Event: Windows Server Summit (June 26th)

The Windows Server Summit is a half-day virtual event dedicated to helping you modernize your apps and infrastructure with Windows Server, whether you run it on-premises or in the cloud. Sharpen your skills with best practices from Microsoft experts, and learn how to address challenges across four themes:

• Hybrid cloud scenarios
• Security
• Application platform
• Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI)

Also, this will be a chance to see what's new with next release of Windows Server.The event is today (June 26th)  starting at 18:00 (CET).

The registration and/or additional information can be found on the following link

Workshop: Azure Expert Training (June 12-13, Gothenburg, Sweden)

Another session on Microsoft Azure, this time for our Swedish partners

in Gothenburg. It was a 2 day training for a group of experienced IT Pros. Primary focus of the training is on Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, with demos and hands on labs focusing on predefined scenarios in operating, planning, creating and configuring the IaaS environment.

My colleague Michael Bengtsson did the Welcome and Introduction session, and then I kicked off with Azure Tech track sessions: Azure Subscription/Tenant, Azure Active Directory, Azure Portal, Resource Groups, Storage Accounts, Virtual networks and Network Interfaces (incl PIP, VPN, Gateways and Peering), Network Security Groups, Virtual Machines, VM Extensions, Scale and Availability Sets, Load Balancer, Traffic Manager. 

The reminder of the workshop focused on hands on labs on based on Blueprints - WordPress, Acrostics, Remote Desktop Services and CheckPoint.

Kudos to Marie Jofur that made this happen! :)

Interview: New Industrial Era - Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Block-chain and Cyber Security

During Microsoft Network, I took part in Al Jazeera Balkans piece on New Industrial Era - Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Block-chain and Cyber security. Among other renounced security experts and consultants that took part, are Jeremy White (Wired), Mark Torr (Microsoft), Mark Van Rijmenam (Datafloq), Marina Drazetic (Microsoft), Paula Januszkiewics (Cquire), and Vladimir Mutic.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzWzgS8Tao8

Webinar: Microsoft 365 and GDPR

With 25th of May closing and marking GDPR’s active implementation it is more then important to understand the new personal information protection regulation. Webinar will give you an overview of the main GDPR features, it’s impact to your business and most important data you need to understand. Main goal of this webinar is to showcase how you can use Microsoft’s productivity technology and solutions for to ensure your compliance with GDPR. We will make sure you understand what are the advantages of different Microsoft solutions that are making your way to GDPR easier and will lower your risk of non-compliance.


Additionally, you will see a live demo of usage and implementation of said technologies in day-to-day business. After this webinar, you will have better knowledge of GDPR – how to be compliant, what can you use to do it and how.
Agenda

• What is GDPR?
• How will it affect my company/organization?
• How can Microsoft 365 help to make me compliant?
• What do I need to do?
• Demo
• Next steps
• Q&A

The registration link for the event is here. The event will be held in Croatian language.

Event: Microsoft Network (April 18th - 20th, Neum, Bosnia&Herzegovina)

After 8 years, after my attendance on the first Microsoft Network Conference (held in Banja Luka), I'm back :) Glad to be there again, since as part of the first one (support, speaker, attendee), the conference progressed a lot. It grew to a amazing number of more than 1000 attendees, from all segments of the Bosnian Business and IT market - Partners, Customers, Academics, IT enthusiast and a bunch of speakers (local, regional and international). 

We got "stuck", on a small peace of the Bosnian seaside, in Neum, with a dilemma - excellent event, filled with people, old friends and great topics, and sunny seaside on the other. I'll tell you, it was tough 3 days! Kudos to the Bosnian team (Enis, Omar, and their sponsors) for this magnificent event.

The center was the imminent Cloud and its connected technologies, services, concepts, and

its future. They were broke down to 6 segments - Digital Transformation and Business Apps, Modern Business Environment, Big Data and AI, Case Studies, Apps and Infrastructure, and Education.

I did an Apps and Infrastructure Track session, titled "Improving your environment's security and management with OMS". This session is all about the "What?", "Where?" and "How?" in Azure Operation Management and Security, driving through the process, giving insights on what to do and how to do it. Little bit of theory, backed up by demos and raw collected data for analytics.

Workshop: Azure Expert Training (April 10-12, Zagreb, Croatia)

With the support and hospitality of Microsoft Croatia office, we conducted Azure Expert Track training for our local partners in Croatia. I got a group of 7 eager to learn IT Pros, and during the 3 days we covered the Azure Fundamentals, and dug in to "secrets" of Azure IaaS platform, and we finished strong with the Business Development session on our last day. 

This was my first all FLOSS attendees group. Yes, all the technical people that attended were  proficient in Linux and OSS based technologies. The exercises were mostly part of the Ingram Micro EasyAzure pack - EasyWeb Wordpress, EasyData Cloud Folder, EasyBackup Azure, EasyLAMP SuSe. This was the second time I use this format, and based on the eval input the audience liked it. We also worked on the RDS Blueprint (SBS Scenario replacement) as well as on CheckPoint NGF Blueprint. 

The finale was Azure Calculator usage presentation, mixed with solution scenarios discussion and real world problems brainstorming session, capping it with the Business Track - giving tech people some perspective on the "other side" of the business.

They consumed a lot of information within 3 days, but we still had time to discuss, experiment and think of possible implementations within their customer base.

Event: Microsoft Refresh IT (March 28th, Tirana, Albania)

On March 28th, Microsoft held its "Refresh IT" conference, focused on cloud, cloud security and artificial intelligence. There was a mix of 200 people attending, from various local Partners, Customers, Students and IT enthusiast.

I did a session on "Microsoft Azure hybrid security and management", covering Backup, Disaster Recovery and Operations Management, in hybrid model. Copy of the presentation can be found on the following link

Event: Macedonian IT Pro User Group Meet up - April 2018

Its time for our monthly IT Pro User Group meeting. Its scheduled for April 25th @ Ingram Micro Macedonia Office (starting from 16:00 till 18:00).

Our speakers are Marjan Temelkovski and Yaroslav Khanko, and topic covered will be „Securing your Data in the Cloud“.


The event is co-organized with my colleague MVP's, Vladimir and Gorana.
See you there!

Workshop: Microsoft Azure Expert Training (March 21-22, Skopje, Macedonia)

Well, it was about time to have this workshop back home. :) With the support and hospitality of Microsoft Macedonia office, we conducted Azure Expert Track training for our local partners in Macedonia. I got a group of 15 eager to learn IT Pros, and during the 2 days we covered the Azure Fundamentals, and dug in to "secrets" of Azure IaaS platform. 

The exercises were mostly part of the Ingram Micro EasyAzure pack - EasyWeb Wordpress, EasyData File Server, EasyBackup Azure, EasyLAMP Ubuntu. This was the first time I use this format, and based on the eval input the audience liked it. We also worked on the RDS Blueprint (SBS Scenario replacement) as well as on CheckPoint NGF Blueprint. The finale was Azure Calculator usage presentation, mixed with solution scenarios discussion and real world problems brainstorming session.

They consumed a lot of information within 2 days, but we still had time to discuss, experiment and think of possible implementations within their customer base.

Workshop: Microsoft Azure Expert Training (March 14-15, Stockholm, Sweden)

 Another session on Microsoft Azure, this time for our Swedish partners. It was a 2 day training at Ingram Micro Sweden offices, with nice cozy weather conditions (it was -10, but feels like was close to -15:). The group was compiled of experienced IT Pros. Primary focus of the training is on Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, with demos and hands on labs focusing on predefined scenarios in operating, planning, creating and configuring the IaaS environment.

Day 1 was focused on Azure Fundamentals: Welcome and introduction, Azure Portal, Resource Groups, Storage Accounts, Virtual networks and Network Interfaces (incl PIP, VPN, Gateways and Peering), Network Security Groups, Virtual Machines, VM Extensions, Scale and Availability Sets, Load Balancer, Traffic Manager. We finished strong with deploying WordPress Multi-tier app and Acronis Backup Blueprints.

Day 2, after the wrap up of Day 1 and discussion, was reserved for more Blueprints - Remote Desktop Services (Small Business Server Replacement) and CheckPoint Blueprints. We spiced up things with short presentation on what's new in Microsoft azure or what's coming in near future, as well as Azure Calculator session.


Had quite a few discussion on solution designs, real world problems, and did quite a brainstorming with the group. Looking forward on seeing them progress further in the Azure model and mapping their clients needs to specific workloads and solutions.

Webinars: EasyAzure Blueprints - EasyData

On February 19th, starting at 10:00 (GMT+1), I will be running the 4th in series webinars on Microsoft Azure.

This week, we are going to talk and see demo of Azure Files, a part of the Expansion set of Solution Blueprints. The session is based on EasyData Cloud Folder scenario.

Please use the following link to register for the session:EasyAzure Expansion - Cloud Folder. Session connection link will be set to you afterwards. The link to the presentation and recording will be posted after the event.

More details on the program can be obtained @ http://www.ingrammicrocloud.eu, choose your country location and browse the local content.

For countries not in the list (like Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo use the following link). An simple registration form is being filled prior to download of the files.

Webinars: EasyAzure Blueprints - EasyDR

On February 14th, starting at 10:00 (GMT+1), I will be running the 3rd in series webinars on Microsoft Azure.

This week, we are going to talk and see demo of Azure Site Recovery, a part of the Protection set of Solution Blueprints. The session is based on EasyDR Blueprints (Physical, Hyper-V and VMware).

Please use the following link to connect to the session: EasyAzure Disaster Recovery - Site Recovery

The recording from the session will be posted afterwards.

More details on the program can be obtained @ http://www.ingrammicrocloud.eu, choose your country location and browse the local content.

For countries not in the list (like Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo use the following link). An simple registration form is being filled prior to download of the files.

Event: Macedonian IT Pro User Group Meet up - February 2018

Its time for our monthly IT Pro User Group meeting. Its scheduled for February 8th @ Ingram Micro Macedonia Office (starting from 17:30 till 19:30).

Our guest star is  George Dobrea, eminent Cyber Security Expert and Microsoft MVP -  Cloud Security. We are going to do an overview of Cyber Security related trends, backed up by an AMA session (Ask-me-Anything).


The event is co-organized with my colleague MVP's, Vladimir and Gorana.
See you there!

Webinars: EasyAzure Blueprints

Starting this month, I will be doing series of webinars for CEE, aimed at Ingram Micro partners/re-sellers. The topics covered witl be EasyAzure, which is a set of Blueprints aimed at easy  deployment of Azure IaaS solutions.

They represent a set of easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions in 3 solution areas:

1. Protection
2. Management
3. Expansion

More details on the program can be obtained @ http://www.ingrammicrocloud.eu, choose your country location and browse the local content. For countries not in the list (especially those in the Balkan area), choose Croatia (in English), and than browse and download the content. A simple registration form is being filled prior to download.


The timeline is, every Monday, from 10:00 - 11:00 (GMT+1), covering following topics:

- January 29th: EasyAzure Protection - Backup;
- February 5th: EasyAzure Management  - Audit
- February 14th: EasyAzure Disaster Recovery -Site Recovery Options
- February 19th: EasyAzure Expansion - Cloud Folder

Links to recordings and presentations will be posted  as well.

Event: Macedonian IT Pro User Group Meet up - January 2018

Its time for our monthly IT Pro User Group meeting.Its scheduled for January 24th @ Microsoft Macedonia Office (starting from 15:00 till 16:30).

The topic covered will be Mobile Device Management (MDM) и Microsoft Intune, covered by Biljana Janeva.

The event is co-organized with my colleagues Vladimir and Gorana.

Please refer to the following link for additional information and register for seat allocation: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1964401453574309.

Bulletin: CPU vulnerability

An industry-wide, hardware-based security vulnerability was disclosed yesterday.The problem affect many processor types, covering Xeon, AMD and ARM variants.

So far, there are three known variants of the issue:

• Variant 1: bounds check bypass (CVE-2017-5753)
• Variant 2: branch target injection (CVE-2017-5715)
• Variant 3: rogue data cache load (CVE-2017-5754)

Besides physical/private cloud systems, this issue affects public cloud providers, and as such they have taken appropriate steps for risk mitigation.Refer to the enclosed links for additional information.


Project Zero: https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.mk/2018/01/reading-privileged-memory-with-side.html

Microsoft Security Tech Center: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/ADV180002

Microsoft Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/securing-azure-customers-from-cpu-vulnerability/