Microsoft EMEA TechNet : news items

8 New SQL Server 2005 Report Packs!

AndreasK — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 15:58:00 GMT

SQL Server’s presence at Convergence represents how Dynamics is committed to enabling their customers to improve business insight through the SQL Server BI platform. In addition to providing information about SQL Server 2005 and its BI technologies, the team announced several new and updated Report Packs to help customers quickly design and deploy reports.

Based on the successful release of SQL Server 2000 Report Packs (more than 147,000 downloaded), the team has released six updated and three new Report Packs for SQL Server 2005.

They are available today as a free Web download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D81722CE-408C-4FB6-A429-2A7ECD62F674&displaylang=en.

We are also launching a new site designed to solicit customer and partner feedback: http://codegallery.gotdotnet.com/sqlrptpack (membership is free).

Customer/Partner Benefits:

Allow customers to kick start creating reports for applications and speed up report design and deployment
Greater productivity and efficiency for all users from the platform to the application
Enable partners to accelerate development of their solutions and help their customers take advantage of advanced business insight to drive business success

The 8 new/updated Report Packs include:

SQL Server 2005 Integration Services
SharePoint Portal Server 2003
Internet Information Services (IIS) Logs
Microsoft Axapta 3.0
Microsoft Great Plains 8.0
Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains 9.0
Microsoft Dynamics Navision 4.0
Financial Reporting

(re-post from Marcel's Blog in Switzerland)

AJAX Web-Apps and ASP.NET - codename "Atlas"

AndreasK — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 11:40:00 GMT

Here some information from the developer-world that might also be of interest to you. AJAX (short for Async Javascript And XML technologies) allows for very nice interactive web-applications (e.g. check out the beta of Windows Live Mail on http://ideas.live.com/), but in my opinion it's quite hard to implement. This is why I find the "Atlas" news from our msdn-colleagues interesting:

The ASP.NET team has just released the March CTP for ASP.NET codename "Atlas," a set of new Web development technologies that integrate client script libraries with the ASP.NET 2.0 server-based development framework. In addition, "Atlas" offers the same type of development platform for client-based Web pages that ASP.NET offers for server-based pages. And because "Atlas" is an extension of ASP.NET, it is fully integrated with server-based services. "Atlas" makes it possible to easily take advantage of AJAX techniques on the Web, and enables you to create ASP.NET pages with a rich, responsive UI and server communication. However, "Atlas" isn't just for ASP.NET. You can take advantage of the rich client framework to easily build client-centric Web applications that integrate with any back-end data provider.

Andreas

eLearning - SQL Server 2005 BI services

AndreasK — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 11:11:00 GMT

While we don't yet have MOC-traininings on SQL Server BI, there is a limited-time offer of free Microsoft eLearning courses.

Course 2942: New Features of Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 Analysis Services
Summary: This course is a technically deep learning experience for architects, systems engineers, systems administrators, solution developers, or application developers. The course is designed for either the planning/design phase of technology adoption, or on implementation issues specific to the build, deployment and management phases. The course provides detailed reference content and in-depth practical and hands-on activities.
Audience: IT Pro
Available Offline: Yes
Price: $99.00 - NOW FREE (90-day subscription)

Course 2943: Updating Your Data ETL Skills to Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 Integration Services
Summary: This course is a technically deep learning experience for architects, systems engineers, systems administrators, solution developers, or application developers. The course is designed for either the planning/design phase of technology adoption, or on implementation issues specific to the build, deployment and management phases. The course provides detailed reference content and in-depth practical and hands-on activities.
Audience: IT Pro
Available Offline: Yes
Price: $99.00 - NOW FREE (90-day subscription)

Course 2944: Updating Your Reporting Skills to Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 Reporting Services
Summary: This course is a technically deep learning experience for architects, systems engineers, systems administrators, solution developers, or application developers. The Course is designed for either the planning/design phase of technology adoption, or on implementation issues specific to the build, deployment and management phases. The Course provides detailed reference content and in-depth practical and hands-on activities.
Audience: IT Pro
Available Offline: Yes
Price: $99.00 - NOW FREE (90-day subscription)

TCP/UDP Ports behaviour Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

AndreasK — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 14:29:00 GMT

I like the articles by "The Cable Guy" a lot. E.g. the December edition "Windows TCP/IP Ephemeral, Reserved, and Blocked Port Behavior" is a good explanation how Windows assigns dynamic ("ephemeral") ports and how you can control it.

The Cable Guy gets also translated into German, you find an overview here.

Andreas

Tip - Blake's Page on Free Tools for Microsoft Windows

AndreasK — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 01:28:00 GMT

Blake, who is a consultant working with Microsoft technologies brought to my attention his amazing overview-page about free add-ons to Microsoft Windows - I think this is very cool, you might have a look at it http://spaces.msn.com/members/bhandler/Blog/cns!1pt1v0Q4vD8jSvNS4lqdAuug!340.entry (OK, now I feel a bit guilty that we at Microsoft don't do a better job ourself about promoting this - anyway, thanks to Blake for sharing this).

Andreas

Microsoft Windows Vista - Resources for IT-Professionals

AndreasK — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:13:00 GMT

Windows Vista work is progressing and generating a lot of interest in the IT-Pro community. Therefore I want to draw your attention to this English-language TechNet site as we just released the WindowsVista December Community preview. A key new feature in this new release is the new advanced security features alongside progress on the new user-interface (Aero). More news about the consumer-side of Windows Vista (Media-Center and Media Player) will become public at the CES trade-show Jan 5-8.

For more Information click here (TechNet resources) or here (December Community preview).

Andreas

P.S.: Some advertising - pls. remember that all Microsoft TechNet subscribers automatically get their Windows Vista Betas (like the Dec. Community preview) shipped as part of their subscription while the Beta will only be available publicly later next year.

New Version of Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer for Windows XP Released

AndreasK — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 13:33:00 GMT

The Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer is a free “PowerToy” for Microsoft Windows XP that provides the ability to view, organize, and print photos captured in RAW image formats from supported Canon and Nikon digital cameras. Now with support for more new DSLRs.

More information and download here
Read more news about Microsoft Windows XP and professional/enthusiast photography here

Andreas

Welcome to Andreas Kunar's Blog

AndreasK — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 16:59:00 GMT

Hi all,

I’m starting this blog as part of a Microsoft Europe, Middle-East & Africa (EMEA) head-quarter’s project to sustainably increase the service and quality of our TechNet websites in small- and medium-sized markets.

Andi