Adobe's Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, etc) is probably the most pirated software in the world (my opinion).  In many industries, it's considered the de-facto standard for today's graphics, video and media productivity tools.  So, obviously, Adobe had to do something to get their piracy under control, and re-establish some of that missing monetary value. ...
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Last year, I decided it was time to start working on virtualization at the desktop. The reasons were numerous and plentiful, and beyond the scope of this writing. Needless to say, it is a good decision. I decided on the Netscaler 8200 for it’s ability to scale, and for the Citrix Access Gateway features. Man, this device is quite powerful. Enough so, for me to question why I’m...
Read More About Citrix Netscaler, Synergy, and LPS Integration »

Everyone remembers Flickr, right?  It used to be the primo photo sharing service out there.  But, it was complex, slow to learn, and even slower to share.  It really had a "Photographer" feel to it.  In other words, if you weren't in the profession, Flickr didn't feel right. When initially started, Instagram took off like wildfire?  Why?  It was...
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Had a problem where I ran out of disk space, and needed to increase it on a Linux server.  Now, I'm not a Linux engineer, but I have used it for some time.  As far as I know, there are 2 ways to extend a drive that is built using LVM (Logical Volume Manager). Add an additional drive, add it to LVM, and expand the data to use the new drive. (physical and VMware) ...
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When scripting UCCX call center queues, it's common to put a caller on hold for a defined period of time, then do something with them.  Then, put them on hold again.  This could be to hear a "Thanks for holding.  We'll get with you shortly" every 2-3 minutes with hold music in between. Basic For example, here, you will see a basic call loop.  A call gets queued if...
Read More About UCCX Scripting - Iterating Different Recordings While on Hold »

Some time ago, I wrote about how to setup a Linux-based console server . But, there is one problem… if you reboot, your serial devices may have moved. So, to fix that, we will use UDEV to statically map the serial devices to non-changing names. Plug in your usb converter and run the command ‘dmesg’. Look for where it was mapped to. In my case, it is ttyUSB1 usb 3-2: new full...
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Have you ever had the need to have a terminal server to access your serial devices?  Maybe it's a Cisco switch, a Juniper router, maybe some HP equipment.  If it is accessed through a serial connection, you can make your own Linux-based serial terminal server, without having to purchase OpenGear or Perle , or building a Cisco terminal access server from an old 2500 octal...
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I love TACACS+.  I know there are those of you who prefer RADIUS, but there are a few reasons why I love Tacacs It's tried and true.  Stable It's TCP not UDP (c'mon, you knew I'd use this...) It's easiest to configure Group -> Command mapping So, when HP iMC 5.1 came out with TAM (Tacacs Authentication Module), I just HAD to try it out!  So, I...
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Recently, I was asked what the best way is to label your cable plant within an office/building/campus environment.  Of course, my answer was, "it depends". Scenarios The first thing I think about is "scalabililty".  When you come up with your own "scheme" to label your cables, it needs to expand well.  It also needs to handle changes easily, and with the least amount...
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Had an interesting issue today.  I enabled AAA Authentication on a used Cisco 3560 switch.  I then created a user with privilege 15.  But, every time I used either telnet or SSH, I was always getting User Mode.  I wanted Priveleged Mode. Since the highest level of privilege commands is 15, I should be getting full permissions if my user is ALSO set at privilege 15,...
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2 months ago, I started a project to move forward with Virtual Desktops at my company.  Obviously, one of the components of that is the thin clients.  Who to use?  Why?  The industry seems to be swarming with them.  Wyse, HP, NComputing, IGEL, 10zig, etc.  So, it becomes a tough call. A discussion started about someone being at Citrix Synergy 2012 and saw...
Read More About The use-case for PoE thin clients »

On Sept 12, I posted a tweet saying that I purchased my first HP Switch.  Obviously, this caused some discussion between the HP lovers, and the Cisco loyalists (okay, that's an exaggeration).  In this post, I hope to communicate to you *why* I chose to purchase 2 HP 5406's, even though I'm working on my CCIE and I have Juniper EX's running around. First, let's talk about...
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If you have been reading my posts on SNMP and management, you will see a pattern....... "I hate Microsoft's position on open management".  It's mostly because Microsoft will not make a move to SNMPv3.  However, there is one thing that Microsoft did really well..... and that's the ability to turn ANY windows event into a trap. Brilliant! So, now, no matter who the...
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This past week, my department had a global meeting, where many department managers and function leaders get together to talk, brainstorm, and learn new things within the company.  We should have this every year, but our last one as a few years ago. The meetings themselves were fantastic and there were some great ideas and interest from the event.  But, when you are trying to do...
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I'm always searching for the documentation on HP's iMC eAPI.  So, here it is: HP Intelligent Management Center Extended API Guide HP Intelligent Management Center Extended API Guide  (new location)
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