Jason Powell - Church IT and Other Musings

Reminder: Church IT Podcast today Thursday Jan 17th

Hey, don't forget we're doing another live interactive Church IT Podcast today (Jan 17) at 2pm Eastern.

If you hadn't heard: You can now join the chat without downloading the client ...

"(Jan 8th 2008) TalkShoe released a new version of software highlighted with a Web Based version of TalkShoe live. This new client (see below) requires no download and is a one click option from any web browser. The client enables both participates to join in and host to start and run their calls. Guest do not even have to register to join in the chat or call in on the phone. The download version is still available for use of ShoePhone and more robust chat. See here for other key new features."

Guess we will find out tomorrow how the new web only version works vs. the full client app.

Discussion Topics:

- Post Sharepoint Training thoughts

- MinistryTECH and spring RoundTable updates ... along with a sneak peek at the Fall RoundTable location.

- MTI just had their first class session ... perhaps we can get some feedback from those that are in the course.

Otherwise, it's an open forum baby!  Bring your questions/topics and let's run them through the mill.

 

ALSO NOTE: we now have ALL of the podcasts transcribed ... yup episodes 1 to 21 ... please help edit the content for product names, spellings, URL's, etc.  More info here

Interested in joining this live interactive podcast?  You should be!
Want to hear past podcasts?  Of course you do!
Get all the deets on the Church IT Podcast Wiki

Steak And Array

Tonight Alan Hunt of VR6 Systems drove down to GCC to help us get our newest EqualLogic PS100E array into production.  Alan didn't have to come 3.5 hrs to help us with this, but he really wanted to come and make sure everything went smooth with the firmware upgrade of our current PS100E and then joining the two units together.  I love it when vendors go above and beyond!

Alan arrived around 4:30 and since all our VM's live on the SAN we couldn't do any real work until 5:30pm ... when our maintenance window starts.  So we chatted a bit then decided to grab a bite to eat before digging in.  When I asked Alan where he'd like to eat he pointed across our parking lot to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  I let him know that I've heard that RCS is quite salty price wise ... but he insisted ... and who am I to say no to a free steak!  I was pumped!  I figured I'd never get a change to eat at CRS unless someone else took me ... I would have to wait no more :-)

We arrived at 5 right as they were opening ... and from the minute we arrived we were treated like special guests.  Service staff were amazing.  Our waiter Chris was very gracious to us newbies and explained everything in great detail.  Ed and I both went for a NY Strip and a salad ... remember we're watching our diet :-)

Oh my goodness, the streak was amazingly good ... it comes to you on a super hot plate still sizzling away.  I meant to take a picture, but it was so good I couldn't focus on anything else ;-)  The three of us had a great meal and even greater conversation around storage technologies and just life in general.  It was great to get to know the person "behind" the salesman.

Once we were stuffed, did I mention how awesome this steak was?, we headed back and started powering everything down.  We had to move a few items around in the rack to make room for the new array and we soon had it racked up.  We up'd the firmware on the old array then powered on the new.  After maybe 5 minutes of configs the two arrays saw each other and began distributing data between them ... yes, it's just that easy to add another array into your storage pool.  So we doubled our storage to 4.36TB and doubled(?) our performance from 3 to 6 controllers.  w00t!

Again, a huge thanks to Alan for spending the evening with us ... this is a partnership I look forward to growing.  If you're looking at storage you really should contact Alan.  We also talked a length about Data Domain for offsite storage/deduplication ... but that'll have to wait for a future post.

Here's a few cruddy pics from the cam phone ...

Alan and Ed working on firmware update

I'm trying to get Ed to "strike a pose" and he can't stop laughing ... who knew inserting drives into an array was so hilarious ;-)

 
The twins

2 servers and 2 arrays ... this is the core of our network ... 20+ virtual servers live on this storage and run on either of the 2 physical servers.  It's amazing that just 3 years ago to do the same would have required an entire rack of servers producing gobs of heat and requiring loads of electricity.  Thank goodness for VMware Server!

EqualLogic Lunch and Learn at GCC Feb 22

Interested in learning more about EqualLogic, SANs, VMware?  Do you like free lunch?

Come join us Feb 22nd at Granger Community Church to get the dope on

all the above from Alan Hunt of VR6 Systems and PJ and Jack of EqualLogic.

We'll prob meet around noon and chat into the afternoon.

Interested?  Leave a comment and I'll get ya more deets as they're available.

When it rains ...

So I'm out of town at the sharepoint training this week and my wife calls yesterday that the furnace isn't coming on.  I give her a couple things to try and still no dice.  Crud.  Time to call an expert.

Long story short ... our furnace is the original install (25yrs old) and it's basically shot.  The dude says it'll cost at least $1400 to fix, but most likely more.  He wrestled with it 2hrs and for now it's at least limping along.

So looks like a new furnace is in our immediate future ... arrrgh... what really bites is that our water softener (also original install) died about a month ago and I've been waiting until mid January to get it replaced.  We do have a Dave Ramsey "emergency fund", but nothing near what I'm scared to imagine this is all going to cost.  Prayers appreciated.  And if you have any tips/recommendations on furnace/softener installs please comment away.

When it rains it pours ...

Year In Review ... Well, Past Years for Now

I haven't yet had time (or made time) to do my 2007 year in review ... or really do much blogging of any sort.

So to tide you over for a while here's links to my past 'year in review' posts ... enjoy!

2005 Year In Review

2006 Year In Review

Future Mindsharp SharePoint Training at Mongo DIscount

Interested in SharePoint training but couldn't make it this week to Peoria?  Bill English of Mindsharp is now offering ANY of their workshops to us ministries at the insane low price of $199/workshop!

Most of their training is $3000 so this is an uber amazing discount.  Check out the current schedule to see when they are coming to your area.

To take advantage of this opportunity do not register on Mindsharp's website ... email Bill directly and he'll get ya the hookup.

SharePoint training manuals

2 giganto binders to learn in 5 days ... oh my! :-)

Some More EqualLogic Love

New EqualLogic PS100E arrived at GCC last week while I was on break.  We'll wait until we get back from Sharepoint training to fire this bad boy up :-)

SharePoint Training setup

Ed, Dave Mast, and I made the 4hr trek to Peoria, IL Sunday afternoon to get ready for a week of SharePoint training.

We arrived at Northwoods around 6:30pm local and helped with the room setup ...

Afterwards we met up with some of the other attendees at Buffalo Wild Wings ... MMmmm wings!

(not pictured: me)

Church IT Podcast cancelled for today

Our family is passing a bug around and today it's my turn ... arrrgh!

No podcast today ... perhaps take this time to go read through some of the transcription archives and relive your favorite memories from past episodes :-)