NEBytes September Event: Windows Server 2012

For our free event in Newcastle on the 19th September I'm teaming up with my NEBytes collaborator Ben Lee to cover Microsoft's new Server release.

Windows Server 2012 is a huge release for Microsoft. Almost everything is new or improved, so don’t worry we're not going to try to cram it all into a one hour session; Instead we're giving the whole of September's NEBytes over to it!

Some of the questions thrown up by the new OS we’ll look to help answer are:

• Server 2012 utilises the same new UI as Windows 8 and defaults to a core install, does it matter and do we need the UI anymore?
• Microsoft say that this has been designed as a Cloud OS, what does that actually mean?
• Server Manager is radically different, can you really manage all of your servers with a single pane of glass?
• We've got improvements around continuous availability, Direct Access, VDI, new Dynamic Access Controls and many more features but what do these really mean to me?

In this full length Server 2012 special Ben and Jonathan will take you on a tour of the main highlights from the new OS and share some of their personal favourites. We're going to be talking storage, networking, Hyper-V and as many many more things so bring your curiosity and your propeller hat and we’ll see you there.

If you're going to be attending, please register on Eventbrite so that we can keep track of numbers.

NEBytes: Windows 8 and Imagine Cup North East

If you're in the North East of England, get yourself along to NEBytes tomorrow evening (Wednesday 21st March). I'm collaborating with Ben Lee and Ross Dargan to give you as much depth as you can handle on Windows 8, and we're getting to see what some of the student teams have been doing for the Imagine Cup.

There's plenty space, so come and join us at Newcastle University (Claremont Tower, room 1.02) from 18:30 - please register at Eventbrite if you're coming.

What's New in PowerShell v3 - the slides

This is the deck that I used at my presentation to the NEBytes user group last night. The audience was mixed IT pro/developer; 1/4 people who have used PowerShell to some degree; 2/3 had at least some awareness. The aim of the presentation was to show existing PowerShell users some of the exciting new features/directions, and persuade the rest that PowerShell has come of age and is a technology that they should be exploring.

What’s New in PowerShell v3 and Introducing Script Explorer

At the end there was a discussion about books to help you get started with PowerShell. There are some really good books out there, but to reduce the cost of entry, I'd suggest you start with some free ebooks. You can check out this post which links to some resources, and you may also find PowerShell cheat sheets useful (I did when I was getting used to the syntax). Also, look out for announcements around the public availability of the Microsoft Script Explorer for Windows PowerShell.

I also asked whether anyone would be interested in a North East (England) PowerShell Script Club? I want to discuss with those who might want to take part about how they'd like it to work for them, but one idea is to meet for half an hour before the normal NEBytes meetings so that we can share challenges we've faced or successes we've had, with the aim that we all get better through sharing our experiences. If that's of interest to you, drop me an email to jonathan at nebytes.net or @jonoble on Twitter.

PowerShell v3 at NEBytes' 2nd birthday

This month's event marks 2 years since we started the North East Bytes user group and the start of what is bound to be an exciting year with some major new Microsoft products on the horizon. I'm happy to be able to give a presentation on the 18th January to talk about the "glue" that's going to bind a lot of those things together.

My session, "What's New in PowerShell v3, and Introducing Script Explorer" aims to give some insight into what's coming in the Windows 8 timeframe for those who have already started their PowerShell journey, and also to help those who are yet to take the plunge by looking at the soon-to-be-released Microsoft Script Explorer for Windows PowerShell.

We're fortunate enough to have another interesting presentation on the night from Gary Short, another MVP and an excellent speaker, about data mining the social web.

You can see all the details, and register for this free event at Eventbrite. I hope to see you there!

NEBytes November 16th: Virtualising SharePoint and Mobile BI

Due to an abundance of quality speakers, we are running two NEBytes events in Newcastle this month. The first features a pair of UK MVPs: John Timney, talking about Virtualising SharePoint, and Jen Stirrup, with a session on Mobile Business Intelligence Using Microsoft and Tableau.

The details in their own words are as follows...

John:

Sharepoint 2010 Virtualisation remains a hot topic and for many firms it is still as yet unexplored territory and the concepts surrounding virtualisation are pushing the knowledge boundaries for Sharepoint Infrastructure Architects, Administrators and Solution Architects into areas they thought they wouldn’t need to understand, away from the physical and into the conceptual. This presentation offers an introductory view of some of the important aspects to consider when thinking about utilizing virtualization in the Sharepoint 2010 world and considers reasons for virtualizing Sharepoint 2010, supported physical and virtual platform architectures, guidelines for choosing which aspects of farm to virtualize, support and the issues it brings, considers layered designs as an easy means of visualising virtual architecture and introduces conceptual Geo-DR.

Jen:

Mobile Business Intelligence allows end users to access data to support their decisions, irrespective of time and place. The Apple iPad is the definitive tablet of the decade, and is game-changer as a credible business tool. PowerPivot is a game-changer because it places data, and data structures, back in the hands of business users. Apple’s cutting edge usability, along with PowerPivot’s accessibility, can be combined to enhance productivity for mobile business users. Together, these technologies can support Mobile Business Intelligence as an essential tool for end users who need data 'on the go'.

What you will learn from this session:

• Capabilities of Microsoft PowerPivot in terms of scalability and empowering access to data
• Using PowerPivot as source for data, viewing the visualisation via an Apple iPad
• Specific considerations for visualising data to serve Mobile Business Intelligence, supported by Tableau

Come and see Mobile Business Intelligence in action using the Apple iPad, with Microsoft PowerPivot as a data source.

Two excellent topics for IT Pros, I'm sure you'd agree!

The event is free (as usual) and you can register at Eventbrite.