Deep Dive Sessions

Exclusively at TechMentor, these extra-length sessions bring you expertise from the world's leading IT experts - at no additional cost! Learn to automate Active Directory management, add high availability to Hyper-V, perform packet analysis on your network, or optimize Group Policy for your environment.

WE1 - Automating Active Directory Management in Windows PowerShell
Don Jones
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 8:30 – 11:15 a.m.

Ready to start making Active Directory administration less tedious, and more automated? With Windows PowerShell v2, you can! This Deep Dive applies to Win2003 and Win2008 domains, and assumes you have at least one Win7 workstation in your environment. Windows PowerShell expert and MVP Don Jones will show you how to operate the Microsoft Active Directory cmdlets: You'll learn to create new users, update group memberships, manage computer accounts, work with organizational units, and much, much more. You'll learn how to do all of this in a multi-domain environment, how to persist alternate credentials within a session, and other tricks and tips. Did you know that you can use a simple CSV file and two commands to import hundreds of users into your directory, or to update thousands? You can - and this is where you'll learn how. 

WE2 - Mastering High Availability with Microsoft Hyper-V R2
Greg Shields
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 8:30 – 11:15 a.m.

Hyper-V is ridiculously easy to install and use.  Just add its role to your R2 server and you're off to the races.  But turning that single Hyper-V server into a highly-available cluster is another thing entirely.  Did you know about the memory limitations of Hyper-V clusters?  Were you aware about the problems with failback mode?  Have you heard of the gotcha's with Cluster Shared Volumes?  Renowned expert in Hyper-V and clustering Greg Shields goes deep with you on Microsoft's no-added-cost virtualization solution.  You'll learn the exact steps you must follow to correctly create a cluster.  You'll learn how to take that cluster's high-availability and make it even more highly-available.  And you'll avoid the pitfalls that most admins make in first implementing it.  Stick around for a full three hours with Greg and leave with the knowledge you need to be successful with Hyper-V and Windows Failover Clustering.

WE3 - Network Monitor: What's On Your Wire?
Rhonda Layfield
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 8:30 – 11:15 a.m.

Know what’s on your wire – and it’s easier than ever with the newest version of Network Monitor 3.3. If you’ve ever wanted to troubleshoot at the packet level but thought “it’s too hard” or “I don’t know where to begin” this session is for you. BUT WAIT – network sniffing experts there is something here for you too. From novice to pro Rhonda’s tips and tricks will help you get results quickly and easily. Networks can get really busy fast so finding the packet/packets you’re looking for can be a little like finding a needle in a haystack. Rhonda will show you how to find the packets you’re looking for in a snap. Sit this session and you’ll be ready to use Netmon 3.3 the day you get back to work! 

WE4 - Mastering SharePoint 2007 Administration
Todd Klindt
Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 8:30 – 11:15 a.m.

SharePoint 2007 can be a scary critter, no matter if you’re new to the product or already have a bit of experience. Just getting it set up and configured correctly can be a daunting task, and administering it correctly after the install requires some special tips and tricks.  In this session SharePoint MVP Todd Klindt will share his very best SharePoint 2007 administration tips, beginning with installation gotchas all the way through scaling and keep it running. You’ll learn about the different types of installs, which accounts to use, how to properly scale your databases, partition users, and other administration tricks you won’t get elsewhere. At the end of this session you will be able to install and manage SharePoint 2007 with the confidence that you’re doing it in the smartest way possible.