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Vol. 59, #8 - December 9, 2013 - Issue #959
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This week's newsletter marks the 100th issue (!!!) we've put out since we took over the role of editing WServerNews from the previous editor and founder Stu Sjouwerman. The first issue of WServerNews appeared on Sept 20, 1999 and way back then the newsletter was called W2Knews. TechGenix acquired the newsletter in late 2011 and Ingrid and I were asked to become the editors.
The last 99 issues have been an exciting adventure for us and we hope they've also been helpful for you, our 100,000 IT pro readers around the world. In celebration of this being the 100th issue we've been the editors for, and in recognition of how stressful it can be working in IT these days, we decided to make this a "fun" issue with some lighthearted tips on how IT pros can cope with the increasing stress of their profession. Some of these tips may actually be of help to you, but many of them are simply pure troll. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Mitch Tulloch, Senior Editor
Ingrid Tulloch, Associate Editor
Please check out the following websites:
TechGenix website:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319596088
Mitch and Ingrid's website:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319598557
Stu Sjouwerman's website
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319600885
To celebrate the launch of CloudComputingAdmin.com, we will be giving away a Google Nexus 10 to one lucky newsletter subscriber! All you need to do to be eligible to win is sign up for any of the new CloudComputingAdmin.com newsletters and provide your name, email address, and country of residence.
The prize giveaway will run until Saturday, December 14, 2013. Be sure to sign up today for your chance to win!
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319612807
The following tips are in no particular order and are presented as-is with absolutely no warranties or guarantees :-)
1. Send us feedback on the latest issue of WServerNews. Or send us a RANT on anything in IT that really BUGS you these days!
2. Take up meditation, buy yourself a Nespresso machine, and chant "Ommmmm" as the machine grinds out an espresso. Check it out on my Vine account (works best on mobile):
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319638135
3. Take up MMA to improve your physical fitness. Even better, ask your boss if he'd like to join you in your classes.
4. Or try a few sessions of email judo as Wally demonstrates in this Dilbert comic strip:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319643682
5. Speaking of exercise, why not start doing some today? As readers of this newsletter might recall, I myself was a "fat IT pro" and have made the difficult transition to becoming a "fit IT pro" as these back issues of WServerNews describe:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319649948
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319675354
6. Also check out the Mailbag section in this issue:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319678901
7. Fitness RX For Men is my favorite fitness magazine for getting the "beachbody" look (I'm still not there yet):
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319717229
8. Iron Man Magazine is my favorite as far as basic weight training stuff is concerned:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319722588
9. And Muscular Development Magazine is full of freaky stuff for the hardcore bodybuilder among us:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319730042
10. It's not enough to exercise however if you want to become a fit IT pro. You also need to eat right. Start by adding some fish oil to your daily nutritional regime:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319734542
11. Chug down a good whey protein shake after your workout:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319739307
14. Add some extra leucine to kickstart muscle growth into high gear:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319757370
15. Add some glutamine to your shake to help boost your immune system so you won't get a cold:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319762026
16. Need to work out early in the morning? Instead of coffee, I prefer this energy drink:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319766120
17. Of course, even once you're fit you've still got to do your job as an IT pro. And because our field of endeavor is evolving so rapidly, you need to keep abreast of the latest developments. A good place to start is (duh) by subscribing to weekly our newsletter:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319770010
18. You can also browse through back issues of WServerNews if you're bored with your job:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319774557
19. Another good place to learn about the latest developments in the Windows Server platform is the Microsoft Virtual Academy:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319779354
20. You can also watch the videos on Channel 9:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319783838
21. Or listen to podcasts on TechNet Radio as you try to lose pounds on your exercise bike:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319788417
22. If you're the type that likes to learn by reading from blogs, you can plug into the firehose of content flowing from TechNet here:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319792495
23. If you're hip and trendy (as opposed to fat and old like me) you can find some terrific summary articles on the TechNet Wiki:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319797354
24. It's hard to go it alone as an IT pro. The burden of doing your job can sometimes be crushing. Where do IT pros hang out to commiserate? You could try the newly redesigned (making them harder to use!) TechNet forums:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319802542
25. Or you could post something to the forums on myITforum.com which have that 90s look to them (sorry Rod!):
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319807042
26. Or you could rant away on Twitter by including the hashtag #ITsucks in your posts. No wait, don't do that--teenagers have already claimed that hashtag...
27. Sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to find a diversion of some sort. The Internet of course is full of diversions. For example, if you want to see some beautiful photos you can Bing for them like this:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319811901
28. The Astronomy Picture of the Day archive is another great source of far-out photos:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319816526
29. You could try reading an online graphic novel like Gunnerkrigg Court (my favorite):
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319820729
30. Or get your daily dose of nerd humor from XKCD:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319825604
31. Or maybe you're an older IT pro who is pushing 60 like myself. In that case you might prefer an oldschool comic like this one:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319830057
32. Us older geeks also like to hang around the forums at the Museum of HP Calculators:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319835338
33. Then there are nerd movies that have computers and other technology in them. In our house we love to unwind at the end of the day by watching a good movie. Here is one of my geek favorites with Keanu Reeves (and it's not the one you think):
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319842729
34. Here's another favorite of mine, this one with Val Kilmer:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319852870
35. This movie has a green screen terminal in one of the scenes:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319956167
36. This one even has a line printer you can hear sawing away:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319960167
37. And there's actually a computer that can talk in this movie:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319963979
38. Then there's music. Ditch the iPod and try one of these cute little things instead:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319968776
39. Long, rambling music is best to relax. Keith Jarrett did it best in Paris:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319973167
40. Time for a massage. Can you have a massage while working on your PC?
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319977979
41. Or maybe watch a live webcam of a relaxing waterfall to relax:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319982260
42. Maybe you need a hobby to relax? I can't believe Estes is still selling model rockets but it looks like they still are:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319986620
BTW here is a photo of me with one of my model rockets from my high school Model Rocket Club days way back in the 70s:
Note the uncanny resemblance to Bill Gates?
43. Taking a break is also a good way to relieve stress if you're an IT pro. I think I'll take one now since it's a lot of working trying to think up all these tips...
[cue some soft background music]
44. Sleep is a good way to reduce stress. I've found that supplementing with ZMA helps me get a deeper and more refreshing sleep:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386319998870
45. Business Insider also had some great tips about falling asleep quickly when your stressed or wired (the fifth trick actually works):
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320005323
46. Reading a good book is another great way to relax. This book really put me to sleep:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320009276
47. This one I enjoyed a lot however:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320025151
48. Then there's always coffee. It doesn't relax you but it can help you keep going so you can meet that project deadline. Our favorite Nespresso blend is Dharkan:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320029292
49. Hot milk can also help you relax:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320033932
Oops sorry, that's the wrong video. Here's the cat one:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320038198
50. Then there's always...well that's almost fifty and we've run out of ideas. Maybe our readers have some relaxation tips they'd like to share? Email us at wsn@mtit.com :-)
Did you know you can upgrade an installation of Windows Server 2012 R2 done with eval media such as MSDN media to a fully licensed version? Here's how to do this if you have a volume licensed MAK key:
Open an elevated command prompt.
Type slmgr.vbs /div and you should see "EVAL" indicating your current installation is for evaluation only.
Type dism /online /get-currentedition and note the edition ID.
Type dism /online /set-edition: /productkey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX using your previously determined edition ID and your MAK license key.
GOT TIPS you'd like to share with other readers? Email us at wsn@mtit.com
Here are a couple of on-demand courses from the Microsoft Virtual Academy that you might want to check out:
Windows Server 2012 R2: Access and Information Protection
The world of bring-your-own devices (BYOD) provides businesses and users with flexible and low-cost productivity and connection solutions. At the same time, it presents IT Pros and admins with serious challenges in securing their infrastructure. Learn how Windows Server 2012 R2 helps you provision, manage and secure devices while creating a seamless experience for the user with this new course from MVA. View here:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320043963
Windows Server 2012 R2: Web and Application Platform
Learn to overcome the technical challenges involved in integrating private and hybrid cloud services with this new course from MVA. With the provided information in this course, you will gain perspective on our commitment to delivering an end-to-end solution for self-service delivery of multi-tenant cloud services. Watch now:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320047745
"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another." -- Anatole France
Sounds like your typical IT pro, right?
Until next week,
Mitch Tulloch,
BTW feel free to:
Note to subscribers: If for some reason you don’t receive your weekly issue of this newsletter, please notify us at wsn@mtit.com and we’ll try to troubleshoot things from our end.
Server performance problems? Find out why with FactFinder Express. See whether the issue is a slow app, slow SQL requests, or a CPU/Memory/Disk bottleneck. 30 day free trial.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386321898707
Free Hyper-V backup tool – easy to use, quick to set up, packed with features and free for 2 VMs, for WServerNews subscribers. (Supports Windows Server 2012 R2)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386321904723
Microsoft Office 365 has become an option for organizations looking to move content – particularly Exchange – to the cloud. Learn about the new capabilities in Office 365 and what pitfalls await you.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386321907332
The vSphere Replication Capacity Planning Appliance allows administrators to model the network impact of a virtual machine replication without producing actual replication traffic:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386321909832
WebCommander lets you wrap your PowerShell and PowerCLI scripts into an easy-to-access web service:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386321913911
Project Conference, 2014 on February 2-5 in Anaheim, California
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320054292
Lync Conference 2014 on February 18-20, 2014 at The Aria in Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320056167
SharePoint Conference 2014 on March 3-6, 2014 at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320059573
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC 2014) coming in July, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320061370
European SharePoint Conference on May 5-8, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320066776
PLANNING A CONFERENCE OR OTHER EVENT you'd like to tell our 95,000 subscribers about? Contact michaelv@techgenix.com
PLANNING A WEBCAST you'd like to tell our subscribers about? Contact michaelv@techgenix.com
This section is organized topically by platform/product and provides you with links to tips, tools, information and other resources that can help you in your job role whether you're an IT professional or an IT decision-maker.
IT Agility with Standard Automated Procedures (Intel IT Peer Network)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320082307
Upgrade to Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 on Dell PowerEdge Servers (Flo's Datacenter Report)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320086338
Implementing Compellent and EqualLogic Storage as Pooled Resources in the Hyper-V based Dell Active Infrastructures (Flo's Datacenter Report)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320089807
Contact Center Software : Where Will the Hybrid Cloud be in 2014? (Vocalcom)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320095042
Should you move to Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)? (Dell)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320098760
Virtualization & Cloud – what is the connection? (exploreB2B)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320102885
Generation 2 Virtual Machines in Hyper-V (Build on SharePoint)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320107526
Hyper-v Server, Copying the content of Pass-Through disk to VHDX (InfraTalks)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320110885
4 Questions You Should be Asking as You Prep Your Mobile Strategy for 2014 (Intel IT Peer Network)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320115526
Solving BYOD Challenges with Windows Server 2012 R2 (Intel IT Peer Network)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320118854
Cloud-file sharing enables a more collaborative, less device-dependent workplace, but cloud admins need to ensure security risks are properly managed. Uncover expert tips for finding a realistic balance between protecting the confidentiality and integrity of business content while supporting end-user access needs.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320123401
Don't be fooled by vendor hype – it's essential to run a virtual desktop assessment before you roll out your VDI deployment. Hear from our experts on what a readiness assessment will provide your organization and why you can't afford to skimp on this critical step.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320127292
Although virtualization is included in all Linux distributions – the built-in management options are limited. In this IT tip, learn how to evaluate when it's worth deploying more advanced open source virtualization platforms and in which scenarios bare-bones KVM virtualization will do.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320131838
At VMworld 2013, Vmware announced the new VMware Certified Associate, an entry-level certification that allows IT professionals to prove a basic understanding of VMware technology. This certification is offered in four product areas: Cloud, Data Center Virtualization, End-User Computing and Network Virtualization. Read on to learn more.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320136245
GOT FUN VIDEOS or other fun links to suggest you'd like to recommend? Email us at wsn@mtit.com
Here's a fun video submitted to us by Steve from the UK:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320140604
Now for the latest ones from Flixxy:
Landrover enthusiasts from Norway show that they can do better than Volvo and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320144870
Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic plays tennis on the wing of a flying plane.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320148682
The spectacular airport of the Greek island of Skiathos, where aircraft pass over the beach at head-height.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320152495
Footage shot from 1896-1900 in Paris, Milan, London, Venice, Ney York and other cities around the world.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320155917
Sand artist Tetiana Galitsyna with her beautiful Christmas themed performance at the finals of 'Poland Has Talent'.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1386320160120
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Mitch Tulloch is Senior Editor of WServerNews and is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, deployment and virtualization. Mitch was lead author of the bestselling Windows 7 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press and has published hundreds of articles for IT pros. Mitch is also a seven-time recipient of Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for his outstanding contributions in support of the global IT pro community. Mitch owns and runs an information technology content development business based in Winnipeg, Canada. For more information see www.mtit.com
Ingrid Tulloch is Associate Editor of WServerNews and was co-author of the Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking from Microsoft Press. Ingrid is also Head of Research for our content development business and has co-developed university-level courses in Information Security Management for a Masters of Business Administration program.
