Your Troubleshooting PAL

How many times have you been faced with a performance issue with a computer and you don't really know where to start? Sure, you can fire up Performance Monitor (perfmon) and start collecting data for analysis, but which counters do you collect and how do you identify a bottleneck?

Perfmon can gather tons of information and pouring over all that data for analysis can be a daunting task. Enter Performance Analysis of Logs (PAL), a new and powerful tool that reads in a performance monitor counter log in any known format and analyzes it using complex, but known thresholds. The tool produces an HTML report which reports important performance counters and displays alerts when thresholds are exceeded.

PAL is a free open source application developed by Microsoft and is hosted on CodePlex, Microsoft's open source project hosting web site. It requires two other free pieces of software on the computer where PAL will run:

Log Parser 2.2
Log parser is a powerful, versatile tool that provides universal query access to text-based data such as log files, XML files and CSV files, as well as key data sources on the Windows operating system such as the Event Log, the Registry, the file system, and Active Directory. PAL uses the Log Parser tool to query perform logs and to create charts and graphs for the PAL report.

Microsoft Office Web Components 2003
Log Parser requires the Office Web Components 2003 in order to create charts.

Note: Because there is no 64-bit version of the Microsoft Office Web Components, PAL only runs on x86 platform computers.

To use PAL, you begin by collecting performance data from the target machine using perfmon. Typically, I collect the Memory, Network Interface, Physical Disk, Processor and System counters to begin with. Once you've collected some data run PAL and walk through the wizard. Be sure to answer the Question Variable Names at the bottom of the Threshold File page. The variables are Number of Processors, use of the /3GB switch, is the target a 64-bit computer, total RAM and whether it has a kernel dump configured. Step through the rest of the wizard and PAL will create a batch file, run it and display the output as a graphical report in your web browser. Very cool!!!

You can view a LiveMeeting streaming video training of PAL here.

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

MICROSOFT HYPER-V IS RELEASED!!!

Today, Microsoft released Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V RTM (release to manufacturing). This is the real thing, folks! No more beta. This is much earlier than the August 2008 timeframe that Microsoft announced when Windows Server 2008 was released in February.

Click here to download the RTM version of Hyper-V. In 12 days you'll be able to go to Windows Update from your Windows 2008 server and it will be listed as an optional component. As you may know, the Windows Server 2008 installation bits are cached on the local computer. When you download and install the new version of Hyper-V it will update the local cache. If you ever uninstall and re-install the Hyper-V role, it will reinstall from the updated cache (the RTM version). This means that once you update a server with the new version, you won't need to update it again (unless Microsoft releases a newer version).

We should see new Hyper-V virtualization supportability agreements for some Microsoft products, like Exchange Server 2007, within the next 60 days. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 which offers both Hyper-V and VMware virtualization support should be out soon, as well.

On a side note, Rand Morimoto and I have finished writing "Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed," published by Sams Publishing. Look for it in a store near you.

Now, go forth and virtualize!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

New Certifications

May 2008 was a busy month for me.

In addition to writing a book, I passed five exams in the first three weeks and earned my MCITP:Enterprise Messaging Administrator (the premier Exchange 2007 administrator certification) and three MCTS certifications (SCOM 2007, ForeFront and Exchange 2007).

That makes 34 exams in a row that I've passed without failing, including my CISSP. Yes!! The streak remains unbroken!

I've put together a certifications page that lists the current certifications that I hold, which I'm rather proud of.

Tomorrow I'm off to TechEd and I can't wait! I'll be blogging at least once a day while I'm there. Check my blog all week. If you're going to TechEd yourself, I might meet you at the TechEd Blogger Ultra Lounge. See you there!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

Microsoft MCP Learning Member Site is Broken

If you're an MCP, MCTS, MCITP or MCSE you probably visit the Microsoft MCP Member site to view or download your Microsoft transcript or to access your certification logos. Well, guess what? You can't. And you haven't been able to for that past 9 days. And you won't be able to for another 48 hours.

I passed a marathon number of certifications this month (five in three weeks), gaining another three MCTS certs and my MCITP:Enterprise Messaging Administrator credential. After I got an email from Microsoft Learning last Wednesday that my exams had been recorded, I tried to access the logo builder to download my new certification logos. The website had me logout/login/logout/login and then gave the error displayed in the screenshot above.

I thought the problem may have been my home computer, so I tried it again from work and other computers over the next two days, but no go. I finally opened a ticket via email with the Microsoft Learning "Help Desk", which went like this:

• 5/23 - I opened the ticket and explain exactly what I did to reproduce the error
  
• 5/27 - MS asks for screenshots so they can "escalate the matter to the concerned department", which I immediately did
  
• 5/28 - MS asks for my PUID (part of my LiveID), which I immediately send to them
  
• 5/30 - MS sends a response saying that this is a known issue and will be fixed after 48 hours

Normally I wouldn't blog about this, but 11 days to fix this is unacceptable. The Microsoft certified professionals who work so hard to get these certifications rely on being able to prove that they've passed them.

Hopefully it'll be working by Monday. :(

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

Microsoft All-Star Community Pit Stop

Microsoft will be hosting a party for MCP, MCT, MVP and TechNet Subscribers at TechEd 2008 ITPro week this year. Here's the skinny:

Join us for an exclusive party for you and your peers!

The Microsoft All-Star Community Pit Stop
Tuesday Evening, June 10, TechEd IT Pro Week - 8:00pm
Location TBA

On June 10th, Day 1 of TechEd IT Pro Week, get ready to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most powerful IT Professionals and community influencers.

Exclusively for Microsoft MVPs, TechNet Plus Subscribers and Microsoft Certified Professionals and Trainers, the Microsoft All-Star Community Pit Stop party during TechEd IT Pro Week in Orlando, Florida is your opportunity to network with industry peers and key Microsoft executives, and enjoy an evening full of music, food, drinks, and fun —all compliments of Microsoft!

Party attendance is limited to the first 1000 people to register, so be sure to register today to reserve your spot at TechEd’s largest community-only party!

Be sure to have your MCP/MVP/TechNet ID ready and visit https://stage.crgevents.com/communitypitstop/Content/Home.aspx

You'll also need one of the following promotion codes:

• TechNet Plus subscribers use code TECHNET
• MCP/MCTs use code MCPMCT
• MVPs use code MVP

Register today and I'll see you there! Be sure to check out my TechEd Extracurricular Events calendar for other swell parties and events.

Thanks, Trika!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

40% off code for new Microsoft Technet Subscriptions

Here's a 40% off code for NEW Microsoft Technet Subscriptions. It will work with either the Direct or DVD option.

Use coupon code: TMSAL06

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

Create a Saved Query that Displays Group Members

Saved Queries in Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) allow you to create simple or advanced LDAP queries against the Active Directory that can be saved, reused and edited. Examples might be a query displaying all locked out users in the domain or all the users who have a mailbox on a particular Exchange server and have the word "Manager" in their title.

A client I worked with needed a query that displayed all the members of a certain (large) group. This would allow him to select all the users at once and move their mailboxes to another server.

Try as he might, he couldn't get the query to display the group's members. It turns out this is because the group name must be entered using its distiguished name. Here's how to do it:

• Use ADSIEdit.msc (in the Windows Support Tools) and navigate to the group


• View the properties of the group to reveal the distinguishedName attribute value and copy it to the clipboard (shown above)


• Open ADUC, right-click Saved Queries and select New query


• Enter a name for your query, "Accounting Group Members"


• Click the Define Query button


• Select Users, Contacts, and Groups from the Find: dropdown list


• Click the Advanced tab


• Click Field User Member of


• With the condition of "is (exactly)", paste the group's distinguishedName into the Value field and click Add


• Click OK twice to complete the query

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

Windows Server 2008 Unleashed Released!

I'm very excited to say that our new book, Windows Server 2008 Unleashed, will be hitting Amazon's shelves very soon! We just received our first 100 copies from the publisher and man, this thing's a monster! 1,432 pages of hard cover goodness.

I'm very proud of our team's work on this and proud to say that I was the sole tech editor for the entire book. You can place orders (or pre-orders) now from Amazon.

On a related note, Windows Server 2008 went RTM on Monday. I'm looking forward to the official product launch on February 27th!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

New Microsoft Certifications for 2008

As you may know, Microsoft has revamped its certifications this year. These changes bring up a lot of questions about past and present certifications, so I'm writing this to hopefully clear up some confusion.

First, the MCP, MCSA, and MCSE certifications are not being continued with the 2008 product line. However, these certifications are not being removed -- if you're an MCSE on 2000/2003, you're still an MCSE. The MCSE 2003 exams will not be retired until mainstream support for Windows 2003 ends. Considering most of the work I’ll do over the next couple of years will involve 2003 servers and migrations, it's still very relevant that to have an MCSE 2003 certification in addition to the new 2008 certifications.

The new certifications favor specialization -- depth, not breadth. These are the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certs. In the past, if you passed any Microsoft exam you became a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Microsoft heard from hiring managers that they couldn't tell if an MCP had the skills they were looking for, so they decided to create certifications based on specific abilities and technologies. For example, you can become an MCTS: Windows Vista Configuration or MCTS: Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007.

The MCSA/MCSE certifications are being replaced with the Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional (MCITP) certs. These are based more on job role than specialized in a particular technology (although you need to have MCTS certifications to get your MCITP). MCSA maps to the new MCITP: Server Administrator and MCSE maps to the new MCITP: Enterprise Administrator. There are also some specialty MCITPs, such as MCITP: Messaging Administrator, Database Administrator, Database Developer, etc. If you're interested in upgrading your MCSE to the new 2008 certifications, the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator is the premier certification you should work toward.

The following exams are required to earn an MCITP: Enterprise Administrator:

• 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring


• 70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring


• 70-643: TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications, Configuring


• 70-620: TS: Windows Vista, Configuring -or- 70-624: TS: Deploying and Maintaining Windows Vista Client and 2007 Microsoft Office System Desktops


• 70-647: PRO: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator

If you have a current MCSE 2003 certification you're eligible to take an upgrade exam, 70-649: TS: Upgrading Your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, Technology Specialist. This single exam takes the place of 70-640, 70-642 and 70-643. Then, to get your MCITP certification you must take 70-620 or 70-624, and the 70-647 PRO: Enterprise Administrator exams.

If you’re still working toward your MCSE 2003 from MCSE 2000, be aware that the MCSE 2003 upgrade exams, 70-292 and 70-296, are being retired on March 31, 2008.

Note: The 70-647: PRO: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator exam has not been released yet. It's still in beta through the end of January and will hopefully be released around March 2008. I'm taking the beta exam today, but won't know if I passed for up to 12 weeks(!)

Other notes about the exams and certifications:

• All exams are administered by Prometric. It's pretty easy to schedule, reschedule or cancel an exam from their website.


• You will know the results immediately after taking the exam. Passing score is 700 out of 1000.


• Exams are between 55-65 questions and you are given about 2.5 hours, depending on the exam


• Most questions are multiple choice or pick the two correct answers. Usually there's a couple of drag and drop or click the right area questions.


• The MCSE certification is no longer being used in future certifications. The term "Engineer" is a protected term used by several nations and states. Microsoft was sued in 12 countries and admonished in several states for use of this designation.


• MCSE certifications are not being retired and will remain on your transcript indefinitely


• MCTS/MCITP certifications expire and are removed from your transcript when the technology is no longer generally supported by Microsoft


• MCITP certifications must be renewed every three years


• Exams can be taken in any order, but Microsoft recommends taking the required MCTS exams before the MCITP exam

Microsoft has several resources on the web that describe the certifications beyond what I've covered here, and provide an overview of the knowledge you should have to take the exams.

• Microsoft Certifications Overview


• Preparation Guide for Exam 70-649


• Number of Microsoft Certified Professionals Worldwide


• Get a second chance to pass your Microsoft Certification exam—free offer!

What are your thoughts on the new certification framework? Leave your comments below!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

Imagine Cup 2008 - Time is Running Out!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Imagine Cup 2008 competition is underway. The last quiz for round 1 is scheduled for January 31.

The Imagine Cup is one way Microsoft is encouraging young people to apply their imagination, their passion and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world – today.

If you're a student, this is your last chance to qualify for round 2 and possibly make it to the finals in Paris, France. Sign up, take the quiz, and you could maybe even win an Xbox 360 game just for trying!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

Imagine Cup 2008

I'm very proud to be a co-captain for this year's Imagine Cup IT Challenge in Paris, France. Last year I participated as an exam writer and round 2 judge for Imagine Cup 2007 that was held in Seoul, Korea.

The Imagine Cup started five years ago, and already more than 100,000 students from over 100 countries and regions have competed. This year, more students than ever will be looking for victory in the nine competitions set up under three main categories, each reflecting this year’s theme.

The IT Invitational highlights the art and science of developing, deploying, and maintaining IT systems that are efficient, functional, robust and secure. In most scenarios, IT professionals have a base set of tools and techniques, but still have to work through custom needs and configurations that require an intimate understanding of how all the pieces fit together. IT professionals also have to know how to manage, administer, monitor, and maintain the systems for ongoing network security and reliability.

The IT invitational challenges students to demonstrate their proficiency in understanding not only the theory of how Microsoft Windows-based networks and applications work, but also how to keep them working. This includes core file and print services, e-mail messaging, database systems, document collaboration and sharing, network virtualization, unified communications, and systems management.

Round 1 of the IT Challenge runs now until January 31, 2008.

Students can register for the IT Challenge on the Imagine Cup 2008 Competition Website. Check it out and good luck!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email

2008 Scripting Games

February 15 - March 3, 2008

The third annual Scripting Games are coming to the Microsoft Script Center February 15 – March 3, 2008. Mark your calendars now, this will be the biggest scripting competition of the year.

I won my very own Dr. Scripto bobblehead doll at last year's TechEd in Orlando. I can't wait to compete for a matching set!

---

Subscribe to my feed  

Subscribe to The EXPTA {blog} by Email