Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista (SP2) is an update to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 that supports new kinds of hardware and emerging hardware standards, and includes all updates delivered since SP1. SP2 simplifies administration by enabling IT administrators to deploy and support a single service pack for clients and servers.
SP2 is an update to Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista that incorporates improvements discovered through automated feedback, as well as updates that have been delivered since SP1. By providing these fixes integrated into a single service pack for both client and server, Microsoft provides a single high-quality update that minimizes deployment and testing complexity for customers.
Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2. Please make sure that your system is running Service Pack 1 before you install Service Pack 2.
You can download and read more about this service pack by clicking here.
Come join the NWA .NET User Group on June 9th at 5:30 PM and learn how to architect your programs to use Event Driven Architecture!
Lighting Presentation
Title: Fluent NHibernate - "Get Your Fluent On"
Description: Fluent NHibernate allows you to create "fluent, XML-less, compile safe, automated, testable mappings for NHibernate". Tim will demonstrate how to wire up a simple domain model to utilize NHibernate and also generate a database schema. He will also demonstrate the Auto Mapping functionality which allows for use of NHibernate without needing to manually create any mappings.
Presenter: Tim Tyrrell is a Chicago native relocated to Bentonville, AR, to build websites for Wal-Mart’s recycling and waste reduction initiatives. He is a co-founder of the Wal-Mart .NET User Group and an officer for the NW Arkansas .NET User Group.
Main Presentation
Title: Enterprise Driven Architure
Description: Business applications no longer exist as isolated systems. In order to provide integrated solutions that add business value, applications must be connected. Modern approaches for enterprise application integration (EAI) such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) separate applications into services that can be accessed via a standard interface such as a web service. This collection of services provides a platform on which new applications can be created that leverage the existing functionality.
However, as application complexity increases, the coupling of services becomes an impediment in adapting applications to meet the ever-changing goals of the business. Event Driven Architecture (EDA) is a method of designing and implementing systems where events are exchanged between highly decoupled components and services. EDA does not replace SOA, instead it compliments the request/response nature of SOA with a highly scalable event model for building and coordinating asynchronous transactions.
In this presentation, I will explain event driven architecture, describe the different types of events, demonstrate how events can be related and orchestrated, and provide a basic understanding of how this method can drive the architecture of enterprise systems. In addition to understanding the concepts of event driven architecture, we will explore a working sample built using an open-source .NET messaging framework called MassTransit.
Presenter: Chris Patterson is a Senior Architect at RelayHealth. For the past twenty years, Chris has been building applications using the Microsoft platform in various industries, including healthcare, airline services, and television. Chris is currently focused on designing and building enterprise integration platforms using messaging and web services. While preferring C#, Chris is also fluent in C/C++ and JavaScript and has worked with classic ASP, ASP.NET, and windows services. With over twelve years of experience in healthcare, Chris has an in-depth understanding of transactional systems, data security, and enterprise application integration. Chris lives in Broken Arrow, OK with his wife and two daughters.
Swag: Software, books, etc....
When:
5:30 PM - 5:45 PM - Welcome and News, Sign-in and Food
5:45 PM - 6:00 PM - Lighting Presentation
6:00 PM - 6:10 PM - Intermission – Presenter switch over
6:10 PM – 7:30 PM – Main Presentation
7:30 PM – 8:00 PM – Closing and Prize give-a-ways
Where:
The Jones Center
922 East Emma Avenue
Springdale, AR 72764
Room 228 (Memphis Room)
NetMeeting URL: http://snipr.com/nwadnug
Link RSVP URL: http://snipr.com/ix22y
Unit Testing ASP.NET? ASP.NET unit testing has never been this easy.
Typemock is launching a new product for ASP.NET developers – the ASP.NET Bundle - and for the launch will be giving out FREE licenses to bloggers and their readers.
The ASP.NET Bundle is the ultimate ASP.NET unit testing solution, and offers both Typemock Isolator, a unit test tool and Ivonna, the Isolator add-on for ASP.NET unit testing, for a bargain price.
Typemock Isolator is a leading .NET unit testing tool (C# and VB.NET) for many ‘hard to test’ technologies such as SharePoint, ASP.NET, MVC, WCF, WPF, Silverlight and more. Note that for unit testing Silverlight there is an open source Isolator add-on called SilverUnit.
The first 60 bloggers who will blog this text in their blog and tell us about it, will get a Free Isolator ASP.NET Bundle license (Typemock Isolator + Ivonna). If you post this in an ASP.NET dedicated blog, you'll get a license automatically (even if more than 60 submit) during the first week of this announcement.
Also 8 bloggers will get an additional 2 licenses (each) to give away to their readers / friends.
Go ahead, click the following link for more information on how to get your free license.
Come join the NWA .NET User Group on April 7th at 5:30 PM and learn the benefits of Windows Live and Mesh Frameworks!
Lightning Presentation
Title: Continuing Education in Information Technology
Description: In the IT field, you have to keep learning. Whether you keep learning because you want to, or because you have to (if you don’t, someone else will), many options exist for IT professionals to expand the breadth and depth of their skill sets. This presentation will explore several different options for continuing education in the IT field, including self-learning, traditional training, conferences, and a couple of interesting part-time graduate school programs.
Presenter: Jeff Mullins is a faculty member and Associate Director of the Master of Information Systems program for the Information Systems department in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Prior to his move into academics, Jeff spent more than 10 years playing various roles in the IT department at Tyson Foods, including .NET and Java application development, business analysis, and project management. Jeff also recently founded Windsong Solutions, a small IT consulting, development, and training firm.
Main Presentation
Title: Lap Around the Live Framework and Mesh Services
Description: Learn about the Live Framework, our latest offering for developers programming against our Live Services from any device, platform, runtime, or programming language. See new and future services (such as Mesh Services), protocols, APIs, and tools which enable your web, service, or client applications to access, store, and synchronize user data with Live Services, obtain audience analytics data, and more
Presenter: Chris Koenig is a Developer Evangelist with Microsoft, based in Dallas, TX. Prior to joining Microsoft, Chris worked as a Senior Architect on the Architecture Strategy Team for The Capital Group in San Antonio, and as an Architect, Developer and Development Team Lead for the global solution provider Avanade. As a consultant, Chris worked with a variety of clients from many vertical markets, ISVs and other solution providers on enterprise-class Windows and web-based applications. Today, Chris focuses on building, growing, and enhancing the developer communities in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Chris is a devoted husband and father of four awesome children who keep him very busy. In his spare time, Chris serves as Scoutmaster for his oldest son's Troop, and Committee Chair for his youngest sons' Pack. Chris also enjoys traveling, cooking, camping and playing guitar.
You can contact Chris through his blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/chkoenig, via email at chris.koenig@microsoft.com, or via Windows Live Messenger at chris@koenigweb.com.
Swag:
JetBrains ReSharper License
Infragistics Resource DVD
Infragistics NetAdvantage
Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation
Application = Code + Markup A Guide to the Microsoft Windows
Presentation Foundation
Microsoft 6 Office Business Application for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Programming Microsoft Office Business Application
When:
5:30 PM - 5:45 PM - Welcome and News, Sign-in and Food
5:45 PM - 6:00 PM - Lighting Presentation
6:00 PM - 6:10 PM - Intermission – Presenter switch over
6:10 PM – 7:30 PM – Main Presentation
7:30 PM – 8:00 PM – Closing and Prize give-a-ways
Where:
The Jones Center
922 East Emma Avenue
Springdale, AR 72764
Room 130 (Generations Room)
NetMeeting URL: http://snipr.com/nwadnug
Link RSVP URL: http://snipr.com/epmzx
Check out the new ASP.NET MVC Training Kit being provided by Microsoft. The ASP.NET MVC Training Kit includes presentations, hands-on labs, demos, and event materials. This content is designed to help you learn how to utilize ASP.NET MVC.
You can download and find more information about the kit by clicking here.
I found out about a great piece of Mockup software to quickly generate a mockup screen for your applications called Balsamiq Mockups. The software is distributed as an Adobe Air application that you can install locally to your PC.
Mockups For Desktop allows you to work on your UI wherever you are, regardless of your Internet connection. It works on planes, at coffee shops, and wherever you like to do uninterrupted work. Import and Export features ensure seamless integration with all the other versions of Mockups, for when you get back online. Plus you can load and save multiple mockups files, use all keyboard shortcuts and lots more.
Here is an example screen mockup that you can create in the software:
I was able to quickly create a web page template as a demo for a project that I am working on in only a few minutes of work. The Balsamiq Mockup software has many templates to use to create mockups. You can even create your own templates or download more at http://www.mockupstogo.net/.
I have not had any problems with the application so far and would recommend you trying it out on your next project as a quick way to mockup a screen for a presentation to your customers or to be used by your developers to create the real screen.