I think Microsoft made a mistake by having hibernation enabled by default on Windows Server 2008 and above.  Hibernation is an amazing feature on laptops, even on workstations sometimes.  However I have never seen hibernation used on a server.

What bothers me about hibernation being enabled is that it creates a hibernation file that is the same size as your memory.  It does this because for hibernation to work it writes the contents of the memory to disk so that the machine can be powered off.

On physical servers this is not a serious issue because disk space is rarely an issue.  However on virtual machines disk space for each guest is sometimes dialed in pretty tightly and so a large useless file like that can really be problematic.  If you are so inclined it is extremely easy to disable hibernation from the command line:

powercfg –h off

Where appropriate I use a group policy object to run this command on login for my servers or at the very least disable hibernation on VM templates in my environments.

I was recently asked on Twitter if I thought that cloud computing was going to mean less work for IT Pros.  Here are my thoughts in bullet point format for easy consumption:

1. The computer meant less work for all kinds of office workers who’s jobs were replaced by computers.  However companies that brought in computers became more efficient, grew as a business, and quickly had more (better?) work for those employees to be doing.
2. Java/C# is more efficient (from a labor perspective) and less error-prone than C/C++ which is more efficient and less error-prone than assembly.  We use these better “tools” to produce better and less error-prone programs with a lot less effort.
3. When NT started to replace Novell it left a lot of systems administrators who did not update (upgrade?) their skills with limited work options.  In this industry we are expected to almost continually be updating our skill set.  When anyone working in technology stops learning they quickly become less and less relevant.

Do I think that a drastic shift to cloud computing will mean those at the bottom of the IT Pro totem pole will be in trouble?  Yes.  Does that bother me?  No.  The IT Pro profession is not going anywhere.

1. The cloud vendors are going to need people to run their clouds, and they are going to need highly skilled, highly paid, and highly respected IT Pros to do that job.  IT Pros that install the operating system from a CD need not apply.
2. I am an IT Pro but by and large the job I do is not being replaced by the cloud.  I architect IT solutions to meet business needs.  Cloud Computing has just offered me another tool to offer my clients to meet those needs.
3. The IT Pros that right now do a job that a script could do in a fraction of the time are giving us all a bad name.  If I was paying someone to create accounts all day I would not be happy.  I would much rather pay someone like me (and hopefully you) to automate that process based off of HR data (just as an example).

Cloud Computing is a new technological challenge we are faced with.  Learn to adapt.  Stop trying to determine how to hold onto the job you have and start trying to determine how to get the next job that you want.

I submitted a few sessions for the MIX10 conference this year.  Now I need you to vote for me so I will be selected for a speaking slot.

The voting application does not have the best UI I have ever seen.  So I want to make it super easy for you.  Here is the step by step guide to vote for my sessions:

1. Click on this link and it will open a new window which will add my session “Should Your Application use Azure?” to your ballot.
2. Click on this link and it will open a new window which will add my session “IIS 7.5 for Developers” to your ballot.
3. Finally click on this link and it will submit your ballot.
4. Have everyone you know do the same thing.

I appreciate you taking the time to do this.  Hopefully I will see you at MIX10!

Over the weekend I received an e-mail informing me that I have been awarded Microsoft MVP status under the Directory Services specialty.  The timing of receiving this honor seems especially appropriate as we enter a new decade.  While I have the fresh start of a new year and a new decade I have also been presented with a fresh opportunity.

I have spent a decent amount of time stressing over exactly who I should thank in this post.  Finally I realized that the list is too long, I will undoubtedly miss someone, and call me old fashioned but a note of thanks on a lightly read blog is hardly appropriate.  I will be seeing each of you I owe a word of thanks to over the course of the next year and I will make sure to take those opportunities to convey my heart felt gratitude.  In the meantime realize that if we know each other I am sure you have played a role in my growth this past year.

I received word that I was a nominee in early October so when was awarded the MVP status it was a nice feeling to finally have that three month old question answered.  That feeling was quickly replaced when I remembered that being an MVP does not make me a super hero.  I still have a lot of work to do.  Session content does not write itself nor does it present itself, networking (the kind that involves human handshakes, not TCP handshakes) still needs to be done, and I still need to find the best way to convert my love of presenting technical content into a viable business model.

I am looking forward to continue working with each of you this year.  In the coming weeks and months I hope to announce my participation in some really exciting events.  Here’s to 2010 and the exciting possibilities it will surely bring.

As promised here is the screencast of my Networking for Developers presentation.  I recorded this with Carl Franklin for DnrTV.

Download Video