Windows Azure – Client OS Policy Update and SMB IT

We have a lot going for us in the Hybrid Cloud/On-Premises solution set as we grow our product knowledge and develop solutions to blend the best of both worlds.

However, this is one announcement that really hits home for us in SMB:

• Microsoft: Windows Azure

There’s no guarantee that the above link will be functional at a later date so:

Dear Customer,

We recently published an updated support life cycle policy for Windows Azure Cloud Services for web and worker roles. This email outlines these new policies and the associated timelines for migration:

• Guest OS 1.x deprecation (retirement deadline: June 1, 2014).

• 60 days auto-upgrade policy for Cloud Services using manual OS upgrade option for Guest OS version.

• Retirement of Windows Azure SDK for Cloud Services versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 effective June 1st 2014.

Changes to Guest OS families
The Guest OS 1.x family based on the Windows Server 2008 operating system is being retired. We are providing 12 months advance notice to you. The official retirement date for the Guest OS 1.x family is June 1, 2014. After that date, you’ll no longer be able to deploy new web and worker roles with family 1.x deployments, and your existing family 1.x deployments will be automatically moved to a supported Guest OS family.
Please plan to transition your Cloud Services deployments that use the Guest OS 1.x family to the following supported Guest OS families:

• Guest OS family 2.x (based on Windows Server 2008 R2)

• Guest OS family 3.x (based on Windows Server 2012—recommended)

Customers who are using the Guest OS 1.x family don’t need to redeploy their Cloud Services because an in-place upgrade from version 1.x to 3.x is supported in the Windows Azure SDK 2.0. If you don’t upgrade by the June 1, 2014, deadline, you’ll automatically be upgraded to a supported Guest OS family.
Changes to Guest OS version
On June 1, 2013, the new Guest OS Version support policy becomes effective. Starting June 1, you have 60 days to upgrade your Cloud Services deployments to the current or prior Guest OS version in each supported Guest OS family.
As soon as possible, please start the transition of your Cloud Services deployments to one of the following supported Guest OS versions:

• Guest OS family 2.x supported releases: 2.13 (Release 201210-01) and 2.14 (Release 201302-03)

• Guest OS family 3.x supported releases: 3.1 (Release 201210-01) and 3.2 (Release 201302-03—automatic upgrade is recommended)

The official retirement date for all previous Guest OS versions is August 1, 2013. Any Guest OS deployment that’s not running one of these supported Guest OS versions at that time will be automatically upgraded to the current Guest OS version.
Changes to Windows Azure SDK for Cloud Services
We’re also announcing the retirement of the Windows Azure SDK versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5. The official retirement date for the above SDKs will be June 1, 2014. After that date, you’ll no longer be able to use these SDKs to author and deploy new Cloud Services (web and worker roles). Further, Customer’s Cloud Services authored & deployed using deprecated Windows Azure SDK will not be covered under Windows Azure Cloud Services SLA. Customer’s Cloud Service will not be covered under support contract as well.
Notifications
The OS and SDK retirement dates will be communicated to customers through an MSDN or RSS feed:
MSDN: Windows Azure Guest OS Releases and SDK Compatibility Matrix

RSS feed

To get more details, refer to the support life cycle policy.
Thank you,
Windows Azure Team

We run a lot of legacy applications at client sites. Accountants and lawyers have applications that just don’t play nice with more modern 64-bit operating systems.

What does the Azure Team mean by “in-place” upgrade anyway? As in upgrade that production VM operating system from Server 2008 to Server 2008 R2 or 2012 RTM via in-place?

We are most certainly not sure what is meant by this but we stopped in-place upgrades in the NT 4.0 and Server 2000 era for a reason.

We have an advantage, at least at this point until software vendors force everyone into their Cloud services, in that we can customize our IT Solutions for the client’s environment.

In this case, Windows Azure has a limitation in the solution set flexibility that we can provide. Plus, the situation with the drop of one OS means that the client would probably be forced into some sort of cost/support scenario for their Windows Azure hosted environments.

In a positive economic situation this may not be too much of a hurdle for an SMB to overcome.

However, if the economies of the world sour even further that monthly nut for Cloud services may put a real damper on the business’s ongoing monthly cash flow.

On-premises offers the SMB the assurance that their business can keep operating, even after pulling the MSP plug (hopefully they _own_ the licensing and equipment), for a year or two when things are tight.

And, that on-premises solution set can be paid for while the cash is there. :)

And, BTW, note how Windows Azure gets around the actual “Windows Server” product life cycle by creating their own Azure version 1, 2, 3, etc?

 

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

How to Acquire an SMBKitchen Project Subscription

We’ve received a number of questions about the subscription for the SMBKitchen Project.

First, the subscription cost is $180 for the _calendar_ year. That cost is broken down over twelve months. So, subscribe in January and the cost is distributed across the 12 months. Subscribe this month and the January through April payments will be required. From there the cost will be distributed over the remaining months at $15/Month.

The fee covers all content on the site, live author’s chats where our subscribers get Q&A time with us, freedom to ask the authors questions on subscription content, and so much more.

The sign-up process is as follows:

1. Click into the SMBKitchen Project site.
2. Click the Sign up for a subscription link.
3. Click the Register button.
• 
4. Put your name, e-mail address, and password to access the site in.
• 
5. An activation e-mail will be sent to that address. Please confirm.
6. Log on to the site.
• 
7. Click the Payments button.
• 
8. Click the Make a Purchase button.
• 
9. Click the Subscription button.
• 
10. Change the Subscription option to 1.
• 
• Scroll down a bit to see the option to purchase additional months up front.
• 
11. Click the Check out with PayPal button.
1. From there the routine is straight forward.

A Welcome Letter, and Article Summary, and an Invitation to the next SMBKitchen Project event will arrive in your Inbox shortly after that.

Each category will have a number of articles, how to videos, author chats, and other content for you to access.

Our goal with this project is to give current IT solution providers the best possible tool set to provide on-premises and hybrid on-premises/Cloud solutions that can be delivered today and tomorrow.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

SMBKitchen Project: Author's Chat on now!

SMBKitchen Project subscribers our Author's Chat is just starting! Check your e-mail for the link.

As an FYI, part of the SMBKitchen Project subscription is access to us authors on a monthly basis via Lync and also via the Third Tier ticketing system.

During the chat we do some presenting on new content in the SMBKitchen Project knowledgebase and a Q&A session.

Please use the full Lync client as the Web client does not pick up audio properly at this time.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

V6 Excessive Oil Consumption and IT Networks

One would wonder what an engine’s excessive oil consumption might have to do with an IT network.

And, why would one want to keep an ongoing maintenance contract in place for their IT infrastructure when it just seems to work on its own?

Years ago I was working in an engine remanufacturing facility. We worked on everything from the Geo 3 cylinder all the way up to The Big Three’s big block engines with a few Cummins and CAT engines in between.

A fellow with a relatively new Ford pickup brought it in to the shop to see why the engine was going through a litre with every tank of gas.

After we ran tests on the engine it turned out that his three or four year old engine was cabbaged. No compression.

After a series of questions back to the owner it was discovered that he had not changed the oil since he had purchased the truck. The owner’s manual indicated zero maintenance to 160KM was his response.

A good part of the plant’s crew were on hand to see what was going on under the valve covers and the intake that hid the block’s valley.

The oil, that is the oil that was still liquid, kept channels cut into the oil that had gelled up. The oil gel (sludge) was everywhere flowing oil was not. It was not difficult to see the flow patterns in the oil galleries and return passages in this particular motor. The patterns in the oil pan were nothing short of fractal and amazing.

Needless to say the fellow did not get his core deposit back as the block from his truck was virtually useless.

Since an IT Solution is a very complicated set of components brought together to suit a client’s needs one cannot expect that solution to run in tip-top shape without ongoing maintenance.

On top of that if an auto manufacturer issues a recall due to a sticking throttle that may cause uncontrolled acceleration will the owner keep driving their vehicle or schedule the needed maintenance? They will probably schedule the needed maintenance at the soonest possible time.

There is a need to stay on top of patches. From operating system patches to very important security patches the network needs to be maintained and kept tuned up for the best overall performance.

Many Line of Business (LoB) applications introduce ongoing changes to the network setup. Sage, Intuit, Thompson-Reuters, CCH, and many other LoBs require server side updates and SQL integration that need ongoing care.

That is what we do. We design, integrate, and support highly complex IT Solutions that provide a stable platform for the life of the IT Solution.

We believe that a well managed IT Solution gives our clients the best value for their IT Budget. And, depending on the industry our prospective client is in the above may be one of the ways we approach this particular discussion.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Why We Terminate All CAT Cable Runs Outside The Enclosure

Our longest standing client is about to move after being in the same location for somewhere around 20 years.

Their current location required some wiring changes around 10 years ago and the electrical contractor wanted to terminate inside the enclosure. At that time, we had seen quite a few enterprise level racks that had that setup so we accepted that configuration.

The APC 24U enclosure has two bundles running into it with the patch panel mounted at the back and top of the APC.

Years ago we were looking to move the enclosure into a different location within the server closet but could not because the loops left in the ceiling were not long enough to allow much movement at all.

And today, we are in a position where we will need to cut the cables in order to move the enclosure out of the closet when it comes time to move.

Ever since that day we wanted to move that enclosure and could not we have always recommended that all CAT cabling be terminated in a patch panel that sits in a wall mount.

We would then use patch cables properly strung to remove any weight bearing on the cable ends plugged into the patch panel into the enclosure mounted switch or switches.

As of this writing our recommended network cabling setup is:

• Minimum CAT5e with CAT6 being preferred.
• A box of CAT6 is no longer that much more than CAT5e.
• Home Depot shows CAT6 at $250 for 305m (1000’).
• Prefer a minimum of _two_ cables per drop.
• One for PC and one for Phone.
• Patch Cables are CAT6 or CAT6a
• Patch Panel is a minimum spec of CAT5e with CAT6 being the preference.
• Wall mount for Patch Panel and cable management
• 5U or 8U works fine.
• Phone/VOIP on separate patch panel with different colour jacks.
• Mounted above 6’6” so most folks won’t bump their head!
• Contractor gives us a minimum of 5m (~15’) of loop in the ceiling.
• Contractor gives a print-out of _all_ drop’s capabilities after job is completed.
• We expect this. We have had problems with bad runs if an electrician versus an actual cabling contractor do the runs.

With the above specifications we are able to move any rack mount enclosure about a server closet or room by changing the length of the patch cables versus bringing in a contractor to re-wire the solution on the wall.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Windows Live Writer

MPECS Inc.'s Entry Level, Mid-Level, and Premium Level IT Solution Sets

We have a number of IT Solution sets in our repertoire.

Here are three IT Solutions we have posted on our blog to give you an idea of where we can start through to a high end Hyper-V Failover Cluster based on the Intel Modular Server.

• A Virtualized SBS 2011 and RDS Setup Completed With Some Pics
• Entry level 1U 1S Intel Server System
• Virtualize 2 or 3 server OSs plus a couple of desktop OSs
• Designed for 5-30 Users
• Deployed 2 Node 2U Intel Server System Hyper-V Failover Cluster With Pics
• Mid-Level dual 2U 2S Intel Server Systems
• 4.5TB Central Storage
• Hyper-V Failover Cluster
• One server fails everything that was on it moves over to the other server.
• Designed to provide server resilience for 15-130 Seats
• Configurations customized for particular needs.
• Production Hyper-V Failover Cluster on an Intel Modular Server Pictures
• Premium-Level Tri-Node 2S Intel Modular Server System
• 3 Blade Servers/Compute Modules sporting dual Intel Xeon Processors per Compute Module.
• 3.6TB Built-In SAN Storage
• 4.5TB Central Storage Unit with Redundant SAS Connections
• Combined Storage: 8.1TB or thereabouts.
• Designed to provide server resilience for 35-175+ Seats
• Configurations customized for particular needs.

With today's Intel Server Systems, the Intel Modular Server, Promise Storage, and IBM Storage we can provide some highly customized IT Solutions for our clients and prospective clients.

For those that request on-site warranties from Tier 1 we would offer IBM Servers and their warranties.

With the advent of Windows Server 2012 and the awesome new Hyper-V features we can go even further with companies that have multiple sites using Hyper-V Replica as well as the now accessible DirectAccess feature that is in Windows Server 2012.

The On-Premises future looks very bright indeed! :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer