I’ve taken programming classes before: a VB6 course back in 2000, an intro to programming with C++ course in 2002, and then I picked up some C# back in 2006, but none of it ever really sunk in because I didn’t spend enough time with any given language to get any good at it. The only “programming languages” I’d been proficient in were XHTML and CSS2. . . well, up until January of this year that is.

In the Spring semester of 2011, I enrolled in CIS 26 at Laney College in Oakland, which was an introductory programming class that used C as the language of choice. It was both a “for beginners” class as well as a course on how to write code in the C language. I really enjoyed it, and now in the Fall semester I’m enrolled in CIS 25: Object-Oriented Programming with C++. So far, it’s been enjoyable. We’ve covered the usual if-else and switch statements; for, while, and do-while loops; functions; pointers and reference variables; classes and polymorphism. . . the usual fare for an OOP class. The teacher assigns no particular book, he simply lectures and sends out notes he wants us to use, then strongly recommends we pick out a book to use ourselves; one we can read and learn from outside of class.

For my money, I chose to go with Stephen Prata’s C++ Primer Plus:

After all, I went to College of Marin, and he used to teach there. . . oh, and the book comes highly recommended, too. It’s a great read, both for beginners and experienced coders. I’m slowly but surely working my way through the last few chapters now, getting my head around classes, among quite a few other things. This’ll be the longest span of time I’ve ever spent doing any kind of coding, for class or otherwise, and I intend to keep it up.

I’m going to take a data structures & algorithms class at Laney at some point in the future, probably next summer. (Yeah, that’s the only time they offer it.) Before then, however, I intend to already have a leg-up and spend some time working my way through a book or two, then maybe find some coding projects to tackle. Which book(s) I intend to read, I haven’t the foggiest idea yet, but I’m hoping to get some suggestions from my classmates and former co-workers on the subject. I don’t intend to let what I’ve learned drop away this time, and I’ll be damned if I go into that next class without some kind of preparation so I can get the most out of it.

So far, I’ve done a bare-bones install of Exchange 2010 three times, (once almost without any screw-ups,) in a lab environment consisting of a domain controller and a member server both running Windows Server 2008 R2. Baby steps, baby steps.

[Only slight spoilers ahead, nothing you can't figure out from the theatrical trailer.]

In Tron Legacy, Kevin Flynn disappears in 1989, leaving his entire life to fall apart without him. This includes his company, the raising of his son, and his arcade, Flynn’s, which is shown in the film having been closed down and all the game machines covered in plastic. When Kevin’s son, Sam Flynn discovers the arcade and turns the power back on, all the machines come back to life. . . including an original Mortal Kombat arcade machine, which didn’t come out until 1992.

Given Kevin Flynn’s hidden office isn’t discovered until 20 years later, it’s fair to assume that the arcade was shut down as soon as he disappeared. If the arcade had stayed open without Flynn around, his employees would surely have found the office behind the Tron arcade machine just as easily as Sam did.

Continuity mistakes for the win! And that concludes my obligatory uber-nerdery for the year. . . everything from this point on will be completely voluntary.

In the words of the great Ben Croshaw: “Allow me to hold your head under the putrescent waters of knowledge.”

Is the IT industry elitist? In a word: yes. It’s one of the few industries where the words “entry level” actually mean you should have several years of experience before applying. It’s an industry where there is always someone younger, someone smarter, someone willing to work longer hours out to take your job and steal your promotion. It’s an industry notorious for its demand that we update our skills faster and faster with each passing year, and that’s simply to stay current with the job(s) we already work in.

However, there are some pretty good reasons.

The first reason is that, in IT, the spectrum of responsibility you are expected to carry can range from simply making sure a few office-workers can connect to the internet and download their email, to keeping system-critical servers and equipment working for hospitals and banks. We need to stay sharp, we need to keep ourselves up to date, and we need to grow with technology or we can’t do our jobs and maintain that technology. That, of course, brings me to another reason.

Technology changes, the needs of businesses and users change, and we have to change with them. There is no way to do business today the way we did in the 80′s, the 90′s, or even the way we did in 2005. If you want to complain because you’re just now learning what a server is, and most companies want someone who understands virtualization, that’s nobody’s problem but yours. One of the points that Ayn Rand once made is one I whole-heartedly agree with: a person is not hired for a job to his or her best, they’re hired to do what is necessary to complete that job. This industry requires a VAST amount of knowledge on our part, a great deal of flexibility, and a practical understanding of how to use that knowledge to keep the world running. On to the next point.

As Sabalo mentioned, there are lots of people who get into IT thinking it’s easy money, then complain when they find out it’s harder than they thought. Oddly, no one expects to be a doctor, physicist, astronaut, firefighter, or engineer without a lot of work beforehand, and this industry is no different. And, honestly, it’s not for everyone. Not everyone “has the right stuff”, and some people even spend anywhere from two to eight years in school before they figure out that IT isn’t for them. (This is also true for those other professions I mentioned, as well as many others, like computer science.) You keep working, you keep learning, and then you figure out if this is the path for you or if your best simply isn’t good enough and another path is a better choice.

It sounds like you’re fresh out of college, so you’ve got plenty of time to decide what to do with your life. You were told you weren’t a good fit for the job(s) you applied for, so right now you’ve got a choice:

A.) Blame the hiring manager(s) that turned you down for being unfair not realizing your genius.

B.) Figure out why they didn’t want to hire you, and work on those things.

Maybe you need more experience? Volunteer your time. Maybe you need more certs? Study and earn them. Maybe you need to work on your interviewing skills? Talk to professionals, (like the ones on this board,) and ask them for help. Maybe your communication skills are rusty? Take some writing and speech courses. There are lots of things we all need to improve on, don’t expect to be the exception to the rule.

If all this sounds a little harsh, it’s because it is. IT is a competitive industry, and it doesn’t suffer fools. It’s better to know what you’re getting into and try to live up to that, than it is to get thumped on the head a few times and grow bitter because of it. We’ve all been new to IT, and most of us are here to offer help. . . but only if you can accept that you just might need it.

Coming up this month will be the launch of Office 2010, Visual Studio 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2,  and SharePoint 2010. To kick things off, Microsoft is holding launch-events in various parts of the country. Be a part of the launch of Microsoft’s new products, (and take home free copies of the software,) by signing up for an event in your area. For those of you who can’t make it to a live event, there will also be a live keynote by Stephen Elop, President of Microsoft’s business division on the launch of the new software suites.

There are two paths for each event, IT Pro and Developer:

For IT Professionals, focuses more closely on Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010

For developers, focusing on Visual Studio 2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2.

The events are free to sign up for, but space fills up fast.

#4 – John Astin (It’s all in the eyes.)

#3 – James Earl Jones (I could listen to him read the phonebook, quite frankly, and it would still be cool.)

#2 – Christopher Walken (If he doesn’t scare you, you’re either the man himself or the #1 entry on this list.)

And the number one, possibly most frightening/disturbing rendition of The Raven. . .

#1 – Vincent Price (True greatness never fades.)

• iTunes U is a resource available through iTunes which grants access to thousands of classes and complete courses that have been podcasted from universities and colleges around the country (and the world).
• MIT’s OpenCourseWare is an example of the content available from iTunes U, and a great stand-alone resource for any student that wants to get a preview, or overview, of courses offered at MIT.
• TED offers videos of talks and lectures by prominent and influential teachers, thinkers, and artists from all over the world.
• Academic Earth offers a wide variety of courses and lectures in video-format.
• Video Lectures has a large selections of videos covering lectures in a broad range of topics.
• Free Video Lectures offers an RSS feed of newly-submitted videos to keep users up to date of their selection.
• Lecture Fox provides a list of available classes in the form of videos, audio, and notes.

Check out Keith’s blog for the full description of the following videos:

• AD Domain Join
• User Authentication
• Bow to Group Policy (Desktop Management)

Microsoft just announced that Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1 is available to evaluate. Channel 9 also has some great tutorials and discussions, including this one which involves the download and installation of the beta.

You can find some great resources on the page linked to above, as well as from this blog. It follows the objectives outlined by CompTIA’s Server+ site.

The following is the current information linked from JDMurray’s entry on the TechExams.net blog.

A group of members here at TechExams.net are a little excited about the new beta exam for the revised CompTIA Server+ certification for 2009. OK, we’re excited at the prospect of picking up yet-another-certification for free while helping CompTIA test-run its latest revision of the Server+ exam. I already have the Server+ cert from way back in 2003, but my opinion is apparently as valuable a non-cert holder, so I was granted an opportunity by CompTIA to participate as well.

The objectives for the 2009 Server+ exam certainly show quite an improvement over the exam I took. I remember the big areas I had to study-up on were tape backup strategies, the numerous levels of RAID,  and the various types of SCSI technology. The revised Server+ exam adds objectives about networks and networking devices, file systems, motherboards and components, electronic media storage systems, and virtualization. There are also sections on physical security, disaster recover, and troubleshooting. The new Server+ is a lot like the A+ and Network+ certs combined, but from the server room tech’s point of view.

Anyway, I don’t want to review the new Server+ exam before I actually take it. Instead, this article presents a study reference for the Server+ exam for those people who are participating in the beta test, and for those who will take the exam after it is formally released. The following (long) listing is derived from the 2009 Server+ objectives and contains links to external Web sites (mostly Wikipedia) that provide information about each objective. Remember that CompTIA exams are entry-level, so it’s not necessary to become an expert on each objective, but please do try and learn a few new things along the way.

1.0 System Hardware

1.1 Differentiate between system board types, features, components and their purposes.

• Dip switches / jumpers • Processor (single and multi) • Bus types and bus speeds • On board components

o NICs o Video o Audio o USB o HID o Serial o Parallel

• Expansion slots

o PCI o PCIe o PCIx o AGP o ISA

• BIOS • Riser Card / backplane • Storage connectors

o SCSI o SATA o IDE o Floppy

1.2 Deploy different chassis types and the appropriate components

• Cooling

o Fans o Water cooled o Passive o Active o Shroud o Ducts o Redundant cooling o Hot swappable o Ventilation

• Form Factor (tower, rack, blade)

o Space utilization (U size, height, width, depth)

• Power

o Connectors o Voltages o Phase

• Redundant power • Shut off switches – chassis intrusion • Power buttons • Reset buttons • Diagnostic LEDs • Expansion bays

1.3 Differentiate between memory features / types and given a scenario select appropriate memory

• Memory pairing • ECC vs. non ECC • Registered vs. non-registered • RAID and hot spares • Types

o DDR o Fully buffered DIMM o DDR2 o SDRAM o DDR3

• Memory compatibility

o Speed o Size o Pins o CAS latency o Timing o Vendor specific memory

• On board vs. riser card

1.4 Explain the importance of a Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)

• Vendor standards for hardware • Memory and processor compatibility • Expansion cards compatibility • Virtualization requirements

1.5 Differentiate between processor features / types and given a scenario select the appropriate processor

• Multicore • Multiprocessor • Cache levels • Stepping • Speed • VRMs • Execute disable (XD) or not execute (NX) • Hyperthreading • VT or AMD-V • AMD vs. Intel (non-compatible CPUs) • Processor architecture (RISC, CISC) • Vendor slot types • 64-bit vs. 32-bit • Heat dissipation (heat sinks, fans, liquid cooling)

1.6 Given a scenario, install appropriate expansion cards into a server while taking fault tolerance into consideration.

• Manufacturer specific

o Fax cards o PBX cards o Camera cards o VoIP

• HBAs • NICs • Video • Audio • Storage controller (SCSI, SATA, RAID)

o SCSI low voltage / high voltage (LVD/HVD) o SCSI IDs o Cables and connectors o Active vs. passive termination

• Port expansion cards

o USB o IEEE 1394 o Serial o Parallel

1.7 Install, update and configure appropriate firmware.

• Driver / hardware compatibility • Implications of a failed firmware upgrade (redundant BIOS) • Follow manufacturer instructions and documentation

2.0 Software

2.1 Install, deploy, configure and update NOS (Windows / *nix).

• Installation methods (optical media, USB, network share, PXE)

o Imaging – system cloning and deployment (Ghost, RIS/WDS, Altiris, virtualization templates)

• Bootloader • File systems

o FAT o FAT32 o NTFS o VMFS o ZFS o EXT3

• Driver installation

o Driver acquisition o Installation methods o Require media

• Configure NOS

o Initial network o User o Device o Roles o OS environmental settings o Applications and tools

• Patch management

2.2 Explain NOS security software and its features.

• Software firewall

o Port blocking o Application exception o ACL

• Malware protection software

o Antivirus o Antispyware

• Basics of file level permissions vs. share permissions

2.3 Given a scenario, implement and administer NOS management features based on procedures and guidelines

• User management

o Add and remove users o Setting permissions o Group memberships o Policies o Logon scripts

• Resource management

o ACLs o Quotas o Shadow volumes o Disk management o Performance monitoring o Baselining

• Monitoring (tools and agents)

o SNMP (MIBs) o WBEM (WMI)

2.4 Explain different server roles, their purpose and how they interact

• File server and print server • Database server • Web server • Messaging server • DHCP server • Directory services server • DNS server • Application server

o Update server and proxy server o Filtering server o Monitoring server o Dedicated o Distributed o Peer to peer

• Remote access server • Virtualized services • NTP server • Explain the different between a workstation, desktop and a server • Server shut down and start up sequence (one server vs. multiple servers vs. attached components)

2.5 Summarize server virtualization concepts, features and considerations

• Resource utilization • Configuration • Interconnectivity • Management server • Reasons for virtualization

o Cost benefits o Redundancy o Green initiative o Disaster recovery o Testing environment o Ease of deployment

2.6 Describe common elements of networking essentials

• TCP/IP

o Subnetting o DNS o DHCP o Classes o Gateways o Static vs. dynamic o IP stack o Ports

• Ethernet

o Types o Speeds o Cables

• VPN • VLAN • DMZ

3.0 Storage

3.1 Describe RAID technologies and its features and benefits

• Hot spare • Software vs. hardware • Cache read/write levels (data loss potential) • Performance benefits and tradeoffs

3.2 Given a scenario, select the appropriate RAID level

• 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 50 • Performance benefits and tradeoffs

3.3 Install and configure different internal storage technologies

• Hot swappable vs. non-hot swappable • SCSI, Ultra SCSI, Ultra320 (termination), LUNs • SAS, SATA • Tape • Optical

o DVD o DVD-R o CD-ROM o CD-R o CD-RW o Blu-Ray

• Flash • Floppy (USB) • Controller (firmware levels) • Hard drive (firmware, JBOD)

3.4 Summarize the purpose of external storage technologies

• Network attached storage • Storage area network • Tape library • WORM • Optical jukebox • Transport media

o iSCSI o SATA o SAS o SCSI o Fiber Channel

4.0 IT Environment

4.1 Write, utilize and maintain documentation, diagrams and procedures

• Follow pre-installation plan when building or upgrading servers • Labeling • Diagram server racks and environment topologies • Hardware and software upgrade, installation, configuration , server role and repair logs • Document server baseline (before and after service) • Original hardware configuration, service tags, asset management and warranty • Vendor specific documentation

4.2 Given a scenario, explain the purpose of the following industry best practices

• Follow vendor specific server best practices

o Documentation o Tools o Websites

• Explore ramifications before implementing change – determine organizational impact • Communicate with stakeholders before taking action and upon completion of action • Comply with all local laws / regulations, industry and corporate regulations • Purpose of Service Level Agreement (SLAs) • Follow change control procedures • Equipment disposal

4.3 Determine an appropriate physical environment for the server location

• Check for adequate and dedicated power, proper amperage and voltage

o UPS systems (check load, document service, periodic testing) o UPS specifications (run time, max load, bypass procedures, server communication and shut down, proper monitoring)

• Server cooling considerations – HVAC

o Adequate cooling in room o Adequate cooling in server rack o Temperature and humidity monitors

4.4 Implement and configure different methods of server access

• KVM (local and IP based) • Direct connect • Remote management

o Remote control o Administration o Software deployment o Dedicated management port

4.5 Given a scenario, classify physical security measures for a server location

• Physical server security

o Locked doors o Rack doors o CCTV o Mantraps o Security personnel

• Access control devices (RFID, keypads, pinpads)

o Biometric devices (fingerprint scanner, retina)

• Security procedures

o Limited access o Access logs o Limited hours

• Defense in-depth – multiple layers of defense • Reasons for physical security

o Theft o Data loss o Hacking

• Secure documentation related to servers

o Passwords o System configurations o Logs

5.0 Disaster Recovery

5.1 Compare and contrast backup and restoration methodologies, media types and concepts

• Methodologies (full, incremental, differential)

o Snapshot o Copy o Bare metal o Open file o Databases o Data vs. OS restore o Rotation and retention (grandfather, father and son, leaning tower)

• Media types

o Tape o Disk o WORM o Optical o Flash

• Backup security and off-site storage • Importance of testing the backup and restoration process

5.2 Given a scenario, compare and contrast the different types of replication methods

• Disk to disk • Server to server

o Clustering o Active/active o Active/passive

• Site to site • Site types

o Cold site o Hot site o Warm site o Distance requirements

5.3 Explain data retention and destruction concepts

• Awareness of potential legal requirements • Awareness of potential company policy requirements • Differentiate between archiving and backup

5.4 Given a scenario, carry out the following basic steps of a disaster recovery plan

• Disaster recovery testing process • Follow emergency procedures (people first) • Use appropriate fire suppressants • Follow escalation procedures for emergencies • Classification of systems (prioritization during recovery)

6.0 Troubleshooting

6.1 Explain troubleshooting theory and methodologies

• Identify the problem and determine the scope

o Question users/stakeholders and identify changes to the server / environment o Collect additional documentation / logs o If possible, replicate the problem as appropriate o If possible, perform backups before making changes

• Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious)

o Determine whether there is a common element of symptom causing multiple problems

• Test the theory to determine cause

o Once theory is confirmed determine next steps to resolve problem o If theory is not confirmed re-establish new theory or escalate

• Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and notify impacted users • Implement the solution or escalate as appropriate

o Make one change at a time and test/confirm the change has resolved the problem o If the problem is not resolved, reverse the change if appropriate and implement new change

• Verify full system functionality and if applicable implement preventative measures • Performa a root cause analysis • Document findings, actions and outcomes throughout the process

6.2 Given a scenario, effectively troubleshoot hardware problems, selecting the appropriate tools and methods

• Common problems

o Failed POST o Overheating o Memory failure o Onboard component failure o Processor failure o Incorrect boot sequence o Expansion card failure o Operating system not found o Drive failure o Power supply failure o I/O failure

• Causes of common problems

o Third party components or incompatible components o Incompatible or incorrect BIOS o Cooling failure o Mismatched components o Backplane failure

• Environmental issues

o Dust o Humidity o Temperature o Power surge / failure

• Hardware tools

o Power supply tester (multimeter) o System board tester o Compressed air o ESD equipment

6.3 Given a scenario, effectively troubleshoot software problems, selecting the appropriate tools and methods

• Common problems

o User unable to logon o User cannot access resources o Memory leak o BSOD / stop o OS boot failure o Driver issues o Runaway process o Cannot mount drive o Cannot write to system log o Slow OS performance o Patch update failure o Service failure o Hangs no shut down o Users cannot print

• Cause of common problems

o Malware o Unauthorized software o Software firewall o User Account Control (UAC/SUDO) o Improper permissions o Corrupted files o Lack of hard drive space o Lack of system resources o Virtual memory (misconfigured, corrupt) o Fragmentation o Encryption o Print server drivers/services o Print spooler

• Software tools

o System logs o Monitoring tools (resource monitor, performance monitor) o Defragmentation tools

6.4 Given a scenario, effectively diagnose network problems, selecting the appropriate tools and methods

• Common problems

o Internet connectivity failure o Email failure o Resource unavailable o DHCP server mis-configured o Non-functional or unreachable o Destination host unreachable o Unknown host o Default gateway mis-configured o Failure of service provider o Can reach by IP not by host name

• Causes of common problems

o Improper IP configuration o VLAN configuration o Port security o Improper subnetting o Component failure o Incorrect OS route tables o Bad cables o Firewall (mis-configuration, hardware failure, software failure) o Mis-configured NIC, routing / switch issues o DNS and/or DHCP failure o Mis-configured hosts file

• Networking tools

o ping o tracert / traceroute o ipconfig / ifconfig o nslookup o net use / mount o route o nbtstat o netstat

6.5 Given a scenario, effectively troubleshoot storage problems, selecting the appropriate tools and methods

• Common problems

o Slow file access o OS not found o Data not available o Unsuccessful backup o Error lights o Unable to mount the device o Drive not available o Cannot access logical drive o Data corruption o Slow I/O performance o Restore failure o Cache failure o Multiple drive failure

• Causes of common problems

o Media failure o Drive failure o Controller failure o HBA failure o Loose connectors o Cable problems o Mis-configuration o Improper termination o Corrupt boot sector o Corrupt file system table o Array rebuild o Improper disk partition o Bad sectors o Cache battery failure o Cache turned off o Insufficient space o Improper RAID configuration o Mis-matched drives o Backplane failure

• Storage tools

o Partitioning tools
o Disk management
o RAID array management
o Array management
o System logs
o Net use / mount command
o Monitoring tools