Deciding on an Elective ? This might help

I guess one of the big dilemmas some all the students will be facing is making a choice between the different electives. All the three options among Security +, SQL 2005, and Exchange 2003 will lead to a MCSA and a MCSE. But which is more relevant to your job profile and your career ?

Maybe this data will help. Big Thanx to Tim for compilin this data.

What he has done for us is collected all the job posts for 'network administration' on WORKOPOLIS over a 30 day period. Then he has listed the number of times employers have listed various keywords as part of job requirements.

Keywords HITS COURSE

************ ***** *****************
UNIX = 82 -N/A-

LINUX = 59 LINUX +

LAN = 55 NETWORK +

SECURITY = 50 Security +

Cisco = 40 640-802 (CCNA)

Active Directory = 38 270,284,290,294

EXCHANGE = 29 70-284

BACKUP = 29 270, 290, 284

MONITORing = 27 270, 290

SQL = 21 70-431

VOIP = 18 -N/A-

TROUBLESHOOT = 18 A+, N+, MICROSOFT, CISCO

FIREWALL = 15 270, 290, N+, A+

WAN = 14 CCNA

VPN = 13 291

BLACKBERRY = 7 -N/A-

Cluster = 4 293

VM = 3 -N/A-

gROUP pOLICY = 3 290, 294

A+ = 2 601 AND 602

N+ = 2 N+

Of course this data is not exhaustive. Plus, if you are going to be starting as a Systems Support specialist then you want to consider doing your own research for a different job profile like `System Technician`to see what is important for the jOb requirements. Please share your research with me so that we can let the others know too.

:) Happy Holidays

More Practical Backup Solutions

Many of you have tried to master NTBackup.EXE the built in Backup tool by MS. I have already stated my point that NTBACKUP is great in theory but flawed in execution. So what do we use in the industry ?

Small / Medium Scale networks :
Arconis True Image
NTI Backup Now !
Norton Ghost ( it does a lot more than just disk imaging )

Large Scale / Enterprise Networks :
EMC Legato
CA ArcServ ( You can try out the demo to understand how powerful this product is here )
IBM Tivoli
Yosemite

So what IS the biggest problem with NTBackup ?
* Support for only Network Shares and Tape Drives as Backup Stores ( tapes are long dead )
* Not intuitive for making custom Backup Scripts

There are some solutions for these problems though.
A third-party addon known as Firestreamer-RM ^[10] extends the Removable Storage component in Microsoft Windows to support modern storage media such as external hard disks, flash memory, optical media such as CD, DVD and Blu-Ray and network file systems exposing the pieces of media as virtual tape to NTBackup which is based on Removable Storage.

An alternative to scripting is GUI software such as BackupAssist, which automates NTBackup and can perform automatic, scheduled backups of Windows-based servers and PCs using NTBackup.

==
UPDATE :
In Windows Vista and later operating systems, NTBackup was replaced by Windows Backup and Restore Center, which uses the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) file format, supports backup to modern media such as DVDs and image-based full system backups.

Windows Bashing !? or does really deserve some credit ?

Before we even start, let me make my stand clear on the ever contentious matter of Windows. Do I hate Windows ? NO. I just think there are a lot of things that can be done better. I do think Windows as a products deserves credit for being able to support almost any combination of hardware in the market and still run .. albeit crashing every now and then.

That being said, the biggest issue with Windows is not the product itself, but that there is n0 real competition to force MS to get better at its act. Scott has suggested this great article that outlines the best and worst moments of our beloved Windows' and MS History ! Thanx Scott

:)

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/50_best_and_worst_moments_windows_history

XP Unattended Install - resources

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/7/
http://www.hytekcomputer.com/Articles/XPInstall/1.shtml

A Great Cause to Support - OneMoreStep.CA

Hello Girls and Guys !

The holiday season is a great time to receive gifts and a time to share the joy and fortune by passing on gifts to loved ones. Lets not forget others who do not have the same opportunities and fortune like we do. Probably the most deserving of these many causes are little kids who are orphaned and have none to call as family.

Thats the reason that I chose to personally support along with my friends. In 2008 we launched a project to collect 1000 $ CAD and use it to get much needed supplies and funds for about 172 kids in two orphanages in remote regions of Vietnam. Instead of sending them funds, we managed to buy supplies, clothes, books, toys and medicine for about 17 Million Vietnamese Dollars !! [ Yeap .. 10$ CAD is enough to feed 20 kids 3 meals each ]

This year we are trying to raise $ 2900 and repeat last year's kind gesture. Please visit the following link to know more of the project.

HTTP://www.ONEMORESTEP.ca

How can you Help ?

• Please spread the word by telling your friends and suggesting them to donate even small amounts of 15$ / 20 $. That will go a long way in helping the little kids out.
• Also, try making a personal contribution yourself for this deserving cause.

Demo : VMWare Basics - Yet Again !

This is for those distinguished folks who could not make it to the last DEMO. Please bring along a Drive with atleast 10Gb capacity if you intend to carry back the VMware s/w and the works.

:)

Starts 1pm 4th December - FRIDAY

Lecture : IP Addressing - 1

Lets learn Binary Number System, IP Addresses, Subnet Masks in this fast paced 2 hour session. Anyone is welcome to join in. But the following students are expected to be in Attendance :

• Zain Bahnim
• Shailaja
• Ajai Jaigobin
• Shafikul Chowdhury
• Felicito Onayan
• Cymbelline Villaranda
• Ing Tuan Wong Li
• Inshan Malcolm
• Dennis Rey

Starts at 11am on 4th December - FRIDAY

Lecture : Open Sessions for the upcoming Weeks

Someone tells me that the Open Sessions for Lecture Topics is very Democratic and allows the students to pick and choose what they want to hear.

[ Makes me feel like a Radio that can be Tuned to Various Stations at the user's Choice .. Neva Mind ! ]

So here is the Schedule :

WED - Dec 02 - 11am
THU - DEC 03 - 1pm

MON - Dec 07 - 11am
TUE - Dec 08 - 1pm

THU - DEC 10 - 11am

have your topics ready, or else.. you will have to listen to my favorite topic "The Story of My LIFE"

:)

College Schedule for Winter Shutdown !

Its here and its official. School remains open from 21st Monday to 23rd Wednesday. Again 28th Monday to 30th Wednesday.

The hours are tentatively set as 9 am to 5pm.

Still leaves enough time for Santa Claus, New Year, Skating, Skiing and Ice-Fishing. Just remember NO CERTIFICATION PRACTICE EXAMS are to be taken from the 18th to 5th January.

I will be here on some of the days of course.

:)

MS Offers up a Rare gesture of Generosity ! Well .. not really

Hey Guys and Girls !

Like I have been saying for quite sometime now, MS wants to somehow get Windows 2008 off the shelves and get some change in its pockets. So far the marketing has drawn flak and the industry insiders know all too well that Server 2008 has no real new feature to justify million dollar spends on costly server hardware and consequently MS software. Agreed, there are IPSec Enhancements, better interface for management and tools like HyperV and WDS. Still, its like the classic case of buying a new car.

Essentially every car has 4 wheels, seats, brakes and a steering wheel. Now the manufacturer will never see repeat business if his latest car looks the same. Just a new body style is not a compelling reason for many to go put 30 - 40K down on a new car. But yea, the fact that the wife and kids find the neighbors car more attractive is enough to goad him to replace again.

MS has this strategy in its pocket. Let the students ( future network administrators ) get certified for less, then let them create an artificial demand in the market at their new employments. Anyways.. its a good chance for everyone to buy vouchers for CHEEEAAP !

How Cheap ? check out the links below.
http://www.prometric.com/microsoft/student

Conquering Concepts in the new Network+ module

Here is a list of Labsim Sections that are Essential for understanding Networking concepts. The other information may not be completely pertinent to your course or will be covered at length in your CCNA module :

Section 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5
Section 2.1, 2.4
Section 3.everything
Section 4.1, 4.2
Section 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.8
Section 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.5
Section 7.2, 7.3
Section 8.2, 8.3
Section 9.1, 9.4, 9.5

You can also save time by just watching videos, understanding concepts and skipping the section tests completely. The Labs are important though

Virtualization Basics with VM Ware Desktop

A small demo and walk through for installing VM Ware and virtual machines on your computer. VMware is an industry leader when it comes to Virtualization Utilities.

Starts at 10:00 am on Wednesday 25th November

Knowing Whos Who in the IT Space

Just like how the whole Film Industry looks up to the Oscars and holds its breath for the awards night, every year all IT vendors cross their fingers until they get permanently twisted for the results of the WITPro Results.

Just like how all us movie buffs also spend our precious time on the Oscars and talk about it for a while, in the Networking and IT Space all administrators love to talk about the results of this annual fete.

So if u would like to get a quick primer on all the big boys in our field the 15 pages in this article will amply point out the stars. Read up

:)

Webinar : VMware VSphere

Virtualization is the next big wave in the networking space. here is a great opportunity for anyone to learn about the fundamentals of VMware's hot selling VSphere

Cost : 79$ USD / CAD ( not sure if its usd or cad )
Worth : Atleast 500 $ of info plus a chance to flaunt it on your resume

( Ill leave it to your discretion though. heheh... i dont get paid by anyone to promote this Webinar )

NetBIOS Node types

The node type of a networked computer relates to the way it resolves NetBIOS names to IP addresses. There are four node types.

* B-node: 0x01 Broadcast
* P-node: 0x02 Peer (WINS only)
* M-node: 0x04 Mixed (broadcast, then WINS)
* H-node: 0x08 Hybrid (WINS, then broadcast)

The node type in use is displayed by opening a command line and typing ipconfig /all. A Windows computer registry may also be configured in such a way as to display "unknown" for the node type.

Microsoft has changed the way its client OS has handled NetBIOS queries and subsequently the node types. More Info is here :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/160177

Lecture : Windows Deployment Services Framework

For many of us, the thought of having to install Windows Operating Systems on hundreds of client computers can be daunting and boring. More boring than some modules of Labsim... :)

So the thought of having the entire process automated and centrally managed should make all of us very happy. Poor MS has tried their hands at perfecting this technology over the past 12 years and this is how they have fared.

Platform	Verdict
Win NT 4.0 Server based Deployment	FUBAR
Win 2000 Server - Remote Installation Services	Aborted Mission -Slow, buggy and too many hurdles to justify being practical
Win Server 2003 - RIS	Great in Theory, May work in Practice After a LOT and LOT of Pain
Win Server 2008 - Windows Deployment Services	MS Got this one Right ! Well ALMOST

Anyways, I am attempting to breakdown all the concepts behind setting up such a WDS architecture. For this to succeed we need Services like AD-DS, DHCP, DNS, LDAP, PXe to all work smoothly together, much like a Swiss watch. One wrong step and we will have to start from scratch.

Surely MS could have done a better job at integrating all this together, but yeap; we just have to learn to live with WDS.

Lecture on WDS Concepts starts at 10.30 AM on Wednesday 18th NOVEMBER

This will be followed by a LAB at 12.30 PM same day

Open Session - Lecture

Hello everyone.

Lets have an open session lecture at 11am tommorrow. Kindly shout back on the topics and I deal with them on the fly.

Thanx

:)

Scott Says : " This is how we do a Custom Windows Install"

This is to everyone who's been inquiring on unattended window xp installs and customization. If you go to the following sites there are many how-to's and programs that explain it all. There is a lot of reading to do so make sure you have some spare time :) I can answer most questions you may have on Nlite, BartPE and MSFN. I'm just learning Windows Post-Install.

So let me start off the list:

1) http://www.nliteos.com/ - This is a program that lets you customize your winxp install, from integrating service packs and hot fixes, drivers, disabling services, removing components from the install, integrating the unattend.txt file into the cd and more.

2) http://www.wpiw.net/The_Dark_Side/home.html - This is Windows Post-Install Wizard a program that allows you to create a custom post install, you can configure and define a list of programs to be included with the install and pick and choose which programs to automatically install after winxp installation.

3) http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ - This is BartPE it allows you to create what is called a Live cd of winxp, which is a bootable and installed version of XP on cd with any/all apps you want. This is useful as a troubleshooting tool when you can't boot into your computer, as you can install tools to fix problems from a windows environment and all its tools.

4) http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/1/ - This is a site that explans how to create a custom windows xp install, can be used with Nlite or on its own.

5) http://www.msfn.org/ - A great resource for everything windows, specially when it comes to customizing. I highly suggest you create an account (its's free). Any doubts/questions can be answered here and there are tones of how-to's on many subjets.

Have Fun!!

Scott

Staying Awake at Work !

phew.. its always a terrible day at work when you are sleep deprived. You lose concentration, and productivity suffers overall . Its would be even more embarrassing to doze off in front of a whole bunch of students, or in your case your co-workers at your future work place. I also realise that some of our dear video instructors have aserenading voice that can gently lull you to sleep.

So here is a primer on " How to beat Sleep at Work/ School !"

Steps

1. Use your sense of smell. A strong scent, good or bad, can make you more alert very quickly. Aromatherapists often recommend essential oils of the following plants to stimulate the nervous system and reduce fatigue (open the bottle and take a big whiff when you're feeling drowsy) :
   
   
   • Rosemary, Eucalyptus oil, Peppermint, Coffee (beans or brewed, study has shown that simply smelling coffee can awaken a person)

   
   

2. Use acupressure. Massaging any of the following points will improve circulation and ease fatigue:
   
   
   • Top of your head (lightly tap with your fingertip)
   • Top of the back of your neck
   • Back of your hands (between thumb and index finger)
   • Just below the knees
   • Earlobes^[5]
3. Take a power nap. If you have the time, sleeping for just 15-20 minutes can increase your alertness by leaps and bounds if you have a cup of coffee (or any other form of caffeine) right before you fall asleep.
4. Expose yourself to bright light, preferably natural daylight. Your body's internal clock, its circadian rhythms, are regulated by your exposure to sufficient light. Even if you're in an environment where there's artificial light, brighter is better. If you can step outside (even on a cloudy day) or look out the window for a full minute, you'll be more alert. Wherever you work, see if you can replace the light fixture or add a lamp that will brighten your workspace.
5. Keep yourself uncomfortable.
   
   • Stay on your feet as much as possible. If you have to sit down, get the most uncomfortable chair you can find. Make sure the back is upright, forcing you to sit up very straight. Don't allow your head to rest on anything--your hands, the desk, the wall.
   • Stay cold. If it's a little cold, take off your sweater or jacket so you stay on the chilly side. Open a window or put on a small fan, pointed at your face.
6. Exercise at your computer. Just because you're sitting down doesn't mean you can't use your muscles.
7. Avoid a full stomach. Munch on snacks all day, rather than having a big meal. The key is to not get a spike of sugar intake (followed by the inevitable crash). The same goes for caffeine. Break your consumption down into small doses.
   
   
   • Apple - the sweetness and tartness in the flavor, along with the "crunch" will perk you up in a healthy way
   • 

     
     
     Sunflower seeds still in the husk (put a small handful in your cheek and crack them open one at a time, using only your teeth and tongue; this will require just enough active thought and tongue movement to prevent you from dozing off, and the salt of the sunflower seeds is invigorating and stimulating; spit out the sunflower husks into a paper cup as you go, as quietly as possible so as to not disturb others around you)
   • Raisins
8. 
   Listen to music that's energizing to you; if possible, dance or sing along, even if you just bob your head or hum. Music that's irritating or jarring to you can also work. Just make sure to use headphones so you don't disturb your co-workers.
9. Every thirty minutes, do one of the following:
   
   
   • Physical activity for 2-3 minutes (jumping jacks, push-ups, jogging in place, or walk around)
   • Splash cold water on your face
   • Drink an ice cold glass of water (the coldness picks you up, and guarantees you getting up every half hour or so to go to the bathroom; you won't fall asleep on a full bladder)
   • Brush your teeth
   • Chew gum. Chewing gum stimulates muscles in your face, increasing blood flow to your head, helping you stay alert and awake.

Hmm .. i tried steps 1, 5, 7 and 9 and did not drive to work. Worked so far. But i still don't think Rainer will appreciate anyone dancing in the classroom.

:)

MS Windows7 Licensing - Decoded

Imagine a bright day in the future. You are the wise old Senior Network Architect working out of the corner office, with a swank young fashionably dressed assistant, a whole team of junior network admins and drive around in a nice Porsche. Hmm.. oki at least a Lexus for reality's sake. One of the biggest challenges you have is to justify to your top management that you indeed deserve the big bucks you are being paid as a salary. Just how do you do that ?

Well that training starts now .. and its called 'Cost Management' and 'Purchase Decision Support'. This is increasingly becoming the work of network admins and its upto us to keep costs for all products; software / hardware as low as possible. One of the biggest software costs to any company are OS licenses being paid out to Microsoft. Use the following article to understand exactly what the options are and also what features you can and cannot get from each version.

More info is available here!

Demo : Simple VPN Connectivity

Happens tomorrow at 11 am ( wednesday).

:)

Lecture : Smartphones, Netbooks and the Changing Lanscape of Client Computing

In the recent years everyone has got hooked to the buzz of smartphones. From Pres. Obama to your FedEx delivery guy; there is a phone out there that suites your bill and needs. Gone are the days when IT industry relatively discounted these small devices as playthings. Smartphones have become the game changer in today's IT infrastructure and all the vendors are embracing the enterprise and corporate networks.

Lets have a quick view of the devices, the reasons they are becoming popular and how we will have to support them in the very near future. Remember to carry your iPhones. Blackberries, HTC's, and Nokias to class tommorow.

1100 am tommorow is when its all happening.

Why Microsoft got out of the restaurant Bussiness !

Patron: Waiter!

Waiter: Hi, my name is Bill, and I'll be your Support Waiter. What seems to be the problem?

Patron: There's a fly in my soup!

Waiter: Try again, maybe the fly won't be there this time.

Patron: No, it's still there.

Waiter: Maybe it's the way you're using the soup; try eating it with a fork instead.

Patron: Even when I use the fork, the fly is still there.

Waiter: Maybe the soup is incompatible with the bowl; what kind of bowl are you using?

Patron: A SOUP bowl!

Waiter: Hmmm, that should work. Maybe it's a configuration problem; how was the bowl set up?

Patron: You brought it to me on a saucer; what has that to do with the fly in my soup?!

Waiter: Can you remember everything you did before you noticed the fly in your soup?

Patron: I sat down and ordered the Soup of the Day!

Waiter: Have you considered upgrading to the latest Soup of the Day?

Patron: You have more than one Soup of the Day each day?

Waiter: Yes, the Soup of the Day is changed every hour.

Patron: Well, what is the Soup of the Day now?

Waiter: The current Soup of the Day is tomato.

Patron: Fine. Bring me the tomato soup, and the check. I'm running late now.

[Waiter leaves and returns with another bowl of soup and the check]

Waiter: Here you are, Sir. The soup and your check.

Patron: This is potato soup.

Waiter: Yes, the tomato soup wasn't ready yet.

Patron: Well, I'm so hungry now, I'll eat anything.

[The waiter leaves.]

Patron: Waiter! There's a gnat in my soup!

The check:
Soup of the Day . . . . . . . . . . $5.00
Upgrade to newer Soup of the Day. . $2.50
Access to support . . . . . . . . . $1.00

Essential Hands-on Skills in the 70-270 course !

Recently one of your a fellow students called Melvin (names are routinely changed to protect the identity of the individual ) posed a question.

"Arun, is there a list of important things I need to learn to do with XP Pro?"

What he meant was the hands on skills that he would learn as part of the course.

So I have come up with such a list for the 70-270 course :


Installation Skills

• Run Upgrade Advisor from OS media *!*
• Create an Unattended Installation using Answer Files and Disk Duplication *!*
• Convert a Fat32 Volume to NTFS

Networking Skills

• Configure TCP/IP properties for network cards including DNS Suffixes, WINS Servers etc
• Release and renew an IP address, clear ARP Cache and DNS client cache
• Create / Join a Work group with other Windows Systems
• Join a Windows Active Directory Domain
• Configure ICF/ICS
• Create a VPN Connection to a RAS Server
• Create a Dial-up connection to an ISP
• Install IIS and host two websites

Troubleshooting Skills

• Configure remote Assistance and Send RA Invitations to an Expert
• Start / Stop Services using services console ( Services.msc) and Command prompt ( net start etc. )
• Create, delete and manage Restore Points
• Use Taskmanager to identfy resource hungry processes and to kill them
• Change the startup type of a Service and to manually start / stop / restart a service
• Configure Startup using MSCONFIG Tool
• Edit BOOT.INI file
• Change File Associations for known File Types
• Access, Search and Backup Windows Registry
• Boot to Recovery Console and Install it as a Startup Option
• Boot to Safe mode with networking and use it to roll back a driver

Productivity Skills

• Configure Outlook Express to access a email server
• Configure Dual Display and Extended Desktop
• Install an popular Anti-virus Product like Norton, Avast, Mc Afee and Configure its options and Firewall
• Install 3rd Party Browsers and Update Plugins for Flash, Java
• Install Adminpak.MSI
• Install a Bluetooth Adapter and pair a Bluetooth Device
• Update DirectX and .Net Framework
• Configure a manual Wireless connection to a residential gateway / AP using WPA
• Install a Multifunction Device and configure Printer / Scanner and Fax functions
• Install a CD-DVD Authoring Program and create Data / Audio / DVD Movies
• Use Hot Pluggable USB Devices and to Stop a USB Device before physically un-plugging it
• configure a residential Wireless gateway ( read Wirelss router ) from a Wired connection using the built in Configuration Webpages

Administration and Configuration Skills

• Create Local users and Groups
• Modify Local Computer Policy
• Enable Hibernation and to Create custom Power Management Profiles
• Install a Local / Network Printer and edit Server properties
• Create a file share and configure Share and NTFS permissions
• Map a network Drive
• Configure Multiple Languages and keyboard Layouts
• Configure Accessibility options
• Change a password for an user account without using any console
• Encrypt an NTFS File and Folder
• Use Compressed Drives and Folders

*!* Skills that are needed for your 70-270 exam but are not relevant to the industry in general.
This list is by no means EXHAUSTIVE. Please feel free to add any topics I may have forgotten in the comment section below.
:)

The History of Computers - According to the Bible

Long ago, in the days when all disks flopped in the breeze and the writing of words was on a star, the Blue Giant dug for the people the Pea Sea. But he needed a creature who could sail the waters, and would need for support but few rams.

So the Gateskeeper, who was said to be both micro and soft, fashioned a Dosfish, who was small and spry, and could swim the narrow sixteen-bit channel. But the Dosfish was not bright, and could be taught few new tricks. His alphabet had no A's, B's, or Q's, but a mere 640 K's, and the size of his file cabinet was limited by his own fat.

At first the people loved the Dosfish, for he was the only one who could swim the Pea Sea. But the people soon grew tired of commanding his line, and complained that he could be neither dragged nor dropped. "Forsooth," they cried. "the Dosfish can only do one job at a time, and of names, he knows only eight and three." And many of them left the Pea Sea for good, and went off in search of the Magic Apple.

Although many went, far more stayed, because admittance to the Pea Sea was cheap. So the Gateskeeper studied the Magic Apple, and rested awhile in the Parc of Xer-Ox, and he made a Window that could ride on the Dosfish and do its thinking for it. But the Window was slow, and it would break when the Dosfish got confused. So most people contented themselves with the Dosfish.

Now it came to pass that the Blue Giant came upon the Gateskeeper, and spoke thus: "Come, let us make of ourselves something greater than the Dosfish." The Blue Giant seemed like a humbug, so they called the new creature OZ II.

Now Oz II was smarter than the Dosfish, as most things are. It could drag and drop, and could keep files without becoming fat. But the people cared for it not. So the Blue Giant and the Gateskeeper promised another OZ II, to be called Oz II Too, that could swim the fast new 32-bit wide Pea Sea.

Then lo, a strange miracle occurred. Although the Window that rode on the Dosfish was slow, it was pretty, and the third Window was the prettiest of all. And the people began to like the third Window, and to use it. So the Gateskeeper turned to the Blue Giant and said, "Fie on thee, for I need thee not. Keep thy OZ II Too, and I shall make of my Window an Entity that will not need the Dosfish, and will swim in the 32-bit Pea Sea."

Years passed, and the workshops of the Gateskeeper and the Blue Giant were overrun by insects. And the people went on using their Dosfish with a Window; even though the Dosfish would from time to time become confused and die, it could always be revived with three fingers.

Then there came a day when the Blue Giant let forth his OZ II Too onto the world. The Oz II Too was indeed mighty, and awesome, and required a great ram, and the world was changed not a whit. For the people said, "It is indeed great, but we see little application for it." And they were doubtful, because the Blue Giant had met with the Magic Apple, and together they were fashioning a Taligent, and the Taligent was made of objects, and was most pink.

Now the Gateskeeper had grown ambitious, and as he had been ambitious before he grew, he was now more ambitious still. So he protected his Window Entity with great security, and made its net work both in serving domains and with peers. And the Entity would swim, not only in the Pea Sea, but in the Oceans of Great Risk. "Yea," the Gateskeeper declared, "though my entity will require a greater ram than Oz II Too, it will be more powerful than a world of Eunuchs."

And so the Gateskeeper prepared to unleash his Entity to the world, in all but two cities. For he promised that a greater Window, a greater Entity, and even a greater Dosfish would appear one day in Chicago and Cairo, and it too would be built of objects.

Now the Eunuchs who lived in the Oceans of Great Risk, and who scorned the Pea Sea, began to look upon their world with fear. For the Pea Sea had grown, and great ships were sailing in it, the Entity was about to invade their oceans, and it was rumored that files would be named in letters greater than eight. And the Eunuchs looked upon the Pea Sea, and many of them thought to immigrate.

Within the Oceans of Great Risk were many Sun Worshippers, and they wanted to excel, and make their words perfect, and do their jobs as easy as one-two-three. And what's more, many of them no longer wanted to pay for the Risk. So the Sun Lord went to the Pea Sea, and got himself eighty-sixed.

And taking the next step was He of the NextStep, who had given up building his boxes of black. And he proclaimed loudly that he could help anyone make wondrous soft wares, then admitted meekly that only those who know him could use those wares, and he was made of objects, and required the biggest ram of all.

And the people looked out upon the Pea Sea, and they were sore amazed. And sore confused. And sore sore. And that is why, to this day, Ozes, Entities, and Eunuchs battle on the shores of the Pea Sea, but the people still travel on the simple Dosfish.

Notice : Lecture Session on Group Policy

Hey Guys ad Girls !

Ramesh would be handling a small lecture on Group Policy tommorrow in the morning. Anyone can choose to attend.

0930 hrs

:)

Dont let your Keyboard twist your Arm

I agree that's an alarming title. Makes you believe that your keyboard is possessed and can do spooky things to you, especially around Halloween. But jokes apart, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is becoming the most common workplace injury and I hvae been personally been suffering from this for quite a few years.

Many people who have carpal tunnel syndrome have gradually increasing symptoms over time. The first symptoms of CTS may appear when sleeping and typically include numbness and paresthesia (a burning and tingling sensation) in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, although some patients may experience symptoms in the palm as well. These symptoms appear at night because people tend to bend their wrists when they sleep, which further compresses the carpal tunnel.

In early stages of CTS individuals often mistakenly blame the tingling and numbness on restricted blood circulation. They may also be at ease and accepting of the symptoms and believe their hands are simply “falling asleep”.
Occupational risk factors of repetitive tasks, force, posture, and vibration have been cited as major causes for CTS.
Thankfully, preventing CTS is not so hard. Here are a few pointers :

* Take frequent breaks from repetitive movement such as computer keyboard usage or use of browser-based games that encourage the user for excessive finger movement. Free software programs such as Workrave and Xwrits are available to remind users to take breaks and stretch their wrists.

* Reduce your force and relax your grip. Most people use more force than needed to perform many tasks involving the hands. If your work involves a cash register, for instance, hit the keys softly. For prolonged handwriting, use a big pen with an over-sized, soft grip adapter and free-flowing ink. This way you won't have to grip the pen tightly or press as hard on the paper.
* Watch your form. Avoid bending your wrist all the way up or down. A relaxed middle position is best. If you use a keyboard, keep it at elbow height or slightly lower.

* Improve your posture. Incorrect posture can cause your shoulders to roll forward. When your shoulders are in this position, your neck and shoulder muscles are shortened, compressing nerves in your neck. This can affect your wrists, fingers and hands.

* Keep your hands warm. You're more likely to develop hand pain and stiffness if you work in a cold environment. If you can't control the temperature at work, put on fingerless gloves that keep your hands and wrists warm.


* Take frequent breaks. Every 15 to 20 minutes give your hands and wrists a break by gently stretching and bending them. Alternate tasks when possible. If you use equipment that vibrates or that requires you to exert a great amount of force, taking breaks is even more important.


If you are already experiencing symptoms, this brace might come in handy.













Always remember Prevention is better than cure.

:)

Download Windows 7 Trial While You can !

For those of you who are thinking about trying out the new. super hyped Windows , here is the link to download the 90 day trial. Just remember to select the right version that matches your hardware. ( 32 bit or 64 bit )

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495.aspx?ITPID=sprblog

Oh ! please practice the Aero Shake and let the class know how much you loved it. :p

Lecture On Demand !

Hello Student ! Taking into account all the recent feedback and in order to make the lecture and hands on instruction more relevant to your current training, we have compiled a list of lecture topics. You can request for a Lecture topic to be dealt with and will be scheduled for you in the coming week. Alternatively, if not many students will be in attendance for that session; then we can handle it as a one-on-one tutoring session. please email me at andy.dell@gmail.com with your lecture requests for the coming weeks.

Windows Administration
[ Covers concepts and objectives from exams 70-270, 290 ]

Topics :
Lecture - Deployment Win XP - Imaging, RIS
Lecture - MS Product Families (From DOS to Win 7) and capabilities
Lecture - Work group vs Domain Architecture
Lecture - NTFS, FAT32, FAT16 - Features
* Lecture - POST, Boot Sequence, ARC Paths and Active Partitions
Lecture - Basic & Dynamic Disks, Partitions and Volumes, Partition Table
Lecture - Volume Shadow Copy
Lecture - Planning a Backup Strategy - Normal, Incremental, Differential and Copy backup
Demo - Creating a Backup Plan and Scheduling
Lecture - Local User Accounts, Domain User accounts
Demo - Creating and Managing user accounts in the Enterprise
Demo - Mass deployment of Multiple user accounts on Windows Domains - CSVDE, LDIFDE
Lecture - Planning and Implementing a Simple Workgroup
Demo - Creating a Windows Workgroup and File and Print Sharing
Demo - Installing Active Directory and Adding Domain Clients
Lecture - Client Server technologies used in the Enterprise ( DNS, DHCP, WINS, Webservers, Certificate Servers, Directory Servers, Domain Controllers, File Servers, WSUS )

Building Network Infrastructure using Windows Server 2003
[ Covers concepts and objectives from exams 291 ]
Lecture - DHCP Concepts 1

• Lease process - DORA
• Exclusions and Reservations
• Scope, Server and Reservation Options
• Lease Renewal and Optimizing Lease Times Fault Tolerance using - 80/20 Rule Across Subnets

Demo - DHCP Concepts 1

Lecture - DHCP Concepts 2

• SupernettingReconciling Scopes
• Rouge Server Detection
• DHCP support in ICS, Residential Gateways and RAS

Demo - DHCP Concepts 2

Lecture - DNS Concepts 1

• Understanding DNS Namespace
• Zones, Domains, Sub-domains & Delegations
• Active Directory Integration
• DNS Server Architecture on the Internet and Intranets
• The Name resolution Process
• Zone Transfers and Replication

Demo - DNS Concepts 1

Lecture - DNS Concepts 2

• DNS Record Types and Glue Records
• TTL of Name records
• Primary, Secondary and Stub Zones
• Caching Only DNS Servers
• Initiating Zone Transfers
• Securing the DNS Server cache Against Pollution

Demo - DNS Concepts 2

An Easy Way to Stay in Touch !

hey It Class !

Figured we could use a little more interaction and a ready reference tool for communicating with each other in class. From here on, I am going to post all important information to this BLOG and you can access all the buzz that happens in class.

i can also post some interesting trivia and happenings and also announcements for everyone. Feel free to comment on any post at anytime.

And oh.. you can be totally casual with me here since i dont know how to be a very formal Professor anyways.

Cheers ~!