ports and the server will no longer respond to pings and is totally inaccessible except from the physical console. I tried breaking the port channel groups, reconfiguring the NICS but had no luck.... What it ends up coming down to was the Management Network on the vSwitch. In my experiences in the past whatever settings you made to the vSwitch replicated down to the subsequent networks.... Meaning that the load balancing should have propogated all the way through to the setting \"route based on IP Hash\". This is not the case for the management network, it was still set to \"Route based on the originating virtual port ID\". Once I broke trunking long enough to go back in and change this setting everything popped up fine. Granted this is not something major, but it was just a little \"gotcha\" that definitely got me and wasted time, so keep an eye out! Below is a copy of the Port Channel group I was using along with the interfaces.\n\nHope this helps!\n\ninterface Port-channel1\ndescription ESX01 Trunk\nswitchport trunk encapsulation dot1q\nswitchport trunk native vlan 4094\nswitchport mode trunk\nswitchport nonegotiate\nspanning-tree portfast trunk\n\ninterface GigabitEthernet1/0/5\ndescription ESX01-NIC0\nswitchport trunk encapsulation dot1q\nswitchport trunk native vlan 4094\nswitchport mode trunk\nswitchport nonegotiate\nspeed 1000\nduplex full\nchannel-group 1 mode on\nspanning-tree portfast trunk\n\ninterface GigabitEthernet2/0/5\ndescription ESX01 NIC2\nswitchport trunk encapsulation dot1q\nswitchport trunk native vlan 4094\nswitchport mode trunk\nswitchport nonegotiate\nspeed 1000\nduplex full\nchannel-group 1 mode on\nspanning-tree portfast trunk','ESXi 4.1 GOTCHA','','publish','open','open','','esxi-41-gotcha','','','2010-08-10 09:49:10','2010-08-10 14:49:10','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2453',0,'post','',0),(2458,6,'2010-08-12 10:23:20','2010-08-12 15:23:20','It is always nice to a have a consolidated place to find what you are looking for, and in case you are in need of specific ports that concern Citrix XenApp environments, then please use this as a guide.\n\n \n\n<!--more-->\n\n80 - Port is used by client/plug-ins using TCP+HTTP to communicate with servers\n\n443 - Port is used by SSL Relay to secure communications between the Web Interface and Citrix Server Farm\n\n1433 - This port is used by the server to communicate with SQL database\n\n1494 - Port is used by clients/plug-ins using TCP to communicate with server (must be opened for ICA to work properly)\n\n1521 - This port is used by the server to communicate with Oracle database\n\n2512 - Port is used for server to server communications within the Citrix Farm\n\n2513 - This port is used for XenApp Advanced Configuration tool communications (formerly Presentation Server Console)\n\n2598 - Port is used for Session Reliability\n\n5000 - Port is used to communicate with IBM DB2 database\n\n7279 - Port is used by Citrix vendor daemon to relay licensing communications between XenApp and the Citrix Licensing Server\n\n8082 - Port is used for communication with Citrix License Management Console\n\n27000 - Port is used by Citrix License Managemer daemon, which handles initial contact with Citrix XenApp Server that in turn passes the connection to the Citrix Vendor daemon.\n\n \n\nFor more information - go <a href=\"http://community.citrix.com/display/ocb/2008/03/12/Network+Communication+Ports+used+by+Citrix+XenApp+%28the+new+name+for+Presentation+Server%29\">HERE</a>.','CITRIX XENAPP - PORTS OF INTEREST','','publish','open','open','','citrix-xenapp-ports-of-interest','','','2010-08-12 10:23:20','2010-08-12 15:23:20','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2458',0,'post','',0),(2468,8,'2010-08-13 14:52:57','2010-08-13 19:52:57','This is the first of many how-to posts on some of the basics and more advanced ways to style and design SharePoint 2010 using SharePoint Designer 2010 to give it extra appeal.\n\nI was working on a marketing site the other day that I wanted to make fixed width for 1024px screens and centered on the page.  Very easy to do in most applications but will all the CSS that SharePoint has it can be difficult sometimes to find the location to make that easy change.\n\nHere is how you can make your site a fixed width and centered on the page in SP2010...\n\nOpen up the corev4.css file and look for the \"form\" tag.  Specify it below to your desired width.  Typically this would be done in the body and \"container\" (or whatever you like to call your main wrapper div) tags on traditional sites.\n\nform {\n width: 950px;\n margin-left: auto;\n margin-right: auto;\n}\n\nSave and your site should now be centered!','SHAREPOINT 2010 DEVELOPMENT:  FIXED WIDTH AND CENTER THE PAGE','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-2010-development-fixed-width-and-center-the-page','','','2010-08-13 14:52:57','2010-08-13 19:52:57','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2468',0,'post','',0),(2471,44,'2010-08-18 10:12:00','2010-08-18 15:12:00','<!--StartFragment-->\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">It is no mystery the buzzword of the year is “cloud computing”.<span> </span>According to Gartner, it is at the top of mind for CIOs, but at the same time, it is probably the most confusing and misunderstood topic.<span> </span>Vendors, hardware or software, aren’t helping matters by publicizing everything as “cloud ready” or “cloud aware”, especially for products that have nothing at all to do with cloud computing.<span> </span>After a simple explanation of cloud computing, I’ll introduce you to the three basic types of cloud computing and how they are different.<span> </span>I’d like to touch on VMware’s cloud strategy, as well.<!--more--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">I have to admit, I’m just as guilty as some of the vendors and was probably causing more harm than good when talking to customers about cloud computing. <span> </span>It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I was working the booth at a hardware manufacture’s trade show with a colleague at VMware that the light bulb went off for me.<span> </span>I had a customer come up to me and ask, “What’s the difference between virtualization and cloud computing”.<span> </span>I went into my typical marketing speech about how cloud computing is a different way of doing IT; it’s not a destination, but a journey, etc, etc.<span> </span>And about halfway through, my friend stopped me.<span> </span>“You’re making this way too difficult and look how confused this poor man is”, he said.<span> </span>“I can sum up cloud computing in two words, ‘self-service IT’”. <span> </span>I can’t be that simple, but it really is.<span> </span>End-users requesting resources and having them automatically provisioned, but based on standards that IT implements.<span> </span>Essentially, self-conception of resources, delivered on demand.<span> </span>This gives IT the ability to focus more on new technologies and making the business more competitive, while at the same time, not spending the majority of their time and money on day-to-day mundane tasks.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">When you think about it, cloud computing is no different than your home phone service.<span> </span>When you pick up the phone, you don’t care how the underlying technology works or where your call gets routed through.<span> </span>All you care about is when you pick up the receiver, you get a dial tone and at the end of the month, you get a bill for using the phone company’s service.<span> </span>It may sound easy, and it should be, from an end-user perspective, but there is a lot that goes on in the background that helps facilitate it.<span> </span>I’d like to push out those exact technologies and cover them in future posts, but rest assured, security plays a big part.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">We see three basic types of clouds out there today, Application, Platform and Infrastructure.<span> </span>Application Clouds are sometimes referred to as Software as a Service.<span> </span>These are your Google Apps, Salesforces.com and the like.<span> </span>On the plus side, they’re pretty inexpensive to use and all the application development work has been done up front, but they’re limited in customization and integration into your existing corporate applications.<span> </span>In the event you want to choose a different application or provider, in most cases you won’t be able to take your data with you or will be in a proprietary format.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Platform Clouds are probably the least talked about and are more focused on delivering a software development environment and runtime as a service.<span> </span>With this offering, a consumer would develop an application using this service and then utilize the runtime environment to deploy the application.<span> </span>Examples of this environment are Google AppEngine, Spring Source and the Windows Azure Platform.<span> </span>On the plus side, it does help speed up application development and get developers the platform they need to develop on quickly, but the platform and runtime are often not compatible with existing applications and need to be re-written for the new platform framework.<span> </span>Also, just like in the case of Application Clouds, not all Platform Clouds are compatible with each other and applications will need to be re-written if you need to move provider to provider.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The last type of cloud computing is focused on providing the most general solution, basic infrastructure as a service. These solutions provide storage, networking and computing capacity as a service to the consumer, sometimes in very high granularities of billing such as hourly.<span> </span>A vast majority of these solutions are based on virtualization.<span> </span>Sometimes you’ll hear these referred to as elastic compute clouds.<span> </span>These are your Amazon Web Services, Terremark, and Mosso’s of the world.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Any three of these clouds can be labeled as Private or Public.<span> </span>A Private cloud is typically behind a corporate firewall and is intended for a limited, pre-determined set of users.<span> </span>A Public cloud is accessible over the Internet and is intended for general consumption.<span> </span>There is also this notion of a Hybrid cloud.<span> </span>A Hybrid cloud is when two clouds have the ability to “mesh” together because they are both based on a common infrastructure platform, like vSphere.<span> </span>This will give customers the ability to move workloads from their Private cloud to the Public cloud when they may not have the resources available internally to support an application at peak load.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">So how does this all fit in to VMware’s overall Cloud Strategy?<span> </span>At a high level, VMware’s acquisition of Zimbra and Spring Source will help fill in the Application and Platform Cloud space and are also conversations for another blog.<span> </span>In the Infrastructure Cloud, VMware sees customers starting to build out their private cloud today while Service Providers build out the Public Cloud, all on a common infrastructure platform, vSphere.<span> </span>VMware’s cloud strategy is built around vSphere and virtual machines.<span> </span>If you think about it, this makes complete sense.<span> </span>Because of hardware independence and encapsulation that are inherent to virtual machines, I can move my applications (i.e. virtual machines) seamlessly from my Private to a Public cloud, without having to re-write an application or lose my data.<span> </span>Also, if I’m not happy with my current Public Cloud Service Provider, I can change providers without being locked into any specific proprietary infrastructure.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">I hope this was useful, both from helping you understand the “cloud” and VMware’s strategy around it.<span> </span>I’d like to focus future postings on some of the back end pieces that enable the cloud to give you an idea of why VMware and vSphere really is the best platform for cloud computing.</p>\n\n<!--EndFragment-->','READ THIS!  IT HAS THE WORD CLOUD IN IT!','','publish','open','open','','read-this-it-has-the-word-cloud-in-it','','','2010-08-18 10:12:00','2010-08-18 15:12:00','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2471',0,'post','',2),(2480,6,'2010-08-25 08:54:01','2010-08-25 13:54:01','&quot;<strong> Free </strong> &quot; is the best word in the English language.\n\nOne of the complaints that I have heard through the years centers around the costs that are associated with Blackberry\'s Enterprise Server (BES), and I can understand why. When one considers the alternatives, why would an organization pay so much for BES? The licensing costs, RIM support contract, and the BES software can add up to a small fortune.  When you add a tough economy to the mix, people tend look elsewhere to save money. Nonetheless, the fact remains Blackberry Nation is alive and well. Consider the alternative (like the Droid), you can connect to your exchange front end in about 2 minutes without any additional costs -- this has become a big point of contention against Blackberry.\n\nBlackberry has answered the bell and released the Blackberry Enterprise Server Express and it comes with a ton of free goodness to get your users hooked up with what they need -- at no additional costs. That\'s right...Free.\n\n<!--more--> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Here are Some of the Key Features:</strong> </span>\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Advanced Email</strong> - Get wireless access to your Microsoft email while on the go.</li>\n	<li><strong>Wireless Sync</strong> - Stay in sync with your email, calendar, contacts and more.</li>\n	<li><strong>Up to Date Calendar</strong> - Helps you stay on-schedule with current appointments.</li>\n	<li><strong>Integrated Contacts</strong> - Enjoy quick and easy access to personal and business contacts.</li>\n	<li><strong>Remote File &amp; Internet Access</strong> - Help improve productivity with wireless access to files.</li>\n	<li><strong>Run on an Existing Mail Server</strong> - Eliminate the need to purchase additional hardware.</li>\n	<li><strong>Proven Security</strong> - Protect your information.</li>\n	<li><strong>It\'s Free!</strong></li>\n</ol>\nAnd when you add in <a href=\"http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Announcements/Announcing-BlackBerry-Enterprise-Server-Express-v5-0-2/td-p/566584\">Service Pack 2</a> , you\'ll get some great add-on\'s that will make it worth your while.  Most notably Single Sign-on (SSO) and support for Server 2008 R2.\n\nThere is some great information out on Blackberry\'s website, and I encourage you to dig further.\n<ul>\n	<li>For an overview demo on the BES Express, Go <strong><a href=\"http://www.blackberry.com/select/demos/express/\">HERE</a> </strong></li>\n	<li>For information on the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution Comparison Chart, Go <strong><a href=\"http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/business/server/express/ComparisonChart_NA_021610_vCH_2.pdf\">HERE</a> </strong></li>\n	<li>For the homepage of the Blackberry Enterprise Server Express, Go <strong><a href=\"http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/business/server/express/\">HERE</a> </strong></li>\n</ul>','BLACKBERRY ENTERPRISE SERVER EXPRESS ','','publish','open','open','','blackberry-enterprise-server-express','','','2010-08-25 08:54:01','2010-08-25 13:54:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2480',0,'post','',0),(2499,8,'2010-08-27 13:26:46','2010-08-27 18:26:46','eGroup\'s VMWare VMWorld 2010 in San Francisco\'s schedule is all set and ready for next weeks conference.  Tune into the eGroup Blog and follow us on <a href=\"http://twitter.com/eGroup_Inc\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter </a>for late breaking info directly from VMWorld if you are unable to attend.  If you are able to attend the event let us know through the comments or contact us while out there.\n\nHere is the eGroup Schedule for sessions so far.  Send us a note and we can meet up for the session or pass along the information afterwards. \n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Monday. August 30th:</span></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Lab Automation Best Practices:  Advanced Technical on VMWare Lab Manager</li>\n	<li>Virtualizing Tier 1 Applications:  Exchange, Databases, SAP, SharePoint, Oracle using AppSpeed, CapacityIQ, DRS, Hot-Add.</li>\n	<li>Virtual Appliances: Simplifying Application Deployment and Accelerating Your Journey to the Cloud</li>\n	<li>Design, Deploy, and Optimize Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 on vSphere</li>\n	<li>Exploring VMware APIs:  Management Automation!</li>\n</ul>\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Tuesday. August 31st:</span></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Design, Deploy, and Opitimize Microsoft SQL 2008</li>\n	<li>Spring Into The Cloud: Understanding Spring as a Cloud Application Development Platform</li>\n	<li>SpringSource: Application Infrastructure for a Virtual World</li>\n	<li>Accelerate Windows 7 Migration with VMware ThinApp and View</li>\n	<li>Troubleshooting ThinApp Applications</li>\n</ul>\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Wednesday. September 1st:</span></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Optimizing Your Virtual Infastructure Capacity with vCenter CapacityIQ</li>\n	<li>Guest Operations Using VMware VIX APIs and Beyond:  Automate Guest operations, installations, etc... through this API!</li>\n	<li>ThinApp : What\'s New and Future Vision</li>\n	<li>Virtual Machines Outperforming Physical Machines - Crossing the Performance Barrier:  Application Performance in VMs!</li>\n	<li>Application Management with Noah Wasmer</li>\n</ul>\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Thursday. September 2nd:</span></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong></strong> Java Apps on vSphere: Technical Best Practices and Why Now Is Better Than Ever</li>\n	<li>VMforce – The Trusted Enterprise Java Cloud</li>\n	<li>Zimbra and The Future for Mission Critical Apps in the Virtualized Enterprise</li>\n	<li>VMware vCenter™ Chargeback - Advanced</li>\n</ul>\n<strong></strong> Looking forward to seeing or hearing from all the attendees!','eGroup\'s VMWorld 2010 SCHEDULE ALL SET. COME JOIN US OR GET INFO IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT.','','publish','open','open','','egroups-vmworld-2010-schedule-all-set-come-join-us-or-get-info-if-you-cannot-make-it','','','2010-08-27 13:26:46','2010-08-27 18:26:46','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2499',0,'post','',0),(2501,16,'2010-08-29 13:32:40','2010-08-29 18:32:40','Recently eGroup worked on a project for a large software company that involved creating a XENAPP 6 Farm for several hundred users, including many located in the UK, the Netherlands, and also in Australia. A core requirement of this install was to enable timezone, currency, and date format localization for CRM and Sales Management software utilized by those remote users.\n\nXENAPP 6 requires Windows 2008 Server R2 64-bit to run and many of the policies available through the Citrix Delivery Console require settings in the GPMC. Because the latest version of XENAPP relies heavily on Windows 2008 Server Roles and the client was not running a full 2008 AD many of these policies were not available on their AD server.\n\n<!--more--> One of the desired policy settings, &quot;use local time of client&quot;, has the following stipulation as noted in the policy editor: &quot;For this setting to be enforced, enable the “Allow time zone  redirection” setting in the  Remote Desktop Services node of the Group  Policy Management Console.&quot; Because the Remote Desktop Services node is not available in 2003 AD installations we had to make a registry change on the local XENAPP Servers. After trying several permutations with the help of the client\'s super sharp systems admin lead the following change was discovered as the successful registry entry:\n\n[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTTerminal Services]\n&quot;fEnableTimeZoneRedirection&quot;=dword:00000001\n\nThis setting is important because the timezone settings are not available to users without local administrative access. To allow users to select their currency, date format, and other application localization settings the &quot;Regional Settings&quot; control was published as an application using the following command line setting:\n\ncontrol C:WindowsSystem32intl.cpl\n\nNote that environments without some type of roaming or hybrid profiles will need this control panel published separately for every server in the farm as the settings will not follow users.','LOCALIZATION IN XENAPP 6','','publish','open','open','','localization-in-xenapp-6','','','2010-08-29 13:32:40','2010-08-29 18:32:40','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2501',0,'post','',1),(2505,16,'2010-08-29 14:24:04','2010-08-29 19:24:04','OK, I know this information is readily available to anyone with a gMail account but there are times when technology is released that is just plain cool and warrants repeating it. This past week, Google released a new feature to their already established <a href=\"http://www.google.com/voice/\" target=\"_blank\">Google Voice</a> product. For those who have not investigated this yet, Google Voice allows one to secure a dedicated local phone number that can be used to route calls based on rules to different locations such as home, work, mobile, etc. Changing your mobile number? Doesn\'t matter because you don\'t need to give it out - just pass out your Google Voice number and you\'re insulated. Don\'t want to talk to someone? Just send their calls to cyberspace! The new feature released allows calls to be made to and from your Google Chat window, including international calls for <a href=\"https://www.google.com/voice/rates\" target=\"_blank\">very low rates</a> .\n\n<!--more--> Calls made from your chat session will appear as your Google Voice number to caller id displays and calls made to your Google Voice number can be answered from within your chat session. The rates are super cheap (within the US is FREE), the QOS is super high, and the neatness factor is off the charts. This just adds to a growing<a href=\"http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html\" target=\"_blank\"> list of features</a> such as sharing voicemails, blocking callers, SMS to email, and voicemail transcription that make this a great service that is sure to catch on as more users become aware of it. Also, check out the features for your <a href=\"http://www.google.com/mobile/voice/\" target=\"_blank\">smart phone</a> !\n\nIt\'s products like these that demonstrate the power of the cloud and reinforce that it isn\'t just a buzzword and it really is here to stay. Just ask <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2471\" target=\"_self\">this guy</a> ! Interested in starting your journey to the cloud? eCloud computing from <a href=\"http://egroup.jasonmangone.com\" target=\"_self\">eGroup</a> can help!','GOOGLE VOICE GETS A NEW FEATURE!','','publish','open','open','','google-voice-gets-a-new-feature','','','2010-08-29 14:24:04','2010-08-29 19:24:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2505',0,'post','',2),(2507,2,'2010-08-30 09:40:39','2010-08-30 14:40:39','August 30, 2010 - eGroup, Inc. today announced that it has successfully completed the VMWare Desktop Virtualization solution competency. This achievement demonstrates that eGroup is committed to be an expert in helping customers virtualize their IT environments. Further, in achieving this competency, eGroup acknowledges that this distinction and VMware solutions are key accelerators for enabling their growth in the virtualization market.<!--more-->\n\n\"VMware is pleased to recognize eGroup for achieving the Desktop Virtualization solution competency. Achieving this competency demonstrates to customers that eGroup is committed to be an expert in helping customers virtualize their IT environments, enabling them to confidently select eGroup as a solution provider capable of delivering VMware solutions to customers on the journey to cloud computing,\" said Doug Smith, senior director, global partner sales, VMware. \"We value our partnership with eGroup and we appreciate their efforts in achieving this VMware distinction.\"\n\nVMware has established solution competencies as designations of expertise that enable customers to identify partners with the highest level of VMware technical solution knowledge and experience. VMware partners with competencies are able to earn customer credibility by driving deeper into customer engagements, based on knowledge and ability with the following VMware solution competencies:\n\n<strong>Infrastructure Virtualization Competency:</strong> Recognizes partners for their demonstrated ability to virtualize and consolidate server environments using a VMware virtualization solution\n\n<strong>Business Continuity Competency:</strong> Recognizes partners for their expertise in deploying VMware solutions for data protection, high availability and disaster recovery\n\n<strong>Desktop Virtualization Competency:</strong> Recognizes partners for their expertise in deploying VMware solutions for virtualizing desktops and applications\n\nVMware Partner Network is a comprehensive program that provides a common infrastructure, extensive sales and services tools, margin opportunities and industry-recognized training for the entire VMware partner ecosystem, including solution providers, technology partners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). VMware Partner Network is designed to help ensure a more consistent and successful user experience as well as help partners increase their business potential by increasing their skills in VMware solutions. The program helps partners maximize their investments in VMware virtualization to provide customers with the best end-to-end virtualization solutions available.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/\">Read more about VMware Partner Network.</a>\n\n<strong>About eGroup\n</strong>\neGroup provide technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup\'s solutions combine robust high- availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization\'s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company\'s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.\n\n<em>VMware is a registered trademark and/or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the term \"partner\" or \"partnership\" does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.</em>','eGROUP ACHIEVES VMWARE SOLUTION COMPETENCY IN DESKTOP VIRTUALIZATION','','publish','open','open','','egroup-inc-achieves-vmware-solution-competency-in-desktop-virtualization','','','2010-08-30 09:40:39','2010-08-30 14:40:39','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2507',0,'post','',0),(2512,2,'2010-08-30 15:24:26','2010-08-30 20:24:26','<strong>Below is a list of upcoming eGroup events, w/ a link to the registration page for each:</strong>\n\n<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong>\n\nSeptember 9-10th: eGroup is a Platinum Sponsor of the AITP\'s <a href=\"http://www.aitp-charleston.org/gcbts.htm\">Greater Charleston Business + Technology Summit</a> in Charleston. \n\nSeptember 13-14: eGroup will have a booth at <a href=\"http://www.scitda.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&amp;club_id=607741&amp;module_id=55181\">SCITDA</a>--South Carolina Information Technology Director\'s Association Fall Conference in Columbia. \n\nSeptember 16th: eGroup is a Platinum Sponsor of the <a href=\"http://www.carolinatechnologyconference.com/\">Carolinas Technology Conference</a> in Columbia.\n\nSeptember 24th: Charlotte UCS Users Group-- eGroup will be demoing its own UCS B-Series equipment and running a View lab.  *Registration information to come!*\n\nSeptember 25th: <a href=\"http://www.usmcmudrun.org/\">USMC Mud Run</a>. eGroup is participating, along w/ customers and vendors, in an all-terrain adventure race in Columbia, SC.\n\nOCTOBER\n\nOctober 2nd: eGroup is a Silver Sponsor of <a href=\"http://www.sqlsaturday.com/48/register.aspx\">SQL Saturday</a> in Columbia.','A LIST OF UPCOMING eGROUP EVENTS','','publish','open','open','','a-list-of-upcoming-egroup-events','','','2010-08-30 15:24:26','2010-08-30 20:24:26','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2512',0,'post','',0),(2516,12,'2010-09-07 12:38:53','2010-09-07 17:38:53','One of the many features/improvements/enhancements introduced in vSphere 4.1 is Storage I/O Control. Similar to shares and limits available on CPU and memory, you can now set individual virtual machines to a certain number of I/O per second (IOPS) to their underlying datastore, or use shares to set a &quot;relative priority&quot;. As mentioned below in &quot;UPDATE II&quot;, Shares and their relative priority to the storage resource will kick in only under contention, whereas limits are ALWAYS enforced.\n\nAlso, disk shares specified without SIOC enabled still apply, but only at a local-ESX host level. With SIOC enabled, disk shares are enforced across ALL hosts that access that datastore.\n\n<!--more--> The mechanism used to determine &quot;contention&quot; is average latency between the host and the datastore I/O control is enabled on. By default this threshold is 30ms, and VMware states that for most environments this should be sufficient. However, Advanced settings allow the user to set a custom threshold between 10 and 100ms (lower for SSD is recommended...10-15ms)\n\nUPDATE: The default threshold is in fact 30 ms, but is 30ms of delay for 4 seconds-- so it needs to be a sustained delay, and not just a one-off spike.\n\nUPDATE II: As mentioned in the comments, shares kick in under contention, whereas IOPS limits do not-- in fact, according to VMware documentation, Limits are &quot;always enforced regardless of whether or not SIOC is enabled&quot;.','VMware vSphere 4.1 - STORAGE I/O CONTROL','','publish','open','open','','vmware-vsphere-41-storage-io-control','','','2010-09-07 12:38:53','2010-09-07 17:38:53','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2516',0,'post','',2),(2515,8,'2010-09-07 12:55:01','2010-09-07 17:55:01','Not a big surprise but much of the <a href=\"http://www.vmworld.com/index.jspa\" target=\"_blank\">VMWorld 2010 </a>conference was spent discussing \"what is the cloud? and \"how we will get there?.  There are specific answers and roadmaps to the second question but the first still is difficult to answer but simple at the same time.  The \"Cloud\" is end user computing on any device, anywhere the user needs it.  It allows the user to abstract the applications they use from the devices they carry.  Paul Maritz, President and CEO of VMWare stated that (paraphrased) \"The new IT needs to be end user focused instead of device focused, and to do this we need to build better applications that are cloud ready and can be delivered from any framework to any device.\"  This means that we have to start now in thinking about applications for the future or the future of legacy applications and how they will move to and operate within this new IT.  Here is how most people will get there in reference to the second question. (Two Phases)<!--more-->\n<ol>\n	<li>Private Clouds:  Datacenter Virtualization, consolidating the physical world in private datacenters and creating applications and systems to support legacy applications.</li>\n	<li>Public Clouds:  Application Virtualization of business specific and legacy applications, Business Automation, Cost effectiveness.</li>\n</ol>\nPhase 1 I would venture (if you are still reading to this point) is already in progress at your organization.  It consists of IT Production changes by virtualizing business systems and expands to virtualizaing Tier 1 applications (SQL Server, Oracle, SAP, etc...).  This is a critical phase in which we are tailoring our private clouds and the applications they host to be ready for the public cloud and to achieve all the numerous challenges it presents (Security mainly).\n\n Phase 2 is what Phase 1 is in preparation for and consists of taking those applications and unwiring them from the systems they run on.  Utilizing virtual appliances to create application isolation environments that can be run in any location and moved application specific from host to host, datacenter to datacenter.  Packaging applications using tools like<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/thinapp/\" target=\"_blank\">VMWare ThinApp</a> to create manageable \"Package Once, Deploy Everywhere\" thinapp packages for applications like Outlook, Firefox, Adobe, etc... so users can access their applications from anywhere instead of on a specific machine.  This allows admins to manage once, deploy everywhere as well.  Once these applications are there end users and IT administrators can be free from device restrictions and security concerns about these devices.  Secure the application in the cloud and allow the end user to authenticate and utilize it on their Mobile Phone, IPad, Netbook, Laptop, Holographic Pendant/Robotic Arm/Brain Monitoring device (had to be there, telepathy is not as far away as you would think.)\n\nAll of this as stated by Rick Jackson, CMO, VMWare Inc. is targeted at \"Optimizing IT production for business consumption\".  I took this to mean that in the new IT the end user will be empowered and the everyday admin will rest easier not having to administer the device specific complaints fielded due to legacy applications.  This in turn leads to lower cost of ownership involved in IT assets (devices) and maintenance (application delivery).  Greater automation of IT resources and increased redundancy/recovery provided by the cloud architecture.\n\nStay tuned for more to come as I work through all the specifics.','VMWorld 2010:  JOURNEY TO THE CLOUD AND HOW APPLICATIONS WILL GET THERE.','','publish','open','open','','vmworld-2010-journey-to-the-cloud-and-how-applications-will-get-there','','','2010-09-07 12:55:01','2010-09-07 17:55:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2515',0,'post','',0),(2521,44,'2010-09-08 09:45:12','2010-09-08 14:45:12','Just yesterday I was able to do my first FLARE 30 update on a <a href=\"http://www.emc.com/products/detail/hardware/clariion-cx4-model-120.htm\">Clariion CX4-120</a> .\n\nOther than the<a title=\"EMC.com\" href=\"http://www.emc.com/\" target=\"_blank\"> EMC </a> &quot;invisible&quot; updates, here are a couple of my quick immediate take-aways.\n\n<!--more-->\n1.  Navisphere is gone. The new interface, Unisphere takes a couple minutes to get used to; but after that initial shock, I found that it was extremely easy to navigate. I was able to find everything that I was looking for quickly. I like the new interface. Here is a couple screenshots from the new interface...\n\nThis is the initial Dashboard for when you log in. Gives you a quick snapshot of all the arrays, alerts, Clariion capacity, and Celerra Capacity (if there are any on the network)\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/uni01.png\">http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/uni01.png</a>\n\nThe storage dashboard is another one that I really liked. This one gives you a great overview of a specific array. Lists LUN status, Pools with the most free capacity, and then gives you a nice pie chart of used space, free raw disk space, and free storage pools. Finally, you get a quick view of the RAID groups and their capacity.\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/uni02.png\">http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/uni02.png</a>\n\n2.  It works in Firefox. One of the big caveats to me when dealing with Navisphere was the fact that it was a pain to get to work with anything other than Internet Explorer. Unisphere works with not only IE, but Firefox and Chrome as well.\n\nThe update was a simple process, and only took about two hours. I will post any other changes that I notice as time goes on, but I have high hopes for this new Flare with Unisphere!!\n\nFor more information about Flare 30 and Unisphere, see these posts....\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2356\">FLARE 30 IS A GAME CHANGER</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2245\">FLARE 30 to be released this Summer - 2010</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2361\">UNISPHERE WILL SOON SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY</a>','1ST RUN FLARE 30','','publish','open','open','','1st-run-flare-30','','','2010-09-08 09:45:12','2010-09-08 14:45:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2521',0,'post','',1),(2796,2,'2010-09-08 15:14:07','2010-09-08 20:14:07','September 8, 2010 — eGroup, Inc. today announced that it has become a Premier-level partner in the VMware Partner Network. This achievement demonstrates eGroup’s continued efforts in becoming an expert in VMware virtualization solutions. Further, eGroup has taken the necessary steps to ensure that both pre-sales and delivery technical engineers have met the level of expertise required to be a Premier-level partner.\n\n“VMware is pleased to recognize eGroup with Premier status, the highest partnership level within the VMware Partner Network,” said Brandon Sweeney, vice president, Americas channel sales, VMWare. “We value our relationship with eGroup and look forward to even greater success in the future.”\n\nAs a Premier-level partner, VMware recognizes eGroup as a go-to solution provider that can deliver the most comprehensive VMware solutions and services to customers on the journey to cloud computing. Premier-level partners are the most qualified partners in the VMware Partner Network and with this distinction, eGroup has demonstrated a broad range of expertise and the ability to best serve their customers’ desktop, datacenter and cloud computing solution needs.\n\nVMware Partner Network is a comprehensive program that provides a common infrastructure, extensive sales and services tools, margin opportunities and industry-recognized training for the entire VMware partner ecosystem, including solution providers, technology partners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). VMware Partner Network is designed to help ensure a more consistent and successful user experience as well as help partners increase their business potential by increasing their skills in VMware solutions. The program helps partners maximize their investments in VMware virtualization to provide customers with the best end-to-end virtualization solutions available.\n\nRead more about <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/partners/programs/\">VMware Partner Network</a>.\n\nAbout eGroup\n\neGroup provide technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high- availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.\n\nVMware is a registered trademark and/or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the term “partner” or “partnership” does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.\n\n###\n\nContacts:\n\nLiz Wilmes\n\neGroup, Inc.\n\n843.284.0146','eGROUP NOW A PREMIER PARTNER IN THE VMWARE PARTNER NETWORK','','publish','open','open','','egroup-now-a-premier-partner-in-the-vmware-partner-network','','','2010-09-08 15:14:07','2010-09-08 20:14:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2796',0,'post','',0),(2545,8,'2010-09-08 20:43:40','2010-09-09 01:43:40','Following the similar trend of what is cloud computing and how will applications get there from my <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2515\" target=\"_blank\">previous post</a>, here is part 2 of the applications series.  Datacenters, private clouds, public clouds and personal computers are all designed for one thing.  Servicing users with applications.  During VMWare President and CEO, Paul Maritz\'s keynote address he made one excellent observation about applications today and where they are going to need to go in the future.  Applications today are relatively unmovable (or at least costly to move) and are targeted at a specific audience (devices) in the business environment.  However, the end user more frequently than ever is bringing a myriad of devices into the workplace along with the company issued devices (IPads, Macs, Droids, etc...) and wanting access to these business critical applications on these devices.  In order to do this developers and applications managers must shift their thinking and begin developing and adapting applications that are independent of the systems they run on.  Whether it be a web application, lob application, etc... (more on these in part 3... Virtual Appliances) these applications must be portable in and out of the cloud or between the devices (servers/hosts in this instance) that make up this cloud.  These applications must be manageable in a package/manage once, deploy everywhere, run anywhere type setup.  Most importantly the applications and IT must change from servicing devices to servicing the end user.\n\nServicing the end user and allowing them (and the market) to dictate what is the most efficient way (device) for them to interact with IT will be the true mountain to climb when moving to a true public cloud architecture.\n\nThis is where ThinApp 4.6 and project \"Horizon\" make great strides.<!--more--> ThinApp 4.6 comes with much more than just increased performance and Windows 7 compatibility.  Although, Windows 7 compatibility cannot be understated as a important feature release.  While I won\'t go into what is ThinApp, you can read that <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/thinapp/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, I will discuss what is new and why it is important.  Two things stand out as major breakthroughs for ThinApp.\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Services</strong>:  Although packing applications that installed services was possible in the prior version of ThinApp it was often not usable to the end user because all those dependant services would start (or wait to start) upon launch of the ThinApp every time.  Now, with version 4.6, the application packager has the option to install the dependant services on the end users machine and have them start with the machine like a native app would during the first run of the packaged application.  This results in application launch time reduction from 30 seconds to minutes down to a few seconds (depending on the app of course).</li>\n	<li><strong>ThinDirect and IE6 harvesting</strong>:  ThinApp packagers now have an extra button that will automatically harvest IE6 from a Windows XP machine and package it in just a few steps.  This allows for legacy web applications that don\'t play nice with IE7 and IE8 to be able to be used within the virtual environment.  Now, managing multiple browsers and communicating what applications need to run in which can be tricky.  This is where ThinDirect comes to the rescue... the few easy steps above allows you to specify the URLs of the applications that need to run in IE6 during packaging and when a user navigates to this URL in their IE7/8 browser it will seamlessly launch and run that application in the IE6 packaged environment.  I saw this and completed this in a lab environment and it is slick to say the least.</li>\n</ul>\nNow that we are sold on ThinApp 4.6 and what it has to offer, it is time to get to the good stuff.  VMWare released details about a project codenamed \"Horizon\" that doesn\'t have an anticipated launch date yet but everyone I talked to is excited about it and cannot wait for it\'s release.  \"Horizon\" is a web based management portal and end user app store to store and deliver applications to end users in any environment (Thin Client, Fat Client, Remote).  It is a self service portal where administrators can limit access to certain applications based on user or group and select whether to force that application to the end user or not.  The end user can then log in to the app store and select which applications to run on their local machines.  This is true IT as a service, application consumers get what they need and only what they need.  The real breakthrough is that there is a RSS feed hookup that allows for 100\'s of free thinapped applications (IE6/7/8, Adobe Reader, Putty, any freely distributed app) to be immediately made available to the end users without packaging or maintaining updates on them.  This will allow administrators to limit the sources people get these applications (and the malware and viruses that come with them) without having a significant management and update process for 100\'s of applications themselves.  This is all done in a very simple, easy to use, web interface. \n\nCan\'t wait to get my hands on the first BETA of project \"Horizon\".  From what I have seen it will be a game changer for ThinApp and application delivery as a whole.\n\nTo wrap up and marry the meat of this post with the intro...  I believe a combination of ThinApp (application virtualization) that allows applications the same High Availability virtual servers get in the virtualized datacenter will provide the application mobility and alleviate the device dependency for end user applications such as Office, Adobe, Photoshop, etc... and will provide the platform that will allow these applications to be hosted anywhere and deployed everywhere.  Which is, cloud computing.\n\nStay tuned for Part 3 which is about enterprise applications, web applications, web services, etc...  Think ThinApp for the datacenter when you think of Virtual Appliances!','VMWorld 2010: APPLICATIONS IN THE CLOUD.  WHATS NEW WITH THINAPP 4.6 AND WHAT IS PROJECT \"HORIZON\"','','publish','open','open','','vmworld-2010-applications-in-the-cloud-whats-new-with-thinapp-46-and-what-is-project-horizon','','','2010-09-08 20:43:40','2010-09-09 01:43:40','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2545',0,'post','',0),(2548,12,'2010-09-09 10:27:04','2010-09-09 15:27:04','One new &quot;feature&quot;, or probably better described as an enhancement, introduced in vSphere 4.1 is Load Based Teaming.\n\nBriefly, Load Based Teaming takes the traditional three load balancing choices (route based on originating virtual Port ID, IP hash, or Source MAC) and offers a dynamic, &quot;on-the-fly&quot; policy for better utilization of bandwidth.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThe default policies in parenthesis above statically map from the vSwitch port to the physical NIC / uplink to the physical switch. This is done initially, and again, is a static assignment.\n\n&quot;With Load Based Teaming in vSphere 4.1, after initial port based assignment, the load balancing algorithm regularly checks the load of all the teaming NICs. If one gets overloaded while another one has bandwidth available, it reassigns the port-NIC mapping to reach a balanced status.&quot; In order for this to kick in, VMware defines &quot;overloaded&quot; as over 75% utilization of the pNIC for a period of 30 seconds.\n\nIn addition to dynamically adjusting to the load, VMware states that it also considers the speed of the links (1Gb, 10Gb-- even 100Mb). The only snag is that this can only be done with the Distributed Virtual Switch, and not a standard vSwitch.','vSphere 4.1 - LOAD BASED TEAMING ','','publish','open','open','','vsphere-41-load-based-teaming','','','2010-09-09 10:27:04','2010-09-09 15:27:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2548',0,'post','',0),(2551,16,'2010-09-09 16:13:59','2010-09-09 21:13:59','Recently we were faced with moving a Citrix Presentation Server 4.0 datastore from SQL Server 2000 to an install of SQL Server 2008 R2. Many articles were found discussing different ways to accomplish this task with mixed results. The path we chose worked wonderfully for a small number of Citrix servers. For larger environments this process could be scripted to automate the tasks involved. Read more for the step-by-step guide.\n\n<!--more--> 1. Stop imaservice Service on all Farm Citrix Servers.\n\n2. Ensure SQL Server Native Client 10 is installed on all Citrix Servers.\n\n3. Using sp_detachdb, detach Citrix datastore database from source SQL Server.\n\n4. Copy .mdf and .ldf files to new location on target SQL Server.\n\n5. Using sp_attachdb, attach Citrix datastore database to target SQL Server.\n\n6. Create security login to match existing login from source SQL Server.\n\n7. Run stored procedure on target SQL Server <span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">sp_change_users_login with Action of \'Update_One\' to realign database and server logins.</span> <!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE            MicrosoftInternetExplorer4              &lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 10]&gt;   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-parent:\"\"; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:\"Times New Roman\",\"serif\";} --> <!-- [endif]-->\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">8. Rename MF20.dsn (likely stored at </span> <span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">C:Program FilesCitrixIndependent Management Architecture) to, for example, MF20.dsn.old</span> <!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE            MicrosoftInternetExplorer4              &lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 10]&gt;   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-parent:\"\"; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:\"Times New Roman\",\"serif\";} --> <!-- [endif]-->\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">9. Execute the following command on each Citrix Server:</span>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">dsmaint config </span> <span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">/user:DBUser /pwd:DBUserPassword /dsn:” c:Program FilesCitrixIndependent Management ArchitectureMF20.dsn”</span> <!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;  Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE            MicrosoftInternetExplorer4              &lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 9]&gt;                                                                                                                                            &lt;![endif]--><!-- [if gte mso 10]&gt;   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-priority:99; 	mso-style-parent:\"\"; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:\"Times New Roman\",\"serif\";} --> <!-- [endif]--></p>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">10. Execute the following command on each Citrix Server:</span>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">dsmaint recreatelhc</span></p>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">11. Start imaservice Server on all Farm Citrix Servers.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;\">Does anyone have an alternative method they\'d had success with? Please share!\n</span>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"><span></span></p>','MOVING CITRIX PRESENTATION SERVER 4.0 DATASTORE','','publish','open','open','','moving-citrix-presentation-server-40-datastore','','','2010-09-09 16:13:59','2010-09-09 21:13:59','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2551',0,'post','',0),(2553,44,'2010-09-10 07:13:22','2010-09-10 12:13:22','Its been a long road to 4.5 and quite a fun one.  I was lucky enough to  be involved in the beta to this outstanding product and finally as of today I  can talk about it.  To download View 4.5 go to this link:\n\n<a class=\"jive-link-external\" href=\"http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_downloads/vmware_view/4_5\">http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_downloads/vmware_view/4_5</a>\n\n<!--more--> The first thing most everyone will notice with 4.5 is a completely new  Administrator interface.  This has been much improved from 4.0.  Some of  the best things are being able to sort by all kinds of different  information, in my environment I use the sort by Snapshot all the time  as this allows me to see what Desktops are running on what version of my  snapshots.  (We use multiple snapshots to manage our desktop image, v5  will be the next version that will include the offical 4.5 release  Agent, if that gives us issues we will recompose to v4 which has the RC1  of View 4.5)   My least favorite thing: its still flash based so you  can\'t access it from an iPhone/iPad.  I\'m not an apple nut but I would like  to reset a desktop from my phone, Adobe and Apple just don\'t get along.\n\nIn my implementation of 4.0 I had a lot of issues with composing.  I can  tell you first hand that composing works very well in this latest  version.  I have not done linked clones on Windows 7 yet, I\'m still  waiting for Teradici to release their graphics offload card before I go  to 7 on a large scale, however I\'ve pushed it pretty hard on XP and have  found that if I get an error its my fault.  This is a great improvement  from all the weird ssd and other errors I would get on 4.0.\n\nSome other features people will love are:\n<blockquote><strong>Offline desktop:</strong> Not something I need here in a  Health Care environment, but something I could see as VERY helpful in  other environments.  As the name implies, this is basically taking a  View Desktop with you, on a plane or whatever, talk about cool and  probably the area that could affect the industry the most.</blockquote>\n<blockquote><strong>Kiosk Mode</strong> : This is a must have for the Health Care  environment.  I have a bunch of zero clients booting without any user  intervention, very cool.  It removes the change factor for my deployment  as most of my users just see a new monitor and don\'t even realize the  change, which is exactly what I want.</blockquote>\n<blockquote><strong>Windows 7 Support:</strong> Windows 7 works great virtualized,  I\'ve been running it for six months now, and I\'m writting my blog (and  every blog I\'ve written for the past six months) on my virtualized  Windows 7 box running off a Zero Client.  Oh and yes it supports dual  screen without a hickup.</blockquote>\n<blockquote><strong>Smart Card support:</strong> It does that too, however don\'t  get your hopes up for those of you (like me) that are running a zero  client shop.  The only card I know that works with the zero client is  the CAC card (google it).  Although you could probably install the smart  card software within the VM, but that defeats the purpose if you ask  me.  (If someone has experience with this please comment below - also if  you know anything about running a prox card on a zero client).\n\n<strong>Role Based Administration:</strong> This is outstanding for those of us who allow helpdesk to support the  View clients.  Now I can have them access the View Administator and have  limited access to just reset or recompose a desktop.\n\n<strong>Location Based Printing:</strong> Who doesn\'t love the sound of that?  Make sure to download the View  Administrator Guide and search for &quot;Location-based&quot;, it should be under   Configuring Policies.  This basically uses Microsoft Group Policy to  automatically attach network printers that are near the desktop being  used.  Very cool.</blockquote>\nIn my opinion your biggest issues will always be USB issues.  This is  the case with all remote access technology.  While XenDesktop and VMWare  View have made leaps with this level of support they still have a lot  of work to do on USB support.   I know there are some big things coming  down the pipe with regard to USB so stay tuned to those.','VMWare View 4.5 Released!','','publish','open','open','','vmware-view-45-released','','','2010-09-10 07:13:22','2010-09-10 12:13:22','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2553',0,'post','',0),(2563,12,'2010-09-13 09:24:35','2010-09-13 14:24:35','<p class=\"MsoPlainText\">Another new feature introduced with vSphere 4.1 that doesn\'t seem to get any &quot;coverage&quot; is Network I/O Control (NetIOC). Very similar to the I/O Control introduced for storage, NetIOC uses shares and hard limits to determine who gets access to the network resource (bandwidth).</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\">When moving to 10Gb ethernet, it\'s common to see substantially fewer links/cables, where traditionally as many as 12 1Gbps links were used to provide the necessary bandwidth to all of the network traffic in a virtualized environment. Because there are fewer physical links, with the same number of machines using them, it\'s important to have the ability to prioritize, limit, or otherwise &quot;protect&quot; the traffic of important functions.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><!--more--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\">In order to accomplish this, NetIOC classifies traffic as one of six different categories:</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><span> </span> - vMotion</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><span> </span> - Management</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><span> </span> - Fault Tolerance Logging</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><span> </span> - VM Network Traffic</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><span> </span> - iSCSI</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"><span> </span> - NFS</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\">Once NetIOC is enabled, you can select from the types of traffic above and set a share value and/or a bandwidth limit. As is the case with Load Based Teaming, NetIOC is only available on the Distributed Virtual Switch-- and it\'s at the vDS level where NetIOC is enabled.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"></p>\n<p class=\"MsoPlainText\"></p>\n\n<img src=\"http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6413/networkioc.jpg\" alt=\"\" />','VMware vSphere 4.1 - NETWORK I/O CONTROL','','publish','open','open','','vmware-vsphere-41-network-io-control','','','2010-09-13 09:24:35','2010-09-13 14:24:35','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2563',0,'post','',0),(2573,12,'2010-09-14 10:22:40','2010-09-14 15:22:40','For any of those 17,000+ attendees of VMworld who were able to make it into the VCAP Certification Breakout sessions, you may have heard the latest news and information on the VCAP-level exams. Registration for the VCAP-DCA has officially opened (as of the 13th, which was originally \'leaked\' <a href=\"http://vmwaretraining.blogspot.com/2010/09/exclusive-vcap-dca-exam-release-date.html\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> ).\n\nDownloading some of the recommended documents and going through the blueprint, I remembered what had been said during one of the breakout sessions-- &quot;VMware PDFs and documentation will be available during the VCAP-DCA exam&quot;, which is 100% lab based. That would mean that it would be a REALLY realistic lab-- in that you would be given tasks to perform, but also the reference material to find out specific details you may not have memorized. Tests that challenge someone\'s ability to read and memorize are not really my cup of tea, but a &quot;show me you know how by doing it&quot; test with material that would likely be referenced in the &quot;real world&quot; is great.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nSo to make sure I wasn\'t making this up and that I didn\'t hear wrong, I emailed Jon Hall, Technical Certification Developer at VMware. His response-- &quot;Yes, they will.&quot;','VMware VCAP-DCA EXAM - PDF AVAILABILITY','','publish','open','open','','vmware-vcap-dca-pdf-availability','','','2010-09-14 10:22:40','2010-09-14 15:22:40','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2573',0,'post','',1),(2570,8,'2010-09-14 10:38:35','2010-09-14 15:38:35','In Part 3 of the applications in the cloud segement (You can read <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2515\" target=\"_blank\">Part 1</a> and <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2545\" target=\"_blank\">Part 2</a> here) were going to switch the focus from the end user (sort of) to the administrator/developer/datacenter and talk about Virtual Appliances and how they can be utilized to increase the availibility, performance and overall cost of ownership for client server applications in the datacenter.  By using Virtual Appliances and applying the principals of \"Just Enough OS\" (JEOS, horrible acronym) virtual appliances can be like <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/thinapp/\" target=\"_blank\">ThinApp</a> for the datacenter.  Allowing your applications to be abstracted from the bare metal of the systems that is running them, providing portability, security and performance to make operate effectively in the cloud.<!--more-->\n\nWhat is a virtual appliance?  <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/appliances/\" target=\"_blank\">Here is your one stop shop for all thing Virtual Appliances.  Click Here</a>.  In short, a virtual appliance is a \"Pre-built software solutions, comprised of one or more Virtual Machines that are packaged, updated, maintained and managed as a unit.\" -VMWare, Inc.  They allow you to build pre-configured, customized and virtualized application delivery systems that act as a single unit.\n\nWhat is JEOS?  JEOS or \"Just Enough Operating System\" is pretty straight forward and basically means that the underlying OS of a specific application should have and only have the resources needed to service the application it is designed for.  This allows for more stable, reliable and predictable application deployments.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Application Portability:</span></strong>  Portability of applications in the cloud is one of the key challenges to becoming cloud ready.  Your applications need to be able to run in not just one tailored location but potentially in several locations geographically and architecturally.  The cloud is meant to abstract the management and ownership of the infrastructure from the application owneres and developers.  By deploying virtual appliances you guarantee that your applications can move between hosts and datacenters easily without cross system dependencies.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Application Security:</span></strong>  One of the key differentiators from hosted environments in the current model to hosted environments for key business critical applications in the cloud is data protection and security.  One of the major questions is, \"I know my application is secure and follows best practices but how do I know that another application running in the same datacenter/host/server isn\'t exposing my application to risk.  By running applications as virtual appliances they are not exposed to shared hosting operating systems or other workloads.  If a secondary application consumes too many resources your virtual appliance can simply motion to another host just as a server would in a virtualized environment.  Your applications data is enclosed in the appliance and therfore protected from other application intrusions that would expose you to risk in a shared hosting environment.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Application Peformance:</span></strong>  Continuing on with the last line of the section before, by allowing applications to motion to different hosts depending on resource consumption and current utilization you achieve a higher balance across the datacenter.  Balancing workloads is a key contributor in delivering application performance.  By utilizing JEOS principles and reducing unnecessary overhead your applications become more stable and predictable.  Increased predictability is key when working with client server applications and meeting service level agreements.\n\nLowering the cost of ownership.  I sat through a session discussing <a href=\"http://susestudio.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Suse Studio</a> and was intrigued by the idea of running .Net applications on Linux using <a href=\"http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page\" target=\"_blank\">Mono</a> and saving on the cost of licensing a Windows Server license for each virtual appliance deployed.  I will be testing this out soon and will be posting results, if anyone has any feedback or has successfully deployed in this scenario I would love to hear about it in the comments section.','VMWorld 2010: APPLICATIONS IN THE CLOUD AND HOW VIRTUAL APPLIANCES ARE THE WAY TO GO','','publish','open','open','','vmworld-2010-applications-in-the-cloud-and-how-virtual-appliances-are-the-way-to-go','','','2010-09-14 10:38:35','2010-09-14 15:38:35','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2570',0,'post','',0),(2578,8,'2010-09-15 20:31:52','2010-09-16 01:31:52','I was sitting waiting on a session about the VMWare VIX API and was talking to a VMWare developer <strong>Ravi Cherukupalli </strong>and he introduced me to a free tool called the VMWare Guest Console.  This tool connects to a host, virtual center, or machine and allows you to see and act on the processes within the machine, navigate the file system, do the typical VMClient functions (Snapshots, Power Cycles, Management).  The cool thing about it is that it provides all this functionality by implementing the APIs so you don\'t have to log into the console of each machine to kill a particular process or access the file systems of the machines.  Definitly worth checking out at <a href=\"http://labs.vmware.com/flings/vgc\" target=\"_blank\">http://labs.vmware.com/flings/vgc</a> and connecting it to your environment.  If you are an engineer it can maintain a list of connections and connect to several environments as you bounce around between customers.  Let me know what you think about it in the comments.  For me, it is a very handy tool especially if you are looking for process and performance data across multiple virtual machines and want to do it quickly.','VMWare Guest Console:  A COOL FREE TOOL FOR MANAGING VIRTUAL MACHINES EASIER','','publish','open','open','','vmware-guest-console-a-cool-free-tool-for-managing-virtual-machines-easier','','','2010-09-15 20:31:52','2010-09-16 01:31:52','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2578',0,'post','',0),(2582,8,'2010-09-19 15:50:12','2010-09-19 20:50:12','This error came up recently when powering on a Virtual Machine on a ESXi 4.1 host running inside of VMWare Workstation.  The specifice error message states that the  \"host does not support vt\" regardless of how it is configured for VT support.  I didn\'t see many clear answers on this without some digging but this error is a simple one but one that is also not possible to fix.  The reason behind it is that you are running nested Virtual Machines by having ESXi running within Workstation 7 and only 32-Bit Virtual Machines are supported in this setup.','VMWare ESXi 4.1 RUNNING IN VMWare Workstation 7: \"host does not support vt\"','','publish','open','open','','vmware-esxi-4-1-running-in-vmware-workstation-7-host-does-not-support-vt','','','2010-09-19 15:50:12','2010-09-19 20:50:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2582',0,'post','',0),(2584,9,'2010-09-22 11:34:44','2010-09-22 16:34:44','If your company has a sizeable SharePoint deployment then EMC\'s SourceOne for SharePoint is a solution you should consider. The following are just a few of the benefits delivered:\n\nCentralized archiving – Creates a single archive for inactive SharePoint content, enabling centralized control and re-use of valuable content\n\nEnhanced SharePoint performance – Reduces burden on SharePoint SQL Servers by rerouting content\n\nReduced IT costs – Provides tiered storage automatically, rerouting content to less expensive storage devices; reduces backup times\n\nExtended compliance – Supports regulatory requirements, delivers policy-based retention and eDiscovery\n\nEnd-user transparency – All archived content remains accessible to end-users through the standard SharePoint interface\n\nTo learn more - visit - <a href=\"http://www.emc.com/collateral/microsites/sourceone-city/index.htm\">http://www.emc.com/collateral/microsites/sourceone-city/index.htm</a>','EMC SourceOne for SharePoint','','publish','open','open','','emc-sourceone-for-sharepoint','','','2010-09-22 11:34:44','2010-09-22 16:34:44','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2584',0,'post','',0),(2617,16,'2010-09-23 13:29:09','2010-09-23 18:29:09','For years, developers have often complained that, comparatively, Microsoft does a poor job of adhering to <a href=\"http://www.w3.org/standards/agents/browsers\">W3C Browser Standards</a>. There have been rumblings that Microsoft has taken a renewed interested in catching up with competitor browsers such as <a href=\"http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html\">Mozilla\'s Firefox</a> and <a href=\"http://www.google.com/chrome/\">Google\'s Chrome</a>.\n\nIf <a href=\"http://samples.msdn.microsoft.com/ietestcenter/\">Microsoft\'s IE Testing Center</a> is any indication perhaps <a href=\"http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=CxvO5XZybTJ_3NZSclQfrlqnqCebEyNYBztXhtBbH74IMCAAQASDHmPgFULzFzYH6_____wFgye7BjNikoBDIAQGqBBxP0JBaQmVTeqsRlwI_MxW8ne530ScCmrOX7nnfgAWQTg&amp;sig=AGiWqtz7KwcmZlSmY-CWAEH_kqZY1csRww&amp;adurl=http://pixel.quantserve.com/r%3Ba%3Dp-5eu58oSpL1cEs%3Blabels%3D_click.publisher.SEARCH%2BGoogle,_click.campaign.IE9DR,_click.placement.*http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/259400621/direct/01/&amp;rct=j&amp;q=ie9&amp;cad=rja\">IE9</a> is paving the way for renewed commitment to the W3C standard.','MICROSOFT ADHERING TO W3C STANDARDS WITH IE9?','','publish','open','open','','microsoft-adhering-to-w3c-standards-with-ie9-could-this-be-true','','','2010-09-23 13:29:09','2010-09-23 18:29:09','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2617',0,'post','',0),(2626,2,'2010-09-24 08:11:37','2010-09-24 13:11:37','Today is the day!\n\neGroup is at the Charlotte VMUG on the CPCC West Campus and ready for a different kind of VMUG. \n\neGroup, with the help of <a href=\"http://www.wyse.com/\">Wyse</a>, has delivered <strong>twenty WYSE Thin Client devices </strong>powered with <a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/view/2010/09/vmware-view-45-is-open-for-business.html\">VMware View 4.5</a> running on the <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10280/\">Cisco UCS B-Series Blade System </a>sitting in the center of the room. \n\nThe Cisco UCS B-Series Blade System is delivering VMware View 4.5 Desktops running Windows 7 Enterprise (and a few Windows XP machines for those still loving the XP days) provisioned to deliver ThinApp\'ed Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft Office 2007, Adobe Reader, FileZilla FTP Client and Internet Explorer 6 (running on Windows 7) using <a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/thinapp/2010/08/vmware-thinapp-46-whats-new.html\">ThinApp v4.6</a>. \n\nEven with the limited Internet bandwidth the Windows 7 View 4.5 machines running on View 4.5 were streaming ESPN3 live video smoothly of the Miami vs. Pittsburgh Football Game last night.\n\nUsers will be able to...\n\n* Take a test drive of VMware View 4.5 on one of the WYSE R90L Thin Clients.\n* Access VMWare View 4.5 Configuration Portal and see the new features.\n* Access the Cisco UCS Manager Configuration and see how it is all connected and works.\n* Check out the performance of ThinApp\'ed application with ThinApp 4.6.\n\nWant details? \n\n<!--more-->\n\nCharlotte VMUG, how it was delivered!\n\nVMWare View 4.5 and VMWare Virtual Center 4.1 using local storage to provision all 30 of the Virtual Desktops in a floating desktop pool.  These machines are housed on the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=298837&fbid=153281584705288&id=123766450990135\">eGroup Cisco UCS B-Series</a> <strong>mobile datacenter</strong> in the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=295150&fbid=152483838118396&id=123766450990135\">middle of the room</a>...\n\n* Cisco UCS B-Series\n* Cisco UCS C-Series C210 M2 Server\n* Cisco Nexus 5010\n* VMware ESXi 4.1\n* VMware View 4.5\n\nVMware ThinApp 4.6 applications packaged...\n\n* Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus Retail\n* Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise\n* Adobe Reader 9\n* FileZilla FTP Client\n* Internet Explorer 6\n\nAll hands are on deck for a rocking event and looking forward to sharing and receiving great information from the VMware User Community!  Stay tuned for more information coming from the event.','CHARLOTTE VMUG AND eGROUP ALL SET FOR A GREAT USER GROUP EVENT!','','publish','open','open','','charlotte-vmug-and-egroup-all-set-for-a-great-user-group-event','','','2010-09-24 08:11:37','2010-09-24 13:11:37','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2626',0,'post','',0),(2622,44,'2010-09-24 10:29:08','2010-09-24 15:29:08','Recently, I upgraded a <a href=\"http://www.emc.com/products/detail/hardware/clariion-cx4-model-120.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Clariion CX4-120</a> to Flare 30 (see my post <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2521\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>).  This caused the Replication Manager server to start failing on all the jobs that would run.  It even would fail when I tried to add the Application Set for <a href=\"http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010/en/us/overview.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Exchange 2010</a> into the RM Console.\n\nAfter much toil and banging my head against the wall.... (see<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/keyboardrage4ov.gif\"> here</a>)....I got it figured out.\n\nHere is the steps to getting Replication Manager to work once you have upgraded to Flare 30.....\n\n<!--more-->1. Update the Replication Manager Software (sounds like a simple task, but there are a lot of moving parts to RM)  Here is a list.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">The RM server Software must be updated to level 5.3 or later</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Each of the host agents also must be updated to version 5.3</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Solutions Enabler needs to be version 7.1.2.7 or later</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Navisphere Secure CLI has to be version 7.30 or later</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Navisphere Admsnap must be version 2.30 or later</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">If using with Exchange 2010, the Management Tools need to be installed</p>\n2. Once all the updates are installed, you have to basically rebuild Replication Manager from scratch.  For some reason RM doesn\'t show the updated levels for the hosts (even with refresh) until they have been removed from RM completely.  Which, of course, means that all the jobs, and application sets need to be removed before you can remove the host.  (hence the banging of the head against the wall)\n\n3. Once the hosts have been added back in, you are good to go, unless you are using Exchange.\n\n4. If you are using Exchange 2010, when you reinstall the RM software make sure to use a user who\'s credentials allow the user access to the following Exchange roles, or you will get an error stating that the host has thrown an exception.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">For a stand-alone configuration - Databases</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">For a DAG configuration - Databases, Database Copies, and Database Availability Groups (All of which are covered in the default Organization Manager Exchange Group)</p>\n5. If, you still receive an error after all this is done, the last thing to check is IIS\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">In IIS go to the Default Web Page&gt;Powershel&gt;Authentication</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Enable Windows Authentication</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Under Advanced Settings, Make sure Extended Protection is Off, and uncheck \"Enable Kernel-mode Authentication\"</p>\nFinally, at long last, the Replication Manager is functioning successfully with Flare 30 (and Exchange 2010).\n\n*Sigh of relief*','REPLICATION MANAGER WITH FLARE 30 UPGRADE','','publish','open','open','','replication-manager-with-flare-30-upgrade','','','2010-09-24 10:29:08','2010-09-24 15:29:08','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2622',0,'post','',0),(2642,13,'2010-09-28 08:21:07','2010-09-28 13:21:07','Since September 1, 2010 the following VMware vCenter products have moved from the traditional per processor (CPU) licensing model to a new per Virtual Machine (VM) licensing model.  Products like <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-appspeed/\">vCenter App Speed</a>, <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-capacityiq/\">vCenter Capacity IQ</a>, <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-chargeback/\">vCenter Chargeback</a>, and <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/site-recovery-manager/\">vCenter Site Recovery Manager </a>have moved to this new VM licensing model. While other VMware products like <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/\">VMware vSphere</a>,<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-server/\">vCenter Server</a>, <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-server-heartbeat/\">vCenter Server Heartbeat</a>, <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/labmanager/\">vCenter Lab Manager</a>, and <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/lifecycle-manager/\">vCenter lifecycle Manager</a> will continue with their traditional  licensing models.\n\nHow will this affect your company?\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIf you have purchased per processor licenses previously for the products that are about to covert into per VM licensing, VMware and eGroup will help you with a transition plan that will best suit your company\'s needs. There are also options to trade in your per processor licenses for per VM licenses. One thing to note, if you have already purchased into a per processor licensing model for any of the vCenter products listed above, you may continue to do so until December 15, 2010. After that date, the old per processor licensing will no longer be available for purchase and the transition to per VM licensing will become fully implemented and the only way to purchase these licenses.\n\nIf you are new to VMware and their vCenter products they offer, this new licensing model will be a great fit for you.  It is considered less expensive to purchase and easier to implement theses vCenter management products within your organization because it will eliminate the need to license these VMware products per processor. These VMware products that are licensed per VM will only be sold in increments of 25 VMs per license.','SEVERAL VMWARE VCENTER PRODUCTS MOVE TO PER VIRTUAL MACHINE LICENSING','','publish','open','open','','several-vmware-vcenter-products-move-to-per-virtual-machine-licensing','','','2010-09-28 08:21:07','2010-09-28 13:21:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2642',0,'post','',0),(2649,8,'2010-09-29 14:44:11','2010-09-29 19:44:11','If you are utilizing a custom masterpage it is very common to use the visible=\"false\" tag to hide element SharePoint is looking for but you don\'t want displayed on your page.  If you did this with the <strong>PlaceHolderPageTitleInTitleArea </strong>tag at first glance everything works as it should.  However, you will notice that you can no longer save pages through the UI without getting the \"You must specify a value for this required field\" error. \n\nHere is how to bypass this issue.  Create a css class and call it .hideplaceholder (or whatever you like) to look like this...\n\n.hideplaceholder {\n\nvisibility: hidden;\n\n}\n\nThen wrap your <strong>PlaceHolderPageTitleInTitleArea </strong>in a &lt;asp:Panel&gt; tag that looks like this...\n\n&lt;asp:panel runat=\"server\" cssclass=\"hideplaceholder\"&gt;\n  &lt;asp:contentplaceholder id=\"PlaceHolderPageTitleInTitleArea\" runat=\"server\" /&gt;\n&lt;/asp:panel&gt;\n\nThis will successfully hide the panel and allow updates to pages on the site.  For more effected tags reference the MSDN article <a href=\"http://blogs.msdn.com/b/tmathis/archive/2010/03/18/you-must-specify-a-value-for-this-required-field-error-when-hidding-placeholderpagetitleintitlearea.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.','SHAREPOINT 2010: \"You must specify a value for this required field\" ERROR WHEN SAVING PAGES USING A CUSTOM MASTERPAGE','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-2010-you-must-specify-a-value-for-this-required-field-error-when-saving-pages-using-a-custom-masterpage','','','2010-09-29 14:44:11','2010-09-29 19:44:11','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2649',0,'post','',1),(2652,16,'2010-09-30 08:44:20','2010-09-30 13:44:20','In working on a customers AD and DNS upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 we discovered an interesting problem relating to EDNS. After configuring the forwarders on the new DNS server we found we were unable to browse the internet from those machines. A quick search turned up <a href=\"http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsserver2008r2general/thread/1b0b16b0-9372-4027-8aeb-911a98d64ef4\">this article</a> on Technet. Turns out the fix is a simple command:\n\ndnscmd /config /EnableEDNSProbes 0\n\nNo restart or service bounce required and we were immediately able to browse the internet.\n\nA deeper explanation is available <a href=\"http://weblogs.asp.net/owscott/archive/2009/09/15/windows-server-2008-r2-dns-issues.aspx\">here</a>.<strong>\n</strong>','WINDOWS SERVER 2008 DNS - EDNS ISSUES','','publish','open','open','','windows-server-2008-dns-edns-issues','','','2010-09-30 08:44:20','2010-09-30 13:44:20','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2652',0,'post','',0),(2656,13,'2010-09-30 11:48:08','2010-09-30 16:48:08','Veeam sets all new records by winning 4 awards at VMworld in San Francisco, the first company ever to do so. Veeam has continually exceeded their reputation for being #1 for Virtualization Management and Data Protection. During VMworld, Veeam won the following awards:\n\n• Best of Show with <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-backup.html\">Veeam Backup and Replication</a>\n\n• Gold Award in New Technology with <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/go/best-of-vmworld-2010\">vPower</a>\n\n• Finalist in Virtualization Management with <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/one-vmware-management.html\">Veeam One</a>\n\n• Finalist in Business Continuity and Data Protection with <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-backup.html\">Veeam Backup and Replication</a> 4.1\n\nWhat is vPower?\n\n<!--more-->\n\nvPower is a new product that will significantly improve the capabilities in Veeam Backup and Replication with the following pending patents, Instant VM Recovery, Universal Application-Item Recovery, and Sure Backup Recovery Verification. This new vPower technology has the ability to restore an entire Virtual Machine (VM) in minutes. While letting your company recover individual items from any virtualized operating system (OS) without having to use additional backups, agents or software tools. Furthermore, vPower will verify the recoverability of every backup of every VM every time.\n\nThe release date for the Veeam vPower product is still TBA but Veeam is hoping for an October release. Pricing has been set at $599 per socket for the standard edition and $899 per socket for the enterprise edition.','VEEAM MAKES HISTORY AT THE RECENT VMWORLD','','publish','open','open','','veeam-makes-history-at-the-recent-vmworld','','','2010-09-30 11:48:08','2010-09-30 16:48:08','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2656',0,'post','',0),(2660,13,'2010-09-30 16:03:46','2010-09-30 21:03:46','A recent Gartner statistic states that typical IT security budgets fall into the following model “37 percent are spent on personnel, 25 percent on software, 20 percent on hardware, 10 percent on outsourcing and 9 percent on consulting.”\n\nHow does your company compare to the above statistic?\n\n<a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/datacenter-security/deep-security/\">Trend Micro Deep Security 7.5</a> is a very cost-effective virtualization and Cloud security.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIt provides sophisticated security for physical, virtual, and cloud servers and virtual desktops. A couple key benefits for implementing Deep Security 7.5 in your data center include preventing data breaches and business disruptions, helping comply with PCI and other regulations, and achieving operational cost reductions.\n\nDeep Security is a purpose built virtual security appliances specifically designed for VMware vSphere and View environments. It delivers anti-malware, firewall, intrusion prevention, web application protection, application control, integrity monitoring, and log inspection. The cool thing about Deep Security 7.5 is that all of these functionalities just listed are integrated into one solution using a server based software agents.','DOES YOUR DATA CENTER UTILIZE TREND MICRO DEEP SECURITY 7.5?','','publish','open','open','','does-your-data-center-utilize-trend-micro-deep-security-7-5','','','2010-09-30 16:03:46','2010-09-30 21:03:46','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2660',0,'post','',0),(2662,4,'2010-09-30 16:24:32','2010-09-30 21:24:32','Think again!\n\nI recently had an attendee approach me at our <strong>wildly successful </strong><a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2626\">Charlotte UCS VMUG</a>, asking me if it was possible to skip the UCS 6100 series Fabric Interconnects and \"direct connect\" the UCS 2104 FEX modules (the embedded FEX modules in the 5108 Blade Chassis) to a Nexus 5000 series switch.\n\nSomething to the effect of:  ”Have you tried connecting 2104 FEXs to Nexus 5000s? Will they show up like 2248s or other FEX modules?”\n\n<!--more-->\n\nI\'d never been asked this question before, and although I knew skipping the 6100s was a silly idea for a variety of reasons, the customer saw the 6100s as a political point of contention between their network teams and server teams, and really was curious about just ”direct connecting” (their words) the internal 2104 FEX modules (from the 5108 B-Series Blade enclosures) to the upstream 5000s. \n\nSince none of us around eGroup had even tried it in the lab, and at the expense of looking like a total noob (best way to learn right? ask the experts?), I reached out to several contacts at Cisco - who immediately provided great detail and some direct feedback...\n\nBest answer I had initially received (Cisco DC person) was “<em>I think that it probably won’t work because FEX/IO Modules get their firmware/software load from the operating system of the 6100 or Nexus 5000. I would guess that the OS on the 5000 doesn’t have the firmware for the 2104.  have no idea what would happen . . . but even if it would work, it would make management of the blades completely dependent on plugging the dongle into the front of each blade . . .</em> ”\n\nThat made a lot of sense to me (the bit about the 5000s not having the downloadable firmware for the 2104 FEX module) – as well as having to manage the blades “manually”\n\nAgain, since we\'d never actually tried to do this, I got to thinking that the attendee might be on to something with the notion that \"Hey - these are just servers, right? Using standard hardware....?\" \n\nI suppose I never considered the Service Profile being a critical <strong>*dependency*</strong> for the blades to actually function since we all were thinking they are (more or less) servers with (more or less) standard hardware, so we weren’t sure if the SP was a critical dependency <strong>*required*</strong> for operation, or simply a management overlay that can be <strong>*imprinted*</strong> onto the blade via the Fabric Interconnect devices (basically an abstraction layer)\n\nUltimately, I received the clincher from <a href=\"http://bradhedlund.com/\">Brad Hedlund</a> (Thanks Brad!) who provided this tidbit – “<em>You can’t power on a blade without a Service Profile, even for simple standalone servers booting from local disk.</em>”\n\nGuess that pretty much means the 6100s are a “must-have” –\n\nHTH for those of you out there who have questions like this!\n','THINKING OF CONNECTING YOUR CISCO UCS 2104 FEX MODULES DIRECTLY TO YOUR NEXUS 5000s?','','publish','open','open','','thinking-of-connecting-your-cisco-ucs-2104-fex-modules-directly-to-your-nexus-5000s-think-again','','','2010-09-30 16:24:32','2010-09-30 21:24:32','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2662',0,'post','',0),(2676,11,'2010-09-30 16:45:20','2010-09-30 21:45:20','Data Domain systems and solutions help customers reduce or eliminate the use of tape infrastructures with a very efficient disk- and network-based data protection alternative. Using the company\'s high-speed inline deduplication technology, Data Domain systems identify redundant files and data as they are being stored, creating a storage footprint that is 10x-30x smaller on average than the original dataset.\n\nNot just for Backup and DR<!--more-->\n\nOriginally an ideal solution for backup and disaster recovery applications, customers are now deploying Data Domain deduplication storage more broadly as a storage tier including nearline file storage, backup, disaster recovery (DR) and long term retention of enterprise data for reference, litigation support and regulatory compliance.\n\nDD670 - New Midrange Deduplication Storage System\n\nThis summer Data Domain released the new DD670 midrange deduplication storage system, which offers up to 5.4 TB per hour of aggregate inline deduplication throughput. The system supports up to 76 TB of raw capacity or up to 2.7 petabytes (PB) of logical capacity with 50 times data reduction. A single DD670 system can support replication fan-in from up to 90 remote offices using smaller Data Domain appliances such as the DD140 or DD610, delivering a fully-automated disaster recovery capability for distributed enterprises. Overall, the DD670 delivers major price/performance improvements to backup and recovery processes and more capacity for extended online retention.','EMC’S DATA DOMAIN CONTINUES TO ENHANCE PRODUCT AND GROW CUSTOMER BASE','','publish','open','open','','emc%e2%80%99s-data-domain-continues-to-enhance-product-and-grow-customer-base','','','2010-09-30 16:45:20','2010-09-30 21:45:20','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2676',0,'post','',0),(2679,4,'2010-09-30 21:33:02','2010-10-01 02:33:02','Wow!  I should change \"released\" to say \"soon to be unleashed upon the world\" !!!\n\n<a href=\"http://trendmicro.com\">Trend Micro</a> has done it AGAIN - hitting the ground running this year - easily outpacing most of the competition in the race to win the cloud-enabled anti-malware software market.\n\nFrom <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/officescan/\">cloud-enabled, VDI-aware endpoint protection</a>, to <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/solutions/enterprise/security-solutions/virtualization/virtual-machines/\">vmsafe API-based virtual machine protection through the core protection modules</a>, Trend has a forward-looking and effective (and affordable) security solution for every cloud-savvy Data Center.\n\nEarlier this summer, and given our track record with both messaging and security, eGroup was invited to participate in the <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/interscan-messaging-security-virtual-appliance/\">InterScan Messaging Security Virtual Appliance</a> (IMSVA) 8.0 Hybrid SaaS Email Security Early Adopter Program.  The results were pretty fantastic!\n\n<!--more-->\n \nThe Trend Micro InterScan Messaging Security Virtual Appliance 8.0 \"Hybrid\" Solution introduces a new and more cost-effective method of protecting enterprises from incoming spam and malware and outbound information loss, by integrating \"in-the-cloud\" security with the customizable content control of a VMware Ready virtual appliance.  So you get \"defense in depth with containment\" all from one single \"pane of glass\" management interface.  Pretty fantastic - on-premise and off-premise all in one easy-to-use package!\n\nI\'ve attached a screenshot (click to enlarge) of the integrated \"cloud pre-filter\" console - this was easy to deploy, easy to configure, and includes intrgrated logging for both local and cloud message tracking.  Very impressive.\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMSVA8.0Beta.jpg\"><img src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMSVA8.0Beta-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"IMSVA8.0Beta\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2680\" /></a>\n\nIMSVA Hybrid SaaS Email Security reduces ~ 90% of inbound email traffic hitting your gateway, as spam, viruses and other malware are deleted with the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network “Pre-Filter” before it arrives at the network.  \n\nEnterprises retain control of their email privacy, as no email is stored in the cloud; all email queues are located on premise on the IMSVA.  In addition, granular content filtering for both inbound and outbound email occurs with the IMSVA on premise.  Outbound email security with optional policy based encryption is available with the Trend Micro Email Encryption Gateway with IMSVA to protect confidential, regulatory and intellectual property related content.  Very, very thorough!\n\nThe real carrot (to me) is that the purpose-built IMSVA cloud Pre-Filter console is seamlessly integrated into the IMSVA console for single management, isolation queues, message tracking and reporting.  \n\nIn addition to providing true Hybrid Email Security, IMSVA 8.0 introduces several new features on the VMware Ready virtual appliance. These features (listed below) provide the latest in spam and malware detection as well as detect and block phishing and spoofing attacks.  Improvements have also been made to the product usability. \n\n<strong>New Features</strong>\n<em>Email Threat Protection:</em>\n* Seamless integration of Hybrid Email Security\n* Detect & block emails with embedded URLs that are associated with websites that have bad reputations through web reputation service\n* Sender Authentication using industry standard DomainKeys Identified Mail\n* Up-to-the-minute bot-net spam outbreaks using the IP-Hash technique\n* Extended, more flexible Transport Layer Security (TLS) controls that can force the use of encryption and verify certificates\n\n<em>Ease-of-Use:</em>\n* Expanded End-User Quarantine (EUQ) capabilities that can report on virtually any defined quarantine decreasing administration burden in seeking false positives for non-spam related policies.\n* Centralization of commonly used policy components such as keywords, expressions, notifications, address groups and others. This allows the admin to have a single place to create and change these components and the changes are immediately reflected in policies that use them. \n* Migration support from previous levels of IMSVA as well as other IMSS platforms (Windows, Linux, etc.). \n\neGroup will likely be featured in an upcoming \"beta reviewers interview\" for this awesome new product - so if you\'re a \"home brew\" customer who has traditionally used a combo approach like Postini or an MX Logic - in combination with \"classic\" premise security such as McAfee IronMail, Symantec Brightmail, or even a <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bt_-R5LInU&feature=related\">(ooooooh!) Barracuda</a> - definitely check this one out!  Revolutionary!\n\nEnjoy!\n\n','\"SOON TO BE RELEASED\" TREND MICRO IMSVA8.0 = BEST OF ALL WORLDS!','','publish','open','open','','new-trend-micro-interscan-messaging-security-virtual-appliance-8-0-best-of-all-worlds','','','2010-09-30 21:33:02','2010-10-01 02:33:02','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2679',0,'post','',0),(2598,6,'2010-10-01 07:24:02','2010-10-01 12:24:02','To protect one of the key coponents of any datacenter - the mail server - from a multitude of today\'s threats, then look no futher than Trend Micro\'s ScanMail 10.\n\nScanMail Suite for Microsoft Exchange is part of Trend Micro Communication &amp; Collaboration Security, which is a 4-in-1 solution designed from the ground up to protect your exchange and instant messaging environments. Let\'s face it - Exchange is a critical part of today\'s business community. Social Media is providing a number of other outlets to get the word out, but currently email is still king. It allows for conversations to be documented, retained, and retrieved with ease. It is at its essence the engine that drives businesses today, and protecting that assett and ensuring it\'s health is essential. That\'s where ScanMail comes in.\n\nScanMail protects against today\'s latest and badest by providing to the minute Web &amp; Email Reputation, Antivirus, Antispyware, Antispam, Antiphishing, Content Filtering, and Data Leak Protection all through <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/trendwatch/core-technologies/smart-protection-network/\"><strong>Trend Micro\'s Smart Protection Network</strong></a>.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/trendwatch/core-technologies/smart-protection-network/index.html\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2599\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Trend.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"599\" height=\"197\" /></a></p>\n \n\nFor more information on Trend\'s Threat Protection Network, please be sure to check out this <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/home/smartprotectionnetwork/intro-movie/index.html\">VIDEO</a>.\n\nKey Features of ScanMail 10 Include:\n\n* Web Reputation blocks messages with malicious URLs\n* Email Reputation (optional) blocks messages based on sender, not content\n* Trend Micro Smart Protection Network provides up-to-the-minute threat intelligence\n* Powerful antispam, antimalware, and zero-day protections stop the wide range of threats\n* Flexible content filtering includes preconfigured identifiers to preserve data privacy\n* Exchange integration and optimization reduce administration and server load\n\nCurrent support includes:\n\n<strong>Microsoft Exchange: </strong>(Exchange 2003 SP2, Exchange 2007, Exchange 2010)\n\n<strong>Microsoft Server: </strong>(Server 2003 SP1 +, R2 32-Bit &amp; 64-Bit, Server 2008 64-Bit)','TREND MICRO SCANMAIL 10','','publish','open','open','','trend-micro-scanmail-10','','','2010-10-01 07:24:02','2010-10-01 12:24:02','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2598',0,'post','',0),(2697,2,'2010-10-01 07:34:13','2010-10-01 12:34:13','As technical consultants for Fortune 500 companies in today’s economic landscape, we are tasked with presenting solutions that will reduce or eliminate IT spend. That is what the market demands—solutions that cut cost and drive production with a realistic and measurable ROI. These facts are why most of our clients are focusing on data storage reduction. The driving factor is that there are tools and methodologies available to determine what cost savings/production benefits can be realized prior to spending.\n\n<strong>Data Infrastructure Assessments</strong>\n\nDeduplication storage systems dramatically reduce the amount of disk storage needed to retain and protect enterprise data. Deduplicating and compressing data can typically result in the following reduction metrics:\n\n• 100TB data becomes 5TB\n\n• 10TB data becomes &lt; 1 TB\n\n• Backups that once took 24 hours are now complete in just a FEW\n\nData Infrastructure Assessments can accurately identify potential in your environment, there is no cost associated with the assessment, and the information generated is extremely beneficial.\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/screenshot-22.png\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2709\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/screenshot-22.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"518\" height=\"182\" /></a>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"> </p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">For more information, please e-mail sales@eGroup-us.com or call 1-877-eGROUP-1.</p>','STORAGE ROI','','publish','open','open','','storage-roi','','','2010-10-01 07:34:13','2010-10-01 12:34:13','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2697',0,'post','',0),(2715,2,'2010-10-01 08:21:10','2010-10-01 13:21:10','Our partners over at Trend Micro have given us a few network assessments to provide to our most valued clients, and we would like to extend this offer to a larger audience via our blog as an opportunity to earn your business. This service is a billable engagement ranging from $25 - $35k depending on the size of the environment, but there will be no cost to you at all for this courtesy assessment. The assessment period runs for two weeks, and at the end of the engagement your company will be provided a detailed executive report—which we know you will find beneficial.<!--more-->\n\neGroup can also arrange a “live portal” presentation in advance so that you can see the dynamic values and reporting information that would be available during the assessment.\n\nThe installation takes just about an hour or so depending on your environment. One of the Trend Micro engineers will connect a Trend Micro Threat Discovery appliance (TDA) to a mirror SPAN port on your core switch.\n\nThe TDA is passive:\n\n• It does not interfere with network operations / it is non-evasive and no configuration changes are needed to your environment\n\n• It does not write anything\n\n• It only listens to mirrored traffic for two weeks\n\nBelow are some of the marketing material that Trend provides when selling the service—please call 1-877-eGROUP-1 to discuss.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">PUT YOUR SECURITY SYSTEM TO THE TEST</span></strong>\n\n Want to find out just how well your current security infrastructure is performing?\n\nIntroducing the Trend Micro Threat Management Services network security assessment—<em>2-week Threat Management Services assessment</em>\n\nNo matter where you are in the threat cycle:\n\n• You think you’ve never been attacked\n\n• You know you’ve been attacked but are unclear how far reaching the damage is\n\n• You are in recovery mode but are not sure if the cleanup is complete\n\n…you’ll find this non-intrusive assessment to be insightful, and in some cases, shocking.\n\n<div>\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Trend-Micro.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2716\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Trend-Micro.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"243\" /></a>\n</div>\n\n<br />\n\n<div>\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">INCREASE YOUR THREAT INTELLIGENCE</span>\n\nThe Trend Micro Threat Management Services network security assessment will provide you with a detailed executive report that will:\n\n• Examine potential vectors of infection\n\n• Identify malware, information stealers, affected assets, infection sources, and disruptive applications\n\n• Pinpoint specific problem areas by IP address. With the detailed executive report and increased visibility into your security, you’ll better understand how the threats occurred, where they entered your network, and how to fill your security gaps.\n\nFor more information, please e-mail <a href=\"mailto:sales@eGroup-us.com\">sales@eGroup-us.com</a> or call 1-877-eGROUP-1.\n</div>','TREND MICRO NETWORK SECURITY ASSESSMENT','','publish','open','open','','2715','','','2010-10-01 08:21:10','2010-10-01 13:21:10','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2715',0,'post','',0),(2727,8,'2010-10-01 14:11:56','2010-10-01 19:11:56','Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is fast taking hold as the choice platform and application to help businesses organize their data, streamline processes, and enhance communication with employees and clients. As with most things, you can’t just install it and start watching productivity rise and your ROI unfold before your eyes. A healthy SP2010 deployment is built on a foundation of planning. The drivers for planning are dominated by a single question. What do you want SharePoint to do for your business? Now, that is not for this blog to uncover but for you and your department heads to reveal. However, the typical options are business intelligence, document management, employee and customer portals, and collaboration.\n\nAs challenges and pitfalls go, the more you know about them the more you can plan and avoid them. Although this piece will not go into a how-to for each of these categories, as your business begins to look to the benefits of SP2010 or expand your current SP environment, I give you food for thought and criteria to consider when you are deciding what this platform will mean for your group. As I stated before, planning is the key foundation for success so we recommend <!--more--> you do your research and network with your peers as well as engage your Microsoft solutions provider or eGroup to help build the roadmap. With this being the most critical stage, don’t be shy about spending a healthy amount of time defining the business requirements.\n\nOnce you understand the purpose of the platform specifically for your business, take the time to understand the architectural intelligence that is required to support what you are asking of your IT staff and the infrastructure. What does your server count look like, how do you size the server farm, what are the best load balancing strategies, how should you cluster your databases, how do you leverage caching for best performance, and more.\n\nIf you are coming from an older SP platform you will need to make database migration decisions. You will find most of your challenges here around custom webparts and pages, unghosted files, and custom site definitions to name a few. Once you have outlined and fully understand the different components of your existing deployment, the path to upgrade/migrate becomes much clearer. Building targeted test plans to ensure migration success is key to any SharePoint upgrade. As with most complex application upgrades, all the issues from the upgrade are not always readily apparent. A targeted and well executed test plan can save you a lot of valuable time on the backend.\n\nAs you make your way out of IT and into the departments, both entities need to concern themselves with the level of customizations, data sprawl, and governance, as all affect the front and back part of the house, namely around performance and storage growth.\n\nWhen you get into governance it is important that you create processes that force users to request a site for which they have provided business justification. This will give you a clearer path to site ownership and might be an opportunity for you to create a chargeback model as a checks-and-balances system.\n\nFinally, many business struggle with closing critical gaps that can stall all efforts to supplying the business with the intended benefit.…increased productivity and revenue. Those gaps are focused around adoption and education. Adoption is about involving the business stakeholders upfront to develop processes they are committed to championing. Your education facet will revolve around user training, change management, effective governance, and continuous support.\n\nAs SharePoint goes, I know I did not touch on all the things that lead to success for standing up a healthy environment but sharing some of the challenges that our clients have experienced should help you define the areas that will require more focus and attention and hopefully assist your group with understanding the whole picture as it relates to the entire business. SP2010 can offer your company a competitive advantage when you are committed to building and introducing it properly into your business environment.','UNDERSTAND SHAREPOINT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES TO INCREASE SUCCESS AND AVOID PITFALLS','','publish','open','open','','understand-sharepoint-implementation-and-management-challenges-to-increase-success-and-avoid-pitfalls','','','2010-10-01 14:11:56','2010-10-01 19:11:56','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2727',0,'post','',0),(2729,2,'2010-10-01 14:38:19','2010-10-01 19:38:19','Every year in September the Greater Columbia Marine Foundation hosts the largest <a href=\"http://usmcmudrun.org/\">Mud Run in North America</a>. The race attracts thousands of people from all over the Southeast and beyond. \n\nThe <a href=\"http://usmcmudrun.org/pdfs/map.pdf\">Ultimate Challenge Mud Run</a> is over 4.2 miles, and has 30 obstacles that have to be crossed by each team requiring team work and a lot of determination. The 4.2 mile course is an all-terrain race conducted on dirt roads, improved and unimproved trails throughout the training area. \n\nThese trails include <a href=\"http://usmcmudrun.org/course.html\">mud holes, walls, trenches and other obstacles that require swimming, crawling, climbing and jumping</a>.  \n\nSome people come to compete, but many come just to complete!\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<object type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" style=\"width:425px; height:344px;\" data=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/7l7HVRHfWaw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/7l7HVRHfWaw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" /></object> \n\nThis year eGroup had <strong>6 teams compete </strong>which well surpassed our attendance from last year. Our 6 teams (of four people each) were comprised of customers, manufacturers (thanks VMware!), and eGroup employees.  The event was a huge success because of the many people who came together to support and welcome home our Marines by participating in this grueling teamwork-required endeavor. \n\nTo all of you eGroup \"Serious Competitor\" participants, we are proud to have your continued support and hope you will join us again in 2011!\n\n<strong>Team Results:</strong>\n<em>Race Time:	Team Name:</em>\n1:23:21 	Serious Health Competitors \n1:32:27 	More Serious Competitors\n1:35:27 	Serious Competitors\n1:37:18 	Seriously Serious Competitors\n1:43:29 	Super Serious Competitors \n1:54:32 	Serious Competitors... Too! \n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Litter-Carry.jpg\"><img src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Litter-Carry-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Litter Carry\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2733\" /></a>\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Serious-Competitors.jpg\"><img src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Serious-Competitors-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Serious Competitors\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2734\" /></a>\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Leaping-Lizards.jpg\"><img src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Leaping-Lizards-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Leaping Lizards\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2732\" /></a>\n\nSemper Fi!\n','eGROUP ROCKS OUT AT 2010 USMC MUD RUN!','','publish','open','open','','egroup-rocks-out-at-2010-usmc-mud-run','','','2010-10-01 14:38:19','2010-10-01 19:38:19','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2729',0,'post','',0),(2740,2,'2010-10-01 14:56:12','2010-10-01 19:56:12','eGroup rocked the Charlotte VMUG on the CPCC West Campus last Friday, and gave attendees a different kind of VMUG. For the juicy technical details, see <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2626\">previous post</a>.\n\nA big THANK YOU to those who joined us, + experienced first hand what was a truly awesome event. The collaborative hands-on technical session provided a great platform for interactive discussion and questions, and as a result of high demand (you ask, we deliver!) we have posted a diagram of the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/eGroupInc#!/photo.php?pid=298837&amp;fbid=153281584705288&amp;id=123766450990135\">UCS lab configuration</a> on our <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/eGroupInc\">Facebook page</a>.  We encourage you to “like” our page so you can be in the loop on future events and for information sharing purposes. You will also find a short video from the event, as well as other fun eGroup tidbits.\n\n<em><a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/CLT-VMUG1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2746\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/CLT-VMUG1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> </em>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em> </em></div>\n<div><em>Hands-on UCS Lab</em></div>\n<div><!--more--></div>\n<div><strong> </strong></div>\n<div>As a follow-up to what we delivered Friday, and to help our clients realize the potential benefits of the ongoing adoption of virtualization, we have developed the following service offerings:</div>\n<strong>VMware Performance Review</strong>\n\nAs a Premier VMware partner, we combine the standard VMware partner tools with our real-world implementation experience (both VMware and storage) in order to deep dive into your current VM environment and help you maximize your investment. VMware Performance Reviews provide third-party validation of a critical infrastructure component, and often uncover multiple items that can be adjusted for increased reliability, performance, or ease of use.\n\n<strong>VMware Virtualization Desktop Infrastructure Pilot</strong>\n\nThis consulting engagement is designed to provide a pilot installation, configuration, and integration for up to 25 virtual desktops in your environment. As part of the engagement, you will receive a VMware Professional Services Virtual Desktop Manager and its perpetual license for mapping users to virtual desktops, tracking usage, scheduling sessions, and provisioning from templates.\n\nThe eGroup engineering team has the hands-on experience and expertise to help your organization maximize your virtualization initiatives.\n\nTo learn more, hit us up at sales@eGroup-us.com or call us at 1-877-eGROUP-1.','eGROUP DREW RECORD ATTENDANCE + DELIVERED \"A DIFFERENT KIND OF VMUG\"','','publish','open','open','','egroup-rocked-the-charlotte-vmug-drew-record-attendance','','','2010-10-01 14:56:12','2010-10-01 19:56:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2740',0,'post','',0),(2762,44,'2010-10-04 05:56:56','2010-10-04 10:56:56','I recently had the opportunity to deploy an <a href=\"http://go.iomega.com/en-us/products/network-storage-rack/ix12-300r/ix12-300r/?partner=4760\">Iomega StorCenter ix12-300r </a>12-Bay Network Storage Array as part of a new VMware vSphere 4.1 implementation. The Iomega is a low-cost shared storage solution that supports VMware VMotion.\n\nThere are two key points to understand when deploying this solution with VMware ESX and ESXi.\n\n1) While the StorCenter does support iSCSI LUNs, it only permits attaching them to a single host – which is not useful for VMotion\n\n2) For shared storage that supports VMotion use NFS instead. There are three keys to making this work successfully:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">1) On the Iomega NAS, name the NFS folder using lower case letters only</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">2) On the Iomega NAS, secure the NFS by specifying that only hosts in a specified IP address range can connect. For example: 10.0.100.0/255.255.255.0. You can adjust the subnet mask as needed to reduce the scope to an acceptable range</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">3) On the ESXi hosts, specify the path to the NFS folder in the form “/nfs/folder”</p>','HOW TO CONNECT ESX HOSTS TO NFS SHARES ON  IOMEGA NAS','','publish','open','open','','how-to-connect-esx-hosts-to-nfs-shares-on-iomega-nas','','','2010-10-04 05:56:56','2010-10-04 10:56:56','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2762',0,'post','',1),(2773,9,'2010-10-04 09:39:23','2010-10-04 14:39:23','VMware View 4.5, the industry leading virtual desktop solution, is now being offered through the end of this year as a Campus Wide discounted package to Education Customers. View 4.5 eases the burdens associated with Windows 7 Deployments, management of desktop computers, &amp; application delivery.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_2774\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\" caption=\"View 4.5 Architecture\"]<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/View4_Marketecture_05.png\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2774\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/View4_Marketecture_05-300x241.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"241\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nFor additional information, visit <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/solutions/education/campus-wide-agreement.html\">http://www.vmware.com/solutions/education/campus-wide-agreement.html</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-Campus-Wide-Agreement-Flyer-EN.pdf\">http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-Campus-Wide-Agreement-Flyer-EN.pdf</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-Campus-Wide-Agreement-FAQ-EN.pdf\">http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-Campus-Wide-Agreement-FAQ-EN.pdf</a>','VMWARE CAMPUS WIDE AGREEMENT FOR VMWARE VIEW - GOOD TO DECEMBER 15, 2010','','publish','open','open','','vmware-campus-wide-agreement-for-vmware-view-good-to-december-15-2010','','','2010-10-04 09:39:23','2010-10-04 14:39:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2773',0,'post','',0),(2787,9,'2010-10-04 10:14:09','2010-10-04 15:14:09','Over the years enterprise computing has evolved in scale and complexity.  As this evolution took place the, the task of deployment and cost associated with the deployment and management have increased.  Much of today’s IT spending is allocated to management and maintenance of current infrastructure.  The challenge for IT Administrators is to decrease the TCO and increase the value IT delivers to the business.  Cisco’s Unified Computing System provides IT groups the opportunity to address many of these challenges by reducing the resources required and offering a scalable solution.\n\nTo learn more about this game changing solution, visit: <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns944/index.html\">http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns944/index.html</a>','WHY CISCO UCS (UNIFIED COMPUTING SYSTEM)?','','publish','open','open','','why-cisco-ucs-unified-computing-system','','','2010-10-04 10:14:09','2010-10-04 15:14:09','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2787',0,'post','',0),(2764,44,'2010-10-08 08:39:10','2010-10-08 13:39:10','Here\'s a <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/personaltech/02pogue.html?_r=4&amp;pagewanted=1\">link</a> to a great article in the Wall Street Journal about <a href=\"http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband/mifi-2200.html\">Virgin Mobile\'s MiFi 2200 personal hot spot </a>and how it compares to some personal wireles access alternatives. It makes for great reading.\n\nThe Virgin Mobile MiFi is small enough to fit in your pocket and allows you to connect up to five wireless devices to Sprint\'s 3G network. The best part is that an unlimited data plan is just $40 per month with no contract required.\n\nHere\'s a link to a 3rd-party review in <a href=\"http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/hands-on-with-the-mifi-personal-hotspot/\">Wired</a>.','VIRGIN MOBILE MIFI - A BETTER SOLUTION','','publish','open','open','','virgin-mobile-mifi-a-better-solution','','','2010-10-08 08:39:10','2010-10-08 13:39:10','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2764',0,'post','',0),(2803,44,'2010-10-08 09:46:26','2010-10-08 14:46:26','Microsoft is shutting down <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Live_Spaces\">Windows Live Spaces</a>, their blogging and social networking site and giving 30 million users six months to migrate to a competing platform run by <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\">WordPress</a>.\n\nHat tips to the article by Woody Leonhard at Windows Secrets <a href=\"http://windowssecrets.com/2010/10/07/02-Microsoft-bags-blogs-eviscerates-Live-Spaces/#story1\">here</a> and the PC World FAQ found <a href=\"http://www.pcworld.com/article/206455/microsoft_live_spaces_moves_to_wordpress_an_faq.html\">here</a>.','MICROSOFT MOVING LIVE SPACES TO WORDPRESS','','publish','open','open','','microsoft-moving-live-spaces-to-wordpress','','','2010-10-08 09:46:26','2010-10-08 14:46:26','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2803',0,'post','',0),(2808,44,'2010-10-12 12:26:30','2010-10-12 17:26:30','It recently came to my attention that the VMWare View Architecture Guide  does not provide the best design for a fully redundant VMWare View 4.5  deployment.  To counteract this lack of documentation I\'ve  decided to create a document on my own.  I call it VMWare View 4.5  Design Best Practices.  I don\'t care how big or small  your environment is, if you are looking into View you need to  immediately consider this fact, you are moving all of your desktops (or a  portion of them) into a cloud that you maintain.  If you are doing this  how happy are your users going to be when one service, one server, one  switch, one... whatever,  knocks out all of these users.  In my opinion it is a serious failure to  consider moving to any VDI solution unless you have a fully redundant  back end.  Hopefully this guide will give you the basic building blocks  required to have this type of redundancy.<!--more-->\n\nI\'m not  going to get fancy here, I\'m designing a basic View Deployment that will  cover 100-500 desktops.  To accomplish this goal I\'m going to need these components:\n\n<strong>2 vSphere Clusters:</strong>\n\nThis is a licensing requirement.  You are not allowed to run Server VMs on the View Premier license, and lets face it, if you are building 100+ VMs, you bought the Premier License (if not call your VMWare Partner)\n\n<strong>2 View Connection Servers:</strong>\n\nThe View Connection Server is the brokering service, they establish the connection to the View Agent.\n\n<strong>2 vCenter Servers:</strong>\n\nYou\'ll need to use vCenter Heartbeat, as its the only way I know how to make vCenter Servers redundant, be prepared to freak out a little bit, its expensive.  VMWare Documentation doesn\'t say that you need to make the vCenter server redundant, however, if you have a linked clone VM shutdown and if this service is not running the VM will not boot!\n\n<strong>2 SQL Servers:</strong>\n\nWhy make this redundant?  Well, my vCenter DB is on this, my Events DB is on this, my View Composer DB is on this.  Basically every component of a View setup has a DB, so I want these DBs on a redundant back end, and yes if Composer can\'t access the DB you have problems.\n\n<strong>2 Security Servers:</strong>\n\nHowever, I\'d hold off on deploying any security server as a future Security Server will support PCoIP over the WAN, if you were at VMWorld you probably saw this.\n\nEverything I listed above I virtualize, this way I take advantage of further redundancies built into ESX (HA/SRM).\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/View-Design-2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2809 aligncenter\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/View-Design-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"603\" height=\"444\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The good news is that most of this is simple stuff, you can do an NLB or Round Robin for your VCS Servers, or Security Servers; it really is going to pertain to your environment and what you are trying to accomplish.  In the end you should have two clusters that look something like this:</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ESX-Server-Cluster.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2810 aligncenter\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ESX-Server-Cluster.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"603\" height=\"444\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ESX-Desktop-Cluster.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2811\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ESX-Desktop-Cluster.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"603\" height=\"444\" /></a></p>','VMWare View 4.5 Design Best Practices','','publish','open','open','','vmware-view-design-and-deployment-best-practices','','','2010-10-12 12:26:30','2010-10-12 17:26:30','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2808',0,'post','',0),(2819,8,'2010-10-12 15:20:31','2010-10-12 20:20:31','eGroup is looking for experienced software developers to join a creative and dynamic team working on the next generation of eGroup\'s signature solutions.  This is a fantastic opportunity to work within a growing organization while mastering your skills. eGroup’s track record of stability and growth for more than a decade means talented people with enthusiastic, team-oriented attitudes have the opportunity to advance. eGroup has recently been named one of South Carolina’s top 25 fastest growing companies two years in a row.\n\neGroup is looking for developers with demonstrated experience in a combination of the following areas. \n<ul>\n	<li>Development for the .Net platform (C#/VB.net)</li>\n	<li>SharePoint 2007/2010 development and administration</li>\n	<li>SQL Server 2005/2008 administration, SSRS, SSIS and SSAS</li>\n	<li>VMWare SpringSource, Java development</li>\n</ul>\nIn addition to a strong combination of the above skills eGroup is looking for developers with experience in VMWare technologies (ThinApp, View, Web Services APIs), QuickBooks Data Integrations, SalesForce CRM, Application Virtualization and applications performance troubleshooting.\n\nAn ideal candidate would be located or willing to relocate to Charleston (SC), Columbia (SC) or Charlotte (NC).\n\nFor a complete job description and requirements please see the link below.\n\n<a href=\"http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/jobs/eGroupSoftwareDeveloper.pdf\">http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/jobs/eGroupSoftwareDeveloper.pdf</a>\n\nPlease email resumes to <a href=\"mailto:Jason.Webster@egroup-us.com\">Jason.Webster@egroup-us.com</a>','eGroup IS LOOKING FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS!','','publish','open','open','','egroup-is-looking-for-software-developers','','','2010-10-12 15:20:31','2010-10-12 20:20:31','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2819',0,'post','',0),(2823,6,'2010-10-14 09:21:46','2010-10-14 14:21:46','Designed to simplify storage administration, the <strong>Celerra Plug-In for VMware</strong>, is a must for any Celerra administrator that wants save time and greatly ease the administrative burden and yes, deploy NFS data stores directly from vCenter! The key functionality driving the plug-in is the ability to provision new NFS data stores directly from the vCenter to multiple ESXi hosts with Celerra/VMware Best Practices -- automatically.\n<h2><strong>Celerra Plug-In for VMware Key Features:\n</strong></h2>\n* Array Based Compression - Reduces space consumed by virtual machines by up to 50 percent via enhanced compression\n* Accelerates the cloning of virtual machines by two to three times\n* Reduces the duration of virtual machine copies by using Full Clone technology\n* Space-efficient Fast Clones\n* Tight Integration with VMware View\n\nTo download the ZIP file to get started go <a href=\"https://powerlink.emc.com/nsepn/webapps/btg548664833igtcuup4826/km/live1/en_US/Offering_Technical/Software_Download/EMC_Celerra_Plug-in_for_VMware.zip?mtcs=ZXZlbnRUeXBlPUttQ2xpY2tTZWFyY2hSZXN1bHRzRXZlbnQsZG9jdW1lbnRJZD0wOTAxNDA2NjgwNTI4ZTg5LGRhdGFTb3VyY2U9RENUTV9lbl9VU18w\"><strong>HERE</strong></a>:\n\nFor the EMC Celerra Plug-in for VMware Solution Guide go <a href=\"https://powerlink.emc.com/nsepn/webapps/btg548664833igtcuup4826/km/live1/en_US/Offering_Technical/Technical_Documentation/h6985-celerra-plug-in-vmware-solution-guide.pdf?mtcs=ZXZlbnRUeXBlPUttQ2xpY2tTZWFyY2hSZXN1bHRzRXZlbnQsZG9jdW1lbnRJZD0wOTAxNDA2NjgwNTBlZDVkLGRhdGFTb3VyY2U9RENUTV9lbl9VU18w\"><strong>HERE</strong></a>:\n\nEMC has put together a fantastic video which previews the greatness. You can find the video here: <strong><a href=\"http://www.emc.com/collateral/demos/microsites/mediaplayer-video/celerra-plug-in-vmware.htm\">Space Efficiency and Automation with EMC Celerra Plug-in for VMware</a></strong>\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<strong>\n</strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/celerra-plug11.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2849\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/celerra-plug11.bmp\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"462\" /></a>\n<strong><a href=\"http://www.emc.com/collateral/demos/microsites/mediaplayer-video/celerra-plug-in-vmware.htm\"></a></strong>\n\nInstallation of the plug-in is quick and more information can be found in the \"<strong>Loading the Celerra Plug-in</strong>\" section of the EMC Celerra Plug-in for VMware Solution Guide (found on powerlink). This is highly recommended reading. The setup takes no more than 5 minutes. The plug-in just needs the IP address, nasadmin credentials, and DHSM user name and password (that you\'ll configure during the setup):\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/celerra-plug32.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2838\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/celerra-plug32.bmp\" alt=\"\" width=\"609\" height=\"400\" /></a>\n\nYou will also notice an new Icon on the home page in vCenter too:\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/celerra-plug21.bmp\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2844\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/celerra-plug21.bmp\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"700\" /></a>\n\nIt is very apparent at moments like these that the <a href=\"http://www.emc.com/campaign/global/vce/index.htm\">VCE Coalition</a> is doing great things and delivering on their promise, \"Unprecedented level of collaboration in development services and partner enablement that reduces risk in the infrastructure virtualization journey to the private cloud\".\n\nGreat job VMware and EMC.  You hit a home run on this one!','EMC\'S CELERRA PLUG-IN FOR VMWARE CURRENTLY THE FRONTRUNNER FOR PLUG-IN OF THE YEAR','','publish','open','open','','emcs-celerra-plug-in-for-vmware-currently-the-frontrunner-for-plug-in-of-the-year','','','2010-10-14 09:21:46','2010-10-14 14:21:46','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2823',0,'post','',0),(2862,2,'2010-10-20 11:36:47','2010-10-20 16:36:47','<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/New-Tech-Logo.jpg\"></a>\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Tech-Bash-Logo2.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2907\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Tech-Bash-Logo2-300x128.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"128\" /></a>A Technical Briefing + Networking Bash brought to you by eGroup:\n\n<em><strong>\"Implementing VMware ThinApp &amp; View 4.5: Strategies for Success!\"\n</strong>\n</em>\n\nThursday, November 11th, 2010\n4:00 - 7:00 P.M.\n\nCharleston Harbor Resort + Marina\n20 Patriots Point Road\nMt. Pleasant, SC 29464\n\n<strong>4:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.</strong> (Atlantic Ballroom): <em>Technical Briefing, Will Turbeville, eGroup</em>\n\n<strong>5:30 - 7:00 P.M.</strong> (Sunrise Terrace): <em>Networking Bash w/ access to industry experts from eGroup, VMware, Cisco, and EMC at your fingertips!  Join us for drinks and appetizers overlooking the beautiful Charleston Harbor. </em>\n\nLEARN:\n\n• Learn how to overcome Windows 7 migration challenges and ensure application compatibility of your mission critical desktop applications\n\n• Learn how to Virtualize your desktop applications with VMware ThinApp to build in compatibility\n\n• Learn how to Virtualize your desktops with VMware View for centralized management of your user environment\n\n• Learn how you can ensure delivery of the best user experience with VMware View PCoIP\n\n<a href=\"http://egroupcharlestonharborevent.eventbrite.com/\">CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!</a>','JOIN US FOR AN eGROUP TECHNICAL BRIEFING + NETWORKING BASH!','','publish','open','open','','join-us-for-an-egroup-technical-briefing-networking-bash','','','2010-10-20 11:36:47','2010-10-20 16:36:47','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2862',0,'post','',0),(2875,8,'2010-10-29 12:17:37','2010-10-29 17:17:37','Ran into this recently where I could browse the SharePoint 2010 site from any machine or server in the environment from the internal and external networks but could not browse to it from the SharePoint server itself.  This issue typically occurs in one server deployments and is easy to resolve.\n\nEnter the old DisableLoopBackCheck registry change.   Just regedit to\n<div><strong>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlLsa</strong></div>\n<div><strong> </strong></div>\n<div>and add a DWORD value set to 1 for a entry called DisableLoopbackCheck.  Reboot and all should be good.</div>','SHAREPOINT 2010:  UNABLE TO BROWSE SHAREPOINT SITE FROM SHAREPOINT SERVER (WFE)','','publish','open','open','','sharepoint-2010-unable-to-browse-sharepoint-site-from-sharepoint-server-wfe','','','2010-10-29 12:17:37','2010-10-29 17:17:37','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2875',0,'post','',0),(2879,13,'2010-10-29 17:02:12','2010-10-29 22:02:12','Valid now until December 15, purchase or upgrade your VMware vSphere and receive FREE View Premier Add-On and Capacity IQ licenses depending on the vSphere edition.  Any purchases, upgrades, or bundles of vSphere Enterprise Plus will receive (50) Free <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/view/overview.html\">View Premier 4.5 </a>Add-On licenses including (1) year of Support and Subscription (SnS).  Also, any purchases, upgrades, or acceleration kit bundles of vSphere Enterprise Plus, Enterprise, Standard, and Advanced will receive (15) Free <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-capacityiq/\">CapacityIQ </a>licenses with (1) year of SnS. \n\nIf you have not experience the capabilities of VMware View Premier 4.5 or CapacityIQ this will be a great opportunity to take advantage of this limited time only promotion\n\n<!--more-->\n\nWith a valid purchase you will receive:\n\n(50) VMware View Premier 4.5 Add-on License\n\nVMware View is designed specifically to deliver desktops as a managed service.  Similar to how virtualization transformed servers in the datacenter, VMware View 4.5 is transforming the desktops experience. \n\n-Deliver desktops as a managed service to reduce costs and gain better reliability, efficiency and security\n\n-Get ready for Windows 7 by virtualizing your desktops and applications now\n\n-Deliver desktops to remote and branch offices to accelerate provisioning while retaining control\n\n(15)  CapacityIQ Virtual Machine Licenses\n\nCapacityIQ is a component of the VMware vCenter family of management products which provides capacity management for virtualized datacenters or desktop environments.  It integrates seamlessly with VMware vCenter Server to enable capacity modeling, insight, and intelligence, reducing risk and enabling informed decision making.\n\n-Eliminate waste by identifying any unused or over-allocated capacity\n\n-Reduce operational overhead by automating routine capacity monitoring and management tasks\n\n-Minimize business risk of outages or failures resulting from capacity bottlenecks and shortfalls\n\nLet eGroup help your organization save money and take advantage of promotions like these while giving yourself the opportunity at no risk to try out the other products that VMware has to offer.','HAVE YOU TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE VIEW PREMIER 4.5 AND CAPACITYIQ LICENSES YET?','','publish','open','open','','have-you-taken-advantage-of-the-free-view-premier-4-5-and-cap-iq-licenses-yet','','','2010-10-29 17:02:12','2010-10-29 22:02:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2879',0,'post','',0),(2888,11,'2010-10-30 12:59:16','2010-10-30 17:59:16','SAVE THE DATE – 11/18/2010, 11:00am - 1:30pm\nColumbia, SC VMware User Group\n(As usual, no cost to attend and lunch &amp; door prizes provided.)\n\nJoin us for the upcoming Columbia 4th Quarter VMUG! On November 18th the Columbia VMware User Group will be held in Ellis Hall in the First Baptist Church in downtown Columbia. Come experience the power of the Cisco Unified Computing System first-hand and see VMware View 4.5 in action on Wyse thin clients. Hosted by eGroup, VMware, Cisco and Wyse, this month’s Columbia VMUG event will provide its members with an experience like no other. This is a great opportunity to meet with your peers to discuss virtualization trends, best practices and the latest technology.\n\nAgenda\n\n10:45 a.m. Check In (Please Pre-Registered for this special event)\n11:00 a.m. Welcome – John Davis, Columbia VMUG\n11:05 a.m. SCANA Case Study with VMware View\n11:20 a.m. Cisco UCS Demo\n12:00 p.m. Lunch\n12:15 p.m. VMware View 4.5 and Hand On Labs\n1:30 p.m. Wrap-up and Sponsor Giveaways\n\nThere is no cost to attend this event, lunch will be provided, and we will have door prizes! Attendance at this one-of-a-kind event will be limited, so register as soon as you receive the invitation next week. Due to the unique “Hands On” nature of this event, please pre-register. eGroup, Cisco, VMware and Wyse professionals will be on-hand to provide product information and technical guidance, and you’ll be guaranteed some production-quality experiences with some of the most relevant technologies available today in the Data Center infrastructure industry.\n\n<a href=\"http://info.vmware.com/forms/VMUG_REG?eventcity=10492-columbia&amp;theme=Columbia\">REGISTER HERE!\n\n</a>Location:\nEllis Hall\nFirst Baptist Church\n1306 Hampton Street\nColumbia, SC 29201\n\n(Near the corner of Washington St &amp; Marion St.)','COLUMBIA VMWARE USER\'S GROUP - 11/18/2010 FEATURING ONSITE UCS CISCO DEMO LAB ','','publish','open','open','','columbia-vmware-users-group-11182010-featuring-onsite-ucs-cisco-demo-lab','','','2010-10-30 12:59:16','2010-10-30 17:59:16','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2888',0,'post','',0),(2894,44,'2010-11-01 16:06:35','2010-11-01 21:06:35','So you are deploying VMWare View 4.5 and Windows 7 VMs.   Wouldn\'t it be nice if there was a document that existed that gave you pointers on the best way to go about doing this.  Well today is your lucky day.<!--more-->\n\n<a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-OptimizationGuideWindows7-EN.pdf\">http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View-OptimizationGuideWindows7-EN.pdf</a>','VMWare Releases Windows 7 Optimization Guide for View 4.5','','publish','open','open','','vmware-releases-windows-7-optimization-guide-for-view-4-5','','','2010-11-01 16:06:35','2010-11-01 21:06:35','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2894',0,'post','',0),(2897,44,'2010-11-03 10:01:09','2010-11-03 15:01:09','Here\'s a quick tip.....\n\nThere are a few caveats to the <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9902/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">Nexus 1000v</a> virtual switch from <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cisco</a>, but I ran into a new one when dealing with an iSCSI environement.\n\nAfter implementing the 1000v, I found that I lost all connectivity to the <a href=\"http://www.emc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">EMC</a> array.  I checked all the settings on the array and even deregistered the connections to the host.\n\nThe host connection status would show connected, but not logged in. Strange...\n\n<!--more-->\n\nI bounced around the Nexus configuration and vCenter\'s settings, to no avail.  Finally, I started from scratch and rebuilt the connections in vCenter to the iSCSI array....still no dice.\n\nHere is the fix...\n\nBelieve it or not changing the settings for the iSCSI adapter in vCenter from dynamic to static fixed the problem.  Gratned you have to enter a few more lines of information from the array to get the connections setup, but it in fact fixed the problem.  If I removed the static entries, and attempted to reconnect to the array via the dynamic discovery, I lost connection again.\n\nSo, the conclusion is, when dealing with the Nexus 1000v, use static discovery in vCenter to connect to iSCSI.','NEXUS 1000V LOSES CONNECTION TO iSCSI','','publish','open','open','','nexus-1000v-loses-connection-to-iscsi','','','2010-11-03 10:01:09','2010-11-03 15:01:09','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2897',0,'post','',0),(2912,6,'2010-11-10 13:06:36','2010-11-10 18:06:36','<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Symantec-Backup-Exec-DeDupe.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2918 alignleft\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Symantec-Backup-Exec-DeDupe.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"293\" height=\"62\" /></a>\n\nAs backups grow over time, getting a successful backup of key data, systems, and virtual machines can be challenging. As that data grows, the need for deduplication becomes more and more apparent to reduce the duration of time involved to successfully secure the backup while reducing the space consumed by these backups. This can be rather challenging dilemma for datacenters that are doing more with less.\n\nSymantec has answered the call with their <strong><a href=\"http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/fact_sheets/b-datasheet_be_2010_deduplication_option.pdf\">Symantec Backup Exec 2010 Deduplication Option</a></strong>.\n\nBackup Exec’s Deduplication Option offers 3 methods for deduplicating data across the enterprise:\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<strong>* Client Deduplication - \"</strong>Deduplication at the Source\" - Client deduplication removes redundant data at the source, leading to to lower memory and bandwidth utilization. This method frees up more client resources for production services in both physical and virtual environments. Deduplicating information closer to the source will also decrease the network traffic associated with the backup and reduce the storage footprint as well.\n\n* <strong>Media Server Deduplication - </strong>Deduplication that takes place on the Media Server at the time of the backup. This method enables deduplication that is integrated diretly into media server. Simply create a Deduplication Storage Folder, and the Backup Exec media server now offers inline deduplication by processing data streams in flight; requires no extra staging disks for processing, leading to more optimal use of storage.\n\n* <strong>Appliance Deduplication - </strong>Leverage investments in Deduplication Appliances thru Symantec\'s OST (OpenStorage) Partner Program. This will improving backup times and management of deduplication and replication functions built into intelligent Deduplication Appliances.\n\nThe Deduplication Option enables customers to use any of these methods to achieve deduplication for file servers, application servers, and virtual machines. This is also great for remote offices that point back to the central backup exec server, especially as you consider reducing the amount of backup data travelling from remote offices back to the backup server by 90%.\n\nBelow are a couple key stats that should not be overlooked:\n\n1. Significantly reduces the amount of backup data stored by 9:1 (90%) or more for File System backups\n\n2. Significantly reduces the amount of backup data stored by 6:1 (80%) or more for Application backups\n\n3. Client Deduplication provides significant bandwidth savings over traditional backups, making remote office backup practical\n\n4. Media Server Deduplication provides significant storage savings for VMWare ESX and vSphere 4.0 backups\n\n5. Integration with Deduplication Appliances through Symantec’s Open Storage protocol allows Backup Exec to manage appliance deduplication and replication functions\n\n6. Improve backup performance while using Appliance Deduplication when compared to CIFS or NFS transfers\n\n7. Reduce the amount of backup data travelling from remote offices back to the backup server by 90%','SYMANTEC BACKUP EXEC DEDUPE AGENT AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU ','','publish','open','open','','symantec-backup-exec-dedupe-agent-and-how-it-can-help-you','','','2010-11-10 13:06:36','2010-11-10 18:06:36','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2912',0,'post','',0),(2929,2,'2010-11-11 03:58:13','2010-11-11 08:58:13','[caption id=\"attachment_2933\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"From L to R: Mike Stokes, Catherine Carter, Ben Gaddy\"]<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Top-25-2010.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2933\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Top-25-2010-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nCharleston, S.C.-November 11, 2010-eGroup, Inc. was named as one of the South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies Top 25 winners for the second year in a row. The South Carolina Chamber co-sponsored the Fastest-Growing program with The Capital Corporation, a middle market investment banking firm located in Greenville, SC. The program recognizes an exceptional and diverse assembly of businesses from across the state. The ranking system tabulates results based on a combination of increases in gross revenue (or assets) and increases in full-time employment in South Carolina in the two most recently completed fiscal years.<!--more-->\n\n“eGroup is honored to receive this prestigious acknowledgement,” said Mike Carter, Principal of eGroup. “This award recognizes our company’s strategic approach to sound growth, and it is important to the growth of our state that we continue to have companies that persevere in a tough economy. I’m proud to be a part of a program that celebrates such an outstanding group of entrepreneurs and business owners who continue to rise to the top.”\n\n“We would also like to acknowledge The Charleston Digital Corridor for the exposure they have afforded eGroup, and for their efforts to nurture &amp; promote Charleston’s knowledge economy to help technology companies like ours thrive,” added Carter.\n\nThe executives of the Top 25 ranking companies were guests at the Chamber’s prestigious Annual Summit luncheon on November 11th, held at Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms.  Read <a href=\"http://www.abcnews4.com/Global/story.asp?S=13487937\">more</a>. \n\nAbout eGroup\n\neGroup provide technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high- availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.','eGROUP RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF SOUTH CAROLINA\'S TOP 25 FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW','','publish','open','open','','egroup-recognized-as-one-of-south-carolinas-top-25-fastest-growing-companies-for-second-year-in-a-row','','','2010-11-11 03:58:13','2010-11-11 08:58:13','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2929',0,'post','',0),(2926,2,'2010-11-12 08:51:32','2010-11-12 13:51:32','SAVE THE DATE – 12/10/2010, 11:00am – 2:00pm\n\nCharleston, SC VMware User Group\n\n(As usual, no cost to attend and lunch &amp; door prizes provided.)\n\nJoin us for the upcoming Charleston 4th Quarter VMUG! On December 10th the Charleston VMware User Group will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn-Charleston Airport. Come experience the power of the Cisco Unified Computing System first-hand and see VMware View 4.5 in action on Wyse thin clients. Hosted by eGroup, VMware, Cisco and Wyse, this VMUG event will provide its members with an experience like no other. This is a great opportunity to meet with your peers to discuss virtualization trends, best practices and the latest technology.\n\n<em>Agenda</em>\n\n<strong>10:30 a.m.</strong> Check In (Please Pre-Register for this special event)\n<strong>11:00 a.m.</strong> Welcome – Ron Davis, Charleston VMUG\n<strong>11:15 a.m.</strong> Cisco UCS Demo\n<strong>12:00 p.m. </strong>Lunch\n<strong>12:15 p.m.</strong> Continued Cisco UCS Demo, Hands On Labs, VMware Q+A\n<strong>2:00 p.m.</strong> Wrap-Up\n\nThere is no cost to attend this event, lunch will be provided, and we will have door prizes! Attendance at this one-of-a-kind event will be limited, so register now. Due to the unique “Hands On” nature of this event, please pre-register. eGroup, Cisco, VMware and Wyse professionals will be on-hand to provide product information and technical guidance, and you’ll be guaranteed some production-quality experiences with some of the most relevant technologies available today in the Data Center infrastructure industry.\n\n<a href=\"http://info.vmware.com/forms/VMUG_REG?eventcity=10558-charleston&amp;theme=Charleston\">REGISTER HERE!</a>\n\n<em>Location:</em>\n\nHilton Garden Inn\nCharleston Airport\n5265 International Blvd.\nCypress Ballroon\nN. Charleston. SC 29418','DON\'T MISS A GROUND BREAKING VMWARE USER GROUP EVENT!','','publish','open','open','','dont-miss-a-ground-breaking-vmware-user-group-event','','','2010-11-12 08:51:32','2010-11-12 13:51:32','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2926',0,'post','',0),(2939,44,'2010-11-17 16:49:01','2010-11-17 21:49:01','I’ve installed vSphere 4.1 many times since it was released last July, but last week I ran across an issue I’ve not seen before. I was helping a customer upgrade to vSphere 4.1 from version 4.0, and moving from ESX to ESXi at the same time, making it necessary to completely rebuild the hosts.\n\nThe unusual thing was that after we migrated the VM’s to the ESXi 4.1 hosts we could not upgrade VMware tools in the guests using any of the manual or automated methods, including VMware Update Manager.\n\nResearching the issue online produced nothing better than a suggestion to download the VMware tools .iso from VMware’s web site, mount it to each VM and perform a manual tools upgrade. While this does work, it\'s a labor-intensive solution.\n\nWe opened a VMware support case and learned that this is a known issue. Sure enough, just a few days later VMware released a <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1027753\">set of vSphere 4.1 patches</a>, one of which resolved our issue. We applied the updates and confirmed that our issue was resolved.\n\nA link to the specific VMware KB article that resolved our issue can be found <a href=\"http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&amp;cmd=displayKC&amp;externalId=1027028\">here</a>.','VMWARE TOOLS WON’T UPGRADE FOLLOWING VSPHERE 4.1 INSTALL','','publish','open','open','','vmware-tools-won%e2%80%99t-upgrade-following-vsphere-4-1-install','','','2010-11-17 16:49:01','2010-11-17 21:49:01','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2939',0,'post','',0),(2948,2,'2010-11-22 14:37:23','2010-11-22 19:37:23','This is your exclusive invitation to experience VMware virtualization solutions first hand! Don\'t miss this opportunity to get hands on with VMware solutions in the mobile demo environment and dive deep with on-site VMware experts. Join us for an afternoon to see the power of VMware.\n\nColumbia Northwest Courtyard\n11 AM - 3 PM Open House\n\nRegister now to join us and learn:\n\n- How VMware desktop solutions can help you simplify and reduce the cost associated with OS and application migrations.\n\n- First-hand how VMware View™ delivers flexibility and a rich user experience to address the widest variety of end-user use cases.\n\n- How VMware vSphere™ is transforming datacenters into a dramatically simplified cloud infrastructure to enable the next generation of flexible, reliable IT services.\n\n- How the VMware vCenter™ family of products, the industry\'s most advanced virtualization management platform, can enable efficiency, automation and security while reducing operational costs.\n\nDon\'t miss this opportunity to see how VMware solutions can simplify your IT environment while reducing costs and enabling the next generation of flexible, reliable IT services.\n\n<a href=\"http://info.vmware.com/content/VMwareExpress_Reg?eventcity=10511-columbia&amp;src=VMEX_INV1\">REGISTER NOW!</a>','YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, YOU BETTER NOT POUT - THE VMEXPRESS TRUCK IS COMING TO COLUMBIA!','','publish','open','open','','you-better-watch-out-you-better-not-pout-the-vmexpress-truck-is-coming-to-columbia','','','2010-11-22 14:37:23','2010-11-22 19:37:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2948',0,'post','',0),(2955,2,'2010-11-23 10:34:58','2010-11-23 15:34:58','November 23, 2010 -- Charleston, SC -- eGroup, Inc. has been officially approved to join the Apple team as an Authorized Apple Reseller. This gives eGroup the ability to work with organizations to plan and deploy customized Mac and Apple multi-platform solutions.  The authorization process was both lengthy and rigorous as Apple selects only the most committed organizations to join its highly exclusive reseller community.\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Authrzd_Rsllr_Wht_1ln_sm-copy.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2959\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Authrzd_Rsllr_Wht_1ln_sm-copy-300x86.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"86\" /></a>\n\neGroup is authorized to sell the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, Xservers, and supporting software. Look for eGroup to announce its iPad Authorization in early 2011. eGroup is authorized to sell to corporate customers - and also to end users, consumers, and individuals - at extremely competitive prices. \n\neGroup accepts credit cards to make purchases easy and seamless.\n\n“eGroup is thrilled to become an Apple reseller, and to be able to bundle the increasingly popular Apple end-user devices with our sophisticated VMware, Cisco, EMC and Citrix data center solutions for the \"total virtual desktop solution”, said Mike Carter, Principal, eGroup.<!--more-->\n\n<strong>About eGroup</strong>\n\neGroup provide technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high-availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit www.eGroup-us.com.\n\n<strong>About Apple</strong>\n\nApple Inc. design, manufacture, and market personal computers, mobile communication devices, and portable digital music and video players and sell a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Macintosh (“Mac”), iPhone, iPad and iPod compatible products including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and supplies through its online and retail stores. The Company sells to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government and creative customers.','eGROUP, INC. NOW AN AUTHORIZED APPLE RESELLER  ','','publish','open','open','','egroup-inc-now-an-authorized-apple-reseller','','','2010-11-23 10:34:58','2010-11-23 15:34:58','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2955',0,'post','',0),(2966,2,'2010-11-30 11:52:48','2010-11-30 16:52:48','Whenever anyone talks about enterprise computing, the discussion typically shifts to Microsoft and Windows. After all, the software giant’s operating system has long been the dominant force in the corporate world. And, aside from Windows Vista, each new version of the software has proven to be extremely successful on a corporate level. When Apple products get discussed in the enterprise at all, the conversation usually centers around the popular iPhone smartphone and iPad tablet, not the relatively prosaic Mac desktops and notebooks. However, a new study from the Enterprise Desktop Alliance could drastically change the conversation. <!--more-->The organization recently released results from a survey showing that, while the Mac\'s share of enterprise computing remains very small, there has been a dramatic rise in business deployments since 2009. (Despite the organization\'s name, the study looks at desktop and notebook computers). Some 460 IT administrators from business and government organizations with hundreds of system disclosed their expectations in an online survey conducted in May and June 2010. Respondents represent a total of 3.2 million computers in 2009, growing to 3.5 million in 2011. The median respondent had 400 desktops and 200 laptops in their organization in 2010.  (By Don Reisinger on 10-27-2010)\n\nClick <a href=\"http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Infrastructure/Apples-Mac-Versus-Microsofts-PC-in-the-Enterprise-889173/?kc=CIOMINEPNL10292010\">here</a> for the <strong><em>Infrastructure Slideshow:</em></strong>  <strong><em>Apple\'s Mac Versus Microsoft\'s PC in the Enterprise.</em></strong>\n\nClick <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2955\">here</a> for the blog post on eGroup becoming an Authorized Apple Reseller.','MAC ADOPTION IN THE ENTERPRISE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 57% BETWEEN 2009 AND 2011','','publish','open','open','','mac-adoption-in-the-enterprise-expected-to-increase-by-57-between-2009-and-2011','','','2010-11-30 11:52:48','2010-11-30 16:52:48','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2966',0,'post','',0),(2969,44,'2010-11-30 17:07:09','2010-11-30 22:07:09','I had a difficult time recently trying to update the BIOS on a new Dell R710 server. Dell\'s preferred method is booting to the built-in Dell Lifecycle Controller, giving it an IP address, and letting it automatically download updates from Dell\'s FTP site.  I was working at a client site where this method could not be made to work.  I\'ll spare you the painful details, but here are the steps to do the job quickly and painlessly by creating a bootable USB flash drive.  <!--more-->\n\nThis procedure requires a computer with Internet connectivity and a USB flash drive that you don\'t mind reformatting. The files are less than 5 MB so only a small USB flash drive is needed. This procedure has an advantage over other methods I\'ve seen in that it does not require the use of any third-party tools - just files from Dell\'s web site.\n\n&gt; Download the Dell 32-bit Diagnostics Utility from Dell’s web site:\n\n     &gt; Navigate to the drivers and firmware page for your server model\n\n     &gt; Expand the Diagnostics section of downloads\n\n     &gt; Download the Dell Diagnostics Utility (32-bit Diagnostics)\n\n&gt; Run the Dell Diagnostics utility you just downloaded and select the option to “Install to a USB flash drive”\n\n     &gt; Point the tool to the USB flash drive and allow it to format the drive and copy files\n\n&gt; Download the latest BIOS file for the server:\n\n     &gt; Make certain to select the “non-packaged” version of the file (will be a .exe)\n\n&gt; Copy the BIOS image to the USB drive, renaming it in 8.3 format, i.e. “BIOS.EXE”\n\n&gt; Safely remove the USB flash drive from your computer\n\n&gt; Boot the server to the USB flash drive you just created. If necessary, configure the server BIOS settings to boot from USB before the C: drive, or press F11 for the server boot option menu. USB boot is a subset of boot from C: drive\n\n     &gt; The server should boot to the diagnostics utility.  Select option 4 to exit and drop to a DOS prompt\n\n&gt; Change to C:\n\n&gt; Run the BIOS update by typing in the name you selected when copying the file to USB (BIOS.EXE)\n\nThat\'s it!  Dell - if you\'re listening, please add these steps as an installation option in your online BIOS installation instructions.','HOW TO UPGRADE A DELL SERVER BIOS BY CREATING A BOOTABLE USB FLASH DRIVE','','publish','open','open','','how-to-upgrade-a-dell-server-bios-using-a-bootable-flash-drive','','','2010-11-30 17:07:09','2010-11-30 22:07:09','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2969',0,'post','',10),(2987,2,'2010-12-01 12:01:25','2010-12-01 17:01:25','<strong>IT Experts Blog About Trend Micro’s Hybrid SaaS Email Security Solution\n</strong><em>eGroup applauds the newest release of Trend Micro™ InterScan™ Messaging Security Virtual Appliance for cloud innovation.</em>\n\n<em>“The latest InterScan Messaging Security Virtual Appliance outpaces the competition. The hybrid SaaS email virtual appliance is revolutionary—it is easy to deploy and specifically tuned to handle large amounts of messaging traffic.”  </em>— Mike Carter, Principal Consultant, eGroup\n\nClick <a href=\"http://issuu.com/ewilmes/docs/ss05egimsva80101108us_1108a\">here</a> for the article.','eGROUP APPLAUDS THE NEWEST RELEASE OF TREND MICRO™ INTERSCAN™ MESSAGING SECURITY VIRTUAL APPLIANCE FOR CLOUD INNOVATION','','publish','open','open','','egroup-applauds-the-newest-release-of-trend-micro%e2%84%a2-interscan%e2%84%a2-messaging','','','2010-12-01 12:01:25','2010-12-01 17:01:25','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=2987',0,'post','',0),(3004,9,'2010-12-01 16:53:52','2010-12-01 21:53:52','With the increased growth of server virtualization and the introduction of virtual desktop infrastructures, organizations are now facing challenges associated with risk and how to mitigate those risks. Companies must ensure that virtualization technologies are deployed and used securely. To further complicate these concerns, many governments and industry associations have created regulations and standards such as HIPAA in healthcare, GLBA in financial services, and PCI Compliance in the retail industry.\n\nTo address these potential risks and meet compliance requirements, there are several Best Practices companies can adhere to including the following:\n\n• Simplify management framework and maximize visibility\n\n• Utilize Guidelines provided by virtualization vendors to harden both the hypervisor and administrative layer\n\n• Implement proper Network Security and Segmentation\n\n• Maintain proper logs and monitor those logs\n\n• Separate access to administrative control by role/privileges\n\n• Implement processes to manage configuration and change management\n\n<!--more-->eGroup has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the area of securing Virtual Environments and meeting compliancy requirements. As a VMware and RSA partner, eGroup can provide guidance in selecting the most appropriate solution to meet your security requirements. Please contact us for more information – www.egroup-us.com','SECURITY AND THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT','','publish','open','open','','security-and-the-virtual-environment-4','','','2010-12-01 16:53:52','2010-12-01 21:53:52','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3004',0,'post','',0),(3018,44,'2010-12-14 10:11:17','2010-12-14 15:11:17','In a blog entry linked <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/blog/happy-holidays-from-veeamnfrs-for-vcps-vcis-and-vexperts.html\">here</a>, Veeam has announced that it\'s offering free licenses for personal (non-production) use to certain categories of VMware certification holders.\n\nThe NFR (Not For Resale) licenses include 2 sockets of <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-backup.html\">Veeam Backup &amp; Replication v5 with vPower</a> and <a href=\"http://www.veeam.com/one-vmware-management.html\">Veeam One Solution</a>.\n\nI completed a brief online form and received my licenses. This is on the honor system - no authentication of your certification status is required. This is a great way to backup your VMware lab environment.','VEEAM OFFERS FREE SOFTWARE TO VMWARE PROFESSIONALS','','publish','open','open','','veeam-offers-free-software-to-vmware-professionals','','','2010-12-14 10:11:17','2010-12-14 15:11:17','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3018',0,'post','',0),(3030,8,'2010-12-15 23:28:23','2010-12-16 04:28:23','Something a co-worker asked me made me think about a way to store, backup and deliver ThinApp applications over the web from anywhere with as little jumping through hoops as possible.  While this is by no means a go-to market solution (VMWare View using PCOIP would be much better suited for that) or even a complete thought I was thinking what if we uploaded ThinApp applications to a SharePoint 2010 document library?  How would they be accessed?  Could we use it as the file share for our View/XenApp repository?  What benefits would it provide?\n\nSo I gave it a shot.  The answer is still being tested but the initial results seem promising.  By using the UNC path ability of a SharePoint doc library you can point View/XenApp to this repository by utilizing \\sharepointaddress.domainname.comsitedoclibraryaddress\", you can also do this from anywhere on your network (as UNC implies) and over the internet if your SharePoint 2010 solution is internet facing to access the ThinApp applications from anywhere (given the right credentials of course).\n\nBut this also had some decent side effects, you could use the power of the SharePoint document library to add descriptive data to each ThinApp application.  Such as last modified date, who packaged it, who owns it, license information, notes on the packaege, supported operating systems, etc...  Users could download the packages themselves from the library (again, credentials) and run them locally if desired.  You could configure alerts, workflows, all that fancy management stuff that makes SharePoint a great business tool to help IT manage the packaged applications.\n\nThen there is the backups, a few lines in a scheduled PowerShell script and you have complete backups of your entire SharePoint farm including content in doc libraries.  Making backup management and restoring simple and more reliable.\n\nLeave your thoughts below if you can come up with any more uses... more to come.','VMWare ThinApp APPLICATION REPOSITORY IN SharePoint 2010?','','publish','open','open','','vmware-thinapp-application-repository-in-sharepoint-2010','','','2010-12-15 23:28:23','2010-12-16 04:28:23','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3030',0,'post','',0),(3034,2,'2010-12-20 11:04:21','2010-12-20 16:04:21','Mt. Pleasant, SC—December 20, 2010—eGroup, Inc., a leading Cloud, Application, and End-User Computing Services Provider, today announced that it has met the rigorous Cisco certified personnel levels required to become a Data Center Unified Computing Authorized Technology Partner (ATP).\n\nThis designation recognizes eGroup as having fulfilled the training and program prerequisites to ensure clients that sales and support divisions are uniquely prepared to sell, design, install and support the program-specific technology and products.<!--more-->\n\n\"Achieving the Cisco ATP - Data Center Unified Computing Partner designation was very important to eGroup,\" said eGroup Principal Mike Carter. \"With today\'s customers demanding the technology to do more with less, the Cisco B-series Blade solution will allow customers to scale, provision and re-provision as the business needs change, while saving on power, cooling, valuable data center space, capital and operation expenses. Virtualization is the cornerstone of the vBlock reference architecture of the future, and with industry leading stateless server virtualization technologies from Cisco with the B-series solutions, eGroup can now provide completely virtualized private cloud solutions for our customers now and for years to come\".\n\n“eGroup’s Data Center experience makes them an ideal candidate for Cisco’s Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) Specialization focused on Unified Computing. Their holistic approach to designing data center solutions enables customer IT departments to increase their scalability and efficiency. This is an outstanding accomplishment for eGroup,” says Mike Doria, Sales Director, Data Center and Virtualization at Cisco.\n\n“Taking advantage of an architectural shift in the data center, Cisco’s new computing model can help customers transform the data center into a dynamic IT environment with the power to increase productivity, improve efficiency and drive virtualization to an entirely new level,” said John Growdon, director, Worldwide Channels Go-to-Market Group at Cisco. “As a Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Authorized Technology Provider, eGroup is a member of an elite ecosystem of industry leaders working with Cisco to stimulate technology innovation, augment service delivery, and accelerate the market adoption of unified computing.”\n\nTo qualify as a Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Authorized Technology Provider, eGroup had to meet a number of requirements. These included achieving the Cisco Data Center Networking Infrastructure Specialization and the Cisco Data Center Storage Networking Specialization as well as demonstrating mature competencies in server, storage and virtualization technologies.\n\nField demonstration in solutions delivery, combined with Customer Satisfaction metrics, were used to ensure eGroup was held to the highest standards in the selection process.\n\n<strong>About eGroup</strong>\n\neGroup provides technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in Cloud, Application, and End-User Computing Services that leverage IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies for Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high-availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.','eGROUP RECOGNIZED BY CISCO AS DATA CENTER UNIFIED COMPUTING AUTHORIZED TECHNOLOGY PARTNER','','publish','open','open','','egroup-recognized-by-cisco-as-data-center-unified-computing-authorized-technology-partner','','','2010-12-20 11:04:21','2010-12-20 16:04:21','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3034',0,'post','',0),(3036,12,'2010-12-20 12:50:31','2010-12-20 17:50:31','You can check out all the additions and release notes <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/release/notes/OL_24086.html#wp56441\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>-- but some of the cooler features I know I\'ve been waiting to see are:\n\n- FibreChannel  storage can now be directly connected to the UCS 6100 with default zone  policy (No zone configuration allowed in the 6100 but can be inherited  from an upstream MDS switch).\n\n<a name=\"wp179877\"></a>- The UCS C200, C210 and C250 servers can now be managed directly from UCS Manager. Integration details are available in the<a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/prod_installation_guides_list.html\"> C-series server installation guides</a>. Please contact your Cisco representative for additional information on connectivity and compatibility requirements.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nAnd last but not least, I thought FabricSync sounded pretty good.\n\n- The  UCS 6100 synchronizes their mac-addresses between them. It works along  with FabricFailover feature to provide faster VNIC fail over for Bare  metal and brings HA to Hyper-V virtual switch networks. It is always  turned on.\n\nVery cool stuff-- and all done with software upgrades.\n\nUPDATE: Saw this and had to add it-- there are other posts on the blog about the process of updating firmware using FTP. Was kind of a pain to get going, but they\'ve addressed the issue\n\n\"The need for setting up SCP/SFTP for image file  uploads is now optional since a direct upload from the laptop or other  UCS Manager client to UCS Manager is now possible.\"','Cisco UCS 1.4(1) RELEASED!','','publish','open','open','','cisco-ucs-1-41-released','','','2010-12-20 12:50:31','2010-12-20 17:50:31','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3036',0,'post','',0),(3046,6,'2010-12-21 14:52:48','2010-12-21 19:52:48','Trend Micro\'s <a href=\"http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/enterprise/interscan-messaging-security-virtual-appliance/\">IMSVA </a> is one great product, and it has been discussed on this page before. Mike Carter wrote a piece on IMSVA version 8.0 titled <a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2679\"><strong>\"SOON TO BE RELEASED\" TREND MICRO IMSVA8.0 = BEST OF BOTH WORLDS</strong> </a>back in September of 2010. And Liz Wilmes wrote a piece on IMSVA in December of 2010 called <strong><a href=\"http://blogs.egroup.jasonmangone.com/?p=2987\">eGROUP APPLAUDS TEH NEWEST RELEASE OF TREND MICRO INTERSCAN MESSAGING SECURITY VIRTUAL APLIANCE FOR CLOUD INNOVATION</a></strong>.\n\nI came across an issue the other day where a Trend Micro IMSVA needed a little assistance. I was not able to log into the web console and check the status, as the web service was stopped. I could get the console of the virtual appliance, and these commands came in very handy in getting the server back on its feet in no time. Hopefuly this will help you too:\n\n1. Access the OS shell of IMSVA as root\n\n2. Go to the following directory \n\n<strong>bash# cd/opt/trend/imss/script</strong>\n\n 3. Start the following services:\n\n<strong>bash# ./S99IMSS start</strong>\n\n<strong>bash# ./S99ADMINUI start</strong>\n\n<strong>bash# ./S99MANAGER start</strong>\n\n 4. Double check that SPAM filtering and mail flow are back online &amp; double check that you can access the web management page again.\n\nYou should be all set.\n\nOnce the server was back online I had an opportunity to double check and confirm via the management page that everything was operational. In the event you are using Trend Micro\'s IMSVA, which I highly recommend, you might find the above commands helpful.','TREND MICRO IMSVA: HELPFUL COMMANDS IN A PINCH','','publish','open','open','','trend-micro-imsva-helpful-commands-in-a-pinch','','','2010-12-21 14:52:48','2010-12-21 19:52:48','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3046',0,'post','',1),(3089,16,'2010-12-27 21:28:08','2010-12-28 02:28:08','I don\'t think I am paving new roads with this tidbit of information but it was somewhat of an obscure find when performing an Exchange 2003 to 2007 upgrade recently. Exchange 2007 Management Console allows many controls when manipulating internal and external URLs for accessing OWA, OAB, EWS, etc. When running the tools at <a href=\"http://testexchangeconnectivity.com\">testexchangeconnectivity.com</a> you may discover an issue with msstd when also using a wildcard certificate. This is because msstd defaults to the subdomain that is used for the External URL of Outlook Anywhere and is generally different from the Autodiscover subdomain. Furthermore it won\'t match the configure subdomain of the wildcard certificate which is \"*\". The fix is easy - run the following from the Exchange Management Shell:\n\nSet-OutlookProvider -Identity EXPR -CertPrincipalName msstd:*.yourdomain.com\n\nHere is the authoritative TechNet article from Microsoft:\n\n<a href=\"http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc535023%28EXCHG.80%29.aspx\">http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc535023%28EXCHG.80%29.aspx</a>','HANDY EXCHANGE COMMAND WHEN USING WILDCARD CERTIFICATES AND MSSTD','','publish','open','open','','handy-exchange-command-when-using-wildcard-certificates-and-msstd','','','2010-12-27 21:28:08','2010-12-28 02:28:08','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3089',0,'post','',0),(3091,16,'2010-12-27 21:32:03','2010-12-28 02:32:03','I wanted to take a moment to pass along a very useful link from the Exchange Gurus at <a href=\"http://www.msexchange.org\" target=\"_self\">MSExchange.org</a>. It relates to Exchange 2007 and the granular nature of managing folder level settings on your Public Folder Infrastructure. It is not obvious where these settings are controlled when first using the latest and greatest Exchange Management Console from Microsoft.\n\nEnjoy!\n\n<a href=\"http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Managing-Public-Folders-Exchange-Server-2007-Service-Pack1-Beta.html\">http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Managing-Public-Folders-Exchange-Server-2007-Service-Pack1-Beta.html</a>','MANAGING PUBLIC FOLDER SETTINGS IN EXCHANGE 2007','','publish','open','open','','managing-public-folder-settings-in-exchange-2007','','','2010-12-27 21:32:03','2010-12-28 02:32:03','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3091',0,'post','',0),(3055,44,'2010-12-28 03:15:51','2010-12-28 08:15:51','Ok, so I’ve drank the Kool-Aid, taken the plunge and gone Mac.\n\nI was really excited to get my hands on one, and a lot of colleagues of mine have already switched and made comments like, “You’ll never go back to a PC”, or “I rarely ever use my windows VM”.\n\nI decided to test these thoughts and go full emersion into the Mac OS, no Bootcamp partition with Windows 7 loaded as a safety net, and only allowing myself to use Fusion with a Windows 7 VM when absolutely necessary (Still no VI client on Mac.)\n\nI did install the 2011 Office Business suite and decided to use the Outlook 2011 client for my email.  But I think I will review that in a later post.\n\nOk, here are my first impressions….\n\n<!--more-->\n\n1.  It boots fast.  Yeah, I know it’s supposed to, but I was really surprised at the boot time.  It only takes about 38 seconds for the system to come to the login screen, and is instantaneously into my account after logging on.  With my Windows 7 machine it took about 2 minutes to boot and then another minute and a half for my account to load after logging on, and then another couple minutes before I could actually do anything effective.  So this was a huge efficiency boost for me.\n\n2.  While also on the subject of speed, let me throw in there that the time to come out of sleep mode is instantaneous, whereas my Windows 7 laptop took about half a minute to wake back up.  And again, as soon as I log in, I’m fully functional, up and running\n\n3.  The touchpad is by far the best thing ever invented.  Being multi-touch makes navigation so easy.  Use one finger to click, two fingers to right-click, pinch and stretch to zoom in and out, and a whole bunch more!  I have to say that my wife was able to, with no instruction from me, figure it out in no time.\n\n4.  The keyboard is super comfortable and a joy to type on, however (here comes the first negative) you will notice that there are quite a few of your normal keys missing on an Apple keyboard.  There is no “home” and “end” buttons, “page up” and “page down” are not included, and more.  There are shortcuts built into the system to address the missing keys that we are used to (like “command” and the arrow for “home” and “end” for a complete list see <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_keyboard_shortcuts\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>)\n\n5.  The MacBook display is GORGEOUS!  Crystal clear and bright. You simply can’t beat the LED monitor.\n\nSo, here are a few questions on everyone’s mind when it comes to making the switch to Mac, and my answers to them….\n\nQ.  Is it worth the money?\n\nA. In short, YES!  The MacBook hardware is vastly superior to any PC I have seen that runs for a similar price tag.  The Aluminum body is built to last, and you will find that it just “feels” stronger and more durable.\n\nQ.  Is it hard to switch from PC to Mac?\n\nA.  No.  Switching to a Mac was really simple.  I found that I was able to get used to the interface very quickly, as well as getting into the system settings and customizing it to fit me better.  After only about a day of use, I found that I was able to navigate the interface efficiently, and found that the gesturing system was very natural.\n\nQ.  What about my applications?\n\nA.  Ok, that is a question that plagues people when talking about going to a Mac, me as well.  I have found that for the most part, the apps that I used in Windows have a Mac counterpart or equivalent.  And as I stated in the beginning of this blog, I am using the Office 2011 for Mac (which takes care of most of my Office needs).  However, there are applications that are not available on Mac, yet.  And I say “yet” because with the push toward cloud computing and deployment of nonlocal apps, pretty soon it won’t matter what OS you are using.  In the meantime though, apps like the VI Client, Visio, and Project are not available for Mac OS X.  These I run on my Windows VM.\n\nAll that beginning said, what do I think?  To go Mac or not to go Mac, that is the question.  I have to say, I love my Mac.  I have been using it for about 2 weeks now, and can’t imagine going back to a regular PC.\n\nSo, I guess it’s true what I was told…Once you go Mac, you don’t want to go back.','Going Mac','','publish','open','open','','going-mac','','','2010-12-28 03:15:51','2010-12-28 08:15:51','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3055',0,'post','',0),(3099,44,'2010-12-28 15:46:07','2010-12-28 20:46:07','The following article written by blogger Eric Langley is a compelling argument for why there is no better time to take that first step on your cloud journey. Following the article see how eGroup can make the BSOD a thing of the past.<!--more-->\n\n<em>Disaster Story: Small Business Server 2008 Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)</em>\n\n<em>“Windows Small Business Server is a great value. There’s no denying that. It comes with Exchange, SQL and SharePoint. Purchasing those programs separately would cost much more than the relatively inexpensive SBS bundle. However, SBS does have it’s drawbacks.</em>\n\n<em>1) All of your eggs are in one basket. If that basket falls on the floor all of your eggs break – at the same time.</em>\n\n<em>2) You can’t have an additional Domain Controller so there is no way to restore your domain (or even log into it) other than rebuilding a failed SBS machine.</em>\n\n<em>3) It’s very difficult to migrate to new servers or upgrade SBS.\n</em>\n\n<em>Here’s this week’s Disaster Story with a Small Business Server (edited for clarity)</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n<em>“I had a blue screen which I wasn’t able to fix in our SBS 2008 after a power failure and after some time and a lot of stress from the management, I sort of panicked and in the SBS DVD I chose the repair function and did a full system [restore from] back-up [that] I thought was the raid (the only one I could see) from the 30th of November at 02.00. As everything was chaotic I didn’t wonder why there was only one back-up possibility. What I didn’t see was that the back-up was from the 30th of November 2009... I know...unforgiveable. But now its done...</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n<em>Is there any way one can roll back such a back-up - which has turned out to be a regular disaster as lots of mails and documents in the sharepoint now are lost? Ah and worst of all is that the back-up doesn’t work, but only gives me another blue screen with 0x00000058 so I am only able to access the disks via DOS. Any help will be highly appreciated.”</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n<em>This is a very sad story. Mostly because there was probably nothing wrong with the hard disks and data. Typically a BSOD has something to do with the hardware, maybe the motherboard or memory. The best thing you can do in a case like this is take a complete image of the disks before doing anything else. That way you have a place to go back to if necessary, as in this case.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n<em>This story really shows the needs for good backups, verification and the need for server disaster recovery. In this case the easy thing to do would have been to simply switch over to the standby failover server and go about your business as normal. Then you can take your time to find out why this machine has died.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n<em>Too expensive to have a failover server you say? Not in this case.”</em>\n\nIf you are going to keep all of your eggs in one basket, I recommend you consider one built by eGroup.\nOur highly available, redundant, virtual solutions for Small and Medium businesses will put an end to the blue screen without putting an end to your budget. Virtualization leaders VMware and Veeam now offer competitively priced SMB bundles which makes you a serious competitor at a reasonable price.\n\nVMware Essentials Plus offers:\n• High Availability\n• Data Recovery\n• On the fly migration of live VM’s from one host to another (vMotion)\n\nVeeam Essentials complements VMware’s offering with:\n• 2-in-1: backup and replication\n• Performance monitoring and alerting\n• 24x7 monitoring and alerting and a comprehensive, performance-oriented view of your virtual infrastructure that complements vCenter Server\n\nYour business can now compete all day, every day. No downtime. No loss of productivity. All for the price of 2 new servers. Furthermore, consolidating your physical server environment into a virtual environment effectively ends the days of purchasing additional severs. As your business grows so does the virtual environment, adding new machines is as simple as a few clicks of the mouse. Getting started is a lot easier than you think and eGroup will be happy to assist you in taking that first step to your very own private cloud.','SMALL BUSINESS DISASTER STORY','','publish','open','open','','small-business-disaster-story','','','2010-12-28 15:46:07','2010-12-28 20:46:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3099',0,'post','',1),(3109,11,'2010-12-30 14:06:03','2010-12-30 19:06:03','eGroup is all about offering opportunities to improve the health of its employees. One of the new things we will be doing, beginning in Janaury, is a short group run/jog over lunch. Beginning Wednesday 1/5/2011 and on all Wednesdays in January, we will meet at 12:15 PM in front of Primetime Fitness on Sullivan\'s Island for a relatively short run (jog/walk) of about 2 miles.\n\nNon eGroup employees are welcome too!  We would love to have friends/customers/associates join us!  Email Ben Gaddy at <a href=\"mailto:ben.gaddy@eGroup-us.com\">ben.gaddy@eGroup-us.com</a> to join, or feel free to just show up!\n\n<!--more-->\n\nDepending on interest and participation in January, we will likely continue this in February, changing things up with runs after work. We will also use these as training runs in preparation for the <a href=\"http://www.ifivek.com\">iFiveK</a> coming in April, as the competition grows in the battle between eGroup\'s own Catherine Carter and Daniel Navarro at the upcoming race.','eGROUP RUNS INTO THE NEW YEAR','','publish','open','open','','egroup-runs-into-the-new-year','','','2010-12-30 14:06:03','2010-12-30 19:06:03','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3109',0,'post','',0),(3101,44,'2010-12-30 14:53:41','2010-12-30 19:53:41','Protego is a company that has been involved with the development of flame arresters, valves and tank accessories for industrial process engineering for more than 50 years. Headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, Protego has locations across the world including one in Charleston,SC.<!--more-->\n\nThe Charleston location employs 16 and manages data both locally and over the WAN with their primary data center in Germany. Protego is currently exploring options to its outdated infrastructure. eGroup was approached and have suggested a hosted solution utilizing our eCloud service.\n\nCurrently Protego manages one server with no backups. Their network consists of a wireless router, Netgear Switch, and an aging Cisco Hub. They have no dedicated IT staff and limited knowledge of their environment.\n\nEnter eCloud, a safe, secure, and affordable solution to Protego’s problem. eGroup would replace Protego’s current network with a Cisco Wireless Security Appliance and a Gigabit speed switch onsite and migrate their server and its data into the eCloud. Utilizing the advantages within the cloud Protego would now have access to a robust and highly available virtual server utilizing image level backups supported by eGroup’s engineers on a monthly basis.\n\nJust a few advantages Protego might benefit from utilizing the eCloud include:\n• Minimal upfront costs\n• Predictable monthly expenses\n• No dealing with security vulnerabilities or network uptime\n\nIt would seem Protego has an easy choice to make. No hassle “enterprise” technology at a “small business” price.','A SILVER LINING ON EVERY eCLOUD','','publish','open','open','','a-silver-lining-on-every-ecloud','','','2010-12-30 14:53:41','2010-12-30 19:53:41','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3101',0,'post','',0),(3135,13,'2010-12-30 17:05:35','2010-12-30 22:05:35','I ran across a very interesting article about a Trojan Virus called Geinimi that has been affecting numerous cell phones around the world.  If anyone has an Android phone or any smart phone for that matter, make sure to keep the lasted and up to date anti-virus application on your phone.  This particular Trojan virus is “designed to allow an attacker access to an Android phone to give them the ability to do anything they wish,” that is something I personally do not want to happen to me and I am sure everyone else will agree with me on that.  Phones now a days, in my opinion, are just as important to protect as your work and personal computers.  \n\n<!--more-->\n\nThis article can be found at    <a href=\"http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1972164/trojan_virus_affecting_android_phones/\">Trojan Virus Affecting Android Phones</a>','ANDROID PHONES BE ON THE LOOKOUT!','','publish','open','open','','android-phones-be-on-the-lookout','','','2010-12-30 17:05:35','2010-12-30 22:05:35','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3135',0,'post','',0),(3141,11,'2010-12-31 11:15:29','2010-12-31 16:15:29','Cisco has announced an extension on some of the UCS YES Bundle promotion! <span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\"> </span>All five of the UCS B-Series bundles in the YES program will be available at the discounted price through January 14, 2011!\n\nAs a reminder here is a brief listing of the (5) B Series Bundles that are part of the extended promotion:\n\n<!--more-->\n\n1) The Value B200 Bundle - list price of $97,023 with a comparison list price of $157,527 for the same system non bundled. This system contains (4) B200 M2 Blades, (1) Chassis and, Redundant N6120\'s.\n\n2)  The Performance B200 Bundle - list price of $165,978 with a comparison list price of $238,396 for the same system non bundled. This system contains (8) B200 M2 Blades, (2) Chassis and, Redundant N6120\'s.\n\n3)  The Performance B230 Bundle - list price of $175,502 with a comparison list price of $257,948 for the same system non bundled. This system contains (4) B230 M1 Blades, (1) Chassis and, Redundant N6120\'s.\n\n4)  The Value B250 Bundle - list price of $116,919 with a comparison list price of $181,971 for the same system non bundled. This system contains (2) B250 M2 Blades, (1) Chassis and, Redundant N6120\'s.\n\n5)  The Performance B200 Bundle - list price of $266,488 with a comparison list price of $375,356 for the same system non bundled. This system contains (6) B250 M2 Blades, (2) Chassis and, Redundant N6120\'s.','CISCO EXTENDS YES BUNDLE PROMOTION THROUGH 1/14/2011!','','publish','open','open','','cisco-extends-yes-bundle-promotion-through-1142011','','','2010-12-31 11:15:29','2010-12-31 16:15:29','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3141',0,'post','',0),(3154,8,'2011-01-03 20:56:52','2011-01-04 01:56:52','Old issue but came up today and I needed to resolve in IIS7 on a Windows 2K8 server.\n\n1. Inside IIS click on Application Pools.\n\n2. Locate the Application Pool for your web application.\n\n3. Right-click then Advanced Settings.\n\n4. Change Enable 32-Bit Applications to True.','\" is not a valid Win32 application. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800700C1)\"','','publish','open','open','','is-not-a-valid-win32-application-exception-from-hresult-0x800700c1','','','2011-01-03 20:56:52','2011-01-04 01:56:52','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3154',0,'post','',0),(3157,2,'2011-01-07 15:03:02','2011-01-07 20:03:02','<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/now-van-picture.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-3158\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/now-van-picture-300x141.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"141\" /></a>\n\nJoin eGroup at our Mt. Pleasant office on 1.18, where the Cisco Network on Wheels (NOW) Van will be onsite - decked with the latest in Unified Communications and collaboration, and other advanced solutions.\n\nStop by our office any time beteen 11-2 (this is an open house event) to enjoy lunch by Home Team BBQ, network with the eGroup and Cisco teams, and check out the technology. We\'ll also have our own hands-on UCS lab up and running!\n\nFor the invitation and registration link, click <a href=\"http://issuu.com/ewilmes/docs/fy11_now_van_invite_charleston_sc_jan_18\">here</a>.  We hope you can join us!','CISCO NETWORK ON WHEELS (NOW) VAN IS COMING TO MT. PLEASANT 1.18','','publish','open','open','','cisco-network-on-wheels-now-van-is-coming-to-mt-pleasant-1-18','','','2011-01-07 15:03:02','2011-01-07 20:03:02','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3157',0,'post','',0),(3162,44,'2011-01-07 15:26:17','2011-01-07 20:26:17','I was a long-time customer of ScriptLogic’s Desktop Authority for the better part of 5 years before switching sides and becoming an implementation engineer.  After leaving my old environment at my last job and walking into so many customer sites that didn’t have it, it became easily one of my most missed products I used on a regular basis and the need for so many customers to have it became extremely clear. Time and time again I’ve seen customers writing batch files to map drives or run processes, struggling with configuring printers on hundreds of desktops, and fighting with end users to keep desktops clean and secure to prevent even more problems down the road.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nLast month I had the excellent opportunity to work at a customer who was in dire need of a solution that would help them combat roaming profiles, make users desktops uniform, allow them to clean up group policy, and ease the overall burden of desktop management. I knew just the thing! Desktop Authority was absolutely the way to go. I was able to duplicate every policy they had in group policy through Desktop Authority and then remove it from group policy all together. Why would you do this you may ask… Desktop Authority is built in a way that complex policies in group policy become a little simpler. The logic behind the policies are a little more plain English and certainly easier to find than having to drill down through dozens of menus just to find the disable button for the firewall for example. Desktop Authority is able to keep it clean concise and maybe even more important, understandable!\n\nNext up was locking down the desktops. There were users with roaming profiles around the 2GB mark and you can bet that in any environment it’s going to take a long time to log in! We completely did away with roaming profiles by locking down the user’s desktops. No more saving items to the desktop, period! The customer wanted everyone’s desktop to look the same which made finding things and troubleshooting much easier for the support team. We put policies in place that would redirect their “My Documents” folder to an “H” drive which was their personal drive that they could save anything to. This way it doesn’t slow log in times and the user always knows where their files are. More importantly the files were protected… Before when users were saving everything to their “C” Drive or their desktop, more often than not when their hard drive crashed or their profile had to be deleted they always lost data! Not anymore! The data is saved on the customers SAN now through the use of that mapped drive.  We also removed the ability to set your own wallpaper and screensaver. I know, I know we are mean but we had to keep it clean. Now everyone has the same wallpaper and the “black screen” screensaver. After 15 minutes of inactivity the screensaver comes on, after 30 minutes the desktops lock preventing others from going to an unattended machine and access data.\n\nAlso in the vein of desktop optimization we were able to push every shortcut or program that each user needed. In our case we did it by Organizational Unit. Everyone in department “X” got the same shortcuts on every machine they logged into while users from department “Y” could go behind them and log into the same machine and get all the icons that they needed even though they were totally different. Another issue that was faced was mail profiles. Because users were travelling from machine to machine frequently, each time they went to a machine they had to get their mail profile setup again by calling the Help Desk. Not anymore! Desktop Authority can do that for you. Now whenever the user logs in the mail profile for that user is automatically generated, this makes things better for the user and the Help Desk.\n\nThere were many other policies we put in place to make things easier… Little things here and there, that go a long way… We mapped all essential drives they may need, set up the machines to reboot each night, configured BGInfo to load on each machine at startup, disable the IE tour, etc. This thing can do it all. Desktop Authority can replace the functionality of WSUS and patch many other non Microsoft Products as well! On my next visit we will be redoing their printing.  Currently they have no great way to setup printers. In fact they have been going to each computer and manually setting up the printers through TCP/IP ports, not anymore though. We will be able to simply pop everything into Desktop Authority and can map all the printers by user, computer, OU, you name it. It’s definitely going to take a load off but that’s a different blog all together.\n\nI said everything above to say this. Desktop Authority is an excellent product and is absolutely worth your time to check it out. You can get a 30 day demo and try it yourself! I promise it will make your life easier in some way. \n\nClick <a href=\"http://www.scriptlogic.com/products/desktopauthority/\" target=\"_blank\">Here</a> to check out the Desktop Authority website for the demo.','WHY YOU NEED SCRIPTLOGIC\'S DESKTOP AUTHORITY','','publish','open','open','','why-you-need-scriptlogics-desktop-authority','','','2011-01-07 15:26:17','2011-01-07 20:26:17','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3162',0,'post','',1),(3165,44,'2011-01-11 19:03:57','2011-01-12 00:03:57','Cisco has stepped it up again with their latest release of code, Version 1.4(1). There are lots of new features packed into this release! You now have support for the UCS B230 Blades and all new support for the UC C-Series servers, talk about total management! This simply put makes it possible to manage virtually your entire datacenter from one place, and on top of that you get an all new UCS manager too!\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThis is not to say that this release doesn’t come with its fair share of quirks however. When we were loading this on our lab gear for the very first time we quickly noticed that this setup was a little different than the previous releases. In 1.3 everything was packaged into a bundle and was easily imported.  This time it’s a little different but still not very difficult if you know the ropes. The real trick is to follow the steps and not wait around. When we were upgrading IO modules we were waiting for the new version of the code to appear after the upgrade and after some long waiting times the IO modules would restart and still show the old code. After re-reading the guide we realized it was waiting on us to complete all the other steps before it would show the newest revision. The next time we tried we moved right along through all the steps, not waiting on the IO Modules, by the time we got to the Fabric Interconnects everything was starting to look exactly as it should. It was a little time consuming but the pay off was awesome!\n\nA few of the steps we followed are below (View the Upgrade Guide <a href=\"http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/sw/upgrading/from1.3.1/to1.4.1/b_UpgradingCiscoUCSFrom1.3.1To1.4.1.html\" target=\"_blank\">Here</a>)\n\n1. Upload the necessary firmware bundle(s)\n\n2. Configure the I/O modules to use the new bundles (Update firmware), and “Activate firmware” on them leaving the “Ignore Compatibility” checkbox as well as the “Set Startup Version Only” checkbox checked.\n\n3. This is where we got hung up a bit—as the instructions weren’t very clear on when we should move on to the next component, which is the Cisco UCS Manager software itself. In short, the IO modules will not run any code version that is newer than the UCS Manager software that is currently running. So even though we tried to upgrade the code on the IO modules to 1.4(1), they stayed back at 1.3(n).\n\n 4. We moved on to the UCS Manager, and activated the firmware there. This took a little while and kicked our session to the UCS Manager software out until the update had been applied.\n\n 5. From here we moved on to the Fabric Interconnects—and it is during this process that the IO modules are rebooted again, in a 1:1 relationship with the Fabric Interconnect they’re connected to.\n\n     a. This first started with the Subordinate Fabric Interconnect—we activated the firmware there, let it reboot, and it also rebooted its attached IO module\n\n     b. Then we moved to the Primary Fabric Interconnect—same thing here.\n\n Overall not a bad experience and as I said before it was definitely worth it, the new software can now support up to 20 5108 Chassis and 1024 VLANs, and you can schedule your service profile changes.. Just to name a few!','THINKING OF UPGRADING TO UCS 1.4? YOU SHOULD!','','publish','open','open','','thinking-of-upgrading-to-ucs-1-4-you-should','','','2011-01-11 19:03:57','2011-01-12 00:03:57','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3165',0,'post','',0),(3171,22,'2011-01-11 21:37:04','2011-01-12 02:37:04','We are currently redesigning our network at Williams &amp; Fudge with the help of the guys at eGroup.\n\nOne of my responsibilities before we start converting to vlans (Yes, we have a flat network right now) is to convert all of our PCs and VoIP phones to DHCP.  With 265 PCs, that is not something I want to do manually.  And of course, my users are not capable of doing it themselves.\n\nSo here\'s a handy VBS script I found over on the technet community at this <a href=\"http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/en-us/5884b62f-0a69-48e2-af16-3c4fcc060161\" target=\"_blank\">link</a>.\n<code>strComputer = \".\"\nSet objWMIService = GetObject(\"winmgmts:\" _\n&amp; \"{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\\" &amp; strComputer &amp; \"rootcimv2\") </code>\n\n<code>Set colNetAdapters = objWMIService.ExecQuery _\n(\"Select * from Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration where IPEnabled=TRUE\")</code>\n\n<code> </code>\n\n<code>For Each objNetAdapter In colNetAdapters\nerrEnable = objNetAdapter.EnableDHCP()\nNext</code>\n\n<strong>*NOTE: This only works on Windows XP, Server 2000, and Server 2003.*</strong>\n\nUPDATE - Well after the 5-hour energy drinks were had, we realized the script above doesn\'t change from static DNS to dynamic DNS.  Here\'s the script for that:\n<code>\nstrComputer = \".\"</code>\n\n<code>Set objWMIService = GetObject(\"winmgmts:\\\" &amp; strComputer &amp; \"rootcimv2\")\n\nSet colNetCards = objWMIService.ExecQuery _\n(\"Select * From Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration Where IPEnabled = True\")\n\n</code>\n\n<code>For Each objNetCard in colNetCards\narrDNSServers = Array()\nobjNetCard.SetDNSServerSearchOrder(arrDNSServers)\nNext</code>','Force DHCP on a PC configured to static','','publish','open','open','','force-dhcp-on-a-pc-configured-to-static','','','2011-01-11 21:37:04','2011-01-12 02:37:04','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3171',0,'post','',1),(3183,5,'2011-01-15 21:16:32','2011-01-16 02:16:32','For those of you that do not follow Nick Weaver on his blog <a title=\"Nickapedia\" href=\"http://nickapedia.com/\">Nickapedia</a> or his twitter account @lynxbat, you would not know the cool and awesome applications that he has been writing.  Nick has been able to use the Kinect camera from the XBox 360 console and write a program to integrate it with vCenter.  It gives you that \"Minority Report\" type of feel.  Here is a link to his post on this.  <a href=\"http://nickapedia.com/2011/01/15/fistful-of-cloud-interactive-cloud-demo/\">http://nickapedia.com/2011/01/15/fistful-of-cloud-interactive-cloud-demo/</a>\n\nNick has been known for his \"Uberizing\" of different demo type applicaations for different EMC products.  I think that this is an awesome addition to the many different items he has worked on from EMC.  I loook forward to seeing more innovative items coming from him this year.  Be sure to check out Nicks Blog on the Interactive Cloud demo.  It is a long video, but well worth the time. \n\nAwesome Post Nick!','MINORITY REPORT IN THE CLOUD!','','publish','open','open','','minority-report-in-the-cloud','','','2011-01-15 21:16:32','2011-01-16 02:16:32','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3183',0,'post','',0),(3192,44,'2011-01-17 17:23:49','2011-01-17 22:23:49','I ran across an unusual situation recently. We have a customer who uses an Iomega ix12-300r NAS unit to provide NFS storage to their vSphere 4.1 ESXi hosts. The NAS device hung, taking down the virtual environment. It responded to a ping, but would not display the html management console.\n\nA hard reboot resolved the issue with the management console and we could log into the device, but it was still not serving NFS. It took a lot of troubleshooting before we realized the DNS server specified in the ix12-300r network settings was one of the virtual machines that was offline. We cleared the DNS field and saved the settings and the NFS shares appeared on the ESXi hosts immediately, and we were able to power on the virtual machines. It appears that if a DNS server is specified on the network settings page it must be accessible for NFS to function.\n\nIt\'s interesting to note that we used IP addresses on both the ESXi hosts and the ix12-300r, not host names, and that NFS works fine with the DNS field blank.','IOMEGA IX12-300R NFS REQUIRES WORKING OR BLANK DNS ENTRY','','publish','open','open','','iomega-ix12-300r-nfs-requires-working-or-blank-dns-entry','','','2011-01-17 17:23:49','2011-01-17 22:23:49','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3192',0,'post','',0),(3203,12,'2011-01-18 07:15:07','2011-01-18 12:15:07','After spending about 2 months with the array, I\'ve had plenty of time to form my opinions. And while our array is still running beta code, with some more great stuff expected in the GA release, it\'s hard not to be excited. Big thanks to all the EMC folks that helped us get in to the Beta program-- and to those who supported us when we hit some snags. Jason and Greg specifically-- you guys rock, big time. Thank you for all your time and mental energy.\n\nMy first thought when the SAN arrived and was unboxed was \"Wow, this looks different\". The array is visually different to someone used to CLARiiON/Celerras, but in a good way. The 25 drives in the DPE are a big change. <a href=\"http://img338.imageshack.us/i/vnxw.jpg/\" target=\"_blank\">See it here!</a>\n\nThe back of the array is just as different-- and very \"nerd-friendly\", with bright LED lights and clear numbers to identify BUS and DAEs. <a href=\"http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/489/vnxnerdlights.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Check it out-- bright nerd lights!</a>\n\nAfter getting logged in to Unisphere and clicking around a bit, I found the File and Block storage options in the same place was tremendously useful. It truly feels \"Unified\". Having the menu options on the right hand side instead of the left took some getting used to, but everything I was used to or needed access to was readily accessible. The VNX leverages all the great things of FLARE and DART, so it\'s got the familiar feel to it, though now it\'s called the VNX Operating Environment.\n\nCreating storage pools, RAID groups, carving LUNs, changing auto-tiering policies, host connectivity-- all of it really is very simple (and I will have videos up to show just HOW  simple). Check out this video on creating a block Storage Pool, carving some LUNs, and showing some of the properties of the LUNs.\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hzvx_la-sQ','EMC VNX Unified Storage Platform - FIRST THOUGHTS','','publish','open','open','','emc-vnx-unified-storage-platform-first-thoughts','','','2011-01-18 07:15:07','2011-01-18 12:15:07','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3203',0,'post','',0),(3186,12,'2011-01-18 07:20:33','2011-01-18 12:20:33','Following the announcement of the <a href=\"http://www.emc.com/about/news/press/2011/20110118-01.htm\" target=\"_blank\">VNX by EMC</a>, we are able to discuss what was previously a pretty hush-hush beta program. (Internally we’ve pronounced it as “vNIX”, and, as communicated to our  EMC friends during the beta, we want credit when that becomes popular!).\n\nThe first and largest architectural difference is the elimination of Fiber Channel for back end connectivity as well as connectivity of each of the drives in the array. This has been replaced with a 6Gbps SAS connection. That doesn\'t mean you cannot connect it to a Fiber Channel network-- don\'t get that confused. It simply means the connectivity the array had to its own DAEs and drives has been replaced (and upgraded).\n\nHardware wise, the VNX comes in an overall “denser” packaging. The DAEs now support up to 25 drives left to right, or 15 drives left to right (“normal” configuration).  AND the 25 drive DAEs only take up 2U a piece (unless it’s the 25 drive DPE—that guy is still 3U).\n\nThere’s still a little bit of confusion on this (mostly on my part)—but the 3 lower end models, the VNX5100, VNX5300, and VNX5500, go even more dense, combining what has traditionally been a drive-less DPE into a DPE with SPs on the back, 15-25 drives on the front. This comes in at 3U. The two higher end models have a 2U “SPE” with no drives—and come in what EMC called the “black widow” enclosure—similar to that of a Data Mover enclosure.\n\nSo what does it all mean? What\'s the benefit here? The benefit is a TRULY Unified Storage platform that\'s 3X FASTER, SIMPLER and MORE EFFICIENT. To showcase just how simple, I\'ve recorded a couple of videos (with more on the way) showing some configuration tasks.\n\nNow to preface the videos below-- the VNX 5300 we have is running BETA code. What awesomeness the GA code has in it, I don\'t know-- but can\'t wait to see it. So with that said, please keep in mind that what you see here may not be what you see when you buy yours :)\n\nThe first video shows the difference of the hardware from within the “new Unisphere”. You’ll see what the 25 drive DAE looks like (in our case, it’s the DPE), and see how responsive the GUI is. One of the first differences you’ll notice if you’ve spent time in the FLARE 30 Unisphere interface is that the menu options are now on the right side.\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syJjRncbKcA\n\nThis next video shows how to enable FAST CACHE-- very simple stuff. EMC\'s done a great job delivering on their message of \"SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT\" as you will see in the video below.\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrrQH4Se7FU','EMC VNX - SIMPLICITY THAT BREAKS RECORDS! ','','publish','open','open','','emc-vnx-simplicity-that-breaks-records','','','2011-01-18 07:20:33','2011-01-18 12:20:33','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3186',0,'post','',0),(3253,12,'2011-01-18 10:01:22','2011-01-18 15:01:22','A quick look at Unisphere on the EMC VNX Unified Storage Platform! The video can take it from here.\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lJp16-c5Js','EMC VNX Unisphere VIDEO TOUR','','publish','open','open','','emc-vnx-unisphere-video-tour','','','2011-01-18 10:01:22','2011-01-18 15:01:22','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3253',0,'post','',0),(3258,8,'2011-01-18 21:04:12','2011-01-19 02:04:12','First off, I love a good application virtualization challenge.  This one provided exactly that, there was a lot of packaging, repackaging, adjusting and comparing along the way but in the end we ended up with a virtualized application that performed fast and 100% of the time.\n\n<strong>The use case</strong>:  Our customer needed a way to deliver the Nexterna Clearview Client to users with Internet Explorer 6 as the compatible browser.  Due to a recent SharePoint 2010 project, the Citrix servers needed to be Internet Explorer 7 or 8.  Easy answer, virtualize IE6 with ThinApp and run it side by side on the same server with IE8.  Utilize ThinDirect to send all users accessing the Clearview web application and associated client install to the virtualized IE6 and leave all other traffic for IE8 to provide.\n\nThe application must run on a 32bit W2K3 operating sytem and SOAP 3.0 and MDAC 2.8 are dependencies.  We started off packaging the application on a clean XP virtual machine.  Success! (or so we thought) The application built and ran when performing testing in the Dirty, Washed and Clean (see <a href=\"http://blogs.vmware.com/thinapp/\" target=\"_blank\">@ThinAppGuru Travis Sales ThinApp Methodology</a>) states.  When moved over to the Windows 2003 server we found that the ActiveX controls failed to load properly and Clearview uses ActiveX controls for all of it\'s operations besides the main menu.  To clarify, the ActiveX controls seemed to load but they failed to display, no errors.\n\nSo we dug in, and by we I mean we.  We started examining the package and ensuring all the DLLs and OCX files were picked up and registered correctly by the packager.  Everything looked good.  Still worked on the XP machine (even on the Clean snapshot) so we were confidant that everything on the XP build was being packaged properly.\n\nAfter working for several hours with Travis Sales at VMWare and trying several different sandbox configurations, browser settings, etc... we decided to try a different packaging environment.  Went with a W2K3 SP2 build.  Again, the packaging process went off without a hitch.  However, this time it worked on all platforms and we finally had a successful ThinApp package.\n\nAfter doing using Beyond Compare to compare the XP capture vs. the W2K3 capture we noticed several small differences that could not be explained away easily.  Several CLSID objects in the HKLM registry directly related to the OCX files that did not appear in the XP package and a few different file sizes of core DLLs that could explain the difference in operation.  The general thought is that the Nexterna Clearview Client is at some level OS aware of what environment it is being installed to and the installer leaves out critical files/registry entries needed for server operation of the virtualized environment when being packaged in a XP environment.  We are still pursuing the loose ends but it was a good case of how utilizing a good packaging methodology can help isolate unknowns and allow you to make assumptions and test those assumptions while moving towards a successful ThinApp package.\n\nTil the next app...','THINAPPING NEXTERNA CLEARVIEW CLIENT APPLICATION WITH VIRTUALIZED IE6','','publish','open','open','','thinapping-nexterna-clearview-client-application-with-virtualized-ie6','','','2011-01-18 21:04:12','2011-01-19 02:04:12','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3258',0,'post','',0),(3261,8,'2011-01-23 17:59:47','2011-01-23 22:59:47','While setting up and working with the eGroup roadshow team to deliver another excellent VMWare User Group (VMUG) in the Myrtle Beach area I was able to get a look at VMWare\'s acquisition of Integrian\'s Alive product and came away impressed.  This isn\'t just another monitoring suite.  Alive is a self-learning analytics software that aggregates data from ALL of the popular monitoring software suites (Keynote, Cacti, Nagios, Citrix, SAP, EX2, SNMP, Hyperic, Microsoft Systems Center... Full List below) as well as generic adapters for SQL, WMI, etc... for custom monitoring solutions integration.  Alive takes the information from all of these sources and learns the environment as it collects data.  By using Patented Performance Analytics and automated real time analysis Alive is able to identify the key metrics that lead to a application failure, system failure or performance issue as well as the conditions that cause the key metric to be considered outside of normal behavior.  This gives the systems and applications admins a automated adjusting threshold analytics system for proactive monitoring of all aspects of the datacenter.  The result of not just identifying the threshold exception and reporting but identifying the factors that lead up to the threshold exception is quicker root cause analysis of factors that lead up to a performance issue or failure as well as the ability to remediate them before the end user sees the impact.\n\nAnalytics tools such as VMWare Alive become even more business critical as business start builiding out their private clouds.  Moving traditional desktop workloads from the desktop machines and into the datacenter through traditional means such as Citrix as well as the new trends in Application Virtualization (ThinApp, Citrix Profiler, App-V) and virtual desktop initiatives (VMWare View).  As more applications that have a much higher end user visibility and complex delivery mechanisms for admins to use towards the goal of simplifying end user access and performance there is an increased need for measurable results and in depth look at the current state of applications and systems in the datacenter.\n\nVMWare is running a <a href=\"http://www.vmware.com/landing_pages/vsphere-promotion/\" target=\"_blank\">promotion</a> for 50 FREE virtual machines with VMWare Alive VM for qualifying purchases/renewals of vSphere through March 1st. \n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Scoreboard1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3263 aligncenter\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Scoreboard1.jpg\" alt=\"VMWare Alive Dashboard\" width=\"600\" height=\"411\" /></a></p>\n \n\nStay tuned for more information on VMWare Alive.','VMWARE ALIVE: COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF OVERALL vSphere PERFORMANCE, HEALTH and CAPACITY','','publish','open','open','','vmware-alive-comprehensive-view-of-overall-vsphere-performance-health-and-capacity','','','2011-01-23 17:59:47','2011-01-23 22:59:47','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3261',0,'post','',0),(3016,16,'2011-01-24 23:17:18','2011-01-25 04:17:18','Recently, the development group at eGroup had the opportunity to put the Citrix XenApp SDK into action for a large customer with a 50+ servermulti-site Citrix XenApp Deployment. The main production farm is a mix of Windows 20032008 and Presentation Server 4.5XenApp 5.\n\nUsing C# and the Citrix XenApp SDK, eGroup was able to deliver a solution in the form of an MSI that allowed for quick and painless deployment to the customer\'s large Citrix installation. The Problem? A hands off reboot utility that considers time sensitive reboot windows along with zero user session disruption. The Solution? Read More to find out.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nDeployed as a Windows Service driven by an XML configuration file, the solution allows for granular control over when and under what conditions the Citrix servers are eligible for an automated reboot. The basic operation allows for servers to be automatically changed to an offline load evaluator once the server enters its reboot window. The server is then continuously monitored for a state of zero active sessions before the reboot is executed. The option to wait for a period of time and reboot regardless of user activity is also included. After reboot, the server is returned to its online evaluator for normal user operation. Several values, including last reboot time, the install location of the utility, and the online evaluator are stored in the Windows registry.\n\nReporting of the solution is handled by writing to the Windows Application Event log. Verbose Errors and Warnings are written when the server enters the reboot window, as it monitors for conditions \"allowing\" a reboot, and immediately before and after the reboot as load evaluators are changed by the application.\n\nAlso included in the package is a lightweight utility that allows for fast enumeration of all available Farm Evaluators and their attached servers. This is an improvement over the painful practice of reviewing each server for its active evaluator when dealing with large Citrix Farm deployments.\n\neGroup has the capability to develop custom applications solutions using a variety of tools from our many vendor partners including Microsoft, VMware, and Citrix. Look for soon to be posted blogs detailing several real-world challenges and solutions using ThinApp from VMware!','REAL WORLD: Citrix XenApp SDK - REBOOT UTILITY','','publish','open','open','','real-world-citrix-xenapp-sdk-reboot-utility','','','2011-01-24 23:17:18','2011-01-25 04:17:18','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3016',0,'post','',1),(3284,9,'2011-01-25 10:34:14','2011-01-25 15:34:14','This is an excellent interview with Mark Egan - CIO of VMware.\n\n   <a href=\"http://video.forbes.com/fvn/business-intelligence/how-to-use-the-cloud-effectively?partner=yahootix%3E%3Chttp://video.forbes.com/fvn/business-intelligence/how-to-use-the-cloud-effectively%3Ehttp://video.forbes.com/fvn/business-intelligence/how-to-use-the-cloud-\">Mark Egan - Forbes Interview</a>\n\nMark makes some excellent points that Small and Medium Businesses should consider as they explore their options for Cloud Computing.  Companies should look at utilizing cloud based services for their Tier 2 and 3 Apps. Begin with low risks services and as you gain a level of comfort with Cloud Computing you can begin to move Mission Critical Applications into the Cloud.  Another area of opporutnity to utilize the cloud is for Test and Development.  Why pay for infrastructure that is not needed on a daily basis when you can utilize the Cloud to provision these services on an as needed basis.\n\nFor guidance on your journey to the Cloud, please contact your Cloud Experts at eGroup.','WHERE ARE YOU ON THE JOURNEY TO THE CLOUD?','','publish','open','open','','where-are-you-on-the-journey-to-the-cloud','','','2011-01-25 10:34:14','2011-01-25 15:34:14','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3284',0,'post','',0),(3294,44,'2011-01-26 00:29:49','2011-01-26 05:29:49','<div>\n\nCisco Cius….\n\nI know that this is old news to most, but I felt like rekindling the flame a little bit as we edge ever closer to the general release of Cisco’s Android powered tablet.\n\nSo for review, here are the specs for the Cius:\n\n- The Cius features a 7” mutli-touch capacitive screen with 1024 X 600-pixel resolution\n\n-Powered by an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor\n\n-1GB of RAM\n\n-32GB of flash memory\n\n-OS – Android 2.2 Froyo (however Cisco states that they will be keeping up with newest versions of Android\n\n-It features two cameras:\n\n-A forward-facing one that is capable of 720p HD video at 30 frames per second\n\n-And also a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera capable of VGA video\n\n-Wireless antennae are built in to the Cius as well as Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities\n\n-Additionally, 3G (and 4G most likely) support for data traffic will be available\n\n-External ports (via the Media Station) include\n\n+ 3 USB Ports\n\n+ 3.5-mm headset jack\n\n+ 1-Gbps switch ports with POE support\n\n+ Additional Speaker\n\n+ DisplayPort (which is a VGA/DVI replacement – of course there are adapters available to convert DisplayPort to legacy monitors\n\n- Ports on the device itself\n\n+ Micro USB\n\n+ Micro SD slot\n\n+ HDMI\n\n+ 3.5-mm headphone jack\n\n</div>\n<div>\n<ul></ul>\nAfter this “review” the question still remains….\n\n<!--more-->\n\nIs the Cisco Cius the first “real” iPad rival?\n\nIn short I would have to say, no.\n\nThe Cius is a commercial device that is specifically targeted toward Unified Communications and Cloud Computing.  Though the iPad has apps that will allow access to a Virtual Desktop, this is a “bonus” of the iPad, where as the Cius (with it’s dock) could end up being the all in one device that us cloud enthusiasts have been looking for.  Plus, with it’s expandability and seamless integration with all of Cisco’s Unified Communication products, the Cius could really replace a desktop (or thin client), standard IP phone, and iPad (or other tablet).   I feel that this causes a Morpheus moment of “freeing you mind”.  We are moving to a world where the desktop and laptop are morphing into the same device.\n\nPlus, with the open source nature of the Android OS, this really opens the door for developers to create serious business applications that would provide a unique benefit to the device.  (No App Store red tape)\n\nOf course security is always an issue, but Cisco (being quite security conscious themselves) have made it so that the devices can be locked down pretty tight, where you can even block the Android Market.\n\nSo, is the Cisco Cius a viable Cloud Computing, Unified Communication device?\n\nI would have to say, yes.  This is really the first of its kind, and with Cisco’s backing I believe that the Cius could become very popular over the next year.\n\nLet’s hope that Cisco puts its best foot forward when the device is generally released, and keep to that under $1000 price tag.\n\nI know I’m excited to see it in action!!\n\nHere are a couple links with hands on demos of the Cisco Cius…\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pGTyj7DohU\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpIPaoq08w4\n\n</div>','CISCO CIUS - ANDROID FOR THE BUSINESS WORLD','','publish','open','open','','cisco-cius-android-for-the-business-world','','','2011-01-26 00:29:49','2011-01-26 05:29:49','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3294',0,'post','',0),(3272,23,'2011-01-26 18:55:09','2011-01-26 23:55:09','SharePoint\'s security model can be very granular, but it lacks a feature. The ability to control who can add/edit/delete folders. This can be very useful when an organization needs to control it\'s folder structure within a document library. The only way that I have found to do this is to create an event handler on the library.<!--more-->\n\nThere are a couple ways to attach an event handler to a library, but I have chosen to attach it using SharePoint\'s API through a feature receiver...\n\n<strong>Feature Receiver</strong>\n<pre><code>public override void FeatureActivated(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)\n{\n    using (SPSite site = new SPSite(\"http://www.mysite.com\"))\n    {\n        using (SPWeb web = site.OpenWeb())\n        {\n            SPList list = web.Lists[\"Shared Documents\"];\n\n            SPEventReceiverDefinition defDeleting = list.EventReceivers.Add();\n\n            defDeleting.Assembly=\n\"AssemblyName, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=4f4da34656c37ec3\";\n            defDeleting.Class = \"Namespace.ClassName\";\n            defDeleting.Name = \"ItemDeleting Event\";\n            defDeleting.Type = SPEventReceiverType.ItemDeleting;\n            defDeleting.SequenceNumber = 1000;\n            defDeleting.Synchronization = SPEventReceiverSynchronization.Synchronous;\n            defDeleting.Update();\n        }\n    }\n}</code></pre>\nAnd then we have the event handler.\n\n<strong>Event Handler</strong>\n<pre><code>public override void ItemDeleting(SPItemEventProperties properties)\n{\n    try\n    {\n        SPListItem item = properties.ListItem;\n\n        if (item.FileSystemObjectType == SPFileSystemObjectType.Folder)\n        {\n            using (SPWeb web = properties.OpenWeb())\n            {\n                if (!isOwner(web))\n                {\n                    properties.Cancel = true;\n                    properties.ErrorMessage = \"You are not authorized to delete folders.\";\n                    properties.Status = SPEventReceiverStatus.CancelWithError;\n                }\n            }\n        }\n    }\n    catch { }\n}\n\nprivate bool isOwner(SPWeb web)\n{\n    //Check to see if the user is in the owners group\n    SPUser user = web.CurrentUser;\n\n    if (!user.IsSiteAdmin)\n    {\n        return false;\n    }\n    else\n    {\n        //Only Admins can modify folder\n        return true;\n    }\n}\n</code></pre>\nThe example above only shows how to control the Delete function, but adding the Create and Modify functionality is very simple. When anyone other than an Owner of this site collection tries to delete a folder in the Shared Documents library, they will receive an error stating \"You are not authorized to delete folders.\" like the one you see below...\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SPError1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3280 alignnone\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SPError1.jpg\" alt=\"SharePoint Delete Folder Error\" width=\"580\" height=\"258\" /></a>','ENABLE SECURITY ON FOLDERS IN SHAREPOINT','','publish','open','open','','enable-security-on-folders-in-sharepoint','','','2011-01-26 18:55:09','2011-01-26 23:55:09','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3272',0,'post','',0),(3305,8,'2011-01-26 19:09:54','2011-01-27 00:09:54','Was posed a typical problem a few weeks back.  There was an application in our customers business that was updated quite frequently and the application required these updates to launch.  The problem was, the users were using the application through a terminal server on Thin Clients and XenApp published applications.  The application needed the users to be local administrators on the server in order to complete the update.  In this instance the application was a custom application from Sara Lee for transferring files, not much use for anyone else as an application... but the principal and application of ThinApp is widespread to many apps that have this issue.\n\nSolution: The ThinApp sandbox.  Packaging the applications and linking the dependencies via AppLink, we were able to deploy the application fully isolated from the terminal server.  This allowed the application to use the sandbox location (the users profile in this instance) to install and run the updates therefore bypassing the security need.  The application was able to update and run as normal as a ThinApp. \n\nThe deeper I dive with application virtualization and delivery, the more uses (and less problems) I find.  Now if only EVERY application was isolated and virtualized that would be an admins dream.  1 more down... looking forward to the next challenge.','UTILIZED VMWARE THINAPP TO SOLVE ADMIN RIGHTS ISSUES ON A TERMINAL SERVER','','publish','open','open','','utilized-vmware-thinapp-to-solve-admin-rights-issues-on-a-terminal-server','','','2011-01-26 19:09:54','2011-01-27 00:09:54','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3305',0,'post','',0),(3308,8,'2011-01-27 23:54:16','2011-01-28 04:54:16','Service Packs are always a fun time for database administrators.  Strange issues magically disappear after applying them but more importantly their release can be a bit tricky to install/recover from if something goes wrong.  Service Pack releases are a great time for the everyday data owner to take an overall look at their SQL server environment to make sure service levels, performance, data growth is all under control for the future.  Think of it as spring cleaning, you\'ll feel better once it is done!  \n\nAllow eGroup to perform a \"SQL Server Health Check\" to get your SQL Server to the latest service pack and patch levels while modeling current database configuration, performance and data protection.  Comparing those results to best practice architecture and configuration to ensure your datbaase is scalable for the future and performing optimally.  Most importantly, protecting your businesses most critical asset, its DATA!\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<a href=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SQLServerHealthCheck.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3313\" src=\"http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SQLServerHealthCheck.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"589\" height=\"762\" /></a>','SQL Server 2005 SP4 IS FOUR WEEKS OLD.','','publish','open','open','','sql-server-2005-sp4-is-four-weeks-old','','','2011-01-27 23:54:16','2011-01-28 04:54:16','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3308',0,'post','',0),(3316,2,'2011-01-28 09:26:08','2011-01-28 14:26:08','<em>eGroup to Help Customers Transition to Cloud Computing with Converged Infrastructure Platform from VCE</em>\n\nMt. Pleasant, SC – January 28, 2011 – eGroup, Inc. today announced it has joined the VCE partner ecosystem, a community of partners that are qualified to augment, resell, and deliver Vblock™ Infrastructure Platforms. Now eGroup can help customers accelerate their adoption of converged infrastructure and cloud-based computing models to dramatically reduce the cost of IT while improving their time to market.<!--more-->\n\neGroup qualifies as a Vblock Qualified Partner through its investment in technical certifications and partner designations for all of the Cisco, EMC and VMware products that comprise the Vblock.\n\n“Cloud computing solutions like the Vblock add significant flexibility and cost transparency to IT provisioning” said Mike Carter, eGroup Principal. “We are proud to offer this technology to our customers and help them create private clouds that provide value for their specific IT situation.”\n\nVblock is the industry\'s first completely integrated, tested and validated IT infrastructure offerings that combine network, storage, management and virtualization technologies with end-to-end vendor accountability. Vblock platforms support a broad range of operating systems and applications that enable customers to rapidly migrate existing applications to a virtualized environment.\n\nVCE, the Virtual Computing Environment Company formed by Cisco and EMC with investments from VMware and Intel, represents an unprecedented level of collaboration in development, services and partner enablement by four established market and technology leaders. VCE accelerates the adoption of converged infrastructure and cloud-based computing models that dramatically reduce the cost of IT while improving time to market for our customers. For more information on VCE, please visit <a href=\"http://www.vce.com\">www.vce.com</a>.\n\n<strong>About eGroup</strong>\n\neGroup provides technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in Cloud, Application, and End-User Computing Services that leverage IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies for Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high-availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit <a href=\"http://www.eGroup-us.com\">www.eGroup-us.com</a>.\n\n# # #','eGROUP, INC. IS NOW A VBLOCK™ QUALIFIED PARTNER ','','publish','open','open','','egroup-named-vblock-certified-partner-by-emc-vmware-and-cisco','','','2011-01-28 09:26:08','2011-01-28 14:26:08','',0,'http://blogs.eGroup-us.com/?p=3316',0,'post','',0),