Microsoft have just announced a new certification geared to help you prove your skills on Server 2008 R2 and System Center 2012 – together the essential ingredients for building, monitoring and operating your private cloud.

Most of our IT Academy students will already have achieved Step 1 and will be just 2 exams short of this exciting new certification.

Contact the academy for more information, or to schedule your exam at our test centre.

For me that was a few years at least.  Yes I do have a MCSE.  Which one(s) do I hold? (Does it matter really?)  However they were hugely prized “back in the day” so I know some of you will want to know: was it obtained on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003?

Actually mine was the latest one issued – Windows Server 2003 (which I earned in early 2005).  For the newbies reading this, you could indeed be thinking, hold on… why am I reading a blog post about a certification released 9 years ago on technology that is equally old, no longer available to purchase and now nearing the end of its’ useful life? That is the point, people still do care, and passionately.  Don’t get me wrong – I am very happy with what those 4 letters signified, proud and pleased to have achieved the certification, however I just doubt the validity of the usefulness now when applied to technology of today. 

Well I brought up the topic to show how *some* people still rely on using this aged qualification as if it is like a support, or a throw-back to days when MCSE’s ruled the IT world back in the year 2003 when Concorde made its last commercial supersonic flight.  A truly great icon of flight now no longer with us.  Talking about flights – last week, I was doing some preparation for a course I am delivering later this month and I reached for a Server 2008 R2 book on my e-reader, and on the front cover the authors’ name was written as “Jingly Keyring, MCSE” (name have been changed to protect the author).

I thought it was funny, to see MCSE again, used as a badge of honor, especially on a book relating to a technology which effectively terminated that legacy acronym.  In my world there are no Windows Server 2003 machines left whatsoever, and I doubt/hope I will ever see one again.  Admittedly Server 2003 was a great, stable server operating system.

The next certification I will be proud to shout about will be one that qualifies me as proficient on the next version of Windows Server, whatever it may be called, and whenever it arrives…

Student run society York Entrepreneurs’ annual competition, The Market, concluded recently with the winning team taking home £1000.

13 teams took part in the four day competition completing three tasks aimed at rebranding York, to test teams’ “advertising, marketing, design and teamwork skills”.

Team Cognate, made up of Psychology students Jack Blake, Ros Baker, Joy Bothamley and Daniel Bennett, was crowned winners with Team Zeal and Team Prima coming joint second.

Amanda Selvaratnam, Head of Continuing Professional Development at University of York, attending the event said "from an employability perspective, the skills that these students are developing are vital to the workplace."

If your company would like help from students, and would like to set them a challenge, please get in touch!

We have all heard that Social Media is growing very fast, but how do Small Businesses view SM?  Many just “do not get it” and simply have too few resources (people, time and cash) to do anything about it.

Take a look at the infographic below, but if you do nothing else do this:

Register your company name now, so that as your business grows, you will still be able to “join in” when the time is right.

We continue will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

WIM Part 2: Understanding Single-Instance Storage

One of the great features of the WIM format is that it allows you to consolidate your images i.e. the ability to store multiple images within a single WIM file. The WIM format does this through compression, and single-instance storage (SIS).

What exactly is SIS? SIS is a technique that used to be referred to as single-instance store. This technique has been used across multiple Microsoft products to include Microsoft Storage Server and Microsoft Exchange, and has been around since Windows 2000 Server. SIS provides the ability to remove file duplication to optimize storage capacity. Using the secure hash algorithm 1 (SHA-1) a hash value is determined for each file within the image. SIS will then identify duplicate files based on this hash value and transparently replace the duplicate files with file system links to a single copy of the file retained in a common store.

When combining like OS images, it is not uncommon to see a more than 60 percent reduction in size in comparison to multiple separate image files see the image below where W2k8.wim represents three WIMs combined into one.

Other Resources:
Windows Imaging Format – Wikipedia
Windows Imaging File Format (WIM – Windows Client TechCenter
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

We continue will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

Understanding the Windows WIM format

The Microsoft Windows Imaging File (WIM) format was first introduced in Microsoft Windows Vista – so it is not *that* new. This is a classic case of if you tried out Vista then you are well on your way to understanding how to deploy Windows 7!
The WIM format is a file-based disk format that was designed to replace the more commonly used sector-based disk format. The two file formats differ in that the sector-based format is captured based on the actual sectors of a physical disk, while the file-based format is captured based on just the files on the disk.

Microsoft created the WIM format for more flexibility and control.  The WIM format is completely hardware-agnostic. You can capture and deploy from any system. A WIM can also be serviced offline, meaning you can selectively add, copy and delete files, drivers or even apply patches without having to re-create your image. WIM images can also be marked bootable, allowing the ability to start a machine from an image within the WIM. You can apply WIM images to partitions of any size regardless of the size of the disk from which the image was captured. WIMs also allow for the option of non-destructive deployment, meaning application of the WIM won’t erase the pre-existing data of the disk.

The WIM format also provides the ability to store multiple images within one file, and it takes advantage of the single-instance storage of file resources and file compression techniques to decrease the actual image size. A WIM can also be spanned across multiple discs, allowing you to use a different medium for storage, CD vs. DVD.

Other Resources:
Windows Imaging Format – Wikipedia
Windows Imaging File Format (WIM – Windows Client TechCenter
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

We continue will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

Using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 to create standard images

OEM Pre-Installation provides flexibility over standard "thick" OEM pre-built images and simplifies initial setup by creating a local partition-based deployment share pre-configured by the OEM in the production process. When the user receives a new PC, the process to select role-specific applications, determine language, keyboard and locale preferences, join the domain and create the user account can be automated and completed when powering up the PC for the first time.

Video Tutorials:
Standard image for OEM
Other Resources:
Standard image strategy
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

We continue will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and let’s get deploying!

Lite Touch Operating System Installation

MDT 2010 as we have seen is a powerful tool for deployment of Windows 7 (and of course other operating systems). Harnessing the "Lite Touch" strategy allows medium/large companies to deliver High-Volume Deployment in a streamlined approach. Of course Lite Touch can be used by any company which wants to benefit from reduced support costs through providing a more consistent configuration with fewer support calls.

The Lite Touch interaction occurs at the beginning of the installation, but the remainder of the process can be fully automated. The initial investment of learning to perform a Lite Touch installation is repaid through the ability to utilise the same process over and over again. This strategy is recommended if your organisation has a dedicated IT staff, and it has a managed network with 200–500 client computers. In our region Lite Touch is ideally placed for schools, colleges and FE institutions.

Video Tutorials:
Lite Touch Migration
Other Resources:
Lite Touch Deployment
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

tags: Windows, Windows 7, Deployment, Springboard Series, IT Academy, Andrew Bettany, Migration, IT Pro, York

A new medium for sharing information across the web is starting to take hold.  Small, one page graphically appealing “info graphics” produced to showcase and highlight and convey a message.

Here is one on the Microsoft Kinect I found on the Microsoft Education UK Blog

Kinect Effect Infographic

We continue to share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

DISM: Deployment Image Servicing and Management

Back to the command line for some seriously clever image management! Previous versions of the WAIK expected you to use several tools to manage your images but that has all changed with the DISM Tool.

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a new command-line tool for Windows 7 that enables IT professionals to view components of an applied or mounted operating system image and add or remove packages, software updates, and drivers.

Video Tutorials:
DISM
Using DISM
DISM walkthrough

Other Resources:
Learning Snack: DISM
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

We continue will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

Deploying Windows 7 using the Windows Automated Installation Kit

Back to using the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) – this is the cornerstone of Windows Deployment – all the larger tools use the WAIK in some way as the underlying toolkit! The WAIK is a collection of tools and documentation that you can use to create system images and automate the deployment of the Windows operating system.

Video Tutorials:
Deploy with Windows AIK

Other Resources:
Start a Windows 7 Pilot
Deployment Strategy
Step-by-Step: Deployment
What’s new: AIK
Deployment FAQ
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

We continue will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

Getting started with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 (MDT 2010), the recommended process and toolset to automate desktop and server deployment, provides a common console with the comprehensive tools and guidance needed to efficiently manage deployment of Windows 7.

Video Tutorials:
Deployment Toolkit
Migrate with MDT 2010 (1)
Migrate with MDT 2010 (2)
Tools: Sysprep
Tools: DISM
Tools: Workbench

Other Resources:
Solution Accelerators
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

Sometimes you spot something on the web that stops you in your tracks and makes you say “wow”!

That has happened a few times to me this week, one of which I will share below:

Have you ever seen those tag clouds – some of them look amazing, and I always wondered “how do they do that” – they been clever people who “build applications” for the rest of us.

Anyways, in a Tweet, I saw a call out for “Wordle” which creates them for you! Amazing.  I pointed Wordle at our WordPress blog: http://yorkitacademy.wordpress.com/ which feeds the IT Academy news on our website, and look what Worlde came up with!

Great fun!  you see at a glance what I like to blog about Windows & Deployment!

Sometimes you spot something on the web that stops you in your tracks and makes you say “wow”!

That has happened a few times to me this week, one of which I will share below:

You all should have heard of Angry Birds?  [No, where have you been?  Angry Birds is a puzzle video game developed by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Mobile – see Wikipedia here]

Of course you’ve heard of Angry Birds – a smash hit game on ALL mobile platforms. 

So what was cool?  Well this “app industry” which is growing exponentially all around us, is not to the detriment of non-smartphone users – there is, just in time for the Christmas season, a board game of Angry Birds!  You just know you “made it”  when they make a board game out of your idea!

With 5.6 billion mobile phones on the planet and only 833 million which are capable of playing Angry Birds, I am sure that offers a huge marketplace…

Want to learn how to build an phone app?  Come along to this open day event at the University of York in November.

Over the coming weeks and months we will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

Image engineering with the Windows Automated Installation Kit

Find out how one tool from the Windows 7 Windows Automated Installation Kit can replace multiple tools from previous image maintenance tools. Learn how to use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to mount images, add language packs, and install new features — all while the Windows 7 image is offline.

Video Tutorials:
Image Engineering

Other Resources:
Windows Automated Installation Kit
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

It is 20 years since “TCP/IP” (the backbone of the WWW) was standardised, that the Internet around us continues to grow and become just as addictive and far reaching. With the rise of Internet based “cloud technologies”, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer back in March 2010 said the famous phrase:

“For the cloud, we’re all in”

Does this mean that traditional computing (client AND server) are forever changing because of the cloud?  In a simple answer: YES

We are seeing only a tip of the iceberg as far as the changes taking place in technology today; it would be fair to assume that all the big (popularly known) “cloud players” Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon (yes Amazon are very much in the cloud!) are also “all in”.  The stakes and rewards in this card game are simply too big for any of these multibillion $ companies to fold their hands.

So for what we can see right now is that tablet PCs are becoming hugely popular – just like Netbooks were 2 years ago.  However, unlike Netbook “fever”, which has almost died away – see http://ow.ly/76H1I – the big 5 listed above are expecting tablets to be very much integral to their strategy for at least the rest of this decade… Apple have their iPads, Amazon recently launched a new colour touch screen Kindle. Google have Android, Microsoft have 1 billion users of "Windows" and plan to unveil their tablet optimised operating system "Windows 8" next year, what about a Facebook Tablet?

Where does all this leave the stalwart of the IT Industry: the IT Manager, his team of Desktop Support Technicians and of course that IT Helpdesk?  Of course the answer is cloud based! 

Take one example – the tip of the above iceberg is already appearing in the traditional IT support back office: "Windows Intune”, launched this year, which is cloud based (ie an online service) that simplifies how businesses manage and secure their PCs all via a web based dashboard – this surely is a sign of future intent by Microsoft…

It may be a few years away, but I fully expect to see “Active Directory” to be completely managed from the cloud, an importantly, from anywhere! 

Internet connectivity is now such an essential component for nearly every business.  Once we allowed the internet to enrich our lives we also became “all in”.

The above views are entirely those of Andrew Bettany, manager of the IT Academy, IT trainer and speaker.

Over the coming weeks and months we will share some deployment tips and tricks, resources and guides for businesses looking to move away from Windows XP, Vista and older operating systems to the most advanced Microsoft operating system Windows 7.

Sit back, buckle in, and get deploying!

Automating File and Setting Migration with the User State Migration Tool 4.0

Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) 4.0 is a scriptable command-line tool that provides a highly-customizable user-profile migration experience for IT professionals. USMT includes two components, ScanState and LoadState, and a set of modifiable .xml files: MigApp.xml, MigUser.xml, and MigDocs.xml. You can also create custom .xml files to support your migration needs.

Video Tutorials:
Transfer User Settings
Migrate Win XP to Win 7

Other Resources:
USMT 4.0 User’s Guide
Upgrade, Migrate Guide
What USMT Migrates
Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview (TechNet Library)

Finally:
Put Your Deployment Skills To The Test – at the Springboard Series Blog

Hope you get the picture – Windows Deployment is not difficult and the benefits can be huge; more security, more productivity and a much lower ROI for your business.  Let us know how you get on!

Business to business networking is not a new concept, and yet the trend and number of groups still continues to grow; therefore it must work for many, many businesses…

The team which the IT Academy is part of, within the CPD Unit at the University of York, attends several of these networking groups, and one of them (Business For Breakfast) is looking to fill a few gaps:

Letting agent
Marketing / PR
Web design
Printer
Architect/Property Developer
Bank
Estate agent
Business park manager

If you would like to send along someone from your team, or attend yourself, then keep the date of the 18th November free – they are looking for a guest attendees from the above business sectors as part of the York Business Week.

Either drop me an email, or call me and we can refer you.

Recently I had the good fortune to meet up with a very “people focused” business, based in Leeds, Yorkshire.

What struck me during the meeting was just how much the Managing Director was very future thinking.  Normally only IT guys are aware of the ever changing IT landscape such as how cloud computing, social media and tablets are taking over the world….

So it was a refreshing change to encounter the leader of a multi-site business, (employing 30-40 people), to be actually aware and actively embracing cloud based technologies and services.

It is this type of business leaders who are striking gold whilst the majority of MDs are still mobilising their picks and shovels, or hiding behind the pain of change. 

If you are are not sure how or whether the “cloud” is a game changer to the way your business will work of the future please get in touch with the IT Academy, and we will happily discuss this further.