The Help Desk Podcast

This week’s topic is what certification is the best for you?  The crux of the issue is in that question.....you see, that certification, that helps you move up within your organization, that cert that helps you get the job you desire, that cert that allows you to be better at your job.....we'll that cert is the best cert in the world....for you. It used to be if you had 7 years plus of experience, you could go as far as your talents would take you.  I guess to a point that is still true now but with electronic medical records required by the government, with  a four year college computer/engineering degree is required for nearly every meaningful job opening listed today.....it is a delicate balance between experience and education.  Let's just say, the education will get you the interview but the experience will get you the job. CompTIA Certs are always a good place to start if you are new to IT.  Their benchmark certification, A+, is required in most areas. Network+ is also often a requirement in networking.  These are well, let’s call them pre-requisites for further certifications.  If you are new to IT, I would work on getting these certs.  The Security+ Cert actually makes most lists for must have certifications.  Perhaps in the IT Security field more than most you need to show a base of experience and you must be certified in at least Security+ before sitting for the exam.  CompTIA also offers the Certified Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP). Other security certs offered are CompTIA Mobile App Security+ and Social Media Security Professional certification.  With Linux+, CompTIA has partnered with the Linux Professional Institute to power their exams.  So, not to belabor this point but if you pass the “Linux+ powered by LPI” then you can also qualify for the LPIC-1.  In addition you are then eligible to receive the “Novell Certified Linux Administrator Certification. If you are entering the wonderful world of networking……and I don’t mean talking to people and making friends over happy hour on Fridays either…………you will almost certainly need Cisco’s CCENT, or, the Cisco Certified Networking Technician If you are going to work within the Microsoft environment you will need some OF THEIR Windows 2008 or windows 2012 Certs. I could go on and on talking about all the certifications offered by the IT Industry.  For Microsoft and Cisco we will spend entire podcasts going over their offerings and what you as an IT professional can do with them.  Let’s just leave it at this….it’s not the certification that makes the professional but how the professional can leverage their certifications along with their experience to deliver value to their organization.   Brought to you by Western Governors University

This the Steve Murawski interview in it's entirety.  In the second half of the interview Steve talks about his podcasting which included the current "Ops All The Things" with his co-host Christpher Webber.  He also talks about Kevin Behr and George Spafford's book, "The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win".   We then have a fairly extensive conversation (albeit completely one-sided) with Steve covering DevOps.  Steve breaks DevOps down to an anacronym of four letters:  CAMS.  Culture, Automation, Measurement, and Sharing. We split the interview into two parts and so for this podcast we have kept the two halves seperate.  Enjoy and we encourage you to submit comments to the content.

Steve’s Bio: By your own admission on your website http://stevenmurawski.com, you are a sysadmin , devops, a Powershell MVP and other stuff. sysadmin by trade/Powershell by choice You are a Sysadmin on the Site Reliability Engineering team for Stack Exchange which operates a whole bunch of Q and A websites like Server Fault and Stack Overflow. You have deep experience with the Windows Server platform, specifically the most current releases, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, and Server 2012 R2. Says you…. You are an experienced PowerShell scripter (actually a Microsoft MVP – Powershell) and have some experience with development in C# and Python. Your website says your interests include declarative configuration management, improving IT workflow, monitoring, and aligning IT projects with business needs.  (we are going to come back to that a little later). Owner of PS Solutions which provides IT Service Operations Automation with Microsoft Technologies, including custom application development. Providing IT Service Operations via PowerShell training. You write a blog for PowerShell.org ……and you are a co-host of the Ops All The Things podcast which is at https://www.opsallthethings.com. And then you live in Oconomowoc, WI……..I bring that up because I fished in Pewaukee Lake a couple of times J  that’s close to Oconomowoc.  I used to live in Wauwatosa. Definitions: DevOps:  (this is from Steve's blog "DevOps is Going to Make My Head Explode", April 22, 2013) The term "DevOps" has been floating around for a few years now.  It's gone from relative obscurity to being "that thing" that organizations need to survive and thrive.   At it's heart, DevOps is about culture and process.  The DevOps mindset draws from manufacturing thinkers like Demming and Goldratt, as well as modern day thought leaders like Allspaw and Humble.  The focus of DevOps culturally is to bring IT in line with the business objectives.  This is accomplished by defining and controlling the flow of work, shortening feedback loops (getting new software into production sooner), and continually experimenting and improving. Devops:  (a second definition):  DevOps (a portmanteau of development and operations) is a software development method that stresses communication, collaboration and integration between software developers and information technology (IT) operations professionals.  DevOps is a response to the interdependence of software development and IT operations. It aims to help an organization rapidly produce software products and services. DevOps aids in software application release management for a company by standardizing development environments. Events can be more easily tracked as well as resolving documented process control and granular reporting issues. Companies with release/deployment automation problems usually have existing automation but want to more flexibly manage and drive this automation — without needing to enter everything manually at the command-line. Sysadmin:  A system administrator, or sysadmin, is a person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems; especially multi-user computers, such as servers. The system administrator seeks to ensure that the uptime, performance, resources, and security of the computers he or she manages meet the needs of the users, without exceeding the budget. To meet these needs, a system administrator may acquire, install, or upgrade computer components and software; automate routine tasks; write computer programs; troubleshoot; train and/or supervise staff; and provide technical support. Steve's Links: Steve's website Steve co-hosts this podcast with Christopher Webber:  "Ops All the Things" "Ignite - Getting Dirty with Desired State Configuration", on Vimeo Steven Murawski on GitHub Episode 242 - PowerScripting Podcast - Steven Murawski and Geoff Dalgas on DSC and Stack Overflow, by Jonathan Walz

This is the link to Microsoft’s “Windows lifecycle fact sheet”. And also the “End of Sales dates”. Windows 8.1 So the news is the update and the way Microsoft is handling the update. So let’s talk now about the update itself. What’s in this update for us? Well apparently this is a peace-offering update. The first version of Windows 8 was a tablet oriented OS and to say that it was met with a wave of complaints from a mouse and keyboard public would be an understatement. A massive one. Microsoft users not only turned an apathetic eye toward Windows 8, they responded in the only way that would eventually cause Microsoft to relent…..they refused to buy the new OS. They held onto XP. They held onto Vista. They are still buying Windows 7 in droves. To be sure, they dealt with some of the complaints with Windows 8.1. • They brought back the ability to have the Start button….but not the Start menu • Better Skydrive integration • Better personalization…you can use the desktop background as the Start screen background too • 8.1 adds large and small tiles • They added Smart Search that automatically builds a nice Metro-UI result from a (dreaded) Bing search thus giving a more unified search. I hate Bing so big deal. • A new App Store interface. It is still full of junk and useless app offerings but is better than 8.0 • Internet Explorer 11……why do we care? Why are you still using Internet Explorer?? • Ok, ok..IE11…Windows 8.1 adds support for permanent tabs and support for infinite tabs, REALLY??? • Minor improvements of Xbox Music and Mail. I still find Mail to be totally useless. I have not been able to set it up and I will no longer even try because why?? I don’t need it. Would it really be easier than using Outlook directly…I sincerely doubt it. If Microsoft really cared they would have just done one thing and made me and countless other Microsoft users happy. Find a way to have the Metro user interface and Desktop work together. The idea that you have to install an app twice just to use the Desktop is childish, stupid, mean spirited and just plain stupid. At least that is how I might feel if I wasn’t fair and even handed in my reporting. Windows 8.1 Update Ok, now what is new about this update? Will this pull Microsoft’s buns out of the fire and make the world a happy place again? Well first of all, I have to do a retraction of sorts. I told people at first that this was not going to be handled by auto updates but you had to manually update it yourself. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. I got a haircut today and I am going to purposely wear the hairy shirt for the rest of the day for punishment. I know, it seems harsh but I am willing to take responsibility for my statements…..Anybody have a back scratcher??? The Changes If you were waiting for massive changes you will be disappointed. With 8.1 Update Microsoft went subtle. But that may be a good thing. Many analysts are calling this the mouse and keyboard update. Here are some of the changes: • The taskbar can be accessed from any screen. The desktop and the Start screen. It jumps up when you violate it’s airspace with your cursor. You can also pin both desktop and Windows Store apps to it with just a right click of your mouse. The Windows Store icon is pinned to the taskbar by default (but not permanently). • Microsoft has lowered the minimum mass storage requirement from 2GB of RAM and 32GB HDD to 1GB Ram and 16GB HDD. This may lower the price for some units. • Maybe the biggest news is that you can boot directly to the desktop. The manufacturers can decide to set their machines to boot directly to the desktop instead of the Start screen. But don’t worry, regardless of what the manufacturer decides you can set it to whatever you wish. • This one they changed just for me….for pc users there is a power and a search charm in the upper right corner of the Start Screen. I hated using the mouse to try to entice the “charms” to appear so I could turn the pc off.

First, what is Heartbleed? It is a “security bug” that gives hackers the ability to decipher encrypted data (such as OpenSSL).  It has been exposing personal data such as user names, passwords, credit card payment data……basically anything that is us...

A few weeks back I make a big deal out of the fact that we had just earned our first download in Europe…….somebody in United Kingdom had downloaded one of our episodes.  Well, that person must have liked what they heard and talked about it.  Now three weeks later, we have nearly tripled our audience worldwide.  We have had listeners download at least an episode in nearly every nation in Europe.  As a matter of fact, we have listeners in 24 nations across the world.  I want to tip my hat to all you folks in all the 24 nations. Lest we forget about our American audience, we have listeners in 34 states.  Yep, 34 states.  I hope we can continue to earn your attention and loyalty as time marches on and we get better at podcasting and we get more and more guest interviews.   Tonight we have a question from Megan in Arizona concerning Apple TV and porting issues.  ANSWER:  That’s a good one Megan.  I personally can’t think of a “quick fix” here.  Hard wiring is not exactly a “quick fix” but that is the only way I can think of going.  Ed is testing out an idea as we record this tonight and either way….if he comes up with a successful answer or not I will email you later this week.  Thanks for the question. We have another email question this time from Joanne from Michigan concerning (timing is everything here) wifi.  ANSWER: You mentioned the wifi light is on but you get no service.  Just reboot your modem and router.  Unplug the power from the modem and unplug the Ethernet cable.  Count to ten and plug everything back in again.  Repeat with the router.  Sometimes the router and/or the modem need some attention.  I am sure this will work.  If not then email me with contact information and we will figure it out for you.  Joanne you didn’t give me your laptop’s model number but regardless of that there should b a button somewhere on the laptop that is the on/off switch for the wifi.  On some HP models you just push the wifi emblem light if it is on the face of the laptop (usually between the “f” keys and the bottom of the screen.  Sometimes the on/off switch is a “fn” key (like maybe the f7 button)  just depress the fn key next to the left side control key and push the appropriate f key on top at the same time.  Thanks for your email.  Our email address is feedback@thehelpdeskpodcast.com. We are going to utter the last word tonight concerning XP, right here.  In the shownotes we have a heading called “Links that may help you if you experience trouble after Tuesday”.  You will also notice some of the links will guide you to setting up your XP machine for Linux…..the Mint distro specifically and also Ubuntu. Am I being sarcastic by adding those links?  I don’t think so.  I happen to believe that it is a viable alternative.  Number one:  you won’t need new hardware, number two:  you are going to have a learning curve with Windows 7 or 8 anyway so what’s the difference? I hope we sound better than our last podcast.  Wow!  Lesson learned I guess.  Don Jones (our interview guest last week was gracious enough to send me an email saying he thought the interview sounded great.  It did….the interview.  This is all a learning curve so I am going to call it that ….an experience  and learn from it.  We are moving on. Links that may help you if you experience trouble after Tuesday Microsoft Windows 8 download page How to install Linux Mint on your XP PC, By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, ZD Net, March 31, 2014 How to Install Ubuntu Linux, Edited by Maluniu, Darrelljon, Reshmi, Cipher_nemo and 29 others, WikiHow....to do anything  

  We are dedicating this podcast totally to Don Jones and our discussion of PowerShell.  Don is a multi-year Microsoft Most Valuable Professional.  He has written books too numerous to mention all of them here.   The have included Windows PowerShell: TFM, Windows Administrator’s Scripting Toolkit, VBScript WMI and ADSI Unleashed, PHP-Nuke Garage, Special Edition Using Commerce Server 2002, Definitive Guide to SQL Server Performance Optimization, and many more.  His current book is Learn Windows PowerShell 3 in a Month of Lunches. Don is a regular speaker at Microsoft Teched, Windows Connections, and TechMentor, and has written for Microsoft TechNet Magazine, Redmond Magazine, and on Web sites such as TechTarget and MCPMag.com.  Don is also a Senior Partner and Principal Technologist at Concentrated Technology. He has been a vital part of the IT industry for over 15years, and specializes in the Microsoft business platform.  He is also a regular contributor for PowerShell.org  

As an IT Consultant am passionate about subjects like data backup, data migration, Windows servers, Active Directory and Group Policy.  I feel compelled to share my experience and knowledge with others. Whether you are a small to medium-sized business, a school district or a SOHO business person working out of your home, it doesn’t matter, we can help you.

As you may have guessed, this is our 10th episode and we have a very special guest interview with Jeremy Moskowitz to help celebrate.  In the grand scheme of things that probably doesn’t mean much I guess but Ed and I have attached a modicum of importance to it.  On this episode Ed and I talk about our trip to Brainstorm Conference for IT Professionals which was last weekend.  Jeremy is a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Pro), author of Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security and the Managed Desktop I’m going to put a link to his book on our shownotes page:  http://thehelpdeskpodcast.com/thdp10 that link will take you to The Help Desk Podcast’s Amazon buying experience.  Jeremy also runs an online community called GP Answers.com and is the founder of the Desktop Management software Policy Pak.   Well, last weekend Ed and I were at The Brainstorm Conference for K20 Technologists.  Brainstorm attracts people they come largely from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois with a few from Indiana, Michigan and Iowa sprinkled in.  Let’s see……..they say there are over 350 School Districts, over 100 exhibitors and over 75 sessions. If I had to guess I would say there were 400 to 500 people attending.   Exactly what do they cover??  Well the focus is on infrastructure, servers, storage, security, networking, hardware selection, system management and other related technical areas. It’s held every year at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, WI.  This is not a travelogue or climate endorsement by any means…it was cold and ugly the whole time we were there.  -12 the first night.

Ok, it’s over.  Nothin left but the cleanup.  For the people that follow our tweet account:  The Help Desk Podcast which can be found @helpdesk54.  Anyway, those people got a play by play of our trip to the Wisconsin Dells, our getting snowed in at Elgin, IL (a 14”er BTW), events at the conference and our trip home. So, what we have here is Ed and I getting together on Monday night to go over the conference events thus far.  This is just a teeny podcast.  We had the intro but I’m not going to put the outro in so when our Brainstorm segment has finished it will go right to music. Our podcast episode number 10 will be coming out in a matter of a couple of days.  That is the one with our very special guest Jeremy Moskowitz. *** Just a note.  This episode is really an experiment of form.  We plan on podcasting from conferences and "major" IT events in the future.  This is our first attempt at that.  It is also our first attempt at podcasting with portable equipment.  It is our hope that these "event" podcasts become a series that is just as valuable as our normal podcasts.  Thank you for listening and subscribing. Gary

  The subject we are covering tonight is timely if somewhat off base from our past podcasts.  We aren’t trying to explain an IT issue.  Instead we are discussing a current affairs IT issue……the shortage of IT talent in Michigan.  There are two issues here (I believe).  (1) High Schools are not producing nearly enough graduates willing to go into Computer Science or Math, and (2) what graduates the Michigan Universities are turning out are going elsewhere.  Suddenly Austin, TX, Tobacco Road, The Carolinas, Boston, Silicon Valley and Seattle are all looking more romantic than Detroit so that is where the traffic goes. Show Links MLive Media Group is Michigan's largest local media organization.  Stitcher - Listen to over 20,000+ radio shows and podcasts on your iPhone, iPad, Android or PC -anytime, anywhere Blubrry Podcast Community Brainstorm: For EdTechs, by EdTechs in the Wisconsin Dells Pure Michigan Talent Connect – a collaborative effort of the State of Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) - is your launch pad for new jobs, careers and talent. It is an online marketplace connecting Michigan’s job seekers and employers, and serves as a central hub linking all public and private stakeholders who support Michigan’s workforce. From The Free Dictionary:  un•der•em•ployed ,  (ŭn′dər-ĕm-ploid′),  adj. 1. Employed only part-time when one needs and desires full-time employment. 2. Inadequately employed, especially employed at a low-paying job that requires less skill or training than one possesses. 3. Not fully or adequately used or employed. n. (used with a pl. verb) American Tooling in Grass Lake, MI What is a CSci degree?   It is a Computer Science Degree   References Talent Shortage May Impede New Hiring by Technology Companies, Second Annual TECNA Survey Reveals, by:  Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talent-shortage-may-impede-new-hiring-by-technology-companies-second-annual-survey-by-tecna-and-arizona-technology-council-reveals-231742331.html Jon Bischke wrote:  They Ain’t Making Any More of Them: The Great Engineering Shortage of 2012, for Techcrunch.com, April 28, 2012, http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/28/they-aint-making-any-more-of-them-the-great-engineering-shortage-of-2012/ Why Michigan can't fill its 76,000 job openings, by Nathan Bomey, Ann Arbor Business Review, February 24. 2012 http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/why-michigan-cant-fill-its-76000-job-openings/ U.S. Tech Worker Shortage Looms, Study Warns, Information Week.com, http://www.informationweek.com/it-strategy/us-tech-worker-shortage-looms-study-warns/d/d-id/1104496?page_number=2 2013 Governor’s Summit Addresses Shortage of IT Talent in Michigan, by:  Marla Sokolowski, on:  Online Tech.com, March 15, 2013, http://resource.onlinetech.com/2013-governors-summit-addresses-shortage-of-it-talent-in-michigan/

...good security takes into account the least common denominator…….the human being.  Yes, even the human being who may be in charge of enforcing those very security tenets. I don’t remember who said this but the biggest truth in this discussion is that the best security policy is only as good as its people staffing it. Notes to come....

There are three components of an information security strategy: the things you’re required to do by law; the operational processes and procedures you put into place; and the technology tools you use to get the job done.  Tonight’s episode is about ransomware generally and Cryptolocker specifically.  We just touched on it during episode 3 entitled: “There’s a New Outlaw in Town…Cryptolocker”.   Ed Brzozowski will be joining us later for some discussion on the subject. Tonight we are going to share a couple of emails with you.  We have gotten nothing but positive feedback from you so far.  Also there is an IT Conference called Brainstorm 15.0 that is going to be held at the Kalahari Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells.  I went there a couple of years ago and brought so much back…….I just can’t even describe it to you.  That is also where I first met Jeremy Moskowitz a Group Policy expert and a Microsoft MVP. The BrainStorm Conference is for K20 techs to network with their counterparts from throughout the Midwest and to connect with technology vendors who tailor their products for the K20 community. Jeremy Moskowitz Ransomware (malware) and Cryptolocker CryptoLocker's crimewave: A trail of millions in laundered Bitcoin, by Violet Blue, ZDNet, December 22, 2013 The Nastiest Malware Ever & Here’s What You Can Do, by Matthew Hughes, Make-Use-Of, October 29th, 2013 Beware of the CryptoLocker Virus   Cryptolocker: How to avoid getting infected and what to do if you are, by Jonathan Hassell, ComputerWorld, October 25, 2013 Defending Against CryptoLocker, by Jay Yaneza, October 29, 2013 Cryptolocker-Ransomware, See How it Works and How to Prevent it CryptoPrevent from FoolishIT.com

Our special guest this week is Ed Brzozowski, the Director of Information Technology at Taylor Public Schools, Taylor, MI.  We discuss some points large enterprise organizations are having with the approaching end to support for Windows XP. Interop Las Vegas This Week in Enterprise Tech Hosted by Father Robert Ballecer, aka Friar Tech The FOG Project, a free computer cloning solution Symantec’s Ghost Microsoft Systems Center 2012 R2 The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium David Gerwitz’s article in ZDNet entitled:  “Did I just hear this right? Microsoft activation servers will allow new XP installs after doomsday?” Mary Jo Foley’s article also in ZDNet entitled:  “Windows XP end of support in April: Three more questions answered”. “End of Windows XP support leaves software vulnerable”, by: Dave Johnson ,CBS MoneyWatch , August 20, 2013   Google pledges to support Chrome on XP into 2015, by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld, October 17, 2013,  Mitigating Risk: Why Sticking with Windows XP Is a Bad Idea, a Whitepaper by:  Al Gillen,  Randy Perry, Nancy Selig, Sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, May, 2012  

This podcast is quite a bit longer than I would have like to have gone.   I try to keep our episodes to around 30 minutes.  This is more like 50.  It has some good info in it though and some great links.  I hope this helps you buy wisely. The Help Desk Podcast – Podcast – #5 – “2014 Laptop Buying Assistant – THDP5” Links to our Amazon Affiliate program You can find (and buy) all the models we talk about in this podcast with our Amazon Shopping Link. Amazon sells the Samsung 120GB 840 EVO SSD drive for $99.93, the Samsung 500GB 840 EVO SSD Drive for $329.99, and on and on… What is a refurbished laptop? I feel I must explain what refurbished and open box laptops are.  In my mind, they represent what many, heck most of us should be buying in the notebook/laptop market.  When consulting for school districts I (100% of the time) suggest they seriously look into purchasing refurbished laptops.   So what are they?  Open box laptops are just what they sound like…..they have been removed from their box at least once for some reason.  It could be removed for display or it could have been removed because it was returned. 'Refurbished', 'remanufactured', 'reconditioned'... they go by many names but the result is the same.  Ambiguity in names generally leads to ambiguity in quality and end product.  You should be able to expect that they have had their HDD securely wiped with the OS reinstalled, they should be clean and tested. Sometimes the reconditioning is done by the manufacturer and sometimes by the reseller. Warranty:  You should look for a minimum of 1 year warranty.  Please note:  your individual laptop may also still have a manufacturer’s warranty so check with the manufacturer’s website as soon as is feasible.  A good reseller will use this as a selling point. Links for refurbished laptops Read more: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/buying-advice/laptop/3491815/should-i-buy-refurbished-laptop/#ixzz2pipgf2oH Dell Clearance Center Tiger Direct NewEgg Amazon MicroCenter. Links for research used in this podcast http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046844/5-budget-laptops-for-college-students-we-name-the-best.html?page=2 http://www.pcworld.com/article/229929/how-to-buy-a-laptop-for-college.html http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/2/tech-consumer-advice/4240466/looking-for-a-new-college-laptop-ultrabook-that-can-also-be-used-for-gaming I'm including a link to the "Buying Laptop Computers:  Your 2012 Guide to Finding Laptop Deals on the website "makeuseof.com". Buying Laptop Computers: Your 2012 Guide to Finding Laptop Deals. I am also including this link to Jeremy’s Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2014.  This is a complete (and do I mean complete) buying guide.  My friend (I met him twice at techy conferences) Jeremy Moskowitz has allowed me to share this so here it is. If/when you find you have the need for this information, I hope that it helps. Don't be afraid to share. Thanks for reading,