I’ve just submitted my Application for The Apprentice 2012. I’m probably too old, but I’ll let you know. If you want to Apply, the closing date is July 3rd 2011.
The Apprentice 2012 Application Submission
Archive for June, 2011
The Apprentice 2012
Thursday, June 30th, 2011Doves from above!
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011A few pictures of the Doves that nest in our front garden every year, next to the pear tree.
Parent and young Collared Dove 'Streptopelia decaocto' on the nest
A young Collared Dove 'Streptopelia decaocto'
Me and Kofuku the Maiko
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011Whilst in Kyoto, Japan I had the pleasure of meeting Kofuku, a Maiko (trainee Geiko or Geisha).
Me and Kofuku
WON Tickets to see the Manic Street Preachers!
Monday, June 27th, 2011Hey, things are looking up, I’ve won tickets to see the Manic Street Preachers, the only issue, I’m double booked, at a Wedding!!!
Tickets for Manic Street Preachers
Tilly in washing basket
Sunday, June 26th, 2011Too hot today, 29 degrees C and above, must be too hot for Tilly as well, I spotted her in the washing basket asleep!
Tilly in washing basket
Poor Microsoft SQL Performance caused by Virtualisation – Not all servers are equal!
Sunday, June 26th, 2011Some services just don’t perform well being virtualised, so always test. An example SQL application, which when a query is executed through the application causes the virtual CPUs in the Guest OS, to spike at 100% CPU until the query has finished, rendering the Guest VM un-usable. The query in the application in the example, takes 13 minutes to finish, on a small 500MB SQL database. To the right of the workstation executing the query is the actual CPU Utilisation performance graph for the virtual Microsoft SQL Server with hits over 3GHz for 13 minutes, during the duration of the query. I suspect in this case a badly designed SQL vendor database – because the queries are running in parallel. But when the database is not your own creation, and is supplied as a vendors application, there is no choice, but to move to a physical server.
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/SQL-Final1.flv 480 360]
(The application has been blured due to obscure sensitive data).
Confirmed virtualisation was the issue, by moving the SQL database to a physical server.
Sorting my inbox! More spam from Travelodge and York Auction Centre breaches of security?
Saturday, June 25th, 2011I’ve been sorting through my Outlook Inbox, that’s not been tidy-ed (South Wales Welsh word!) in 6 months, so I had about 9,000 emails in my Inbox, so it needed some maintenance, and sorting!
Here’s My Inbox afterwards
Outlook Tidy Inbox
I’ve left the York Auction Centre emails on view as evidence, because they are another victims of hacker, and had their mailing list stolen, and now I am on another SPAM mailing list, so that’s three, Marks and Spencers, York Auction Centre and now Travelodge.
York Auction Centre, again think it’s okay to send me an “Important Message from York Auction Centre”, telling me everthing is okay, don’t worry, we’ve only been hacked, and they’ve got your email address! So ignore any emails from us, because they’ve not come from us!
Another telephone call to the ICO for another two claim forms !
New HD Video – Adding iSCSI storage to a VMware vSphere ESX/ESXi 4.x host server
Friday, June 24th, 2011The final installment of adding the iSCSI storage created by Starwinds iSCSI SAN Software on Windows 2008 R2 Standard in this article.
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/iscsi-part-2.flv 480 360]
I configure the software iSCSI initiator in vSphere ESXi server, connect to the iSCSI SAN, copy an ISO image from the previously create NFS datastore, to the new iSCSI LUN, and then create and boot a Windows XP guest on the iSCSI LUN, booting from the ISO image on the other LUN, it’s slow because it’s all running in Lab conditions, but you”ll get the idea, of how simple this is.
TiVo UK Service Ends or Does it?
Friday, June 24th, 2011I blogged here in February, that TiVo had announced the termination of UK service. Since the 1st June 2011, we’ve been limping along waiting for service to end. Today everyone’s TiVo at next “dial-home” will receive the following message, and any guide data will no longer be available.
TiVo Service Ends - 24 June 2011
Well Mr TiVo if you are reading this you can feck off. Mr Virgin has told you some porkies about the coverage of fecking Virgin TV in the UK.
You cannot take our TiVos back, and I’ll switch to AltEpg!
Yes, that’s right folks TiVo UK is back using a FREE, Alternative EPG Project!
“Introduction
On June 1st 2011, TiVo Inc. (USA) ceased the original TiVo service in the UK.
This means the original Tivo series one units will no longer receive any electronic programme guide (EPG) data and thus render many of their functions like Season Passes, Wishlists etc. in-operable.
The Alternative EPG Project (AltEPG) was born to independently source and provide replacement guide data as a substitute service, thus enabling users with perfectly good TiVo hardware to continue using their DVR’s.
This replacement guide data service is sourced from internet based content, maintained and improved via crowd sourcing. This means the quality of the guide data is in our (the users) hands.”
Source
So if you want to keep the Best PVR in the World, switch to AltEpg.
(and although it is free, I’m sure AltEpg wouldn’t mine a donation!)
HP Micro Servers £199 – £100 Cashback! Only £99!
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011I’ve been really hard pushed to get this blog out today, been busy all day with a VMware Migration.
HP Proliant Microserver
Grab yourself a bargain before the £100 Cashback deal ends on 30 June 2011
Make you own NAS for £99, (something you can store all those photos on!)
Bargain!
(using FreeNAS)
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