Forcing the web client for Lync Meetings

We use Microsoft Lync extensively for web meetings with customers, as it provides for a nice integrated VOIP, chat, white boarding and screen sharing environment that's much more corporate-oriented and official than Skype.

Two annoying issues we often run into:

Old Versions
If the person you send a meeting request to has an older version of Lync desktop client, or (even worse) Office Communicator, often the meeting won't connect properly or many features are disabled.  The attendee will then actually have a much better experience with the excellent web clients.  Unfortunately as soon as Internet Explorer detects they have any local client that supports Lync protocols installed, it immediately loads the client and the attendee is not given any choice to use other options.

The simple fix is to just add
?sl=1
to the end of your meeting URL!  They will then get presented with the full selection of clients when joining your meeting.

For example: 

https://meet.lync.com/justworksca/463VFK8M 

would become 

https://meet.lync.com/justworksca/463VFK8M?sl=1

@MSN?
Skype can now integrate with Lync, and the functionality parity is getting increasingly solid.  Two things we've found - make sure the attendee is on the latest version of Skype.  Also, if you're adding a Skype user that isn't using a login with a Microsoft-hosted domain (i.e. skyperuser@live.com or @hotmail.com etc.), but rather their own corporate or ISP email address, then you must add them using the following address when adding them to your Lync contact list:

bob(contoso.com)@msn.com
where there normal address on Skype would be bob@contoso.com

Windows Server Network Location (Un)Awareness

The NLA feature of Windows Server from 2008, R2 and 2012 has always been a bit frustrating and puzzling as to how it arbitrarily decides where it will place a given network card on multi-homed servers. 

We often run into this in clustered environments, where there's no gateways or DCs for Windows to talk to, and thus Microsoft decides to lock things up tighter than can be.

While reading the blogs lately, we recently found the following useful article on various approaches to help resolve this issue by at least forcing things onto the Private location instead of Public.  A variety of methods are outlined from GPO to registry.

Full Article here:

Windows Server – Force Your Network Connection to Where it Belongs 

Windows 8.1 Looks Promising (ish)!

We've been playing with the Windows 8.1 Preview Release for a few weeks, and it looks like a strong upgrade that mostly cleans up the half-baked feel of Windows 8. 

The whole thing feels more polished and refined, and even in this preview stage they're clearly hitting the mark and making it a more useful and livable OS regardless if you choose the Modern or "traditional" Desktop world.  It's just some compromise, instead of all compromise. Windows Server 2012 R2 looks just as good, though honestly guys just scrap Metro on this thing.  Please.  Seriously.  NOBODY wants this.

Let's hope they get this right, as it would be great to have this OS we know (and love?) succeed into the next generation.  This at least gives us hope, especially if they can get Surface 2.0 devices right too.

A Few Quirks 
We are seeing a few glitches, though this is to be expected with a beta - err - preview release. 

Skydrive is now fully integrated (and properly!) into the OS both on the Desktop and Metro side. There's nothing extra to install and your cloud storage shows up just as if it were local. However, it doesn't sync everything by default anymore.  In fact, the exact opposite - everything is cloud first, which makes a lot of sense.  
The problem?  On many of our upgraded test systems it doesn't sync anything at all, due to some glitchy upgrade code.  This seems to be the result of broken interaction between the former standalone desktop Skydrive client, and the new built-in version.

The Fixes

1. Make sure you have no junction/mount points defined anywhere in your old Skydrive path (c:\users\<username>\skydrive usually).  These immediately break things, though they were never really supported.
2. Check Task Manager to make sure the skydrive.exe executable is not running, then open up %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Skydrive.  Delete all the contents of this folder, then from a Run dialog, type 'skydrive.exe' and click OK.  Again check if skydrive.exe is running in Task Manager and that everything is now syncing.

The other big problem we're seeing?  It's unstable - very!.  So far it crashes at least once a day.  We're talking hard system reboot crashes (though oddly not blue screens).  So far it seems video driver related.  Fingers crossed that's just an early preview glitch.

The good news is Microsoft seems to be aggressively updating this through Windows Update, and often!

Wish List

1. Notification Centre.  It's beyond annoying that alerts popup everywhere for just a few seconds, that can then never be found again.  The Start Screen Live Tiles don't help, as they only show a tiny bit of what's going on, and offer no deep-linking support (i.e. if I click a Start Screen icon with information showing, I'm not actually taken to that information - just the app in general, which is stupid).  Come on - you even have a button called "Notifications" in the Settings Bar.  How about clicking that brings up all the notifications? Just a thought guys!
2. System-wide media controls.  Snapping any media-related app just so one can pause, skip or change the volume is stupid.  Android and iOS handle this WAY better. Just make this part of the (still ridiculously named) Charms Bar.  It's got loads of wasted space. 

Meraki Good, Homefront Bad

We've recently been working with two products for a local small business customer, that truly showcase the best of the tech industry, and the worst. 

So on the good (great!) side we have deployed Meraki wireless gateway and firewall products, that have far and away exceeded our expectations.  The entire experience from the free trial (yes - of hardware), to the sales process, to the exceptional user interface and management, and American-based technical support - this is truly excellent technology.  When you're talking enterprise networking gear that is a rare thing, and truly a breath of fresh air.  Plus it has proven rock solid in production.

HIGHLY recommended!

On the flip-side, is a home building industry specific software product called HomeFront by a company named Zybertech. 

Everything about this is a disaster.  While it has a website full of lofty claims and smiling faces, that's where the happiness ends.

The software was clearly written years ago, by developers who have long since left.  It is full of non-working dialog boxes and hasn't any concept or support of modern Windows versions beyond XP, so it is constantly getting tripped up. 

Deployment involves the manual hacking of config and database connections files, and all users - seriously - need full direct read/write permissions to the entire SQL database. Once configured, it litters the computer with icons ("Profit Builder," "Project Builder,"  "Precision Builder" and on and on).  Every task requires the user to run a separate executable, and many times deal with separate configuration. Some reports call up a web browser with ActiveX controls, some use Crystal Reports, while others dump to PDF files.  It's a complete mess.  

In addition, it's virtually impossible to run this over a VPN or WAN link, as the thick clients make horribly inefficient use of the database and GUI, making it unbearably slow. Running the software in a RDP or Citrix environment is also a challenge, due to the mess of executables and dependencies on other software.  Apparently driving to head office is the solution for all the staff.  Which makes sense, because most companies building houses have everyone in a central location, not, you know, out at their construction sites?

Then there's the web portals which are another set of fully separate programs; some based in old ASP, some in ASP.NET, and all completely and utterly unsupportable.   Deployment involves the developers - all of who are not really part of the company and foreign based - remoting into a customer's server to hack away at the database and web.config files, often for days at a time.  No installers, no release control. No manuals.

Rarely does anything work, and without a lot of digging and frustration on the customer's side is anything logical, clear or apparent.  Of course, like the thick client itself, the web portals are all separate URLs with separate user databases and configuration.

We are well over a year into the project with our client, and they still do not have a fully working system.

Are you in the home building industry? Avoid this mess!  You'll thank yourself.

Changing your Windows Password over RDP

Windows Server 2003/2008:
Click Start  - Windows Security - Change Password.  Update password.  
Continue on with your day, safe and secure.

Windows Server 2012:
Click Star...oh wait, there's no start menu.
Hmm, attempt to hit the edge of the screen to find the 'charms' and click Settings, then Change PC Setti.  Oh wait, that doesn't exist on 2012, even though it's on Windows 8.
Go to the vast empty void that is the 2012 Start Screen and click, umm,  hmm.
Back to the Desktop, Right Click on the "empty spot that should be the start menu" for the secret "Power Users" menu.  Nope.  Apparently Power Users don't change their passwords.
Bang head against wall.
Google "remote desktop keyboard shortcuts"
Press CTRL-ALT-END, then Change Password. Update password.
Continue on with your day frustrated and annoyed that Microsoft glued this ridiculous interface onto Windows Server.  Really guys, do you actually USE this thing?

 </rant>

Compelling!

Really Microsoft? REALLY? The Outlook "archive mailbox" mess

So Microsoft creates this awesome feature to help users and administrators get out of "PST Hell".   Then - as only Microsoft can do - they completely screw it up with licensing.  AGAIN! 

Why can the licensing and marketing folks never get out of the way of all the great things the product teams do?  This is constantly the downfall of this company.   People will use and enjoy your damn products if you don't make it completely impossible to figure out and buy!

So you go and subscribe to Office 365, or buy Exchange 2010/13 for thousands of dollars.  They proudly come with the "Online Archive" or "Personal Archive" or "Archive Mailbox" feature - or whatever it's being called this week.  It's great - users aren't dealing with the ridiculous old Outlook archiving features, and leaving a trail of forgotten PST files.  Plus, offline caches are not getting jammed up with 5 years of mail. Instead, via a couple of admin settings, mail will silently transfer on the server into a new Archive Mailbox which the user can nicely see and search through Outlook.  Except THEY CAN'T!

Why? Because Microsoft arbitrarily limits this to the "super mega wonder full extra plus editions" of Office.  You know, because only if I work for a Fortune 500 company with enormous licensing power would I want to use a key feature of the product.  A feature that is included with my $6 Office 365 subscription, no less.

Of course, to make it even more confusing - as only Microsoft can - they DO show you the Archive Mailbox in Outlook Web App.  Because that's logical. 

If you have a retail or OEM license of Office 2007, 2010 or 2013 and not a volume license Professional Plus - NO ARCHIVE FOR YOU!

I mean Really Microsoft? Really?

The confusing grid of the day from our friends in Redmond:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/license-requirements-for-personal-archive-and-retention-policies-HA102576659.aspx 

What You Should See:
Credit: Exchangeserverpro.com

The Sorry State of Dell

We've been huge fans of Dell hardware for many years, despite a few bumps along the road after Micheal left the company and it grew far too quickly.  The past few years though, it really did seem like the company was getting back on track.

Then, it all went off the rails.  Since the announcement that the company is trying to go private, and the infighting that's occurring between the board, Michael Dell, and investors, the quality of hardware, support and just the general running of the company has fallen hard and fast.

We spend six figures plus with Dell each year, and our account team is a mess and constantly getting changed, they've pulled many products from the Premiere purchasing program, and most troublingly we are routinely getting hardware - direct from the factory - with defects.  Non-working parts, completely wrong orders - often multiple times in a row.  We pay for ProSupport, which has too become quite tragic.  Angry reps that transfer us endlessly around, and on-site technicians that do the bare minimum and run out the door - often leaving non-working systems behind.  We recently tried to buy a battery for an Ultrabook less than 2 years old.  This took almost 5 weeks of fighting!  Dell basically told us these were not possibly to buy and we should pretty much throw out the laptop.  Keep in mind we wanted to BUY A NEW BATTERY.  This wasn't warranty.  Pathetic.

We're done.  Dell - you've had a good run, but you've ticked us off for the last time.

Dude - we're not getting any more Dells.

This blog post pretty much sums it up:
http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2012/02/13/why-dell-hardware-is-shit/

I'm interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on their about their best Enterprise hardware now.  We're leaning towards Lenovo, but HP seems to be making some good stuff now and running a little more smoothly again.  Leave comments with your experiences.