Brian Nelson
Brian Nelson (MCSE, CNA) is a professional freelance writer and small business owner with the freelance writing business ArcticLlama, LLC. Brian’s experience includes network and systems administration, financial planning and advising, and he even has a degree in Biochemistry. Brian specializes in several areas of highly technical writing for ArcticLlama including technology, science and medical. He is also a freelance financial writer specialist. He lives in Colorado with his wife and daughter. Brian contributes articles on Windows Server 2008 and other related topics.
- Website: http://www.arcticllama.com/
Brian Nelson has written 100 posts for TrainSignal Training
Learn PowerShell Scripting FAST
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 9, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
Once you’ve introduced yourself to Windows PowerShell and how get information about cmdlets, you’re ready to dig into scripting. This guide shows you how to start scripting fast with PowerShell commands and the features that will save you loads of time, and impress your fellow admins 
Learn Windows PowerShell Fast Crash Course
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 2, 2012 ⋅ One comment
See how you can move from the labor intensive world of point-and-click management to using PowerShell to run base scripts that can reduce task loads for Microsoft sys admins drastically. This is your PowerShell Fast Crash Course to get you started.
Windows Server 8 Cloud Operating System
By Brian Nelson ⋅ March 6, 2012 ⋅ 2 comments
Microsoft has made significant investments in cloud computing and want to position their next release of Windows Server as the server of the cloud. Will Windows 8 deliver on that promise?
Install Windows 8 in a Virtual Machine
By Brian Nelson ⋅ February 29, 2012 ⋅ 5 comments
Microsoft’s Windows 8 is currently available in a pre-beta status to developers. Learn how to set up the operating system in a virtual machine in a way that doesn’t compromise your current system and still let’s you fully explore the features.
Top 7 Things to Hate About Windows 7
By Brian Nelson ⋅ February 29, 2012 ⋅ One comment
Windows 7 has been on the market for quite some time now. While Windows 7 is considered by many to be a huge improvement from the loathed Vista, here are some long dues criticisms of the Microsoft operating system.
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3.0 Beta Drops Microsoft Requirement
By Brian Nelson ⋅ January 30, 2012 ⋅ 2 comments
Red Hat Virtualization 3.0 won’t need Windows Server and it has a lot of new features and greater scalability. Read about how the open source capabilities of this Beta virtualization platform will appeal to SMBs.
Linux Mint 12 Latest Release
By Brian Nelson ⋅ January 6, 2012 ⋅ 2 comments
Ever since Canonical abandoned the familiar GNOME desktop in Ubuntu for the new Unity shell, Linux Mint, a distro that focuses on usability, has enjoyed a surge in popularity. DistroWatch lists Mint as the leading distro over the past few months, and Linux Mint 12 is the latest release. The Linux Mint 12 download can [...]
Windows Intune 2 Released
By Brian Nelson ⋅ November 15, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
The first version of Windows Intune was released earlier in 2011, but Microsoft is already set to release version 2.0. Read about some of the features and capabilities offered with Windows Intune 2.0.
How To Test PowerShell Scripts With WhatIf
By Brian Nelson ⋅ September 21, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
Used correctly PowerShell 2.0 is a robust tool for system administration, but used incorrectly, it can be a powerful disruptor of an otherwise happy environment. Learn how to test your PowerShell scripts with the WhatIf parameter to ensure that you’re always using PowerShell correctly.
What’s New in VMware vSphere 5
By Brian Nelson ⋅ August 2, 2011 ⋅ One comment
VMware vSphere 5 is bigger, faster and offers over 200 new features. Get a taste of what’s new in vSphere 5, learn about the vSphere storage appliance and see what the new vSphere pricing model looks like.
Windows Thin PC: What is WinTPC and How Does it Work
By Brian Nelson ⋅ July 12, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
Microsoft’s Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) is a locked down version of Windows 7 that allows companies to take existing computers within the organization and turn them into thin clients. Learn more about WinTPC and how it works.
Ubuntu’s New Unity User Interface
By Brian Nelson ⋅ July 5, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
Recently, the Canonical team announced the replacement of the popular GNOME desktop shell with the new Unity User Interface. Learn about Ubuntu’s new Unity user interface — how it started, what it has to offer and what are some of the interface quirks.
How To Set Up Microsoft Office 365 Beta for Small Business
By Brian Nelson ⋅ June 8, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
Microsoft Office 365 runs all of the necessary software and applications that a small business needs and the setup can be accomplished by any reasonably tech savvy small business owner. See how to setup an Office 365 team, permissions and licenses in Office 365 beta.
IT Salaries Increase, IT Pros In Demand Again
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 31, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
After a long drought, IT jobs are in demand again and IT salaries are rising, if you have the right skills and you’re in the right location, you may be in luck. Updating your skills, certifications and your IT resume is a must.
How to Use VMware Player for Training, Testing and More
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 25, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
See how you can use the free VMware Player to create virtual machines which you can then use for testing, training, and experimenting with new products, operating systems, or applications.
Microsoft Office 365: Cloud-Based Web Applications
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 24, 2011 ⋅ One comment
Microsoft Office 365 is currently in beta and if you haven’t given it a try yet, here’s what you need to learn about the new platform. In this article we’ll take a look at the Office 365 applications, email and calendar functions in Office 365 and more.
How to Use Best Practices Analyzer to Optimize your Small Business Server 2011
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 4, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments
Want to make sure that your SBS 2011 installation is fully optimized and runs as well as it can? The Best Practices Analyzer can help you identify areas that need improvement and made recommendations to correct any deficiencies. See how the BPA in SBS 2011 works.
Configuration Manager 2012 Beta Released
By Brian Nelson ⋅ May 3, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 beta has just been released. See what the new SCCM 2012 has to offer, what the major changes are and how you can experience them first hand.
What’s New in System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1
By Brian Nelson ⋅ April 12, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
System Center Virtual Machine Manager is a comprehensive management suite for data centers utilizing high-end virtualization and VMM 2008 R2 SP1 brings some new features and support to the table. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new in VMM 2008 R2 SP1.
Active Directory PowerShell Scripts Management Tool For Admins
By Brian Nelson ⋅ July 21, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
Microsoft Active Directory is at the heart of the company’s server systems. From Windows Server to Exchange Server and beyond, the power of configuring Active Directory policies and objects allows IT to manage a vast empire of resources, users, and workstations in the Enterprise computing environment. Unfortunately, all of that scalability and flexibility can quickly [...]