Deploying the infrastructure for a private cloud is just the first step. In today’s episode Sr. IT Pro Evangelist, John Baker previews for us the “Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring” Virtual lab. Learn how you can use System Center 2012 Operations Manager and Virtual Machine Manager...

In today’s episode John Baker preview the “Building a Service Template” Virtual lab. Learn how you can use System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 to delegate private cloud access to users and admins, as well as how to create a new private cloud, virtual machines and service templates all before deploying...

In this episode John Baker previews the “Building Your Cloud Infrastructure” Virtual lab. Learn how you can use System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 to streamline network and storage resources that are allocated to virtual machines as well as how to create new Hyper-V hosts and host clusters. TechNet...

Everything You Wanted to Know and Ask about Windows Deployment (Part 1) Download: WMV | WMA In this demonstration-rich, question and answer webcast, Windows Product Manager Stephen Rose moderates an open conversation with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Product Manager Michael Niehaus and deployment guru...

Do you use System Center?  Want to learn from peers that do that also?  Well Chad Till from Dell has started a new User Group. DFW SMUG https://sites.google.com/site/dfwsmug/home   The first meeting is this Friday May 25th at Catapult Systems.  I plan to be there. We will review MMS...

We are about to kick off a new Webcast series on System Center 2012. Below is all the registration information. I will also have a post with the recordings.   5/29/2012 11:00:00 AM - Bare Metal to Private Cloud (Part 1 of 8): Beginning with the End in Mind http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9809577...

This is cool. Microsoft is willing to PAY you to try some software and learn some stuff. And you could also win a very slick laptop in the process. “Huh? Seriously?” Well.. in a sense. We’re announcing today an opportunity for a limited (roughly 5,000) number of people to get a $20 coupon for the Microsoft...

The System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SDK provides information applicable to administrators who want to automate Configuration Manager through script and to developers adding features and extensions to base Configuration Manager functionality. This Configuration Manager SDK Prerelease contains...

I had two sessions at this year’s Microsoft Management Summit (MMS 2012).   On this post I will include the PowerPoints for the decks I used. Also I will update this post when the sessions become live on http://mms-2012.com   They were recorded and I understand they will be made public...

This week Microsoft announced some major changes in our certification program.  Why? Well with the Cloud taking off, it’s time for an update. MCSE is now Microsoft Certified Solution Expert.  If you remember 20 years ago, here in Texas we had problems using MCSE, because then “e” was Engineer...

About This Video In this episode, Tom Shinder and Yuri Diogenes interviewed John Weston, IT PRO Evangelist at Microsoft. During this interview John Weston talked about Private Cloud using System Center 2012. John presented the value proposition of System Center 2012 and explained how System Center can...

We need you to try some software. ALL are 180 evaluations or Release Candidates.  Enjoy! CARE: System Center 2012 Suite CARE: System Center 2012 Suite (INCENTIVE PROGRAM) 20 bucks!! CARE: Deploying and Managing Windows Azure Applications CARE: Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 CARE: Hyper-V Server...

System Center Advisor has Launched! Today’s IT professionals spend an enormous amount of time and effort addressing problems related to incorrectly configured servers. To help combat this challenge, Microsoft is pleased to announce the general availability of System Center Advisor (formerly Microsoft...

Learn firsthand how Microsoft management solutions can empower you in your cloud computing journey and help you manage a wide range of different devices in your organization. Brad Anderson, Corporate Vice President of the Management and Security Division at Microsoft, returns to keynote both days at...

About This Video Microsoft MVP Sai Kev is with us for today’s Community Corner and in this episode we talk about the business and technical benefits you should consider when thinking about Hyper-V and System Center 2012. Tune in they cover their unique value and how they complement each other as well...

About This Video Microsoft System Center MVP, James Bannan joins us in today’s Community Corner as we discuss all things System Center 2012 Configuration Manager. Tune in as we cover some of its latest features as well as some best practices for establishing your private cloud infrastructure. Download...

About This Video In today’s Community Corner, Microsoft System Center MVP Islam Gomaa joins us for today’s show as he discusses with us System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager. Tune in as he covers some of its highlights and best features as well as why IT Pros should consider this an important part...

My co-worker Chris Avis   just did a blog post about how to clean up your boot loader.  In the West IT camps they are passing out a VHD file that people can use to test the new features of Private Cloud.  It is easy to use bcdedit to add an option to boot to a vhd file. But undoing this...

To successfully face the IT challenges of today and tomorrow, we know we need to understand the cloud. However with so much fluff it is hard to decipher what is important. Get your questions answered by the Cloud Experts! You will learn where to spend your time learning and what tools you should have...

http://www.technet.com has so many great Tech Centers. Check out this one for System Center http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh751290.aspx One of the newest parts of System Center 2012 is the Unified Installer, so I thought I would share the documentation here: Updated: January 17, 2012 Applies...

In this article, we will help you set up your Windows Intune environment so that you can manage and secure enrolled PCs through the web-based administration console. The second tutorial will help you install the client software on PCs you will manage and configure groups to help organize the computers...

I will be speaking at this conference March 27th in Dallas. Because I am a speaker, you get 25% off, use code “MicroDal-25” when you register. Look for my sessions on Private Cloud and Hybrid Cloud. Choose from Cloud and SharePoint Sessions: · Cloud o Cloud Overview & Roadmaps...

Our next set of IT Pro events (“ IT Camps ”) in the US Central Region have been scheduled and are now officially open for registration! The events are free, go from 9:00am to 3:00pm , and include some light breakfast and lunch. But most importantly, they are full of new and useful information...

I am updating/reposting this. We just got new links to the System Center 2012 Release Candidates. · System Center 2012 Beta all in one download Cloud – Care: System Center 2012 Suite Download page I get asked all of the time, hey where is that or that software. We are always coming out with...

Good morning, all. I interrupt the normal cadence of this blog to bring to you just a little bit of bragging. And a challenge. “Oh great.. what did you do now, John?” This past week I was in Seattle, Washington, attending Microsoft’s bi-annual internal technical training event, “TechReady”...