Journeys of a cranky community organizer..
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  • WSS 3.0 minor snag on SBS

    Posted on April 8th, 2009 iamhandyandy No comments

    Today I decided to have a go at installing WSS 3.0 as I need to roll it out to a client site this weekend. You can download it from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D51730B5-48FC-4CA2-B454-8DC2CAF93951&displaylang=en if you want a copy.

    I am following the great paper the SBS Team supplied describing the side by side install process required for SBS which you can get at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928095

    I went along with the directions and it installed just fine, but after the install it tries to run the configuration wizard and gets stuck on step 2 setting up the configuration database. Thinking maybe I hadn’t had enough coffee yet and missed a step, I uninstalled it and tried again, some thing same spot.

    Having learned from the SBS Diva herself (thanks Susan) I dumped the error message into google and found a thread in the MS public newsgroup http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/list/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs&tid=1ecd5642-5f93-402e-b84e-1885d2170cbd&m=1&p=1 with the exact same problem and a response from a css guy (thankx Terence Liu) saying call in for a hotfix KB934790

    Well after appling that hotfix the configuration wizard completed just fine.

    If you need a hot fix in the US call 1-800-936-3500 if you are ouside the US you can get the correct number to call from http://support.microsoft.com/

    Remember when calling in, click your heals 3 times and repeat “There is no place like my SBS Community”

    Gotta go play with my cool new SharePoint site now, c ya later,

     

  • CRM Over the Internet, Finally

    Posted on April 8th, 2009 iamhandyandy No comments

    Well it was almost a year ago when I first started fighting with CRM SBE trying to publish it over the internet. It has been a painful process and I have called on some of the smartest people I know to try and get this done. We have gotten very close, but have not found a complete solution until yesterday when I got a note from a guy I have never met in Brazil with the missing pieces. So Thank You to Marcelo Sauaf! I hope to meet you and buy you a drink one day soon.

    HaveI told you all lately how much I think this community rocks!

    If you would like step by step instructions to publish CRM SBE over the internet, see my site at http://www.sbs-rocks.com/CRM/CRMSBEviaISA2004.htm

    And they told me it couldn’t be done,
    HA

     

  • WSUS 3.0 on SBS 2003 with CRM-SBE

    Posted on April 8th, 2009 iamhandyandy No comments

    So I am a little behind and haven’t installed WSUS 3.0 yet and hearing all the success stories of how easy it installs I jump ring in on my production server, install the prerequisites, KB927891 , MMC 3.0 & Report Viewer and then reboot the server. When she comes back up I run setup for WSUS 3.0 and it is going along very nicely until near the end when it dies a horrible death.

     

     

    So I hit OK and get

     

    And once more and get

     

    So you might have guessed at this point I wasn’t smiling, so I did what anyone in my position would do, no I didn’t start crying, I pinged the community to see if anyone had any ideas. Sometimes just talking through a problem bring the obvious to light. Yours and my favorite detective Susan found in the error log where the W3SVC service had trouble stopping so opened a DOS Box and try to stop it manually, it did in fact stop, but it took a little longer than one would expect. When I was explaining this of course I pointed out that it was normal due to CRM being on the box so there was more to stop. So that’s when she stated the obvious solution that I had looked right past, stop the CRM service before you run the WSUS setup.

    So hopefully I can save you the agervation of the initial install failure and let you know about this before you try. Once I stopped the CRM services the install went through without a hitch (ymmv), unfortunately the second time through it doesn’t do an upgrade, it does a full install so you have to reset all the options.

     

  • Migration Concepts with SBS 2008

    Posted on April 8th, 2009 iamhandyandy No comments

    Migration Concepts with SBS 2008
    Presented by Jeff Middleton
    Microsoft Partners 5W/50 Series
    January 9, 2009
    9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
    Time Zone (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)

    Register for the Webcast:
    https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?publisher=12&delivery=259602
    Migration projects pose unique challenges for IT Consultants. The goal is to move a customer’s server infrastructure into a new product and platform with a process that is both predictable and profitable.
    Jeff Middleton will present the concepts of the Microsoft documented “join to domain” approach as well as the options with an updated for SBS 2008 Swing Migration technique. In addition to a technical review of the project path elements, join us for Jeff’s insights into the planning strategy concerns on these additional points to be discussed:
    * The Transition Timeline & Value Budget
    * Establishing Roll-Back, Pause or Completion Goals
    * What’s implied in Multi-Server Deployments?
    * Where is the Automation?
    * Including your Value-Add of Quality & Predictability

  • Let’s Help Mike, he always helps us!

    Posted on April 8th, 2009 iamhandyandy No comments

    I saw this post by Karl and could not agree more, Mike is always doing stuff for us and never asking for anything in return. If you are not already getting his news letter please sign up today.

    Link to Karl’s Post Sign up for Mike Iem’s Super Newsletter NOW
    Sign up for Mike Iem’s Super Newsletter NOW: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1102241330914

    If you haven’t met Mike Iem, get a quick intro to him and his mission at the SMB Conference Call Archives.

    Mike Iem is working for Microsoft on an initiative focused on supporting SBS partner groups in the US and sharing information with partner groups Worldwide!

    He is a very-available liaison for to Microsoft. Over the last few years he has organized the SBS Partner Tours and worked with the SBS Leads Groups to provide information and resources to all Partner Groups (user groups) and individuals.

    One of the hottest things Mike produces from time to time is the super-amazing Partner Group DVD. This is the one golden DVD you need to know what’s going on for partners in the SMB space. The 2009 DVD is almost ready.

    In the past, the DVD has put together marketing programs, videos, demo tools, screen shots, webinars, white papers, and LOTS of other great information and updates targeted specifically for the SMB Consultant. This is literally all the content you need from Microsoft in one awesome package.

    Mike reports that the DVD is “complete” and churning through the Microsoft process to distribution.

    There’s a 99% chance that this will be distributed as an ISO image for download. So if you’re not a member of a user group, you’ll still have access to it.

    But you don’t want to miss out, so please Join Mike’s Newsletter NOW so you won’t miss the announcement. It will probably come out in the next two weeks. So now is absolutely the best time to sign up for this email newsletter. Free, of course.

    Sign up for Mike Iem’s Super Newsletter NOW: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1102241330914

    Mike has done some amazing things for the SMB Community. The whole 5w/50 webinar series was his baby. He has organized tours, kept the user group leaders informed, provided us with resources, and a lot more.

    Please do yourself a favor: Join Mike’s low-volume, high-content email list today.

    In addition to the DVD information (when it’s released), Mike’s newsletter always has great information on marketing and promotions that will help you make more money.

    Tune-in now. You’ll be glad you did!

  • Sometimes People Say The Nicest Things

    Posted on April 8th, 2009 iamhandyandy No comments

    In my line of work I usually catch folks on their worst days. A computer just crashed, they just lost that file or clicked on the wrong thing and became infected. I can usually fix the problem and be on my way, and I rarely hear back from them, other than an envelope with the check of course :>)

    Well, over the last week or so I had a client have a major catastophe; not a lost file or two, but an entire flooded office. I was able to put him back in a reasonable state to work, while the building contractors fixed his office. Last night everything was reloacted back where it belongs.

    Today I received this very nice letter and I thought I would share it with you. It reminded me of why I am in this business and that there really are some good people left in the world. These are the people I like to help get the most from their technology on the good days, but most importantly to help them out on the really bad days. Dr. Newton of Peter Rock Consulting is one of those good people, I am glad I was able to help him through this trying experience.

    Here is a link to the actual letter