One area Dell are really strong on is Servers.

I have a couple of my own and manage many more out in the wild.

One of the reason’s they are good is the factory partial pre-install of the Operating System (OS). This allows you to get up and running quickly.

So what do you get in the Box of a typical Server with OS these days:-

1 x Server (in this case a PowerEdge 840 with a DDS5 Tape Drive).
1 x UK Power Cord
1 x Dell TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine Update CD)
1 x Getting Started With your system book
1 x Windows 2003 Small Business Server Read Me First Chart
1 x Windows 2003 Small Business Server CD Media Pack
1 x Windows 2003 Small Business Server - Information Update Pamphlet
1 x Additional CALs if any (CAL = Client Access License)
1 x Dell PowerEdge and PowerVault Systems - Product Guide
1 x 4mm DDS Cleaning Tape for the Tape Drive
1 x Dell PowerVault Documentation & Driver CD

Dell Open Manage Quick Install Guide and CD Set including :-

1 x Bootable Installation and Server Management CD Ver 5.2
1 x Systems Management Console CD Ver 5.2
1 x Service and Diagnostic Utilities CD Ver 5.2
1 x Documentation CD Ver 5.2

The above CD’s would come in handy if you have to re-install the OS in the future, as they do a bit of hand holding during the process.

Notes: I wish Dell would include at least 1 blank Tape with the system.

Tip: As with all computers sometimes cables come loose in transit, if you have a problem on your initial boot for example it cant find the hard disk or some other internal component. Don’t panic just open the case and check all your cables are firmly in place.

Tip: Ensure you keep all the important bits of the server together for example the CD’s/CAl’s safe.

In my many years supporting Dell Servers I rarely have problems. However when I do it has been Hard Disk or DDS tape drive related - the moving parts basically. Cover yourself and get 3 years on-site warranty.

If I think about it the most common problem I hear about is the Backup tape being stuck in the system and it wont eject. The solution to which is to power down the server and eject the tape as soon as the system has power. If your tape is still stuck you have to have an engineer to retrieve it.

Severs are unique in that they are switched on and then left on for the duration of their life with very little user intervention so whilst they are very important they tend to cause the least trouble.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes over at zdnet reports that the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 upgrade rebooted his PC 4 times during the upgrade process.

I am sure Microsoft has reasons. Replacing the kernel can’t be easy. However 4 reboots is about two too many for my liking,  what if a user has a power outage during the many reboots, sounds to me like they as asking for trouble.

I don’t understand why we seem to be going backwards on service packs.

Windows 2000, SP1,SP2, SP3 and SP4 were all very straightforward, install and reboot.

Windows XP, SP1 and even the mammoth SP2.

Having said that Windows XP to SP2 on old hardware is pretty painful.  But that was for a good cause, SP2 plugged the many vulnerabilities in original XP code that were being heavily exploited at the time.

However in 2007, having to deal with 4 reboots and the best part of 40 minuets is nothing short of madness. Even the in place upgrade from say Windows Vista Business to Ultimate is a major operation.

If you are a Windows Vista enthusiast (and my own enthusiasm is waning) check the link below, most of the changes are under the hood.

Link: http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=810

For a more detailed review of the contents of SP1 check Paul Thurrot’s site

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_sp1.asp

I was at a meeting yesterday, another invited management consultant made a generalisation about how how I.T guys “great with technology, but bad at communication”. It wasn’t the forum I could have corrected him easily. I was a guest and it would have taken the meeting off topic.

My initial reaction was to jump over the desk and beat him around the head, but on reflection that would be wrong and no way to prove I was a good communicator.

I think all problems in life are communications problems and I am not perfect (just ask the woman in my life).  

It wasn’t difficult to let this one go because as I sat in the meeting quietly cursing I knew the page views of this website would be passing the 250,000 mark for this year.

So in that respect I do a lot more communicating than I am given credit for. For example on this site you will find hours of screencasts showing you all about new technology.

Link: View all posts filed under Screencast

I also regularly give hints and tips about technology and small business sharing my knowledge and experience for free.

My point being communication can take many forms.

Another example would be when I search Google in the UK for Computer Consultant I am in the top 4 (this varies from month to month but to be in the top 10 out of 1.8million) Maybe I know more about communication than I let on..

The correct answer is 65535. Excel 2007 comes back with 100000

I just wish I was raising an invoice for 850 hours at a rate of  77.1

Hopefully this gets patched soon. Bare in mind Microsoft Office 2007 was the most widely tested version of Microsoft Office ever.

Too much attention on the new interface ribbon and not enough on the basics like….multiplication.

Now you can, Newsweek will be getting Bill to answer questions submitted on the link below

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20922240/site/newsweek/

Or Click here to send your question to Gates 

Questions need to be submitted by 28th September 2007

Just for fun my question would be:

Dear Bill

Thanks for all your good work and everything, now Microsoft Bob what were you thinking?

Link About Microsoft Bob: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob