As an administrator you are always looking for new tools to make your life easier. One of these tools is the Performance Analysis of Logs (PAL).  The best part of this tool is that its free and can be downloaded from codeplex.  I have included the link at the bottom of the article.  The main person behind the project is Clint Huffman who joined Microsoft back in 1999.  While troubleshooting problems for the premier performance team he notcied that most problems could be found using perfmon.  The problem with perfmon is that you really have to know what you are looking for and have the ability to weed out everything that does not matter.  That is where the PAL tool comes into play.  Instead of making an art out of reading perfmon captures it make it more like a science.  You can run your perfmon captures through this tool and it will point out where potential bottlenecks might exist.  Some of the products you can troubleshoot using this tool are IIS, MOSS, SQL Server, Exchange Server, and Active Directory.  The list is not limited to the products listed but they are the most common.  I urge to head on over to the codeplex site to download the tool.  Clint was also recently on RunAs Radio.  If you get a chance stop over and listen to the podcast.

PAL Tool On Codeplex:
http://www.codeplex.com/PAL

Clint Huffman’s Blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/clint_huffman/

RunAS Radio Podcast Link:
http://www.runasradio.com/default.aspx?showNum=82

One of the best podcast for IT professionals I have been able to find is RunAs Radio. The hosts of this podcast concentrate on Microsoft topics that administrators run into everyday. The hosts try to limit the show to roughly thirty minutes and concentrate on one topic. The hosts are Richard Campbell and Greg Hughes. Both of these IT professionals have allot of respect in the IT field. Some of the latest topics they have covered are Windows 7, Hyper-V, and Server 2008 R2. You can download the shows in mp3, wma, and acc. So if you get a chance stop by and check out the shows.

RunAS Radio Site:
http://www.runasradio.com

Check out the video below about hardcore computer.  They build some pretty amazing boxes that words can not even really describe.  Check out the video below and let me know what you think.

Hardcore Computer Site:
http://www.hardcorecomputer.com/

I just wanted to make a quick post to talk about Tech Ed 2009.  Registration is now open for the event.  The event is going to be held in Los Angeles, California.  It is also being held earlier then it has in the past.  This year Tech Ed 2009 will be from May 11-15.  Also if you sign up before December 31, 2008 you will get $300 off of your registration.

Tech Ed 2009 Site
http://www.msteched.com/teched/

I came across Wubi a couple of weeks ago when I was looking at trying to use Ubuntu.  This program is perfect if you are looking at dual booting a Windows OS with Ubuntu.  Wubi makes the process very easy for an administrator who does not have allot of experience with Linux.  I was able to have an Ubuntu install done in about an hour.  Once you have Wubi and Ubuntu installed it is really easy to switch between the two operating systems.

So if you are looking for a way to start playing around Ubuntu this is your perfect solution.  You can still leave your windows OS in tacked along with being able to fully test Ubuntu.  The only downfall I have found is that disk performance is a touch slower with the way Ubuntu is installed through Wubui.  This can be fixed if you repartition your disk space manually instead of having Wubui do it for you.  Hopefully you will be comfortable doing this once you a few hours of Ubuntu experience under your belt.

Wubui Site
http://wubi-installer.org/

While enjoying some much needed time off I stumbled accross the game Combat Arms produced by Nexon.  The first thing that made me wonder if it was worth my time to check out was that it was free.  That’s right I said free.  I have tried out allot of games that were free over the years and was usually less then impressed.  So I set my expectations very low for this one.  I was actually very surprised when I downloaded the game and played my first game.  The closets thing that I can compare it to is Call Of Duty.  I was really surprised by the graphics and game play.  As of right now there is not anything I would really change about the game.  So if your looking for something to do I highly recommend checking out Combat Arms.

Game Website
http://combatarms.nexon.net/Intro.aspx

Majestic SEO has been in development for several years now.  The team which I am part of has been working hard to try and publish the best index in the world.  Alex who is the founder has recently published a page on the project website that compares the SEO project to other competitors. It is pretty interesting to see that the project is very competitive and is on its way to compete with Google.  Please check out the link below and let me know what you think of the information.

Majestic SEO Comparison Web Page
http://www.majesticseo.com/research/competitors-analysis.php

I have been called allot lately by friends and family who are having problem with spyware and viruses.  One of the first questions I ask them is if they are running any anti virus programs.  The answer believe it or not is usually no.  The first product I then recommend is Avast because of it exceptional protection.  Not only does it detect viruses but it also detects rootkits.  Avast also does not seem to use allot of system resources which is pretty impressive when you compare it to other anti virus programs.  Avast also continues to support older software versions which is very nice.  Most of the time uncle “Bob” our aunt “Sally” is not running the most current OS version.

So if you are looking for a great piece of software  check out Avast.  I think you will like what you see!

Avast Home Page - Free Edition
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

WinVistaClub has worked out a deal that allows you to download Easeus Partition Manager Pro for free on Novemeber 26th which is today.  Visit the link below and drop a note to the owners to thank them for making this possible.

WinVistaClub Download Link
http://www.winvistaclub.com/forum/windows-vista-clubhouse/26327-unlimited-free-download-easeus-partition-manager-pro-edition.html#post122389

May favorite day is only a few days away.  If you are in the need of some new hardware for your home systems, Friday is the day to go out and shop.  There are some great deals on desktops, laptops, storage, and miscellaneous peripherals.  There are several websites out there that already have all of the adds posted so you can form you strategy early.  If you have never heard of of the term Black Friday in the united state below is the link to the wikipedia article that describes it.

Wikipedia Black Friday Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

Black Friday Add Web Sites
http://bfads.net/

http://www.black-friday.net/

http://www.blackfriday.info/