Steve Bargelt

First Winter Ride

posted @ Saturday, November 26, 2005 1:22 PM | Feedback (0) |

Microsoft does not understand TDD. Surprised?

Awesome article on Roy Osherove’s blog on the failure of Microsoft to understand Test Driven Development.

Microsoft needs to remove this article from MSDN. Period. It is a huge step in the wrong direction. It makes me think that the only reason Microsoft included their Quality Tools in VSTS was to try to squash open-source and otherwise free tools like NUnit and TestDriven.net. This has solidified my decision to never use VSTS and has served as a stern reminder to always sip the Kool-Aid before gulping it down.

[via: ISerializable – Roy Osherove's Blog]

Microsoft fails miserably to explain or promote Test Driven Development in Team System

Microsoft publishes it's own version of Guidelines for Test-Driven Development article, and seems to miss the point completely. If you want to learn what TDD really is, do not read that article, as it will confuse and lead you in the wrong direction. Just Google for it and you'll find lots of very good simple explanations, and guidelines for writing unit tests correctly to make them last.

posted @ Wednesday, November 23, 2005 6:31 AM | Feedback (0) |

TB Server: Processors, RAM, Video & System Drives

I thought I would combine a few components that really aren’t all that special. Don’t get me wrong, these are pretty important components but I’m not going to tell you much that you don’t know about an AMD Opteron.

Processors: (2) AMD Opteron 246
The decision was between the Intel Xeon and the AMD Opteron. I was swayed over to AMD by three facts.

• Opterons use less power than an equivalent Xeon.
• Opterons create less heat than an equivalent Xeon.
• I like AMD’s dual-core strategy / architecture better than Intel’s (even though I didn’t opt for dual-core processors)

Why did I select the Opteron 246 and not super-duper dual-core Opteron 280s? This decision was based almost exclusively on price. I paid a little under $240 per proc while dual-core 280s go for over $1300 each. Even the cheapest dual-core Opterons (270) sell in the $870 range. I figure in 12–18 months I can upgrade to dual dual-core processors and relegate my two Opteron 246s to media center front-end boxes – or sell them on ebay. This will also give me time to determine if the applications I use take advantage of multiple processors and then I can decide if I will benefit from multi-core processors.

RAM: (4) Corsair 1GB DDR SDRAM ECC Registered DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Not much to say here. The Tyan Thunder K8WE S2895 motherboard needs ECC Registered RAM. Corsair makes a solid product and these are reasonably priced for ECC Registered RAM. I decided on 4GB since I will be running, or at least experimenting with, 64bit operating systems. The Tyan motherboard also serves each processor with it’s own RAM… I’m not sure how that looks to the O/S… but 4GB of RAM seems like a good number.

Video: Leadtek Geforce 6200TC
Pretty simple. This was the cheapest PCI Express video card that newegg.com sells. I am not going to game with this machine… although my options are open and once I get this server up and running and do some performance benchmarking I may decide to put this machine under my desk instead of in the server closet. If I do decide to replace my current workstation I can upgrade to dual BFG GeForce 7800GTs in SLI while relegating the Leadtek to a media front end or to the “parts bin” as a backup card.

System Drives: Maxtor 200GB L01M200 8MB Buffer Serial ATA (SATA)
You will notice a theme. I picked up these drives at Fry’s for $69 each out the door. No mail-in-rebate to deal with. I will run these two drives in RAID 0, attached to the SATA RAID on the motherboard. These drives will only contain the O/S other easy-to-reinstall applications.

Next Post: The RAID Adapter and the data drives

Technorati Tags: terrabyte, computers, server, DIY, RAID

posted @ Tuesday, November 22, 2005 9:10 AM | Feedback (0) |

/backRow : Media Center using Windows Presentation Framework

This project looks interesting. Might be a good place to start learning Windows Presentation Framework???

[via: /backRow : Media Center using Windows Presentation Framework]

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Media Center… i caught the news of Apple's entry into the Media Center realm called FrontRow. as soon as i saw it, i knew that i could code it…

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 10:51 PM | Feedback (0) |

WinFX Nov 2005 CTP

This is not new news but since I use my blog as a filing cabinet as much as I do for anything else I thought I’d post a bunch of WinFx links. The biggest news to me is that the November 2005 CTP will work wit hVS2005 RTM (which I just installed on my development laptop):

• What's New in WPF
• WinFX Readme
• WinFX SDK
• WinFX Runtime Components (WCF, WPF and WF)
• VS05 Extensions for WCF and WPF
• VS05 Extensions for WF

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 10:11 PM | Feedback (0) |

InfoCard Terminology

Awesome information on InfoCard technology from Keith Brown. I distinctly remember sitting in one of the keynotes at PDC05 and hearing numerous groans and rumblings in the crowd when InfoCard was announced. Too bad that the mighty Microsoft PR & marketing machine is not doing a better job of describing and selling InfoCard. From Keith’s description it sounds like a very useful technology.

[via: InfoCard terminology]

An InfoCard is an identity selector. In fact, an “InfoCard” doesn't have any identity information in it, only some metadata that helps the secured identity selector GUI determine which identities would be accepted by a given relying party (RP), so the user can select from a subset of her identities that will work with the RP. This metadata includes things like:

• Token type (e.g. this identity is represented by a SAML token)
• Claims supported (given name, email, age, etc.)
• Address of identity provider

The actual values for these claims (name, email, age, etc.) aren't stored with the InfoCard itself. The identity provider (IP) holds this data, which is why under the covers, InfoCard makes a round-trip to the IP in order to get the token that is ultimately sent to the RP. The token is the credential. The InfoCard is just a way for you to select which token you want to send. It prevents an end user from ever having to see the word “token“, which is a good thing. But the InfoCard itself is never transmitted to anyone.

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 9:58 PM | Feedback (0) |

How-To: Build a WiFi biquad dish antenna

Just what I need – another dish or antenna stuck to my house. I wonder how many coffee shops I could pick up from my house???

[via: Engadget - www.engadget.com – How-To: Build a WiFi biquad dish antenna]

Wireless enthusiasts have been repurposing satellite dishes for a couple years now. This summer the longest link ever was established over 125 miles using old 12 foot and 10 foot satellite dishes. A dish that big is usually overkill for most people and modern mini-dishes work just as well. The dish helps focus the radio waves onto a directional antenna feed. We’re building a biquad antenna feed because it offers very good performance and is pretty forgiving when it comes to assembly errors. Follow along as we assemble the feed, attach it to a DirecTV dish and test out its performance.

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 9:51 PM | Feedback (0) |

Channel9 Video: Coding For Fun (Coding4Fun)

I found this site a few months back and wanted to blog about it then. Somehow it fell through the cracks. Now Channel9 has created a video with the dudes that run the site.

[via: Daniel Fernandez (and others) -- Coding for Fun]

Is coding a chore for you? Well, MSDN’s new Coding for Fun site will change all of that! Come and see some fun ways to have fun with software.

Check out the Coding4Fun Website. Also, be sure to download and install your favorite flavor of Express!

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 4:21 PM | Feedback (0) |

Really Simple Sharing

[via Ray Ozzie’s blog: Really Simple Sharing]

And so we created an RSS extension that we refer to as Simple Sharing Extensions or SSE. In just a few weeks time, several Microsoft product groups and my own 'concept development group' built prototypes and demos, and found that it works and interoperates quite nicely.

We’re pretty excited about the extension - well beyond the uses that catalyzed its creation. It’s designed in such a way that the minimum implementation is incredibly easy, and so that higher-level capabilities such as conflict handling can be implemented in those applications that want to do such things.

trackback

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 2:23 PM | Feedback (0) |

TB Server: The Motherboard

I have chosen the Tyan Thunder K8WE (S2895) dual AMD Opteron motherboard as the basis for my TB Server. MaximumPC chose this board to power their 2005 Dream Machine (aka DMX) and PlanetAMD64 picked this board for their ultimate graphics workstation. Yeah, I really wish I would have found the PlanetAMD64 article sooner – it would have saved me many hours of research into motherboards and cases! This was really a no-brainer selection as the Thunder K8WE has it all – the detailed specifications are here.

• Supports dual AMD Opteron™ 200 series processors
• Support for Registered DDR400 memory with ECC, ChipKill
• DUAL PCI Express x16 slots with FULL SPEED x16 lanes
  Integrated dual Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, and ActiveArmor™ support
• Built-in multi-channel audio
• 4-port SATA ports with SATA-II NVRAID™
• 1394a FireWire ports
• NVIDIA nTune™ performance tuning support

Technorati Tags: terrabyte, computers, server, DIY, RAID, motherboard, Tyan

posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 7:11 AM | Feedback (1) |

NUnit 2.2.3 Released: Will run on .Net 2.0

[via It’s the Tests » Charlie Poole]

NUnit 2.2.3 Released
NUnit 2.2.3 is now out. You can get it at our SourceForge site. The release notes are available here.

So far, only the .msi file is available. It’s built with VS2003 but, as always, will run on .Net 2.0 - including the RTM. The zipped binaries and source will follow in the next few days, depending on how much connectivity I have while I’m travelling.

A version built against .NET 2.0 is in the cards, but we’re still looking at alternative ways to organize the releases.

posted @ Saturday, November 19, 2005 6:01 AM | Feedback (0) |

TB Server: The Case

TB Server: The Case

Two of my biggest needs are space for 10+ hard drives and plenty of cooling. I’m a little paranoid about cooling for my servers. The storage area where I house my servers is not very well ventilated and it has some forced-air heating ducting running through it. I attribute several failed hard drives in my old servers to continued exposure to high temperatures as my current cases do not have great airflow. I want to make damned sure that the case I pick for my new server has plenty of cooling options. I’ve even thought about water cooling this beast.

Arguably the best feature of the Stacker 810 is the compatible 4-in-3 device modules (Cooler Master STB-3T4-E1) pictured to the left. This simple little device allows you to install four 3.5” drives in the space of three 5.25” drive bays. It also features a 12cm fan attached to the cage to help cool the installed drives. This is a simple yet kick-ass little piece of hardware.

The Stacker 810 has 11 free 5.25” drive bays, it actually sports 12 5.25” bays but CoolerMaster uses one for the control panel (consisting of the power switch, reset switch, six USB ports, one FireWire port, front audio connections). I’m toying with the idea of modding the case by moving the control panel elsewhere in order to free of that 12th drive bay. Maybe in “Orthanc Phase III?” The Stacker 810 comes standard with one 4–in-3 module to accommodate all of my drives I ordered two more. I will have room for 12 3.5” drive in total. Orthanc will  start life with 10 drives – 8 data drives in RAID 5 and two O/S drives in RAID 0.

The other important factor with the Stacker 810 is that it will accept a SSI EEB motherboard which is what I have planned for Orthanc – I’ll talk about the Tyan Thunder K8WE (S2895) Dual Opteron motherboard in my next installment.

Technorati Tags: terrabyte, computers, server, DIY, RAID

posted @ Friday, November 18, 2005 6:26 AM | Feedback (0) |

TB Server: Getting Started

• 2TB + in RAID 5
• Dual processors with dual core possibilities
• 64bit support
• Handle multiple VMs or VPCs
• Low heat dissipation
• Low power consumption
• Case
• Space for 10+ drives
• Excellent cooling
• Not too expensive (sub $400)

I’m not asking for much, am I?

Over the next few days I will post mini-reviews about each of the chosen components. Review is probably not the right term – I will speak to each component and highlight the features that led me to the choice. Next, I will create a series of posts tracking the build of my new TB server. Finally I will blog some performance numbers after the server is up and running.

Here is a synopsis of the hardware I have selected for my new system:

Technorati Tags: terrabyte, computers, server, DIY, RAID

posted @ Thursday, November 17, 2005 4:58 AM | Feedback (0) |

Dilbert gets it...

Technorati Tags: Dilbert, agile, software development

posted @ Thursday, November 17, 2005 3:59 AM | Feedback (1) |

HOWTO: Use Virtual PC's Differencing Disks to your Advantage

Awesome post from Andrew Connell regarding the most efficient way to setup Virtual PCs. I plan on posting a similar article regarding VMWare Workstation.

[via HOWTO: Use Virtual PC's Differencing Disks to your Advantage]

Right off the bat, a post by Roy Osherove pointed me in the right direction: How to use Virtual PC and still save lots of room: differencing disks. The concept is similar to backup strategies. What you are doing is creating a "base" VPC and install the most common things that you'll use in almost all situations. Then after prep'ing it, you create a new virtual hard drive (*.VHD file), mark it as a differencing disk, and continue installing additional apps onto this disk. The differencing disk contains the "different" part between the two VHD files. So what have you gained?

posted @ Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:08 PM | Feedback (0) |

Awesome review of SATA RAID controllers

As you may well know I am building a TB server – I found a great guide on Tom’s Hardware that compares five new SATA RAID controllers. I’ve decided on the AMCC/3Ware 9550SX-8LP for my machine (NewEgg is out of stock… so my machine build is on hold!).

[via Tom's Hardware Guide Mass Storage: SATA Spells Trouble for SCSI RAID: Five Controllers Put to the Test - SATA II Hits The RAID Stage]

posted @ Sunday, November 13, 2005 9:13 PM | Feedback (0) |

Channel 9: Video Tour of Bungie

I’m trying to bide my time until I get my XBox 360 – found this in a search. Interesting open workspace… very collaborative / agile! Damn… makes me want to get my Certificate in Game Programming from the University of Washington.

[via Mat Noguchi - Developer on Halo team gives tour of Bungie]

Mat Noguchi is a developer at Bungie. Don't know who they are? That's the Microsoft group that developed Halo 2. Halo 2!

We get the first tour of Bungie's new offices. He talks about what it's like to develop video games. Hope you enjoy this look.

Oh, yeah, we used a new HDTV camcorder, so the format will be wide-screen. You should click the "Full Screen" button to see it in all its glory. Sorry that the download won't be up until tomorrow.

Video length: 00:33:20.

posted @ Saturday, November 12, 2005 12:41 AM | Feedback (0) |

Airpwn - Wireless hacking tool

Another reason to seriously think about what you access and most definitely what you send (usernames, passwords) over open wireless connections.

[via informit.com – Security Reference Guide]

Airpwn is a great example of why open wireless networks and hotspots are very dangerous. It is trivial for an attacker to control and alter what you see in your browser. Not only this, but it is not hard to imagine someone adding a little extra code to airpwn to give it the ability to mess with email, chat, etc. The next time you decide to connect to an unprotected wireless network, take a moment and consider who really owns the airwaves.

posted @ Saturday, November 12, 2005 12:22 AM | Feedback (0) |

How To: Perform a Security Code Review for Managed Code (.NET Framework 2.0)

How To: Perform a Security Code Review for Managed Code (.NET Framework 2.0)

This How To shows you how to perform security code reviews. This module presents the steps involved in the activity, and techniques for analyzing your results. Use this How To with Security Question List: Managed Code (.NET Framework 2.0) and Security Question List: ASP.NET 2.0. These companion question lists help you ask the right questions when performing a security code review.

posted @ Friday, November 11, 2005 7:59 AM | Feedback (0) |

Thinking in Ifs

Wesner Moise wrote an awesome piece, Thinking in Ifs — that seems to have stemmed from a comment made by Joel Splosky in this post – I found myself thinking about the points both of these post for a few hours. I know I tend to think in ifs – not just in the computer world but in real life as well.

Next time I catch myself thinking in ifs… I may have to pause and ask myself if there is a better way to solve the problem — maybe Bayesian Thinking “... considers not only what the data have to say, but what your expertise tells you as well.”

posted @ Friday, November 11, 2005 7:56 AM | Feedback (2) |

Stefan Goßner : Knowledge Base articles for MCMS 2002 SP2

Stefan Goßner : Knowledge Base articles for MCMS 2002 SP2

Knowledge Base articles for MCMS 2002 SP2
Together with SP2 three KB articles have been released with information about Service Pack 2:
906142 - How to obtain the latest Microsoft Content Management Server 2002 service pack
906145 - Content Management Server 2002 Service Pack 2 installation information
894691 - A list of the bugs that are fixed in Content Management Server 2002 Service Pack 2

posted @ Friday, November 11, 2005 7:30 AM | Feedback (0) |

Stefan Goßner : Glitches with MCMS 2002 Service Pack 2

Stefan Goßner : Glitches with MCMS 2002 Service Pack 2

It is not possible to install the MCMS 2002 developer tools on a system that has SP2 installed. The developer tools have to be installed with MCMS 2002 SP1a and then the system has to be upgraded to Service Pack 2.
If developer tools need to be added to a system that has already SP2 installed you need to follow these steps:
1. Uninstall MCMS 2002 SP2
2. ensure that Visual Studio 2003 (or Visual Studio 2002) is installed
3. Run “Change/Remove” from Add/Remove Programs on MCMS 2002 SP1a (Using the SP1a CD to access required files)
4. Change the existing installation, and select Developer Tools as the feature to add
5. Re-install MCMS 2002 SP2

posted @ Friday, November 11, 2005 7:28 AM | Feedback (0) |

Stefan Goßner : ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS article series

I’m seriously excited about the prospect of using Master Pages and Web Parts in conjunction with MCMS 2002… Stephan comes through as usual:

Stefan Goßner : ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS article series

Now after MCMS 2002 SP2 has been released I would like to point you again to an article series I have written earlier about MCMS 2002 and ASP.NET 2.0:
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - a first look
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - The easy way to site navigation
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - Master Pages
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - Web Parts
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - glitches with navigation controls when switching between modes
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - glitches with themes
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - creating a custom membership provider for MCMS
ASP.NET 2.0 and MCMS - implementing page summary controls using a custom SiteMapProvider and a TreeView control

posted @ Friday, November 11, 2005 7:26 AM | Feedback (0) |

Enterprise Library for .Net 2.0 CTP is available

Enterprise Library for .NET Framework 2.0 Community Technology Preview is available. I hope they have fixed the fact that the EntLib is too heavy (yeah who uses every app block!) and too hard to use.

patterns & practices: Enterprise Library: Home

Enterprise Library for .NET Framework 2.0 - November CTP now available! (11/07/2005 • News)
Grab it from the Downloads section of this site. This build works on the final shipping version of Visual Studio 2005 and .NET Framework 2.0. Please post any feedback about this CTP build to the "Enterprise Library Pre-Release Discussion" message board.

posted @ Friday, November 11, 2005 7:23 AM | Feedback (0) |