Corylus

And so, the mileage has to increase.

2012-02-12T10:59:00.001Z

Well, yesterday was interesting. The training plan for the ride had 30-40 miles down as the requirement this time.
Getting up, and looking out of the windows, I immediately knew that my hopes for safe roads was gone for a Burton, so plan B (the indoor cycling machine) was needed for the first time.

To date, the midweek runouts have been pretty short really (under an hour) and therefore not intimidating. The weekend ones (of 2 hours or so) have been time bound so I just get on with it. But now I had to go out for a specific, long, distance.

In the pub on Thursday (bar billiards league, not drinking!) I was reminiscing with a friend about my first summer job at Ford HQ in Warley, Brentwood. My parents lived in Loughton, and I was back from uni to work - so my route was from home to Ilford or Romford railway station by bike (about 10 miles), train to Brentwood, and then cycle the mile up the hill to the office. And the do it all in reverse in the evening. 22 miles (or so) a day, dressed in (albeit student standard) work clothes. No bib shorts with padding, no Camelbak to keep me hydrated, and (perhaps most significantly) no fear of busy London suburb traffic. But that was 31 years and another life ago.

In my second half century now, things are different and I got on the bike with trepidation. The anticipation of a counter that read 0.00 miles and knowing that it had to get to 30 before I could finish was not encouraging. But, having fought my way through the snow drifts (and the logs left behind from the abandoned due to bad weather tree trimming) to the barn where the machine is I started. I had chosen Pink Floyd to accompany me yesterday morning - I hope that the noisy Animals, The Wall, and The Final Cut would prove a sufficient distraction - with Pigs On The Wing Part 1 gently introducing one of favourite albums, from one of my favourite bands, I started.

And so they did distract.

Just over a couple of hours later, with a some refuelling breaks (I've learned my lesson now of trying to do this sort of thing on just a bowl of cereal!) the counter reached 30.0 as Not Now John came to a finish.

To the more experienced cyclist this is probably pretty small beer. But to someone who's done little sport since an electrocution left him with a displaced vertebrae in the small of the back (with the consequential ever present back pain) it's pretty big beer.

For the first time since I signed up for this madness, I can see how I might actually achieve it. I have a very long way to go. The mileage yesterday would only get me a bit over halfway through day 1, and about halfway on any of the subsequent days. But the fact I didn't feel dead for the rest of the day is good.

Lessons learned?
- indoors is physically much easier without the lumps and bumps of the open road, traffic, and a headwind.
- the saddle on the indoor machine is rubbish
- music whilst you work is good!
- it's nice to cycle without 4 layers of clothing to keep you from freezing
- it's really *really* nice to know that 4 miles from home I can just stop and be there, rather than have those 4 miles to cycle (as has happened a couple of times before I started to take calories out with me!)
- I much prefer progress to be shown in 100ths of a mile instead of 10ths (once the mileage reaches 10 the counter goes to 1dp). As there is a sense of constant ticking over.

I spent the rest of the day well. Lunch was a lovely piece of rare to blue steak with some stir fried green veg (I tend not to cook steak at home as restaurants do it so well, but this time I did a half decent job although my judgement might have been skewed!).
England won a hard fought match against Italy in the snow and improved a bit on last week's win (more width in defence).

The day was wrapped up with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The 2011 film. I was troubled that this film was made, as I could not see how the BBC TV series could be bettered. But the loud praise could not be ignored. The film was done well, but…
- the “need to do some CGI” efforts to make it look 1973 were pretty poor in places. Notably the shot of the bridge and St Paul's Cathedral dome; and another of 2 characters walking through a gate with a clearly green screened background.
- it does help if the person who is watching it with you (and is not familiar with the premise and tale!) does not read the paper for the first 15 minutes and need a full debrief afterwards!!
But, it exceeded expectations, and the acting was good, and I was mostly able to forget the actors from 1979.

But that was yesterday. It'll need repeating (and more) over the coming weeks and months. But for now I bask in satisfaction and Marillion on the HiFi.

England win the Calcutta Cup, but how were they really?

2012-02-04T18:58:00.001Z

There were many things not so good with England's game. And if the Scots hadn't mucked up so much, it would probably have been a different result. But, compared with the miserable World Cup 2011 squad:
* tacklers rolled away quickly
* players arrived quickly at the breakdown
* tackling was strong and consistent
* players didn't give away silly penalties in our half (well not many!)
* players played to the ref, not to their interpretation of the rules
* they seemed to be committed to winning
* they had pride and passion
* they were a team

On the downside
* they let Scotland gift them the game
* they were far too narrow in defence, although Scotland let them get away with it

Overall, I think this is possibly quite a good start to the 4 year campaign for a 2015 World Cup Victory.

File under optimist!

In case you were wondering - this is what a 350 mile cycle ride looks like (diversions not included)

2012-02-03T19:01:00.002Z

Click on the image for a large scale map!

Week 6 of training for a 350mile bike ride - how is it going?

2012-02-03T13:34:00.001Z

Well, I've been incredibly lucky with the weather really. Nearly all my training rides have been in good sunshine and dry roads. The downside is that it has be fiercly cold, and sometimes quite breezy (understatement).

I'm very pleased that so far I am still sticking to the training plan issued, and not missed a single run out. The last two weekends have been rides of about 25 miles. Perhaps not so far to many who have a degree of fitness already (and are in their 1st half century of life, not the second!); but to this poor old sap who's not really properly training/exercised for 30 years it's a big deal.

The new kit I got a couple of weeks ago and since has really changed things:

Cleats and shoes. The first time I went out with my shoes clipped into the pedals was a revelation. I should think it is worth about 15-20% power improvement
Proper padded bib shorts. The three interfaces with the bike (hands, feets, backside) all take a bit of impact. The latter the most. Cycling whilst sat on a razor blade is not much fun, and the new shorts really do take a lot of pain out of the process. I still haven't got the position and rake of the saddle quite right, but I can see how I might possibly survive the trip now.
Warmer clothing. For the last 2 weeks the temperatures have been around freezing point. I have (ahem) invested in some more layers and wind+waterproof kit that meant today's shorter ride finished with some feeling in my feet and hands
Energy input. Last weekend I simply ran out of gas. The last 6 miles home I was running on fumes alone. Afterwards I realised that (based on davesbikeblog) that I was running a deficit of many hundreds of calories for hte morning. It was no surprise therefore that I almost didn't make it home!

So what am I working on?

Energy Input 1. Having spoken to a few friends, I'm putting a 50/50 water/energy drink mix into my camelbak. The last 2 rides don't seem to have been easier, but I reckon my recovery was faster.
Energy Input 2. I don't like to eat whilst riding, opening the bars, and then holding something for a bit isn't too clever for me! So I'm looking into the options to get a quick decent input, and then continue the ride
New routes. from next week the program increased the mileages again, so I'm looking at more routes that give me some variation, and also keep me off the busiest roads in the area.

Oh, and finally. I had my first accident on board. After being out for the whole run, I unclipped from the pedals and then rode the last few yards to the house. What I hadn't realised was that my right foot had reclipped, so when I came to halt, and put my right leg out to stand on, nothing moved. Just like Delboy in Only Fools and Horses, I gracefully fell in an upright position onto the gravel drive.
My right knee now has 6 holes in it!
The bike is OK BTW.

Oh, and of course And of course if you want to sponsor my Help For Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride, Please click here

Week 4 of training...

2012-01-18T20:42:00.001Z

Well... It's actually going OK! The training profile from Help For Heroes is modest during the week, and then a bigger trip at the weekend. Fortunately the past few weeks have had enough dry and bright days to make cycling more of a pleasure.

Tomorrow is a "kit shopping" day. I've got by with a few new things so far (jacket, water reservoir, etc) but I need to get some more serious kit now:
* SPD's and shoes. Whilst I use toe straps, and they're pretty good. SPD's offer a more connected and fully driving connection to the bike. With 70 miles a day on offer in May every last percentage is going to be useful
* clothing - something with a little padding on the human/saddle interface is likely to be seriously beneficial!
* saddle. A commuting padded saddle is unlikely to be the best thing, so I'll be looking at a few razor blade options!
* computer. I spend my time on the bike calculating percentages of journey so far, likely arrival time at home and so on. A computer (well I am a geek!) will automate some of this and maybe I can spend a bit more time thinking about something else!
* handlebar bag. I've a small bag under the saddle, but once I go for longer training runs, I'll need a bit more stuff (food!) with me

What I can't get over is how much things have changed since the 80's...

And of course if you want to sponsor my Help For Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride, Please click here

This may come as a shock to you... (a good one though!)

2012-01-16T19:46:00.002Z

Over the last couple of years I have managed to lose some weight. During the latter stages of 2011 I was trying to find ways of maintaining that loss, and maybe going a bit further. I have never been, and never will be a gym bunny. Been there, done that, got bored. So what to do?

In November, I found that Help For Heroes were doing something interesting. They have a bike challenge cycling alongside those who have been wounded, sick or injured in the current conflicts riding handbikes. Adding to that, the ride is through the WWI and WWII battlefields of Northern France and Belgium, with some guided visits of the cemeteries and trenches from those wars. If you've read this blog for a while, you will know that nearly 2 years ago, just before he died, I took my Pa to Albert to visit two recently discovered relatives - 1 buried at Bernafay Wood, the other commemorated at Thiepval - my posts at the time can be found here: Somme Trip

So the event chimed heavily. Guessing a better option is most unlikely to turn up, I have now signed up to do the Help For Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride

My initial enquires were met with some entertaining medical questions that took a bit of sorting out! But I have been accepted and have now started training and just entered my 4th week back on a bike after a break (with a small interruption) of about 29 years!

It's not going to be easy, but I am sure it will be fun (even if only looking back on it at the end of each day)!

The chance to meet the true heroes of our age, whilst visiting the place of sacrifice of so many in the previous century is too good to miss. And I get the chance to find an interesting way to get fitter to boot.

So, why blog it? Well, a) because the blog is there! b) because I hope to blog the experience of getting ready to do it, and to blog the ride as well, and c) (you guessed it), I'd like some sponsorship! Please!

There are some up front costs for the ride which Mrs B and I will cover, so if you sponsor me, please know that every penny you donate will go to the charity. If you can Gift Aid 25% extra goes the Help For Heroes

So there's a couple of routes for donations:

At my Help For Heroes sponsorship page, you may be asked for you address - this is to allow Gift Aid to be recovered from the government (I will NOT get your address or email details). If you wish, you can make your donation anonymous too.
But even easier is to text it - send “BBBR 83 10” to 70070, where the 10 is for a donation of £10. Replace with any suitable number :-). Texters will get a confirmation back, and a URL to go to if they want to Gift Aid it.

The ride sets off from HMS Victory in Portsmouth, and (after crossing by ferry!) we cycle approximately 350 miles through significant WW1 and WW2 Battle sites in the Somme, before finishing in Dunkirk.

Any donations you make will be most gratefully received, and I look forward to reporting on progress, and most especially to reporting I've finished!

A bank's definition of crime

2012-01-16T15:58:00.002Z

Last week one of my pieces of plastic was compromised. More will come out later, but in the meantime I thought you might enjoy this.

During the course of a 2 hours on the phone today trying to sort out issues, I was advised that the bank does not regard a fraud as having taken place if their systems prevent (or their customers prevent) a fraudulent transaction from reaching a transaction on your bank statement.

So that’s it then, a crime is only a crime when it is successful. We can kiss goodbye to all convictions for conspiracy to rob a bank.

Verified By Visa - a security joke. But, by the way, their normal UK landline is 0247 684 2063

2012-01-10T16:11:00.002Z

If you use a credit or debit card online you’ll probably have come up against Verified by Visa or MasterCard’s equivalent. It’s a scheme to have a frame in a browser page managed by the credit card provider (instead of the retail outlet) to do a password check.

I’ve always thought it security theatre.

It pretty much is.

Today a card of mine was compromised. I performed a legitimate online transaction at easyJet at 12:02, with a card that has not been used online (other than at the Bank’s own banking site, and the DVLA) in over three months, or in an ATM since 25^th October – it’s specifically for riskier online transactions which are few and far between for me. Within a few minutes someone had my card details and the following transactions were attempted

12:04pm (2 minutes later!!!) £5 at a wildlife park – this went through
At 12:07 just under £2k to a Barclaycard account (not mine) – this was blocked
At 12:20 86p at Experian – this went through
At 12:36 a second attempt at the Barclaycard account – still blocked

As this is the second time a card has been compromised so soon after using easyJet I’ll leave it to your imagination what I think of them. Of course it is conceivable that some other route to compromise may have occurred – but this is the *second* time exactly the same thing has happened with a rarely used card used at easyJet. So I know where I think it’s happening.

However, whilst this was going on I received an email from Verified By Visa at 12:35 saying my password had been changed – and if not to contact them on a premium rate number (which various internet reports indicate an extension hold time for profit). See below (a couple of details removed) - would you think this was a genuine email or a scam? Note especially the unmatched domain name, and the over 2 years old BT call fee statement!

So I binged the number (0870 156 6485) and found a normal landline number to call (and also verified it at Barclays own website). The double advantage of the 0247 number is that I can use free mobile phone minutes as well.

The net result was that the card was eventually blocked. But honestly – what is the point of a secondary layer of security on a system that can be completely compromised by someone with only the already used credit card details?

OK, receiving the email did give me a prompt that something was up, but very poorly due to the format, content and address. But the fraud detection at the bank had already done that in effect by blocking transactions. Shouldn’t the reset of the password at least require email confirmation or a known fact BEFORE completing?

FWIW the security question at the bank’s call centre were better – they picked a random DD or 2 that I pay and made me confirm details about the recipient/amount. Now that was sensible.

Hacked off.

Gone in 2011, and almost instantly recognisable by just one name…

2012-01-01T15:52:00.001Z

Watching the usual end of year review of those who have died during the year, and I was struck by the number of people this time who were identifiable by just one name…

Lucian
Amy
Polystyrene
Googie
Sladen
Jobs
Falk
TP
'enry
Seve
Nat
Socrates
D'Oliveira
Karn
Flick
Saville

Did you recognise them as I did?

But there's also a last one you wouldn't, Daphne - a great friend. Sorely missed.

Proper pub signage

2011-12-28T13:43:00.000Z

I've thought this ever since the ban,glad to see I'm not alone :-)

what o'clock was it?

2011-12-26T15:55:00.000Z

Salthouse Marshes, before beer :-)

2011-12-26T14:33:00.001Z

A wonderfully bracing walk along the beach, leading back over the Marshes to the Dun Cow for a marsh beer burger. and a pint of Adnams.

Perfect counterpoint to a lazy day yesterday!

Candlelit snowmen, not what you'd think!

2011-12-25T21:31:00.001Z

Cat, mat, fire

2011-12-25T16:46:00.001Z

Tine for a snooze...

Christmas fire and wine :-)

2011-12-25T16:03:00.001Z

When beancounters run companies

2011-12-18T20:08:00.001Z

Nothing gets done unless it is cost justified.

If it's cost justifiable, everyone will be doing it.

So companies discriminate by the things they do differently.

Therefore companies discriminate by the risks they take.

Here endeth the lesson.

• a generalisation I grant you, but a truth too.

The 100 club

2011-12-18T19:54:00.000Z

Since I was a lad I've been aware of the club on Oxford Street but never been.

In the 50's my mother used to come here in the era of Humphrey Lyttleton.

Finally a gig I want to attend, and a ticket I could get. Steve Hogarth, better known to Marillion fans as H, his 2011 Christmas Party.

Doesn't look to me as if it's been decorated since Ma was here!

James May would certainly approve!

2011-12-14T14:01:00.000Z

Husbands Bosworth (n.)

2011-12-10T21:15:00.001Z

Following a discussion on twitter I thought I should stake my claim here to the definition of this as per Liff.

It's not in either editions of Liff, so:

Husbands Bosworth (n.) a chair or other seating apparatus provided in a boutique, for the use of men to read their Telegraph (or other lesser newspapers); thus permitting the woman to take the necessary amount of time to choose her new apparel.
NB also used to describe the tech basement in Selfridges and pubs who incorrectly call it a man crèche.

The two beginnings of a good night

2011-12-08T21:02:00.000Z

Beer
Bar Billiards

Did anyone confirm this picture was Banksy?

2011-12-06T21:37:00.001Z

Or was that just wishful thinking?

No #Symantec, I don't want to find the original ISO file right now #fail

2011-11-27T13:16:00.001Z

After a somewhat traumatic 24 hours recovering from an unexpected 15 hours power outage at the office (when of course, I wasn’t there). Stuff™ needed to be done.

One of these was catching up with why the Backup Exec 2010 R3 installation wasn’t patching on my last physical server (the one with the tape drive attached).

So I ran LiveUpdate and it just failed. No meaningful reasons, just failed.

So I ran the update again, but this time checked out the Patch ID’s that were needed. Then, headed over to Symantec’s site to download them. Both were there, and took only a short time to download.

So first the latest Hotfix. About halfway through up popped a dialog box requesting the location of a file to copy. The bad news is that it didn’t state either the file name or the location. It was just the usual location dropdown and a browse button (apologies for no screen shot – forgot to do it). So I browsed around and nowt worked. So eventually I left the dropdown blank, and then hit OK.

Off it went to try to do some work, and then – hallelujah – came back with an error message that “Symantec Backup Exec for Servers.msi” was not available.

This MSI is, of course, on the original DVD or ISO. So off I went and grabbed that, and got the fix to work. Then the service pack rolled just right in.

I understand that at times the some files might be missing or wanted, but, why Symantec – why the hell can you not tell me the file name or the fact that it’s on the original DVD?

And secondly, and much more importantly – what is the use of LiveUpdate if it cannot inform the user of files/DVD/ISO that is required so that this “Automatic Patching” can actually patch, automatically.

Waiting for the... Not worms but SAS band

2011-11-26T16:25:00.000Z

To kick off the Freddie Mercury 20th Anniversary memorial gig

Clapham Grand.
Very Grand!

A walk through London... from 1 James to another

2011-11-25T15:10:00.003Z

Recently I was to attend an event at the Royal Institution, a lecture by James Burke on Connections (see his former work - James Burke Connections) and was heading down to London on the train when I spotted a tweet from James May announcing a book signing that day. Being almost the same age as him, I have found his TV programmes over the last few years really chiming with me. So, knowing that my friend I was seeing that evening was a fan, I though a book as a present would be a smart move.

So I headed off to Leadenhall Market, bought the books, and joined the queue. To be honest, this isn't the sort of thing I really do, but it fitted the mood. But I decided that a sycophantic "I really like your work" conversatino was definitely not me, at the same time as realising that he would probably want to see and hear James Burke that evening. So I asked James if, like me, he liked James Burke, an emphatic yes was the reply - so I told him about the lecture. Much to James' annoyance he couldn't go that evening as there were book signing committments that evening, so I offered to take a signed book there instead for him. Getting an extra copy, he made out a dedication and passed it to me - I then observed that this was a smart way to blag a free copy! Grins, and then moved on.

Leaving the market I headed round the corner and found this example of old hidden amongst the new, something I like finding in London

Further on, have wondered back past Bank and the city, I entered Fleet Street, and stopped to admire (as always) the buildings that stood proud in the last century - proclaiming their owners and allegiances. Never imagining that only a few decades later all that would gone and Fleet Street (named after a now lost underground river) would itself become just a shorthand term for the press, rather than its location

Another photographic thing I like is new reflecting old. More clearly here:

Further down Fleet Street, the Telegraph building - Peterborough Court

As is often in old towns and cities, the ground floor fronts are all modern, horrible, glass "buy buy buy" places. As Bill Bryson recommeds, look up 1 floor and admire the architecture. Case in point below.

And yet another building prodly declaiming its publishing home.

Towards the end of the street - the Royal Courts of Justice, reminiscent of Prague, and I'm sure somewhere there's a sign saying "Here be dragons"!

Diving south off Fleet Street into the Temple area (past Dan Brown fans photographing the Templar Church - damn) a wonderfully quiet and peaceful square can be found.

Just around the corner, just off the Embankment another quiet location, you can enter the gardens in the summer months.

Then, leaving the Temple area a building that, here in London, is just one of many, but would probably get a bit of a mention elsewhere, surmounted by a rather impressive wind vane

Now entering Savoy Gardens, a memorial to Lady Henry Somerset to commemorate her work for the Temperance cause, with an interesting quote "I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink" non-alcoholic I guess.

Passing under a bridge, these silhouette of both the buildings, London Eye, and the photographers caught my eye

And then, round hte corner, the place I first heard proper surround sound in the 70's. The IEEE building where a school trip permitted us to hear Atom Heart Mother in Quadrophonic sound.

What I hadn't know then - this was the location of the BBC from 1923 to 1932 as commemorated by this plaque

Further on, a tablet marking the location of the North Bank of the River Thames, before the Victoria Embankment was built in 1862.

Then, as night closed in, I passed Liberty's with it's Christmas decorations on show, but more interesting to me was the ship wind vane on top. Second one of the day!

And then finally, after a great meal with my old school friend Ed, we made our way to the Royal Institution, and James Burke's incredible throught provoking lecture 1+1=3, curated by Aleks Krotoski

And, of course, to hand over the book!

ISIHAC - perfect radio fun.

2011-11-23T22:27:00.001Z

A spiffing advert (well the iPlayer screen) for a brilliant radio show. The look on Graeme's face says it all

Compulsory listening here, I shall have to work out which series was my first.

Fao @vexentrix, cute cat's sister!

2011-11-23T22:03:00.000Z

This one can be more stern, but is far more intelligent

Peekaboo! Cat in furry igloo

2011-11-23T16:58:00.001Z

Cat: no. I really don't want to talk about it!

2011-11-21T14:27:00.000Z

Matt nails it this morning in the Sunday Telegraph

2011-11-20T08:54:00.001Z

Another in a series of confident builders

2011-11-18T21:05:00.003Z

Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath, on a recent trip.

Anyone know what this is? Charlotte Street, Bristol

2011-11-18T19:02:00.000Z

It was throwing out a little heat, but I'm intrigued!

Not sure I'd want a Gaudi style haircut

2011-11-18T18:30:00.001Z

But this is what this appears to be offering!

Spotted recently in Bristol.

We are not men.

2011-11-13T22:28:00.001Z

We are not men, who have not been soldiers
We are not men, who have not faced men
We are not men, who have not been to war.
We are not men, who have not put on uniform
We are not men, who have not drilled.

We are not men, who have not been on stag
We are not men, who have not dug trenches
We are not men, who have not been there

We are not men, who have not blancoed belts
We are not men, who have not deployed
We are not men, who have not fought
We are not men, who have not volunteered

We are lucky.
We are free.
We are just boys.

Thanks to the men.
We can only wear poppies.
With pride.

*Thanks to Fish, for the inspiration tonight.

And finally, 5 random heroes; remembered.

2011-11-13T18:43:00.001Z

And at the going down of the sun,

2011-11-13T18:39:00.000Z

we will remember them.

Memorial to the sons and daughters of this city.

A tangle of Otters!

2011-11-13T16:44:00.000Z

North American Otters (3 of), a slight bending of the Wildfowl And Wetlands Trust objectives I think, but a good addition.

I wonder if we could have some at Welney?

Please?!

Bristol ships lost during the wars

2011-11-13T16:38:00.000Z

With what optimism must Bristol Queen II and Bristol City II have been commissioned, built, launched and sailed? A World War over, a new world begun.

Then, within a short quarter of a century (or less, I don't know when they first sailed), they too were lost in the Second World War.

Today's the second day in November for remembering. The crew and families of these ships deserve remembrance.

Someone appears to have stolen Shrek's ears...

2011-11-13T15:55:00.000Z

Anyone for croquet?

2011-11-13T14:21:00.000Z

Flamingo going in for a respray

2011-11-13T12:44:00.000Z

There are some more colourful ones around the corner!

Good instruction #ducks

2011-11-13T12:41:00.000Z

Another confident builder

2011-11-12T18:48:00.001Z

Now Jamie's Kitchen and Hobbs

:-(

Cpl A G Bryant

2011-11-11T11:03:00.000Z

L/Cpl D A Bryant

2011-11-11T11:02:00.000Z

11/11/11 we will remember them

2011-11-11T11:00:00.003Z

We will remember them, thanks @armyrugbyunion

2011-11-11T10:39:00.001Z

Wearing all day, and to the gig tonight.

Device upgrade - how #Apple was a #Fail and #Microsoft was a #Success

2011-11-08T11:29:00.005Z

So yesterday was a bad day with apple. You can read more – see the links below. But I think the title of the post says most of it.

Apple upgrade woes

Where do itunes backups go on windows

With Apple it doesn't just work, in fact...

Oh and if you independantly download the IPSW

3 hours on tech support phone call

7 hours+ to do upgrade

Upgrade incomplete

Data lost

Result: Misery

Microsoft Upgrade works a treat

Want mango wp7 now but your network connection is not easy to get to?

0 hours on tech support

3 hours to upgrade

Upgrade complete

No data lost

Result: Happiness

Oh, PS I upgrade both of the family Satnav’s last night, Garmin’s upgrade tools worked a treat.

Oh, and if you independently download the IPSW for #iOS update, this may enable you to do a normal update

2011-11-07T22:34:00.002Z

Instead of updating by running "update, and then searching for the downloaded file" option, you might want to play around with copying the downloaded IPSW file into the following location.

First, close iTunes (just in case!)

Second, find your Application Data location (this will normally be under c:\users or c:\documents and settings and then your user name. If your folders are redirected then speak to your network admin (although whether they want Apple Device Updates on the network is another matter!)
If you are not sure:
start a DOS Command prompt (start, CMD)
type "set APPDATA"
this will show you the path that you seek :-)

Inside that folder you will find "Apple Computers\iTunes\iPad Software Updates". This location appears to hold the downlaoded file, so if you have already downloaded the file, then copy/move it here.

I cannot prove the theory as the update is now over, but as the file names are the same, I would hope that when iTunes starts up, it will see the file and then proceed to offer the update instead of offering up the "downlaod and update" option - which at Corylus Towers (in deepest rural Fenland) takes a bloody long time!

With #Apple it doesn't "just work", in fact it can fail and they can't help you. Don't upgrade to iOS5 without reading this.

2011-11-07T18:51:00.003Z

Leaving aside the links they send you to fixes that will probably fix things, but they won’t support…

The iOS upgrade process is fundamentatally flawed. At the beginning it wants to backup your device – good idea. However (as I have discovered) it makes some pretty weird decisions about how much disk space is required – in my case it claims 20GB is required, but in fact only used about 500MB. What I didn’t know it would do is do the backup, not verify it, and then perform the upgrade anyway. So despite knowing the backup was smaller than expected my iPad was being upgraded anyway…

Because of the situation I was in, I was on the phone to Apple support when the upgrade process was finally made to start – so the backup happened and then the upgrade took place under their guidance, and then I got my iPad back. But it was somewhat stark – no applications at all. And no documents of in application data either. Then the automatic restore of the iPad post upgrade failed.

So I got back onto Apple support. The long and short of it is:

Backups are hidden away in your application data folders on Windows machines.
Backups may demand 20GB, but then only consume a few MB, but even if they only need a few MB you need that 20GB free first.
The backup before an iOS upgrade may remove all previous backups so that you have no fall back to iOS 4.x
The backup before an iOS upgrade is necessary (and if you cannot do it – you get a warning that it is a risk), however it is not verified, may fail, and you’ll not be told that the backup is bad before the Upgrade continues anywa, overwriting your setup.
Whilst Apple completely control the environemtn (hardware, software, app admission) their Tech Support says that in-app data or settings may corrupt a backup and make recovery impossible. And that’s not their fault, or their problem to fix. Apparantly it’s mine.

If you have any in application content on your apple device then you need to make sure you have alternative arrangements for its protection:

some (like iA Writer, PhatPad etc) backup into the cloud with DropBox
some (like Pages etc) can backup through the File Sharing in iTunes (although in my experience not all your documents are exposed and therefore available to backup under iOS 4.x)
some will have iCloud backup after you get to iOS 5
some have the means to email yourself settings or data (and I do this)
some apps will store your settings in the cloud at their own services (Echofon, Feeddler using Google Reader for instance…)

In the end I have to accept that my iPad is little more than a factory reset, and I have to start again. Many of my apps have settings in the cloud, or docs in the cloud so I should be OK, any that are not – I probably won’t miss (as I had been anticipating this issue and had been creating content defensively).

So my fix is to force App sync from iTunes to the iPad, overwriting anything there, and potentially any app data. Once that is done, I then have the horror of rebuilding all my app group icons so that instead of 10 or more screens, I have 2 sensibly organised windows of apps that I can easily find, with the occasional exception where I use search instead.

I’m not stupid enough to believe that a backup should never fail and that Apple should be entirely responsible for the security and protection of my device. But I am clever enough to know that that when a backup is a required step in an upgrade then a) the backup should be verified, b) the user should be advised of backup or verification failure and c) the user should be allowed to make an informed decision to go ahead without such a backup.

So – you should regard an Apple device as something that even the Apple tools may not protect, and in their own words, do not rely on a “courtesy tool” and instead make alternative arrangements for backup of app content and settings. In the main, look for apps that allow you to use tools like DropBox et al for content, and apps like Feeddler or Echofon that can synchronise settings around the devices.

Finally? I reckon if this story had been a Microsoft story instead of an Apple story… imagine:

Paid for Microsoft support
An upgrade to an OS that fails
Microsoft support talk you through using Microsoft supplied tools to backup the system and implement the upgrade
The upgrade fails and you cannot restore your computer
Microsoft say that the failure is no longer their responsibility and that you are on your own, and wish you good luck with it.

I think some of the media and Microsoft ecosystem might have something to say.

Where do iTunes backups go on a Windows PC with redirected folders? After 70 minutes with #apple support iTunes for Windows #fail again. #Mobius

2011-11-07T13:28:00.002Z

Time for the iOS 5 update to hit the iPad and wanting to have the vanilla user experience I elected to wait until Apple’s servers and my middle of the rural blackout zone ISP connection to hold up long enough for iTunes to complete the download of the iOS update.

So, backup the pad, transfer the purchases, sync up and hit the magic Update button.

Despite having ½TB of free disk space the pre-upgrade backup would not proceed because there was insufficient disk space.

Turns out that despite Apple supports certainty that the backups should be on the C: drive, if you have redirected AppData and home folders (an entirely reasonable business decision), then iTunes insists on backups to the redirected folder. Apple support then suggested that as iTunes and the device is more of a domestic device that this is sensible.

OH, SO APPLE SUPPORT THINKS AN IPAD IS NOT REALLY A BUSINESS DEVICE?????

So then it turns out that iTunes does not have the capability to redirect the backups anywhere. So they send me a link to a fudge. Thus:

Dear P J,

Thank you for contacting Apple.

Your support Advisor, <name removed>, has a follow-up message for you:

http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2010/12/30/change-itunes-backup-location/

Based on the details you provided, we think you might find the following information helpful:

https://appleid.apple.com

We want to help you get the best service and support for your Apple product. Please visit our award-winning Support website to find product information, tutorials, troubleshooting steps, and much more.

One catch – this is not supported by Apple. So should I take a backup, and redirect it this way, then Apple cannot help me sort things out. How to turn an iPad into an expensive paperweight.

Not acceptable.

We discuss it further.

Apple Support suggest I do my backup to iCloud (assuming I have purchased enough capacity there). I (not so gently) observe that he is suggested I upgrade to iOS 5 to do a backup to iCloud so that I can then upgrade to iOS 5. I am now fully on the Apple Support Mobius Strip

So, where does the backup go? I ask. Some scurrying around on their information systems and eventually we discover it is not the home drive as previously stated (I knew that because I’d already looked), but the redirect Application Data folder. There I find the backups.

Eventually, after further discussion we come to the conclusion that after backup I can move the folders (<redirected appdata location>\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup) to my local disk. This will save my server from having an extra 20GB or so to backup each night.

Apple support then went on to suggest that the obfuscated location is good for security and this is why the location of the backups cannot be changed within the iTunes interface. A red rag to a bull, we discuss. Apple support eventually come to the conclusion that password protection of the backup might be a better security approach. But maybe I could make a suggestion at their website. I do, the webpage does not exist…

When the page works, enchantingly the only OS I can report problems on is OSX. It seems for feedback purposes, Windows does not exist to Apple.

Thanks @lahoguefarm and @brays_cottage for gastronomic day

2011-11-05T13:45:00.000Z

Had a great time shopping, browsing, and (of course) eating!

Good use of a Saturday. It's open tomorrow too, so go!

As I am now, officially, an old fart.

2011-10-29T16:28:00.000+01:00

This is what my wife gave me for my birthday. With my full approval.

Not the camera that took the photo you fool!

This is turning into a fine morning #Fail #TalkTalk #BT #Microsoft #TechDays

2011-10-27T11:19:00.001+01:00

IE9 will not download the live meeting bits so that I can attend the TechDays event online (and yes, I KNOW there are other browsers out there – but I stick with IE to experience what my clients experience. Pain.)

So over to Firefox, and that won’t even open the meeting link. FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE IT’S ONLY AN ONLINE MEETING HOW HARD IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE?????

TalkTalk Business is convinced I owe them money despite:

Transferring to someone else
The line ceasing on the 17^th
Their billing thinking I had service to 24^th
Their inability to transfer calls between departments without cutting me off

They also reckon that I will pay the bill, well I shall deduct costs for my time chasing them methinks. That should even things up a bit.

Oh, and BT cannot explain why I cannot call 0870, 0800 and mobile numbers from my landline (nor can they simply enable them)

Microsoft – if you would like me to attend the sessions, best to send me URL’s that work.

The support number for the TechDays is an 0870 number. Join the dots above.

Oh, and it’s supposed to be a special day in the calendar for me. Like &^% it is.

What did this man just say!!!!!

2011-10-26T06:39:00.003+01:00

Actually, I cannot remember now, but he was rude about someone!

I'm going, are you?

2011-10-25T13:56:00.000+01:00

North v South really should be a cracking game!

To All Blacks fans, it's not all glory for you I regret to say.

2011-10-23T18:07:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to the All Blacks on their second win of the Rugby World Cup, but I think there are some sobering facts for you.
* you only won by 1 point
* against a team that lost 2 pool games (the first team to have such a poor pool record and still reach the final)
* against a team that arguably did not demonstrate it should really be there.
* on home soil
* you failed to make the game yours.

I was "off the grid" today, and tuned in to the intertubes to find it was only 5-0 at half time, so had to make some alternative arrangements to find a way to see the last 10-20 minutes as I'd expected NZ to be 20-25 ahead by then.

So I don't think the choker tag has been dispensed with, NZ really need to win the cup away from home (better still Northern Hemisphere) and by demonstrating a really powerful and distinguished team all the way to the win. I just don't feel that they did that this time.

Morning coffee perfection!

2011-10-23T09:57:00.001+01:00

#VMware #vSA appliance, the stupidest pricing decision I've seen in a long time...

2011-10-20T09:52:00.000+01:00

On the face of it the VMware Storage Appliance is a really good idea.

Many installations of virtualisation have a bunch of servers, but no separately installed network storage on which the VM's can be stored. This means that VM's are tied to the host on which they are running. Amongst other disadvantages, it means that if the host fails, the VM's go. It's a bit like the old physical days, lose the server, lose the service.

In a decently configured SAN setup, HA will cause any guest servers to be restarted on other hosts, subject to certain conditions - but in principal provided you have both a) the capacity and b) configured it correctly; then your network servers will be back quite quickly.

If you factor in Fault Tolerance (or guest server level resilience like Exchange DAG's) then users might not even notice an outage. Perfect.

The vSA gives the owner of servers without a SAN the benefits. Internal storage on the host servers is consolidated into a single space available to all hosts. In the event of a host failure, the other hosts still have copies of the VM guests and can bring them back quickly.

But the conditions/requirements attached to this are somewhat, ahem, interesting,
1. You must have RAID10 configuration for the internal storage.
2. Each server must have 4 GB Ethernet ports to provide triangulated connections to the other 2 servers (the vSA is aligned with the SMB editions and only runs on 3 servers).
3. Best practice is that the vCentre should not run on the vSA. VMware staff at VMworld suggested it run on a separate box outside the cluster - how 2008!!

The consequences of this:
1. To provide (say) 3TB of usable storage the installation will need 12TB of raw disk space.
2. You need to re-use an old box (hardware support contract anyone? RAID support anyone? Driver support anyone?) to run the vCentre server. And don't forget, this "old" box has to be 64bit!!
3. You need to invest in 6 dual port NIC's (you could get quads, but better to spread the physical risk across 2 cards per server).
4. You should have a separate GB switch to link up the vSA so that there is no LAN traffic impacting performance, and your SAN traffic is secure.

You then get an under the covers SAN running across all the hosts and provisioning storage for your VM guests.
Lets's say £100 for each dual NIC card, and £200 for each of 12 1TB drives. That's £3,000 in total.

The alternative of say, a NetGear ReadyNAS 3200 (other SAN's are available!) with 6TB raw disk space providing about 3.5TB available in a RAID6 style configuration. This can be got for around £3,000. I'd put a second dual NIC card in the SAN to give resilience for the SAN connections, and another 2 resilient ports for a network management interface; say £175 (it's special, it's for a SAN). You'd need the switch still, and I'd certainly consider two NIC cards in the server for physical resilience. So let's say will still get the 6 dual NIC cards for £600 total again. You might also want a pair of disks in each server to provide a RAID1 mirrored boot drive, but as you can boot ESXi from USB I'm going to say no (we are in an economy drive after all)

This means the SAN is going to set you back about £775 more than the vSA cost (or about 25%).

Oh, but wait, i forgot something. The vSA licence costs money. A shade under $8,000, or say (and I'm being generous) about £5,000. But hold on, if you're a new customer and buying VMware for the project, they'll give you a whacking 40% discount. So let's call it £3,000.

Your 25% saving by not buying the SAN has just turned into a 125% premium cost.

What the %^]{ were they smoking when they came up with that idea???

Not only are you paying more but:
1. Your ESX servers are spending valuable computing resources managing a virtual SAN across themselves.
2. Your ES servers are also spending valuable computing resources handling data from the virtual SAN.
3. The setup is so intertwined (vSA is managed by vCentre, as are the ESX hosts themselves) that VMware recommend you host it off the cluster - so the vCentre server is more exposed to risk, and an additional cost and burden (which I've not coated)
4. By recommending a physical vCentre server VMware are exposing you to all the problems of a physical server - which they would normally rubbish.
5. If you hosted the vCentre on the VMware cluster then if everything was shutdown, you might not be able to start your servers up again. No risk there then :-)

I am appalled.

If the licence was a factor of 10 cheaper then it might be worth considering. But for any business looking at new kit for a virtualisation project, steer well clear.

If (as VMware said in targeting the product) you are worried about managing another box then a) you have to in this model - the vCentre and b) get some training or good support for the SAN. If you truly think managing the SAN is going to be a problem, then managing the ESX farm as well will be. So get someone in to do it for you.

VMware - I expressed concerns directly to you this week about your perception and targeting of SMB's. This proves it to me.

Peter

PS all numbers in the article are top of the head recollections not Internet searched latest figures. But they serve to prove the point.

Later that same night.... #vmworld

2011-10-19T22:45:00.000+01:00

#VMworld party, they're still channelling #TechEd...

2011-10-19T20:01:00.000+01:00

If you were in Nice in 1996 for Microsoft's 3rd European TechEd then you may remember the indoor funfair (and Elton, ahem, Jack performing).

I've already tweeted that VMware seem to be channelling the fun, focus, excitement and energy of those events. So blow me, if they didn't get an indoor funfair at the Carlsberg centre in Copehagen too!

Fifteen years ago, and it feels just the same. Except I'm
• greyer (and there's less of it)
• wiser
• grumpier

hey ho!

P

PS. I might remember more of this one too. I recall some very cheap vino... The only time I did so at a conference party.

PPS just realised, and this is really weird - I think I'm wearing the same shirt - my (still very proud to have and wear) Windows 95 official technical beta testers golf shirt.

I could have sworn that said muggle spray...

2011-10-19T20:00:00.000+01:00

#Success Yesterday I got angry with #VMware, at #VMworld but #congratulations are now deserved

2011-10-19T11:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I blogged http://corylus.blogspot.com/2011/10/fail-vmware-congratulations-you-are.html

Later that day, VMware proved they can be nimble and take out of scope decisions quickly, i have tired over recent years of large corporates telling me I have a good idea, but their policy/budget/manger/exec does not allow and that they are sorry that they cannot execute the good idea, so...

After the potential PR disaster of mistakenly telling a few hundred people at VMworld Europe they had won an iPod, VMware's initial response was simply sorry. Later that was upgraded to a free marketing t-shirt. Ho hum. I was not impressed.

So I wrote to them suggesting that for a few hundred quid (probably not even detectable in the budget for the conference!) they could have one extra iPod and hold a random draw for all those who thought they had already won one. It would not fix things, but it would at least give everyone a chance, and demonstrate that VMware understood the impact they'd had.

It's NOT about "compensating", it's about recognising the excitement and then disappointment that people will have experienced.

To my amazement, VMware not only agreed, but said they'd give me an iPod to say thanks for the idea. I don't often get the chance to praise big companies, but I am happy to do so here.

But, I stress, even if they'd not got a second for me, I'd still have written this post

Begin forwarded message:

Subject: RE: Suggestion, was: Re: Congratulations, You are a VMworld Survey Prize Winner

Peter

Thank you for the suggestion.

Since you came up with this suggestion, we will provide you with one.

Please come by meeting room xx in the Bella Center to receive your iPod.

Thanks

Name removed

Subject: Suggestion, was: Re: Congratulations, You are a VMworld Survey Prize Winner

How about you put an iPod Touch into a draw for all the people who got the email?

Cost you a few hundred quid/dollars/euros and everyone who thought they had one, would at least have had a bite at one.

Not trying to be troublesome, just making a suggestion to overcome the loss of goodwill and the major disappointment felt all round. It wasn't *inconvenient* it was exciting, and then massively disappointing.

#Fail #VMware "Congratulations, You are a #VMworld Survey Prize Winner"

2011-10-18T12:29:00.001+01:00

Or in this instance. Not.

Someone pushed the wrong button and this email went to 'several hundred' attendees. Delegates were being severely disappointed in droves at the registration desk.

We all make mistakes, but having reported record Q3 results last night, and upped the expectations for Q4, maybe VMware could do something a bit more than say they're really sorry.

Peter

Begin forwarded message:

From: The VMworld Team <vmworldteam@vmware.com>
Subject: Congratulations, You are a VMworld Survey Prize Winner

Thank you for completing a VMworld session survey. You have been randomly chosen to win an iPod Touch for your participation.

Please stop by the Registration Queries desk during the following hours to claim your prize.

07.30 - 20.00 Tuesday
07.30 - 18.30 Wednesday
07.30 - 16.30 Thursday

Regards,

The VMworld Team

© 2011 The Active Network, Inc.

In case you missed my tweets yesterday from the #VMware Licencing session...

2011-10-18T09:50:00.000+01:00

Message from #VMware ref licencing 6. Look, honestly, did you *really* think you'd bought it?

Message from #VMware ref licencing 5. It's so complex, we've written an plugin for it!

Message from #VMware ref licencing 4. We've introduced a paradigm shift where software can alert you to the need to send us lots of money...

Message from #VMware ref licencing 3. We really thought hard about making it easy, but thought you should have to think hard too.

Message from #VMware ref licencing 2. You really need to reduce the RAM assigned to your VM's until the pips in the guest squeak.

Message from #VMware ref licencing 1. We really want you to pay for your test labs/spare VM's that you spin up. Best minimise your VM farm.

Wales, Warburton, tip tackles and red cards. One day later

2011-10-17T07:30:00.001+01:00

Whatever your view of the tackle that led to Sam Warburton's red card after 17 minutes in yesterday's first Rugby World Cup semi-final; there is one clear fact. It unambiguously changed the game.
Whether for better or worse, Wales played their socks off and the tackle count (France 126, Wales 56) clearly shows who was making the game.

But whether you agree with the red card or not, whether you think the tackle was dangerous or not; it is clear that this decision likely caused a change in the game's progress more than any try could have.

It is deeply ironic (to me that is) that when there is barely any room for doubt, and both touch judges have agreed with a referee that a try has been scored that the ref can still ask the TMO to adjudicate with a clear question "any reason not to award a try" or "can you confirm that he was not in touch before scoring" or "can you confirm he was in control of the ball when it was grounded" etc etc.

So why on earth can a referee pull out and flash his red card in a few seconds without reference to touch judges or TMO and set a team back by 1 player for the remainder of the match.
It is clearly unfair.

I propose that for all red card decisions the referee should be compelled to get the TMO's agreement that the alleged offence justifies the largest sanction on the field.

How could anyone object?

Wales were robbed of their chance, and an unimpressive French side will meet New Zealand and, I hope, get thoroughly thrashed. Although New Zealand getting a second world cup result without having to play hard in the final would devalue the trophy, and not clear the Kiwis of their "chokers" tag; I'd much rather New Zealand won having had to play out of their skins - unlikely to be necessary on the evidence seen so far.

Yesterday I was Welsh, next Sunday I will be a Kiwi. I had hoped to be wearing and waving the cross of St George, but 30 uninspiring plonkers put paid to that...

Time for part two!

2011-10-16T00:47:00.000+01:00

The Enid & the CBSO. Time to rock and roll?

2011-10-15T19:39:00.001+01:00

Probably not!

Much more refined than that!

Special thanks to Google for mapping the venue in the wrong place :-)

An unusual war memorial - and I like it

2011-10-08T16:32:00.001+01:00

Not only are the fallen recorded, but so too are the volunteers who returned.

Most commendable!

And this is the new bit!!

2011-10-08T13:18:00.001+01:00

An antidote to English Rugby!

2011-10-08T11:21:00.001+01:00

Honestly #Apple are you seriously not letting me control content on an iPad

2011-10-08T09:15:00.000+01:00

I've had an iPad for a while, and it's my first piece of apple kit. It does what I want it to do really well, but I'm struggling to achieve a couple of things now it's been in use for a while.

1. The iTunes PC that it connected to is no more. So now iTunes insists that the iPad is managed by another computer and my only option is to wipe and start again. No thanks.
Yes I can push most of my data into the cloud with the majority of my apps, but there are some that are on the iPad only, and they don't expose their documents to the download feature in iTunes. So unless I email content to myself from the iPad, I may lose data.

What is worse, I've no way of identifying what I shall lose until it is lost. I now need to laboriously go through apps to check content.
But I suppose at least the app store now identifies what apps I've not installed.

2. Volume of content. Photos and music I have a-plenty, too much in fact. So I wanted to remove some. Seems I'm not alone in wanting to do this, and not having the means.
It seems insanity itself, that if away from the PC/Mac that "owns" the iPad then I cannot remove photos I no longer want, remove albums that are only copies of CD's I own so that I can create free space for new content. Instead my device can just run out of space and the only route is to delete apps, which by comparison is a piece of cake.
Nanny state gone mad.

Add those two together and you get a seriously frustrated user whose previous jibes at the fanbois are going to take on a much more serious edge now.

It's ridiculous that the owner cannot exercise sufficient control of their device.

We didn't find the pot of gold :-)

2011-10-07T21:21:00.000+01:00

But I'm quite impressed with the picture from the WP7 Mozart.

Somewhat chilling poster

2011-10-06T20:34:00.000+01:00

I was born in east London, and grew up just outside the area and the Kray name was known and regarded without much of a positive angle.

Indeed, at my school (which had relocated away from Whitechapel in the 60's) there was a persistent rumour of a Kray connection.

So in a pub, in Shropshire, this poster sits inoocuously on the wall until the curious punter notices the second row.

It threw me a bit. Not really sure why. They never really impacted on my life. No more than Jack The Ripper from nearly a century earlier. Must be the subtle approval by showing it that brings on my disapproval.

Stunnningly simple war memorial

2011-10-06T16:45:00.000+01:00

Best to let sleeping dragons lie

2011-10-05T12:51:00.001+01:00

Victorious!

2011-10-04T12:06:00.001+01:00

Preseli Top.

October

20 yard visibility, tops.

We have a new house guest!

2011-09-30T19:37:00.001+01:00

And it doesn't go ribbit :-)

Hmmm #Windows8 #IE10 Certificate issues - anyone seen incorrect revoked

2011-09-29T23:48:00.001+01:00

I've loaded the laptop (a touchscreen one) with the dev build of Windows 8. So far so good. The highlights have to be
a) it works!
b) it boots in under 20 seconds (and that's with a normal BIOS, not UEFI)
c) it installed in about 15 minutes from a blank disk to a logon screen

However, working from home, I was working with Outlook on the box and got some problems so thought I would hit the OWA site for my email, when I did so, I got this:

That was a bit of a showstopper!

So I've done the usual google thing, nowt.

I've tried the Outlook Anywhere connection - fails.

I then VPN'd into the network, and hit the Exchange CAS server with the local name and logged on fine.

So the certificate is not revoked.

Further supporting evidence is the fact that ActiveSync is still working on the phones, and I can use OWA from the iPad.

So, anyone seen this? Got a fix? The only clue I can think of is that the certificate is for a non-standard name; it's not for www but owa.

Ta, Peter

#LFMF VMware datastores are case sensitive!

2011-09-29T11:39:00.002+01:00

Working in a Microsoft world with only brief forays into Unix and Apple server technologies, I tend to forget some lessons from those alternatives :-)

So, today when working on some PowerShell scripts to copy datastore folders around for backup purposes I was a bit stumped by a copy failing as no object was found. The essential components of the script are:

Add-PSSnapin VMware.VimAutomation.Core

Connect-VIServer -Server FQDN of server or vCentre -Protocol https
$datastore = Get-Datastore Test
New-PSDrive -Location $datastore -Name TT -PSProvider VimDatastore -Root '\'
Copy-DatastoreItem 'TT:\sage\*' 'J:\esx\test\sage'
start-vm -vm 'Sage'

The Add-PSSnapin puts the VMware supplied PowerCLI snapins in place to manage ESX/vCentre architecture
Connect-VIServer does what it says on the tin
New-PSDrive creates a PowerShell drive mapping to the datastore in question so that it can be maipulated., and the Copy-DatastoreItem with those parameters copies the entire folder over (you can recurse through folders and so on if you wish, this is a simple copy)

Can you see the mistake, no I couldn't either!

The script would fail on the copy-datastoreitem command and jump onto the start-vm. Now I know there should be error handling and all that stuff, but this was a quick 1-off to sort something out.

So I browsed teh data store through the vCentre interface, all was there, the target folders were there...

In the end the Unix issue of capitalisation rang a distant echo. The Sage folder on the datastore was precisely that "Sage" not "sage".

Quick edit, and all is running.

Phew!

'scuse the inappropriate word wraps in the code.

Want #Mango #WP7 now? But your network connection is not immediately adjacent to your desk, or awkward to break. #PowerShell

2011-09-28T12:25:00.003+01:00

Mango is now available, and there is a cheat that seems to bypass the “wait until Microsoft/Your Carrier” make it available to you. Read more here: http://www.wpcentral.com/force-mango-update-early-through-zune-software

However the trick relies on disconnecting your internet connection within a few seconds. This is fine and dandy if the cable is right by your keyboard, mouse and monitor, but not if it isn’t.

Obviously you can enable/disable the NIC, but Windows 7 (at least here) takes a variable amount of time to perform the disconnect. Factor in UAC asking you for permission to disconnect then you have a bigger timing problem.

So a quick jump to the internet. The following lines of code sort it out.

Firstly, start a PowerShell session (ISE or prompt), but with Run as Administrator rights to avoid issues.

Then use the line:

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_NetworkAdapter | Format-Table Name, NetEnabled, NetConnectionStatus, DeviceId –auto

This lists all your network connections, (extract below)

Name NetEnabled NetConnectionStatus DeviceId

---- ---------- ------------------- --------

WAN Miniport (Network Monitor) 6

Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Server Connection True 2 7

Identify the Device ID for your network connection. In this case 7.

The following lines of code needs to run once only in your ISE session

$Nic = Get-WmiObject win32_networkadapter -computerName LocalHost -filter "DeviceId = 7"

Note that the number 7 at the end will need to be changed for your environment.

Then finally –

$Nic.enable()

$Nic.disable()

As you wish to switch your NIC on and off.

So, having prepped all that, a quick click on linking on the Zune screen below

Followed by a click on UPDATE, and then immediately run the disable command, and Robert’s your mother’s brother. When you click on the presented choice to download an update – don’t forget to enable your link again.
Note you may need to update teh Zune software, so you'll get a bit of this:

For a bit.

But then you should see an update offered, something like this.

7403 offered to user

7403 ready to download

Repeat until you have Mango installed

Enjoy!

Labour's good and bad company tax plan - this is all you need to know

2011-09-28T09:03:00.000+01:00

A marketing decision that will probably not be a triumph of hope over expectation...

2011-09-22T19:10:00.001+01:00

Blue Peter annuals a thing of the past...

2011-09-22T18:43:00.000+01:00

Another part of my childhood gone.

From Blue Peter book number 3 or 4 I was given these every Christmas by my maternal grandmother until I was really tooooo old for them. I still have them, including the 2 pictured above.

But now last year's turns out to be the last.

Inevitable in the modern era I suppose. I wonder if they are thinking of a retro iOS app where I can get all the back copies to read here! Ponders...

I think @dhmorton knows what's going to happen next

2011-09-22T14:06:00.000+01:00

Programming errors everywhere

2011-09-22T14:05:00.001+01:00

And no one in the petrol station knows how to clear it.

I kept schtum.

Update 21:31 22/9/2011 As James has pointed out in the comments, i was wrong, so have changed the title accordingly

I've finally worked out why strolling the streets of London has this effect...

2011-09-15T16:20:00.002+01:00

And by effect I mean a degree of melancholy. It's not a bad thing, it just is. But it's because as soon as I hit the streets of the more historical areas of London it inevitably brings back memories. Memories of Pa explaining the sights, statues, buildings, history etc; and in later years either talking to Pa on the phone about a recent trip or calling him whilst in town, to find out something I'd forgotten (the location of the London Stone comes to me mind see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Stone - I was within a 100 yards or so, but could not recall quite where it should be).

For a (right bloody (c) Peter Sellers) Yorkshireman, he knew a lot about London. He could have passed the knowledge test for taxi drivers I should think. He made a decent tour guide too (as long as you weren't a bloody tourist!).

So I walk these streets with memories, and echoes of times gone by.

And, it seems, almost inevitably, I end up in the very first pub Dad took me (and me alone). We'd been shooting at the rifle club under Somerset House, and as usual I'd "whopped his ass" with the pistol. Having finished we wanted to quench thirsts. We went to the Wellington on the corner of The Strand. I was under age, so had a soft drink (I think I declined the offer of alcohol as I was dry having got stupidly (stupid as in drinking in the evening without having eaten anything ALL DAY) drunk the previous Christmas at the Curry's Loughton staff do). We returned home to Essex by tube.

A few months later I returned with some school friends, having some time to kill before a demonstration of quadrophonic playback at the IEEE around the corner. This demo was especially good, as it feature Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd. "I know a pub" i declared - as if they would be hard to find ;-) Happy days!

A few decades later, and I'm back again. It's hardly changed, except the prices and the cigarette smoke.

One of London's increasingly rare taxi driver shelters...

2011-09-15T15:41:00.001+01:00

If you can persuade them (unlikely), you can get a great cuppa within.

Charles, Gordon of Khartoum.

2011-09-15T15:41:00.000+01:00

Emotional father to Corporal Jones of Dad's Army. But also the reason Gladstone's affectionate moniker was reversed. He was known as GOM, here's Wikipedia's take:
Gladstone was known affectionately by his supporters as "The People's William" or the "G.O.M." ("Grand Old Man", or, according to Disraeli, "God's Only Mistake").

However after Gordon's death some reversed that to MOG "Murderer of Gordon".

History 'O' Level studied 76-78 British and European Political and economic history 1815-1914. Ithankyou!

Rifleman Tul Bahadur Pun V.C., Gurkha, Hero.

2011-09-15T15:14:00.001+01:00

Sadly he died this April. But I didn't know, despite our somewhat poor treatment of the Gurkhas, that he was in fact already commemorated.

His name is here, on the Chindit memorial at the back of the MOD on the Embankment.

We got something right then.

Update 17/9/2011: here's his picture at Wikipedia: Photo of a hero

And the full article on him: His wiki page

A leitmotif for our times

2011-09-15T15:01:00.000+01:00

Parliamentary access behind bars...

I am much relieved to note Charlie Gilmour by his absence

2011-09-15T14:56:00.001+01:00

It was late, but finally the women who served

2011-09-15T14:52:00.000+01:00

On the domestic and military front in World War II were recognised.

But I cannot help but wonder if the empty clothes do so in a negative way.

Or maybe it's a recognition of the emptiness of the recognition to date.

Update: Later that day. As my Ma pointed out, the empty clothes signify the hanging up of the uniforms at the end of the work, a job well done, and life returning to normal (although that was a new normal, post war). Thanks Ma!

I see the Admiralty still has trouble getting Channel 5. #NotWorthTheEffort !

2011-09-15T14:41:00.000+01:00

Microsoft, Redundancies and Mojo

2011-09-14T08:19:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was the start of Build, Microsoft's most important conference since... ...the last most important conference. But it is and was important.

During the day. Jon Honeyball said this:

I almost immediate RT'd with the comment

But it's more than the obvious.

It's not that long ago that Microsoft made some pretty heavy duty redundancies. I can still remember the shock and surprise of names like Steve Riley and Eileen Brown being identified as "at risk" and then receiving their redundancy notice. It felt like a mistake. In some respects it was.

But when you have been made redundant (as Mrs B and I have been about 9 times if I've counted them correctly!) then you can look back at the company you have just left with a number of views. It may take some time before the sadness, regret and anger wear off; but when they do you'll probably end up seeing why the company did it and either consider them complete idiots for choosing you, or understanding why you were the candidate chosen.

If the company is fundamentally a decent one, and has operated through the process reasonably (and legally) then hopefully you will understand and accept. This will mean you probably have residual good feelings towards your former employer and good wishes for your former colleagues.

Many have commented on the flat profile of Microsoft since Ballmer took over the helm. For Microsoft to get it's mojo back, it means that the company can once again be on an upward curve. It means that your former colleagues have a better chance of not experiencing your fate.

But it also means that, despite everything, your redundancy was not in vain. Collective good has come from the process - it wasn't just a crappy decision made to lever you out and exact some pointless revenge for your face not fitting, or a perceived misdemeanour.

Thinking back to the companies that made me redundant, most have gone bust a year or two later. I just felt lucky enough to get out whist the going was good, but for those companies that made good decisions and recovered and thrived - I'm glad for them. If the Microsoft mojo has recovered from the trauma of restructuring, grows from Build and becomes a colossus again, bestriding the industry with unambiguously leading desktop and tablet systems (the servers speak for themselves already) along with continuing and improving good practices; then I, for one, will be cheering from the sidelines.

An open letter to the controller of Radio 4 Ms Gwyneth Williams @bbc @whjm

2011-09-08T12:15:00.001+01:00

Dear Ms Williams

I recently listened to the Radio 4 branch of the BBC. And heard something I am sure you would want to know about (as both a successful woman and controller of the branch in question).

It appears that on FM, DAB, and online radio across the country there is a programme labelled Woman's Hour broadcasting items such "Cook the perfect tarte tatin", "Women in Business", etc. My complaint is that women are not a minority or a niche area. They do not need to have their radio programmes selected for them. I am deeply offended by this condescending and unnecessary practice.

I would appreciate your response to this complaint and I hope that the BBC will be able to think of a more appropriate way of broadcasting these items.

Yours in sisterhood

PJ Bryant.

Overnight parking for the BBMF Lancaster - a great day at #Duxford shared with @keithshering

2011-09-03T22:20:00.000+01:00

I'll sort the DSLR photos later ;-)

Destination today.

2011-09-03T08:45:00.000+01:00

But sadly at least one of these planes will be missing...

#LFMF #PowerCLI Get-Folder contents #PowerShell

2011-09-02T17:22:00.006+01:00

Because a “copy folder from the Datastore browser” backup of VM files is so inefficient, I’m writing a PowerShell process to improve my backups of the virtualised world. Because I can move VM’s around onto different storage locations a hard coded “goto this datastore, download these VM’s” is going to need rewriting every time I do this.*

So I resolved to use as a starting point the Get-Folder command (and spawn a generic process for each Folder) that I have.

So I started to look at a folder (from the VMs and Templates view, not Hosts and Clusters) to do some testing on. As the only, completely non active folder is Templates, I thought I’d start with that.

So the line of code I was looking at was something like:

Get-VM -Location (Get-Folder Templates) | Sort Name)

However I was getting nothing back, the code would run (there’s a lot more, but I won’t bore you with it until it’s all working), and there was a null result. I didn’t quite spend days and days looking at it (see King Crimson - Indiscipline, Lyrics here), but I did spend quite a while thinking I’d got something wrong.

Then I had a thought – isn’t there a Get-Template command too?

Coded like this:
Get-Template -Location (Get-Folder Templates) | Sort Name)

I get some results. Stupid of me to test a folder with wholly atypical contents

More later!

*I know some will wonder why I take flat file backups of VM’s. It’s because I’m paranoid OK? I copy them to external USB/FireWire drives for complete recoverability. It’s not like I do it every day or anything

What are #HP support returns smoking?

2011-08-31T11:07:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I confirmed a diagnosis of a failed disk in a server. As it was under extended warranty I placed the call, got speedy agreement that the disk was U/S (the controller was reporting imminent failure); and the NBD replacement was arranged. So far, so good.

So today we are expecting the replacement which will, amongst other things, provide the returns packaging.

So I why, I wonder, did HP support email at 9:41 this morning complaining that the failed disk had not yet been returned? Their own call records should show that delivery is scheduled sometime today.

So soon after the TouchPad debacle, strategy changes, et al; HP's reputation at Corylus Towers is falling more rapidly than TouchPad stocks.

Look what HP tried to sell to me last night #FAIL

2011-08-19T09:34:00.003+01:00

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