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• Cozy – Microsoft BizTalk Server
• Rubik’s Cube Keychain – Avocent
• T-Shirt (2) – Splunk, NEC
• $5 Music Downloads – WIndows IT Pro Magazine
• Compass/Multi-Tool – Dell/AMD
• Flashlight Keychain – Microsoft Business Intelligence

Sessions for Day 3:

• CLI358 Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP): Managing GPOs with Advanced Group Policy Management
  
  Yet another piece of MDOP that we haven’t implemented yet. I like the auditing and ability to report on GPOS especially the differences report that highlights what has changed form one GPO to another. Adding it to the list for the summer.
  
  
• VIR450 Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP): Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 (Formerly SoftGrid), Sequencing Deep Dive
  
  Excellent session that went into detail on what is happening behind the scenes when you sequence an app using SoftGrid or App-V as they now refer to it. One item that was new to me was when the presenter talked about the machine used for sequencing. He mentioned that you want the machine to be as close to your normal system as possible including apps that are installed. Has to do with differences how the system handles new files and files that already exist. So if you normally have Office installed, you should install Office. This is opposite what you do if you are packaging applications for installation since they always say to have as clean a system as possible. Need to do some more digging to see specifically what best practices are for sequencing so I can setup an image for that purpose.
  
  
• UNC 361 Going Big! Deploying Large Mailboxes with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 without Breaking the Bank
  
  This was a disappointing session. The presentation itself was OK, but I was expecting more technical info on how best to support large mailboxes. Instead it was primarily about determining the costs per mailbox using different sizes and disk configurations. Basically showed that for very large mailboxes (2 GB), SATA drives actually offer a good per mailbox cost. Because you need so many, you have plenty of spindles for IO and the lower costs compensates for the large number of drives you have.
  
  
• CLI361 The Top Five Things You Have to Know When Migrating User State with Windows User State Migration Tool 3.0
  
  I’ve always avoided using USMT in our environment. We use roaming profiles and tell people to save files to their home folder on the network, so the need to migrate state is pretty low. If it could reliably move applications, it might be a different story. There a few things where settings are per machine, such as ODBC settings and such that might make sense to move that way, or searching for files stored on the local drive. Might have someone play around with it and see what it can do for us.
  
  

I headed back to the hotel after the last session to drop off my bag and pack for the trip home on Friday. I knew I’d be at the Attendee Party at Universal Studios late that night, and I was going to want to pack afterwards. That didn’t take too long, so I headed down the manager’s reception before going to wait for the bus to the park. Since the lines for the buses are usually pretty long, I started the line at least half hour early. I wanted to make sure I was on the first bus. As we passed other hotels, the lines of people were stretching all the way from I Drive back to the hotel lobby, so it was going to take several buses to clear out those lines. With a park like Universal Studios, getting there early and getting there six or seven buses later makes a big difference in how long you wait for the rides.

They handed out ponchos as we arrived at the park, but thankfully we didn’t need them, unlike last year. No rain at all all evening. I had been sitting next to someone from Amarillo who was also there alone, so we hung out and hit the rides together. Of all the attractions, the new Simpsons ride was the best. I believe this replaced the old Back to the Future ride which was never one of my favorites. Too bumpy and jarring. The Simpsons ride is a similar concept with a simulator in fornt of a large screen, but they’ve done a much better job integrating the motion of the ride vehicle with the screen. The premise is you are at Krusty the Clown’s amusement park, Krustyland, on a new ride with the Simpsons. Sideshow Bob has escaped from prison and is coming to kill the Simpsons and whoever is with them (that’s you). You definitely feel like you’re in their world. A lot of digs at Disney rides such as Captain Dinosaur’s Pirate Rip-off Ride (which looks just like Pirates of the Caribbean except with dinosaurs as pirates) and the Haunted Condo (instead of the Haunted Mansion). Probably should have gone on that a second time. Headed back to the hotel around 11:30.

• T-Shirt – Microsoft TechNet Subscription
• Screwdriver – Microsoft Windows Server 2008
• Multi-tool – Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Sessions for the day:

• SVR52-TCCL Top Ten Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering Enhancements over Windows Server 2003 Clustering, Based on Best Practices
  
  Who comes up with these names? It is a title, not an abstract. I don’t care for the interactive theatre sessions as much. The rooms are too small, the displays are too small, and the sound is usually so so. The session was overflowing with people, but managed to grab a seat when the guy next to me abruptly left. Clustering definitely looks easier in 2008, especially when adding drives to a cluster. No more taking nodes up and down. We’re not using clustering much, but when we do, I’ll want to make sure we’re on 2008 for those systems.
  
  
• MGT359 Advanced Operating System Deployment with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager: Provisioning Your Windows Deployment with Microsoft Deployment (BDD) (Part 4 of 4)
  
  Whew, an even longer name than the previous session. This was an excellent session. I wanted to go to parts 1-3, but they were all back to back and didn’t want to spend the first couple days on only one topic. My main interest was in the customization and scripting portion anyway. Ive been hesitant to move from BDD2007 to MDT since BDD is working for us. There are enough good features though, that I probably need to work on that this summer.
  
  
• OFC362 Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Administrative Architecture, Deployment, and Operations Fundamentals (Part 1 of 2)
  
  We’re just starting to move to SharePoint at work, so thought this would be a good session. It didn’t disappoint. The banter on stage seemed a bit forced, but a lot of good content. There wasn’t a lot that was new, but a good overview of how SharePoint can be architected and the implications of selecting one model or the other.
  
  
• OFC363 Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Administrative Architecture, Deployment, and Operations Fundamentals (Part 2 of 2)
  
  Once you’ve devoted the time to part 1, you may as well hang around and stay for part 2. Another good session. The banter was less forced and didn’t seem so intentionally injected. Mainly a continuation of the previous session, building on the concepts in more depth.
  
  

Nothing grabbed me in the later sessions, so I headed over to the Hands-on Lab area. Worked on:

• MGT50-HOL Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007: Protecting Microsoft Exchange Server
• MGT50-HOL Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007: Protecting Microsoft SQL Server
  
  These sessions were pretty basic, but a nice walk through on DPM with these apps. We’re moving to DPM this summer, and I’m really looking forward to it. very functional and easy to use. Less expensive too.
  
  
• MGT61-HOL Introduction to System Center Configuration manager 2007
  
  We’re still on SMS 2003 at the moment, but I’ve been planning to upgrade to SCCM for a while now. Just never seem to have the time. Yet another summer project.
  
  

I returned to the hotel to drop off my bag and get cleaned up before the evening events. Microsoft and Dell were hosting a higher ed reception over at the Westin. At first I thought I was going to need to take a cab, but quickly realized it was right behind the OCCC. So I rode the bus back to the convention center and walked all the way around the building and down Universal, getting in the door just before It started to rain. I left my umbrella in the room, so I couldn’t have timed it any better.

They were serving pizza, very tasty and more of a meal than the Expo reception the night before. Talked with some folks from William and Mary, Microsoft, and another school that escapes me at the moment. Stayed here around an hour before catching a cab over to CityWalk for the Double-Take Cluster-Funk party at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. I don’t use the product, but had read good things about last year’s party so I had signed up. The cab ride over was more than I expected, but at the Westin, you get these really nice SUV taxis, same as at the Rosen Shingle Creek. Cheaper than renting a car, so not a problem.

For food they had sushi, coconut chicken, and conch fritters. The chicken was good, the conch was disappointing, and I stayed away from the sushi. Grabbed a seat at one of the bars and camped out. Spent the rest of the evening there talking with some folks from a shipping company. Didn’t leave until around midnight, much late than I had planned. Cab ride back was less than half what I paid to get down there.

• T-shirts (7) – Syncsort/Microsoft, TrainingCamp, TechNet Magazine, ScriptLogic, Double-Take, NetApp, Brocade)
• Polo/golf shirt – Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
• Flip flops – Commvault & Sun
• Rollup Cozy – Dell/Intel
• Baseball Cap & Luggage Tag – ActiveBatch
• Yo-yo – Idera
• Pen – Numara (counted since it was a little nicer than most of the pens. Came in its own box.)
• Maracas – Microsoft
• Wristbands – Microsoft Unified Communications
• Magic 8 Ball – Commvault
• Portable speakers – Microsoft SharePoint 2007
• Note Cubes (2) – Xiotech, Dell
• Glowing VIP Necklace – Microsoft Springboard
• Remote conrol car – Microsoft
• Stamps – Microsoft SQL Server 2008
• Keychain – Microsoft SQL Server 2008
• Mints – Microsoft SQL Server 2008