I've been doing a lot of work locally with IT Professionals around their evaluations of Windows Server 2008. Apart from the odd grumble due to it still being at a release candidate stage, all the feedback has been positive.
I'm going to start posting some of my IT Pro's feedback - just so you can share the warm feeling I have for the up and coming release of Windows Server 2008.
Adrian O'Connor from the Irish Citizens Information Board has been evaluating Windows Server 2008 (amongst other things) for the last couple of months. Although he only has one server running in production at the moment:
"At the moment we only have one actual 2008 RC0 server up and running, we are using it to test SharePoint 2007 and IIS 7. So far though I quite like it, I just find it really easy to use."
he has great plans for the future:
"With Server 2008 I really love the branch office read-only domain controller idea, as like most small – medium companies our DC’s are also used as file & print servers so people have far too much access to them".
I'll post more Thoughts from the field soon.
Dave.
I'm still stumbling across useful stuff in my inbox. This Solution Accelerator provides you with best practices and automated tools to help strengthen the security of computers running the 2007 Office release on Windows Vista and XP SP2.
The 2007 Microsoft Office Security Guide consists of the following components:
Executive Overview.
Security Guide.
Threats and Countermeasures.
Security Settings spreadsheet.
GPOAccelerator.
Enjoy,
Dave
I came across this today (Springboard).
Looks like it's pretty much everything you'll ever need to get your Windows Vista deployment project kick-started. Everything from why you'd want to move to Windows Vista in the first place, through overcoming your application compatibility issues, all the way to exactly how to deploy it.
I've been out of the office for the last couple of weeks - and haven't had the time to either keep up to date or blog. Now I have time to do both.
I just stumbled across this great resource and had to share it (purely because I didn't know it existed and it will save you loads of searching for stuff - it's all here).
The Microsoft TechNet Evaluation Center is a one stop shop for everything to do with product evaluations.
Please excuse the blatant cut & paste - but it's worth it.
Trial Software
The Trial Software program offers free, time-limited trial versions of Microsoft software that you can order or download, as well as overviews of each trial.
Beta Central
The Beta Central Experience is the new testing and information platform for IT Professionals like you. Register now to receive TechNet Beta Central resources and helpful tools as soon they become available.
Virtual Labs
Virtual Labs help you to quickly evaluate and test, in a hands-on environment, some of the newest server products and technologies from Microsoft. Virtual Labs can be completed in 90 minutes or less and are accessible online immediately, for free.
Virtual Hard Disk
The TechNet Virtual Software experience gives you full access to a number of server products on a pre-configured virtual machine. Virtual Software is hosted by Microsoft in a fully functional Windows Server environment. Download the application of your choice and start evaluating the software for your environment immediately, for free.
The 'normal' behavior inside Microsoft is for a product to start with a really cool code name (e.g. Longhorn), that gets replaced with a pretty boring, mundane product name (e.g. Windows Server 2008). Last week all that went out of the Windows (no pun intended) - Viridian, which became Windows Server Virtualisation became Hyper-V.
It seems that we now go from code name, to product name, to 'Marketing Name'.
With that in mind, what should we call all of these other roles in Windows Server 2008?
I kind of like Active-D. All suggestions taken lightly..
I'm going to be giving a short talk on IIS7 in Windows Server 2008 tomorrow (Friday 2nd November) afternoon (14:00 for an hour) in the Radisson hotel in Galway for the Galway Area Microsoft Technology Users Group.
Event details here. Come along if your able to.