Simple SQL Server script to create a database and generate activity for a demo

I am doing a little demo this week and it includes a simple SQL Server script to generate activity on the network while I demo SMB2 durability. First, the database is created: USE [Master]GO CREATE DATABASE [Sales] ON PRIMARY ( NAME = N'Sales', FILENAME = N'FSASQLDBSales.mdf' , SIZE = 2GB , MAXSIZE = 8GB, FILEGROWTH = 1GB … Continue reading Simple SQL Server script to create a database and generate activity for a demo →

Currently available hotfixes for SMB and SMB2 File Server components in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

If you’re installing a Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 file server, we always recommend getting the latest hotfixes from Windows Update. That will include all security updates and updates that are considered important enough to be delivered to all Windows Server users. However, there is a class of hotfixes there not pushed … Continue reading Currently available hotfixes for SMB and SMB2 File Server components in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 →

Programming Windows Phone 7 by Charles Petzold – Download free PDF and start developing your WP7 Apps

I just discovered this interesting book on "Programming Windows Phone 7", by Charles Petzold (yes, that's the author of the famous "Programming Windows" series of books). This Microsoft Press title is available as a free PDF download and is over 1,000 pages long. Here's the table of contents: Part 1: The Basics Chapter 1: Hello, … Continue reading Programming Windows Phone 7 by Charles Petzold – Download free PDF and start developing your WP7 Apps →

Lessons learned creating BingMatrix in ASP.NET and Azure (goals, http requests, threads, progress message and postbacks)

I have spent my last few weekends building an ASP.NET web application that sends multiple queries to Bing and displays the results in a table. I called it BingMatrix and you can read more about what it does and how it works in the blog post titled “BingMatrix – A Windows Azure application that provides … Continue reading Lessons learned creating BingMatrix in ASP.NET and Azure (goals, http requests, threads, progress message and postbacks) →

BingMatrix – A Windows Azure application that provides a fun way to mine data from Bing

I wanted to share a little application I put together using Windows Azure. It uses Bing queries to find out how the popularity of a specific set of keywords on a specific set of sites. I actually created this for my own use while researching how frequently some registry keys are mentioned on Microsoft support, … Continue reading BingMatrix – A Windows Azure application that provides a fun way to mine data from Bing →

BingMatrix updated to get parameters directly in the URL

In a previous blog post, I described the BingMatrix search tool: http://blogs.technet.com/b/josebda/archive/2010/12/21/bingmatrix-a-windows-azure-application-that-provides-a-fun-way-to-mine-data-from-bing.aspx I have now updated it to allow you to pass the parameters directly in the URL. The updated version is already uploaded to Azure. For example, here are direct links to the 12 sample queries provided in the main page of the site: … Continue reading BingMatrix updated to get parameters directly in the URL →

The Basics of SMB Signing (covering both SMB1 and SMB2)

SMB Signing Overview Server Message Block (SMB) is the file protocol most commonly used by Windows. SMB Signing is a feature through which communications using SMB can be digitally signed at the packet level. Digitally signing the packets enables the recipient of the packets to confirm their point of origination and their authenticity. This security … Continue reading The Basics of SMB Signing (covering both SMB1 and SMB2) →

Two new blog posts on Windows Storage Server 2008 R2

Scott M. Johnson has published two new blogs post on the Windows Storage Server blog: The first post is a compilation of links covering all kinds of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 content. http://blogs.technet.com/b/storageserver/archive/2010/11/16/windows-storage-server-2008-r2-references.aspx The second post introduces the two new offerings from HP (X1000 G2 and X3000 G2) that were introduced during the recent TechEd … Continue reading Two new blog posts on Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 →

File and Storage FAQ in the Microsoft Community Forums

As you probably already know, Microsoft maintains a number of community forums divided into categories. The work I do is mostly related to File and Storage, which is one of those categories. You can find the File and Storage forum at http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/winserverfiles. You are encouraged to post your questions there and the answers you get … Continue reading File and Storage FAQ in the Microsoft Community Forums →