Invitation to the File system filter developer ‘plugfest’ at Microsoft’s Redmond Campus.
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It is IFS Plugfest time again - the time for File System Filter Driver developers to congregate at Microsoft’s Redmond campus:
* Get help with Windows .NET Server porting, with access to Microsoft developers that implement these systems.
* Come find & fix bugs, and check how your product interops with other products - How can you tell if your new “fixes” cause someone else’s driver to fail?
All of the previous Plugfests have been a tremendous success to both Microsoft and the attendees, so we’re carrying on this fine tradition with…
What: Winter IRP-OPOLOOZA 2002 (PLUGFEST #7)
When: February 25th - March 1st 2002
Where: Redmond, WA
Attendees: 3rd party File system filter driver developers for Windows .NET Server
Duration: 5 days
Registration Cost: NONE! (But please RSVP quickly - this event is always oversubscribed)
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In addition to the normal interop testing between 3rd party IFS products, and the help from our file system development teams, we are planning some server-focused content, including
*?Server Scenario testing: Specific test scenarios around Distributed File System (DFS), File Replication System (FRS), ASP.NET, Remote Storage Server (RSS), Volume Shadowcopy Service (VSS), Services for Macintosh (SFM) and ‘Previous versions/Volume Shadow copies’.
*?Access to large SMP systems - we are trying to arrange access to Unisys ES7000 16CPU and 32CPU systems at this event running Datacenter server.
*?Server performance testing: NetBench is the standard server performance benchmark for a windows File Server. We’ll be giving talks about how to optimize your product for server workloads, and how to measure them using the available tools. We will also be measuring NetBench performance overhead of 3rd party products (results will be confidential between MS and the participating companies) at the event…
*?Minifilter design preview, including access to developer kits and hands-on lab time: We are working on significant enhancements to the File System Filter driver model in Windows that will debut in Windows Longhorn (successor to XP/.NET Server). This model is ready now for preview, and you will need to adapt your drivers to it for Windows LONGHORN (NOT for Windows .NET Server). Minifilters are much easier to develop, maintain, and debug than the existing filters - a lot of the hard issues like file/stream contexts, attachment, stack usage, layering are handled explicitly by the new Filter Manager, making your job easier. At this plugfest we’ll be presenting the new model, letting you try it, and listening to feedback on how you want it changed.
*?Security: Our security team will be sharing what we’ve learnt about attack methods on software (too much), how to harden your code against attack, and how to use tools to automate testing for security problems. Don’t let your code be the hole for next exploit - it isn’t any fun for anyone but the bad guys.
*?Anything else you think we should be covering - please let us know…
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Agenda:
The schedule is as follows:
Day 1: Companies settle and prepare for testing; test their products independently on the supplied machines; request test partners for following 3 days. We’ll also be running DFS/FRS tests scenarios on this day.
Days 1-5: Interop stress test sessions, including IOSTRESS and IFSTEST - these will be run overnight - setup these at the end of the day, run them overnight, and debug/investigate (or celebrate a clean run) the following morning.
The middle of days 2-4 will be used for the scenario tests and for the Minifilter talks & lab sessions.
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There will also be breakout sessions for NetBench/perf, large SMP system access, and RSS testing.
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The event will end at 2pm on Friday, March 1st. Please plan to be here through to the end of the event - we have a very packed agenda this time, and there will be important material covered on Friday.
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Confidentiality
Microsoft will *not* publish a general results matrix after the event. Vendors will only have the results of the tests between themselves and the other parties; the results of each test are provided to Microsoft but Microsoft will not disclose them to third parties. This is the same as the arrangement in March.
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Costs (none) & Registration.
There is no fee for attending this event. However, you are responsible for your airfare/hotel and other travel expenses.
This event is limited to 40 companies. Since this is a relatively small event, prompt confirmation is required to attend. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail xxxxx@microsoft.com, or reply to this mail.
Entrance Requirements:
There are a few criteria you must meet in order to attend:
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Your product needs to include a Windows 2000/XP/.NET Server file system filter driver that you are almost done porting to Windows .NET Server, or a Windows .NET Server file system filter driver (not a storage filter driver or other filter driver or other driver model). We are specifically inviting a small number of true file systems vendors to this event, but the general invite is only for File System Filter driver vendors. We are looking into future events that focus on network or local file systems in the future.
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The main developer of the driver must attend the event. Additionally, another person should attend, either another driver developer, or a tester to help with testing/installation issues. Both attendees must be able to use a kernel debugger to diagnose the problems that surface during interoperability testing. Each attendee should bring a LAPTOP computer with a serial interface for debugging - at this event we wish to use BOTH supplied machines for running stress against.
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Microsoft will provide technical resources to help with the interoperability issues that arise. The owners of the products are expected to do the primary diagnosis of problems. If Microsoft developers are needed to debug a problem, the i386kd or Windbg debuggers should be configured and in use, instead of other commercial debuggers. This ensures we have access to our kernel debugging extensions and removes another factor in the interop test.
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We may have a Press Release describing the event when it occurs. Attendees who wish to keep their presence out of this press release may indicate so when they RSVP.
Please RSVP quickly - this event is always oversubscribed.
Please respond with
Attendee names & email:
Product names:
Driver names:
Special Hardware requirements:
David Golds
Group Program Manager - File system & Storage Technologies
Microsoft Corporation
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This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights. You assume all risk for your use. (c) 2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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