January 8, 2006
first things first…
sorry for the recent glaring lack of update announcements about sbs show. this should in no way be considered a reflection on our recent guests, but rather on the recent holiday season, my professional workload during that time, and also my being sick through the end of 2005 and the start of 2006.
now that’s out of the way…
if you haven’t listened to sbs show lately…you have been missing out!
sbs show #11 through #13 all deal primarily with the topic of knowledge resources that our listeners might most benefit from professionally in 2006.
to that end, we’ve scheduled several authors to appear on the show and discuss books they have written focusing either on sbs or the smb sector in general.
sbs show #11 started this series off with a bang, as our guest was eriq “q” neale, a newly announced microsoft mvp for 2006.
obviously a beloved figure in the sbs world, eriq spoke with vlad and me about his career, the recent release of his sbs unleashed book, his eon call show, and being named as the 3rd magical m&m.
your friendly neighborhood happyfunboy does have one question for marina and mariette tho…shouldn’t all of you now be called the magical m&m&m’s?
eriq struck a real chord with our listeners, and we hope he will make a return visit to sbs show sometime in 2006.
sbs show #12 continued our streak of awesome with a visit by yet another very well-known person in the sbs community, and also a frequent contributor over at smallbizserver.net…beatrice “gimme a break, vlad” mulzer.
this was beatrice’s second appearance on sbs show, and she is always one of my favorite guests…not just because she’s such a smart cookie, but also because she’s so good at busting our chops, particularly ol’ mr. chops-buster himself, vlad “the vlad” mazek.
beatrice talked with us in great detail about her new book, making it big in small business 2006: top 15 successful smb consultants share strategies and lessons learned. she talked about the selection process, the common traits these folks shared, how this book is different from other business books, and why it is a must-read for anyone who works or is thinking about working as an smb consultant.
continuing the theme of smallbizserver.net…two of the folks profiled in beatrice’s book are marina & mariette, the aforementioned magical m&m’s.
sbs show #13 was just recorded yesterday, and as such is still in editing.
we’re keeping the identity of the guest a secret until the show is released…but i can assure you that you will recognize the name of this person.
the insight and knowledge this person imparts away during the show is phenomenal, and as such…sbs show #13 is a must-listen!
so…
if you’re still reading this, scroll back up, click on the links to the shows and get your learn on!
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January 8, 2006
so your friendly neighborhood happyfunboy was perusing one of his old haunts on the internet, and happened to see an item mentioned that he thought visitors here at the funcave would find very very useful.
most of you are prolly aware that microsoft delivers a lot of material via .iso images.
folks who are developers are sure to know this, since software product delivered as part of your msdn subscription nearly all arrives as .iso images, especially if you have elected to receive your subscription on dvd media.
speaking for myself…i get real annoyed sometimes at having to burn a cd if i want to use something off some of our discs.
however, with the following utility provided by microsoft, you can simply mount the .iso file virtually, rather than having to first burn it to cd media.
hey…it’s free, so even if it only saves you five minutes here or there…it’s still more than paid for your time to download and install it.
Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel for Windows XP
enjoy!
oh…and one more thought about receiving msdn or technet subscriptions on dvd.
you really need to switch those subscriptions to dvd format if you haven’t yet.
the sheer amount of discs you receive if you are still getting cd-only format has gotten to a point where it can feel like a full time job just updating the library when a new monthly shipment comes in.
which is exactly what i’ve heard from some other partners and professional peers.
the time to keep those subscriptions straight when updates come in takes so long because there are so many discs, folks don’t keep their subscriptions organized at all. so then when those same folks do need something from msdn or technet, it’s a big mess, and the folks have to waste even more time trying to figure out what’s current, where stuff is, and so on…that in the end they don’t even use those subscriptions at all.
which is a shame…because both technet and msdn have been fantastic benefits to our firm, from the very first day we became a microsoft certified partner in 2000.
also…for certified partners or above…any and all license grants you receive for certain microsoft software products as part of your partner program membership can only be installed using media delivered via the msdn subscription you also receive as part of the partner program.
install the same software from any other media…even if it’s for one of those allowed purposes…and you are still in total violation.
which is such an idiotic position for any partner to put themselves in.
seriously.
if you’re too stupid or lazy to read and understand the terms of the partner program…you prolly aren’t the sharpest knife in the drawer anyway, and are prolly better off washing dogs for a living, rather than trying to be a technology consultant.
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January 7, 2006
there’s been a lot of chatter recently on the yahoo groups concerning microsoft’s business-critical support.
it’s been particularly amusing to your friendly neighborhood happyfunboy how some folks like to get way too bogged down with certain minutae, and endlessly debate whether the word the should in fact be the word a in certain terms of service.
sheesh!
now i don’t know what the rest of the visitors here at the funcave have to do every day, but i certainly don’t have the time to waste like that.
so…for those of you who have never called the business-critical support line, or who have never heard of it, or who aren’t sure what i’m even talking about, here’s a little present from me to you:
happyfunboy’s super awesome guide to calling microsoft business critical support without looking like an idiot
step 1: make sure the problem really is business critical
sorry…but all users being unable to open their favorite mouse-training application is not a business-critical issue. however, all users being unable to open the company’s primary line-of-business application, because that application’s server has multiple services that are not starting and it will not login to the desktop, all after a Microsoft patch was installed…is a business-critical issue.
step 2: try to troubleshoot as much as you can, and gather the most specific info you can before calling
don’t call the business-critical support line and say something moronic like uhhhh…the server’s just down, but it needs to be working so people don’t realize i’m an idiot and should be fired. do a little bit of work, so you can instead describe the issue specifically, such as:
no users are able to get into their primary line-of-business application, which runs in terminal services, since they cannot login successfully to a terminal session. they are presented with a login prompt, but are immediately logged back out when they try to login. the server console presents a login prompt, but the same behavior is observed, both with domain accounts and local accounts. the machine is running windows 2000 server with service pack 4. connecting to server using administrative tools from another server is possible. the error log shows multiple services not auto-starting at boot, all showing path errors or missing file errors. all these errors follow entries showing a critical patch was installed. checking those services shows a filepath on c:, but services that are starting show an e: path. disk management shows the drive letter e: assigned to the boot partition. another 2000 server in the environment shows no problems whatsoever.
quite a difference, huh?
step 3: be in front of the server, then call…not the other way around
honestly, step 2 should automatically take care of this, because you’d prolly have to be in front (or remoting somehow) but you’d be surprised how many folks think that “pre-emptively” calling somehow makes them awesome. all you are doing is potentially clogging up the line for folks who have been diligent enough to complete step 2. so don’t be a greedy jackass, and wait to call when you are in the proper place to actually be efficient.
step 4: be calm
actually, this prolly should be step 1, since…really…you need to be calm in front of your customers/superiors/whoever is paying you to do the work. because if you are acting all nervous and freaking out, then they are not only going to get way freaked out about the problem…they are going to get the impression that you are someone who causes their problems to be magnified, not someone who makes their problems go away. if you want to stay employed, you want to be seen as the latter.
step 5: call the right number, and listen to the voice prompts to get to the right area quickly
ok…this is perhaps a bit basic, but you’d be amazed at how many uber-geniuses can’t seem to operate something as simple as a telephone keypad. hey…if you can’t keep it together long enough to navigate a couple of button presses on your phone…you definitely are in no shape to be doing any advanced troubleshooting on a sick server, especially if the steps involve regedit in any way, shape, or form. revisit step 4 again if need be.
step 6: be courteous
you’re gonna be asking this person to help save your ass, so the least you can do is treat them like a fellow human being, not some robot who should telepathically be able to know exactly what you are talking about without you having to expend any effort. if there’s a bit of a lull, and you’re waiting on something to complete, talk to them like anyone with whom you might strike up a conversation. like…so where are you located at? how’s your weather out there? if you know of any major current events going on near them, you could mention that. basically, it doesn’t really matter…it’s simply a way for you to let them know that a.) you realize they are a fellow human being, and b.) you respect them for that, and c.) you’re not a raving lunatic idiot.
you might be amazed at the amazing level of service you will get.
also, if you miss it when they first say it…ask them their name…and write it down. talk to them using their name. it is a sign of respect.
step 7: be patient
it may take a bit of time for them to fully grasp the issue. as in…more than 30 seconds. don’t be a jerk. you obviously can’t fix the issue by yourself.
step 8: don’t assume they are always correct
ok…this is a switching of the gears a bit, perhaps. but, honestly…you yourself should be the uber-expert on the exact environment you are working in.
if you’re not…well, you’re basically a slackass. good luck with that, because i have no sympathy for you, and don’t really care if you get canned or not.
no one else knows the full and exact details of your environment that you do. so it is perfectly ok to question something if it could possibly make things worse for you.
step 9: make sure you know the exact affect of any change they ask you to make
that includes whether a change is permanent or not. and…if it sounds like something they are asking you to do is not germane to the issue you are seeing, call them on it.
this is actually something you should always do with any tech support line. but it’s even more critical when…well, your problem is business-critical.
step 10: stay on the phone until the issue is resolved
business-critical support will stay with you until the issue is resolved, so stay on the line.
step 11: be realistic
validate any resolution is solid. test other functions. check for other lingering effects. but don’t try to stack on totally unrelated issues. if you call because a patch farked your server, and then try to untangle the pitiful shape your dns infrastructure is in with the same engineer, you prolly won’t get very far. these folks are experts because they know a very specific area inside and out, forwards and backwards. chances are, they will be of no help whatsoever. and…odds are…the other issues wouldn’t pass the “business-critical” litmus test on their own.
step 12: be gracious and grateful
when they save your bacon, thank them. profusely. tell them they rock, or kick ass, or whatever you like. mainly…thank them. folks who save your bacon can never be thanked too much by you. also…if you are sent a follow-up survey about your experience, fill it out. and thank them all over again in your responses. praise them profusely. because if you do…they will be rewarded for doing a good job. which keeps them motivated. and perhaps they will save your bacon again at a later date.
that’s it…nothing difficult really.
for the record…the issue mentioned above actually happened to one of my clients on friday.
when i got onsite, it took:
10 minutes to assess the situation
5 minutes to call the number and get connected to an engineer
5 minutes for the engineer to research the info
5 minutes to walk me through the fix using regedit.
one reboot later, and the issue was resolved.
you should have seen how the eyes of the folks there nearly popped out of their heads. because of the business they are in…this particularly client is not easily impressed when it comes to tech support.
however…they were impressed. and it immediately demonstrated to them the value of our being a microsoft partner.
so…if you really need it…use business-critical support.
it’s real, they’re awesome, and a very valuable resource.
just don’t be an idiot and try to abuse it.
then it might get taken away from all of us.
that would make me a very angrymadboy…
and nobody wants that!
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if you haven’t listened to sbs show lately…you have been missing out!
obviously a beloved figure in the sbs world, eriq spoke with vlad and me about his career, the recent release of his sbs unleashed book, his eon call show, and being named as the 3rd magical m&m.
