In today's TechNet Radio show, Wally Mead and I wrap-up our “What’s New” in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 series with discussing what’s new in Endpoint Protection. Tune in to this demo-heavy session and we’ll walk through how to install Endpoint Protection during a specific maintenance window, how to find all clients infected with malware and how to take immediate action and update antimalware definitions quicker and easier than before.
Wow! There was a ton of interest yesterday at the CincyPowerShell User Group on automating the provisioning and management of Virtual Machines in the cloud using PowerShell and the new Windows Azure PowerShell Module! In this article, I’ve provided a copy of my presentation deck, session notes and a link for downloading the PowerShell snippets I demonstrated.
Hope you enjoy!
Big data is everywhere, and the cloud is no different! Windows Server 2012 can leverage the new Storage Spaces feature and integrated iSCSI Target Server role to provide SAN-like storage capabilities when presenting storage to other servers. When studying these features in Windows Server 2012, we can provide a functional shared storage lab environment using virtual machines in the cloud. This article includes the detailed instructions for configuring this scenario on the Windows Azure cloud platform.
Lab Scenario: Adding Windows Server 2012 Storage Server
We are excited to announce the launch of the Cloud OS Trivia Challenge for IT Pros in the US!
In just a few minutes, you can learn some unique trivia facts about our latest infrastructure offerings to impress your colleagues and be entered into a chance to win some fantastic prizes, including:
Find out the details on how to PLAY TO WIN ...
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll be working through the approach of adding a new Windows Server 2012 Replica Domain Controller to the Windows Server Active Directory Forest built in the prior Step-by-Step guide referenced above. When complete, the cloud-based lab environment will resemble the below diagram with two Active Directory DCs.
Lab Scenario: Active Directory DCs on Windows Azure
In today's TechNet Radio show, we're discussing the new features in PC and mobile device management in the new wave of our cloud-based management solution: Windows Intune.
We'll be chatting with Mark Williams, Senior Program Manager on the Windows Intune team, as we cover the following new capabilities …
Tune-in to hear more about the latest release of Windows Intune and System Center 2012 ...
Extending an on-premise Windows Server Active Directory ( AD ) infrastructure into the cloud is an important topic to consider when planning the migration or implementation of cloud-based applications. Many existing applications require Active Directory for authentication and identity management. When migrating applications to the cloud, having a locally accessible Active Directory is an important factor to ensuring that AD authentication is fast and reliable.
In this article, we’ll be stepping through the components involved with extending an on-premise Active Directory infrastructure into the Cloud using Windows Server Active Directory on Windows Azure VMs.
Often times, applications that we’re deploying to the cloud may expect Windows Server Active Directory to be present for authentication and identity management. With Windows Azure Virtual Machines and Virtual Networks, we can deploy Windows Server Active Directory on the Windows Azure cloud platform to support these security needs. Best of all, you can test and pilot this scenario for FREE by using our Windows Azure 90-Day Free Trial program.
In this article, we’ll be working through the steps involved with provisioning a new Windows Server 2012 Active Directory Forest in the Cloud with Windows Azure Virtual Machines and Virtual Networks ...
In previous articles in our 31 Days of Servers in the Cloud series, we’ve stepped through the process of building out various lab environments in the cloud, such as Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012, SharePoint 2013, Windows 8 App Dev and even Linux, on the Windows Azure cloud platform.
Note: If you’ve missed some of the articles in this series, you can catch up with the entire series at 31 Days of Servers in the Cloud – Getting Started.
As you begin provisioning these virtual machine environments, I’ve received a number inquiries from IT Pros on how to create your own template VMs with Windows Azure so that you can quickly deploy, de-provision and re-provision custom lab environments on-the-fly. In this article, I’ll step through this process for both Windows Server VMs and Linux VMs by using Windows Azure and PowerShell together ...
In today's TechNet Radio show, I'm back again for another episode in our System Center 2012 ConfigMgr SP1 series with Wally Mead, Senior Program Manager from the System Center Client Management team and all-around ConfigMgr Guru. Tune in as we discuss how to upgrade to Service Pack 1 of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.
In this episode, we'll be covering ...
Recently, I spoke at the local Professional Association for SQL Server (SQLPASS) user group in Northern Ohio on the topic of virtualizing SQL Server with Windows Server 2012 & Hyper-V. It was a well-attended event with lots of interest in how best to take advantage of the new features in Windows Server 2012 for SQL Server database instance workloads. Below, I've provided a copy of my deck along with key discussion points. I've also included additional resources that I've found helpful when virtualizing SQL Server at the end of this article.
Developing Windows 8 Apps for the Windows Store offers an unprecedented opportunity for developers and partners! As reported earlier this month on Blogging Windows, more than 60 Million Windows 8 licenses have been sold and over 1,700 certified systems are available from our OEM partners for Windows 8 and Windows RT, which fuels eager demand by consumers and professionals alike for new Windows 8 Apps.
Do you have a great idea for a new Windows 8 App, but don’t yet have hardware for running Windows 8 and the associated development tools? In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of building your Windows 8 application development lab in the cloud for FREE by leveraging our Windows Azure FREE 90-Day Trial Offer ...
This week, we’re joined by Jeff Roach, Senior Infrastructure Architect at Wright Robbins, Inc. As an experienced IT Pro, Jeff recently moved to a Microsoft Surface device as his primary work device. Check-in below with Jeff as he describes his journey …
Congratulations to the Windows Server 2012 “Early Experts” who were each awarded one of twelve certification exam voucher packs for the MCSA on Windows Server 2012 certification track in our “Early Experts” Challenge December Sweepstakes contest!
The Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering supports running Windows virtual machines and Linux virtual machines in the Cloud. In this article, I provide step-by-step guidance for running a new Linux virtual machine in the cloud using our Windows Azure platform ...
With Windows Azure, you can easily deploy and run Windows Server and Linux virtual machines on your own virtual network in the cloud. These capabilities can be really useful for several scenarios, such as: building virtual lab environments, piloting new software in the cloud, deploying hybrid IT applications that connect on-premises datacenter workloads with cloud-based VM’s … and MORE!
With the FREE online training below, you’ll learn how to leverage these capabilities for your network environment with hands-on step-by-step guidance …
SharePoint Server 2013 can help you achieve new levels of reliability and performance, delivering features and capabilities that simplify administration, protect communications and information, and empower users while meeting their demands for greater business mobility.
This presentation covers the following topics that are important to IT Pros that are evaluating SharePoint Server 2013 and planning an upgrade strategy:
Our Windows Azure cloud platform provides both Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) features for migrating and running virtual machines in the cloud and Platform as a Service (PaaS) features for developing new cloud-based applications. Together, these capabilities can be used by IT Pros and Developers working together to build interesting hybrid application solutions that involve both virtual machines and custom code running in the cloud.
In this article, I've include a link to a session deck that I recently delivered on this topic and also a link to a Hands On Lab where you can step through this process for yourself ...
One of the specific features that is a frequent topic of conversation at IT Pro events relates to supporting Active Directory on Windows Azure. Active Directory is certainly an important infrastructural component of Windows networking shops, and is equally important to plan for when considering applications in the cloud.
The Windows Azure cloud platform provides two different options for running Active Directory services in the Cloud: (1) Windows Azure Active Directory and (2) Windows Server Active Directory on Windows Azure VMs. In this article, I’ll describe the scenarios and considerations for using each option and provide additional resources for further exploration.
I came across this cool Infographic on the breadth of Microsoft Technologies, and I thought you may like to leverage it in your own blogs, websites and offices. You can also download a hi-res PDF version of it ...
Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings provide IT Pros with the ability to quickly and easily provision new Virtual Machines ( VMs running both Windows and Linux ) and Virtual Networks in the cloud. I’ve found that these capabilities can be really useful for a number of scenarios, including:
This month, my fellow IT Pro Technical Evangelists and I are collaborating on a new 31 Days of Servers in the Cloud article series that will demonstrate ways in which IT Pros can easily begin leveraging these new Windows Azure IaaS offerings. As we step through this series together, you’ll have an opportunity to follow along with your own Windows Azure trial account.
In this article, I’ll provide the steps that you’ll want to complete so that you can follow along with the series …
In today's TechNet Radio show, I'm back again for another episode in our System Center 2012 ConfigMgr SP1 series with Wally Mead, Senior Program Manager from the System Center Client Management team and all-around ConfigMgr Guru. Tune in as we discuss new support for App-V 5 virtual applications and virtual environments.
*** UPDATE: This FREE eBook Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Step-by-Step for Anyone has been updated to RTM and is now available for download at the URL below ...
Matt Landis, Microsoft Lync Server MVP, has compiled a series of great step-by-step articles on Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Preview into a FREE 90-page eBook titled Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Step-by-Step for Anyone. If you've previously downloaded earlier releases of this eBook, Matt has now released an updated Rev 5, so I strongly recommend downloading this tremendous resource again. This eBook demystifies the installation and configuration process for Lync Server 2013 for standard and enterprise features, and includes topics on ...
With the many of us being out for the holidays over the past few weeks, I wanted to make sure that you didn't miss this important Live Meeting update for Windows 8 and Office 2013. If you regularly use Live Meeting for webcasts, you'll want to make sure you apply these updates if you're running Windows 8, as they address important fixes to resolve screen update issues when sharing desktops from within a Live Meeting session ...
In this step-by-step guide, you will learn how to deploy and support a common two-tier web application architecture using Windows Server 2012 web servers and SQL Server 2012 database servers hosted in Windows Azure in a load-balanced configuration ...