We recently implemented a new optical storage system using a software package that runs on Windows.  The particular machine that is used to host this application gradually had problems accessing the optical storage (which is essentially a NAS device) and would frequently pop the title message: Insufficient system resources exist to complete the required service. 

I thought this was a bit odd, considering the machine has 16GB of RAM, Dual Quad Core processors, and at fairly large amount of storage.  We kept thinking that there must be a driver issue, or some issue with the software, or even an issue with the optical storage.

I have no way to prove it, because I couldn't ever tell for sure exactly how the system go to the point of not being functional, but the last thing I tried APPEARS to have worked...

I took out the /3GB switch in the boot.ini. 

That was 3 days ago and the system hasn't had the issue since, even though it had gotten to the point where it was happening several times a day.  The thing that tipped me toward this as a possible solution was the fact that everything I read said that this was likely caused by a memory leak, but we didn't seem to have memory issues (at least when we could get into task manager there didn't seem to be much activity) and when I came across this post...  I took a chance and it seems to have fixed the problem for now.

I was reading some of the junk e-mail that Microsoft sends me and came across this article.  I wanted to save the shortcuts, a lot of which I knew (and use) but some of which are new to me:

http://www.windowsvistamagazine.com/UK/4352741765893343994/pc-heaven.html

Boost your productivity

Learn a few angelic Windows keyboard shortcuts

• Hold Shift when inserting a CD
  Prevent the CD from autoplaying
• F4 in Windows Explorer
  Display the address bar location list
• F5
  Refresh the screen
• Ctrl and Z
  Undo an action
• Ctrl and Y
  Redo an action, in case you’ve used undo incorrectly
• Shift and Delete
  Delete the selected file(s) without moving to the Recycle bin (be careful!)
• Shift and F10
  Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
• Alt and Tab
  Switch to the previously active window
• Alt and F4
  Close the active window
• Windows key and D
  Show the desktop
• Windows key and E
  Open Windows Explorer
• Windows key and F
  Open a Search window
• Windows key and G
  Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
• Windows key and R
  Open a Run window
• Windows key and T
  Cycle through and preview all the applications on the taskbar
• Windows key and 1
  Launch the first program on your Quick Launch toolbar
• Windows key and 2
  Launch the second program on your Quick Launch toolbar
• Windows key and Tab
  Use Flip 3D to cycle through all currently open applications
• Windows key and Spacebar
  Select the Windows Sidebar
• Ctrl and Mousewheel
  Changes the view of your current folder
• Left Alt and left Shift and Print Screen
  Toggles the highcontrast display

Windows Vista Magazine | PC Heaven

I asked a coworker to find the method/command to run updates on Server Core and he came back with a link to this nice little script:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387102(VS.85).aspx

And every time I forget the command to do something in Server Core, when I do a search to find it, I always come back with a link to this post:

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/archive/2007/08/13/changing-server-core-s-look-and-feel-part-1.aspx

And just because I am lazy, and don't particularly like the command line (even though I like Server Core), I have created a folder with a few batch files that I use when I am setting up a Server Core machine.  For instance, I have a batch file that has the product key in it already and I run it to install the product key and activate. 

So I posted that I feel dumb some days, but when I wrote that, it was related to how frustrated I was trying to figure out System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Beta.  I thought that I had be shown the light by someone in the product team posting detailed instructions on how to do what I was trying to accomplish.  I would just like to set the record straight and say that IT STILL DIDN'T WORK!

Now I am running Hyper-V RC1 so SCVMM 2008 Beta doesn't work with that yet anyway...  Ah, the joys of life on the bleeding edge....

Quoted from a blog by Sander Berkouwer

Add or remove programs

Again there are two ways to get information on the software that is installed onto your Server Core installation in absence of the "Add or Remove programs" Control Panel applet. (also known as appwiz.cpl)

Registry

The first way is by checking the registry keys underneath the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Luckily Server Core offers regedit.exe and regedt32.exe to digg deep into the registry of our Server Core box. Actually the "Add or Remove programs" Control Panel applet checks these registry keys at well. Since we all know how long it takes to get a complete list of all the software on your windows box it's obvious this method takes a lot of time.

As this TechNet page points out the software packages that are listed underneath the Uninstall registry key all have a registry value associated with the UninstallString. You can use this value as a command to uninstall the software.

WMI

The things that are better left unspoken : Add or Remove programs in Server Core

I am doing some research into our data center cooling requirements.  I came across this article and thought this bit was interesting:

So how much does it cost to power 100TB (raw) of storage, and how much CO₂ emissions are generated per year? That, of course, depends on the type of storage, the number and size of the disk drives, the cost per kWh of power, cooling costs and the average number of lbs of CO₂ produced per kWh.

One example is a single storage system using 750GB SATA disk drives yielding 144TB of raw storage in a single cabinet footprint, which would require less than 52,560 kWh and cost about $10,512 per year with an emissions footprint of about 39.42 CO₂ tons. To account for cooling costs, simply double the above numbers for a worst-case scenario. By comparison, a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe generates about 7 to 10 tons of CO₂ per year, while a Lexus RX333, depending on miles driven, generates about 5-6 tons of CO₂ per year, and a 24 cubic foot refrigerator yields about 1.22 tons of CO₂ per year.

Storage Power and Cooling Issues Heat Up

 I was working with a colleague to figure out something related to connection speeds and data transfer.  I happened to find this interesting little snippet and thought it was worth reading:

Historical context^*
Once upon a time, computer professionals noticed that 2¹⁰ was very nearly equal to 1000 and started using the SI prefix "kilo" to mean 1024. That worked well enough for a decade or two because everybody who talked kilobytes knew that the term implied 1024 bytes. But, almost overnight a much more numerous "everybody" bought computers, and the trade computer professionals needed to talk to physicists and engineers and even to ordinary people, most of whom know that a kilometer is 1000 meters and a kilogram is 1000 grams.

Then data storage for gigabytes, and even terabytes, became practical, and the storage devices were not constructed on binary trees, which meant that, for many practical purposes, binary arithmetic was less convenient than decimal arithmetic. The result is that today "everybody" does not "know" what a megabyte is. When discussing computer memory, most manufacturers use megabyte to mean 2²⁰ = 1 048 576 bytes, but the manufacturers of computer storage devices usually use the term to mean 1 000 000 bytes. Some designers of local area networks have used megabit per second to mean 1 048 576 bit/s, but all telecommunications engineers use it to mean 10⁶ bit/s. And if two definitions of the megabyte are not enough, a third megabyte of 1 024 000 bytes is the megabyte used to format the familiar 90 mm (3 1/2 inch), "1.44 MB" diskette. The confusion is real, as is the potential for incompatibility in standards and in implemented systems.

Faced with this reality, the IEEE Standards Board decided that IEEE standards will use the conventional, internationally adopted, definitions of the SI prefixes. Mega will mean 1 000 000, except that the base-two definition may be used (if such usage is explicitly pointed out on a case-by-case basis) until such time that prefixes for binary multiples are adopted by an appropriate standards body. 

Return to SI prefixes

*Historical context adapted from: Bruce Barrow, "A Lesson in Megabytes," IEEE Standards Bearer, January 1997, page 5. Portions copyright © 1997 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

Definitions of the SI units: The binary prefixes

 A guy in my office forwarded a link to this company's website.  Very cool system.  I was one of the first people in my office to use dual monitors for my desktop PC.  I find that it greatly enhances my productivity. 

This looks like it would be great for people who do a lot of trade shows, or traveling presentations:

The CinePort Multi-Monitor Laptop External Expansion System

The CinePort is a mobile graphics card that plugs directly into your laptop's PC card port (CardBus) and allows you to add up to four additional displays to your laptop. When combined with your laptop's built-in display and built-in external monitor port, you can run up to six displays from one laptop.

CinePort Multi Monitor Laptop PCMCIA Expansion Adapter

I  was deleting e-mails that I don't read, but would like to when I came across this e-week article.  Wonder if he has stock in storage vendors?

Will We Run Out of Storage?

By David Morgenstern
July 28, 2007
Opinion: Is a capacity shortage looming in the near future for enterprise assets? Maybe so, depending on how one reads the storage white papers and the tea leaves.

Will We Run Out of Storage?

or maybe even what you don't know?

I recently (last night) came up with an idea on how to do a better job of sharing information with the rest of my department.  We use SharePoint for a lot of things.  It occurred to me that a Blog would be a good way of sharing information on how to fix issues, troubleshoot issues or even to say "we know there is a problem, but we haven't figured it out yet.

Well you don't really want to put that stuff out in public unless it has been cleared of information that you don't want everyone to know about.  Specifics of your organization may end up there and it would probably be a good idea to not allow that sort of information to be just randomly published.  But if it is an internal, authentication required to view, you must have a reason for being there kind of place...

So we have set up a Blog site for our group.  A colleague and I will try it and see if we can get the rest of the guys on board with it.  (That is if I can get him interested.)

I happened to read one of the many junk e-mails that I get from Microsoft (I get them on purpose) and saw this tool for posting to a blog.  I thought I would try it out.  I just downloaded and installed it, but I haven't read anything on it yet.  I thought I would go with a "trial by fire" sort of approach. 

It looks like you can do standard blog tasks with it, such as insert tables, pictures, maps, tags, or hyperlinks.  I am just going to insert a hyperlink to the download.

Click here to go to the Windows Live Writer download page.

I have 2 BLOG's.  You might think that means that I post a lot.  If you look at this one you will notice that I DON'T post much to it.  I post even less to the other one.  Maybe I will work on posting more to this one?

So, I have installed Windows Vista Beta 2.  I have Office 2007 Beta 2 installed as well.  So far, I have mostly been trying to figure out how to do the things that I don't have to think about with XP.

I am an admin on the machine of course, but with Vista, you have to "Run Elevated" to be able to update software.  (You might have already known that, but it took me a while to figure it out.  I forgive myself, because I get distracted easily and don't always get to concentrate on side issues.)

Another issue for me is the fact that Admin Tools aren't availible for Vista.  I have to log into some other machine to manage AD, DHCP, DNS, etc., etc...

Other things I have figured out?  The OS is kind of like Windows 2000 in that it is a bit of a resource hog.  I hope that will be leveled a bit as we get closer to release.  Lots of eye candy, but not sure if I like it.  It isn't too stable yet, at least with the currently availible drivers for my video card.  The walpaper doesn't show on one of my two monitors unless I have an application open that causes it to cease the Aero effects. Kind of annoying.

I am still trying to get accustomed to the IE7 tabs.  Some of the settings that I had on IE6 to get IE to behave the way I want it to behave, aren't in the same place in IE7 and/or the particulars that you have to do are different.  Plus the fact that I haven't quite figured out how I want the tabs to behave. 

Office 2007 has some of the same stability issues as earlier versions, things hand on occasion, or just don't do anything.  I am hoping for some updates to this soon...

If you have a new server/computer without a floppy drive and you want to install Windows, how do you get past the need to have a floppy drive after you have pressed the infamous “F6”?  Well, you could go buy a floppy drive, or

I fould a nice little utility that will let you build a CD with the desired drivers already present.  It also give you options to configure an unattended setup, remove unwanted components, add Service Packs and hotfixes, etc.

It can be found here:  http://www.nliteos.com/

Want to be able to Right Click and “Send To” a program that isn't there already?

Go to “C:\Documents and Settings\%Username%\SendTo\” and drop a short cut to the program you want to see there.

I don't know if anyone really ever does this, but I thought it was interesting.  It is a tool that lets you embed fonts in a web page so that people can see the font you created the page with even if they don't have that font installed.  If someone knows of a more current way to do this, let me know.  I was just browsing when I cam across this and wasn't too concerned about be up to date.

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/web/embedding/weft3/default.htm

This is my first entry on my new blog.  This blog was created by copying Rickey's work.  The software that is used is already evidenced by the “about” section of this page, so I won't bore you with the details.  I will tell you that I am currently running 2 blogs, to see which software I like best.  Fun huh?