Third Tier

Microsoft Pulls the Plug on EBS

Amy Babinchak — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:10:00 +0000

Microsoft stunningly pulled the plug on EBS today. It’s a stunning move because the highly anticipated version 2 was near release. Code was complete, TAP (technology access preview) customers were running it in production, TAP customers were recently flown in from around the world for training, and MVP’s received in depth information and training on the new version. The consensus of everyone who had used the new version was that it was a homerun and would live up to the promise made to the mid-market. An excitement was in the air.

Batter up! EBS V2 at bat, bases loaded with companies 25-500 users. Microsoft bean counter pitching. SBS 2010 standing way back in right field picking daisies. EBS is using 2 bats today, one traditional and one interesting new lean bat. Awaiting the pitch. Time out! Here comes Marketing from the sidelines to the pitching mound. It seems the pitcher is refusing to pitch to EBS. EBS is out of the game.

We saw something similar happen with Response Point. Just as V2, chock full of requested features and lesson learned from V1 and a partner community revving up, the Response Point plug got pulled. It makes one wonder if Microsoft has the stomach for marketing building; if they can create a new product and stand behind it long enough for the marketing to develop and the partner community to join in.

It’s a sad day for all involved. My condolences to the development team. You put in so much hard work.

Elvis has left the building (EBS retired)

Steve Banks — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Microsoft today announced the discontinuation of Windows Essential Business Server. Catch the full story at the EBS Official Blog. Thank you to all who have made EBS a great adventure over the past four years.

Steve

Top Influences in SMB – Vote now

Amy Babinchak — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:58:22 +0000

Be heard! Who are your primary influencer’s in the SMB Space?

Take SMB Nation’s survey of the top 150 influencers.

http://tinyurl.com/smb150-2010

Chico is sportin’ his new duds

Steve Banks — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:49:00 +0000

Check out Chico's new SBS wardrobe over at Sean's blog.

Third Thursday with Third Tier: Managing SQL for SMB

Amy Babinchak — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:23:46 +0000

If you are like most SMB IT Professionals, you’re a generalist and not a SQL expert. If that’s true this then webinar is for you. Edwin Sarmiento, SQL MVP, will show you how to manage your SQL applications. It’s not as simple as hoping your server backup will cover it and if you’re an SBS or EBS admin you’ve got a bunch of SQL apps installed by default to deal with.

So join us on the Third Thursday, March 18th at Noon eastern.

Third Tier has invited you to attend an online meeting using
Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/harborcomputerservices/join?id=B4Z6S5&role=attend&pw=j%7En5%23%22rQr

Meeting time: Mar 18, 2010 12:00 PM (EST)

Add to my Outlook Calendar:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/harborcomputerservices/meetingICS?id=B4Z6S5&role=attend&pw=j%7En5%23%22rQr&i=i.ics

Official SBS Blog – Returning Small Business Server 2008 to a Supported Network Topology

Steve Banks — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:02:00 +0000

Great post to check out if you are having network issues with your SBS 2008 network!

We have seen an increase of instances where customers are experiencing various networking problems because they have altered the networking topology by installing multiple NICS or assigning multiple IPs to their single NIC. Some of the more common issues we have seen with this scenario include, but are not limited to:

· Slow or complete loss of file share/network login access

· Problems with Outlook connectivity (mailbox login, Autodiscover, OAB, Free/Busy, OOF assistant, Outlook Anywhere)

· Issues accessing web sites (OWA, RWW, Sharepoint, Connect)

· Issues with service startup, particularly Exchange.

· The server hangs at “Applying Computer Settings” upon boot.

· Inability to complete the SBS networking wizards (IAMW and CTIW)

PSSBS SQL Lunch & Learn this Saturday, 2/27/2010

Steve Banks — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:34:00 +0000

Bring your lunch and your SBS related SQL questions this Saturday and join the Puget Sound Small Business Server User Group for our half-day SQL event at Microsoft's Lincoln Square offices! Information is at the PSSBS Website.

Windows PowerShell Community Review

Steve Banks — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:28:00 +0000

Received this request earlier today, so getting the word out!

The Windows PowerShell Community Review process is looking for volunteers for our third documentation review cycle – especially beginners and intermediate PowerShell users and people with little or no programming background. Volunteers can contact June at juneb@microsoft.com or Marco (Marco.Shaw@gmail.com ).

Windows PowerShell Community Review

Have you ever read Help that wasn't really helpful? Here's your chance to fix it.

The Windows PowerShell documentation team and PowerShellCommunity.org jointly sponsor the Windows PowerShell Community Doc Review. As a member, you'll get to read and comment on the Help docs before they're published, and work with the writers, editors, and the product team to make sure every word is really helpful.

We're looking for users at all experience levels and with all different backgrounds, but we love to have beginners, people with no programming experience, people who know other scripting languages or shells, and people who are not native English speakers. If you're a system admin and you don't really know Windows PowerShell, this is a great way to learn it with help from insiders.

Ready to rock the help? Contact June Blender (juneb@microsoft.com) or Marco Shaw (marco.shaw@gmail.com).

Thanks,

June

Windows Powershell Spoken Here

Connecting to SQL Server via Windows PowerShell with SQL Server authentication

Edwin Sarmiento — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Most of the articles I've written about SQL Server with Windows PowerShell have been using Windows Authentication. And while it is highly recommended to use Windows authentication to connect to SQL Server, the reality is that the IT infrastructures we have don't run on Microsoft Windows.

Here's an article I wrote on how to use Windows PowerShell to connect to SQL Server via mixed mode authentication

Interested in SBS 2008 Training?

Dave Shackelford — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:32:17 +0000

Last month TrainSignal released a new video course course I created, and I thought I’d talk about it a little bit here, since I wrote it with the SMB consultant audience in mind.

I think that if I was looking for a course to take myself, I’d want to know that it did two things: cover all the essentials and additionally give me some beyond-the-basics expertise to add value to my consulting. Beyond that, I’d also want it to efficiently cover a given topic in a demo-driven way so that instead of having to plow through the whole course, I’d be able to sit down for 45 minutes or so with a specific topic and walk away feeling more prepared to implement.

That’s pretty much what I’ve put together, and when you add up all the content, it comes to over 17 hours of video, including segments covering SharePoint customization, certificates, WSUS, SBS 2003-2008 migrations, Exchange disaster recovery and much more.

TrainSignal typically sells scenario-driven courses, so there’s usually a fictitious company with fictitious characters whose needs the course is built around, and as part of the course, we field management requests from our “client” and translate them into technological solutions. In this course we are working for Mal Falconi, who runs KingFish Private Investigations, and she wants to set up a solution that maximizes her decentralized office strategy. Many videos begin with a description of a “business need” and we move on to craft and implement a solution that meets that need. I had a lot of fun building the course.

You can check out a larger overview here.

If you’ve already looked at the course, I’d be glad for any feedback you might have.