’Should I shout, should I rout?’
A session which really stood out was about IPv6. Mark Minasi was the speaker here, and wow, he really knows how to grab the publics attention and keep them interested. 
IPV6 isn’t really exciting stuff. When you take your loved one out for diner, you won’t talk about IPV6 I mean. And yet, Mark Minasi talked about it in a very humorous way. First he talked about WHY IPV6 will be coming soon and gave (among others) these two reasons:
- China, who has built themselves a IPv6 native national network called Chinese New Generation Internet (CNGI) and are in the desperate needs for many many IP addresses which IPv4 can’t deliver
- and (European) carmakers who are implementing IPV6 in to their cars on a massive scale
He also mentioned a website where one can see when IPv4 is through its all available IP addresses:
So he urged the audience to gain knowledge about IPv6 since within two years it will hit us like a tidal wave. So be prepared!
Then he talked about IPv4 and its shortcomings. (Should I shout, should I rout?) and soon he talked the audience through the way how IPv6 addresses should be read, what types of IPv6 addresses do exists, what their functionality is and how to differentiate between them. In between he cracked a lot of jokes and the good thing is, every joke hit the right spot: the whole audience laughed.
In a matter of 75 minutes Mark Minasi made a potential dull subject clear and alive. Really, whenever you go to an event and Mark Minassi is a speaker for a session, attend that one since you will really learn from it and have some good laughs as well!
System Center Service Manager
Today there was another session about SCSM which I really wanted to attend. It turned out to be a good idea since this session was packed with many demo’s which gave a good overview about the capabilities of SCSM. Back home I have Beta 2 up & running, but it is almost empty. And here – for the demo’s – their were connections with SCOM and SCCM. So now I had the opportunity to see how these SC products work in concert. Nice!
First the inner components of SCSM were explained as well as their functionality and how they connect to other SC products. 
The very core of it all is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). On top of it are built (all briefly described, there is much more to it):
- Incident Management
SCCM & SCOM can automatically create incidents in SCSM
- Change Management
An automated process which can use embedded standard processes (of course can these processes be changed, extended in many many ways) .
- Knowledge Management
Customer, Partner and Analyst authored content, fully searchable.
Of course, there is also a Data Warehouse which takes it data in from the CMDB. SQL Reporting Services is used here to built the reports.
The demo’s were impressive:
- New User scenario
A new user is added in AD by using SCSM. First a Change Request is made, requesting to add a new user. With a form some information is asked for, like the name of the user. When provided, the user is automatically created in AD. For this PS is used here.
- Newly created User request additional software
The newly created user starts on his/her first day and request additional software. The user does this through the web based Self Service Portal of SCSM.
- The software request gets approved and installed
In SCSM this request is approved by the people who a responsible and in SCCM a new advertisement is created for installing this software on the system of the new user.
- Management Packs
Yes. MPs in SCSM since it is a platform. Third parties can add and/or extend SCSM by creating MPs. Rules, classes and workflows are to be found in SCSM as in SCOM! For this the Service Manager Authoring Tool is used. Three main area’s where this tool can be put to work are:
- Extending the CMDB model
- Creating new forms
- Create workflow
Now the MP being used in Demo 1 was shown and the way it was constructed. Very interesting to see.
- SCCM and SCSM working in concert
SCCM has noticed that a system isn’t compliant any more. It lacks anti-virus software. In SCSM a ticket is automatically generated and assigned to the right persons. These persons are notified so they know about the issue so they can remedy it.
It was good to see SCSM in action. Like I stated before SCSM will become the umbrella and bring al SC products together. Yes, 2010 and especially 2011 (vNext versions of SCCM, SCOM, SCVMM and SCSM will come out that year) will certainly be very dynamic years with much going on!
Also the second day was very informative and impressive. Never ever I thought myself to be laughing while having the basics of IPv6 explained. And yet I did while I was learning at the same time as well! Also to see what SCSM will be all about and how all SC products will work in concert was very impressive. A day well spent!
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