Life in information technology can feel like one big project that never ends. It can also feel like the types of assignments are non-stop, with life moving from one job to the next. The hamster wheel feeling is no doubt valid, but we should take a step back to help us … Read More
Windows Server Data Migration Tools and Best Practices [2008 up to 2019]
In the previous post, we talked about Windows Server 2008 end of life upgrade strategies and considerations that need to be made when choosing an upgrade path. If an in-place upgrade is not an option, performing a migration or data migration to a different server running a supported Windows Server operating system is a great … Read More
Windows Server 2008 End of Life Upgrade Strategies [GUIDE].
In case you haven’t heard, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are reaching the end of all support on January 14, 2020. This means there will be no new regular security or other updates for the platform. As with any end of life scenario that may be looming, you need … Read More
The IT Director’s Guide to Starting a New Job
There are no IT Director manuals on how to start a new job. You just do it because no two situations are the same. On the bright side, there is advice to be offered from those who have done it before. In this article, I’ll share a few of my … Read More
Best Practices Deploying Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct.
Introduced in Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) is Microsoft’s new software-defined storage solution that allows enterprises to create logically defined storage volumes across hosts using locally attached storage. With the release of Windows Server 2019, it has continued to mature and is an even more powerful solution. … Read More
5 Best Practices in deploying VMware vSAN.
Software-defined technologies have gained tremendous momentum in the enterprise datacenter. In fact, most organizations when looking at storage refreshes today are considering software-defined technologies as a replacement for traditional storage architectures such as iSCSI and Fibre Channel SAN, NFS, and others. The predominant leader in this space is VMware vSAN. … Read More
The Complete Windows 10 Migration Checklist!
In this article Microsoft Windows IT Pro MVP, Rory Monaghan details his Windows 10 migration checklist. He details the steps you need to consider and the tools he recommends to help you complete a successful migration. Before structuring a Windows 10 project, you must first define your minimal viable product. … Read More
Leveraging quality to fight Technical Debt.
Data, data, data. I love data. Way too much. More than is normal. I’ve written about it. Given workshop and conference sessions on it. I’ve extolled the virtues of high, accountable expectations around Help Desk management more times then I care to admit. A technical college even trusts me to … Read More
We are growing – yet again!
Here is an opportunity for experienced Sr. Systems Engineers and Sr. Network Engineers to join our team of consultants in the Greater Milwaukee area. The primary responsibility is to provide networking/server support services for our customers. A strong candidate will be able to provide on-going technical support services and planning … Read More
How to protect your Office 365 tenant.
With many organizations choosing to move services to the cloud, the difficulty for most is related to the overall Security within the Cloud. If you are using Office 365 for services such as Email, Instant Message, Collaboration, File Storage or even as a fully-fledged cloud Phone System, Microsoft provides multiple … Read More
Digital Transformation in schools…how real is it?
Over the last year, I’ve done a great deal of reading on Digital Transformation in schools, businesses and other organizations, and nowhere in what I’ve read has there been a focus on devices, storage arrays or core switches. Quite the opposite. Scholars and industry experts write about how organizations are … Read More
Understanding the E-Rate Process for 2019-20.
The E-Rate process has begun for the 2019-20 application cycle, so we’ve created a quick guide to show you who can claim funds and what you can claim for. Who’s covered? All public and private Pre K-12 schools and public libraries. You receive discounts based on the number of students … Read More
Join us at the Catholic Educators Convention 2018
Join Source One Technology at the Catholic Educators Convention 2018 at the Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, to learn more about how we support private schools in Wisconsin. You can register for the event on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee convention page.
Achieving Zero % Network Downtime [Case Study].
In the 2017-2018 school year, the Technology Services team I was part of at Hartford Union High School (HUHS) delivered zero % network downtime! It was a great achievement and was always the outcome we were striving for. In our case, it gave students and staff uninterrupted access to digital … Read More
Using Aruba ClearPass for Network Access Control [Use Cases].
Organizations today love the idea of anywhere, anytime connectivity, but in their rush to get everything connected, often ignore the need for secure Network Access Control (NAC). In this article, we show you how you can use Aruba ClearPass to identify, control and respond to common network access issues and … Read More
How to Run Windows Applications on Chromebook.
Running Linux and Windows applications on Chromebook isn’t an issue for most organizations – why would it be? The whole point of Chromebooks is that they’re tied to Google’s ecosystem of web-based applications and backend systems. The hardware, software, services, deployment, and management cost you a lot less than the … Read More
We’re hiring another Sr. Network/Server Consultant
WE ARE GROWING – AGAIN! Here is an opportunity for experienced Sr. Systems Engineers and Sr. Network Consultants to join our team in the Greater Milwaukee area. The primary responsibility is to provide networking/server support services for our customers. A strong candidate will be able to provide on-going technical support … Read More
We’ve moved to new offices in Brookfield.
It’s our biggest migration to date – not data, desks! Source One Technology has moved from Waukesha to Bishops Woods, Brookfield! Get in touch if you’d like to discuss how we can help you save time and money on frustrating network and computer issues, or if you just want to … Read More
5 Causes of Poor Wireless Access in Schools and How to Fix the Problem [Updated 2018].
We asked K-12 educators and school professionals in Milwaukee what the top issues with their school IT were. It came as no surprise to us that internet and poor wireless access were at or near the top of everyone’s list of issues (as was funding). In this article we’ll … Read More
12 Dos and Dont’s at Christmas for trouble-free IT.
It’s the holiday season—many of us have already given thanks, and some of us are now celebrating with friends and families. Some of us fortunate enough might be busy donating money and/or volunteering our time to help those less fortunate. As always, we need to remain vigilant for individuals who … Read More
A Simple Guide to Fixing Business IT Problems for Small Business Owners.
Fixing business IT problems can be a regular source of pain for many small business owners. Technology is great when it’s working, but can soon become a time and money drain otherwise. Despite the fact that worldwide IT spending was flat in 2016, it still totaled approximately $3.41 trillion. That’s … Read More
Malware Evolution or in Other Words “All Your Data Are Belong to Us.”
It’s a twist on a popular internet meme based on a phrase from the classic arcade game, Zero Wing. Only, in this case, it’s not a game. It’s your data – your files and documents. It’s your pictures and your videos. It’s your finances. It’s your life. It’s worth more … Read More
Finding out ALL the Public Gmail IP Address Ranges.
If you’re like most firewall administrators, you dislike the idea of opening up port 25, 465, and 587 for outbound traffic to the -entire- internet. Doing so can result in your organization’s public IP address getting blacklisted in a hurry if any of your internal devices get infected with malware, … Read More
Hiring yet another Sr. Network/Server Consultant
WE ARE GROWING! Here is an opportunity for experienced Sr. Systems Engineers and Sr. Network Consultants to join our team in the Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha areas. The primary responsibility is to provide networking/server support services for our customers. A strong candidate will be able to provide on-going technical support … Read More
Building a Nonprofit IT Security Plan for Data, Systems and Processes.
As if running a nonprofit organization, raising money and helping the community isn’t enough of a struggle. Every nonprofit must worry about hackers targeting their computer network. Charities are extremely vulnerable for a variety of reasons. Volunteers rarely go through deep background screenings. Employees and volunteers use personal emails for … Read More
Continuous Improvement in IT Service Delivery for Education.
In this article, Director of Technology Services, Nathan Mielke, walks you through how his team at Hartford Union High School (HUHS) have adopted an attitude of continuous improvement to transform IT service delivery at the school and have pushed end-user approval over and above 90%! IT can sometimes be the … Read More
Managed Services Providers (MSPs): What They Do and Why You Need Them.
For most organizations, IT is ‘plumbing’ – you know you need it, and it needs to work, but you’d rather not have to roll up your sleeves to work out how to flush your caches or fix that data leak! Managed Services Provider’s (MSPs) are technology consultants who take away … Read More
Security Risks Affecting Your Network and How to Deal with Them.
Infiltrating the security of your core business network could be devastating for any sized business, particularly small businesses. Ransomware freezes the system, holding it hostage for a fix. Viruses corrupt data and destroy entire databases throughout a computer network. Spyware steals company secrets or uses personal data. Any one breach … Read More
Cloud Computing Services: Migrating Systems to the Cloud
Here’s a scenario where Cloud Computing Services can provide value-add for your company… Imagine a small Milwaukee video production company’s editor filtering through a network of drives, looking for the right clips to complete a teaser video for his new client. Burning the midnight oil to complete a project due … Read More
Is Cyber Insurance a Necessity or a Luxury?
Many of us view insurance as a necessary evil. We loathe paying the premiums, but we all deal with it at some point—whether it’s health insurance, car insurance, homeowners/renter’s insurance or some other type of insurance. Add one more type of insurance to the list, now there is cyber insurance … Read More
If you missed BrainStorm 2017…
If you’re responsible for the IT in schools, the BrainStorm 2017 K20 Conference is a ‘must attend’ event. We’ve been going for the last few years, and as well as getting to share what we do with attendees, BrainStorm is also a great place to learn about what’s keeping IT professionals … Read More
Have we made Desktops and Desktop Support too Complicated?
Once upon a time, desktop support was the entry-level echelon of the IT infrastructure ladder. The mapping of drives, checking of cables and maintenance of printers was considered to be the perfect area for junior staff to cut their information technology teeth. Career progression moved you further towards the “back” … Read More
Windows Deployment Services and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.
In this article, I will be highlighting the benefits of having the “right” Microsoft Windows Deployment technologies setup within your environment, along with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to simplify your client operating system deployments. The article will list the important Microsoft technologies that need to be in place to make … Read More
An effective problem solving process for IT professionals.
As IT professionals, we are regularly expected to troubleshoot all kinds of technology problems as they arise during the day to day operations of our jobs. This guide walks you through the thought process and practical steps you need to take for effective problem solving. Sometimes the issues we face … Read More
Is Application Virtualization now a necessity?
Microsoft’s move to Windows 10 and Server 2016 puts enterprises into a state of “perpetual migration” that brings a whole raft of challenges to enterprise IT departments, including taking into account whether Application Virtualization is now a necessity. In a previous article, I discussed this state, and some of the … Read More
Minimise the risk of ransomware with these 10 effective methods.
Ransomware is a type of virus/malware that restricts access to an infected computer (by encrypting the files) and requires the person pay a ransom to the malware operators to remove the restriction and gain access to those files again. The risk of ransomware attacks is an increasingly popular security concern … Read More
Configuring Secure LDAP using a 3rd party Certificate Authority
Some of the documentation that is available out there for configuring Secure LDAP on a Windows server is rather sketchy at best, or in some cases, it’s just really old and doesn’t necessarily apply to newer Microsoft Server operating systems. The following information below can be used on a … Read More
Bearing gifts at the Catholic Educators Convention
Getting the latest technology into the classroom is a perennial problem for schools because of tight budgets and shifting priorities. So when Source One Technology got the opportunity to sponsor this year’s Catholic Educators Convention (CEC), we jumped at the chance to make life a little bit easier with a … Read More
Windows 10 Migration – Dealing with the Paradox of “Perpetual Migration”
When planning your Windows 10 migration, it is crucial to understand the new concept of “servicing branches”. Most Windows 10 clients without complicated application sets are intended to be serviced by Current Branch for Business (CBB). Essentially, CBB allows a single deferral of new versions, resulting in an eight-to-twelve month … Read More
Sharing our experience of Professional Development with MAPA.
Having worked with schools for over 10 years, Source One Technology was invited to share its experiences with Milwaukee Archdiocese Principals Association (MAPA) members this last Friday. MAPA provides professional development to principals in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and works closely with the Office for Schools. The bi-annual event, attended … Read More