Using ICS with Hyper-V to work around Realtek NIC problems

Whilst setting up v4 of Microsoft’s  (CIE) environment, we encountered numerous problems whilst using Hyper-V with a Realtek network card. After creating an external virtual network within Hyper-V and selecting the Realtek network adapter, all outbound connectivity ceased. This was not the case with another physical network adapter that we were using (which happened to be an Intel card). Continue reading →

The accidental SharePoint DBA series: Max Memory

Although most of this article is still correct, things are slightly different in SQL Server 2012. See​ 

It’s been a while since I’ve written an article that highlights a common misconception. This isn’t least because the last time I did this I received comments from one or two apparently disgruntled readers. No one likes to be told that they are wrong and in fairness, that particular article made a couple of sweeping statements. This was somewhat deliberate to spark a discussion and the article triggered a fair number of comments and follow up emails. Continue reading →

SharePoint 2010 & 2013 URL Cheat Sheet

05/11/2012 update: since writing this, the  has been updated to include a supported limit of up to 20 Web Applications per SharePoint 2013 farm. This is in line with what I have heard from various SharePoint MCMs.

Designing a URL structure for a SharePoint farm sounds like a straightforward task. Surely it’s just a case of creating a few Web apps and corresponding DNS entries, right? Continue reading →

How I passed SharePoint 2010 exam 70-667 (Part 4 of 4)

​​​Looking for the downloadable PDF? Click .

 

I passed the 70-667 exam back in December 2010, i.e. well over 18 months ago. This means that the exam I sat did not include content related to Service Pack 1. This post is therefore speculative in nature and simply reflects what I would revise and practice were I to sit the exam now.

Continue reading →

“Your PC’s CPU isn’t compatible” message when attempting to install Windows 8 Release Preview

Sucked in by the Microsoft marketing hype today, I decided to install the Windows 8 release preview on my desktop computer (albeit in a VM). Although she’s fairly old by technology standards (I built her around 5 years ago), I figured that a Core 2 Duo machine would be capable of running Win 8, especially given Microsoft’s claim that the requirements are similar to those for Windows 7. Continue reading →

SharePoint, SQL server fill factor and index rebuilds – a correction

Overview

Today we are going to be taking a look at the fill-factor option that is available within SQL Server 2005 and later, in the context of Microsoft SharePoint.

Aside from providing reasons for caring about fill-factor, I point out a mistake in the SQL maintenance guidance for both SharePoint 2007 and 2010 that relates to index rebuilds that I have made Microsoft aware of. Continue reading →