We've released the Remote Desktop Client (RDP) 6.0 this week. There are some new features like:
Have a look at the KB925876 article for explanation of the new features and you can download the different versions from there too.
This version has first been introduced with Windows Vista and Longhorn Server. I think with one of the nicest features additions is the TS Gateway support which is a way of doing RDP over HTTPS. The TSGateway functionality is part of the Terminal Services of Longhorn.
As it has been one year now that SQL Server 2005 has been released we decided it would be a good idea to put together a website which brings together information to help you upgrade to the latest release of SQL Server. On this website you will find valuable resources like Webcasts, White Papers, Case Studies, How-to's and many more. Just check it out yourself http://www.sqlserverupgrade.be/.
And to support this upgrade campaign we organize a TechNet evening where Frederik Vandeputte (member of SQLUG) will guide you through the different steps and processes of upgrading a SQL Server 2000 towards SQL Server 2005.
Upgrading to SQL Server 2005 - Tips and tricks from the fieldDecember 6, 2006 / 18:00 - 20:00 NH Hotel, Diegem
Level: 300
Register now
Just wanted to share with you that we released the Windows Vista product guide. It's a guide that explains feature by feature the new Windows Vista. The guide is available in two formats Word 2007 and the XPS format.
Download Product Guide
Today I was working at a booth on a Partner Event. I was explaining how we can block the installation of USB devices by using Group Policies. I also showed how we can change the default message a user gets when he tries to install such a device. I talked about the fact that we can allow the installation of specific devices like mouse and keyboards. Now one of the customers had a question about can I allow only this specific USB Memory stick. I never thought about it before. So I wanted to find out if you can do that. So I have two identical memory sticks "USB Mini Cruzers" and I want to be able to use one of them and block the other.
How does it work? First you need to find out the Hardware ID's. Open the device manager and scroll to the "Mini Cruzer Disk drive" you will this under "Disk Drive" or under the "Other Devices" section. Double click on the USB memory stick and select the Details tab. Then select the Hardware ID's option in the properties section.
On the above screenshots you can see that we have the same device's but there is only one difference and that is the "USBSTOR\DiskSanDisk_Cruzer_Mini_____0.1_" or the "USBSTOR\DiskSanDisk_Cruzer_Mini_____0.2_" ID. We will use the "USBSTOR\DiskSanDisk_Cruzer_Mini_____0.1_" to allow the installation of this device.If you want to install for example all Sandisk Cruzer Mini USB sticks you could select the "USBSTOR\DiskSanDisk_Cruzer_Mini_____" hardware ID.Now we have our Hardware ID we can start configuring the Group Policies to block the USB device installation. Let me explain what I mostly do to apply the policies, I open the Group Policies (gpedit) console and I go to the following location, Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Device Installation Restrictions.
The above screenshot shows you the options you have to edit. I edited the following items:
With these settings configured I block the installation of all USB devices except the one memory stick that matches the in the Group Policy defined Hardware ID.
This is a great feature for many companies who want to protect their infrastructure. Know what do you think about this is this clear or should I create a screencast on how to block USB devices, let me know.
Last week I read a blogpost on how to slow down the animations in Vista. Basically you have to add a registry key and HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM\ add the Dword key AnimationsShiftkey with value 1 and log off and log back on.
Once you have logged on again you can slow down the animations by using the shift key. I recorded a screencast where you can see what the effect is of pressing the shift key.
Video: Vista Animations in slow motion
TechNet Evening : Upgrading to SQL Server 2005 - Tips and tricks from the field Frederik Vandeputte will demonstrate different upgrade scenarios and show you the pros and cons of each upgrade path. He will pinpoint potential pitfalls and show you the tools which can help you during the upgrade process.
Level 300+When? December 6, 2006 / 18:00 - 20:00Where? NH Hotel, DiegemRegister now
TechNet Evening : Group Policiy Deep Dive: Managing Features, Troubleshooting, Settings with Windows Vista Learn about new Group Policy features in Windows Vista, including ADMX files (which replace ADM files), the ADMX Central Store, an improved awareness of changing network conditions, using Multiple Local GPOs, and GPMC integration into the operating system. Additionally, we demonstrate and discuss some of the most important of the hundreds of new policy settings delivered with Windows Vista, and review Group Policy features planned for the Longhorn Server timeframe.
Level 300When? January 10, 2007 / 18:00 - 20:00Where? NH Hotel, DiegemRegister now
Today Bart Bultinck, who is a member of the Belgian IT Pro community, give his first Funcast about "How to Create a Blog and Wiki with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007". Although it was his first time it went well and we will continue drive this initiative.
The funcasts are not deep technical level but are demo based sessions about different topics. My goal is to give the IT Pro community in Belgium to express themselves and to be able to be more visible.
View the recording of this session.
A: Testdrive Office 2007 System http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/HA101687261033.aspx
SharePoint Server 2007SharePoint Server 2007 for SearchSharePoint Designer 2007Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
Forefront Security for Sharepoint
Virtual Lab
Introducing Content Types for Windows SharePoint Services (TechNet) Virtual Lab
In completing this lab, you will be provided a walkthrough of content types and new property editing functionality in Windows SharePoint Services V3.
SharePoint Blogs
http://www.biwug.be
http://jopx.blogspot.comhttp://blog.funknstyle.com/http://blog.spsclerics.com/http://www.sharepointshow.com/http://www.sharepointblogs.com/http://www.spsfaq.com/blogs.htmhttp://weblogs.asp.net/jan/http://radio.weblogs.com/0126624/
In this session, we show you how to manage shared service providers, including the ability to use profiles, personalized sites, and audiences to deliver customized content to users of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. We also demonstrate the ...
11/29/2006 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada) - 11/29/2006 12:30 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) | Duration:90 Minutes
Primary Language: English
Primary Target Audience: IT Professional
Add to Calendar
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032314004&culture=en-US
In this session, we describe effective techniques you can use to secure Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. Learn about the benefits and limitations of several different authentication methods, and the manage...
11/27/2006 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada) - 11/27/2006 12:30 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) | Duration:90 Minutes
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032313269&culture=en-US
For more than six years, Microsoft IT has been hosting different versions of Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services. Join this webcast to learn about the best practices, processes, and challenges of hosting the newest version of the product concurrent...
12/19/2006 9:30 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada) - 12/19/2006 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada) | Duration:60 Minutes
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032316542&culture=en-US
The 2007 Microsoft Office system provides new capabilities to extend business intelligence (BI) to more users in the organization. Join this webcast to learn how you can use Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services and deploy BI to users in Microsoft O...
11/22/2006 1:00 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) - 11/22/2006 2:00 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) | Duration:60 Minutes
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032317013&culture=en-US
Are you looking for a good Powershell Text Editor, don't look further. Thanks to David I found this really good Powershell Texteditor.
You can always download the latest version from http://www.powershellanalyzer.com/.
Source: CCalderon
The RSS bandit team listened to us the users and on the blog of Dare Obasanjo you can read that they found a solution for this problem. They have tracked the problem down to an issue with the SandDock GUI components that are used by RSS Bandit. In what they call the Jubilee release they will be moving to the Infragistics GUI components which should according to the blog will not have this problem.
I am really interested to see how the new RSS Bandit codename Phoenix will look like as they state that RSS Bandit will use the Office 2007 look and feel.
I am glad to see that the RSS Bandit feed reader will be updated and hopefully compatible with Windows Vista.
I know most of you already know that we Released To Web (RTW) Windows Powershell 1.0 for Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003. Go ahead and download Powershell 1.0. On the Vista team blog Alex Heaton wrote a post about 12 cool features of Windows Powershell.
Today I discovered a link on the Canadian IT Pro blog to a Podcast with Bruce Payette who is one of the members of the Powershell team. Remember a few posts ago I blogged about an upcoming Powershell book: Powershell in Action
Bruce is the author of this book.
Going through the blogs that I read I saw a post about really cool gadgets. My colleague Matt McSpirit wrote a post about some cool gadgets.
I downloaded and installed the two following cool gadgets:
This gadgets shows you your wireless connection strength and the name of the wireless LAN you are connected to. It even shows you if the connections is secured or not.
Another gadget I downloaded is the power meter that shows you the battery level.
The next gadget is my favorite one. You connect to your Live Messenger and it shows you your contacts. This gadgets has a few options to choose from, so you can set your online status, you can choose to only show your online contacts or also the offline contacts. Matt states that he cannot find a way to set his status so far but that has changed with this new version.
I advise you to download the latest versions of the sidebar gadgets from Tom's blog as they are changing quickly.
As you can see the number of gadgets available online is still growing. This is great, keep up creating such cool and useful gadgets. One I really like to see is the soccer scores from the Belgian Jupiler league.
Today we kicked-off TechEd IT Forum in Barcelona with the pre conference sessions, I walked in different sessions. I didn't had the time to stay at the sessions because I had some catch up work todo (remember we had our amazing launch event) on e-mail and blog reading. Now I wanted to share something I find rather cool it is about Longhorn Terminal services so when you connect from a Vista machine with a full screen session towards a Longhorn server you not only get the look and feel of Windows Vista but you also can use the flip 3D to switch between your applications. I like this. The second demo I really liked was the Softricity demo where you can virtualize your applications. I really think about it to have some of those sessions at our Dev & IT Pro days.
Like I quickly mentioned in the previous blogpost I will be working @ Ask the Experts booth, Tuesday I am there all day and Wednesday I am there in the afternoon. If you want to have a chat please drop by, send me a mail arlindo.alves@Microsoft.com or just give me a call +32 477 36 26 37.
Tomorrow the event will finally officially kick-off with the Keynote of Bob Muglia where we will have some announcements but more on that tomorrow. I will try to blog during the keynote session. This will be a great week with more then 300 IT Pro sessions.
PS: Next week I will post my screencast about HPC
I am in Barcelona this week and I will be at the Ask the Experts booth on tuesday, in the morning I will do the infodesk and in the afternoon at the Vista booth. If you want to talk to me just come and see me.
What a week; A few days ago we announced that the 2007 Office System has been released to manufacturing and Now we just announced that Windows Vista has been released to manufacturing. This is a great moment for all people that worked really hard to make these products a reality. I am standing here at the boot of our Business Innovation event and the timing is just perfect tomorrow we will announce those product to more then 7000 attendees. And I am really proud to be part of that!!
The launch of our new products is not only a milestone for Microsoft but also for our Partners.
Read the official Q&A here
And to end with Jim Alchin his words - It's Time!
We just launched the VHD Test Drive program, we are not only giving the VHD format away for free we also leverage the Virtualisation technology by delivering a bunch of pre-prepared Virtual Machines for evaluation purposes.
What are we preparing:
Windows Server 2003 R2:This download comes as a pre-configured VHD and helps you evaluate the new features of Windows Server 2003 R2, the most productive infrastructure platform for powering connected applications, networks, and Web services from the workgroup to the data center.
Exchange Server 2007:This download comes as a pre-configured VHD. This download enables you evaluate how Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 together can help create an optimized messaging system for your organization.
SQL Server 2005: This download comes as a pre-configured VHD. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is a comprehensive, integrated, end-to-end data solution that empowers your people by providing a more secure, reliable, and productive platform for enterprise data and BI applications
ISA Server 2006: This download comes as a pre-configured VHD. ISA Server 2006 is the integrated edge security gateway that helps protect your IT environment from Internet-based threats while providing users with fast and secure remote access to applications and data.
Go ahead and dowload the Virtual Machines and start playing around with our Technology.
Today I came across this an interesting mail about IT Manager content on the Technet site. I just wanted to share this information with you.
Optimize Platform Value: IT Showcase Infrastructure Optimization at MicrosoftImplementing Visual Studio Team System in the Microsoft OEM Division's IT Center of ExcellenceScorecards Provide a Foundation for Business Performance Management at MicrosoftUsing ASP.NET 2.0 to Streamline Web Application DevelopmentMessaging Hygiene at Microsoft: How Microsoft IT Defends Against Spam, Viruses, and E-Mail AttacksIT Change and ConfigurationInfrastructure Management at MicrosoftIntroduction to Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) FundamentalsImproved Deployment Features in Windows VistaMobile Messaging at Microsoft: Improving Security, Manageability, and User Experience IT Manager Connections Get a Head Start on Windows VistaOptimizing ROI with the Microsoft Branch Office Infrastructure SolutionBusiness and Technical Overview of a Microsoft Branch Office SolutionHow to Harness the Value and Benefits of an Integrated IT Platform Infrastructure Optimization Infrastructure Optimization Self-Assessment ToolMicrosoft Infrastructure Optimization JourneyThe Relationship Between IT Labor Costs and Best Practices for Managing the Windows DesktopDriving Down Costs of the Business Desktop Executive Circle The Ultimate Proof of IT Value—Harvard Professor Finds Real Revenue GainsMicrosoft Executive Circle Webcast: How IT Drives Growth and Boosts Business Performance Microsoft Operations Framework The Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows EnvironmentMOF Continuous Improvement RoadmapMicrosoft Operations Framework Self-Assessment Tool 2.0 Volume Licensing Windows Vista Enterprise IT Governance and Compliance: IT Showcase A Conversation with Microsoft’s CIO Ron Markezich: SecurityScorecards Provide a Foundation for Business Performance Management at MicrosoftEmpowering Users with Self-Service Identity and Access Management Solutions: An Overview of Easy IDMessaging Hygiene at Microsoft: How Microsoft IT Defends Against Spam, Viruses, and E-Mail AttacksInfrastructure Management at MicrosoftIntroduction to Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) FundamentalsGovernance: A Conversation with Microsoft CIO Ron Markezich IT Manager Connections Achieving Regulatory Compliance Through Operational ExcellenceBetter IT Management Through IT GovernanceOverview of the Regulatory Compliance Planning Guide for IT Managers Microsoft Operations Framework The Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows EnvironmentThe Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows EnvironmentMOF Continuous Improvement RoadmapMicrosoft Operations Framework Self-Assessment Tool 2.0Mapping International Security Standards to MOFIT Business Alignment: IT Showcase Implementing Visual Studio Team System in the Microsoft OEM Division's IT Center of ExcellenceUsing ASP.NET 2.0 to Streamline Web Application DevelopmentIT Change and ConfigurationMobile Messaging at Microsoft: Improving Security, Manageability, and User Experience IT Manager Connections How to Align IT with Business GoalsHow to Harness the Value and Benefits of an Integrated IT Platform Executive Circle The Ultimate Proof of IT Value—Harvard Professor Finds Real Revenue GainsMicrosoft Executive Circle Webcast: How IT Drives Growth and Boosts Business Performance Microsoft Operations Framework The Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows Environment Doing Business with Microsoft: Volume Licensing Volume ActivationWindows Vista EnterpriseManage Your Volume Licenses
Optimize Platform Value:
IT Showcase
Infrastructure Optimization at MicrosoftImplementing Visual Studio Team System in the Microsoft OEM Division's IT Center of ExcellenceScorecards Provide a Foundation for Business Performance Management at MicrosoftUsing ASP.NET 2.0 to Streamline Web Application DevelopmentMessaging Hygiene at Microsoft: How Microsoft IT Defends Against Spam, Viruses, and E-Mail AttacksIT Change and ConfigurationInfrastructure Management at MicrosoftIntroduction to Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) FundamentalsImproved Deployment Features in Windows VistaMobile Messaging at Microsoft: Improving Security, Manageability, and User Experience
IT Manager Connections
Get a Head Start on Windows VistaOptimizing ROI with the Microsoft Branch Office Infrastructure SolutionBusiness and Technical Overview of a Microsoft Branch Office SolutionHow to Harness the Value and Benefits of an Integrated IT Platform
Infrastructure Optimization
Infrastructure Optimization Self-Assessment ToolMicrosoft Infrastructure Optimization JourneyThe Relationship Between IT Labor Costs and Best Practices for Managing the Windows DesktopDriving Down Costs of the Business Desktop
Executive Circle
The Ultimate Proof of IT Value—Harvard Professor Finds Real Revenue GainsMicrosoft Executive Circle Webcast: How IT Drives Growth and Boosts Business Performance
Microsoft Operations Framework
The Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows EnvironmentMOF Continuous Improvement RoadmapMicrosoft Operations Framework Self-Assessment Tool 2.0
Volume Licensing
Windows Vista Enterprise
IT Governance and Compliance:
A Conversation with Microsoft’s CIO Ron Markezich: SecurityScorecards Provide a Foundation for Business Performance Management at MicrosoftEmpowering Users with Self-Service Identity and Access Management Solutions: An Overview of Easy IDMessaging Hygiene at Microsoft: How Microsoft IT Defends Against Spam, Viruses, and E-Mail AttacksInfrastructure Management at MicrosoftIntroduction to Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) FundamentalsGovernance: A Conversation with Microsoft CIO Ron Markezich
Achieving Regulatory Compliance Through Operational ExcellenceBetter IT Management Through IT GovernanceOverview of the Regulatory Compliance Planning Guide for IT Managers
The Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows EnvironmentThe Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows EnvironmentMOF Continuous Improvement RoadmapMicrosoft Operations Framework Self-Assessment Tool 2.0Mapping International Security Standards to MOFIT Business Alignment:
Implementing Visual Studio Team System in the Microsoft OEM Division's IT Center of ExcellenceUsing ASP.NET 2.0 to Streamline Web Application DevelopmentIT Change and ConfigurationMobile Messaging at Microsoft: Improving Security, Manageability, and User Experience
How to Align IT with Business GoalsHow to Harness the Value and Benefits of an Integrated IT Platform
The Financial Impact of Operational Process Improvements within a Microsoft Windows Environment
Doing Business with Microsoft:
Volume ActivationWindows Vista EnterpriseManage Your Volume Licenses
It's there Office 2007 bits have been Released to Manufacturing (RTM). They are the first and Windows Vista will soon follow. This release is such a major change for the office product line and not only for the UI interface but also for the server products. For me Office 2007 rocks.
Check out the official press release: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/nov06/11-062007OfficeRTMPR.mspx
We are @ T-7 days and everybody is working really hard to make this event a success. As of today we already have more than 6000 subscriptions which is great. Meanwhile we had our first dry run sessions and I planned the second one next week. Wednesday evening we will have the third and final dry-run @ the event location.
It will be an exciting day with lot's of sessions and lot's of information about the work we and our partners are doing come and see it for yourself. We will close the day with a keynote from Bill Gates.
Now everybody is busy preparing (finalizing) their machines for the sessions and like I already promised the three first sessions of Track 4 will contain many demo's and I know there are really cool demo's in the Unified communications session.
Hope to see you there. Register @ www.readyforanewday.be
Last week I started playing around with "Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003" (CCS) and for that I received 4 brand new machines (on loan :( ). The servers I received are Dual QUAD Core CPU's monsters. The hardware used has not yet been announced (officially) and we will show them to you at the HPC booth during the Business Innovation day.
In this post I will explain how we installed the compute cluster server in another post later this week I will link to a screencast that I will record showing you how fast these QUAD Core machines really are.
First things first. We started the CCS installation with the Windows CCS 2003 install. Wich is basically a Windows Server install. We did this for the 4 servers (nodes). The second step was to create an Active Directory domain which we called HPC.LOCAL (what a creativity). Once the DNS server and AD DC were running we could finally start with the Compute Cluster Pack installation.
During the setup of the first node we need to create the Cluster configuration. So select the create a new node and check the "Use this Node as head node". This server will then be responsible for the cluster.
Select the location where you want to install the Cluster Pack files and click next to go on with the next step.
After the installation of the pre-requisite components, like .NET framework 2.0, MMC 3.0 and SQL MSDE 2000 you can go on and start the the installation of the cluster software.
Once the cluster software has been installed we need to configure the Compute Cluster and the first step is creating the Network topology. For this demo purposes we selected the public network scenario where all nodes are connected onto the same public network. The only pitfall (for us) is that when selecting public network you cannot using the RIS technology to deploy the other nodes of the cluster.
You could also select from 4 other different scenarios like head node connected onto the public and private network and the other nodes only connected to the private network. See the screenshot left.
Any scenario has his advantages and disadvantages go ahead and look into the help file to see which scenario will suit you best.
If you select the same scenario as we did you should enable ICS to make sure that you can easily update your other nodes.
Once the network has been installed we go on and install the Compute Cluster pack onto the three other nodes of our cluster.
Because we don't use RIS we have only one choice to deploy the other nodes. We deployed the Compute Cluster software and management tools to every node of our cluster.
Now we have the cluster up and running with 4 nodes and 32 CPU's available for the HPC tasks.
We are using an Excel demo to show how fast this cluster is, there is only one pitfall in this demo. Which one ? Well our cluster is way to fast, when we send the 200 different tasks to the cluster it only takes about 15 sec to finish them all.
Here is a screenshot of the task manager off all 4 nodes executing the 200 tasks we assigned with the Excel demo. One remark we have 8 CPU's per box but only two physical per box because we have 4 Cores onto each CPU.
As you can see we opened 4 Remote Desktop session to the 4 nodes of the cluster and started the Task manager. We then sent the 200 tasks and the 32 proc's of the cluster executes the tasks.