Author: MJandAR

How much does Azure Cost?

MJandAR Azure , ,

In working with numerous deployments, from entry to Azure to full datacenter migrations to Azure, there are some fantastic tools to help with getting a baseline to the question, “How much will Azure cost me?”

These are probably commonly known, but if you stumble upon this and this is the first you’re hearing about it, then you’re in luck!

Microsoft Azure: Pricing Calculator

The first tool is more for getting a pretty good quote based on services you select (and yes, there is a scenario wizard to help, if you’re not sure). The Microsoft Azure Pricing Calculator will help define your needs for consumption in Azure and break it down to an anticipated monthly bill.

Microsoft Azure TCO Calculator

The second tool is the Azure Total Cost of Ownership Calculator. This will help you quickly compare the TCO of your on-premises infrastructure with a comparable Azure deployment and gives estimated savings you can realize by moving to Azure.

Windows 10 in Azure

MJandAR Azure, Windows PowerShell

I came across a great post that answers a question I had;  “How can I run a Windows 10 VM in Azure?”.  Now, this isn’t a normal thing, but for me and testing things, sometimes it’s nice to have a clean workstation that is domain joined in my Azure network. This is not a cheap alternative to running it as a day-to-day used VM, but more for folks like me who want to run tests in a lab scenario. Josh Heffner’s blog post does a great job of explaining the technical ‘how-to’ of this.

How To Upload and Run a Windows 10 Enterprise VM in Azure

By | January 20, 2015
12 Comments

Running a workstation OS in the cloud may not be the most practical solution at this time, but it may prove useful in some test lab scenarios. While Azure does support plenty of server OS options that you can choose from a gallery and have up and running within minutes, Windows 7 and 8 images are currently only available to MSDN Subscribers. Azure does provide the capability to upload your own VHD to run on their platform, though. In this guide, we will create a Hyper-V VM with Windows 10 Enterprise Preview, prepare the VHD and upload it to Windows Azure, and connect to the Windows VM for use in the cloud. We will be using Windows 10 in this guide, but the steps are the same for Enterprise versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Read More about this at Josh’s page…

Windows 10, now on 300 million PCs, won’t be free after July 29

MJandAR Tech Updates

I know this may not be NEW news, but it is relevant to some.  In efforts to strengthen the Windows Operating System brand, Microsoft released Windows 10 -free of charge! This easy upgrade allowed users of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 to be brought up to the latest and greatest (and I mean Greatest!)  version of Windows to date. There is a catch, though…

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Reading Offline

MJandAR Simple Observations, Tech Updates

I came across a great article from a reputable business who specializes in Virtual Administration. Here’s a great tip for making use of your ‘downtime’ and catching up on reading…

 

Fill Your Pocket With Good Information

Posted on May 4, 2016

As a small business owner, my mind is constantly on learning new tips, keeping up with technology, and finding new ways to better assist my clients. If you are like me, that means you will often find yourself with a … Continue reading →

Start-Up Company Free Resource

MJandAR Azure, Simple Observations, Tech Updates , , ,

New Start-up Companies, here is a free resource for you! Let Microsoft help you grow your business with BizSpark

BizSpark

Join BizSpark for Free and gain access to:

  • 3 years free access to Azure (up to $750/mo)
  • Works with Linux, Java, PHP, etc…
  • Build Virtual Machines, Web Applications, Store Data, Create Mobile Apps

Requirements?

  • Your business is less than 5 years old
  • Privately held
  • and less than $1 million annual revenue

I encourage all new small businesses looking to gain an edge in the technology portion of their business to look over this offering and take advantage of this fantastic offer!

To learn more about BizSpark and how it can help you.. please visit them directly, Don’t just take my word for it 😉

AADConnect’s new Features -Auto Upgrade

MJandAR Azure, Microsoft Office 365 , , ,

A colleague of mine posted a great article on the new features of Azure Active Directory Connect (AADConnect) that raises some caution flags -things to be aware of when installing this new version.  Please take a moment to review the items Mr. Crowley addresses as they may be helpful on your next AADConnect deployment… Continue reading →

SHA-2 Certificates in AD FS 3.0

MJandAR ADFS, Microsoft Office 365, Windows PowerShell , , , ,

So I’ve come across this a couple of times and I’m sure it will begin to be more visible in the near future.  A big shout-out to  who posted this information -THANK YOU!

AD FS on Windows Server 2012 R2 (often referred to as “AD FS 3.0”) no longer has a dependency on IIS. One of the common methods used to generate a “Certificate Signing Request” (CSR) is to use IIS on the server you need the certificate on or by using another IIS server in the organization. Without access to IIS, your options for generating the CSR are to use the MMC snap-in, one of the native command line utilities or some third-party tools.

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Windows 10 Proves to be Solid

MJandAR Tech Updates

Many out there may still be wondering if Windows 10 is the way to go.  XP was very reliable and a good, solid Operating System… for it’s time.  Windows 7 eventually came along and now that has become the ‘standard’ for the next good, solid OS.  Well, folks, Windows 10 is out and the strongest yet in usability, function, and security. Here’s something the US Dept. of Defense (DoD) has to say about it!

US DoD Commits to upgrade 4M seats to Windows 10

Office 365 Planner

MJandAR Microsoft Office 365, Tech Updates ,

Microsoft is soon to be releasing Office 365 Planner and I have to say, I’m pretty excited about this!  For me and the work I do, this product is something I think I would live by. Working on so many different projects (each having their own set of teams, tasks, goals etc…), this would help me stay on course and on top of everything going on.  Currently, I use Outlook and OneNote to personally track all of this -occasionally MS Project, but it does get tedious and there are so many areas that are left in the gray spot.

If you are using Office 365 (for business, as I don’t believe Home or School will include this) -Please watch this video!

For more information on Office 365 Planner