Experiences in Project Consulting

Well been a while eh? I'm still out here just been a tad busy. Thing is I've had tons to say but not much time to say it. Time to get back on that horse. I'll be posting a few things encountered and some new tips ... but what am I going to talk about today?

It's taken me days to get to this and I really wanted to post something right away but felt I needed to cool off. Good idea. So now that I have ...

As a consultant we all expect a certain amount of professional curtsy. We all believe that each of us are able to do what is needed and can handle anything thrown our way. We believe that our fellow consultants are as good as us and we are "The Team" that gets called in to fix the unfix-able, to build environments that are shining examples to all others. For the first time my faith was shaken in that regard. I guess it can't be helped, when you work at as many places as I have you're bound to find a few small minded people even in our field. It was just a shock ... but let me lay it out.

I was called in to a major project to deploy applications via ThinApp to be used in a VDI rollout. First off I'm not terribly strong in ThinApp but I'm not unskilled in it and I was assured that I was not going to be the only asset. So I go in with high hopes and looking forward to brushing up on things. From day one the outgoing Citrix "expert" took a dislike to me. I asked too many questions about the current environment it seemed. Of course that's what I was there for so you can imagine my surprise at the claims of me being snobby and sarcastic (well I'm kind of naturally sarcastic but hey). This was a first for me and usually the team works things out but this person made it their job to undermine the team dynamics.

If you hadn't already figured it out, things went south. The "expert" had the ear of the PM, that and a sudden change in marching orders gave the person an insider's edge. I was forced to move on. Again another first after so many successful projects and great teams that I've worked with.

So what do I take away from this? First off, define and gain acceptance of your place, goals, and actions in the team. Second is communication, but in a way that shows engagement and not just noise. We as independent and autonomous minded folk occasionally fail to remember that though we are working our butts off, to some it can look the opposite. Finally, and here's the hard part, if you feel the team is not in sync and/or maybe you're not a good fit, determine if you need to pass the baton. If you decide that it's not going to work, don't waste time trying to make it work, it won't and it can damage your sense of well being. In my experience I got some good time in but ultimately is was wasted effort project wise. Other projects will come along. Trying to hold on to a failing position can be a negative down the road. Take the high road when possible.

I hope it all works out for the project. The remaining team should be able to pull it off, and I'm sure that they will bring in other assets. I believe that all experiences are learning experiences and this was just another one. I still got four weeks of paid training that got me back up to speed on the latest in VMware. That was worth it alone.

So ... on to the next adventure!

NetScaler Fundamentals - Day 1

First off want to say great class and the instructor, Richard Nash, is a great guy and easy to talk to.

So I took this class because a) I need to understand just what is going on in these devices and b) every time I deal with a NS device it's like Sanskrit and not a single one is set up the same way.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet: if you have the opportunity to take this class, do it. If you already know NS then fine, no real need, but if you've been seeing these devices (and I mean any of them, both VPX and MPX) and you have issues understanding just why someone did what they did, or you setting up more and more of these and just playing it by ear, then you should run to this class.

Now I wouldn't advocate flying from Tuscon (sorry Mike) but hey to each their own. :D

Peace.

Why I've given up on Firefox

Before anyone goes off the deep end on the title let me make one thing crystal clear: I HATE IE.

Recently I've been using a lot of different browsers, and let me say that in most cases they work identical to each other. Understand I don't go digging into code or bug chase things. A browser to me is like a ohm meter, how it works is not as important as it works as it's supposed to and how I need it to. So having said that I've come to the conclusion that those that are guardians of the Mozilla code, that is at the core of Firefox, just don't give a rats patoot that issues that are rendering it unusable for a few of us are, well, important.

Case in point: I use in regular rotation a laptop that runs Vista Business x64. Yeah, yeah, don't gasp and don't judge, it is one of the most stable systems I've had. (We are not going to digress into a pro/con Vista discussion so shush.) Not to mention it's AMD and dual core (real dual core mind you) and more than enough memory.

The only problem is when Firefox fires up.

Understand that this is also an HP unit and so it has the HP Protection Suite installed. Again don't get side tracked, I like the options and I love the bio-metrics because in cases where I can do so, I prefer technology to deal with security (go figure) and not rely on my memory of password. So here is where the problem comes about. In just about all cases firing up a browser is not an issue ... unless it's Firefox then things get weird. I see a spike in CPU and then a constant load of at least 50% across both cores. Add in any additional apps and I'm at 100% and the system crawls. Close FF and all is fine again.

I've traced this problem to the unfathomable fact that the HP suite and FF just don't get along. The only work around's are disable the suite or stop using FF as my primary browser. Hmmmm, stop using the tool that saves me from typing more passwords in or stop using one of half a dozen browser that, though I really like, is causing the actual issue (no other browser does this).

Chrome, your it.

I can only hope that someday, at some point the great folks doing the coding for FF will see the light and actually test the next iteration ... but I've been waiting a long time for that and so far, at now version 17, it's just more of the same fail.

Ah well.

Understand that this isn't the only reason I've called it quits for FF, just an example. Oh sure I could go into the seeming indifference to cranking out version after version for no reason save to break add-ons, the continual ability to break more than they fix, or the fact that it continues to be at war with Flash, Java, and a few other plugins. But isn't one example enough?

Oh sure I'll still use it on occasion but as my default? Nope, it's over.

Good luck FF, hope that I can come back to you someday but I need an ohm meter that works.

Peace.

Solving Java issues on XenApp Servers (Part 1)

Recently I was troubleshooting an issue with Java on a provisioned server. The problem manifested by the user being asked to install Java when a particular UI interface was called that in turn invoked Java to display a Gannet table of appointments. As the user did not have elevated rights any attempt to install failed. Simply refusing to install also caused the function to fail. After much trial and error I determined that this was a result of two issues.

When a user connects to a Java app that user session, in normal conditions, it will try and determine if Java is installed. It does this by checking if it has a path to the \bin folder and if it has access to the cache folder. If either fails it will then attempt to install Java, however this is not possible for Citrix users normally as it will try to install on the hosting server.

What has to be done, to make Java applications work in Citrix, is to ensure that when a user connects they are able to satisfy the Java run-time requirements. To do this several changes need to be made on the hosting server so that both the run-time files are seen by the user session and that the cache is not in a location that requires privileged rights to access.

On the host XenApp server (provisioned or standard) the following needs to be done:

1. Make a note of the version(s) of Java currently installed. Download the offline installer(s) for those versions.
2. Log off all remote user sessions to ensure a clean uninstall.
3. Uninstall all Java versions currently installed on the server.
4.  Delete old file locations if any. These are often found in the following locations: C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\<version> or C:\Program Files\Java\<version>
5. Starting with the oldest (lowest numbered version) install using TS-Install or “change user” process. 
1.  If the version(s) of Java installed are pre version 6u20 you will need to make the ‘C:\Windows\Sun\Java\Deployment’ manually. This is important for supporting clients that have more current version installed locally. 
6. Once all versions are installed, you will need to change the default location for the Java cache folder. To do this:
1. Make a new folder: C:\JavaCache, make it R/W for “Everyone”. 
2. Create a file named ‘deployment.properties’ which should include the information of all Java versions installed as well as the location of the cache folder. Example:
3. Save the file, see step ‘f’ for location.
4. Create a file named ‘deployment.config’. This will have to be done for each version location and for use in ‘C:\Windows\Sun\Java\Deployment’
5. In each file you need to add the path for the properties file. This will depend on where the file is in relation to the version. Example:
6. Save file, see below for location.
7. Each of these files will need to be saved in the C:\Windows\Sun\Java\Deployment folder and C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\<version>\lib for each version.
7. Entry needs to be added in the servers PATH variable pointing to the /bin directory of each version. Example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\j2re1.4.2_19\bin
8. Navigate to the server configuration and access the User group rights. Ensure that either:
1. The Remote Users Group is included in the Users group or,
2. The User group includes the same user groups that are a part of the Remote Users Group.
9.  Close all. Proceed with the process of sealing the image if the server is provisioned.

What the above does is redirect the user session to a cache that doesn’t require elevated rights to access (such as the default). This along with the path changes allows the client to see that Java is installed and that the cache is available.

For verification, navigate to a Java app that is served from the configured XenApp server. Once opened access the Java Control Panel located in the System Tray, right click and select Open Control Panel. If properly operating you should be able to see the Java cache path properly configured.

If using roaming profiles you might need to reset (move or delete) the store profiles where ever they are stored.

In part two I will outline the other problem that showed up regarding Java interaction and an issue with XenApp configuration of SFTA.

Peace.

From the: Should Have Seen it Coming file ...

On March 16 Google moved all its Google App nonprofit offerings under the Google for Nonprofits group. This after moving Google Apps for Nonprofits from out of the Google for Educators Edition (which was known as Google Premium Edition) thus splitting it from Google Apps for business. With me so far? Good.

Unfortunately this meant that they also changed their guidelines which pretty much cut off all churches (schools however are still able to apply to the GA for Education), political NPOs, evangelical groups, and any one that limits its members by race, religion or sexual orientation. There are additional restrictions but I’ll not list them all here, follow the link if you want to know more.

So imagine my surprise at the surprise of some in the religious community that were not aware and others that should have known also being in “shock” that this had happened … five months ago. The change was posted the day it happened and people on Google Apps Forums have been generally aware of it, by posting about it, at least two months ago.

Here’s the thing; some would have you believe that Office 365 is the answer. For some it very well could be but if you are deciding based on TOC and ROI then Office 365 compared to Google Apps for Business just don’t add up well, even for nonprofits. What really gets me is that in the article Christianity Today takes a snipe at an old foe of cloud computing: security. “Services like Google use public - not private - servers, raising the possibility of future security breaches involving e-mails, documents, and other sensitive data.” (Christianity Today) Thing is that they then quote a ridiculous price for a private server running Exchange. Trust me that cost is way off any way you slice it.

So let’s set the record straight:

    Google Apps for Business - $50/user/year [no minimum requirement]
    Microsoft Office 365, Plan E2 (w/ charity discount) - $76.80/user/year [25 user minimum]
    Microsoft Office 365, Plan E3 (w/ charity discount) - $115.20/user/year [25 user minimum]

You can argue which option gives you the most bang for the buck. Even I’d say that for a church that already has Office 2010 you might seriously consider Office 365. Doing the math however shows that for a 320 user environment, going with Google Apps will save a church $8,576 per year (over plan E2). Google Apps is just as secure as Office 365 and can sync with the more common Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, etc.) improving collaboration at no additional cost. There is a process to get the discount on Office 365 so be sure and work with closely with a qualified adviser.

It’s unfortunate that Google decided to cut off the groups and institutions that it did. It’s still highly possible that they will change their mind. Seeing the “outcry” however makes me wonder if the change is that impactful. Yes, of course they probably shouldn’t have but then again the changes seem focused on polarizing groups. I’ve also like to put forth that maybe some of those nonprofit groups that were affected might be able to side step it if they a) file their own 501(3)c application or b) for multiple charities create an umbrella group separate from their church.

Either way, as you can see from above, all is not lost. With Google Apps for Business you get more than enough tools to carry on the good work that you do. If you need someone to help chart the course just contact Astral IT Solutions, a Google Apps Reseller and a Microsoft Cloud Partner. Whichever you choose, we can help get it done right.

Ok so what happened?

Hi all, been a bit of a break since my last post. Those (very) few that have come out here might be wondering what happened? Well this happened:

Astral IT Solutions

Yep, those changes I hinted at near the beginning of the year, well that was it. I finally got fed up with where I was and pulled the trigger on starting up my own company. Of course I'd been toying with various ideas and mulling my future paths for a long time prior. In the end it came down to two things that made me jump the shark: 1) I kept seeing more new technology that, due to my position, I'd never get to dig into, 2) getting passed over and put under a sales person for head of IT was just a bit much on top of everything else I'd had to deal with for 14 years.


Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of all that I accomplished at CCB and I wish them all the best. I learned so much and had a great time building a thriving company. However after being instrumental in making the company what it is now I felt that it was obviously time to move on ... so I did.

It has been a hectic process and things are still in flux but I'm happier than I ever have been. I'm building something that I can once again really dig into and succeed or fail, it's all mine.

So check out our site, it's pretty bare bones right now. Just a matter of having time to get more out there. We are also on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Give us a like or add us to your twitter feed. We will be posting more on them about cloud computing, virtualization, and related subject both from us and others in the industry.

Oh and check back too. I'll be re-posting some of my original blogs, some new stuff, and just a few rants on occasion. :D

Peace.

New Year, New Outlook

Ahhhh, just getting my head around the fact that it's 2011 now.

Some big things are coming but I'm not going to post any details here yet. I will say this ...

Stay tuned! :D