Acer TravelMate 5720 Series observations

We just received a new TravelMate series Acer laptop.

The TravelMate 5720 is based around the new Intel 8000 series Core 2 Duo processors with 3MB of Cache between the cores.

Out of the box it has Windows Vista Business x86 installed with the typical Acer twin hard drive partitions now formatted in NTFS. It also has the Windows XP Professional downgrade DVDs included in the box.

The unit itself is a bit smaller than the Canadian 6000 series TravelMates and it shows in the keyboard layout. The Enter key has a chunk missing from its bottom left hand corner to accommodate the "\" character key and the left Shift button has the same "\" key beside it too. The extra keys are to accommodate the French keyboard layout judging by the different green characters also on the keys.

It takes a little getting used to the need to reach the finger a little further to get to the Enter or left Shift keys. This may initially be a bit of a challenge for those whose touch typing skills are near entry level. Keep in mind that we are dealing with what seems to be a Canadian localized model.

All in all though, the new 8100 series Core 2 seems to perform quite well relative to the 7000 series Core 2 processor based laptops we have been selling. Between the configured 2GB of RAM and a 250GB SATA hard drive, there will be decent Windows Vista performance with enough storage to spare.

We do find that outfitting a laptop with 3GB or 4GB for Windows Vista does make a difference on the laptop's overall performance characteristics though. This is important to note if we are looking at providing a unit to our more advanced or performance oriented client users.

For the moment, this particular unit provides a good value for the price especially for our non-profit clients. So, we will stick with it until Acer's product line evolves yet again.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

A Sample Billable Time Schedule when Managed Services won't do

Here is a sample billable time schedule:

• Preferred client status: $XXX/hr
• Minimum 4 hour response to initial query with scheduling for on-site/remote support to follow
• Minimum ½ hour in ½ hour increments
• Evenings (18:00 – 08:00) and Weekends (Friday 18:00 to Monday 08:00) +$XXX/hr
• Support Contract/Hosting client 25hr Time Block: $X,XXX.00 ($XXX/hr) (invoiced up front)
• Priority Response Time – maximum 4 hours to respond to initial query
• Minimum 15 minutes in 15 minute increments
• Time tracking reports issued monthly when there is activity to you
• Small questions not billed (relative to their frequency of course!)
• Evenings (18:00 – 08:00) and Weekends (Friday 18:00 to Monday 08:00) at time block rate.
• A new Time Block will be invoiced with a balance of 5 hours left or if time balance is not enough to complete a requested support task.
• Non-hosting infrastructure emergency response time – 4 hours or less: $XXX/hr
• MS Application On-Site Training for 1 User: $395.00 (3hrs)
• MS Application On-Site Training for 2 Users: $695.00 (3hrs)
• MS Application On-Site Training for 3 Users: $895.00 (3hrs)
• Windows SharePoint Services (internal Web site) same as MS application training fee structure.
• Data Recovery Services start at $500.00

The above fee schedule is essentially a copy and paste from a typical fee schedule we would send to a client that is not interested in a Managed Services after explaining its benefits.

Time Blocks can be configured in whatever increments suit us with the rates reflected in the size of the Time Block and the type of client service needs we will be dealing with.

The above fee schedule provides us a solid baseline to work from. Consistency when quoting on fees is very important as it makes it easier for us to keep track of what is essentially three tiers of clients:

1. Managed Services
2. Support Contract on Time Block
3. Billable Time Only or Open Support Contract

In turn, we can quickly ascertain at which response level a client is at. We can also keep track of which clients value our products and services by the amount they spend with us and make sure we keep them happy!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS Hosting? MS SPLA is the answer

Lately we have been in contact with a number of small companies requiring SBS features and abilities but are not necessarily in a position to outlay that kind of cash up front.

These companies tend to be 2-5 seats with most of their users on the road. Some are even home based businesses that do not require the need for office space as their users are almost completely remote based.

An option that has become viable for us to get involved with is the Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement or SPLA.

What the SPLA enables us to do is setup either hardware dedicated or virtual SBS networks on our servers for the smaller companies to use.

The licensing revenue of Microsoft products under SPLA is per user per month. We essentially pay for what we use to provide our clients with the hosted SBS solution. And, the cost per month is very reasonable.

So, for a typical small business we may setup the following on a virtual server:

• SBS 2K3 R2 Standard
• Windows XP Pro or Vista Business desktops
• Office Standard 2003/7
• SharePoint Version 3

The advantages for the clients are manifold:

• No large outlay of cash for infrastructure - fees are month by month with a small setup fee
• Client does not need a dedicated physical location
• MS server, workstation, and applications hosted are patch managed
• ShadowProtect based backups - no, "I forgot to change the ..."
• Data is centrally accessible via share and/or SharePoint sites
• No need for new or updated hardware for their users
• Software Assurance covers any MS product for upgrades or downgrades

Besides a Managed Services focus, SBS hosting services can further stabilize an I.T. company's revenue stream by providing additional diversity and consistency.

For any company contemplating adding this type of service to their services portfolio however, there are a number of very important things to keep in mind:

• A reliable Internet Connection - preferably managed and/or fibre
• Hardware capacity to provide an excellent level of service
• Hardware, location, Internet connection redundancy
• UPS and/or power generation capabilities
• A good data backup system
• Disaster Recovery Planning in place
• A secured facility to protect the infrastructure
• Proper cooling for the hardware delivering the hosted services
• A lawyer approved service agreement

For us, it is our preference to meet our prospective hosting clients fact to face before considering them for our SBS based hosting solutions. We prefer to get to know them and their business first. From there we can tailor an SBS hosting solution to meet their specific business needs.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

New Skulltrail Costs - D5400XS Board and QX9775 CPUs

We finally see the processors SKUd up here in Canada (the board has been there for a bit now):

• BX80574QX9775: Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9775 3.20GHz is $1,725.00
• BOXD5400XS: Intel Extreme Skulltrail Desktop Board is $700.00

The above prices are approximate based on the price in Canadian dollars at our suppliers that have them in their system now.

Basically, we are looking at $4,150.00 or thereabouts for just the motherboard and pair of CPUs. That is a small car folks! ;)

Some American based online merchants say they already have stock at around the above prices in US$.

Neat!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Answer the Intel Xeon Questions & Win an Intel Boxed E6750

This one is pretty simple: We can't seem to get a clear answer out of anyone on the front line in the Intel Reseller Program.

What we want to know: What does the "X" denote in front of the Intel Xeon 5400 Processor Series Number.

Example: Intel X5450 Product Specs:

Intel Xeon Processor X5450 Specifications

And here, we have the Intel Xeon E5440 Product Specs:

Intel Xeon Processor E5450 Specifications

And here they are side by side:

Intel Xeon Processor Specifications Side by Side

So, yes, we do see that the "X" series has a higher Thermal Design Power (TDP).

Since we are not processor engineers, what does that mean too?

The questions again:

1. What does the "X" in front of the 5400 Processor Series number stand for (versus the "E")?
2. What does the difference in TDP between the two processors mean?

While we will try our best to verify with Intel what the actual answers are, it may end up being a "best answer" kind of deal.

Please post your answer in the comments section ... and have fun with it.

We will choose the best answer two weeks from now: March 21, 2008 at 17:30hrs Mountain Standard Time. We request that all eligible commenters not be anonymous.

We will Expidite via Canada Post a Boxed Intel E6750 processor (new in the box) to the winner anywhere Canada Post can deliver. Please verify that before hand.

Happy Friday and have a good weekend! ;)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Intel Server Systems Quick Reference Site

This is a kewl little sub-site that has a drop down list so one can find information on the various Intel Server System platforms:

Intel Server Systems Quick Reference Site

We select our processor platform, and we are presented with a fairly specific list of products.

Once we have clicked on the Server System we are interested in, we receive a link to the product's sub-site.

For one-off needs, a simple search will bring up the site we need. But, when we are quoting on multiple configurations, having this site open in a Tab makes product specific information research all the quicker.

Just click the drop down beside the "10" and change it to a higher number and we have the entire product line at our finger tips.

Link: Intel Server Systems.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

For Intel product, and others, check out ASI Corp.

Recently, we have been building a series of 1U SBS and secondary servers for clients.

One of the problems we run into, at least here in Canada, with the big three suppliers is stock on Intel product.

Why that is, is not exactly clear. But we usually have to wait when it comes to system builds on more "exotic" components like 1U servers when it comes to Synnex, Tech Data, and Ingram Micro (if we need to use Ingram).

One of the features that the Intel Server Configurator Tool has is to "Check Availability":

Intel Server Configurator 1U Configuration Completed

The key symbol beside the availability link means that we need to log into the Intel Reseller Center to follow through on the request. If you are not a Partner, then a sign up process will be in order. It is well worth it BTW.

Once logged in, we are able to choose which suppliers we want to poll for stock availability on the selected Intel Server components.

One of the listed suppliers is ASI Corp. Until recently, the big three have been meeting our needs within a somewhat decent time frame.

But lately, our demand for server product has been higher and getting stock has been a lot more difficult with them.

So, when checking stock on a server build, we chose the ASI Corp. option and we saw that they may have stock on components we need. Or, if not, it would be a good idea to give them a call to check them out.

Intel Authorized Distributor Availability

We put in a call and ended up talking with Michael T. at ASI's Canadian office.

Right from the get-go we were impressed. We were able to talk about what we do and what we were looking for and receive a clear and understanding response from Michael.

He promptly sent off the ASI Account Application forms, for which there was no $250+ fee BTW, and let us know that they had availability on all of the Intel components we were looking for.

Since sending the forms back, we have received a number of post application form and subsequent post quote calls from Michael. It is pretty neat to see. Why? Because hand holding a new client, spending a lot of extra time with them at the beginning to establish a business relationship, leaves a huge impression.

And, indeed it has. As a result, it looks as though ASI has swung into our number one choice for Intel Product, along with some other exclusive lines they carry like Antec, OCZ Technology, and Thermaltake.

As far as the stock availability check feature, the supplier list for us is North American based. The stock check feature may be available to you in your geographical area. The only way to be sure, is to become an Intel Reseller, give your Partner Number to your area's authorized distributors, and give it a whirl! ;)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Microsoft Open Value Subscription - Email Consistency Required

We are in the process of setting up a new client on Microsoft's new Open Value Subscription Licensing.

An important thing to keep in mind: When the agreement has been issued via your supplier, the end user, your client, will need to have a Live ID associated with the email address on the agreement.

The order of things:

1. Purchase Subscription Licensing on behalf of the client
2. Client receives an email from Microsoft:
• From: eAgreementz@mmicrosoft.com [mailto:eAgreementz@mmicrosoft.com]
  Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 10:05 AM
  To: myclient@myclientsdomain.com
  Subject: Action Required: Your Microsoft License Agreement is ready for signature (Agreement Number: XXXXXXXXXX )
  
  Dear My Client
  
  Your Microsoft Volume Licensing Agreement has been created by your Microsoft Channel Partner and is ready for acceptance.
  
  Initializing Your Account and Accepting Your Agreement
  
  In order to review and accept your licensing agreement please click the link below and follow the steps to initialize your Enterprise Portal Platform (EPP) account. EPP is the gateway to the eAgreements tool.
  
  Link here
  
3. Click the Link
4. Sign in with the client's Live ID MyClient@myclientsdomain.com and password
• If the client does not have a Live ID associated with their email, one will need to be created.
• If the client's Live ID has a weak password, the system will require that the password be changed to meet complexity requirements.
• Write the information down in your secure client audit notes!
5. Client will need to sign the agreement as indicated on the Web page.

One will not be able to sign up a Hotmail or other address just for license management purposes as was possible in the past. All communications from the License service will go to the email address associated with the subscription at purchase time. Thus, it is a good idea to use an email address the client uses on a regular basis.

Once the pending agreement has been signed, the agreement should go active in short order.

Expect any media associated with the subscription to be shipped out once it is active too.

Other than trying to figure out new part numbers and whether to license company-wide or by the seat, setting up the subscription for our client was relatively painless.

One of the benefits of the subscription is the ability to "True Up" on the anniversary date of the subscription. This means that our client can now add more seats to their environment and not need to pay for those seats until the anniversary of the agreement. This is true in the reverse too by the way. Drop a couple of users and one will need to wait until the anniversary of the agreement to adjust the number of licensed seats down.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

2.5" & 3.5" IDE/SATA to USB Adapters - Huge Time Savers!

The other day, one of the technical people on an email list for the Taurus V8 SHO that I personally belong to mentioned a tool that is one of those, "Why didn't I think of that" tools.

That is, why did I think of the idea, and why didn't I think that someone out there may be selling it.

The idea is actually very simple: Plug a USB cable into a system with a bare hard drive plugged into the other end receiving power from an alternate source and we have access to the drive.

Here is a screen shot of what one variation looks like:

IDE/SATA to USB Adapter

What a brilliant idea!

This little gem is going to save us huge amounts of time when working with our Data Mule (previous blog post) system. No more shutdowns to install a hard drive!

This will make our data recovery, imaging, and hard drive erasing tasks that much simpler.

Thanks to Doug of the V8 SHO Email List for the tip! :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Windows SharePoint Services Version 3 learning & SBS 2008

As soon as we found out about the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Primer book being updated and released last December, we put in an order for some.

The book is going to be used to facilitate training here in the shop for those wanting to attempt the 70-282 exam: Designing, Deploying, and Managing a Network Solution for a Small- and Medium-Sized Business.

We were also interested in the new section for the 70-631 exam: TS: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Configuring. Since we have some up coming client demands for customizing SharePoint installations to their particular needs, this section was of particular interest to us.

To date, there has been a dearth of Windows SharePoint Services Version 3 (WSSv3) information out there. Yes, there are some documents one can download from Microsoft's Web site, but they really did not flesh out the how and why of WSSv3.

So, we were pretty excited to receive the SMBNation books in mid to late January.

One should be prepared, 70-631 gets three chapters devoted to it. So, it will give a really good medium to big picture of working with WSSv3 with some finer technical details. There are exam preparation questions at the end of each chapter to facilitate one's knowledge building endeavors.

So, to dive deeper into WSSv3, the various install scenarios, and customizing WSSv3 sites, we need something more.

We recently received these two books:

• Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Version 3.0 Inside Out (0735623236)


• 
• Mastering Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (0470127287)


• 

So far, the Microsoft book is by far the clearest and most organized of the two.

Our reading method is to work through the Microsoft chapter while augmenting what we read with the detailed information that can be had from the Sybex version. Both have very detailed information, but the MS book tends to be a little more intuitive in its layout and presentation.

Together, the two books are both technically excellent, providing good methodology for installing, configuring, and securing WSSv3 sites. Both come with CDs that provide an electronic version of the books, as well as multiple utilities, templates, and more.

For clients who discover WSSv3's abilities, the sky is the limit! WSSv3 is a sweet spot for revenue growth in our company. Having someone on staff who can work magic with site presentation as well as providing an excellent grasp on bringing the various WSSv3 components together specific to a client's needs is worth their weight in Gold.

One of the benefits we see with the new SBS 2008 Premium Edition that contains a stand-alone server license and SQL 2005 license is a dedicated database server for SharePoint. For busy internal and/or externally facing WSSv3 sites, having the ability to dedicated RAM and CPU power to the site can provide a very solid foundation for promoting an upgrade to SBS 2008 Premium.

Even smaller clients that utilize volumes of data for their business via VPN will see a huge benefit in dropping the VPN bandwidth overhead for access to their data on WSSv3 via a Remote Web Workplace SSL secure session.

In our opinion, all three books are highly recommended. For the MSBS Primer, check out SMBNation, for the other two, visit your favourite local technical book seller or online merchant.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS Migrations - Get a little more than 7 days breathing room

One of our clients that we are performing a Swing Migration to new hardware for is going through some significant internal changes.

These changes happened after we were contracted to complete the migration.

All of the requisite systems including the new SBS box were already to go before the changes started to happen.

As a result, our timeline went from 5 days for the migration to about 14-16 days.

We were about to loose that new SBS box to the 7 day time limitation on not being promoted into the migration domain.

In comes the Official SBS Blog and a new update to save the day: Small Business Server 2003 Migration Update 943494 Released.

We now have a KB article: 943494: Software Update to Support “Join Domain” Migration of Windows Small Business Server 2003 Data and Settings to New Hardware and the update to download with it: Software Update to Support “Join Domain” Migration of Windows Small Business Server 2003 Data and Settings to New Hardware.

After downloading the update and applying it, we now have a 21 day grace period to work with the new box.

Software Update Installation Wizard for KB943494

Note that there are quite a number of localized versions of the download. Pay close attention to which Download button being clicked on.

Also, keep in mind that the update requires a reboot of the new SBS box.

KB943494 Reboot Required

If the update had not come along, we would have had to blow away the box and reschedule a Phase 1 SBS install on it. That would have been a great waste of time.

There are any number of foreseen and unforeseen reasons why a migration may need to take longer than the allowed 7 days. It is good to see that Microsoft has acknowledged those reasons with an extension to a 21 day grace period.

Kudos to the SBS Team for the update! :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Live ID Character Recognition Test ... Can you see it?

Windows Live ID Security Test

The above image says that there are 8 (eight) characters in it.

Initially, the J that is hidden between the 8 and the B was missed. However, we had to cycle through at least 3 (three) of these images before one had all of the characters legible enough to actually make them out in the above example.

Okay folks, yes ... some of us may be indeed visually challenged! :*O

However, when it gets to the point where one has to continually cycle through the images to find one that is reasonably legible, we have a problem.

Does this indicate that the malicious software that reads those images has gotten that good? Probably.

However, when it becomes easier for a machine to read the image versus a human being, things may have gotten a little out of hand.

It is time to look at some other alternatives.

By the way, don't even bother trying to make out the auditory clue if you have some sort of hearing challenge ... might as well be at a bar having a beer and trying to pick up on the conversation!

For service providers: Any type of "Security" initiative for a service that hinders a user from signing up or using the service does itself a disservice. Keep in mind that the "Security" initiative impedes a significant number of the population from using it!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Windows Server 2008 OEM Part Numbers

As we get ready to build servers on the OEM version of Server 2008 for those clients without some form of Microsoft Licensing in place, having the part numbers at hand makes quoting that new server a lot simpler.

Here they are:

• Windows Server 2008 Data Center OEM Version
• P71-05539 Data Center 2 CPU (64 Max)
• P71-05540 Data Center 4 CPU (64 Max)
• LUA-02172 Data Center 2 CPU (64 Max) - No Hyper-V
• LUA-02173 Data Center 2 CPU (64 Max) - No Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise OEM Version
• P72-02977 Enterprise 1-8 CPU 25 CALs
• LSA-00900 Enterprise 1-8 CPU 25 CALs - No Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Standard OEM Version
• P73-04001 Standard 1-4 CPU 5 CALs
• LTA-00893 Standard 1-4 CPU 5 CALs - No Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Web OEM Version
• LWA-00078 Web 1-4 CPU
• Windows Server 2008 CAL Part Numbers
• R18-02888 Windows Server CAL 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 1 Clt Device CAL
• R18-02926 Windows Server CAL 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 1 Clt User CAL
• R18-02869 Windows Server CAL 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt Device CAL
• R18-02907 Windows Server CAL 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt User CAL

Note that the above part numbers are specific to us here and are for the English version.

System builders registered with the Microsoft OEM Partner Center will be able to get an up to date Excel spreadsheet with current part numbers for your respective geographical area:

Microsoft OEM Partner Center - Active OEM Part Numbers

The spreadsheets are sorted by country, so finding the right one is easy.

Here are some Windows Server 2008 links:

• Windows Server 2008 - Product Page
• Windows Server 2008 - TechCenter (TechNet)
• Windows Server 2008 - Overview of Editions
• Windows Server 2008 - Compare Server Core Installation Options

Also, take a look at your favourite online or local bookseller for new Windows Server 2008 technical books. There are some early releases now available, with a good number of titles to be released over the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Windows Vista SP1 is available to MS OEMs

Folks, if you are signed up with the Microsoft OEM Partner Program, you have access to the DVD image containing both individual Windows Vista x86 and x64 Service Packs.

The download file comes down as a .IMG, but can be renamed to .ISO and burned to DVD. One can also virtually mount the ISO to extract the individual service pack files.

We now have a number of avenues for obtaining the Service Pack as far as we can tell. It would be a good idea to find one and get the Service Pack and test it.

The Windows Vista TechCenter.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Windows Vista with SP1 Integrated + WAIK Now Available

Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 DVD ISO images are now available on the Open Licensing portal as well as to TechNet Plus subscribers.

• Microsoft Volume Licensing Site
• Microsoft eOpen Licensing Site
• TechNet Site

Also keep in mind that there is a new WAIK for Windows Vista SP1 as well as Windows Server 2008: Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008. Note that this is close to a 1.2GB download!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.