I had been planning on configuring a couple different CIFS servers (one for general file sharing, departmental files and things and one for home directories). Because these seem to be the fastest to implement and certainly to get out to the users, this might get things up and running sooner than other options.

However, I have also been considering configuring a Windows Storage Server to attach some iSCSI LUNs to and share out to the users that way. I realize that the Storage Server will have some overhead with it, but I will be able to continue using some storage monitoring tools we already own, and have an opportunity to get my hands on the latest iteration of Storage Server. Since a previous release of the product launched me into new and exciting experiences, it might be a good experience to check out the new version.

Waiting for licensing
Because the licensing for the applications to test this at work might be costly and take time to bring the appropriate approvals, my home lab might get me the first taste of things.

My current setup consists of a Windows Server 2008 R2 VM, A Windows Storage Server 2008 VM and a Windows 7 Enterprise client VM.

The storage will be VHDs inside the host server for now (maybe eventually additional storage will make it into the home lab).

Depending on testing
If the initial tests in my lab work out alright I might look into the additional licensing costs for Storage Server. Either way I am hoping to review the product once I get my feet wet.

If any of you have had a chance to take a crack at Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, what are your initial thoughts?  I would love to hear them in the comments.

While I am quite excited that we are going to be looking seriously at real SAN based storage, the thing that really seems interesting to me is proving concept in virtualization.  We are a physical server environment if ever there were one.  Small yes, but hardware for each application served or one application per server as they used to tout in the old days (cirque 1998-2000).  We have a test environment because some of our previous attempts at testing have been a bit muddied and it is going to run a hypervisor.

Let the server sprawl begin

I realize that I wont add a million servers in my virtual environment (test or production) but the idea that I can spin up virtual machines just to try a piece of software is something that should make my organization not only better for testing, but also more agile and able to grow faster with a smaller price tag.

The proof of concept part is where I think this will be interesting because it is sometimes hard to get management and the business side of the house to understand a server that exists only as a file (living on another, much larger server with several of its closest server buddies).  I am trying to find the best way to do a small scale proof of concept and have a few ideas.

Idea 1

Create a plane jane Windows server with limited roles just to show them Windows in a VM and maybe get a little budget to use an application like Thin App to create a test bed on a stick (don’t tell Jeff Dunham I used that) to allow them to see what it might operate like from end to end.

Idea 2

Create an exact duplicate, P2V, of a production server and run it in a virtual machine as a test to show that it can indeed live inside a file.  This one seems like it might be fun.  I also thought of cutting a section of users over to the VM to continue their job for a day or so, but then the thought of getting that information into the real production SQL server made me think twice.

There are more ideas brewing at the moment, but none quite solid enough to share.  I would love to hear your thoughts on things you have tried or want to try with regard to proving concept in a virtual space.  This is where the day to day IT things start to get really fun and I am looking forward to it.

I realize it is still work and it is a job, but I try to think of it as playing with computers to cut through the work blah aspect of it, but even that runs thin sometimes.

Change venues once in a while

Even though telecommuting is all the rage in some industries and organizations, still others haven’t gotten on the bandwagon of remote work.  It might be a good idea to spend a day or two every month working remotely or from a different desk than yours.

This can change your view and keep you able to focus on the tasks facing you.  It may not be as nice as working from the beach in your sweatpants, but a simple change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered in terms of different perspective.

As I write this I am away from my usual desk sitting in the waiting room of a clinic.  It isn’t ideal for sure, but the windows and new things to see are nice for a change.

Reflect on the results

While working on tasks or projects there are many things going on and time for reflection may be scarce, but upon completion of the activity take a few notes about the things that were accomplished and those that were not.

Once things have been on their way for a few weeks, take a few minutes and read your notes and reflect on the outcome as well as the methods employed.  Then condense your notes and pick out the highlights and jot them down for your performance review or just your own information.

Keeping well organized notes for your performance review might be just the right thing to help your supervisor know what you have been working on.

Keep something to learn available

You need not constantly learn the latest and greatest technology, but perhaps a new style of writing or a new type of activity related to a hobby.  This should help keep your brain moving and prevent it from getting stale.

Hopefully these few tips will help keep motivation high and feeling of “ugh work” low.  Remember we in the IT area get to play with computers everyday and help others use technology.