Products that take advantage of iFilters include;
- SharePoint (2010)
- SQL Server (In particular the “SQL Server Full Text Search” service)
- Windows Desktop Search

iFilters;

• Microsoft Office – (Includes; 2010, 2007, 2003, OneNote, Visio, Publisher, ODF and Zip)
• PDF – 64-bit (Adobe), 32-bit (Adobe)
• WordPerfect (32 & 64 bit)
• RTF (Direct link to file, extracted files include instructions)
• Archives (ZIP, CAB, EXE, RAR) (NOT free)
• PDF - FoxIT (64-bit) (NOT free, but the Adobe 64-bit PDF iFilter can be slow)

Useful iFilter Links

A site which, whilst a little outdated, provides some good iFilter information;
http://www.ifilter.org

A “shop” for iFilters, be aware that most commonly required ones are free, above!
http://www.ifiltershop.com

Resource of downloadable iFilters (This site can be quite slow to load)
http://www.citeknet.com

Full SharePoint 2010 iFilter list;
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg405170.aspx

Setup SharePoint 2007 Office 2010 iFilters;
http://techtalkpt.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/ifilters-for-moss-2007/

Clear instructions on setting up an iFilter;
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/sharepoint/PDFiFIlterSharePoint2010.aspx

Last (Part 1)

Alone, at last, or last alone?
No other here to claim my throne.
King for a day, a month, a year?
Who knows how long I’ll survive here…
Last one alive, all others lost,
I may rule now, but at what cost?
“My kingdom for a horse!” I’d offer
But there’s no one to whom to proffer
Such an exchange in any case
No one to haggle with, to face
Besides a deal would be for naught
When in a world-less world your caught
What would I do with such a steed?
With none to visit and none to heed
Ride like eagle taken flight
Racing the day until its night…

Beyond, afar, we roam together
Seeking just a fortune teller
Who can reassure us now,
Maybe comfort us somehow?
An insight into others living
Directions to a haven giving?
Restore our faith in our own future
Like scripture quoting father preacher
That horse and I may travel on
Long after day and time are gone
Into the dark of man-less dusk
The world now just an empty husk
Devoid of human sound or laughter
Not just for now, but ever after
Despair descends like heavy fog
To capture man, and horse and… dog?

For canine joins our travelling band
Four and four and two we stand
Paws to join these hooves of ours
Trundling on for hours and hours
What was first city, become tundra
No welcome now for hapless wanderer
But we march on, the three as one
Witnesses to rising sun
Three shadows now we cast a new
As dawn greets us of day two

Two days? It seems a life ago!
That others worried to and fro
Minding themselves without a word
Members of the urban herd
Filling the streets, the thronging mass
To work, to coffee, to gym, to class
Busy, busy everywhere,
Oh how I miss my daily fare!
To pay again for train to town!
To see again commuters frown!
The silence of the noisy carriage
Together a commuters marriage
Everyday the same know faces
Off to office, college, races
Off to city to place bet?
Or maybe something better yet?
Collecting winnings lucky few?
Winnings that were due to you?

If only you had backed your talk!
With cash in pocket for a walk
To betting shop for latest odds
And to place bet with other bods
Whom likewise confidently back
Their certainty of wing attack,
Two great goals and final score
To set them up with so much more
Petty cash from petty flutter
No more living in the gutter
Now to live as kings with riches
Hope their social conscience itches
To pay back to their old home…
But mind returns as still we roam

Horse and hound onward bound
Searching for the lost and found
Miles now we must have travelled?
Past empty house and driveway gravelled
Not Wild West but more West Wilsden
Left to pigeons and what wills ‘um
Without the folk to chase and feed
What will become of avian greed?
Perhaps the pigeons will take wing?
Move to the woods and at dawn sing
The pigeony songs we never heard
From such a poor and ignored bird
But now released from mans contempt
The “flying rat” at last exempt
From our cynical “ignorations”
To weave their birdy incantations
“Over wood and leaf and dale”
All green and black and patchy pale
Now squirrels learn of our true fate
As air strikes strike their hairy pate!

Again I stir in makeshift seat
What time now? And why such heat?
As sun blazes down on us
Dog walks on without a fuss
Horse carries me without to-do
Complaining now is only who?
Yes, human, is first to moan
When so far away from home
Yet animals continue forward
Happy for just a friendly word
From the man, the mighty ruler
Like life’s last, lonely, jeweler
Last to hold the keys to knowledge
A one man civilisation college
Keeper of all science and art
But did I ever do my part?

So much I missed, ignored at school!
My lack of class now so uncool
As I struggle for survival
Humnity’s final archival
All we were and last I’m left
The universe must feel bereft!
Of all of men there’s only me!
What chose me to be last man?
Why must I carry the can?
At the wicket, under pressure…
The road signs a final gesture
“You’re last man and don’t forget it!”
As if, in some way, I’m not fit
To carry this burden all alone
Am I the first seed to be sown?
In some new age, some bright tomorrow?
Toiling to plough a new furrow
Or last man standing at the end?
No one left not one sole friend?
Alone, at last, but last alone…

We’ll see what happens to our traveller if / when I have more time to step back into his shoes! I certainly like the way the horse first and then the dog appeared. They feel like guardian angels maybe? Or figments of his poor imagination? Faithful friends or a fictional family? I suppose only time will tell…

SharePoint virtualization is an oft discussed area of IT consolidation and thus features a number of opinions and guidelines. One of its most misunderstood areas is database virtualisation.

Whilst it is generally felt that the database foundation of the system should not be virtualized (as with almost all virtualization projects, the inclusion of the database layer is generally not considered best practice) this does not mean it should not be considered as it can provide a number of benefits in specific scenarios.

Database virtualization is always contentious, but it is important to understand why this is the case and consider the effect of changing technologies in this area before discarding it out of hand.

The main factors which cause concern here are the very intensive nature of IO performed by databases which puts great pressure on any disk array used to host such a virtual machine, and their traditional lack of compatibility with many virtualization platform’s tools, specifically around synchronisation of data and backup. As VMWare / Hyper-V, SQL Server, Windows Server and server hardware continue to evolve, particularly with a focus on virtualization/ cloud infrastructures, many of these concerns are, or already have been, addressed.

The fact of the matter is that you loose nothing in terms of tool compatibility in SQL if you virtualize it, you just also do not gain as much benefit from the virtualization in this regard as you would for other server roles / applications  because the virtualization platform’s functionalities may not be compatible with SQL Server. So at worst this is only ever a “no net gain” operation. Secondly, as concerns IO load on the hardware, well this one is pretty simple really, can your setup handle the rigorous IO load required to deliver a swift and timely SQL service to SharePoint? This question is the same regardless of your choice of virtualized or non-virtualized deployment of SQL server. That is to say the main factor here is good capacity planning & testing in your virtual environment, not the ignoring of database virtualization as an option!

I’m sure we all remember the worries surrounding databases over SANs / with iSCSI. Both of which are standard solutions these days.

So don’t panic or “assume yourself” out of seriously reviewing full virtualization of SharePoint 2010 & it’s database(s), it is not only possible, but may indeed provide a boost to not only any current project, but also your ability to evolve your solution / approach going forward.

Additionally, one important option to consider, specially in test or SME setups, is the implementation of a non-virtualized SQL Server whilst virtualizing the rest of the SharePoint 2010 stack, this is even effective in a single server situation. The virtual host can also run a non-virtual instance of SQL Server. Having said that, virtualizing SQL Server can also work well as long as you ensure you dedicate an array of disk / spindles to it & it’s logs directly. In this situation you can achieve a strong level of fault tolerance with a pair of virtual host servers both running separate but synchronised copies of SQL Server natively with the SharePoint roles virtualized “on-top” of this via Hyper-V etc.

Suffice to say that you should not discount SharePoint Database virtualization, but also that there are a wider range of options available than you might first think when reviewing SharePoint 2010 virtualization.

A few additional resources may prove beneficial in your own research into the matter;

- Nice, quick summary of key points around SharePoint 2010 virtualization.

- Superb summary blog from Microsoft on the topic of database virtualization of the SharePoint 2010 database.

- Excellent example / diagram of the use of Hyper-V to achieve SharePoint 2010 virtualization.

- Detailed review of capacity planning SharePoint 2010 virtualizations.

- In-depth look at database virtualization.

- Independent view of some of the benefits of including Hyper-V R2& System Center in your plans.

- Older, but still very informative, piece on SharePoint 2007 virtualization.

- Clear online presentation on the topic.

If you already are a donor then jolly well done!

If you’re not then why not visit the UK Organ Donation website by clicking here (or on the button / logo below) and find out more…

I strongly believe the system should be “Opt-out” rather than it’s current “Opt-in” approach, why should we assume that everyone wants to be selfish, when I believe the vast majority of us would certainly want to help save someone’s life if there was any way we could.

The truth is that with so much going on updates may not be as regular as I once managed, but I will do my best!

Anyway, a very Happy New Year to you and all those you hold dear!

If you, or anyone you know, has an Android mobile phone please grab the, free & safe, “UK 3G Survey” app from the Andoid marketplace and help contribute to the first realistic picture of 3G coverage! That’s it, you need do no more, it’s all automatic once you download and install the app on your phone.

More here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13874818

It seems that Vista “intelligently” disables the “WLAN AutoConfig” service if it detects your system is not a laptop. This probably seemed like a great idea at the time, and does slightly reduce the attack surface of your system, but also makes it impossible to use wireless until it is re-enabled!

A common symptom of this problem is the message “Windows wireless service is not running on this computer” when trying to use wireless for the first time.

So, if you ever find yourself in this, increasingly rare, situation, just;

1. Click on “Start”, right click “Computer” and then select “Manage”.
(If prompted to “allow” the operation, do so).

2. In Computer Management, under “Services and Applications”, select “Services”.

3. Scroll down to the “WLAN AutoConfig” Service, double-click it and, in the window that opens, set it’s “Startup Type” to “Automatic”, then click “Start” and “OK”.

You should be back up and running!

Well, just when you think things are calming down IT wise something comes along and blows you out of your chair.

The possibilities for this one are HUGE and really show how important coms is to Microsoft. They just went from VoIP non-players to the new market leader in one swoop!

Integration with Lync, Windows Live, XBox Live & Windows Mobile 7 is sure to follow…