Dugie’s Pensieve

I started my new role as a Territory SE with VMware this month.  It’s really awesome stuff, and unlike anything I could have imagined.  The team here is so full of energy and passion, and the place is a beehive of activity!   Oh you should see the kitchen, it’s amazing and full of goodies!

…and that’s probably why a couple of avid readers have pinged me asking about the sudden lack of regular blogging.  Well guys, just for you I’ve stayed up extra late tonight to jam out a quick post.  I had planned to do this earlier but time has got away from me when I wasn’t looking.  So this is coming to you live and uncut - ignore the typos.   :)

Now I guess the burning question on everybody’s lips, is “What about the blog?”

Well I’ve haven’t come up with an answer yet.  I’ve given it some thought, and the blog is WindowsVirtualization.  Over time I have enjoyed blogged about all sorts of things [I've found interesting] that involve Windows Virtualization:  Windows as a Guest or a Host, Window Interop, Tools, Findings, Experiences, Vendors, Support, and the occasional bit of coolness too.

So I’m thinking maybe I continue more along those lines?  Focus more on support policies, best practices, standards, or maybe just experiences from others in the field?  Rest assured guys, whatever I do, I’ll keep it real and maintain that same ’signal:noise ratio’, you’ve come to love and expect.   =)

Anyway that brings me to now, and perhaps my very next blog post.  I’m seeing a huge amount of interest from customers around Virtualization at the Desktop (VDI).  Since I haven’t blogged VDI in a while, I think I’ll start there!

So tell me, what would you like to see?  Leave comments and let me know.

This “Dugie Conference Survival Tip” is for our beloved FrankArr:

Always travel to conferences (and international airports) with a mains power double adapter!  Leave it in your backpack, and If ever you need an emergency laptop/phone powerup it can be a life saver.

…and besides you never know what new friends you might meet =)

Ok, Virtualization made it on to Dilbert this morning.  It made me smile; not a lot more can be said:

UPDATE: And from here it’s “typical Dilbert“; Visit the website for Part 2 and Part 3

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I came across this today, the "Oriel Virtualization Calculator".  It’s a snazzy flash web site that calculates approximate CO² offset from Virtualizing your servers. 

It’s really cool.  IT was done by the boys at Oriel, here in Australia.  So the dollar values are most likely in AUD =)

So [based on the website] if we had 1200 servers to Virtualize (or were originally provisioned as Virtual Machines)  you would save:

• 13,500 tonnes of CO²
• equivalent to planting 59,000 trees
• Offsetting the emissions of 3,000 Cars
• …and a whole bunch of $$$$

I thought this is an awesome and innovative new way to take a fresh look at Virtualization.  …and made my day with a good chuckle.  Anyway Go and check out the "Oriel Virtualization Calculator" for yourself.

A couple of days I posted "Hyper-V to release 180 days from today" - What I should have posted was Hyper-V to release within 180 days.

So Hyper-V could release, next week, next month or next quarter; but if it takes the full 180 days to RTM, then, well you get the idea, cause you read the blog post.  right?  ok, well maybe.

Anyway.  Sorry, my bad.  =)

I gotta go and write another blog post.

This is a quick repost - mainly for my own reference.

Jose Barreto (Systems Architect for Microsoft, Redmond) has posted all the technical smackdown of Hyper-V’s storage capabilities, including everything from DAS, to SAN and iSCSI

You can read his post “Storage options for Windows Server 2008’s Hyper-V“, head on over and check it out.

Windows 2008 hit RTM today (in building 26 actually), you can read the official announcement over at Presspass. 

So I guess this (maybe) marks the beginning of ‘that final countdown‘:  Hyper-V to release 180 days from now.  This means the release date would roughly be the first week in August;  Just in time for VMworld and WinHEC in September =)  

Speaking of mid September, that should be around the time that the first beta of SCVMM vNext should be available.  Just remember, none of these dates are formal, just pure speculation based on the information out there.

Wow.  Exciting times.  Strangely enough, this time last year I asked the “virtualization-fairy-god-mother” for and exciting rollercoaster ride of Virtualization interoperability.  I think my exact words were “I want to see that curve so steep, you can just feel the gforces kicking in!“

…I guess I have to be careful what I wish for!!