So okay, I wasn't able to sleep so I started reading some email. You kow trying to catch up on some inbox reading.  I then came across my occasional MCP Flash email that told me about a new online game.  It is a  Microsoft Professional Quiz Show style game!  I know sounds geeky, but I figu re if you are reading my blog you might be into this kind of thing.  Anyways, You can use your passport login on Live ID whatever you have, and give it a go.  If you login it will track your progress so that you can leave and pick up where you left off later.  Also for me it was adictive, and it points out what I need to brush up on (since this is my career I figure I need to stay sharp). 

Questions Range from Easy, Medium, and Hard and it is timed when you see your answer choices.  There are also some lifelines or as they call them, "Vouchers" that you can use.  Questions topics include but are not limited  to: Win 2008, 2003, Exchange 2007, Win 7, XP, and SQL 2005.  There could be more but I didn't play for long.

The name of the game is Are You Certifiable?.  And, here is the link: http://www.microsoft.com/click/areyoucertifiable/default.aspx

If you want add me as a friend in the game, screen name: DRMILES

Happy Gaming!

With all of the new features of XenServer 5.6, I have been very excited about rolling it out.  There has been one thing though.  OpenManage and XenServer haven't been the best pals.  When we had been trying to rollout any XenServer on a Dell Server, it seems that we had to jump through hoops to make OpenManage work.  Well Dell has really worked on being more XenServer Friendly and released a Supplemental Pack for XenServer. 

A Supplemental Pack is an install package that can be slipstreamed into the install of XenServer.  So if you were installing XenServer you would simply start with the install CD, then use the Linux Templates Supplemental CD, and then use the Dell OpenManage CD when it asks for you to continue the install.  It is great!

I had to call Dell to get a copy of the ISO because it was not yet available on the website.  Here is the link so that you too can enjoy some Dell and Citrix Xen!

http://ftp.dell.com/sysman/OM-SrvAdmin-Dell-Web-LX-6.3.0-2075.XenServer56_A00.10.iso

By the way, Thank You! Johanness Far (Dell Enterprise Technical Support Senior Analyst) for getting me the link. 

Here's a list of some of the Cool Features in Windows 7:

• AeroShake - Hover your mouse overt the title bar of your active window, left-click and then shake your mouse.  All inactive windows disappear.  Shake again and everything comes back.
• Switch through documents with ease - Windows 7 groups all windows by type, for instance all open word documents will appear under the Word icon, all open email messages will be grouped under the outlook icon.  If you hold the CTRL key and click with your mouse on the document icon, each click will change the document will window to the next document in the order that you opened them.
• Use the windows shortcut key to move documents between multiple monitors.  If you click the Windows key + Shift + Right arrow, your active window will move to the right monitor at the same relative size it was before you moved it.
• Also, Click the Windows button plus the arrow keys to auto-resize your active window.  Windows + up maximizes the window.  Windows + left sizes your window to take up the left half the screen.  Great for viewing docs side by side
• The new calculator app has been given a dose of steroids.  It now includes the following modes: standard, scientific, programmer, statistics, unit conversion (temperature, weight, area, time).   It also has built in mileage, mortgage payments, lease payment and date calculations.

These are just a few of my favorite Windows 7 features.  There are many other cool new features of windows 7 including Jump Lists, Peeking and librarires.