MC+A

Many of our customers find it difficult to figure out which LDAP query to run in their Google Search Appliance (GSA) or Google Mini (Mini) LDAP setup wizard.  When configuring LDAP on the GSA, a common issue that the user may run into is finding the correct information for the “Distinguished Name” (DN) field.

Our solution to this problem is a handy command that can be executed on your server providing Active Directory.

In order to quickly find the DN, open a command prompt and enter the command “adsiedit.msc”.

After you execute this command navigate to the account in which you are seeking the distinguished name (This is typically your account).

Right-click on that account and select “properties”.

Then find the “Distinguished Name” category, double-click, and you will have the answer you seek.

We have published a new version of a Google Gadget that counts up the days since the Cubs or Red Sox have won the World Series and how many days are left until opening day. It should be in the iGoogle Directory soon, but for now you can add it to your iGoogle page or your own website by using the following URL:

Add Gadget!

From a technical standpoint, the count-up and countdown functions were developed in Flash and called to the gadget using Google’s APIs. Other APIs used include tab functionality and the second tab features an RSS feed that displays news from whichever team you choose to display. We at MC+A recommend the Chicago Cubs, naturally, despite the HUGE number displayed since they won. With 500+ users already, we’d like to see more fans display this gadget on their pages.

Add it to your site today!

We’ve received numerous requests over the past couple of months on using OneBox technology to pull data from SAP systems. We’ve created a solution offering for customers that employs our SAP OneBox Framework. We can use this framework to pull a variety of SAP data out of Netweaver. We’ve developed a sample using the classic flight data scenario.

Check out our PowerPoint presentation on our offering through this link:

Get Presentation Here!

MC+A is pleased to announce its upcoming webinar series. The webinars will be hosted in conjunction with our partners. Events will occur on Tuesday and Thursday. Please goto the webinar event page at:

http://www.mcplusa.com/connect/Product-Demonstrations-Seminars.html

For future details you can also contact us by our online form

MC + A’s CEO, Michael Cizmar, has been interviewed by the IT website SearchITChannel.com about his opionions and for his expertise on Google and other technologies. Check out the interview here:

http://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid96_gci1276994,00.html

As always, if you have any questions about Google, SharePoint or how we can help you more efficiently integrate those or other technologies for your business, contact us at sales@mcplusa.com.

Sometimes when creating a new application that will be deployed in multiple locations, it’s necessary to have some globally configurable variables in the web.config file. It’s important to give the users as easy of an experience in installing the application as possible.

We aim to make all of our applications easy to install, configure and use. This following code is the event when the user clicks on the button to change the appSettings in the web.config file.

using System.Web.Configuration;

protected void SettingButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Configuration config;

config = WebConfigurationManager.OpenWebConfiguration(”~”);

AppSettingsSection settingChange;

settingChange = config.GetSection(”appSettings”) as AppSettingsSection;

if (settingChange != null)
{

settingChange.Settings[”setting”].Value = setting.Text;

config.Save();

}

}

As you can see, you first need to define what configuration file that you wish to change. In the above example, the first 2 lines of code open the web.config file for the local application. If you wish to configure a different file, change “~” to “folder\config.config” (depending on the location of the file).

The next 2 lines define the AppSettingsSection and in the above example, we are changing values of keys located in the appSettings section. To conclude the event, check if the value entered is null and if it is not, write the new value to the web.config file.

Once IIS realizes that the web.config file has been changed, it should then reset the application and begin to use the new values during runtime.

That’s it! If the web.config file is not updating, check to see if it is read-only or that the username your application is running under has the proper permissions to write to the web.config file.

What a week it has been for MC + A. We recently relocated our place of business from downtown Chicago to some new digs close to Wrigley Field. Being a life-long Cubs fan, it feels good to be able to come to this area of the city a few days a week. My Cubbies may have lost 4 in a row, but this looks to be the start of a good streak for MC + A.

Hopefully, the arrangement that we have in our new office with one of our partners will turn out to be fruitful for both parties involved. We have been working together for awhile and the opportunity for more face to face collaboration certainly can’t hurt either of us. Meeting people that I personally have been working with for months now is great. No one ever looks like you think they do when you talk to them over the phone or on instant message. The other nice thing about working with your partners in a shared space is that you know for sure that they are not just sitting at home in their skivvies while you are talking to them. Get that image out of your head now.

Any of you who are reading this post have more than likely moved an office from one point to another or started a new job with new people. Hopefully, my new office mates don’t drive me crazy or force me to a life of boozing in order to be able to cope with my new surroundings.