• Mac OS X,  VMware

    Run Windows Apps on Mac OS X

    February 17, 2007

    VMware and Parallels allow you to run Windows applications on top of a Windows operating system for Mac OS X.  But what if you don’t want to buy a whole operating system, install it, support it, etc.?  Well, there’s another tool that may work for you.  It’s called CrossOver and can be found at: http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/ But it doesn’t work with just any old application.  The compatibility matrix can be found here: http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/browse/name/ In my testing it also didn’t work with all of the applications listed on the compatibility matrix, or it worked but there were certain features that didn’t work.  So make sure to thoroughly test the applications you plan…

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  • Business

    The TCO of Virtualization

    February 13, 2007

    It starts innocently enough: you start running virtual machines (VMs) for testing.  Then you slowly get hooked.  The next thing you start to do is put your VMs into production.  Then you start buying only servers that have hypervisor built in.  Then you start looking at SANs to leverage virtual clusters and virtualize your volumes.  The next thing you know, you’re looking on vmware.com for a new virtual dog and banging your head on the keyboard when you can’t find one.  At this point there are 8 VMs running on every laptop and handheld in your organization, there are sometimes 3 different applications running VMs on one host and often…

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  • Interviewing

    Interview Tips: February 2007

    February 10, 2007

    Certifications.  They’re great.  But regrettably “Paper MCSEs” and others with no skills have ruined the party in a way.  Be prepared for each paper certification that you have to back them up with real-world experience and justification to the paper.  Many interviewers will let you get by with the paper alone.  But not savvy IT pros, so be ready…

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  • Mac OS X,  Network Infrastructure

    Magic Packets

    February 6, 2007

    A Magic Packet is a broadcast frame with 6 bytes of ones (FF FF FF FF FF FF) followed by sixteen repetitions of the target systems Mac address.  Magic Packets can be sent as a broadcast packet of any network- and transport-layer protocol. The Mac supports Wake on LAN and therefore a sleeping Mac can be brought to life using a magic packet.  There are GUI wrappers that allow you to use Magic Packets, such as WOL, Nudge, etc.  Just search for Magic Packet or Wake On LAN on Version Tracker and I’m sure you’ll find plenty… These sometimes work for Windowz too, provided Wake on LAN support has been enabled.  …

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