We’ve had a few people send us e-mail via our feedback page with questions on the book. I thought I would share with everyone the more important questions that can help your effort to study. Usually if one person asked a question, more people are wondering the same thing. The first one is regarding errata. One question specifically about where to find it published. Our publisher, Sybex, handles publishing any errata for the book. It exists on their web site at: http://www.sybex.com/WileyCDA/SybexTitle/productCd-0470165340,navId-291004,pageCd-errata.html and at: http://www.sybex.com/WileyCDA/SybexTitle/productCd-0470165359,navId-291004,pageCd-errata.html. If you have found an error, they have a link available to submit the issue. I am currently working on rebuilding the lab for Vista deployment for our 70-622 Vista enterprise support book in an attempt to make it a little more user friendly. When Vista released, a bunch of new tools for deployment released with it as well as a new method of installation. That is the only issue that has been submitted to me so far. So, if you are struggling with that, I’ll admit, longish lab, I would encourage you to supplement with the Microsoft Guide here: http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/88f80cb7-d44f-47f7-a10d-e23dd53bc3fa1033.mspx?mfr=true until the updated lab is posted. I’ll update the blog when that happens. The background on a book like this is that the release is very compressed. As much as we tried to catch any issues, it’s not like writing the great American novel. We get a very limited amount of time with a brand new operating system and constantly morphing objectives for the test. We pour through the features and try to give you the information you need to meet the objectives and be proficient in support of the product. The publisher actually needs 3 or 4 months after we are done writing and reviewing to prep for publishing and distribution. You can imagine the pressure that creates on an author.
On another note, we received a very nice user review on Amazon.com for our title on the 70-623 Vista consumer support book. We love to get feedback. Otherwise, how would we know how we are doing?
If you have a question for the authors, we welcome your input and accept feedback at our website http://www.consortioservices.com. If the question applies to everyone, I will post a blog about it. - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Josh Jones and I got to interview Kalen Delaney earlier today for our podcast. It was really a lot of fun and she provided us with a lot of great information. Come hear what she had to say on CS Techcast by visiting http://www.cstechcast.com. The interview will be released in the next few weeks, probably right after our live show from PASSCamp in Denver.
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We're moving our podcast to an earlier Monday release to make sure our information is super fresh, available at cstechcast.com. This week, the second part of our chat with the authors of The Craft of System Security, Sean Smith and John Marchesini . The news gives us Google Apps for enterprise, malware slips into popular sites, a roadblock from Yahoo for Microsoft, security patches from MS and Apple, and Vista SP1 is RTM, but no one can find it. Plus the RIAA gets a nod for "Worst Tech Move of the Week", the "Weekly Tech Tip" helps out you SharePoint administrators, and we "Tech It Old School".
Show Notes
Links to stories discussed in the show:
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/02/google_lets_ent.html
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E18002573E70076F8A2.html?ref=technology
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9521#1
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Apple-Plugs-QuickTime-Malware-Installation-Hole/
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Windows-Users-Brace-for-MS-Patch-Tuesday-Barrage/
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9061838&intsrc=hm_list
http://blogs.zdnet.com/ip-telephony/?p=3184
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/02/08/riaa_wants_filters_for_end_users/
Thanks for listening. Do us a favor and fill out the listener survey, available on the cstechcast.com homepage. Spread the word about CS TechCast and leave specific show comments at this blog post. Thanks.
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We turn the big 1-0 with our latest podcast, available at CStechcast.com. This week we talk to the authors of The Craft of System Security, Sean Smith and John Marchesini, the first of a 2 part interview. The news brings the ginormous Yahoo-Microsoft merger, cable cuts in the Med makes the Internet vulnerable, Cisco manages the data center from the switch, VMWare moves beyond the hypervisor, and your boss is prepping for a recession. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week" and "A Closer Look" at tech certifications.
Show Notes
Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://www.news.com/Microsoft-bids-44.6-billion-for-Yahoo/2100-1014_3-6228705.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2008/01/ciscos_new_data.html
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9470#6
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Careers/Economic-Worries-Hitting-IT-Pros/
If you enjoy the podcast, please fill out our survey at cstechcast.com (click the listener survey button). Its free and would help us immensely. Plus, tell everyone you know to listen to CS Techcast. Leave your comments at this blog post. Thanks!
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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We had a technical glitch with the MP3 file that went out originally. If you have a problem listening to the podcast, please download it again. It's all fixed.
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Hitting our stride with a new episode of CS Techcast. We bring you a discussion on Silverlight technology with Microsoft MVP Shawn Wildermuth. Find him at the adoguy.com blog and the silverlight-tour.com web site. In the news; Microsoft on a virtualization kick, tech earnings show a little light, Vista actually sells, and offshoring not all that in smaller companies. Also, find out the "Worst Tech Move of the Week", get a "Weekly Tech Tip", "Meet You Local User Group", and we share our "Helpdesk Horror" stories.
Show Notes
Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://www.news.com/Microsoft-targets-VMware-with-new-strategy/2100-7339_3-6227023.html?tag=cd.top
http://www.news.com/Sun-reports-increased-quarterly-profit/2100-1010_3-6227625.html?tag=st.nl
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/microsoft-earnings-earn-praise-shares/story.aspx?guid=%7B4C394111-041A-4830-B91D-E8B3CF325BB5%7D
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/operating_systems/windows_seven_enough_already.html
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205917099&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/movie-industry-admits-it-overstated-piracy-on-campus/?hp
Featured User Group
The front range has SQL expertise. This week, the Denver SQL User Group, contributors to PASS Camp, meet in the Mile High City. Visit the web site for more information at www.denversql.org.
As always thanks for listening. Post your comments here, Digg it if you like it, and post a review out on iTunes or your favorite podcasting site.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Microsoft announced today (via the DataPlatformInsider blog) that Katmai, AKA SQL Server 2008, will have a feature complete CTP released in Q2, with the RTM release planned for Q3. This doesn't affect their plans to include SQL Server 2008 in their launch of the new "platform" (Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, and SQL) in Feburary. Check out the blog for more info.
There are some questions bouncing around the internet about what impact this may have on customers. And the fact is, it will have very little. Many organizations are still migrating from SQL Server 2000 (or even 7.0) and will simply have to change their timelines a little bit, and decide whether or not they should move to SQL Server 2005 versus 2008. Couple this with the naturally slow migration process for migrating a company's data to a new platform, a delay of a few months will have little impact. Though it's always nice to hear what everyone out there thinks; please feel free to leave comments and let us know what your plans are!
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Back, once again, with notable news and discussion at cstechcast.com. We talk with Microsoft MVP Brandon Shell this week, about the PowerShell scripting tool. You can find his blog at bsonposh.com. In the news, MySQL claimed by Sun and Oracle brings home BEA, Oracle patches and admin's lack thereof, EMC goes SSD, and a Macbook out of thin Air. The "Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Weekly Tech Tip", and "Meet Your Local User Group" segments round out the half hour.
Show Notes
Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/apple-macbook-air-1/4505-3121_7-32818756.html?tag=nefdprod.rev
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Storage/EMC-Breaks-New-Ground-with-SSDs-in-Storage-Arrays/
http://www.sentrigo.com/press_releases-newsid-39.htm
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/141412/oracle_releases_security_patch.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141409-pg,1/article.html
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205800904&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
Featured User Group
The Boulder SQL Users Group in Colorado is in the spotlight this week. Check them out, in person, every month and visit the website at boulder.sqlgroups.com to find all the detail. They are a part of the Colorado PASS Camp as well, a collaborative effort between the front range SQL users groups to bring training for free to their members.
If you like us, put a link to cstechcast.com on your blog or web site. Comments about the episode are welcome at this blog post. Thanks.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Information technology has been used by business for two things, to drive innovation and to cut cost. At this early point in the year, the markets have been off their rocker, losing big money and showing signs of real panic. If you want to get ahead of the curve in your role on the frontlines of IT, you do have to think about the strategy of your employer.
We are, undoubtedly, headed for more IT cost cutting. In a time of shrinking economies and, likely, shrinking jobs, you’ll want to position yourself on projects that drive costs down. The big word on everyone’s lips lately has been virtualization. The primary reason, still, for implementing virtualization is to drive down cost through consolidation. That is not to say we can’t innovate using this technology, it’s just not going to be a driving factor this year. With major moves by Microsoft announced this week in a strengthened partnership with Citrix and the purchase of Calista, this kind of strategy is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and is going to be in every CIO’s mind.
Get ready to build spreadsheets all about cost. You may get a directive to cut a data center or find a way to outsource to a third party. Virtualization will be the primary answer in these situations. Don’t expect to get much lead time either. If companies are headed towards an economic recession, you will have to implement sooner rather than later. As an administrator, if you are not up to speed on virtualization, now is the time to get your butt in gear. Grab a few books, take a few online tutorials, and get familiar with virtualization enough to know what you are looking at when you are asked to do the job.
Don’t be the odd man out in a company looking to shrink its workforce. Granted, there isn’t always much you can do when the hatchet comes down, but working on some project that will likely be seen as fat or supporting some esoteric service that the company can do without is a bad place to be sitting. Get involved on new directives and support apps and infrastructure that are unlikely to go away. Really, you want some high level skills that are not easily outsourced. If you make big money swapping out tapes and resetting passwords for a small group inside a big company, the gravy train is about to come to a halt. Having redundant jobs in a company looking to consolidate is bad news.
Don’t forget to hang onto your contacts. Networking is important. To get a leg up in those new projects or, God forbid, if it comes time to look for a new job because of cuts, strong networking is key. Don’t be a hermit in your cubicle. Get some visibility in your company and your local technology community. Get to know people. Buy them coffee or take them out to lunch. You may have a lot to do now, but you may have nothing to do in six months if people don’t see you as valuable.
It’s going to be a tough 2008 for the economy, and that reality touches all of us. Just remember, beyond picking a president and discussing the bailout that is bound to happen, you will need to take care of yourself. Get your technology skills up, position yourself to take advantage of new mandates for IT, and make sure everyone knows who you are.
By Eric Beehler, Consortio Services (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Hi all,
We noticed last night that episode 2 of our podcast, "CS TechCast", got a few hits over at digg.com. So we wanted to say thanks, and let everyone know that we appreciate any and all feedback. Something like this is not only makes us feel good (they like us, they really like us!), but helps our business out tremendously. Thanks! And remember to tune in each week!
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I am easily excited, a nice calculator watch can keep me occupied for hours on end, but that aside, the new MERGE statement in SQL Server 2008 makes me a little giddy. Gone are the days of IF....THEN logic to decide whether a row needs to be inserted, updated, or deleted. The MERGE allows you to take care of the logic and the insert all in one shot. What's more, you can compare a entire record set all at once instead of going row by row. Here's is a quick example of using MERGE. MERGE tbl_address AS current_addresses USING ( SELECT customer_objid = address_label, addressline1, addressline2, city, region, country, zipcode, is_deleted FROM @addresses ) AS source_addresses(address_label, addressline1, addressline2, city, region, country, zipcode, is_deleted) ON ( current_addresses.address_label = source_addresses.address_label ) WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (address_label, addressline1, addressline2, city, region, country, zipcode) VALUES (source_addresses.address_label, source_addresses.addressline1, source_addresses.addressline2, source_addresses.city, source_addresses.region, source_addresses.country, source_addresses.zipcode) WHEN MATCHED AND source_addresses.is_deleted = 1 THEN DELETE WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET address_label=source_addresses.address_label, addressline1=source_addresses.addressline1, addressline2=source_addresses.addressline2, city=source_addresses.city, region=source_addresses.region, country=source_addresses.country, zipcode=source_addresses.zipcode; The USING section defines the "new" data, in this case a table variable. The ON section defines the join between the new and the existing data. Finally you can have a series of MATCHED statements that do things like insert WHEN NOT MATCHED, update WHEN MATCHED, or delete WHEN MATCHED and some other values indicates delete. The possibilities are endless and the syntax is pretty clean. Have fun.
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We have extra segments on SQL from our author interview on SQL queries to our own, real life experts on MS SQL 2008 features, available at cstechcast.com as a MP3 download or a RSS subscription. Whether you do SQL everyday or just need some insight, this is a good episode. This week we chat with John Viescas, one of the authors of "SQL Queries for Mere Mortals". You can find more information from John Viescas at www.viescas.com. In the news, new chips from Intel, Microsoft SMB leases, SkyDrive being used by spammers, a new-old MBR threat, and the end of the IT department? Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", "A Closer Look", and "The Weekly Tech Tip".
Show Notes
Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141300-pg,1/article.html
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=142884
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-to-Launch-New-Licensing-Option-for-SMBs/
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Intel-Makes-Enterprise-Pitch-at-CES/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/010708-carr-it-dead.html
Featured User Group
The featured group this week, in keeping with our SQL theme, is the Colorado PASS camp. This is a joint effort with the three SQL user's groups on the front range to create an intense, two day workshop every year. Hit the web site and get the details at www.coloradopasscamp.org.
Please come back again and tell all your friends to download the CS Techcast.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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After a problem with the local telco, we are back up with our latest at cstechcast.com. We've got some humor and some know how in this episode. A nice balance if I do say so myself. This week we chat with Claudia Baca, author of "Project Management for Mere Mortals". Find her at the web site www.claudiambaca.com, where you will find additional information including white papers and case studies. Also, check out the video series Project Management for Mere Mortals(R) (Video LiveLessons). In the news; a new Firefox vulnerability, Dell and Sun team up, Office 2008 for the Mac, and Hitachi drops 1.8 inch and smaller hard drive lines. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", "The Tech News Flash Forward", and "The Weekly Tech Tip".
Show Notes
Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://googlewatch.eweek.com/content/google_vs_facebook/scoble_unmasked_as_facebook_digibomber.html
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2007/11/28/still-having-issues-post-office-2003-sp3.aspx
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST22530420080104
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/15941/
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Storage/Dell-to-Offer-Suns-Solaris-OpenSolaris-in-Servers/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140997-page,1/article.html
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205208536&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
http://blogs.technet.com/tarpara/archive/2008/01/02/office-2003-sp3-legacy-file-formats-disabled.aspx
A quick update on the Office 2003 service pack 3 issue with blocked files. Microsoft is backing down on it's overarching file blocking stance of older files as detailed in this article: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-Backs-Down-over-Office-2003-SP3-File-Blocking/. Find a tersely worded explanation of of why the file blocking was put in place at this Technet blog post: http://blogs.technet.com/tarpara/archive/2008/01/07/office-2003-sp3-the-facts-and-fiction.aspx.
Featured User Group
Our featured user group is the Colorado Springs SQL Server User Group. They focus on Microsoft SQL Server technology and the group is headed by SQL MVP and CS Techcast member Eric Johnson. Come on out and get involved. Find them at springssql.org.
As always, leave your comments at this blog post and check back every week for a new episode.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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We may not have the smooth vocal sounds of Tay Zonday, but we do have a great, new techcast that fits in a tidy half hour of your day available at cstechcast.com. This week we chat with Michael Miller, author of "Googlepedia: The Ultimate Google Resource". In the news, a new Microsoft Security Blog, security breaches are up, and a bad Santa virus. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", and "The Weekly Tech Tip".
Show Notes - Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=141991
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=141264
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2241465,00.asp
Here is the new Microsoft Security Vulnerability Research & Defense security blog discussed in our news segment: blogs.technet.com/swi/
Our featured user group is the Queensland SQL Servers User Group in Australia found online at www.qssug.org. Visit and network with your fellow tech heads in person.
Leave your comments at this blog. Happy new year and thanks to all for listening.
-Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Behold the holiday edition of our podcast at cstechcast.com. This week we chat with Steve Jones from SQLServerCentral.com about the new compression features in SQL Server 2008. Make sure you check out the web site for MS SQL help and news. In the news, Google not as cool as we thought, IE 6 security hole, new releases, and malware is becoming harder to deal with. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", and "The IT Pet Peeve".
Show Notes - Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/100900
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9053940&intsrc=hm_list
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2237467,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9348#6
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9835823-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
http://blogs.technet.com/matthewms/archive/2007/12/19/announcement-tafiti-goes-shared-source.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2007/12/19/internet-explorer-8-and-acid2-a-milestone.aspx
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2236683,00.asp
Our featured user group is the Indiana Windows User Group at
www.iwug.net. Check out the web site and show up to a meeting if you're in the area. Now's the time because Server 2008 is just around the corner.
Thanks to Eric Johnson for turning my flub into this week's title. Leave your comments at the blog. Thanks all!
-Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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The latest podcast episode with information for IT pros is posted at www.cstechcast.com, also available at iTunes and Podcastalley. This week we chat with the authors of "Virtual Honeypots", Niels Provos and Thorsten Holz, about using honeypots to help learn more about Internet attackers. In the news, going off the Rails, exploiting the JET engine, and the early release of Hyper-V. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", and "The Tech Tip of the Week". After you listen to the interview, get the book: Virtual Honeypots: From Botnet Tracking to Intrusion Detection. Also, catch the latest information at their blog; honeyblog.org. The web site www.honeyd.org documents the Honeyd project.
Show Notes - Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:
http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;899402599
http://www.news.com/U.K.-survey-IT-managers-blamed-for-staff-malaise/2100-1022_3-6222631.html?tag=cd.top
http://www.news.com/Survey-People-skills-valued-over-those-for-IT/2100-1022_3-6222828.html?tag=cd.top
http://www.forbes.com/markets/economy/2007/12/13/microsoft-virtualization-closer-markets-equity-cx_cg_1213markets41.html
http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=9340
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9325#10
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140493-page,1/article.html
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2231718,00.asp
http://techdirt.com/articles/20071212/171816.shtml
This week, our featured technology user group is the Australian SQL Server Users Group. You can find them on the web at www.sqlserver.org.au. Its worth a view, even if you don't live down under, because they have a news, articles, and podcasts available. Get out in the real world and get involved with your local user group.
Thanks for those who listen and who keep coming back. We do this with no sponsorship and just an interest in bringing you our take on technology. Tune in every week and leave your comments at this blog post. Merry Christmas.
-Eric Beehler ( |