Friday, January 30, 2009

Windows PowerShell Virtual User Group #8--VIDEOS

NOTE: I apologize as it seems my microphone was a bit too close to my mouth and you can basically hear me breathe in the recording when I'm not muted.

Here's the "time layout" (format is MM:SS or HH:MM:SS):
-Intro (Marco) 5:25-11:40
-June 11:40-35:00
-Compellent 36:35-57:50
-James 58:00-1:32:18
-Closing (Marco) 1:32:18-1:34:55

For the details on each speaker's topic, see HERE.

WMV format: For use with most players

Monday, January 26, 2009

Windows PowerShell Virtual User Group Meeting #8--UPDATE

I first announced my 8th meeting coming this Thursday HERE.

Update:
James O'Neill has been added to the list of speakers. He's going to be talking about his PowerShell library for managing Hyper-V.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Microsoft Scripting Games 2009 ANNOUNCED

I had asked around at Microsoft whether there would be a 4th annual Microsoft Scripting Games against this year.

It appears the Scripting Guys have recently announced that it will be a Summer Scripting Games for this year (versus being in February every year).

There is no other information currently available on their home page HERE.

If you want to have some cool challenges, and match yourself up against some of the best, this is your chance.

Doing the Scripting Games in my Speedos will be so much more cool than being fully dressed for bone chilling cold weather. My keystrokes will be so much more controlled and efficient.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Windows PowerShell Virtual User Group Meeting #8

See also: http://www.systemcenterusergroup.org/blogs/wpvug/archive/2009/01/22/windows-powershell-virtual-user-group-meeting-8.aspx

Windows PowerShell Virtual User Group Meeting #8

Time: January 29th, 2008 at 12PM EST (noon; New York time)
Place: Online via Live Meeting 2007

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To sign up:
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Registration site: http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=135049
Event Code: 135049
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This is our eight virtual event. Invited speakers that will talk about various PowerShell-related topics: June Blender (Microsoft) and Compellent (vendor)

To join:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/winserver_usergroup/join?id=J5NWMK&role=attend&pw=8%5E-%5CzqX

Video:
Video will be delivered via the Microsoft Live Meeting client

Audio:
For attendees, audio will be delivered via the Internet using your computer's speakers. There will not be a call-in number for this meeting (as was the case in the past).

Unable to join the meeting? Follow these steps:
1.Copy this address and paste into your web browser:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/winserver_usergroup/join
2.Copy and paste the required information:
Meeting ID: J5NWMK
Entry Code: 8^-\zqX

Agenda:
12:00PM-12:10PM: Introduction (Marco)
12:10PM-12:40PM: June Blender (Microsoft)
12:40PM-1:10PM: Compellent (vendor)
1:10PM-1:20PM: Closing (Marco)

Speaker topics:
*June Blender (Microsoft): "Exciting new help features in PowerShell v2".
*Compellent (vendor): Data Center management: System Center Command Set for Windows PowerShell

Monday, January 12, 2009

Windows Administration in Realtime (online eJournal)

What could be better than a free online eJournal with industry experts like Don Jones and Greg Shields (both from www.concentratedtech.com)? Well nothing!

Check out the Windows Administration in Realtime eJournal.

You need to sign up for this! Another regular is Sapien's own Jeffery Hicks.

I was just published in the January 2009. My article is on /n software's NetCmdlets.

It just happens that version 2 of NetCmdlets was officially released last week. I'm hoping to do an online presentation (or 2) on these great networking cmdlets some time soon.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

PowerShell needs some BLING!

Check out BLING.ps1 HERE. This link provides a preview of the next release of the project that will apparently all be based on PowerShell.

The project is called "Performance Analysis of Logs" (PAL).

Project description:
"Ever have a performance problem, but don't know what performance counters to collect or how to analyze them? The PAL (Performance Analysis of Logs) tool is a new and powerful tool that reads in a performance monitor counter log (any known format) and analyzes it using complex, but known thresholds (provided). The tool generates an HTML based report which graphically charts important performance counters and throws alerts when thresholds are exceeded. The thresholds are originally based on thresholds defined by the Microsoft product teams and members of Microsoft support, but continue to be expanded by this ongoing project. This tool is not a replacement of traditional performance analysis, but it automates the analysis of performance counter logs enough to save you time. This is a VBScript and requires Microsoft LogParser (free download)."

I got an error when trying to run it with v2 CTP3 (XP SP2). I reported the issue on the site.

Friday, January 9, 2009

PowerShell Challenge 2009

Over on the System Center Forum site HERE, I posted a challenge late in 2008 HERE.

Basically, I'm challenging anyone to come up with some kind of automation scenario for Operations Manager 2007 that they think I can't automate. Of course there are some things that might just not be possible, but I'm leaving that to everyone out there to find something I can't solve!

I'm offering at least $100US to the person who provides the best challenge, and will likely offer at least $50US to 2nd and 3rd place.

It didn't take Tim McFadden to come up with a good one for me (check the comments HERE). I do have a solution for his challenge, and just need to write it up in a blog post.

Fredericton .NET User Group presentation

I put on a PowerShell presentation this past Wednesday night for the Fredericton .NET User Group.

It was a blast! Using Live Meeting is a very cool way for me to extend the reach of giving out PowerShell presentations.

I would be willing to give such a presentation to any user group. Just send out a feeler email to your members if there's any interested, and let me know via a comment here (leave an email address) or email me at marcoDOTshaw_AT_gmailDOTcom.

I do all of my PowerShell virtual user group meetings via Live Meeting.