Conference Schedule 2017-2022



SEF
Speaker
May 2022
SharePoint Cincy
SpeakerApril 2018
MCT NA Summit
Speaker February 2018
Ignite 2017
Speaker
September 2017
Ignite 2017
Staff September 2017



Conference Schedule 2016



SEF Unity Connect
Speaker October
Ignite 2016
Staff
September
SharePoint Saturday- Pittsburgh
Speaker August
SharePoint Cincy- Cincinatti OH Speaker May




Conference Schedule 2015



Ignite 2015
Staff
May
SPUG- Columbus OH Speaker August
SharePoint Saturday- Pittsburgh, PA
Speaker May





Conference Schedule 2014



SharePoint Conference Attendee/Book Signings March 3-6
TechEd 2014 Attendee/Book Signings May 12-15
PacIT Pros TechDays
Speaker
June 6-7
SPUG- Columbus OH Speaker June
SPUG- Cleveland OH Speaker July


Session Concepts

(all material property of CallahanTech. All rights reserved)

O365 Subscriptions 101- Are you just trying to get a handle on your O365 subscription? And what subscriptions to apply to your users?
Are you looking for answers to: What's the difference between a license and subscription? Do all users in your subscription need the same license? Can you apply more than one to a single user? You've heard of self-provisioning, what is that? Can you use it? Is it different depending on subscription? What subscription do your need? What do they actually do? Can you disable features for a user or group of users? There are multiple kinds of groups, what's up with that? Come get the skinny on subscriptions and get the most out of O365 for your organization.

F1 Subscription Demystified. Do you know what the O365 F1 subscription is? Curious? Then this session is for you. Come see what the F1 subscription is, what it isn't, and what it can actually do. Get the answer to what Microsoft thinks is a FirstLine worker. Come see what a user with that subscription applied has access to, can do, can not do, and why the supremely limited Staff Hub can be useful, especially for self-provisioning.

Office Pro Plus and Remote Desktop Services. Microsoft prefers that customers use their Pro Plus plans for desktop Office 2016 licenses, rather than per machine. However, this can cause an issue with users self provisioning Office onto machines that are unmanaged, users installing parts of Office that are against office policy, and there are challenges in installing the Pro Plus click-to-run in a Remote Desktop Services Environment. If you have any questions, or would like to see a demonstration of how to get OPP to work with RDS, manage self provisioning, and more, come check out this session.

The Secret Sauce of Teams. Microsoft has been really encouraging O365 users to embrace Teams. But what is Teams? Do you need to know? Yes. Knowing the underpinnings of that particular app will really help you understand its weaknesses and strengths. Learn about how to manage files with SharePoint, use Workflows and more. Get the most out of Teams that you can, and have a better understanding of its limits with this session.

App Management 101
- Microsoft has introduced App Management with SharePoint 2013. What is App Management? Do you have to configure it? (No, not really) What, exactly, is an App? Do we have to use Apps? (Basically, No) Can you still use your solutions, features, templates, and web parts? (Yes)

If you've ever had these kind of questions, then this session is for you. Stop on by and learn what App Management is, what Apps are, and if they mean the end of all of the templates, web parts, solutions and features you've collection and trusted over the years. In addition, we'll walk you through how to set up App Management (also proving it
can be installed, configured, and work
on SharePoint Foundation). You'll see what it will look like in your environment, and what SharePoint Server can do with Apps that Foundation cannot, in case those boundaries are important.

Search for SharePoint Foundation 2013- SharePoint Foundation 2013 is an upgrade of Search Express 2010 (which is why there is no "Search Express 2013"). This means it is a significant departure from the search capabilities of SharePoint Foundation 2010 and earlier versions of SharePoint Services. For those of you who are curious about just how far you can go with the new Search in SharePoint Foundation 2013, this is the session to attend.

Automatic Provisioning: Installation made easier- Installing and initially configuring SharePoint Foundation is not that hard. You just need to have the right accounts and the right premissions on hand. Then it's a matter of using the wizard to install, then some fundamentals to configure. No more than an hour, maybe two, right? But what if you need to do the installation faster? Or you don't have internet access (the installation wizard prefers access to the internet)? Or you could use a standard blueprint of your installation and configuration so you can do provision testing or disaster recovery quickly? Suddenly that hour or so doesn't seem so convenient does it? That's why you should learn how to automate your installations. It's easy, and with the new service applications that are available with SharePoint Foundation 2013, it helps standardize their configuration too. Come learn how it's done and get tips from a pro.


Conference Schedule 2013



SharePoint & Exchange Forum 2013, Stockholm Sweden
Speaker September 30- October 2
SPTechCon, Boston MA
Speaker
August 11-14
SPUG Cleveland OH Speaker
July 24
TechEd NA, New Orleans LA
Attendee/Book Signing
June 3-6
Pac IT Pros TechDays
Speaker May 2-3


Session Concepts

(all material property of CallahanTech. All rights reserved)

Migrating to SharePoint Foundation 2013- Considering upgrading your SharePoint Foundation 2010 implementation to SharePoint Foundation 2013, but not sure where to begin? In this half-day tutorial, we'll explore the improvements available with SharePoint Foundation 2013, as well as the features that have been removed or deprecated. From there, we'll see what can migrate and what can't, and what to look for to help smooth the upgrade experience, with some tips on documentation. We'll then actually migrate a demonstration implementation of SharePoint Foundation 2010 to 2013, so you can see what really happens, from moving content databases to upgrading site collections. See how to deal with the need to keep some site collections working as if they were on the Foundation 2010 server; how to allow some site-collection administrators to upgrade their site collections on their own; how to convert authentication mode from Classic to Claims; and more. Migration can be pretty complicated, so it helps to be prepared.

Troubleshooting SharePoint Foundation 2013- SharePoint has never been completely trouble free, we all know this. From the moment of installation, there are issues that can haunt an implementation. This session reminds you of common errors likely to occur from the start (in either Server or Foundation) and how to fix them. With a brief overview of common issues when configuring services, and tools used to find and repair them. Be better prepared for trouble, and avoid problems before they cause a catastrophe.

Frugal Admin: Free tools for SharePoint 2013- Do you wish SharePoint had more built-in tools for monitoring and maintenance? Have you been having trouble trying to document your SharePoint implementation? Would you like to see some utilities that will make managing SharePoint (particularly SharePoint Foundation) easier? Come see the tools that many professionals have in their arsenal before spending big bucks on those third-party products. Learn about the safer places to find good tools, trustworthy scripts and other goodies, and save some dough while working on SharePoint like a pro.

App Management for SharePoint Foundation 2013- Word on the street is SharePoint Foundation cannot offer App Management. Word on the street is wrong. Although it can have its limitations, SharePoint Foundation 2013 can be configured to have App Catalogs, offer Apps to users, with license management, approvals, and more. If you were curious about how to simply set up App Management and want to see Apps, or if you are running SharePoint Foundation 2010, and were thinking of buying SharePoint Server 2013 just for the Apps, this session is for you. Come see SharePoint Foundation 2013 manage Apps despite any press to the contrary



Conference Schedule 2012



SharePoint Conference 2012
Staff, Hands-On Labs
November 12-15
SharePoint & Exchange Forum 2012, Stockholm Sweden
Speaker October 23-22nd
Sharepoint Saturday, Louisville KY
Speaker
July 28
TechEd 2012 EMEA, Amsterdam
Staff
June 25-29
TechEd NA, Las Vegas NV
Staff, Hands-On Labs, Sharepoint Section
June 11-14
Pac IT Pros TechDays
Speaker March 22-23





Session Concepts

(all material property of CallahanTech. All rights reserved)


Story of how Search grew up- SharePoint Foundation 2013- Search in Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Foundation was a limited thing. You configured two service accounts, named a database and scheduled indexing, that's it. You could not create crawl rules, content sources, or manage crawl logs-- unless you chose to install Search Server Express instead, which came with its own limitations. But that is a thing of the past. Because now SharePoint Foundation has asorbed the old Search Server Express. And because of that, configuring, managing, and using Search is very, very different (more complicated but more powerful) than any other version of SharePoint Services or SharePoint Foundation in the past. No longer so limited, SharePoint Foundation can now search files shares, other web sites, and more. If search was holding you back from using SharePoint Foundation in your organization, this just might change your mind.Come see what's new in Search for SharePoint Foundation 2013.

SharePoint's new obsession; it's all about the Apps!-
SharePoint 2013 is getting away from Web Parts and Lists, and moving on to calling those things Apps. Oh there are still features and solutions, but the big new thing is Apps. Come see what an App is, and what all the fuss is about. Learn how to configure the new App Management Service (so you can use Apps from the SharePoint Store), as well as consider the ins and outs concerning administering Apps in your SharePoint implementation.

What's new in SharePoint Foundation 2013 (a cautionary tale)-
There is a lot of documentation, blog articles, and discussions about SharePoint Server 2013, but there isn't much information about the newest version of SharePoint Foundation. And, that's a shame, because there have been some big changes made to that good old foundation version of SharePoint. Come see a whirlwind demonstration of the new features gained, and old features lost with SharePoint Foundation 2013. Get the facts first before deciding to upgrade. You might be pleasantly surprised.

PDF and RTF iFiltering in SharePoint Foundation 2010- A technical session demonstrating exactly how and why PDF and RTF ifiltering works in SharePoint Foundation 2010. iFiltering makes it possible for SharePoint to parse and index the contents of a certain file types so they can be searched. Being able to search files that Microsoft Office products generate is built it. But PDF files? No, you need to look to a third party provider for that (but Adobe and Foxit will let you use their iFilters for free). Indexing rich text files (RTF)? Well, you'd think SharePoint would do that automatically, but there is a known bug that requires fixing before SharePoint can do that natively. In one hour you can see how to improve


Conference Schedule 2011



SharePoint and Exchange Forum 2011 (Stockholm, Sweden) Speaker November 14-15, 2011
SharePoint Saturday Cincinnati Speaker October 29th, 2011
SharePoint Conference 2011 Unsung Hero Awardee & Staff, Hands-On Labs October 2-7, 2011
Pac IT Pro SharePoint TechDay  Featured Speaker September 23rd, 2011
SharePoint Saturday Columbus Speaker August 20th, 2011
Columbus SharePoint Users Group Speaker August 18th, 2011
Cleveland SharePoint Users Group Speaker July 27th, 2011
TechEd NA, 2011 Staff, Hands-On Labs, SharePoint section May 15-19, 2011
MVP Summit 2011 MVP Attendee February 27-March 3, 2011


Session Concepts

(all material property of CallahanTech. All rights reserved)


User Groups, SharePoint Saturdays, Online sessions, and other conferences

SharePoint design fundamentals- It so easy to install SharePoint and just get started. And the temptation to just install it and learn as you go is strong. But resist that urge, because it is extremely easy to set up SharePoint incorrectly from the start, and when you do, the results can be permanently disasterous. Come check out this session to explore the fundamentals of implementing SharePoint correctly before you are forced to simply learn to live with a bad implementation. This session considers such questions as: I've got one server, do I have to use the Standalone install? My departments don't get along, should I do separate web applications, site collections,what? What is AAM, and how do I use it? Come see what you might have overlooked in your implementation and what can be done to fix it.

Monitoring your SharePoint Foundation server at no extra cost-- Frugal Admin series. You know that it's critical that you monitor your server- its activities, performance, and errors, to be sure everything is working optimally. But since there don't seem to be much monitoring available out of the box,it may be tempting to just buy an expensive 3rd party monitoring tool to do the job for you. Resist that temptation and see what you can get for free; either from the server itself (there may be more there than you realize) or from the internet. Avoid spending any money unnecessarily by attending this session.

Governance: You've gotta have a plan. SharePoint is easy for users to adopt, but giving them control without limitations can allow your SharePoint implementation to grow into a chaotic behemoth. Before that happens to you, consider learning the basics of governance; how to manage security, access, sites, data, and documents, before it's too late.

What the heck is Multi-Tenancy? And why would I want to use it? You may have heard of multi-tenancy, but what exactly is it? Come check out this brief introduction to what multi-tenancy or hosting capabilities are built into SharePoint (even SharePoint Foundation), how to set them up, and how to use them. There are a few gotchas and limitations, but multi-tenancy is definitely something every SharePoint administrator should know. Stop by and add this important capability to your administrative arsenal.

PowerShell, do I really need to learn this too? Powershell is nothing to be afraid of. It's simply an additional way to get things done. Sometimes the GUI works, sometimes you still need to use good, old, trustworthy STSADM. And now Microsoft has made some of the added functionality in SharePoint 2010 available only using PowerShell. So if you want to take advantage of those new features, you need to use PowerShell. It's not rocket science, it's just another command interface, another tool in your belt. So let an old school administrator show you what PowerShell is; the fundamentals on how to use it, some gotchas, some tips and tricks, and ease into using a tool that is pretty easy and very powerful- once you get the hang of it.

Frugal Admin Series sessions:

Frugal Admin series: What can you get for nothing? Quite a lot actually... SharePoint doesn't have to be a budget buster. Come see some cool places to go to plumb for riches, what looks free but isn't, demos of free monitoring tools, so lacking in SPF, updated fantastic 40 templates for those who used in them 2007/WSS3, and more...

Frugal Admin series: How to create do-it-yourself, no cost dashboards Did you know that you can create dynamic, informative dashboards by using the web parts that come with SharePoint. Come see how simple dashboards are, as the session takes you from idea to completion in one hour of fun filled demonstration. See how easy it is and avoid wasting money buying something you can do on your own.

Monitoring your SharePoint Foundation server without spending a penny-- Frugal Admin series. (Is also listed as a standalone session for events) You know you need to monitoring your SharePoint Foundation server, but there is so much pressure to simply buy some expensive, third party products. Resist that temptation and see what you can get for free; either from the server itself or from downloadable tools. Don't spend a penny on monitoring tools before you see this session.

Alternate description: (So Microsoft has invested most of the monitoring power of SharePoint in the Server version, and left the Foundation server a bit lacking in built in monitoring tools. But that doesn't stop the Frugal Admin from getting the job done. Come see what tools are available, built-in, to the Windows Server SharePoint runs on, as well as free and useful tools available online.)

Frugal Admin series: How to get SharePoint Foundation to index PDF files without spending a thing. Don't listen to those people who say you can only index PDFs if you invest in SharePoint Server 2010, or you have to at least install Search Server 2010 Express on the server to get PDF indexing to work. With just a few steps and a free download of an Adobe PDF iFilter, you can have your SharePoint Foundation farm indexing PDF files without a problem.

Frugal Admin does troubleshooting-- What is wrong with my Alerts?! Ever have issues with Alerts? Such as trying to apply them to an AD group, but the summaries simply do get sent? How about users getting alerts to lists they don't have the permission to access? Come to this session for reminders, tips, tricks, and troubleshooting to help you get the most out of alerts before spending any money on third party fixes.

Extras:

Permissions- Lessons learned the hard way. The need to manage user access to resources and activities in SharePoint is a standard requirement in any networked environment. And SharePoint does offer acess and permission control. However, it can be more complicated than just adding users to the default site groups and calling it a day. Permissions have dependencies, conflicts, and can combine to give users capabilities you didn't intend. Come to this session to learn tips and tricks that aren't really documented, like some secret permission dependencies Microsoft doesn't mention, how granular permissions break anonymous access, why to manage permissions in AD, and more.

The inside scoop on SharePoint's new Health Analyzer. Love it or hate it, SharePoint's health analyzer does have it's uses concerning keeping informed about configuration mistakes, overlooked settings, or even a pending error or two. Come see what truly makes the analyzer tick, how to control its reports, and what you might safely ignore, and what you have to act on immediately. Learn to appreciate the Health Analyzer in this short session.

How to fix common errors and get your SharePoint Foundation implementation humming. So maybe you've installed SharePoint, or maybe you've got a test implementation going. Everything was okay at first, but quickly you discovered a number of errors in the Event logs on the server. Maybe search isn't working, or you're having issues accessing you web applications, or maybe everything seems okay, but the event logs keep nagging you. There are a number of common event errors that you can practically plan for, from user profile service errors (even in SharePoint Foundation which doesn't do user profiles), to VSS. Know what to expect, and how to fix it after attending this session.

BCS for Dummies-- Did you know that SharePoint Foundation offers Business Connectivity Service? It does now. Finally, the free version of SharePoint can now use BCS (otherwise known as Business Data Connectivity or BDC) to create lists or fields that access data stored in databases outside of SharePoint.This session offers a quick look at how to simply set up Business Data Catalog external data to be used in a list or external field. Don't have Kerberos set up for the web application? No problem. Aren't a developer and don't know how to use SharePoint Designer (never mind Visual Studio)? No problem. This session is taught by an administrator for administrators to give them a head start at using this really useful feature available with all versions of SharePoint 2010.

Migration: Impossible dream made real (some limitations may apply...). So you've got a WSS 3.0 implementation humming along smoothly. You've got some downloaded web parts, some Fantastic 40 templates, and some kicking site templates all doing what you want. Things could go as they are, successfully, for years. Then you find out you have to upgrade to SharePoint Foundation 2010. Yes, your misgivings are not misplaced-- there are some changes between the versions that can be considered shortcomings. Nonetheless, you do get some good stuff to help make up for the losses. Come see what to expect, why you might want to upgrade, and also why you might not want to. Get an idea of what kind of upgrade you should go for; In-Place upgrade, or Database Attach migration? How about your custom stuff, will that work with 2010? Did you know 2010 does not have a 32 bit version? And do you definitely have to say goodbye to your beloved site templates? Check out this session to find out more about migrating from 3.0 to Foundation, and lessen your fears.

Conference Schedule 2009-2010



TechEd 2010 Staff/SharePoint 2010 June 6-11 2010
MVP Summit MVP Attendee February 16-19, 2010
Windows Server 2008 R2 Firestarter Event Organizer/Speaker December 16th, 2009
SharePoint Saturday, Richmond Speaker, carried the Introduction to SharePoint track November, 20th 2009
SharePoint Saturday, Cleveland Speaker November, 14, 2009
COSPUG meeting, Columbus OH Featured Speaker August 20th, 2009
SharePoint Saturday, Baltimore Speaker July 25th, 2009
SharePoint "Summer '09 Refresher" VConference Speaker July 22-24, 2009
TechEd 2009 Staff/Windows 2008 R2 Solutions May 11-15, 2009
SharePoint Saturday, DC Speaker, selected speaker for Bamboo Solutions Food Drive winner May 1st, 2009
SharePoint Spring VConference Speaker, winner, Best of Show, SharePoint April 22-24, 2009
MVP Summit MVP attendee March 1-4, 2009



Session Concepts

SharePoint Saturday and SharePoint Vconferences 2009

The Frugal Admin, How to get the most out of the built-in web parts-  Don't just accept that your home pages are boring. Put some life into them without spending a penny. Explore the existing web part templates and broaden the horizons of existing list view web parts. Push them to the limit and turn your bland, hum drum home pages into the spectacular, useful, web part pages they were meant to be. Wow your users, impress your boss, and never wonder if you could have built yourself what you just paid some one else to make. Know for sure what your options really are, without any additional cost.

The Frugal Admin, Do it yourself dashboards- Dashboards are easy, depending on what you want to do with them. Why pay for one when you can roll your own? Come see the secrets of the simple dashboard; how to create the views, the web parts, and the web pages that make a site's home page more relevant from management to worker. See how far you can go out of the box before you spend a dime.

The Frugal Admin, Make your own Custom Site Templates- So you think only Microsoft can come up with useful site templates? Think again. Don't be trapped into thinking that if you want a nice site (especially one you'd like to deploy in a few places) you have to pay a developer to create it. Come see how we wrap up this three part series by conserving the now customized site, full of fancy web parts and dashboards, by creating our own unique site template without having to invest in Visual Studio or even SharePoint Designer.  With tips and tricks concerning workflows, resource libraries, and more. Learn how to make your templates self referencing, so they can pack up and go without having any extra files to worry about. Elevate your status, become that much closer to a WSS expert by seeing how it's really done-- all without special developer training or expensive additional software. Create the templates you wish Microsoft had thought of after attending this session.

The Frugal Admin, Don't spend a penny, use what's already out there- There are many, many free and useful tools and templates for WSS administrators out there, just waiting for you to find them.  Say you need to create a new user group site, or your managers want you to create a time sheet site to track each department's hours on sharepoint related projects. Maybe your IT department want's their own helpdesk site. Before you start either trying to create those yourself, or finding someone to pay to do it-- consider looking online at the resources already available from Microsoft and Codeplex. With the Fantastic 40 templates, Groupboard 2007, and the Community Kit for SharePoint, you've probably got all bases covered, and then some-- for FREE. So before you start making promises to anyone, stop by this session and get a glimpse of the good stuff, and discover all those pre-made templates before the need to make your own wears you down.




Conference Schedule 2008



SharePoint Virtual Conference Speaker November 5-7, 2008
TechEd 2008- It Professionals Staff/ Birds of a Feather Moderator June 10-13, 2008
TechEd 2008- Developers Staff June 3-6, 2008
IT360 Conference and Expo Speaker April 7-9, 2007


Session Concepts

SharePoint Virtual Conference- Fall 2008

Useful, effective, pre-made SharePoint templates-- from Microsoft, for free... Need a help desk, timecard, or vacation request site? Considering just creating them yourself?  Don't.  Not until you explore the pre-existing application templates available from Microsoft.  Free for download, Microsoft has 40 fantastic application templates, not to mention the Community Kit for SharePoint with offerings such as enhanced blog templates, or sites for user groups. So before you invest time and technology in rolling your own, check out this session and get an idea of what's been rolled for you.

Pump up those List Views, or How to make a List View Dashboard-In Sharepoint, every list or library has view pages.  These are generally static pages that let you manipulate the data contained in those lists or libraries.  But did you know that list view pages are actually web part pages?  That you can add other list view web parts to make those pages more dynamic and more effective?  Come visit this session and get a taste of a new way of using the built in capabilities of list views and list view web parts, and make accessing data in your lists or libraries more powerful than before.

Avoid Disaster without spending a penny- Whether you've already implemented SharePoint, or are only preparing to, backup and recovery should be a priority. Discover how to use SharePoint's out of the box backup and restore capabilities to protect your data in case of calamity.  This session will take a quick trip through the built in backup options available with SharePoint; suggest some tips, tricks, and best practices; and focus on some techniques concerning how to restore that data before disaster strikes.

TechEd 2008, IT Professionals

Birds of a Feather session: "The less costly path, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0." Session description:  "Are you supporting a small business or non-profit company that is interested in SharePoint? Considering installing Windows SharePoint Services 3.0? Join the author of "Mastering Windows SharePoint Services 3.0" to discuss the best practices, tips, tricks, and gotchas before you deploy WSS in your environment. Topics of discussion can include everything from what kind of installation to use (including Active Directory Account Creation Mode); to user management, tips on security, Directory Management Services, cost effectiveness, and more. Feel free to join us as we explore why, when, and how to implement Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 in a small/non-profit business environment."

IT360, Spring 2008

Virtualization Capabilities & Concepts: Windows Virtual PC and Virtual Server

Virtualization capabilities and concepts; comparing desktop virtualization to server virtualization, and the circumstances which favor one over the other. This session will be demonstrating Windows Virtual PC 2007 and Virtual Server 2005 R2, because of their simple interface and the fact they are free.  Attendees will come away with a good, basic understanding of the point of virtualization and whether desktop or server virtualization is right for them.

Welcome to System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM)- Disaster recovery is an important part of managing any enterprise.  Learn to leverage Windows client and server volume shadow copy capabilities with Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM), to protect and recover application server, file server, and client data. Data Protection Manager can take frequent snapshots, realtime, of server and client files, allowing for continuous data protection.  DPM 2007 has specific features for protecting Exchange, SQL, and Virtual Server Virtual Machine implementations, all from one administrative console.  Learn the ins and outs about what DPM is, how to deploy it and its agents, how to manage it using the administrative console, and more.  Discover the data protection tool your network might be missing with this brief but data packed presentation...

An introduction to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0- An IT professionals guide on what it is, how to prepare for it, and how to install it, as well as an introduction to configuration and administration with some dos and don’ts.  Learn what web applications and site collections really are, Alternate Access Mapping, and Managed Paths.  Discover why you don't need Directory Management Services to do incoming email, and what Active Directory Account Creation Mode is.  For those of you considering WSS 3.0, or those who may have inherited it, this is a must see session by the author of "Mastering Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. Attendees will come away with an understanding of what Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is, what it takes to install it, and which deployment is the right one for their organization.

Hey, what’s Going On? How to Monitor and Control SharePoint- Deploying SharePoint is only the beginning.  Once installed it must be monitored to avoid unexpected growth.  In this one hour seminar, we'll explore the existing tools for monitoring activity in SharePoint, how to control "site collection creep," manage user alerts, site quotas, database limits, and more. Use usage summaries, logs, and site confirmation and deletion to your advantage. Don't let SharePoint get out of control.  Learn how to exploit the built in monitoring capabilities of SharePoint and Server 2003 to avoid being overwhelmed and come away with a better handle on what to do when faced with the task of managing SharePoint.

 

2007 Conference Schedule

 

Windows Connections, Orlando,Florida US Speaker April 1-4, 2007
TechEd 2007, Orlando Florida, US Attendee June 3-8, 2007


Session Concepts

Windows Connections, Spring 2007

Windows SharePoint Services Demystified- An IT professional’s guide on how to install, set up, and administer WSS 3.0 with an overview of what it is and what it does. Includes topics such as what Windows Sharepoint Services are and how they differ from MOSS; what WSS does to the server under the hood; dos, don’ts, and best practices from an administrator’s point of view; and what the heck a document library actually is. Learn what to consider when installing WSS; how to use preexisting libraries, lists, and other out-of-the-box goodies; how to create subsites (and why); how to manage users, rights, and configure settings that any administrator needs to know. Attendees will come away with a working knowledge of Windows Sharepoint Services and what to watch out for when deploying it in their business environment.

Leveraging One of SharePoint's Forgotten Gems, Part One: Harness the Power of Custom Lists- WSS is often simply written off as a document sharing tool. But oh contraire, it can be much more than that. Come see how to unlock the hidden database potential of WSS, creating custom lists that allow you to enable your users to access, enter, and display shared data (like inventory, sales, and more). Watch how WSS can become a data management tool with built-in security capabilities, reporting, and more.

Leveraging One of SharePoint's Forgotten Gems, Part Three: Harness the Power of the Simple, Built-in, List View Web Parts- Web Parts are usually considered for developers only, but that's just not true. Come see the third and final installment of the forgotten gems series, and learn how to use Web Parts to your advantage. Don't just fill your home page with stock market tickers and sports stats; learn how to leverage custom lists and their views to make your site's homepage more relevant and useful (without becoming a developer).

Leveraging One of SharePoint's Forgotten Gems, Part Two: Harness the Reporting Power of Custom Views- Every list, table, or database is simply comprised of records of data. And although that's nice, on it's own it's not that nifty. It's not enough to simply add data, and it's not enough to simply have it stored somewhere. You have to be able to see it, to query it, to *use* it. And that's what SharePoint lists and their views are all about. Come see how to use the power of view customization and learn a whole new way of using SharePoint.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Backup and Restore- Now that you have SharePoint deployed, the last thing you want is SharePoint destroyed. Learn how to back up, archive, and restore your critical SharePoint sites and databases. Also see how to template your lists and sites for safe and easy restoration in case of a smaller emergencies. Become the hero as you ride to the rescue of your users if their favorite collaboration tool should suffer from the cruel hand of fate.

 

2006 Conference Schedule

 

NetworkWorld, Toronto Canada Speaker April 22nd--26th
TechEd 2006, Boston, MA, US Ambassador/Instructor June 11th--June 16th
Windows Connections, Las Vegas, US Speaker November 6th--9th

 

Session Concepts

NetworkWorld

The freebie show (NT109)- Would you like to wring all the functionality out of your Windows server 2003? CA Callahan will provide an exciting review of some of the free features and downloads for Windows Server 2003. Why buy a third party solution, when Windows might already be able to do what you need without added cost? Learn about Windows Server Update Service, Windows Sharepoint Services, Remote Installation Server, Streaming Media Services, and more. Before you pull out your checkbook, check out this tutorial and save by getting more out of your server. This tutorial will benefit IT professionals that want to learn about server capabilities they may have overlooked. A basic understanding of the Windows server 2003 operating system, active directory is recommended. LinuxWorld Conference and Expo Canada - - Special Features

Deployment--with RIS and WDS (Longhorn) (NT119)- Learn about the current remote installation technology hidden in Windows server 2003 and what is on the horizon for Vista and Longhorn server. Discover how to customize installs, modify the user experience, and recover from client disasters, all with your remote installation server. Come see how the whole remote installation process has been revamped with Vista and Longhorn server, with an updated setup manager, imaging, Vista Ximage technology, Windows PE. Determine how to overcome hardware issues, avoid unnecessary multicast traffic, manage deployment user interaction,and more. You should have a working knowledge of Windows 2003 and understand Windows 2000/2003 or XP Professional.LinuxWorld Conference and Expo Canada - - Special Features

Protecting your network from unmanaged clients (NT223)- You are at risk if you have users remotely accessing your network through a VPN, or visitors plugging into your office network for internet access. Learn how to protect your network with Network Access Quarantine Control and Network Access Protection. NAQC (built into Windows Server 2003), focuses on protecting your network from VPN clients accessing your network from the outside, while NAP (coming out with Longhorn server), does that and protects against security non-compliant visitor computers from within your offices. Close another security hole on your network and learn how to use these tools to your advantage. This will be a fast paced, moderately advanced security session best benefited by IT administrators, network administrators, and IT professionals who need to protect their networks from unsecured clients. A working knowledge of Windows Server 2003, Active Directory and how to set up remote access on a Windows network, is recommended.LinuxWorld Conference and Expo Canada - - Special Features

TechEd 2006

Instructor Led Labs- Come join me in the Instructor Led Labs.  One of the least publicized (at least it wasn't last year) aspects of TechEd.  If the independent hands-on labs leave you frustrated, consider stopping by.  The instructor led labs are filled with proctors (like me) who are more than qualified to assist you in following the instructor and accomplishing the lab tasks to get the most out of your hands-on experience.  Come stretch your boundaries in a fully assisted environment, incorporating the best of both worlds- hands-on lab and instructor presentation. Come learn in a less passive way than any other session at the event.

This year I actually lead two sessions covering what's new with administration in SharePoint Services v. 3 (otherwise known as Microsoft Office SharePoint Services 2007 or MOSS).  The sessions, based on modules pulled from courses 3369a and 3373, were assigned to me by the ILL team leads from Microsoft.  The session presentation requirement was a bare fifteen minute intro and overview of the lab contents (and virtual pc), which was challenging to say the least.  Be forewarned, there are some significant changes in the look, feel, and features of the third version of SharePoint Services.  The way administrative settings are laid out and organized may take some getting used to.  Also note, the template for the team site is now more like a meeting workspace and less like a document workspace than ever before.

For those of you who may have come to this site looking for my PowerPoint slides from that presentation, I am afraid you will be disappointed.  Those slides are part and parcel of the afore mentioned Microsoft Official Curriculum courses and are not, apparently, available for convenient download without paying the fee associated with the course.  In addition, the courseware (as is the product itself) is in beta and not commercially available at this time.  Sorry about that.  If you wait until November, I may be able to swing my own content for an equivalent session covering the changes in MOSS 2007.  I can assure you that it will contain considerably more content than that which can be covered in fifteen minutes.

Windows Connections 2006

Protecting Your Network from Unmanaged Clients Using Network Access Quarantine Control- Do you have employees using the VPN to connect to your network from unmanaged computers? Has your network ever been compromised because of it? Is it just a matter of time? If this is a concern of yours then this session may be for you. Learn the ins and outs of Network Access Quarantine Control, and how to protect your network from client computers that are not normally managed by you or your company. Discover how to use NAQC to your advantage; its strengths and limitations, and close another security hole on your network.

The Next Generation of Network Access Quarantine Control- You know securing your network with a firewall isn't enough. Hardening your servers, installing antivirus and spyware programs on your managed clients isn't enough. Even strong passwords isn't enough when it comes to reining in unmanaged clients inside and outside of your network. Network Access Protection, available in Longhorn and Vista, is the next generation of client quarantine technologies. Evolving far past the concept of Network Access Quarantine Control, NAP can enforce policy compliance of the computers connected to your network via not just VPN enforcement but DHCP, IPsec, or 802.1x as well. Protect yourself from the visiting laptop inside your office or the unmanaged computer across your VPN. Learn about how Network Access Protection will work for you--it's components, settings, suggestions, and best practices.

Deployment Improvements in Vista and Longhorn using Ximage, and Windows Deployment Services (preconference session)- For anyone who has ever used RIS (or thought about it and changed their minds, or heard of it and didn't know what it was...), this presentation is for you. It's about the new deployment tools bundled with Longhorn and Vista. First, there's Ximage. It's workstation imaging technology built right into the Vista OS. Second there's Windows Deployment Services. Longhorn's answer (and upgrade) to RIS. Meant to deploy images rather than just to do installs, it's faster, stronger, and smarter. Come see how deployment has improved, become more efficient, and more cost effective. If deployment effects your bottom line, then this session is a must see.