Teaming Intel PRO 1000 NIC cards in Server 2008 R2

I’m getting ready to upgrade Exchange from 2007 to 2010 at my office and have been having a tough time getting the Intel PRO 1000 Gb dual-port NIC cards to team (load balance) properly using their Advanced Network Services (ANS) software.

Beginning with Server 2008 R2, Intel started bundling those drivers with the OS Installation media, but without the ANS tools – the OS recognized the drivers, but without teaming or any other extended functionality.

After some digging, I came across a forum post on intel.com that shed some light on the issue:

http://communities.intel.com/message/69112

I was using a similar server (Dell Power Edge 2850) for the new Exchange 2010 installation, and naturally, I wanted to run it on the latest Microsoft Server OS, so I’d installed Server 2008 R2 and encountered the same issue as the author of the above post.

If you scroll down far enough, one of the members suggests using the Intel Networking solutions CD v15.3, extracting the contents, then using Device Manager to manually update the drivers for each NIC and browsing to the ..\PRO1000\Winx64 folder and searching it.

The next step suggested that you run the “..\V15.3_CD\APPS\PROSETDX\Winx64\ProSetDX.msi” file to install the ANS features after updating the drivers from the CD. This didn’t work for me and returned the following error:

Error 2869. The dialog SetupError has the error style bit set, but is not an error dialog.

This cryptic message didn’t really help, so I tried another executable in that folder, “DxSetup.exe”

Running that .exe file worked perfectly and I was able to setup ANS Team balancing on my Intel PRO 1000 dual port NICs.

I hope this helps someone!

Product Review: HTC Evo 3D

Update 11/05/2018: I hadn’t given this phone much thought until I learned about a product by RED called the Hydrogen One.  3D phones haven’t really caught on, and I’d be curious to see how much of an impact the Hydrogen One has on the market, but at a starting price of ~$1,300, 

My Sprint phone (an HTC Hero) was eligible for a trade up in March of this year, and I was ready for a new phone. While I enjoyed my Hero, there were a number of better phones out there for the money, namely, HTC’s Evo.

Background:
While I was very tempted to purchase a new Evo, I was encouraged by a colleague to hold out for the 3D version that was scheduled to be released sometime in the summer of 2011. Sprint announced the official release date of June 24, 2011 earlier this month, so I signed up for the pre-order and picked up my new phone this morning!

Interface:
While the interface itself isn’t 3D, it looks very sharp and is quite intuitive. The lock screen allows you to access common features such as your Phone, Mail, Camera and Messages. These can be customized to use other applications as well!

3D features:
The 3D camera is very impressive, no glasses or other equipment needed! Just look straight into the screen and the images jump out at you!

The only drawback I noticed (and this has more to do with the user than the device) is that the quality of the 3D image or video is reliant on the steadiness of the person taking the picture or video.

It’s also important to note that images or video taken in 3D can only be rendered in 3D on devices that support it. Otherwise, you can always use the 2D/3D toggle switch to take images in 2D instead.

Overall impressions:
I’m really enjoying it so far! I’ve read reviews that stated some people had a hard time with the 3D images causing headaches and motion sickness after extended use but I haven’t experience this myself.

All in all, I think it’s a great phone for the price ($199 USD,  I paid $159 after getting a $40 credit for my HTC Hero)! I’d like to see more 3D content for it, but given that it’s brand spankin’ new, I’m sure there will be more to come over the new few months!

Rating: 9/10 (I would have given it a 10, but there’s always room for improvement).

Interview with Charles M. Sparks, www.blackviper.com

Update 11/09/2018: Updated several old/broken links.

Introduction

For those of us in the OS tweaking scene, blackviper.com has been a one-stop shop for all things Windows Services related. Below is my interview with Charles M. Sparks, AKA Black Viper, the proprietor of www.blackviper.com and the author of the guides, rants and content within!

 

Yousef: Many people (myself included) often stumble through search engine results, looking for relevant answers to the questions at hand without stopping to give much thought to the people (or in your case, person) who went to the trouble to get that information out there. I feel that the personal touches (e.g. your picture, bio and favorites) really give your site character, and as a result, keep people coming back time and time again. What can you tell us about the history of blackviper.com and how it’s evolved?

BV: Over the last 12 years, www.blackviper.com has changed a lot, but it all started when I left the US Navy and started work at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern CA. I wanted several things, though, but the website was a vehicle for me to learn how the web worked, examine HTML’s structure and the rather “new” concept of dynamic page presentation (verses static pages in a book or magazine).

I always wanted to be a writer, but knew I could never scrape together enough money to actually publish a book, but the “write once, give to millions” of the internet was just my cup of tea. Granted, my grammar is pathetic, but I at least make a solid effort to get my point across in the best way that I know how.

 After Figuring out HTML, I made a website with pictures of a new house that I purchased and was in the process of being built, my kitty, which he always had more hits on his photos then I did, as well as some geeky stuff that I would, more or less, figure out on my own in the process of learning computers.

 Basically, an effort to give people information that I discovered on my own, while not costing a ton of money in publishing it. I created a page with Windows 2000 Services information and how I had those particular services set for my two computers in order for me to remember the setup when I reinstalled or whatever, and discovered that people were actually going to the page in the server logs. I started updating the information and expanding the content and here I am now.
More history of 
www.blackviper.com is here:
 
http://www.blackviper.com/2002/03/22/bv-and-blackviper-com-rant/

 

Yousef: I’m sure I speak for many (myself included) that you took the time to document your “geeky” pursuits, to benefit of so many. I also enjoy reading your reviews and rants, my favorite being “Jack in the Box”. Some things in life are best left unchanged, and I’m sure we’ve all experienced something like this at one point in time or another, right? Which article(s) and/or rant(s) did you enjoy writing the most?

BV: I really enjoyed the Jack in the Box Rant (http://www.blackviper.com/2002/09/02/the-jack-in-the-box-rant/). Of course, I did not enjoy experiencing Jack in the Box completely screwing up a perfectly good meal, but writing the article was fun. Another one that I enjoyed writing, or actually, venting is a better term, was the “Free Beer” Rant (http://www.blackviper.com/2003/07/27/the-free-beer-rant/). I urged people to quit falling for false email claims, password stealing methods as well as virus attacks. If I helped one person gain a better understanding of what was really going on: people profiting by taking advantage of other people, I won. 

Yousef: And your audience won too! In the words of my favorite author, Robert Heinlein, TANSTAAFL: There Aint NSuch Thing As A Free Lunch!

In one of your rant topics, you discussed a challenging English assignment, are you still in school? I also went back to school as a working adult; do you feel that your maturity has helped you to better appreciate the value of your education?

BV: I am not currently in school but hope to eventually go back when I am ready. I dropped out due to a couple of reasons; I was doing poorly and running out of money.

I like a consistent structure as well as “learning on my own time”. For example, watching the Discovery Channel and learning how a product is made (Modern Marvels ). “Higher Learning” was far from any sort of structure that I ever experienced before. One instructor would format their class with a completely open book exam, multiple choice questions with sentences extracted directly from the book, in order of appearance, so a person would really have to try hard NOT to do well in the class. Yet, on the other hand, I had an instructor that I had to have a Masters in English to even understand the course outline. It truly was a bizarre experience that I was not prepared for.

 On the placement exam, I scored 99% (a person could not get 100% from what I understand) and was placed in English 101 I believe. I had no clue what a verb was (after all, I had been out of school for 15 years), yet I did well on the English placement test because I could identify sentences that “looked and sounded” wrong, but had no idea WHY they were wrong. After bombing that, I dropped down a class to a “pre-college” English course.

 My instructor scolded me that I should not be there but in 101, even though she was well aware I dropped out of the class to begin with. Raving about my writing, giving my writing as an example to the class, all she could do to praise me and my unique writing style… yet, I still did not get the grade I deserved.

 Opinion grading is not my style. 1+1=2. Math I enjoy because a person either gets it right or does not. Considering the writing I am now looking at on the internet, Facebook posts, forum posts, IM’s, emails directed to me, etc. I think I have a decent grasp of the English language, even though I have no desire to point out a Noun in a sentence, I do not need a College degree to understand that. 

Yousef: I can appreciate where you’re coming from! Subjective judgment can be frustrating, especially so when the metrics are unclear. In fact, the very act tests the quality of the teacher as much, or more so than the student being graded, and not every teacher makes the cut. It’s unfortunate that you had to experience this for yourself but know that it’s not all bad, just hang in there!

You also served in the US Navy for 6 years, how did that experience influence your life and work?

BV: I learned two lessons in the military:

  1. The value of a Chain of Command, and…
  2. “I am just doing my job”

In all honesty, the military was what I needed at the time. Being age 20 in a dead-end job, barely making over minimum wage, I had to do something. I joined the military with my best friend to get an education and job skills to help me “get a real job” after leaving the military. In my small home town, I often was harassed by the local police (and looking back, I probably deserved every second of it) and was extremely bitter toward the government. What have they done for me lately? Raised the minimum wage a whole nickel? Thanks Uncle Sam. 

So, going into the military, I decided to give the Government Overlords a chance. Wow. What I experienced is difficult to put into such an interview but it is a whole different world. Different way of talking, a true melting pot of all races and social backgrounds, and extreme structure. A procedure and protocol for everything. I liked that a lot. Sometimes I thought the military had too many Queen Bees and not enough drones, but that was actually a good thing. If a person worked in a local grocery store, what recourse did you have if a dispute between management and yourself happened? Quit? Great plan. Yet, in the military, a person had a chain of command to fall back on as well as their own rank. If you did not like the decisions of your immediate supervisor, you went to your work-center supervisor, then on to your Chief, etc. Convince a higher up of your point of view, and they overruled all that the underlings wanted, but you better have a good story as well as be able to back it up because the Chain is not the place to vent.

Many people I hung out with in high school were “rebels” in their own way, bucking the system the best they knew how and received plenty of moving violations as a result… so the police were out to get them. 

When making the decision to join the military, I knew, if I was told to go into War, “I am just doing my job.” Many people struggle with this fact or not even think of their decisions to do such a thing, but I wanted to serve my Country and in turn, the Government gave me an education and skills I could use after I left, and did just that. 

I never killed anyone in the line of duty (or any other time for that matter,

Yousef: Good to know!

BV: …yet the possibility was always there. Do not blame the police for pulling you over because you were speeding and breaking the law. If they didn’t, you could very well have ended up slamming into a guard rail and then…who would you call? Yeah, that same Highway patrolman that you cursed under your breath because they were only doing their job. Give our military members a break. They are doing what they are told, even if they do not agree… they are just doing their job. 

Yousef: Well said! Clear expectations are very underrated; especially in the IT industry where vague requirements and unclear goals can be very damaging! Speaking of the IT industry, what are some of the barriers you’ve encountered in getting into IT professionally?

BV: It is the same as every other civilian profession available: you need experience to get a job and you need a job to get experience. Absolutely without a doubt, I would always recommend someone that could not directly go to college, due to financial reasons or what have you, join the military. You get training you can use later on and, for the most part… they hire anyone. 🙂 

Yousef: I can appreciate that, its kind a catch 22, but you start out low and totem pole, learn everything you can and work your way up! Still, the industry is very competitive, and so anything you can do to raise your visibility and give back to the community can only help you. In your case, you’ve maintained blackviper.com for almost 12 years now. As I’ve gathered from your writings, this has been a rewarding, challenging, fun and sometimes frustrating and thankless job for you. Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently if the opportunity presented itself?

BV: Over the years, I have taken on many challenges with regards to my internet domain. Being involved in everything has its advantages, such as learning, understanding and controlling every aspect of my publicly displayed self. From the colors on the web site to efficient delivery of the media, yet it was, for the most part, thankless.

Granted, over the years, I received tens of thousands of emails, many of them thanking me for my hard work, but I did a lot more than write a couple of rants.

When I technically could, I started serving my own domain from my house on a DSL line because I wanted to control and be part of every aspect that was my domain. In all honesty, I think that did me in. It was a simple idea that turned into an extremely overwhelming aspect of the internet itself. From configuring, monitoring and keeping up to date all aspects of domain hosting, including email, DNS and WWW servers, took a great deal of time out of my entertainment schedule (gaming) as well as the “fun” factor of having a geeky hobby. Sure, tweaking a Windows computer is great and publishing my findings saved my readers lots of time, but having the power go out at my house and then explain to someone in Europe why my domain was down for three hours, it got old… After many years of doing just that, again, money became an issue and I needed to change. I transferred my domain to an external hosting provider and have been very happy with that decision. Even though I cannot reach down and push the power button on the server next to my feet at any time I feel, the act of taking a large amount of stress out of my hands really was the best choice. I plan on creating an article (probably end up being a rant) about all the issues I encountered serving my domain from home at some point.

Yousef: With the ease and simplicity involved with turning up a web presence these days, be it Facebook, a blog or some other free hosting service, most people never learn to appreciate the work that goes into making all of that possible! It sounds like you learned a lot and had a lot of fun in the process! So, what’s in store for the future of blackviper.com?

BV: I really do not know. In the past few years, I have added a forum (BBS), a Services and Process Wiki (MediWiki) as well as a BvLOG (WordPress) to publish my news updates. Basically, I am very happy with how all of it turned out. Now, I just need to add and refine more content, such as my install guides and more personal rants, like the Free Beer and Jack in the Box.

I am also open for suggestions.

 Yousef: Your most recent addition to the website is BV Racing. You mentioned that you grew up around it [racing] and wanted to make the shift from patron to participant. Why now? What was your inspiration?

BV: I have always enjoyed dirt track racing. It is exciting for the fans in the stands and for the drivers, pure white knuckle action. The reasons for “why now” is location, location, location. I live just a few miles from a dirt track and have socialized with some of the drivers that drive that track each season. I just want a piece of the action and the only way I know how is to ask for help on the web. Get a geek into a race car! Of course, getting a “real” race car and keeping it running costs thousands of dollars to start, but I hope to begin slow by getting my “Run what you Brung” car out there on the track and get noticed by, maybe an existing driver or owner with spare parts and hope to jump into a real car this year. I have already been in talks with one driver with a spare Modified. I still need to paint the current car, purchase a helmet and jumpsuit. So my entry level spot will only cost a few hundred, not a few thousand. I do wish to get into a real ‘Modified soon, though.

Yousef: Thanks again for your time, Charles! I really enjoyed learning more about you and your site!

Microsoft CSAT Survey

NOTE: This post was written in July of 2009, and the information herein may be outdated/no longer applicable. I’ve elected to preserve the post here for posterity.

As of October 2009, Microsoft is requiring all of its Gold-level Partners to participate in a Customer Satisfaction Index (CSAT) Survey:

“Effective October 2009, partners re-enrolling at the Gold Certified level will need to have participated in at least one CSAT Index survey prior to re-enrolling, and receive ten or more survey responses (up to eight responses can be from the same customer organization).”

In my case, my employer is an ISV that develops web-based applications for use on a Microsoft platform (IIS/.NET/SQL Server etc), but don’t actually resell Microsoft products. This requirement is big headache for us for a number of reasons:

  1. Most of the questions are geared toward resellers, and won’t apply to ISVs (e.g. “…Assuming [Company Name]’s performance remains the same as it is now, do you expect your company’s future purchase levels from [Company Name] will be…”)
  2. The questionnaire is around 30 questions long, and can’t be shortened! You can only add additional questions.
  3. The partner points you can earn for these surveys are negligible (as little as 2 points for 10-19 responses, as much as 20 points for 200+ responses).

After several weeks of exchanges with various Microsoft representatives, I was finally told that although participation is mandatory for Gold Certified partners, incomplete surveys would still count toward the requirement if inapplicable questions were left unanswered (specifically, questions 14 and 15 as those pertain to sales performance).

I hope this helps someone else out there who might find themselves in a similar predicament!

Honesty in Sales

One of the most effective ways for me to evaluate vendors is to speak directly with a representative. This saves a lot of time and effort spent picking through the fluff to try to get to meat of what you’re after.

When I approach a sales person, whether it be over the phone or in person, I get right down to the point, explain what I’m looking for and declare my budget. Generally, we’ll know within 5-10 minutes whether or not we’re wasting each other’s time.

Today, I placed such a call, intending to reach a representative I’d previously worked with on an unrelated project. The rep was no longer with the organization, but I decided to press on with the next available person. Our conversation went something like this:

I opened by explaining my requirements and budget to the sales rep, we’ll call him “Don”. Don explained that he had both on-premise and SaaS offerings. I expressed interest in the later, and asked what pricing was like. Instead of responding appropriately, he continues to pitch me the on-premise solution. I ask again, how much his solution costs. He dodges the question again, this time going into more detail about the application’s features. I ask him a third time, and he finally confesses that the cost is 4 times greater than what I’d already defined to him as my budget, but he wasn’t finished.

There was also support, training, and another feature I listed in my requirements which he had previously claimed was a ‘standard’ feature, was actually available only at an additional cost. After all of the ancillary fees, the total solution came to just over 5 times my stated budget.

At that point, I was ready to end the call, but decided to entertain the SaaS offering. I was equally disappointed there as well, the cost still being well above my constraints. I explained him that my budget was neither negotiable nor arbitrary, so he played the quality card.

While his product was good, he could not identify any direct competitors (which there were many), nor could he articulate what was so unique about his product that warranted a premium price tag. I let him go at that point and moved on, but invited him to talk to his superior and see if he could come back with an offer that met our requirements.

Within an hour, I had a quote from him that was equally insulting – the price had not changed, and he even went so far as to say (in not so many words) that we weren’t big enough to bother with, and that he was puzzled about how we came up with such a low budget for this project. He even went so far as to infer that our constraints weren’t realistic, or that we hadn’t done our homework.

Two calls later, I found a solution that offered all of the functionality Don’s product did, but at 1/3 of our budgeted cost per user. It included:

  • Free support
  • No multi-year contract
  • Setup in minutes instead of months.

It was clear to me based on Don’s attitude and pricing that SMBs were not one of their target markets, and that’s okay. A Mercedes is not for everyone! Whether the car can park itself or make julienne fries, these features mean little to a person looking to get from point A to point B, and can’t spend an extra $35K to get there.

While Don didn’t have anything that could help me today, his behavior guaranteed that I would never do business with his firm again, either in this, or any other organization later down the road. I can only wonder how much this kind of carelessness costs organizations every year in damaged reputations and missed opportunities? I replied to his email with a lengthy explanation of why I we weren’t going to do business in hopes that he might learn from the experience. I hope he does.

What kind of experiences has everyone else had with dodgy vendors?