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Windows Storage Spaces 2012 R2 Resources

Tonight (Wed 12/18/2013) I had the privilege of giving my talk on
“Performance Benchmarking in Storage Spaces 2012 R2” for the
Cincinnati Networking Professionals Association (CiNPA).

For those who attended, and those interested in Storage Spaces, here are the resource links mentioned during the presentation:

Video – Storage Spaces: What’s New in Windows Server 2012 R2
http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/MDC-B218
Video - Storage Spaces: What’s New in Windows Server 2012 R2

Blog – Step-By-Step: Deploy Hyper-V on SMB 3.0
http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2013/12/18/step-by-step-deploy-hyper-v-on-smb-3-0.aspx
Blog - Step-By-Step: Deploy Hyper-V on SMB 3.0

Download – Iometer
http://iometer.org/doc/downloads.html
Iometer

eBay – Dell PowerEdge C1100 (2 proc, quad core, 24 GB, 1U) for $335
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Poweredge-C1100-1U-2X-XEON-QC-L5520-2-26GHZ-NO-HDD-24GB-DDR3-Tested-/261199263261
Dell PowerEdge C1100

Blog – Step-by-step for Storage Spaces Tiering in Server 2012 R2
http://blogs.technet.com/b/josebda/archive/2013/08/28/step-by-step-for-storage-spaces-tiering-in-windows-server-2012-r2.aspx
Blog – Step-by-step for Storage Spaces Tiering in Server 2012 R2

Training – Free MVA Networking Fundamentals course
http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/training-courses/networking-fundamentals
Training – Free MVA Networking Fundamentals course

Training – Free MVA Windows Server 2012: Storage
http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/training-courses/windows-server-2012-storage
Training – Free MVA Windows Server 2012: Storage

Training – Free MVA Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Jump Start: New Choices
http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/training-courses/windows-server2012-r2-storage-jump-start-new-choices
Training – Free MVA Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Jump Start: New Choices

Video – Using Microsoft Visio 2013 for Network Documentation (Parts 1-3)

  1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHNEDoncMGU
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVGtlkcR71I
  3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-odeJEtQ-U

Misc – My Pinterest #Bacon Collection
http://www.pinterest.com/timbarrett/insane-bacon-stuff/
Bacon

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Free eBook – Introducing System Center 2012 R2

Introducing Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 - Technical OverviewTitle: Introducing Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 – Technical Overview
Author: Mitch Tulloch with Symon Perriman and the System Center Team
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Published: Dec 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7356-8283-2
Pages: 180
Size: 12.4 MB
Price: FREE
Download URL: Click here for download
File: Microsoft_Press_ebook_Introducing_System_Center_2012_PDF.pdf

DESCRIPTION

Microsoft System Center is one of the three pillars of Microsoft’s Cloud OS vision that will transform the traditional datacenter environment, help businesses unlock insights in data stored anywhere, enable the development of a wide range of modern business applications, and empower IT to support users who work anywhere while being able to manage any device in a secure and consistent way. The other two pillars of the Cloud OS are, of course, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Azure, and Microsoft Press has recently released free Introducing books on these platforms as well.

Whether you are new to System Center or are already using it in your business, this book has something that should interest you. The capabilities of each component of System Center 2012 R2 are first described and then demonstrated chapter by chapter. Real-world and under-the-hood insights are also provided by insiders at Microsoft who live and breathe System Center, and those of you who are experienced with the platform will benefit from the wisdom and experience of these experts. We also included a list of additional resources at the end of each chapter where you can learn more about each System Center component.

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Free eBook – Secrets of PowerShell Remoting

eBook - Secrets of PowerShell RemotingTitle: Secrets of PowerShell Remoting
Author: Don Jones with Tobias Weltner and Dave Wyatt
Publisher: PowerShell.org
Published: Nov 2013
Pages: 92
PDF: SecretsOfPowerShellRemoting.docx
Size: 6.58 MB
Price: FREE
Download URL: Click here for download

DESCRIPTION

The authors set out to write this guide because they were getting a lot of questions about some of the trickier bits of PowerShell Remoting, and wanted to provide an authoritative resource for people seeking to configure Remoting properly for a variety of situations. The guide was started by Don Jones, and Tobias Weltner came aboard to provide a great deal of additional material and improvements. Along the way, numerous members of the PowerShell community contributed their expertise as technical reviewers, suggested additional content to include, and so forth – truly making this a collaborative, group effort.

This eBook is updated so check the download URL above from time-to-time to check for newer / updated versions.

Also, other free eBooks from PowerShell.org can be found here:
http://powershell.org/wp/newsletter/

  • Secrets of PowerShell Remoting
  • Creating HTML Reports in PowerShell
  • The Big Book of PowerShell Gotchas
  • Making Historical and Trend Reports in PowerShell
  • The Community Book of PowerShell Practices

If you really want to follow what’s going on in the PowerShell community, check out the PowerShell.org and following Don Jones on Twitter: @concentrateddon

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Download – ADMX Templates for 8.1 and 2012 R2

Yesterday Microsoft published the Administrative Templates (.ADMX) for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Now is a good time to download them and place them in your administrative templates central store.

Speaking of central store, here’s a good Ask Premier Field Engineering (PFE) article called “How to Implement the Central Store for Group Policy Admin Templates, Completely”

Also, see the Resources link below.

Title: Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
Publisher: Microsoft Corporation
Published: 12/4/2013
Version: 1.0
File Name: Windows8.1-Server2012R2ADMX-RTM.msi
Size: 17.4 MB
Price: FREE
Download URL: Click here for download

DESCRIPTION

Group Policy tools use Administrative template files to populate policy settings in the user interface. This allows administrators to manage registry-based policy settings. This download includes the Administrative templates released for Windows Server 2012 R2, in the multiple languages.

RESOURCES

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Download: Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CTP2 Guide

Title: Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CTP2 Product Guide
Publisher: Microsoft Corporation
Published: 10/14/2013
Version: 4.0
File Name: SQL_Server_2014_CTP2_Product_Guide.zip
Size: 29.7 MB
Price: FREE
Download URL: Click here for download

DESCRIPTION

Download the datasheets, white papers and technical presentations that will help you evaluate Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CTP2.

This download includes multiple PDFs and other files:

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CTP2 Product Guide - Content 1

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CTP2 Product Guide - Content 2

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Seagate Dips Their Toe in the Storage Spaces Water

Western Digital has been around for a while with their WD Sentinel SMB storage appliances, and now Seagate has joined the fray.

Enter the Seagate Business Storage Windows Server 4-Bay NAS.

Windows Storage Server 2012 Available with Seagate's New 4-Bay Business Storage NAS

OK, so right about now you’re saying, “Hey, a NAS and Storage Spaces aren’t the same thing.” But, if you look closer at the specs you’ll notice that this little box includes Windows Storage Server 2012 Workgroup, which means (drumroll please) it includes Storage Spaces.

Plus, it comes in four flavors:

  • 4TB ($1,005 ERP) #STDM4000100
  • 8 TB ($1,334 ERP) #STDM8000100
  • 12 TB ($,1539 ERP) #STDM12000100
  • 16 TB ($1,744 ERP) #STDM16000100

With a posted speed of up to 200 MB/sec you’re not exactly in SSD territory speed-wise, but you do get a lot of storage for your money.

Rather than listen to me re-hash all the specs, check out the blog post by Scott Johnson or cruise over to the official Seagate website for the NAS.

Props: @supersquatchy

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Video – 3D Printing at the Microsoft Store

While in Redmond, Washington for the November 2013 MVP Summit I stopped in the Microsoft Store to purchase a Surface 2. While standing in line I noticed a young girl, about 8 years old, who was using a MakerBot Replicator 2 to 3D print herself a bracelet.

MakerBot Replicator 2 – Microsoft Store in Bellevue Washington

It’s amazing how young kids embrace this technology so easily. The generation who always had the Internet since the day they were born will definitely have a different perspective on life.

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