Announcing: PowerShell PowerCamp – Oct 17-18 – London

I am pleased to announce another PowerShell PowerCamp for October 17-18th. To be held at Microsoft Victoria (Cardinal Place) London over the weekend. This is a lecture only 2-day boot camp covering the key aspects of PowerShell. Read on for more details.

What is A PowerShell PowerCamp?
PowerCamp is a fast paced weekend training event that covers all the basic aspects of Windows PowerShell - from the command line to writing production-oriented scripts. We start with the basics including configuration, formatting and providers and remoting and jobs. Then, on day 2, we look at scripting, work flows, managing script libraries using modules, WMI/CIM,  using objects, and PowerShell in Windows. The event concludes with a look at the new Desired State Configuration and other features in PowerShell 4 and 5. If time permits, we'll also take a quick glimpse at PowerShell in Server 2016, including Nano Server.

The PowerCamp event is a combination of lecture, demonstrations plus Q&A, with the opportunity to type along with the tutor. There are no formal labs. But key demos are provided along with the slides, plus a wealth of other add on material on a memory stick you get at the start of day 1. So bring along your laptop, and type away.

What is the Agenda?
The event happens over the Weekend of October 17th and 18th 2015. We start each day promptly at 9:00 and finish no later than 17:00.

Day 1 – The Basics

• PowerShell Fundamentals – starting with the key elements of PowerShell (Cmdlets, Objects and the Pipeline) plus installation, setup, and profiles
• What’s new in v5 – this looks at the things specifically added into PowerShell v5.
• Formatting – how to format output nicely – both by default and using hash tables and display XML
• Providers – getting into underlying OS data stores (certificate store, AD, registry, etc.) via providers
• Remoting– working with remote systems using PowerShell’s remoting capabilities

Day 2 – Diving Deeper

• Scripting Concepts – automating everyday tasks including PowerShell’s language constructs, error handling and debugging and workflows
• Modules – managing PowerShell script libraries in the enterprise
• Using .Net, COM, WMI and CIM objects – working with various kinds of objects
• PowerShell in Windows – a look at what’s there and how you can leverage the huge number of cmdlets
• PowerShell Desired State Configuration – this final module looks at PowerShell’s Desired State Configuration tool and what you can do with it.
• A quick peek at Server 2016, including nanoserver.

What Does It Cost?
The cost is £225 (+VAT at the prevailing rate) for the weekend. Meals and accommodation are not covered.

Where Is The Event Going To Take Place?
The PowerShell PowerCamp is being held at Microsoft Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street in Victoria over the weekend of October 17/18 2015. Each day starts promptly at 09:00 and finishes up by 17:00. We’ll also take short break throughout the day, including a 1-hour lunch break on both days. The location is close to Victoria Station (railway and underground) with a wealth of lunch places and, if overnight accommodation is required, a range of hotels.

Who Should Attend?
Everyone who needs to learn more about PowerShell! PowerCamp starts from the beginning and we cover as much ground as possible in the two days available. In previous PowerCamp events, attendees have ranged from beginners to more advanced. Beginners benefit from a complete explanation of PowerShell, while more advanced user learn new tips and tricks to advance their usage of PowerShell. We've had several people attend more than once!

PowerDrinks
After Saturday’s session, attendees are invited to a small nearby public house for some lovely English ale and networking with each other!

Who is the tutor?
The PowerShell Weekend PowerCamp is delivered by Thomas Lee, a 17-time MVP award winner. Thomas has been involved in the PowerShell community since the very beginning. He provides training and consultancy around a range of Microsoft products, with a recent focus on PowerShell and Skye for Business Server. Thomas runs PowerShell training courses around the world, and has been a speaker at conferences across the world for the past decade. In his spare time, he lives with his wife, daughter, wine cellar, and Grateful Dead live recordings archive in a small cottage in the English countryside. His Twitter handle is @DoctorDNS and he maintains two blogs (Under the Stairs at http://tfl09.blogspot.com and PowerShell Scripts Blog at http://pshscripts.blogspot.com).

What do I need to bring?
In order to type along, you should bring a laptop with PowerShell, preferably PowerShell Version 5 , loaded. That can be either native (eg in Windows 10), or in a virtual machine. I suggest you have at least two VMs pre-configured – one a server installation the other a Windows client installation – with the server a DC and the client a member of that domain. The virtualisation software is not of concern – but you need 64-bit guest OS support for Server 2012 and later! Thus you can use Hyper-V, VMware Workstation or Oracle’s Virtual Box. Heck, run it in a VM on a Mac or Linux PC if you want. Just bring along PowerShell v3/4/5 (preferably V5!).

How do I book?
Contact DoctorDNS@Gmail.com to book a place and to arrange for the invoice to be paid. Payment must be in cash, cheque or bank transfer only no credit cards.

More Details
Watch this blog for any hot breaking news on the event.

del.icio.us Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp,Microsoft

Another PowerCamp is Over

Last weekend, I held another PowerShell PowerCamp event – we had 19 attendees in all for two days of PowerShell. It was a great weekend, topped off by Tom Arbuthnot coming in on the Sunday to deliver a guest lecture.  I really enjoyed it, but it was a lot of work! And from the mail I've had, the attendees got a lot out of it.

Thanks to the folks at Microsoft, particularly Claire Smyth, for all their help in making the weekend a success.

During the event, there were several ideas put forward to a next event. One suggestion was a more advanced weekend, particularly looking at DSC and the new things in Version 5. A V5 PowerCamp could be fun! Ideas as to future events are most welcome.

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp

PowerCamp Power Guest–Tom Arbuthnot

On Oct 18/19th, I run the next PowerShell PowerCamp – a 2 day PowerShell jump start event. Over the course of 2 days, I run through the basics of PowerShell – from Cmdlets/Objects/Pipelines, through formatting, the ISE, the language and its syntax, functions and modules, and Desired State Configuration (DSC). You bring your laptop and while I’m lecturing, you are banging out PowerShell to manage a set of VMs you bring along!
As part of the event, I always try to get another guest speaker, who I ask to talk about PowerShell in general. What are the things they have learned (which attendees will have to to)? What are their best practices? For this event, I am pleased to announce we will have the presence of Tom Arbuthnot, a superstar Lync MVP and Lync Consultant (and a Lync MCM!), and a great PowerShell evangelist. Tom’s spoken before at these events, and his talks are good and very entertaining.
I still have a few places left on this event – so if you want a great jump start to PowerShell, or to review the basics and more, then contact me at DoctorDNS@Gmail.Com !

del.icio.us Tags: PowerCamp,PowerShell,DSC,Learning PowerShell

Desired State Configuration Resource Kit–Wave 6

The PowerShell team has just released an update to the DSC resource kit – bringing the total number of DSC resources to over 80! While the bulk of the resources in the resource kit are ‘experimental’ – they seem to me to be very stable (continuing the PowerShell team’s ability to ship rich, useful, and reliable beta code).

And even better, the PowerShell team seem to have gone back to their old roots in terms of time to market. They appear to be releasing as they develop (and long may this continue). Thus, the new SafeHarbor DSC resource, this was finished after Wave 5 was released but before Wave 6 was ready so the PowerShell team published it separately, then publish it (with updates and bug fixes) a few weeks later in the Wave 6 drop. I can’t tell you how good this feels after so long under the cone of silence.

This latest drop has some very interesting resources, including the xChrome and xFirefox resources that help to deploy these two browsers. The Group resource shipped with PowerShell 4 is updated to provide support for cross-domain account lookups as well as for UPN-formatted names. The new xRemoteDesktopAdmin resource enables. Additionally, Wave 6 has a number of bug fixes to earlier waves. Again – the ability to get these fixes quickly is both useful and much appreciated. 

The  DSC story is slowly coming clearer with both the July drop and these continuingly improving resources. And with Chef integrating with DSC, DSC’s future looks very rosy.  If you are looking to find out a bit more about DSC – I’ll be covering the basics on the PowerShell PowerCamp event in October.

del.icio.us Tags: DSC,DSC Resource Kit,PowerShell V5,PowerCamp

PowerShell PowerCamp–October 18-19th 2014

What is A PowerShell PowerCamp?
PowerCamp is a fast paced weekend training event that covers all the basic aspects of Windows PowerShell v5 - from the command line to writing production-oriented scripts and leveraging work flow and desired state configuration. We start with the basics including configuration, formatting and providers and remoting and jobs. Then, on day 2, we look at scripting, work flows, managing script libraries using modules, WMI/CIM,  using objects, and PowerShell in Windows. The event concludes with a look at the new Desired State Configuration feature in PowerShell 4 and 5.
The PowerCamp event is a combination of lecture, demonstrations plus Q&A, with the opportunity to type along with the tutor. There are no formal labs. But I do provide the key demos, all the slides, plus a wealth of other add on material on a memory stick you get at the start of day 1. So bring along your laptop, and type away.
What is the Agenda?
The event happens over the Weekend of October 18th and 19th. We start each day promptly at 9:00 and finish no later than 17:00.
Day 1 – The Basics

• PowerShell Fundamentals – starting with the key elements of PowerShell (Cmdlets, Objects and the Pipeline) plus installation, setup, and profiles
• What’s new in v5 – this looks at the things specifically added into PowerShell v5.
• Formatting – how to format output nicely – both by default and using hash tables and display XML
• Providers – getting into underlying OS data stores (certificate store, AD, registry, etc.) via providers
• Remoting– working with remote systems using PowerShell’s remoting capabilities

Day 2 – Diving Deeper

• Scripting Concepts – automating everyday tasks including PowerShell’s language constructs, error handling and debugging and workflows
• Modules – managing PowerShell script libraries in the enterprise
• Using .Net, COM, WMI and CIM objects – working with various kinds of objects
• PowerShell in Windows – a look at what’s there and how you can leverage the huge number of cmdlets
• PowerShell Desired State Configuration – this final module looks at PowerShell’s Desired State Configuration tool and what you can do with it.

What does it cost?
The cost is £200 (+VAT at the prevailing rate) for the weekend. Meals and accommodation are not covered.
Where is the event going to take place?
The PowerShell PowerCamp is being held at Microsoft Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street in Victoria. We will hold it on the weekend of October 18/19 2014. Each day starts promptly at 09:00 and finishes up by 16:45. We’ll also take short break throughout the day, including a 1-hour lunch break
PowerDrinks? After Saturday’s session, attendees are invited to a small nearby public house for some lovely English ale and networking with each other!
Who is the tutor?
The PowerShell Weekend PowerCamp is delivered by Thomas Lee. Thomas has been involved in the PowerShell community since the very beginning. He provides training and consultancy around a range of Microsoft products, with a recent focus on PowerShell and Lync Server. Thomas runs PowerShell training courses around the world, and has been a speaker at conferences across the world for the past decade. In his spare time, he lives with his wife, daughter, wine cellar, and Grateful Dead live recordings archive in a small cottage in the English countryside. His Twitter handle is @DoctorDNS and he maintains two blogs (Under the Stairs at http://tfl09.blogspot.com and PowerShell Scripts Blog at http://pshscripts.blogspot.com).
What do I need to bring?
You need to bring a laptop with PowerShell v5 loaded. That can be either native or in a virtual machine. I suggest you have at least two VMs pre-configured – one a server 2012 R2 installation the other a Windows 8 ,1installation. The virtualisation software is not of concern – but you need 64-bit guest OS support for Server 2012! Thus you can use Hyper-V, VMware Workstation or Oracle’s Virtual Box. Heck, run it in a VM on a Mac or Linux PC if you want. Just bring along PowerShell v3/4/5 (preferably V5!).
How do I book?
Contact DoctorDNS@Gmail.com to book a place and to arrange for the invoice to be paid. Payment must be in cash, cheque or bank transfer – I don’t take credit cards.
More Details
Watch this blog for any hot breaking news on the event.

April 2014 PowerCamp Cancelled :-(

Sadly, I have to cancel the PowerCamp event scheduled for end April 2014. The event was scheduled to be held in Microsoft’s offices in London, but they have just informed me they are going to be carrying out maintenance on the building, This means we’ll have no air conditioning or power. Which makes it kind of impossible to run an event.

I am very sorry for those of you who have booked – I’ll organise a refund by the close of play today. I hope to run another event in the Autumn, and will announce it as soon as possible.

del.icio.us Tags: PowerCamp

Announcing PowerShell PowerCamp–April 26-27 2014 in London

With the winter of rain, hopefully now well behind us, it’s time to look forward. Both Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 now slowly pushing into organisations large and small the End of Life for Server 2003 and Windows XP are looming. Learning PowerShell is now, more than ever, something every IT Pro needs to do! While I say this ever year, it seems to me that learning PowerShell is now, more than ever, something every IT Pro needs to do! And one great way to get up to speed is via the PowerShell PowerCamp event!

Why Learn PowerShell?

I hear this question a lot – after all the GUI is so good, why bother with PowerShell? Well, for a start, PowerShell is now at the centre of Microsoft's manageability strategy. Every key component of Windows Server (and client for that matter) can be managed using PowerShell. The latest sets of cmdlets enable you do to more than ever before with PowerShell. At the end of the day, PowerShell provides reliable, robust and repeatable automation – and in these days of having to do more with less, that’s vital.

What is A PowerShell PowerCamp?
PowerCamp is a fast paced weekend training event that covers all the basic aspects of Windows PowerShell v4 - from the command line to writing production-oriented scripts. The focus is on smart IT Pros who know then need to learn PowerShell but can’t afford to take a week and take the standard Microsoft course. We package this up at a price that’s easily affordable.

On day 1, we start with the basics including configuration, formatting and providers, remoting and jobs. Then, on day 2, we look at scripting, work flows, managing script libraries using modules, WMI/CIM,  using objects, and finishing with the PowerShell features added into the latest versions of Windows.

The PowerCamp event is a combination of lecture, demonstrations plus Q&A, with the opportunity to type along with the tutor. There are no formal labs. But I do provide the key demos, all the slides, plus a wealth of other add on material on a memory stick you get at the start of day 1. So bring along your laptop, and type away. I use a set of VMs to demonstrate and you can bring along ones you made earlier so as to follow along as I demo.

What is the Agenda?
Day 1 – The Basics
• PowerShell Fundamentals – starting with the key elements of PowerShell (Cmdlets, Objects and the Pipeline) plus installation, setup, and profiles. I also call out some of the new features in PowerShell V4.
• Formatting – how to format output nicely – both by default and using hash tables and display XML
• Providers – getting into underlying OS data stores (certificate store, AD, registry, etc.) via providers
• Remoting and jobs– working with jobs plus working with remote systems using PowerShell’s remoting capabilities
Day 2 – Diving Deeper
• Scripting Concepts – automating everyday tasks including PowerShell’s language constructs, error handling and debugging and workflows
• Modules – managing PowerShell script libraries in the enterprise
• WMI and CIM – we look at the WMI and CIM components, including the new CIM cmdlets
• Using .NET and COM Objects – working with native objects
• PowerShell in Windows 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 – a look at what’s there and how you can leverage the huge number of new cmdlets

And as we go, we always have time to take your questions and to show you how to overcome your issues with PowerShell!

What does it cost?
The cost is £200 (+VAT at the prevailing rate) for the weekend. Meals and accommodation are not covered. Should you book and have to cancel, that’s fine so long as you give at least two weeks notice – I understand that plans change. Refunds after that point are not, sadly, possible.

Where is the event going to take place?
The PowerShell PowerCamp is being held at Microsoft Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street in Victoria on the weekend of April 26/27 2014. Each day starts promptly at 09:00 and finishes up by 16:45. We’ll also take short breaks throughout the day, including a 1-hour lunch break.

PowerDrinks!
After Saturday’s session, attendees are invited to a small nearby public house for some lovely English ale, etc. The first round is on me!

Who is the tutor?
The PowerShell Weekend PowerCamp is delivered by Thomas Lee. Thomas is a veteran PowerShell evangelist who has been involved in the PowerShell community since the very beginning. He provides training and consultancy around a range of Microsoft products, with a recent focus on PowerShell and Lync Server. In his spare time, he lives with his wife, daughter, wine cellar, and Grateful Dead live recordings collection in a small cottage in the English countryside. His Twitter handle is @DoctorDNS and he maintains two blogs (Under the Stairs at http://tfl09.blogspot.com and PowerShell Scripts Blog at http://pshscripts.blogspot.com).

What do I need to bring
You need to bring a laptop with PowerShell v4 loaded. That can be either native or in a virtual machine. I suggest you have at least two VMs pre-configured – one a server 2012 R2 installation the other a Windows 8.1 installation. The virtualisation software is not of concern – but you need 64-bit guest OS support for Server 2012 R2! Thus you can use Hyper-V, VMware Workstation or Oracle’s Virtual Box. Heck, run it in a VM on a Mac or Linux PC if you want. Just bring along PowerShell v4!

How do I book?
Contact DoctorDNS@Gmail.com to book a place and to arrange for the invoice to be paid. Payment must be in cash, cheque or bank transfer – I don’t take credit cards.

More Details
Watch this blog for any hot breaking news on the event.

del.icio.us Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp,Windows Server 2012 R2

Learning More About PowerShell at PowerCamp–Oct19/20

I’ve written before about the upcoming PowerShell PowerCamp event, being held Oct 19tyh and 20th 2013 at Microsoft’s Cardinal Place Offices in London. To summarise, PowerCamp is 2 action-packed days of PowerShell – taking you from 0 to as fast YOU can go in two days. It’s a great way to get over that basic learning curve.

Each time I run one of these events, some of the wider PowerShell community kick in and I get some extra goodies for the attendees. So far, I have two offers for you:

First my good friends at Pluralsight are offering each attendee a free 30-day trial of Pluralsight's full online training portfolio. For you IT Pros, this is more relevant than ever since Pluralsight has now bought Train Signal, leaders in the IT Pro online training space. There is an awesome amount of content, PowerShell and non-PowerShell in the combined catalog.

Secondly, those very nice people over at MVP Systems have donated some cash which will pay for at least some of the coffee at the event. I’ll be handing out Costa gift cards thanks to MVP Systems, which will get you a couple of Lattes – which you may need in order to stay focused!

I am still looking at having a special guest to add some value – I’ll be able to announce that soon.

So if you think it’s time to FINALLY learn PowerShell – sign up to day. The cost and sign up details are here: http://www.tfl09.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/powershell-powercamp-2013-coming-soon.html.

I look forward to seeing you there.

 

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,Learn PowerShell,PowerCamp

So You Need a Further Excuse to Book Onto The Next PowerCamp? DONE!

The next PowerShell PowerCamp event is coming up shortly and we’re rapidly selling out of places. The PowerCamp event is two fast-paced days looking at the basics of PowerShell V3 – I cover as much as I can over two days.

The PowerCamp event is primarily focused on those new to PowerShell but with plenty of depth for those with more skills. I’ve been running these for a couple of years and they are a lot of fun – both for me (I just LOVE talking about PowerShell – as any of my students will attest!!) and for the delegates who pick up a lot of useful skills and get to network with like-minded folk.

The next PowerCamp event, October 27-28 in London, is rapidly selling out – but if you are holding off, waiting for more reasons to book, you are in luck. Now to be honest, I think the two days of training is more than worth the fee, but I do try to add value and give you things to enjoy on the day and to take away.

So two important announcements:

First, those very nice people at Pluralsight are providing attendees with a free one-month trial membership to Pluralsight’s huge catalog of training material. Although Pluralsight is mainly a developer training company, there is a fair bit of cross over material – and I’ve published several PowerShell courses into their library already – and by the time PowerCamp rolls around, there will be an additional course, My Top-10 Coolest Features of PowerShell V3 with Windows 2012.

Second, those other very nice people at MVP Systems, attendees will get a nicer than normal Costa gift card for coffee – there’s a Costa Shop right outside the building where we are meeting. The PowerCamp event is being held in Microsoft’s Cardinal Place offices – and over the weekend there is no catering on site – but armed with your gift card, you can be sufficiently caffeinated! At least that’s the plan.

In addition to some truly great training (I had to say that!), some free coffee and a month’s free subscription to PluralSight, there will also be the traditional give-away memory stick with all the great PowerShell related goodies I can find and provide. And while I can’t announce anything yet, I am still working on a couple of more goodies for you to take away.

So if you want to learn more about PowerShell v3, AND get some cool goodies, sign up now – see http://tfl09.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/announcing-powershell-v3.html for details on how to book. I hope to see you there!

 

Technorati Tags: PowerShell PowerCamp,PowerShell Training,Fun,Coffee,MVP Systems,Pluralsight

PowerShell PowerCamp October 27-28th–Filling up and a Special Guest!

Now that folks are back to work and catching up on their reading, I’m starting to get bookings for the October PowerShell PowerCamp event (http://tfl09.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/announcing-powershell-v3.html for the details). It’s great to get mail from folks asking for a place – so far the farthest away is from New York City. Very Cool!

As those who have come on earlier events know, I try to have an extra guest to come along and offer some additional thoughts on how to best use PowerShell. I give them leeway to talk about whatever they want – past events have seen James O’Neil and Tom Arbuthnot provide some thought provoking insights. In October, I’m very pleased to announce that we’ll have Richard Siddaway. Richard is a well published PowerShell author and an MVP.

So if you are looking for a fast paced, fun filled introduction to PowerShell, this is an event for you. I hope to see you there to continue your journey into the joys and delights of Windows PowerShell v3.

Technorati Tags: PowerShell v3,PowerShell Training,PowerCamp,PowerShell v3 Training

Announcing PowerShell V3 PowerCamp – October 27/28 2012 in London

Now that the summer is (nearly) over, it’s time to get back to what mattes. With the imminent arrival of both Server 2012 and Windows 8 to general availability, learning PowerShell is now, more than ever, something every IT Pro needs to do! One great way to get up to speed is via my PowerShell PowerCamp events!

What is A PowerShell PowerCamp?
PowerCamp is a fast paced weekend training event that covers all the basic aspects of Windows PowerShell v3 - from the command line to writing production-oriented scripts. We start with the basics including configuration, formatting and providers and remoting and jobs. Then, on day 2, we look at scripting, work flows, managing script libraries using modules, WMI/CIM,  using objects, and finishing with the PowerShell features added into Windows. The event concludes with a short look at PowerShell in the cloud and a quick call out to all the things we just can’t cover in two days.

The PowerCamp event is a combination of lecture, demonstrations plus Q&A, with the opportunity to type along with the tutor. There are no formal labs. But I do provide the key demos, all the slides, plus a wealth of other add on material on a memory stick you get at the start of day 1. So bring along your laptop, and type away.

What is the Agenda?
Day 1 – The Basics
• PowerShell Fundamentals – starting with the key elements of PowerShell (Cmdlets, Objects and the Pipeline) plus installation, setup, and profiles
• What’s new in v3 – this looks at the things specifically added into PowerShell v3.
• Formatting – how to format output nicely – both by default and using hash tables and display XML
• Providers – getting into underlying OS data stores (certificate store, AD, registry, etc.) via providers
• Remoting and jobs– working with jobs plus working with remote systems using PowerShell’s remoting capabilities

Day 2 – Diving Deeper
• Scripting Concepts – automating everyday tasks including PowerShell’s language constructs, error handling and debugging and workflows
• Modules – managing PowerShell script libraries in the enterprise
• WMI and CIM – we look at the WMI and CIM components, including the new CIM cmdlets
• Using .NET and COM Objects – working with native objects
• PowerShell in Windows 2012 and Windows 8 – a look at what’s there and how you can leverage the huge number of new cmdlets
• PowerShell and the cloud – this module looks at PowerShell in the cloud and how you can use PowerShell to manage cloud computing.

What does it cost?
The cost is £200 (+VAT at the prevailing rate) for the weekend. Meals and accommodation are not covered.

Where is the event going to take place?
The PowerShell PowerCamp is being held at Microsoft Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street in Victoria on the weekend of October 27/28 2012. Each day starts promptly at 09:00 and finishes up by 16:45. We’ll also take short break throughout the day, including a 1-hour lunch break

PowerDrinks?
After Saturday’s session, attendees are invited to a small nearby public house for some lovely English ale, etc.

Who is the tutor?
The PowerShell Weekend PowerCamp is delivered by Thomas Lee. Thomas is a veteran PowerShell MVP who has been involved in the PowerShell community since the very beginning. He provides training and consultancy around a range of Microsoft products, with a recent focus on PowerShell and Lync Server. Thomas runs PowerShell training courses around the world, and has been a speaker at conferences across the world for the past decade. In his spare time, he lives with his wife, daughter, wine cellar, and Grateful Dead live recordings archive in a small cottage in the English countryside. His Twitter handle is @DoctorDNS and he maintains two blogs (Under the Stairs at http://tfl09.blogspot.com and PowerShell Scripts Blog at http://pshscripts.blogspot.com).

What do I need to bring
You need to bring a laptop with PowerShell v3 loaded. That can be either native or in a virtual machine. I suggest you have at least two VMs pre-configured – one a server 2012 installation the other a Windows 8 installation. The virtualisation software is not of concern – but you need 64-bit guest OS support for Server 2012! Thus you can use Hyper-V, VMware Workstation or Oracle’s Virtual Box. Heck, run it in a VM on a Mac or Linux PC if you want. Just bring along PowerShell v3!

 
How do I book?
Contact DoctorDNS@Gmail.com to book a place and to arrange for the invoice to be paid. Payment must be in cash, cheque or bank transfer – I don’t take credit cards.

More Details
Watch this blog for any hot breaking news on the event.

 

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp,London,PowerShell Training

PowerShell Weekend PowerCamp–Coming very soon

As many of you know, I’ve long been an advocate of all IT Pros (and devs!) learning more about PowerShell. There are a lot of ways to do this, and one great way is to attend a short (read 2 day at the weekend), jump start events. And as it happens, there’s one coming up soon.

This weekend coming, April 21-22, I’m holding the latest PowerShell PowerCamp, a weekend PowerShell jumpstart training event. We’re holding the event at Microsoft’s London offices in Cardinal Place Victoria from 9:00 till 5:00 – two long days of PowerShell, PowerShell, and more PowerShell.

The details of the agenda remain as I first published them back in January. There’s still a couple of places should you fancy the opportunity to learn more about PowerShell, so if you fancy it, let me know by emailing DoctorDNS@Gmail.Com and I’ll take it from there.

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,training

Windows PowerShell PowerCamp–Helsinki March 10-11

Arrangements for this event in Helsinki are moving along nicely. Those very nice people at Sovelto, who are hosting the event, have put up a new web page around the event: see http://www.sovelto.fi/kurssit/Pages/PowerShell-PowerCamp.aspx (or to see this page in Finnish, go to : http://www.sovelto.fi/Kurssit/Kurssivalikoima/Pages/Kurssihaku.aspx?kurssiID=3647). These web pages have the Helsinki agenda and all the details of where/how to book, etc.

As you will see, the event is over the weekend of March 10 and 11 2010 at Sovelto’s offices in Helsinki. We’ll start at 9 both days. We will be including lunch, refreshments and breakfast both days, with a nice meal out and a bit of fun for the Saturday night (details will be announced soon – it should be fun!).

So if you are anywhere in the world and want to get a first class jump start to PowerShell, consider coming! We’ll even have PCs for all the attendees as well as a nice little goodie basket to take home!

Contact me if you have any questions – or better yet, contact Sovelto and book a place!

Two New PowerShell PowerCamp Events Coming Soon

I’m pleased to be able to bring you two more PowerShell PowerCamp weekend events in the upcoming months:

• HELSINKI – Weekend of March 10-11 2012 – takes place in the offices of Sovelto, at Ratapihantie 11 (1st floor) in Helsinki. I do not have pricing or this event yet but will post details as soon as I get them. We will have something interesting for Saturday night to be included in the price.
• LONDON – Weekend of 21-22 April 2012 – takes place at Microsoft’s Cardinal Place offices in London Victoria. We’ll all repair off to a local hostelry on the Saturday evening for a beer or three.

I’ll post more details about each event soon.

 

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp,London,PowerShell Training

PowerShell PowerCamp–A great weekend!!!

I’m now recovered from the most recent PowerShell PowerCamp – an intense two days of PowerShell training. I ran the event in London last weekend, and had 21 booked. Sadly there were two very last minute cancellations, so we we ended up with 19 eager souls. We walked through the basics of PowerShell at the command line on the Saturday, then on Sunday, started looking at scripting and other enterprise aspects of PowerShell. And on Sunday, we has Lync MVP superstar Tom Arbuthnot of Modality Systems in to talk some real world approaches to PowerShell.

On Saturday night we took over a small pub nearby, to the amusement of the locals, and continued chatting about PowerShell. I My lovely wife came up to London and we enjoyed a most interesting meal in Sobraine, a Russian restaurant in Victoria. Great food and very, um, interesting décor.

The delegates took home a memory stick with as many PowerShell goodies as I can find and will shortly be getting licenses for PowerGui professional and PowerShell Plus Pro, thanks to Quest and Idera!

I have no specific dates for the next PowerShell PowerCamp, but depending on interest, I would like to run another session sometime in the late spring (March/April). As ever, dates are tricky at that time of year what with half term and Easter, etc – but I’m sure we can find a good weekend should there be anyone wanting this level of training! And for those corporate readers – I’m happy to come to your place of work and run this same training for your team on your premises. If you have 6 or more delegates, this could be financially beneficial.

And in closing – a big thanks for Claire Smyth of Microsoft who was an enormous help in getting this event off the ground. Without her help and passion for the community, this event probably would not have happened! Thanks Claire!! And thanks too to Michael Sullivan for letting his hosting channel know about the event.

For any enquires about the next PowerCamp or running a PowerCamp privately, email me at DoctorDNS@Gmal.Com.

 

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp

PowerShell PowerCamp Soon Come!

We’re locked and loaded for this week-end’s PowerShell PowerCamp event in London this Saturday and Sunday November 5 and 6 in London Victoria. We had a few last minute cancellations, but in all we have 19 folks signed up (and room for 2 more late bookers should you be interested). And owing to landlord works, the event has been moved to the building next door – but everything will be alight on the night as they say.

I’ve got a box of nice new memory sticks to copy all the collateral onto – one for each attendee. I’ve also got copies of some cool software for all who turn up as well. And in the unlikely event that Wiley gets their act together and the books actually arrive, I may have a copy or two of our PowerShell Bible book (but as Wiley ship books by surface, it’s a month after the copies shipping but they’ve still not arrived).

Should you be at a loose end this weekend and fancy a two day PowerShell boot camp, please email me (DoctorDNS@Gmail.com) as due to the two late cancellations, there’s still a bit of room. Alternatively, I am hoping to do another weekend event in the Spring (and will announce it as soon as I get the dates etc. lined up which will probably not be till late-November/early-December).

And for any PowerShell addicts who happen to find themselves in London on Saturday, we’ll be having PowerDrinks (also known as beer and other drinks!)starting at 17:15 on Saturday. Send me mail and I’ll send you the co-ordinates of the event!

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,PowerCamp,London

Windows PowerShell Bible To Be Published Soon!

I am really pleased to see that the PowerShell Bible 2.0, from Wiley, is due to be published very soon.

 

This labour of love from Karl Mitschke, Mark Schill and Tome Tanasovski took a lot of time and effort. I’m so glad to see it finished and nearly in the shelves.

Feel free to visit any book seller and buy as many copies as you like. Once the book is published and I get my rather meager allowance of them, I will have a few copies to give away to those folks who attend my PowerShell Master Classes!

London PowerCamp is Over – Roll on York

The 2-day PowerShell Power camp is over. The room’s empty and I’ve left the house (and I am home!). A very long two days, but very productive, at least as far as I can tell! Twelve folks took the challenge to give a weekend and jump into the fast flowing fire hose - and made it all the way through. The PowerCamp was promoted via social media – unlike traditional training. The delegates all self-selected and learned about the event via Twitter, Facebook, etc. There were no corporate clients telling their employees to attend. And there was no vendor paying for the class. The delegates all had to give up a weekend – which is always a real challenge these days. So well done group for making it through the weekend!

The objective was to cover as much of PowerShell as possible in 2 days. And we covered a lot!! We had a special guest today, super-star James O’Neill who did a fantastic job augmenting my solo performance discussing not only his most excellent PowerShell module for Hyper-V, but also sharing what he has learned about PowerShell as a result. In some areas we may not agree – the disagreements make great food for thought. Personally, I really enjoyed the session and I am pretty sure all the delegates did too. Those of you attending the PowerShell deep dive in Las Vegas will be delighted with James’s talk there!

This style of training is not for everyone. There are people who learn better by lots of hands on – they need the structure of formal labs and time to play (which in turn requires powerful PCs, plus the setup time and effort necessary). But many experienced IT Pros can learn by listening and watching (and of course developers can to this too although this was not a developer focused event). They learn enough to move them on to the next level and gain the motivation them to do so. They also learn about the excellent PowerShell community and how to take advantage of it. The outstanding qualities of the PowerShell community never ceases to amaze me.

Ultimately, mastering any subject takes practice and that practice has to be on the job. But in two days we covered enough for the delegates to know and see the potential of PowerShell, learn enough of the syntax to move beyond the minutiae of the PowerShell language, and most important, for them to get more excited about PowerShell. One delegate came with a problem he hoped to solve – he goes away (well hopefully!!) knowing the problem is solvable and broadly how to do it. Another spent all of last evening working through the things we covered, and I suspect will do the same tonight.

This training also does not eat into the revenue of my training company clients. Folks that self select and pay a modest amount for 2 days of weekend training are highly unlikely to pay to come on a 5 day 'official’ training course. ALL the delegates this weekend had day jobs that probably precluded them taking that much time off. Neither were they going to pay the ‘official course’ price (and the expenses involved). And the income amounts were sufficiently small that most big training company sales folks would just not bother with pushing (their commission against the low rates I charged just doesn’t make sense). I sure get that.

One cool thing, those very very nice people from Idera and Quest were kind enough to let me give away copies of their PowerShell software. The delegates really appreciated the very kind offer – so a dozen more PowerGui Pro and PowerShell plus users!!!

But at the end of the day, we have a dozen folks who leave with a much greater enthusiasm for PowerShell, equipped to learn more on their own and excited about the potential for PowerShell in their jobs. What a result! It really makes all the work involved worth it.

I’ve now got a couple of days off before heading up to York to do another PowerCamp. There’s still room, if you want to attend. So come along, bring your thoughts, problems, concerns along and I’ll do what I can to make you as excited as this weekend’s group was! York is very central to a lot of key Northern cities, and the transport to/from the event is pretty easy. We’re out to the east of York city at the wonderful University of York. I know it’s a lot to ask you to give up a weekend, but why not – you’ll certainly leave knowing a LOT more about PowerShell!!!

It Was The Night Before PowerCamp…

And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even my mouse.

Well – that’s enough corny poetry for tonight. Tomorrow, the 2-day PowerShell PowerCamp hits London. We have a dozen folks booked up for two long days covering PowerShell V2.0 fundamentals (and as much more as I can cram into 2 days).  This two-day mega-jump-start event has gained more traction than I had hoped for. By design, I’ve only publicised it via social media – via Twitter, my blog, and a few other most welcome retweets, plus Microsoft kindly posted a couple of blog entries. I’m not sure I can boast that this is the first ever social media promoted course, or even the first social media promoted PowerShell course. But it is the first I’ve done, and it’s been exciting. For those of you coming – see you there.

What’s more exciting is that we’re taking this to York next week where we have both a great audience already, and room for more. If you’re serious about getting a jump start into PowerShell, come along. Let me know if you’d like to book a place!

Weekend PowerShell PowerCamp–York UK

I’ve written (and tweeted) in the past about my weekend PowerShell PowerCamps. Now have two more on the schedule and ready to book. These two will be held in York, at the University of York. A great venue easily accessible from much of the north east (Newcastle down to Leeds), the North West (Manchester and Liverpool) and the north Midlands. And for those farther afield, the organisers will have a great B&B offer, plus we’ll have dinner on the Saturday night in York.

This event will be, as the web site promises, fast paced!  I’ll be covering the basics of PowerShell, from the fundamentals at the command line through to writing production oriented scripts. On the first day, we start with topics including installation and configuration, formatting, providers and PowerShell remoting. On day 2, we look at scripting, modules, a deeper dive into objects and a quick lap around the PowerShell features included in Windows Server 2008 R2.

You should come along with a laptop with either Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 loaded (in a virtual environment). The virtualisation product you use is irrelevant – you can use VMware, Oracle Virtual Box, Hyper-V, etc. You should, however, have at least two VMs (a DC and a ‘client’) so you can investigate PowerShell features as we cover them in the class. If you don’t have a MSDN or TechNet subscription to get the DVDs for these OSs, you download the trial versions for the class. See here for Windows 7 and see here for Server 2008 R2 X64. I’ll be running Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V plus a number of VMs to conduct the demos – so be sure to bring along your laptop all setup. We will not be providing computers for you – so please come prepared (and contact me if you have any concerns).

There are two dates currently scheduled in York: 26 March 2011 and 18 June 2010. Both are to be held at the University of York. See the web site for more details of costs and to book.

And for those hoping for more information about PowerCamp in London – watch this space! News should be available this week.

Technorati Tags: PowerShell,Weekend,PoweCamp