Free, online training course CEV-100-2W Getting Started with Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V, has been updated to include Windows Server 2008 R2 features and enhancements. Updates include:

• Integration with Windows Hyper‐V R2
• Enhanced support and integration with Microsoft's System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008
• Site recovery used to protect your virtual machine deployment with a replicated failover site in the event of a catastrophic event
• Improved virtual machine template management, and other ease of use improvements

Get started at http://www.citrix.com/ehvtraining

For a limited time, Citrix Education is offering training for Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V at no cost!
If you haven't registered yet, enroll now. Registration fees are waived at the time of registration.

This self-paced online course, CEV-100-1W Getting Started with Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V, introduces students to Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V and helps them gain the proper knowledge and skills needed to perform basic installation and configuration tasks. Through online simulations, students will install and configure key features and explore product capabilities, such as virtual storage management, provisioning services, lifecycle management and workflow studio.

Learn more and register at http://www.citrix.com/ehvtraining

I moved to California from London just over 11 months ago. Obviously there is a significant cultural and climatic shift involved and a settling in period is a necessity to find your feet. Having travelled all over the world I have embraced as many aspects of different cultures and enjoyed experimenting.

One such aspect I have noticed here in California and in fact right throughout the US is the love of cheese.  A meal  smothered in cheese is normally accompanied by a side dish of, guess what, MORE cheese. Normally I reserve this dairy delight for a cracker or with some wine but 'Here' it is on everything.

Ordering a Cheeseburger with no cheese always raises a quizzical look from the waitress and a thought process which starts with "You are weird" and progresses to "Is he a serial killer?". Even the lactose intolerant demand that their lunch, dinners and daily snacks have heavy cheese content. Asking colleagues, "why do they have so much cheese on their food?" the simple answer was, "it tastes so good with cheese".

One technically gifted colleague decided to explain this using the analogy that Citrix XenApp and Microsoft Remote Desktop Services(the technology formerly known as Terminal Services) have the same relationship as cheese and hot meals(zzzz). The hot meal is the platform, Microsoft, and the cheese is the value-add, XenApp, which brings the  meal to life. Beating this analogy to a quick death, then Citrix has a number of cheeses, Citrix XenDesktop, Essentials for Hyper-V and Branch Repeater which embrace and extend the Microsoft Platform to supply a sumptuous meal.

All of these great combos can be found here at the New Microsoft/Citrix Community Portal where we've consolidated all related news, blogs, articles, videos, etc... into the feeds section of this page. We've also created an area that highlights all related forum threads and postings. Look for answers to your burning questions, participate in an existing discussion, or you can tell us if our cheese is good or if it stinks - let me remind you that all the best cheeses stink  

PS Does eating cheese in the evening give you nightmares?